(Here finally is the new chapter! I hope you enjoy sorry it took so long. Also sorry for the cliffhanger ending here but I wanted to end this before the whole thing with Quirrell so I hope you enjoy. I own nothing but Lucy.)
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"Harry, do you hear that?" Lucy asked pressing her ear to a plain wooden door that met the four first years at the end of the dark corridor.
A faint buzzing noise filtered through the wood as if a swarm of insects might be waiting on the other side.
"What do you suppose?" Hermione wondered as she laid her head down next to Lucy's on the door. Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Only one way to find out." He reached for the doorknob, turned it then pushed the door open.
Lucy gasped as they stepped inside a dimly lit chamber on the other side. In the air flew a swarm of strange tiny bird each fluttering their wings so fast it was audible even from where the children were standing.
"How very curious." Hermione mused as she stepped in after Harry and Lucy. "I've never seen birds like these." Her brow furrowed as if she were trying to recall every page she'd ever read in her textbooks.
"Me neither." Ron shook his head seemingly transfixed by the swarm. Harry shook his head. "Those aren't birds." He quickly realized. "They're keys."
Lucy frowned at this assessment. "Keys to what?"
"That door!" Hermione pointed across the room. "It's locked. I bet our next challenge is to find the right key and put it through the keyhole." She smiled proudly at her own deduction as Ron stepped across the room to the other door.
Lucy turned to meet her gaze. "But how? They're up so high. Not even an adult would be tall enough to reach those on his toes. How do you suppose Snape did it?" She wondered aloud.
Harry started to answer when he heard the doorknob rattle. "Alohamora!" Ron waved his wand at the door to no effect. Hermione sighed.
"Oh well it was a worth a try." Ron shrugged.
"Ugh!" Hermione suddenly stomped her foot. "This is impossible! Even if we could reach the swarm there would be no way we could tell which key is right! There must be at least thousand keys!" She stared dismally at the flock of keys floating just out of reach from an adult height.
Ron studied the lock again. "Well we're probably looking for one with a rusty finish. Old fashioned like the knob." He shook the doorknob again for good measure.
The other three first years combed the sky. "There! I see it!" Harry pointed towards the left hand side of the room. "The one with the broken wing!"
Lucy peered at the key which at closer look was flying a bit noticeably slower than the other keys due to the its wings which were seemingly crushed at its sides.
"Of course!" Harry stepped away from the girls up to a long wooden banister which seperated the swarm of the keys from the safe area.
Then Lucy and Hermione realized it wasn't a banister. "It's a broom!" Lucy followed after her brother.
She started to run her fingers down the handle when a loose splinter stuck her thumb. "Ouch! This broom is ancient. How long do you suppose it's been kept down here?" She put her thumb into her mouth.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know, but one of us needs to ride this in order to catch the key. That's the challenge." He put his own hand on the broomstick.
Hermione frowned when he made no move to mount the seat. "Harry, what's wrong?" She asked sensing her friend's indecision.
Harry shook his head. "It's too simple. These keys are flying slower than Dudley's model hover jet. It would be a cinch to catch the right one with the broom." He loosened his grip.
Lucy took her thumb out of her mouth. "Well maybe it's not as simple as it seems." Hermione put in. "After all they wouldn't call it a challenge for nothing." She reassured.
"I suppose." Harry didn't seem convinced. He looked at Lucy and started to offer her the broomstick.
"Oh go on, Harry! If Snape can catch the key than you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!" Ron put in.
Lucy nodded her head. "He's right." She took a step back. "You should fly it, Harry. You're faster than me and we may only have one shot at this." She tried to be encouraging.
Harry let out a sigh. "All right then. When I catch the key I'll toss it to you. Wait by the door in case something unexpected happens." He carefully gripped the rough unpolished handle of the broomstick feeling it rear slightly at his touch.
Lucy nodded and watched as he mounted the broom and looked up towards the swarming cloud of keys.
Suddenly the keys stopped floating about and charged full speed ahead in Harry's direction. Lucy screamed and ducked to the ground as Harry took off swerving around the tiny room while the keys began to peck him in the face and the eyes.
"Well...this complicates things." Ron gulped as Harry flew dangerously close to his person. Lucy got up and ran for the door readying herself to catch the key when something small and golden flew towards her face.
"Catch!" Harry yelled as the keys continued to pursue him through the air. Lucy caught the old key between her hands and turned to shove it into the lock as Ron and Hermione pressed up against her slightly in anxiety.
"Hurry up Lucy!" Ron cried just as a loud click echoed through the room. Lucy pulled the key out, shoved the door handle and opened the door just as the keys came chasing after them.
Hermione and Ron jumped out first followed by Lucy and Harry who jumped off the broomstick and kicked the door closed before the keys could follow.
For a moment the four first years just lay panting on the floor.
"Whoo!...That wasn't so bad." Ron breathed as Harry and Lucy helped each other get to a sitting position.
"Speak for yourself." Harry panted as Hermione found her footing. "I wonder where we are now." Hermione started to wonder when she tripped on something hard and heavy.
"Oh!" Hermione gasped when she saw what appeared to be the remains of a giant chess piece.
"What happened here?" Lucy wondered, bending to examine the figure though it was in so many pieces it was hardly recognizable. Hermione looked up and paled significantly when she saw what was before them.
"I think I know...and I don't like this. I don't like this one bit." She pointed across the room. Ron and Harry quickly pulled themselves back onto their feet.
"What is this place? A graveyard?" Harry guessed. Ron shook his head. "This is no graveyard Harry. It's a chessboard. A giant chessboard." He started to walk across the room.
The others moved to follow him. "These kind of look like the pieces you have in your wizards' chess set, Ron." Lucy observed as the group got about halfway across the chessboard to the door on the other side.
Suddenly the white pawns guarding the other side of the board drew their swords frightening the children into backing away from the statues.
Hermione exchanged glances with Lucy. "Now what do we do?" She asked. Lucy shrugged her shoulders.
"It's obvious isn't it?" Ron turned to make eye contact with his friends. "We've got to play our way across the board and win in order to pass on to the next room." He turned and nodded his head when he noticed four empty spots on the other side of the chessboard.
"Play?" Lucy sounded worried. "But none of us except you are any good at chess." She gazed at Ron.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Well I guess we have no choice then." He turned to face his best friend. "Tell us what to do. We'll follow as best we can." He promised. The girls nodded their agreement.
"All right then." Ron put a hand to his chin and studied the four empty spots on the board. "Harry you take the empty Bishop's square and Lucy, you and Hermione take the two side castles. Those are the two end spaces on the corners." He pointed to the appropriate places.
His three friends nodded their heads. "Okay, where will you be?" asked Harry while Lucy and Hermione turned to take thier places. Ron turned to look in the last remaining spot on the board.
"Me?...I'm going to be a knight."
Lucy took a deep breath calming herself as Ron carefully climbed aboard an enormous stone horse. "What happens now?" Hermione asked when neither side made a move for a long minute.
"Well...white should move first." Ron started to explain. "And then, we play." At his words, a white pawn piece slid across the board.
Lucy gulped as a terrifying thought suddenly floated through her mind. "Uh Ron? You don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizards' chess do you?" She asked as her hands began to turn clammy.
Ron studied their side of the board. "You there! Move to D-5!" He shouted the order. Almost at once one of the black pawns moved diagonally across the board facing the white one that had moved before.
Harry stiffened when he saw the white pawn twitch in the black pawn's direction. Barely hesitating it decapitated its opponent sending the shattered pieces flying all across the board.
Ron winced as one of the stones glanced off the top of his cheeks. "Uh...yes Lucy. I think this is going to be exactly like Wizards Chess." He turned to glance back at his friend.
Hermione swallowed hard. "Oh boy..."
"Pawn to C-3!" Ron shouted his next order. Lucy watched as piece after piece moved obediently to his commands some taking down a few of the white pieces while others were reduced to smithereens.
"Right Bishop to E-4!...Left Knight to D-7!" Ron sat like an army general on his horse avoiding, as Harry noticed using his friends' pieces as much as possible.
Lucy gasped and coughed when a piece shattered in front of her stinging her eyes as the debris flew through the air.
The dust settled just in time for her to witness the White Queen smash their spare bishop piece with a sword.
Ron settled back in his seat as he watched the broken piece roll off the board. The game was almost over. There weren't very many pieces left on either side of the field.
Lucy turned to exchange glances with Hermione as Ron took his time figuring out his next move.
"All right, here's what's going to happen." Ron turned so he was facing the rest of his friends. "I'll make my move and put the King in check before the Queen takes me. Then Harry...can take the King." He spoke slowly as if unsure of his decision.
Harry shook his head. "No. Ron no! You can't do that!" He protested.
"What is it?" Lucy called from across the board. Harry turned to face his sister. "He's going to sacrifice himself to help us win!"
Hermione blanched at that. "No you can't! There has to be another way!" She protested.
Lucy turned to stare at her. "What if there isn't?" She asked in a small voice.
"Look! Do you want to stop Snape or not?" Ron turned completely around on his horse. "This is the only way! It's the only way Harry and Lucy are going to get to the other side and stop Snape before gets the Sorceror's Stone!"
Harry licked his lips. "Harry, it's you and Lu that's got to go on! I know it! Not me. Not Hermione. You two. Just trust me." He pleaded with his friends, hoping they would understand.
After a moment Lucy slowly nodded her head. Harry bit his lip as Ron turned face front once again, his eyes on the towering White Queen.
Harry clenched his fists at his side. "Knight...to H-3." Ron slowly gave the order. Obediently his mount moved across the board.
Everyone waited as Ron looked up at the Queen. "Check." He muttered in a timid sounding voice.
For one tense minute nothing happened, then the Queen turned in her spot. Drawing her blade she swung at the large stone horse severing it half with one clean stroke.
Lucy gasped and nearly lost her footing when rock shards scattered about the room nearly drowning out Ron's screams as he fell from his mount to the floor.
"RON!" Harry called out to him. Hermione started to walk to his aide, but Lucy stopped her before she could leave her spot.
"No don't! We're still in the game!" She put out her arm and nodded to Harry when he looked back at them.
Harry nodded back. "Right." He turned to face the remaining pieces on the white side of the board. Taking a deep breath, he marched diagonally across the field, passing the Queen and the remaining two pawns before stopping just next to the White King.
"Checkmate." Harry spoke keeping an eye on the Queen. As if conceding defeat, the King dropped his sword at Harry's feet signalling the end of the game.
Hermione and Lucy ran from their places, tripping over each other and the rubble around them in their frantic haste to get to Ron's side. Harry got there seconds before the girls did.
"Is he?" Hermione started to ask and Harry nodded his head. "He's fine, but he's going to have to stay here for now. There's no telling what's on the other side of that door." He turned to look at the door that stood on the other side of the still White King.
Lucy nodded her head. "He should be all right here. I doubt anyone else is going to come play chess again for awhile." She carefully pulled a bit of rubble from Ron's sweater.
Hermione nodded her agreement. "Let's go. The sooner we end this, the sooner we can get out." She stood.
Lucy followed her lead and Harry got up last.
...
"What is this place?" Harry wrinkled his nose as he and the girls stepped into the next level of the underground passage. Lucy covered her nose with her hand and grimaced when she almost stepped on the arm of a very large stinky troll.
"Ugh!...Who's idea was this?" Hermione gagged as she hurried over the creature's body into the room beyond.
Harry coughed. "No idea, but I'm glad we don't have to fight this one." He tried to fan away the smell as he stepped up after Hermione. Lucy made it in last.
"It's a potion chamber!" She realized as she looked around at all the bottles in the room. At that moment there was a whoosh from behind them and the three first years turned just in time to see a wall of purple flames appear behind them.
At the same time black flames blocked the exit on the other side of the hall.
Lucy swallowed hard. "What do we do now?" She stepped further into the room in order to investigate the potion bottles.
"Look!" Hermione zipped past the twins to a table where a roll of parchment lay next to the row of bottles. Lucy hurried over to read the note over her shoulder.
Danger lies before you while safety lies behind
Two of us would help you, whichever you would find
One among us seven will let you moved ahead
Another will transport the drinker back instead
Two among her 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 that stand at either end
But if you were to 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 the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight
The girls looked up once they'd finished reading the puzzle. Harry scratched his head. "I don't get it. Which potion do we take?" He turned to look at the row of potions again.
"We drink from the smallest bottle of course." Hermione spoke as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
Lucy took the paper from her. "How did you figure that so quickly?" She asked. Hermione pointed at the riddle.
"It's quite simple really. There are seven bottles, three that contain poison, two with nettle wine, one that will take us through the black fire and one that will get through the purple. Based on this line we can assume that the bottles on either end will not take us through either wall and the poisons are not in the biggest or smallest bottle. Here."
She moved the paper so that Harry could see too. "Fourth, second on the left and second on the right are twins once you taste them though different at first sight. So that means these two bottles are either both wine or poison. Most likely wine though according to the rest of the clues. That leaves us with this smallest bottle as the one containing the correct potion to move forward." She picked up the bottle and held it out to Harry.
Harry opened the bottle and peered at the liquid contents inside. "There's barely enough for two people. We can't all go through the black flames." He looked up with a frown back at his friend.
Lucy looked at the clues again. "Hermione can take the other potion and go back for Ron. Use the brooms from the key room to get out of the trapdoor and send a message to Dumbledore." She looked to her best friend.
Hermione hesitated. "But Lucy, what if You-Know-Who is in there with Snape? He's a teacher and high level wizard!" She worried.
Harry motioned towards his scar. "We got lucky once. Maybe we'll get lucky again." He tried to be optimistic. Hermione's lip shook.
"But...!" She glanced over at the bottles remaining on the table.
Lucy grabbed her hands. "Hermione there's no time! Hurry up and take the potion! Harry and I will only be able to hold him off for so long after we get in there!" She pleaded.
Hermione sighed. "You two will do great." She said slowly after a minute taking a large round bottle near the gap where the other potion had been.
"You're both great wizards. Even for our age." She smiled slightly and slowly stirred the potion in her hand.
Harry felt his face flush a bit at the praise. "Us?...We're not as good as you, Hermione. Especially not me-."
"Me? Books and cleverness." Hermione laughed slightly. "There are much more important things, like friendship." She beamed at Lucy before returning her attention to Harry. "And bravery...just promise me one thing." Hermione tipped the neck of the bottle slightly at an incline as if second guessing Lucy's choice.
"What?" asked Lucy anxious lest Hermione was holding the wrong potion in her hand.
"Be careful. I don't know what I'll do if something were to happen and You-Know-Who got the..." She stopped and trailed off not wanting to finish her thought.
Harry put his hands over her own around the potion bottle. "We will. Now you drink first. That is if you're sure you picked the right bottle." He added on worriedly.
Lucy narrowed her eyes slightly at him. "I did." Hermione nodded and quickly tipped the bottle's contents into her mouth.
A moment later she swallowed then shivered as the potion took effect.
"Are you okay?" Lucy asked. Hermione nodded. "Just a bit chilled. I'll see you both soon." She gave Lucy a quick tight hug then hurried out of the room through the way they came in.
Harry held out the other potion to Lucy. "Here, you drink half of it first then I'll finish it." He licked his lips in anticipation.
Lucy nodded, grabbed the bottle and took a big gulp. "Ooh!..Cold." She shuddered, pausing a bit before handing over the rest of the potion back to her brother.
Harry raised the bottle to his lips. "Oh!...You're right." He shivered then put the empty bottle down on the table. "Come on! Let's go before the effects wear off." He started for the black flames. Lucy followed close behind him.
Suddenly Harry stopped walking as entered the next chamber in the passage, causing his sister to bump right into him. "Hey! Why'd you-?" Lucy started then stopped when she saw who was in the room in front of them.
There standing in front of the magical Mirror of Erised was, not Snape but...
"You!" Harry exclaimed shocked as the figure turned from the mirror to face them. "Me." Quirrell sneered. Lucy blanched.
...
