The Other Potter: Book 1

Chapter 7

After the night in the forest, Harry filled me in on everything that they had found. Nicholas Flamel, the stone, and their theories about Snape.

"I heard he was a death eater once," Ron said, looking at the fire. "It has to be him."

"But Hagrid said he was protecting the stone, didn't he?" I said, "Why would Snape help protect something just to turn around and steal it?"

"I don't know." Ron said, looking down.

"We're forgetting something very important." Hermione said, looking at my brother. "Dumbledore."

"What about him?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore was the only wizard You Know Who was afraid of. As long as he's around, you're safe. As long as he's around, you can't be touched."

I wanted to find some comfort in her words. I climbed into bed that night, thinking it over, but for some reason I couldn't. Harry had gotten so weak when that thing attacked us, who knows what would happen the next time he came face to face with it. I knew Dumbledore was a powerful wizard, but I had a hard time feeling the frail headmaster having enough power to overthrow what was once public enemy number one. I closed my eyes, falling into an uneasy sleep, images of the dead unicorn haunting my dreams.

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I stuck close to my twin the next few weeks, jumping slightly at every shadow that snuck up on me. It was only a few days before the end of term when I noticed the three acting even more shifty than usual.

"Harry... don't." I said, noticing how my brother was watching Snape like a hawk. "He isn't the one we need to worry about."

"He's the only one that makes sense." Harry fired back.

While it did all make sense, I still didn't believe it was him. Snape had shown me kindness during the semester, and I couldn't believe he would just turn on us like that. Turn on Dumbledore.

But that night I heard Hermione get up once she thought we were all asleep and creep downstairs. I followed, slipping on my sweater over my pajamas and paused when I noticed a body laying on the floor.

"Neville?" I hurried to his side, noting that he was stiff as a log. I muttered the counter curse, freeing him. "Where did they go, Neville?"

"I don't know. I tried to stop them but..."

"Neville, you need to go get a teacher."

"What about you?"

"I'm following those egg heads. They're going to need all the help they can get."

I hurried out of the common room before Neville could stop me and rushed to the third floor. Inside was a very upset fluffy, and it took only a moment of getting the harp to play until he fell back asleep. I hurried down the trapdoor, falling straight through what I assumed was devils snare, but someone managed to light a large hole in the middle of it so I fell straight to the bottom, wincing as my feet hit the hard ground.

I wasted no time, hurrying down the corridor and into the next room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned to me, shocked to see me.

"Enola? What are you doing here?" Harry asked, his hand almost touching the broom.

"Helping you three." I walked over to them, my face showing my displeasure. "Which one of you hexed Neville?"

"He was going to stop us." Ron countered, trying to justify them.

"Not sure that matters." I said, looking at Harry. "What do we have to do?"

"You seriously want to help?"