Disclaimer: Something something JK Rowling owns this stuff and I don't, you understand by now.

Chapter 6

"Harry, I think you should get some sleep. I think we all should get some sleep."

"Don't worry Hermione, only two more moves and he's done for. Right, Harry?" Ron smirked as he slid his queen forward. Harry cringed as his last bishop was beaten to a pulp and dragged off the chessboard. Fighting to stifle a yawn, Harry moved one of his knights, only for Ron to declare check-mate instantly.

"Harry, did you hear me? I think it's time for bed." She repeated, looking around the rest of the common room. Besides the three first-years, everyone else in Gryffindor had gone to bed. The room was lit only by the soft yellow glow of the fireplace that the trio had camped out in front of for the past few hours.

"It's not like we have any exams tomorrow…" Harry offered as he and Ron began moving their chess pieces back to the chessboard. He glanced back at his bushy-haired friend and dropped his pieces at her glare.

"Harry, we both know you're staying up because you want to go for the Stone." Her tone was deadly serious now. Harry gulped, and looked to Ron, whom the pair had consulted a few days prior since he had all sorts of knowledge on the Wizarding World that they did not possess. Thankfully, the redhead had kept his mouth shut about the Stone with others and simply offered knowledge of his own whenever he could.

"Mate, it's not worth it. Hagrid might have accidentally told us how to get past Fluffy, but that doesn't really do you any good against the protections that the other professors put on it. You'd die before you even got close." Ron muttered. Hermione nodded in agreement and Harry sighed.

"We can ask McGonagall to check in the morning. Just because Dumbledore is at the Ministry for one night doesn't guarantee that tonight's the night Snape's going to steal the Stone." Said Hermione. Harry turned to her and opened his mouth as if to retort, but quickly shut it as her eyes narrowed.

"Fine." He relented. "We'll go to bed. But I'm getting up at dawn to tell McGonagall!" He slumped into the couch he and Hermione were sharing. He heard Hermione sigh in exasperation and eventually his two friends stood up. Ron picked up the chessboard and shuffled off to the boys' dormitory, throwing one more diffident look at Harry.

Hermione moved in front of Harry and held her hand out. Sighing dejectedly, he took it and let himself be yanked up to his feet. He heard her offer some words of encouragement, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He felt doomed – he knew Snape was going after the Stone tonight, he just knew. Looking up from the floor Harry saw Hermione's eyes were wide with concern. He managed a half-smile and made his way over to the staircase, Hermione following him. The two bade each other an awkward good night, and made their way up to their respective dorms.

Harry paused halfway up the stairs when he heard footsteps pattering behind him. Whirling around, expecting to see Hermione, Harry almost gasped at the sight of Neville Longbottom.

"Neville?" He asked.

"Sorry, Harry, but it sounded like you were going out again. I wasn't going to let you lose Gryffindor any more points." Neville whispered as the two of them reached their room. Harry sighed once again, then made his way to his four-poster bed. Ron was snoring loudly by the time Harry flopped down on his back. He heard Neville clamber into bed and soon enough he was giving Ron's snores a run for their money.

'Go to sleep. Hermione told you to go to sleep, so go to sleep.' Harry thought to himself, rubbing his eyes in frustration. As tired as he was, he knew something bad was happening tonight. Voldemort himself would come roaring back to life and with no Dumbledore to protect him, Harry was dead as a doornail.

'Unless you get to the Stone first.' Harry was beginning to grow annoyed with the voice in his head. Sitting up slowly and making sure each of his roommates was definitely asleep, he slipped out from under his covers and onto the floor. Constantly glancing at Neville's and Ron's bed to make sure they didn't wake up, Harry crept out of the dormitory after digging his Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk. Once he made it to the staircase he threw the Cloak over himself and began his descent. Upon reaching the common room, he let out a quiet exhale and made his way over to the portrait hole.

"Going somewhere?" A familiar voice whispered to his left. Harry's heart stopped and he nearly jumped into the air. He turned and saw the silhouette of a bushy head of hair and groaned, ripping the cloak off. Hermione stood up and blocked his path to the exit. "I said, are you going somewhere?"

"Erm…well…I was just – " He stammered as Hermione crossed her arms and stared at him. His voice faltered when she smirked.

"I know where you're going, you prat. I'm coming with you." She snatched the Cloak and quickly tossed it over the two of them. Flustered, Harry stood gaping at her before he found his ability to speak.

"Oi! Absolutely not. I'm not letting anything happen to you." He replied, trying to rip the Cloak away from her. "Ow!" He hissed as his best friend elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shut it. Either I go with you, or you don't go at all. It's not like you'd survive without me!" She whispered, tightly gripping the cloak. Harry looked at her and saw he wasn't going to win. He groaned, and reluctantly released his death grip on the cloak. The pair stood in silence for a moment.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I can't." Harry finally managed, recalling their last brush with death in the Forbidden Forest. Hermione scoffed, still smirking.

"You act like I can't handle myself." And with that, the pair marched off towards the portrait hole, towards the third-floor corridor.

Harry and Hermione made quick work of getting past the three-headed dog, mostly because there was a bewitched harp already playing music when they arrived. Gingerly moving around the dozing canine, Harry stashed the cloak in a corner of the room as Hermione opened the trap-door.

"I can't see how far it goes down!" Hermione whispered anxiously. "Maybe we should try and light it with our – Harry!" She gasped. Clearly not interested in waiting around for a rational plan, Harry leapt down the trapdoor wordlessly. Hermione held her breath, half-expecting to hear a sickening thud.

Harry, meanwhile, enjoyed his landing. He had hit something very soft, and couldn't help but lie on his back as he called out to his friend: "It's alright, Hermione! Whatever this is, it's plenty soft! Just jump!"

Harry waited, unsure if she could hear him. Just as he was about to try again he felt something land next to him. Hermione let out a small squeak as she landed, but realized she was perfectly fine. She turned to Harry, who she could barely make out in the darkness.

"What do we do now?" He asked.

"I…I don't know actually…" Hermione trailed off. Harry snickered, certain that was the first time he'd heard her say such a thing. "I guess let's try walking straight ahead, see if we can reach a wall." She offered. Harry nodded, and moved to stand. Except they couldn't move at all.

"Oh no." Harry whispered. Hermione cast Lumos and the two saw just what they'd landed on.

"Devil's Snare!" Hermione gasped, her expression shifting to one of horror. Harry immediately wracked his brain to past Herbology classes, trying to remember what countered the plant that had currently wrapped its tendrils around his legs and chest.

"Hermione, I can't breathe!" He managed in a hoarse voice. Hermione whimpered, wringing her hands anxiously as the plant began curling around her legs.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare…it likes the damp and dark…" She muttered.

"So light a fire!" He choked. "Like you did with Voldemort!" He sputtered as he felt his neck getting squeezed.

"Right!" She exclaimed. She conjured one of her signature bluebell flames, pointing her wand at the floor in desperation. Instantly, the plant began loosening its grip on the pair. Harry felt oxygen rush back into his lungs as he scrambled to his feet, dragging Hermione towards a stone passageway he'd seen when the flames had temporarily illuminated the room.

"Good thing you're brilliant enough to remember that." Harry said between deep breaths as they walked through the passageway.

"I'm sure if the oxygen hadn't been cut off from your brain you'd have remembered it too." Hermione replied in a shy voice, and Harry turned to see her cheeks had turned pink. The two walked in silence until they arrived in a brilliantly lit chamber, with a ceiling fit for a cathedral. Harry's eyes were drawn upwards, where hundreds of bright, almost shiny birds were fluttering above them. Harry glanced straight ahead and saw a door.

"Do you think those birds will attack us if we try and cross?" Harry asked, trying to measure the distance between where they stood and the door. Hermione shook her head. "Why not? It can't just be easy enough to march through that door…" Harry muttered, looking up again.

"They're not birds, Harry." She whispered. Harry raised an eyebrow, but looked closer at them. "Birds don't glitter...oh, they're keys!" She exclaimed in fascination. Harry saw she was right – hundreds of keys with wings were zooming around above them. She sprinted over to the door and began calling out to Harry. "It's going to be silver, probably slightly bigger than the average key. The handle's a bit rusty so the key might be too. Harry, are you listening to me?"

"Or, it might be the key that has a broken wing." Harry smirked as he pointed upwards at a big silver key that happened to have a severely damaged wing. "Eyes of a seeker." He grinned at Hermione, who sighed in exasperation.

"One of these days my logical thinking is going to save your life, and you'll be sorry you ever made fun of me." She huffed sarcastically. Harry shrugged and grabbed a broom that was leaning against the wall.

"I'll be right back!" He called out before taking off, zooming through the air. He expected the keys to swarm him, but he had almost no trouble catching the key he needed and he was quickly back on the ground.

Harry locked eyes with his best friend as he descended and she looked like she was fighting the urge to jump for joy. He smiled as he was reminded of Hermione Granger screaming his name enthusiastically as he flew around the Quidditch pitch during his matches, cheering like nobody was watching. He hopped to the ground and thrust the key into the lock, still grinning as he wrenched the door open to find themselves on a giant chessboard.

"…maybe Ron is good for something." Harry groaned as they realized the only way past the white pieces guarding the door ahead of them was playing them.

"Oh, relax, Harry. Chess is a game of logic, reason, and analyzing your opponent carefully. I'm sure we can get through this together." Hermione reasoned. "You be the King, and I'll be the Queen since we're least likely to get taken out."

'Makes sense…' Harry thought to himself as he marched to the King and Hermione the Queen. After sharing an uneasy glance, they looked ahead to see a white pawn advance forward by two spaces.

Harry and Hermione consulted each other prior to every move, and by combining Harry's limited experience with Hermione's unmatched ability to reason, they were able to keep up with their magical opponent. Barely. After a dozen pieces had been wiped out on each side, Harry turned to Hermione.

"You know, I could've used this side of you all those times Ron clobbered me in chess over the past nine months…" He smirked. Hermione looked away, and Harry saw her cheeks were pink again. He turned back to the chessboard and the two of them continued their battle of wits against the white side.

'So close…' Harry groaned internally as one of their knights was smashed to death by the white Queen. They had hoped to use that piece to take out the opponent's King, but now it lay discarded off to the side. He turned to one of their last remaining pieces in desperation, their last bishop. 'No way…'

"Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

"I think we've done it…" Harry muttered, turning to his friend. Her eyes were locked onto that very bishop, who, thanks to the Queen taking out their Knight, now had a clear path to the white King. The pair nodded to each other anxiously. Harry directed the bishop to move, and just like that, the King dropped his crown to the ground, moving aside to let the pair advance. Once they were off the chessboard Harry and Hermione jumped up and down in exhilaration.

"We did it!" Hermione cried out, throwing her arms around Harry. "Ron will never hear the end of this one!" She stepped back, grinning from ear to ear, a dazzling smile.

He'd seen Hermione smile at him countless times by now. Whether it was her innocent smiles in class or in the library, or when she beamed at him on the Astronomy Tower the night they freed Norbert, or when she smirked at him every time he wandered into the common room after Quidditch practice, a tattered and exhausted mess. He suddenly realized that he couldn't help but associate Hermione smiling with happy memories.

'No kidding, you git. People don't often smile when they're not happy.' The voice in his head grumbled. Harry sighed internally.

'It's different, you prat!' He retorted, then realized he was arguing with himself and shook his head. He blinked and returned to the real world, where Hermione was still staring at him, but her smile was gone.

"Harry, are you alright?" She asked, searching his eyes and expression for any sign of trouble.

"Sorry," Harry nodded quickly, smiling again, "just thinking about the Stone." He managed. Hermione nodded, reciprocating his smile and dragging him to the door. The two of them hurried through a stone corridor to a small chamber, decorated only by a table holding seven bottles and a piece of parchment. An archway lay beyond the table, leading onward.

Harry stepped forward, curious. Immediately, black flames erupted in the archway ahead of them. Behind them, purple flames roared to life and trapped them in the small room. Harry felt a wall of force slam into his side and a death grip on his arm. He whipped his head around to see Hermione had leapt over to him, clinging to his arm like a lifeline. Her eyes were darting back and forth between the two fires. Nervously, Harry walked towards the table, with Hermione following suit.

Still clutching Harry's arm, Hermione gingerly grabbed the parchment that lay on the table. Harry felt her grip loosen as she read on, and he began to relax as well. She suddenly looked up and he saw that her smile had returned once again in full force. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Can't you see?" She cried out, waving the parchment in front of his face. Ignoring Harry's head-shaking, she continued. "It's a riddle! It's perfect!"

"Hermione, we're trapped in here by two walls of fire – perfect is probably the last word I would use."

"Oh, quiet you. This is it! My logical thinking is going to save your life right now! Oh, you're never mocking me again, Harry Potter!" She laughed, a mischievous glint in her eye as she looked back at Harry, who couldn't help but smile at that look. She quickly turned away and began picking up different bottles, mumbling to herself.

"So, what exactly is – "

"One of these is a potion that makes a person immune to those flames," she pointed to the black flames ahead of them without looking away from the table, "and another will get someone back through those ones," she pointed behind her at the purple fire. "But three of these are poison and – "

"They're WHAT?" Harry yelled, but Hermione shushed him.

"– and two of these are just nettle wine. I already know which ones are poison, calm down. And I think…" she muttered, picking up a small bottle. "Yes. This is for you." She slowly turned around, handing him the miniature flask.

"Hermione, this is barely one swallow. There's no way both of us can survive that fire…" He whispered, looking dejectedly at the black flames. Harry turned back to Hermione and saw tears were in her eyes. She nodded, and Harry felt his stomach drop. "Hermione, no!"

"I'm sorry Harry, but you're the best chance of getting the Stone and stopping Snape. I'll take this one," she sobbed, holding up another small bottle, "and go get McGonagall to find Dumbledore. Everyone will come down here and we'll get the stone out of You-Know-Who's hands."

"Hermione, there's no way I'm – "

"Harry, please don't make this harder than it has to be."

Harry felt empty inside. Worse than empty – empty like he'd never feel whole again. Everything he'd done this year, he attributed it to Hermione. Every good grade was because of how she'd helped him study. Every time he'd caught the Snitch he'd heard Hermione's cheers ringing through his ears like church bells. Voldemort would have killed him in the Forbidden Forest that night if Hermione hadn't shoved him out of the way, casting a barrier of fire between them and the Dark Lord. Harry would have been strangled to death by the Devil's Snare without Hermione's quick thinking and he'd have been massacred in the chess match without her logic. And he would probably be drinking poison right now if he didn't have the most brilliant witch he had ever met standing with him. Now she wanted him to go alone?

"I can't Hermione. I'm nothing without you." He croaked, feeling his own eyes well up. Hermione whimpered, her lip quivering as if she were about to burst into tears. Suddenly she was crashing into Harry, her arms squeezing him as if she were trying to break every bone in his torso. Harry felt her bury her face into his shoulder as she sobbed. He quickly pulled her in tight, fighting off his own urge to break down as his best friend cried her heart and soul into his jumper.

After a few moments, Harry felt her breathing even out, and she slowly pulled away. Her eyes were red and puffy, just as they'd been in the girls' bathroom on Halloween. His heart crumbled at the sight of his friend looking so distraught, but he forced himself to remain calm for her.

"If You-Know-Who is there – " She began, her voice cracking, but Harry shook his head, resolving to act calm.

"I got lucky once, right?" He joked, pointing to the scar on his forehead. "Maybe I'll get lucky again."

Hermione's lip trembled again and she fiercely wrapped her arms around him once again. Harry cried out in surprise but reciprocated the hug.

"You're a great wizard Harry, you really are." She pulled away, her eyes locked onto his.

"Well, I'm not as good as you." He smirked. Hermione blushed and looked away.

"Me!" she laughed. "Books! And cleverness!" She glanced back at Harry. "There are more important things. Friendship. Bravery. And – " Her eyes widened as she froze, staring open-mouthed at Harry. He raised an eyebrow, and she quickly found her voice. "Oh, Harry, just be careful!"

Then she did something she had never done before; she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

Harry felt his face heat up, hotter than the fires that trapped them in the chamber. Before he could register what was happening, Hermione stepped back, downed her potion, and walked backwards through the purple flames, never taking her eyes off of him. When she had disappeared from sight, Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He touched his fingers to his cheek, standing in the middle of the anteroom like a statue.

Finally, he remembered the Stone. Forcing himself to think of Voldemort and not what had just transpired, Harry drank the contents of his bottle and marched towards the black flames in front of him.

'That is not going to be the last time I see Hermione Granger.' He thought to himself as he walked through the fire.

A/N: Wow! Just when I thought I wouldn't enjoy writing a chapter as much as I enjoyed Chapter 4, I still manage to surprise myself. Hopefully you all enjoyed my revisionist history of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's sixteenth chapter: Through The Trapdoor.

First of all, I want to thank my two beta readers (you know who you are, you absolute legends) for helping me make this as brilliant as it is.

And once again I would like to thank those of you who have been kind enough to leave reviews, follow the story, or add it to your favorites. If you enjoyed this chapter and the rest of the story so far, please do favorite/follow/review! Every time I see someone do so it motivates me that much more to keep writing.

The next chapter will most likely be the last chapter to contain canon events from the first book before we delve into the summer and eventually the canon of the second book. Yay! Anyhow, stay safe everyone! See y'all tomorrow!