Trapdoor

When I was able to leave the next morning I was happy I hated not being able to do anything but I did get a lot of studying done. So after a shower I headed to my first class for my test with the others which made us all happy. We were given anti-cheating spelled quills so no one could cheat but I didn't need to I had studied for this. Then for our practical tests we had to make a pineapple dance across the table for Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall watched us turn a mouse into a snuffbox - points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. For Professor Snape we had to make a Forgetfulness potion which was easy since I loved this class. My hand kept hurting the entire day but I managed to put it in the back of my mind since I was used to it. I also kept getting small headaches as well but they came and went throughout the day but there was nothing I could do about it. The very last exam was History of Magic which was hard since his class was really boring but with a lot of research it made it easier. Although like usual Hermione had read to far ahead so there were things she had read that weren't on the test. Then we headed down to the lake so we could sit down and relax, we saw the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the giant squid. 

Although Harry didn't seem to like the fact that he scar was hurting and I didn't really mind it to much like the others did. Mostly because my hand still hurt so I knew how he felt the others thought it was nothing and tried to get him to drop it. Then out of nowhere Harry jumped up surprising all of us, but then I remembered something while I was looking at the squid. My eyes widened before I stood up as well looking at Harry understanding what was going through his head. "I just thought of something, we've got to see Hagrid, now." I nodded looking at him but the others didn't seem to realize yet what we had caught onto. "Don't you think it's a bit odd, that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if its against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?" Even with all that Harry had just said they still didn't understand what we were trying to say but I guess they wouldn't know that Hagrid really wanted a dragon. Hagrid was sitting in an armchair just outside his house with his sleeves rolled up shelling peas into a large bowl. He offered us a drink, Ron accepted but Harry was into much of a hurry to get the answers he wanted rather than stopping for a drink. "You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?" Hagrid thought carefully about what Harry had asked him which had me worried since I remembered that the guy Hagrid played against was Voldemort. "Dunno, he wouldn't take his cloak off. It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head - that's the pub down in the village. Mighta been a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up." It was right then Harry sank down next to the peas before asking about what they talked about that night and if they talked about what Hagrid did. 

"Yeah... he asked a bit about the sorts creatures I look after... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can't remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... so I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..." I froze at that because that meant Hagrid had told him about how to get passed Fluffy, which had me groaning while Harry asked if the man seemed interested in Fluffy. "Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -" Hagrid seemed to regret saying that right after since that told us how to get passed him as well but I didnt care I just wanted to pet Fluffy. We took all took off back to the castle with Hagrid berating himself for telling us that, plus we all knew that Hagrid had let slip about how to get passed Fluffy to Voldemort. "Weve got to tell Dumbledore, Hagrid told that stranger how to get passed Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once her got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?" I didn't want to say anything because I wasn't sure if the password would still be the same as before. "I know where it at but I don't know if the password is still the same." 

They nodded so we headed towards were I knew the office was only for us to run into Professor McGonagall. She was carrying a bunch of books as well as asking us what we were doing inside and the others immediately started asking her about Dumbledore. Hermione told her that we needed to see Dumbledore right away and that the reason was a secret she didn't seem to like it too much. "Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once." I sighed knowing the others wouldn't like the news especially Harry which had me worried that he was going to do something crazy. Then they went and practically told her that we knew about the Sorcerers Stone I jumped when all the books she had hit the ground. She made no move to pick them so I bent down and picked them up for her, she seemed shocked that we knew. "Professor, I think - I know that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." I looked at her knowing she didn't really believe us about all of this but she knew we found out about the Stone regardless. However she wouldn't budge on that it was well protected no matter what the others said which had me sighing silently as I handed back her books before she left.

Then Harry started planning on how we would protect the Stone not realizing Snape was behind us which I did since I felt his mind. So I turned around to see him before smiling softly at him which be returned before the others noticed him. Then Harry started having us all so small tasks to make sure but when Harry and the others tried to get to the trapdoor they got stopped by Professor McGonagall. She said she'd take fifty points if she caught them there again, they would lose fifty points from Gryffindor. I had been in Professor Snapes room taking my lesson on controlling my telepathic abilities, they told me everything when I got back to my room. Then Harry told me about how he planned to get the Stone tonight so Snape couldn't get it, I was just happy that I was able to thank Snape for helping me before. "I want you all to apologize to Snape if isn't the one behind this." They all looked at each other but nodded looking at me which had me smiling at them glad that they would at least offer him an apology if there wrong. Hermione had looked through all her books to see if she could find something that could help us with the tasks. After dinner we sat in the common room together since no one wanted to talk to us because of the points lost. We were all doing different things I was reading an advanced Potions book that Snape had given me recently. Because of my love of Potions and magic Snape was helping a lot in learning more since it was getting easy for me.

He had me promise not to try anything unless I was with him or another teacher so I did unless it was an emergency situation. When everyone had finally left I was faking being asleep on Harry's shoulder before I heard Ron tell Harry to get the cloak. I sat up and stretched while he ran up to get it only to come down with it and Hagrid's flute he got for Christmas. We all quickly got under the cloak knowing if we didn't Filch might see us so we wanted to make sure it covered all of us. I jumped when Neville made his appearance from the armchair to try and stop us from leaving the common room. They argued about it for a little bit before Hermione used the log locking jinx - Petrificus Totalus. We apologized as we stepped over him and out of the common room before heading to the third floor but we meet Peeves there. "Who's there? Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or we student bestie? Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen." I was surprised when Harry suddenly started speaking since this was supposed to be a secret mission. "Peeves, the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible." I almost laughed when Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock but he managed to catch himself in time before hovering a foot off the stairs. "So sorry, your bloodlines, Mr. Baron, sir. My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, your invisible - forgive old Peeves of his little joke, sir." The others were shocked by this since they didn't think Harry would do something like this. "I have business here, Peeves, stay away from this place tonight." I was happy that it was one less problem we would have to deal with tonight. "I will sir, I most certainly will, hope your business goes well, Baron. I'll not bother you." He said before he took off before the others decided to finally talk about how brilliant Harry had been to do that. We finally got to the door housing Fluffy, I really wanted to just run in and pet him. 

Harry tried to get the others to turn back but the refused so we quietly pushed the door open only to find out that Fluffy is asleep. A big harp was playing at its feet so we knew we had been beaten to getting to the Stone but hoped we were wrong. So Harry began to play the flute which had Fluffy falling asleep but he still kept playing. As Harry kept playing we slipped out from under the cloak as the other two crept to the trapdoor I pulled off the cloak from Harry and put it away so we wouldn't lose it. When Ron got the trapdoor open Hermione looked in but couldn't see anything so she knew we'd have to jump down. Harry got Ron's attention indicating that he would go first so he passed the flute to Hermione and was practically hanging onto the sides. "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, alright?" We nodded but Harry knew I wouldn't follow it since he was all I had left and I refused to leave him. Then Harry let go, it was moments later when we heard him land on something but we still couldn't see anything. "Its ok! It's a soft landing, you can jump!" We nodded to each other before Ron followed after Harry before Hermione handed me the flute before she jumped down. I petted Fluffy smiling softly while playing before I jumped down the trapdoor still playing until I was already falling. When I landed it felt weird since I could feel it moving slightly but the others couldn't seem to feel it. I jumped out of my thoughts when Hermione yelled out to the boys so my head snapped up to see them wrapped around with a black thick-like rope. I could feel it wrapping around myself as well while Hermione tried to run from it with no luck. The more the boys moved the more it wrapped faster but that's when I remembered that this was Devil's Snare. "Stop moving! I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!" Ron snapped at him which had me glaring at him even though he couldn't see it because of the darkness. The others were yelling at Hermione to hurry up and figure out how to kill it which had me mad. "Why don't you shut your mouths you have just as much knowledge as she does!! We've all had the same classes you two idiots!!" That got them to shut up real quick which was enough for us to think of a solution to get out of this. "Ah! Light! Devil's Snare hates light!" I had to sigh when Hermione forgot about her being a wizard and tried to think of how to start a fire without wood. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?!" Hermione blushed before pulling out her wand before muttering a spell which had all us being able to get free.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione, Serena." I smiled at them as Harry hugged me glad we were all alright which I think we all were. "This way." Harry said before leading us towards a stone passageway which was the only way forward from this test. We were way below the school, this all reminded me of Gringotts and the underground tunnels when the passage sloped downward. "Can you hear something" I looked over at Ron only for all of us to go quiet as we listened only to hear a soft rustling and clicking. Ron thought it sounded like a ghost which had me sighing since ghosts don't make noises. When we reached the end of the chamber we saw a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above us. The noise we heard was small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the other side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door which had everyone wondering if they would attack us if we crossed the room. However when Harry ran across the room nothing attacked him which was a relief to us, we followed after him shortly after. "Its locked." It wouldn't even budge for Hermione's Alohomura charm to unlock the door which shocked us but I figured this was the test. "The bords... they can't be here just for decoration." We watched the birds fly around only for us to realize they weren't birds but keys which shocked us. "There not birds! They're keys! Winged keys - look carefully. So that must mean..." I saw Harry looking around the chamber until he saw the broomsticks for each of us while the other two looked at the keys. "Were looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle." So we each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the keys. I sat there looking around for the right key while diving in and out of the keys looking for the one we needed. Harry saw one with a broken wing and knew it was the one we needed to get the door open so he called out to us. "That one! That big one - there - no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers sare crumbled on one side." Harry guided us into position before we managed to catch the key to get the door open and Harry managed to pin it against the wall with one hand. We all cheered for him before we landed down next to him as he ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. Harry put it into the keyhole and turned, we were happy that it unlocked, and the moment the door unlocked the key took off looking more battered than it was before. "Ready?" Harry said looking at us, we all nodded before he opened the door but the next chamber was so dark that we couldn't see anything. However as we stepped into the room lights suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight. 

We were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard right behind the black chessmen/chesswomen which were all taller than we were carved from black stone. Facing them way across the chamber were white pieces carved from white stone but the white pieces had no faces. Which had me groaning we had to play wizards chess but we also had three good players since I'd been good at chess before I was reincarnationed. Ron seemed excited about this as he said that we had to play across the floor using the black chess pieces. Then Ron walked up to a black knight piece before putting his hand out to touch the horse. I jumped when his hand touched it before it pawed the ground while its knight turned to Ron. "Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded then Ron turned back to us which had me worried since we could get hurt really bad if we make a wrong move. "This needs thinking about... I suppose we've got to take the place of the four black pieces..." 

However I didn't know how to play Wizards chess so I wasn't all that offended when Ron said that we weren't good at chess. "Were not offended, just tell us what to do." We nodded looking at him ready to do as he told us he told us were to go so we could get the match on. "Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, Serena you be the queen, Hermione you be a castle. I'll be a knight. " We looked at the board as the pieces we were going to place ourselves at so we could get into there places. "White always plays first in chess, yes... look..." He said indicating the other side of the board as a white pawn moved forward two squares. Then the game began with Ron ordering the black pieces to move but I could tell the others were worried that we might lose. "Harry - move diagonally four squares to the right." Then the other knight we had was destroyed shortly after the white queen smashed him to the ground and dragged him off the board while he was still face-down. "Had to let that happen, leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go ahead." Every-time we would lose a piece it seemed the white pieces showed no mercy when taking them down which was bad to watch. It took a while for us to be near the end of the game with each of being in danger a few times before Ron said something fearful. "Were nearly there, let me think- let me think... yes... its the only way... I've got to be taken." I could feel all of our blood freezing right then as the others shouted their dislike of this plan while I just looked down. "That's chess! You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me - that leave you free to checkmate the king, Harry!" We tried to get him to rethink this but he refused that telling us he had to if we wanted to stop whoever's behind this. "Ready? Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."

He said stepping forward, allowing the white queen to pounce, she hit him hard across the face with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor - Hermione screamed but stayed on her square - the white queen dragged Ron to the side. He looked fine except for being knocked out which I was happy about since that meant he was still alive. Shacking we watched Harry move three places to the left, then the white king took off his crown and tossed it at Harry's feet. We won the match, the chess pieces parted and bowed leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look at Ron we headed through the door and up the next passageway for our next task. Hermione kept worrying about Ron which had me remembering them getting together at the end of the series. "He'll be all right, what do you reckon's next?" I thought about it we had Sprout, Flitwick and McGonagall but I didn't know who else would be doing this other than Snape. "We've had Sprout's that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put a charm on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chess men to make them alive; that leave Quirrell's, and Snape's..." We reached the next door which had but when we opened the door we had to hold our noses because the smell was so bad. We continued onward where we found a knocked out troll even larger than the one at Halloween. 

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one, come on, I can't breathe." We nodded before heading to the other door the others didn't want to know what we had to do next but I knew it would be easy. There was a line of seven differently shaped bottles and only that aside from a piece of parchment. "Snapes, what do we have to do?" When we stepped over the threshold purple fire sprang up up blocking the doorway which I thought was cool. I picked up the parchment before reading it out loud to the others what it said since it was laid out as a riddle. 

"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 go 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 forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four,

First, however slyly the potion tries to hide 

You will always find some on nettles left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you wound move onward, neither is your friend; 

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; 

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though differentiate first sight."

Harry was sighing while Hermione and I were smiling at how great how brilliant the task was but I already knew the answer. "Brilliant, this isn't magic - it's logic - a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." Harry seemed to freeze at that but I just smiled already knowing the answer and which bottles we needed. "But so will we, won't we?" I rolled my eyes at him already knowing that he was an idiot because I was good in this subject and Hermione caught on. "No! Because we got the brightest Potions student ever! Serena! I bet you've already figure it out!" I smiled at her nodding before looking at the bottles before walking over to the table remembering the paper. "This one to go back." I said holding up the rounded bottle at the right end of the line before handing it to Hermione knowing she needed it. "This is the one to go forward." I held up the smallest bottle there already knowing Harry would want it but I wasn't about to let him go alone. "There's only enough for two... you drink the one Serena gave you Hermione, no, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab the brooms from the flying key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy- go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. We might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him for him, really. Serena might be able to hold him off for a bit, but I don't want her to get hurt." Hermione was worried if Voldemort would be with him but if he was I was already in a bad mood with him for murdering our parents so it was time for revenge. "Well - we were lucky once, weren't we? We might get lucky again." I shook head at him, knowing how stupid he was since our parents love saved us that night. Hermione ran at us before tackling us into a hug which made me happy that she cared about us. 

"Harry, Serena - you're a great wizard, and witch you know." I smiled at that knowing she was better as did Harry only he voiced his opinion about it which made her laugh. "Me! Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry, Serena - be careful!" I smiled nodding glad that we finally had people who were carring about us when we thought no one would but ourselves. "You drink first, you're which is which, aren't you Serena?" I nodded as Hermione took a drink from the round bottle only to shudder which I don't blame her they always taste nasty. "You be careful to Hermione." She nodded before Harry asked her about it which she said it tasted like ice, then Harry told her to hurry up and go before it wore off so she too off which had me worried. Then Harry and I took a drink from the bottle we had before turning to the black fire which had me taking in a breath. I shivered as ice ran through my body before we jumped into the fire feeling the fire come at us but not feeling it. It took a few moments before we were finally in the last chamber and there was someone standing there. However it wasn't Snape and it wasn't even Voldemort which had me hitting Harry on his arm. "I told you!"