AN- He guys thanks so much for the reviews; I adore them so much. Please keep posting them.
I'm not really happy with the way this chapter has gone but I cant seem to make it work any other way. So sadly this is what you've got.
Chapter 15
Harry was glad he remembered going through these exams before because he still had so much to think about. He still hadn't figured out what to do about Quirrall; the parasite wouldn't shake his hand so that plan was useless.
He was terrified about the hearing; he never wanted this to happen he had never planned for this. He didn't want the ministry deciding who he would go to. He might end up with Lucius Malfoy. Not that he didn't like Draco he just couldn't stand Lucius.
When Harry told his friends about the hearing most of them picked up their Quills and began to write letters to their families. Hermione wrote to her parents who- according to her- had always wanted both a daughter and a son. Ron, the twins and even Percy wrote to their parents. Neville wrote to his Gran. Seamus to his mom. Fay and Lavender wrote to their parents too. Draco didn't bother as he knew Harry would hate his parents; despite already thinking of Draco like a brother.
After that Hermione decided it was time to distract Harry and set up study sections in the common room. Harry and Hermione tutored most of the Gryffindor first years and some of the older years even chipped in to help. The Gryffindor's bonded every morning at six so they were now more than happy to help each other. Harry made Neville tutor all of them on Herbology and after the first few minutes her became more relaxed and started to even enjoy teaching; as Harry knew he would.
Another thing that made Harry happy was finding out Hagrid was dragonless. He hadn't accepted the dragon egg in the pub as he promised Harry he wouldn't.
Then the exams came; Harry was told his hearings would be in the weeks after his exams. Dumbledore refused to make Harry leave during the exams.
In the exams most of the Gryffindor students flourished. Harry decided to show off and make his pineapple do the can-can so that it fell off the desk- climbed back up and carried on. The whole class laughed.
In Transfiguration Harry was given a trained squirrel instead of the mice that they had to turn into snuff-boxes. All the teachers had seen his freak out at the Christmas feast. He turned the poor animal into a perfect solid gold box with Gryffindor written in rubies across the top.
"Well done Mr Evans." McGonagall lifted it up to see there was Harrys name on the bottom and Inside was a lining of red velvet (this meant it couldn't be used but still was very pretty).
"Thank you, professor." Lavender Brown was the only Gryffindor whose box had a tail.
Harry and Draco clearly did the best in Potions but Snape just sat at his desk and didn't make anyone nervous in this exam.
Harry knew now that he should have told his friends about the stone earlier. He could sense that time was running out. He needed their help but he didn't know how to do it.
"Guys, guy's somethings wrong." Harry rushed up to them; Draco, Rona and Hermione were sitting together on the grass.
"What is it?" Draco asked; they were just starting to relax after the final exam.
"I don't know how to explain." It had to be today; after all that was going on, Harry ran out of time.
"English would be a start."
"Okay I just had this- vision thing. It started here." Harry placed his hand on his scar; he had no choice but to lie. No choice. "It felt like I was looking out of the eyes of a snake. I saw someone going up to the third floor. There's a huge three headed dog up there. They played a harp and got pas- look they're heading to grab this small stone thing. I think it might be magic; I think its Voldemort."
They all gasped and looked at Harry. Hermione spoke next. "What? Are you sure?"
"Gran said, he put some of his magic in me when he tried to kill me. It's the only explanation."
"Should we tell a teacher?"
"I don't know if it's really true- but I'm sure it is."
"We could go up and have a look?" Draco suggested.
"A three headed dog?" Hermione asked. "What else?"
"I don't know it happened so quick. Please guys." The lies were the only way; or so he told himself.
"What kind of stone is it?" Ron asked.
"You don't think-" Draco began. "Okay I think it might be… the philosophers stone. If you know who is trying to get to it, I don't know what else it could be. The stone can restore life. It can turn any metal to gold and create immorality. My dad would kill for that stone; probably even kill me for it."
"I've read about that." Hermione told them. "It really exists?"
"Defiantly but no one has seen it for years."
"Wait Hagrid took a stone out of Gringotts when we went. Hogwarts business he said. It was this big." Harry held his hands out.
"That's the one." Draco looked sure.
"We can't let him get it." Ron stood up. "We need to get it."
"Ronald are you insane. We could be killed; it's you-know-who we're talking about."
"I don't think its fully him you know- he didn't seem like a person."
"Harry that doesn't matter. We need to tell a teacher."
"They'll think were crazy Hermione; they'll never believe us." Ron told them. "And do you think shouting about you know who is going to get Harry into a good house. We'll need to prove it first."
"Oh- oh Harry I didn't think. You're right Ron. Let's get some proof. But we're not doing anything dangerous."
They got through the door quickly- using secret passageways to dodge teachers. "Thanks for this guys."
"Harry do you have visions a lot?"
"Maybe twice before. I saw him drinking the blood from a horse- a unicorn I think. That freaked me out." More lies; Harry hated it.
"Oh god- it is."
"What Draco?"
"A great uncle of mine- on my mother's side- was dying and he drank unicorn blood took keep him alive; only insane people do that Harry. It really is him."
"Draco we'll stop him."
"It's not him I'm worried about. My father…." Draco stopped and went even more pale. "That is a big dog."
"Harry there's a harp at its feet." Hermione whispered.
"Maybe that's how we stop it attacking- play music." Harry went rummaging for his flute but Draco just cast a spell on the harp.
"Hey it worked!" Draco actually seemed surprised his spell worked.
"How'd you do that?" Hermione asked.
"It's a really, really simple charm." Draco explained as Fluffy began to sleep. "It's actually for pianos; one of the few spells that can be done without a wand. I used it during my music lessons." Draco smiled proudly. "They both have strings- I took a chance."
"Alright good going." Ron clapped his back and opened the trapdoor. "Now who wants to go first."
"I will- if this goes wrong owl someone for help."
"What Harrry!" Hermione tried to grab at his t-shirt but Harry jumped in time to escape. He landed softly on the plants. "HARRY!"
"I'm fine you can jump if you want." Harry shouted up as he tried to scramble out of the plant with to no avail. Three soft thumps and harry shouted at them to get out- only Hermione being the most agile of the group.
"What do I do?"
"Hermione its devils snare." Harry called across.
"Right, right." She looked around as she thought. "This was a stupid idea Harry. The only way to stop it is with fire."
"Then light a fire." Ron called as well.
"How there's no wood to burn?"
"Hermione- are you a witch or not!" Draco shouted at her; she needed to stop thinking like a muggle.
"Oh Right." She sent a blast of bright blue fire at the plant and it cringed dropping the three boys. "You guys okay?" She picked Ron to his feet.
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
Harry knew he wouldn't have been able to do this on his own; if only the bloody parasite had shaken his hand when Harry had tried he wouldn't have had to put them through this. "We need to keep going."
"Harry this is insane. We're just kids."
"Yeah and that's all people will think of us. Hermione we need to stop him; if you're scared go back and get help."
"Harry I'm not going to leave you." She shook her head. "We beat a troll together; how hard can this be."
"Thank you. I need to do this. I can't let him…"
"We know Harry." Ron put his hand on his shoulder. "You're a Gryffindor."
"So are we, Let's go." Draco began to move down the sloping passageway. "There are four of us- we can take whatever this chamber tries to throw at us." Harry smiled at the Slytherin in Draco mixing with the Gryffindor loyalty. He wouldn't stop something he started and now he had cultivated the bravery that would help him see it though.
"Look there's brightness ahead." Hermione mentioned as they entered the huge chamber. The chamber with a thousand keys flying in the air.
"They're keys?" Harry looked up, pretending to be confused. "Keys with wings."
"It must be to this door; we just need the right one." Draco was near the door.
"Oh no." Hermione gasped. "Brooms." There were a couple of dozen brooms on the ground.
Ron, Harry and Draco jumped on their brooms and Hermione grabbed one reluctantly.
"Right we need a really big one- sliver like the lock." Draco mentioned.
"There are dozens of sliver ones." Hermione told them as she flew with a wobble.
"I think it's that crumpled one- it looks like it's already been caught." Harry told them.
"Let's surround it." Ron began to fly up towards the key followed by the others. "I'll go at the top and Hermione you at the top. Then Harry and Draco can lead it in."
They followed Ron's instructions and surrounded the key. It flitted left and right as if trying to find an escape. As the key got closer both Harry and Draco reached out their hands.
In its desperation to doge the key flue right into Harrys hand. Harry had practiced holding onto the moving snitch so this key had no hope of escape.
"Do you know?" Hermione said now they were firmly on the ground. "This doesn't seem as dangerous as I thought it would be."
Ron tuned to Draco. "She just jinxed it didn't she."
"Probably." Draco said as Harry opened the door to revile the huge chess set. "We have to play chess?"
"Looks like it." Ron looked across at the chess pieces. "They're made out of rock." He touched the first piece and it came to life under his hand. "Wow."
"So how do we play?" Draco asked. "Do we tell them what to do?" The queen shook her head. "Then what?"
"I think we join them." Ron spoke and the queen nodded. "Alright Harry take the bishop. Draco and I will take the knights and Hermione can be the rook."
"Which is the rook?" Hermione asked.
"The castle."
The game didn't take long with Ron and Draco working together. They protected Harry and Hermione taking them across the board.
Ron took out the queen and smiled at Hermione. "Okay Hermione walk forward and take the king."
"Checkmate?" She said with doubt in her voice but all the chess pieces went still once more.
They cheered a celebration and went to the next door.
"Well thank god we don't have to do that again." Hermione shuddered as they crossed this room dodging the body of the troll.
They then looked around the dingy chamber, the fires gave very little light. Besides the fires all that this chamber held was a table and potion bottles.
"We're trapped." Draco looked around the room with fear.
Hermione grabbed the paper that sat next to the bottles. "Oh this is great."
"Really?" Asked Draco outraged at her apparent joy.
"Is a puzzle; a logic puzzle; I'm great at these. See look The second and the sixth bottles are the wine. That means the first and the fifth are poison. The very last one can't be poison as the ends are different. This tiny one will send us through and the big round one will send us back. That means the last one is another poison."
"That took you less than a minute are you sure."
"I would quite obviously state my life on it Ron."
"Okay let's go through."
Harry picked up the bottle. "There's only enough for one."
"Hell no. I'm not letting you go on your own."
"Hermione I can handle myself."
"It's you-know-who."
"And I beat him once remember."
"Not funny Harry."
"Why don't we just duplicate the bottles?" Draco suggested.
"Okay." The girl smiled and pointed her wand.
Harry wanted to argue as the three of them cast the spells to make their own bottles.
"Gemino."
"What if it doesn't work- can you just duplicate potions?"
"Of course you can Harry." There was a little doubt in Hermione's voice; making him worry.
Harry looked at them worried but took the potion; his body shivered as if he had been dropped in the black lake. "Is it cold?" He asked urgently.
"Freezing." Draco admitted.
"Then it's working. Let's take the other one with us just in case."
The four of them rushed through the flames and into the final test.
At the sound; the only other person in the room. Professor Quirrell. "Hello Mr Potter- oh and friends how wonderful."
"What happened to your stutter?" Ron asked; of course that was what he would notice.
He laughed. "Oh Mr Weasley, it was an act of course. Who would suspect p-p-p-p-poor stutttttering Proffssfessor Quirrrrrell."
"Oh. So your trying to steal the stone?" Ron deadpanned.
"Naturally- I need to present it to my master." He told the children. "You children really are clever getting through all those defences; how long have you suspected me?"
Harry spoke to him. "Since the beginning professor. I don't like acts- I see through them pretty easily."
"Ah yes we heard about your hard life Mr potter."
"Of course you did." Harry stepped forward. "May I speak to your master?"
"How dare you?!" The professor gasped with outrage.
"Please we both know I would win if it came to a fight Tom. Let me speak to you."
"Potter." The voice from Quiralls head was sharp and weak.
"Tom I know how to get the stone." Harry then flicked his wand and cast a shielding charm over his friends.
"Harry!" They exclaimed. Harry needed to protect them. He wished they had gone back or that he hadn't needed them at all.
"I have the strength for this."
"Of course master." Quirrall unwound his turban and turned around.
"Hello Potter."
"Tom how nice to see you again."
"How do you know that name?"
"You're slipping Tom. And playing a dangerous game." Harry pounced to push the man backwards. They screamed; Quirrall and Tom. Harry dropped the shield.
"Expelliarmus." Shouted Ron the wand flying out of Quirrells hand. It was about to attack his best friend.
"Bombarda." Tried Draco but the advanced spell only weekly made a sound.
Hermione was the last to cast a spell but maybe the most effective. "Pertrifius Totalas."
When he was still Harry placed his hand on the leach once again. It couldn't scream but there was a pain in its face before it began to turn to dust; taking Quirrall with it.
"How did you do that Harry?" Draco came to stand beside him.
"I remembered some of the things he does. As I got closer I could practically hear his thoughts. I knew what would happen. His name was Tom; When he was younger. Makes him seem less scary don't you think?" This was a lie but one they would believe; he had no choice.
"Indeed it does Harry."
"Headmaster?" Harry tuned to him and his friends looked worried.
"You four were very brave."
"I don't know what else you expected Headmaster." Harry smiled and Dumbledore laughed.
"Very true. Don't worry Children you're not in trouble. Though the other professors may be a little disheartened that you got past their defences." He motioned them all out of the room. "Harry Madam Pomphrey has a guest to see you. Though I would like it if you were all checked over by the matron."
AN- I'm sorry about this chapter. I hope the rest will be better.
Please review; especially if you didn't find it terrible.
I do have a question; what do you think of the picture I have for this story? I made it in a scene maker game. I want to know what you think. I'm quite proud of it myself.
Until next time. ~Tia.
