Philosopher’s stone
The pair sat at the table frozen for a second. The sweet and happy spirit from moments before had been torn away in a second. The clicking of McGonagall’s on her way out of the library was all that could be heard. Lirum was the first to snap back to reality, quickly giving Percy his parchment and grabbing both bags. But before they could pull Percy from his chair, he stopped them, holding them by the wrist.
“Before, when I caught you. what did you say they were going to do?” Percy said blue eyes piercing Lirum’s. “You told me they were going to get killed if they went. What did you say.”
“That why would sneak out and steal the Philosopher's stone.” Lirum said
They couldn’t handle the pressure and broke eye contact staring straight at the floor. After the astronomy tower Lirum had foolishly believed the first years had actually taken to heart what they’d said. After the dark forest and George’s assurances they were so paranoid how could Lirum even think they would. But still Lirum knew and had failed to notice they were still planning to go at all. Their thoughts ended with them being pulled by the wrist into the warm smell of leather bound books, fireplace smoke, and red oak.
“I’m sorry, if I had listened to you-“ Percy said, holding them tight for a hug.
As much as Lirum wanted this to be the sweet moment from both passing exams, it wasn’t. This wasn’t a happy hug or a celebration. He was seeking comfort. He was trying to comfort them while he was hurting. But they where not going to let him blame himself.
“Percy, if it your fault, it's mine. Do you hear me you’re not going to stand here and blame yourself. I knew it first. I shouldn’t have trusted they would listen. They clearly didn’t listen to you. Why would I be special? It’s my fault, not yours.” Lirum said.
“It’s my responsibility-“
“You’re no longer a prefect when your with me-“
“Except I was. I caught a student out after dark, and they told me what other students were planning. It doesn’t matter if the student I caught was you, or if I’m his brother. It’s my duty to follow through. To make sure this didn’t happen. Except it’s so much worse because I didn’t trust you, and now he’s in the hospital wing.” Percy said attempting to take his bag back from the third year.
“Do you think I’m going to let you go alone?” Lirum said, dodging the hand that went for the bag on their shoulder.
“We don’t have time for this please.” He said reaching for his bag.
“You’re right we should stop wasting time and go find Fred and George then.” Lirum said, taking the lead out of the library.
“You should have been a Gryffindor. I know you don’t like it when I say things like this, but your far to brave for your own good.” Percy said trailing behind Lirum.
“So, you don’t think I’m smart enough huh?” Lirum joked trying to lighten the mood.
“No, you’re plenty smart, but so am I and I’m a Gryffindor. You’re just far braver.” He said easily matched Lirum’s pace with his long strides.
“You don’t realize how brave you are so you?” Lirum said taking a turn toward the stairs since the twins should be in the Gryffindor common room at this time.
“You know the difference between bravery and stupidity lies in whether or not you succeed. You succeed in sneaking out, warning the first years, and telling me the truth. I failed to stop them.” Percy said speeding up slightly so he was now leading.
“You realize you caught me right, so I didn’t succeed.” Lirum laughed.
“You made it past several teachers and other prefects you only got caught on the way back and I think if it had been anyone but me you would have gotten away with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You clearly saw me on the landing, but you were too far away to see properly in the dark. You could have transformed into anyone; Penelope would have been the easiest given your Ravenclaw robes. She also doesn’t talk much unless she’s angry so it would have been easy to convince people you were just in your rounds. Instead, you froze when you saw me. I would have recognized you even as someone else, especially Penelope.” Percy explained making his way up the stairs.
“I know this isn’t the best timing but what’s up with you and Penelope anyway?” Lirum said, causing Percy to pause for a moment.
“”What do you mean?” Percy said, stopping for a second to look at Lirum.
“I just mean the two of you don’t seem to have much in common nor do I see the two of you together often for that matter. So, what do you like about her?” Lirum asked.
“Well I don’t see how that’s any of your business, but you don’t see us together because I don’t want the twins to know they’ll cause an awful commotion if they find out. Also she’s everything I should want in a girlfriend. She's witty, kind, and quite pretty as well.” Percy said, stepping off the stairs onto the seventh floor landing.
“Really because after the Hufflepuff Gryffindor quidditch match I thought I saw you with their quidditch captain looking quite smitten.” Lirum teased rounding the corner to face the Gryffindor common room. Turning back to see a very red Percy frozen in the corridor.
“I-I don’t know what you think you’ve seen but I can assure you oliver wood is my roommate, and nothing more.” Percy stuttered out flushed redder than his hair.
“Calm down, wouldn’t want the twins to hear right?” Lirum said, turning back to the common room door. “Hope you can turn a blind eye to me entering the Gryffindor common room, not on Christmas, just this once Percy. Caput draconis.” They said as the portal revealed the door.
“Just this once.” Percy said following Lirum through the doorway.
“Is that Lirum I see? And you didn’t tell us beforehand?” Fred said as he saw green fluffy hair entering the common room. He hoped off of one of the sofas making his way to meet them.
“No way! Percy would kill them, they’d be too scared. Not really much of a rules beaker still in shock over the lake incident really.” George said not looking up from whatever he was testing on the floor.
“Well, hello to you too Mr. Rude Weasley. I’m not scared.” Lirum said, crossing their arms causing George’s head to snap towards the door.
“Lirum! What are you doing here-“ George said, scrambling up from whatever he was working on before seeing who was standing behind them. “Lirum don’t panic, I think you’ve been caught.”
“No…he’s been there the whole time… Percy, would you like to explain why you’re not screaming about Lirum being in the wrong common room?” Fred said, looking skeptically at the pair.
“O-Oh umm right. Ron is in the hospital wing as well as Harry. We need go.” Percy said being brought back from whatever trance he had gone into.
“Ron’s in the hospital wing, Again?” The twins asked in tandem.
“Unfortunately it appears so.” Lirum said “now let’s get a move on. If we get there to mate, Madam Pomfrey is likely to shoo us off.”
The group became more solemn as they approached the hospital wing. They had no more word of what happened than that Ron and Harry were both there. Only the sinking suspicion they had almost gotten themselves killed again. Opening the door they were greeted by three figures Harry who still appeared to be unconscious, Hermione who seemed to pass the room endlessly and Ron who seemed rather unenthusiastic about waiting in the hospital bed.
“Ron are you ok? What happened?” Percy asked. Running to his side.
“You have to swear you won’t tell mum.” Ron said, looking at his brother.
“What would you have me tell her you’ll have to say something.” He argued back.
“We went into the third floor corridor-“ Ron started, only to be cut off by Percy.
“Ronald that was out of bounds for a reason your lucky you weren’t-“ Percy started before getting cut off by a hand pulling the arm of his robes.
“Let him explain first, if you jump straight to the reprimand they’ll never want to tell you anything.” Lirum whispered to Percy before turning back to Ron. “Sorry about that, Ron continued.”
“Well one of the teachers was trying to steal the philosophy stone-“
“ Philosopher's stone, Ron.” Hermione corrected.”
“Blimey, will I get to tell the story or not.” Ron snapped clearly over the interruptions.
“Well if you’d tell it right.” Hermione argued back, earning an eye roll from Ron.
“Anyway there was this massive three headed mut that tried to eat us the first time we went down there standing on top of a trap door. But Quirrell had cast a spell to make the dog sleep.” Ron said, causing Percy to visibly pale.
“Then when we went through the trapdoor we fell right into that plant! You know the one that wraps itself around you and tries to put you out!” Ron said surly, trying to scare Percy now.
“Devils snare! Ron please do it on purpose now! I used a fire sleep to free us from the devil's snare.” Hermione snapped “one more time and I’ll be the one to tell them what happened.
“Honestly I think I would prefer Hermione’s version” Percy whispered to himself earning a snicker from the twins.
“Well there was a giant room full of hundreds of flying keys! Harry got on a broom and chased down the one to unlock the door! And then there was a huge wizards chess set and Harry and Hermione had to be the pieces! That’s how I got hurt I took a sword to the head from the queen it was wicked!” Ron said excitedly the whole group looked to Hermione hoping for a better explanation, or induction he had stretched the truth.
“Unfortunately that was all true sorry.” Hermione said, looking down at the ground.
“What happened next Ron!” The wins cheered ready to hear more of the story.
“There was A giant troll! Even bigger than the one from Halloween!” Ron exclaimed. Causing Percy to falter for a second looking for a place to sit.
“It was already dead!” Hermione jumped in trying to keep Percy from his impending heart failure
“This is worse than I thought it would be. How are you not dead? You realize you should be dead right?” Lirum asked. Only to see the pair of first years look at each other rather than back at the floor.
“Well it’s too late now! finish the story!” The twins cheered clearly, not worried about the danger the kids had put themselves in.
“After that I passed out. There was a big room with some weird riddle Hermione put together before Harry told her to bring me all sorts of food that did fine and he passed out in a hospital bed!” Ron gestured to Harry who was still passed out in his bed across the room.
“According to Dumbledore, Harry successfully saved the stone from Quirrell. Who was trying to steal it. He was behind everything: the troll in the dungeon, Harry’s cursed broom during the quidditch game, the dragon, all of it.” Hermione explained.
“The dragon?” The wins said in unison.
“It’s a long story.” Lirum said, turning back to face the.
“You knew their was a dragon? and you didn’t tell us?!” The pair said shocked. Clearly the only ones in the room unaware of what happened.
“Sorry?” Lirum replied not quite sure what else to say.
After they left the hospital wing word quickly spread of the first years and their adventure. Mostly due to Fred and George. The final weeks of school slipped by in relative peace if you don’t count the many missing toilet seats from around the castle. The twins said they needed to give one to their younger sister as a souvenir. Claiming it was their mothers idea, but Lirum highly doubted that. Though not even Percy could stifle his laughter, hearing madam Pomfrey had received one to give to Harry in the hospital wing.