Arden had come from her dormitory room with a pile of books in her arms, and a visible rolled up parchment and quill set on top of it. There weren't very many students left in the common room as curfew had just passed. Romina was one of the few students left, and as usual she was sitting on the ground with her back against the largest couch. She too was doing some work so it appeared.

"I can't believe I forgot to do Snape's essay!" Arden plopped down on the couch Romina leaned against.

"I can. I told you last week to get a move on it and you ignored me in favor of staring at some Hufflepuff boy," Romina said without a care in the world. She missed the glare Arden threw at her back.

"You were staring too!" Arden felt the need to remind.

"Yeah, while doing my own essay. It's called multitasking. You might want to try it."

Arden didn't find the joke amusing. She grumbled and began opening her books so she could get started. Her eyes flickered to the parchment Romina was staring at and immediately recognized someone else's homework. "Is that Finnigan's transfiguration homework?"

"Yeah. I offered to look it over considering he made another goblet explode in his face. Turns out rum is difficult to make."

"That's cheating!"

"No. It's just me proofreading it. I'm not giving him the right answers," Romina shrugged.

Arden gave a long look at Romina before speaking again. "Is this part of your little plan to get back on everyone's good side again?"

Romina looked up from the parchment and smiled. "First of all, it's not for 'everyone' because I know that's impossible. I'm only trying to win back the people I actually care about."

"Smart," Arden praised with her own smile.

"And reasonable. That's all that matters." Romina was taking it easy and simple in her new plan to get her friends back, no matter how small gestures she had to do.

"Well you could help me out with this homework," Arden scratched her head the more she stared at her Potions book. "I don't understand how professors think piling on homework when exams are just around the corner is a good idea."

"I think the idea was for us to start practicing and remembering," Romina casually pointed out the main idea but Arden still glared at her again.

"Well, yeah, but they could at least try to be a—" Arden stopped when the wall began to open up and both girls were a bit confused when Draco came hurrying in looking heavily angry. "You're not supposed to be outside," Arden was the first one to say, and paid the mistake.

"Shut it King or I'll curse you into next Tuesday!"

"Wanna explain why you wanna hurt my friend at this hour? You usually do that during the day time." Romina went back to the parchment. She was almost done anyways.

"Well if he was out after curfew, it probably means he got caught…" Arden suddenly widened her eyes, "...and you probably lost points for us! Not cool!"

"Put your wand down, idiot," Romina said without looking up. Based on Arden's assumptions and the nature that was Draco Malfoy, she suspected his wand was somewhere between his hand and halfway taking aim against Arden. Romina put her hands over the parchment and looked up to meet angry grey eyes. "So, being curious too, what's got you all angry at this hour?"

"I have detention when I shouldn't have!"

"You were outside after curfew, what did you think was going to happen?"

"That big oaf had a dragon's egg and somehow I get detention!?" Draco began to pace back and forth in the room.

"Do you mean Hagrid?" Romina tilted her head, but it was Arden who got the main point.

"He's got a dragon's egg!?" the brunette nearly fell off the couch. "Those are illegal here!"

"I know!" Draco finally conceded a point to her. "I discovered it, I told McGonagall and I have detention with Potter, Weasley and Granger? How ridiculous!"

"Why were you out there in the first place?" Romina raised an eyebrow. She had half an idea but would like to hear it directly from him instead.

Draco quit pacing and looked away for a brief moment. "I was…" he saw Romina smirking, probably knowing his real reasons, and decided he wouldn't give her that satisfaction. "I was trying to take some food, alright? A snack from the kitchens."

Romina looked back at Arden who was close to matching Romina's smirk. "But if you were heading for the kitchens...how did you end up by Hagrid's hut?" Arden inquired.

"I just did! Goodnight!" and with that, Draco stormed off.

Arden and Romina exchanged a 'serious' look before laughing together. "Did you actually buy any of that?" Arden asked afterwards.

Romina scoffed. "Please. He probably wanted to get Harry into trouble but McGonagall got all of them instead. Still sweet of him to try and pull one over us."

"What do you think about the egg though?" Arden leaned back on the couch and retook her potions book. Romina did the same with her own parchment.

"I'm more interested to know what Harry, Hermione and Ron were doing at Hagrid's after hours."

On that, Arden agreed.

~ 0 ~

Unfortunately, Romina didn't have many opportunities to ask Hermione about the dragon egg incident as she would like. Arden suddenly had made a good point about exams and homework. The spring semester was coming to a close and the first years had many important details to remember for their individual exams. Hermione Granger took her studying mighty serious and Romina wouldn't be stupid enough to get between her and a book.

In the meantime, Romina endeavored to gain people's respect again. Seamus Finnigan had asked her for Transfiguration tutoring to which Romina happily obliged. Opposite to that, Neville - who was surprisingly excelling in Herbology - had given Romina some tutoring himself. That then opened the way to conversations with some fellow Gryffindors who wanted to study potions together - including Hermione herself - and that soon opened up to Charms sessions. It was nothing big but it was definitely giving Romina a much more humane look, but overall a chance to prove to people that she was not her parents.

All in all, exams went just fine...Romina hoped. She wasn't so sure about the History of Magic but she was daring to believe she got at least an Acceptable. After exams, the students had to enjoy a week of break before they could see how they did. For some it was relaxation, for others it was anxiety packed.

Hermione had invited Romina to a relaxing afternoon by the lake. There, she was finally able to answer Romina's questions about the dragon's egg (which had been shipped off to Romania by Dumbledore) and the detention they were forced to serve along with Draco. It was quite a thing to learn that detention was served in the Forbidden Forest.

"Hardcore," Romina had herself a laugh.

"Scary, you mean," Hermione shivered. She went on to explain how they saw a dead unicorn that had signs of someone drinking its blood...to which Romina could not help herself to comment about vampires lurking in the Forest. Of course her jokes ended when Hermione spoke about Voldemort himself rumored to be in the Forest.

"Don't you joke about that," Romina warned deadly and walked ahead of Hermione. "I don't ever want to hear anything about that...that thing that doesn't even deserve to be known as a human."

Hermione understood the point and ceased any talking about that. "Over there by the tree in front," she instructed Romina.

Romina could already see Fred and George with their friend, Lee Jordan, picking at the lake's giant squid's tentacle. She laughed and hurried to meet them, assuming there was no one else there with them. "What are you—" she barely got the three words out when she nearly tripped over Ron's long legs stretched out on the ground.

"Ron!" Hermione quickly ran over and pulled Romina back.

"Sorry!" Ron had been caught off guard and pulled his legs up. "I didn't see her!"

One look with Harry made Romina shake her head and begin to leave. "This was a mistake."

"No, Romina!" Hermione gave a sharp look at Harry. "This is ridiculous!" she told both of them.

With a sigh, Harry got up to his feet and called for Romina. "Rom...stay…"

Romina turned sideways, pretty serious when she responded, "Say it like you mean it or don't say it at all."

It appeared like Harry just burst with all his thoughts concerning her. "That's just it, Rom, I don't know! I don't know anything about you anymore!"

Romina raised an eyebrow and turned back completely. "You don't know me anymore? You are kidding, right?" she walked straight up to him. "We've known each other since we were seven."

"I didn't mean it like that…" Harry ran his hands through his hair, looking lost as he tried to explain himself.

"Then how did you mean it?" demanded Romina.

"I just...everything you told me about yourself - about your past - was a lie. You told me your parents were in a car accident like mine."

"I couldn't tell you anything, please understand that! It's not that I didn't—"

"Was it really?" Harry took his moment to interject. He was now looking at her sharply, expecting a truthful answer.

"What?"

"Did you actually want to tell me about your parents, Rom? About what happened to them and what they did? Did you really want to?"

Romina looked down, a guilt-ridden expression taking over her face. That was the question, wasn't it? It was no stranger to her and Harry could see that too. "I didn't want to lie to you, Harry, but...I was scared. My parents...did a really bad thing," her eyes shined with tears when she looked back up, "They did a lot of bad things, actually, and the most horrible thing they helped do...was to my best friend's parents. No," she burst into tears, "I didn't want to tell you that! Who would want to?

Harry blinked and suddenly felt the rush of guilt latch onto him as well. Behind him, Ron had stood up and moved beside Hermione. Even Fred, George and Lee had left the squid's tentacles to see what was happening.

"But I'm sorry, Harry! I'm really sorry for what they did, okay? I would give anything to change that for you but I just can't and I'm sorry!"

"I-it's okay...it's...you don't have to say sorry, Rom," Harry hugged her and immediately Romina hugged back. "I can understand that now...I should have done it earlier, I'm sorry."

Romina sniffled and hugged him tighter. "I'm really sorry. What my parents helped do was horrible and I will never forgive them for that."

Harry could agree with that but decided it was best not to say it openly. Instead, he brought Romina back to the others.

"There we go," Hermione said all smiley when they finally gathered with the others. "See? Took you almost a year but it all worked out."

"Leave it alone, Hermione," Ron shushed her.

"Hey Rom, can I ask something, though?" Fred came to sit on the grass with them, soon followed by George and Lee. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, though."

Romina nodded her head. "Of course you can."

"Why did your aunt and uncle decide to live in the muggle world instead? And...like normal muggles, I guess."

"Normal muggles?" repeated Hermione with a growing frown. "What do you mean by that?"

"Rumor has it that the Oswell vault in Gringotts is still fully loaded," George revealed, which in all fairness was news to Romina. "Our brother Bill works there," he added as a last source to validate their information.

"I didn't know that, actually," Romina said thoughtfully. "I suppose it belongs to my parents? Uncle Lyonel? Or...I don't know, maybe...other relatives?"

"Maybe cousins," Hermione pointed. Romina began to shake her head when the twins exclaimed 'yeah!'.

"My aunt and uncle have never mentioned anyone else being left alive in the family," she argued weakly.

"People survived the war," Lee finally spoke up. "Your family is out there. Many of those who were associated with You-Know-Who pleaded innocence under the imperius curse or testified against other Death Eaters."

"How do you think the Malfoys stand here today?" asked Ron with a big scoff.

"They were?" Romina gave him a wide-eyed look.

"Of course they were!" Fred pulled some grass off the ground distractedly. "They were one of the first families to testify against other Death Eaters."

"So my family could have done the same but my uncle probably cut ties off with them," Romina processed it rather quickly. "But then that would mean I have aunts and uncles...and even cousins."

"No offence but we're really good just with you," George innocently said and made Romina laugh.

"Yeah, you're our only Oswell!" his brother exclaimed.

Romina would've continued laughing had it not been for Harry continuously rubbing his forehead. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"My scar...it hurts…" the boy complained, and Romina noticed the exchange of looks between Ron and Hermione. "It's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go the Madam Pomfrey," Lee suggested as he and the twins got up. "Don't want to get ill right before the term ends."

"C'mon lads, let's go see what Slytherins we can bother today," Fred said cheerfully.

Romina threw a look his way. "Leave my House alone."

"We'll make sure to leave that King girl you're always with," George promised. "Anyone else is a free game."

Romina let them go for the sake of Harry and his scar. By the looks on Ron's and Hermione's faces she could tell this was something more than just a scar problem.

"Alright, spill," she ordered the three once the twins and Lee had gone. "Why's the scar hurting? It never did that back at home."

"I think it's like a warning…" Harry tried to explain, "...like danger is coming."

"You ARE are kidding, right?" Romina was now staring flatly.

Ron seemed to be on the same page. "It's nothing. Just relax," he leaned back against the tree. "The Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around."

"You guys have to at least tell me that you finally dumped the idea that Snape is not behind this, right?"

The silence between them made Romina groan and fall back. She covered her face.

"You can't see it because he's Head of your House," Ron said casually.

"I can't see it because it can't be true. He's not the guy and you're all idiots."

"If we were idiots don't you think we wouldn't have discovered all that we have?" Hermione snapped. She could not tolerate any jokes concerning her brains.

"You guys just need to focus on your results, alright?" Romina tucked her hair under her head and looked up at the sky.

Harry outright refused. He couldn't let go of the matter and now that his scar was hurting like crazy he knew there was something he should be doing. There was something, in the back of his head, niggling at him to get a move on. But to what?

"Harry, I know you," Romina continued, "So please just distract yourself, okay? Go, uh, I don't know, play Quidditch? Or—"

"Oh my God!" Harry had finally gotten it. "Hagrid! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"What, Harry?" Hermione recognized the alert face on her friend and scooted closer to hear.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one?"

"If it's a black market out there then no, it's not weird," Romina sat up, her straggly hair falling over her face for a second. "Hagrid probably let his desires be heard in public."

"No, it wasn't a coincidence," Harry began getting up, and instigated for Ron to do the same. "And I'm going to prove it."

"Prove it?" Romina repeated, now more confused. She got up because Hermione ushered her to do so.

"Yeah, right now, let's go!" Harry stormed off and had the rest follow closely behind.

"I don't get it, Harry!" Romina tailed beside him. "And I don't think I will!"

Harry ignored her rambles all the way up to Hagrid's hut. The man was playing a flute when the kids arrived and was directly asked about his dragon egg.

"Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? What did he look like?"

"Harry—" Romina whispered but the boy motioned her to stay quiet.

Hagrid had no problem answering as he didn't see the problem...yet. "I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up."

"The stranger, though, you and he must have talked," Harry kept making him go.

"Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem.'"

"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?"

"Well, of course he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said, 'The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep.'"

Romina slapped her hand against her forehead.

Hagrid went wide-eyed the moment he said the words. "I shouldn't have told you that."

Romina lowered her hand from her face. "You really shouldn't have said that to anyone," she said just as Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed off towards the castle.

"Where you going?" Hagrid called after the three Gryffindors. "Wait!"

"I'll go," Romina assured him and scurried after her friends.

She followed the three back into the castle and did her best to sway them from their thoughts about telling Dumbledore. Of course, no one listened, and that's how she found herself outside McGonagall's classroom while the three went in to tell her everything. She was not going to make herself get detention. When they returned, dejectedly, she wasn't even surprised.

"You weren't believed?" she condescendingly inquired.

"Dumbledore's left for London," Hermione sadly said.

"Meaning that now the Philosopher's stone is at a perfect chance to be stolen," Ron just now made the connections. Romina rolled her eyes.

"That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy," Harry directly looked at Romina.

The girl shook her head. "No, Harry!" she started moving away, but of course she was followed.

"Rom, you have to believe me!"

"Look, Harry, I acknowledge that the way Snape treats you is ghastly but to call him a thief? And to make him the culprit of all this is just beyond ridiculous."

"We wouldn't make it up if the facts weren't there!" Hermione exclaimed.

Romina groaned loudly. "What facts, Hermione!? It's—" but she had nearly bumped into the accused himself.

Snape looked at the four questionably, and Romina suddenly wished she hadn't followed Harry into the castle anymore. "Good afternoon," Snape went slowly. "Now, what would three young Gryffindors - and one Slytherin - such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?" he specifically eyed Romina and she assumed it was because she had not been seen with the three together since the beginning of the school year.

"We were just talking," Romina thought it wise to give a simple excuse. However, behind her Harry was glaring intensely at Snape, practically cancelling out her excuse.

"You want to be careful. People will think you're up to something," Snape acknowledged the look on him but didn't point it out. Instead, he simply walked around them and continued on his way.

"We have to go down that trapdoor tonight," Harry declared.

Romina whirled around, looking at him crazily. "You have to be joking."

"I am not! And if you want to see for yourself that Snape is the one after the stone I suggest you come with us."

Romina saw Hermione and Ron were on Harry's side no doubt, and because she was curious herself to see who the actual culprit is - because she refused to believe them - she would accept the challenge.

~ 0 ~

"We're all going to get expelled, I hope you know that," Romina made sure to warn at least five times as she, Harry, Ron and Hermione crept to the forbidden corridor late at night.

"Yes, we get it," Ron was the one to throw her an annoyed look, not that she cared nor saw it. She didn't dare move her head what with Harry's Invisibility Cloak barely covering them all as they moved along.

Unfortunately for them, they had come across the 'favorite' school ghost...Peeves. He was in the middle of loosening carpet in hopes of making people trip along their way. They tried being extra careful as they walked forwards.

"Who's there?" Peeves suddenly called. "Know you're there even if I can't see you. Are you a ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

No one answered.

"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen," Peeves said in a mighty taunting voice.

Romina nudged Harry, whispering ever so lightly. "Bloody...Baron…"

Harry instantly got the message and put on his best imitation of the Bloody Baron. "Peeves," his voice was hoarse, "The Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

The trick worked like a charm. Peeves respected no one but Dumbledore perhaps but no one like the Bloody Baron.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir. My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

The kids barely contained their laughter.

"I have business here, Peeves," Harry continued on with the joke. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will! Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

The kids were able to take a breather when Peeves finally went off.

"Brilliant, Rom," Harry dared not to shout in case anyone still lurked by.

"Slytherin saving your behinds, remember that," Romina smirked and pretended like they hadn't groaned at her joke.

When they entered the room they realized that someone already had beaten them there. For starters, the door was a creak open, and the guard - Fluffy - was already asleep thanks to an enchanted harp playing.

"Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp," Harry pulled the cloak off them and together they neared the three-headed dog.

"So that's the famous Fluffy?" Romina was shell-shocked at the size of the creature.

"Ugh, it's got horrible breath!" Ron covered his nose.

"We have to move its paw," Harry gestured to one of Fluffy's paws right over the trapdoor.

"I am not touching that paw," Romina stared while the other three began moving the paw.

"Didn't take you for the princess," Hermione smirked.

"Am not," Romina fell for the trap and began to help them. Between the four it was no hard job.

"I'll go first," Harry said after opening the trap door. "And don't follow until I give you a sign. If something bad happens, get yourselves out…" but he trailed off when something hit him, "...does it seem a bit...quiet?"

Hermione whipped her head in the direction of the harp. "The harp. It stopped playing!"

"Ewwww…." Ron shuddered when something cold hit his shoulder and he realized it was Fluffy's drool. "Yuck! Ugh!"

Fluffy immediately growled at the intruders and lunged, instead hitting the harp.

"Jump! Go!" Harry told the others.

They all fell through and hit something mushy - a cold, black mushy ground.

"Lucky this plant thing is here," Ron began to take a look at it but soon took back his words when the vines began to move towards them.

"Hey! I know this!" Romina exclaimed, unnaturally happy despite the vines wrapping around her.

"K, great, we don't need another Hermione!" Ron said as he struggled against the plants.

"Hey!" went both offended girls.

"Neville tutored me! Boy knows his stuff when it comes to Herbology!" Romina laughed at the luck they had. "This is Devil's Snare! You just have to relax and it won't kill you."

"Right, right," Hermione looked around her with a new light in her eyes. "We just have to relax."

"Romina!" Harry watched in horror while her friend simply smiled and was sucked right under.

"Just do what she did!" Hermione instructed and stopped moving altogether. She too was then brought down.

"Rom! Hermione!" Harry called. "Where are you!?"

"Harry Potter can you just freaking listen to me!?" Romina practically shouted from wherever she and Hermione had gone to. "Just relax already!"

Harry had no choice but to follow instructions. He took a breath and relaxed himself. Ron then had to watch him go down as well. "Harry!"

"See?" Romina went by to help Harry up. "Always listen to Romina. It just makes everything better."

Harry had time to laugh but Ron's piercing call for him ended it all too soon. Hermione shook her head. "He's just not relaxing is he?"

"Apparently not."

"Help! Help me!"

"Anymore Neville tips?" Harry asked hopefully to his best friend.

"Um…" Romina crinkled her nose. "There was something else...but I think that's when Trevor got lost, and…"

"Devil's Snare hates sunlight," Hermione reminded her, making Romina snap her fingers.

"Right, that!"

Hermione took out her wand and pointed it up. "Lumus Solem!" a shot of light flew from the tip of the wand and had the Devil's Snare recoil from Ron, letting him easily drop to the ground with them.

They wasted no more time and hurried down the corridor, expecting something worse to hit them in the darkness. The next room was brightly lit one full of...birds? There was one single door set right across them.

"I have never seen birds like those," Romina narrowed her eyes at said creatures.

"They're not birds," Harry came up beside her, intently staring above. "They're keys. I bet one of them fits the door."

"Harry, look," Hermione pointed at a broom suspended in the air. "What's that all about?"

Ron, in the meantime, had crept up to the wooden door waiting to be opened. "Alohomora!" he had tried using his wand on the door but it didn't work. "Well," he turned back to his friends, "it was worth a try."

"There must be a 1000 keys up there…" Romina discourgedly looked from one 'bird' to the next, "...Harry, how are we meant to find it?

"We're looking for a big old fashioned one," Ron stared at the door's keyhole. "Probably rusty like the handle."

Harry grabbed the broomstick and kicked off into the air without ever talking about who should be the one to do the task. Soon as he did, the bird-keys went right for him. He battled through them, following Ron's description and in no time spotted the right bird. Quidditch continued having its perks alright.

"Catch the key, Rom!" Harry called. He flew past and chucked the key directly at Romina who effortlessly caught it.

"Baseball," she smirked at Hermione who seemed mighty impressed.

"What's baseball?" asked poor Ron.

"Something I can teach you in the summer, now c'mon!" Romina went for the door and easily unlocked it. She, ROn and Hermione ran inside and Harry nearly toppled over the broom to get through. The bird-keys were following him and barely missed with the shut door.

Focusing on the new room they were now in, they found it to be a messy one. There were broken pieces around them, but nothing could be clearly made out yet.

"Where are we? A graveyard?" Harry couldn't tell what anything was and it was quite frustrating.

"This is no graveyard," Ron was beginning to understand and sighed. "It's a chessboard." He stepped onto a floor board of chess, and suddenly had flames of light brightening up the room. On the chess board were life size statues of players.

"And there's the door," Romina pointed across the board.

Now they tried getting past without playing and were forced back when the pawns threatened them with their swords.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione helplessly asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron wearily looked at one pawn to the next. "We've got to play our way across the room."

"Mm, and let me guess, we're—" Romina gestured to herself and them, "—the pawns, aren't we?"

Ron regretted to nod his head. "All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle, Romina you be the Rook. As for me, I'll be a knight."

"What happens now?" Hermione was staring at the facless pawns around them.

Ron had clambered aboard the horse where he was meant to take place. "Well, white moves first, and then...we play. "

A white pawn from the other side, the opponent, moved forwards.

Hermione suddenly whipped her head at Ron with a frazzled expression. "Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?"

"Dare I ask how real wizard's chess goes?" Romina shut her eyes.

Ron paid neither attention. "You there! D-5!" a black pawn moved diagonal to the white pawn that had moved first. The white pawn smashed its sword over the black and destroyed it. The kids jumped.

"Oh hell no!" Romina shouted.

"Didn't you ever play?" Ron threw a disbelieving look.

"No! Both my grandparents hate chess! Plus, I think it would make it a little obvious that we're wizards if our chess pieces killed each other!"

"Then there's something I can teach you over the summer!"

Romina was then forced to stay quiet and do as Ron said. It was not easy seeing pawns from both sides be crushed into nothing. The inkling fear of becoming said crushed pawns made Romina tremble despite knowing from Hermione that Ron was actually very good at wizard's chess. It didn't help that two times Ron had nearly let Hermione and Harry get crushed if he hadn't taken an extra minute to think about his moves.

"Wait a minute…" Harry had grasped some of Ron's moves and was now staring in horror at the game that was so close to a finish.

"You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King," Ron said ever so casually that both Romina and Hermione had to take a second to really wonder if he'd said those words.

"You can't just sacrifice yourself!" Romina exclaimed.

Hermione nearly lost it. "There must be another way!"

Ron wasn't having it with either girl. His eyes flickered from one to the other, dead serious. "Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

Hermione crossed her arms.

"It's not Sape!" Romina practically shouted.

"Romina!" Ron snapped. "Look, Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, not Romina, just you" Harry hated himself but he knew Ron was right. Ron took a breath to himself then spoke the deadly words. "Knight...to H-3."

Ron's horse slid forwards and immediately had the Queen pawn turn his way. He gripped the steel reins of his horse pawn and took the blow when the Queen smashed his pawn to pieces.

"Ron!" Hermione cried but the ginger had fallen to the floor, hopefully just unconscious.

"What do you reckon's next?" Harry asked after making sure Ron truly was alright.

Romina began listing off her fingers. "Well, we've had Sprout's - the Devil's Snare culprit - and I supposed Flitwick put the charms on those bird-keys, and I'm going to guess McGonagall was the grand mastermind of this lovely chess game so that leaves whatever Quirrel leaves us and Snape."

WIth that knowledge, the three remaining students reached the next door of a no-doubt deadly task. As soon as they walked in, their noses were filled with a crude oder. There was a large troll lying on the ground, unconscious, with injuries resulting from a battle.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry mumbled while he and the girls moved around it.

The next room held something completely calm and completely odor-free. The three relaxed somewhat to see seven bottles of different shapes set in a line on a table.

"So we get Snape's first," Hermione nodded and moved towards the table.

"What do we have to do?" asked Harry. The moment he asked, and they had moved, purple flames sprang from the doorway through which they had entered. A second later, black flames blocked the door they were meant to get through.

"Oh, he's smart," Romina praised, almost clapping for her head of House had Harry and Hermione not thrown her dirty looks. With a sigh, she picked up a rolled paper and read from it.

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,

One among us seven 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 bidden 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 nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at 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.

"Wow, okay," Romina said with a beam, one that Harry noticed Hermione shared as well. "Totally good - this is why I like Snape." The beam fell off Hermione's face at those words. "I still refuse to believe your accusations," Romina promptly said then began to work on the bottles herself. "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."

"But so will we, won't we?" Harry stared at the seven bottles.

"Answers are right here, Harry," Romina pointed at the paper in her hands. "Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple. Hermione?"

"On it," the brunette keenly listened to the words of the paper again.

"Red one should be the third," Romina would point while Hermione mumbled and rearranged the bottles, asking every now and then for Romina to repeat a part of the puzzle.

"And this one…?" Hermione pointed to the last of the bottles, still thinking on it for herself. "Fifth, right?"

"Definitely," nodded Romina who then slid the bottle into its appropriate spot.

"Alright Harry," Hermione held up the smallest of the bottles for him. "This one will get you through the black fire and to the Stone.

Harry eyed the bottle discouragingly. "But there's only enough for one of us…hardly one swallow."

Both Hermione and Romina had figured that out earlier and were glumly exchanging glances.

"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" asked Harry after a moment.

"This one," Romina picked up a round bottle that happened to be in the last of the line.

"Okay well you two drink that."

"What!?" Romina barely had time to say when Harry quickly jumped back.

"No, listen, get back and get Ron. 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."

"There are so many things wrong with that sentence that I won't even begin to get into it," Romina shook her head. "But we can't just leave you."

"She's right," Hermione nervously glanced at the door Harry would be crossing soon. "What if You-Know-Who's with him?"

"Well - I was lucky once, wasn't I?" Harry pointed to his scar for reference. "I might get lucky again."

"Oh, Harry," Romina covered her face. Hermione, on the other hand, was close to crying, and surprised Harry with a big hug.

"Harry - you're a great wizard, you know!"

Harry was actually very surprised to hear that one, even exchanging a startled glance with Romina who was smiling in amusement.

"I'm not as good as you," he replied and pulled away from Hermione.

"Me?" she scoffed. "Books! And cleverness. There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!"

Harry promised her he would be, as much as he could anyways. Romina then came over and gave him a tight hug, much more put together than Hermione. "You've always had a knack for getting into trouble...but I daresay the Dursleys prepared you for the worst."

Harry laughed with her. "Something good then."

"Please do be careful," Romina cautioned just like Hermione.

A minute later, she and Hermione took equal slugs of the bottle meant to get them back to Ron. Both girls shivered as an icy shard went down their throats.

"It's not poison!?" worried Harry for a minute.

"No, it's like ice," Hermione made a face once the effect passed.

"Quick, go, before it wears off," Harry shooed both girls off.

"Good luck," Hermione said.

"And take care," Romina had to warn him one more time. Harry Potter was impulsive, and in the face of the 'Dark Lord' who knew what he would do.

A/N:

P.S As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"