Chapter 4
Ron took Harry's words to heart. It turns out that being labeled a bully by one's friend is just about the best wake-up call there is. He no longer made spiteful comments towards Hermione. Rather, he befriended her, and there was now an easy camaraderie between all of the first-year Gryffindors. Harry, however, was still closest with Hermione, which is why he told her and only her about the three-headed dog he encountered in the third-floor corridor and that it was standing on a trapdoor. It did not take long for the pair to deduce that the dog was guarding something, nor did it take long for them to conclude that whatever it was guarding had to have been whatever Hagrid took from Gringotts the day he brought Harry to Diagon Alley.
When the pair asked the Gamekeeper about it one day, however, he refused to reveal any details with the exception of the name of the dog - Fluffy - and the involvement of someone named Nicolas Flamel. Thus, Harry and Hermione took it upon themselves to pore over the Hogwarts library to try and discover just who Nicolas Flamel was. Their efforts were largely unsuccessful until Hermione slammed a book down in front of Harry and caused him to jump.
"What's that monster?" He smirked at the tome, which easily exceeded a thousand pages. Hermione simply opened the book to a page she had marked and pointed to a section titled Nicolas Flamel. "Blimey, Hermione, you've found him!" Harry grinned, eliciting a warm smile and a blush from Hermione. The pair read through the section quickly, learning that Flamel was the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance of granting immortality.
"No wonder they have Fluffy guarding that thing," Harry whispered. "I bet loads of people would try to steal something like that."
The two students then shared a nervous look. As their search for whatever entity was held in the third floor continued, their suspicions of Professor Snape had multiplied. On top of tormenting the duo during Potions class with every opportunity he got, the rest of the Gryffindors revealed that on their way to the girls' bathroom on Halloween they had seen him walking towards the forbidden corridor. Later, Harry had witnessed him treating an injured leg while mumbling about three heads. He had also tried jinxing Harry's broom during a Quidditch match, which was only unsuccessful because Hermione had taken it upon herself to set Snape's robes on fire. If the Gryffindors had any lingering thoughts that the bushy-haired witch was nothing but a know-it-all and a stickler for rules, that incident vanquished them entirely.
"Could Snape be trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone?" Harry asked quietly. "Why?"
"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "Do you think we should talk to Hagrid? Maybe we can coax some more information out of him?"
They agreed to visit him the following day and pry for more information, especially considering that they now were certain that they knew what Fluffy was guarding. Unfortunately, their plan flew out the window when Hagrid ushered the youngsters into his hut and pointed at his fireplace with pride. Harry and Hermione cautiously edged forward until they spotted it: a huge, black egg.
Hagrid quickly sat them down and explained that he was planning to hatch a dragon egg, to significant protests from the two of them.
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house!" cried Hermione, but Hagrid kept speaking as if he didn't hear her.
"Don't dragons kill people?" Harry eyed the egg warily, but Hagrid continued to ramble about how excited he was to have gotten it from a bloke in a pub.
"When is it supposed to hatch, anyway?" Hermione cut in, and Hagrid finally paused.
"Tomorrow nigh'!" He beamed. "If the two of yeh can get out here withou' bein' seen, well, it'd mean a lot teh me if yeh came," he added. After an uncomfortable silence, the pair agreed to visit Hagrid's hut using Harry's mysterious new Invisibility Cloak.
The next night came, and the Gryffindor common room eventually emptied out, except for Harry and Hermione. The two easily managed to cover themselves with the cloak and began tip-toeing down the corridors.
"We better not get lost," Harry murmured at one point. Hermione began to mutter some reassurances that they were fine when none other than Severus Snape appeared from around a corner. Hermione squeaked and reflexively clung to Harry, who had involuntarily gasped. Snape's eyes turned to where the three were standing, searching the scene. After an agonizing minute, he continued on his patrol.
The two of them exhaled as soon as he disappeared from sight, but Hermione refused to let go of Harry, who did not mind. Finally, they had arrived at Hagrid's hut and witnessed the birth of Norbert, a Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon. Even though they were deathly afraid of the creature, they could not help but smile at Hagrid's playful interactions with his new pet.
Until of course, they saw a flash of pale skin and blonde hair at the window. Draco Malfoy had spotted them, and he had seen Hagrid's dragon. Hagrid's very dangerous, very illegal dragon.
Forgoing the cloak and opting to retreat back to Gryffindor Tower as fast as possible, Harry and Hermione eventually collapsed onto their usual couch the moment they entered the common room. Hermione used her Bluebell Flames to light a fire in the nearby fireplace as they caught their breath.
"The good thing is," Hermione began once she caught her breath, "that Malfoy can't tell anyone anything without admitting that he was out past curfew as well. We shouldn't have to worry about him telling on us to any teachers."
"Right," Harry nodded, sighing in relief. "But we do have to worry about Hagrid. There's no way Malfoy did not see that dragon, and considering how much he hates me and anybody I'm friends with, he'll probably try and get Hagrid arrested the first chance he gets." Hermione nodded in agreement. "So what do we do?"
The plan was simple: Ron had mentioned during one of his 'Quidditch 101' lessons with Harry that his brother Charlie - the former Seeker - was now a dragon tamer in Romania. The pair would ask Ron if he could write to his brother and ask if he or any of his friends could pick Norbert up from Hogwarts without being seen. With any luck, they would grab Norbert, disappear into the night, and nobody would be none the wiser that Hagrid was keeping an illegal creature on school grounds.
Ron agreed to the plan, writing to his brother the next morning. Charlie wrote back that some of his friends would love to pick Norbert up from the top of the Astronomy Tower - the tallest tower at Hogwarts - in exactly one week. The trio agreed to go down to Hagrid's that night and perform the extraction as a unit.
"Ron, you go down to Hagrid's after breakfast and explain the plan, alright?" Harry asked on the morning of the scheduled date. "Charlie is your brother and Hagrid probably knew him well considering how much he loves magical creatures. Just explain the plan and tell him to have Norbert ready to be picked up tonight," Harry whispered to his redheaded friend, throwing a glare at the Slytherin table as they entered the Great Hall.
"Alright, I will," Ron nodded, blanching as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. "Blimey, I can't even eat I'm so nervous!" He moaned. Harry and Hermione exchanged smirks.
"If a dragon was all it took to get you to stop eating like a pig…" Hermione began.
"…we would have gotten one of those months ago!" Harry grinned, and the two shared a laugh as Ron turned pink and reluctantly grabbed a piece of toast.
Harry and Hermione were waiting in Charms for Ron to come back from Hagrid's, but grew wary as class wore on and Ron had yet to arrive. The moment Professor Flitwick dismissed the class, the two of them took off, worried that Hagrid and Ron had been caught.
"Hermione! Hermione, wait!" A voice called from behind them. Both Harry and Hermione stopped to see Neville Longbottom jogging up to meet them. "You…you forgot this. You left so fast you ditched it on your desk. Malfoy grabbed it, but he threw it on the ground when he saw your name in it I reckon. Here you go!" Neville offered, holding out Hermione's copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. The color drained from Hermione's face instantly.
"Oh, thanks Neville…" she managed in a small voice as she glumly dropped it in her bag. Their friend grinned in response and shuffled off to his next class. Hermione turned to face Harry, her face still white as a sheet.
"The parchment from last week was in there!" Hermione hissed. "The paper that we drafted our plan on in the common room!" She began frantically looking through her textbook once Neville was out of sight. "It's gone! What if Malfoy has it?" She panicked. Harry tried to say something that would appease her when he was cut off.
"Miss Granger! Mr. Potter!" The two students whirled around. A rather severe-looking woman was marching down the corridor in their direction.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Your friend Ronald is currently in the Hospital Wing and is insistent on seeing the two of you. Come with me," She grumbled, whisking the two of them towards the school's infirmary. When the two of them arrived, their hearts somehow sank even further. Ron's hand was a sickening shade of green, and he explained in a hushed voice that Norbert had bitten him.
"OK, well, Step 1 was to inform Hagrid without causing too much of a ruckus," Hermione whispered.
'Failed Step 1,' Harry thought glumly.
"Also, Malfoy knows about the plan…" Hermione added, and Ron's face began turning the color of his hand and he began spewing profanities. Hermione slumped in her chair in despair, burying her face in her hands.
"OK, so it seems like the situation may be spiraling right now…" Harry tried to offer encouragingly. Hermione simply rolled her eyes at his brilliant intuition. Her dismay quickly vanished when Harry stood and grabbed her hand. "So how's this for a new plan: the two of us will use the cloak to transport Norbert ourselves. There's not enough time to send Ron's brother an owl to call it off. We'll get the dragon after curfew and bring him to the Astronomy Tower, just the two of us. Sound good?" he said, looking only at Hermione, not Ron.
Hermione only offered a small squeak in response, her eyes locked onto her and Harry's intertwined fingers. Harry noticed and nervously pulled away once he'd helped her up, not noticing the disappointment on his friend's face.
Getting to Hagrid's that night was easy enough. The difficulty began when they laid eyes on an enormous crate with holes poked in the top.
"Blimey, Hagrid, the thing's a week old! How heavy is this thing?" Harry griped as he tried to pick it up himself. Hermione quickly grabbed the other end while Hagrid threw the cloak over them.
"Oh, he's still jus' a baby. Barely over 30 pounds!" Hagrid laughed. Harry and Hermione groaned as they began the agonizing trek back up to the castle.
The duo had to move at a frustratingly slow speed. Between not slipping on the dew-covered grass of the Hogwarts grounds, the weight of the dragon and his makeshift cage, and remaining underneath the Invisibility Cloak meant for only one person, they shuffled at a rate that had Harry wondering if they'd make it before sunrise. Mercifully, they reached the castle, but their journey featured about as much stealth as one would expect from children their age.
"Ow!" Harry groaned as he walked into a suit of armor, pausing to massage his foot. His embarrassment was exacerbated by his friend unsuccessfully trying to hide her giggles at his misfortune. "Oh, quiet you!" He hissed, but Hermione's laughter was infectious, and soon the two of them were chuckling amongst themselves as they progressed through the otherwise silent castle.
The pair turned a corner and Hermione let out a sharp gasp, her eyes widening at the sight of a figure approaching them. This time, it was Harry's turn to laugh as the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick floated past them, oblivious to the invisible students in front of him. Hermione narrowed her eyes as her friend snickered.
"Gasp a little louder next time, I don't think they heard you in France," He teased. Hermione sighed in disapproval, but even in the darkness Harry could see his partner in crime blushing. A few minutes after they began walking again, the two of them mercifully arrived at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower and began ascending.
The two paused halfway up the staircase when they heard voices beneath them. Forgetting that they were invisible, they dashed into the shadows and listened intently.
"Professor! I'm telling you! Potter, Granger, and Weasley will be here any second! They've got a dragon!" Cried the voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Mister Malfoy, I've never heard such rubbish in my life before. How dare you make such pathetic excuses?" The sharp voice o Professor McGonagall rang out. "Ronald Weasley is in the Hospital Wing at this very moment, and I have yet to see Mister Potter or Miss Granger. I'm sure Professor Snape will have a few choice words for you when I bring you to his office!" Professor McGonagall reprimanded, dragging Malfoy away by the ear. Harry and Hermione barely stifled their giggles and continued up the stairs. By the time they reached the top of the Tower Hermione ripped the cloak off and broke into a dance.
"Malfoy's got detention! Malfoy's got detention!" She exclaimed with glee. "Oh, I could sing!" She continued, prancing around the tower. Harry didn't even attempt to hide his smile as he watched his friend's antics. Seeing Malfoy get reamed by McGonagall put him in a great mood, but he felt himself grow happier by just watching her jumping for joy. She turned towards him and he saw her deep brown eyes reflect her jubilation and he felt his heart swell even more.
After a few minutes of laughing at Malfoy and admiring the view, Harry and Hermione spotted Charlie's friends flying in. The dragon-keepers surreptitiously landed on the Astronomy Tower and grabbed the crate. Both parties exchanged thanks and the impromptu extraction team took off.
The moment the men on broomsticks disappeared from sight, Hermione threw her arms around Harry in excitement. Gingerly returning the favor, Harry fought the urge to wince as he was certain she'd bruised a few of his ribs. After a few seconds, he couldn't help but lean into Hermione's incredibly enthusiastic hug, resting his chin on her shoulder as he stared at the endless sea of stars above them.
The pair stood in silence for a few moments, and out of nowhere, Harry became painfully aware that he was on top of the Astronomy Tower, with a girl, hugging her under the starriest sky he'd ever seen. The realization hit him like a freight train, and he felt his temperature skyrocket. His stomach felt as if it was being turned inside-out, and his heart began hammering against his ribcage so hard he was certain Hermione would hear it. Suddenly he was desperate to put as much space between him and his bushy-haired friend as possible.
"Hermione, listen –"
"We did it!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, tuning out Harry's stammer as she pulled away. He barely managed to nod in agreement, trying to pretend he hadn't spent the last five seconds panicking. She was grinning from ear to ear, and Harry found her teeth dazzling more than he usually did. "And we didn't get caught!" Harry nodded again, forming a smile of his own. "And Malfoy's got detention! What a night!" She jumped up and down and wrapped Harry in another hug.
"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Harry sputtered, still smiling as she squeezed the oxygen out of him.
"Language, Mister Potter!"
Harry and Hermione froze. Slowly turning their heads, they met the impervious stare of Professor McGonagall. "Do I want to know why the two of you are embracing at the top of the Astronomy Tower well past curfew?" She hissed. Too shocked to defend themselves, the pair quickly bolted down the stairs and to McGonagall's office. They heard a distinct "Hmph!" from their instructor as they ran past her. What they didn't see was the faintest of smiles pull at the corners of her mouth until she resumed her tight-lipped scowl.
"Well then, welcome to detention, lads! Yeh all righ', Harry? Hermione?" Hagrid asked as he shuffled out of his hut, his dog Fang hot on his heels. Harry couldn't offer much of a response. He'd been having the time of his life at Hogwarts, feeling practically on top of the world. Then, he and Hermione had been caught sneaking about the castle at night by their own Head of House. Each had lost fifty points for Gryffindor, and not even Malfoy losing Slytherin fifty points could make up for the shame that they'd felt.
"Hagrid, are we really going into the Forbidden Forest?" Hermione asked meekly as they began walking down the path towards the forest. "It's called the Forbidden Forest for a reason, isn't it?"
"Of course we're goin' in there. I'm not thrilled that yeh lot have to do this, but it has to be done. Come on now, we'll pair off once we're in there," Hagrid said, turning to the Forest and marching towards it. The three miserable students followed him, their path only lit by Hagrid's lantern and the pale moonlight illuminating the eerily silent Hogwarts grounds.
"At least I didn't put my house in last place, Potter!" Malfoy smirked as they made their way down the hill. Harry almost lunged at him but Hermione grabbed his arm.
"I seem to remember you whimpering like a baby when McGonagall grabbed you by the ear, Malfoy," She retorted, and even Harry was taken aback at her sharp remark. Malfoy's pale face flushed red and he scowled, asking how they knew about that in a sputtering voice.
"That's enough, all of yeh!" Hagrid grunted, not even bothering to turn around. They'd reached the entrance to the Forest, a wall of trees so thick that the acres of land in front of them seemed cloaked in permanent darkness. The path they were on forked left and right at the start of the trees. "Tonigh' we're searchin' to see what's killin' all the unicorns here in the Forest. I'll be takin' Malfoy to the left side, Harry, you take Hermione and Fang to the righ' side. Be careful, and send up red sparks if anythin' happens to either of yeh." Hagrid instructed, grabbing Malfoy by the back of his robes and dragging him to the left. Harry swore he heard the Slytherin moan in fear as he disappeared from sight.
Harry and Hermione began walking, staying close to one another. Fang sniffed the ground slightly ahead of them, but even he began whining in fear as they went deeper into the trees. At the sudden sound of an owl's hoot, Hermione hastily slid her hand into Harry's and kept it there. Harry felt significantly warmer and more confident as they held hands, but he did not exactly feel brave enough to say so. The two of them walked for half an hour, the fog and suspense thickening the further they proceeded, but they made sure to never leave the path. The occasional sight of blood-stained leaves and non-human bones littering the path did nothing to assuage the students' unease.
Suddenly, Harry heard a rustling and held a finger to his lips. He and Hermione flattened themselves against a tree, listening intently. The sound grew louder and stopped, and Hermione buried her face into the back of Harry's robes in fear.
Slowly, Harry peered around the tree trunk towards the noise. Something bright white lay gleaming on the ground about thirty yards ahead of them, the most beautiful horse Harry had ever seen.
Then Harry saw that it was not a horse, but a unicorn. As he tried in vain to steady his breathing, his fear multiplied when he saw what was next to the unicorn – a hooded figure, wearing a shadowy black cloak that obscured its head entirely. The figure was crouched over the unicorn like it was whispering to it.
Fang yelped suddenly, and Harry and Hermione both fell backwards in surprise, with Hermione letting out a cry of her own. The figure slowly lifted its head up, and even though neither of them could see its face, the pair knew its eyes were locked onto them. Harry quickly got to his feet and dragged Hermione up with him. The figure rose, a silvery liquid dripping from where its mouth should have been.
"Unicorn blood!" Hermione whispered as their feet remained glued to the forest floor in fear. "Harry, that's what's killing all the unicorns!"
Harry couldn't even bring himself to nod in acknowledgment. Out of nowhere, a blistering pain emitted from the scar on his forehead, as if he had been branded with a hot poker. He staggered backwards, one hand on his head, the other fumbling for his wand. The figure advanced, gliding as if it had no feet to touch the ground.
"Vermillious!" Hermione cried, brandishing her wand towards the sky. Red sparks shot upwards like fireworks, and the advancing figure paused, wary of the witch. Even in immense pain, Harry felt his heart soar the way it did every time Hermione brewed a perfect potion or cast the perfect Charm in class. Clutching a hand to his forehead, he managed to get to his feet and aim his wand at the cloaked being.
The figure redirected its focus on Harry and began moving towards him once again. Harry automatically stepped in front of Hermione, but he involuntarily yelled out as the pain in his scar worsened.
"Harry, no!" Hermione yelled defiantly, shoving her friend out of the way and pointing her wand at the ground in front of their adversary. "Incendio!" She hollered, and suddenly the darkness that blanketed the Forest was repelled by a burst of flame, catching the twigs and kindling that littered the path in front of her. Harry lay on the ground a few feet to the side, his eyes locked onto his best friend in awe. Instinctively she had thrown him out of harm's way and conjured a wall of flames powerful enough to ward off their mysterious attacker. She stared at the figure, daring it to cross her boundary and to attack her friend once again. The fire in her eyes was a thousand times brighter than the fire she had conjured, and Harry would have beamed in admiration if his scar weren't causing him so much pain.
Harry he heard a faint hissing noise as the figure suddenly retreated, disappearing into the night. The two students nearly collapsed the moment it was out of sight. Harry leaned against a tree and Hermione fell to the ground on her back, panting. Harry held a hand to his forehead, the pain in his scar gradually ebbing away. Hermione was steadily regaining control of her breath, but still had not said a word. Loud footfalls behind them signaled the arrival of Hagrid and Malfoy. Hagrid quickly put out the flames with his pink umbrella and rushed to the exhausted students.
"Blimey, are you two all righ'?" The half-giant asked in a panic, lifting Hermione to her feet. The witch simply nodded while Harry groaned in response. Then, suddenly, the sound of hooves came thundering upon them and half a dozen centaurs quickly surrounded the group.
Hagrid had marched up to one of the centaurs, and Harry and Hermione did their best to eavesdrop on their intense conversation, only picking up bits and pieces about "drinking unicorn blood!" and "cursed life," followed by Hagrid muttering "the Sorcerer's Stone!" in frustration. Harry and Hermione suddenly felt all of their fatigue vanish and they sprinted over.
"What's this about the Sorcerer's Stone?" Hermione demanded, crossing her arms.
"Never yeh mind, Hermione. The lot of yeh know too much anyway," Hagrid grumbled.
"Hagrid, you know he'll go for the Stone next!" The centaur spoke matter-of-factly, but with a frantic emphasis on the last word. The two students bristled.
"Who?" Harry asked. "Snape?"
"Oh for cryin' out loud, Snape is not after the ruddy Stone!" Hagrid groaned, and Harry backed off. Hermione, on the other hand, wasn't as easily deterred.
"Then who is after it? Who would be willing to curse themselves by drinking unicorn blood in hopes of reaching the Sorcerer's Stone?" She asked, her brows scrunched together in concentration, as if she were looking to answer her own question before her listeners could.
"The stars were correct. You are quite insightful, Miss Granger," the centaur mused, "but can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?" Harry felt his legs buckle as the realization hit him.
"You-Know-Who?" Hermione whispered. She instinctively grabbed Harry's arm as she heard him stumble.
"That'll be enough, Firenze. Thank yeh for your help tonigh'. Now I believe I should be gettin' this lot here back teh safety before any other…incidents," Hagrid mumbled as he grabbed Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy. The pale boy had fearfully kept his distance from the centaurs, unintentionally keeping himself out of earshot of the hushed conversations.
When the four of them, guided by Fang, had arrived at the entrance to the castle, Hagrid bid Malfoy good night. The Slytherin dashed into the castle, eager to put as much space between himself and the Forbidden Forest as possible. Harry and Hermione turned expectantly to the gamekeeper.
"Don't be doin' anythin' rash because of what some bloody centaur tells yeh, all righ'?" Hagrid warned, then turned and trudged back to his hut.
The two best friends stood outside in the dark just outside the doors to the castle, accompanied only by an uncomfortable silence.
"Thanks for saving me back there." Harry finally managed. "I don't know what came over me and my scar…" he muttered, absentmindedly rubbing his forehead.
"Happy to do it," Hermione smiled, and the two fell into a much less awkward silence, opting to enjoy their view of the stars and the pleasant scenery around them.
"I guess you did owe me. You know, for the troll, and what not…" Harry smirked.
"I guess we deserve each other, don't we?" Hermione giggled.
"I guess we do," Harry shrugged, now grinning. He saw Hermione's cheeks flush in the moonlight before she ducked her head and began walking back into the castle, mumbling something along the lines of "my hero".
Chapter 5
Harry Potter found it tremendously difficult to focus on his studies in the weeks following his disastrous detention. For one, it was clear that Voldemort was not only alive, but roaming the Forbidden Forest in hopes of reaching the Sorcerer's Stone – and inevitably Harry. The bespectacled wizard spent an unsettling amount of time in classes watching the door, expecting the Dark Lord to come bursting in with one hand holding the Stone and the other aiming his wand at his heart.
The other deterrent to his studies was a certain brown-eyed witch. Hermione Granger had saved his life in the Forest, throwing every ounce of her willpower behind a spell far too advanced for a typical first year in hopes of shielding Harry from Voldemort. If she hadn't been there, he'd probably be dead. And besides a few heated discussions about their course of action, she'd been perfectly normal.
'Well, as normal as Hermione Granger can get,' Harry thought to himself as he watched his best friend dash back and forth between the library shelves and their usual table, her arms laden with enough books to start her own library. She triumphantly dropped them onto the tabletop, smiling to herself as she flipped through the first one: Chadwick's Charms: Volume I. Harry watched her eyebrows slowly assume the scrunched position they always took when she was deep in thought. Her deep brown eyes were gliding over the lines and her lips were mouthing every word. Harry felt his lips curl into a smirk as she lifted her head and smiled at him before resuming her reading.
"Harry, you've been on the same page of The Standard Book of Spells for almost half an hour now. Is something wrong?" She asked suddenly, jarring him from his thoughts. "If you have a question just ask it, staring at me like a mime won't do you any good," she laughed to herself. Harry straightened, his smirk vanishing. He did have several questions, truth be told, about their upcoming Charms final exam. In spite of those, a different question made its way from his brain to his mouth before he could stop himself.
"How are you acting so normal after what happened in the Forest?" Harry asked. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and she slammed her book shut.
"Keep your voice down!" She hissed, whipping her head around to see if anyone was listening. "And what do you mean, normal?"
Harry felt his face heat up, not expecting such a pointed response. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mouth was currently doing its best impression of the Sahara Desert. After a confused look from Hermione, he quickly closed his mouth and averted his eyes.
'Smooth…' he thought to himself dejectedly. He managed a swallow and looked back up to see Hermione staring at him with an unreadable expression. He swallowed again, still looking anywhere but Hermione's eyes.
"Sorry, it was a stupid question," He managed, pretending to flip through his Charms book.
"Harry, talk to me." Her voice was firm, even imperative. But Harry felt a pinch of compassion in her tone and took a deep, shaky breath.
"It…it's just…ever since Firenze told us that Voldemort is alive – " Hermione tried to stifle a gasp at the name " – I can't stop thinking about him busting the Hogwarts doors down and killing me. He's the most psychotic and sadistic wizard to ever roam this planet and everyone else seems to be under the impression that he's dead and the only people who seem to know are a centaur and a few eleven-year olds and now he's going to swipe the stone thanks to Snape, probably, and he'll live forever and wipe me out and everyone around me will die, including you!" Harry blathered, his voice growing hoarse as he concluded. He sighed, finally catching his breath, and made a point of looking literally anywhere except for his friend's face.
Every instinct he had was telling him to get up and leave the table. He was certain he'd scared her to death and she would start scolding him for thinking such stupid things instead of their schoolwork. Or she'd freak out at him, realizing that being around him was the equivalent of a death sentence. Either way, Harry knew he'd just jeopardized his friendship with Hermione. His first and best friendship. His heart felt like it had been impaled by a railroad spike.
After a painful minute or two, Harry finally lifted his eyes. Hermione had either remained totally silent, or she'd been able to slip away without making any noise whatsoever. He wasn't sure which he would have preferred. He still wasn't sure when he locked eyes with a bushy-haired witch who hadn't budged from her chair. The two stared at each other in an excruciating silence.
"Harry…" She finally croaked out, her expression softening to one of concern. "Harry why didn't you say so?" She asked, placing a hand on his.
He felt a jolt that – combined with his shock at her mellow reaction – had him recoiling away, his hand rushing to his lap in a panic. He hadn't even realized what he'd done until he saw Hermione flinch, her hand hovering over the table where his had been. She hitched her breath and now it was her turn to avert her eyes. Her hand lay frozen on the table, and Harry took a deep breath before placing his on top.
He heard her exhale, and Harry released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. They sat for what felt like an hour, but it barely eclipsed five seconds before Hermione spoke again.
"You should have told me how you were feeling, Harry." She stated. It wasn't accusatory, it wasn't an assignment of blame. It was a casual statement, as simple as describing the weather, but it was laced with more emotion than any human being should be capable of. Harry shook his head.
"I didn't want to scare you. I didn't want to scare you off I guess is more accurate." He managed. "I also thought you might yell at me for thinking about stuff like this instead of final exams." He offered, hoping to diffuse the tension.
It worked. Hermione lifted her head, and even though her eyes were shining with tears, she was smiling. A small, rather shy smile, but a smile nonetheless. Harry reciprocated it, squeezing her hand for good measure. She wiped one eye, then the other, opting to keep her right hand under Harry's left.
"Harry, I'm never going to yell at you for not prioritizing school over your own life. As happy as I am to see you get E's and O's on our exams, I'm much happier to see that you're alive. Alive and well." She added with a squeeze of her own. Harry felt himself calm down a bit, the warmth from Hermione's hand traveling up his arm and throughout the rest of his body like he'd been hit with a Hot-Air Charm. Harry found himself wondering why on Earth he'd jerked his hand away from hers earlier, and hoping he'd never do it again.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I should have told you, but…you just seem so unfazed after that night. You faced down Voldemort, you cast a Fire-Making Spell that would impress McGonagall, even Dumbledore! You saved my life, and you just seem…fine…" Harry trailed off. He once again felt the urge to put as much space between himself and Hermione as possible.
'Maybe I'll go to Siberia…' He thought distractedly. 'Or I could just launch myself into the Great Lake, that should do the trick…'
He was ripped away from his thoughts as Hermione let out a wobbly breath.
"Harry, just because I've got my nose buried in a book doesn't mean I'm always fine." She smirked, her voice wavering less and less as she continued. "That night was terrifying. I was terrified, Harry, and I still feel terrified when I think about it. And I'm scared of You-Know-Who, too. I don't want him strutting around Hogwarts looking to steal the stone. I don't want him to kill you. I don't want him anywhere near you." She managed, her eyes never deviating from Harry's.
Harry felt as if the chair he was sitting on had been yanked out from under him. For weeks, he'd thought of nothing but getting murdered in cold blood. Hermione had been putting on an exceptionally brave façade, but she'd just poured his heart out to him. He hadn't even considered that she was scared too. He'd assumed she was apathetic, focusing on her studies because she was Hermione Granger, not because she needed something, anything, to take her mind off of the fact that he might be in danger.
"Hermione…"
"I'm scared, Harry. I'm scared for you. I'm scared for Hogwarts. I'm scared for everyone who You-Know-Who might go after if he gets the Stone." Her voice was wavering again, and Harry squeezed her hand, desperately wanting to undo their entire conversation. Seeing Hermione's tears again would just be too much. She steadied her breath and her eyes darted to the floor before she looked back at Harry.
"Why didn't – " He started, but Hermione shook her head vigorously, a small sob wracking her body.
"I'm scared of losing you…" It was barely a whisper, but it rang loud enough in Harry's ears to send shockwaves across his entire body. Her words echoed in his head for a few moments as the implications of her statement hit him.
There was someone in the world who cared about him. Someone who truly, truly cared about him. Every indifferent teacher he'd had when he lived at Privet Drive, every bitter Gryffindor who'd lashed out at him for losing all those points, Filch, the Dursleys, Snape – they all meant nothing to him now.
Hermione had meant the world to him ever since that night in the Forest. He hadn't realized it right away, not even the next day. But as time had progressed since their near-death encounter, Harry's certainty that Hermione Granger was the best thing to ever happen to him grew exponentially. Seeing her defiantly face down Lord Voldemort, feeling her shove him out of harm's way and place herself in danger like it was second nature, watching her do everything in her power to help Harry day in and day out, it was almost too much to believe. It was almost too good to be true that someone out there was willing to do so much for him after the years of abuse he'd suffered.Once again he wanted to tell her everything. Everything about his life that made her friendship that much more meaningful. Every insult, every scrap of food for dinner, every night in the cupboard, every everything.
"Harry…" She interrupted his train of thought once again. She squeezed his hand not in reassurance, but concern. Her eyes reflected total and complete sadness. Her bottom lip was quivering and Harry thought she might burst into tears. Her cheeks were doing their best impression of Gryffindor scarlet as she opened her mouth, her breath hitching again. "I said I'm scared of losing you," she repeated, her voice faltering.
The second time around felt as monumental to Harry as the first.
"I know how you feel," He finally spoke, his voice a throaty whisper as he felt himself ready to burst. Hermione's face shed its look of concern as she smiled reassuringly. The sound of those five words was music to her ears. It took her back to being in Harry's arms in the girls' bathroom, hearing him tell her that he cared about her. It took her back to the train ride months ago, to reading Hogwarts: A History with Harry. It took her back to the first time she'd been complimented on her appearance, and being so overcome with emotion that she didn't know how to act. It took her back to the first time she'd thrown her arms around Harry. She blinked, returning to the real world and saw Harry giving her a reassuring smile. She returned it, squeezing his hand once again.
"We really deserve each other, you know that?" She giggled. Harry grinned at the sound of her laugh and nodded.
"Yeah. We really do." He stood up, helping Hermione to her feet as they gathered their things. The two threw their bags over their shoulders and strolled out of the library.
"Where's Ron, anyway?" Hermione asked as they made their way down a corridor.
"Probably stuffing his face in the Great Hall. Dinner's just started, I think." Harry smirked. Hermione gave an over-exaggerated gag and shook her head.
"Please don't put that image in my head, I was so happy…" She sighed, before breaking into a giggle. Harry snorted, breaking into his own fit of laughter. Soon enough the two had strolled into the Great Hall, plopping down across from a confused Ron Weasley, still laughing amongst themselves.
A/N: Alright, everyone, I hit you with back-to-back action based chapters and as fun as they were to write, I felt the need to step back and reflect on those events, especially the last chapter since it differed so much from canon. I wanted to get up close and show how Harry and Hermione were coping after their first encounter with evil (besides the troll, which I consider to be on a lower tier than, you know, Voldemort).
The goal of Hermione saving Harry was not just for the surprise/role-reversal effect, but I wanted it to be the catalyst in Harry and Hermione realizing that they aren't just ordinary best friends, they care for each other and fear losing the other more than just about anything, prompting them to go to great lengths. Anyway, I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter!
Once again, I would like to thank my favorite people in the world: those of you who have followed, favorited, or reviewed this story. If you would like to be one of my favorite people in the world (or if you liked the story, I guess) please do leave a review or follow! In these bizarre times your comments and follows are a consistent bright spot, and I can't thank you all enough. Stay safe!
Chapter 6
"Harry, I think you should get some sleep. I think we all should get some sleep."
"Don't worry Hermione, only two more moves and he's done for. Right, Harry?" Ron smirked as he slid his queen forward. Harry cringed as his last bishop was beaten to a pulp and dragged off the chessboard. Fighting to stifle a yawn, Harry moved one of his knights, only for Ron to declare check-mate instantly.
"Harry, did you hear me? I think it's time for bed." She repeated, looking around the rest of the common room. Besides the three first-years, everyone else in Gryffindor had gone to bed. The room was lit only by the soft yellow glow of the fireplace that the trio had camped out in front of for the past few hours.
"It's not like we have any exams tomorrow…" Harry offered as he and Ron began moving their chess pieces back to the chessboard. He glanced back at his bushy-haired friend and dropped his pieces at her glare.
"Harry, we both know you're staying up because you want to go for the Stone." Her tone was deadly serious now. Harry gulped, and looked to Ron, whom the pair had consulted a few days prior since he had all sorts of knowledge on the Wizarding World that they did not possess. Thankfully, the redhead had kept his mouth shut about the Stone with others and simply offered knowledge of his own whenever he could.
"Mate, it's not worth it. Hagrid might have accidentally told us how to get past Fluffy, but that doesn't really do you any good against the protections that the other professors put on it. You'd die before you even got close." Ron muttered. Hermione nodded in agreement and Harry sighed.
"We can ask McGonagall to check in the morning. Just because Dumbledore is at the Ministry for one night doesn't guarantee that tonight's the night Snape's going to steal the Stone." Said Hermione. Harry turned to her and opened his mouth as if to retort, but quickly shut it as her eyes narrowed.
"Fine." He relented. "We'll go to bed. But I'm getting up at dawn to tell McGonagall!" He slumped into the couch he and Hermione were sharing. He heard Hermione sigh in exasperation and eventually his two friends stood up. Ron picked up the chessboard and shuffled off to the boys' dormitory, throwing one more diffident look at Harry.
Hermione moved in front of Harry and held her hand out. Sighing dejectedly, he took it and let himself be yanked up to his feet. He heard her offer some words of encouragement, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He felt doomed – he knew Snape was going after the Stone tonight, he just knew. Looking up from the floor Harry saw Hermione's eyes were wide with concern. He managed a half-smile and made his way over to the staircase, Hermione following him. The two bade each other an awkward good night, and made their way up to their respective dorms.
Harry paused halfway up the stairs when he heard footsteps pattering behind him. Whirling around, expecting to see Hermione, Harry almost gasped at the sight of Neville Longbottom.
"Neville?" He asked.
"Sorry, Harry, but it sounded like you were going out again. I wasn't going to let you lose Gryffindor any more points." Neville whispered as the two of them reached their room. Harry sighed once again, then made his way to his four-poster bed. Ron was snoring loudly by the time Harry flopped down on his back. He heard Neville clamber into bed and soon enough he was giving Ron's snores a run for their money.
'Go to sleep. Hermione told you to go to sleep, so go to sleep.' Harry thought to himself, rubbing his eyes in frustration. As tired as he was, he knew something bad was happening tonight. Voldemort himself would come roaring back to life and with no Dumbledore to protect him, Harry was dead as a doornail.
'Unless you get to the Stone first.' Harry was beginning to grow annoyed with the voice in his head. Sitting up slowly and making sure each of his roommates was definitely asleep, he slipped out from under his covers and onto the floor. Constantly glancing at Neville's and Ron's bed to make sure they didn't wake up, Harry crept out of the dormitory after digging his Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk. Once he made it to the staircase he threw the Cloak over himself and began his descent. Upon reaching the common room, he let out a quiet exhale and made his way over to the portrait hole.
"Going somewhere?" A familiar voice whispered to his left. Harry's heart stopped and he nearly jumped into the air. He turned and saw the silhouette of a bushy head of hair and groaned, ripping the cloak off. Hermione stood up and blocked his path to the exit. "I said, are you going somewhere?"
"Erm…well…I was just – " He stammered as Hermione crossed her arms and stared at him. His voice faltered when she smirked.
"I know where you're going, you prat. I'm coming with you." She snatched the Cloak and quickly tossed it over the two of them. Flustered, Harry stood gaping at her before he found his ability to speak.
"Oi! Absolutely not. I'm not letting anything happen to you." He replied, trying to rip the Cloak away from her. "Ow!" He hissed as his best friend elbowed him in the ribs.
"Shut it. Either I go with you, or you don't go at all. It's not like you'd survive without me!" She whispered, tightly gripping the cloak. Harry looked at her and saw he wasn't going to win. He groaned, and reluctantly released his death grip on the cloak. The pair stood in silence for a moment.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I can't." Harry finally managed, recalling their last brush with death in the Forbidden Forest. Hermione scoffed, still smirking.
"You act like I can't handle myself." And with that, the pair marched off towards the portrait hole, towards the third-floor corridor.
Harry and Hermione made quick work of getting past the three-headed dog, mostly because there was a bewitched harp already playing music when they arrived. Gingerly moving around the dozing canine, Harry stashed the cloak in a corner of the room as Hermione opened the trap-door.
"I can't see how far it goes down!" Hermione whispered anxiously. "Maybe we should try and light it with our – Harry!" She gasped. Clearly not interested in waiting around for a rational plan, Harry leapt down the trapdoor wordlessly. Hermione held her breath, half-expecting to hear a sickening thud.
Harry, meanwhile, enjoyed his landing. He had hit something very soft, and couldn't help but lie on his back as he called out to his friend: "It's alright, Hermione! Whatever this is, it's plenty soft! Just jump!"
Harry waited, unsure if she could hear him. Just as he was about to try again he felt something land next to him. Hermione let out a small squeak as she landed, but realized she was perfectly fine. She turned to Harry, who she could barely make out in the darkness.
"What do we do now?" He asked.
"I…I don't know actually…" Hermione trailed off. Harry snickered, certain that was the first time he'd heard her say such a thing. "I guess let's try walking straight ahead, see if we can reach a wall." She offered. Harry nodded, and moved to stand. Except they couldn't move at all.
"Oh no." Harry whispered. Hermione cast Lumos and the two saw just what they'd landed on.
"Devil's Snare!" Hermione gasped, her expression shifting to one of horror. Harry immediately wracked his brain to past Herbology classes, trying to remember what countered the plant that had currently wrapped its tendrils around his legs and chest.
"Hermione, I can't breathe!" He managed in a hoarse voice. Hermione whimpered, wringing her hands anxiously as the plant began curling around her legs.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare…it likes the damp and dark…" She muttered.
"So light a fire!" He choked. "Like you did with Voldemort!" He sputtered as he felt his neck getting squeezed.
"Right!" She exclaimed. She conjured one of her signature bluebell flames, pointing her wand at the floor in desperation. Instantly, the plant began loosening its grip on the pair. Harry felt oxygen rush back into his lungs as he scrambled to his feet, dragging Hermione towards a stone passageway he'd seen when the flames had temporarily illuminated the room.
"Good thing you're brilliant enough to remember that." Harry said between deep breaths as they walked through the passageway.
"I'm sure if the oxygen hadn't been cut off from your brain you'd have remembered it too." Hermione replied in a shy voice, and Harry turned to see her cheeks had turned pink. The two walked in silence until they arrived in a brilliantly lit chamber, with a ceiling fit for a cathedral. Harry's eyes were drawn upwards, where hundreds of bright, almost shiny birds were fluttering above them. Harry glanced straight ahead and saw a door.
"Do you think those birds will attack us if we try and cross?" Harry asked, trying to measure the distance between where they stood and the door. Hermione shook her head. "Why not? It can't just be easy enough to march through that door…" Harry muttered, looking up again.
"They're not birds, Harry." She whispered. Harry raised an eyebrow, but looked closer at them. "Birds don't glitter...oh, they're keys!" She exclaimed in fascination. Harry saw she was right – hundreds of keys with wings were zooming around above them. She sprinted over to the door and began calling out to Harry. "It's going to be silver, probably slightly bigger than the average key. The handle's a bit rusty so the key might be too. Harry, are you listening to me?"
"Or, it might be the key that has a broken wing." Harry smirked as he pointed upwards at a big silver key that happened to have a severely damaged wing. "Eyes of a seeker." He grinned at Hermione, who sighed in exasperation.
"One of these days my logical thinking is going to save your life, and you'll be sorry you ever made fun of me." She huffed sarcastically. Harry shrugged and grabbed a broom that was leaning against the wall.
"I'll be right back!" He called out before taking off, zooming through the air. He expected the keys to swarm him, but he had almost no trouble catching the key he needed and he was quickly back on the ground.
Harry locked eyes with his best friend as he descended and she looked like she was fighting the urge to jump for joy. He smiled as he was reminded of Hermione Granger screaming his name enthusiastically as he flew around the Quidditch pitch during his matches, cheering like nobody was watching. He hopped to the ground and thrust the key into the lock, still grinning as he wrenched the door open to find themselves on a giant chessboard.
"…maybe Ron is good for something." Harry groaned as they realized the only way past the white pieces guarding the door ahead of them was playing them.
"Oh, relax, Harry. Chess is a game of logic, reason, and analyzing your opponent carefully. I'm sure we can get through this together." Hermione reasoned. "You be the King, and I'll be the Queen since we're least likely to get taken out."
'Makes sense…' Harry thought to himself as he marched to the King and Hermione the Queen. After sharing an uneasy glance, they looked ahead to see a white pawn advance forward by two spaces.
Harry and Hermione consulted each other prior to every move, and by combining Harry's limited experience with Hermione's unmatched ability to reason, they were able to keep up with their magical opponent. Barely. After a dozen pieces had been wiped out on each side, Harry turned to Hermione.
"You know, I could've used this side of you all those times Ron clobbered me in chess over the past nine months…" He smirked. Hermione looked away, and Harry saw her cheeks were pink again. He turned back to the chessboard and the two of them continued their battle of wits against the white side.
'So close…' Harry groaned internally as one of their knights was smashed to death by the white Queen. They had hoped to use that piece to take out the opponent's King, but now it lay discarded off to the side. He turned to one of their last remaining pieces in desperation, their last bishop. 'No way…'
"Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice trembling with excitement.
"I think we've done it…" Harry muttered, turning to his friend. Her eyes were locked onto that very bishop, who, thanks to the Queen taking out their Knight, now had a clear path to the white King. The pair nodded to each other anxiously. Harry directed the bishop to move, and just like that, the King dropped his crown to the ground, moving aside to let the pair advance. Once they were off the chessboard Harry and Hermione jumped up and down in exhilaration.
"We did it!" Hermione cried out, throwing her arms around Harry. "Ron will never hear the end of this one!" She stepped back, grinning from ear to ear, a dazzling smile.
He'd seen Hermione smile at him countless times by now. Whether it was her innocent smiles in class or in the library, or when she beamed at him on the Astronomy Tower the night they freed Norbert, or when she smirked at him every time he wandered into the common room after Quidditch practice, a tattered and exhausted mess. He suddenly realized that he couldn't help but associate Hermione smiling with happy memories.
'No kidding, you git. People don't often smile when they're not happy.' The voice in his head grumbled. Harry sighed internally.
'It's different, you prat!' He retorted, then realized he was arguing with himself and shook his head. He blinked and returned to the real world, where Hermione was still staring at him, but her smile was gone.
"Harry, are you alright?" She asked, searching his eyes and expression for any sign of trouble.
"Sorry," Harry nodded quickly, smiling again, "just thinking about the Stone." He managed. Hermione nodded, reciprocating his smile and dragging him to the door. The two of them hurried through a stone corridor to a small chamber, decorated only by a table holding seven bottles and a piece of parchment. An archway lay beyond the table, leading onward.
Harry stepped forward, curious. Immediately, black flames erupted in the archway ahead of them. Behind them, purple flames roared to life and trapped them in the small room. Harry felt a wall of force slam into his side and a death grip on his arm. He whipped his head around to see Hermione had leapt over to him, clinging to his arm like a lifeline. Her eyes were darting back and forth between the two fires. Nervously, Harry walked towards the table, with Hermione following suit.
Still clutching Harry's arm, Hermione gingerly grabbed the parchment that lay on the table. Harry felt her grip loosen as she read on, and he began to relax as well. She suddenly looked up and he saw that her smile had returned once again in full force. He raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Can't you see?" She cried out, waving the parchment in front of his face. Ignoring Harry's head-shaking, she continued. "It's a riddle! It's perfect!"
"Hermione, we're trapped in here by two walls of fire – perfect is probably the last word I would use."
"Oh, quiet you. This is it! My logical thinking is going to save your life right now! Oh, you're never mocking me again, Harry Potter!" She laughed, a mischievous glint in her eye as she looked back at Harry, who couldn't help but smile at that look. She quickly turned away and began picking up different bottles, mumbling to herself.
"So, what exactly is – "
"One of these is a potion that makes a person immune to those flames," she pointed to the black flames ahead of them without looking away from the table, "and another will get someone back through those ones," she pointed behind her at the purple fire. "But three of these are poison and – "
"They're WHAT?" Harry yelled, but Hermione shushed him.
"– and two of these are just nettle wine. I already know which ones are poison, calm down. And I think…" she muttered, picking up a small bottle. "Yes. This is for you." She slowly turned around, handing him the miniature flask.
"Hermione, this is barely one swallow. There's no way both of us can survive that fire…" He whispered, looking dejectedly at the black flames. Harry turned back to Hermione and saw tears were in her eyes. She nodded, and Harry felt his stomach drop. "Hermione, no!"
"I'm sorry Harry, but you're the best chance of getting the Stone and stopping Snape. I'll take this one," she sobbed, holding up another small bottle, "and go get McGonagall to find Dumbledore. Everyone will come down here and we'll get the stone out of You-Know-Who's hands."
"Hermione, there's no way I'm – "
"Harry, please don't make this harder than it has to be."
Harry felt empty inside. Worse than empty – empty like he'd never feel whole again. Everything he'd done this year, he attributed it to Hermione. Every good grade was because of how she'd helped him study. Every time he'd caught the Snitch he'd heard Hermione's cheers ringing through his ears like church bells. Voldemort would have killed him in the Forbidden Forest that night if Hermione hadn't shoved him out of the way, casting a barrier of fire between them and the Dark Lord. Harry would have been strangled to death by the Devil's Snare without Hermione's quick thinking and he'd have been massacred in the chess match without her logic. And he would probably be drinking poison right now if he didn't have the most brilliant witch he had ever met standing with him. Now she wanted him to go alone?
"I can't Hermione. I'm nothing without you." He croaked, feeling his own eyes well up. Hermione whimpered, her lip quivering as if she were about to burst into tears. Suddenly she was crashing into Harry, her arms squeezing him as if she were trying to break every bone in his torso. Harry felt her bury her face into his shoulder as she sobbed. He quickly pulled her in tight, fighting off his own urge to break down as his best friend cried her heart and soul into his jumper.
After a few moments, Harry felt her breathing even out, and she slowly pulled away. Her eyes were red and puffy, just as they'd been in the girls' bathroom on Halloween. His heart crumbled at the sight of his friend looking so distraught, but he forced himself to remain calm for her.
"If You-Know-Who is there – " She began, her voice cracking, but Harry shook his head, resolving to act calm.
"I got lucky once, right?" He joked, pointing to the scar on his forehead. "Maybe I'll get lucky again."
Hermione's lip trembled again and she fiercely wrapped her arms around him once again. Harry cried out in surprise but reciprocated the hug.
"You're a great wizard Harry, you really are." She pulled away, her eyes locked onto his.
"Well, I'm not as good as you." He smirked. Hermione blushed and looked away.
"Me!" she laughed. "Books! And cleverness!" She glanced back at Harry. "There are more important things. Friendship. Bravery. And – " Her eyes widened as she froze, staring open-mouthed at Harry. He raised an eyebrow, and she quickly found her voice. "Oh, Harry, just be careful!"
Then she did something she had never done before; she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
Harry felt his face heat up, hotter than the fires that trapped them in the chamber. Before he could register what was happening, Hermione stepped back, downed her potion, and walked backwards through the purple flames, never taking her eyes off of him. When she had disappeared from sight, Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He touched his fingers to his cheek, standing in the middle of the anteroom like a statue.
Finally, he remembered the Stone. Forcing himself to think of Voldemort and not what had just transpired, Harry drank the contents of his bottle and marched towards the black flames in front of him.
'That is not going to be the last time I see Hermione Granger.' He thought to himself as he walked through the fire.
A/N: Wow! Just when I thought I wouldn't enjoy writing a chapter as much as I enjoyed Chapter 4, I still manage to surprise myself. Hopefully you all enjoyed my revisionist history of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's sixteenth chapter: Through The Trapdoor.
First of all, I want to thank my two beta readers (you know who you are, you absolute legends) for helping me make this as brilliant as it is.
And once again I would like to thank those of you who have been kind enough to leave reviews, follow the story, or add it to your favorites. If you enjoyed this chapter and the rest of the story so far, please do favorite/follow/review! Every time I see someone do so it motivates me that much more to keep writing.
The next chapter will most likely be the last chapter to contain canon events from the first book before we delve into the summer and eventually the canon of the second book. Yay! Anyhow, stay safe everyone! See y'all tomorrow!