Chapter 10: I'll be Home for Christmas
Four hours later, the door opened and a very tired Harry, laden with shopping bags, walked through the doorway before collapsing into the sofa.
"Richard," Harry looked up at the smirking Granger who followed right behind him. "I apologize. I thought you were exaggerating."
"Not in the slightest," Richard laughed. "If you were older, I'd offer you a pint."
"Oh come on Harry," Hermione said as she carried the rest of the bag into the house. "It wasn't that bad. Plus, you made it worse."
"How did I make it worse?" Harry asked, incredulously.
"What happens if you fight Devil's Snare?"
"It tightens its hold and you can't get it off," Harry nodded.
"Exactly," Hermione said. "You fought the trip, especially at the end. Had you relaxed, it would have been easier.
"Besides," Hermione softened her voice. "Isn't it nice to have your own wardrobe? To have someone who cares enough to buy you clothes that actually fit?"
"You're right, Hermione," Harry said, realizing he sounded more than a little ungrateful. "Thank you, all three of you, for everything you've done."
Helen smiled, glad to impart some joy onto the young boy.
Later that night, Harry and the Grangers were in the library reading and Harry finally cracked into the Wizarding Families of Britain, where he found a very special entry:
Potter: The Potter family is one of the oldest in all of Britain, tracing its origins back to the Roman Occupation. It is rumored to have ties with Merlin, Arthur Pendragon and the Knights of the Round Table. Their family can be linked with the Peverell and Gryffindor families. Potters have a strong history of Battle Magic.
Harry had no idea his family was this old.
"Hermione, check this out," he moved next to her.
"Wow! Dating back to Merlin!?" Hermione said. "That's incredible!"
"I wonder if there's anything left, heirlooms or anything. It would be a shame if all that history was lost, you know?" Harry asked and Hermione nodded. "Maybe Gringotts would know something. They manage the wealth of the wizarding world after all."
"We thought we'd do some Christmas shopping tomorrow," Helen spoke up. "Maybe we could make a stop by the Alley and you could visit the bank?"
"I would like that," Harry said. "It would also give me an opportunity to do some shopping of my own."
Harry returned to the book, searching for more about Flamel. He laughed and pointed out to Hermione that Malfoy's family dated back to only the 13th century when they moved from France. Apparently, they were goat herders and made their name selling livestock.
"Not really the noblest of heritage, is it?" Harry asked a giggling Hermione. "I wouldn't care if he didn't act quite so haughty. It says here even Crabbe and Goyle have a longer family history, albeit a little dark."
"Next time he spouts off, you should remind him," Hermione said.
"That'll get his goat, for sure." Harry was outright laughing.
"Ha!" Harry snapped up to see Richard laughing too. "Get his goat! Good one, Harry."
"I didn't even mean to do that one." Even Helen got in on the laughter this time.
Harry looked down at the book and finally saw it: Nicholas Flamel. He gasped and Hermione scooted closer, intrigued by his reaction.
Nicolas Flamel gets unique distinction in this book as he is French, not British. However, it is his achievements that are worth noting. The famed alchemist celebrated his 660th birthday with his wife (653) at the publishing of this book through his breakthrough with the Philosopher's Stone, sometimes known as the Sorcerer's Stone. The Stone will transform any metal into gold and can also be used to create the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. He has also discovered the 12 uses of dragon's blood with Albus Dumbledore.
"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "The Philosopher's Stone. That's what Fluffy is guarding!"
"It's probably also what was taken from Gringott's. It would all fit."
"I'm sorry," Richard interrupted them. "Fluffy? Philosopher's Stone?"
"At the opening feast, Headmaster Dumbledore told us there was a corridor that was off limits," Hermione explained to her parents. "Harry also saw an article stating that something was stolen from Gringotts on the day Harry and Hagrid visited. We also learned from Fred and George Weasley- Hogwarts' resident pranksters, found out there's a three-headed dog guarding it. Hagrid has named it Fluffy."
"And this is normal?" Helen asked, more than a little frightened.
"According to the upper years? No. This has never happened before," Hermione explained. "Harry and I were just trying to figure out what the dog is guarding, which we just surmised is the Sorcerer's Stone."
"Now the only question: who is Dumbledore hiding it from?" Harry pondered. "Snape has been poking around the corridor but Dumbledore appears to trust them."
"A good question," Hermione yawned. "For another day. I'm heading to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."
The following day found Harry standing before the bank of Gringotts. Hermione wrapped her arm around him and led him into the building. Helen and Richard joined them in line for a teller. Eventually, they were called forward.
"What do you need, Wizard?" the gravelly voice of the Goblin called to them.
"I was hoping to get information about any heirlooms or vaults my family might have, please," Harry said.
Please? From a wizard? The goblin thought.
"Key," he held out his hand and Harry placed the key into his hand. "Down the hallway to the left. Ask for Gripclaw."
"Thank you," Harry said, taking the key back, "May my companions come with me?"
"As long as you allow them, they are permitted. Next!"
A little jarred, Harry and the Grangers moved through to the office and knocked on the door with the gold plaque that said "Gripclaw."
"Enter!"
Opening the door, Harry found a huge office with a squat goblin with silver hair sitting behind an executive desk made of Mahogany.
"Mr. Potter!" Gripclaw. "It is about damn time!"
"Excuse me, sir?"
"I have been waiting for this day for years, the day where I would once again be serving House Potter."
"I am sorry to keep you waiting. I was raised in the muggle world and hence I am looking for any information about my family."
"Well, better late than never," Gripclaw waved his hand and a folder floated toward Harry. "This is a list of your accounts and totals. You will not be able to access anything beyond Vault 687 until you come of age at age seventeen. However, you can reactivate the accounts to allow us to invest in them properly again. They have been dormant since your father went into hiding and hence have not grown beyond the standard interest."
"Thank you, Gripclaw. I would imagine the goblins are good with investments and would trust any input you have. Does my family still have any properties and, while I cannot access the vaults, would it be possible to remove anything?"
"Wise question, Mr. Potter," Gripclaw tapped his desk and a symbol lit up. "Potter Manor was attacked and was the reason your parents went into hiding. It would need some repair and, while you cannot access the vault, you can authorize us to repair the manor, using funds from the main vault to do so. As for taking anything out, I can only take one thing out for you, it is being delivered as we speak, along with some gold if you're to do any holiday shopping."
As if on cue, a goblin came in with an old book, wrapped in red leather, POTTER was written on the cover in gold lettering.
"This is your family Grimoire," Gripclaw said. "This is where all the knowledge of the family is stored. It will automatically update should you create any new spells, spell chains or achieve something truly historic."
Harry ran his fingers over the book.
"A word of warning," Gripclaw saw the look on Hermione's face. "What is in here, is for your eyes only. Should anyone else try to read this book, they would be blinded for a day, worse if they tried to steal it from you. You can share the knowledge if you wish but be careful. Family magic is rare, some of it centuries old and the old families are very particular about who knows their secrets."
Hermione pulled her hands back as if burned. Harry looked at her and reassured her.
"I'll let you know if there's anything that I think you should know," Harry said.
Turning back to Gripclaw, he continued.
"Thank you for this, Gripclaw. I'll let you know about Potter Manor when I make a decision. How long would it take to repair?"
"The damage was extensive. It would probably take our best team at least a year to do it, more if we have a snowier than normal year."
"Thank you, Gripclaw." Harry hoisted the Grimoire and account statements under his arm, grabbed his money bag, and, together with the Grangers, made his way out of the bank.
"Now, that that's out of the way, let's do some shopping," Harry said. "Flourish and Blotts first, I assume?"
Hermione squealed and soon Harry found himself being dragged toward the bookstore.
"That boy really doesn't know what he's getting himself into, does he?" Richard asked. Grabbing Helen's hand, they followed in the kids' wake.
A few hours later, they arrived home, pleased but still energized from the day.
"It's a nice day, Hermione," Helen said. "Why don't you show Harry the neighborhood while I prepare dinner?"
Bundled up, Hermione walked Harry around the neighborhood, showing him her former school.
"No way!" Hermione groaned as she heard a voice she hoped she'd never hear again. "How's it going, Beaker?"
How LuAnne came up with that nickname, Hermione never knew. She turned and saw the LuAnne, her platinum blonde hair sticking out from under her knit hat. Hermione tried to walk away but LuAnne followed them.
"I haven't seen you in months, Beaker! They told me you ran away, that you weren't coming back. I've missed you so much! Who is that with you, your boyfriend? What kind of freak would actually spend time with you?"
Hermione gasped, worried that LuAnne's invective toward Harry might trigger him. Suddenly, she could feel Harry's magic in the air. It was just like the when the troll threatened her.
"LuAnne, I presume?" Harry said, his voice lacking all warmth. "I've heard so much about you. My name's Harry and I'm a classmate of Hermione's. You know it's a shame you used Hermione for her brains, rather than actually befriending her. She's currently top of the class at a special school for only the most gifted students. You spend so much time trying to look pretty but it can only hide your true visage under a pale veneer. Meanwhile, Hermione here outshines you without even trying. Stop trying to bring her down and just leave her alone, would you? I think that'd be best for everyone."
"Wow," LuAnne sneered at him. "You must actually be freak."
"Stick around and find out how FREAKY I can be," Harry then waved her away.
Suddenly frightened, LuAnne stumbled backward, falling on a patch of ice. Embarrassed, she gathered her wits and moved along.
"I think that's enough of a tour," Harry turned to her. She seemed withdrawn and near tears again. "Remember that whatever happens, I'm your friend."
Hermione hugged him and they headed back toward the house.
A few days later, a small earthquake woke Harry up.
"Merry Christmas!" Hermione's bushy head of hair was all Harry could see when he opened his eyes.
"Hermione?" Harry trying to get his brain to completely wake up. "What time is it?"
"Five a.m.!"
Harry groaned. There was simply no good reason to be this chipper this early in the morning.
"Don't you want to see what Santa brought?" Hermione bounced his bed again, trying to rouse him.
"I think I'd need my glasses first," Harry said, wiping his face with one hand, searching for his glasses with the other.
"Here you go," Hermione slid the glasses into his hand. "Though it's a shame you have to wear them; your eyes are really quite beautiful."
Hermione blushed and shifted off the bed.
"Come on! Presents!" She nearly dragged him out of bed.
Groggily, Harry made his way down the stairs to the most enchanting sight this side of Hogwarts. In the main room, next to the fireplace stood a Christmas tree, lights glimmering in the dark room. Piled around the tree was a collection of presents, wrapped in an amazing collection of wrapping paper.
"Good morning, Harry," Richard entered from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. "I see my Little Princess has roused you at this lovely hour?"
"Happy Christmas Richard, Helen!" Harry called to the elder Grangers. "How are you alert this early?"
"Coffee," Helen said with a yawn. "We learned years ago to be up early. One year, we tried to get Hermione to sleep in a little. Next thing we know, there's a loud pop and she appears downstairs."
Harry laughed at his now embarrassed friend.
"At least you didn't have to call the fire department to get her down," Harry said. "When I did that, I ended up on top of the schoolhouse."
"Well ever since then," Richard continued. "We learned to be up early and brew coffee. Usually, we prefer tea but Christmas is a day for coffee. Well, we've stalled long enough. Hermione, would you like to pass out presents?"
Jumping up, Hermione started handing out the gifts, including one to Harry, which surprised him.
"I… didn't expect anything," Harry let his hands glide over the parcel, wrapped in green paper with a gold bow. To Harry from Hermione, it read.
With delicate reverence, Harry opened his first ever Christmas present- the first he could remember anyway. The paper fell away to reveal a book, Ender's Game.
"It's a story about a boy who goes to a special school and excels using strategic thinking," Hermione explained. "I thought you would enjoy it."
"Thank you. Your turn now," Harry handed her a package.
"Oh Harry, you shouldn't have!" Hermione said as a Complete Works of Shakespeare fell into her hands.
"I actually found this at Flourish and Blotts, if you can imagine," Harry explained. "You just need to say which of his works you want to read and it will appear on the next page you turn. That keeps the book from being too bulky. Figured you'd want to have this at school."
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione hugged him. "I love it."
Before long, the paper was strewn around the room. Hermione's parents loved Harry's gifts to them.
"1001 puns for the aspiring jokester!" Richard laughed at the book. "Thank you! What'd Harry get you, Helen?"
"Ear plugs," Helen smiled. "He also got me a new copy of The Iliad and the Odyssey."
"I thought you might like it. Homer and Shakespeare are sort of similar."
"I haven't read this in ages. Thank you, Harry."
Harry had also given Hermione some chocolates from a place called "Honeydukes." Apparently, they were the best chocolates this side of France. He also took the opportunity to buy some for Daphne, Tracey and Hermione's dormmates. To Neville, he bought a book on Magical plants of the Mediterranean and for Ron, he got him a book on Quidditch tactics.
For not expecting anything, Harry was overwhelmed by the gifts. Daphne, Tracey with, surprisingly, Crabbe and Goyle, had sent him a set of elegant self-inking quills with a note that read thank you for treating us as individuals. Neville sent Harry a book on defensive magic and Ron gave him his very own chess set but it was the last bit that really sent him over the edge.
"Harry, it looks like you have two more," Hermione said, bringing him two packages.
Recognizing the handwriting, Harry first opened the one from Hagrid.
"I know you said you didn't have any pictures of your parents so I contacted their friends from school," Hagrid wrote. "They sent me these and I thought you'd like to have them."
Into Harry's hands fell a photo album, every page containing pictures of his parents. Some from their school days, some from their wedding and even a few featuring Harry as a baby.
"Your mother was so beautiful," Hermione said, looking over Harry's shoulder at the picture of Lily and James Potter, holding baby Harry. Harry was sleeping in Lily's arms as James held on to Lily. Together they swayed the small bundle while smiling at the camera. The next picture was the same, with his parents smiling at the baby in her arms. "You truly did inherit your father's looks with your mother's eyes."
Tears flowed freely from all four present as Harry drank in every picture on every page.
"Remind me to add my dad's letter to this once we get back to school," Harry said as he leaned into Hermione to keep upright. Slowly, he picked up the last package, wrapped simply with a note written in an elegant hand.
Your father left this with me when he died. It is time I returned it to you.
Out of the package fell a lightweight silver piece of fabric that almost felt like water in his hands.
"Wonder what this is?" Harry thought aloud.
"Looks like a cloak of some kind," Richard said. "You see the hood? Put it on."
Harry stood up and wrapped the cloak around his shoulders.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Your body is gone. I think I know what that is; it's an invisibility cloak! I've read about them, they're supposed to be really rare!"
"Apparently it was my fathers," Harry said, taking off the cloak and running his fingers through it again.
Before long, Harry gathered his gifts, taking them back up to his room. Setting them aside, he walked back into the kitchen to help Helen with Christmas Dinner. Putting the finishing touches on the seasoning for the roast before setting it in the oven, Harry moved on to the potatoes he was braising, adding lemon and chives to the skillet.
"Mmm," the smells attracted Hermione to the kitchen. "What are you two making?"
"Harry helped me season the roast which is in the oven and he's making potatoes while I'm working on assembling a salad for us."
A short while later, Harry sat at the table and dug into Christmas dinner, savoring the experience of eating the meal he helped create. That night, before bed, he hugged Hermione extra tight.
"Thank you," he said. "This holiday has been an incredible time. It has been wonderful to feel included like I am part of a family."
"I am happy to do it," Hermione eased back from the hug. "Happy Christmas, Harry."
The rest of the holiday moved quickly after that. With help from Richard and Helen, Harry was able to learn that he would inherit quite a bit of wealth once he came of age.
"It's not enough that you won't have to work but it should set you up nicely going forward," Richard said. "If you didn't have anything to do, it would last multiple lifetimes but a lot of this will be going to restoring your family home."
Harry nodded along, listening closely when Richard offered his advice on some investments and money management in general. Harry mailed Gripclaw, asking about investing in certain muggle companies. Gripclaw was intrigued by the possibilities that offered them. Dealing with purebloods, they never considered the potential gains of muggle investments. Promising to keep in touch, the goblins got to work setting up the infrastructure to allow their new venture to succeed.
All too soon, it was time to head back to Hogwarts and begin the next term.
"Thank you for everything," Harry said to the Grangers as they made to board the train. "I had a wonderful time."
"We enjoyed having you," Helen said. She wrapped him in a hug, noticing he no longer flinched at her contact; he was healing. "You are welcome any time, Harry."
"Have a good term, Princess," Richard held on to his daughter for an extra second. "I love you."
"Love you, daddy," Hermione moved away to hug her mom. "I'll miss you both."
"Have a good term," Richard said. "Both of you. Hopefully, you can stay for a bit during the summer, Harry?"
Trying not to think of the summer, when he'd have to return to Privet Drive, Harry smiled and nodded before turning to board the train.
Joined once again by the same crew who shared the compartment the ride down, Harry looked out the window, ready for the next term, excited for all the magic he had yet to learn.
Chapter 12: I see fire
Once the train pulled into the station, it didn't take long for Harry to get wrapped back up in the hustle and bustle that was Hogwarts.
Almost immediately, Ron Weasley descended upon him.
"Harry, mate!" He called out as Harry and Hermione walked through the entry hall. "How was your holiday? You weren't too bored, were you? Did you like the chess set? Oh and thanks for the book on Quidditch!"
"Ron…" Harry held up his hands. "One question at a time please, otherwise I'll just decide which questions to answer. In order; it was great, no it was not boring, thank you for the chess set and I'm glad you liked the book."
"Come on," Ron grabbed him by the arm. "We have so much to catch up on! I'll go get my board."
"Ron.." Harry put some steel into his voice. "We just got back. Can we get settled first? I promise we'll catch up tonight."
Ron first looked disgruntled but then brightened at the promise of later.
"Okay! I'll catch you later!"
Harry shook his head. Ron was fine but was just a little too exuberant. There was also the fact he always only invited Harry and ignored whoever Harry was with. He thought it was because of Hermione but there was something bigger because Ron didn't even address Neville or Susan, whom he had entered the castle with as well.
Hermione and Harry dropped their stuff in their rooms before grabbing their books. While Hermione had relaxed over break, she was now anxious that they had missed something in their homework, despite the fact they finished it all before they left. Knowing her mind would not relax until she had double-checked everything, Harry agreed to review their
assignments.
As they sat down in the common room, Neville joined them.
"Did you guys find anything about Flamel?" Neville was curious ever since Harry had told them what Hagrid had said.
"We did actually," Harry said as he brought out the book and showed him the entry.
"Philosopher's Stone!" Neville said. "That must be what the Cerebus is guarding, isn't it?"
Harry nodded and Hermione scrunched her eyes in thought.
"The question is: who is it being guarded from?" Hermione said. "That's what I want to know."
"Maybe Hagrid knows more," Harry said. "Do you think we should visit him again?"
"Let's wait for a few weeks," Hermione said. "He could still be on edge, given our last conversation."
Soon, classes were underway and the teachers showed they weren't going to let up. McGonagall was moving on to switching spells. She had them start by switching a quill with the air next to it, making it appear as if the quill teleported. As students got better, they were allowed to swap two items and start moving further away.
Like anything with school, Harry and Hermione turned it into a competition. Sitting in front of them, in the middle between them sat six goblets, three blue and three red. The goal was to completely have all six goblets in front of them. Hermione was quicker and quickly jumped to a two-goblet lead while Harry tried to keep up. Once he got going, Harry kept pace but could never gain on her. Laughing Hermione kept casting until finally, she overwhelmed Harry to collect every goblet.
"Beat ya!" She raised her arms in celebration.
"Oh yeah?" Harry flicked his wand and all six goblets appeared in front of him. "How about now?"
"Excellent work, Mr. Potter," McGonagall was watching them. "Swapping all six was truly risky but effective. Done wrong, you would have mixed up the goblets. Though Miss Granger is still the speedier caster, you have countered that with more power. 20 points to Gryffindor, you two."
"Shall we go again?" Harry asked, a glint of joy in his eye.
"You're on!" Hermione leaned in, ready for round 2.
It wasn't just McGonagall, Flitwick worked both of them hard in their lessons and used their special lessons to move them onto the second-year curriculum and beyond.
Flitwick was teaching them both disarming and shielding spells.
"Expelliarmus, when performed properly, disarms your opponent," Flitwick said. He taught them the wand movement and had them practice on a dummy he had set up. When they had mastered that, he moved on to shielding.
"There are many kinds of shields but the first one you'll learn is Protego," Flitwick explained.
"This spell will block most incoming attacks, assuming your intent is strong enough. A weak intent," he shot a spell at Harry's conjured shield, shattering it. "And a significantly powerful spell will break it. Now, I want you to take turns trying to disarm one another. One will disarm and the other will shield."
Hermione was first on disarming and she noticed something: Harry's shield was round but did not cover everything. Using her precise aim, she shot her disarming spell into a gap in his shield, disarming Harry.
"Excellent vision and aim, Miss Granger," Flitwick clapped. "Just because you have a shield, do not assume it covers everything. Imagine if that was a more dangerous spell."
"Can you shape the shield?" Harry asked
"A little but there will still be limitations," Flitwick conjured a protego in the shape of a kite shield with his wand. "The bigger the shield, the harder it is to reinforce."
Harry thought for a second and, picturing his shield, incanted "Protego!"
On his left arm appeared a round shield. Moving his arm, the shield moved with him.
"Let's go again," Harry said.
Typical Harry, Hermione thought as she rolled her eyes. "Expelliarmus!"
The red spell shot toward Harry who, thanks to his seeker reflexes, caught the spell on the shield. Undeterred, Hermione shot spell after spell until finally, the shield failed and Harry's wand once again landed in her hand.
"Where did you think to come up with that?" Flitwick said.
"Your kite shield form made me think about medieval round shields and I pictured one on my arm," Harry said. "That way I could cast the shield but still keep my mobility."
"Then you have figured out the biggest key in dueling: mobility," Flitwick said. "The best defense is not being in the place where a spell is going to be. By being mobile, you are harder to hit."
Harry and Hermione switched and Hermione tried to conjure the shield.
"I can only get it to appear in front of me," She said.
"Picture it clearly on your arm, the way a shield would be," Harry said.
Hermione closed her eyes and clearly pictured the shield before casting the spell.
"Protego!" She shouted. The shield appeared where she intended. A moment's smile and celebration were all she had before…
"Expelliarmus!" Harry cast a red spell toward her. She caught the spell on her shield but the power of it shattered the shield. Before Hermione knew it, another spell was on her way. Remembering Flicwick's words, Hermione quickly sidestepped the spell, letting it go past her.
"Expelliarmus," Hermione shot back. Her red spell met with Harry's and they ricocheted off one another, forcing Flitwick to shield himself. Back and forth the two traded spells, no longer worried about shielding but instead dodging and trying to gain a hit.
"Expelliarmus," they both cried, Tired and unable to dodge, Harry's wand left his hand and another landed in his other hand: they had somehow managed to disarm one another at the same time.
"Good! Good!" Flitwick was hopping up and down with excitement. "I wasn't going to start movement training until February but you adjusted on the fly! I think we will stop the lesson here."
At that, both kids collapsed onto the ground. Flitwick conjured a few goblets and filled them with water. Without needing to be told, Harry and Hermione grabbed the goblets Flitwick floated in front of them, drinking deeply.
"I am very impressed with your development, both of you. Next, I will have you practice disarming and shielding at the same time. It takes a lot of concentration to cast while maintaining your shield."
Unfortunately, not every instructor was quite so fair. With the Potions Club thriving, Neville, Harry and Hermione all were finding brewing easier, even if the environment was not a healthy one.
They were working on the Concoction of Concentration when the bat descended on them.
"How can you possibly call this a potion?" Snape demanded. "You stir but you look entirely ridiculous and yet I'm sure you expect me to pass you with flying colors. So much like your father you are."
Harry had taken to smuggling samples of his completed potions out of the classroom. He could not expect Snape to be fair to him so he wanted to have some useful feedback to actually know how he was doing. Unfortunately, he had yet to find anyone. Madam Pomfrey was good at teaching the potions but couldn't help him analyze his potion or tell him how he could improve. Harry walked out of the dungeon at a loss, wondering who could possibly help him when Wood walked up to him.
"Harry!" Wood slapped his seeker on the back. "Hope you had a good break. We've got the game against Hufflepuff coming up so I hope you're ready to dive back into training."
As the match drew closer, Wood pointed out the seeker he would be facing.
"That's Cedric Diggory," Wood pointed him out in the Great Hall one day. "He's a third year and just made the team. He's a good bit bigger so you'll have to be quicker and I'd like to start doing some core exercises."
In his mission to make the best team possible, Wood had the entire team doing weight training and cardio exercises before every practice. Even if Harry hated it, he could feel the difference in how much stronger he was at the beginning of the year. Wood, however, was never satisfied.
Between Quidditch and classes, time was flying and before Harry knew it, it was time for the second match. Waking up to a dreary day, Harry groaned and got out of bed. The wind was howling and snow was thick on the grounds.
Going through the routine, Harry soon found himself on his broom, in the cold, floating next to the taller Hufflepuff boy.
"Good luck, Potter," Cedric said.
"You too, Diggory," Harry managed a smile. Madam Hooch's whistle sounded and the game began in earnest.
Harry shot up from his position and began to scan the pitch, keeping an eye on Diggory. Without warning, Diggory dropped out of the sky and Harry followed, thinking he had seen the Snitch. Coming up hot on Cedric, Harry was almost level when Diggory pulled up hard. Not realizing how close they were to the ground, Harry swerved and pulled up. Coming around, he saw Diggory smiling, realizing his trick had worked.
Two can play at that game, Harry thought. Putting on a look of concentration, Harry shot off toward the Hufflepuff hoops. Wind whistling in his ears, he could feel Diggory on his tail. Leaning in, Harry rolled and climbed over the stands.
"Fuck!" Harry heard Diggory shout as he nearly collided with the stands. Coming up next to Harry, he couldn't help but smile. "Well played, Potter!"
"Couldn't let you get away with that move, now could I, Diggory?" Harry laughed. "Now let's get after it for real."
Harry couldn't have had better timing as he caught a glint of gold in his eyes, floating near the Gryffindor posts. Knowing Cedric had seen it too, Harry took off. Despite being the leaner player on the quicker broom, Harry was flying into the wind which leveled the playing field between the two Seekers.
On they flew, chasing the ball as it tried to escape. Closer and closer they pulled, neither Seeker giving an inch. The crowd held their breath as both seekers dove toward the ball.
A cheer erupted in the stands as Diggory shot up, the Snitch clasped in his hand. Hufflepuff went wild and Harry looked around, falling off his adrenalin rush. The Chasers had done their job, they only lost 200-150, but Harry had failed. Diggory beat him.
Heading toward his teammates, Harry hung his head.
"No hard feelings, Harry," Wood flew up and wrapped an arm around him. "You did great."
"It's a part of the game," Fred said.
"We couldn't expect you to win every game," Katie said.
"That was one of the closer matches I've ever had," a new voice joined his teammates. Harry turned to see Cedric Diggory.
"I've never had another seeker feint me the way you did, Potter," Cedric extended his hand. "I think people will be talking about this one for a long, long time. I can't wait to see how you develop going forward. You have a lot of talent."
"Thank you, Diggory," Harry shook his hand. "I look forward to our rematch. You can be sure I'll be training extra hard in anticipation. And it's Harry, not Potter."
"Then call me Cedric," the older boy said. "Oh, and Susan Bones told me you're looking for someone to look over your potions, something about Snape being unfair? I'm really good at Potions. Bring them to me and I'll take a look."
"Thank you, Cedric," Harry inclined his head toward the Hufflepuff team. "Now go celebrate with your team and house. You've earned it."
After a shower and a change of clothes later, Harry found Hermione waiting for him outside the locker room.
"You played well," Hermione said, gently laying a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Sorry you didn't win."
"I don't think I want to head back to the Common Room quite yet," Harry let the stress of the match roll off his shoulders. "Maybe we can go see Hagrid?"
Knocking on the door, Harry heard Hagrid shout "In a minute!" before coming to the door. Opening the door, Harry was confronted with suffocating heat.
"'Arry! 'Ermione!" Hagrid beamed. "Good ter see yer! Come on in!"
Stepping over the threshold, Harry suddenly wished he was wearing some cooler clothes… like a swimsuit.
"Hagrid," Hermione trained her eyes on the fireplace. "That isn't what I think it is…. Is it?"
Sitting on the fire was a black egg.
"Beau'iful I'nt it?" Hagrid looked at the egg with a reverence that was both touching and unnerving. "Won it in a game o' cards last nigh'."
"Hagrid," Hermione's voice went positively shrill. "You live in a wood house!"
"Wait…" Harry was finally catching on. "You're telling me... you won a dragon egg... in a card game!?"
"This book here says it's gonna either be a Hedebrian Black or a Norwegian Ridgeback," Hagrid wasn't paying attention to anything but the egg. "Look at the time, you should be getting back to the castle."
Back in the suddenly comfortable cold, the pair wondered what to do. Night had fallen, and the only light remaining was that of the full moon.
"We can't let him keep that," Hermione said. "We can't have a dragon that close to the school."
"I agree but what do we…" Harry stopped short. They were on the edge of the forest and he heard a twig snap. Turning toward the sound, he saw the most tragically beautiful sight of his entire life.
Trotting toward them was a unicorn, its pearl white coat gleamed in the moonlight. As the creature turned, Harry could see it limping. There was a gash on its leg, blood running into the snow. Cautiously, Harry approached the animal.
"Harry," Hermione was both terrified and awed. "Unicorns don't like being approached, especially by males."
"It's hurt, Hermione," Harry said. "We have to help."
Stepping forward, the unicorn slowly bowed its head before collapsing on the snow. Thinking nothing of the consequences, Harry ran toward the animal. Hermione, ever the rational one, rolled her eyes and shot sparks into the air with her wand before approaching.
Harry was on his knees, examining the wound on the animal. Not knowing what to do, Harry pulled off his black cloak and put pressure on the wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood.
"What happened to you?" he asked the beautiful creature.
Another twig snapped behind him. Harry turned and saw a… something… in a cloak, moving toward him. Red eyes gleaming, it advanced toward Harry. Pain lit up on Harry's forehead, burning through his scar. Harry screamed and threw his hands up to his scar, trying to claw the wound, to make it stop burning.
Hermione stepped in front of Harry.
"Incendio," she shouted. A stream of flame shot out of her wand, forcing the creature back before advancing again. Paralyzed by pain and fear, Harry watched helplessly as the creature advanced on Hermione. Forcing the pain into a corner of his mind, Harry found to strength to stand. He conjured his favorite blue flames and pushed them toward the creature.
The creature screamed, falling back as Harry heard the sound of hooves. From the peripheral of Harry's vision, Harry saw a four-legged creature charge, making the cloaked creature retreat in earnest.
His head clearing, Harry looked up into the face of a creature he thought was mythical: a Centaur.
"Good evening, younglings," the Centaur said, his blue eyes moving from Harry to Hermione to the injured Unicorn. "It is not safe to be near the forest, especially for you Mr. Potter. Yes, even among Centaurs, you are famous."
"What was that thing?" Harry asked
"Something we Centaurs dare not speak about."
"Why was it here?"
"It was hunting this beautiful creature you are trying to help. I am Firenze, by the way."
"Greetings, Firenze. I am Harry Potter, as you know, and this is my friend Hermione Granger."
"So small and yet so brave, filled with an abundance of kindness," Firenze's gaze seemed to penetrate through Harry. "Fascinating."
The bushes rustled again and two more Centaurs emerged from the tree line, a strong black one with red eyes and a brown-bodied centaur with grey eyes.
"Firenze!" The black one boomed. "You should not be here. You've seen the stars, it is not for us to interfere!"
"Bane," Firenze answered. "I could not stand by. Mother Magic is moving and hence the stars are too."
"You know we cannot get involved," the brown one said
"I fear there will come a day where we have no choice but to get involved, Magorian."
"Excuse me?" All three turned to Harry who bowed to them. Shock looks appeared on all three centaurs; a wizard had never bowed to them before. "I am sorry to have caused an issue. Could either of you help this unicorn?"
"Help is on the way, young one," Firenze said as the other two Centaurs retreated into the tree line. "Your companion summoned it. Be careful, Harry Potter. Do you know what is held up at the castle at this very moment?"
Harry nodded.
"Slaying a unicorn is one of the most vile acts one can do," he explained. "Drinking its blood can save you even from being on the verge of death but it comes at a great cost. For by drinking it, you condemn yourself to a cursed life, a half-life."
"Who would do that to themselves?" Hermione asked.
"Can you think of no one? One who would cross into the darkest realm so that he might return to a regular existence? One who has yearned to do just this thing for the past 10 years?"
A weight fell on Harry's chest. Voldemort, he thought. Voldemort is not gone. He's here, in this forest, waiting to move on the Stone.
"Be cautious, Harry Potter," Firenze said as he too retreated. "Your quest is a noble one but there is more on your shoulders than you can know. Do not bear this burden alone. If you do, it will crush you."
As Firenze faded back into the forest, Hagrid ran up to them, a crossbow in his hands, Professor McGonagall in tow.
"What're yer doing here?" Hagrid said. "We saw yer sparks!"
"We found this unicorn, it has been hurt badly," Hermione gestured toward the unicorn, Harry once again trying to staunch its bleeding. "There was another creature that was hunting it but we drove it back with the help of a Centaur."
"Glad yer okay," Hagrid grumbled. "Centaurs are no' the easiest creatures to deal with in the best of times, downrigh' nasty in the worst. Don' worry, I'll get 'im patched up."
"I will take you back up to the castle," McGonagall said. "Thank you for signaling for help but it is dangerous to be anywhere near the forest come nightfall. You should know this."
They walked back toward the castle in silence. Hermione looked over and saw the far-away look in Harry's eyes. She didn't understand Firenze's warning but clearly, he had. At the Fat Lady's portrait, Hermione turned to McGonagall
"Professor," Hermione hesitated. She hated betraying Hagrid like this but she could not keep silent. "This afternoon, we stopped by Hagrid's and…"
"I know Miss Granger," McGonagall said. "I discovered it when I went to investigate the sparks you shot up. We will make sure to take care of it safely and discreetly."
"Thank you, professor," Hermione said.
"Mr. Potter," Harry, still wide-eyed, snapped up to look at his head of house. "You played well today.
"I was once told a piece of advice that I will tell you: you can do nothing wrong and still lose. That is not failure, that is life. I hope you remember this lesson as I have."
Harry nodded and stepped through the portrait hole. Quidditch seemed like an odd thing to worry about when your parents' murderer was loose on the grounds, looking to acquire an item that promises immortality.
(A/N: One, I didn't want Snape to referee because I don't know what good that would have done except add needless consternation.
Two, I know it's controversial to have Harry lose a Quidditch game under normal circumstances but I wanted to introduce Cedric and build up his character. In a game that windy, his size made enough of a difference. I wanted Harry to face the experienced Diggory and learn what it means to lose. It was also a good way to introduce Diggory and start building a bond there.
I also didn't want them to be punished for helping Hagrid and punished by going to the forbidden forest.)
Chapter 12: Into the Unknown
A few weeks later, Harry was a mystery to Hermione. He was unfocused in class and no longer engaged in their usual competitions into mastering spells while pushing himself beyond his limits in their lessons with Flitwick.
"Enough!" Flitwick called out. Harry and Hermione were once again trying to disarm and shield. At his word, Harry nearly collapsed, heaving himself down onto the ground. Breathing heavily, sweat pouring off his body, Harry tried to heave himself back up, a small hand landed on his shoulder, holding him down.
"Mr. Potter!" Flitwick tried to get his attention. "You are exhausted and unfocused. This combination is a good way to hurt yourself. Or others."
Harry followed his eyes to Hermione who looked concerned for her friend.
"There is something bothering you and it is driving you outside your limits and your control," Flitwick looked Harry dead in the eye. "We are done here tonight."
"No!" Harry screamed. "We have to keep going!"
"Why?" Hermione was at her wit's end. "Harry… you're not paying attention in classes and hyper focused here. Ever since that night with the unicorn. What is going on? What aren't you telling me?"
Harry glared at the both of them. He didn't want to burden them with what he knew but he also knew Hermione would not let this go.
"Do you remember what Firenze told us?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. "There's only one person I can think of who would drink unicorn blood in order to stay alive. Someone who has been looking to regain his power for 10 years.
"Voldemort." Harry finally said as Hermione gasped. "Voldemort wants the stone."
"How do you know about the stone?" Flitwick
Harry rolled into an explanation of going to Gringotts with Hagrid, learning about the break-in that happened that day. He told them how Fred and George found out about Fluffy and that they discovered it was standing over a trap door. He left off his suspicions of Snape and instead mentioned Hagrid dropping the name Nicolas Flamel. A short hop, skip and jump, they learned about the Philosopher's Stone and put together that it was being held in the third-floor corridor.
"Impressive deduction work, you two," Flitwick was both horrified and impressed at how much they had discovered. "But what does this have to do with You-Know-Who?"
"When we encountered the unicorn, there was another cloaked creature," Harry explained slowly. "The centaur who drove it off told us the thing wanted to drink the blood of the unicorn but it came with a cost. He said the creature was only doing that so that it could live long enough to get the stone. Hermione asked him who would be willing to do that. Firenze told me, in his own cryptic way, that there was one person, one who had been waiting to return to power… for ten years. That could only be one person: Voldemort."
Flitwick flinched at the name and Hermione stepped closer. Looking him in the eye, she did something he did not expect: she hit him. Repeatedly.
"You idiot!" Hermione screamed. "For weeks you've been carrying this around? Weeks of suffering, worrying and you didn't tell me!? If you're suffering, you have to tell me. Going it alone- I know that's what you are thinking- will not help. If V-V-Voldemort-"
She stuttered out the name for the first time
"-is still out there, it isn't your responsibility."
"But if he comes back, he'll come after me first. I have to be ready," Harry said. "I can't put you in danger, not like that."
"You don't get to ask that! 'Don't go where I can't follow,' you once told me. I am telling that to you now because I'm with you, to the end of the line. If Voldemort does one day come back, we will face him together. Got it!"
"Listen to her," Flitwick decided to reinsert himself into their conversation. "Last time, he gained power by isolating us. He divided everyone and got them to think of themselves and not others. If he is to come back, it will take all of us, working together, to stop him. You were the one to defeat him and that was because no one was willing to stand up to him. Even Dumbledore, powerful as he is, could not unite the wizarding world against Voldemort.
"Don't push yourself so hard that you actually end up doing more harm than good," Flitwick made sure Harry was paying attention. "Focus on your classes, enjoy time with your friends and remember to LIVE. If you forget that you have a life to live, I will not be able to train you. Understood?"
Harry nodded. He had been spending all his days preparing for his confrontation with his parents' murderer that he had forgotten to live his life. He had pushed his friends away and it took Hermione literally knocking some sense into him to realize that.
"Don't worry about the stone," Flitwick said. "The headmaster directed us professors to add some protections to it, including Dumbledore himself. Now it's almost curfew, you both should head back to your dormitories."
Together they ventured back to Gryffindor tower. Before gaining entry, Harry turned to Hermione.
"Thank you for waking me up," Harry said, looking at his feet. "I am sorry for not telling you what was going on. Whatever comes, we will face it together."
"Don't you forget it," Hermione finally smiled at him.
Later that week, the weather warmed up enough for Harry, Hermione and Neville to spend some time on the grounds, drinking in the warmth of the sun.
"Oh this feels good," Harry said as he lay back on the grass. "I haven't been this warm since…"
Harry let the sentence drift off, his eyes widening as he did.
"Since when?" Neville asked.
"Since we visited Hagrid," Harry said. "Remember how he said he won the egg off a stranger? Don't you think it's odd that a stranger would have a dragon egg for the person who would love to raise a dragon most of all?"
Bolting upright, Harry headed off toward Hagrid's cabin. Hermione and Neville looked at one another before scrambling to catch up. As they caught up, Harry was hammering on the door to Hagrid's hut.
"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Hagrid opened the door. "'Arry? What'cha doin hammerin' at me door?"
"Hagrid," Harry tried to keep his voice steady. "That night you won the egg, did you get a look at the stranger?"
"No' really," Hagrid ran his hand across the back of neck. "'E wore a cloak. Ne'er really saw 'is face."
"You didn't think that was odd?" Hermione asked.
"No' really," Hagrid said. "Hog's 'ead is known for that sort of thing. When 'e gave me th' egg, 'e asked if I was up to raisin' a dragon. I told him, after Fluffy, it woudn' be an issue. Yer just gotta know how ter calm them down. Like with Fluffy, play a little music an' he'll drop righ' off."
Harry's jaw dropped, Hermione gasped and Neville facepalmed.
"I shouldn' 've said that," Hagrid said but it was too late. The kids were running back toward the castle.
"What do we do?" Hermione asked. "That was either Voldemort-"
Neville squeaked.
"-Or someone working with him."
"Working with him?" Harry started slowly. "You're not thinking…"
"Yes. I am thinking Professor Snape. He tried to throw you off your broom, has been seen on the corridor. If Voldemort isn't able to enter the castle, he would have a lackey do it for him."
"We need to go to Dumbledore," Neville said. "McGonagall would know how to contact him. Let's go ask her."
Arriving at McGonagall's office, they knocked. Hearing "enter" they opened the door. There at her desk, buried behind mountains of parchment was the Deputy Headmistress.
"Are you doing okay, Professor?" Harry gestured to the four tables full of parchment.
"Just fine, Mr. Potter," McGonagall's clipped tone answered. "Just catching up on some paperwork. How may I help you?"
"We were looking to get in contact with Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione said. "We need to speak with him."
"What would you need to speak to him about?" McGonagall was legitimately confused.
"Actually, we think…" Hermione started to say.
"Somebody's going to steal the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry shouted over the top of her.
"How do you know about…" McGonagall waved her hand. "Irrelevant and I probably do not want to know. Why do you think the stone is in danger?"
Harry took a deep breath to calm his panicked mind. Together they laid out everything they discovered from their encounter with the unicorn, what Firenze had told them and their new discovery regarding what Hagrid had told the stranger when he won the egg.
"While that is concerning, there is more guarding the stone than a Cerebus," McGonagall said. "I will relay your concerns to Dumbledore when he gets back."
"Dumbledore is gone!?" Harry asked, Hermione and Neville's eyes widened.
"Business at the ministry, I'm afraid," McGonagall said. "I'm in charge until he gets back, as is the norm whenever he leaves."
Which is often, McGonagall thought.
"Now forget about the stone," McGonagall said with finality. "It is safe."
The trio left McGonagall's room, feeling worse than when they entered.
"Dumbledore is the only one You-Know-Who feared," Neville said when there were a decent distance away. "If Dumbledore is gone, this might be his best chance to make his move and my gran always told me Snape was deep into You-Know-Who's camp. He only got off because Dumbledore vouched for him. It always rubbed her the wrong way."
"What can we do?" Hermione asked aloud.
"We go after the stone ourselves," Harry said, his eyes hard. "We grab it, we give it to Hedwig and have her take it to the goblins. They can get it back to Flamel since they were tasked with protecting it in the first place.
"That's so dangerous!" Hermione screeched. "We could be killed-or worse, expelled."
"Tonight, we'll go-" Harry stopped short at the sound of approaching footsteps.
As if summoned, Snape rounded the corner.
"What are you three doing inside on such a lovely day?" Snape looked Harry in the eye. Harry could feel a little pressure like something poking on his forehead. Ever since the encounter with the unicorn, Harry felt more aware of his own brain. Harry looked away from the Potions Master and the pressure receded.
"One might think you're up to something," the bat sneered.
Watching him stalk away, Hermione made up her mind.
"You know what? Let's do it, but how do we do it? You know Snape will be watching us closer than ever."
"My dad's cloak," Harry said. "It will keep me…"
"Us," Hermione interrupted. "You're not going alone. Stronger together, remember?"
"I might be useless with a wand," Neville added. "But what kind of Gryffindor would I be if I let the two of you go alone?"
"Okay," Harry relented. "It should keep us from being seen and allow us to sneak down to the corridor. What do we do about music for Fluffy?"
"I'll sing to him," Neville said. "What? Some plants actually react well to singing and I am actually a pretty good singer."
That night, the trio waiting in agony as the Gryffindor common room had no idea what was at stake, what they were going to do. Ron roped Harry into a few more rounds of chess. It didn't matter that Harry's head wasn't in the game and that Ron smashed Harry in 10 moves, Ron just acted like nothing mattered.
"Why so glum, Harry?" Ron said. "The weather is warming up, school is almost done. Summer is almost here!"
"Guess I've just got a little on my mind, Ron," Harry tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
"Speaking of summer," Ron said. "Do you think you'll be able to come visit the Burrow for a while during it?"
"Sure, Ron," Harry said distractedly, looking around the room at the dwindling crowd. "That sounds great."
"Really!? I'll have to write mum and let her know."
Like a bullet Ron was off and running up to his room. All that was left in the common room were the twins and two couples who were more interested in one another than they were anyone else. Harry looked at Hermione and Neville and nodded. Standing up as one, Harry extracted his cloak from the pocket of his robes, swung the portrait to the Fat Lady open. On cue, Hermione and Neville fell into formation on either side, Harry threw the cloak over them and walked on toward the third floor.
At the corridor, Harry reached a hand out to find the door locked.
"Alohamora," Hermione cast the charm with her wand. The lock clicked and Harry could open the door.
"Seriously!?" Harry said. "A simple locking charm?"
They stepped into the room to find a harp charmed to keep playing and a happily snoring Cerebus. Moving quietly as possible toward the trapdoor where they found a problem.
In his sleep, Fluffy had moved his paw on top of the door. Screwing up all his courage, Harry moved forward and tried to lift the paw, putting his whole body weight into it. Despite all his strength, the paw never even budged until suddenly the paw moved off the door entirely.
Harry wanted celebrate before he realized the reason why it moved: the harp stopped playing. Fluffy had awoken and all three heads were looking down on Harry, growling. Harry tried to back up but the heads were moving in closer.
"I heard there was a secret chord,
that David played
and it pleased the Lord,"
Neville's voice rang out. Fluffy stopped moving, turned toward Neville and relaxed.
"But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this the fourth, the fifth,
the minor falls, the major lifts.
The baffled king, composing Hallelujah"
Harry heaved the door open. Not caring for what lay beyond or how far the drop went, Harry and Hermione heaved themselves into the hole, landing on something soft.
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"
At the last refrain, Neville dropped into the hole, landing next to Harry.
"Hey Neville," Harry called out, cheerfully. "Funny seeing you here. How's it going?"
"Better than you!" he called out after lighting his wand. "Look at your feet!"
Down at Harry and Hermione's ankles were Devil's Snare vines, wrapping tighter as Harry started to struggle. Harry reached for his wand only to find his hands wrapped as well. Taking a deep breath, remembering what Neville had told him his first lesson, Harry relaxed and fell through, below the Devil's Snare. Hermione and Neville soon relaxed and fell to join him.
"Well that's Hagrid and Professor Sprout's contributions," Hermione said as they made their way into the next room.
Stepping over the threshold, Harry heard a small fluttering noise. Looking up, he saw a host of small, winged creatures, flying languidly above them. Walking to the other end of the room, Harry saw another door.
"Alohamora," he called out with confidence but the door did not budge.
"Looks like we need a key," Neville inspected the door a little closer.
"A key?" Hermione said. "Where are we supposed to find a key?"
As one, they all turned their heads upward, toward the ceiling.
"You've GOT to be kidding me," Hermione moaned while Harry noticed a broom propped up next to the door.
"Good thing I am a seeker, eh?" Harry's humor earned him a scathing look from Hermione. "Which key am I looking for?"
"It'll be old and silver," Neville said, examining the lock. "Probably a little bit rusty."
Casting his eyes upward again, Harry saw the key in question, its wing already bent.
Shouting "UP!" he called the broom to his hand. As soon as he did, half the keys scattered while the other half, attacked. Banking hard, Harry heard the keys tracking him from behind as he chased the desired key. He got close and reached out a hand only to be dive-bombed by a key. Slashing across his wrist, Harry screamed out in pain and rolled away from the offending key.
Every key is designed to defend the proper key, Harry thought. Resuming pursuit, Harry knew he would have to be craftier. Ignoring the shrieks and shouts from his companions below, Harry banked hard from one end of the room the other, hearing keys hit with every turn, Harry leaned into the broom to dive bomb his target key. Curling his hand around it, Harry was elated. He pulled a loop, turning back toward Hermione. Throwing her the key, he watched her sprint to the door to open the door, holding it open as Harry sped through the opening, only to slam it behind her.
Hearing the thud of 30 keys was ultra satisfying until the adrenaline wore off.
"That looks painful!" Neville pointed to the slice along his wrist.
"It's certainly no picnic," Harry said as Hermione tore a piece off her robes wrap around the cut. "Thank you, Hermione."
"Well, we've seen what Flitwick has for us," Hermione said. "Let's go see what McGonagall and Snape have lined up."
"Don't forget Quirrell," Neville added.
"Maybe he only gave us something theoretical," Harry replied sarcastically as they stepped into a grand atrium.
As they walked, a spotlight kicked on, illuminating a large chess set.
"Maybe we should have asked Ron to come with us," Neville chuckled.
"Feel free to go back and get him," Harry said. "We have everything we need right now, however."
He looked to Hermione and gave her a meaningful look.
"I know you said you don't enjoy the game, but I have no doubt that, working together, you and I can make it through."
Hermione's gaze turned hard as she looked over the board, analyzing it with her powerful mind.
"Harry, you take the place of the king, Neville you take a knight," Hermione dictated to them. "I'll take the queen."
"Yes, my Queen," Harry bowed to her. Hermione smacked him behind the head.
"Focus. This is serious."
With all the experience of a field general, Hermione commanded the board, and soon the air was thick with debris as piece after piece was smashed until, for the first time, she hesitated.
"You see if too don't you?" Harry said. "You see the win… and the cost."
"Yes… but how do I make this call?"
"Do it." Neville said. "I see the same thing you do. Who knows when we will have another chance and we are light on time."
"But…"
"Do it!"
Hermione called Neville into position, bringing the opposing queen out to take him. With a sickening smack, Neville was blasted off the stone horse he was riding, slamming down onto the board. The queen dragged him off the board where he lay motionless. Harry then moved to take the queen, checkmating the king. When the king stepped off the board, a door behind him opened.
The game won, Hermione ran to Neville.
"How is he?" Harry asked.
"He's breathing, just unconscious," Hermione said, checking his chest to make sure he was truly okay.
"Oh no!" Tears appeared in Hermione's eyes. She drew back and held up what remained of Neville's wand. "The fall must have snapped it. That was his dad's wand! All he had left of him."
"Maybe Ollivander can repair it," Harry said, unconvincingly.
"Nothing we can do about it now, I guess," Hermione said with sadness. "On we go."
Walking through the door, Harry was confronted with the worst smell he had ever come across. In the room was another troll, this one impaled with four needles, making him look like a gigantic pincushion.
"I think you have an admirer," Harry said as Hermione froze at the sight. For a second, she was back in that bathroom, seeing a gigantic troll throw Harry into the wall.
"A bit overkill, don't you think?" Hermione finally found her voice.
"Let's just be glad we don't have to deal with it," Harry said. "All we have left is Snape."
Stepping through the doorway, purple flames shot up behind them with red flames in front. On a table in front, sat seven vials of different sizes, each with a different liquid. In front sat a sheet of parchment.
"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 for evermore,
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 onwards 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.
(Taken from the first book, all rights belong to J.K. Rowling)
"So one of these," Harry gestured toward the vials. "Will get us through."
"Yes and one will take us back."
"So the largest and the smallest are safe," Hermione said, her brain churning.
"I think I know but I'm not sure…" Harry was torn.
"This one," She pointed toward the smallest vial. "Will let us pass."
"And this one," Harry pointed toward one of the medium-sized vials. "Will take us back. But it looks like there's only enough for one of us to pass."
"You take it," Hermione grabbed the vial and held it out toward him. "You're more powerful than I am. If it is Voldemort, it has to be you that needs to face him."
"But I'm not as quick or as smart as you," Harry said. "You always master spells quicker than I do and your aim is deadly-accurate. You're the smartest witch in our year."
"Books and cleverness," Hermione looked away slightly, turning her chin into her shoulder as her cheeks pinked. "There are more important things. Bravery, courage… and love."
Hermione couldn't take it anymore: she rushed forward and wrapped him in the tightest hug he had ever experienced.
"I don't know much about love," Harry said, awkwardly patting her back. "All that I've learned has been from watching you and your parents."
"You may not have had the most loving upbringing," Hermione looked into his eyes, appreciating just how green they were. "But you love with all your heart, using it to protect a scared little girl, first from a blonde idiot and then a mountain troll. Love is a powerful force. It binds us all together and makes us stronger than those without it. Remember that, no matter what, you are loved. By your parents, by Neville, even my parents love you, I think. You are a great wizard, Harry Potter. Remember that."
"I am only as great as you have made me," Harry looked at her, finally noticing that he was actually taller than her. Green eyes met Hermione's misty brown ones. Harry memorized those eyes, the little flecks of gold coursing through them. "You push me to be better, challenge me to improve myself.
"Take this," he handed her the invisibility cloak. "You might need it."
"Bottoms up?" She said as she raised her vial. He managed to smile as each drank their potion.
"Grab Neville, find Dumbledore or McGonagall. I'll try to hold whoever is over there off."
Harry gripped his wand tightly and stepped backward through the flames. Keeping his eyes on Hermione as long as possible. When all he could see was flame, he turned, ready to face whatever lay ahead.