Dumbledore left Hogwarts quietly that morning.
Before departing, he stood once more before the protections guarding the Philosopher's Stone—and remembered Lucien's advice.
"Security should stop the greedy, not the curious."
With a thoughtful hum, Dumbledore altered the Potion Riddle, simplifying it to something almost… elementary. A test of logic rather than fear. Satisfied, he departed, staff tapping softly against the stone floor.
Harry's Unease
That same evening, Harry couldn't shake the feeling gnawing at his chest.
Something was wrong.
The Stone.
Snape.
The timing.
His instincts screamed at him.
Without hesitation, Harry grabbed Ron and Neville.
"We're going. Now."
The Third Floor
The forbidden corridor loomed.
The door creaked open.
Fluffy—the three-headed dog—lay asleep, massive chests rising and falling gently.
Harry's suspicion hardened into certainty.
"They're already trying," he whispered.
The Trials Begin
Devil's Snare
The plant tightened around them instantly.
But Harry remembered.
Read at least one book a week.
"Stop moving!" Harry shouted. "It reacts to panic!"
Neville, voice shaking but steady enough, muttered the spell he'd memorized.
Light. Heat.
The vines recoiled.
They were free.
Harry swallowed hard.
Lucien… you were right.
Winged Keys
Keys filled the chamber like a living storm.
Harry's eyes locked onto one—battered wings, wrong movement.
"That one," he said calmly.
He mounted the broom.
Years of flying instinct kicked in.
No hesitation. No fear.
He caught the key cleanly.
Giant Chessboard
Ron stepped forward, eyes sharp.
"I'll guide us."
The pieces moved. Strategy unfolded.
When the knight struck, Ron shoved Harry aside—
—and was crushed beneath stone.
"Go!" Ron shouted weakly. "Finish it!"
Harry hesitated only a second.
Then he ran.
The Potion Riddle
Fire blocked the path.
Seven bottles.
Harry read the riddle once.
Then again.
Then smiled faintly.
"This is… easy."
Lucien's voice echoed in his mind.
Knowledge doesn't make you powerful. It lets you choose correctly.
Harry drank.
The fire parted.
Beyond the Flames
Harry stepped into the final chamber.
His heart pounded.
I'm ready, he thought.
Unaware—
That elsewhere in Hogwarts,
Lucien felt the threads move exactly as predicted.
And far deeper still—
Something ancient stirred… sensing that the game had finally begun.