[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

27: challenges of the trapdoor and the truth

Percy landed next to Hermione on some sort of plant. "Lucky this plant thing was here to break our fall," Ron was saying.

"Now, how do we get out of here?" Hermione was peering around the room, looking for an exit. She didn't notice the plant slowly moving towards her, the vine creeping along.

"Hermione, look out!" But as Percy warned her, another vine had come over his chest, restricting his movement. And suddenly there were vines everywhere, wrapping around all four of them. The more they struggled, the faster the vines went.

"Hang on, I know what this is," Hermione said. "It's Devil's Snare! You all need to relax! The more you struggle, the faster it'll kill you!"

"Kill us faster?" Ron was struggling as hard as he could, the vines creeping around his neck. "Now I can definitely relax!"

"Just relax, you'll be fine!"

"Hermione, how can I relax when-" Percy was stopped by more vines covering the bottom half of his face, muffling his shouting. He started to move more, panicking. Hermione didn't respond, only screwed up her face and stopped moving. The next thing the three boys knew was Hermione had sunk down beneath the plant; they couldn't see her anymore.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron were still able to speak. Percy was thrashing around, trying to get the plant off his face.

"Just relax! Do as I say!" Hermione's voice came from below them. Harry, seeing no better option, went completely still and didn't move until he too had sunk beneath the plant.

Ron was yelling even more and Percy could barely move. He could faintly hear Hermione and Harry shouting, but nothing registered with him. The vines were squeezing his throat, stopping his breathing. His vision was going dark when there was a bright flash of light and then he was falling.

He only fell for a second before he landed on the cold stone floor, coughing loudly. He gasped for air, his vision coming back. "Percy, are you alright?" Percy waved Harry away. "Your neck is bruised!"

"Well, I would think so." Percy's voice was raspy and his throat hurt when he spoke. "I was almost strangled, after all."

"Oh, shut up. Come on, we need to get moving." Harry pulled Percy up and the four of them moved toward a closed door.

"Does anyone else hear birds, or is that just me?" Hermione was right - the fluttering of birds' wings could be heard coming from the other side of the door.

"One way to find out, yeah?" Ron opened the door and held it open for the other three and closed it behind them after entering.

The next room didn't seem so interesting. There was a broomstick in the middle and about a hundred metallic birds fluttering slowly around the room. The room itself was massive, archways and buttresses holding up the walls and ceiling.

"Hang on," Harry said, "those aren't birds. Those are keys." Harry was also right - the shiny, metallic birds were too small to be actual birds. With his keen eye, Harry was the first one able to spot the keys' true nature.

Ron drew his wand and walked across the room to another closed door, keeping an eye on the keys. He rattled the doorknob and found it locked, said, "Alohamora," and rattled the knob again. It wouldn't open. He turned back to the others with a sigh. "Well, it was worth a shot." Percy and Hermione went over to Ron while Harry slowly walked to the center of the room, to the broomstick.

Percy pointed up at one of the keys, one that was larger than the rest. "There," he croaked. His throat was still sore. "That big one with the broken wing. Snape's already used it."