Summary: Harry travels back in time to change the future, but something doesn't go exactly the way he planned. Neville is the boy who lived.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Words in this chapter: 4,810
Chapter 9
Open the door
"Where are you going?" Ron yelled after Neville.
Neville stopped and turn to look at his friend. "I'm going to get the mirror back from Potter"
"So, you know where it is?" Ron asked, stopping to stand beside Neville.
"Yes, the third floor" was the only answer he got from the boy-who-lived.
"I'm going with you" Ron dared Neville to tell him he couldn't.
"I have to do this by myself" Neville told him.
"Scared of someone else getting the spotlight?" Ron asked.
"What are you talking about?" Neville asked confused.
"I'm getting that mirror" Ron stated, and started walking towards the third floor leaving Neville confused behind.
"If Potter came here and is still alive, then there can't be anything here I can't handle" Ron stated once he reached the third floor, Neville beside him.
"Do you want the mirror or are you trying to prove something?" Neville asked.
"I want the mirror" Ron lied.
"Why?" Neville asked not believing Ron.
"Why what?" Ron asked back.
"Why do you want the mirror? You've never even seen it. You don't really know what it does" Neville told Ron.
"It is a powerful object. I would be a fool if I didn't want it" Ron said.
"Don't let greed consume you" Neville told him looking at him in the eyes "I'm getting the mirror, get back to the common room"
Ron shoved Neville and opened the door to the third floor Neville going in seconds after him.
"Don't move" Ron said in a whisper, after Neville slammed the door shut after him.
Three gigantic dog heads were looking straight at them, growling, saliva was dripping out of their mouths. Every single tooth could be seen by both, Ron and Neville.
"This wasn't a good idea" Neville whispered terrified.
"If Potter did it…" Ron started to whisper back.
"I don't care what Potter did!" Neville shouted irritated.
At that moment the three heads started barking loudly trying to bite them, both Ron and Neville started screaming terrified, thinking they could die in that room and no one would find them. They could become that three-headed dog's meal.
"Open the door!" Neville howled at Ron trying to dodge the dog's teeth.
"I can't. It's stuck" Ron shrieked trying to both, pull and push, the door open.
"Run!" Neville shrieked.
Neville and Ron tried to run from the heads, at least the fact that it was a very small room for a very large dog was an advantage to them. They could move between the dog's legs and the dog could barely move one head without slamming into something.
"In here!" Neville yelled after opening a trap door he had found and jumping into it.
Seconds later Ron jumped as well.
"At least we landed on something soft" Ron said, aching after the long fall.
"It moves!" Ron shrieked when he felt something wrapped around his legs.
"It's devil's snare" Neville explained calmly "Don't move, it will only kill you faster"
"Kill me faster?" Ron cried, "Of course I wouldn't want it to kill me faster, slow and painful is way better" He said in sarcasm.
"Shut up!" Neville ordered, "I'm trying to think"
"Think faster!" Ron shouted, trying to get the plant of his legs, but it only wrapped tighter around his arms.
"The harder a person struggles against Devil's Snare, the faster and more tightly it binds them; if they relax, it will not kill them as quickly. Devil's Snare prefers a dark, damp environment" Neville started reciting "That is it!" He exclaimed triumphantly.
"What?" Ron asked getting impatient.
"It hates light" Neville explained quickly.
Lumos Maxima.
Light surrounded them getting the plan to let them go.
They fell and landed hard on their backs.
"Couldn't you have made it possible for us to land in something soft?" Ron scolded.
"I am sorry for not guessing we would fall and hit the ground" Neville said sarcastically.
"At least that stupid plant is gone" Ron gritted.
"Well we can't go back now" Neville said, standing up slowly, his back still in pain "We should move forward"
"Of course. After almost becoming dog's food and being chocked by a plant, I want to go and see what other ways I can be killed" Ron mocked.
"Feel yourself free to go back" Neville called back, walking forward.
Grumbling, Ron stood up and followed reluctantly after Neville.
"What is that?" Ron yelped.
A noise could be heard, with every step getting stronger, a flipping sound.
"It looks like bright small birds" Neville expressed, looking up.
"What are those?" Ron asked amazed.
"No idea" Neville answered, trying to get a better look, but the birds were too far up.
One of the small birds came in a close range to Ron after several minutes, getting Ron confused.
"I don't think they are birds" Ron said.
"What do you mean?" Neville asked.
"They are keys" Ron answered.
"Keys don't fly" Neville explained exasperated.
"I know that!" Ron said annoyed "But they are keys" Ron pointed them out.
Neville looked closer and could see the outline of every key flying above, now knowing what he was looking for.
"You are right!" Neville exclaimed surprised "They are keys"
Ron looked smug at being right.
"Why flying keys?" Ron asked.
Neville started looking around him and found a door. He walked towards it and try to open it, without luck.
"I think one of them opens this door" Neville pointed at the door.
Ron walked towards it and tried to open it as well.
"How are we supposed to get them and know which one it is?" Ron asked.
Neville scrutinized the lock on the door.
"It looks old and silver" Neville stated.
"There!" Ron pointed up, making Neville look at where he was pointing.
"There is an old silver looking key flying there, the rest of them look gold. It must be it" Ron said.
"I think you are right" Neville said, "Now, how do we get it?"
"There" Ron pointed at the other side of the room, were an old looking broom was "I can fly to get it"
"Why you?" Neville asked.
"I'm a better flier" Ron said obviously.
"You fell off your broom on our flying lessons" Neville pointed out.
"Because Potter cursed me" Ron defended himself.
"Whatever, I'm still getting the key" Neville started walking towards the broom.
"No, you aren't" Ron pushed Neville to the floor and started going towards the broom.
Neville grabbed Ron's foot and made him fall face forward.
Once both were in the ground they started throwing punches at each other, fighting to see who would get to fly and get the key.
"I'm getting that key" Ron said between punches.
"Stop being a jealous prat" Neville spat back.
Ron stopped shocked "Why would I be jealous?" Ron asked angrily.
"Because you have nothing" Neville shoved him away, and grabbed the broom before Ron could even figure out what was happening.
Neville wasn't really good on a broom, but he was acceptable. The broom was too old, making the ride a little jumpy.
"Don't fall" Ron shouted at him.
"I won't" Neville shouted back, both being sarcastic.
Once Neville got near the keys, they all flew rapidly away from him, making Neville frustrated.
"Stupid key!" Neville grumbled, changing the course of the broom to go after the silver key.
"Give me the broom!" Ron shouted ad Neville.
"I almost got it!" Neville shouted back before the keys changed course again, getting farther away from Neville.
"If I tried to get it by jumping I would get it faster than you!" Ron shouted.
"Start jumping" Neville yelled back, making Ron mad.
Ron took his wand out and started throwing every spell he knew at Neville.
"Stop that!" Neville tried to dodge every spell, while still keeping an eye on the key.
"Give me that broom" Ron kept throwing spells.
"You are going to make me fall" Neville was getting madder.
"Give me that broom" Ron repeated, not stopping the spells.
One stinging hex got Neville, making him loose his grip and fall. Fortunately he wasn't too far from the ground so he didn't get hurt.
Ron ran towards Neville and got on the broom before he could get up.
"Don't worry. I'll get the key" Ron shouted back to Neville.
After, almost half an hour of Ron trying to catch the key and Neville laughing at every attempt, he finally caught it.
Once Ron got the key in his hand, all golden keys stopped flying away from him, and instead flew towards him at high speed.
Ron tried dodging the keys but they just flew faster after him.
"Catch it!" Ron threw the silver key at Neville who caught it.
"Open the door" Ron yelled, still trying to avoid the rest of the keys.
"Not yet" Neville answered sitting back down.
"Open the door!" Ron yelled louder.
"I don't think I will, not yet anyway. This is fun" Neville smiled, making Ron fly for a couple of more minutes before he decided to unlock the door and walk into the next room, closing it behind him and keeping the key.
The next room was completely dark.
"Now what?" Neville asked himself.
The lights turned on and he could see he was standing on a life size chessboard.
"Bloody hell"
Knowing he had no chance, since he was awful at chess he turned around and opened the door to let Ron through. Ron flew rapidly through the opened door, and Neville shut it quickly afterwards, keeping the murderous golden keys out.
"What were you thinking?" Ron shouted at Neville once he got off the broom.
"I would have left you there, but I know nothing about chess" Neville said pointing out to the life size figurines.
"Bloody hell" Ron exclaimed.
"My feelings exactly" Neville stated.
"I think we have to take their places" Ron said pointing towards the chessboard "You can be the Queen"
"I don't think so" Neville said.
"The queen is the most powerful piece on chess" Ron stated.
"Then you be the Queen" Neville told him.
"Just do as I say" Ron got frustrated.
"I won't be the Queen" Neville put his foot down.
"Fine!" Ron got irritated "You can be the king, I will be a knight"
They both got into their places.
"Lets begin" Ron said.
The game was brutal and went on for almost two hours finally Ron calling checkmate and getting to the next room, where a huge Troll was waiting for them.
"All this for a mirror?" Ron yelled trying to run from the Troll.
"Potter couldn't have made all this" Neville said, referring to every protection they had faced.
"Someone must be helping him" Ron yelled back.
"Why protect a mirror so much?" Neville asked.
"It must be more important than you thought" Ron answered, getting tired of running.
"There is a door on the other side, we have to get there quickly" Neville shouted.
"Yes, because the Troll will let us get there" Ron said in a cynical manner.
"Just run!" Neville shouted.
They both ran in different directions, hoping to baffle the Troll.
The Troll deciding to go after Neville, giving Ron the opportunity to get to the door and go into the next room, leaving Neville alone with the Troll.
Ron looked around the new room.
It was empty except for a rectangular table at the far end of the room with several vials on top of it.
Before he started walking towards it, the door behind him opened and Neville came in out of breath, closing it quickly after him.
"Thank you for that" Neville accused.
"No problem" Ron smiled.
Neville started walking towards Ron in a menacing way, before he could reach him flames appeared blocking the door he had just come in from.
"What did you do?" Ron accused.
Before Neville could answer, flames flared up behind the table that Ron had noticed earlier.
"We are trapped" Neville pointed out.
"We are going to burn to death" Ron was frightened.
"There has to be a way out" Neville said, "We've survived the other rooms"
"Only to keep getting into worst ones" Ron said.
"Would you have preferred to go back to the dog?" Neville asked. Ron shivered.
"Whatever" Ron said, "What do we have to do then?"
"I have no idea, this room is empty" Neville answered.
"Not quite" Ron said "There is a table with vials on top of it"
"Where?" Neville asked looking around.
"There" Ron pointed at the table.
"Those are potions" Neville stated.
"How can you know that?" Ron asked.
"What else would vials be used for?" Neville asked.
"I don't know. Maybe blood, or poison?" Ron said irritated.
"I'll stay with my theory" Neville said, and walked towards the table, with no other choice Ron followed.
At the center of the table there was a piece of paper folded in half.
Neville was about to grab it, before Ron beat him to 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.
(Taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher stone)
"What does it say?" Neville asked curiously, trying to read over Ron's shoulder.
"It's a riddle" Ron whined.
"What does it say?" Neville asked again. Ron gave him the paper and sat down on the floor.
"We are going to burn to death" Ron whined.
"Stop whining. All we have to do is solve this riddle" Neville said.
"We are doom!" Ron creaked.
"You are annoying" Neville grumbled.
He read the riddle several times trying to understand it.
"This part is easy. Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind" Neville said. Ron just raised his eyebrows.
"It obviously means that if we go back we will be safe, if we go forward there will be danger" Neville said clearly.
"It is obvious then. We will go back" Ron said standing up, and remembering the flames between him and the door he wanted to go through.
"You want to go back to the troll, the murderous keys, the devils snare and the three-headed dog?" Neville asked mockingly.
"Imagine what we'll face if we go forward, if the riddle says the other things are safe" Ron pointed out.
"Maybe its just trying to make us afraid" Neville said.
"Well its working" Ron stated throwing his arms up.
"How about I read the next part?" Neville asked, showing Ron the piece of paper still on his hand.
"Whatever" Ron grumbled.
"Two of us will help you, which ever you would find" Neville read "It's obviously talking about the vials"
"Obviously" Ron mocked, Neville just adopted an annoy look.
"Two of this vials will help us with something" Neville said.
"With what?" Ron asked.
"Lets read the next line" Neville said.
"This is fun" Ron clapped his hands, faking enthusiasm.
"One among us seven will let you move ahead, another will transport the drinker back instead" Neville read.
"Find the one that will let us go back" Ron said.
"Two among our number hold only nettle wine, three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line" Neville kept reading.
"So, three of those are poisons" Ron looked at the vials "You try them first" he smirked.
"Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore" Neville read.
"So we have to play this game, we have no choice" Ron interrupted, earning a glare from Neville.
"It gives us clues" Neville said "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 finished it.
"We are doom" Ron whined and sat down on the floor.
"One of the poisons have a wine on its left; the ones on each end may be opposite, but if we want to go forward neither of them will help us; all of them are different sizes" Neville started deciphering the riddle.
"I didn't notice" Ron interrupted, looking closely at the vials.
"Neither the smaller one nor the bigger one are poisons" Neville kept talking, ignoring the interruption "the second one, either way you look are the same, so they are either poisons or wine"
He pondered the answer for a couple of minutes, Ron getting impatient.
"I think it's the smaller one" Neville pointed at the vial he thought was the answer.
"That is the one that will take us back?" Ron asked.
"No. The bigger one is the one that will take you back" Neville answered.
"You are going forward?" Ron asked.
"Yes" Neville answered. "And you are going back" giving him the bigger vial.
"If you are going forward, so am I" Ron said, putting the vial Neville had just handed him back in the table.
"Drink it" Neville gave him the small vial.
"I'm not that stupid. You go first" Ron handed the vial back.
Neville shrugged and drank from it, gave it to Ron and walked through the flames.
Not hearing Neville scream in agony by being burned from the flames, Ron drank the rest of the potion and followed him.
"Now what?" Ron asked, finding himself in yet another large room.
"There it is" Neville exclaimed, as if he was out of breath.
"There it is what?" Ron asked.
"The mirror" Neville whispered.
Ron looked at the same direction Neville was looking, and he saw it.
"I found it" Ron threw a fist in the air "Potter is more clever than I thought"
They both started walking towards it, until they reached it.
"Wow!" Ron exclaimed once he saw into the mirror "I'm Head boy"
Ron looked as if Christmas had come early.
"How do we take it?" Neville asked himself.
"We should shrink it" Ron said.
"I don't know how to do that yet. Do you?" Neville said. Ron shook his head.
"This may be a problem" Ron said.
"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Weasley. What a surprise!"
Both Gryffindors turned around and saw their DADA professor.
"Professor Quirrel" Neville greeted in surprise "We found the mirror" he pointed at the mirror of erised.
"I see", Professor Quirrel started walking towards them.
"What happened to your stuttering?" Ron asked confused.
"What do you see when you look into the mirror?" The Professor asked Neville.
"That is personal" Neville said, feeling uncomfortable.
"Didn't you use to stutter?" Ron asked the Professor.
"What do you see?" The Professor demanded.
Neville feeling afraid looked into the mirror.
"What do you see?" The Professor got impatient.
"I see myself happy" Neville answered.
"I know that!" The Professor was getting irritated "Why are you happy?" he pressed.
"I don't have the scar" Neville blushed.
"Your heart's desire is to not be the boy-who-lived?" Quirrel mocked, laughing out loud. Neville blushed even more.
"Would you help us shrink the mirror?" Neville asked, still embarrassed.
"Why do you want to shrink it?" Quirrel asked confused.
"So we can take it" Neville answered looking at the mirror again.
"You really want to take the mirror" Quirrel stated.
"We have to take it before Potter finds out we found it" Neville urged.
"You really think Potter brought it here?" Quirrel asked.
"You said…" Neville started saying.
"You are not stuttering" Ron stated, looking at Quirrel without any trust.
"No, I'm not" Quirrel snapped at Ron.
"Get the stone" a voice said.
Ron and Neville flinched and started to look around, trying to decipher where the voice had come from.
Quirrel stood in front of the mirror and look intensely at it.
"I can see myself with the stone, but how do I get it?" Quirrel asked seemingly to himself.
"Make one of the boys get it" The voice ordered.
Ron and Neville wanted nothing else but to run away.
"You come" Quirrel ordered Neville.
Neville didn't move. Quirrel got frustrated and summoned him.
"When I tell you to come, you do as I say" Quirrel threatened.
Neville shivered and was trying very hard not to cry.
"Get me the stone" Quirrel ordered.
"What stone?" Neville asked scared.
"Leave him alone"
At the entrance, where all of them had come from, was Harry Potter.
Nott slammed Professor Quirrel's office door open.
"Who do you think you are to barge in like this?" Quirrel asked furious.
"Longbottom went to the third floor" Nott said out of breath.
"You saw him?" Quirrel asked.
"No" Nott said, "I heard a Hufflepuff saying that Weasley and Longbottom got into a fight before running to the third floor"
"How long ago was this?" Quirrel asked.
"Almost 2 hours ago" Nott answered.
"Why didn't you come sooner?" Quirrel said irritated.
"I just found out" Nott defended himself.
"You did good" A voice said.
"Master" Nott bowed.
"Get Potter there" The voice ordered, "Go"
"Potter" Nott came running towards the rest of the Slytherin first years and Hermione.
"Stop acting like a Gryffindor" Pansy said with distate once Nott reached them.
"Something happened" Not said in a hurry.
"Many things happen everyday, that is not an excuse to act like a mudblood" Pansy said with a glare.
"What happened Theodore?" Harry asked him, trying hard not to sigh and start a fight with Pansy.
"Quirrel went to the third floor with Weasley and Longbottom" Nott said with a frightened tone.
"What?" Harry yelped.
"I just saw them" Nott said.
"We have to get there" Harry told his friends.
"We are not ready" Hermione said.
"No one is getting that stone but me" Daphe said with a determined tone.
"Us" Blaise corrected her.
"Us" Daphne obliged.
"Lets go" Draco said, starting to lead the way towards the third floor.
"We should get Dumbledore" Hermione said.
"And tell him what?" Draco asked.
"That a teacher took two students to the third floor" Hermione answered.
"Why would he believe us?" Draco asked.
"Why wouldn't he?" Hermione asked in disbelief, "He is the Headmaster"
"Which is exactly why he wouldn't believe six first years" Draco stated.
"He is the Headmaster" Hermione stated.
"You know what, you are right" Daphne told her seriously, making everyone stop, "Why don't you go find him, we will meet you at the entrance of the third floor, just to make sure Quirrel doesn't get away"
Hermione nodded and ran towards the Headmaster's office.
"Now we can go" Daphne said once Hermione was out of sight.
"That was uncalled for" Harry glared at Daphne.
"Se was slowing us down. You can go with her if you want" Daphne answered seriously, and resume the walk towards the third floor.
Knowing it was important to get the stone before Quirrel, he went with the Slytherins, hoping Hermione would forgive him later.
"Ready?" Blaise asked once they reached the door that had Fluffy behind.
"Ready" All chorused.
Random Facts:
I know nothing about chess, which is why I skipped that part.
Date: 25th April 1992
Reviews are welcomed.