Chapter 3: The Challenges That Almost Get Us Killed

Exam week was brutal, naturally. I found myself tapping my Anti-Cheating quill rapidly on my parchment, waiting for the clock tower to signal 2:00 PM.

…fifty four.

Ron scribbled something down three seats to my left.

…fifty five.

Hermione-who hadn't stopped writing since the parchment appeared before us-was still writing, her quill moving quickly as she mumbled to herself two seats up.

…fifty six.

I head a quill be put down behind me and a satisfied sigh. Harry must have been done also.

…fifty seven.

Blaise had been fiddling with the tip of his quill for the past two minutes in the front, and wrote something before setting it down by his parchment.

…fifty eight.

Malfoy was leaning back in his chair leisurely in the desk beside me. He obviously hadn't had any trouble with the exam, the lying sod.

…fifty nine.

I re-crossed my t impatiently, and finally the clock tower stroke two in the after noon with two loud dongs. As soon as our exams disappeared, we were out of our seats and bolting towards the door. Professor Binns may have been saying something, but all that mattered was that exams were finally over as we poured out of the Great Hall. Not even Hermione lingered too long. At last, after making pineapples tap dance, turning mice into snuffboxes, having my personal bubble invaded by Professor Snape as he breathed down my neck as I made a Forgetfulness potion, re-planted a mandrake, named a billion stars in the heavens and sat through a dreadfully boring History of Magic exam, I was free. Harry kept rubbing his forehead as we sat beneath a tree by the lake, the same Malfoy and I had sat under last week.

"I wish I understood why my scar keeps hurting!" Harry snapped.

"Go see Madam Pomfrey." Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill." Harry said, rubbing his forehead again. "I think it's a sign…that something bad is going to happen."

"Alright, so you have another superpower. Big whoop." I said, leaning against the tree.

"You were there, Bella. You saw him. You know something's wrong." He urged. Before I could answer, Harry jumped to his feet. "Of course!"

"What is it, mate?" Ron asked, looking startled by Harry's outburst.

"Don't you think it's a bit too convenient that the thing Hagrid wants most is a dragon, and someone just happens to have a dragon egg in his pocket? If it's against the law, why would they be carrying it around? The person must have asked about Fluffy, using the dragon as an excuse, and probably knows how to get to the stone!" Harry said in a rush.

"Great, now he's got another superpower. Hypothesizing." I grumbled.

"People do illegal things, Harry. That's why rules are made." Hermione said, ignoring my comment.

"To be broken." I added.

"Lucky he found Hagrid, isn't it?" Harry said cryptically, walking in the direction of Hagrid's hut in a hurry. Hermione, Ron and I scrambled to catch up.

"Foreshadowing. Another one for the list." I sneered, but followed anyways. Harry knocked on Hagrid's door as we caught up.

"Do with yer exams, are ye?" Hagrid asked opening the door.

"Yes, Hagrid. We have a question, remember that night when you won Norbert? Do you remember what that stranger looked like?"

"I dunno." Hagrid said. "He wouldn't take off his cloak."

"Well, that's not suspicious." I enounced sarcastically. It was probably the exams that had me in such a bitter mood.

"Did he ask about Fluffy at all? Did he seem interested?" Harry pried.

"Well o' course! How many three headed dogs do ya see around? But I told 'im that Fluff's a piece o' cake if ye know how ter calm 'im down, just play him a bit of music and he'll go straight off ter sleep-" Hagrid suddenly froze, knowing he had given us what we wanted. "I should' a told ya that. Forget I-Hey! Where ya going?" He called after us, as we ran back towards the castle. We slowed as we neared the entrance.

"We have to tell Dumbledore." Was the first thing out of my mouth. Without any time to waste, we hurried to the sixth floor, only to be stopped by Professor McGonagal.

"Why are the four of you inside on a day like this?" She asked.

"We have to speak to Dumbledore." Harry said.

"Its urgent." Hermione added.

"The Headmaster is away on Ministry business." McGonagal said simply.

"It's about the Sorcerer's Stone." I said. "We think someone is trying to steal it." The professor's eyes widened.

"How do you know about the Stone?"

"That's not important!" Ron said. "Someone is trying to steal it."

"I can assure the Stone is secure, and tightly guarded. Now the four of you will go outside and enjoy this warm day.""But Professor-" I started.

"Miss Gryffindor, I trust your hearing to be adequate. Outside. Now." And with that humiliating scolding, she left us.

"Snape is going to go after it! Tonight!" Harry whispered urgently.

"That greasy…wanker." I said, deciding it was as good a time as any to swear. Hermione shoot me a scolding look while Ron grinned.

"What are the four of you doing inside on a day like this?" Someone drawled. We faced Snape, and I kept my eyes on the ground in fear that he had heard me. "I suggest you all go outside."

We sat in the Common Room latter that night, after diner, waiting for everyone to go to bed.

"Just play it some music. Can't bloody believe it." I grumbled under my breath as the last person went off to sleep. The four of us sprang from the couch, Harry with the invisibility cloak under his arm.

"Where are the four of you going?"

We spun around quickly, finding none other than Neville Longbottom, sitting in an armchair we had thought to be empty.

"Neville! You gave me a scare!" I whooshed, clutching the fabric of my shirt over my heart.

"I'm not letting you four lose any more points for Gryffindor." Neville said, standing up and blocking our path.

"Neville, get out of our way. You don't know what your doing." Ron said, stepping forward.

"Go ahead. Hit me. I'm ready."

"Do something." Harry said, nudging me.

"That's your cue." I told Hermione. She contorted her face.

"I wish I didn't have to do this." She sighed. She leaned in and whispered an incantation in my ear.

"What does it do?" I asked.

"Hurry up!" Harry snapped. I sent him a hard stare and pulled out my wand.

"Swoop and flick." Hermione whispered.

"Petrificus Totalus." I said, swooping and flicking my wrist. To my astonishment, Neville became completely rigid, as if turned to stone, and fell to the floor face first.

"Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry!" Hermione said.

"I'm not. That was brilliant!" I chuckled in wonder. Hermione glared at me, forcing me to add: "But it's a shame it's you Neville. Really."

We shuffled down the hall beneath the Invisibility Cloak, keeping our eyes open for Filtch. We made it to the third floor without any disturbances, a good omen.

"Alohomora." Hermione whispered, waving her wand at the door. I creaked open, and we peaked in. The sound of a harp drifted form the chamber, along with loud snores. Fluffy's giant heads were laid on his paws, and he was asleep. The lullaby continued as we entered, shedding the Cloak and walking towards the trapdoor beneath one of Fluffy's massive paws. It took the four of us to push it aside-slowly, in fear of waking the dog up-and open the trapdoor. Complete darkness greeted us.

"Ladies first." Ron suggested. Hermione and I glanced at each other.

"Here, let me help you down." I said sheepishly, offering a hand. Her reply was cut off by a whimper. We glanced in Ron's direction, and found him starring up. Harry, Hermione and I followed his gaze, and almost at once I wish I hadn't. We hadn't heard the harp stop playing. Or Fluffy wake up.

"JUMP!" Harry was the fist to yell. We all leaped into the hole. It seemed like we had been falling forever when we landed on a soft surface.

"Well, lucky this plat thing is here." Ron said, somewhere to my right. As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I spotted something creeping up on Harry. Hermione was the fist to point it out.

"Lucky?" She shrieked, jumping up. "Look at you three!" I glanced down, and sure enough, a vine-like plant had started tangling around me. I screamed, trying to pry it off, or at least avoid the one trying to curl around my neck. Hermione managed to free herself, standing close to the wall. Harry, Ron and I were still struggling with the vines.

"Stop moving!" Hermione said. "I know what it is! It's Devils Snare!"

"Great, now we know what it's called. Problem solved." Ron snarled, avoiding a root trying to bind around his torso.

"I think the name made me feel worse. Nothing good can come from something called Devils Snare." I wheezed, as the vine trying to wrap around my neck finally succeeded.

"Shut up, the both of you! I'm trying to remember how to kill it." Hermione shouted. "Devils Snare, Devils Snare…"

"Stop saying that!" I snapped, my anger deflated by my lack of breath.

"It likes damp and dark." Hermione concluded.

"Then light a fire!" Harry said, struggling with his vines.

"Light the damn fire!" I gasped, the vine tightening. "And make it snappy, I'd hate to be a DEAD WEIGHT!" I added, mustering all my panic to hiss it.

"But there's no wood!" Hermione said, waving her arms frantically.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" I screeched, seeing black from the lack of air.

"ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?" Ron added.

"Oh, right." She said nervously, fishing out her wand. Hermione cast blue flames from the tip and we felt the vines loosen, and we slid through, falling onto hard stone. I gasped, taking in my needed dose of oxygen.

"Lucky Hermione listens to Herbology." Harry said, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Yeah, lucky Harry doesn't lose his head during a crisis." Ron "humph'd".

"'There's no wood.' Honestly." I shook my head.

We continued along a the dimly lit corridor we had landed in, it was the only way to go. There was a soft tinkering sound coming from ahead.

"Do you think it's a ghost?" Hermione asked.

"Sound's like a snitch." I observed.

We came to a lit chamber-blinding after the long walk in the dark-with the ceiling arching high above us. A door stood at the other end, but the most curious was the swarm of birds flying overhead.

"Do you think they'll attack if we walk across?" Ron asked.

"Probably." Harry nodded.

"Well." I said, pulling up my pants a tad. "I'm the fastest." They made room, and I broke off in a run. Halfway there, I stopped completely. The birds didn't seem to acknowledge my presence. "Guess not." I called to them. The caught up and we made our way to the door. Harry pulled, but it wouldn't budge. The four of us tried, but still no luck. Frustrated, I ran both hand through my tangled hair-courtesy of the Devils Snare-and looked up.

"Oh, Bloody hell." I groaned. The other three glanced my way. "Their keys."

"That's good news!" Hermione said, clapping her hands.

"There're hundreds of them!" I complained.

Harry found broomsticks, and we kicked off. I stayed close to Hermione, who didn't seem to comfortable on the broomstick. After tedious minutes that felt like a lifetime, Harry spotted it.

"There! The one with the blue wings! We need to close in on it." He said urgently. "Ron, you come from the left. Hermione, you come form the right. Bella, you fly up from the bottom, make sure not to fly in my way." The four of us zoomed in on the key, and I paid special attention in not hitting Harry, resulting in my missing him by a hair. Harry pinned the key against the wall, and the rest of us cheered, the sound echoing around the room. We unlocked the door, moving through it quickly. Before us was a giant chessboard, equipped with pieces so tall Hagrid could have looked them in the eye.

"It's obvious!" Ron said after a moment of silence. "We need to play AS the pieces to get across."

"Oh, yes. The epitome of obvious. That's the first thing I think off when I see a giant chessboard." I mumbled to myself. No use complaining. Ron sent us to our places on the board, and mounted a horse. I watched stupidly as Ron ordered the pieces around, having no idea how to play chess. Several people had tried to teach me, unsuccessfully.

"I'll have to sacrifice myself." Ron said. I understood that.

"NO!" Harry bellowed.

"Don't you dare!" I agreed.

"No, Ron!" Hermione cried.

"Don't be stupid!" Ron said, rolling his eyes. "It's chess, we have to make sacrifices!" The three of us opened our mouth to disagree. "Do you want to stop Snape or not?" The was a popping noise as three mouths closed. Ron stepped forward, and the a tall white piece smashed her arm over his head. Hermione screamed as Ron crumbled to the ground, and I cringed, grabbing her arm to keep her in her square.

"Harry, go." I said, nudging my head forward. He gulped, taking three steps to the left. The white piece before him took off his crown and dropped it at Harry's feet. We had won.

I grabbed Hermione's arm. "Let's go." Harry, Hermione and I ran off the board, all three of us casting one last look at the unconscious Ron.

"What do you reckon is next?" Harry asked.

"We've had Sprouts, Flitwick's, and McGonagall's, so that leaves…"

"Quirrell's and Snape's." I said, pushing open the door to the next challenge. A disgusting smell seeped from inside and we covered out noses with our robes. We tiptoed past an unconscious troll, and into the next chamber. We jumped as fire erupted from the exit and our destination. Purple behind us, black in front.

"Leave it to Snape." I grumbled picking up a piece of parchment by in a table of bottles.

"Read it out loud." Hermione suggested.

"'Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind', I don't see safety either way."

"Bella."

"Alright, I'm reading: 'Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seen 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 hidden 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 the nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand on 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'. Well, that made no bloody sense."

"Brilliant!" Hermione sighed. "Logic! Not magic, but logic!"

"Great." I muttered, re-reading the scroll over and looking from bottle to bottle.

"Got it!" Hermione said, clapping her hands together. "The smallest one will get us through the black fire, towards the Stone, and the round one will get us back through the purple fire."

"Alright." Harry said, picking up the one that would send us forward trough the black fire. "There's only enough for one. Bella, you and Hermione take the one that will get you back out, get a broom from Flitwick's challenge, fly past Fluffy, and get Ron to the Hospital Wing."

"That's against my morals." I said, crossing my arms stubbornly.

"You want Hermione to be able to fly Ron and herself out of here in one piece?" Harry said. "I'm counting on you to fly." I groaned as he said that.

"I'm coming back for you." I said, uncorking the bottle that would move me back and taking a swig. Harry smiled in gratitude as I handed the bottle to Hermione. "You'll be alright?" I asked, shivering as the potion sent a cold jolt through my body.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked.

"It's cold." I chuckled as Hermione threw herself at Harry.

"You're a great wizard, Harry." She cried.

"Hurry, you two. Before it wears off!" Harry said, pushing us through the fire.

"Live up to your name, Boy Who Lived." I said, before breaking into a run, Hermione close behind. We found Ron, who was exactly where the white piece had put him.

"Hermione, cheek to see if he's alright. Start dragging him back if you want. I'll be back." I called over my shoulder, still running. I found my way back to Flitwick's challenge, grabbing two brooms before bolting back. Hermione-to my surprise-had actually taken me seriously, and had dragged the still unconscious Ron halfway to the challenge.

"Hermione, you think you can fly past Fluffy?" I asked.

"I-I can try, I suppose." She said, grabbing a broom shakily.

"If you can't, I can take you one at a time." I said, leaving my broom suspended in midair while I pulled Ron on to it, unfortunately forgetting the spell needed to elevate a body.

"I can do it." She said, sounding more confident.

"Alright, just follow right behind me." I said, mounting behind Ron, who was slung over the side. I pulled him onto my thighs, and kicked into the air. Hermione followed, keeping my pace, thankfully. We flew up the pit where the Devil's Snare had been, up to the closed trap door that was a mile up still. I fumbled to pry my wand out of my robes without dropping Ron. I finally succeeded a several feet from the trap door.

"Diffindo!" I said, tearing the door from its hinges. We swooped out, almost immediately getting swept down by a giant paw. Ron and I crashed into the wall wile Hermione was thrown to the ground. Fluffy snarled, ready to gnaw her leg off as Ron and I slid to the floor unceremoniously.

"Accio Harp!" I screeched, and the large instrument rammed into my back. I umphed, and the dog took his attention off Hermione long enough for her to scramble to her feet. I put my fingers on the string and started to puck them. Hermione covered her ears instantly and I cringed. It was a lot harder than it looked. "Hermione! Would Prior Incantatem work?" I asked, as she ran away from Fluffy. Who had decided to pounce.

"TRY ANYTHING!" She screamed, running towards the door. Fluffy swiped her to the side, and she lay motionless.

"Prior Incantatem!" I said, pointing my wand towards the harp. To my despair, it blew to smithereens. Only then did I remember that Prior Incantatem repeated the spell the wand had last cast, and I had just shot Diffindo at out ticket out of here.