Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter books, everything from them is J.K. Rowling's brilliant work, not mine. I did create Alix and the plot however.

Author's Note – There are over a zillion fan-fics on fanfic.net. I haven't had the time to read all of them yet. So if there is similarities between other fics and my story, it is coincidental.

Finally! ff.net let me upload! YaY!

Oh, if anyone is interested in being a beta for this story, email me at rockit99@cox.net. My other friend said she'd do it, but I haven't heard from her in a while, so I don't know if she's still willing to do it. All I would need you to do is to check for grammar and spelling mistakes I might have missed and maybe help me with some plot ideas.

Resources and references:

* - Taken from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerers' Stone. I liked her descriptions of the doors.

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Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death.
~ Harold Wilson
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The Keystone

The Dragon's Lair

Alix stood outside the door hesitating, hand raised to knock. She had been left with a piteous look and the words "you are a very brave soul, very brave indeed" before her guide fled. Now she wasn't sure if she was about to enter a classroom or a dragon's lair.

She glanced at her watch. It read two fifty five. She wondered if her professor was one of those people who thinks you're late if you're on time and you're on time if you're five minutes early… Probably… She sighed, wishing she had more of the day to roam the castle.

Most of her morning was spent getting lost and trying to find her way back to something familiar. Nevertheless, Alix somehow managed to have a vague idea of where everything was. She quickly found out that *many of the doors wouldn't open unless asked politely, tickled them in exactly the right place and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.

But many of the doors that were so hard to get open had the most interesting things inside. There was a little room behind a painting of a black unicorn. It was painted a midnight blue and with little shimmering silver dots. After pondering for a moment, she realized the dots represented constellations. Investigating further, Alix discovered that there was a hidden door with a steep, winding staircase. It led up to a tall tower where she got the most amazing view of the grounds.

But the room that she was most eager to get back to was the ballroom. She had stumbled across it when she had leaned against the wall after a strenuous run up the stairs, fleeing from a nasty poltergeist that had pelted her with chalk. There wasn't really a door, but a curtain that blended perfectly with the real wall.

She had landed hard on her bottom. It took her a moment to notice the room she was in because she was checking to see if her tailbone was broken

When Alix looked up, her eyes had widened in awe. The huge ballroom was a gold color with tall columns. There was a magnificent balcony up to the second floor. Sunlight streamed in from a skylight and reflected off the polished wooden floor.

To her delight, Alix saw that there were instruments lining the walls, from a beautiful grand piano to more modern instruments to an assortment of things she didn't even know how to play. She started towards them, but something beeped.

Alix looked around, but there was nothing. Maybe she was just hearing things. Beep! Beep! Beep! Or maybe she wasn't. Something was definitely beeping. Realizing it was her watch, Alix suddenly remembered why she set it. Her first lesson with tall, dark, and evil.

Well, she wasn't so sure about the evil part. But Alix had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't exactly pleasant either. She sighed and looked wistfully at the piano. She'd come back later.

Alix stepped out of the room, taking careful note of where it was located. It dawned on her that tall, dark and evil never mentioned where his office was. She had heard some paintings gossiping about things that happened down in the potions lab. So she guessed that it was on a lower level. A streak of gray in a painting interrupted her musings.

It skidded to a stop and something on its back flew off. Alix now saw that it was a fat, dapple gray pony and the thing that flew off was its rider. The rider scrambled up from the ground. He was short and wearing a suit of armor. The little knight attempted to grab his mount's reins, but the pony ambled away.

Alix giggled and the little knight spun angrily around. She quickly muffled the sound with her hand.

"Halt! Who dares jest about the brave Sir Cadagon? And who dares trespass in his territory? Why, I'll show you-"

Sir Cadagon tried to tug his sword out of his scabbard, but it was stuck. He finally gave up and raised his fists.

"Why, I'll show you, you scurvy dog! Draw your weap-"

The gray pony came plodding back onto the scene, munching on the grass. Sir Cadagon paused, watching the pony with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, he dived in an attempt to retrieve his steed. The pony nonchalantly pivoted and the knight hit the ground face first. A snort escaped Alix's tightly pursed lips.

"I was just wondering if you knew how to get to Professor Snape's office."

She called. The knight sprung up and abruptly tripped. He got up more carefully and exclaimed.

"A quest? Why didn't milady say so? But surely you must not mean the dungeons? Dark evil lurks there."

Alix raised an eyebrow and hoped that Sir Cadagon was exaggerating. After convincing him that she really did want to go to the dungeons, he attempted to catch his pony again, failed and took off on foot.

Alix did her best to follow him, but this proved difficult because he kept flitting in and out of portraits. She could catch glimpses of him running in pictures ahead. She decided it was just easier to follow the clanking of his armor.

They ran down steep staircases and through narrow corridors. The air suddenly seemed quite cold and Alix shivered. The clanking stopped and Sir Cadagon called from a painting next to a door.

"This is where I leave you, milady. If you ever find yourself in distress, call upon Sir Cadagon. Farewell!"

The knight looked at the door and visibly shuddered.

"You are a brave soul, very brave indeed."

And he departed hastily. Alix stared at the door. She knew she shouldn't stall. Gathering her wits and taking a deep breath, she raised a hand to knock, but the door swung open. Alix was now staring at a wall of black robes. She tremulously raised her eyes and once again they were ensnared in cold black ones.

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YaY! Another chapter done!

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