Okay, I got a review saying that Mia was kinda flat at the moment so this chapter is kinda filling her up a bit so we'll be seeing some things from Mia's point of view. Hopefully it'll clear it up but I can't put everyone's personality all in the one chapter. Everyone grows throughout time so there will be added personalities and all that.
(God, you all are never satisfied!)
Thanks for all the reviews.
Chapter 8: Trap door, challenges and enemy faced.
It was now Exams time, much to the annoyance of Ron Weasley. He had been at the front line of Hermione's ferocious temper. Hermione had been driving everyone mad with studying for exams. Harry and Mia were okay about the exams because they had plenty of practice with the potions and spells with Narcissa and Sirius' teaching them since they could read.
"If she's like this now, what is she going to be like when the actual exams come?" Mia whispered as she leaned over to the boys. All three of them were watching Hermione flipping through the pages of her book and taking notes.
Ron paled at the thought.
"Oh, that's just brilliant, give me more nightmares why don't you?" he asked and Mia grinned.
"I'm just worried about her. I mean, we're only eleven and she's freaking out over our first year exams," she explained and Harry nodded in agreement.
"I have to agree with Mia," Harry told them. "She'll burn herself out before we know it."
Mia watched Hermione. She had been watching Hermione ever since they had saved her from the troll, and had grown closer. She was still hesitant about letting them see the real side of Hermione. She was trying to live up to the image of being a teacher's pet; one that Mia doubted will ever cease because she had a feeling that Hermione had been doing it for years.
She had asked Hermione about her past but Hermione had been kinda tight lipped about the whole thing, which told Mia that it wasn't a good experience. She had no problems talking about her parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents but any school friends or cousins had to be dragged out of her. It was like pulling teeth.
Mia was worried about Hermione. She had a feeling that Hermione was trying to keep her distance and that one-day, Harry, Ron and Mia would turn their backs and leave her alone in the cold. Mia couldn't see a way to let Hermione know that wasn't going to happen.
"Mia…" Harry called out before waving his hand in front of Mia's face, bringing her back to reality. Mia blinked when Harry's hand came into her view and turned to face him.
"Yeah?" she asked, causing Harry and Ron to shoot her a concerned look.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked. "You kinda zoned out on us there," he explained and Mia nodded.
"Yeah, just thinking," she told them and they just sat there, waiting to see if she would continue. "I was just wondering about Hermione. Does it seem like she is kinda still keeping her distance?" she asked.
Ron and Harry looked toward Hermione and thought about it.
"Yeah, actually, now you mention it, she does. We talk and all that but she doesn't really let me in," Ron agreed. They both turned to Harry, who turned a bit pink.
"We talk," Harry admitted, causing Mia and Ron to share a smile. They had been watching Harry and Hermione interact and they found it amusing of how quickly the pair of them had taken with each other.
"You sure do," Ron told him and got a glare in return, causing him to hold up his hands, his face formed in an innocent expression.
"Does she tell you anything about her childhood?" Mia asked and Harry looked at her.
"Her parents and family," Harry told her and Mia nodded.
"Anything about cousins or school friends?" Mia asked and Harry shook his head, causing Mia to sigh. "That's what I'm worried about," she admitted. "I think that her school friends teased her and her cousins are not very friendly with her. It would explain why she is distant from us - probably second nature."
"So, what do we do?" Harry asked as he looked at Hermione, who was flipping through her notes. The way her brows furrowed as she bit her bottom lip caused Harry to smile slightly.
"I don't know. I guess we'll ask dad to see if he has any idea to help us," Mia told him, watching Harry with an amused expression. Of all the time Harry had interacted with a girl at their primary school, nobody had ever held his attention like Hermione did.
She looked at Hermione once more and wondered what she could do to help build Hermione's confidence up.
Soon the Exams were over, much to all the students' relief, not that it stopped Hermione from talking about Exams. It turned out that she liked to go over their exams after they had done it. Not that Ron was happy about because just thinking of it just made him feel ill. Both, Mia and Harry begged Hermione to take a break from thinking about Exams and concentrated on the summer before them.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief as they all stepped out of Hogwarts and onto the ground.
"Oh, Exams are over!" he cheered as he raised his hands in the air. "Thank Merlin and to ever else is listening to me above." He tilted his head back toward the sky, causing Mia to grin.
"And that probably be nobody," Mia teased.
"Oi!" Ron replied, insulted, causing Hermione to laugh while Harry looked at Hagrid. Something clicked in his mind, causing him to stop walking and Ron to walk into him.
"Ow!" Harry moaned as he moved out of Ron's way, rubbing the back of his ankle where Ron had kicked him by accident.
"Sorry," Ron replied. "But if people actually quit stopping in front of me, I wouldn't be kicking them."
"Why did you stop?" Hermione asked and Harry looked at her.
"Don't you think it's weird that Hagrid had a dragon egg?" Harry asked. "I mean, think about, who walks around carrying a dragon egg with them?"
"So?" Mia asked, still not getting it but Hermione caught on.
"And that person chose Hagrid out so that mean they must know him at some point because it's not common knowledge that Hagrid would want a dragon as a pet," Hermione added. Harry nodded in agreement before he turned on his heels and ran over to Hagrid's hut with Ron, Hermione and Mia following.
"Hagrid!" Harry gasped once they came to a stop in front of Hagrid, who was sitting on the step of his hut, playing his flute.
"Hey kids, got your exams finished?" Hagrid asked.
"Yeah, listen. See the time you won that dragon egg of that stranger in the pub?" Harry asked and Hagrid nodded. "Did you ever get a good look at what he looked like?" Harry asked and Hagrid shook his head.
"He never took off his hood," Hagrid explained and Harry nodded, expecting this.
"What did you talk about?" Harry asked, they both played over a game of poker so they must have talked about something, he thought.
"Creatures, said that he was real interested in creatures and wanted to know if I saw or knew any," Hagrid explained.
"Did you say anything?" Harry asked and Hagrid nodded.
"Yeah, asked me if I could take care of a dragon. I told him that it would be easy after dealing with Fluffy."
"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked and Hagrid raised an eyebrow.
"Of course he was interested. You don't get to see many three-headed dogs about. I told him that it was real easy, just play some music and Fluffy would go straight to sleep." He paled when he realised what he had given away.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Mia looked at each other before running away, leaving Hagrid sitting alone.
"Where are you going?" Hagrid shouted but received no answers as the kids ran into the school, desperate to get to an adult who could help them.
"Who can we go to?" Mia asked.
"McGonagall," Harry told them as he led the way into her classroom, startling her as she sat at her desk.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.
"Someone is going to steal the stone," Harry exclaimed, causing her to stare at him, shocked.
"What?" she demanded.
"Someone is going to steal the stone, tonight. You need to go down there to make sure no one steals it," Harry explained.
"I don't know how you know about the stone but I can assure you that it's perfectly safe," she informed them.
"Professor…" Mia started but McGonagall held up her hand.
"Please, I do not want to have to take off more points from my own house," she cut them off. "The stone is safe, so I suggest you all go out and enjoy your day," she informed them before bidding them a short nod. "Leave."
The kids left the classroom and walked down a little further down the hallway so that they were away from the door.
"What are we going to do if McGonagall doesn't believe us?" Ron asked and Harry sighed. He was about to answer but someone cut in.
"My, my, my," a male voice stated and they turned to see Snape standing behind them. "Four Gryffindors all inside on a wonderful day. If you weren't careful, one might think you were up to no good," he told them.
"Keep walking Snape, this has nothing to do with you," Mia jumped in and Snape looked at her. "Beside, people might get suspicious of a teacher talking to kids - ones that were in his rival's house. One might think he was up to no good too."
Snape hissed at her.
"I should take points off for your cheek Miss Black," he told her and Mia arched an eyebrow. She never liked the guy and she wasn't going to start now.
"Whatever," she told him and Snape sneered.
"20 points for your cheek, Miss Black" and the potion master turned on his heels and walked away, leaving the kids behind before Harry turned back to them
"Greasy git," Ron cursed, causing Mia and Harry to laugh while Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron before turning to Harry.
"What are we going to do?" Hermione repeated Ron's question and Harry looked at her.
"We go down the trap door, tonight," Harry told them and they nodded in agreement.
Late that night Harry looked at his watch and saw it was time to go; he looked over at Ron, who was lying in his bed too. He nodded as they both got out and pulled on their trainers.
They had gone to bed late after everyone else. The kids had dressed themselves in dark clothing so it was easy for them to move around the castle with less chance of being spotted and it was better than running about in their PJs.
They crept out of the room and met Hermione and Mia, who both were also dressed in black clothing and had their hair, tied back in ponytails.
"Ready?" Harry whispered and got nods in reply as he carried his bag that he had grabbed before coming out of his room. They made their way down the stairs till they reached the common room, where a fellow classmate intercepted them.
"Neville?" Ron whispered.
"I overheard you," Neville told them. "I'm not going to let you lose more points for Gryffindor," he informed before sticking up his fists into a boxer's stance. "I'll fight you if I have too."
"I'm very sorry that I have to do this," Hermione told Neville as she stepped forward before waving her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!" she called out.
Neville gasped as his arms pinned themselves to the side of his body and his legs slammed together before he flashed blue and fell backward to the ground with a thud.
"Bloody hell," Ron whispered as he and Mia both shared a look of fear of their best friend before they turned to face her. "You're scary," Ron told her. "Bloody brilliant, but scary."
Hermione just smirked before she placed her wand back into her back pocket and Harry shook his, amused.
"Come on, we're wasting time," Harry told them and they all walked out of the Common Room. Ron stopped before looking down at Neville and shrugged.
"Sorry, it's for your own good," Ron, explained before he hurried after the others and slipped under the invisibility cloak that they were under and they set off for the third corridor to stop the thieving of the stone.
They reached the door where Fluffy were being held and took a deep breath.
"Are we seriously going to go in the same room with a three-headed dog?" Ron asked and Mia nodded. Ron just turned back to face the door with a hint of fear on his face.
"We don't have a choice," Harry reminded before he stuffed the cloak into his bag and opened the door.
They all stepped into the room and saw a harp standing in the corner of the room, strumming away, Fluffy was sleeping with the Trap door opened.
"Looks like Snape magically enchanted the harp to play," Hermione noticed and Harry agreed as he threw the bag into the corner behind the harp. They moved over to the trap the door while Mia hummed along with the tune, causing Ron and Hermione to look at her and Harry to smile at Mia's familiar habit.
"What?" Mia asked. "I hum when I get nervous," she replied, defensively. "Beside, I work better with music." She started humming once more.
"I'll go down first then I'll call up to let you know that it's okay," Harry informed them and they nodded as the harp stopped but Mia's humming didn't.
Fluffy let out a snort before he shifted his heads before settling down once more. Harry just shot Fluffy a wary look before jumping in and landed on something soft. "It's okay, come on down," Harry called back and Hermione jumped in after him with Ron following a suit.
Mia stopped humming and took a deep breath only for the hair to rise up on the back of her neck. She looked up and saw Fluffy was now growling and closed her eyes, berating herself for stopping her humming. She opened her eyes and jumped in just as one of Fluffy's head tore off the trap door and she landed on something soft.
She looked at the others.
"What the heck are we on?" she demanded as she looked around as Hermione's gasped.
"It's the Devil's Snare!" Hermione exclaimed.
"That's good that we know what it is, but why is it here?" Ron asked.
"To kill us," Mia remarked, causing Ron to look at her in shock,
"What?" he shouted.
"You have to relax," Hermione told him. "If you don't, it'll just kill you quicker," she added in and Mia winced.
"Bad thing to say," Mia told Hermione, who watched as Ron freaked out and started fighting at the plant even harder. Hermione just huffed as she relaxed herself before she felt herself moving down through the plant.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted.
"Will you just relax?" Hermione shouted back. Harry looked at Mia, who nodded before he closed his eyes and relaxed his body and felt himself sinking through the plant.
"Ow!" Harry groaned as he fell onto his backside before getting up, rubbing his wrist.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked as she hurried over to him and he smiled.
"Yeah, just wasn't expecting the drop," he admitted as the plant opened once more and Mia dropped down to her feet and hands, bending her knees. "And you were expecting the drop," Harry pointed out and Mia arched an eyebrow.
"The plant let us go down, obviously there was going to be a drop," Mia explained and Hermione nodded before she looked up at the plant and let out a sigh.
"He's not relaxing is he?" Hermione asked and they all looked up at the plant where they could hear Ron yelling their name.
"Nope," Harry confirmed.
"Do you remember what Madam Sprout said, Devil Snare, likes the dark and the damp…"
"But sulks in the sun!" Hermione exclaimed before she threw up her wand. "INCENDIO!" she shouted and a bright blue light shot out from her wand, causing the Devil Snare to retreat and Ron to fall to the ground with a loud thud.
"Lucky we didn't panic," Ron stated as Mia helped him up. Harry shot him a look.
"Lucky that Hermione pays attention in Herbology," Harry retorted as they made their way into the next room with a large door on the other side.
A broom hovered in the middle of the room and there were fluttering above them. Ron and Hermione hurried over to the door while Mia walked around. Hermione tried to the unlocking spell but it didn't work, much to her frustration.
"It doesn't work!" she exclaimed and Ron moved closer to the door then looked toward the air.
"Those aren't birds," he exclaimed. "They're keys!"
"So that means one of them fits that door," Harry told him and Ron nodded as Mia tilted her head.
"The one with the blue wings - it's wings are bent so I'm guessing it been used," Mia told them. They looked up to see the key she had spotted. One side of the wings were bent and Harry moved over to the broom before looking up at Hermione.
"It's too easy," he told her and Hermione smiled as she shook her head.
"You're the seeker Harry, seek," she told him and he grinned back before he got on the broom and flew up while Mia hurried over to the door.
Harry flew around the room, chasing the key with the blue wings with all the other keys attacking him to stop him from taking it. He grabbed the key before speeding ahead of the other keys and threw it down to Hermione, who caught it as Harry passed by.
Hermione hurried over to the door and slammed the key into the lock and unlocked it. Mia and Ron helped her open the door and they stepped through just as Harry came back into the clearing once more and flew into the opening.
Once he was through, the three of them slammed the door shut behind him just as the keys slammed into the wooden door.
"That was too close," Ron, muttered as Harry climbed off his broom and got a nod in agreement as they moved into the next room.
They found themselves surrounded by large statues. The minute the stepped up, fire lit up from all the corners and they found themselves staring at white statues.
"What is it?" Mia asked and Ron looked up before grinning broadly.
"It's a chessboard!" Ron exclaimed and Mia froze on the spot, causing everyone to look at her.
"Hagrid, Professor Sprout, Professor McGonagall, they're all teachers who are protecting the stones, except from Hagrid. I suspect they used Fluffy because not many students would dare to go near a three-headed dog," Mia explained and Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Wait a minute, if this is a chessboard," Harry started and they nodded. "Then it's like wizard's chess." They all stared at each other, not knowing what to say.
"So we have to play?" Mia asked and Ron looked over at the chess pieces before gulping.
"Yes, I suspect so," Ron told them and Hermione let out a small squeak, causing Harry to reach out and grab her hand.
"We're gonna be okay," Harry told her and she just looked at him.
"Okay, Harry, you take the bishop, Hermione, the castle, Mia, the rook, I'll be the knight," Ron told them and they nodded as they made their way over to their places and let the game begin.
Soon, nearly all the black pieces were gone due to the white pieces being merciless. Ron looked around when Mia spoke up.
"I have to move," Mia told them and they looked at her. "I have to go," she admitted and Harry shook his head.
"No, Mia…" Harry told her and Ron sighed.
"Sorry Harry, she's right," Ron explained. "She needs to go forward so I can take up my place then you can checkmate the king." He turned to Mia and nodded. Mia stepped forward only for the knight to step forward and hit her with his flat of his sword, knocking her unconscious.
"Mia!" Hermione started to go forward but Harry and Ron held up their hands.
"NO!" they both shouted and Hermione stopped in place. "We're still playing," Ron reminded and Hermione stepped back into her place and nodded as Ron looked around before sighing. "I have to give myself up, it's the only way," Ron told them.
Harry looked at him and saw the determination in his eyes. "You need to stop Snape, you're the only one who can do so," Ron told him and Harry nodded. Ron moved his piece forward and stopped in front of the queen. "Check," he told her and she lifted her sword and plunged it into the horse's side, causing Ron to fall free from the horse, unconscious as well.
Harry moved forward and stopped in front of the king.
"Check Mate," he told the king in a loud clear voice. The king dropped his sword, announcing the game was over. Harry and Hermione made their way over to their knocked out friends before Hermione grabbed his arm.
"It's not finished yet," she whispered and Harry nodded as they both got up and made their way over to the other end of the room, where they had been blocked from going in the first place.
Harry and Hermione made their way through the next room only to stop when they saw the troll knocked out.
"Oh god," Hermione moaned as she covered her mouth and nose.
"Thank god we didn't have to fight this one," Harry told her and Hermione nodded in agreement. This troll was larger than the one they had fought at Halloween and they made their way into the small room. There was a purple flame at one end as they moved closer and saw 7 different shaped bottles standing on the shelves only for a huge black flame to shoot up at the entrance that they just came through, trapping them.
Hermione looked at the bottles before looking at Harry, who nodded in agreement.
"Snape's," they both stated at the same time before Hermione picked up the note.
"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 move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among us our number only hold nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line,
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tried to hide
You will always find some on the nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either side,
But if you would 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 different at first sight."
She sighed as she looked at the bottles before looking at the note, taking care at looking at each bottles before separating them all so that three bottles stood together, two bottles stood together, the smallest bottle stood on it on and a round bottle stood on it's own.
"I'm guessing you have a reason for doing that?" Harry asked and Hermione smiled as she nodded.
"Yes, the smallest bottle will allow you to go through the purple flame, move forward while the rounded bottle will let us go back through where we just came through," Hermione explained and Harry looked at the smallest bottle.
"There's not enough for both of us," Harry whispered and Hermione felt fear clutched at her as Harry turned to face her. "You take the rounded bottle and go back. Get Hedwig and try and send a message to McGonagall as soon as you can and take Ron and Mia to the hospital wing," Harry told her.
"What about you?" Hermione asked and Harry smiled sadly.
"I've got to stop Snape from taking the stone for Voldemort," Harry told her and Hermione shook her head.
"What if you face Voldemort?" she whispered and Harry shrugged.
"I've had training, beside, I got lucky once, I might get lucky again," he told her and she threw herself at him and hugged him.
"You're a powerful wizard, you'll make it," she whispered and Harry grinned.
"You're the one with all the knowledge," he told her and she laughed as she pulled away.
"Books and cleverness are not everything. There's friendship, courage…" she trailed off before shaking her head. "Come back alive," she whispered and he nodded.
"Take a drink, you need to go back," he told her and she nodded as she took a sip from the round bottle before shivering. "What does it feel like?" he asked.
"Like ice," she admitted and he nodded as he watched as she walked through the black flame before turning to face the purple flame and took the drink. He shivered when he felt the ice and walked through the purple flame only to see the last person he ever expected to see, standing in front of the Mirror of Erised.
"You?" Harry demanded to the person and got a sadistic grin in return.
"Yes, it is I, professor Quirrell," the turbaned professor told him and Harry shook his head.
"But Snape…"
"Yes, Snape, he did make himself a likely suspect didn't he?" Quirrell asked. "Beside him, who was suspect p-p-poor s-s-stuttering p-p-professor Quirrell," the man stuttered out before returning back to his normal voice.
"But Snape tried to kill me," Harry stated and he laughed.
"No, it was I my dear boy, and I would have done it, even with Snape muttering his little counter curse," Quirrell muttered, bitterly.
"Snape tried to save me?" Harry asked, surprised and sceptically.
"Yes, why else do you think he wanted to referee the next match?" Quirrell informed him. "Not that I could do anything with Dumbledore there."
"Then you let the troll in," Harry caught on. "You're the reason why Hermione almost died!"
"Very good, Mr Potter," Quirrell smirked. "But it didn't work. Snape headed me off before I got to the third floor corridor and never left me alone after that." He turned back to face the mirror. "But he doesn't understand, I'm never alone."
Harry looked at him, confused about what he was talking about. Quirrell looked into the mirror. "I see me holding the stone but how do I get it?" he muttered.
"Use the boy," a faint hissing voice whispered throughout the room. Harry looked around, wondering who else was in the room with them as Quirrell spun around and snapped his fingers at him.
"Come here boy!" he demanded but Harry just stood in place before smirking.
"What the matter? Imperious not working?" he asked.
"How…?" Quirrell moaned out.
"Looks like you're not the only one keeping secrets," Harry taunted before he turned around. He tried to run back up the stairs only for Quirrell to snap his fingers and flames shot up at every entrance and exit, stopping Harry.
Harry turned back to face Quirrell before moving toward the mirror.
"Tell me, what do you see?" Quirrell asked and Harry looked into the mirror and saw himself - taking the stone out of his pocket then the image of him winked before slipping it into his pocket and Harry felt the real stone slide into his pocket. "What do you see?" Quirrell demanded and Harry stared right at the mirror.
"I see myself shaking hands with Professor McGonagall, I've won the house cup and she's delighted," Harry lied.
"He lies!" the hissing voice came back.
"Don't lie!" Quirrell demanded and Harry looked up at him.
"I'm not lying!" he shot at Quirrell.
"Let me speak to him," the hissing voice told him and Quirrell turned away.
"But, Master, you're not strong enough," Quirrell whimpered.
"I'm strong enough for this!" the voice hissed and Quirrell started undoing his turban.
Harry watched in morbid fascination as Quirrell finally finished untying his turban and pulled the cloth away to reveal a face on the back of his head. "Harry Potter," the voice stated.
"Voldemort," Harry stated and the face smiled.
"Very good, look what I have resorted to," Voldemort told him. "With that stone in your hand, I can have a body again. We could rule together." Harry shot him a sarcastic smile.
"You'll understand that I have to pass that on," Harry remarked and Voldemort's face turned serious.
"Together, we could bring your parents and Aunt Callie back," Voldemort told Harry and Harry looked at the mirror to see the three of them standing there. "Wouldn't you like that?" he asked and Harry looked at him.
"Not enough to make me risk my soul," Harry informed him and Voldemort lost it.
"Kill him!" Voldemort screamed and Quirrell spun around and launched himself at Harry and grabbed his throat.
Harry grabbed his wrist and twisted it as hard as he could before Quirrell let out a scream of agony and smoke to appear from his wrist. Harry let him go and looked at his hands before he looked at Quirrell, whose hand was now crumbling.
"What magic is this?" Quirrell demanded.
"KILL HIM!" Voldemort screamed once more only for Harry's eyes to darken.
"Go to hell, Voldemort," Harry hissed before he rushed over and planted his hands on Quirrell's face and watched as it crumbled beneath his hands.
Harry took a step back as Quirrell's form crumbled before watching as Quirrell fell to his knees and landed face down, dust filling the ground. Harry sighed as he stepped over to the stone and picked it up before spinning around as Voldemort's soul rose up from Quirrell's now crumbled form and passed his way through Harry's body.
Harry felt his eyes roll up into the back of his head before he fell backward onto the ground as blackness claimed its victim.
The stone shone brightly from where it was lying in his hand before twinkling slightly then the fire went out, leaving Harry alone in the darkness.
TBC
Sorry it was short but it had to be.
Thanks to my Beta for helping me!