The Witch and Her Vampire

Seventeen

As we made our way past Fluffy the Cerebrus and fell into the blackness, I thought back. It was just my luck that I had remembered who Nicholas Flamel was in the nick of time—he was the creator of the Sorcerer's Stone—because Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been at their wits end.

Of course, when I had spoken up Harry and I had immediately gotten the bright idea to save it from Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, and here we were.

Ron, Harry and I were struggling furiously as we were wrapped up tighter by the tendrils of the strange...thing...we had fallen into.

"Stop moving, all of you," ordered Hermione quickly. "This is Devil's snare—you need to relax! If you don't, it'll only kill you faster!"

I stopped moving immediately.

"Kill us faster?" yelled Ron, grabbing the vines around his neck. "Oh, now I can relax!"

She shot him a slightly sarcastic look as she sunk into the snare, and finally disappeared from sight.

"Do as she says!" I commanded, before I, too, sunk into the snare and hit the ground below with a thud.

I could hear both Harry and Ron scream frantically, "HERMIONE, CARINA!!"

"Just relax!" I shared a look with Hermione.

"Hermione, where are you?" called Harry.

"You have to relax!" shouted up Hermione. "Trust me!"

Less than a moment later, Harry dropped down beside us, looking incredibly relieved as Ron screamed again.

"Are you okay?"

Harry scrambled to his feet. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He glanced up at the snare.

"He's not relaxing, is he?"

"Apparently not."

"Oh, I've got to do something—" She struggled to come up with something.

"Light!" I said suddenly, before whipping out my wand and pointing it at the plant. "Lumos solem!"

"Of course, brilliant, Carina! It hates light!" Hermione cast the spell alongside me, and a blinding light filled the chamber before Ron fell down near us.

"Phew," Ron let out a breath as he stood, trying to salvage his pride. "Lucky we didn't panic."

"Lucky Hermione and Carina pay attention in Herbology," corrected Harry, as we moved on.

I smirked at him.
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We went through the challenges fairly quickly and now, Harry, Hermione and I were standing before blue flames.

"You need to go back to Ron," said Harry. "Get help—"

"—we can take care of this," I interrupted.

"No."

I turned to give him an incredulous look. "What?"

"No. I don't want you to her hurt—Rina, you're all I have left." He looked desperate.

"I don't care. You're all I have left, which is why I need to protect you." Harry sighed when I spoke, before I turned my gaze to Hermione. "Mione, please, go get help. He—we—can't do this on our own." I let out a breath. "You've been a really great friend. You're...you're absolutely brilliant."

"Not as great as you," replied Hermione quietly. "You or Harry—you're both very brave. You're great wizards."

"Be careful." We shared smiles as she stood and took off, while Harry and I eyed the small vial holding the potion that would get is through the fire. "There's only enough for one."

"I know," murmured Harry, before suddenly seizing the vial and downing the contents, before jumping through the fire.

"HARRY!" I ran forward, but stopped short of the flames. "HARRY, NO!"

But it was too late. That idiot wanted to protect me, and I couldn't stop it.

The vial was empty, and I began to pace, and pace, and pace. Finally, I heard a yell, and I stopped and determinedly stepped toward the fire.

This was going to hurt—a lot. But I needed to get to my brother.

I backed away, and then suddenly sprinted forward and leapt through the fire.