Twins: A Different Life

The Philosopher's Stone

It turned out he wasn't the only one who had heard the name Riddle, Draco pointed out an award the man had won in the 40s. "Why did you want to know?" Draco queried. Harry shrugged and Draco rolled his eyes. "Well never mind that, guess what I have got my hands on." The blonde pulled out a violin from his trunk and Harry's eyes lit up.

"Tonight?"

"You read my mind." The pair were on edge all through dinner so much so that Harry completely blanked James and Rose Potter, which, given the state of their current relationship, was quite impressive. He and Draco went to bed early so they could catch a few hours, Harry told Aressa to wake him when the moon had risen which was around half eleven. When they rose they were alert and ready. The raven head cast his masking spell on him and Draco and told the blonde to cast the spell 'calor conspectu' at his temple.

"This is completely strange." He muttered prodding Harry, who just looked like a red/orange outline in the Slytherin dorms.

"Yeah it's a bit disconcerting but come on." They walked out and headed to the third floor, Harry was constantly checking the map but they were lucky. When they reached the Cerberus' room, Draco began to play the first thing that came to his mind, the blond was amazing and a beautiful tune floated through the room immediately sending the Cerberus to sleep. Harry levitated the paw of the trap door and jumped, the music stopped and Draco came flying down behind him as the Cerberus growled, they landed on a plant that started to wrap around their limbs.

"Devil snare." Draco hissed and Harry lit a fire to release them. He canceled the masking spell as they got up.

"Not particularly difficult." Harry pointed out as they went down the corridor, they entered a room that had loads of flying keys, and Harry didn't even bother to fly on the broom to search for the right one. He placed his hand on the door and sent a pulse of magic through it, it clicked open and they walked into a huge room.

"Is that a chess board?" Draco gasped and Harry nodded, when they tried to walk across the pieces came to life and blocked their way, Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I'm guessing we have to play our way across but I don't particularly want to play chess with stone pieces," Harry said to Draco who nodded in agreement.

"Any suggestions?" Harry grinned and grabbed Draco by the arm. He flamed them to the other side of the white pieces. The blonde stumbled and started retching.

"There, that works," Harry told him cheerfully, he received a filthy look.

"What in Merlin's name was that? And never do that again." Harry merely smirked.

"Come on, Dray, pull yourself together, Malfoys never show weakness," Harry told him causing Draco to punch him as he walked into the next room. The blond immediately ran back out eyes wide.

"We don't have to go through that specific room do we?" Harry raised his eyebrows and cautiously entered the room, he understood Draco's haste. A troll, around 20ft tall, stood with its club hanging dumbly at its side, it didn't notice them at first but when it did it gave a huge roar and swung its club, they dived out the way and Harry spotted the door on the opposite side.

"Dray, the door is over there." Harry pointed dodging the club again. "Go through it and I'll flame." The blond nodded and bolted, Harry flames out just in time as the club smashed into the floor where he had just been stood, they both bolted through the door and flames shot up in each doorway, ones were purple and one was black. Draco pointed out a sheet of parchment on the table which was filled with 7 different shaped and sized bottles, Harry picked it up and read it.

"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 forevermore,
To help you in this 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 a 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."

"Sev is way too smart for his own good," Harry muttered but he was grinning.

"This is the time where I thank Merlin you are unnaturally smart," Draco told him and Harry laughed at the irony. He inspected each bottle when and found the bottle which would let them go forward through the black flames.

"Here, this is it, drink it and go through."

"That's hardly a mouthful, what are you going to do?" Draco asked taking the tiny bottle.

"If I'm right as soon as the bottle goes back in its place it will refill," Harry explained.

"And if it doesn't?"

"I'll use a flame freezer and walk on through."

Draco rolled his eyes and walked through the flames. Harry placed the bottle back and watched as it shook before refilling. He grinned and necked the bottle following Draco through. He didn't want to just walk through the flames, though he may have been a fire elemental, it didn't mean cursed fire would wash over him; he'd like to try that theory in a controlled environment first.

"See, I'm never wrong," Harry said smugly.

"Well, oh genius one, work this out." The blonde motioned to a grand mirror that was in the room, it was the only thing in the room so Harry walked forward to inspect the mirror, he could feel the magic on it as he looked it over.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi." Draco muttered.

"What?" Draco pointed at the inscription at the top of the mirror.

"What does it mean?" The blonde asked as Harry gazed at it.

"I show not your face but your heart's desire." Harry read, "It's in the mirror."

"Clever."

"Yes which means that this is the key to the stone." Draco stood in front of the mirror and he looked into it, he gasped and stepped back.

"I have the stone and I'm using it but I don't know how to get it." Harry tilted his head.

"Oh that's good," He breathed with his eyes alight.

"What?" Draco asked bewildered.

"Let me stand there for a second." Draco moved and Harry placed himself in front of the glass, he closed his eyes and focused his thoughts and feelings then snapped his eyes open. He was standing calmly in the mirror when the reflection suddenly winked and pulled a blood-red stone from his pocket and replaced it in the same place, only this time he felt a weight land in his actual pocket and he broke into a shit-eating grin. "Oh Dumbledore, I won't deny you are clever." Harry turned to face Draco and pulled the stone out of his pocket, Malfoy's eyes widened.

"How in the name of Circe did you do that?"

"You needed to want the stone but not want to use it, it is quite simple if you think about it but brilliant." Draco shook his head.

"I give up." He sighed and Harry laughed. He looked the stone over, looking at all its tiny details before conjuring up one that was identical and setting it back into the mirror.

"Come on, we have to flame back."

Draco curled his lip in distaste, Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed him, making sure to land in the bathroom just in case Draco was sick. The other Snake wasn't, but he didn't look too healthy as they went to bed, Harry secured the stone in his trunk under every ward he knew plus a Parseltongue password. He fell into bed with a smile on his face.

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Hello, Lovelies. Today is my first day, so I'm updating now. I hope you all have an amazing day/night. This is my last first day of high school. Wish me luck.
~Author-chan