Hello there! I know, it's been over a year since you've last heard from me. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. Being an adult sucks because I have less time to write. It's literally taken me this whole time just to write this one chapter because I have to struggle to find at least thirty minutes to write. But I love this story so much and I absolutely plan to finish it, even if it takes me one hundred years! So if you want to stick around for one hundred years to see me complete it, yay! You're a real one! But honestly, I'm always getting reviews begging me to update and they honestly keep me coming back, so thank you all!
Now, a few important announcements about this story that you should know before reading:
1: I've decided that I love both Seamus and Theo way too much to ever choose between them. So this is officially a Theo/Hermione/Seamus story. If you're not into triads then unfortunately this story is no longer for you because it's 100% happening. And it will not just be both boys loving Hermione, but they will be in love with each other too. Which brings me to my next point
2: This story WILL have gay pairings in it. And quite a few. So if you're homophobic this story is not for you, please see yourself out, please and thank you.
3: I have a thing for odd pairings (As you can probably tell) and I've already have my mind set on a few completely out of box pairings that you probably won't expect, but I hope you come to love them as I have!
4: Lastly, Sirius Black will be making his appearance in Year 2, and that's where I'll leave that!
Like I said, I'm not ever going to give up on this story. My updates will probably take a long time, but I hope you guys stay around for the ride! Enjoy!
Remus couldn't help but feel a little smug as he watched Dumbledore try to keep his cool. It was rare that anyone took the powerful wizard by surprise. Remus sat in front of the Headmaster's desk, having arrived a few minutes ago to deliver the news of his new role as Harry's guardian. It had been a good minute since he had dropped the bomb on the old man, and Dumbledore had still yet to say anything, much to Remus' amusement.
"Remus," Dumbledore started slowly, "that's not possible. Werewolves cannot adopt children." Remus bristled at Dumbledore's condescending tone. As if he didn't know the laws that oppressed werewolves.
"I'm very aware of the law, Dumbledore, but that is a wizarding law. You and I are very much aware that adoption laws are different for half-bloods and muggleborns because of their muggle heritage. Harry is a half-blood, which means rights to his guardianship can come from either the wizarding world or the muggle one. I, myself, am also a half-blood, which allows me to adopt in the muggle world and not even wizarding laws can stop it seeing as they have no hold over the guardianship of muggles, muggleborns, or half-bloods if I adopt through muggle means. Seeing as his guardianship was in the hands of muggles, awful, abusive muggles," here his glare intensified, and Dumbledore flinched, letting Remus know that Dumbledore was very aware of how awful the Dursleys were, "who willingly signed away their guardianship to me through muggle means, everything is perfectly legal."
Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh and took his spectacles off to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Remus, do you have any idea how much danger Harry is in not living with the Dursleys? I must insist you retractー"
"Retract the adoption? Not bloody likely," Remus interrupted, leaning back in his seat and fixing Dumbledore with a hard stare. "But please, explain to me how him living with a loving family is more dangerous than living with an abusive one."
"I wouldn't call themー"
"I would," Remus interrupted once again with a growl. "Especially since they were starving him, beating him, treating him like a slave, and had him sleeping in the dirty cupboard under the stairs," Remus stated angrily. Remus could smell the guilt rolling off of Dumbledore as he looked down, which made Remus even angrier. "But something tells me you already knew how he was being treated."
Dumbledore looked at him and flinched again when he saw how golden Remus' eyes had turned. "It was necessary for his safety."
"Oh this should be rich," Remus said, crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation.
"When Lily sacrificed herself to save Harry she did so in an act of love. That love triggered blood magic, and that blood magic is what protected Harry that night and helped defeat Voldemort. That blood magic still surrounds Harry, and the only way it will stay intact is if he lives with blood relatives. Harry's only blood relative still alive is Petunia Dursley. If Harry leaves the Dursleys that blood magic that is protecting him will disappear," Dumbledore explained.
"Dumbledore, you're too smart to be this dumb," Remus snapped, sitting up. "That blood magic was created out of love, so it would only work if he's with a blood relative that loves him. Petunia doesn't have an ounce of love for that boy in her entire body. Hell, she hardly loved her own sister!" Remus observed the old man in front of him and knew something was off. "I don't believe you."
"Remus," Dumbledore started.
"No, I don't believe that that's your reasoning for keeping him there. I think there's another reason that's beneficial to you, and you can bet your bloody ass that I'm going to find out what it is," Remus growled, abruptly getting to his feet.
"Remus, please," Dumbledore pleaded, following Remus as he started stalking towards the fireplace.
Remus swerved around to face the old man, who took a step back at the dangerous look in Remus' eyes. "The only reason I came here was to inform you of the change in Harry's guardianship, so any news regarding him comes to me. There is not a damn thing you can do to change it. The papers have been signed and finalised, and the adoption is complete. So whatever plans you had regarding Harry are nonexistent. Actually, I want you to stay as far away from Harry and Hermione as humanly possible. Unless they are in trouble or in danger, you stay the fuck away from my pups." With that Remus stormed into the fireplace and with a flare of flames, was gone.
Dumbledore stood there, speechless. Never before had anyone talked to him in such a way, especially not the soft-hearted Remus. He had never seen the man so angry before, and if he was being completely honest, it was terrifying. Calmly, Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk and started to contemplate the situation he found himself in.
Harry played a pivotal role in the war that was brewing. Voldemort wasn't gone for good. A war was going to come eventually, and Dumbledore needed to make sure Harry was playing his role.
With that in mind Dumbledore started to plot.
Remus would understand one day, as would Harry.
It was for the greater good.
xxXxx
"Dean . . ."
Dean groaned as he was lightly shaken. He pushed the insistent hands off his body and turned in his bed so that he was facing away from the person shaking him. He started to drift back to sleep when the hands returned, this time more urgent.
"Dean, wake up!" the voice whispered, causing Dean to groan again. Dean cracked open an eye and saw that it was still pitch black outside the window. He growled, flopping onto his back. He looked up, ready to cuss out whoever dared wake him from a beautiful sleep, when he saw Harry. Dean's aggravation immediately melted into worry at the frantic look in Harry's eyes.
"Harry? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Dean asked, groggy, but also panicked. He took a closer look at Harry and noticed that though he looked frantic it wasn't so much in a 'something's wrong' way, but in an excited way. There was a shuffle and Dean glanced to the side to see Seamus standing behind Harry, also groggy, but also kind of worried.
"What? No, I'm fine," Harry said quickly, waving his hand as though to shoo away his concerns. "I have to show you what I found tonight!"
Dean looked at him warily. Harry's demeanor seemed a little crazed, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy. Dean shared a pointed look with Seamus. Looking back at Harry he noticed that his friend was holding a cloak.
"What's that?" Dean asked.
Harry's eyes gleamed. He unfolded the cloak and with a big whoosh draped it over his shoulders. Dean and Seamus both gasped in awe as Harry's body completely disappeared from neck down.
"Whoa!" Seamus exclaimed, immediately completely awake.
"Shh," Harry said quickly, glancing quickly at Neville and Ron to make sure they were still asleep.
"What is that?" Dean asked again, hopping out of bed and reaching out, gaping when his hand brushed against fabric that didn't seem to be there.
"It's an invisibility cloak!" Seamus said excitedly. "They're super rare. How did you get one, Harry?"
Harry grinned and shrugged. "I woke up to go to the bathroom and it was just wrapped in parcel paper sitting on my trunk. It had a note attached."
Harry held out a scrap of paper that he had been holding. Taking it from him Dean and Seamus read it, Seamus looking over his shoulder.
Your father left this in my possession when he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.
"There's no name signed," Dean said. "Maybe it's from Remus. He knew your dad, right?"
"I thought so too, but he would have just given it to me during break. Plus, that's not his hand writing. It's too neat," Harry explained, taking the cloak off.
Dean furrowed his eyebrows, confused as to who would just leave such a family heirloom in their bedroom in the middle of the night. And how did they get it there?
"Well, mate, as cool as the cloak is, you couldn't wait until tomorrow to show us?" Seamus said, still tired.
Harry's eye's became frantic with excitement again. "No, there's something else I have to show you! I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to use the cloak to go to the library一"
"Hermione, is that you?" Seamus joked, and Dean laughed.
"Seriously, you get a rare cloak that can help you sneak around and decide to go to the library?" Dean asked, making both him and Seamus chuckle.
"If you let me finish," Harry glared. "I went to the library to try and get into the restricted section so that I could maybe find a book on Nicholas Flamel."
"Did you find something?" Seamus asked in hope.
"I didn't even get to the library. I heard Filch doing rounds and ran into the closest classroom I could一"
"Why didn't you just go under the cloak?"
"Yeah, mate, he wouldn't have seen you. Again, you're really not taking full advantage of this thing."
"Shut it, and let me finish," Harry hissed. "In the room there was this mirror and I saw my parents!"
"What?!" Both boys exclaimed, only to be hushed by Harry when Neville moved in his bed. They waited as the boy settled down again before Seamus turned and looked back to Harry, bewildered.
"What do you mean you saw your parents?"
"They were in the mirror! They were standing behind me looking proud. And they were surrounded by others. Family from both my mum and dad's sides. They were all there!" Harry whispered excitedly.
"Harry . . ." Dean started, wary.
"Don't 'Harry' me," Harry snapped. "I know what I saw! Come on, I'll show you!" He once again draped the cloak over his shoulders and held one end open for them to join him.
Dean and Seamus shared a cautious look before thinking 'what the heck' and joining Harry under the cloak. Together they moved as silently as possible, leaving the boys dorm and exiting the common room, much to the Fat Lady's confusion when her portrait opened but seemingly nobody was there. They followed Harry's lead as he quickly walked through the halls, taking this turn and that turn. Luckily a few minutes later they arrived without running into Filch or any teachers. They quickly shuffled inside and took off the cloak.
Dean and Seamus stared in awe at the grand mirror sitting in the middle of the room. It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi
"Whoa," Seamus whispered, inching towards the mirror and reading the inscription. "What does it mean?"
Dean stared at it for a moment before it connected in his head. "I show you not your face, but your heart's desire. It's written backwards." Seamus and Harry both turned and looked at him incredulously. "What? Hermione isn't the only smart one in our group."
Harry rushed forward to stand in front of the mirror. "Look! There they are!"
Dean and Seamus stood on either side of their friend and looked in the mirror.
"See?" Harry whispered.
"I can't see anything," Dean said, sharing a sad look with Seamus.
"Look! Look at them all... there are loads of them..."
"We can only see you," Seamus whispered.
"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."
Harry stepped aside, Dean following his lead. With just Seamus in front of the mirror, Harry couldn't see his family anymore.
They watched as Seamus' expression went from confusion to wonder as he gaped at his image with wide eyes.
"You see them, don't you?!"
"No," Seamus said softly, unable to tear his eyes away from the image in front of him. "I-I see me. But I'm older, maybe in my twenties. And I'm wearing a tux. Oh! Someone else just joined my side. A woman. She's gorgeous," Seamus said, breathless. "She's wearing a wedding dress. Her skin is so fair. And her hair is brown and so wild-" Seamus abruptly cut himself off as his eyes widened.
Both Dean and Harry looked at Seamus, shocked. "Hermione," Dean said softly. Seamus nodded, dumbstruck. Dean was shocked, having underestimated just how serious and deep Seamus' crush on their bookworm was.
"Do you think this shows our future?" Seamus asked, hopeful.
"How can it? All my family are dead," Harry said, feeling dejected.
Dean placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder while Seamus blushed, ashamed.
"Sorry, Harry," he said.
Harry waved away his apology and looked at the mirror sadly. "What is this thing?"
Dean inspected the mirror once again. "Well the mirror says it shows your heart's desire. So I guess when you look at your reflection it shows you what your deepest desire is."
"Huh," Seamus said quietly. He shook his head, his face beet red. He then met Dean's eyes and asked, "What about you? Let's see your heart's deepest desire, mate."
Dean felt his heart start to speed up. He stared at the mirror, not moving from his spot beside a forlorn Harry. He didn't have an inkling of what could possibly be his deepest desire. As far as he was concerned he had everything he wanted. A great family and the best group of friends. What else could he want?
Dean took a deep breath and looked down at his feet as he replaced Seamus in front of the mirror while Seamus threw his arm over Harry's shoulders as he stood beside him. Slowly, Dean looked up at his reflection and gasped lightly at the image of himself in the mirror. Like Seamus' image, this version of Dean was older. Maybe sixteen or seventeen. Older Dean was grinning down at his younger counterpart, his hands stuffed in his pockets. 'Real' Dean smirked a little. He looked good.
"What is it?" Seamus asked eagerly, catching Dean's smirk.
"It's just me. Older, in my teens. I look real good," Dean chuckled.
Seamus laughed and Harry let out a weak chuckle. "You would be your own deepest desire."
Dean smirked, and he was about to reply when suddenly his older reflection looked off to the side, his grin getting wider. "Hold on . . . I think someone is coming," Dean said lightly. Suddenly someone else around 'reflection' Dean's age appeared. 'Real' Dean stared at the new person. It took him a few moments before he realized who it was and his eyes widened. He watched with bated breath as the new person gave older Dean a soft, affectionate smile before suddenly leaning in and-
Dean jerked back and basically scrambled away from the mirror in shock and a little bit of fear.
"Dean?" Harry asked, worried.
"What was it?" Seamus asked, also troubled by Dean's reaction.
Dean cleared his throat and willed himself to clear his expression of what he was feeling and plaster on a smile. "Uh, I saw another me appear and ask me to marry him and it just shocked me is all. Guess my deepest desire is to marry myself," Dean said, giving a weak laugh with a shrug.
Harry laughed lightly and moved to stand in front of the mirror once again. Seamus on the other hand looked at Dean disbelievingly, not at all buying his story, but also not wanting to press him about it since he looked so uncomfortable.
"Harry," Dean said, quickly changing the subject. He walked over to the boy who was staring longingly at his reflection. "You know you can't come back here, right?"
"But-" Harry started to protest.
"No," Dean stated, kind, but stern. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it's not real. It will never be real. If you keep coming to this mirror to see them it will drive you insane. You will feel good for only a few moments every time before it leaves you feeling empty and hopeless knowing that at the end of the day they're gone."
Dean knew his words were blunt, maybe even a little brutal, but he also knew it was what Harry needed to hear.
Tears started to flow down Harry's cheeks as he stared desperately at all the people looking back at him from within the mirror. His family. The family he'll never really know.
"I miss them," he whispered. He turned to look up at Dean with big, watery green eyes, and Dean's heart hurt for him. "I've never even met them. Any of them. I only found out my parents' names a few months ago, and I don't know any of the other Potters or Evans that make up my family. Is that ridiculous? To miss people you don't know anything about?"
"That's not ridiculous at all, Harry," Seamus said lightly, coming to stand on his other side and place a hand on his shoulder. "They're still your family."
They stood there a few minutes more to let Harry have a few final moments.
"Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad," he said tearfully, placing his hand on the mirror. Unknown to the other two boys the image of Lily Evans reached out her hand and placed it where Harry's was with a gentle smile on her face.
"C'mon, mate," Seamus said softly. "We should go before we get caught."
Harry nodded, and slowly they moved towards the door. As Harry unfolded the cloak Dean looked back at the mirror, his heart once again racing remembering what he saw. It didn't make sense to him. None of it. He didn't have those kinds of feelings for that person. At least, he never thought he did. NO. He can't have those kinds of feelings, not for that person.
Dean turned back to the boys and noticed Seamus looking at him curiously. Seamus was his best friend, but there was no way Dean could tell him this. No, this was to be kept secret. A secret that he was going to keep very, very deep inside, tucked away, and locked in a deadbolt safe where no one would ever discover it.
Yeah, he thought as they covered themselves with the cloak and made their way back to the common room, leaving the mirror behind forever. Sounds like a great plan.
xxXxx
Blaise quickly, but calmly, made his way through the halls of the castle looking for his friends. His friends. The term still felt very weird to him, but he couldn't deny the happy flutter he felt in his stomach whenever he thought about the fact that he had friends. Real friends that actually cared about him.
Friends he spent the past twenty bloody minutes trying to find.
Blaise huffed as he turned another corner on the sixth floor. He'd checked the library, the Great Hall, the courtyard, outside, and now he was making his way towards the Gryffindor common room. He wasn't supposed to know where it was, the other Gryffindors would probably lose their minds if they knew a Slytherin knew where they were residing. But the perks of being unnoticed by most of the school was that he noticed everything and everyone else, and it wasn't hard to discover where the lion den was located.
It'd been a couple of weeks since they'd been back to school and not much had happened. Blaise started to hang out more with Rose and Theo, something only a few other Slytherins had noticed at first. But when he had been seen sitting with them and their Gryffindor friends in the courtyard studying one day, word had spread immediately throughout the snake pit. And just like that, Blaise was also put on the naughty list, right under Rose and Theo. Not that Blaise cared. Blaise had never been one to follow the crowd or care what anyone thought of him, and he wasn't about to start now. And he knew that his mother wouldn't care if she somehow got word of it, which he doubted she would since Zabinis weren't as good to gossip about as other pureblood families, like the Notts or Malfoys. And anyways, she never cared about anything he did, let alone who he hung out with. Besides, the negative attention only really lasted a few days before his housemates went back to forgetting he existed. Blaise was an expert at being forgotten.
And being a part of this particular friend group means he was filled in on the trap door and Nicholas Flamel. Which leads him back to his current situation.
He'd found him.
He found Nicholas Flamel!
Well, he found out who Nicholas Flamel was. And he needed to tell Hermione and the others.
If only he could find them!
He rounded another corner, and as he walked down the corridor he spotted another figure up ahead. The person was . . . hopping? Blaise slowed his pace as he approached the person and realized who they were.
"Longbottom?" Blaise asked.
Neville whipped around, nearly toppling over. He caught himself on the wall and looked up at the Slytherin, paling when he recognized the green robes.
"Oh no, not again," Neville muttered. Neville frowned in despair and glared at his shoes. "Go ahead, get it over with," he said more clearly.
It was Blaise's turn to frown. "Get what over with?"
"Making fun of me. I reckon you probably think this is funny."
"Think what is funny?" Blaise asked, confused. "You hopping? Why are you hopping?"
Neville huffed, still glaring at his shoes. "Your buddy Malfoy cornered me outside the library and hit me with the Leg-Locker Curse. Said he needed someone to practice on," he said glumly.
Blaise looked at him with pity. Neville was Malfoy's favorite person to torture besides Harry. His lack of confidence made it easy for the twerp. "I'm sorry he did that. Malfoy isn't my friend, I'm not friends with jerks."
Neville finally looked up to meet his eyes, a little less defensive. "I recognize you. You sometimes hang out with Hermione and Harry, and their group."
"Yeah," Blaise said, giving him a small smile. He held out his hand, causing Neville to flinch slightly, which Blaise ignored. "Blaise Zabini." Cautiously Neville took his hand and gave it a weak shake. "I can undo the curse for you," Blaise said.
Neville's eyes, though still wary, lit up a bit with relief. "Really? You know the countercurse?"
Blaise nodded and took out his wand. Before Neville could blink Blaise had swiftly performed the countercurse and Neville's legs sprang apart.
Neville let out a cry of relief and stretched his legs. "Thanks so much. It was so hard hopping up all those stairs, and people just laughed at me when they saw me go by," he said, embarrassed.
Blaise frowned. He didn't understand how people could be so mean. "No problem, mate. Hey, I've been looking for Hermione, Dean, Harry, and Seamus. I think they may be in your common room. Do you think if I go up there with you, you could get them for me?" Neville immediately looked distressed. Blaise could tell Neville wanted to help him but also didn't want to be the one to lead a Slytherin, no matter how nice, to the Gryffindor common room. Blaise chuckled, "It's okay, Longbottom. I know your common room is behind the portrait of the Fat Lady."
Neville's expression turned panicked. "How-"
"You Gryffindors are far from discreet," Blaise smirked. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone from my house. I just need to find my friends. It's important."
Neville sized him up for a moment before nodding. "Sure, I can help you. You helped me, so," Neville said with a shrug.
Blaise thanked him and together they made their way up to the seventh floor in a comfortable silence. It didn't take long for them to arrive and Neville thanked him one more time before going inside to see if his friends were in there.
A few minutes later Hermione, Dean, Harry, and Seamus came bustling out, all smiling at him, but also confused.
"Blaise, mate!" Dean exclaimed happily. "What brings you up to the lion's den?"
"Neville said it was important," Hermione said, looking worried. "Are you okay?"
Immediately they all checked him out, as if to determine for themselves if he was alright. Blaise Immediately felt warmth fill him at their obvious care, still getting used to it.
"I'm great, actually. I have news," Blaise said, smirking. "I found Nicholas Flamel!"
The four gasped.
"What?!" Harry exclaimed, excited. "How? Where?"
Blaise reached into the bag that was hanging on his shoulder and pulled out a thick book.
Hermione took the book as he held it out to them. "'Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science'. Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, as though a light bulb lit up in her head. Suddenly she smacked her forehead. "Of course!"
"Hey, hey, hey," Seamus said, pulling her hand away from her forehead. "Don't damage something so beautiful."
"Not now, Shay," Hermione said quickly, though her tone was fond, and Seamus smiled. "I've read this book. I knew I'd seen Nicholas Flamel somewhere! Blaise, you're a genius!" Blaise smirked proudly, happy that he could help. They all watched Hermione frantically flip through the pages before coming to a stop halfway through the book. Hermione started to read out loud, "'The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).'"
"Six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday?!" Dean exclaimed. "Who would want to live that long?!"
"That aside, there is a stone that could make you immortal and turn metal into gold! I'd bet every Galleon I have that that is what is under that trap door," Seamus said excitedly.
"So, not many," Dean joked.
"Watch it, you," Seamus growled playfully. "Flamel must have asked Dumbledore to move it for him. Maybe someone was after it."
"A stone like that? Anyone would want it," Blaise said.
"Okay, okay," Harry quickly cut in. "But why, of all the places to hide it, would Dumbledore hide it here?"
"Hogwarts is the safest place on earth," Blaise said. "What, with all the protective spells around it, and some of the most powerful witches and wizards working here."
"But Snape works here. He has easier access to it!" Harry exclaimed.
"We don't know for sure that it's him who's trying to get to it, Harry," Hermione said, trying to make him see reason through all that hate he held for the professor. "Like you said, he has easier access to it. So how hasn't he gotten it yet? I think it's someone even more dangerous than Snape." Harry looked thoughtful, mulling over her point.
"Well we better hope it's not anyone more dangerous than Snape," Blaise said. "Because if it is then Dumbledore just put us all in danger. Even if this is the most protected place on earth, anything is possible. Why on earth Dumbledore would put such a sought after object in a school full of kids is beyond me. If this person looking for it does get in here things could end very badly for the students in this school."
They all stood in silence, mulling over what Blaise just said. Suddenly how serious their current situation actually was started to dawn on them.
"Why would Dumbledore put us in danger like that?" Harry asked softly.
"Why does Dumbledore do anything that he does?" Blaise scoffed, and they all looked at him in surprise. Not because of what he said, but because he said it with such disgust. It was rare that he let more than a bit of his real feelings out. "Why did he put Harry with abusive muggles? Why did he make Slytherins go back to the dungeons when there was a troll there? Why would he put a three headed dog in a room that's only locked with a first year locking charm? I mean, come on, none of this raises any red flags about his character or what he's really up to?"
Everyone stood there in a stunned silence after Blaise ended his rant. But none of them could deny the truth behind Blaise's words. Dumbledore had made some very, very questionable decisions.
Hermione looked at them all with a knowing look. "Maybe the one we should really be watching is Dumbledore."
xxXxx
Hermione was having a stressful week.
Scratch that.
Hermione was having a stressful few months.
After learning about Nicholas Flamel and the Sorcerer's Stone they were all on edge. They kept a constant eye on Snape to see if they could tell if he'd gotten the stone, or if he was even going after it at all. Harry insisted that Snape was a possibility, though Hermione genuinely didn't believe so. Potions lessons, though, were turning into a sort of weekly torture. Snape was so horrible to Harry, which just amplified Harry's suspicions of him.
If that wasn't bad enough, Snape also refereed the first Quidditch match of the new term, making all of them extremely scared for Harry since the last Quidditch match Gryffindor played Harry almost died from having his broom cursed and they had all believed Snape responsible. They all became frantic with learning a few defensive spells and curses, so that if Snape tried anything they'd be ready. Luckily Snape, though mean and unfair, hadn't tried to harm Harry. Harry had caught the snitch and Gryffindor had won!
Unfortunately, after the game Malfoy and his goons had decided to start trouble with her friends and Neville, who had been tagging along. He made sly comments about their team and their house, and when he started in on Neville all hell broke loose. Neville finally stood up for himself with Harry, Rose, Dean, and Seamus vehemently joining him and shooting insults back at Malfoy. One thing led to another and before any of them could blink all five of them were wrestling Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the middle of the field! Multiple prefects had to jump in and try and separate them before McGonagall came along and used a spell to throw them all apart. After a long, loud lecture all eight of them were hauled away to her office and given detention.
As they were taken away Theo and Blaise wanted to make sure Hermione got back to her common room safely. As they were heading back to the castle Theo spotted Snape dragging a terrified Quirrell into the Forbidden Forest. Before the boys could protest, Hermione was dragging them through the trees after the two professors. Hiding behind a large tree some distance away, they watched Snape tower over a quivering Quirrell, and vaguely heard them discuss how to get past Fluffy, the trap door, and the Sorcerer's Stone. Hermione had been shocked. She really believed that someone more dangerous than Snape was trying to get the stone. In a way she was relieved it was just Snape. Not that he wasn't dangerous because he definitely was, but she had just pictured someone much worse. They had immediately rushed back to the castle to tell the others what they heard, which resulted in Harry being very smug about being right and all of them to be very scared when they came to the conclusion that the only thing standing between Snape and the stone was Quirrell.
They were doomed.
The only good thing that came out of that day, besides Gryffindor winning, was that Neville had basically been initiated into their group of friends and now hung out with them regularly, and eventually they caught him up about Nicholas Flamel and the Sorcerer's Stone.
But after that day their stress just got worse.
Hermione, of course, was worried about exams. Despite what was going on she determined that they still needed to study for their upcoming exams. Theo and Blaise had agreed whole-heartedly, while the rest were a little reluctant to start so early. But Hermione was not one to be denied, especially when she was so worried she was behind and would fail. No one could convince her that she already knew it all and it would be impossible for her to fail. Instead they just sucked it up, accepted the color coordinated schedules she made with a fond smile, and genuinely gave their best efforts at the study sessions. The sessions didn't turn out to be so bad, especially since it turned out everyone had at least one subject they were really good at and could help others with. And with teachers piling on the homework, working in a large group helped get things done.
Just as things had just started to lighten up, they took another turn for the worse when Hermione, Harry, Theo, and Rose had decided to visit Hagrid and discovered that he had bought a dragon egg. A dragon egg! Hermione closed her eyes in aggravation just thinking about it. Who in their right mind would think it was smart, let alone okay, to raise a dragon in their WOODEN CABIN? Hagrid, that's who! Hermione thought very dearly of the gentle giant, but sometimes she really wondered what went on in that big head of his!
After hours of tedious arguing, Hagrid finally agreed to let them tell Dumbledore. Dumbledore had handled it swiftly and with understanding, though he did give Hagrid a small lecture about housing dangerous, illegal creatures. The dragon egg was taken away and shipped to a dragon reserve in Romania, and Dumbledore had awarded them points for being so responsible.
If they hadn't been so cautious and suspicious about him they may have felt better about earning the points. But ever since their discussion in the hallway, which they had caught Rose, Theo, and Neville up to speed on, they had discreetly kept a watchful eye on the headmaster. It was through their observation that they discovered that the headmaster often kept a watchful eye on them as well. More so Harry in particular. He always seemed to be looking their way in the Great Hall, or running into them in the corridor. Hermione had even caught him watching from a tower window when they had been sitting by the lake the first day of spring. Whenever any of them met his eyes he'd just smile at them in a grandfatherly way before calmly looking away. Instead of putting them at ease it put them on edge. Something about the way he watched them just didn't feel right. It was as though he was planning something.
Then came the whispers. One night Ron Weasley had overheard Hermione and Harry quietly talking in the common room about Harry's adoption. Hermione had been trying to convince him that he needed to decorate his new room to suit him more and how her and her mum would happily help him. Of course the redhead couldn't keep his mouth shut if it would save his life, so he told Lavender and Parvati who then spread it throughout the whole school, and by the next morning it was headlining the Daily Prophet! Harry and Hermione hadn't been trying to keep it a secret, they just didn't think it was anyone else's business. But for days they had been bombarded with questions and on the receiving end of stares and whispers. Remus had written to them, asking if they were okay and telling them to ignore the gossip, that eventually it would all die down.
And to top it all off, detention for her friends had been a nightmare. Not a simple 'they made me do hard work and it was awful' kind of nightmare. Oh no. More like 'Harry almost died. Again' kind of nightmare. Hagrid, Filch, and probably Dumbledore all thought that it was a fantastic idea for a bunch of first years to do their detention in the Forbidden Forest, a forest that turns out not to be so forbidden after all, where Hagrid split them up and Harry and Malfoy almost got killed by some dark creature that was drinking unicorn blood.
Did that sound as ridiculous and awful as the situation was?
"What kind of idiots think that it's okay to send kids into the Forbidden Forest?! It's forbidden for a freaking reason! What did they think we were going to find, rainbows and lollipops?! How are you going to even call it the Forbidden Forest if everyone and their mothers are going in?! Harry and that twerp could have died and what did they do? Do a quick check that we were ok and sent us to bed! Like how is this okay?" Rose had raged the next day when they all met up in an empty classroom.
"I guess we can't even complain about how horrible being stuck with Crabbe and Goyle washing trophies in the trophy room was, huh,?" Seamus had lightly joked with Dean, trying to lighten the mood.
But the most daunting part about the whole thing was the warning Harry had gotten from the centaur that had saved him. Voldemort was still alive. At least Firenze, the centaur, believed he was. And honestly the points he made had them all believing so too.
A shiver ran down Hermione's spine as she looked over the lake, thinking about the past few weeks. How had they gotten here? How had it gone from excitement over being a witch and learning about magic to wondering if she and her friends were even going to make it to the end of the term alive?
Honestly, she really just wanted a hug from her mum.
"You're stressing."
Hermione turned her head to see Theo making his way towards her. Seeing him made Hermione smile. Since reuniting on the train after coming back from break the two had been almost inseparable, both not wanting to be very far from the other for their own reasons.
Hermione was extremely worried about his health and how skinny he had been. She just knew that something bad had happened to him at home during break, and she was extremely scared for him. Theo meant the world to her, and knowing he was probably being abused at home made her heart break. So she was determined to help him get back to a proper health and be happy while they were together at school for the remainder of the year. She always watched him eat and would bring him extra food if she wasn't satisfied with how much he ate. Everyday she set aside time to spend with just him. They'd take walks on their breaks between classes, talking about everything. It took all of Hermione's will power not to ask about his vacation or his home life. She knew he'd tell her when he was ready.
Theo on the other hand just wanted to be around her. Something about her was just so pure and almost addicting to him. He saw her and his whole mood just brightened. He spent all of break fighting his father and getting beaten to protect his friendship with this girl. The thought of giving her up hurt more than any of the blows his father had laid on him. So when he came back and saw her for the first time in two weeks it felt as though the breath had returned to his lungs and he could breathe again. And when she started to dote on him and spend extra time with just him he couldn't help but preen under her attention. He knew what she was doing and that she was scared for him. He also knew she was waiting for him to tell her about his home life. And he would. Eventually.
Theo took a seat beside her at the lake's edge. He reached over and rubbed at the creases that had formed on her forehead with his thumb. "Keep frowning and you'll get wrinkles."
Hermione laughed and batted his hand away. "There's a lot to be stressed about," she said, feeling sullen.
Theo gave her a sad smile. "You will only get stressed out if you let things stress you out."
Hermione huffed. "How could I not be stressed out? Everyone is in danger and none of them know it, someone very dangerous is trying to get a very powerful stone, something is constantly trying to harm us, we can't even trust our headmaster, and worst of all, exams are right around the corner and I feel extremely unprepared!" Hermione ran her fingers through her frazzled hair, her eyes wide with panic. Theo let out a small chuckle, and Hermione glared. "How is any of what I just said funny?!"
Theo chuckled once again. "The thought of you being unprepared for anything school related is both amusing and totally disbelieving." He threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, into his side. Hermione looked down so her hair was covering her now red cheeks. It still amazed Hermione the level of comfort he showed in her presence, especially when she remembered how frigid he had been in the beginning, going stiff every time she touched him. "You are the smartest girl in our year, hell probably in the whole school," Theo continued. "You are going to ace your exams and be just fine."
Hermione could feel her heartbeat slowing down at his comforting words. She willed herself to take a deep breath and calm down. She looked up at him and shot him a smile. "You're right. I'll be okay. And once we figure out how to stop whoever is trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, everyone else will be too."
"We have to figure out who is trying to steal it, first," Theo said. "I still can't believe Dumbledore hid it in the school in the first place."
"Neither can I," Hermione sighed. Her opinion of the headmaster was slowly turning foul. She looked up at Theo again and decided to change the subject. "You know, the invitation to come over to my house is still open this summer. I know your parents may not allow it, but if they have a change of heart you can come over whenever you please."
She could feel Theo tense up again. He looked at her regretfully and removed his arm from around her. "I don't think they'll let me, unfortunately," he said quietly, turning his sad gaze to his lap.
Hermione teared up a little at his hunched shoulders and his defeated expression. She looped her arm through his and pulled herself closer to his side. "You know," she said quietly, as if sharing a secret, "I know you don't want to talk about it, and I know when you're ready you'll tell me the full extent of how your parents really treat you. I just want you to know that if you need help all you have to do is ask and you'll have me and a hoard of other people there to help you. And if you ever need to escape my home will always be your safe place. Okay?"
Theo looked up at her, his eyes a little wet. He wanted to tell her that she was his safe place. Instead he sighed and gave her a weak smile. "We're going to be okay."
Hermione returned his smile. "We're going to be okay."
xxXxx
Hagrid
Freaking Hagrid
Hermione huffed angrily. She liked Hagrid, she really did, but as big as he was sometimes she swore his brain was the size of a freaking walnut. That's the only explanation as to why he brought a dragon into his wooden home, why he thought a three headed dog was a good pet, and now why he would give some sketchy stranger vital information on how to get past said three headed dog! How he thought telling a stranger how to put Fluffy to sleep when Fluffy is protecting something extremely dangerous is beyond her! And how he didn't see any red flags in this stranger's curiosity and how he coincidentally just happened to have a dragon's egg just in his pocket is just so mind boggling!
Hermione huffed again, this time from being out of breath, as she, Harry, Dean, and Seamus all huddled under the invisibility cloak and hurriedly made their way to the third floor. After connecting the dots that the stranger who Hagrid had gotten the dragon egg from was most likely the person trying to get past Fluffy and get to the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry had decided that tonight they had to take action and get to it first. Their first plan had been to tell Dumbledore, but Dumbledore was gone and when they told McGonagall she had completely brushed them off with the notion that they were being silly children. So, much to Hermione's dismay, they quite literally had no choice but to get to it themselves. Hermione huffed for a third time as they turned a corner, once again angry. If Dumbledore hadn't put the stone here in the first place . . .
Her mom and Papa were going to be so upset when they found out what they did. They'll be even more upset if they die. So will Rose, Theo, and Blaise. The four hadn't seen the three Slytherins all day due to exams, so they hadn't been able to update them on their plan. In Hermione's opinion it was for the better. The less people that went into the trap door the less that got hurt.
"Do you think Neville is handling the oaf okay?" Dean asked quietly as they entered the third floor corridor. Hermione couldn't help but snort as she remembered the events that ensued in the common room. Neville was supposed to have been with them, but when they had happened upon Ron in the common room, who had heard the boys leave their beds and had followed them hoping to get them into trouble, Neville had bravely taken it into his own hands to stun Ron. They had all been very shocked, none more than Neville who was sure he was going to get expelled. But that aside he had volunteered to stay behind and take care of Ron and also cover for them if any adults came looking.
Seamus snorted. "I'm sure Neville is doing fine. With the stunner he hit the idiot with, that boy will be out for hours."
"We're here," Harry said, cutting off any reply from Dean. The four whipped off the cloak and stared in horror at the sight of the usually locked door already ajar. "Well, there you are. Snape's already gotten past Fluffy."
"Or it's Voldemort," Seamus said. He flinched at the three glares he received. "What? It could be!"
"Let's hope not," Hermione said.
Harry turned to look at them. "If you want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."
Hermione glared at him. "If you think I'm letting my new brother defeat some dark wizard on his own you are crazy," she said sternly.
"If you think I'm letting my best friend defeat some dark wizard on his own you are crazy," Dean said, crossing his arms.
"If you think I'm letting my future brother in law defeat some dark wizard on his own you are crazy, mate," Seamus said, and Hermione rolled her eyes and blushed as usual while the other two laughed lightly.
Harry couldn't help but be touched by their determination to stand by his side. "Okay," he conceded before turning around and pushing 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.
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.
"Looks like a harp," said Dean. "Snape must have left it there."
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," Harry said, taking out the flute Hagrid had given him. "Well, here goes..."
He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew 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," Hermione warned Harry as they crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Hermione, peering over the dog's back. She stepped carefully over the dog's legs, bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.
"What can you see?" Dean said anxiously.
"Nothing. Just black, there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."
"I'll go first," Seamus said immediately.
"Shay," Hermione said warily.
"It'll be fine, pretty lass," Seamus said with an easy grin. Seamus climbed over Fluffy and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom. Without hesitation he lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Hermione and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Just remember me fondly and make sure to name your first son after me in memory."
"Seamus," Hermione said, scared.
"See you in a minute, I hope…"
And Seamus let go.
Hermione let out a horrified gasp as he disappeared into the darkness. Dean and Harry rushed to join her side, Harry still playing the flute. There was no sound besides the ones coming from the flute as they waited with bated breath. Softly, so softly they almost missed it, there was the sound of a thud.
"It's okay!" he called up, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"
Dean moved to follow. With a salute to the other two he jumped through the trap door. He landed, sprawled next to Seamus.
"What's this stuff?" were his first words.
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione, Harry!"
Hermione sighed, swallowing her fear and jumped into the hole. She landed across from the boys, happy to discover a plush landing. The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Harry had already jumped. He landed on Hermione's other side.
"We must be miles under the school," Hermione said.
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Seamus.
"Lucky?!" shrieked Hermione as she looked at the two boys across from her. "Look at you both!"
She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for the boys, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.
Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the three boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.
"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them, making all three of them suddenly stop squirming. Dean had it worse of the three, with one long tendril wrapped around his neck, slowly cutting off his air supply. "I know what this is, it's Devil's Snare!"
"Oh, lovely. Now how exactly do we get rid of it?" Dean wheezed, leaning back in vain to try and loosen the vine curling around his neck.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare . . . What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp," Hermione muttered to herself.
"Hermione, HURRY!" Harry choked as the vines started to squeeze his chest.
"Oh! I can light a fire!" Hermione exclaimed. "Oh, but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
"YOU ARE A WITCH, HERMIONE!" Dean yelled, black spots starting to creep into the corner of his eyes.
"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he and the other two joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.
"Oh, are you ok? I'm so sorry, I panicked!" Hermione fretted as she rushed to hug Dean, who was wheezing slightly, rubbing his neck which held a thick, red scar around the base.
"It's ok, Mione. I'm alright," he said, hugging her back. "But we really need to work on how you act under pressure."
"Let's keep going. This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward. All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon . . . Norbert had been bad enough . . .
"Can you hear something?" Seamus whispered.
The four strained to listen. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.
"Do you think it's a ghost?" Dean said, his voice hoarse.
"I don't know . . . sounds like wings to me," Hermione said.
"There's light ahead. I can see something moving," Harry said.
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?" asked Dean.
"Probably," Harry sighed. "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. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.
The others followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.
"Now what?" asked Harry.
"Hey guys," Seamus, who had been staring at the birds while the others tried to open the door, called to the others. "They're not birds!" he exclaimed. "They're keys! Winged keys. Look carefully. So that must mean . . ."
"Broomsticks!" Harry said, pointing to the wall. "We've got to catch the key to the door!"
"But there are hundreds of them!" Dean exclaimed.
Hermione examined the lock on the door. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one, probably silver, like the handle."
The boys each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.
Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.
"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one, there - no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side."
Seamus went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom. Dean couldn't help but snort.
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Seamus, you come at it from above. Dean, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"
Seamus dived, Dean rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. The other's cheers echoed around the high chamber.
They landed quickly, and Hermione gave Harry a big hug before taking the key from him and ramming the squirming key into the lock. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.
"Ready?" Hermione asked the others, her hand on the door handle. Her heart was pumping wildly knowing they were getting closer to the stone and whoever was trying to steal it. The boys nodded, so she 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 carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. They all shivered slightly, the towering white chessmen had no faces.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Seamus. "We've got to play our way across the room."
Behind the white pieces they could see another door. Hermione felt dread fill her body as she looked up at the tall, looming chess pieces.
"How?" asked Hermione nervously.
"I think," Seamus said, "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, causing them all to jump. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Seamus.
"Hello, mate. Nice horse you got there, very fine indeed. Uh, do we, er, have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Seamus turned to the others.
"Okay," Seamus said, turning serious as he looked across the board. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces. Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are that good at chess一"
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly.
"I mean, I'm a little offended," Dean muttered.
"Just tell us what to do," Harry continued, ignoring the tall boy's mutters.
"Well, boys, you guys take the places of the two bishops, and Hermione, you stand next to Harry instead of that castle."
"What about you?" Hermione asked.
"I'm going to be a knight," Seamus boasted.
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, the two bishops, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Harry, Seamus, Dean, and Hermione took.
"White always plays first in chess," Seamus said, peering across the board. "Yes, look . . ."
A white pawn had moved forward two squares.
Seamus started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them, and Hermione was kind of stunned at how easily Seamus settled into the leadership role. As the game continued on Hermione started to shake with nerves. What if they lost?
"Harry, move diagonally four squares to the right."
Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown. Hermione gaped. If they didn't need to win before they definitely did now.
"Had to let that happen," said Seamus, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Seamus only just noticed in time that Harry, Dean, or Hermione 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 . . ."
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes..." said Seamus softly, "It's the only way. I've got to be taken."
"NO!" The other three shouted.
"What's up with you, huh?!" Dean continued to shout angrily. "You got some death wish or something? Why are you always sacrificing yourself?!"
"That's chess!" snapped Seamus. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me. That leaves Harry free to checkmate the king!"
"But一"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?" Seamus said, softer this time.
"Shay一" Hermione said desperately.
"I'll be fine. Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the stone!"
There was no alternative.
"Ready?" Seamus called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go. Now, don't hang around once you've won."
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Seamus hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor. Hermione screamed, her entire body going cold with horror, but resisted the urge to run to him and stayed on her square. They all watched, horrified, as the white queen dragged Seamus' limp body to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.
Shaking, Harry quickly moved 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.
All three of them raced to Seamus's side.
"There's blood," Dean croaked as he touched his shaking hand to the side of Seamus' head. Hermione almost threw up at the sight of the red sticky substance. "I'm going to take him back up the trapdoor on the broom, bring him to Madam Pomfrey. I'll try and get some help sent down here. You guys have to go though."
Hermione and Harry nodded their heads in agreement. Hermione placed a soft kiss on Seamus' forehead. With one last desperate look at Seamus, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.
"What if he's -?"
"He'll be alright," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "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 and Snape's."
They had reached another door.
"All right?" Harry whispered.
Hermione nodded and took Harry's hand. "Go on."
Harry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both 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 as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs.
"Again," Hermione added, watching the troll warily.
"Come on, I can't breathe." He pulled open the next door, both 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, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.
"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, which ever 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 bidden 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 the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.
Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing. Hermione on the other hand was very relieved. Now this was right up her alley.
"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?"
"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. Harry watched her work in awe. Of course he knew she was brilliant, but at a time like this, with something so complicated, her intelligence really shone.
At last, she clapped her hands.
"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire, toward the stone."
Harry looked at the tiny bottle.
"There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."
They looked at each other.
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"You drink that," said Harry. Hermione went to argue, but Harry cut her off. "No, listen, get back, grab a broom from the flying key room, and get out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy. Check on Seamus and Dean and see if Dean managed to get Dumbledore. We need him or at least one of the adults. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."
"But Harry, what if You-Know-Who's with him?" Hermione fretted. She hated the idea of leaving him to fight this mystery person, possibly Snape, all on his own. She had come to love him very dearly as her brother and didn't want him to get hurt or worse . . .
"Well, I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.
"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, though he also wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"Harry, you're a great wizard, you know," she whispered to him.
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.
"Me?!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things, friendship and bravery and . . . oh, Harry, be careful!" she cried, bringing him into another hug. "I just got you as a brother and I quite like it. I'd be devastated to lose you so soon. So you better come out of this alive, you understand me?"
Harry's eyes teared up a little at her words and he hugged her close to him. "I promise, Mione." They hugged for a moment more before separating. "You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"
"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.
"No, but it's like ice."
"Quick, go, before it wears off."
"Good luck, take care."
"I will. Now GO!"
With one last concerned look Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire. She shuddered as she came out on the other side, her body feeling both hot and cold as she passed through the flames. She sighed with relief as the feeling went away and she was back in the room with the knocked out, smelly troll. Hermione started to briskly walk across the room before she looked up and the sight before her made her stop dead in her tracks with a horrified gasp.
Standing in front of the doorway leading to the chessboard room was none other than the troll, clearly awake and clearly agitated.
The troll turned to face her at the sound of her gasp. As soon as it set its sights on her, its face morphed into an ugly scowl, as though she were to blame for it being knocked out in the first place.
"Oh no," she whispered, her eyes growing wide with fear as the troll let out a mighty roar. She screamed as he advanced on her and scrambled out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by his club. Hermione turned and tried to book it towards the door. Before she could reach it something hard hit her side and she went flying into the stone wall, and she screamed as her body slammed into the concrete. She crumbled to the ground, her body in severe pain and her vision going black.
The last thing she saw was the troll advancing on her before her vision went completely black and she fell unconscious.
xxXxx
Her head was throbbing.
Her throat was dry and sore.
Her body was numb.
Those were Hermione's first few thoughts as she slowly came to consciousness. She noticed that she was on something really soft. As she became more aware she started to hear a voice yelling. Was that . . . Remus?
With a lot of effort she managed to slowly open her eyes. She winced at the brightness of the room surrounding her, and slammed her eyes shut again as her headache worsened. Whoever was yelling was not helping the panging in her head. Hermione tried again to open her eyes, this time with more success as she let her eyes slowly get used to the light. Glancing around she realized she was in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. She immediately noticed that her bed was surrounded by people. Her friends, she realized. Sitting on either side of her bed were Rose, Theo, Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Blaise. She looked to her right and saw Harry sitting up in a bed of his own, and she felt relieved to see he was alright. None of them noticed she was awake, probably because they were all staring at the spectacle happening in the middle of the room.
Hermione once again felt immense relief when she saw that it was her Papa who was yelling. That was until she realized that he was in fact yelling, basically growling, at none other than Dumbledore. Hermione took a good look at the scene before her. She was a bit shocked, never having seen Remus so mad before. He wasn't mad, he was livid. Even from where she lay she could see his eyes were a bright gold, telling her that Moony was also very present. Dumbledore stood in front of him looking very calm, but Hermione could see, upon closer inspection, that there was a slightly nervous glint in his eye, even more apparent with how his hand tightened over his wand.
Behind Remus stood Kingsley and McGonagall. Kingsley stood in silent rage, his expression the definition of 'calm but deadly', and Hermione couldn't help but shiver. If looks could kill Dumbledore would definitely be whimpering in pain right now. McGonagall's expression changed as Remus' yelling did. It went from angry, to guilty, to disappointed, and back to angry on loop. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little bit of anger towards her favorite professor. They had tried to tell her what was going on and she had refused to even give them the time of day.
"Nothing you say will justify the fact that you put an artifact that was being sought out by a dangerous man in a school full of children! Children, Albus! They could have died 一 my children could have died! Are you insane?!" Remus roared.
Dumbledore sighed and looked at Remus evenly, the perfect picture of calm. "Now, Remus, as I told you there were no other choices. Hogwarts is the safest place一"
"Bullshit," Remus snapped, and McGonagall gasped. "Obviously this is not the safest place on earth because he got in, didn't he? He was right here, in the castle this whole year! Right under your nose and you had no clue!" Remus paused as Dumbledore swiftly glanced away before meeting his eyes again. Remus could feel the rage burn hotter inside of him. "Or maybe you did."
"That's ridiculous, Remus," Albus said lightly.
"Everything you do is ridiculous," Remus growled. "And quite honestly, very fishy. And I would bet everything I own that my suspicions about you were right and that you are planning something and it involves Harry in the center of it."
"Remus一"
"You put an artifact being sought after by the darkest wizard out there into a school full of children. You guard it with nothing more than a few simple challenges like chess, and flying brooms, and Devil Snare, which is a plant you teach first years how to tame. And you hide it all behind a door that is locked with nothing more than the Alohomora spell, a first year spell. And behind that same door you put a dangerous Cerberus! If you really wanted to keep something protected there were harder challenges you could have done. And all year long these kids, especially Harry, have been in non-stop danger. Harry was almost cursed off his broom! You sent them into the Forbidden Forest for detention, and in the seven years I went to school here, and in all of the detentions my friends and I racked up, you never, not once, sent us or another student into the Forbidden Forest for detention. Add to the fact that Hagrid had a freaking dragon egg on the premises, and don't even tell me you had no idea about that because there is absolutely nothing that happens in this castle that you are unaware of. And I know it was you that gave Harry James' invisibility cloak without my permission. Wonder what you thought he was going to use that for, hm?"
"Remus, I assure you一"
"And let's not forget how you knew that Harry's aunt and uncle were abusive towards him, and yet you allowed him to stay with them all these years. Actually, you insisted he stay there."
"Albus!" McGonagall screeched, appalled.
Hermione looked over at Harry, who looked shocked, devastated, and angry all at once. Hermione wished she could go over there and hug him, but she still did not have complete feeling in her limbs. Fortunately Neville reached over and took her brother's hand in support, looking sad for his friend.
"The blood protection wards一"
"Only work if the blood related relatives love and care for him, as I told you already. They did not. But I bet you already knew that," Remus said, narrowing his eyes. "There's a bigger reason you've done all that you've done. You have a plan and Harry is a key part, and I won't have it any longer."
"Remus, I beg you to listen to me," Dumbledore started.
"No," Remus snarled, cutting the headmaster off once again and silencing the entire room. "Life has always been a game to you. A big chess board. And people have always just been your pieces. You played games with James and Lily. You played games with Sirius and Peter. You played games with me. You will not do the same with Harry. Do you understand me? Harry, nor Hermione, or any of these kids, will be pawns in whatever game you've got going on. I've told you this before, but it's obvious you weren't listening, so let me be very clear; I am Harry and Hermione's parent, so it is well within my right to demand that you stay the hell away from my kids. You are their headmaster, that is it. Nothing less and nothing more. So unless it directly pertains to school you do not speak to them. And if you have to speak to them you do so in the presence of McGonagall, their Head of House. You are to never be alone with them. If I hear that you tried to get them alone or meddle in their life here at school I will be on your doorstep with Ministry officials. Do you understand me?"
Everyone looked at Remus with wide eyes as he towered over Dumbledore, his expression as cool as stone.
"Remus, please," Dumbledore tried again.
"Do. You. Understand. Me," Remus growled slowly, his eyes flashing in warning.
Dumbledore sighed, obviously defeated. "Yes, I understand," he said, solemn.
"That goes for Rose as well," Kingsley said, his rage simmering in his eyes as he glared at the headmaster. "And all of the other kids in this room as I assure you I will be telling their guardians and I have no doubt they will come to the same decision."
Dumbledore gave a short nod with another small sigh. "I will see myself out then."
"Yeah, you do that," Remus bit, moving to the side.
With one regretful, and slightly calculating, look towards the kids, Dumbledore swept out of the room.
It was then that Hermione decided to make her presence known. "Papa," she croaked. Her throat was still incredibly dry and so she was thrown into a painful coughing fit.
Immediately all the eyes in the room snapped towards her.
"Hermione!" Rose exclaimed. Since she was closest she rushed to pour her a glass of water. In a blink of an eye Remus was beside her helping her sit up. Hermione groaned through her coughs. It wasn't necessarily in pain, but discomfort because her limbs were so stiff and still kind of numb. Remus took the glass of water from Rose and helped Hermione take a few sips, her cough slowly dying away.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice breaking.
"What happened? You almost died, is what happened!" Rose yelled, causing Hermione to wince as her headache flared.
Theo shot Rose a glare from Hermione's other side, standing next to Remus, and it was Rose's turn to wince. "Tone it down," Theo said.
"Sorry," Rose said immediately. She then took Hermione's hand and looked at her best friend with wide, distressed eyes. "I was just scared. You've been out for three days. That troll broke a lot of bones in your body. Madam Pomfrey had to put you under a deep sleep and regrow them. If the teachers hadn't gotten to you when they did you would have died."
Hermione shuddered as memories of the troll's attack came back to her. When she had crashed into the wall she had been sure that that was the end of her.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Harry, who had joined the others at Hermione's bedside, cried. "I should have never let you guys come with me. Because of me you and Seamus both got hurt."
"I'm fine, mate," Seamus said, squeezing Harry's shoulder. Hermione was very happy to see that that statement was true as it looked as though Seamus didn't have a scratch on him.
"Me too," Hermione croaked, ignoring their doubtful looks. "Honestly, it's mostly just my throat and head that hurt. My body just feels kind of numb. Besides, it was our decision to come with you."
"Yeah, there was no way any of us were letting you go down there alone, Harry," Dean said, as though Harry had been silly to think otherwise.
"None of you should have been down there at all," McGonagall interrupted, her face stern. "It was incredibly irresponsible and stupid! What were you thinking?!"
"What I think you meant to say, professor," Dean said, glaring up at his Head of House, much to everyone's surprise, "is 'I'm so glad to see you all alive. I'm so sorry that I ignored you and told you off when you tried to tell me that someone was going after the stone. Maybe if I had listened to you instead of writing you off as stupid kids three out of the four of you that had gone after it wouldn't have almost died. My deepest apologies.'"
Everyone stared at Dean in shock as he continued to glare at a guilty looking McGonagall. Out of all of them Dean was least likely to go off like that on a teacher, even more than Hermione, who was basically a teacher's pet.
McGonagall sighed in defeat. "You are right. I'm sorry to have brushed you off the way I did when you tried to look for help. I guess I need to do better."
"You're not the only one," Remus said, giving all the kids a stern look. "It's good that you sought the help of an adult in the end, and what you four did the other night was incredibly brave. But it was also incredibly stupid. You could have died! You almost did! And the fact that all of you were pursuing this all year long was incredibly dangerous and irresponsible." He looked down at Hermione with a frown. "Why didn't you think to tell me? All of this could have been avoided much sooner."
Hermione looked down at her lap, feeling incredibly guilty. She hated disappointing people, especially her parents. She couldn't even imagine how her mom was feeling right now. She must be so scared, Hermione thought.
"Well," Hermione started hesitantly, "at first it was just curiosity as to what was in the castle and why it was so important. But when we found out it was the stone and what it could be used for we feared for everyone's safety."
"So when we couldn't get help we thought the only option was to get to it before Voldemort could so that he didn't get the power to hurt anyone," Harry finished explaining.
Remus' gaze softened as he looked at them all. All of them looked guilty and apologetic. But Remus really couldn't stay mad at the situation. They all were just trying to do what they thought was right.
Remus sighed and sat beside Hermione, tugging her into his side. "I understand that you guys just wanted to keep everyone safe and keep a powerful object out of a bad man's hands. And for that I think you all were very brave. But it's not your job to be heroes. It's not your job to save the day. You're kids. That's your job, to be kids. Leave the saving to the adults. If there is a problem you tell an adult. And if that one does nothing, you run and tell the next one. And if that one does nothing, you run and tell another one. Eventually there will be one that will help you. And if you feel like you can't rely on the adults here then you write to me and I'll help you, or Kingsley will."
"Absolutely," Kingsley said, wrapping an arm around Rose's shoulders.
"Just please don't do anything this stupid ever again. Okay?" Remus finished.
"Okay," all of the children said.
"I'm sorry, Papa," Hermione said, looking up at him guiltily.
Any left over anger in Remus immediately washed away and he hugged her close. "It's ok, pup. I'm just so glad you're ok," he said, placing a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Both of you," he added, looking at Harry. Harry blushed, but he couldn't help but smile, pleased.
Remus moved to the side and watched as the kids all crowded around Hermione to check on her and fill her in on what she missed while unconcious. He couldn't help but feel wary as he looked at them. He could already tell that they'd have a knack for finding trouble and it worried him.
"You know, they are just like you and your friends. Their group is just bigger," McGonagall said as she joined his side.
Remus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Was it this stressful dealing with us?" he asked.
"No," McGonagall laughed lightly. "They are much worse."
Remus groaned and Kingsley laughed.
Crap.
xxXxx
Hermione looked out their compartment window feeling content. Her first year at Hogwarts was complete and they were on the train on their way home. Hermione looked at all her friends that filled the compartment. Her friends. They were all talking and joking around with one another. Seamus, Dean, Neville, and Blaise were all playing Exploding Snap on the ground. Harry and Rose were taking bets on who would get the most good beans from their box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. And Rose was losing, of course. And beside Hermione sat Theo, who was just staring into space, expressionless.
For the thousandth time that year Hermione started to worry for Theo. She knew that he was going home to nothing good. She wished she could just whisk him away from that house and his parents forever. But unfortunately there wasn't much she could do, especially since she didn't even know for sure what they were doing to him since he refused to talk about it. And as far as she's seen when looking at him she hasn't seen any bruises on him. But she was positive there were some, just as she was positive he was being abused. She sighed, feeling helpless.
Theo looked at her at the sound of her sigh. His eyes became knowing, already knowing what she had been thinking. He reached over and took her hand, giving her a look that said 'I'll be okay.' Hermione was once again awed at how comfortable Theo had gotten with her compared to the beginning of the year, and just how in tune they had gotten to one another's thoughts and feelings. She squeezed his hand, trying to let her worries go.
"I still can't believe Gryffindor won the House Cup," Theo murmured to her. Hermione knew he was trying to distract her from her worries and decided to take the bait.
"You know it's only because one, Dumbledore favors Gryffindor, and two, he's trying to regain our favor by giving Harry, Dean, Seamus, Neville, and I all those points," Hermione said.
Theo snorted. "Creepy bastard."
"Language," Hermione admonished.
"The only plus side was seeing Draco's outraged pout. He was on the verge of tears," Theo chuckled lightly.
"Spoiled brat," Seamus chimed in from where he sat at their feet. "Merlin forbid he doesn't get his way."
"I was ready to strangle him," Rose said after she finished gagging over a bad tasting bean. Boogers. "That's all he talked about the rest of the feast."
"More like ranted. And it continued all the way to the boy's dorm," Blaise added as he placed down a card.
"Thank God we have three months away from him and Weasley," Dean said, throwing down a card of his own.
"Speak for yourself," Theo said, frowning. "My summer is going to be full of formal galas and tea parties, most which are hosted by the Malfoys."
"Same here," Blaise added. The other's all shot them a pitying look.
Hermione squeezed Theo's hand again. "Well, like I've said, my mom says that our house is open to all of you anytime this summer."
"Yeah, I basically live there," Rose shrugged.
"I do live there," Harry said happily, still on cloud nine about the fact that he had an actual home with people who care about him. The others laughed.
"My home is open as well. My mom really liked all of you," Dean said, mostly looking towards Blaise, who quirked a small smile, "and I'm sure she'd like you, too, Neville," Dean added towards the shy boy. Neville smiled shyly, still getting used to being included in things.
"I'm going to go to the loo really quick," Theo said, standing. To most of them nothing looked off, but Blaise and Hermione could both see the tension in his shoulders.
"I'll come," Blaise said, quickly standing. Theo shot him a curious look. "You shouldn't go alone with Draco and his goons looking for any chance to take a shot at you."
Theo could tell that wasn't the only reason his friend was tagging along, but decided not to fight it. They made their way out of the compartment and started down the train corridor. The corridor was bare for the most part, only a prefect or two making their rounds. The walk was silent until they reached a part where there was nothing but windows on either side of them.
"Theo," Blaise finally said, stopping in his tracks and turning to face his friend. "Listen I know that chances of your parents willingly allowing you to go to the other's houses are very slim."
Theo scoffed. "More like never in a million years going to happen. My father beats me just for talking to them. The world could be ending and he still would prevent me from spending any time with them," Theo said dejectedly.
Blaise gave him a solemn look. "Well, I had an idea." At this Theo perked, giving Blaise his full attention. "I'm pureblood, and even though my family name is not Malfoy or Nott status, Zabini is still a well respected name. We're rich and pureblood, and that's mostly all other pureblood families care about. So, I'm sure your father wouldn't mind if you came over my house a few times this summer."
Theo's eyes widened at the invitation. He knew that the two of them had bonded over the course of the year, but he never imagined that Blaise would want to see him outside of school.
"Really? I wouldn't want to impose on your summer," Theo said hesitantly.
"No, Theo, listen. I have a plan," Blaise said, and there was a devious glint in his eye that made Theo question whether or not he'd been spending too much time around Dean. "You could come over to my house and then we could use the Floo to go to Hermione's."
Theo's eyes widened once again. "That would never work. Your mother一"
"Is barely ever home, and when she is there she barely acknowledges my presence," Blaise said, a tad bitter. "Just think about this for a second. Your father knows nothing about me except that I come from wealth and that I'm pureblood. You know Draco has never said anything about me to his father or yours because he's scared shitless of me."
Theo had to agree with that. Blaise had never spoken two words to Draco during school. But all it took was one chilling look from Blaise one night when Draco tried to call him a blood traitor for the blonde to never look Blaise's way again or even talk about him. Besides, Draco wouldn't have a reason to report anything about Blaise to his parents or Theo's father for the simple fact that the Zabini's, though wealthy and pureblood, were not seen as important as most other pureblood families. And that went for the other members of the Slytherin house, who barely acknowledged Blaise's presence at all.
"And my mom doesn't care where I go or who I'm with. Hell, I could probably not even go home for the summer and she wouldn't even notice. But your father doesn't know that, nor does he know that we have the same friends. If you ask him to come over to my house he'll think you're finally hanging out with other purebloods he deems 'worthy' and probably assume my mother will be around to watch us. He'll probably think that as a high standing pureblood family that she follows the same views as he does. He'll never know that we're leaving to go to the others' houses."
"But you and your mother go to the same parties my family goes to. What if they start asking her questions about us?" Theo said, still doubtful.
"I will tell my mom whenever you're coming over, so she'll at least know that we're hanging out at Zabini Manor. But she won't care what we're doing, even if we weren't sneaking out to the others' houses. But she'll want to save face and seem like a good mother that is on top of things. So if they ask she'll make up stuff about how we're behaving and what we've been doing just to make it seem like she's being attentive. I'm telling you she'll never know, or even care, what we're doing, and your parents will be none the wiser. It's the perfect plan, Theo."
Theo still looked a little doubtful as he mulled it all over. Though Blaise's plan did seem like it could work, there was still a chance a lot could go wrong. But if it did work then that meant he could see Hermione this summer and be away from his father's abuse. But if it didn't work and they got caught the abuse would only worsen.
"What if my father decides to pop in and we're not there?" Theo asks anxiously.
"Well, he's bound to do that in the beginning. So for the first few times we'll actually just hang out at my home. Get him to trust the fact that you're actually hanging out with me at my manor. But after a few visits he'll probably stop and leave us be. But if he does randomly pop up when we're not there my house elf Dixie will get us. She loves me and she'll look out for us. She'll just make it seem like she's apparating somewhere in the house to get us for him when in reality she'll pick us up from wherever we are. He'll never know."
Theo stared at Blaise in awe. The Slytherin had really thought of every single detail. The more he thought it through the more possible it seemed.
"It could work, Theo," Blaise said assuredly.
Theo slowly nodded, his eyes lighting up with hope as he looked at his friend, both of them thinking the same thing.
Let's do it.
I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Hopefully it won't take me a year to write another chapter! Please let me know what you think and what you're hoping for! Reviews keep me going!
Love ya'll!
Oliviaa Rose
