─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
C
assiopeia carefully sneaked out of her dorm room, where Daphne and Pansy slept. There was no one in the common room, so it was quite easy to get out and meet with the Gryffinfors. She was nearly at the exit of the common room, when she heard something behind her.
,,Oh no, please don't get caught." whispered Avyanna.
It was her cousin.
,,Not him." said Sirius annoyed.
'Where do you think you're going?' asked Draco sitting on sofa. 'None of your business." answered Cassiopeia, she wanted to turn around and walk away, when he caught her hand.
,,Let her go!"
'Let me go, Draco!' Cassiopeia raised her voice. 'Why should I? Don't think I don't know about your friendship with Granger.'
,,Oh no..." said Sirius.
'With that filthy little mudblood? As if. She's so annoying and she thinks she knows it all. Ugh' Cassiopeia didn't want to say those things about her friend, but she knew if Draco knew he would tell Lucius and that wouldn't end well for her.
,,I'm sorry, Hermione." whispered Cassi to Hermione. Hermione smiled sadly at her ,,I understand."
'And where are you going then?'
,,Ugr Narcissa your son is so annoying."
'As I said before. None of your business.' Cassiopeia quickly left the common room and made sure her cousin isn't following her.
When Cassiopeia finally got to third floor the Gryffinfors first years were already there.
'Well, there you are,’ Harry said quietly. ‘Snape’s already got past Fluffy.’
Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them.
‘If you want to go back, I won’t blame you,’ Harry said to Hermione, Cassiopeia and Ron. ‘You can take the Cloak, I won’t need it now.’ 'As if, Harold.' ‘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 Cassiopeia. ‘Snape must have left it there.’ said Ron. Cassiopeia rolled her eyes.
‘It must wake up the moment you stop playing,’ said Harry.
‘Well, here goes ...’
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. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog’s growls ceased – it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
,,I don't like this in the slightest." said Lily.
‘Keep playing,’ Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the Cloak and crept towards 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!’
‘All right.’ Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog’s legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.
‘What can you see?’ Hermione said anxiously.
‘Nothing – just black – there’s no way of climbing down, we’ll just have to drop.’
,,Merlin please no!"
Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.
‘You want to go first? Are you sure?’ said Ron. ‘I don’t know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep.’
Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds’ silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.
Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.
He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, ‘If anything happens to me, don’t follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?’ ‘Right,’ said Ron.
‘See you in a minute, I hope ...’
And Harry let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and –
Lily, James, Euphemia, Fleamont and few others tensed.
FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.
,,Oh thank Godric." breathed out James.
‘It’s OK!’ he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp which was the open trapdoor. ‘It’s a soft landing, you can jump!’ Ron followed straight away. He landed sprawled next to Harry.
‘What’s this stuff?’ were his first words.
‘Dunno, sort of plant thing. I suppose it’s here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione! Cassiopeia!’
The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione and Cassiopeia had already jumped. They landed on Harry’s other side.
‘We must be miles under the school,’ she said.
‘Lucky this plant thing’s here, really,’ said Ron.
‘Lucky!’ shrieked Hermione. ‘Look at you both!’ pointed Cassiopeia.
She leapt up and struggled towards a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snake-like tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.
,,It's Devil's Snare oh ou." said Mary.
Hermione and Cassiopeia had managed to free themself before the plant got a firm grip on them. Now they 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.
‘Stop moving!’ Hermione ordered them. ‘I know what this is – it’s Devil’s Snare!’
‘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 curling around his neck.
‘Shut up, I’m trying to remember how to kill it!’ said Hermione.
‘Well, hurry up, I can’t breathe!’ Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
‘Devil’s Snare, Devil’s Snare ... What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp –’
‘So light a fire!’ Harry choked.
‘Yes – of course – but there’s no wood!’ Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
‘HAVE YOU GONE MAD?’ Ron bellowed. ‘ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?’
The Great hall laughed.
Cassiopeia, amused by Ron, whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. 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 unravelled itself from their bodies and they were able to pull free.
‘Lucky you pay attention in Herbology,’ said Harry as he joined her and Cassiopeia by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.
‘Yeah,’ said Ron, ‘and lucky Harry doesn’t lose his head in a crisis – “there’s no wood”, honestly.’ 'You're acting like children...' laughed Cassiopeia.
‘This way,’ said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway which was the only way on.
All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downwards and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards’ bank. If they met a dragon, a fully grown dragon – Norbert had been bad enough ...
The golden trio looked at each other.
‘Can you hear something?’ Ron whispered.
Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.
‘Do you think it’s a ghost?’
‘I don’t know ... sounds like wings to me.’
‘There’s light ahead – I can see something moving.’
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 Cassiopeia. ‘They don’t look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once ... Well, there’s nothing for it... I’ll run.’
,,No, you won't!" said Avyanna strictly.
She took a deep breath, covered her face with her arms and sprinted across the room. Cassiopeia expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at her any second, but nothing happened. She reached the door untouched. She 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 Alohomora Charm.
‘Now what?’ said Ron.
‘These birds ... they can’t be here just for decoration,’ said Hermione.
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering – glittering?
,,Glittering?"
‘They’re not birds!’ Harry said suddenly, ‘they’re keys! Winged keys – look carefully. So that must mean ...’ he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys.
‘... Yes – look! Broomsticks! We’ve got to catch the key to the door!’
‘But there are hundreds of them!’ Ron examined the lock on the door.
‘We’re looking for a big, old-fashioned one – probably silver, like the handle.’
'I think I have a better solution.' Ron rolled his eyes. 'Of course you have, what is it this time?'
Cassiopeia took her wand out. 'Immobulus!' All keys stopped in mid air. The three Gryffinfors watched with widened eyes. 'Accio rusted key!' An old key flew to her hand. The Slytherin girl turned to Gryffinfors. 'That's how you do it.' she smirked and winked at them, then opened the door.
The Great Hall was surprised by the spells she already knew in first year. „I must say, I'm impressed. Hardly any first year can do so many spells like her." said professor Flitwick. The Blacks felt pride towards their heiress.
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 and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly – the towering white chessmen had no faces.
‘Now what do we do?’ Harry whispered.
‘It’s obvious, isn’t it?’ said Ron. ‘We’ve got to play our way across the room.’
Behind the white pieces they could see another door.
‘How?’ said Hermione nervously.
‘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. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.
‘Do we – er – have to join you to get across?’
The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.
,,Please don't be like wizard's chess." prayed Lily.
‘This wants thinking about ...’ he said. ‘I suppose we’ve got to take the place of four of the black pieces ...’
Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, ‘Now, don’t be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess –’
‘We’re not offended,’ said Harry quickly. ‘Just tell us what to do.’
‘Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle. Cassiopeia you go there.’
‘What about you?’
‘I’m going to be a knight,’ said Ron.
‘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?
,,Then you're doomed."
‘Harry – move diagonally four squares to the right.’
Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, face down.
,,It is like wizard's chess..."
‘Had to let that happen,’ said Ron, looking shaken. ‘Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on.’
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, Hermione and Cassiopeia were in danger. He himself darted around the board taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.
Everyone watched the screen in silence.
‘We’re nearly there,’ he muttered suddenly. ‘Let me think – let me think ...’
The white queen turned her blank face towards him.
‘Yes ...’ said Ron softly, ‘it’s the only way ... I’ve got to be taken.’ ‘NO!’ Harry and Hermione shouted.
Molly and Arthur holded their hands together.
‘That’s chess!’ snapped Ron. ‘You’ve got to make some sacrifices! I’ll make my move and she’ll take me – that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!’
‘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 nothing else for 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 around 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.
,,No, no, no." whispered Molly with hearts in her eyes.
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 with Cassiopeia and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.
‘What if he’s –?’
‘He’ll be all right,’ said Cassiopeia, trying to convince herself. Even though she didn't like the Weasley that much, she would be sad if something happened to him. ‘What do you reckon’s next?’ asked Harry.
‘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 ...’ They had reached another door.
,,Does someone else also find it weird that first years are able to pass those rooms so quickly?" asked Cassiopeia I. Professors and others nodded. It was indeed weird.
‘All right?’ Harry whispered.
‘Go on.’
Harry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
‘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.’
He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next – but 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 onwards. They were trapped.
‘Look!’ Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Cassiopeia looked over her shoulder to read it:
ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ ʟɪᴇs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴡʜɪʟᴇ sᴀғᴇᴛʏ ʟɪᴇs ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ,
ᴛᴡᴏ ᴏғ ᴜs ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜᴇᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴅ,
ᴏɴᴇ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴜs sᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ,
ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʀᴀɴsᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʀɪɴᴋᴇʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ, ᴛᴡᴏ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴏᴜʀ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ɴᴇᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴡɪɴᴇ, ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀs, ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴍʏ.
ᴄʜᴏᴏsᴇ, ᴜɴʟᴇss ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀᴍᴏʀᴇ, ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ, ᴡᴇ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴄʟᴜᴇs four:
ғɪʀsᴛ, ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ sʟʏʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ ᴛʀɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴅᴇ
ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ғɪɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ɴᴇᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴡɪɴᴇ’s ʟᴇғᴛ sɪᴅᴇ;
sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ, ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡʜᴏ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇɴᴅ,
ʙᴜᴛ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ᴏɴᴡᴀʀᴅs, ɴᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ɪs ʏᴏᴜʀ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ;
ᴛʜɪʀᴅ, ᴀs ʏᴏᴜ sᴇᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ, ᴀʟʟ ᴀʀᴇ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ sɪᴢᴇ,
ɴᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴡᴀʀғ ɴᴏʀ ɢɪᴀɴᴛ ʜᴏʟᴅs ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇs;
ғᴏᴜʀᴛʜ, ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ
ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴡɪɴs ᴏɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴛ ғɪʀsᴛ sɪɢʜᴛ.
Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.
‘Brilliant,’ said Cassiopeia. ‘This isn’t magic – it’s logic – a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic, they’d be stuck in here for ever.’
‘But so will we, won’t we?’
‘Of course not,’ said Hermione. ‘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.’
‘But how do we know which to drink?’
‘Give us a minute.’ said Cassiopeia.
Both girls read the paper several times. Then they walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to them and pointing at them. At last, Cassiopeia clapped her hands.
‘Got it,’ she said. ‘The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire – towards 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.
‘Which one will get you back through the purple flames?’
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
‘You drink that,’ said Harry. ‘No, listen – get 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 Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I’m no match for him really.’
‘But Harry – what if You-Know-Who’s with him?’
‘Well – I was lucky once, wasn’t I?’ said Harry, pointing at his scar. ‘I might get lucky again.’
,,In this book you're anything but lucky..."
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.’ 'That's true, Harold. You've got this.'
‘I’m not as good as you both,’ said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.
‘Me!’ said Hermione. ‘Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh Harry – be careful!’
‘You drink first,’ said Harry. ‘You are sure which is which, aren’t you?’
‘Positive,’ said Hermione. 'Uncle Sev taught me about potions since I was a baby, don't worry.' said Cassiopeia with smile. 'Wait uncle Sev?' Harry asked confused but before she could answer she took a sip from the round bottle at the end, shuddered and then gave it to Hermione.
‘It’s not poison?’ said Harry anxiously.
‘No – but it’s like ice.’
‘Quick, go, before it wears off.’
‘Good luck – take care –’
‘GO!’
Hermione and Cassiopeia turned and walked straight through the purple fire.
Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.
‘Here I come,’ he said and he drained the little bottle in one gulp.
,,Please be careful." begged Lily.
It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body but couldn’t feel them – for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire – then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.
There was already someone there – but it wasn’t Snape. It wasn’t even Voldemort.
,,Then who?"
Druella, Walburga and Cassiopeia I. looked at each other and nodded. They knew.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sᴇᴠᴇɴ
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───