Chapter 11: Nicholas Flamel

Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. This one took a while to figure out, but I am glad to finally figured it out. I'd like to thank masters123lfm for his idea. I hope you like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.

It had been a few months since Sam saw the Mirror and things have been rather boring even Merula hadn't bothered him for some reason.

Soon it would be almost a year since Sam discovered that he was a wizard, that's right tomorrow morning is February 20th, Sam's birthday.

Laying in bed, Sam was examining Slytherin's journal closely.

"Godric Gryffindor believes this school is the ultimate safe haven for young witches and wizards and that we are more than enough to protect everyone inside from danger and while I agree with him who knows when the school will be attacked and we might not be around to protect them, so I crafted a series of tunnels that travel around the entire castle in case the school was ever attacked so the students have a way to escape in the event of an emergency."

"Secret tunnels?" Sam said climbing out of bed. Grabbing the Viper Fangs just in case, Sam saw a small map of the Slytherin Common Room.

Following it to a wall, Sam looked to the journal before touching a stone causing a secret passage to open. "Salazar Slytherin you are awesome."

Sam walks into it before the passage closes behind him.

"Lumos." Sam created light from the tip of his wand and saw the tunnels were huge enough to fit tons of students in them.

Walking to the end of the tunnel he saw multiple passages in different directions.

Choosing to take the one closest to him, Sam followed the passage and walked up a flight of stairs before reaching the top.

When he was there, he saw a small opening that he could see through.

Putting his eye to it Sam gasps to see he was looking into the Gryffindor Common Room but it was empty since all the students had gone to sleep.

Slowly pushing on it the passage opens allowing Sam to walk into the Common Room and looks around in awe.

"Whoa, this place is way different than the Slytherin Common Room." Sam said walking around when he suddenly heard footsteps. Moving quickly Sam took out the Viper Fangs and vanished into the shadows.

Looking down from the top of the stairs McGonagall looked around the common room.

"Hmm thought I heard footsteps." As she turned around and walked back up to her room, she didn't notice a small shadow moving past her towards the passage.

Sneaking towards it Sam opens the passage and closes it behind him.

Walking back down, Sam couldn't help but smile as he read the rest of the entry. "These must lead to all the Common Rooms, but what about these other ones? This is amazing." Sam said when he realized something. "Wait a second, if Salazar Slytherin made these tunnels for the school how come no one else knows about this?"

Sam looked at the Slytherin objects in curiosity. What other secrets did Slytherin keep from them?

The next day, Sam was walking around looking around for any of his friends who might wish him a Happy Birthday.

Walking to the Great Hall, he saw Penny and Hermione talking as they were comparing notes.

"Hey girls." Sam said.

"Good morning Sam." Hermione said.

"You look happy." Penny said.

"Yeah I am, today's a good day for me." Sam hints.

"I'll say it is." Hermione said causing him to smile. "Thanks to Penny's pen pal we have a huge lead into what that dog is guarding."

"Huh?" Sam said as his smile disappeared.

"We gotta go to the library. We'll see you later Sam." Penny said as they ran out causing him to sigh.

"Those two do love their research, but still." Sam said when he noticed Barnaby and Liz walking down the hall. Smiling Sam followed after them.

"So what do you think?" Barnaby asks.

"Well if it was me I would use…" Liz said as Sam caught up them.

"Hey guys." Sam called out getting their attention.

"Hey Sam." Barnaby said turning to him.

"What's up?" Liz asks.

"You guys wanna hang out today? You know have some fun?" Sam suggests.

"Sorry Sam, but we have something really important to do." Liz said walking.

"I think I know a way to get us past that dog." Barnaby whispered before chasing after Liz leaving Sam all by himself again.

Sam was walking around the courtyard when he noticed Tulip handing Chiara a small box but when they saw Sam they moved quickly before he could follow them.

"Maybe Ron and Harry want to hang out. I think they went to Hagrid's place" Sam said as went to Hagrid's.

Walking down to Hagrid's hut, Sam saw it was a small hut on the edge of the forest.

"Hagrid you in there? It's me, Sam." He called out.

"Oh no, what is he doing here." A familiar voice whispers.

Putting his ear to the door, Sam listens in.

"Come on Ron." Harry whispers.

"Sshh. Sneak out the back." Hagrid whispers when Sam pulls back as the door opens to reveal Hagrid. "Hey Sam, to do what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey Hagrid have you seen Harry or Ron?" Sam asks as he looks to the back door to see Ron and Harry running out only for Hagrid to block his view.

"Nope can't say I have. Why don't you go have some fun?" Hagrid suggests.

"That's what I've been trying to do all day." Sam groans as he turns around and walks away.

At the library, Sam was looking for a new Potions book when he heard something.

"Give it back Malfoy!" Neville said.

"Come and get it Longbottom!" Malfoy said as Sam saw Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle playing monkey in the middle with Neville's Remeberall.

Neville tried to get it back but Malfoy threw it to Crabbe only for Sam to jump in and catch it.

"Geez this again Malfoy?" Sam asks.

"Sam." Neville smiles happy to see a friend.

"Can't you ever mind your own business?" Malfoy growls.

"Can't you ever be a decent human being?" Sam asks.

"Come on guys, things just got boring." Malfoy said as he and his gang left.

Walking over Sam helped Neville up and handed him back his Rememberall.

"Neville you gotta stand up for yourself. Malfoy is used to walking over people but letting him do it doesn't make things better." Sam said as they walked out.

"There's no need to tell me. I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor. Malfoy's told me that so many times." Neville sniffles.

"Hey what does he know? He gangs up on people, that's not brave that's pathetic. You can be whatever you want to be Neville. The only person in your way is you." Sam said.

"Thanks Sam." Neville smiles.

"No problem and to be honest this hasn't been a good day for me either." Sam said.

"Why's that?" Neville asks.

"Today's my birthday but everyone else seems to be busy or forgot." Sam said.

Neville looks to his Remeberall and holds it out for him. "Well Happy Birthday."

"But this is yours?" Sam asks.

"I'll probably lose it again. This way at least I know it's with someone I trust." Neville said.

Smiling Sam took it the gift. "Hey Neville. Malfoy's got nothing on you. You're ten times the wizard he'll ever be."

Neville waves goodbye smiling feeling much better.

That night, Sam was walking towards the Great Hall when he saw Harry's Owl Hedwig perched on a bench.

"Hey what are you doing here? Harry might be looking for you." Sam said when Hedwig flapped her wings and flew down the hall. "Hedwig get back here!"

Sam follows the owl into a room and when the lights turned on.

"SURPRISE!"

Sam jumps back to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Liz, Barnaby, Penny, Chiara, Tulip and Hagrid.

"Here you go." Hagrid said holing out a cake. "Made it myself words and all."

Sam looks down at it to reveal a cake with green icing that said Happy Birthday Sam.

"Thanks Hagrid." Sam smiles.

"We really fooled you, didn't we?" Ron asks.

"Yeah kinda." Sam smiles as he blew out the candles.

Soon Sam got gifts from everyone. Harry got him a box of Chocolate Frogs, Ron gave him a Wizard Chess set, Penny got him an Advanced Potion Book, Liz got him a stuffed Puffskin, Hermione got him a Folio Magi for all his cards, Chiara got him a necklace shaped like a crescent moon, and Tulip got him a Sneakoscope.

Taking Chiara's necklace Sam puts it around his neck.

"How do I look?" Sam asks.

"Awesome." Chiara smiles.

"I do have one more thing and it's for all of you." Hagrid smiles.

"Hagrid you really didn't have to." Sam said when Hagrid took out his rock cakes.

"He's right, you really didn't have to." Tulip gulps.

Barnaby tried to take a bite out of one but it was too hard to chew.

"Well I've had enough sweets for today. Have a good night kids." Hagrid said walking out.

"I don't suppose any of you would want these?" Sam asks gesturing to the rock cakes.

"I could maybe use these to throw at people." Tulip said.

"I don't even think any animal on earth could eat these." Liz said as Chiara put them into a bag.

"Help me get rid of these things." Chiara said.

"Sure." Tulip said as she and Liz helped her with the bag.

"Happy Birthday Sam.' Liz said as they left.

"I can't believe I thought you guys forgot." Sam said as he, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Penny and Barnaby were sitting together eating cake.

"Why would you think that?" Ron asks.

"Well you guys seemed more interested in finding out what Fluffy was guarding." Sam said.

"Truth is we figured it out but we also had enough time to prepare for your birthday." Penny admits.

"Wow, you did?" Sam asks.

"Yes." Hermione reaches to her bag and pulls out a book. "Nicholas Flamel is the only know maker of the Philosopher's Stone.

"The what?" Sam, Harry, Ron and Barnaby ask.

"Don't you boys read?" Hermione asks.

"Yes, but clearly not as much as you." Sam said as Hermione opened the book.

"The stone will transform any metal into pure gold and it also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal." Hermione said.

"The only one in existence belongs to renown Alchemist Nicholas Flamel who last year celebrated his 665th birthday." Penny read.

"Wow, compared to that turning 12 isn't really a big deal." Sam said.

"Now that we know what that dog is guarding, we can figure out a way past it." Barnaby said.

"This is turning into quite the birthday, huh Sam?" Ron asks taking a bite of cake.

"Tell me about it." Sam said.

"We better get back to the common rooms." Hermione said as she and Ron headed towards Gryffindor, Penny went towards Hufflepuff and Barnaby went towards Slytherin.

Harry was about to leave when he noticed Sam looking up towards the windows.

"Waiting for something?" Harry asks.

"Just Noctis, he should have been back by now." Sam said as Harry walked over to him.

"Hey Sam, what was it like? I mean growing up in an orphanage?" Harry asks.

"I'll admit it wasn't fun watching parents pick the other kids and having to grow up without a family, but I made the best of it. Martha, the woman in charge she raised me to be the person I am then there's my buddies Eric and Cole. All three of them made living in the place fun and one year ago today when I found out I was a wizard and they supported me and let me come here." Sam smiles.

"I wish I lived in your orphanage sounds like a great place." Harry said.

"What happened when you found you got your letter?" Sam asks.

"At first I couldn't even read them. My Aunt and Uncle took drastic measures to make sure I never found out about Hogwarts. It took Hagrid breaking down the front door and giving the letter to me personally to find out about this place. The next day he took me to Diagon Alley and I met you." Harry said.

"No offense Harry but your Aunt and Uncle sound like the absolute worst." Sam said causing Harry to laugh.

"You should meet my cousin." Harry said.

"I hope not." Sam said as they got up and left the Great Hall.

As they left they saw Prof. Snape sneaking through the halls.

"It's Snape. Come on." Harry said following him.

"Harry wait." Sam said running after.

Slowly following him, Sam and Harry peeped down a corridor to see Snape meeting with Quirrell.

"I…d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet with me of all people Severus." Quirrell stutters.

"Oh I think you know why. Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone." Snape said.

Harry and Sam lean in as they tried to listen in when Sam's Sneakoscope started to light up and spin.

"Shut up. Shut up." Sam whispers as he muffled it with his coat when Harry turned it off.

Snape and Quirrell look over only to see no one was there.

Quirrell mumbled something when Snape moves in.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's?" Snape asks.

"I-I don't know what you—" Quirrell stutters when Snape steps forward.

"You don't want me as an enemy, Quirrell. Tell me about the other hocus pocus down there." Snape glares.

"B-B-But I don't—"

"Very well. We'll have another chat soon when you've had time to think where your loyalties lie." Snape said as Sam and Harry used this chance to sneak away.

"I don't believe this." Sam said.

"The Philosopher's Stone is down there and Snape is trying to get past Fluffy and whatever else is guarding it." Harry said.

"Harry don't you think you're jumping the gun? What if Quirrell is the one after it and Snape is trying to stop him?" Sam suggests.

"Quirrell again? Look Sam, whether it's Snape or not we need to figure out a way to get to the Stone first." Harry said.

"But a Sneakoscope only acts like that when someone untrustworthy is nearby and it started right when Quirrell was denying things." Sam said.

"It could have also meant for Snape who was interrogating him." Harry said.

"What do we do?" Sam asks.

"We need to tell the others about this." Harry said.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll tell Penny and Barnaby." Sam sighs.

"I'll tell Ron and Hermione." Harry said walking away.

Sam sighs as he walks back to the Common Room to see Noctis waiting for him but he had a card from the orphanage along with his usual birthday cupcake.

"At least this isn't a surprise." Sam smiles as he pets Noctis. "Happy Birthday to me."

Sam was gonna eat it but after the cake and the loss of appetite from the rock cakes he put it down on the stand for someone else.

As he walked to his room Merula walked over and picked up the cupcake and took a bite. "Happy Birthday."