Harry Potter and the Portkey of Time

CHAPTER 14

A word was spoken, and light filled the room. Ron and Harry turned their head to see Hermione, holding up her wand. As Harry furiously searched the room, looking for a sign, anything to help him remember what was next, he felt Ron slowly relax next to him, mumbling to himself about being warm and squishy. Harry's eyes widened and a gasp escaped his lips. Panic began to settle in as memories flooded back. The mirror, the potions, the keys. The Devil's Snare. There were still holes, empty gaps, still waiting for information to pour in, but the main picture was beginning to form. Just at that moment, a scream came from his side, and he turned to see Ron, fighting against the deadly plant. His eyes bulged, and Harry could see his face going purple.

"Relax!" Harry commanded. "Just relax! Lean into the plant! Trust me!" The desperation coursed through his words and Hermione immediately responded to his instructions. But Ron couldn't. Harry watched as his friend, mind poisoned with panic, fought against the plant, trying to find an escape. Harry yelled again, desperate to save his friend.

"Ron! Trust me! Just relax!" The aggression in Harry's voice shocked both him and his friend and he noticed a change in Ron's actions, calmness spreading over his body. Slowly, the snare released the boys, recoiling from the light coming from Harry's newly lit wind, letting them fall back, dropping into the room below.

As Harry stood up to his feet, warm arms engulfed him, a high-pitched voice talking in his ear.

"Harry, Ron! You're ok! I was so concerned when I got through and you guys didn't! I didn't know if you would make it!" Hermione continued to carry on, nerves keeping her from silence, but Harry was no longer listening to her. Instead, he was listening to the quiet fluttering coming from above.

Harry looked around and saw thousands of little... things. They were the keys! Glancing around the room he noticed two things. There were broomsticks, and something was thumping around above them. Wait. Harry glanced up, looking for the source of the noise. It definitely wasn't the keys, it had come from the tunnel back to the devil's snare. Though, Fluffy was above them so it probably wasn't anything strange.

Harry turned back to the room full of keys, glancing around. Which key were they meant to grab?

"Hermione! Check that door," Harry said pointing to a large wooden door. Hermione examined the lock.

"We're looking for a large silver one, probably really old looking," She responded.

Ron and Harry each grabbed a broom and soared into the air, eyes glancing around desperately. Then he saw it, an old-looking silver key with a bent wing. Playing seeker for many years certainly helped when it came to spotting small fluttery objects.

"It's that one! There!" Called Harry to Ron, pointing directly at the key.

Ron zoomed after it, straight up, and crashed into the roof. Harry swore he heard the noise again, this time sounding more like a cry of pain. Harry shook his head. The nerves must have been getting to him.

Harry saw the key again, and this time he went for it. Within seconds the key was in his hand. All that quidditch practice came in handy. Flying down to the floor, he placed the key in the rusty silver lock, twisting and opening the door. Then he heard it again. Ron and Hermione also looked around, clearly hearing it as well. They all looked at each other, the same cornered look plastered on the trio's faces.

"I'll check what that was, you guys go on ahead." Hermione opened her mouth, ready to argue back. "No Hermione, there's no point in us all getting hurt if it's Quirrell."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes. I trust you guys to not get hurt."

With that they went their separate ways, Harry pocketing the key to the door just in case.

Harry slowly walked back towards the room that had the Devil's snare above, wand at the ready. The darkly lit corridor felt as though it was closing in. He wasn't ready to face Voldemort so soon. He heard footsteps and froze. Sinking into the wall, Harry held his breath. Yet the sight of slick-back blonde hair let him breathe again.

"Malfoy!?" He almost yelled, "What in Merlin's beard are you doing here?"

"I saw you go to the third-floor corridor and knew you would be doing something dangerous again. I came to stop you!" Malfoy responded.

"Why?"

"Because I care!"

"Huh? What? Why?" Harry said, clearly confused.

"I don't know!" Malfoy's face was becoming visibly red in the dark corridor.

"Um..."

"Anyways! I'm here to stop you."

"Well, you can't stop me," Harry stated. He refused to give in after all this effort, just because Malfoy had said so. They stood in silence for a minute before Harry continued, "But you can come with me."

"Come? And get myself killed! I don't think so."

"Where else are you going to go? Back to Fluffy? To the Devil's Snare?"

"I... I didn't think that far ahead."

"Come with me..." Harry muttered, grabbing Malfoy's hand and dragging him back towards the room with the keys. Malfoy was good at potions so he and Hermione could go back and Harry could go find Quirrell again. Everything would be fine. He hoped.

Malfoy tried to protest but Harry just kept pulling him along. They got to the door where he had left Ron and Hermione. It had locked again. Harry was glad he had pocketed the key earlier. Taking it out he once again unlocked the large door and let the key fly off. Together, Harry and Malfoy walked through the door. Harry expected to enter a potion room. Instead, he was met with a giant chess set.

The chessmen loomed over them. Harry groaned, not caring that everyone was watching him. How could he have forgotten the chess set? Harry saw Ron and Hermione and rushed to their side, Malfoy following in suit.

"Malfoy? Why are you here?" Hermione asked. Harry rolled his eyes before answering her question.

"Long story short, Malfoy cares about me," Harry said, ignoring Malfoy's protests.

"I-It...it wasn't like that!" Malfoy blurted out clearly offended, before turning around and marching over to the corner of the room, pointedly ignoring Harry and his friends.

"That was weird..." Said Hermione, "anyways, Ron was just in the middle of explaining when you guys came."

"What do we do Ron?" Harry asked, trying to seem inconspicuous.

"It's obvious," Ron said, tearing his eyes away from Malfoy's sulking form and hiding the confusion, "we play our way across the room."