"Seems we'll be going through it, Harry," said Hermione.
"So we get to see at least one of the other traps," said Harry; like Cedric, he thought that the traps were going to be hard to get through.
In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment.
"That sounds like it would be nerve wracking," said Hermione.
Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.
It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.
"How does an Anti-Cheating spell work?" asked Harry.
"Not quite sure; I've never seen anyone try to get around it," said Cedric.
They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk.
"When are we going to need to make pineapple tap-dance?" asked Harry.
Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox – points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.
"That's a bit ironic," said Hermione.
Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead, which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the forest.
Hermione, Luna, and Cedric looked at him with concern on their faces.
"That probably doesn't help me with my concentration," said Harry.
Neville thought Harry had a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Harry kept being woken by his old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.
Harry had a look of 'great, something to look forward to' on his face.
Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry.
"That's probably it," said Hermione. "Unlike you, we don't have a constant reminder."
The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.
"It sounds so perfect," said Hermione dreamily. Cedric and Harry looked at her as if she was crazy.
"I mean the studying," she clarified. "Being so busy studying that you can't really think or fret about anything."
They still looked at her as if she was crazy.
"It does sound nice," Luna said, "though I do suspect that it won't stay nice as the years go on."
The two boys shifted their 'are you crazy?' looks from Hermione to Luna.
Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and rolled up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.
"Yes, it is a wonderful feeling to know that you've finally finished," said Cedric.
"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."
Cedric had to goggle at her devotion to her work; he'd never met any one, even any Ravenclaws, who had read about things outside if what was needed.
Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward,
"Why?" asked Harry.
but Ron said this made him feel ill,
"Since school work makes him feel ill, it does make some sense that looking at exam papers would do the same," said Luna.
so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.
"There's a giant squid?" said Hermione.
"Oh, yes, and it's quite friendly," said Cedric. "I believe that it's main purpose is to make sure no one drowns in the lake, should they decide to go for a swim. I've also heard that it'll push a student back into a boat should a first year fall in."
"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out in the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."
"How nice," said Hermione, snorting a bit. "He believes you don't have a chance at having done good."
"I do have to wonder how Ron forgot that Harry has other things on his mind," said Luna.
"Harry probably stop telling them after awhile," said Cedric.
Harry was rubbing his forehead.
"I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily.
"That scar hurting must be driving me insane," said Harry. "And to think, I used to like it."
"Does that mean you don't like it anymore, simply due to what we've read?" asked Hermione. He nodded; it looks at though Hermione wasn't the only one experiencing some changes to her thinking patterns, though she was the only one who was taking the major blow – at the moment.
"My scar keeps hurting – it's happening before, but never as often as this."
"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.
"Somehow, I don't think that will help, since Harry's scar isn't a normal one," said Cedric.
"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning…it means danger's coming…"
"You know, I just thought of this: do you think your scar has a bit of a connection to Voldemort?" asked Hermione.
"That's…actually possible, as it would explain why it was hurting you in the forest," said Cedric, then paling as he added, "and at the feast."
The reason for him paling became apparent to the rest; he paled because that would mean that Voldemort was in the school, not just around it.
"Great, not only am I connected to my parents murderer through my wand, but I'm also connected to him through other means as well," said Harry. "And now I can look forward to having to run into him in the school. You know, for the supposedly safest place on Earth, Hogwarts security must really suck."
Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.
There was some sniggering at this, and Luna had the feeling that, if Ron was there, his ears would be bright red with embarrassment.
"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around."
"Which means that they would need to get him out of the castle, which isn't impossible, especially with all of the other responsibilities that he has," said Cedric.
"Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy."
"I guess I haven't thought about the whole Norbert thing yet," said Harry, "mostly because I don't know about the being drunk and offering gifts as a form of finding information from him for Hagrid."
"He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry."
"I do believe that's true for anyone, though. I mean, neither of you have attempted to get into the room again since your first adventure," said Cedric.
"And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."
"I think Neville better start training, then," Harry said.
"Well, in a way, your right; Hagrid thinks so much of Dumbledore that letting him down isn't something he want to do," said Hermione.
Harry nodded, but he couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something he'd forgotten to do, something important.
"I get the feeling that what I've forgotten to do was ask a few more questions about the dragon, especially since I get the feeling that people don't normally walk around with dragon eggs in their pockets," said Harry.
When he tried to explain this, Hermione said, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."
"Sorry, Hermione, but I've go something more important to worry about than exams," said Harry.
Harry was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. He watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters.
"That's a bit…random," Cedric commented.
"I've got to wonder if Harry noticing the owl is important in a way," said Hermione.
Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy…never…but –
"I think you've figured it out," said Luna.
Harry suddenly jumped to his feet.
"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.
"He must have been close to falling asleep," said Hermione.
"I've just thought of something," said Harry. He had turned white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."
"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd," said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"
"Yep, I figured it out," said Harry.
"And I'm probably understanding what your getting at as well," said Hermione.
"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house, his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.
"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.
"Poor Ron," said Luna.
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"Harry, since it's a teacher we suspect is working with Voldemort, I don't think they'll allow their faces to be seen," said Cedric.
"And, before you say it, I don't think Voldemort would allow his face to be seen, since it most likely would cause a problem," said Hermione.
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."
"And I guess, from the way he said that, that he doesn't find that strange in any way, shape, or form," said Harry.
He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.
"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head – that's the pub down in the village."
"Which probably makes it rather popular with those who don't want to be known," said Cedric.
"Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."
Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas.
"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"
"Ah, there's the right question to ask to ask," Luna said.
"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember.
"Not might, it most likely did," said Hermione.
"Yeah…he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here…. He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after…so I told him…an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon…an' then…I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks…."
"Meaning the person is definitely aware of the some of the ways of getting information out of Hagrid," said Cedric.
"Sound like they're going to be a double hit, too," said Hermione. "They're getting him drunk and offering a dangerous creature."
"Let's see…yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted…bu he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home…. So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…."
"You know, its sounds as if the person just said the right things to guide the conversation right where he wanted it," said Luna.
"And did he – did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Harry, I think anyone would be interested in Fluffy, if only to ask why Hagrid named a vicious dog with a cute name," said Hermione.
"Well – yeah – how many three-headed dog d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' case if yeh know how to calm his down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep –"
"And how to get past Fluffy has been revealed," announced Cedric.
Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
"As he should be," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that?" he blurted out. "Forget I said it!"
"Like that's going to happen," said Luna.
"Hey – where're yeh goin'?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a half in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.
"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry.
"Ah, so now is the time to go to Dumbledore," said Cedric.
"Well, it does make sense since now we definitely know that Hagrid has told someone else how to get past the dog," said Hermione.
"Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak – it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk."
"It would have been," said Cedric.
"I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"
Harry looked at Cedric, about to ask the same question, when Cedric shook his head.
"Don't look at me, I don't know where his office is, since I've never been there," said Cedric.
They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction.
"No, that would probably be too easy," said Hermione.
They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.
"Technically, you do," said Cedric. At their blank looks, he added, "The Weasley twins. I know they were sent there last year."
"We'll just have to –" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.
"– look around until we find it," Harry finished, sure that it was what he was about to say.
"What are you three doing inside?"
"It's most likely one of the teachers," said Hermione.
"Does that mean that we're not allowed to be inside of the castle once we're done with taking the exams," Harry said. "Cause I could have sworn that we can wonder the castle all we wanted, so long as it's not after curfew, and, for that year, we don't go into Fluffy's corridor."
It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.
"Ah, that might explain why someone's asking you," said Cedric.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.
"I do have to admit that it definitely sound brave," said Harry.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do.
"Well, since I doubt there are many students who go to Dumbledore willingly, that does sound fishy," said Cedric.
"Why?"
"Does that mean that, if we wanted to see him, we have to tell everyone about it," said Hermione. "Even if it's something to tell in confidence?"
"No, technically, she should show you to where you want to go, since she doesn't need to know everything, but as deputy headmistress, she can be privy to things you want to tell the headmaster, especially if.." started Cedric, only to pause as he realized what he was about to say. Hermione seemed to get it.
"If the headmaster isn't there," she said. "That's what you were about to say, right?" He nodded.
Harry swallowed – now what?
"It's sort of a secret," he said, but wished at once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostril's flared.
"Probably not the best thing to say," noted Harry.
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."
"Now I know why she's being a bit intrusive," said Hermione. "Until Professor Dumbledore gets back, she is, for all intent and purposes, the headmistress right now."
"You know, this seems to be a bit preplanned," said Luna. "I mean, the fact that he disappears just when you find out about how to get past Fluffy."
"That does sound a weird," said Harry.
"You know, I wonder if that owl that you saw earlier was the owl that got Dumbledore out of the place," said Cedric. "You know the one that brought the thought of Hagrid to your mind, Harry."
"It's possible," said Harry.
"He's gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"
"Yes, that doesn't sound good to hear, especially since we know that the only reason for the lack of action was that he was there," said Hermione.
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he had many demands on his time –"
"You know, if he's got so many demands, people should be more wary, because, with so many things going on, other things are going to slip through since he doesn't have the ability to simply focus on one thing," said Hermione. "And not only that, but it doesn't look like he takes other council either. In fact, it's almost like he a bit of dictator."
"But this is important."
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"
"Hmm, Ministry of Magic or Voldemort possibly coming back," said Harry, pretending to weigh them while the book sat in his lap. "I'd think the Voldemort issue is more important, especially since there is a good chance that the Ministry didn't send that notice to him."
"Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor – it's about the Sorcerer's Stone –"
"Yep, that is definitely throwing caution to the winds," said Cedric.
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.
"I wonder how many times you're going to surprise McGonagall," said Cedric.
"How do you know –?" she spluttered.
"Professor, I think – I know – that Sn- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to work," said Hermione.
She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steak it, it's too well protected."
"You know, if we get through those protections, I think she's going to be either upset at us or herself," said Harry.
"I would think she'd take something like that seriously," said Cedric, nonplussed at her reaction.
"I've got to wonder if Dumbledore told her not to," said Hermione. "I mean, it's obvious that she will follow him, and not argue, so if Dumbledore told her not to worry, I get the feeling that she won't worry."
"But Professor –"
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly.
"Somehow, I don't think she does," said Hermione, "especially if one of the teachers is going after it, specifically, one of the teachers protecting the Stone, and, as such, having a small idea of what the protections, outside of their own contributions, are."
She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."
"I don't think we can, knowing that Voldemort's close to getting what he wants," said Harry.
But they didn't.
"It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot.
"That does make some sense, since they don't have a lot of time, especially if they sent the letter themselves," said Hermione. "Of course, they could have just gotten lucky, and the letter isn't a decoy from them."
"Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."
"Again, there's not conclusive evidence that any of the teachers sent the note," Luna said.
"But what can we –"
Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round.
Snape was standing there.
"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.
"He knows how to smile," said Cedric, shocked.
"We were –" Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.
"I would just say that you were trying to decide whether to head back to the common room or to go outside," said Cedric.
"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?"
"That sound like a low blow," said Hermione. "I wonder…" She trailed off, not saying anything else.
Harry flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.
"Be warned, Potter – any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled."
"I get the feeling that Snape would lose his job over you being expelled," said Cedric.
"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.
"Time to make a plan," said Harry.
"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?" asked Hermione.
"Why me?"
"Apparently, you don't change much," said Harry, after reading that.
"And it's kind of obvious, since you can just pretend to be worried about something on your exams," said Cedric. "Neither Harry nor Ron really seem to care about what they get on their exams, though, Harry, you should know that you need to do your best, since you can be thrown out if you don't get the right grades."
"Good to know," said Harry.
"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…'"
"Somehow, that does seem like something you would do," said Harry, glad that there wasn't a chance of getting hit by Hermione, as he moved even further away from her. She pouted realizing that she couldn't poke him for that remark.
"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.
"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron.
"That's not a good idea without some sort of cover over you so that you don't get caught," said Cedric.
"Yeah, especially since I get the feeling that McGonagall's going to be very interested in you at the moment," said Luna.
"Come on."
But that part of the plan didn't work.
"Knew it," Cedric said.
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.
"Well, no offense, but she's got a point," said Cedric.
"Unless, of course, the traps are designed to let you three through them," said Luna. The other three looked at her strangely, but didn't ask what she meant.
"Enough of this nonsense! It I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"
"You know, if a Weasley was here, and sounded surprised as what she would plan to do, that would be rather funny to hear," said Luna.
"Why was he so surprised. I mean, he already knows that she'll do it; she did it with Hermione, Neville and I earlier," said Harry.
Harry and Ron went back to the common room. Harry had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail,"
"It didn't work very well," said Hermione, figuring out rather quickly that she'd failed in her task.
when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.
"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and ask 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."
"Why would you leave?" asked Harry, a bit suspiciously, since it didn't seem to make much sense – she could have just pretended to talk to Flitwick if needed.
"I probably already talked to him," Hermione said.
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.
The other two stared at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering.
"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get the Stone first."
"I'd say you're mad, but, when you consider what would happen if you didn't go, well, it makes sense for you to go," said Hermione. "Of course, I do hope you know that you're not going alone."
"You're mad!" said Ron.
"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"
"Sorry," said Hermione, realizing that being expelled would be the better option than Voldemort coming back.
"SO WHAT?" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape 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!"
"I think he'll go for the turning it into a school of Dark Arts," said Cedric.
"Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?"
He glared at them.
"You know, that's a rather good speech," said Cedric.
"You're right, Harry," said Hermione in a small voice.
"I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."
"Bt will it cover all three of us?" said Ron.
"All – all three of us?"
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"
"Silly boy," said Hermione.
"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…."
"Yes, that is true. If you're going to do something, at least you should try to be prepared as much as possible," said Cedric.
"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too."
"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."
"No they definitely are not," said Cedric.
"So that's why you didn't stick around," said Harry. "You already talked to him, and he already told you what you got. It would seem weird if you asked about it again."
"I did say that I probably already talked to him," Hermione said.
"I guess I didn't hear," Harry said.
After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all.
"Definitely don't care for Gryffindor all that much," said Harry.
This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it.
"It must be because we don't have to worry about someone trying to figure out what we plan on doing," said Hermione
Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do.
Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.
"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning.
"Probably should have gotten it before hand," said Cedric.
Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas.
"I should grab that as well," said Harry.
He pocketed it to use on Fluffy – he didn't feel much like singing.
"I'm not really good," said Harry.
Hermione looked at him, wondering if that was true, or if it was something that his relatives had told him.
He ran back down to the common room.
"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us – if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along its own –"
"I would suggest you make sure no ones around you before you speak about anything that could seem to be sneaking out," said Cedric.
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.
"That toad must not like him," said Hermione.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.
Neville stared at their guilty faces.
"Need to work on that," said Hermione.
"We should have come up with something else to say," said Harry.
"You're going out again," he said.
"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"
"He's going to see right through that, Hermione," said Cedric.
Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.
"Actually, you might want to let him get more ahead of you, because that will at least enable you to keep from having to deal with whoever it is that is going for the stone, and whatever the protections are," said Cedric.
"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."
"Yeah, well, what we want to stop is more important than Gryffindor is," Harry said.
"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."
But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.
"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll – I'll fight you!"
"He wouldn't win," said Cedric, "especially if Hermione here's involved."
"Neville," Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot –"
"Not the best thing to say to someone like Neville, especially after telling him to stand up to people earlier," said Hermione.
"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!"
"Like I said, not the best thing to say," Hermione said.
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."
"Actually, with the information he has, he does know what he's doing, which is trying to stop you," Cedric said
He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.
"That toad needs a leash," said Hermione.
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"
Harry turned to Hermione.
"Yes, turn to me to do something," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.
"You have to admit, you're the most likely one to know a spell to help us," said Harry.
"And I doubt you'd attempt to hurt him, as well," said Cedric, "so you'll most likely do a spell that won't hurt him as well."
"Do something," he said desperately.
Hermione stepped forward.
"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."
"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.
"Ah, yeah, that's a good spell to do," said Cedric.
"What does it do?" asked Hermione.
"I'm sure the effects will be noted in the book," said Cedric
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.
Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.
"What did I do to him?" asked Hermione. Cedric didn't answer, sure that it would come up in the book.
"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.
"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably.
"Oh," said Hermione.
"Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."
"Somehow, I get the feeling that you don't like having to turn your wand on someone you consider to be a friend," said Cedric.
"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.
"That would probably be a bit freaky," said Hermione.
But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen.
"No, I wouldn't think so," said Harry. "He's a friend of ours, after all."
In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked lie Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.
"I guess that means you're being extra careful, then," said Luna.
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,
"Wouldn't be a smart idea," said Cedric. "You'd attract someone's attention if you did that."
but Harry shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.
"She probably hears you, but as she doesn't see you, she rally can't do anything," said Luna.
They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.
"Shoot, that might be a problem, as just waiting for him to leave might not work," said Cedric.
"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 a-creeping around unseen."
Harry had a sudden idea.
"I hope it works," said Harry.
"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."
"That definitely should work," said Cedric, "especially since the Baron's the only one who can control him."
Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.
"I'd like to see that happen," said Cedric.
"So sorry, your bloodiness,"
"'Your bloodiness'," said Hermione, sniggering. It just sounded funny to her for some reason.
"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."
"Exactly how scared of the Bloody Baron is Peeves?" asked Harry.
"Not quite sure," said Cedric. "I can only imagine the Baron did something to Peeves that taught him a very valuable lesson."
"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."
"I will, most certainly will," said Peeves, riding up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."
And he scooted off.
"Your going to definitely have to make this happen the minute you get that cloak," said Cedric, "and make sure I'm there when you do."
"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.
A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third floor corridor – and the door was already ajar.
"He's already there," said Harry.
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly. "Snape's already got past Fluffy."
"Or Quirrell," said Hermione.
Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two.
"Your going to attempt to get us to leave, aren't you?" said Hermione.
"Most likely," said Harry.
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.
"We're coming," said Hermione.
"You are not getting rid of me so easily," Hermione added.
"Nor us," said Cedric and Luna, making sure that Harry knew they weren't going to leave him either, even if their book selves weren't actually there in the book with his.
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,"
Hermione couldn't help but joke, "Sure, why not. It worked for Orpheus," gaining her several clueless looks.
"You ever hear about that Greek myth about the guy who went down through the underworld to get his wife back?" she asked. Harry nodded, having read it somewhere, but neither Cedric nor Luna knew much about myths, outside of Celtic ones.
"Well, that's the guys name, and he used a string instrument to get past the Cerberus that guarded the gate to Hades realm," said Hermione.
"Wait, so my one friend was right?" said Cedric, knowing who Hades was – while he didn't know much about Greek myths, he was taught a bit about the gods, enough to know who was who of the major players.
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"My friend said that Hogwarts was the gate to the underworld," said Cedric. "Apparently, he was right."
Hermione rolled her eyes while Luna and Harry laughed at him.
"Cedric, for the sounds of it, Fluffy was just brought there this year. If Hogwarts was the gate to the underworld, he would have been there much longer," Hermione explained to him, having noticed that he was completely serious.
said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."
"I don't see Snape as the harp type of guy," said Harry.
"Well, while I think that shows that Snape's not the guy after the Stone, it could be that it was the first thing he could think of, like something…symbolic. I mean, if he knew the myth, he might have chosen a string instrument because of the similarities," said Hermione.
"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.
"That seems like it would look funny," said Hermione.
"Yes, it does," Harry agreed,
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped off the cloak, and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.
Hermione and Harry made a face at that.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"
"How chivalrous," said Hermione. "Don't think I'll want to go first, though."
"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."
"That doesn't sound good," said Cedric, "especially since you don't know what's at the bottom."
Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.
"You want to go first?" said Luna.
"I guess," said Harry.
"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 a few seconds' silence, the dog growled, and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play I fell back into its deep sleep.
"I think one of you should have ran your finger through the strings of the harp, if only to make a musical noise so that you didn't have to worry about Fluffy waking up," said Luna.
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 –
"Please don't say he was seriously hurt," said Hermione, worried.
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.
"I suggest you move then," said Cedric.
"Why?" asked Harry.
"Well, it you're sitting on a plant, and you know that Professor Sprout, who is the Herbology teacher, is also one of the ones who is helping to protect the Stone…" started Cedric. Harry paled as he realized exactly what was being said; who knew what the plant was.
"It's okay!" 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!"
"You should add 'just make sure you roll away immediately when you land'," said Hermione, having caught on to what Cedric and Harry meant earlier as well.
Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.
"What's this stuff?" were his first words.
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing."
"Which should be a clue for Ron at least, to move," said Harry. "I probably don't know much about magical plants outside of what we're taught in class, and I've only been there a year. Ron, however, has grown up in a magical household, and would at least know to be cautious more than I would."
"Not really. Mrs. Weasley only teaches what she has to teach beforehand, like reading and writing, but usually leaves things like that to be taught at the school. Most parents do that, though some teach some other things, depending on what it is," said Cedric. "I don't think that magical plants is something that Mrs. Weasley would teach since they don't have any magical plants at their house."
"I suppose it's here to break the fall."
"Harry, I don't think anything down there is to help you," said Hermione.
"Come on, Hermione!"
The distant music stopped.
"I hope you were right next to the trapdoor when you stopped playing," said Cedric.
There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She 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!"
"I think I've realized that it's not good to stay there," said Hermione.
She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.
"How did you not notice that?" said Hermione. Harry shrugged.
Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she 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.
"It sounds like Devil's Snare, which will strangle you the more you struggle," said Cedric.
"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is – it's Devil's Snare!"
"Thought so," Cedric said.
"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.
"He didn't pay attention in class," said Cedric, shaking his head. "Devil's Snare is taught in first year."
"Wait, why would there be a first year plant protecting the Stone?" said Harry.
"I don't know," said Hermione, also frowning. If Devil's Snare was a first year plant, then what is it doing protecting the Stone, which should use much more dangerous plants. "Maybe they don't want to kill someone, and Devil Snare, while able to kill you, is also the easier to deal with so that you don't actually die."
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.
"Bright light," said Cedric. "Anything bright, like a fire or light, will work."
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
"Don't struggle. If you don't struggle too much, you'll have a better chance at getting free quicker. It tightens if you have a fast heartbeat," said Cedric.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare…what did Professor Sprout say? – it likes the dark and damp –"
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes – of course – but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
Cedric and Luna looked at her.
"What?" Hermione asked nonchalantly, though her red cheeks betrayed her.
"Did you forget that you're a witch?" asked Cedric. Her cheeks became redder.
"Hey, leave her alone. I mean, both of you probably wouldn't do to well under pressure," said Harry, defending Hermione; he knew that he would probably have said that there was no wood himself if he was in her position.
"Both Cedric and Luna felt twinges of jealousy over Harry's quick defense of Hermione.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"
"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same blueball flames she had used on Snape at the plant.
"That'll work," said Cedric.
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 you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping off his face.
"Yes, that is a good thing," said Luna.
"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis – 'there's no wood' honestly."
"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, 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…
"I don't think there will be a dragon, lucky for us," said Hermione.
"Yeah, the fearsome monster spot was taken by Fluffy," said Cedric.
"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.
"Challenge number three," said Hermione.
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.
"Possibly," said Hermione.
"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once…"
"That would probably hurt," said Harry, "and hurt badly."
"well, there's no other choice…I'll run."
He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.
"Yeah, that would have been too easy if you just had to run to a door and hope not to be attacked by jewel-bright birds," said Cedric.
The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.
"Again, too easy," Cedric said.
"Now what?" said Ron.
"These birds…they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.
"That's true…" said Hermione. "Hey, are there such a thing as jewel-bright birds in the wizarding world?"
Cedric and Luna shrugged.
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering – glittering?
"Birds don't glitter, unless they've become the victims of an five year old," said Hermione.
"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!"
"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but this trap sounds like something that would be easy to complete when you have the best Seeker in the school with you," said Cedric.
"It does, doesn't it," said Hermione.
"I seems that I was right..." started Luna, who then trailed off, deciding to wait a bit before she said anything else.
"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."
"That does make sense. It would also make sense if you looked for a key that might have some kind of damage, since you're following someone," said Cedric.
"Is there a freezing spell that can be used instead?" asked Hermione, as she knew she wouldn't be completely comfortable on a broom – just the idea had her uncomfortable.
"Yes, there are such things as freezing spells. One could say the Body Bind is one, in a way, in fact," said Cedric. "Don't know how it would help you, though."
They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.
"Never mind," said Cedric. "A freezing charm would definitely help you there."
Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't.
"I was right in saying this was a good task for a Seeker," said Cedric.
After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.
"Use a freezing charm, and then catch it," said Hermione.
"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one – there – no, there – with bright blue wings – feathers are all crumpled on one side."
Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.
"Yeah, I guess you should be careful in there," said Cedric.
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing.
"Yes, do not let your eyes lose it," Luna said.
"Ron, you come at it from above – Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down – and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"
Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.
"Yay," said Hermione. "That's another trap done." Then she frowned, realizing that the traps so far had been rather…easy to get through so far. Well, Fluffy wasn't until they knew how to get past him, but once they did…
Well, we've done Hagrid, Sprout, and I think this one is Flitwick," said Cedric. "I wonder who's next?"
They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand.
"Another use for the freezing charm: you won't have to worry about the key being able to free itself from your grasp," said Cedric.
He rammed it into the lock and turned – it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered no that it had been caught twice.
"Which means that it'll be even easier to find should a third group go through the place," said Hermione.
"Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.
"Time to face trap number four," said Harry.
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.
"McGonagall's trap," said Cedric. "She must have transfigured the chessmen."
Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly – the towering white chessmen had no faces.
"That would seem slightly freaky to see," said Hermione.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
"I think it's kind of obvious," said Luna. "You've got to play your way across…and I get the feeling that you've got to win to go forward as well."
"I guess it's a good thing Ron's with us, then," said Hermione.
"It almost to much of a coincidence, though," said Cedric.
"True," said Hermione.
"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."
"Of course. It's would be too easy if you could just direct someone to the end," said Harry.
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.
"This needs thinking about…." he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of he black pieces…"
"That would make sense," said Hermione.
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 –"
"Well, if it was in any other circumstance, I'd be offended," said Hermione, "but as we need to win this in order to get to the next trap, I can't really allow myself to be offended."
"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 next to him instead of that castle."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words, a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes…look…"
"I hope this isn't like real wizard's chess," said Cedric.
"It probably is," said Hermione.
"Then I hope the chess pieces have cushioning charms on them," Cedric said.
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 knight was take. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he la quite still, facedown.
"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 list, 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 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…"
"I get the feeling that something important is about to happen," said Hermione, noticing that this was the first time that it was mentioned that he had to think about where to direct someone.
The white queen turned her black face toward him.
"Oh, no," said Harry, able to understand what was about to happen.
"Yes…" said Ron softly, "it's the only way…I've got to be taken."
"No," everyone said. While Ron wasn't the most liked person in the group, none of them wanted anything to happen to him.
"NO!" Harry 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!"
"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 hope that's right, and that he's not just trying to get out of helping us," said Hermione.
"I don't think he'd want to miss anything, even if it's just to see if he's right," said Luna.
"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,
The group winced as one at that.
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.
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 and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.
"Why didn't we go see if he was alright?" asked Hermione softly.
"He asked us not to," said Harry, just as softly.
"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."
They had reached another door.
"All right?" Harry whispered.
"Go on."
Harry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostril's, 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 clod with a bloddy lump on its head.
"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Quirrell's protection was a spell," said Cedric.
"Apparently not. It's a troll," said Hermione, only to freeze slight, before turning to Harry. "Which most likely means that Quirrell was the one who let in the troll on Halloween, and that would mean that Quirrell the one after the stone."
"I won't believe that until it says in the book," said Harry, though he had to admit that it was mostly pure stubbornness that was driving him, instead of an actual belief that he was right, since it was looking more like Hermione was right.
"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 different shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"Apparently Snape's has to do with something with potions," said Cedric.
"Yeah, that's super surprising," said Hermione, shaking her head.
"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!" Hermione seized a toll 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, 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 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.
"It's a puzzle," said Hermione, smiling; she was good with puzzles. I wonder what it looks like."
Before Harry could continue reading, something strange happen: a table that matched the description in the book appeared.
"I think you're getting your wish," said Cedric, as Hermione jumped up, and ran to the table, which came with it's own roll of parchment that had the puzzle on it. She read through it, looked at the table, read it again, and then began to walk from one end to the other. She did this two times before turning to the other.
"This bottle," she said, pointing to the round looking bottle, "is the one that gets us through the purple fire, and this one," she pointed to the smallest bottle, "get's us through the black fire."
"That doesn't look like it'll be enough for another person," said Harry.
"I think that's on purpose, so that only one person can get through to the next chamber. I also think that it has a refilling feature to it, because, if it didn't, then I get the feeling that it would be empty if, unless there was more in there," said Hermione. She sat back down and turned to Harry to continue the reading.
"You know, you too only two minutes to do that," said Cedric.
"I wonder how long you took in the book," said Luna, a slight hint to let Harry continue reading. Hermione stopped herself from answering, giving Harry her attention once more, as did Cedric.
Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.
"Brilliant," said Hermione.
"It seems that book you is the same as real you," said Harry.
"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 forever."
"So this is a bit challenging for someone else," said Cedric.
"But so will we, won't we?"
"With Hermione there, I don't think that's possible," said Luna.
"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 me a minute."
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.
"It didn't say how long I took," frowned Hermione, hoping for a comparison.
"I think book you took longer, though, since you had to read the paper several times, and you walk up and down several times," said Cedric.
"So real me is basically faster," said Hermione, smiling. Cedric nodded.
"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.
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"And it looks like you got the same bottles, which means that those are the same ones," said Harry.
"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."
"I don't think I'm a match for anyone, actually," said Harry.
"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."
"I really don't want to leave you with only luck," said Hermione.
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 and – oh Harry – be careful!"
"You will, won't you," said Hermione. Harry nodded.
"As careful as I can," said Harry.
"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.
"No – but it's like ice."
"That makes sense," said Harry.
"Quick, go, before it wears off."
"Good luck – take care –"
"GO!"
" I think that means to stop stalling, Hermione," said Luna.
Hermione 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.
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.
"The final chamber. Now we see whose right, Hermione or Harry," said Cedric.
"You know, I expected the traps to be harder than they actually were," said Hermione.
"So did I," said Harry.
"But they weren't that hard. Or, rather, they were each fitted to one of your strengths," said Luna. "In fact, if I didn't know better, I would have said that you were supposed to go through this...and that Neville was supposed to go with you."
"Why do you say that?" asked Cedric.
"Well, I say that because of the fact that each trap was fitted for each of you, save for the second one, which makes me think that Neville woud have been perfect for it," explained Luna. "And, if what I'm thinking about Neville is right, then that means that he should have been with you."
"What are you thinking about Neville?" asked Harry.
"Oh, I think Neville must be really good at Herbology, better than Hermione. I mean, it does make sense, since he was with you when you discovered Fluffy, after all," said Luna.
"When you put it like that, it does make sense," said Hermione.
There was already someone there – but it wasn't Snape.
"Well, looks like you were wrong, Harry," said Luna.
It wasn't even Voldemort.
"And you can't say that it was Voldemort either," said Hermione.
"That's the end of the chapter," said Harry.
Hermione held out her hand, eager to continue with the next chapter. Harry handed it to her.