Saphira Black and the Philosopher's Stone

Forty-Three~ Snape's Riddle

    We crossed the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind us. It wasn't an ordinary fire, either; it was purple, and at the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. We were trapped.

    I swore loudly and then I noticed a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. I seized it and Harry and Hermione looked over my shoulders to read it:

    Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

    Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

    One among us seven will let you move ahead,

    Another will transport the drinker back instead,

    Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

    Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.

    Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

    To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

    First, however slyly the poison tried to hide

    You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

    Second, different are those who stand at either end,

    But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

    Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

    Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

    Fourth, the second on the left and the second on the right

    Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

    I sighed and smiled.

    "Brilliant," Hermione whispered, echoing my thoughts. "This isn't magic- it's logic- a puzzle. Seven bottle: three are poison, two are wine, one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us through the purple."

    Hermione and I walked up to the table. I thought about the riddle; drat Snape for putting something as complicated as this...

    Then I understood.

    "Got it!" I yelled at the exact same time as Hermione.

    "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire, towards the Stone-" I started.

    "it's only big enough for two of us," said Harry, picking up the bottle.

    "You two go," Hermione said, "I'll go back to Ron."

    "Get Ron and the broomsticks, they'll get you past the trapdoor and Fluffy-" Harry said.

    "Go straight to owlery and send Hedwig or Nightray to Dumbledore, we'll need him," I said. "We might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm pretty sure the two of us won't even be a match for him."

    "But, what if You-Know-Who's with him?"

    "We got lucky once, didn't we?" Harry said, grinning nervously. "We could get lucky again."

    "You- you two- be careful," Hermione whispered.

    "You drink first," I said, and Hermione took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.

    "It's not poison?" Harry asked enxiously.

    "No- put it's like ice."

    "Quick, go before it wears off."

    "Good luck- take care-"

    "GO!"

    Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.

    I picked up the smallest bottle.

    "Ready or not," I said, and took a sip from the bottle- still I drank about half.

    "Here we come," said Harry, as he finished the rest of the potion.

    It felt like ice were flowing through my body. Harry put the bottle down and gripped my hand tightly, and we ran through the black flames. For a moment, I could see only dark fire- then we were on the other side, in the last chamber.

    There was already someone there- but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.