Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Leo and Fawn
"Chapter 16 Through the Trap Door," Lily read.
"We're finally going to see who wanted the Philosopher's Stone," Regulus said eagerly.
In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get though his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.
It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an AntiCheating spell.
"I hate those quills, they ruin all your fun," Sirius pouted as Professor McGonagall pursed her lips but didn't say anything.
They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across the desk.
"I didn't do very well in that exam," Leo winced, Charms has always and will always be his worst subject.
Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox, points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.
"There is no need to make a stressful exam even more stressful than it needs to be," James snapped.
"If they can't make a simple potion then it's not my problem," Snapes snarled.
"You're their teach, it's only your problem!" Lily said fiercely to the surprise of everyone, she had been ignoring Snape during the reading sessions.
Snape shut his mouth quickly and looked away, he didn't want to fight with Lily, he missed her.
Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead, which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the forest. Neville thought Harry had a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Harry kept being woken up by his old nightmares, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.
"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would have given you something to help you sleep if you asked her," Lily suggested gently.
"I didn't want to bother her," Harry shrugged.
Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning foreheads, but Leo, Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.
"Studying does take your mind off of your problems," Hermione nodded.
"You should try it something, Harry," Leo joked, earning a soft pinch in the side that made him jerk and giggle.
Their very last exam was History of Magic.
"History of Magic is the most boring subject ever!" Peter groaned.
One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.
Everyone let out a loud cheer, happy that the kids had successfully finished all their exams.
"That was far easier than I thought it would be"' said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."
Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.
"I want to tickle the giant squid!" James whined.
"No," was all Remus said, not even looking at his friend's pout. He knew that if James or Sirius tried they'd probably end up in the Black Lake and he didn't want to fish them out.
"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."
Harry was rubbing his forehead.
"I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting- it's happened before, but never as often as this."
"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.
"That's a good idea," Andromeda agreed.
"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning… it means danger's coming…"
Ron couldn't get worked up; it was too hot.
"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."
Hagrid grinned at the amount of trust both Dumbledore and the four had in him, it made him feel warm inside.
"Harry, come here. Lay your head on my lap, I think I can help with the pain a little bit," said Leo, patting his crossed legs.
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked suspiciously, he knew Harry and Leo were dating and had been for years but they are eleven at this point, that's way too young to be dating anyone!
Harry paused for a moment before hesitantly moving so he was laying down and his head was in Leo's lap. He watched as Leo's hand moved to rest gently on his forehead. Harry let out a relaxed sigh when Leo started to massage his forehead, he was right, it was helping with the pain slightly. He heard Ron snort and Hermione giggle slightly but ignored them in favour of enjoying the gentle message that Leo was giving him.
"That's so cute!" Lily and Fawn squealed as a picture of young Harry laying with his head in Leo's lap appeared on the screen.
Harry and Leo both blushed brightly but couldn't help the soft smiles off their faces.
"How did you know this would work?" said Harry, as he closed his eyes.
"My aunt would do this when I would get nightmares as a kid, it always calmed me right down and took away the headache I would wake up with," said Leo with a gentle smile as he thought about his aunt, staring at the giant squid.
"Why did you get headaches?" Fawn frown worriedly.
Leo winced and avoided anyone's eye. "I'd rather not talk about it," he admitted.
Fawn bit her lip in worry but didn't say anything just held onto Sirius's hand tighter.
As much as Harry was enjoying the message, he couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something he'd forgotten to do, something important. When he tried to explain this, Hermione said "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remember we'd done that one."
"I've done that a couple of times," Lily admitted sheepishly.
"I have too," Narcissa added to the surprise of the Gryffindor's, they didn't know how smart and studious Narcissa was.
Harry was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. He opened his eyes and watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note, clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letter. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy… never… but-
Harry suddenly jumped to his feet. Accidently pushing Leo onto his back, who he was quick to apologize to and help up onto his feet.
"I admit, that did shock me a bit, I wasn't expecting you to suddenly jump up like that," Leo chucked as Harry embarrassingly apologized again but Leo just waved it away.
"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.
"'ve just thought of something," said Harry. He had turned white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."
"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.
"What did you figure out?" Remus asked eagerly, he loved mysterious and couldn't wait to see if any of his theories were right or not.
"Don't you think it's a bit off," said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky, they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"
"That is very odd," said Regulus with slightly narrowed eyes.
"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.
"Hullo," he said smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off. Fang came leaping out of the cabin and tackled Leo to the floor and started to slobber all over his face, much to Leo's excitement, he really did like that dog.
"Fang is best boy!" Leo insisted.
"He is!" Hagrid and Fawn agreed.
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."
He saw the four of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.
"It wouldn't be too surprising if it happened in the Hog's Head," Remus said.
"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head- that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face; he kept his hood up."
Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"
"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah… he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here… he asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after… so I told him… an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon… an' then… I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks…
"He was trying to get you drunk, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall frowned, she didn't like how people tried to take advantage of people using alcohol.
-Let's see… yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted… but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn't want it ter go ter any old home… So, I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…"
Regulus winced, he could tell exactly where this was going and he didn't like it.
"And was he interested in Fluffy, at all?" Leo asked, making sure his voice stayed even, even with Fang sitting on his chest.
"Well- yeah- how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So, I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep- "
"Hagrid, no!" Sirius groaned.
Hagrid's face went a little pale as he realised what he had done, he needs to remember not to drink too much anymore.
"I'm sorry," Hagrid said ashamed.
"It's okay, Hagrid, they would have found out anyway if they did a little bit of research," Leo reassured the half-giant.
Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey- where're yeh goin'?"
Harry, Leo, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.
"I think it's more because of what you found out than anything," Narcissa said.
"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak- it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"
"Where is Dumbledore's office?" Andromeda asked never having any need to go there herself so she never knew.
"It's on the third floor," James told her, he and the Marauder's have had to go and see Dumbledore a couple of times because of their pranks, which Dumbledore just finds funny.
They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had seen sent to see him.
"We'll just have to- " Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.
"What are you four doing inside?"
"Their allowed to be inside," Peter frowned.
It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.
"Minne!" Leo called, happy to see his favourite teacher.
Leo beamed at his favourite professor who gave him a small smile back.
"Mr Black, I've told you before not to call me that." But Harry could see her lips twitching as if trying to fight a smile.
"You can't deny it, you love me," Leo bragged.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry, Leo and Ron thought.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"
Harry swallowed- now what?
"It's sort of a secret," he said, but he wished as once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.
"The truth always has a way of coming out so you may as well be honest from the start," Professor McGonagall said wisely.
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."
"He's gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he had many demands on his time- "
"Fudge is just an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing," Ron scoffed as everyone murmured their agreements.
"But this is important."
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"
"Yes," said James and Sirius.
"Yes," said Leo, having enough of this dead-end conversation. "It's about the Philosopher's Stone- "
"Finally, someone just said it!" Fawn said.
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up. "How do you know-?" she sputtered.
"By breaking the rules," Lily sniffed.
"Professor, I think- I know- that Sn- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore," said Harry.
"We couldn't tell her about Snape because she wouldn't have believed us," Harry said when Narcissa asked why he didn't tell her everything.
"I wouldn't have," Professor McGonagall agreed.
She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possible steal it, it's too well protected."
"But Professor- "
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books, Leo quick to help. "Thank you, Mr Black. Now, I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."
"Someone's a bit of a teacher's pet," Sirius teased his son.
"Only for Minnie," Leo nodded and Sirius let out a bark of laughter.
But they didn't.
"Of course not," Lily rolled her eyes.
"It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."
"You will not!" Lily snapped, worried that her son was going to get himself and his friends hurt or worst, killed.
"But what can we- "
Hermione gasped. Harry, Leo and Ron wheeled round.
Snape was standing there.
"Just leave my son alone! You are everywhere he goes!" James snapped.
"It is a little weird how you seem to be everywhere that Harry goes, it's like you're stalking him," Regulus said hesitantly causing Snape to glare at him.
He wasn't stalking Potter's idiot son, he was probably just waiting for the foolish boy to mess up so he could expel him, like he deserves.
"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.
They stared at him.
"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.
"It's not against the rules for them to be inside!" Peter whined.
"We were- " Harry began, without an idea what he was going to day.
"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"
Harry flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.
"Be warned, Potter- any more night time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."
"Don't threaten my son!" James snarled.
"Mr Potter, that is enough. Mr Snape, your behaviour in the future is deplorable," said Professor McGonagall.
He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.
Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.
"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us had got to keep an eye on Snape- wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves. Hermione you'd better do that."
"Why me?"
"Why Hermione?" Sirius asked. "You could have sent Leo; he can literally shapeshift."
"We didn't think of that," Ron admitted sheepishly.
"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong…"
"Okay, that makes more sense then Leo going," Sirius agreed.
"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.
"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Leo and Ron. "Come on."
But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.
"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"
"Don't tempt Minnie, she will do it," Remus winced, remember all the times he and his friends had lost points from Professor McGonagall for their pranks.
Harry, Leo and Ron went back to the common room, Harry had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.
"Nothing is going right for you guys, is it?" Fawn giggled.
"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."
"Of course, the slippery little snake got away," Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"What about us?" Narcissa asked offended.
"I don't really see you guys' as slippery snakes, more Danger Noodles," Sirius grinned when Regulus let out a loud, surprised laugh.
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.
The other three stared at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering.
"Lily looks like that when she gets really stressed about exams," James noted absentmindedly.
Lily paused for a second before looking at James with wide eyes, she didn't know that he noticed such small details about herself, she didn't even know that she looked like that when she was stressed. Lily couldn't help that warm feeling blossoming in her chest knowing that James may actually like her on more of a surface level like she believed.
"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get the Stone first."
"You will not!" Lily warned.
"Are you sure?" Leo asked.
"You're mad!" said Ron.
"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"
"There are worst things to happen,' Leo shrugged getting a horrified look from Hermione and Lily.
"SO, WHAT!" Harry shouted.
"Volume, Bambi," James sniggered.
"Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families along if Gryffindor wins the hour cup?
"One of the reasons I don't think house points matter, outside the walls of Hogwarts, no one cares how many times your house won the House Cup," Leo explained.
-If I get caught before I get to the Stone, well, I'll to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you three say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?"
"Oh, Harry, I hate how you see the world sometimes," Lily said sadly.
"I'm gotten better now that the wars over," Harry tried to comfort her but it didn't seem to do much.
He glared at them.
"You're right Harry," said Hermione in a small voice.
"I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."
"I still can't believe you have an invisibility cloak," Narcissa said.
"But will it cover all four of us?" said Ron.
"All- all four of us?"
"If you think we're letting you do this alone, you're madder than my father!" said Leo.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked offended.
"You'll find out in the third book," Harry said for Leo.
"Of course, he isn't," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful…"
"But if we get caught, you three will be expelled, too."
"Not if I can help it"' said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."
"How did you get more then a hundred percent? Is that even possible?" Remus asked shocked.
Hermione blushed but didn't say anything, she didn't want to admit that she put down some facts that weren't in the test on the bottom of the paper.
After dinner the four of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all.
"I forgot everyone hated me for a bit in our first year," Harry admitted, he was so focused on what was happening that he forgot about the points he lost.
This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do. Leo was reading a book about Dragons to distract himself.
"Didn't do much to help but it was something," Leo said.
Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.
"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy- he didn't feel must like singing.
"It's better then trying to learn a music charm in one night," Fawn said.
He ran back down to the common room.
"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us- if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own- "
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room.
"You haven't even left the common room, how have you already been caught?!" Regulus asked in disbelief.
Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.
"Neville, no!" James moaned.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.
Neville stared at their guilty faces.
"Change your faces," Remus winced.
"You're going out again," he said.
"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"
"That wasn't very convincing," Ginny chuckled.
Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.
"You can't let Snivellus get the stone!" Sirius agreed.
"You can't go out," said Neville, "You'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."
"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."
"I wish we could have just told him what was happening," Harry admitted.
"It would have been easier," Ron agreed.
But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.
"As happy I am that Neville is standing his ground and being brave but this really isn't the best time to be doing that," Lily said.
"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "'I'll- I'll fight you!
"Leo would knock Neville out with one punch," said Hermione.
"I would," Leo nodded, "but I don't want."
"Neville," Ron exploded, "get away from that hole don't be an idiot- "
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"
"I'm proud of Neville for sticking up for himself," said Lily.
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."
"Sticking up to your friends can be one of the hardest things to do," Professor McGonagall said wisely.
He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fist. "I'm ready!"
Harry turned to Leo.
"Do something," he said desperately.
"I love how I'm the one everyone turns to for something violent," Leo grinned.
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Fawn asked worried.
"Of course not, I could never hurt Neville," Leo said offended, he would rather throw himself off a cliff then hurt one of his friends.
Leo stepped forward.
"Neville," he said. "I'm really sorry about this, mate."
He raised his wand.
"What are you doing?" Andromeda asked horrified.
"It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise," Leo reassured her.
"Petrificus Totalus!" he whispered, pointing it at Neville.
"Oh, thank Merlin," Fawn sighed in relief that her son didn't actually hurt his friend, only stunned him.
Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole-body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.
"You know, looking back, one of us should have caught him before he fell," Leo observed. Sirius snorted.
Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.
"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.
"It's the full Body-Bind," said Leo quietly, feeling guilty for doing that to Neville. "Neville, I'm really sorry, mate."
"I still feel guilty for that," Leo said.
"As you should," Professor McGonagall said disapprovingly.
"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.
"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as the stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.
"After everything was over we apologized and explained everything to Neville," Ron assured everyone.
But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen.
"Defiantly isn't," Regulus said.
In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs Norris skulking near the top.
"Kick her!" James encouraged.
"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head.
James laughed that Ron had the same thought as him.
As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs Norris turned her lamp like eyes on them, but didn't do anything.
"I hate when she does that!" Sirius shuddered.
They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.
"Peeves!" the Marauders cheered.
"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"
He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.
"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."
Leo had a sudden idea.
"Any idea Leo has is a great idea," Sirius grinned.
"I can assure you it's not," Hermione sighed, having witnessed Leo's prank plans first hand.
"Peeves," he said, changing his voice to match the Bloody Baron's, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."
"Oh! That's a fantastic idea!" Ginny said in awe, she knew that Leo could change his appearance and voice at will but she never would have thought of using it to trick Peeves.
"Thank you," Leo said happy for the praise.
Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.
"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake- I didn't see you- of course I didn't, you're invisible- forgive old Peevies his little joke, sir."
"This is brilliant!" Sirius and James cackled.
"While you're here, we need to do a prank!" Sirius insisted.
"It would be my honour," Leo said excitedly.
"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Leo. "Stay away from this place tonight."
"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."
And he scooted off.
"At least that takes care of Peeves for the night," Lily sighed, she didn't like the idea of tricking people but she knew it was necessary.
"Brilliant, Leo!" whispered Ron.
"It was brilliant," Remus agreed making Leo beam at him.
A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor- and the door was already ajar.
"Snivellus is already there," James scoffed.
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."
Seeing the open for somehow seemed to impress upon all four of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other three.
"How is it only occurring to you now?" Narcissa asked.
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak; I won't need it now."
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.
"We're coming," said Hermione.
"Just try and stop us," said Leo.
"You guys are such good friends!" Lily gushed, making the four blush.
Harry pushed the door open.
As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.
"That is terrifying," said Regulus.
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.
"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry.
"It does, to keep it asleep, you need constant music," said Leo.
"It's a good think you have Leo there with you for any and all creature knowledge," Fawn said happily.
"Well, here goes…"
He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased- it tottered on it paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
"That was fast," Peter said shocked.
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione, Leo?"
"No, I don't!" said Hermione.
"Yes!" said Leo, a little too enthusiastically.
"If it's dangerous, you can't stop Leo from doing it," Hermione said exasperated.
"Just like his father," Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius's offended expression.
"All right," said Ron.
Leo stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the right of the trapdoor, which swing up and open.
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.
"Nothing- just black- like me-
"That was a terrible joke," Sirius said as he chuckled.
-there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to jump," said Leo, avoiding Hermione's seething glare at his attempted at a joke.
"Was trying to lighten the mood," Leo defended himself.
"Wasn't the time," Hermione said.
Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.
"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "We don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."
Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep. It was at that moment that Leo couldn't hold himself back anymore and draped himself over Fluffy's paw and started to stroke his fur.
Harry couldn't stop himself from rubbing his hand over his face at his boyfriend's behaviour, he had forgotten about that.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Regulus asked his nephew.
"I won't die," Leo waved his concerns away.
"He's so soft! He'd being very well taken care of," he said happily, ignoring Ron's exasperated stare and Harry's snort.
"'Cause he has," Hagrid said proudly.
Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.
He lowered himself through the hole until he was handing on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron, Leo was still stroking Fluffy's soft fur,
"Leo, focus on what is happening!" Andromeda scolded her nephew.
"Sorry," Leo said sheepishly.
-and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"
"Right," said Ron.
"See you in a minute, I hope…"
And Harry let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and- FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft.
"Thank Merlin," Lily sighed in relief.
"He'll be okay," James reassured her.
He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.
"What is a plant doing under Hogwarts?" Narcissa asked confused.
"Must be one of the enchantments," Regulus guessed.
"It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"
Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.
"What's this stuff?" were his first words.
"What was it?" Remus asked curious.
"You'll find out in a moment," said Ron.
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Leo, Hermione!"
Leo was the next to jump but as soon as he landed and let his eyes adjust quickly, he sprung up and stumbled toward a damp wall.
"What's the plant?" Fawn asked getting nervous at her son's reaction.
"Just wait," was all Leo said.
The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side, right where Leo had landed.
"Glad I moved so quickly," Leo said.
"We must be miles under the school," she said.
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.
"Guys?" said Leo hesitantly.
"That doesn't sound good,"
"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"
She leapt up and struggled toward the damp wall that Leo was pressed against. She had to struggled because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.
"Don't tell me," Lily gasped having guessed what the plant is.
"What is it?" James asked.
"It's Devil's Snare," said Lily.
"That's not good," said Sirius.
Hermione and Leo had managed to free themselves before the plant got a firm grip on them. Now they watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.
"Stop moving! It's the only way for it to let you go," Lily said frantically.
"Stop moving!" Leo ordered them. "It's Devil's Snare!"
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaving back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.
"If you know what it is then you can think of how to deal with it," said Remus.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
"Hurry up!" Lily whispered in dread.
"We're going to be okay," Harry said, trying to calm his mum down.
"It's hates heat and light!" Hermione suddenly remembered.
"So, light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes- of course- but there's not wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
"You're a witch!" Snape scoffed rudely.
"Shut up," Remus snapped not wanting to deal with Snape.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD!" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"
James snorted getting looked from almost everyone. "Sorry, it's a little funny," James snickered.
"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.
"I'm glad you two aren't hurt," said Fawn happily.
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined them by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.
"Very lucky," said Peter.
"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis- 'there's not wood,' honestly."
"I was raised by muggles; you can't blame me for that!" Hermione chuckled.
"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.
All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon- Norbert had been bad enough… he still didn't understand how Leo could have bonded with the baby dragon so quickly.
"Norbert was an absolute sweetheart, don't talk bad about her!" Leo said.
"Norbert was a menace," Harry teased with a smirk, knowing that it was get his boyfriend riled up.
"We are not getting into this discussion again," said Hermione, she knew that Leo would start to rant about why Norbert was a good baby dragon and they wouldn't get him to shut up.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.
Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.
"Do you think it's a ghost?"
"I don't know… sounds like wings to me."
"Maybe it's fairies?" Peter said hesitantly.
"That highly unlikely, but better then what they're about to face," said Lily.
"There's light ahead- I can see something moving."
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high about was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
"So, you just need to deal with a bunch of pretty birds?" James asked sceptically, surely it couldn't be that easy.
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.
"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once… well, there's no other choice… I'll run."
"Be careful," Andromeda said.
He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel shape beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.
"What's the point of the birds then?" Narcissa asked confused.
The other three followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.
"You'll need a much stronger unlocking charm then that," Professor McGonagall said.
"Or a key," said Remus.
"Now what?" said Ron.
"These birds… they can't be here for decoration," said Hermione.
"Do you need one to unlock the door?" Sirius wondered.
"Maybe one of them is holding the key for the door?" James guessed.
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering- glittering?
"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly.
"Are they keys with wings?" Regulus asked curiously.
"They're keys! Winged keys- look carefully. So that must mean…" he looked around the chamber while the other three squinted up at the flock of keys "…yes- look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"
"Is this Professor McGonagall's enchantment? She likes Quidditch," said Peter.
"No, I think this is Professor Flitwick's," said Remus. "It's more charm work then transfiguration."
"The Devil's Snare was Professor Sprouts, she the herbology professor," said Lily.
"But there are hundreds of them!"
Ron examined the lock on the door.
"We're looking for a big-old fashioned one- probably silver, like the handle."
They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch on.
"Harry, this is your time to shine, you're the Seeker," said James proudly.
Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. after a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feather, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.
"Good spot!" James praised.
"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one- there- no, there- with bright blue wings- the feathers are all crumpled on one side."
Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.
"Are you okay?" Fawn asked kindly.
"I was good, just a small bump," Ron assured.
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above- Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down- Leo, you circle it, make sure it stays between Ron and Hermione, and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"
"You can do it!" Sirius cheered.
Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, Leo stopped it from flying to the side when the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Leo, Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.
Everyone let out a loud cheer at the four's success.
They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned- it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.
"It's only a key but I feel a bit sorry for it," Fawn admitted.
"Ready?" Harry asked the other three, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.
"I wonder whose enchantment this is now," Regulus mused.
"Five galleons that it's Professor McGonagall's," said James.
"I'll take that! It bet it's Dumbledore's," said Sirius and the two shook hands.
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessman, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Leo, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly- the towering white chessmen had no faces.
Sirius begrudgingly gave James five galleons, they knew that it was Professor McGonagall's enchantment, the transfiguration professor loved chess.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."
Behind the white pieces they could see another door.
"How?" said Hermione nervously.
"I think," said Leo, "we'll have to replace some of the chess pieces and actually play."
"If this is wizard's chess, you could get serious hurt or killed!" Lily said shocked.
"It's fine," said Leo waving her concerns away, they all made it out in one piece so that's all that matters really.
Ron walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.
"That's a little creepy," Narcissa shivered slightly.
"Do we- er- have to join you to get across?" the black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.
"This wants thinking about," he said. "Leo's right, we'll need to take the place of four of the black pieces."
Harry, Leo and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally, he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess- "
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."
"Yeah, me and Hermione aren't very good at chess, best to leave it to the expert," Leo said. Ron blushed slightly from the praise.
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle, and Leo, you take the place of the other castle."
"I'm the Queen of the castle," Leo sang quietly to Hermione making her giggle.
"What about you?"
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and two castles turned their backs to the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Harry, Leo, Ron, and Hermione took.
"I'm getting nervous," Lily admitted.
James reached over and grabbed her knee in a gentle squeeze since she was reading the book and he couldn't hold her hand.
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes… look…"
A white pawn had moved forward two squares.
Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?
"You'd be stuck there until someone realized that you were missing," said Regulus. "Professor McGonagall knows that you know about the stone at least, she would realise where you four must be and rescues you."
"I can assure you; it would be the first place I'd look for you," Professor McGonagall said.
"Harry-move diagonally four squares to the right."
Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.
"You could actually die!" Lily whimpered.
"Mum, we're okay, we make it alive!" Harry insisted, he didn't want his mum to cry.
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy.
Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry, Leo and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black one.
"Impressive," Remus praised making Ron go red.
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think, let me think…"
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes…" said Ron softly, "It's the only way… I've got to be taken."
"No!" Everyone shouted, worried about the male red head.
Ron blushed deeply at how much everyone seemed to care about him.
Ginny grabbed her brother's hand, she knew what he and the other had done in their second year but to be hearing about it first hand is terrifying, she almost lost her big brother.
"NO!" Harry, Leo and Hermione shouted.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"
"I hate to admit it but it's really the only way," Remus said sadly.
"But- "
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
Snape rolled his eyes, this was so dramatic, he wasn't even the one who wanted the stone in the first place. He couldn't wait until everyone finally realised that so he could rub it into their faces, especially Potter's.
"Ron- "
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"
There was no alternative.
"Doesn't make it any easier!" said Andromeda.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale, but determined. "Here I go- now, don't hang around once you've won."
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor- Hermione screamed but stayed on her square- the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.
Everyone sat in stunned silence. They couldn't believe how brutal it was, they knew it was coming but they didn't expect such heartlessness.
"I am so sorry, Mr Weasley," Professor McGonagall suddenly said wetly.
"Don't worry about it, Professor, we knew what we were going into and you were only doing what you had to do to protect the stone," Ron reassured her. He had never blamed the professors but Dumbledore for what happened in their first year.
Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.
The white kind took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Leo charged through the door and up the next passageway. Hermione stayed back to try and wake Ron up.
"We couldn't let Ron alone," said Hermione quietly.
Ron squeezed her hand, grateful for his friends.
"Was he okay?" Narcissa asked worried.
"He was, just knocked out, nothing serious," Hermione said, making everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Leo asked quietly.
"I was okay," Ron grinned at his friend.
"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. 'What do you reckons next?"
"We've had Professor Spouts, that was the Devil's Snare; Professor Flitwick must've put charms on the keys, the chess was obviously Minnie; that leaves Professor Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."
"I love how even in a life and death situation you are still calling her Minnie, it's adorable!" Regulus teased.
They had reached another door.
"Please don't let it be anything too dangerous!" Fawn begged.
"All right?" Harry whispered.
"Let's do this."
Harry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
"Thank Merlin, you don't have to deal with another troll!" Fawn said in relief.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come one, I can't breathe."
"We're all glad you don't have to too," said Lily.
He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next- but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"This must be Severus's, the troll must have been Quirrell's," said Regulus.
"Wait, if Quirrell's was a troll, does that mean he was the one who let the other one in at Halloween?" Narcissa suddenly asked making everyone pause in shock.
"No way," James breathed.
"That would mean that Snivellus doesn't actually want the stone or the two were working together," Sirius said in disbelief.
"I don't want the stone!" Snape insisted with a snarl.
"We'll see," said Remus.
"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"
They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.
"What did you do?" Regulus asked curiously.
"It must be a potion to allow you to walk through fire," Snape said.
"Look!" Leo seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over his shoulder to read it:
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among out number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are kills, waiting bidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choices, 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 wither 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
"That's brilliant!" Lily gushed making Snape's cheeks turn rosy.
"What do you mean?" James asked.
"Severus is using a riddle, it's logical not magical. Most magic folk don't under logic, a normal witch or wizard wouldn't be able to understand the riddle and drink the wrong potion and poison themselves," Lily explained, proud of her old best friend.
Leo let out an amazed laugh, the very last thing Harry felt like doing.
"Brilliant," said Leo. "This isn't magic- it's logic- a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."
"Exactly!" Lily beamed
"Good thing Leo is there," said Sirius.
"Hermione would have figured it out as well," Leo said. Hermione beamed at him.
"But so will we, won't we?"
"Of course not," said Leo. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poisons; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple"
"But how do we know which to drink?"
"Give me a minute."
"Thank Merlin for uncle Ted," Leo said sadly.
"What do you mean?" Andromeda asked curiously.
"Uncle Ted used to always give me riddles when I was growing up, I loved them so he always came up with new ones trying to trick me," Leo explained, "it was a lot of fun."
Leo read the paper several times. Then he walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to himself and pointing at them. At last, he clapped his hands.
"Got it," he said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire- toward the Stone."
Harry looked at the tiny bottle.
"There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."
They looked at each other.
"Which one are going through?" Fawn wondered.
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"
Leo pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron and Hermione. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy- go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."
"You are no where near ready to face a fully trained wizard!" James said.
"You're going to get yourself killed at his rate!" Lily added.
"I promise, I will be fine," Harry tried to calm his parents down.
"Harry… what if Voldemort's in there as well?"
Harry didn't ponder the fact that Leo wasn't calling Voldemort You-Know-Who anymore.
"There are worst things then a name," Leo said.
"Well- I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."
"That's not a good mindset," said Professor McGonagall.
Leo frowned at Harry, he suddenly reached over and pulled Harry into a tight hug. Harry couldn't help the butterflies that erupted in his stomach. There was something very warm, and comforting about Leo's hug, he didn't want to leave but very reluctantly pulled away with bright red cheeks, hoping that Leo didn't see.
"Aw, was this when you first started to get a crush on me?" Leo asked teasingly.
"It was," Harry admitted.
"That's so cute!" Leo chuckled before giving Harry a quick kiss.
"You're a great wizard, Harry."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed as he scuffed his foot on the floor.
"This is adorable!" Lily and Fawn gushed.
"Me?" Leo let out a bark of a laugh. "Books! And pranks! There are more important things- friendship and bravery- just Harry, come back alive. Please."
"I may have had a small crush on you back then too, just didn't know it at the time," Leo mumbled to Harry.
"I promise. You drink first," said Harry. "You sure which is which, aren't you?"
"Of course, my Uncle Ted loves puzzles and riddles, he's always throwing riddles at me, says that he wants to keep my mind nice and sharp," said Leo. He took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and cringed.
"That potion was so gross!" Leo cringed making everyone laugh at his expression.
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.
"No- but it's like ice and it's disgusting."
"Quick, go, before it wears off."
"Good luck- I know you can do it."
"Go!"
"I was stalling because I didn't want to let you go alone!" Leo admitted.
Leo turned and walked straight through the purple fire.
Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.
"Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in on gulp.
It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body, and it left a nasty taste in his mouth. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn't feel them- for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire- then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.
"The moment of truth, who wants the stone?" Remus wondered as everyone sat forward a bit in anticipation.
There was already someone there- but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.
"See I told you all!" Snape cheered.
The Marauders grumbled but reluctantly admitted they were wrong when Lily gave them a look but they refused to apologized, Snape had, after all, been bullying a bunch of kids for no reason.
"That's the end of the chapter," Lily said making everyone groan.
"I want to read the last chapter," said Snape feeling petty and wanted to rub his innocence in everyone's face by reading about it. "Chapter Seventeen The Man with Two Faces."
"What a chapter name," said Regulus.
A/N: Hi everyone! This is the second to last chapter of the book and then there will be an extra chapter of the characters just talking and taking a break from the book and then onto the next book.
This was also the longest chapter so far with 26 pages in word.
Here are some random conversations/incorrect quotes for you all to enjoy.
James: So, what's it like dating Harry?
Leo: One time he was mad at me and I asked him to get me a glass of water, he brought me a cup of ice and said 'wait'.
Andromeda: Leo, Harry, I have left instructions for you two while I'm gone.
Leo: But… mine just says 'Leo no'.
Harry: …
Andromeda: …
Andromeda: I want you to apply it to every possible situation.
Ron: That's one of my biggest fears. Like, if I ever woke up as a donut…
Harry: You would eat yourself?
Ron: I wouldn't even question it.