Disclaimer- Nothing that you might recognise belongs to me- mores the pity!
A/N: Oh my God. Thanks to the 25 people that have reviewed my story so far. I've never had so many reviews before. I won't write the names down 'because I'm sure you want to read more of the tale but many thanks to you if you reviewed and thank you in advance to the next lot of reviewers!
The Philosopher's Stone
"Come, Ron. Let me show you."
Sirius led Ron out of the dormitory, through the open door and down the stairs to the common room. It looked exactly as Ron remembered it, but as he passed the notice board, the notices were out of date to his time. They gave the latest Quidditch results and the requests for lost property included the elegant quill that Hermione had received for her eleventh birthday from her parents. She had lost it during the Christmas holidays in their first year. Ron frowned as he saw it. Nobody in the busy common room looked up as a full grown man and a teenage boy walked straight through their midst, which Ron found quite discomforting.
Sirius and Ron left the warm, bubbling common room and entered the dark, cold corridors. Ron shivered involuntarily and asked in a small voice; "Where are we going?"
"To the third floor," replied Sirius, "Harry and Hermione should have gone up there already,"
"This is a replay of my first year," pondered Ron, "And by the sounds of the conversation Dean and Harry had, they have only just found out who Nicolas Flamel is!"
"So?" said Sirius, as they climbed down a stair case to the fifth floor,
"We found out who Nicolas Flamel was just after Christmas," explained Ron, rubbing his nose, "We didn't go after the Philosopher's Stone until about May,"
"Ron, as you haven't been born, things happened differently. Harry and Hermione might have just found things out sooner," said Sirius,
"Well, that's just another reason why I should never have been born," said Ron, dismally. Sirius sighed and they continued on their way.
Very shortly, they had reached the third floor. Sirius steered Ron closer and closer to the door until they had passed straight through it. Ron gasped and turned to look at the solid door.
"Ron, you're effectively a ghost. Therefore, you can walk through solid walls and door," said Sirius, who was searching the corridor, "It looks like Harry and Hermione have already gone down. Come on!"
Ron glanced nervously at Fluffy. However, the huge three- headed dog didn't appear to have noticed anything, or rather anybody. Still, Ron walked rather cautiously past Fluffy and leapt down the trapdoor after Sirius. He didn't fall as fast as he expected and sort of floated to the ground. 'This is weird!' he thought as he floated gently towards the green plant below where Sirius was patiently waiting.
"Look!" said Sirius, pointing to a spot about five metres away. Ron saw Harry and Hermione submerged in the Devil's Snare. He listened as they spoke to one another.
"We must be miles under the school," Hermione said,
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Harry,
"Lucky!" Hermione shrieked, "Look at you!"
She leapt up and struggled towards a damp wall, where Ron and Sirius were standing. Ron moved swiftly out of her way as she kicked at the snakelike tendrils that had begun to twist around her ankles.
"Stop moving, Harry!" ordered Hermione, who was observing in horror, "I know what this is- it's Devil's Snare!"
"Oh, I'm so glad you know what it's called, that's a great help!" snarled Harry.
"I said that," whispered Ron, as he observed Harry leaning back and trying to stop the plant curling around his neck.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione,
"Well hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped,
"I remember how horrible it was," said Ron, who was nervously watching,
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say?- it likes the dark and the damp-"
"So light a fire!" Harry choked,
"Yes- of course- but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands,
Ron cringed. "This is when I yelled something like- 'have you gone mad- are you a witch or not!'"
Sirius chuckled.
"Well, I hope because you're not there, my godson isn't about to die because there's no-one to tell her what to do!"
"I hadn't thought of that," admitted Ron, "but I'm sure Harry says it!"
"Help Hermione! It's suffocating me!" cried Harry, as the tendrils managed to twist their way around his neck.
Hermione cursed. "I wish there was someone else here to help us- with a rational head. I don't know what to do!"
"Light a fire!" said Harry, hoarsely, "You're a witch aren't you?"
"Oh of course!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something and sent a jet of bluebell flames at the Devil's Snare.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief as he witnessed the deadly plant moving away from the warmth. "That was close!" he gasped,
"You heard Hermione," said Sirius, quietly, "She wished there was someone with a rational head on his shoulders- that means someone like you,"
"There are loads of other people with rational heads on their shoulders!" argued Ron,
"But no one quite like you," said Sirius.
Ron sighed. "Did they manage to get the Philosopher's Stone, ok?" he asked,
"Let's go and see."
Sirius took Ron's shoulder again and the dark, damp walls around them appeared to be whizzing past. When it stopped, Ron noticed they were in a dark chamber. He heard a door opening and two pairs of hurrying feet and then a door slamming. Suddenly, the chamber was flooded with light. They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry and Hermione stood next to them: an expression of utmost dismay on their faces.
"Harry, we cant go on," said Hermione, tearfully, "It looks like we have to play our way across and neither of us can play chess!"
"Ah no!" sighed Harry, "Damn it. I wish we had someone who was really good at chess and who could have taught us!"
"Yeah," said Hermione, "What are we going to do?"
"Go back, I suppose," said Harry, shaking his head, "And see if we can alert Dumbledore or somebody before Snape comes back!"
"OK, come on. There's no time to loose!"
"Oh," said Ron, quietly,
"You see! If you hadn't been born, look what would have happened!" said Sirius,
"Did Voldemort get the stone in the end, then?" asked Ron,
"No. Voldemort would never have been able to get the stone out of the mirror of Erised because of the simple fact that he wanted to use it. Did Harry never tell you what Dumbledore said about why he got it out?"
"Oh yes. Well, then. Even though Harry and Hermione weren't successful, nothing happened because Voldemort didn't get the stone!"
Sirius sighed sadly. "You still believe the world would be a better place without you?" he asked,
"Yes!" said Ron, defiantly,
"I will show you more then. Let us go and pay a little visit to the Chamber of Secrets!"