A Different Story

Chapter 16

4th Of June, 1992

When they entered the next room, a fire came from behind them, meaning they couldn't go back. In the middle of the room stood seven potions and a note. It seemed like a riddle, and Hermione started reading 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 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.

“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 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?” Harry asked. “Give me a minute.” Hermione replied.

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.”

Harry looked at the tiny bottle. “There’s only enough there for one of us,” he said. “That’s hardly one swallow.”

They looked at each other. “Which one will get you back through the purple flames?” Harry asked

Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

“You drink that,” said Harry. “No, listen, get back and help Arcturus and Damian. Then, when you reach the castle, go straight to the owlery and send a message to my uncle and aurors. I might be able to hold the theif off for a while, but I’m no match for a grown wizard.”

“But Harry, what if You-Know-Who’s there?” She asked.

"Well, I was lucky once, wasn’t I?” said Harry, pointing at his scar. “I might get lucky again.”

"Harry, you are a great wizard, you know.”

"I know," Harry said with a smirk.

Hermione smiled back and drank the potion, then turned around and walked straight through the purple fire.

Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He drank it and then started walking straight to the black flames. He crossed the flames and opened the door.

When he entered the room, in the middle of the room, standing in front of the mirror of Erasid, was Professor Quirrel. He guessed that the theif would be a person like Snape, but he was wrong.

Harry took out his wand and hit him with a petrificus totalus. Quirrel was so focused on the mirror that he didn't even sense it when a spell came and hit him in the back. After petrifying Quirrel, Harry went and stood in front of the mirror.

In the mirror, instead of seeing his family, he saw himself putting the stone in his pocket, and Harry checked his pocket and took out the stone. He ran back out of the room and drank the last bit of potion left for him by Hermione. He then ran across the chess board, and then climbed out of the trap door.

He ran to the hospital wing and, after meeting his friends and family at the hospital wing, he then explained to the aurors what happened, and they all went to the third floor to arrest Quirrel, but when they got there, they saw that he was already dead. But after a little bit of checking, they found dark magic around his head, so it was proven that Harry didn't kill him. Harry gave the philosopher's stone to his mom and dad so they could send it back to Nicolas Flamel.