Rowan Haywood

Book 1: Chapter 18 - Quirinus Quirrell

Hermione let out a great sigh and me, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing I felt like doing.
　　
"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic -- it's logic -- a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."
　　
"But so will we, won't we?" "Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."
"But how do we know which to drink?"
"Give me a minute."
　　
Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.
　　
"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire -- toward the Stone."
　　
Harry and I looked at the tiny bottle.
　　
"There's only enough there for two of us," he said. "That's hardly two swallow."
　　
We looked at each other.
　　
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"
　　
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
　　
"You drink that," said Harry.
"No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying- key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy -- go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."
"But Rowan -- what if You-Know-Who's with him?"
"Well -- I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."
　　
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at me and Harry before she threw her arms around us.
　　
"Hermione!" says the both of us at the same time.
　　
"Harry, Rowan -- you're great wizards, you know."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of us.
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery and -- oh Harry -- be careful! You too, Rowan." says she, who placed her arms on my shoulders.
"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"
"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.
"No -- but it's like ice."
"Quick, go, before it wears off."
"Good luck -- take care."
"GO!"
　　
Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.
　　
Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. We both turned to face the black flames.
　　
"Here I come," he said, and he took a sip from the little bottle.

Harry handed the bottle over to me and I drained it.
　　
It was indeed as though ice was flooding my body. I put the bottle down and walked forward; I braced my, saw the black flames licking my body, but couldn't feel them -- for a moment I could see nothing but dark fire -- then I was on the other side, in the last chamber.
　　
There was already someone there -- but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.

It was Quirrell.
　　
"You!" gasped Harry.
　　
Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.
　　
"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."
"But I thought -- Snape --"
"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"
　　
Harry couldn't take it in.
　　
"But Snape tried to kill me!"
"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you."
"Snape was trying to save me?"
"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "\Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really... he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular... and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you all tonight."
"I knew you were fishy, you two-faced git." I snarled.
　　
Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry and I.