Next Time Around

The One Plan That Failed

Authors note:
Thank you all so much for reading my story- I plan on going back and editing the chapters in a couple weeks so some chapters earlier are a little easier to read. This chapter is one I'm sure you've been waiting for for quite a while- I know I sure have-. Also pls don't kill me :)

WARNING: mild to bad torture. Couple innuendos. Gore

Disclaimer: this is fiction. None of what I write is real. Sorry to burst your bubble. And you know what's also fiction? The money I'm earning with this. That is to say, it's nonexistent.

Enjoy!

Harry scratched his chin, looking at the riddle presented to him in the scroll. He was in the last room, and the only challenge left was for him to solve Snape's riddle. Then, he could finally confront Quirrell in the main room at the end of all the challenge rooms.

He focused back on the parchment with the riddle. So, the two big bottles must be the nettle wine... that meant the smaller black bottle was the poison. That left him with the tall bottle with the silvery fluid. It looked vaguely like unicorn blood, Harry though as he uncorked it. With a hint of apprehension, he poured the contents down his throat.

He shivered. The liquid tasted like how he imagined quicksilver or liquid mercury would taste: almost like the smell of dried blood with a hint of sterile hospital equipment. It felt like it coated the inside of his throat with some kind of silver film as it sunk down into the pit of his stomach.

He cleared his throat. Behind him, he heard more than he saw his clone slowly catching up with him. He nodded. The thing would have crashed through all the wards so far, alerting Dumbledore in the process, so Harry himself could have some valuable minutes alone with Quirrell. He would just rig the wards to think that when the clone had burned in the fire, Harry had gone through them.

Laying down some wards to cause exactly that, Harry slipped through the fire.

Inside the main chamber, he saw Quirrell study the mirror, just like last time. Quirrell looked his way.

'Ah, Hadrian. Or should I say, Elias. How quaint of you to join me.' He smiled. 'This will only make it easier for me, you understand right? I will grab the stone and tie you up nice and tight, and you will both be a lovely little present to my Lord.'

Elias shrugged. 'Usually when there's tying up involved I'm the one tying up the other person, but I'm sure we could work something out.'

Quirrell stiffened and turned to Harry to glare at him. 'Sure, Potter. Keep that smart mouth on you. I assure you you'll be singing a different tune when I'm done with you.'

Harry swallowed but maintained the cocky smirk plastered on his face. 'Oh I really think it's going to be the other way around, my dear "professor". You're going to be begging, begging me to stop when I'm halfway through with you.'

Quirrell frowned and checked the time with a lazy tempus. Harry chanced a quick glance as well, and determined that he had about twenty, maybe twenty-five minutes left.

'Well...' he said softly, 'no time like the present, am I right?'

At Quirrell's mildly apprehensive nod, he grabbed his trusty Holly wand from its holster. If all went well, this would be his last time using it for Harry, ever.

'Displodere!' Quirrell yelled. Whilst Harry had been thinking about his wand, Quirrell had taken the moment's hesitation to deal out the first blow.

Harry ducked. 'Sectumsempra! Diffinido!'

Quirrell put up a shield charm barely on time and fired back: 'confringo!'