Welcome back my lovely Potterheads!
Happy 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter (film)! As promised, I'm uploading a new chapter. I'll probably end up expanding it later on down the line, but I'm happy with it for now! We're slowly but surely wrapping up Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, which means we'll be facing the Chamber of Secrets soon enough!
Enjoy, and Happy Harry Potter Day!
If there was one person who could keep Harry from returning to the mirror, it was Professor Dumbledore. On his third night in the unused classroom, Harry reported to his cousin and best friend that he'd not been alone. The school's Headmaster had greeted him - in the Boy Who Lived's words, rather dramatically - and explained just what the mirror could do. It showed nothing more than the heart's deepest desire, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. As Dumbledore said, such an image brought madness with it, people becoming entranced with what was revealed that they lost themselves - and their minds - in the process.
Susanna was relieved to hear that the mirror would be moved, but she'd be lying if she hadn't considered looking for it herself. Her mind ran wild with the memory of her family and Harry's smiling at her, the mirror showing the redheaded girl a proud gathering. Dumbledore's words rang true.
Harry was haunted with what he'd been shown as well. Since the last night he peered into the mirror, his dreams had shifted to nightmares, his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, a man cackling loudly. When he told Susanna and Ron during breakfast, it was the Weasley boy who scolded him. "You see, Dumbledore was right," the red-haired boy grunted as he chewed a sausage, "that mirror could drive you mad!" Susanna only nodded along, worriedly nudging her cousin's shin with her bouncing foot.
Hermione returned the day before the new term, and as the redheaded girl guessed, she cared little about the actual mirror. The brunette was instead horrified that Harry, Susanna, and Ron had been out of bed and roaming the castle late at night. She was equally disappointed in the trio for not discovering who exactly Nicolas Flamel was. Harry kept insisting he'd read the name somewhere before, but they'd yet to stumble across it in a library book. They spent their breaks skimming the pages all the same.
Harry had less time to spend researching than the other three Gryffindors. Wood had increased the training schedule, nearly working himself and the team into an early grave. Even with intense rainstorms replacing the snow, the Quidditch captain was not deterred. Still, the long hours of training did wonders for Harry's sleep, as he insisted to his worried cousin that his nightmares had faded. The statement didn't stop her from poking at the bags under his eyes.
One particularly stormy night, even Hermione had grown disappointed by their lack of findings in the library. With Harry at practice, his cousin and two friends retired to the common room. Susanna watched with great amusement as Ron pulled Hermione into a game of Wizard's Chess, her back to the roaring fire. It was the only thing their bushy-haired friend ever lost at, and whenever Susanna mentioned that fact to humble her, Hermione took great pleasure in reminding the other girl of her Astronomy grade.
"Why would you move your knight there? Did you leave your brain in the library?" Susanna teased good-naturedly as Hermione lost for the fifth time. Her best friend shoved her playfully, both girls breaking into giggles as they began slapping at each other.
"Oi! Are we playing or not?" Ron demanded, tone scolding. Hermione cleared her throat, sensing the challenge. She narrowed her eyes and screwed her face, as though she was attacking a particularly complicated potion.
"Yes. Set up the board, Ronald."
Halfway through their sixth game, a muddy Harry came tumbling through the portrait. He fell to the floor beside his cousin, exhausted. He opened his mouth, only to be immediately silenced when Ron held up his hand. "Don't talk to me for a moment. I need to concen-" The red-haired boy froze when he noticed the haunted look on Harry's face.
A concerned Susanna rubbed her cousin's shoulder. "What's the matter, Harry?"
"Snape."
"What about him?" Ron questioned. "He take another one of your books away? Git."
"Worse." Harry had gone pale, his voice lowering to a whisper. "He's refereeing."
Susanna choked on nothing. "Refereeing what?"
"Quidditch match." Her cousin mumbled. "He's going to referee our match."
"Don't play." Hermione said at once, blushing at her abruptness and blatant disrespect towards a teacher.
Ron nodded, pointing towards the bushy-haired brunette with her screaming bishop. "Say you're ill."
Susanna raised her hand. "Pretend to break your leg." Then she smirked, a devious expression reminiscent of the Twins'. "Really break your leg."
"Anna!" Hermione scolded her friend, slapping her shoulder.
Susanna threw up her hands, frustrated. "What? It's efficient!"
"You know it can easily be fixed using Episkey!" Hermione reminded the Boy Who Lived's cousin, who deflated at the reminder.
"I know. It was a stupid suggestion."
The boys' mouths had dropped during the girls' conversation. "That's why breaking my leg was a stupid suggestion? Because it's easy to fix?"
To her credit, Susanna flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. It was mostly a joke."
"Right." Harry gave her a playfully distrustful glare, then cleared his throat. "Besides, I can't back out. There isn't a reserve Seeker. Gryffindor wouldn't be able to play."
"Gryffindor's going to need a new Seeker if you do play, given Snape tried to kill you last time." Ron spoke, ordering his knight to move. He flinched when Susanna threw a pillow at his face, knocking him back against the couch. "Oi!"
"Tact, Ron!"
"You just told Harry you'd break his leg!"
"As a joke!"
"Quiet, both of you, or are you toddlers and not eleven?" Hermione was quick to admonish, before refocusing her attention on a distracted Harry. "We'll think of something -"
Before she could continue, the portrait swung open and poor Neville stumbled through the hole, hopping up and down. How he did so without crashing on his face was a mystery to the other four, because his legs had clearly been bound together by a Leg-Locker Curse. Susanna's gut filled with anger, and she rushed over to her friend to check him for bruises.
"I'm alright, Susanna. Honestly. Just a little - ah - embarrassed." Nevill flushed as the girl fussed over him.
"Oh, alright." She murmured as Hermione said the countercurse, freeing the Longbottom boy's legs. She and Susanna helped him into a chair, Neville's legs shaking as he sat.
"What happened?"
"Mal-Malfoy." Neville stuttered to Hermione. "I met him outside the library... said he'd been looking for someone to practice it on."
"Go to Professor McGonagall! Report - where are you going?!" Hermione called out, watching in confusion as Susanna growled and grabbed her wand, storming towards the portrait-hole.
"To deal with that blonde git. No one else will."
"Please don't!" Neville pleaded, the desperation in his voice causing Susanna to pause at the portrait. She reluctantly turned around, shoulders still tense with battle-readiness. "I don't want more trouble."
"Oh, come on Neville!" Ron stood up, placing his hands on the other boys' shoulders. "You've got to stand up to him. He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier!"
"Ron!" Susanna warned, watching as Neville crumpled in on himself. "Nev, tactless didn't mean it like -"
"There's no need to tell me that I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that." He choked out.
Susanna hurried back over and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders, kicking Ron in the shin. It earned a small laugh from Neville, whose smile widened as Harry handed him a Chocolate Frog. "You're worth ten of Malfoy," the Chosen One declared, "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin!"
Neville sniffed, lips twitching as he grinned weakly. He slowly unwrapped the candy, shoulders still slumped. "Thanks, Harry... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card? You collect them, right?" He handed Harry the card, nodded shyly at Susanna, and then walked towards his dorm room.
Still itching for a fight, Susanna distracted herself by peering over Harry's shoulder to examine the card. She snorted as he groaned. "Dumbledore again? You know, he was the first one I ever -" Harry startled, and Susanna frowned in concern.
"What? What is it? Harry?"
"I've found him!" Her cousin whispered, twisting to wave the card in her face, before doing the same to Ron and Hermione. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here - listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindlewald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel!"
Hermione and Susanna gasped with excitement, looking at each other in sync before running up to their own dormitory. The boys barely had enough time to exchange mystified expressions before the girls returned, Susanna helping Hermione carry down a book that was nearly the size of their torsos. "I never thought to look in here!" The brunette Muggle-born huffed, the girls slamming the book down onto an empty table, startling some neighboring housemates. "I got this out of the library weeks ago -"
"Oi, I'm the one who pointed it out to you!" Susanna interrupted, but Hermione only waved her off in confirmation before continuing.
"- weeks ago for a bit of light reading."
"Light?" Ron questioned incredulously. He balked when Hermione glowered him into silence, Susanna barely covering her snort with a cough.
Harry, his cousin, and Ron all watched in quiet amazement as Hermione frantically flicked through the pages. She muttered lowly to herself, completely inaudible to her friends until she let out a slight cheer. "I knew it! I knew it!"
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" A grumpy Ron asked. Susanna shushed him, raising her hands apologetically when the other redhead realized she was only teasing him.
Hermione ignored the duo in favor of whispering dramatically. "Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"
"The what?"
"Hmm?"
"Like, The Sword and the Stone?" Ron, Harry, and Susanna all asked. Hermione huffed frustratedly, realizing her announcement didn't have the effect she intended.
"Oh, honestly, don't you three read? I know I've mentioned this to you before, Anna, I seriously thought you'd remember -"
"You say a lot of things, Hermione. It's why I love you!" Susanna was quick to add, smiling innocently at her unimpressed best friend.
The brunette shook her head and spun the book to face the clueless trio, pointing to the correct spot. Susanna cleared her throat, tone growing more wondrous as she read the text out loud - though still quietly enough that no one would be able to eavesdrop.
"'The ancient study of alchemy'," she began, "is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.'" Despite her amazement, Susanna couldn't keep a little quip from escaping her mouth. "Better than getting turned by a vampire, you think? Less of a mess, with a lack of spilt blood and all." Hermione's eyebrows twitched, and Susanna continued bashfully. "Right. 'There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Pernelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).'" Susanna whistled. "At that rate, you'd think the Flamels would've already drank the Elixir of Life."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I suppose, but that's not the point right now. The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"
"Again, I would've just drinked it. Saved everyone the trouble. Though, I suspect the 'turn any metal into pure gold' is just as tempting." Susanna hummed, her cousin and friends looking at her in shock. "What?" She crossed her arms, pouting. "I'm not saying I would actually drink it, I'm only saying it was an option for the Flamels! I mean, no wonder Snape's after it."
Harry nodded in agreement, and Ron gestured to the book. "And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"
After days of built up anxiety, the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match had finally arrived. Snape had steadily grown more awful to Harry, Potions class becoming a weekly torture for the Boy Who Lived. Hermione and a reluctant Ron nearly exerted their energy every class just trying to keep Susanna calm, the red-haired girl ready to violently attack their Professor at any moment.
It was stressful enough for Harry and the rest of Gryffindor House to know they'd be entering an important match with a biased referee. But with the four knowing Snape was also after the Stone? Susanna had spent every night curled up around Hades, her cat confused but pleased by the constant attention from his human.
On the day of the match, Ron and Hermione took their time wishing Harry luck. Seeing the look of dread on Susanna's face, the two friends stepped away to allow the cousins some privacy. They could only watch with scared frowns as the redhead hugged Harry as tightly as possible, shoulders shaking. The Chosen One was just as terrified.
"I'll be watching out for you the whole time, alright?" Susanna murmured. "I won't let him go after you."
"He'll be flying."
"Then I'll grande jeté off the stands and knock him off his broom myself. I won't let all those grueling years of ballet amount to nothing." She griped, earning a laugh from Harry.
"Who am I to stop the girl who leaps without looking?"
Susanna smirked, but her eyes betrayed her fear. "I am the more daring of us two." She huffed and stepped back, clapping her cousin on the shoulder. "Good luck, Freak."
"Thanks, Freak."
The red-haired girl could only smile and wave as Harry disappeared into the locker room, joining the rest of his team. Even the Twins' laughter couldn't distract her from wondering if this would be the last time she saw her cousin alive. Her mind brought her back to when they were nine, and Harry almost met his maker when Dudley shoved him off the roof. She was able to save him that day, but now? Would she be that lucky? Would they? Would anyone even believe her if she swore up and down that Snape was responsible?
"Susie?" Ron whispered softly, the boy gently taking his friend's elbow. She glanced over at him and Hermione, her hand clenched against her wand.
"Let's go." She shrugged him off and walked towards the stands. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances before chasing after her. They joined Neville, who was clearly confused by the trio's grim expressions and the sight of their wands.
Unbeknownst to Harry, his cousin and their two friends had secretly been practicing the Leg-Locker Curse. Susanna would never let Draco Malfoy know his actions against Neville inspired her, but if it worked against Snape she might just send him an anonymous "thank you" note.
"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis." Hermione muttered to the two redheads.
Ron huffed. "I know!" He slid his wand up the sleeve of his robes. "Don't nag!" He snapped.
Susanna stayed silent as her two friends bickered. Unlike her companions, she kept her wand at the ready, resting against her thigh as she watched Snape fly around the pitch, ordering some staff as they set up for the game as the two teams marched onto the field.
Something caught her eye as she surveyed the stands, and at once the dread melted away. Professor Dumbledore himself was present, sitting beside an enthusiastic McGonagall. Truly the only times Susanna had ever seen her Transfiguration instructor so expressive was during Gryffindor Quidditch matches. "Look!" She whispered to her friends, all of whom laughed with relief when they noticed the Headmaster, and Professor Snape's bitter expression.
"No wonder he looks so angry!" Ron muttered to the two girls. "I've never seen him look so mean. Look, they're off - ouch!" He yelped, rubbing the back of his head. The trio turned, relief molting into disbelief when they realized just who'd joined them.
"Seriously?!" Susanna cried out, missing the start of the game as she glowered at Draco and his two goons. Crabbe and Goyle looked especially thick that day, and she wrinkled her nose. "Is your eyesight worse than Harry's? The Slytherin stand is over there, far away from us. Gits." She turned back around, only for one of her pigtails to be tugged. "Ow!"
"Sorry, didn't see you there." Draco taunted, fingers only a few centimeters from Susanna's red hair.
A spark of mischief shone in the Gryffindor girl's green eyes, and she smirked up at the blonde. "You know, my mother always told me that when a boy pulls a girl's pigtail, he has a crush on her. The problem is, he's a child, so he doesn't know the right way to show his feelings."
Draco glared with disgust. "Is that what your filthy muggle mother says?"
Susanna flinched with anger, Hermione's eyes going wide as she grabbed Susanna's arm to hold her in place, the redhead preparing to pounce. Ron was more reluctant to hold her back, but a glower from Hermione convinced him all the same. "The only one filthy here is you. Are you competing with your godfather for the title of 'Greasiest Hair'? I thought rich people could afford better hair products. You look like you've just been dunking your head in the Black Lake every day."
"Anna! You're missing the game!" Hermione distracted her friend, quickly pulling her attention away from the steaming Malfoy.
Susanna's anger was redirected to Snape, and she let out a litany of colorful curses so shocking that Neville had to cover his ears. Ron only grinned, bouncing around as he enjoyed his mate's creative insults. They became more intense as the Potions Master awarded Hufflepuff a penalty in retaliation for George aiming the bludger at him.
"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time." Draco voiced as they watched Harry circle the air, searching for the Snitch. "Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley? Dursley?"
"Bloody git! How about you learn how to ref, you fu-"
"Susanna!" Hermione shouted, covering the redhead's mouth. "Enough. We're all angry. Compose yourself. Eugh!" She wiped her hand off on her robe, Susanna having licked her hand.
"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Draco asked loudly, eyeing the back of the red-haired girl's head. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then the Weasley's -" he glanced over at Ron, who was shaking with fury, "who've got no money. Longbottom, you should be on the team, you've got no brains."
Neville had gone bright red, but he turned to face the Slytherin regardless, pride warming Susanna's heart. "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy." He stammered as he spoke, but there was a rare strength in his voice.
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Susanna only flipped them off without sparing the Slytherin bullies a glance. "You tell 'em, Nev."
"Then there's you. Potter's Muggle-born cousin, probably only accepted because she's the Boy Who Lived's family. You're nearly as pathetic as Longbottom. Aren't you failing Astronomy? If you're not careful, they're going to pack you up and send you back to your miserable, pathetic muggle -"
"Leave her alone!" Neville stammered once more, and he flinched with Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles in response.
Draco laughed. "Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."
Ron's nerves were already stretched from his anxiety about Harry's safety, but with the added comments about his family and friends, the boy was just about ready to explode. "I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word -"
"Ron! Anna!" Hermione suddenly shouted. "Harry!"
"What? Where?" Susanna's attention was immediately shifted back to the pitch, and she cheered as her cousin dove down, getting gasps and applause from the crowd as he flew across the ground like a bullet -"
"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground! Maybe he can pay off Dumbledore, let Dursley here keep her spot -"
Ron and Susanna snapped. Draco's eyes could only grow wide as the redheaded girl leapt onto him, knocking him onto the ground. Ron lightly shoved her out of the way, wanting a crack at the blonde. Susanna's mouth dropped as Neville joined the scuffle, but when Goyle aimed for his nose she held out her wand, uttering the Leg-Locker Curse. Goyle began to hop, Crabbe momentarily distracted as he did his best to help his fellow crony.
As Susanna helped Neville up, Hermione effectively pulled her away from the fight by pointing to the field. "Look! Come on, Harry!" The normally reserved bookworm cheered, jumping up and down as she tugged Susanna into a half-hug. The red-haired girl began to jump as well, shouting for her cousin as Harry sped straight at Snape. The Professor turned his broomstick just in time for a scarlet streak to whiz past him, missing the Potions Master by a breath. Just as soon as he dove, Harry pulled himself out of the steep fall, his arm raised in triumph as he held out the Golden Snitch. The crowd was deafening - it had to be a record, a Snitch could've never been caught as quickly until then.
"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" Hermione shrieked, nearly bursting Susanna's eardrums.
The red-haired girl had entirely forgotten about the fight she'd helped start, but her joy for Harry's survival and the win was muted when she noticed Ron was still rolling around with Draco, the two punching at whatever skin they could reach. She leaned down to grab at the other redhead, forcing him to stand before she whipped out her wand once more, pointing it at a whimpering Draco.
"Locomotor Mortis!" She shouted, only offering the panicking blonde a smirk before Hermione pulled her and Padma into a hug, the three girls bouncing around. When Ron finally joined them, she reached down to the withering Draco and whipped his scarf off his neck, balling it up to press the fabric against Ron's heavy nosebleed.
Susanna then watched with pride as her cousin jumped off his broom, only a foot off the ground. Barely waiting for her friends, she dragged Ron and Hermione away from the stands and onto the field, the first non-Quidditch team member to hug her cousin. "That was bloody amazing! You're amazing! And you're alive!"
"I'm alive!" Harry cheered, jumping with the red-haired girl. They pulled away, both jolting when a wrinkled hand landed on the Chosen One's shoulders.
Professor Dumbledore was standing behind him, his smile warm and eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "Well done." Dumbledore congratulated Harry, speaking only loud enough for the cousins to hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror." The Headmaster glanced briefly at Susanna, who shifted her weight with embarrassment, having not realized the Professor knew she'd had some level of involvement with the Mirror of Erised.
Mirror of Erised. Mirror of Desire. What an idiot. Hermione would never let her live that down if she found out.
Dumbledore nodded once more to Harry, and walked away. The cousins watched as he glided off, amazed. That amazement faded when they noticed a white-faced and tight-lipped Snape in the near distance. The Professor angrily spat on the ground, and glowered dangerously at the two Gryffindors. Harry flinched, and Susanna ignored her own fear in favor of pulling her cousin behind her, attempting to block him from Snape's view as she glared back at the Potions instructor.
If he wanted Harry, he'd have to go through her, first.
Susanna leaned against the locker room, waiting impatiently for Harry to come out so they could take his broom back to the shed. She couldn't remember ever seeing Harry as happy as he'd been when they were celebrating on the field. It was a nice change, and a moment she wished she could rub in her parents' and brother's face if they weren't so hateful about magic. Her cousin stayed smiling even as they were all ushered off the pitch, though he was very confused when he realized Ron had been pressing a Slytherin scarf to his bloodied nose.
"I'll explain later." Susanna promised.
She was roused from her musings as Harry exited the locker room, no longer in his sweaty uniform, but in a baggy jumper and his loose trousers. "You ready? Fred and George said there'd be a party in the common room, after dinner."
Susanna snorted, ruffling her cousin's already messy hair. "Look at you. You win the big game, and suddenly you're every jock in one of those old movies mum likes to cry over!"
"Take that back!" Harry chortled, pouncing onto the redhead. She complained loudly about his smell, barely escaping unscathed as they trudged through the wet grass to the shed. She smiled as Harry leaned against the wood door, still holding his broom as he stared up at Hogwarts. "I can't believe it. We won. Even with Snape - Susanna, look!" Harry suddenly yelped, tugging roughly on his cousin's arms and pointing to the castle steps. They watched as a hooded figure came strutting down the cobblestone, hurrying towards the Forbidden Forest. They knew who it was, the prowling walk giving Professor Snape away - they'd seen such dramatics every Potions lesson.
"Dinner's still going on, what's he doing?" Susanna asked.
Harry shook his head. "No idea, but I want to find out. Coming?" He gestured to his broom. Susanna took one look at it and nodded, jumping on after her cousin. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as they took off into the night sky, gliding silently over their Professor, hopefully well out of sight and earshot. When the Potions instructor began to run towards the Forest, Harry sped up at Susanna's urging. The trees were so thick, it was easy for the two Gryffindors to lose Professor Snape. Harry could only fly in circles, lower and lower, until the cousins could make out voices. Susanna nudged him, and pointed directly beneath them. Harry nodded in understanding and silently guided the broom into a towering beech tree. He landed them on a thick branch, and he watched Susanna intently - the tree climbing expert she was - as she crawled around the tree, hanging confidently on the next branch as Harry carefully joined her. Together, they moved some leaves aside, peering down at the two shadowy figures below.
"... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..."
The cousins frowned at each other, instantly recognized the stutter. "Quirrell?" Susanna asked. "But Snape hates him." Harry shrugged, and their focus returned to the two professors.
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," Snape began to respond, "students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all." The cousins leaned forward, doing their best to hear Quirrell's response. It was mumbled, though, and Susanna hit the side of the tree with frustration. Harry glared her into silence as she shook off her sore limb, instantly regretting her action. "Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?" Snape further questioned.
"B-b-but Severus, I -"
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." The Potions Master took a menacing step closer to their Defense Professor.
"I-I don't know what you -"
"You know perfectly what I mean."
A nearby owl hooted loudly, and Susanna reached out in time to keep her cousin from falling out of the tree. She even felt like a few years had been shaved off her life, but refocused her energy on Snape. "... your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."
"B-but I d-d-don't -"
"Very well." Professor Snape snapped. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie." With his piece said, Snape threw the cloak over his head and walked back towards the castle. It was nearly dark, but the cousins could still see Professor Quirrell standing in the center of the clearing, petrified.
"Harry, Susanna, where have you two been?" Hermione squeaked as the cousins shuffled towards the Great Hall, only to crash into their two friends.
"We won! You won! We won!" Ron shouted, thumping Harry on the back before gesturing towards Susanna. "Did she tell you? Did you tell him? Susie knocked Malfoy to the ground, and I gave him a black eye! Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handedly! He's still getting fixed up with Madam Pomfrey - they got him just before dinner, but he held up better than before! And Susie even used Leg-Locking Curse on that blonde git! Talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room," Ron turned back to Harry, "we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens -"
"Ronald!" Susanna shouted. The other redhead shut his mouth. "Sorry. We just -"
Harry shook his head, looking around. "Let's find an empty room, wait 'til you hear this -"
The cousins were quick to usher their friends into an abandoned classroom. After making sure Peeves wasn't floating around inside, Harry locked the door behind them. Ron and Hermione listened with bated breath as Harry and Susanna described what they'd just witnessed.
"So we were right." The red-haired girl finished. "It is the Philosopher's Stone."
Harry nodded. "And Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get to it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy. He said something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus', so we reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy -"
"Loads of enchantments, probably," Susanne took over, "not to mention some anti-Dark Arts spells that Snape needs help breaking through -"
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione interrupted, looking as alarmed as the cousins' felt.
Ron had grown pale, too. "It'll be gone by next Tuesday." He murmured faintly, and Susanna covered her face with her hands, breathing in heavily.
They were all doomed.