This Chapter has been redone some, to improve flow and to fix some errors. The next chapter should be up no later than tonight, and the chapter after within the next week. I promise I wont make you all wait so long anymore. Harry Potter and company are J.K. Rowlings, not mine.
Fred sat up, groaning and holding his head. He opened his eyes to a large room with six large, stone pillars surrounding a equally large mirror. The blurriness cleared from his vision and it only took another moment for him to realize he was alone.
"G-George? George!" The lonely twin cried out.
"Fred?" It was Harry, still clinging to his own brother on the other side of the black flames.
"I'm here, but I can't find George!" Fred was past the point of tears. A pair of gasps were the Black's only responses. Harry turned to Draco.
"I need to go alone. I can't lose you, but someone has to help Fred. Go back to the tower. Get Professor Flitwick. No one else can…" Harry hesitated, words failing him. Draco only nodded. The blonde looked back at the purple fires that blocked his way.
"How do I get back?" He asked. Harry shrugged.
"I don't know. Fred? Just hold on. I'm coming!" Harry called into he black flames.
"H-hurry." Fred could barely speak through his sobs. Harry snatched up the poem again.
"It says that one will take you back, but which one?" Harry bite his lip. Both boys stared at the page, an unsettling hopelessness washing over them.
"It's the last one on the right!" Fred called back to them, frustrated. Without a second thought, Draco threw the potion back and walked throughout the purple fires.
"I made it through! I'll be back with the professor soon!" Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He swallowed the potion to move forward, having it still in his hands. He stepped through the flames, bracing himself for the pain the twins felt. It never came. He opened his eyes and quickly spotted Fred.
"Fred!" He rushed to the ginger haired boy's side.
"I can't find George." Fred gave Harry a pathetic look, as if he'd given up hope entirely. Harry hugged the older boy.
"If you made it, then I'm sure he did as well. We just need to look around a bit. Can you stand?" Fred shook his head.
"I can't feel my legs. I don't think the potion was meant to work like that." Fred's attempt at humor fell flat, and more tears poured down his cheeks. Harry released him and stood, surveying the room. A dirty tennis shoe behind one of the pillars caught his eye.
"Stay here." He told Fred as he ducked down and sneaked over to the pillar. A flash of red hair in the darkness was all Harry needed to confirm his hopes.
"He's over here. I think he's unconscious!" Harry ran to George, who was indeed unconscious. Fred could only sob with relief. Several minutes later, after Harry had managed to drag George over to Fred to be revived, the three boys planned their next move.
"We have, " Harry glanced at his watch, " 30 minutes max, before Draco gets back with Professor Flitwick. What do we do?"
"We go ahead as planned." George said, rubbing his temples to fend of his headache. Fred nodded.
"We can't let all this be for nothing. We came this far. Let's finish this. I don't need to stand for the ritual, so we still have three. Three is a powerful number. We can do this."
"Then we need to find the stone." Harry and George began their search, though George stumbled and fell many times first. It didn't take long for them to realize that the room was empty, except for the mirror. The two stood before the grand mirror.
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.'' George read aloud. Harry frowned, but didn't speak. The images in the mirror were too much.
"My parents." He whispered, his voice shaking. George gland at Harry.
"What?"
"I can see my parents. See? There's my mom, and beside her is my dad. Don't you see them?" Harry hoped he wasn't crazy. George looked in the mirror again.
"No. I don't. I see me and Fred. W-we're in front of a store. A joke shop, like Zonko's, but not. I…I think It's our store." George put his hand on the mirror, trying to touch his dream.
"I show not your face but your heart's desire." Fred called from where they'd left him. "I read about that mirror once. It's the Mirror of Erised. The mirror of Desire. Maybe the stone is hidden inside it?"
"Is that possible? To hide an object in a reflection?" Harry asked. He's eyes remained focused on the images of his parents. His father smiled and pointed to the reflection Harry, who held up a dark red stone. With a smile that matched his father's, Mirror Harry placed the stone into his pocket. Harry gasped as he felt the weight of the stone hit his leg. He tore his eyes from the mirror and pulled the stone out.
"I..I don't understand how, but I found it!" George's eyes went wide at the stone.
"It's real. That's the Philosophers Stone. Guys, we did it." His voice was quiet, but easily heard.
"Good. George, can you draw up the runes by yourself?" George nodded to his twin and pulled out a box of chalk.
"Leave it to me." He said, dusting off a large space on which to draw. Harry took the stone over to Fred, who sat with his back to a wall.
"What happens when he finishes?" Harry asked as he sat down and handed over the stone. Fred held the stone up, trying to get a better look in the dim light.
"When he completes the runes, we start the ritual. It's not complicated, but we can't mess up. That's why only me and George will be chanting. You just need to hold your hands and the stone to the rune circle we tell you to. It will draw the power it needs from you, so you wont have to force it. The stone will act as a catalyst. It will add the extra power we need, and the life force. Just don't speak or move or it could all back fire."
"I'm done!" George stood and brushed the chalk dust off his robes. Fred nodded. Harry and George helped Fred to his feet and half carried, half drug him over to one of three large rune circles that covered a good portion of the floor. Harry took the one to Fred's left, George on his right.
"We don't have much time for this, Draco should be back with Flitwick or someone at any moment. I want the four of us the greet them. It everyone ready?" Fred called. The others nodded.
"Exaudi nos deos." Fred's voice sounded hollow, detached from his body. The sensation was immediate and powerful. Harry could feel the pull on his magic as it drained into the circles. The runes began to light and George threw Hermione's hand into his circle without removing one of his hands. the stone flashed and melted out of harry's hand, oozing it's way toward Hermione's hand.
"Regnum mortis aperiret." The light increased and Harry began to feel very tired. He could feel the magic inside him wavering slightly, as if all the magic inside of him was suddenly unstable.
"Vivificare ad quae perierat" From the center of the circles grew a door. A door of terrifying heights that Harry was sure were impossible in the chamber. It appeared to be made of stones, but the carvings of the dead that covered every inch were far too life like. As it grew, the magic in the air began to smother them. Harry could feel the very last of his magic dump into the runes.
"Sic fiat" The door swung open. The hand twisted and mutated, a body of black ooze growing off of it. For a split second, all seemed well. As the body formed around the hand and stone, the black thing opened it's mouth. A shriek echoed through the room, shaking the boys to their cores. It was in that moment that they knew they'd failed. The black body solidified and stood the red of the stone taking the space where it's eyes should have been. A blast of pure magic threw Harry and the twin back, breaking their connection to the door. The door slammed shut and vanished. All that remained was the Not-Hermione, which began to laugh. Horror and dread filled the boys. The being let out another wail, then turned on Fred. He couldn't crawl away fast enough before the thing grabbed his with it's magic and flung him into a wall. There was a sickening crack, causing Harry and George to cringe. George pulled his wand, trying his best to cast a spell. Any spell. But his core was just as empty as Harry's. The things faced the other red head and laughed again. It waved it's hand and George went flying, head first, into a pillar. It collapsed on top of him.
"Foolishchildren."The thing cackled as it turned on Harry.
"W-what are you?" Harry whispered. The thing glided closer.
"I am your friend. You brought me back to this world. Don't you remember?"
'No! You're not Hermione! Hermione was a little girl. What are you?" Harry screamed at the thing. The things laughed once more, and it's flesh began to ripple and change. A moment later, Hermione stood before him, the same redness of the stone in her eyes.
"See Harry? I am Hermione. You gave me life. You're magic sustains me. For now. So much power in one so young. I will live for decades off your magic. But first, I need your soul. Give it to me, give me your soul. We are friends, it's the least you cando." Her voice was cold and sickening, but still very much Hermione. Harry cowered behind a pillar.
"You're not Hermione! I wont give you anything." He tried to remain calm, but the panic crept up his spine. Every word she spoke brought bile to the back of his throat. Harry jumped away from the pillar, falling on his backside as it shattered around him. Not-Hermione lifted her hand, Harry flying into the air in compliance to her will. She held him there, her stolen magic gripping his throat.
"Then I shall take it by force. Then I shall devour what's left of your friends." She opened her mouth impossibly wide. Fear broke Harry's control of his magical core, sending a shockwave into Not-Hermione.
"Impossible! " She screeched, as a wave of pure magic threw her away from Harry. He dropped to the ground with a painful thump.
"I won't let you hurt my friends." He mumbled. The ambient magic soaked into Harry's skin, refilling his core, then overflowing it. Hermione began flinging pure magic at the boy, but the magic pouring off his core shielded him. "I won't let you hurt my friends!" He said again, this time in a magically enhanced scream. The scream threw Hermione back again, this time through two of the remaining pillars. Part of the ceiling came down on top of her. Satisfied that his friends were safe, Harry collapsed. An instant later, Professors Flitwick and Dumbledore burst into the potion room. Without any real effort, Dumbledore cast the flames aside and the duo entered the destroyed room.
"My gods." Was all the half goblin teacher could say.
"Filius, get the children out of here. Now. We are not alone." Dumbledore said, summoning the three unconscious boys to his side. Flitwick nodded and levitated the boys behind him, scurrying to safety.
"You dare challenge me?" Hissed Hermione as she rose from the rubble. Dumbledore stared, speechless for a moment.
"So they raised a Lich. Impressive for school children. Impressive for anyone, really. No matter. I shall return you from whence you came, foul one." Dumbledore raised his wand on the monster, chanting in and ancient and forgotten language. The Lich hissed again and dived at the elder wizard. A golden ray of light shot from his wand, encompassing the lich. It screamed once more, then was gone. All that remained of the monster was a thick black smear and the Philosopher's Stone, still intact.
"Very Impressive indeed."