In Search of the Stone

While McGonagall was still in Dumbledore's office, Hermione and Ron were in search of harry and Irlynn. They'd seen Snape wandering towards the corridor that was off limits. They finally found them in McGonagall's office.

"What are you two doing?" Harry asked.

"Are you in trouble for being out after hours?" Ron asked.

"No…McGonagall just told us to come here," Irlynn answered.

"Well…I think Snape is going after the stone. We saw him going down the corridor that is off limits," Hermione said.

"We can't wait, Harry. We have to go now," she added.

"Ok…" Harry said and stood up. Irlynn followed suit and the four of them snuck off in the direction of the off limits corridor. They looked around but didn't see anything or anyone.

"I hear something," Irlynn whispered, pointing too a door to their left. They pulled it open and heard the melodic sounds of a harp playing. They look around the room to see a very large, three headed dog.

"I'm guessing that is Fluffy," Harry hissed. The dog's three heads were all snoring and drooling loudly. Ron grimaced at the large teeth that protruded on one of the mouths.

"Ok…well he's asleep…now what do we do?" Ron asked. Hermione looked down to see a metal ring beneath one of the paws.

"Do you see that?" she asked. The other three looked down and nodded.

"Help me move the paw," she whispered and together, she and Irlynn moved it to uncover a trap door. Harry reached down and managed to pull it open. The expanse below was dark and ominous.

"I'll go down first…you follow me," he said, taking a deep breath.

"Be careful," Irlynn said. With a deep breath, Harry jumped down through the hole. Just as Hermione was about to jump she looked around.

"Is it just me, or is it quiet in here," she whispered.

"The harp stopped playing," Irlynn gulped. Ron looked up and was meet face to face with three very awake heads of Fluffy.

"Jump!" he said and all three dove through the hole. When they opened their eyes, they realized that they had been caught by a large plant like thing.

"Everyone ok?" harry called.

"Yeah…lucky this plant was here to catch us," Ron said. No sooner had the words passed through his lips the plant's vines began to wrap themselves around the four students.

"What's happening/" Harry croaked as one wrapped around his waist.

"It's Devil's Snare," Hermione said, trying to think.

"Do you know how to make it stop?" Ron asked, his voice unnaturally high.

"I think I remember Professor Sprout saying something…if you don't move it let's go," Irlynn offered. She took a deep breath and tried to sit as still as she could. As if reading her mind, the plant uncoiled itself and she disappeared through the bottom. Hermione followed suit shortly afterwards.

"Where did they go?" Ron gulped.

"We're fine. Just relax and it will let you go," Irlynn shouted up to them.

"Easy for you to say," Ron muttered.

"Just concentrate," Hermione called. Harry tried to slow his breathing down and keep it even. Unfortunately he felt an itch on his leg and couldn't keep from scratching it. The fine around his waist constricted even more. He tried to keep his body still and like the girls he fell through the plant.

"Harry!" Ron yelled and the vines wrapped around him even more.

"He's not going to calm down is he," Irlynn said.

"Oh…what else did we learn about Devil's Snare," Hermione groaned, trying to think.

"Something about light…it's lots of fun but not in the sun 's he muttered to herself.

"Sunlight…it hate's sunlight," she exclaimed. She pulled her wand out and pointed it upwards.

"Solaris," she chanted and the vines cringed. Ron fell to the ground next to him.

"Good thing I relaxed," Ron coughed and stood up.

"Good thing Irlynn and Hermione pay attention in Herbology," Harry replied.

The four students looked around the small room and found another door. They moved towards and harry reached out. It was unlocked and they slowly moved inside. They were greeted with a strange flapping sound.

"Are those…birds?" Irlynn asked, looking up and pointing a finger at the strange winged objects moving above their heads.

"I don't know…they don't look like any birds I've ever seen," Harry answered. Ron had spotted the door that was the exit and was tugging on the handle. It was locked.

"Alohamora," he said but nothing happened. Only Hermione seemed to notice his effort.

"It was worth a try," she said.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"You know…I think they're keys…not birds," Hermione said after she looked at the objects a little more.

"Great…now all we have to do is find the one that opens the door," Ron grumbled.

'Look…there's a broom," Irlynn commented. Harry saw it and picked it up.

"You really think Snape could fly on that thing?" Ron laughed.

"I guess…it's worth a shot," he said and mounted the broom.

"It's probably an old and rusty key," Hermione said as he slowly rose in the air.

"Right," he said mostly to himself and began to fly around near the ceiling. The keys began to dive bomb him. He had to swat them away from his face to keep from getting cut. It only worked to a small degree.

"Harry there it is…to your left!" Hermione yelled excitedly. He looked and spotted it. The key was old and rusty like the door and one of it's wings was bent and broken. He leaned forward on the broom handle, his hand outstretched. He caught it easily and flew back down to the floor.

"Here," he said and handed it to Irlynn. She shoved the key into the lock and the door opened. All flour rushed through and slammed the door shut before the keys could escape. They could hear the keys colliding with the now locked door.

"That was close," Ron heaved a sigh. They now had time to look around their latest surroundings.

"Is this…a graveyard/" Irlynn rasped.

"No…look…" Ron answered, pointing to the squares on the floor.

"It's a chessboard," he stated.

"I didn't know chess was…interactive," Irlynn gulped.

"I'm rubbish at it…just so you know," she added.

"Come on…we can do this," Ron assured them. He pointed them to open squares on the board. Irlynn looked across the board at the other piece and cringed. Ron climbed atop a knight and began giving orders. She jumped in horror as a pawn was sliced in half.

"Are you sure we have to do this/" she called to Harry.

"If Snape could do this…so can we. Just…don't move unless Ron tells you," he responded. Irlynn nodded and watched as one of their pieced took out a pawn on the other side.

The game wore on in this fashion until Ron let out a lout gulp.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I…I can put their king in check…but the Queen will take me on their next move," Ron answered.

"No…you can't," she called, looking horrified.

"I have to. We can't get across the board if we don't win," Ron answered. With that he moved his piece to the designated square. Just like he'd said, the Queen on the other side cut him down with a swift motion. Ron fell to the board, motionless.

"Oh God," Irlynn rasped, starting to move towards him.

"No you have to stay there. We're still in play," Harry told her. She just nodded and turned back to face the other side. Harry looked around the at the rest of the pieces on the board.

"I think…I can make the move that wins the game," he told the girls.

"Hurry," Hermione said. Harry took a breath and moved.

"Check mate," he aid nervously. The Queen dropped her sword and crumbled to the ground.

"We did it," Irlynn said, rushing to Ron's side.

"You two need to get Ron to the Infirmary and find Dumbledore. He should know about this," harry said.

"What about you?" Irlynnn asked as she and Hermione managed to get Ron on his feet. He was barely conscious.

"I have to go on…I don't want you two getting hurt," Harry said.

"But…Snape has a lot of power…he knows a lot of spells," Irlynn protested.

"I have to try," Harry rebutted. With a somber look, the girls began to move back towards the room of keys.

"Let's just hope we can get out of here," Hermione grumbled. Harry watched them walk away and turned to the last doorway. He couldn't explain why but he knew that the room beyond this was the end. The stone was in the next room. He pushed the door open and slowly walked down the steps. As he moved farther into the room he could feel the center of his forehead, the scar he'd born since he was an infant began to ache intensely. He gave a small groan and rubbed at it until he reached the final step. The figure standing there in the center of the room was not who he had expected to find.

"You?" he coughed out.