Chapter 93: Down the Rabbit Hole
Harry pushed the door open.
As the door creaked, low rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.
Phoenix's eyes went wide. She heard what the dog looked like, but actually seeing it was a different story.
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.
"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."
"Or Quirrell." Phoenix whispered, "please not here." She added, knowing what the boys would say.
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," Harry continued. "Well, here it goes…."
Phoenix heard a flute sound coming not too far from her. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note, the beast's eyes drooped. Harry hardly drew a breath. Slowly the dog's growls ceased- it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and Phoenix turned visible, pulling the bracelet off.
The four crept toward the trapdoor. Phoenix felt the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approach the giant heads.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back, "want to go first, Hermione?"
"No, I don't!"
"All right."
"I would, if asked," remarked Phoenix.
Ron gritted his teeth as he and Phoenix stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.
"Nothing, just black. There's no way of climbing down. We'll just have to drop. And it feels odd." Phoenix looked at Hermione hopefully to get the idea. She looked over at Harry, who was tapping Ron on the shoulder. He was still playing, but was pointing at himself.
"You want to go first?" Phoenix said, leaning further down. She didn't like the idea. "I can't tell how deep this goes."
"Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep." Ron suggested.
Phoenix looked up, watching Harry hand the flute over. She heard the dog growled and twitched and hoped it wouldn't wake up with her underneath, but the moment Hermione played, it fell back into its deep sleep.
Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom. Phoenix watched him lower himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips.
"If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"
"Right," said Ron.
Phoenix shook her head, "not me. Hermione and Ron can do that. I'll be looking for you." Harry looked at her on his way to object. "This isn't my first rodeo, Harry." He looked at her, confused. Ron shrugged and Hermione looked horrified.
Harry sighed, "see you in a minute, I hope…"
"Be careful," Phoenix whispered.
And Harry let go.
Phoenix thought she heard a soft muffled thump and cold, damp air rushing up.
"It's okay!" she heard. "It's a soft landing. You can jump!"
Phoenix nodded to both Ron and Hermione, making sure they heard Harry. "You go next, Ron." He followed right away. Once Phoenix heard the muffled landing, she waved Hermione over. "You're next. Once he wakes up, I can freeze him if necessary."
Hermione nodded in understanding and moved cautiously towards her. Phoenix kept her eyes on the three-headed dog. "Ready?"
"Come on!"
Immediately after Hermione stopped playing, the dog woke up. It stared at them growling, then started barking, lashing at them with all three heads.
"Jump!" Phoenix yelled, pushing Hermione down the hole, landing on the floor. Rolling over, she raised her hands, freezing the dog seconds before one mouth came on her.
"Phoenix!" she heard Harry yell. She crawled over to the hole waving at them, then jumped.
"You, okay?" Harry whispered.
Phoenix nodded, "just shaken."
Harry looked up at the hole entrance. "What did you do to the dog?"
"He fell back asleep. Somehow, the harp started playing again. Maybe it's on a timer."
Harry looked back at her, unconvinced.
Wanting to avoid the subject, she looked at their surroundings. "Wonder how far down we are?"
"I'm thinking miles under the school," Hermione answered.
"Lucky this plant thing is here, really," said Ron.
"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"
Phoenix glanced at the boys, then at her feet when she felt something slither around her ankles. She tried to get free but struggled as she saw Hermione doing the same. Once free, the two girls rushed over towards a damp wall, trying to stay away from whatever was in the room. When Phoenix looked back at the boys, they were already bound without their noticing.
The two watched in horror as the two boys fought and Phoenix noticed that the more they fought it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.
"Stop moving!" she ordered them.
"Right, I know what this is-it's…..." Hermione started.
"Devil's Snare!"
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called. That's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from crushing around his neck.
"Will you shut up and let us think!" yelled Phoenix.
"Well, hurry, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped.
Phoenix watched him wrestle with it as it curled around his chest. She was about to flick her hands when Hermione stopped her.
"What are you doing?" she whispered. "You don't know how it would react if you tried to freeze or blow it up." They both looked at the boys. "We can't risk it."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"What did Professor Sprout say?"
Phoenix ran through her brain. "We need to light a fire."
"Yes- of course-" she looked around them, "But there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
"HAVE YOU GON MAD!" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"
"Oh, right!"
Phoenix rolled her eyes, whipping her wand out along with Hermione. The two muttered the incantation and sent a jet of bluebell flames at the plant. In a matter of seconds, Phoenix watched it loosening its grip and cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from the boys' bodies and pulled free.
"Lucky you both pay attention in Herbology," said Harry, joining the girls by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.
"Yea," said Ron, "and Harry or Phoenix don't lose their heads in a crisis- 'there's no wood', honestly."
Phoenix sighed and laughed as Hermione gave Ron an angered and annoyed look, then walked over to Harry, wondering what he was looking at.
"This way," said Harry. Phoenix looked where he was pointing to which turned out to be a stone passageway.
She pulled back and looked around once more, then back at the others with a shrug. "This must be the only way forward."
Harry stepped forward, and the other three followed.
All they could hear, apart from their footsteps, was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. Phoenix could feel the passageway sloping and wondered what they would run into next.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.
Phoenix stopped and listened. She could hear a soft rustling and clinking coming from up ahead.
"Do you think it's a ghost?"
"Doesn't sound like any ghost I have encountered."
"I don't know… sounds like…"
"Wings." Phoenix looked at Harry, then back ahead. "There's light ahead-I can see something moving."
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?"
"Maybe, who is going to volunteer to test the idea?"
Harry looked around them. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once…. well, there's no other choice…. I'll run."
He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. Phoenix, Hermione, and Ron watched, holding their breaths, not knowing what to expect.
They released their breaths, seeing Harry reach the door untouched and followed suit. They each tried tugging and heaving the door, but it wouldn't budge for either of them, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.
"Now what?" said Ron.
"These birds… they can't be here just for decoration."
"Hermione is right." Phoenix commented.
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering-glittering?
"They're not birds!" both Harry and Phoenix yelled.
"They're keys! Winged keys, look carefully."
"So that must mean…." Harry looked around the chamber while the others squinted up at the flock of keys. "…. Yes-look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"
"But there are hundreds of them!"
"We need to figure out the type of key. Look, each one is slightly different."
Ron examined the lock on the door. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one-probably silver, like the handle."
With only three broomsticks, Phoenix pulled Hermione onto hers and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. Hermione and Ron grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.
Phoenix looked around after a few passes through the whirl of rainbow feathers. She may not be the House Seeker like Harry, but that didn't mean she couldn't spot what others couldn't.
"That one!" Phoenix heard Harry call out behind them. She swirled her broom around for a better look. "That big one-there-no, there-with bright blue wings-the feathers are all crumbled on one side."
Phoenix and Hermione watch Ron speed in the direction Harry was pointing and crash into the ceiling, nearly falling off this broom.
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the damaged wing key. "Ron, you come at it from above-Phoenix, stay below and stop it from going down-and I'll try to catch it. Right, NOW!"
Ron dived and Phoenix rocketed upward. Unfortunately, the key dodged them both.
"I have a better idea." Phoenix yelled, then leaned into Hermione and whispered, "hold the broom."
Before anyone asked, Phoenix flicked her wrists, freezing the keys. Harry, taking the odd advantage, grabbed the key. Hermione glared at Phoenix, who smiled in return.
"I can't believe you did that in front of them." Hermione whispered as they all landed quickly.
Harry ran to the door and rammed the key into the lock, and turned. It worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, Phoenix flicked her wrists, unfreezing the keys. Hearing the flapping, the boys looked up in confusion.
"That is weird." Ron muttered.
The key in the lock took flight again, looking very battered now that someone had caught it twice.
Harry nodded and looked back at the others. "Ready?" They nodded, and he pulled the door open. The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and covered from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Phoenix shivered slightly. The towering white chessmen had no faces.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
Phoenix shrugged.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."
"He's right. I see the door on the other side." Phoenix pointed.
"How?" said Hermione nervously.
"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground, and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.
"Do we-er-have to join you to get across?"
The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three. "This needs thinking about…" he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces…"
Harry, Hermione, and Phoenix stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally, he said, "Now don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess."
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."
"Well, Harry, you take the place of the bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle."
"And me?" Ron studied the board, then back at Phoenix. "You be the other bishop and I will be a knight."
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, two bishops, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Phoenix took.
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes… look…"
Phoenix saw a white pawn moved forward two squares. She continued watching as Ron started to direst the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Phoenix knew nothing about chess. What if they lost? Or Ron got hurt in the process?
"Harry, move diagonally four squares to the right."
Phoenix watched in shock as the white queen smashed their other knight to the floor and drugged him off the floor face down. She swallowed. 'Okay this is like real wizards' chess, noted.'
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Every time one of their men lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only noticed in time that Harry, Hermione, and Phoenix were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think-let me think…"
Phoenix noticed the white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes…" said Ron softly, "it's the only way…. I've got to be taken."
"NO!" Harry, Hermione, and Phoenix shouted.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me. That leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"
"But…"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
"Ron..."
"Look, if you don't hurry, he or whoever will already have the Stone!"
Phoenix looked around the board. If Ron said there wasn't any other way, then there wasn't.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go-now, don't hang around once you've won."
Phoenix watched Ron step forward as the white queen pounced, striking Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor. Phoenix heard Hermione scream and was glad she stayed in her square. It took all the discipline Phoenix had not to run and check on Ron as the white queen dragged him to one side. He looked knocked out.
Phoenix looked over at Harry and noticed him shakingly move three spaces to the left.
The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet.
They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Phoenix charged through the door and up the next passageway.
"What if he's-?"
"He'll be all right," said Harry.
"He is okay." Phoenix whispered to Hermione. She looked back at her. "I can sense it. But we need to get him to the hospital wing as soon as we can."
Hermione seemed pleased and nodded.
"What do you reckon is next?"
"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell and Snape's…."
They reached the door.
"All right?" Harry whispered.
Phoenix nodded.
"Go on."
Harry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making the three of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered.
"You and me both." Phoenix stated, looking at its massive legs as she stepped carefully over it. "Hurry, I can't breathe!" Phoenix groaned through her robes.
Harry pulled open the next door, the three of them hardly daring to look at what came next, but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"
They stepped over the threshold, immediately fires sprung up behind and in front of them. Phoenix instinctively raised her hands in a ready position, not sure what was going to happen. She glanced in front and behind her, realizing the fires weren't ordinary fires. The one placed at the door they walked through was purple, and the one placed on the one that was on the way out was black. They were trapped, and her freezing power might not work.
Harry looked at her oddly as Hermione pushed Phoenix's hands down and pointed towards the table. "Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Phoenix and Harry looked over her shoulder to read it.
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 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.
Hermione let out a great sigh and Phoenix saw she was smiling. 'At least she is understanding it.'
"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic-it's logic-a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic. They'd be stuck in here forever."
"But so will we, won't we?"
"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."
"But how do we know which to drink?"
"I bet Hermione can figure it out."
"Give me a minute."
Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.
"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire, toward the Stone."
Harry and Phoenix looked at the tiny bottle.
"There is one problem." Phoenix stated, pointing at the bottle.
"There's only enough there for one of us," Harry said. "That's hardly one swallow."
The three looked at each other. Phoenix had an inkling of what Harry was about to say.
"Which one will get you two back through the purple flames?"
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"You two drink that," said Harry. Phoenix was about to protest when Harry held his hands up. "No listen, get back and get Ron. Grab the brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy-go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore. We need him. I might hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."
"But Harry- what if You-Know-Who's with him?"
"You know he will try to kill you before Dumbledore even steps foot onto Hogwarts." Phoenix remarked.
"Well-I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."
Phoenix and Hermione looked at each other, then back at Harry with sadness. Phoenix tried to swallow her emotions down like her aunt taught her. She was a charmed daughter; she was used to situations such as this. But this was one of her best friends not an ordinary innocent and seeing Hermione's lips tremble broke her and a tear slipped down. She watched Hermione dash at Harry and throw her arms around him. Phoenix stayed where she was.
"Hermione!"
"Harry, you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you two," said Harry, very embarrassed, as Hermione let go of him.
"US!" said Hermione. She looked at Phoenix, who still hadn't moved. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things..."
"-friendship and bravery." Phoenix croaked, holding back tears.
"-oh Harry -be careful!"
"You drink first." Phoenix suggested and looked at Harry, who nodded in agreement.
"You are sure which is which, aren't you?" He asked.
"I'm sure she does." Phoenix commented.
"Positive," said Hermione. Phoenix watched her take a long drink from the round bottle at the end and shuddered.
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.
"I'm sure we would have known right away."
"No-but it's like ice."
"Quick, go, before it wears off."
Hermione hands the bottle over to Phoenix, eyeing her questionably when she saw blue and white orbs and turned to Harry. "Good luck-take care…"
"GO!"
Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.
Phoenix and Harry took a deep breath and looked at each other.
"Your turn."
Phoenix swallowed and shook her head. "Every instinct I have tells me it's wrong to leave Harry." She whispered.
"I know, but we don't know how much time we have. Snape… or Quirrell or whoever… might have the Stone already."
"Which is why you need my help."
Harry shook his head. "There is only enough potion for one person. Please help Hermione and take Ron to the hospital wing and owl Dumbledore."
Phoenix looked down at the potion and back at Harry. "Fine, but I want to make sure you get there."
Harry smiled, "fine."
He went over to the table and picked the smallest bottle. He turned to Phoenix, then back at the black flames.
"Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in one gulp.
Phoenix saw him shake like Hermione did and placed the bottle down. He walked forward, bracing himself.
Phoenix watched the flames cover his body before disappearing all together. He was on the other side, in the last chamber, or she hoped.
She glanced at the two flames and sighed. Closing her eyes, Phoenix pulled the stopper off and drank, the feel of ice flooding her body. She took a deep breath and stepped into the flames.