Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: First, to Kiriko-sama, thank you very much! But just a warning, Crystal Egg is not anywhere near ready for its first posting. There will probably be changes especially in the second chapter, and it isn't even finished yet. Second, thanks again to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story. It means a lot to me to know you guys are out there.

PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS! I give important information in those notes, not just random rambles and thanks. Sorry for yelling, but it gets a little frustrating when someone asks a question about the chapter in which the author's note answers them.

For those of you who are on the Glasses Reflect mailing list, thanks for helping out with the keys! It was the only real problem I had with this chapter, and you guys made the facts click in my head rather quickly. (My muse has a day job and I couldn't ask her at the time. Very frustrating.)

I have the title for book two. A bit predictable, I suppose, but "The Heir of Slytherin" it is. And while the title will change in the title line, I won't be posting it separately. (Saerry Snape really is one of my favorite writers, but I remember the day she posted her separated story (Not Myself) and everyone who had her on their author alerts got a hundred and forty-two e-mails in one day, including me.)

Finally, I'm accepting votes on whether Gryffindor or Slytherin wins the House Cup. Slytherin got the Quidditch Cup due to Gryffindor having to scramble to find a Seeker. (Don't ask the name. I haven't figured it out yet, and it's not a big deal right now.)

As A Bat
Through The Trapdoor

In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Quirrell to curse him in class or come after him at any moment. He prayed that the demon possessing him had decided that he wasn't a threat, but he sincerely doubted it. Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door. Quirrell was waiting for something, but Harry couldn't take a guess as to what that was.

It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. Everyone else had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell. To be fair, though she assured him that she didn't doubt his integrity, Professor McGonagall put the same spell on his typewriter, promising to take it off after he completed his written exams.

And then there were the practicals. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox -- points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his scar, which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the forest. He thought they were connected somehow to Voldemort, not thinking it was a coincidence that they were only occurring after he'd had a direct confrontation with the person who put the scar there in the first place. The other boys in the dorm, save for Blaise, kept laughing at Harry for being so nervous about exams, assuming that they were the cause of his lack of sleep, but Harry kept having his old nightmare, worse than ever with the horrible addition of the mixed scents of human and unicorn blood.

The others didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry, but then they didn't have him in their nightmares, didn't have burning curse scars on their noses, and didn't see what Harry had experienced in the forest. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, and still none of them would speak his name, but it wasn't as immediate for them, and they were too busy with studying to worry about Quirrell.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd inventing self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.

As Harry and Blaise joined Ron and Hermione on the grounds, the sun was warm and Hermione was going through the exam out loud. Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasly twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. Blaise described the sight to Harry, who chuckled at it.

Ron was praising the fact that they had no more studying to worry about when Harry's scar flared up again. He let his shades fall into his lap as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying instinctively to get rid of the migraine-inducing pain. "I wish I knew for sure what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting -- it's happened before, but it's never been this bad before."

"Go to Madame Pomfrey," suggested Hermione.

"I'm not ill. I think it's connected to the one who gave me it." He knew better to mention Voldemort where people other than his friends could hear him. He hated the sound of people gasping and running the other way.

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot. "Harry, relax. Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

Harry nodded, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was missing something. It was just beyond his field of thought. It had nothing to do with work, of that he was certain. He sat back and listened to the world around him, just drifting, trying to let the thought come to him. He could hear an owl, barely, because it was flying with a letter and the paper rustled in the wind. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy ... never ... but--

Harry jumped to his feet, quickly charming his bat into screeching so he could "see" where he was running.

"Where are you going?" shouted Blaise as Harry tore off across the lawn. The other Slytherin and the two Gryffindors hurried to follow him.

"I've just thought of something," said Harry. He knew the blood had drained out of his face, as he'd felt it do so. "We've got to get to Hagrid, now."

"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people would wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see this before?"

"Um, Harry--"

"Figure of speech, Ron."

"But what are you talking about?" Harry was to busy concentrating on locating any objects in his path, like rocks, so he didn't answer.

Hagrid was outside, the sound of peas hitting the bottom of a wooden bowl surrounding him gently. "Hullo," he said, a smile in his voice. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.

"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "He wouldn' take his cloak off." All the students looked stunned. "It's not that unusual, he get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head -- that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, migtn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

Harry sat down next to the bowl. "What did you talk about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up. Yeah...he asked what I did, an' I told him I was a gamekeeper here...He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after...so I told him...an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon...an' then...I can' 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..."

"And did he -- did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"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 stopped. "I shouldn'ta told yeh that! Forget I said it!"

"Hagrid, I just have one more question about this bloke. Did he smell like he'd been eating Italian?"

"Well, now that yeh mention it -- Hey! Where're yeh goin'?"

No one said a word until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed frigid after the warmth of the grounds. Harry said, "I've got to go to Snape now. There's no other alternative. Voldemort has the key to getting past Fluffy. He's just been biding his time for some reason. I just hope he believes me. Firenze might back me up if Bane doesn't stop him."

Blaise said, "Believe me, Harry, no matter what he has against you, Snape will take this threat seriously. He has reason." Harry decided to ask later what his friend meant by that.

Hermione said, "We should go to Dumbledore, as well."

Harry nodded. "Right. Is his office closer than Snape's?" But no one knew where Dumbledore's office was.

"What are you three doing inside?" Professor McGonagall's voice rang across the hall.

Hermione said, "We want to see Professor Dumbledore."

"Why?" The professor sounded suspicious.

Harry tried to waffle. "It's a bit of a secret." He didn't want to get the Gryffindor head of house involved if he could avoid it. But she didn't take kindly to it.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

A cold rock settled in Harry's stomach. That was far too convenient! "He's gone now!?"

"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time --?"

"Professor, I apologize, but this is extremely important. I realize that the Headmaster's time is valuable, but this is a serious problem, and with him gone, that problem just got worse. I have reason to believe that Voldemort has an agent inside this castle and is planning on stealing the Philosopher's Stone." Caution be damned, they needed adult help with this!

Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. She dropped a load of books, and Harry didn't hear her trying to pick them up. "How do you know --?"

"A long story and there is little time. He'll probably go after it as soon as curfew is enforced. Is there any way to get Professor Dumbledore back here?"

There was a long pause. Then, "He'll be back tomorrow. I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected, and if You-Know-Who has an agent here, then he will be disappointed."

"But Professor --"

"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

But they didn't. "No way will Quirrell not go tonight. It's too good an opportunity for him to pass up. In fact, I'll bet the Ministry will be quite shocked when Dumbledore shows up. He's fed on the unicorns, and he's as strong as he's going to get until he can get that Stone." Then Harry heard the peculiar swishing and gait of Professor Snape. "Professor, how are you this afternoon?"

"I'm well, thank you. What are you lot doing inside on a day like this?"

"Professor, I wonder if I might have a word with you later? It concerns what we've been talking about, but I don't think we should speak of it where we'll be seen. I'd like to retain what edge we have left. With Dumbledore gone, someone will no longer be intimidated."

Snape didn't care for the Potter boy, that was more than clear, but he knew that the Headmaster's absence could readily be taken advantage of, and he wanted to know what information the boy had. "Very well. Send me an owl in one hour with any information. I will see what can be done. Do not attempt any more night-time wanderings, Potter. Let me handle the situation. Good day to you."

As soon as Snape was out of earshot, Harry said, "Blaise, get up to that door and put an alarm on it, the loudest one you know. Hermione, see if you can keep track of Quirrell. Ask him any question you've ever had about Defense, but try and keep him in your sights. Ron, go with Hermione and back her up. I've got an owl to write. I'll owl you all as soon as I know what Snape is going to do. And if the alarm goes off, I'm going after him, and I don't want you three following me for any reason. You know where I'll be, and you'll need to owl Dumbledore with the information."

Ron said, "Harry, I'm not letting you go in there alone."

"Ron, I may be willing to risk my own neck, but I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

Hermione spoke up. "Harry, you're talking about a fully grown dark wizard, one powerful enough that a shade has been able to use him without even harming him for an entire school year, probably longer." For a shade's very presence tended to destroy those it needed to survive. "And there's all the other enchantments that the professors have provided. No way are we letting you go in there alone."

Harry shook his head. "Bloody Gryffindors. All right. You can come. We'll use the invisibility cloak to get there. It should cover all three of us."

Blaise couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Harry, what are you thinking!? How can you even be considering this hair-brained scheme? Why aren't you just going to let the adults handle it? I mean, we're only eleven years old!"

"I'm hoping that the adults will handle it, Blaise, but we have to be prepared in case they don't. I refuse to see the man who murdered my parents not only returned to full power but gain immortality as well! He will destroy the wizarding world, and everyone in it. Someone once said that the best defense is a good offense. That's what this is about."

Blaise was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. "I've got to think about my own skin, Harry. You're always thinking six steps ahead, but I can't do that. I've got to think about the immediate future, and I have no wish to die tonight. I've got to tell you, though, your Gryffindor side certainly brings out the best of Slytherin. If that alarm goes off, I'll stay behind and get that owl to Dumbledore. That's all I can do. I hope you don't think me a coward."

Harry put his hand on Blaise's shoulder. "Of course not, my friend. You're just the most sensible one here. And someone's got to be sensible around here."

Blaise's voice lightened. "All right. Well, hopefully the adults will take us seriously, but if they don't, then good luck."

Harry snorted. "Thanks. We're going to need it."

Harry typed his letter quickly, then briefly translated it so that he could read over what he'd written and make sure it was concise. Then he rolled it up and sent it with Hedwig. Richard had been watching him write in silence, but once the owl was on her way, the little snake spoke up. "What's going on, Harry?"

Harry turned to face the sibilant voice, removing his shades and laying them on his desk. "I am trying to let my elders handle a very dangerous situation, but they are too used to ignoring the worries of the young as being the product of ignorance. Mere children couldn't possibly know more than adults, could they?"

"They may know more, but that doesn't keep them from being foolish, especially with your race." Harry grinned, and Richard continued. "You have done all you can?"

"To get their attention, yes. But I didn't leave it up to chance, either. Even if they do not take us seriously, when the thief goes after his prize, an alarm will sound, and when it does, I will go to the door. If an adult hasn't already gone in after him, then I will, along with Ron and Hermione. Blaise will stay behind and tell them what we've done."

Richard hissed out a sigh. "Why are you risking so much, youngling? Why is this thief so important to you?"

Harry's sigh echoed that of his reptilian friend. "He killed my sire and dam, Richard, and if he is allowed to regain strength through this Stone, then more and more young humans will face the same fate. Being in that orphanage has given me a lot, including you, but humans were meant to be reared by their parents. When they are gone, that youngling's world is a harsher and sadder place, no matter how many wonderful friends they have. I would not wish it on anyone."

"I won't pretend to understand completely, Harry, but you must stop him to protect others. A time for even a snake to be brave. Will I be of any use in this fight?"

"I don't think so, Richard. This one can speak to snakes like I can, and he may even be able to control them. I wouldn't want to risk that. Please don't follow me."

"I don't like it."

"Richard--"

"I know. I'll stay here. Don't you die on me, Harry."

Harry smiled and relaxed a bit. "I promise to try and stay alive, my friend."

Harry waited impatiently for Snape's response to his letter, and when it finally came, he was not disappointed.

I am surprised, Mr. Potter, at how well you have put this mystery together. You are to be congratulated, though the way you gained your information was certainly worthy of far more detentions than you have received for it. I'll let that slide. But do not take this matter into your own hands! I will listen for the alarm, as I agree that tonight will be the perfect opportunity for You-Know-Who to act. He likely engineered Dumbledore's little trip, as I'm sure you've surmised. I will stop him from reaching the Stone. Well done, Mr. Potter.

So, knowing that they wouldn't get any sleep that night, Harry and Blaise, along with Richard, went to the Gryffindor common room to wait it out. Unsure why, but knowing he would kick himself if he needed it and was unprepared, Harry brought his father's cloak with him, folded neatly and slipped under his jumper along the small of his back. With the jumper tucked into his trousers, there was no worry that the cloak would slip and fall, revealing itself.

They sat together by the fire, ineffectively trying to pass the time with wizard's chess. Even Ron was making stupid mistakes due to his mind being elsewhere, though he usually caught himself in time to prevent any losses. Not hard when he was playing against Hermione, who had absolutely no head for the game.

When the alarm went off, they waited tensely for the second sounding that would indicate that Snape had followed Quirrell in to stop him and Voldemort from reaching the Stone. But it never came. Harry whispered, "Any chance that the alarm would only go off once?"

"No way," answered Blaise. "Any time that door is opened until I take the ward off, the alarm will sound. Snape hasn't gone in."

Harry nodded. "Very well. Let's go see what's going on. If he's just late, we'll come back here immediately."

But as they stood to leave, Harry heard a toad chirp. "Trevor. Go find Neville, little toad." All they would need was the toad's noise to alert the dorm that someone was sneaking out.

Then Neville's voice came from one of the big arm chairs that were facing away from the fire. "Neville's right here. And if you lot go out again, we're all going to loose more points!"

Ron groaned. "We haven't got time for this, Neville! This is important!"

Neville snorted. "Like Harry's stargazing was important? No! I won't let you four out of here. I'll fight you if that's what it takes!"

Hermione pulled her wand. "I'm really sorry about this, Neville. Petrificus Totalus!"

Harry knew the spell and what it would do, so he was ready when the young Gryffindor started to topple. He stopped Neville from landing on his nose, and with Blaise's help, propped him up against the wall, far enough away from the fire so that he wouldn't be singed, but close enough for him to be as comfortable as possible given his current condition.

Ron said, "What was that!?"

Blaise answered, "Full Body Bind. Not bad, Hermione."

"Oh, Neville! I'm so sorry! We'll explain everything when we get back, I promise."

Harry turned to Blaise. "Send that owl. Go ahead and release Neville once we've gone, try to explain things to him. We've got to get down there, now!"

They crept as silently as they could toward the stairs that would lead to the third floor corridor. Along the way they nearly ran into Mrs. Norris, but she let them pass for some reason. Then Peeves spotted them, sort of. "Who's there? Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?" He moved closer, dropping the temperature of the air as he approached. "Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Suddenly the air got even colder, and a familiar voice came out of the darkness. "Peeves, the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible." Peeves blubbered for a while, then Baron Malfoy cut him off. "I have business here, Peeves. Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will. Hope your business goes well, I'll not bother you." And then the poltergeist left as fast as he could.

Ron said, "Brilliant, Harry!"

Harry chuckled. "Wasn't me."

Baron Malfoy chuckled. "It does me good to send that creature skittering off like the newly dead." Ron squeaked in surprise. "Now, what are you three up to?"

Harry said, "That alarm should have gone off twice. Something could be very wrong."

Concern colored the spirit's voice. "I'll follow you. Dumbledore would have me exorcised if I went into the gauntlet, but I'll see what help I can be of to you from this end."

"Thank you, Baron."

A few moments later they reached the door that led to Fluffy's lair, and found Professor Snape unconscious in front of it. Harry knelt down and felt for a pulse. "Pulse is strong. Baron Malfoy, could you alert Madame Pomfrey? There's no time for us to do it."

"Of course. Good luck in there, children. You are going to need it." And with that, his chilly presence retreated.

Harry pulled the flute that Hagrid had given him for Christmas and began playing. Ironically, the only tune that would come to mind was "Twinkle, Twinkle" but it worked, and with the music already sounding, they went through the door. The alarm screeched for a while, but as soon as the door was shut again, it silenced. Fluffy had twitched a bit at the discordant sound, but quickly settled at the flute's soothing tones. Ron and Hermione got the trap door opened and dropped down into it. Then Harry followed, his cane finding the edge of the hole easily.

Harry hated falling. When you couldn't see, it was bound to be one of your biggest fears. But the landing was soft, and Harry took a shaky breath to calm his racing pulse. Then he heard the muffled yelling of his friends and felt the twining of a tentacle around his legs. Hermione got her mouth clear for a moment and shouted "Devil's Sn--" before it covered her mouth again. Harry pulled his wand and quickly lit the Devil's Snare ablaze. As the plant writhed in pain, the students were dropped again, this time landing on stone.

Harry heard an ominous crack as he landed. He felt up along the length of his cane. Sure enough, it had snapped in two. "Bloody hell."

"Don't swear, Harry."

"My cane's snapped. I can't risk starting the bat charm. Quirrell will hear it."

Hermione thought about it for a moment. "Harry, with that alarm, he already knows that someone is at his back."

"Yes, but he doesn't know who. I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible. He wants me dead, Hermione."

Ron said, "Well, we'll guide you as long as we can. You may have to use it later anyway, though."

Not liking it, but agreeing that it might be the only way, Harry nodded.

The passage wasn't as bad as he'd feared. The constant sound of their footsteps and the quiet drip of water along the stone made enough echoes that he wasn't completely in the dark, although the way the sound was bouncing around made things seem closer than they were at times. But soon another sound came to him, a soft rustling and clinking. When Ron heard it, he asked if anyone else did. Harry nodded. Ron asked, "Do you think it's a ghost?"

"No. Baron Malfoy said that the ghosts weren't permitted down here. Besides, it sounds like wings."

"There's light ahead -- I can see something moving."

They reached the end of the corridor. Harry said, "Tell me what you see."

Hermione told him, "It's a wide chamber with a vaulted ceiling, and it's full of small, shining birds. They're everywhere! Look, there's a door on the other side. That's the way out."

Ron said, "Do you think they'll attack us?"

"Probably," said Harry. "I'll make a run for it. Is there anything on the ground?"

Hermione said, "No steps, no uneven blocks, no rubbish. It's a straight run." Then she pointed him in the correct direction.

Harry took off as fast as he could, expecting at any moment to feel beaks or claws at his back, but they never came. Hermione shouted for him to stop, and he skidded to a halt just in time to avoid slamming into the heavy wooden door. Since Harry made it without incident, the other two quickly joined him.

Nothing they did could get the door open, even Alohomora. "It's got to be the birds," declared Hermione. "They wouldn't just be in here for no reason."

Harry said, "What do they look like?"

So Hermione looked closer at them. Then she gasped. "They're keys!"

Winged keys? "One of them must be the one to this door."

"It'll probably be an old-fashioned silver one, like the lock."

Harry shook his head. "I can't distinguish between different kinds of metal just by echoes, Ron."

Hermione said, "But won't Quirrell have already caught it once? He's not here, so he obviously got through this challenge. It's probably been damaged."

"Brilliant!" Harry listened carefully to the sounds that the keys were making, and after a minute or two, to his relief, he was able to hear one that was different. The damaged wing whistled slightly, a distinct sound that Harry would easily be able to track. "Got it. Now, how do we get it down?"

Hermione said, "There's some brooms over in the corner."

Ron went over and grabbed three brooms, one for each of them. Harry kept his attention on the key they needed and said, "All right. Can you both see it?" They told him they could. "Ron, you get above it and keep it from going too high. Hermione, you keep it from slipping underneath me. I'll try and catch it."

They agreed, launching into the air. Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione would have cheered, but Harry cautioned them to silence.

They landed quickly, and Harry went to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned -- it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, sounding even worse than before now that it had been caught twice.

"Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They uttered quiet affirmatives, and he pulled the door open. The next chamber was so dark that Ron and Hermione couldn't see anything at all. Harry only heard the echoes that told him of a large stone chamber with some sort of columns along the floor. Then torches along the wall lit themselves and the two sighted students gasped. "What is it?"

Ron said, "It's a chess board." Ron described the room, a larger-than-life sized chess board with marble tiles and tall, stately chessmen carved from white and black stone, both sets faceless, blind.

"We have to play the board, don't we."

Ron agreed. Hermione said, "How?"

"We join the chessmen." Ron walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life with hollow stone sounds. Ron asked the knight, "Do we -- er -- have to join you to get across?"

The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two. "This needs thinking about..." he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..." Harry and Hermione stayed silent, letting Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess --"

"We're not offended." said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."

Well, Harry, you take the place of the kingside bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight." The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron and Hermione took.

"White always plays first in chess. Yes, look." A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?

"Harry -- move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay silently. "Had to let that happen," said Ron, his voice shaking slightly. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on. Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think -- let me think..." The white queen turned her blank face toward him. "Yes..." he said softly, "it's the only way...I've got to be taken."

Hermione shouted, "NO!"

"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me -- that leaves Harry free to checkmate the king!"

Harry felt the blood drain from his face. "Ron, can't you sacrifice something else?"

"Nothing else will draw the queen off, Harry!

"But --"

"Do you want to stop him or not, Harry?"

Harry knew that Ron was right. Time was slipping away from them, and they had no alternative. "Bloody Gryffindors!"

Ron smiled. "Just make sure you don't hang around once you've won. There's no time." He stepped forward one square and then two to the left. The queen pounced, striking Ron hard across the head with her stone arm. He crashed to the floor -- Hermione screamed but stayed on her square -- the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He was unconscious.

Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left. Harry said, "Checkmate." The king threw his crown at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen all moved out of the way of the door on the opposite side. Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.

Hermione said, "What if he's --?"

"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?"

"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell and Snape's..." They had reached another door.

"All right?" Harry whispered.

"Go on." Harry pushed it open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils. Harry said, "Troll," as he and Hermione pulled their robes up over their noses.

"It's already unconscious."

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," said Harry. "Come on, I can't breathe."

He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next -- but there was nothing very frightening here. Hermione described to Harry a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line. "Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"

They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway behind them and in the one on the other side of the chamber. Hermione said, "The one behind us is purple and the one in front of us is black." They were trapped between the two fires. "Here we go. There's a roll of paper here." She began to read aloud.

Hermione let out a great sigh of relief. "Brilliant," said Hermione. "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."

"You're better at these than I am, 'Mione. Go for it."

"Give me a minute." Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she put it down. "Got it. The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire -- toward the Stone, and the one at the right end will get us back through the purple."

"You drink that one. Get Ron and grab brooms out of the key room, they'll get you past Fluffy. Make sure he and Snape are all right and that Blaise got that owl off to Dumbledore. We need him."

"But Harry -- that's You-Know-Who behind that door!"

He smiled at her. "I got lucky once. I might again. Either way, it's got to be done." Hermione suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him. "Um, Hermione?"

"Harry -- you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as good as you," he said, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.

"Me! Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery and -- oh Harry -- be careful!"

"You drink first. You are sure which is which, aren't you?"

"Positive." She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.

"It's not poison?"

"No -- but it's like ice."

"All right. Go, before it wears off."

Hermione turned and walked through the flames. Harry took a deep breath and took up the smallest bottle, then turned toward the heat of the black flames that bared his way. "Here I come." He drained the little bottle in one gulp.

It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, but he never felt a thing until the ice inside him thawed and he was safely on the other side. Of course, there was already someone else there.

Sorry this one took so long. My RL has been impinging on my thoughts a little too often these days. Does it count as a cliffhanger if everyone reading this already knows what comes next? Remember to vote for who gets the House Cup!

Chapter 12