The Crystal Council
Chapter 11
The Immortal's Stone
It would be two weeks before anything new would happen in Hermione's life apart from the usual daily grind of classes and homework. It was after the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
"Hermione I need to talk with you, ya got a second?" asked Harry with a look of concern in his eyes.
"Sure what do you want to talk about?" asked Hermione
Harry shook his head "We can't talk here follow me." he said as he motioned for Hermione to follow him into an unoccupied classroom.
Hermione followed Harry into the empty room and watch as he closed and locked the door before casting a muffling charm to prevent any eavesdroppers from listing in. Harry turned to Hermione and looked straight into her eyes.
"I think there may be a Death Eater at Hogwarts." Harry said, dead serious
Hermione felt her blood run cold, she knew that if a Death Eater was at Hogwarts it could mean big trouble.
"How do you figure that Harry? Hogwarts is a very well protected place not to mention Dumbledore is in charge. He wouldn't let a Death Eater roam free." Hermione argued
"Over the holiday I overheard my parents talking with Dumbledore through the Floo network. He mention that one of the staff members at Hogwarts was acting strangely and that it might be due to the stone he had hidden in the castle." Harry explained
"That does sound ominous, but do we have any way of confirming who this Death Eater might be?" asked Hermione
"I figured I might be able to follow the suspected Death Eater during curfew, my dad gave me his special cloak that can turns anyone under it invisible." replied Harry
"Well you have the how down but, what about who, do you have a suspect?" asked Hermione
"I think it's Snape I've often seen him roaming the area around the forbidden corridor, particularly around the time for curfew." replied Harry
"Harry, Snape is a a teacher of course he going to patrol the castle during curfew hours and if we are honest he is one of the scarier teachers in the castle." countered Hermione
"I know that but it still feels off to me. It feels like Snape is biding his time in order to nab the stone and run off with it." Harry shot back
"Okay so you suspect Snape of being a Death Eater trying to steal a stone locked somewhere on the forbidden corridor. Do you know anything more about this stone?" asked Hermione
"Not much only what I overheard during the Floo call, apparently if Death Eaters get their hands on it they might be able to resurrect Volde-" Harry started to say before Hermione clapped her hand over his mouth.
"If there really is a Death Eater here saying that name is a death sentence, Do not say that name again, understand." Hermione demanded and Harry could only nod his head.
"Now I think we can split our work up into two parts. You follow Snape with your cloak and keep tabs on what he is doing. I will try and learn more about this resurrection stone of yours and if it could even be at Hogwarts at the moment. Sound good?" asked Hermione as she removed her hand from Harry's mouth.
"Sounds good to me and with the two best first years on the case we should be able to solve this mystery and if Snape really is a Death Eater we can tell Dumbledore and he should be able to deal with the rest." Harry stated confidently
Hermione was far less confident in Harry's plan than he was and felt a deep growing concern that Harry was in over his head and she would be proved right only a month later.
Harry would get caught during one of his nighttime stalking sessions and it was due to Harry running into Malfoy while following Snape, fortunately it was Flitwick who found them and both received a unusual punishment in the form of helping Hagrid the groundskeeper. It would be during this detention that Harry claimed he had seen a specter consuming the blood of a unicorn and he also claimed it looked like He Who Shall Not Be Named.
Hermione, for her part, had found mention of a stone that could impart immortality to a degree. The Philosopher's Stone made by Nicolas Flamel a legendary Stone that could turn any metal to gold and produce the Elixir of Life. She had also learned more of the history surrounding the first wizarding war, most notably the final battle between Harry's parents and Voldemort which resulted in multiple muggle deaths. Hermione also learned that Harry's parents spent several years in St. Mungos and were blamed for the incident and became pariahs.
It would be late one evening after everyone else had gone to bed Harry and Hermione with Amy, Ron, and Neville in attendance shared all they had learned and began to discuss what their next step would be.
"Look Harry I get it, something is going on the third floor but we don't have enough to actually say what is happening." argued Hermione
"It doesn't matter what is down there Hermione. I am sure Snape wants it and since we are the only ones who know, it falls to us to stop him." Harry shot back
The two had been arguing for about forty-five minutes while the other three watched before Amy decided to step in.
"Okay! That's enough! You two are going to wake up the whole house if you keep this up." Amy exclaimed from her seat next to Neville on the couch.
Hermione cast a glance towards the stairs that lead to the dormitories before responding. "Look I understand how disastrous this could be if Snape or any Death Eater gets their hands on the Stone but we don't all have to go. I'll do it alone after all I have the highest scores in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione argued.
"And I have the second highest, so the two of us going improves our chances greatly and I have the invisibility cloak my dad gave me it would make it way easier to get in and out." Harry pushed back.
" Yet you seem to have forgotten what happen to all of us on Halloween with the troll, your grades didn't save you from that now did they." Hermione shot back
"Hey, you can hardly blame me for that it was my first time fighting a troll. I'll do better next time I swear." Harry vowed
The three spectators sitting on the couch sighed in unison before Amy and Ron nodded at each other and stood with Ron grabbing Harry by the shoulders and pushing him into a vacant armchair. Amy grabbed Hermione into a iron bear hug and literally squeezed the air out of her before letting go.
"Right now both of you need to listen for a second. We all seem to agree that we need to do something to stop whomever is trying to get the Philosopher's stone. The only thing you two can't agree on is who should go." Amy took a breath before she continued "Harry is right about one thing only three of us are going to fit under that cloak, and since the two of you are so insistent on going that mean one of the three of us is going to keep you too from waking up the whole castle with your arguing." Amy finished with a bit of a huff.
Both Harry and Hermione were stunned and the silence that followed was broken by a quiet voice.
"I think we should go tell Professor McGonagall or one of the other teachers." suggested Neville
"No!" responded both Harry and Hermione. Neville looked taken back for a moment before his facial features hardened and he stood taking out his wand and pointing it at the remaining four.
"This is too dangerous for students we need to tell a teacher! If I need to I will stop you myself!" stuttered Neville as he pointed his want to his peers in turn, his hand shaking uncontrollably.
"Well I suppose that answers that question! You three get going I'll keep Neville busy!" shouted Amy as she launched herself from the couch tackling Neville in the process and wrestling with him.
Hermione was the first to snap out of her daze and as she turned and grabbed Ron and yelled at Harry. "Grab your cloak and lets go!"
Harry wasted no time and grabbed his cloak form the armchair it had been resting on and run to the entrance of the portrait hole and pushed it open as Hermione and Ron plowed through. The three then took off into the halls running as fast as their feet could carry them, until the reached the grand staircase. The trio would stop and catch their breath before Harry threw the cloak over the group and they made their way down to the third floor corridor. It was there that the three saw the door open and they could hear snoring from inside.
The three looked at each other and only Ron showed any sign of fear, though he did not give his doubts a voice and quietly followed the other two as they entered the room and the trio could see the giant three headed dog sleeping with an enchanted harp playing a soft melody nearby. They also saw the main problem the dog's massive paws were stacked directly over the trapdoor leading down into the unknown.
"Well we're here and someone has gotten here before us, fortunately all we need to do is move the dog's paws and.." Hermione was cut off before she could finish by the harp making a strangled choking sound and falling to the floor with a loud clank. The trio collectively held their breaths watching the giant guard dog for any signs of movement. A moment later the dog yawned and stood shaking off any remaining weariness and zeroed in on the three hiding under the cloak he could smell them. The trio immediately back off to the far wall away from the threat of gnashing teeth as Harry removed the cloak seeing it was no longer needed.
"I hope one of you have a way out of this mess I don't wanna get eaten tonight" cried Ron as he cowered against the wall.
"This is one of Hagrid's pets, he calls it Fluffy and after the detention I had in the forest with Hagrid he gave me his flute said I could use it if I ever needed escape Fluffy at some point." Harry yelled back as he rummaged in his bag for the flute.
"Hurry up Harry, that chain holding Fluffy isn't going to last much longer!" Hermione shouted just as Harry managed to get the flute to his lips and he began playing a ragged tune. It was rough and could barely pass as a song but, the dog began to sway and it had stopped growling. Soon after Fluffy collapsed onto his side snoring lightly. Hermione seeing a chance grabbed Ron and began pushing him toward the trapdoor and motioned for Harry to follow but to keep playing the flute as well. Once Ron and Hermione had reached the hatch she pulled it up and despite Ron's protestations she shoved him into the dark hole. Hermione turned just as Harry had to stop playing in order to take a breath and in the split second he had done so, Fluffy began to stir.
"Run Harry, quickly!" Whisper shouted Hermione as Harry dropped the flute and made his way towards Hermione and the trapdoor. Harry jumped into the open hatch letting a quick scream escape from his lips as he did so. Hermione then stood to jump down as well but, before she could Fluffy who now awake had begun to stand and in the process he knocked Hermione head first into the darkness below.
I am posting this a week after I finished it, mainly because I was debating on if I should include the next part of the story in this chapter or the next. I choose the next. Don't know when the next chapter will arrive, been busy on my end. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading!