A/N: So. One more to go. Y'all still with me, there? In this installment, we venture up to the out-of-bounds corridor for one explosive encounter… just, not the one Harry's expecting.

Chapter 16: The Third Floor Corridor

Harry started to have nightmares, once Hermione found the dampening charm in the Defense textbook she sneaked from Percy's satchel. The first came just as the snow was beginning to melt, and after a particularly bad session of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry forgot to check the calender before class, and showed up only to realize that the full moon had been the night before. He hadn't fainted - thank goodness, since Malfoy had taken to taunting Harry with his perceived weakness after their detention-causing run in. Instead, he spent class with his book propped open, a sort of shield against whatever Dark vibes Professor Quirrell was sending at him.

He fell asleep in History of Magic, and dreamed that he was stalking the corridors of Hogwarts - walking backward. It was the strangest sensation he could remember feeling, as though he were propped on someone's shoulders and was unable to control his direction. He was blind, too, his eyes blindfolded by swaths of cloth that gagged him when he tried to speak.

All of the nightmares shared those characteristics: being blindfolded and gagged while walking backward. The other details changed, however. Sometimes, he wandered the length of the Great Hall and stared up at the starry, enchanted ceiling. On other nights, he ended up in the Owlery. Behind him, someone sent letters, but Harry couldn't turn around to see who it was. Sometimes, he found himself pacing the out of bounds corridor on the third floor, always stopping before Fluffy's locked room. And, in the most frightening dream of all, he crept through the underbrush deep in the Forbidden Forest. Out of the corner of his vision, he caught a glimpse of a gleaming unicorn, always cantoring just out of sight before he could truly see it.

The dampening spell improved, but slowly. It was nearly an O.W.L. level spell, as Hermione pointed out almost every time they sat down to practice. "We should be proud that we can dampen as much sound as we have," she always said.

However, half-silence wouldn't be enough to creep past a magical beast. Harry only hoped that Professor Lupin's choice of warding animal (if his protective choice was an animal at all) was unable to detect magical use.

Hermione and Ron, meanwhile, mastered the chameleon charm with little practice. For Neville, it was much more difficult. He'd taken to creeping around the halls just before curfew, to see if the prefects could spot him and send him to bed.

In mid-March, Hermione, Ron, and Harry sat beside the window in the first-year boys' dormitory as Hermione gave another sigh. "Alright… let's try it again…Ron?"

Ron pointed his wand at his feet and shot a glare at Hermione. "If this chars my toes again, I'm out."

"Just try," Harry sighed. He was exhausted - the nightmares were keeping him up most nights and the homework load had begun taking a toll on his patience. "We'll only spend another fifteen minutes tonight. How's that?"

"Ten," Ron tried to negotiate. "We've got that Astronomy chart due…"

"It's a simple chart of moon phases," Harry scoffed. "New, waxing, full, waning. Tonight is full, yes? Moon cycle is twenty-eight days, divide by four!"

Ron scowled. "And why do you know so much about the moon?"

"Perhaps he's read the textbook?" Hermione snapped. "Or, heaven forbid, listened to Professor Sinistra in class?"

"If you don't stop acting like a complete know-it-all, I'm going to go find Seamus and Dean," Ron threatened.

Hermione looked about ready to shoot off a scathing remark, but Harry shook his head. "Ron, just once more. You're the only one of us who hasn't gotten a partial damper. Then, I'll help you with the moon chart."

"Don't you dare do his homework for him -" Hermione started.

Harry cut her off. "I won't cheat. Who do you think I am?"

Ron finally pointed his wand at his feet again. "Silencio pies." He jumped up and scuffed his feet across the stone floor. While their sound was still audible, Harry had to strain to hear it.

"Good!" Hermione exclaimed, arguments forgotten. "That's a start! Why didn't you do it before?"

"I only did it to get you to stop talking," Ron replied.

Before Hermione could work up any more anger, the dormitory door flew open. At first, no one seemed to be there - no one, until Neville dropped his chameleon charm and appeared to pop out of the stone wall. He was panting for air and clutching at a stitch in his side. "Guys - you'll never guess -"

"Neville, you've got it down!" Hermione exclaimed, clapping her hands. "That was a wonderful chameleon charm, I never would've noticed you were there, if you hadn't thrown the door like that!"

"Was in - front hall -" Neville leaned against the wall and wheezed. "Headmaster-"

"Did he see you?" Ron asked. "You didn't get in trouble, did you? I mean, this isn't a first year spell, but we're allowed to work ahead. You could give some rot about wanting to be ready for finals."

Hermione glared. "We do want to be ready," she pointed out.

"Guys!" Neville shouted. He staggered over and grabbed Harry's shoulder. "It's happened! Dumbledore - he's left!"

"What?" That was enough to gather their attention. Hermione's eyes widened and Ron merely gaped, leaving Harry to question Neville. "Gone? Gone where?"

Neville gestured wildly toward the door. "I was in the entrance hall. My charm had fallen for a moment. Malfoy and his goons were out. They saw me, so I had to hurry. I saw Dumbledore in his travelling cloak; McGonagall, too."

"Did they say anything?" Harry asked.

"Your dad was there, Harry. They told him they were going to the Ministry - some emergency. Said - said something about being down a staff member for the night." Neville shook his head. "They said they wouldn't be back until early tomorrow. They didn't want to risk the forest twice in one night."

Ron nodded solemnly. "It's the full moon. I've heard there are werewolves in there. I can't believe they're going out tonight, at all."

Harry bit back his defense of Uncle Re - after all, most wizards were raised being afraid of werewolves. He'd be afraid, if it were anyone but his uncle. "Is that it?"

"No," Neville murmured. He glanced around, as though making sure no one else was listening in, and lowered his voice. "Professor Quirrell was behind one of the suits of armor, listening in. I think he heard me, too."

"Then he'll make his move tonight," Harry said. "We have to go, now, before he has a chance to get to the stone."

Hermione shook her head wildly. "Oh, Harry, we aren't ready, yet!"

"It doesn't matter," Harry said. "We have to do it now."

"But your dad?" Ron asked. "Isn't he in charge? Won't he know to watch for Quirrell? I'm sure he'll take care of it. I mean, what could possibly keep him from watching out for us? He's the one Dumbledore and McGonagall left in charge!"

Harry didn't have a good answer for that - at least, not until the door was flung open again. It was Percy, his face bright red as he panted for air. "Quickly, we have to get to the Great Hall."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Perce? What's going on?"

"Snape's orders. There's a troll loose in the castle, and we're short on staff. Professor Flitwick will be by with the Ravenclaws in two minutes - we're all to be down in the Common Room to join up. We'll be safe with everyone else. Hurry, now - I've got to tell the second-years." Percy nodded sharply and dashed down the stairs.

"A troll?" Neville whispered, eyes wide.

Ron and Harry exchanged looks. "This is just what happened on Christmas Eve," Ron pointed out.

"There's no proof that was Quirrell," Hermione said. "I think it probably was - but would he pull the same trick twice?"

Harry winced. "Last time, Papa wasn't here to help. And… Uncle Re is not available, either. He will be without both Dark Creatures experts…" Harry lied. If he could cover up for his uncle in any way, he'd try.

"You're right," Ron said. "We have to do it now."

"But the troll!" Neville yelped. "It's out! What if we run into it?"

"We'll be hidden. We won't make any sound," Hermione said. "Trolls are notoriously stupid - if it can't see us or hear us, we aren't there. We'll be safe. And if Harry and Ron are right, the troll won't be anywhere near the third floor corridor…"

Harry took a deep breath and looked over his little army. "Alright," he said. "Let's go."

------

The dampening charm wasn't working quite the way Hermione expected. Maybe they simply weren't powerful enough wizards to cast it, yet, or maybe she'd gotten the instructions wrong - but they were all bumbling in the dark.

"Ow! Ronald, that's my foot!" Hermione hissed.

"Well, watch where you're going!" Ron countered.

Hermione snorted loudly. "I'd do so, if I could see where you are!"

Rather than ensure silence, the charm had done nothing but make things worse. Their footsteps were muffled, yes. The chameleon charm seemed to be working perfectly, even on Neville. However… it was working too perfectly. Neville (or, at least, Harry thought it was Neville) bumped into Harry's back. "Oh, sorry, Hermione. Er. Was that your foot, again?"

It had been Ron, instead. "I'm Harry," he barked. "And yes, that was my foot. Ow!" An elbow landed in his midsection. "That was my stomach! Stop moving!"

"Just drop the charms," Hermione insisted. "We can put them back on when we get to the corridor!"

"But what about Filch?" Neville seemed to be somewhere across the corridor from the rest of them. Harry knew exactly where Ron was standing and, if the elbow to the kidney meant anything, Hermione was right behind the two of them.

"We could all grab hands," Harry suggested. "Then we'd know if the others stop."

Hermione sighed loudly in Harry's ear. "Honestly, Harry - how are we supposed to find our hands, if we keep stepping on feet?"

"Fine. Drop the charm. We can find hands, and put it back up. How's that?" Ron suggested. "Let's just get this over before my feet are flattened completely."

Harry stopped concentrating on keeping up the illusion. Hermione faded into existence mere inches from his shoulder and stepped back abruptly, right into Ron's appearing form. Neville waved sheepishly. "Sorry. Must have fallen behind," he muttered.

"Not a problem. Now, come over here and take my hand," Hermione commanded. They all joined up, Harry leading and Ron taking up the rear guard.

Ron sighed. "I hope no one comes by. We look ridiculous, parading around like - like - something odd looking."

"That was creative," Hermione snapped.

Ron hmphed and started to reply, but Neville held up a hand. "What was that?" Neville whispered.

They froze. "I don't hear-" Hermione began, but cut herself off as a voice echoed through the corridor.

"It's up this way, it has to be," it said.

A second replied. "Are you sure of all this? All you know is that there's an out-of-bounds corridor and a secret drawer full of unicorn blood."

Harry cast the chameleon charm again and was quickly followed by the others. He backed up against the wall and tugged for Hermione to do the same - he only hoped she managed to pass the message to Neville and Ron with her motions.

It must have worked. As a group of Slytherins turned the corner, none tripped over the Gryffindors camouflaged against the wall. Draco Malfoy shrugged. "Father expects Lupin must have something to do with all of this. Lupin or Quirrell - but Father reckons Quirrell is about as much threat as a flobberworm."

Pansy Parkinson, the Slytherin who tried to speak Greek to Harry, was clearly the next brightest of the group. Crabbe and Goyle were there, too, lumbering behind Malfoy in silence. "And he really thinks it's some artefact of the Dark Lord's hidden down there?"

"He doesn't know," Malfoy said. "All he can tell is that there's something down there, protected by multiple wards. Obviously, it's something incredibly important. I'm lucky you managed to catch up to Flitwick pissed over Christmas, Pansy, or I'd be stuck with even less of the information. We know how to get past his ward, at least."

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand, and he squeezed back.

"What if it's not the Dark Lord's?" Pansy asked. "What if it's some other artefact? Is it still important?"

"Less so," Malfoy answered, "but Father thinks that if it's important enough to protect, we're the ones who should have it."

Goyle grunted. "Lucky we saw Longbottom in the entryway and heard Dumbledore leaving. Bet we'll cut the Gryffindors off at the pass."

"Don't bet anything," Malfoy countered. "Gryffs are rash, not stupid. I'll bet it's not just Longbottom coming up here - he's too dumb to do anything without a whole slew of Gryffindors around."

Neville squeaked and Harry heard Hermione's robes rustling next to him, as she probably attempted to keep Neville silent. Malfoy and the other Slytherins stopped in their tracks.

"Did you hear that?" Malfoy asked.

"Hear what?" Crabbe responded. He spun in a circle, staring about dully. "Didn't hear a thing."

"Of course you didn't, you've been sleeping," Draco sneered. "Out cold on your feet."

Pansy stared around the hall. "Let's go, Draco. We need to beat them." The four turned the corner ahead.

Harry waited for their steps to die away before whispering. "We must hurry, before they get there!"

"What's the plan?" Ron asked. "Do we go in, wands blazing?"

"Our camouflage will drop once we attack," Hermione pointed out. "Maybe we should attack one at a time to get an advantage?"

"We don't have time," Neville said. "Let's get past them, keep them from getting into the room with Fluffy. We can lock the door from the inside."

Ron spoke up from the back of the line. "Let's move, or we've lost."

Harry started walking, tugging Hermione along behind him. He didn't particularly like the plan - it seemed less than subtle and left a gaggle of Slytherins loose in the third floor corridor - but there wasn't time to come up with anything better.

Parkinson was crouched before the locked door of Fluffy's classroom as they rounded the corner. "It's not unlocking," she said. "I can't get it."

"Well, try again," Malfoy demanded. "Are you certain that's the right spell?"

"It's the one we learned in Charms, isn't it?" Parkinson asked. "I wasn't paying attention - you were telling me about the blasted unicorn blood!" She poked at the lock with her wand. "Aluhamora. Alohamura! Blast - not it either -"

Hermione snorted and hissed, "Alohamora, of course."

Malfoy spun around, wand at the ready. "Who's there?"

"I heard that, I did," Crabbe said dangerously. He and Goyle took to Malfoy's sides, and Parkinson flanked Goyle. "Come out, come out, little Gryffindors."

Hermione dropped his hand and dove to the side, but Harry was too surprised to react. Almost in unison, the Slytherins raised their wands and, as one, cast their curses. "Finite incantatem!"

The four beams converged on Harry and were strong enough to send him stumbling, fully visible, against the wall. As he did, a sharp pain went rolling through his head. Harry grabbed his forehead, looking around for Quirrell - everything was fuzzy from the pain. His hands felt wet.

Hermione, Neville, and Ron attacked. None were particularly good at dueling - after all, they were only first-years. They didn't really have enough spells to duel. Hermione's Jelly-Leg Hex was countered by Malfoy's "Serpensortia," a favourite of Slytherin House. Neville took out Crabbe with a tickling charm, but was slowed down by Goyle's half-successful freezing charm. Ron tried to trip Parkinson, and she dropped her wand. Instead of stooping to pick it up, she launched herself at him instead.

"Petrificus Totalis!" Hermione cried, skipping out of the way of the snake's bite. Her curse missed Malfoy, as he ducked to the side, but hit Goyle, instead. The thug froze up and fell over. Neville, slowed by Goyle's spell, was unable to get out of the way. He went down under the Slytherin's greater weight and cracked his head on the floor.

Ron smashed Pansy across the face with his fist, still holding his wand, but she seemed to be made of more solid stuff than he'd anticipated. Pansy let out a cry of pain and clawed at Ron; she grabbed his tie and yanked. Ron dropped his wand, and his hands went to his throat, trying to pull the tie looser. Pansy, sensing an opportunity, reached for his fallen wand.

Draco's serpent was finally crushed under the heel of Hermione's shoes. Malfoy, however, used the extra moments to his advantage. He shouted a curse Harry didn't recognize, and Hermione's shoes seemed to be bonded to the stone of the corridor. Hermione gave a cry and tried to yank her feet off of the floor, but failed.

She started to cast a "Wingardium leviosa" on Malfoy, probably the first counter she could think of, but Malfoy was faster. He ducked out of the way and snatched the wand right from her hand.

The only pair left dueling were Ron and Parkinson. Pansy had her wand to Ron's throat but, while Malfoy and Hermione were dueling, Ron managed to grab Pansy's tie. Neither seemed to be able to breathe well; Pansy couldn't cast a spell.

"Stop!" Harry cried. Heavily leaning on the wall, he stumbled to his feet. "Stop hurting each other!"

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. She tried to head to his side but, still stuck to the corridor, managed only to waver on her feet. "Oh, God! Harry, you're bleeding!"

That must've been the wetness, then. Harry wiped his forehead with his sleeve; the white Oxford shirt came away red. "I'm okay," he lied. "Draco, stop - you're not after what you think!"

Pansy let out a gurgle. Malfoy turned his wand on the pair grapling on the floor just in time for Ron to shove Pansy between Malfoy and himself. Ron's arms were longer, it seemed - Parkinson couldn't reach his throat when he shoved her to arms' length. Her grip wavered, and Ron snatched his wand away with his off hand. "I've got five older brothers," he panted, "did you really think you could beat me in a fist fight?"

"I think we're at an impasse," Harry said softly, wiping at his forehead again. The pain seemed to be fading, and the blood was no longer flowing down into his eyes. Had he really hit the wall that hard? "There are three of us, Malfoy, and only two of you."

"You don't know what you're going after," Ron said. He shook Pansy, whose eyes were wide. "You'll get us all killed, d'you hear me? The bloke who's after it is mad!"

But Pansy wasn't looking at Ron. She was staring over his shoulder at Harry. "Draco," she gurgled, trying to pry Ron's hand off her throat, "look - look at Snape!"

And Malfoy did. So did Hermione, who let out a yelp. "What is it?" Ron asked, unwilling to put his back to the enemy. "What's wrong with Harry?"

His forehead was tender from being split open on the stone. Harry patted the cut lightly, hissing at the pain that went shooting from his forehead all the way to his toes. The cut was across the old, dry patch of skin, which he'd always hidden under his fringe - but the skin wasn't irritated anymore. "What is it?" he whispered. "Why are you staring at me?"

"You're him," Hermione said, voice trembling. "Oh, God. Why didn't you tell us?"

Harry gulped and looked away from her betrayed gaze.

"You killed him?" Malfoy said softly. Harry glanced over to him - the wand fell from Draco's hands and clattered on the ground. "You did it? You're just - you're a Gryffindor, you're Snape's kid, and you killed the Dark Lord?"

"What?" Ron gasped. He let go of Parkinson, shoving her away, and turned on Harry. "Merlin," he said simply.

Pansy scrambled for her wand. "Draco, we should - we should do - what should we do? Father - my father and your father -"

"He's Snape's son," Draco said helplessly. "Snape's son destroyed him."

"Harry?" Hermione whispered.

Ron laughed. "We should've known. What sadist would name his kid 'Herodos'?"

Harry trembled, still touching the cut with his fingers. He didn't need a mirror - he knew what it would look like. A scar shaped like lightning, etched permanently into the flesh of his forehead. He remembered, then, remembered Granpa touching his forehead and whispering magic words, and the itch that wouldn't stop. This was his fault. This was all Granpa's fault.

"You're Harry Potter," Pansy said, on the edge of hysteria.

Harry looked up into four betrayed glances. "I am," he whispered.

Malfoy's gaze darkened and he dipped down, toward his wand. Hermione lunged for Malfoy and managed to push him to the side as she went stumbling out of her shoes. Ron tripped Pansy to the ground as she stepped forward, but her hands were fumbling for his wand, even as she went down. Hermione wrestled for Malfoy's wand. "Run!" she screamed.

He didn't pause for his own wand, and the sound of shouts faded behind him.