It's quite fun actually, watching everybody else swot for exams and drive themselves crazy over it. As usual I set up an exam nerves settler, i.e. apple juice. I made fortune through it from first year to seventh, even Jasa believed me at first, then, after the exams, Cassy told him it was only apple juice, his face was hilarious.
I personally think Hermione is getting too worked up about her revision; however I think that her worry over Harry and Ron is justified. How they will pass exams well is beyond me, they do know all of the important answers though.
After the tough week of exams is over I'm as happy as the rest of them, finally the teachers will lighten up. They all seem to tense up in exam week as well. Some even tried to stop me going in the Forest! Just shows how crazy they were going with the stress.
And now something interesting is happening, it involves talking to Hagrid and then sneaking about the building with guilty looks on their faces. In the common room this evening Harry informed me that Dumbledore had left, which I knew, and that they were going to stop Snape getting the stone. All this was of course secret and he was only telling me so I didn't say anything.
Naturally when everybody had left the common room and they stood up I stood up as well and told them I was going to so that they didn't get themselves killed. "What are you doing?" Neville asked from a corner. The other three obviously hadn't known he was there from the expressions on their faces.
"Nothing Neville, nowhere." Harry shoved the cloak he was holding behind his back.
"You're going out, aren't you?" He's not stupid, it's written all over their faces. "You can't go out again, you'll get in even more trouble."
"Don't worry." I assured him "I'm going with them." He didn't look reassured.
"But this is really important." Harry protested. Yes, life or death if who I think is there is. Meanwhile Neville was steeling himself up to fight, rubbishly, but he might manage to deter them, if Hermione wasn't so good with a wand.
"I'm really sorry about this Neville. Petrificus Totalus." Not that sorry then, there could have been more negotiations. Anyway, needs must. We stepped around his prone body one the way out.
"Ella won't fit under here." Ron pointed out a problem. I promptly explained to him that nobody would question me and if I had to I was just as good as Hermione at offensive spells.
Fortunately Ron's concern was unneeded, we encountered nobody on our way to the third floor except Peeves who I hid myself from using an invisibility charm. When we reached the door I stayed out of the way, when Harry questioned me I told him that I wasn't here to protect the Stone I was here to look after something else. There were no other questions.
After a short conversation in which Harry told the others, and me, that we could leave now, Ron and Hermione told him they weren't leaving and I merely crossed my arms. I think he got the message.
The Cerberean dog was quite easy to get past. Harry, I discovered, can't play the flute but kept Fluffy asleep until we dropped down the trapdoor and Harry stopped playing.
There was a bit of a fright when we discovered we had landed on Devil's Snare. Hermione, naturally, kept her head and performed a spell to create light. I, of course, did my own, more concentrated, spell. I wasn't helping them.
Next there was a room of flying keys. Again, I stood back and let the younger kids do the work. Harry caught the correct key easily, he's as good as his father. That man was always winning at Quiddich, and he was going easy on me.
Then we played chess, or rather Ron played chess and Harry, Hermione and me stood in the places of the bishop, castle and king respectively as all three of us aren't that good at the game. I personally prefer battleships.
During the game Ron was injured, he was taken by the opposing queen. The three of us continued.
"What do you reckon's next?" Harry asked.
"We've had Sprout's," I told him "The Devil's Snare. The keys were probably Flitwick's. McGonagall transfigured the chessmen so Snape's and Quirrelll's are left. "
The next room stank, worse than Jasa when he took off that full-body cast he'd been wearing for a week; his stepdad refused to let him go to St. Mungos when he broke everything after jumping under a car. This meant he couldn't get washed for three weeks while it healed. Cassy and I had the misfortune to be in the room when it was removed.
"Did you kids kill another troll while I wasn't looking?" I tried to joke.
Harry shook his head, holding his breath. "Not that one." he gasped "I can't breathe."
"Then don't talk." I suggested. We left that room quickly.
The next room had seven bottles on a table. As soon as we entered flames shot up behind us. I walked over to it, glanced at the bit of paper, took out some paper and a pen and quickly scribbled down the riddle. Then I walked over to the side of the room, sat down and examined it while I waited for them to work out the answer. Hermione read the paper a few times and muttered a bit, all of which took several minutes, then told us the answer.
"That one," she pointed "Will go forward and that one," she pointed again "Will go back."
"There's only enough for one." Harry commented, examining the bottle that would allow us to proceed.
He and Hermione held a short conversation before Hermione drank from a bottle and walked back through the flames to Ron. Harry looked at me.
"You know you may die."
"You coming or staying?" I said, walking to the table and pointing my wand at the bottle Hermione had indicated I murmured the Refilling Charm.
I let Harry drink first, then drank myself. We walked through the flames together, me just a step behind.
Harry drew in breath as the two of them entered the room. The man below them wasn't Snape or Voldemort.
"Knew it wasn't Snape." Ella smiled "Couldn't have been, the man's too nice."
"You!" Harry asked.
"Me." Quirrelll smiled. "I wondered whether you'd come here."
"Yeah yeah." Ella interrupted "Just hand over the man in your head and we'll leave."
"Nice try Riddle." the man smirked.
"What is this obsession all the teachers have with calling us by our last names?" Ella complained to herself as she drew her wand.
Quirrell clicked his fingers and Harry found he couldn't move, Ella appeared to be in similar difficulties. "The Stone is in the mirror, but how do I get it out?"
Use one of the children. A voice sounded in the chamber.
Ella made a small sound then told it "Well, if you're who I think then I'll be getting out of the way and asking for that bounty you promised." She coughed "And I forget the proper form of address, mister…"
Quirrell laughed "The great Ella Riddle reduced to a normal person by my master."
Ella ignored him "That the Mirror of Erised? You won't be getting the Stone then." Seeing Quirrell's confused look she expanded "If all you had to do was want it then you'd get it, but as you haven't it must be something else. And I doubt Lily and James Potter and Luke and Sophia Riddle would cut it. I'm not going to get in the way however. I'll be at the side watching you kill him." she gestured at Harry then walked off, the ropes holding her falling off. She tossed her knife a couple of times, "Great Ella Riddle? Nice title, better than Milord. Why he wants to be called that I still don't get."
Quirrell looked after her. Use the boy, the voice said. Quirrell clicked again and Harry was released. The man beckoned him forward and Harry obeyed.
"Stand in front of the mirror and tell me what you see." Harry looked and saw himself pull the Stone out of his pocket and then drop it back.
"I see myself shaking Dumbledore's hand." he made up "I've won Gryffindor the House Cup."
Quirrell cursed and shoved the boy out of the way. He lies, the voice told him.
"Come back Potter!" Quirrell grabbed him back "What did you see?"
Let me talk to him.
"No Master. You're not strong enough."
"The correct title is My Lord." Ella told him "And this is Voldemort we're talking about here remember."
I am strong enough, he agreed.
Quirrell unwrapped the turban from his head and turned around. In the back of his head was a face; chalk white with red eyes. "Harry Potter." it whispered.
"Hello again." Ella called from where she was sitting.
"Ella." It acknowledged.
"It was you who hired me to kill him wasn't it?"
"And you didn't take my offer."
Ella shrugged "It was more money true, but I didn't want to kill him. I don't expect you to understand, you killed Sophia, why shouldn't I kill Harry?"
Voldemort switched his attention back to Harry "You see what I've become? Dust and shadow, only able to take form when accepted."
"Like that's ever going to happen." Ella scoffed "I might forgive you when you apologise for killing my mother."
"Unicorn blood has strengthened me, you saw Quirrell drinking it."
"And I told you never to go near any unicorns ever again."
"And once I have the Stone I will be able to have my own body. So why don't you give me it from your pocket?"
Harry stumbled backward, Voldemort wasn't impressed. "Don't be a fool. Save your life and join me…or die like your parents, begging for mercy."
Harry looked at Ella "They didn't." Ella told him calmly "Lily died begging for your life. Not hers, and James didn't beg for his either."
"Join me." Voldemort insisted "Or your mother will have died in vain."
"NEVER!" Harry shouted and ran towards the door.
Quirrell sprang after him and Harry heard Voldemort cry "Seize him!" The boy expected Quirrell to catch him when he tripped, but nothing came. He looked back to find Ella standing there, calmly snapping Quirrell's wand.
"You stay away from him." she snarled and grabbed Quirrell. She stood there about a minute looking into his eyes then let go. The professor dropped to the floor. Ella grabbed Harry's wrist then dragged him back to the entrance to the room.
Unfortunately he tripped and hit his head, just as he blanked out he heard two voices saying "Harry?"