CRIMSON TEARS | Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone [1]

𝘅𝘅𝘃𝗶 | 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁

The troll was still passed out when Gwen passed, holding her nose to avoid the stench. She went straight back into the chess room - the demolition from their game was still there, but Hermione and Ron were not. The bird keys paid no attention to her as she sprinted back through, and she streamed fire from her wand as she got to the Devil's Snare. It recoiled at her spell and shrivelled into itself. Then she stopped.

  She hadn't thought about getting back up through the trapdoor.

  It was either by happy coincidence, or, indeed, magic, but, through the light spilling around the room from her fire, she could see the faint outline of a ladder. She stopped the fire, cast Lumos, and, tensing her legs, began to climb.

  It was painful, and her muscles were aching before she was halfway up, but she couldn't stop. She kept climbing until, at last, she'd reached the trap door.

  Fluffy was awake. Gwen wasted no time.

  She shot a series of spells at the dog, stumbling over herself as she dodged his attacks and sprinted back through the third floor door.

  'I'm sorry, Fluffy!' she called back; hopefully Hagrid would never find out that she'd attacked his dog.

  She didn't even care about the noise she was making. Ron and Hermione must have taken the invisibility cloak with them, and she guessed they were on their way to Madame Pomfrey. She sprinted through the castle, her feet pounding against the stone floor. She decided Professor McGonagall was her best bet.

  She skirted round a corner, almost ran straight into a suit of armour, surprised the Fat Friar and the Bloody Baron, who were gliding the halls in conversation, then--

  She collided with a Professor's black robes.

  'Professor! Professor, please help--'

  Snape.

  No. There was no way--

  'Miss Everill--'

  A thousand thoughts went through Gwen's head. There was no way Snape would've been able to get back before them-- he'd been there-- the troll, the door--

  Professor Snape looked ready to burst with anger.

  Then suddenly, it all made sense.

  Everything throughout the year. Every little detail they'd missed, every single event that had occurred and clue they'd learnt--

  Snape was staring at her; her horrified face must have given away her thoughts - he was watching her with a calculated look, one that made her think he was reading her mind...

  Then it hit her. The sudden realisation, the sudden knowledge, the one riddle they had failed to solve.

  Professor Quirrell.