Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Bailey and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
A Dog's Purpose Is Strange Magic Chapter 45
Hurriedly, after it appears that everyone else has gone to sleep, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slip down into the Gryffindor Common Room with Bailey. Harry foregoes the harness tonight, concluding that it'll only get in the way of what they have to do.
Harry should've sent Bailey down into the Common Room first to act as a scout. She's done it before and her presence wouldn't have brought any unnecessary suspicion considering she's done it on her own in the past.
Meanwhile, Neville was down there pursuing his toad Trevor, unintentionally ready to surprise the unsuspecting three friends. Only Bailey is aware of him when they get there.
Hearing them coming Neville reveals himself, appearing from behind an armchair to confront them. He questions them about what they're doing and when they say it's nothing Neville can see right through the lie. Their guilty faces said it all to him. Standing in front of the portrait hole with bravado uncharacteristic to those who know him Neville attempts to block their way, inadvertently delaying them from putting a stop to Voldemort's evil resurrection. Neville is unmoved by their arguments for him to let them through and possibly lose Gryffindor House any more crucial points. Refusing to disclose their true purpose tonight Hermione is forced to take drastic measures.
Neville doesn't deserve this to happen to him, but with them pressed for time, they don't have any other choice available.
Hermione resorts to using Petrificus Totalus, a full Body-Bind spell on leaves him motionless on the carpeted floor unable to move, completely frozen.
Hermione saved them from having to tackle Neville, preventing a loud and noisy fight that would attract other eyes.
Slipping out of Neville's slackened grip Trevor goes to hop away for good. Bailey catches him midjump. Trevor protests with a heavy and husky croak. Bailey places Trevor on Neville's chest, placing a stern paw over the toad's back, emitting a small warning growl for him to stay put.
Bailey decides Neville doesn't need to lose his animal on top of this humiliation and embarrassment.
Seeing it's unwise to move Trevor plants himself on his master's chest not wanting to get bit.
Without further ado, that is done and over with, leaving a miserable Neville behind, underneath the Invisibility Cloak for shielded protection the small group makes their way down to the third-floor corridor.
They ran into Mrs. Norris and Peeves on the way down.
As long as they were under the Invisibility Cloak, Mrs. Norris didn't do anything without Filch anywhere in the vicinity. Bailey restrained herself from going after the cat. This is a serious assignment that can't be messed up. And with Peeves the solution was easy. Modifying his voice to sound like the Bloody Baron, Harry told him off which sent the poltergeist scuttling away. The Bloody Baron is one of the few individuals he will not mess with.
By the time they reach their destination the door into Fluffy's room is already ajar, a soft melody floating out of it.
"Well, there you are," said Harry, quietly. "Snape's already got past Fluffy."
Turning to the other two to give them one last chance to back out, Harry whispered "If you want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the Cloak. I won't need it now."
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.
"We're coming," said Hermione.
Harry pushed open the door, prepping for when the creaking alerts Fluffy to their presence. Only it doesn't. Fluffy is sound asleep, snoring, with one of his massive paws over the trapdoor. Not too far away from him stands a harp, enchanted to play soft and soothing music even without someone to play it.
"Snape's put a spell on the harp," reasoned Harry.
Not Snape. Quirrell's scent is all over the room. Specifically, around the trapdoor.
"Fluffy will wake up the moment it stops playing. Best to do this quickly," said Hermione, eyeing Fluffy, anxiously, easily recalling their last encounter with the three-headed dog.
They slip out of the Invisibility Cloak and creep toward the trapdoor. They can feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they cautiously approach the giant heads. Bailey tiptoes on light paw steps. Normally she'd be happy to see the canine and want to play with him, but this isn't the time or place for that on a deadline.
As one they pull the ring of the trapdoor and swing it open, lightly placing it on the floor so as not to produce even the smallest noise.
It's pitched black down there. Pure darkness.
"What can you see," said Ron, nervously.
"Nothing. It's just black. I don't see a ladder so there's no way of climbing down. We'll just have to drop," said Harry, gravely. "I'll go first, If anything happens to me, don't follow. Take Bailey and go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"
"Right," agreed Ron.
"See you in a minute, I hope…," said Harry, uncertainly.
As Harry steels his nerves to take a leap of faith a problem arises.
The harp stops playing.
Damn it! The thing must've been on a time limit or enchanted to abruptly cut off the moment anyone else besides Quirrell attempts to slip inside.
Fluffy is awake in seconds.
Snarling and baring shark and titanic teeth at them.
Can't change their minds now. There's no going back.
Harry and Ron are quick to jump in to save their skins, Hermione and Bailey being last.
Bailey had selflessly put herself between Fluffy and the kids, parking profusely. She's yanked into the trapdoor unceremoniously by her tail when Hermione follows the boys, taking her with them.
Bailey ends up landing straight on Harry's lap.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, in turn, landed on something soft. A plant of some sort. Bailey has no clue which.
Having landed sprawled next to Harry, poking it curiously, Ron said "What's this stuff?"
"Not sure. Lucky it was here, though," said Harry.
"Lucky," shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"
Hermione's talking about the plant wrapping their legs in snake-like tendrils without either of them noticing. And because she was currently sitting on Harry, Bailey is caught in the middle. Caught in the same predicament Hermione watched in horror as the boys fought to pull the plant off of them, but the more they strained against it the tighter and faster the plant wove around them.
Bailey whines and yelps as the predatorial plant ensnares her, discovering she can't break free.
Finally realizing what they're contending with, Hermione said "Stop moving. This is Devil's Snare! You've got to relax! If you don't it'll only kill you faster!"
"Kill us faster! Oh now I can relax," said Ron, impetuously, increasing his struggles.
Hermione stops moving. As soon as she does so Hermione sinks into the Devil Snare, disappearing underneath it. The boys believe her to be dead until her voice reaches them from below. Following her lead, somehow managing to wrap his arms around Bailey so she stops wriggling, the two of them sink into the Devil's Snare. They are released and land beside a safe and unharmed Hermione.
Ron panics even more watching this.
To save his life Hermione shines intense light from her wand and Harry does the same with a bluebell flame fire spell that she told him.
Ron joins them.
"Phew," said Ron. "Lucky we didn't panic."
Harry, Hermione, and Bailey glower at him with deadpan expressions.
"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology," countered Harry, reproachfully.
Bailey nips Ron's hand in admonishment for failing to listen properly.
"Ow," said Ron, retracting it from her.
"Let's go," said Harry, leading the way down a passageway that sloped downward deeper underground.
No doubt about that obstacle being Professor Sprout's work. If they presume correctly then any other's will be from the other Heads of Houses and the Headmaster.
What other things lie in store for them?
They soon find out, coming across Professor Flitwick's right after this.
Flitwick's is a chamber filled with winged keys that are enchanted to fly like butterflies and birds. One of them is supposed to catch a big and old-fashioned one that matches the silver on the handle of the door on the other side. Harry spots it flying with a bent wing, having already been caught and used to open the lock. It's a dead giveaway.
Harry volunteers for the job.
This isn't as easy as it looks.
Right when Harry mounts the broom the other keys attack him in a furious swarm to prevent him from succeeding.
With the flock distracted Ron, Hermione, and Bailey make a break for the door in preparation. Facing great difficulty, thanks to the Quidditch skills at his disposal Harry catches the correct key. He tosses it to them during a pass.
Bailey snatches it in her mouth before it can fly out of reach.
Hermione claims it, sticking it in the door and turning the lock. They barely reclose the door in time to stop the wrathful swarm from careening after them.
The canine and three kids have stepped onto a huge chessboard. Professor McGonagall's handiwork is written all over it.
Black chessmen on their end and white pieces on the other are guarding the upcoming obstacle. She'd transfigured them to make the players act alive. Each chessman is 10 feet tall and refuses to let them pass.
There's no way around it. They have to play the game in order to get across.
Ron takes charge in this one. Out of all of them, he's the one best skilled in Wizards chess.
Harry and Bailey take the place of a bishop, Hermione a castle, and Ron a knight.
As soon as they're in place the game begins.
During the entire thing, Bailey sticks close to Harry's side. Ron made it clear she cannot move away from him otherwise it'll be counted as a placement. The white pieces showed theirs no mercy. So far, thanks to Ron's strategic placements they avoided getting hurt. That is until the end. Ron is forced to sacrifice himself so that Harry would be free to take the white king and declare checkmate. Therefore, ending the match in their favor. But Ron is determined and goes through with it, heading into an outright collision course.
The white queen pounded on him immediately. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, sending him crashing haggardly onto the cold marble floor.
Shaking profusely, Harry moved three spaces to the left as Ron instructed.
The white king removes his crown, surrendering it to Harry.
The other various chessmen, parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear.
Ron is still alive, merely unconscious.
Complying with Ron's wishes Harry, Hermione, and Bailey charge through the door and up the next passageway. Can't afford to get sidetracked at this stage of the operation.
A familiar stench slams their nostrils. Hermione and Harry's eyes watering, Bailey pawing her more sensitive nose, they saw, flat on the floor, a troll even larger than the one they'd already encountered on Halloween out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
Small favors in disguise.
Stepping carefully over the massive legs they slip out the next door.
Presented to them is just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing out in a single neat and ordered line.
A fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. This fire is purple instead of ordinary flames. Simultaneously black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward, entrapping them.
A riddle puzzle is on a roll of parchment. Upon reading it Hermione acknowledges what Snape has in mind with this.
"Snape's," surmised Harry. "What do we have to do?"
The majority of the assorted bottles are filled with poisons, but two are safe to use. One will take a single person back the way they came and the other has just enough for two if rationed correctly. Hermione congenially opts to take the one for the purple flames back to Ron while Bailey and Harry share the other. Hermione is insistent on this having to be them.
Only after Hermione leaves safely does Harry take the plunge.
"Here I come," he said, draining his half in a single gulp and making Bailey drink the rest.
Neither Harry nor Bailey could feel the flames as they walked through them.
They come before the door leading into the last and final chamber.
Just before they head into the room Bailey suddenly stiffens growling.
Harry believes it's Snape when she knows it is Quirrell.
Harry inhales a deep breath to calm himself, places a steadying hand on Bailey's head for comfort, and walks inside.
Someone is already there in front of the Mirror of Erised waiting for them.
Quirrell.
Why? Oh, why couldn't Harry have paid more attention to her?
Authors Note:
I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D