The Riddle Twins

Through the Trapdoor, Part 3

Harry and I stumbled back as the door creaked open, a putrid smell filling the air. He made a sound like; "Echiah!" while I fell to the sickly looking floor in a painful coughing fit.

The sight inside the door was truly gruesome. A massive troll was laying on the floor, a lump the side of a football sticking out like a giant red ball on it's head. It's club lay ten feet away, from tip to handle, it was bigger than Harry and as wide as both of us.

We skirted around the horrid creature, and I realised what I had before taken to be rough carvings in the stone wall, were actually the lines carved from when the troll had swung it's gianormous club. Gulping, I watched as Harry opened the the next door, wand out should anything attack.

Harry and I burst into the room, preparing to duel. Only there was nothing there.

"What the hell? Are we going to duel a potion?" I asked, stowing away my wand.

"I think this is more troublesome than any type of Dragon, look at this!" Harry shoved a note at me, and startled, I read;

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, Two of us will help you, which ever 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 bidden in line.

 Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

 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 onward, 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."

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure we're doomed," said Harry, staring apprehensively at the nearest bottle.

"It's alright," I said, mostly to my self, "'Neither dwarf or giant holds death in their insides' so we can trust the midgets and big ones."

We moved around the tables, collecting the various short and tall bottles, leaving three bottles left over.

"Seperate poisonous and deadly; check. Now we need to do the sniff test."

Harry was about to ask open his mouth when I popped open the lid of the nearest bottle and lowered my nose to the rim. The toxic scent over-whelmed me and my vision swirled round, bouncing as it did so.

"It isn't poisonous is it?" Harry asked, grabbing my arms to steady me.