Disclaimer's in the prologue.
"I'm sooo going to fail that bloody test." Lars whined as the five of them exited the History of Magic classroom. History of Magic was the last test for the day. Harry had always told his twin brother to read the book but apparently the said twin brother didn't give it time, finding the book as dead boring as the teacher. Though he couldn't agree more with his brother, he couldn't argue that they still have to read the book.
Harry didn't have much trouble with the other exam, except perhaps in Transfiguration wherein he didn't really transfigured his mouse into a pretty snuffbox. He just transfigured it into a plain black one, nothing special. Well, Harry thought, at least it doesn't have whiskers. He was still confident that he would get an 'O' for the class, making the snuffbox pretty was just an incentive, not a requirement. Lars, on the other hand, transfigured his own mouse into a red and gold snuffbox with a lion design carved on it. Suffice to say, it really was pretty, and, of course, Lars got an additional ten points for Gryffindor, and would definitely get an 'O' for that exam. Other than that, he was able to make a pineapple tap dance across a desk in the Charms exam, and managed to brew a Forgetfulness Potion with ease for the Potions exam.
"How do you think they do that? Stay awake in that ghost's class." Lars whispered to him while looking at Theo and Granger who were talking about the exam. Apart from Granger, Theo is also one of the very few who doesn't sleep in Binn's class.
Harry shrugged. Even he doesn't know how Theo does that. He may not be an indolent twit, but he certainly cannot help but sleep whenever the class is History of Magic. The ghost should really have mercy on the students and just move on.
"Well if you and Ron hadn't gone on talking about Quiditch instead of reading the book you wouldn't have to worry about your exams." Granger scolded her friends with her, according to Professor Snape, 'insufferable know-it-all attitude'. Lars and Weasley frowned.
"Looks like Hagrid's still sad about the dragon." Weasley said as they watched the gamekeeper play his flute by his hut.
"Did he ever tell us how he got the egg?" Theo suddenly asked.
"He told you he won it remember?" Harry said with a bored tone for he really is superbly bored at the moment. "In a pub."
"Yeah, but if they played cards...I mean they must've talked...they should've chatted a bit...talk about things..." he couldn't catch up with his friend's rambling.
"You're rambling, Theodore." Lars pointed out. "But long's to be short it was odd."
"It wasn't just odd, it was very unusual. Just how many people go wanderin' around pubs with dragon eggs in their pockets?" Theo asked rhetorically.
"Yes," Lars agreed. "And what Hagrid wants the most was a dragon! Everybody knows that he does!" The four shared a look with each other before they ran towards the gamekeeper's hut, leaving him alone by the gate.
Harry pressed a hand on his face for a second. Those four cannot just let go of that stone issue. The only thing Harry cannot let go about that is because the one trying to steal it also wants Lars killed, and he wouldn't let anyone kill his younger twin. The four ran back into the castle and this time, he followed them. The four were going to enter the Transfiguration classroom, but only three did, as he told Theo not to go.
"He told the stranger!" Theo hissed. Harry took his friend out on the courtyard and they talked there. "He told the stranger how to get through Fluffy!" Trust the man to say things he shouldn't be saying. He looked back at the Transfigurations classroom and saw that the Golden Trio were out already and Professor Snape was talking to them before stalking off.
"I bet it was Quirrell, he knows how!" Theo said frantically. "Oh Merlin's bloody pants, he's gonna get through Fluffy!"
"How do you fancy a little spying?" Harry asked while he was looking at the Golden Trio who split up.
"We're going to spy on your brother?"
"On his group," he clarified. Theo followed Granger while he followed his brother and friend.
"What did you get?" Harry asked his friend once they met up inside their quarters.
"Nothing," Theo said. "But it seemed like they told Granger to follow Professor Snape around. She was by the Charms classroom when Snape went there and she immediately scrammed as soon as Snape got in the classroom. I followed her and well she went to Gryffindor tower. You?"
"Lars and Weasley tried on checking the third-floor corridor." he said. "Unfortunately for them they were caught by Professor McGonagall and warned them not to pry into it any longer, just like Granger, they went back to their common room."
"What now?" Theo asked. "More importantly, what are they going to do?"
"I don't know but I have a strong feeling that they'll try going in the corridor."
As soon as Harry finished eating his dinner, he immediately stood up from his seat and strode off. Theo followed him, as usual, and they cornered the Golden Trio at a corridor. Usual precautions, silencing charms are around.
"What kind of utter clodpolls are you three to even think of going back to that corridor?" Harry asked irritably. "You know that there are a lot of enchantments there, yet you'll still go there and for what, a perceived notion that a Professor is going to steal it."
"How d'you..." Lars stopped and sighed. "Look, Harry, we know it, Sn-...whoever wants the stone and wants me dead is going after it tonight, Dumbledore isn't here," Harry stopped at that, he had no idea that the Headmaster was out of the castle, "no one's going to stop him and McGonagall doesn't even believe us."
Harry ran a hand on his hair. "You said it yourself, brother, the person wants you dead, mortuus, mortinta, patay," he said exasperatedly, using three other translations of the word 'dead'.
"Why serve yourself on a silver platter? Sooner or later the teachers will eventually find out if someone is going after the stone. No one's going to stop him? Then what can you three do? –don't give me that vanquisher of the Dark Lord stupidity-."
"But McGonagall didn't even believe us!" Lars insisted. "We told her that someone's going to steal it and she kicks us out of her classroom."
"Because none of us are supposed to know about it!" he said in annoyance to his incorrigible twin. "It's their job to protect it not ours."
"But Harry!" his brother protested, "Dumbledore isn't here. It's the perfect time to steal the stone."
"He's got a point there mate," Harry gave his friend a glare.
"I told you before, I'm telling you again," Harry began as calmly as he could, "do not pry in the school's business, Flamel's stone is here to be protected by the teachers, not some group of Gryffindors who think they can take up a full grown wizard who's going to steal it. The Headmaster may not be present at the current time, but majority of the teachers tasked to protect the stone are still here." The three just looked defiantly at him. They obviously weren't considering his warnings.
"That's it, you three are in for it." he stated, terribly annoyed. "I'm telling my head of house that you plan on going there tonight."
The trio glared at him, anger very evident in their eyes.
"You're warning us not to go there yet you'll tell the very person who's trying to steal it." Lars scoffed.
"For the last bloody time, it is not our Head of house trying to steal it!" Theo yelled "Don't they say that the suspect is the least that you would expect? Be that as it may, even I admit that Professor Snape acts very suspiciously, but he's not trying to steal the bloody stone, he didn't let that troll in and he most certainly did not try to kill you!"
"Going to help him revive your master with that stone?" Weasley sneered. "That's it isn't it, Snape's going to use the stone for 'You-Know-Who' to come back."
"You're probably just hanging out with Evandrus to get close to Lars then bloody sell him to 'You-know-who', figures you'd defend him, you're all the same you mini deatheater!" With just one blink of an eye, Weasley fell flat on his behind with a fist mark on his face.
"Never call me that." Theo hissed pointing a trembling finger at Weasley. Theo's voice was deadly cold, a voice that he never heard from his friend, not once up until now. Weasley stood up and was going to throw a punch at Theo before Lars and Granger held the red-head back.
"Lemme go and I'm gonna kick that mini deatheater's arse." Weasley snarled. Lars had a look of disapproval at his friend and so did Granger.
"Enough!" Harry boomed, with his hand gripping Theo's arm who was intending to tackle Weasley. Theo shrugged it off then just glared at Weasley.
"Lars, I implore you to be reasonable," he said in a calm voice. "Don't do something stupid."
"I'll try," Lars muttered.
"Try not, do or do not, there is no try." he said philosophically.
"Fine." Lars said, looking away from him.
"I'll take you for your word." he said to Lars, even if he really wouldn't, before leaving with Theo.
Theo was evidently very affected at being called a mini deatheater. His friend ranted on and on about how his Father was cleared of all charges years ago during the deatheater trials, how there were no evidence against him that he willingly joined the deatheaters.
"Soo now what?" Theo asked as soon as he calmed down after having two pieces of lemon drops in his system. "Do you think that Lawrence would be thick enough to get in that trap door?"
"In all honesty," Harry said with a sigh, "I think that he would be. Let's should just hope that nothing, or at least not a lot, will go wrong even if the whole idea is."
Theo visibly frowned and it didn't escape Harry's notice.
"What?" he asked, having gotten tired of Theo's silence yet constant frown at him.
"Well, aren't you going to stop him?" asked Theo.
"I tried didn't I?" he retorted.
"Yes but-" Harry waved a hand, indicating for Theo to shut it.
"He didn't consider my warning before, he isn't planning on considering it now." he says to Theo, quite coldly he should admit. "He wants to die by playing hero why" his face split into a ridiculously cruel smirk that obviously took Theo aback, "be my bloody guest."
Harry just stayed awake the whole night, only pretending to sleep when their Head of House came to check in on them. His heart was having an extreme case of palpitation at the thought that Lars will go to the forbidden corridor. Despite his rather psychopathic way of answering Theo earlier, he does worry.
A few more minutes and he could no longer stand it. He started scrambling a note for Theo, who he knew too well wakes up every time in the middle of the night to drink a glass of water, as soon as he heard the potions master leave the area. It read.
Theo
If you're reading this it means that I most probably, in a moment of insanity, went after my thicky twin brother to the third floor corridor. Get a teacher. We might be in need of dire rescuing.
Harry
He placed the letter near the water jug and left the bedroom through the mirror as quietly as he can before hastily making his way up to the third floor corridor with a disillusionment charm placed on him.
He heard whispers leading to the door of the three headed dog's room.
"Apparently you three don't know how to take a warning seriously." The Golden Trio jumped at the same time he cancelled his disillusionment charm. He looked straight at where he thinks that the Golden Trio are currently positioned, exactly by the door.
"I know you three are under the cloak so don't bother pretending." Harry said and then after that Lars took off the cloak from them.
"How do you know we're in the cloak?" Lars asked curiously. Harry gave his twin brother the answer by pointing at the ground where there were footprints of the Golden Trio left at the dusty floor of the corridor.
"What are you doing here?" Lars' tone of voice became a bit hostile. "I thought you said you don't want to pry in the teachers business."
"Of course I don't, warnings are there for a reason." he said with a huff. "Why I'm here is to check if you three are thick enough to continue this...this madness. Apparently you are."
"Someone's gonna steal it, we're sure of it and no way you're gonna stop us." Lars said turning his back on him. "It's either you help us out or you can forget that you saw us here."
"And have your death in my conscience if you die, or at least seriously get injured? I don't think so, Lawrence." he said, not minding that he heard Weasley mutter something in the lines of "As if you have a conscience."
"I'm coming with you." he announced, and so he did come with.
"Alohamora," Granger whispered with her wand pointed at the door of the chamber.
They entered the chamber where the Cerberus is and saw that it was sleeping and a harp is playing. Lars just dropped the cloak on the ground and the four cautiously advanced towards the sleeping menace. They pushed the paw of the dog that's covering the trap door.
"Are you three sure you want to jump in there?" he asked them as they opened the trap door.
"We have to, don't we?" Weasley asked and he answered "No, we do not."
"I'll go first," he offered, surprising the others. If Lars wasn't there, he wouldn't have offered.
The three followed one by one Lars, Weasley and Granger was the last one to jump.
They landed on a black, snake like ropes.
"Lucky these plant things are here." Weasley mused out loud and he scoffed.
"Weasley in case you haven't noticed, we landed on a devil's snare." The devil snares started moving, entangling them with its cord. "A room full of it might I add!"
"Oh bloody hell what do we do!?" Fright was apparent in Weasley's voice.
"Just relax." Granger said.
Harry was the first one to slid out from the snares and fell on a cold stone floor. Thankfully it wasn't that high or else he might have gotten a sprain from the fall. He noticed that he was in another corridor, not really much more pleasant than the other except for the absence of the snares. Granger was next to slid out then Lars after a minute or two. Unfortunately, Weasley is still there. That ginger head still can't relax. He can hear Weasley's frightened scream, why can't that red-head just relax is beyond him.
"He's not relaxing is he?" Granger said worriedly.
"Apparently not," Lars replied while he muttered "Obviously not," The two Gryffindors were panicking. Granger was frantically recalling information about devil snares while he thinks quietly, devil snares hates fire and sunlight.
Harry drew his wand and pointed it above them where the snares are "Lumos Solem" a bright yellow light emerged from the tip of his wand and shone at the snares. Weasley dropped from above and was finally free. The two asked their friend concernedly while he just stood there.
"Lucky my brother reads Herbology books." Lars said chidingly to Weasley. Weasley looked at him and said, in a very awkward way, his gratitude. He didn't say anything and just walked on.
"Are those birds?" Weasley asked idiotically as they entered another corridor. They were obviously not birds but winged keys and there are also two brooms hovering in the middle of the room.
There was a door opposite to them. Weasley and Granger tried using the unlocking charm on it but to no avail. That only means that the only way they can enter the room is to catch the correct key. He and Lars both spotted a key with a broken wing. They weren't the youngest seekers in a century for nothing even if he is not fond of the game.
"I'm not flying, you get it." he told Lars who happily obliged. The winged keys started to attack Lars as soon as he took hold of the broom. Lars swished them away and raced to catch the right key. Lars caught it after five minutes and passed it to him who immediately opened the door.
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, torches 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.
"It's a chessboard, a life sized one," Lars stated. "What do we do now?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Weasley. "We've got to play our way across the room."
There was another door behind the white pieces' side of the board
"How?" Granger asked nervously.
"We act as chess pieces, what else?" Harry said plainly, noticing three boxes without chess pieces. Weasley nodded in agreement then 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 Weasley.
"Well you two are brilliant chess players so it wouldn't be a problem now would it?" Lars said to them as Harry took the place of the empty Bishop square. He instructed his Lars to go the Queen's side Castle square while Granger is out of the board.
Harry intended to let Weasley do most of the moves. It wouldn't do well for all of them if he commands the pieces all the time simply because his playing style is to sacrifice his pieces and that wouldn't be a good idea now that the three of them are acting as chess pieces.
"White always plays first in chess," said Weasley, peering across the board.
"Obviously Weasley," he drawled. Weasley glared at him while Lars just let out a sigh.
"Let's see what happens when we take each other's pieces, shall we?" Harry suggested before commanding "Pawn to D5." The pawn moved. The white pieces' next move was to take their pawn. It really wasn't a good idea if he controls the whole game. The whole chess game is exactly like Wizard chess. The way to get your opponent's piece is to literally destroy it.
"Castle to E4!" Weasley commanded, taking the white knight. The game continued, rubbles filled the outside of the board.
"Lars, take that Bishop over there." Harry said to his brother who followed.
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. Their standing, as of now, is really, really bad, since they're the ones playing, though not so much if it's only in the board.
Harry smirked in spite of himself and sang out, grimly, the line "Past the point of no return," It evidently confused, and slightly startled two of the golden trio, much to his amusement.
"Wha-" Lars was about to ask when Weasley, who seemed to understand what he had meant with the line, spoke.
Weasley gulped. "I have to sacrifice myself and that will leave Evandrus to finish the game, it's the only way."
"Sacrifice?" Granger repeated from outside the board. "Ron NO!"
Harry turned to look at the Gryffindor girl. "This is chess Granger." he stated, voice as indifferent as ever. "Either this or that and as of right now the only way to win is to sacrifice the Knight which unfortunately is Weasley."
"But-"
"Your pick," he interrupted his twin brother with a wave of his hand, "we find another way to win without sacrificing Weasley, for now, but includes sacrificing either you or I. And, after which the two of you will be left alone to deal with two more tasks and saving the stone, which I doubt you'll be able to do or" he paused then added coldly, "we sacrifice Weasley now, I get to checkmate the king, proceed to two more tasks and save the stone." Harry noticed from the corner of his eye that Lars was glaring rather murderously at him, but he didn't care, he warned them not to go through with this ridiculous plan of theirs.
"I'll sacrifice!" Weasley said with conviction in his voice. Spoken just like a true heroic Gryffindor, he mused.
"Evandrus' right, if we don't do this now the stone will get stolen!" Weasley said when Lars and Granger are about to complain about the idea. "They're the only ones who can stop Snape, I have to do this."
The idiots still think that Professor Snape is the one trying to steal it. Oh well, Harry thought, there's no sense in arguing with them now as to whoever's trying to steal it. They'll just see for themselves later on anyway.
With Lars' nod, Weasley commanded "Knight to H3."
The knight stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck the Knight that Weasley was riding hard across the head with her stone arm, and Weasley crashed to the floor. Granger screamed and so did Lars, Harry remained passive. Now they can finish the game.
Harry started moving towards the direction of the white king "Checkmate." he declared and the white king took off his crown and threw it at his feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. They both ran to where Weasley dropped. Granger also ran to them.
"Granger stay with Weasley, he probably just had a mild concussion." he informed her, confident that she knows what to do to a person who has a concussion.
"Someone would go after us soon enough, you wouldn't be able to get back with that dog in the other chamber." Granger nodded.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" asked Lars as they made their way to the door leading to the next chamber.
"Yes." he replied blandly before telling his brother, not in a very reassuring manner, that Weasley will not die.
Lars just nodded.
"Magical Creatures, Herbology, Charms and Transfigurations." Harry recited. "The next one will either be Potions or Defence."
He pushed the door open.
"Sweet Merlin!" They both pulled up their robes to cover their noses with the disgusting smell circling the chamber. Harry felt like vomiting.
"Merlin's arse...that's grotty." Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one Lars had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
"Defence it is then." Harry said drily, refraining himself from vomiting on the spot. On another note, the troll even made him even more assured that Theo was right all along.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Lars whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."
"You and I both." he responded, sharing his twin brother's disgust.
There was absolutely nothing frightening about what's behind the next door. There were just seven bottles on a table with different liquids inside it.
"Snape's," said Lars with a frown. "What do we have to do?"
The moment they entered the room, fire emerged from the doors, the door that they had just entered, and the door that they will enter later on. There was purple flame on the door where they came from, and black flame on the door at the other side of the room.
Lars ran to grab a parchment floating into thin air.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's a poem." Lars deadpanned. Harry looked over from Lars' shoulder and read it out loud.
"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."
He thought for a moment, even Lars seemed to think through the riddle.
"One of the wines will help us get through the purple flame and one through the black flame."
"Trust the old bat to do just this." Lars muttered. "So which is which?"
"That one is for the black fire," he pointed at the smallest bottle, "and that one is for the purple fire." he said, pointing at the rounded bottle.
Lars took the bottles. "But this is only good for one swallow!"
"Indeed." he drawled. "Come along, I'm going to try something, just place the bottles on the ground." He instructed his brother as they went to stand in front of the black fire.
"If you're thinking about jumping through that black fire, no thank you."
Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the fire. "Aeternus Inardesco." he whispered and a blue fire surged from the tip of his wand. The blue fire mixed with the black fire and by the looks of it struggling with each other.
"You might want to do what I did." Lars nodded and cast the same spell that he did and to Lars' surprise he managed to do it on his first try.
"Whatever for?" Lars asked.
"Theoretically speaking, the blue fire will dominate the black one and eventually into nothingness."
"And if it doesn't?"
Harry grinned evilly. "We jump." He wasn't serious about that though. His plan B was to let Lars drink the potion for the black flame while he will drink the one for the purple flame and then he will exit through the door earlier then come back and see if the bottles refills itself. If whoever is behind the last door managed to pass through the black fire, then the bottles probably do.
A few more seconds later and his theory was proven to be true, using the Eternal Flame charm on another fire, the blue fire dominated the black one and eventually disappeared.
When they're sure that there was no more fire, they passed through the door.