A/N: I had wanted this chapter to be longer, but it's 3 a.m. and I'm tired. I hope I didn't make too many mistakes. I wrote the last chapter this late, or early, and I made tons of them. I still have to go back and fix them. If anyone notices any, please tell me. Thanks.
CH28: Tribulation
Harry watched as Quirrell paced around the small stone room they were in, Voldemort's cruel, red eyes staring out the back of his head. The Professor muttered to himself and glanced every so often at a door towards the back of the chamber. Finally, Voldemort broke the routine.
"It is time."
"Come, Potter." Quirrell roughly pulled him to his feet.
"Where are we?" questioned Harry, still shooting somewhat fearful glances at his two-faced captor. The pale, snake-like face staring out of his Defense teacher's skull was sure to give him nightmares for years to come.
"We are beneath the school," he answered. "Now come." He yanked Harry's arm and dragged him through the entryway. As soon as they passed, the door slammed shut behind them and burst into fire. Similar flames shot up on the other side of the room.
Quirrell unceremoniously dropped Harry back down to the floor and walked into the center. Harry raised his head from the floor and followed his progress. There was a long table standing there, lined with glass bottles of all shapes and sizes. A roll of parchment lay next to them. Quirrell picked it up and read:
"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven with let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand on either end,
But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."
Harry's eyes widened at the poem and he smiled. He could almost see Hermione bouncing in excitement over this logic puzzle. Then his thoughts turned darker. He only hoped that he would survive to see that again.
"What do we do, My Lord?" Quirrell asked shakily, once he was done with the poem.
Voldemort's thin eyes narrowed almost out of existence. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "The small one will get me through." Quirrell picked up the bottle and took a sip of the contents, shuddering. "Give some to the boy, too." Harry clenched his mouth shut. "And make sure to leave some for our guests. They should be here soon."
Harry couldn't help himself. "What 'guests'?" Quirrell took the opportunity to force feed some of the liquid to him. Harry choked and sputtered, ice coursing through his veins.
"Ah, Harry, you forget," Voldemort smirked. "Curiosity killed the cat."
"Yeah?" challenged Harry, feeling slightly braver despite the chills raking his body. "Well, I'm a raven."
A high, cold laugh echoed against the stones as they plunged into jet-black flames.
"Wand – Cauldron – Broomstick – Shoot!" Draco looked down at his and Cho's hands: he had a finger sticking out, while she had two. "Ha!" he crowed. "Wands burns broomstick, I win!" He pushed her slightly towards the open chamber. "You get to go face the metal birds."
"That is, by far, one of the most foolish games I have ever seen," Hermione remarked scornfully, then returned her gaze back up to the roof where hundreds of birds were soaring back and forth. "I mean, who would want a cauldron as a weapon going into a duel over a wand – " She paused. "Wait, did you say 'metal birds'?"
Draco shrugged. "Of course. They're glistening. Last time I checked, real birds didn't do that."
"Why would they guard the Stone with metal birds?" Cho asked, squinting up at the mechanical creatures. "Hold on a second. They aren't birds, they're keys!" She stepped further into the room. Seeing that the keys didn't attack her, Draco and Hermione followed. They walked up to the door on the opposite end of the room.
Hermione pulled out her wand. "Alohomora!" Cho tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.
"Look over there." Draco pointed towards the side wall of the room. The girls followed his gaze to two broomsticks leaning up against the wall. "We must have to fly up and catch the right one."
"But there are hundreds!" cried Cho in dismay.
He examined the door. "We're probably looking for a big, old fashioned one. Most likely silver, like the handle." He went over a grabbed a broom. "So, which one of you lovely ladies wants to come with me?"
Hermione backed up, hands held out in front of her as if they could ward off the evil of the broom. "No, thank you. I'd prefer to stay on the ground."
"Suit yourself. But I intend to make it my personal mission for you to get over your fear of flying some day." He and Cho took off into the air, scanning the flock.
"This would be so much easier if we had Andy with us," Cho muttered, swerving in and out of the keys' paths.
"Well, the sooner we catch this thing, the sooner we can see him again."
Harry fell to the floor. Again. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself back up, struggling against the bonds on his limbs. "Could you stop doing that?"
But both Voldemort and Quirrell ignored him. They slowly made their way closer to the only object within the room: a large gilded mirror.
The Mirror of Erised.
Quirrell stared, transfixed by the image in its surface. "I see the Stone, My Lord. I have it in my hands and I'm giving it to you."
"But where is it?" Voldemort asked impatiently. Quirrell's eyes took on a slightly glassy look.
Albus' words came back to Harry as he watched the scene unfold. 'Many have wasted away before the Mirror, for it gives neither knowledge nor truth. They were entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.'
Harry closed his eyes. Let's hope that this was one of those times.
"I've got it!" yelled Draco, clutching a silver, blue-winged key in his fist. His friends cheered.
Hermione smiled brightly from her spot on the ground. "Good. Now lets – "She was cut off by a low grumble coming from the shadows.
It emerged, with its dull gray skin and beady eyes, dragging its club along the floor. A troll, twice the size of the one they had fought on Halloween. Hermione was surprised they hadn't smelt it coming.
"Uh-oh."
