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The screen changed to nightfall. In the Gryffindor common room the golden quartet sneaked downstairs quietly, Ron holding the invisibility cloak close to his chest.

"So they are really doing this, huh? How does it feel to be a father now, Elijah?" Damon asked the Original, from who he knew would be full of stress and worry.

"Shut your mouth." Rebekah said, glaring at him.

"Trevor. Shh! Go! You shouldn't be here!" Ron hissed at the toad.

"Oh yes a toad totally just speaks English all of the sudden." Nora said, rolling her eyes.

"SASSY."

"Neither should you. You're sneaking out again, aren't you?" Neville spoke up as he stood up from the couch, arms crossed against his chest. Desperately wanting to stop them from leaving.

"Now, Neville, listen, we were-" Harry tried to persuade the Longbottom but he cut him off.

"No, I won't let you! You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again. I'll fight you." He stuttered.

"Neville" Hermione started. "I'm really really sorry about this. Petrificus Totalus." She said pointing her wand at him. It was like Neville changed into a statue and fell on the ground with a loud thud.

"You're a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant, but scary." Ron said to Hermione.

"Let's go."

"Wait, we can't just leave him here like this. What if someone finds him?" Nora asked, worried for Neville who was looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Oh that's sweet of her to worry." Elena said.

"It is." Finn agreed.

"But we have to Nory." Harry said.

"Fine, but." Nora picked up a pillow from the couch and laid it under Neville's head. "I'm so sorry, Nev."

"It's for your own good, you know." Ron said as he passed him. The four of them made their way to the exit of the common room, pulling the cloak about their heads. And they left to the trap door quickly.

"Ow, Ron, that was my foot." Hermione hissed at him.

"They're so chaotic when they are under that cloak." Lily said.

"Yeah, Sirius was like that too. She gets it from her father." James answered, missing the sad look Elijah gave him when he said Sirius was her father.

"Just, Sirius?" Lily asked her husband.

"Sorry."

"Alohomora." Nora muttered quietly, pointing her wand to the lock of the door. The door opened and the first years were met with soft music playing and the snoring of the three-headed dog.

"Wait a minute. He's-" Ron started as the cloak got blown off them because of the dog's steady breaths.

"snoring." Harry finished. "Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp."

"Ugh, it's got horrible breath."

"How is that important at the moment?" Elijah asked, feeling like at least the next hour of this was gonna be full of questions like this.

"Not the time, Nora." Hermione scolded her.

"She's right, Hermione, it does." Ron defended the Potter.

"We have to move its paw." Harry stated.

"What?" Ron asked, horrified.

"Come on!" Harry said, and all four picked up the paw.

"I'll go-" Nora was cut off by Harry.

"I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign." He said and Nora scoffed. "No Harry, I'll go first. Who knows what's down there?"

Harry shooshed her. "If something bad happens, get yourselves out."

"Why is it so quiet?" Nora asked.

"The harp. It stop playing." Hermione said.

"Ron." Nora quaked as the slime of the dog dropped on his shoulder. "That is disguested."

"Jump." Harry screamed as he went through the trap door.

"No, who knows what's down there?" Bonnie asked.

"Everything is better than being eaten alive by a three headed dog." Klaus said.

"WHAAAA!"

Luckily for them they landed on a sort of plant.

"Wow, lucky this plant thing's here, really." Ron sighed out of relief, but that sigh turned to fear when the roots of the plant started to move around. It moved around their necks and ankles. While Hermione stayed clam, the other three started to wiggle around, trying to break free from the roots.

"Stop moving, all of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster?" Ron asked, fear clearly visaeble in his eyes.

"Oh, now I can relax." Hermione smiled sourly at Ron before she disapeared into the Devil's Snare.

"Hermione!"

"Now what are we gonna do?" Ron asked.

"Just relax!"

"They're not going to relax, aren't they?" Elijah asked the couple, who shook their heads.

"Hermione, where are you?" Harry asked.

"Do what I say! Trust me. Nora we read about this a few days ago, just do it!" Nora looked at the two boys before calming down and letting herself slip through the roots and landing on the ground, where Hermione helped her stand up.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Now Harry followed.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione asked him.

"Oh no Ron's definitely relaxing, Harry." Kol said, sarcastically.

"Apparently not."

"We've gotta do something." Nora said, worried for her friend who was clearly NOT relaxing.

"I remember reading something in Herbology. Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare, it's deadly fun-"

"But will sulk in the sun! That's it, Hermione!" Nora said happily. "Devil Snare hates sunlight."

"I don't even remember what I eat this morning." Caroline said. "How can they even remember something they briefly read about?"

"For real." Jeremy added.

"Lumus Solem!" Hermione pointed her wand at the Snare above them. And Ron fell down too.

"Lucky we didn't panic!" He said after the other were reassured he was okay. Nora slept the back of his head.

"This kid." Klaus said. He quite liked Ron.

But only as long as he would stay far away from his niece.

"Lucky Nora and Hermione pay attention in Herbology.

"What is that?" Hermione questioned, looking towards the door on their right. It's a beautiful door, I mean for standing in some secret room, it is.

"I don't know. Sounds like wings." Harry answered as Nora pushed the door open.

"Nory."

"How sooner we're out of here. The better. I still need to sleep, Harold." Nora said as she walked in and looked up in awe.

"Priorities first." Bonnie said. "Sleep is important."

"That reminds me of you sister. We could never get you to wake up." Elijah said, receiving a smile from Rebekah, who was happy that somebody finally had said her niece had gotten from her.

Hermione walked over to Nora. "Curious. I've never seen birds like these."

"There not birds, are they?" Jeremy asked.

Harry shook his head. "They're not birds. They're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door."

They stopped walking as they stood in front of the broomstick.

"BROOMSTICK!"

"James, not the time." Lily scolded.

"What's this all about?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know."

Ron and Hermione walked over to the door, wands at the ready, trying to get the door to open. While Nora and Harry looked at the broom curiously.

"Alohomora." Ron said but nothing happened. The door didn't even move a bit. He met Hermione's annoyed face as he turned back to his friends. "Well, it was worth a try."

Hermione groaned loudly. "What are we going to do? There must be a thousand keys up there."

"We're looking for a big old fashioned one." Ron said and at the moment Nora wanted to ask him how he knew that, he continued. "Probably rusty like the handle."

Harry's hand shut up. "There, I see it! The one with the broken wing."

Seeing the frustration on his face, Hermione asked him. "What's wrong, Harry?"

"It's too simple."

"Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape could catch it on that old broomstick, you can. You're the youngest Seeker in a century."

"I'll just wait right here." Nora said as she walked over to the door and away from Harry and the keys.

"This complicates things a bit."

"Come on, Harry. If anyone can catch it, it's you." Nora shouted trying to support him as the wings aggressively attacked him. She wouldn't she was a blind as a fish when it came to searching for things.

"That's a Kol trait right here." Rebekah said, getting a glare from her younger brother.

"Catch the key!" He yelled to them a few seconds later, throwing the key down, letting Hermione catch it.

"Hurry up!" Ron shouted as Hermione couldn't get the key right from the first try.

The three quickly run in when they heard the door click open, Harry flied in not much later as they closed the door, before any more wingkeys could enter.

He tossed the broom aside while Ron pointed to another door on their right. "I bet Snape's there." He spoke.

But unfortunately for them when they opened the door, with great strength, Snape wasn't anywhere in sight, statues were.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all."

"I know who feels the same way." Damon joked as all the Mikaelson's ignored his comment.

"Shut up before your neck gets snapped again." Stefan warned his brother.

"Where are we?" Harry asked. "A graveyard."

Nora punched his arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" He questioned, clutching his arm.

"Don't say graveyard right now, idiot." Nora sighed. "Before we're really in a graveyard."

"Yeah, indeed. Don't scare papa original like that." Damon said again.

His neck got snapped by Finn, not by Delilah who was to busy looking at the screen.

"This is no graveyard." Ron noted as he walked in between the statues. "It's a chessboard."

"Oh that's nice." Rebekah said. What could go wrong on a chessboard?

The light suddenly turned on. "Oh, bloody hell." Nora muttered as she, Hermione and Harry walked over to Ron.

"There's the door." Harry spoke, happily as he walked closer Hermione and Ron right behind him.

"Guys." Nora was ignored. "Guys I-" She was cut of when the piece, moved their swords fast, making the three Gryffindor's jump back.

They watched as the swords were put back in place when they were far enough.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room."

"Oh hell no, you don't." Klaus said.

"Please just get a teacher." Elijah pleaded.

"Can't we just walk around it? I'm sure, no one will fall off." Nora said, looking towards the edges of the chessboard.

"No, no, no. It's has to be played. Harry, you take the empty bishop's square. Hermione, you will be the queen-side castle. Nora, you will be the queen." They nodded quickly. "As for me, I'll be a knight."

They quickly moved to their positions.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked, nervously.

"Well, white moves first and then we play." Ron answered, before one of the white statues moved forwards as the four kids watched with worry.

"Um, Ronnie, you don't suppose this is going to be like real wizard's chess, do you?" Nora asked, slowly.

Ron looked at her before turning to one of their own pieces. "You there, d5."

It moved forwards as they watched expectedly.

"Well, that is good, -" Nora gasped when she was cut off. Their player was destroyed by the other one. "Or not."

"I think this is gonna be exactly like wizard's chess."

"Well, that's an understatement, Ron."

The chess game went on and on. Pieces were laying across the floor destroyed. One of the statue players from their own exploded really close to Hermione and Nora, making one large cut appear on Nora's arm.

"Castle to e4!"

"I don't like this." Nora spoke to Hermione.

"Yes, me neither." Elijah said, hoping that his daughter and her friends would just turn around and let an adult handle this.

"Pawn to c3!"

"Wait a minute." Harry spoke suddenly after the queen of the white team broke another piece.

"You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the queen will take me." He paused for a bit, looking down on his friends. "Then you're free to check the king."

"No, Ron. No!" Harry yelled and the two girls looked confused.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"He's going to sacrifice himself."

"No, you can't. There must be another way!" Nora yelled.

"Do you wanna stop Snape from getting that Stone or not?"

"Well, no if it means you getting hurt." Nora answered.

"I'll keep saying this. She's so sweet." Elena said.

Ron ignored her. "Harry, Nora, it's you two that have to go on. I know it. No me, not Hermione, you two!"

Harry nodded, unsurely.

"No, Ron you can't." Nora argued.

"I have to." Ron spoke to her, before looking forwards, gripping the knight, thighlty. "Knight to h3."

The three others watched in horror as Ron moved far to the left and with even more as the queen slid over to him, unblocked the sword and stabbed the piece, making Ron fall down on the ground with a horrified scream.

"Ron!" The twins scream and as Nora and Hermione wanted to go over to the redhead, Harry's voice stopped them. "No, don't move! Don't forget, we're still playing."

"Oh come on."

The two nodded, staying in their place.

Harry walked over to the queen. "Checkmate." The sword fell to the ground with a loud thud, signalling that the chess game was done.

As soon as the knife landed on the floor, Nora ran over to Ron with the two others right behind her.

"Take care of Ron. Then go to the owlery and send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right." He looked at Nora. "We have to go on."

"You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great wizard. You really are."

"Not as good as you two."

Nora smiled at him nervously. She hoped he wasn't counting that she could fix whatever was still left of the path to the stone. Nora Potter did not handle things good under stress. She just hoped, Ron would heal, Hermione would be okay and she and Harry wouldn't be dead in less than an hour.

"Yeah I hope so too." Elijah said, quietly.

Finn laid a hand on his shoulder, showing his brother his support.

"Me? Books and cleverness. There are more important things." Hermione replied before smiling at the twins. "Friendship and bravery. Just be careful."

Harry stood up as Nora quickly hugged her best friend before following after her brother. Not seeing Hermione smiling sadly at the two Potters.

"I swear to God, if Snape's standing there with the stone, I'm gonna scream and throw a stone to his stupid face." Nora muttered quietly to him as the two made their way down the stairs that had followed after the room with the giant chess board.

"Please do." Kol said.

The  twins grabbed their head in pain as they neared the person, Harry intertwined his hand with Nora's.

"YOU!" Nora screamed, the offence clear in her voice. "You?" She turned to Harry. "Him? You're joking with me."

"Him?" Caroline and Rebekah screamed at the same time.

"Oh really?" Bonnie asked.

"This is a joke." Damon muttered, just like the others not having seen this one coming.

"I'll kill him." Klaus said.

"I'll help." Kol offered.

Quirrel turned around and faced the two.

Harry spoke. "No, it can't be. Snape, he was the-" He was cut off.

"Yes, he does seem the type, doesn't he? Well, next to him, who would suspect" he started stuttering and shaking"poor, stuttering, Professor Quirrell?"

"But that day, during the Quidditch match, Snape tried to kill us."

"No, dear boy. I tried to kill you. And trust me, if Snape's cloaked hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded."

THANK GOD FOR HERMIONE GRANGER! Nora thought.

"Yeah, indeed. Thank God." Finn said.

"Even with Snape muttering his little countercurse."

"Snape was trying to save us?" Harry asked, surprised.

"I knew you both were a danger to me right from the off. Especially after Halloween."

"Then you let the troll in!" Harry exclaimed.

"Very good, Potter, yes, but I guess you're sister already knew that." Quirrell said as he looked over at Nora.

"Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running about the dungeon, he went to the third floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again."

Quirrell turned around and their heads started to hurt again, both groaning in pain as they clung onto it.

"He rarely left me alone. But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never."

"This man is crazy." Jeremy said, looking wide eyed at the screen.

"Why is their scar hurting?" Elena asked.

"Do you have an imaginary friend?" Nora asked, genuinely confused, but the professor ignored her. "It's okay if you do. I had one too." She added softly. "When I was four."

"You did?" Harry asked.

"Yeah."

"OH MY GOD THESE TWO." Rebekah said.

"Now, what does this mirror do?" He looked in it deeply. "I see what I desire. I see myself holding the Stone. But how do I get it?"

"Use the boy." A voice said, making the twins look around themselves, looking from where the voice possibly could come from.

"Oh my babies." Lily said, sadly.

"It's gonna be okay, Lily-flower. They're gonna be okay. You know that." James tried to reassure her.

"Come here, Potter! Now!"

Harry let go of Nora's hand as he walked down slowly.

"Tell me, what do you see?" Quirrell asked.

Harry looked in the mirror and saw his hand go into the pocket of his jeans, taking out the Philosopher's Stone. His eyes winded a bit as he felt them in his own pants.

As Harry didn't speak for a while, he lost his temper. "What is it? What do you see?"

"I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup."

Nora sighed. Everyone could see it was made up.

"Yeah he stayed silent for too long." Stefan said.

"He lies." The sore voice spoke again.

"Tell me the truth! What do you see?" Quirrell yelled.

"Let me speak to him."

"Master, you are not strong enough." Quirrell answered the voice.

"I have strength enough for this."

Harry walked back over to the stairs as Quirrell took of the purple turban off his head, revealing Voldemort's face on the back of it.

"Okay, why did I see this coming?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah me too. Who in hell talks to their turban?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm gonna kill them both." Kol said, determined.

"Yeah, slowly and painfully." Klaus added.

It had been a long time since the brothers had gone such a long time without starting a fight. Maybe Nora would bring their family back together.

Finn looked at Elijah who sitting quiet still. However Finn did not know that Elijah was planning the most agonizing, painful, slowest dead history would ever witness.

He would kill anyone who is a treath to his daughter.

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QUESTION: Who's your favorite character of this book?

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AAAAH, first year is almost finished! just one chapter left and I can start writing year two. You'll be seeing more of the Slytherins, hehe.

And I actually just really want to write year 3, since it has always been my favorite year.

Words: 3034

Posted: March 6, 2024

Be sure to comment. I love reading them and it keeps me motivated!

x Kat