Please, please please please forgive me for not updating! I absolutely promise that I meant to get this chapter up in the week I published my last chapter. The reason is that I my file wasn't saved about 5 times and each time I have to re write everything all over again! Never mind, finally finished this chapter for real.
Everything is still normal, the disclaimer and all the other stuff e.t.c.
It was nearly midnight, and the moon shined brightly in the castle that rays of silvery light were reflected on the corridors. The third door corridor, however, had almost no light anywhere in it's corridor and was pitch dark except for a very tiny speck of light in a dark, shadowy corner of the room. But this wasn't light from the moon. No, this was a smaller light, that seemed to come from a wand, who's owner was quietly hidden under an invisibility charm. The man in the shadow of the corridor wore a long, black billowing cloak that looked continuously like someone was blowing up a balloon. Black, greasy hair framed sallow, waxy skin that one would never imagine on such a face. This man was Severus Snape.
Severus Snape stood in a shadowy corner, watching the silent third door corridor. He was here on Dumbledore's orders. No, a whim of Dumbledore's. The potions master didn't fathom how Dumbledore had thought this, how he had thought that someone was going after the stone, and that they would be making an attempt on the stone, and that his old master was involved. And Dumbledore had asked he, he, Severus Shape to keep watch over the corridor at night. Snape thought this was a very, very bad idea, but had learned to wisely keep his mouth shut about orders from the headmaster. Like when he was ordered to get the Potter brat to school. Snape sighed, and looked around, casting a detection charm that would enable him to know if anyone was in his vicinity in case anyone would creep up on him.
Snape thought that the Headmaster's idea was rather not necessary in his point of view.
First, he thought that no one was even after the stone, let alone the dark lord. Dumbledore's theory of Potter's jinxed broom at that Quidditch match made no sense in his opinion, some of his Slytherins in his house must have just pranked his broom for a joke when he wasn't noticing and it was useless to see who had done it. Though, he suspected that Draco must have had a hand in it. If he was going to murder Potter he would simply capture him, kill him on the spot and dispose of him on the spot. When he had told Dumbledore this, Dumbledore had simply said that anything was possible and told him to keep a watch on Potter. When he had asked Dumbledore for at least a shred of proof, he had shrugged and said that Voldemort probably wasn't in Albania anymore. He refused to say anymore on the subject and he thought that either the Headmaster didn't know himself or he just didn't want to tell him or thought him rather untrustworthy. Snape suspected the middle one.
So, he had kept his eyes out for gossip or rumours about Potter. Despite what the old Headmaster had said, there was no chance was he, the enemy of Potter's father, going to be stalking the son of the marauder's to 'watch out' for him. He would not sink below this level. After all, what Dumbledore didn't know couldn't hurt him. Nothing of interest had happened, except today. Snape had heard a very quiet rumour that seemed to come from Malfoy, about how Potter was all somehow involved in a dragon. Many people at Slytherin seemed rather sceptical, but Snape thought that Draco might be right. Draco was wearing a rather triumphant look about him. He could certainly imagine Potter being involved with a dragon, with catching him suspiciously at the third door corridor. He had given his warning to Potter, but it was more than clear he obviously hadn't taken it. And Potter certainly didn't care for rules at all, one would think from his strutting that he put himself above such rules, which he probably did anyway. He had no chance to investigate this rumour though, for Quirrell's resignation had caused quite a stir and Potter and the supposed dragon was quite out of his mind until now.
Secondly, if someone was after the Philosopher's Stone, and even the dark lord was involved he didn't think he was the man for the job. He had a feeling that if he somehow bumped into the dark lord, he wouldn't be on the best of terms. He imagined the dark lord would be rather displeased with him. And how was he, he, Severus Snape supposed to stop one of the greatest dark lord in history, supposed to stop Lord Voldemort from stealing the Philosopher's Stone? How was he supposed to defend himself against one of the most powerfully magical men in history? How was he supposed to fight Lord Voldemort when Albus Dumbledore , Lord Voldemort's greatest rival when Dumbeldore himself couldn't out fight the dark lord? Dumbledore couldn't possibly leave him undefended, he wouldn't do that. Or would he... Maybe he didn't know Albus Dumbledore as well as he thought. Even so, the dark lord rarely got what he had wanted. He repressed a shiver. He all too well knew the dark lord's power.
So he stood there for who's knows what time, waiting for what seemed like a lifetime for the intruder that never came. Occasionally, he muttered a detection spell, a time checking spell called 'Tempus' and become more and more frustrated in every minute. Damn Dumbledore, he thought. Now he would have to wait and he was more and more certain that there was no intruder at all. He was beginning to grow tired and sleepy, but he couldn't go back from his post. Dumbledore would certainly kill him if he missed the intruder while snoozing.
On and on time went as second came and went and just as Severus Snape was beginning to feel very, very sleepy and was about to nod off, a curious thought occurred him. A thought that concerned the stone and a certain mirror. Then a brainwave took him and he stood up suddenly, glanced about him. The corridor was empty and still as ever. He crept down the corridor and out of sight. A few minutes later, a dark figure hooded crept forwards, opened the forbidden door, and shut it with a quiet click. A owl hooted somewhere in the grounds. It was one past twelve.
Fred and George Weasley were standing in the Gryffindor Common Room, standing right in front of the entrance, a fat women dressed in pink called ' the fat lady' . The common room was completely empty besides Fred and George and a merry fire crackled continuously. In the firelight, the fiery red hair was, if possible, looked even brighter red than ever that one would think it was on fire. George was clutching a certain map in his hands.
"Ah no," exclaimed Fred, "we can't get out. She's fallen asleep! Try and wake her George."
"Sure," said George cheerfully and he drew his wand. He poked at the portrait.
No answer. Poke. No answer. Poke. No answer. Poke. No answer. Poke. No answer. Poke. And then...
"Alright alright, stop poking at me. I'm awake now!" A very grumpy voice issued from the lady as she moved to life.
"Great," said Fred cheerfully. "Can you let us out then?" The fat lady grumbled and shifted the portrait open.
"Thanks!" said George.
"Oh, I should be reporting you you know," said the fat lady, still rather grumpy.
"Oh but we have our sources," said George winking. "Like when you and that portrait Violet-"
"Oh alright," said the fat lady. "You win. Now let me sleep!"
And they quickly stepped outside, the fat lady snoozing off again.
Fred and George Weasley were going to pull a brilliant prank. They had decided to prank every single corridor with a spell. That spell would activate another charm, one that would hit you without noticing. That charm would be delayed, until exactly 1 minute later you would start singing an embarrassing tune. They were very proud of themselves for managing this spell indeed, it was a very hard bit of spell work but they managed to pull it off. Despite what the teachers said about their schoolwork , they were pretty skilled.
"Activate the map George," said Fred.
"Ok," said George. He pulled out his wand while lit and spoke a few words. Like a spider spinning a word ink seeped through as though an invisible hand was writing on it. It seemed like magic, which it was anyway. Fred and George had found it when they had sneaked into Filch's office. They had stolen it away to try and find out what it did. After all , Filch didn't keep blank pieces of parchment in a confiscated drawer. It took sometime to actually find how to work it, but it was worth the wait. It was one pf their most useful tools in pranking. This map showed an exact copy of the Hogwarts corridor, alongside with secret passageways. It also enables themselves to see who was in there. Fred and George mentally thanked the person who had invented this. All they knew about them, were that their nicknames were Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs.
They came to the end of the corridor.
"Ok, here's the plan," said Fred. "You take the north and west. I take the opposite. Oh and you can take the map." They nodded solemnly and set off. They carried on their jobs, without hindrance at all. When George reached the third door corridor, he pranked the charms classroom and the whole floor. He didn't know that several feet below him, a man stood.
They finished their jobs and congratulated themselves. They went to bed, thinking of the whole school reactions.
Harry, Terry and Hermione meanwhile were busily preparing for their fight to the stone. They had researched spells and enchantments they thought they were most likely to be met. They had also guessed that the teachers must have put some protection on it and Professor Dumbledore. They didn't know what Dumbledore might have put for protection, but they could hazard a guess to the other teachers. Sprout would likely have some sort of dangerous plant. Snape, some sort of poisonous potion, McGonagall, a dangerous transfigured object they had to fight. Flitwick, something to do with charms. Now Fulffy. Hermione had helpfully remembered something about a Cerberus in Greek mythology. She had also brought some muggle books with her, so they looked it up. It said the only way to get past them was to play a tune. Harry supposed they had to assume they were the same with their magical. They planned to whistle a tune. They didn't know what to do if an other teacher out their protection though... they were still first years after all... who who believe them? So they had decided to go with the stone. Terry, who had grown up with magical parents, had said his parents knew what the war was like. This was why, therefore, they were poring over books. They received a few funny looks their way, but ignored it.
Now they had to plan when to go. Unfortunately, the common room was very crowded tonight as some Ravenclaws were selling butterbeers. Finally though about 01:30 did the common room clear, except for themselves.
"Right," said Harry, excited. "Ready to go?" They left the Common Room under the invisibility cloak, embarking on what they believed, a fight to the Philosopher's Stone with Quirrell.
The plot thickens... or it seems. So sorry, but expect longer waiting times for chapters... I have a lot of workload on me now, sorry. Well then, hopefully see you in the next chapter. Oh and don't forget to like and review! Thank you.