Chapter 17
"You need to act like we're doing this to protect the Stone, just in case the headmaster tries to use Legilimency on us," Harrison told Draco and Ron. "We don't want him to realize we're up to something."
"As far as we know," Draco said irritably, "we are protecting the Stone. You haven't told us anything!"
"I will, once we've gone to bed. I doubt the headmaster will have a reason to call you to his office, and if he does, he won't read your mind about this evening. You will need to learn Occlumency this summer."
"I already know Occlumency, I'm just not powerful enough to block out Dumbledore," Draco retorted.
"Then make sure to be around Severus and not look the man in the eyes," Harrison said sleekly. Ron nodded.
"Let's begin."
"Harrison, where are we going?" Draco demanded in a hushed voice as the five boys slunk down the hallway under Harrison's Invisibility Cloak.
"The third-floor corridor," Harrison hissed back. "I don't have time to explain right now. Harley, stop bouncing, you're making noise."
Harley pouted and went back to sneaking.
"How did you get this Cloak to cover all five of us?" Blaise asked interestedly. "Most Invisibility Cloaks break down when you add extra spells."
"I don't know," Harrison replied distractedly, "I just did. Peeves!" he cursed as a familiar figure swooped in front of them, blocking their access to the room with Fluffy inside.
"Somebody is being sneaky?" Peeves cooed. "Naughty naughty! Peevesy might just tattle-"
Harrison spoke in a deep, cold voice, causing Ron, Draco, and Blaise to shudder.
"The Bloody Baron has reasons for being invisible, Peeves."
Peeves almost fell out of the air, looking horrified. "Your Bloodiness, sir!" he squeaked. "I didn't know it was you!"
"Stay away from this place tonight, Peeves," Harrison continued. "I have business here."
"Yes, of course, your Bloodiness-" Peeves shot away.
When the poltergeist was out of earshot, Ron whispered, "Blimey, Harrison, you're terrifying."
"Let's go," Harrison said tightly, flicking his wand to open the door.
Once they were all inside, Harrison took off the Cloak and shrank it back to its normal size. Draco and Ron were staring at the three-headed dog, which was luckily asleep.
"Harrison, there's a harp," Harley whispered, pointing out the instrument. It was playing softly.
"Shh," Harrison ordered quietly when the dog stirred. He gestured to the trapdoor, which was open, then pointed at Blaise, Harley, Draco, Ron, and himself, in that order.
Blaise immediately jumped into the trapdoor. There was silence for a long moment, and then silent sparks flew out of the hole. Harley and Draco followed.
When they landed, Draco realized they were on top of Devil's Snare. Harley and Draco worked quickly to help Blaise subdue the plant, and Ron landed on top of the vines a moment later.
Harrison appeared last, expression blank again. "Harley, Blaise, scout ahead."
The two boys disappeared into the shadows, making Ron and Draco jump. The three remaining boys climbed out of the pit of vines and into the long, stone hallway.
Harley reappeared suddenly and chirped, "The next room has broomsticks on the floor and a bunch of flying keys. There's a locked door at the other end."
Blaise appeared quietly behind Ron and Draco, who jumped again. "Seriously," Draco complained, "I had enough of that from Fred and George!" Blaise smirked at him.
"Did you try Summoning the key to the door?" Harrison asked Harley.
The redhead blinked. "I didn't think of that."
"Come on," Harrison ordered them, gliding down the hallway like he was Severus. Scoffing quietly, Draco followed, and heard Ron, Blaise, and Harley behind him (Harley was skipping).
The chamber they emerged into was pretty big, and the ceiling was swarming with flying keys of all different sizes and colors. There were three broomsticks on the floor beside the entrance, all old and rickety.
"Accio key!" Harrison called, flicking his wand again. Nothing happened. "We'll have to get it ourselves, then.
"Draco, do you think you can catch that key?" Harrison asked, pointing. Draco squinted and spotted a little silver key with ruffled wings.
"Yes," he said smugly, glad he could show off his flying skills.
"Quickly," Harrison said shortly. Draco snatched one of the brooms and shot into the air.
A moment later, he returned, key clutched in his hand. "One hundred fifty points to Slytherin!" Harley said dramatically. Ron, Draco, and Blaise snorted.
Harrison took the key and headed over to the door. "Stand away from the doorway," he ordered. The four boys obeyed quickly.
Harrison unlocked the door and opened it, careful to stay out of the way of the doorway. When nothing happened, he said, "Harley."
The redhead disappeared into the shadows again, then reappeared a moment later. "It's a giant chess set!" he said. "I think we have to beat white to get to the next room."
"You're up, Ron," said Harrison, and the redhead beamed.
Draco knew he was just as good as Ron at chess strategy, but he'd already shown off, so he didn't protest when the boy took charge.
"Harley, you're the queen," Ron began. Cackling, the boy bounced over to the black queen's spot, and the piece moved off the board. "Blaise, Draco, you're the castles. Harrison will be the king." Obviously, Draco thought. "I'll be a knight."
Four more black pieces moved off the board, and the boys took their places. The white side moved a pawn forward two spaces.
"Pawn to D5," Ron said, and one of the pawns moved forward two spaces, stopping diagonally from the white pawn. It drew its swords and slashed the pawn in half, making a horrible noise that made Draco cringe. The black pawn slid shakily off the board, and the white pawn took its place.
Ron took a very aggressive strategy, taking off more than half the pawns, the castles, the bishops, and one of the knights. He also had to sacrifice one of the bishops, several of their pawns, and the other knight.
Draco paused when he saw it. "Ron, are you fucking mad?" he exclaimed.
"What?" Harley asked cluelessly.
"Ron's going to sacrifice himself so Draco can checkmate their king," Harrison said calmly. He spoke directly to the white queen. "As we can't regenerate, could we just walk off the board if we need to 'die'?"
The white queen didn't move for a moment, but then she nodded. They all relaxed.
Ron walked sideways three spots and forward one. "Check," he said warily, eyes on the white queen.
She moved forward and stopped in front of Ron, then tapped him lightly on the shoulder with her sword. Ron walked quickly off the board, and the queen took his place.
Draco immediately moved forward twice. "Checkmate," he said.
The white king threw off his crown.
"I don't think Ron will be allowed to move forward," Harrison said slowly, and the white king nodded. "Draco, stay behind with him. Blaise, Harley and I will move on."
"Yes, Harrison," Draco agreed, walking over to Ron.
"Let's go," Harrison said shortly to Blaise and Harley, and the three disappeared into the shadows.
The next room smelled horrible. Blaise realized why when he saw the unconscious troll. He shut off his sense of smell, knowing his heightened senses would knock him out if he didn't.
"Ew," Harley complained. He kicked the troll. "That's for scaring Ronnie."
Harrison and Blaise snorted. "Come on," he said, gliding past the troll.
The next room contained nothing but a table with seven potions. The three of them stepped forward, and purple fire immediately erupted between them and the door behind them. Black fire blocked the way forward.
Harrison strode forward and scanned the potions silently, memorizing each bottle. Blaise unblocked his sense of smell, and realized that three of the bottles were poison.
The boy glanced back at him and shook his head very slightly, just enough that Blaise would notice, but not enough that Dumbledore would, should the man try to read his mind.
"Harrikin's, there's a riddle," Harley chirped, pointing at a scroll next to the potions. Harrison picked it up and waved Blaise over.
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.
Harrison had already solved the riddle, of course, but Dumbledore couldn't know that, so they took the time to 'solve' the riddle again.
"There's only enough for two," Harrison said sourly when he picked up the tall, thin bottle with ochre(?) liquid inside. "You take this one-" he handed the purple bottle to Blaise "-and go back to Draco and Ron. Severus should be back now, we'll need help against Voldemort."
Blaise twitched at the name. "Yes, Harrison," he agreed.
Voldemort had let Quirrell take charge of his body for this bit, as Dumbledore needed to think he was weak. He'd also glamoured Quirrell to appear like an unfamiliar wizard, and himself to appear on the back of Quirrell's head, which was also what Dumbledore would expect. He didn't want Quirrell to be under Dumbledore's suspicion, so he could get the diadem at the end of the year. The diadem, the locket, and the diary were the only two Horcruxes Harley hadn't gotten, as the locket was missing, the diadem couldn't be removed until the end of the school year, and the diary was safer where it was.
Quirrell was staring into the Mirror of Erised, which Voldemort knew was charmed to only let Harrison or Harley take the fake Stone. Quirrell had a frustrated expression on his face. (Apparently, the man had taken acting classes at the Muggle university.)
The door slammed open, and Harley's voice said dramatically, "Your savior is here!"
"Shut up!" Harrison hissed, as Quirrell tried desperately to hold in his laughter. "Shadows!"
Quirrell spun around and growled in (not-entirely-faked) confusion when he couldn't see the boys, but Voldemort could sense them circling them in the darkness at the edges of the chamber. "Show yourself!" Quirrell snapped, whipping out a (also glamoured) wand.
"No, no, no!" Harley cackled sweetly, and Voldemort snorted. "You can't have the pretty Stone! I want it!"
"No," Harrison snapped irritably.
"Aww!"
Voldemort got the location of Harley, and Quirrell flicked his wand, encasing the boy in ropes and dragging him to the center of the room. "Show yourself!" Quirrell barked, pointing his wand threateningly at the redhead. "Now!"
"Nooooo," Harley said dramatically, flopping on the floor.
Harrison cursed and appeared from the shadows, wand also drawn. "Don't touch my brother," he said icily.
"Touching," Quirrell sneered. "I will, of course, let you go if you cooperate," he said in a sweet tone. "Come sit by your brother, Potter-Black, and don't try anything stupid."
Harrison slunk forward, pocketing his wand, and sat down by Harley, who was pouting.
Quirrell turned back to the mirror and hissed impatiently. "I can't get it out, Master!"
"Use... Harrison... Potter-Black," Voldemort responded in a hoarse, exhausted voice.
"Potter-Black," Quirrell snapped immediately, "come stand in front of the mirror!"
Harrison stood elegantly and stalked over to the Mirror of Erised. Voldemort didn't know what the boy saw, but the dark glee that was incredibly brief on the boy's face told Voldemort that it was definitely the vision a Dark Lord would have. A moment later, he spotted a lump in the boy's pocket.
"What do you see?" Quirrell demanded.
"Why would I tell a stranger, and an adult that?" Harrison asked coldly.
Quirrell hissed in anger, and Voldemort rasped, "He has... the Stone... in his pocket."
"Give me the Stone, brat!" Quirrell shrieked.
"Never," Harrison retorted.
"Let me... speak to him."
"Master, you're not strong enough," Quirrell said worriedly.
"I have strength... enough... for this."
Quirrell turned around and pulled the hood down, revealing a pale face, with no nose and slitted red eyes.
"Ugly!" Harley yelped. Quirrell spluttered indignantly, but he was holding back howls of laughter. He flicked his wand, and Harley went unconcious.
"Harrison... Potter-Black," Voldemort said coolly, stifling a snort himself. "We meet... again."
"Voldemort," Harrison said, just as coolly. Quirrell snarled.
"Calm yourself... Thomas." Quirrell relaxed himself instantly, and Voldemort addressed Harrison again. "Give me... the Stone."
"I will not."
"Don't... be a fool," Voldemort said sleekly. "Why suffer... a horrific death... when you can join me... and live?"
"I don't think so, xe wixen," Harrison replied stiffly.
Voldemort laughed. "Bravery.... Your parents... had it too. Tell me... would you like to... see your parents... again? Together... we can bring them back.... All I ask... is for something... in return."
"We don't care about our parents, xe wixen," Harrison retorted. "And no magic can bring back the dead. You're lying."
"Clever boy," Voldemort remarked lazily. "Then something else...? Anything... in return... for the Stone."
"If you lied to us before, you'll lie again," Harrison responded coldly. "And what's to stop you from just killing us afterward? I don't trust you, xe wixen. I won't give you anything."
"Kill him!" Voldemort ordered, and Quirrell spun around, grabbing Harrison's neck gently. The charm cast on Quirrell's hands before this scene caused smoke to rise from them, and Quirrell screamed, falling onto his ass. Harrison jumped away, massaging his throat, expression blank again.
"What are... you doing!" Voldemort snapped.
"My hand!" Quirrell replied, staring down at the now-glamoured hand, which appeared to be burned.
"Kill him!" Voldemort ordered again.
Quirrell got up and wrapped both hands around Harrison's neck this time, but jumped back a moment later, howling in pain. The glamour now caused his hands to turn to ash, although Quirrell's hands were actually perfectly fine.
"What is this magic?"
"Fool! Get the Stone!"
Harrison caught Quirrell's face in his hands, and Quirrell screamed. The glamour made Quirrell's face look like it was turning to ash. Harrison collapsed, pretending to look exhausted, and Quirrell cast another spell of magical and physical exhaustion at the boy. Then he cast another spell, transfiguring a shoe they'd left there earlier into a pile of human ash. Quirrell turned himself invisible.
Harrison fainted, collapsing beside his unconscious brother. Quirrell used the back exit, returning to his office with an excited skip in his step.
Hopefully, this would fool Dumbledore.