Fighting Darkness

2.6

Harry, Ron and Hermione all stood, staring at the already sleeping dog.

"He's already here." Ron whispered. He's expected this to be just them going to get the stone and that would be that. Now , there was a lot more danger involved.

"Harry? What's going on?" Alice's disembodied voice asked.

Harry pulled out a little black mirror from his pocket and spoke into it. "Quirrell's already here. We're heading down the trap door now. I'm going to pass you to Hermione now."

"Okay." Alice's voice said. "Be careful. All of you."

Harry passed Hermione the mirror before creeping towards the giant dog lifting the trapdoor.

"I'll go down first. If there's danger, I won't send anything up, if it's safe, I'll send up red sparks. Understand?"

Hermione and Ron nodded. "Good luck." Ron whispered stepping back so he was next to Hermione.

Holding his breath Harry stepped over the edge of the trapdoor and fell. ((End here))

It seemed to be years before Harry hit a soft squishy substance. It felt... planty. Sensing no immediate danger, he pulled out his wand and shouted "Periculum!" Red sparks shot from his wand disappearing into the suffocating darkness above him.

Seconds later a terrified shriek filled the dark, cavernous room as Ron came into sight. He fell face first into the plant groaning angrily. He scrambled to stand, brushing invisible lint off his shoulder and shirt. "That never happened you hear?"

Harry laughed despite the circumstances and nodded. "What never happened?"

Ron grinned. His grin immediately fell off his face as he yelped and dove to the side. Milliseconds after he'd landed a foot away, Hermione dropped gracefully onto the plant.

"We're here Alice we landed on some sort of plant - EEP!" Hermione clutched the mirror to her chest as a vine from the plant snagged her foot and pulled her backwards. More and more vines wrapped around her arms, legs and torso, squeezing her tight and pinning her to the planty bed.

Jerking her head to the side she found both her friends stuck as well. Both struggling in vain.

"What's Happening!? Hermione!" Alice called, panic filling her voice.

"A-A plant!" Hermione gasped clawing at the vine around her neck with her free hand. "It's c- choking us!"

"Hold on! I got it I got it. Devils sssnare. Use the Lumos maximum charm or incendio. Be careful with that last one. It's a fire spell."

"Well you heard her!" Hermione yelled. "Lumos Maximum!"
*
Harry, Ron and Hermione lay panting on a cold stone floor.

"That was Sprouts." Said Harry. "We have Snape's, McGonagall's, Flitwick's and Dumbledore's left."

Ron nodded. "Let's go. We don't have all night."

Together the trio continued their way down the narrow corridor. Hermione's stood between the two, her wand slightly raised. To anyone looking they all seemed calm, cool and collected.

Oh how wrong they would have been.

Internally Hermione was having a meltdown. She - a first year muggleborn - was going to go agaisnt a possible psycho trying to steal a precious stone. Why. Why was she doing this?

Ron just didn't want to die. If there were spiders down there he'd die, if he was killed he'd die and if he made it out alive his mother would kill him. How fun. He was doomed.

Harry just didn't like closed and or small spaces. It reminded him too much of his life at number four. Living in cupboard was not fun or in any way good for a growing child's mind.
*
Up ahead an old wooden door with a brass knocker stood. There was no doorframe or wall around it*. Hermione lifted her illuminated wand higher to read the inscription on the door.

-You have two ways. You may go around me or through me. One will lead you to what you seek, the other to your death. Chose wisely.-

Harry glanced at his friends. "We have to think this through logically." He said. He was biting his lip with enough force to draw blood.

Ron nodded. "It would make sense to go through the door because doors lead places, but at the same it could be a trap."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's helpful. Alice?"

"Throw a rock." Was she said.

Harry rolled his eyes but followed orders. Opening the door he threw a rock in. Seconds later am explosion shook the room. Dust and small stones fell from the ceiling in a shower pins and needles*.

"Well." Hermione squeaked. "Around it is."
*
The next obstacle was pretty simple. All they had to do was catch an old brass key and avoid getting speared my killer bird keys. (Hermiones protegeo charm came in ver handy for that).

The next was something of legend. Ron beat a killer chess set meant to stop a full grown wizard with a near ease. He was a man possesed commanding giant chess pieces square to square, defeating McGonagall's trap.

In the end he'd had to sacrifice himself but a well aimed levitating charm from Hermione had him out of harms way.

The challenge was Snape's. 9 potions sat on a wooden table in a perfect line. Just in front of the potions was a piece of parchment.

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 our number hold only 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 tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards, 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.

"That one." Harry and Hermione said simultaneously pointing to the thick looking black one*.

Ron looked at them confused. " How did you know that? I don't even understand half of what it says!"

Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Alice! We figured out which potion we need to get through the flames but there's only enough for one of us..."

A scoff of disbelief rang through the chamber. "Brightest Witch of her age my ass. Duplicator spell! It should work if the potion is the potion I think it is - and don't give me that look - go ahead." The sound of a quill on paper filled the room as Alice began to scibble on a piece of parchment.

Hermione signed but pulled out her wand none the less.
*