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HARRY, CRYSTAL, HERMIONE AND RON had encountered Snape who was watching them suspiciously.
"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.
They stared at him.
"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd,
twisted smile.
"We were --" Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.
"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"
Harry flushed and Crystal stared at him. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.
"Be warned, Potter, Calisto -- any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you both are expelled. Good day to you."
He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.
Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.
"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape -- wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."
"Why me?"
"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong....'"
"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.
"I'll look for Quirrell," said Crystal.
Harry nodded and said, "I was about to say that."
"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron.
"Come on."
But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.
"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"
Harry and Ron went back to the common room, Harry had just said, "At least Hermione and Crystal are on Snape's and Quirrell's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.
"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."
"Have you seen Crystal on your way?" said Ron.
Just then the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open again. It was Crystal who came inside.
"I can't find Quirrell at all." said Crystal, "He's nowhere. At last, I asked Professor Sinistra who was in staff room but she had no idea where he went."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.
"That's it," Crystal repeated knowing what he meant.
"Will you be fine? I mean Fluffy -- "
"I'm okay with animals as long as they're not awake to eat me -- "
The other two stared at them. Harry was pale and his eyes were glittering. Crystal looked as if something big was cooking up in her mind.
"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first." Harry said.
"We." said Crystal, "I will also go, Harry."
"You're both mad!" said Ron.
"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"
"SO WHAT!" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape or Quirrell gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave our families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? He almost had me and my family! He finished last of the Crystal's family, her mum! We're going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop us!"
"Will your parents allow it, Harry?" said Crystal cautiously after he stopped shouting.
"They definitely won't but they did their all to protect me all this time." said Harry, "Now it's my turn. I won't be able to forgive myself ever if I sit still today, knowing everything and don't do anything."
Crystal nodded feeling Harry's determination. He had made a resolution to stop Voldemort.
"You're right, Harry," said Hermione in a small voice.
"Crystal and I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."
"But will it cover all four of us?" said Ron.
"All -- all four of us?"
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you both go alone?"
"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful..."
"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too." said Crystal.
"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on this exam. They're not throwing me out after that."
𖤍𖤓⌁☍❾¾➵♆△⍎⚔︎
After dinner the four of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.
"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory and came down instantly. Crystal remembering something to take went to her dormitory and came back.
"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us -- if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own --"
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.
Neville stared at their guilty faces.
"You're going out again," he said.
"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"
"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."
"Neville," said Crystal, "Please pretend you didn't see us and go to sleep."
But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.
"I won't! I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll -- I'll fight you!"
"Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot --"
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."
He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"
"No one will hit you, Neville," Crystal said, trying stop the beginning of a fight, "Please try to understand and leave,"
Harry turned to Hermione beside her. "Do something," he said desperately. Hermione stepped forward.
"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."
She raised her wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.
Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.
"Uh-oh," said Crystal, sank down on her knees to meet Neville's eyes and turned him on his back. "Sorry, Neville, our intention is not to hurt you. This spell will do no harm to you, just take rest,"
"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered to Hermione.
"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."
"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.
"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.
But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.
"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head.
"I'd say go ahead and do hang her in one of those Filch's chains he's been oiling while you're at it." Crystal whispered. Harry shook his head vigorously this time. If Crystal said something, God knows she'd even try to do it too. She was too unpredictable for Harry.
"No violence towards animals!" Hermione whispered.
As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.
They didn't meet anyone until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.
"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"
He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.
"Should call Filch, I should, if something's creeping around unseen."
Harry had a sudden idea.
"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."
Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.
"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake -- I didn't see you -- of course I didn't, you're invisible -- forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."
"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."
"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."
And he scooted off.
"Well, that was smart," Crystal whispered, impressed.
"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.
Outside the third-floor corridor-- and the door was already ajar. Underneath the cloak, Crystal turned to the Ron and Hermione.
"So, if you want to go back, we understand," she said.
"Yeah, you can take the cloak, it won't be needed now." said Harry.
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.
"We're coming," said Hermione.
Harry pushed the door open.
As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.
"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."
"The harp stopped playing," said Harry. "How can we --"
"Take this," said Crystal handing him Hagrid's flute.
He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop, it dropped down on its knees slumping on the ground and fell asleep.
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor.
They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"
"No, I don't!"
Crystal bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open. It was pitch black inside. Ron bent down to see inside too.
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.
"Nothing -- just black -- there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop." said Crystal.
"Now what will we do?" Ron whispered.
"Wait, I'll go first," said Crystal, taking off a shoe and dropping inside and checked her wristwatch, "hmm... approx 3 seconds fall, and a soft thumping sound... the ground doesn't sound hard. Why?"
Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself but Crystal had all their attention to herself as she did a quick analysis. She had already made up her mind and started to lower herself through the hole until she was hanging on by her fingertips.
Then she looked up at Hermione and somehow hanging, she gave her a knut and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Cash to Dumbledore, all right? And give the coin to Cash, I shouldn't have spoiled him too much...."
"Right," said Hermione. "Take care."
"Be careful, Crystal," said Ron.
"See you in a minute, I hope..."
And Crystal let go. Cold, damp air rushed past her as she fell down and landed on something soft as expected. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant.
"It's okay!" she called up to the small light which was coming through the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"
Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Crystal. Hermione landed her other side right after.
"What's this stuff?" said Ron
"A sort of plant. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Harry!"
The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but
Harry had already jumped. He landed in front of Crystal.
"It could've been dangerous, Crys," Harry said. "Why did you jump first?"
"Doesn't matter," said Crystal.
"We must be miles under the school," Hermione said.
"This is that creepy crawly plant," said Crystal, trying to remember. "What is it called..."
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.
"Lucky, Ron!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you three!"
"Yeah, it's Snare -- Devil Snare!" Crystal said, "Relax, guys, just don't move around,"
"Right! Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "The more you move the more you'll be trapped!"
Harry and Ron had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.
Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Crystal was trying to search for her shoe in the dim light.
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled
Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.
Hermione watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say? -- it likes the dark and the damp --" said Hermione.
A second later, Crystal was free and stood with Hermione, dusting herself, watching their futile struggle. She gave up searching her shoe before the plant trapped her too.
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Ron gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes -- of course -- but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her
hands.
Crystal shook her head and took out her wand.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT -- "
"Lumos Solem!" Crystal muttered.
In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.
"Lucky the girls carefully pay attention in Herbology," Harry muttered as he joined Hermione and Crystal by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.
"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Crystal doesn't lose h head in a crisis -- 'there's no wood,' honestly."
But Crystal had other concerns.
"I don't have a shoe now," said Crystal quietly, sadly looking at her now dirt covered white sock with no shoe in one foot.
"Oh, here," Harry bent down and kept the shoe on the ground, "I grabbed it in the last minute."
"Thanks, Harry." said Crystal as she slipped her foot in and kneeled down to fastened the belt around it quickly.
"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.
All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.
Crystal and Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.
"Do you think it's a ghost?" said Ron.
"Don't know... sounds like wings like insects or birds flying... maybe... " said Crystal listening carefully.
"There's light ahead -- I can see something moving." Hermione pointed.
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.
"Probably," said Crystal. "They're here for some security purpose,"
"They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run." said Harry.
He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.
The other three followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.
"Now what?" said Ron.
"Shall I just blast the door?" said Crystal, readying herself for attack, "I've never tried it before but I read this spell after we went to the forest,"
"No no no, Crys, leave it." said Harry, pulling her wand hand down, "That will be more damage to us, you don't have control on your excess power,"
"I can pick the lock -- oh, but I don't have any hairpin today," She patted her hair.
"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.
Crystal looked around to analyze the surroundings.
"Birds cannot shine like metals.... and if we want a key to this lock then.... they're not just birds but winged keys, look closely, then according to the lock..." said Crystal examining the lock on the door, "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one -- probably silver, like the handle."
"There are hundreds of them! Finding a key like that in the middle of this is next to impossible!" said Hermione.
"Not when we have the youngest seeker of the century," said Crystal pointing at Harry, "you just have to look for a old looking key among these brilliantly shining ones. You will be able to spot the difference easily,"
There were three broomsticks so Crystal decided to stay back.
The other three each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air. Harry made a plan in the air to catch the key which Crystal couldn't hear because of all the noise from the fluttering wings.
After a many dives and ups the trio went through, Harry finally cornered the key they were looking for and landed on the ground. He hurried towards the door and put the key in lock. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again.
"Ready?" Harry asked the three, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces.
"Hmm... A chessboard..." Crystal said.
"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life.
"Do we -- er -- have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.
Crystal, Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, neither of you are that good at chess -- well, Crystal can actually put up a fight but still -- "
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."
Crystal nodded in agreement.
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you next to him instead of that castle and Crystal take that knight."
"What about you?" said Harry.
"I'm going to be the other knight," said Ron.
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words both the knights, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Crystal, Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board.
"Yes... look..."
A white pawn had moved forward two squares.
Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?
"Harry -- move diagonally four squares to the right."
Their first real shock came when their other bishop was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
"This is savage on next level." Crystal muttered to herself, worried.
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry, Crystal and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think... let me think..."
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."
"NO!" Harry, Crystal and Hermione shouted.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me -- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry! Crystal, you take it from here we're just one step far. You understand right?"
"But if I move my turn from here then I can -- " said Crystal.
"Don't you see? Then you'll be taken down! You all go forward and stop Snape!" said Ron.
"But --"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
"Ron --"
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"
There was no alternative.
"I got it. Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go now, don't hang around once you've won."
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor --
Hermione screamed but stayed on her square -- the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.
"Go ahead Harry, it's a clear win now." said Crystal, looking worriedly at Ron.
Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.
The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron; Harry, Crystal and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.
"What if he's --?"
"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?"
"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's." said Hermione.
They had reached another door.
"All right?" Harry whispered. "Go on."
Crystal pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making the three of them pull their robes up over their noses. They saw flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."
'This must be Quirrell's as he is DADA teacher... then Halloween night... It's so obvious now... ' Crystal thought.
Harry pulled open the next door. There was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"
They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward.
They were trapped.
"Look!" Crystal seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, which ever 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 bidden 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 tries 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 left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.
Crystal looked at up and down towards the bottle and paper a few times before handing it to Hermione.
"Woah -- I mean, did Snape ran out of magic or what? He is leaving lousy puzzles on a paper?" Crystal said with a snort of laughter. "This is just logical reasoning type quizzes we've for general aptitude,"
"But it's brilliant, isn't it?" said Hermione. "This isn't magic -- it's just logic -- a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."
"But so will we, won't we?" said Harry.
"Let me stop you there, I'm still a Muggle at heart," said Crystal, "Just tell him, Hermione."
"Let's see. Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple." said Hermione.
"But how do we know which to drink?" said Harry.
"Give me a minute." said Hermione.
Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.
"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire -- toward the Stone."
Harry looked at the tiny bottle.
"There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."
They looked at each other.
"Then take a small sip, it's as simple as that." said Crystal monotonously.
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" said Harry.
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"You drink that," said Crystal. "No, listen, go back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy -- go straight to the owlery and send Cash to Dumbledore, we need him here. We might be able to hold the one inside off for a while, but I know we're no match, to be honest."
"But Crystal, Harry -- what if You-Know-Who's with him?"
"Well -- we were lucky once, weren't we? We might get lucky again." said Harry, pointing at his scar. "And what if Crystal mysterious powers came to save us again in danger?"
"I highly doubt that part... I don't think I've any such powers." Crystal said, casually. "But we will see what happens, we just need to figure something out until Dumbledore comes, that's it,"
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.
"Hermione!"
"Harry -- you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery,"
Then she threw herself at Crystal, hugging her tightly.
"You know Crystal, I've never met someone like you before, you sometimes seem out of this world." said Hermione, her eyes damped. "You're just amazing. Everything looks easy with you when it's actually not."
Crystal was embarrassed and pink hue raised to her cheeks at the compliment. This didn't go unnoticed by Harry who was surprised to see her ears go red.
Crystal composed herself but said awkwardly, "Well, er -- thanks, I guess, yeah... I think you're more amazing, to be honest..."
"Don't lie," said Hermione, hitting her arm playfully. "Be careful, both of you!"
"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"
"Positive." said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously. Crystal rolled her eyes.
"No -- but it's like ice."
"Quick, go, before it wears off." said Crystal. "Be careful."
"Good luck -- take care."
"GO!"
Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.
"So this is it," said Harry.
"This is it," She repeated. "I'll drink it,"
Crystal took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle and took a small sip and gave it to Harry, who drained the potion left in one gulp. They turned to face the black flames.
"Let's go."
For a moment they could see nothing but dark fire -- then they were on the other side, in the last chamber.
There was already someone there -- but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.
It was Quirrell.
"Ha!" Harry let out a loud scoff, unbelievably.
Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.
"You don't seem much surprised," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you both here, Potter and Calisto."
"We did had our suspicion on you only recently but where's Snape --"
"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"
"Well, you did overdid your act a bit, to be honest," said Crystal, shrugging.
"Crystal Calisto!" he pointed at Crystal venomously, "She was the one who made you suspect me, right, Potter? You weren't fooled, were you, Calisto?"
"You know what?" said Crystal coolly. "You're not the only one who knows how to do acting -- ah, do pardon me, o-o-overacting,"
"Shut up!"
"It's not like I'll even if you tell me to!" Crystal retorted.
"So Snape tried to kill me on your orders?" said Harry.
"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you."
"Snape was trying to save me?"
"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really... he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular... and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you both tonight."
"Yeah, what a waste of time that here you are, confessing everything without an ounce of shame, you shameless freak -- " said Crystal disdainfully.
Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry and Crystal.
"Watch your words, Miss Calisto. You need to maintain a noble image as the heiress of Calisto!" Quirrell laughed loudly, "There will be no sun to shine upon Calistos tomorrow. The last of that blood will be killed today."
"You really think so?" said Crystal calmly even though they were binded. She just needed to stall time just until Dumbledore came. "I'd suggest you think again, whoever you're working for would not be much impressed by your empty words. I know what is going now here and where you are getting your orders from,"
"So what if you know, it's too late now." he sneered, "You're both too nosy to live, Potter and Calisto. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."
Crystal was a little offended to be called nosy, it was all thanks to being under Harry's influence for too long.
"You let the troll in?" said Harry.
"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls -- you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off -- and not only did my troll fail to beat you both to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly."
"Is being able to control your own kind is called special gift now?" said Crystal, rolling her eyes, "Even dogs knows how to communicate with each other, Quirrell. How basic you are."
Quirrell snapped his fingers and the ropes around Crystal bounded more tightly. Crystal coughed and choked in pain as it tightened around her neck.
"Crys! No! Leave her alone!" Harry shouted.
"If any of you keep talking, you now know what will happen and this is just the demo." said Quirrell, his voice carrying dangerous tone of threat.
Crystal was tried to take long breaths. Her face was getting red and sweaty gasping for air. She thrashed against the ropes but it was in vain. Harry was really scared to see Crystal in pain. He regretted that he didn't send Crystal back with Hermione. It was a scene too difficult to watch for him. He was helpless.
"H-How did... y-you get... in contact... w-with... " Crystal said, her voice shaking with whatever strength was left in her, "V-Voldemort."
"You still have strength in you to dare call his name so insolently!" Quirrell shouted loosing his cool. He snapped his fingers and more ropes started to wrap around her, tightly.
"Crys, please! Don't say anything! He'll kill you! Leave her alone!" Harry seemed to be on verge of crying, he was scared. He understood how his father must have felt when Aunt Aviana who had been his close friend like his own sister was killed in front of his eyes. It was too painful to watch as Crystal fell on her side, breathing heavily and coughing as she was being choked. The ropes were painfully digging in her soft skin.
"Now, you patiently wait, Potter, and watch your best friend choke to death. I need to examine this interesting mirror."
It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.
"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this... but he's in London... I'll be far away by the time he gets back...."
Harry tried to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror. Crystal's method to distract him was too provoking but she couldn't help it, Quirrell was working for Voldemort, the villian in her life who took her mother's life.
"I saw you and Snape in the forest --" he blurted out.
"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side...."
Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.
"I see the Stone... I'm presenting it to my master... but where is it?"
Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.
"But Snape always seemed to hate me and Crystal so much."
"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your parents and the girl's mother, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you or her dead."
"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing -- I thought Snape was threatening you... or was it Vold -- You-Know-Who."
For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.
"Certainly, sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions -- he is a great wizard and I am weak --"
"So he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry said with a new shock even though Crystal had already suspected all this.
"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.... Since then, I have served him faithfully He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..."
Quirrell's voice trailed away. Crystal laid quietly to save her energy but still listened. She was remembering her trip to Diagon Alley -- how could she have missed that? She had seen Quirrell there that very day, even shook hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.
Quirrell cursed under his breath.
"I don't understand... is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"
Harry's mind was racing.
He glanced at Crystal who was lying quietly now, watching Quirrell. He wanted for her to be freed as soon as possible. He had to do something really fast.
But what I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it -- which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?
He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself.
"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"
And to Harry's and Crystal's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.
"Use the boy... Use the boy..."
Quirrell rounded on Harry.
"Yes -- Potter -- come here."
He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.
"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."
"No! First, free Crystal too!" said Harry.
"You're not in position to make deals with me!" Quirrell shouted.
"Neither you are! I won't look in the mirror!" said Harry, kneeling beside Crystal. "And if you try to do anything, I'll shatter that mirror into pieces."
"Do it... Just loose the ropes... " said the voice from Quirrell.
Quirrell complied as ordered, the ropes still binded Crystal but were loose. Harry helped her to sit up and ran his fingers through her hair tucking it behind her ears away from her face then hugged her and whispered in her ear,
"Everything will be over in a few minutes, just stay strong, we'll get out of here."
While whispering to her in guise of hugging, Harry sneakily loosed all the knots of her ropes behind her. He felt Crystal barely nod in his chest.
"Separate them.... " the voice said.
"We don't have all day for you guys to cry on each other's shoulders," said Quirrell irritated. "Now, Come here, Potter, and tell me what you see in the mirror."
Harry stood up and walked towards Quirrell.
I must lie, he thought desperately. I must look and lie about what I see, that's all.
Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban. He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.
He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket -- and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow -- incredibly -- he'd gotten the Stone.
"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"
Harry screwed up his courage.
"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I -- I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."
"Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Philosopher's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?
But he hadn't walked back five paces towards Crystal before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.
"He lies... He lies..."
"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"
The high voice spoke again.
"Let me speak to him... face-to-face..."
"Master, you are not strong enough!"
"I have strength enough... for this...."
Harry and Crystal felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting them to the spot. They couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, they watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.
What they saw seemed too bizarre to be possible.
-: ✧ :-
⫷ Author's note: ⫸
Hello!!
First year has almost come to an end! Next one will the last of first year!
Thank you for your time for supporting and reading this!
♞ seeya ~
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