Disclaimer:  JK Rowling still owns Harry Potter and all characters and events therein.

Chapter 4

            Holiday was over and Draco had returned bearing a gift from his father for Harry.  Slowly Harry took the small box from Draco and opened it.  A gasp escaped his lips when he saw the beautiful snake pendant on a silver chain.  The pendant had two snakes wrapped around each other and they had green jewels for eyes.

            "It's beautiful." He whispered, carefully taking it out of the box and holding it in his hands like a relic.

            Draco smiled, "Put your robe on with the pendant, I want to see." He said happily.  Harry quickly complied, putting the necklace on before slipping the robe Draco had given him on.  When he faced his blonde companion he smiled.  Draco grinned, "Wow Harry, you should see yourself.  Gorgeous." Draco's words made Harry blush.

            "Liar." He replied.

            "Take away your glasses, lengthen your hair a bit, and you're the epitome of a Slytherin." He chuckled, "And a pureblood."

            Harry smiled, "I'll just have to let my hair grow out then, won't I?"

            "I have to admit it'd look good on you." Draco said thoughtfully, "I bet we could find a way to conceal that scar too."

            "That would be great considering that's how everyone notices me."

            He nodded, "I got your letter.  How's it been going with the Weasleys?  Gained their trust?"

            "Yeah, for the most part.  I have an idea of how to get them in trouble as well, at least Ron.  You know the third floor corridor?" He asked with a malicious smile.

            Harry had sent a note to Ron, asking him to meet him in the third floor corridor that night; he had something he wanted to share with the red head.  Carefully hidden under the invisibility cloak, Harry and Draco made their way to the corridor.  When Ron got there he was followed by Hermione.  The sound of footsteps startled them and without thinking Harry pulled the two Gryffindor under the cloak.  Professor Quirrell, their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher looked nervously around before opening the door.  Harry scowled when they heard music coming from inside.

            "Malfoy." Ron hissed upon seeing who else was under the cloak.

            "Shut up Weasley." Harry hissed, "Don't make a sound!"

            Ron's mouth snapped shut.  Slowly the four of them crept into the room their teacher had gone into only to come face to face with a three headed dog.  Four pairs of eyes grew wide until they realized they were under an invisibility cloak.  Of course having three sensitive noses sniffing around the room didn't bode well in their favor.  Harry took in a hiss of air as he felt something hot against his chest, right where the pendant Lucius had given him sat.  Quickly he pulled it out, the eyes were glowing a brilliant greet.

            "What in the world?" Harry asked with a scowl.

            The three headed beast whimpered and cowered in a corner, afraid.  The four of them blinked, unsure what to think but not about to pass up the opportunity.  There was a trap door in one part of the room and they were sure that's where Professor Quirrell went.  Quickly they entered, one by one; Harry was the last one down.

            "At least we didn't land on spikes or something." Ron mumbled.

            Draco blinked then snickered softly, "Say that again while it's eating you Weasley."

            Vines were wrapping themselves around Ron, Draco, who had the intelligence to quickly remove himself from the plant was fine but as Harry went to join him the plant wrapped up his legs.  A low growl escaped his lips.

            "What the hell is it?"

            As they fought to free themselves the vines tightened, pulling them in.  Hermione finally spoke up, "Stop moving.  It's Devil's Snare."

            "A lot of good that'll do us.  How do you kill it?" Ron asked, continuing to struggle.

            Harry snarled at him, "Didn't she tell you to stop moving, don't you ever listen?"

            Hermione was trying to think fast so as not to be eaten while Ron still didn't take her words to heart and was being pulled in faster, "Fire.  Devil's Snare hates fire."

            Draco murmured something with a flick of his wand and the plant was on fire.  It immediately let its prey go.  They scampered away from the plant to where Draco was.  Harry smiled at him in thanks.

            Ron said nothing, simply glaring at Draco while Hermione spoke up, "Thank you Draco." She said softly.

            "I wasn't trying to save you, just Harry." He said with a shrug, "But to save him I had to save you as well." With that he continued on.

            Hermione glared after him before following with the rest.  Upon reaching the next room they stopped.  The sound of flapping wings echoed through the room.  Harry and Draco exchanged glances before looking back at Ron.  His eyes grew wide as they smiled.  Easily they grabbed him, shoving him into the room to see if he would be attacked.  When he wasn't they walked in.

            "Honestly you two, was that really called for?" Hermione asked, glaring at the two Slytherin.

            They looked at each other for a moment then back at her, "Yes." Harry replied, "So, what are we supposed to do in this room?" He asked, looking up at the birds.  Upon closer inspection he realized they were keys, "Oh.  I see." He said with a disheartening sigh.

            Draco raised an eyebrow, "I take it we have to find the key to that door?" Harry nodded solemnly, "Great." He said, rolling his eyes then noticing the brooms, "And we have to use old school brooms to do it."

            "Well, we might as well get to it." Harry said with a scowl, looking up at all the keys.

            Ron looked as well before speaking up, "Look at that one, it has a bent wing, like someone grabbed it.  I bet that's the one for the door."

            Harry sighed and mounted a broom, flying after it.  Draco followed suit and the two of them went after the offending key.  Dodging the other keys didn't become difficult until Harry managed to snag the one they were after.  That's when all hell broke lose.  Draco quickly landed and Harry handed the key off to him, intending to distract the other keys long enough for them to get the door open.  Once open Harry dived for it, barely making it through before Ron closed the door.  The sound of hundreds of tiny keys striking the door could be heard and Harry took the opportunity for a breather.

            "Could it get any worse?" Ron grumbled.

            Harry narrowed his eyes at him, "You don't say things like that because you know what will happen?  Things will get worse." When they looked around they realized things had gotten worse.  Gigantic chess pieces were in place, "Ok, who here is good at wizard chess?"

            Ron puffed up his chess, "I'm the best."

            "I doubt that Weasley, you don't know how to play real wizard chess, no Gryffindor does."

            Ron glared at him, "How would you know?"

            "You don't know how to use the board in your favor.  Take places on the board, Weasley you be a knight, Granger for you I think a castle, Harry, bishop, and I'll be the king."

            Harry chuckled, "Alright, white first, right?"

            "Yes."

            With that the game began.  Near the end Draco sacrificed Ron, much to Hermione's chagrin, and Harry won the game.  The moment the king was in checkmate and had given up Hermione ran over to the fallen Ron.

            "He's alive." She said with a sigh of relief, "Just unconscious."

            "We can't deal with that right now, we have to keep going.  Obviously there's something Quirrell wants and if it's important enough to be this heavily guarded then we need to hurry." Harry said, striding toward the door.

            "I'll stay here with Ron." Hermione whispered.

            Draco rolled his eyes and followed Harry to the next room, "Idiot Gryffindors, can't make sacrifices to win.  Not that I minded getting Weasley smashed."

            Harry chuckled, "Me either, it was entertaining.  Let's see what's next."

            Bottles filled with liquid were laid out on tables and a flame blocked the next door.  There was also a rhyme.

            Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

            Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

            One among us seven will 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 forevermore,

            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 at either end,

            But if you would move onward, 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 second on the right

            Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight (354-355).

            Draco and Harry took in the words, looking at the bottles before them, "So which one?" Harry asked.

            Draco pointed to one, "That one goes onward, take it and I'll go back.  Obviously there's something that idiot headmaster didn't want people to have so I'll see about getting help." Harry nodded, "I think my father put protection spells on that pendant, they should help."

            Harry nodded and took the potion, downing it, before walking through the fire, "Careful Drac."

            "Of course." He said back before taking another potion and going back through the fire.

            Harry walked into the next room, wand at the ready.  He half smiled, "Well, if it isn't Professor Quirrell?" He asked.

            He turned quickly, "Potter." He sneered, "What brings you here?  After the stone?"

            Harry raised an eyebrow, "What stone?"

            He scowled, "You don't know?"

            "I just followed you; obviously you're not supposed to be here." He said with a shrug, his pendant was still on the outside of his robes.  Quirrell noticed it and scowled before whispering something to himself, or seemingly to himself, "Why do you wear that turban?  Why don't you take it off?"

            Quirrell ignored him and examined the mirror, "How does it work?"

            "Use the boy." The voice came from Quirrell but it wasn't him, Harry scowled, looking thoroughly confused.

            "Potter." He ordered, "Come here.  Tell me what you see?" He growled.

            Harry walked over and looked into the mirror.  He saw himself in the mirror and two people who he assumed were his parents, having never seen them before he was sure they were.  His father smiled at him and put a blood red stone into his pocket.  Harry blinked, feeling a sudden weight, he now had the stone that Quirrell was after.  He smiled to himself.

            "Well?  What do you see?"

            "My parents." He said softly, "I see my parents."

            "Liar." The voice that came from Quirrell but wasn't him hissed, "You may see them but you have the stone."

            Harry took a step back, "Your point?" He replied.

            "Give it to me." Quirrell hissed.

            "No, I think I'll keep it." Harry said with a smile, "Think of it as a gift from my parents."

            "Stop him." The other voice hissed.

            When Quirrell grabbed him he screamed, "Burns!" He cried.

            Harry scowled but noticed that yes, Quirrell did look injured.  Thinking fast Harry pressed his hands to Quirrell's face, not about to let him get away.  He'd rather have him dead.  His pendant glowed and that glow surrounded them.  Quirrell screamed and blackness overcame Harry.