The Eyes Of A Seeker

Chapter 35: Face of Fire

Zoe's POV

Harry and I took a step forward on the threshold, and a fire immediately sprung up from behind us. We both looked back and noticed that this fire was different from the rest. It was purple in color. At the same instant, black flames suddenly shot through the air and surrounded the whole room and at that moment I knew we were trapped.

"Look!" Harry said as he showed me a roll of parchment lying next to the bottles. There was writing on it:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, which ever 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 bidden in line.

Choose, unless you want 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 move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, are all 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

I sighed and smiled, even chuckling a little. This would be so easy

"Uh.. Why are you smiling like that?" Harry asked

"This isn't magic Harry, it's logic-- a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."  I said as I shook my head

"But so will we, won't we?"

"Of course not."  I replied instantly, "Everything we need here is on this paper."  I say as i show him the paper.

"Seven bottles: three are posion, two are wine, one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through purple."

"But do we know which one to drink?"

"Give me a minute"

Harry nodded as he looked around, while I stared at the parchment. Hmmm.. I paced back and forth as I tried to figure out the logic.. Until I finally figured it out.

"Got it." I said to Harry  "This bottle will get us through the black fire-- toward the stone."  I said as I lift the blood-red bottle and handed it to Harry

"Are you sure this is the right bottle?" He asked me

"Positive, now go drink half, i'll drink the other half"

Harry nodded and opened the cap of the bottle and drank it, after, he shuddered.

"Felt like ice." He said and gave the bottle to me.