The Potions Master's Daughter

CHAPTER 17 The Philosopher's Stone

Exams came a week after Draco's detention, and they turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as they took everyone's minds off the strange events that occurred in the Dark Forest. After weeks of revision, Alice felt prepared, but Daphne kept whining and pacing, talking about how poorly she was going to do. Of course, she ended up passing with flying colours, and so did Alice and Blaise.

Once the exams were over, everyone gathered in the Slytherin common room to celebrate. Older students sneaked in bottles of Butterbeer, and large heaps of food from the kitchen. At last, everyone could forget the hardships of school, and finally, ditch piles of textbooks in their school trunks. The following night was the end-of-term feast, and everyone planned on sleeping in after a long week of exams.

After the night of celebrations, Alice went back to the dormitory with the other girls. They all felt knackered after the long day, so they retreated to their beds pretty quickly. Alice slid her bed curtains shut, and lay awake for a while.

The first school year was over, and she couldn't decide if she was excited for the summer, or sad about leaving Hogwarts. She couldn't help but think about all the things she'd found out during her time at school. Snape, the red wand, the Dark Arts... It all hardly made any sense to her, and she felt more confused than ever. It certainly wasn't what she'd expected when she first got her Hogwarts letter.

*

When she woke up late the next day, she took her time dressing up, realising she was alone in the dormitory. Everyone else must've already gone to breakfast. She yawned, stretched, and walked downstairs lazily. No sooner had she entered the common room than she was stopped in her tracks by Daphne and Blaise.

'Alice, Alice!' they yelled together, clearly anxious to tell her something very important. They talked over each other, and Alice couldn't understand a word they said.

'What? I can't understand you,' she cut them off irritably, breaking free from their grip. 'What's going on?'

Blaise was the one to speak first. He shushed Daphne, and said, all in one breath, 'HARRY POTTER WENT TO THE FORBIDDEN CORRIDOR LAST NIGHT!'

Alice stared at him for a second or two.

'What?' she said finally.

'He went down there with Ron and Hermione,' said Daphne, buzzing with excitement. 'Listen, apparently Peeves saw them walk out of there last night, and Ron had blood on his face, and...'

'Peeves saw them?' Alice was unconvinced.

'Yes, but it's true!' said Blaise eagerly. 'The whole Gryffindor house is talking about it, and they told everyone else, and...'

'... and there was a three-headed dog...'

'... and huge chess pawns that came alive...'

Alice was looking between Daphne and Blaise, trying to find some logical explanation for what they were saying.

'Oh, just come to breakfast already!' said Daphne, and pulled her by the hand out of the common room.

People they passed by were whispering to each other, and the atmosphere in the halls was charged with excitement. By the time they got to the Great Hall, Alice could swear that all she could hear around her were the words 'sorcerer' and 'stone'.

In the middle of the Great Hall stood a group of older students, centred around Percy Weasley, the Gryffindor Prefect. Percy was visibly excited and gesticulated wildly at the surrounding people. Alice squinted, looking closely at the group, and only then did she notice that in the middle of the circle stood Ron Weasley, with his arms clutched firmly by his brother. Next to him stood Hermione Granger.