Violet Summer: The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 17: The Stone and The Snitch

 The Christmas holidays had flown by, and now the students were back in classes, still consumed by the mystery that had captivated the four of them. Hermione expressed her deep disappointment that Ron, Harry, and Toni hadn't found any information about Nicolas Flamel. Harry and Toni shared the events of the first night, including Toni's mysterious note and their encounter with Snape and Quirrell. Harry chose not to mention anything about Toni specifically, believing that sharing it with her wouldn't be beneficial. Instead, he told them that Dumbledore had seen them that night and noted Toni's reluctance to look into the mirror herself. Toni also informed Hermione about the box her uncle had given her, which earned her great applause from Hermione. She was eager to search for any information that could be useful in the future.

Amidst their discussions and class schedules, the four of them continued their relentless search for information on Nicolas Flamel. They squeezed in every free moment they had to research him. Harry felt exhausted from it all, especially since his schedule was busier than the others. Quidditch practice had resumed, leaving him with little time to assist in their investigations. Toni grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of information, even though Harry insisted that the name sounded familiar to him. She also found it vaguely familiar but couldn't pinpoint where she had heard it before.

After a long day of practice, Harry approached Hermione, Ron, and Toni, complaining that Snape had been assigned as the referee for the next Quidditch match against Slytherin. Ron and Hermione were greatly concerned and pleaded with Harry to fake illness or injury. Toni sat silently, torn between her personal biases against Snape. She did agree that Snape would likely favor Slytherin over Gryffindor, offering her rare input into the conversation.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when laughter erupted around them. Curiosity piqued, the four of them turned to see what had caused the commotion. To their surprise, Neville was struggling, his legs stuck together by what appeared to be the Leg-Locker Curse. Toni instantly felt a pang of empathy for the boy; she had a soft spot for Neville and could only imagine him hopping up the Gryffindor tower in such a state. She and Hermione were the only ones who weren't amused by the spectacle. Hermione sighed and quickly approached Neville, undoing the curse on his legs. They flopped about beneath him before returning to normal.

"What happened to you?" Hermione asked, pulling Neville to sit between her and Toni on the couch, across from Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," Neville replied. Anger flared within Toni as she instantly felt a surge of anger. "I ran into him outside the library, and he said he had been looking for someone to practice that curse on."

"Go to Professor McGonagall and report him!" Hermione urged, her anger evident.

"I don't want more trouble," Neville shook his head.

Toni stood up abruptly. "I'll handle it."

"What? No! Toni, please don't!" Neville pleaded, reaching up and grabbing her wrist. "That will only make me look worse if a girl stands up for me."

Toni sighed and guided him back to his seat, her anger still visible as she tried to compose herself.

"You need to stand up to him," Ron encouraged.

"I know. I'm not a brave Gryffindor. Malfoy has made that clear," Neville complained, his face falling.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy. You were chosen to be in Gryffindor. Where is he? In that wretched Slytherin house," Harry chimed in. Toni glanced briefly at Harry, feeling slightly offended for some reason by his comment about Slytherin. Neville nodded and reached for a chocolate frog, unwrapping it.

"Thanks, all of you. I think I'll go lie down for a bit," Neville said as he got up. He turned to them and handed Harry the card from his chocolate. "Here, you can have this."