You're My Destiny↣ Harmione

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14 - How Not to Solve the Tasks

Minerva was ready to lose her temper at two of her first years. "You're not even supposed to know about the stone, and you-know-who is gone. There are also other safeguards protecting the stone..."

Having been given a simple task, Neville was not about to fail his best friends. It was actually his temper that snapped first. So much so, he didn't even realise he was saying the Dark Lord's name. "Ron and the others don't know anything about Voldemort, or any of these other safeguards. All they know is how to get past Fluffy. If the rest of these safeguards are as dangerous as that three-headed monster then they won't have to worry about Voldemort. Unless Harry and Hermione can get to them first, they're all going to be dead anyway!"

Parvati was now crying while their Head of House tried to find fault in a pyjama clad first year's logic. A cold shiver ran down her spine when Minerva discovered she couldn't. She only knew her own contribution to the stone's protection, not anyone else's. It dawned on the Hogwarts' Deputy that, the claims of you-know-who' return aside, six of her Gryffindor first years were currently facing deadly danger. This was the exact moment her floo activated, a very familiar head appearing in the flames.

"Minerva, I see you're still up..."

"Amelia? Why are you calling at this time of night?"

"I received a note from Harry Potter, he claims Voldemort is in Hogwarts."

"We both know he's gone..."

"So, Dumbledore didn't set a trap on the third floor - using the Philosopher's Stone as bait?"

Minerva had no answer for that, but Neville did.

"Madam Bones, Harry has an old map of his father's that shows everyone inside Hogwarts. If Harry says he's here, you can bank on it."

Parvati was sobbing now as she pleaded for help. "Some of our friends have gone down there too - they're all going to die..."

Minerva explained that outburst to the Head of the D.M.L.E. "Despite being warned to stay away, some of my first years have stumbled into this situation. I was just about to raise some of the senior staff and head there."

"Minerva, my department have received a call for help, this is now a matter for the D.M.L.E. By all means call your senior staff. Myself and as many aurors as I can get my hands on will be flooing into your office in about five minutes. I'll want to know just what traps we'll face while investigating this matter."

Minerva could only nod in agreement but Neville had one more thing to say. "Madam Bones, Harry must have spotted the rest of them heading off to the third floor on his map. He and Hermione have gone after them."

With a determined nod as an answer, Amelia's features hardened. "Five minutes, Minerva. We can be briefed as we head toward this corridor. Time is of the essence here."

-oOoOo-

As they approached the door leading to Fluffy, Hermione took the shrunken music box Dumbledore had given them from her pocket and resized it.

"You just happened to have that on you?"

After opening the lid to start the music playing, Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Better to have it ready and not need it than to be left trying to sing a lullaby to a slobbering monster with three heads."

Once they entered the room itself, Harry agreed wholeheartedly with his intended. His voice was barely above a whisper, waking Fluffy would be a really bad idea. "Shit, no wonder Neville is terrified of this. Hagrid really has a serious monster complex, doesn't he."