Black Plague

Chapter 9

The next day was Saturday and I woke up early. Slipped my invisibility cloak on and walked to the third floor. I stood inside the door with the Cerberus. After an hour I got bored and began singing to the stupid thing. I should have brought a book I something. Instead, I'm making bad decisions. I wanted to smack myself. They instantly fell asleep, I moved a paw and climbed in. I was not amused by having to jump into the dark room. With no way of knowing what lay below. I landed on a floor of plants. As I lay there trying to sit up, it became clear, It was devil's snare. I shot some fire at it and dropped down. So far, it's way too easy.

I walked forward and came up to a small room with a bunch if keys flying slowly around. And a stack of brooms. I rolled my eyes and hopped on. I looked closely at the door. Okay. An older key... Alright. This looks right. I had the invisibility cloak draped almost completely over the broom and so maybe that's way it was so easy to catch it. Because when I reached out and grabbed it the other keys saw my hand and began flying frantically. I flew down and opened the door. I stacked the broom back up, and let the key fly with his friends again. He seemed happy. Though a bit disoriented.

Next was a room with a giant chess set. I walked silently passed the whole thing. They never even noticed me.
I wasn't sure what the challenge was, but I didn't think I wanted to know. I slowly opened the door and sucked in my breath sharply. I carefully slipped through and let it close again. The troll. So this is where the Samhain troll came from. He could smell me. but he couldn't place where I was. He kept looking around and grunting. I shot him repeatedly with stunner spells, as I moved around the room silently. He couldn't place my location. Stumbling around the room. After almost two dozen stunners, he eventually passed out.
I sighed in relief and wiped my brow.
Next I came to a small room with a row of potions. There was a riddle on a piece of parchment next to the little vials. After contemplating the riddle for a while, I slowly grabbed one and drank part of it. Knowing I wanted to just watch this. I had no intentions of getting the stone. I just wanted to know who wanted it so bad.
Call me curious, call me stupid. Maybe just bored.

I carefully walked through the flames and found an old mirror. The Mirror of Erised I could see a reflection even though I had the cloak on. I sat down staring at it. It was Me cuddling on Snape's lap. He looked down on me with love. I wished he loved me like a father. Honestly I knew. I wished anyone would love me. But he was the closest person I'd ever had to someone caring about me. So it made sense they he would be the one I chose for this. Then it shifted and a large red stone landed in my pocket. I pulled it out stunned. What the fuck? I didn't even do anything. I walked to the far corner and examined it. It thrummed with powerful magic. Fuck. This was actually the real stone. I had been sure it wouldn't be. Dumbles was seriously stupid! Who would actually keep an artifact like this in a school. Guarded so lightly that even I could get it. In less than an hour! This was insane. I turned and walked all the way back out. What was I going to do now?!?!. I took the broom and flew up to the trap door and took it with me out the building. I left the broom with the other school brooms and walked to the lake to think.
Where would I keep this? I couldn't just give it to Voldie. I didn't know if he would try to kill me. Even if he promised not to. He was crazy. I was definitely better off not trusting him.
I refused to give it to Dumbles. I wouldn't help the light. I hated them. They were stealing all my money. And he left me with my shitty "family".
I didn't want to admit to Snape that I'd actually went down there alone. That was stupid. And I didn't need anyone knowing how dumb I had just been. I walked around the lake for a while. I was standing on the back end of the lake. Then, I was hit with an idea. There was a rock the size of a plate, it had a greenish gray color, slightly different then the others around it. I dug a hole in the ground with my hands about a foot deep. Then, I placed the stone there. I placed a shield around it to keep people from feeling the power rolling off of it, and covered it back up. Then walked back around and head to my dorm. I washed my hands and put the cloak away. It was almost lunch times, so I went to eat.
I remained contemplative the rest of the day. What would I do with the stone. I needed to research this thing, see what it was, and all it could do. I was curious. This thing was powerful, that much I knew. Maybe in the future it would be a benefit to me. I shrugged the thought off and arranged my memories. I carefully placed this one next to the floor behind my small bed. Next year after I returned from summer holiday, I would make sure it was still there. But I couldn't carry it around with me. I was sure once Dumbles realized it was missing, he would go through all my stuff. I knew he didn't trust me. And for good reason. I had never given him a reason to. I was definitely NOT trust worthy.
I giggled to myself and went to dinner. Dumbles was still gone. I wonder when he left. I hadn't really been listening. Maybe I grabbed the stone while he was still here. Oops. Now that I think about it. I'm not sure he left until after lunch. I laughed at shook my head. Oh well. I think I just proves it could be taken even with him right here. It helped that I never talked to anyone, and nobody would notice me missing. I could probably leave for the whole weekend and nobody would ask a thing. The joys of being in the background all the time. I had become almost invisible over the year. People didn't pay any attention to me. Just how I like things.
I thought a lot about how I would respond if asked about the stone. If Snape asked me I would laughed like I did the first time he asked about retrieving it. And tell him. "I told you I wouldn't. I don't have a death wish."
And if Dumbles asks. I will act like the idea never crossed my mind.  I would keep my Occlumency up for both of them. I don't need them looking into my brain. I like my private thoughts just that, private.
I had been learning to project thoughts I wanted them to see. This was much harder than my room. I had a cartoonist three headed dog I was practicing pulling up. Visualizing it ripping me to pieces. That way they could see why I didn't want to go anywhere near it.
I worked the rest of the night perfecting that thought. Then around 10 I yawned and went to bed.
I woke up around midnight to Dumbles standing over me. I jumped about a foot off my bed. He looked murderous. Fuck.
I threw my mind shield up and looked at him confused.
"What's wrong sir!" I asked panicked.
"Did you go to the Third floor corridor today?"
I gasped. "Of course not! You gave us a firm warning not to! And Hagrid warned me yesterday about a three headed dog that would eat me alive. I would never disobey you guys!" I denied vehemently. I threw a picture of a giant, scary, three headed dog. I pictures it almost Clifford sized, with giant teeth, drool foaming at his mouth, snarling as he ripped me to pieces. Clearly, nothing like the fluffy dogs on the floor. Giving the impression I never even saw them before. They were grotesque looking in my thought projection. Almost no hair, and large knots of muscle bulging from their body. Scary red eyes. They looked demonic. I was pretty proud of this thought. I would pat myself on the back after the fact. Once Dumbles went away.
He still looked ready to rip me apart.
"Then you wouldn't mind me going through your stuff". I froze up.
"Well, I would. I like my privacy. But if you feel you must..." I groaned. "I guess you can." I said hesitantly. Not liking it a bit. I had both wands in my pillow case so I doubt he would see my spare wand. I didn't like that he would see my extra reading materials, but I would just say Snape suggested them. I needed a spare compartment for my suitcase. Then I could hold all my questionable books and the stone there. Yes. If I ended up a Dark Lord some day, I would probably find that powerful stone handy... For something.

Dumbles began digging through my stuff. When he didn't find anything he dumped the whole thing out and continued to comb through it all. I grabbed a couple books. And looked suspiciously at me.
"Where did you get these?" I looked innocently at him. "I bought them sir. I asked Professor Snape for reading suggestions, and he gave me a big list. I haven't read most of them yet, but I figured over the next couple years I would try skimming through them. See?" The pulled the list he wrote with all the books on them. "Is there a problem?'
He sighed. "These aren't appropriate for someone your age. Maybe your sixth or seventh year." He grabbed a couple books on curses and confiscated them. "I'll give these back when you are a little older." I nodded seriously. "Okay. What ever you think is best". luckily I had those already memorized. He then grabbed the mind magic one too. And pointed to it. "You won't be old enough to perform this for a few years." I gravely nodded. Good he didn't notice my misdirection. He decided to keep that book too.
Then he walked out of my room. I groaned at his interference. I was glad he didn't take anything I still needed to read, but still. I was even more glad he didn't find my second wand. That would have been hard to explain. I grumbled to myself and went back to sleep. Asshole.