DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 18

Spotting Quirrel going to his room, Harry knew that they had only a little time to act. He'd been to the kitchens already and now all he had left to do was collect Draco. Moving quickly to the great hall he saw him waiting.

"Ready?" he asked Draco who just nodded nervously.

"Come" dragging him to the corner Harry pulled out his wand and cast the disillusionment charm over the both of them.

Looking at him slightly bug eyed Draco whispered forcefully, "Harry that's advanced magic and you cast I so easily, I don't really know you do I?" Harry laughingly said "I practiced like crazy, let's go now."

Running to the third floor they stood outside the entrance. "Stand back Dray, the first block is a three headed dog."

"What!"

"I know," Harry sighed "we just have to hope he's on a leash. Okay I'm going in."

Opening the door inch by inch and being closely followed by Draco, Harry entered the room immediately spying on a in the center of the room with a huge dog guarding it. The dog looked vicious its three heads were salivating and it gave a bloodcurdling snarl as soon as it saw them enter, walking up cautiously Harry saw that the dog had been tied up, sighing in relief he advanced towards it, shadowed by Draco.

Eyeing them suspiciously fluffy growled and tried to break free from his chains rattling them with all his might, when harry started to sing. Startled Draco stood frowning in surprise, Harry was singing in front of the dangerous beast and not only that his voice was sending shivers down his spine, it was a slow haunting song and the music permeated the room sounding almost magical.

Looking up he realized the dog had started to sway and yawning sleepily. Putting its head on its paws it tried opening his eyes with one last valiant effort and giving up fell asleep. Harry did not stop singing as he knew fluffy would wake up the moment he stopped so pointing to the trapdoor Harry urged Draco on.

Pulling the door up both boys stared into the darkness below Draco stood in front of the hole and swallowed once looking once at Harry and then jumped waited a minute still singing when he heard a faint shout from below his feet knowing that it came from Draco he held the handle on the trapdoor and followed his friend shutting the door with a bang.

As he fell he heard Draco say 'solaris.' A warm golden yellow light floated up to his feet and lingered in the air as he fell. The Devil's snare effectively cushioned his fall and sliding off the defeated plant he walked over to Draco who was shaking slightly and grasped his hand. The plants' magic would reduce drastically by the time Darren came. 'Lumos' Harry said and walked with Draco who had shaken of his hand embarrassed toward the next chamber.

Opening the door to the next chamber Harry saw a couple of brooms against the wall, hearing a faint whirring noise harry found himself looking at hundreds of winged keys, the task in a the License had said that he had to get the right key to the lock, examining the lock Harry decided that it had to be a big old fashioned key.

"Okay Dray, grab a broom we're going key hunting." Then he explained to Draco exactly what typr of key they were looking for.

"Er this looks too easy Harry are you sure that that's all there is to this task?"

"Nope I have no clue."

"Great!"

When went to grab a broom each the keys suddenly stood still looking apprehensively at Draco, Harry just touched a broom when a single key with a beautiful golden colour zoomed towards him tearing his shirt sleeve as it went passed him "Fly Dray Fly!" Harry yelled frantically mounting his broom at the same time and taking off "Stay away from the keys."

Avoiding the keys where difficult and harry bore several scrathes on his arms to bear witness to his struggle looking over at Draco, Harry saw that he fared no better. Suddenly getting an idea Harry shouted 'impedimenta' at one of the keys and it stopping it in it's course, "Dray the spell is 'Impedimenta' the nasty little buggers will stop completely." Draco shot at several keys rather vindictively as the stupid keys had made a deep laceration in his arm and it was stinging like crazy making him feel very irritable.

Satisied with his quick wand work he flew for some respite towards the wall hovering close to it watching as Harry maneuvered his broom like a pro. How many secrets did the boy have he was flying with such ease and skill he would have put the great Darren Potter himself to shame.

There was a sudden nudge on his back and turning around he smacked in the wall bewildered and rubbing his smarting nose he froze in horror "Harry! The wall…the wall is closing in on us!" Harry looked around panicked and cried out "Faster Dray faster we to find it now."

So saying he spotted a large silver old fashioned key moving a bit slower than the others he called out to Draco to block it escape from the other end and flew speedily towards it, Draco stood bravely in his positon as he watch Harry come hurtling toward him followed by hundreds of deadly keys 'Impedimenta' hecalled out missing the key by an inch Harry bent over his broom with a concentrated look on his face closed in on the key and swiped at it with his free hand catching it in the nick of time and before he could crash into Draco he swerved sharply and stopped all the other keys behind him stopped midair and the walls moved to their original positions with a grating sound.

Looking a bit shocked Harry gave Draco the key once they had landed safely on the ground his legs shaking visibly. Draco looked at him with awe "That is not the first time you've flown like that is it?" Harry shook his head and smiled "You should have been youngest seeker in a century, that was awesome flying! And if we live im going to wheedle out all of your little secrets." Draco said in a warning voice.

Walking to the door the key in his hand Draco opened the lock letting go of the key that had started to struggle and watched it fly away, "After you" he said moving out of the way for Harry to go through and then followed.

Stepping into the room they saw a gigantic very detailed chess set in front of them, "I think I can figure this one out" Draco said dryly "We're going to have to take the place of the chess pieces and play?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Let's do this then, okay Harry follow my lead yeah?" Draco said talking the place of a knight motioning Harry towards the castle. Looking at the opposite side team a bit green in the face Draco started the battle strategizing carefully, always one step ahead. Harry followed his lead and only sometimes gave his input he was glad Draco was here, this was the one thing he had been apprehensive about and now Draco's company and prowess at the game felt really good. "Okay Harry we're about to win," Draco said his furrowed brows relaxing, directing him to the place he wanted to stand Draco moved in to corner the king, "Checkmate!" he called out loudly. The king started to crack from the middle and slowly crumbled away.

Stepping out of the dais Harry watched as the pieces slowly repaired themselves readying themselves for the next quester. Free to walk into the next room Draco put a hand on Harry's shoulder and they walked in together.

It was Snape's riddle reading it Draco turned to Harry "Have you already figured it out?" nodding Harry walked over to the last two vials he gave one to Draco and told him to take a sip. Shuddering Draco swallowed, nothing happened thankfully. Harry then took a sip from his own vial and felt a chill pass over him, taking both vials he placed them back where he'd found them and turned to Draco who was looking at him expectantly.

"Well what next?"

"We wait." Harry said "I'm expecting Quirrel to come first, we will wait for him to go ahead and then follow him." Sitting down in corner of the room and pulling out the sandwiches he began eating hungrily, offering one to Draco as well who sat tiredly beside him, and they waited patiently