WHEN HARRY CAME DOWN FROM HIS DORM with his Invisibility Cloak that evening, Ron, Hermione and Harper were already in the common room. Harper had switched out of her school robes and wore a pair of jeans and a sweater instead.

"Everyone ready?" Harper asked, looking at the three of them. They nodded and she said, "Let's go."

They were about to throw the Invisibility Cloak over them, when a voice spoke up.

"What are you going to do?"

They turned around and saw Neville sticking his head out of the back of an armchair. He was holding Trevor, who looked like he wanted to escape every moment.

"Nothing," Harper replied quickly while hiding the Invisibility Cloak behind her back.

"You're going out again, aren't you?" Neville asked suspiciously. "You'll get caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble!"

"Neville," Harry began, "you don't understand. This is important."

Neville stood up and hurried to block their way. "I won't let you do it, I'll—I'll fight you!" he added while raising his fists.

Oh Neville.

"Neville," Hermione said while stepping up. "I'm really, really sorry about this." She pointed her wand at him. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Neville's arms snapped to his sides, and his legs sprang together. His whole body froze and Harper caught him when he fell forward.

"I'm so sorry Neville," Harper muttered while gently laying him on the ground. She then looked at the trio. "Let's go."

They put on the Invisibility Cloak and climbed through the portrait hole. They hurried towards the third corridor, which was very hard since they had to walk close to each other, but eventually managed to reach the third floor. Unfortunately for them, Peeves decided to show up.

"Who's there?" Peeves questioned suspiciously.

Harper froze just like the others. What do we do now?

She was surprised when Harry spoke up in a hoarse whisper. "Peeves, the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Harper covered her mouth with her hand as she saw Peeves' horrified expression.

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself and hovered a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, your bloodliness, Mr. Baron, sir," he stuttered. "My mistake, my mistake—I didn't see you—of course I didn't, you're invisible—forgive old Peeves his little joke, sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," Harry continued. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir." Peeves replied nervously. "I most certainly will. Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

He flew off and Harper grinned. "Good job, Harry!"

They hurried towards the forbidden corridor and opened the door only to see Fluffy asleep? A harp was playing and Harper cursed under her breath.

"Snape's already been here."

They threw the Cloak off of them and Harper quickly walked over to where the paw of the dog was laying on the trapdoor.

"Quickly, before the music stops," she whispered.

Harry, Hermione and Ron dashed towards her.

"Okay," Harry began. "On three. One. Two. Three." They gently pushed the paw to the side and Harper opened the door.

"What do you think is there?" Ron asked as they stared in the darkness.

"There is only one way to figure it out," Harper replied, before jumping in.

"Harp!" she could hear them cry.

The landing was softer than she had imagined. Placing her hand on the ground, Harper noticed that whatever she had landed on was alive. She quickly pulled her hand back and discovered it was some kind of plant.

Before she could call to to the other, the three of them landed beside her and the plant started moving.

"What's happening?" Ron asked frantically when the plants went to their hands and feet and dragged them down.

"I bet it's Professor Sprout's enchantment," Harper replied. "But which plant is it?"

"It's Devil's Snare!" Hermione said. "Stop moving!"

Harper immediately tried to relax and she noticed she was lowering. All of her instincts told her to get out, to try and survive, but Harper ignored them, trusting Hermione's judgement completely.

Harper let out a grown as she landed on the hard ground below. Next to her, Hermione was rubbing her back as well.

"Harp! Hermione!" Harry and Ron yelled, panic clear in their voice.

"Just relax!" Hermione shouted back, as she and Harper scrambled up.

Harry must have tried to do so because a couple moments later he, too, fell on the ground.

"You all right?" Harper asked him while helping him up.

"Yeah, sure."

The three of them looked up to hear Ron curse.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Harry asked worried.

"No," Harper replied knowing Ron better than everyone. "He isn't."

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare," Hermione began, "What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp—"

"—but it hates sunlight!" Harper continued and she nodded at Hermione. The both of them raised their wands and pointed it at the Devil's Snare.

"Lumos Maxima!"

Bright light emitted from their wands, blinding everyone and everything, and moments later, Ron fell on the ground beside them. He scrambled up, sighing in relief.

"It's good I stayed calm."

Harper stared at him in disbelief.

"It's good Hermione and Harper payed attention in Herbology," Harry stated, before looking around. They were in a dark room with only one door. He looked back at Harper and the others and nodded. "Let's go."

They opened the door and came in a lighter room. Lots of things were flying around the room that Harper couldn't immediately identify. There was another door opposite of the one they had just came through and Ron dashed towards it to try and open it.

"It's closed," he said.

"I didn't think it would be that easy," Harry replied.

Harper fixed her eyes on one flying thing and noticed that it was actually a key with wings. She looked at another one and saw that that too was a key.

"It's Professor Flitwick's enchantment," Harper told them. "Look, the flying things are keys!"

The four of them looked up to the keys.

"And how are we supposed to catch one?" Ron asked. "And how do we know which one to catch in the first place?"

Hermione looked at the lock. "The key must be old and silver, just like the lock."

Harper eyes fell on a pair of broomsticks and she grinned, tugging at Harry's sleeve to get his attention.

"We have to catch them," Harry replied eyeing the broomsticks.

They each mounted a broom and kicked off into the air. It was hard to catch a key, Harry and Harper nearly collided with each other while hunting for a key. It was then that she saw an old silver key, it had a broken wing.

Snape must have broken it.

"Harry," Harper squealed while pointed at the key. "I think I found him!"

Harry followed her finger and his eyes lit up.

"We've got to close it in!" he yelled back and Harper took her position. A couple of keys later, Harry had caught the right key. The both of them flew back down and Harry tossed the key towards Hermione who quickly unlocked the door.

The four of them entered the the next room. It was dark but the moment they step foot in it, the lights turned on, revealing a gigantic chessboard.

"Wicked," Harper heard Ron whispered, but she thought it was less wicked.

"What do we do now?" Harry asked.

"Isn't that obvious?" Harper began.

"We play," Ron added.

"Correction, you play," Harper said. "Hermione, Harry and I aren't as good as you are."

"Do you mean we have to be chessmen?" Hermione asked while staring at the chessboard. She looked uncertain.

"Yes," Harper replied and turned to Ron. "Where do you want us?"

Ron scanned the board. "Harry, you'll be bishop. Hermione, you'll be the castle and Harper, you'll be the queen."

Harper narrowed her eyes. "And what about you?"

His eyes fell on the knight. "I'll be the knight."

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words, a bishop, a castle, a knight and a queen turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares we each took.

"White always starts," Ron said while looking up at the white chessmen. A white pawn moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them.

"Harry—move diagonally three squares to the left. Harper—take three squares to the right."

Everything went quite well until their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the ground and dragged him off the board. It looked pretty rough. Harper swallowed and tried not to show the others how scared and uncomfortable she was. She glanced up at Ron, who was looking grimly.

"Had to let that happen," he explained. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

The white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black piece players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry, Hermione or Harper were in danger and darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"We're almost there," he muttered. "Just let me think."

The white queen turned with a blank expression towards him.

"Yes," he whispered. "It's the only way. I've got to be taken."

"No!" Harper exclaimed, knowing enough about chess to know what was going on. Hermione and Harry's heads snapped towards her.

"What's the problem?" Harry asked.

"He's gonna sacrifice himself!" Harper shouted back.

"No!" Hermione cried. "You can't do that!"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?" Ron yelled.

The three of them quiet down. "Is this our only option?" Harper asked him quietly.

Ron looked down at her. "It is."

Harper sighed. "Fine, but just know I'm not happy about it."

He shook his head, a small smile played on his lips. "I know."

He leaded his horse forward and the white queen pounced. She stuck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed onto floor. Hermione and Harper screamed while the white queen dragged Ron off the chessboard.

Harry quickly checkmated and they ran over to Ron. Harper bowed over him and sighed in relief when she noticed he was still breathing.

"We have to go," Harry urged.

Harper nodded and stood up, following him to the next room. The moment they entered it, a disgusting smell filled their noses. Harper's eyes widened when she saw where that smell was coming from; right in front of them laid a troll, even larger than the one they had beaten at Halloween. Fortunately for them, it was already knocked out.

"We got Snape to thank for that," Harper spoke up.

The others murmured in agreement and they shuffled past the troll, entering the next room.

On the table stood seven differently shaped bottles standing on a line.

"Snape's," Harry said and the three of them stepped over the threshold. Immediately, a fire sprang up behind them in the door way. It wasn't ordinary fire, it was purple. At the same time, black flames shot up in the doorway that leaded to the next room.

Harper's eyes fell on a roll of paper that laid next to the bottles and she picked it up.

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you with your choice, we give you these clues:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide you will always find some on nettle's wine left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, neither dwarf or 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."

Harper let out a laugh, amazed by Snape. "It's bloody brilliant," she said. "Hermione, do you see it, too?"

Hermione's eyes sparkled. "It's a puzzle! It's amazing, it's just logic. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But we will, won't we?" Harry asked, his voice edged with worry.

"Of course we will," Harper replied, "we've got Hermione!"

Hermione frowned and read the text again. She then walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself. Harry and Harper decided to give her some space and took a few steps back.

"So," Harper began, "do you have a plan to stop Snape? Because the way I see it, it's one skilled wizard against two kids who don't even know a lot of spells."

"Problems for later," he muttered.

"Like problems for when we are six feet under ground, dead?"

A smile appeared on his lips. "First we get the bottles right, then we'll take care of Snape."

Harper shrugged. "Whatever you want."

"I've got it!" Hermione exclaimed. "The smallest will get us through the black fire—to the Stone."

Harry and Harper looked at the small bottle. "Only two of us can drink from that," she noticed. "Which one will get us back through the purple flames?"

Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line. "That one."

"You and Hermione should drink that," Harry said.

Harper shook her head. "I'm not leaving you."

He sighed irritated. "Fine." He turned to Hermione. "Go back to Ron, use the broomsticks in the room with the keys and try to get into contact with Dumbledore, we'll need him. I'm not sure how long Harper and I will be able to hold him off."

Hermione's lip trembled. "You're a great wizard, Harry, and you got Harper with you, she's even smarter than I am!"

Harper's cheeks burned up. "No, I'm not."

She let out a chuckle before hugging the both of them. "Be careful," she whispered before drinking the potion and leaving the room.

Harper turned to Harry while taking the potion bottle.

"Cheers." She drank half of the potion and gave the rest to Harry. "It's not as bad as you think it would be."

He quickly drank it and together they stepped through the black flames only to see a mirror and before that . . . Professor Quirell?

"You?"Harry exclaimed shocked.

Quirrell turned around, grinning. "Me. I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potters."

"But . . . I thought Snape . . ." Harry stumbled while Harper just stood there looking at the man who had been their Defense Against the Dark Arts for a year with wide eyes. How could I not have seen this coming?

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, apparently he found it funny. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, s-s-stuttering, P-professor Quirrell?"

"But Snape tried to kill him!" Harper piped up.

"No," Quirrel replied. "No, no, I tried to kill your dear brother! If it wasn't for your friend Miss Granger, who broke my eye contact by setting Snape's robes on fire, you would have been dead wasn't it that Snape muttered a counter curse."

"Snape was trying to save me?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Of course," Quirrell replied slowly. "Why did you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny really . . . he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor for winning, he did make himself unpopular . . . and what a waste of time, when after all, I'm going to kill you tonight."

"No," Harper replied coldly, stepping in front of her brother, raising her wand. "I won't let you."

He laughed, actually finding it funny. "You? An eleven-year old, trying to stop me?"

Harper narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on her wand. She tried to keep it stable, not wanting him to see how much she was trembling.

"Don't kill her yet," a voice rasped.

Harper looked around trying to find out where it was coming from.

"Harper!" Harry yelled. "Watch out!" 

Her head snapped back to Quirrell and the curse hid her right in the chest. She fell down and everything became black.

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May 28th 2022
I hope you enjoy it & tell me what you think of it! :)