A Blue Raven [1] // Harry Potter // Draco Malfoy

The Battle of the Underground Chambers

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The battle of the underground chambers

Under my hands, the ground felt cold, wet even, black in colour and leaves coming from the curved edges. The steam was thick, almost as thick as a drainage pipe.
"Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really." Ron said, moving around to get comfortable.
In seconds the vines started to wrap around us, they slid up and around my legs around the tops of my arms and the base of my neck - pinning me down; I struggled against them, but they tightened around me. I went back to what Quirrell did – I stopped moving and the veins loosened around me.
"Stop moving, both of you." Hermione spoke to Harry and Ron, as they tried to move their arms and legs," This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster."
Ron was glaring at her also struggling against his vine trap," Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!"
Like Quirrell, I sank straight down below the net of vines, landing on my ass – the force went up my spin making me cry out. Hermione fell next, however, she fell onto her feet, like a cat.
"Hermione! Celyn!" The boys shouted.
"Now what are we going to do?" Ron shouted; his voice strained by the force of the Devil's snare wrapping around his rib cage.

Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck;
"Just relax." I told him," You'll sink out like an egg in a bottle of malt vinegar."
"Hermione, Celyn where are you?" Harry called from the net.
Hermione sighed then shouted up," Do what I say. Trust me."
Harry then stopped struggling against then vines and sank to the floor, landing roughly on his feet.
"Are you okay?" I asked, giving him a hand up.
He pulled his hand back from mine, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
I rolled my eyes," Next time you can die."
"Help!" Ron called from the net, obviously, he wasn't calm.
"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione stated the obvious.
Raising an eyebrow at her," 'Mione, does he sound calm?"
She gave me a playful glare and gently punched my shoulder," Shut up."
"Help! Help me!" Ron called
Harry started pacing up and down, "We've got to do something!
I looked at him, "What? So, it's we now?"
Hermione then joined him pacing up and down as I leaned on the wall," Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology. Um, Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, its deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight!"
She pulled her wand from her skirt waistband pointing it at the vine net," "Lumus Solem!"
Ron fell through the vines, landing on his backside.
Looking down at him, I creased my eyebrows, "Ron, are you okay?"
"Yeah." He took a breath still on the floor, his hand where his tail bone is.
"Okay," Harry said in that commanding, very annoying voice
Ron stood up, brushing the dust from his jeans, "Whew. Lucky, we didn't panic!"
I bit back a laugh.
Harry looked at Ron then me and Hermione, "Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology."
"Shouldn't you also be paying attention?" I pointed out," Professor Sprout owns poisonous plants that can kill you in seconds."
When we were all silent, we heard fluttering, like birds.
"What is that?" Harry asked
Taking a hunch, I followed the sound of clattering metal. Pushing open the door, it led to a room that's shaped like the turrets of Ravenclaw tower.
"Curious. I've never seen birds like these." Hermione said looking around at the flying keys.
I sighed," They're keys."
Harry walked further into the room, "Flying keys, and I'd bet one of them fits that door."
In the middle of the tower was a broomstick hovering in a circular beam of light. Quirrell didn't take the broom, he shot the key from the air.
"What's this all about?" Hermione asked
"I don't know" Harry confessed.
Rolling my eyes at them, Harry was annoying. I've never met anyone raised by muggles to be such a drama queen about everything. The moment he got into this school; his ego has grown. If he can turn it down, I could maybe spend more time with him; without imagining gouging his eyes out with a blunt cold spoon. Ron waltzed up to the door on the other side and pulled out his wand from his trouser pocket.
"Alohomora!" He shrugged when it didn't work, "Well, it was worth a try."
I nodded, "It was worth a shot, good job Ronald"
"Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be a thousand keys up there!" Hermione groaned, waving her hands around.
Ron looked at the door handle," We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle."
"That was actually logical of you Ron," I smirked
He rolled his eyes." Must be your Ravenclaw stupidity, still, don't see a chessboard down here."
"There! I see it!" Harry points at a limping key," The one with the broken wing!"
The old rusting key was the same one Quirrell shot out of the sky, it had bright blue wings, with a heart-shaped back.
Harry looks at the broom and runs his hand over the handle then pulls his hand back.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked him after he pulled his hand back.