CHAPTER 15: Through the Trapdoor
The exams started that Monday. Dante's transformation had gone down without a hitch and all three boys were in their seats that morning ready to take their written potion, granted they were slumped forward and barley dragging the information forth through the quill.
It was lucky for the examination group that they were warn out however, because when they asked Harry to remove his eye for examination purposes, he normally would have chewed them up, resurrected them and let his brother and cousin have a go.
However, at the time, Harry's headaches where doubling and his mind was wearing thin, not to mention the pains from his own transformation, stopped him from carrying and prevented his brother and cousin from retaliating on his behalf if only to spar his throbbing head the pain caused by the noise they would have undoubtedly made. Instead he simply popped his eye out in the bathroom and covered his eye up with the old black bandana that turned heads when he reentered the testing room.
They continued to test in the same fashion, Harry unwilling to exert more energy on fighting for his right to see out of both sides of his face, let his brother, cousin and friends fight for his right to have his eye in place. The claim was rejected and Harry resigned himself to leave the eye in a case beside his bed.
Prodigy!
Harry looked around as was surprised to see that Vexation was loping up the stairs to where they were sitting. Ron and Hermione had joined him on the marble stairs before the entranceway after their last exams. Hermione had promised to compare scores with only Dante, who was the only one whiling to show her, and the werewolf had taken Draco back to the dorms to collect his other tests.
In the mean time, Harry was amusing his friends with tails about the three headed dog on the night he and Draco had run into it, as well as a milder version of the night he'd lost the Quffle. The two hung onto his words, being the perfect audience, despite Ron already knowing the more detailed version of the second.
That was when Harry's little immortal cam bounding down the stairs, crying at the top of his lungs from his Prodigy.
Come Prodigy!
Harry jumped of the steps with a flying leap and landed on the ground before the immortal who took no time to launch himself back off up the stairs.
What is it Vexation?
You must come Prodigy, it is you brother and cousin!
What happened to them?
That Balise child! Vex hissed as he raced through corridors and up stairs, Harry trailing him by just enough that he didn't head off in the wrong direction in his hast, Ron and Hermione neck-in-neck behind him.
He cornered Draco in the hallway and started throwing insults at both him and your brother. Finally, your pack had had enough and drew their wands as a warning only to get hit in the back. A full out duel! I left as soon as I saw. I was ridding in your brother's bag.
The skidded around a corner, Harry with his wand drawn and a sword in his other hand. No one dared mess with a pissed of Potter.
However, when they got their, Dante and Draco lay unconscious on the floor, bloody and bruised. Harry lifted Dante in one arm and Draco in the other after assessing it was safe to move them.
Upon passing what seemed to be an empty classroom, Harry was forced to stop by the sound of a whimpering voice of one Quirrell saying. "I have done what you asked! I will go tonight! I will not fail again!" Said teacher rushed out of the room the next minute, adjusting his turban after nearly bumping into Harry.
Harry's scar light up like it had been doused in gasoline and light on fire. He grimaced, trying with all his might not to drop Dante or Draco, fighting the urge to reach up and claw his scar off. Quirrell hurried away and Harry was allowed to hurry on his way to the hospital wing. It was only once in the hospital wing that Harry realized what was going on.
He had gone to the Common Room to collect some things both boys would need when they regained consciousness as well as his eye, which he popped into his head before returning. He had been staring out of the window, waiting for the status of his pack when he spotted Hagrid trundling out to the forest with a bucket of bloody meat. It suddenly clicked into place and he was forced to leave with Ron and Hermione at top speed promising the matron he'd be back soon for an update.
"Don't you think it's odd, that what Hagrid wants more than any thing is a dragon and-"
"And a stranger walks in and just happens to have one?" Hermione piped up. "That has been bothering me."
Harry blinked then started walking again, hardly noticing he'd stopped walking in the first place. "Anyway, who the hell walks around with dragons in their pockets? And now my brother and cousin have been taken out in the fear that I'd come to this conclusion earlier. I'm so stupid!"
He picked up the pace and soon he'd brought them out to Hagrid who had returned from the forest and was pealing beans in front of his hut. "Hagrid! The man who played card with you, who gave you the dragon, you two must have talked."
"Well yeah, he wanted to know what experience with creatures. I told him about Fluffy."
"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Ron asked trying not to laugh at the name.
"How many three headed dog do you know Ron? Coarse he was interested." Hagrid laughed, his attention back on those fascinating beans of his. "I told him, the trick with a beast, is knowing 'ow to calm 'im. Take Fluffy for example. Play 'im a bet o music and 'e falls straight to sleep."
Harry sighed and straightened himself out.
"I shouldn't have told you that! I should not have told you that!"
Harry was off with Ron and Hermione on his heels so fast that Hagrid's last words were shouted at them over the court yard as they rushed off to find the one man they could turn to, wither or not Harry want to interact with him again.
Harry pushed his hair away from his eye and let the thing lead him. Ron and Hermione followed him up the stairs and round corners and in and out of tapestries until they came to a stop in front of a griffin statue.
Harry looked the thing over. It had an animation charm on it as well advanced security charms that Harry could only classify but not name.
"Hello, I'm looking for Dumbeldore. Is he in?"
The gargoyle blinked rapidly then shook his head.
"Pardon me young master, no one has spoken to me but the keeper of the office. I was shocked that you'd even know I could."
"I'd love to talk to you even more, sir, but I'm in desperate need to speak to Dumbeldore. It's about the matter of the Philosopher's Stone." Harry urged.
"I'm sorry young master. The Head left for the ministry this morning. Though I am shocked once more that you would know such a thing. I was under the impression that such matters where kept secret from the students."
"Thank you for your help. I'll be sure to come back and talk again my good sir."
With that the three took off at a full out run. Once they were out of earshot, nearly on another planet when Harry was satisfied that no one would hear them.
"Voldemort is going to make a move on the stone tonight." Harry was panting a bit with the excitement of the situation. "I need to train you guys up in a hurry."
Before they could ask what he was planning to do, he'd run off again, leaving them to tail the hem of his robes as they whipped around the corner in front of them.
They skidded to a halt in front of the fat lady and Hermione shouted the password, Ron and Harry having forgotten it in the heat of an adrenaline rush. She swung back to reveal a common room absolutely jam-packed with people changing or waiting for friends to change before heading outside to sprawl in after exam bliss.
Harry shoved through the groups, his bubble forming around him now that his concentration was on getting through and not stopping it from appearing. Ron and Hermione passed easily through the path created in his wake and the three climbed the stairs with minimal attention from the mass below them.
Harry dashed into their rooms, pulled out a key and unlocked his trunk. He stepped inside it started to descend the latter when he saw the other two were gapping at him. "Come on! You go to a bloody school full of witches and wizards and you can't believe it when I pull a Mary Poppins?" Hermione laughed and only shook her head at Ron's confused look.
Inside the trunk, Harry walked over to his large closet. Throwing it open he reveled a cash of weapons ranging from automatic guns to samurai swords to throwing stars to spears.
He reached in farther and pulled out a rack on which where an array of muggle clothes as well as robes of all sorts of colors and dragon hid robes, vests, boots etc.
He quickly outfitted both friends with pairs, altering the items when needed with his wand. Next he ran them through to obvious points of fighting and after some pensive diving both were adequately skilled in the weapons on hand.
Hermione was sporting a pair of knives in her boots, a set of throwing stars on her belt and sword in hand.
Ron was likewise sporting knives but he had chosen a broad sword for in hand and daggers for on belt.
Harry had pulled out all the stops, carrying two swords on his back, two 9 millimeters in his vest, throwing stars, daggers, potions and an array of knives covering his body. He hand his wand in a holster under his sleeve and was debating the use of a pair of battle-axes when the clock chimed midnight.
"Whatever you do… don't cut off a finger. I doubt you two will need the training, however brief it was, that I have supplied you with, but starting next year, my cousin and I will train you on fighting with weapons and Dante will handle hand-to-hand." He was climbing out of the trunk, black dragon leather sweeping around him in a flattering way.
He motioned for them to follow. The three silently crept from the trunk and scurried down the steps and out the Common Room door faster than Hermione and Ron believed possible.
"Your boots are charmed for speed." Harry whispered as the crept through the dark hallways up to the third floor. "Your cloaks are extra strong and charmed to help defend you. You're weapons have protection charms so they won't harm the one wielding them. But if someone where to take them, they could stab you all they liked."
They were nearing the door when Harry stopped. "Now is your chance to turn back. I wouldn't think any less of you guys."
"Hell no!" Ron shouted.
"We're your friends Harry. We're not going anywhere." Hermione said with a dangerous fire in her eyes that only increased her fear factor as she gripped her sword to her chest, her hands so tight, her knuckles were white.
Harry smiled.
"You know, you're the first people to tell me that."
Before they could get sentimental Harry took a breath and pushed through the door.
Silence. Then music.
A harp sat in the corner charmed to play of it's own accord. The great dog lay asleep on the trapdoor, drool coating the floor around it.
"Come on." Harry motioned for them to move the paw. He opened the door and looked down to see darkness engulfing the passage. He looked at his friends…yeah…his friends and smiled before jumping down. As he landed he heard them drop down as well, just as the harp finished its song with an echoing strum of its chords.
"Lucky this plant thing is here really." Ron's voice drifted to his ears through the blackness.
"Lucky?! Look at you!" Hermione's voice came from some remote corner but the note of panic it held could not be lost, no matter how far she was from them. Harry looked down to see the long tendrils of the plant had wound their way around him, binding him to the floor, though they only really took hold when Harry had seen what was happening.
He reacted and soon sounds of struggle from the other sides of the cave telling him Ron and Hermione where trying to cut away the plant, just as he was.
"It's Devils Snare!" He heard Hermione call over the sounds of struggle. Then Ron's scathing retort of, "Oh, I'm so glade we know what it's called, that's a great help Hermione! I'm forever indebted to you Princess!" Harry couldn't help but laugh, though it took some effort as a long vein had shot up and wrapped around his neck.
"Shut up Ron! I'm trying to remember how to kill it! Professor Sprout told us about them in Herbology. They dislike light!"
"So light a fire!" Ron cried, his arms having been captured leaving him with only his legs to fight.
"I can't reach my wand!" She cried.
Harry ripped at a nasty vine and retracted his wand.
"INCENDIO!" He choked out setting the whole plant ablaze.
It let out a terrible screech and retracted, some of its roots still on fire.
"Wicked!" Ron smiled rubbing his wrists.
Hermione sighed and shook her head before picking up her discarded sword and following Harry and Ron into the next room.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered straining his oversized ears for the soft rustling and clinking Harry had already picked up on.
"Is it a ghost?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"No. It sounds like wings to me." Ron said making Harry smile. The boy had a talent that was for sure.
The reached the end of the passage and saw a brilliantly light chamber before them, the skies spotted with thousands of jewel-bright birds, glinting as the light flashed off their bronze and silver bodies as the twisted and ducked through their own masses.
Harry led the way toward the other side of the chamber and tested the door. A series of interweaving locking charms prevented even his "Reducto" and "Alohamora" from opening it, though Ron and Hermione both tried anyway.
"So what's the point of the birds?" Ron asked shouldering his broad sword after taking a few good whacks at the door and finding it futile.
"They're not birds!" Hermione gasped. She pointed up into the mass with one of her swords. "Their keys! Keys with wings. Look carefully. We're looking for an old fashion one probably silver like the handle." Ron and Hermione peered into the thousands of keys fluttering above their heads inveigh.
But Harry, magical eye or not, wasn't the youngest seeker in a century for nothing. Pointing up he shouted, "There with the bright blue wings, the feathers are crumpled on one side. Someone must have caught it already."
While Harry watched the thing, Hermione and Ron where looking for a way to get up.
"Look over there! Brooms!" Ron shouted.
"Ron don't touch them!" Hermione suddenly cried.
"Wha?" Ron stopped dead.
"They're probably jinxed, if we touch them, Harry might loose sight of the key. We need another way of getting him up there."
"I've got my own way guys." Harry smiled. Eyes still on the key, Harry shed his dragon his cloak, leaving him in a black t-shirt and a vest. His magical eye locked on the key, Harry took a deep breath and changed into Firefly, well at lest he took on Firefly's wings.
Stretching the long red and gold wings he hauled himself into the air and chased the key down. Snatching it out of the air he looped back down to the ground and gave it to Hermione.
"How?" Her mouth was hanging open and she almost lost her grip on the key but quickly shoved it in the lock to prevent any accidents.
"I was brought up to fight Hermione. I need every advantage I can get and if that means breaking a few rules, I'm willing to take the extra step. If you're willing to learn I can teach you guys over the summer so you can master you form or forms by third year at lest."
Hermione nodded adamantly. She still seemed dazed and the subtle coughs from Ron nudging her towards the door where getting them nowhere so Harry pointed it out to her.
"Oh, right!" She turned the key and the three stepped into the next chamber, as dark as the last one was light. As they stepped into it however, it quickly filled with light.
They where standing on the edge of a gigantic chess board, white pieces facing them, the black pieces closest to them, and the door on the other side. As the faceless pieces towered over them, Ron quickly fell into his element.
"We obviously have to play our way across the board." He turned to a knight that nodded at him, confirming his theory.
"Don't be offended or anything but you two aren't all that fantastic at chess without Dante on your other side coaching you through-"
"We're not offended, Oh Mighty Master of all Things Black and White." Harry teased before taking up his position as a bishop. Hermione laugh and storing her swords away took up the place of a castle, still in mild shock from Harry's previous demonstration of power.
Ron also smiled as he clambered onto the back of a horse, taking his place as knight.
And so the game began, Ron directing the pieces with an air of an all-knowing guru. Their only real shock came when the white queen smashed their knight, and dragged him off the board to be thrown to the floor off the board. Ron was racing around the board, protecting Harry or Hermione and racking up a white pile to match the ever-mounting black one. They were nearing the end of their ranks when Ron paused for a very long time the nodded. Harry scanned the board and saw what was about to happen.
"Oh Shit!"
Hermione looked to his, fear playing with her young face.
"Yes…It's the only way really. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin my reputation as a fighter by botching the next chamber when I can call it quiets here and live on as a wondrous god of chess." He laughed, but no mirth made it past his throat. "I've got to be taken."
"NO!" Hermione screamed.
"Yes! You need to stop whoever is helping You-Know-Who. I'm too inexperienced to help you much more. The next adventure will be mine." He smiled and without a second glance stepped forward and was taken out by the queen. Hermione screamed and Firefly, took control to make Harry's sad song fill the stadium. A single tear slid down his face from his good eye as his friend was hauled from the board like a piece of meat.
As soon as the queen returned Harry checkmated the king. He surrendered by tipping himself over and Harry ran to Ron's side. Hermione was already there. They looked him over and Harry quickly assured her that he would be okay.
"We have to keep going." Harry turned to the door. Hermione sniffled and whipped a tear away but climbed to her feet and joined Harry. They passed through the door and into the next chamber, which reeked of troll.
Very dead troll.
Eyes watering they ran through the door to the next chamber and spotted a long table lined with bottles of all shapes and sizes. Against either wall there was a fire. A purple on behind them, which they just came through, and a black one ahead of them, which they presumably had to go through.
"This is Snape's handy work. I could smell it a mile away. Even with that troll nearby." Harry said smiling. "And if there's anyone that could take on Snape it's you." Hermione blushed and they approached the table.
"So what do we have to do?" Harry asked as Hermione seized a scroll from next to the bottles.
She put a finger to her mouth to silence him as her eyes darted back and forth across the paper. By the end she was smiling brightly, with a look Harry could only describe as pure thrill.
"Logic! Oh I could kiss the greasy bat!" Harry looked disgusted and she laughed. "Okay so that's going a bit far. But it's brilliant! A lot of the greatest witches and wizards don't have an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck here forever!" He let out a breathy sigh and looked at the paper longingly.
"Well this one can't either." Harry said. "So what do we have to do?"
"Oh, right!" Hermione picked up two bottles. One was small with only enough liquid inside for one person to have hardly a swallow. The other was round with considerably more. "You'll drink this one Harry." She said handing him the small bottle. "It will take you through to the next chamber."
"But what about you?"
"I'll drink this one and go back, get Ron and take him for help. Face it Harry, I haven't been trained to fight, trained with this sword or these daggers, and while I look forward to learning, this isn't my journey. You are a great wizard. You will do great things Harry Potter. Take care." With that she downed the potion and scampered through the fire.
Harry sighed and shook his head. What his brother saw in that girl…he could clearly see now, more than ever. Downing his own freezing potion he barreled through the black fire and saw…
AN: I want to take a second and thank my reviewers. I know I can be a bit odd and hasty in my writing, but now that I have made sure I will keep up a regular posting, I will make sure to further explain my stories. Look for Year 2 coming soon after the completion of Year 1!
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