I Don't Want to be a Hero - Ch. 27

Quirinus Quirrell’s Trial

“TROLL!!” screamed Draco.

The club wielded by the absolutely gigantic mountain troll slammed down to the floor, just missing Harry and Draco. All three students scattered to the three of the four corners of the room.

Hermione let out a terrific scream, and that caught the attention of the troll. Once more he swung his club and it crashed into the wall above her head. Cement and plaster fell and Hermione ran from the devastation towards Harry. Harry pointed his wand, and shouted a spell that did nothing to stop the troll.

Again, the huge club came down against the wall above Hermione and Harry.

"Draco!" shouted Harry and waved the Slytherin over. Draco waited a moment when the troll was not looking at him, and ran. Draco then grabbed Hermione by her robes and yanked her toward the corner she had run from.

Harry was now behind the troll. Draco from the side of the troll sent a vicious Bolo Hex his father had taught him at the troll's ankles. The stone weighted leather wrapped around both the troll's ankles and he began to fall; right towards a shadow near the floor that could be a door.

"Jinxes and hexes!" shouted Draco. "Only those work!"

"I don't know any!" Harry shouted.

"Slash your wand towards wherever... you want to hit him... and say 'Athan'!" directed Draco with a shout.

"The Bolo Hex," Hermione said breathlessly. "I know that one."

"Use it then!" growled Draco.

Meanwhile, Harry watched the troll fall and as soon as the gigantic body hit the floor he jumped up, and ran onto the creature's shoulder. Beside him both Draco and Hermione yelled, 'Athan!' and two bolos flew from their wands towards the downed troll. Draco's bolo smacked hard into the beast's forehead, and Hermione's cracked sharply into the troll's eye.

With the only weapon he had Harry jammed his wand into the troll's ear. The creature howled in pain and jerked mightily. Harry was thrown off, fell to the floor, and pulled himself into a roll to reduce injury.

Two more Bolo Hexes from Hermione and Draco hit the troll in the forehead and its cheek. Its' eyes glazed over. Even so it tried to raise the massive club.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" shouted Hermione with her wand pointed at the club. The club was ripped from the creature's hand and she moved it over his head, and dropped it. The club fell heavily to the point that it managed to crack the creature's skull. Draco threw a few more Bolo Hexes and wrapped up the creature's legs, and arms until he could not even groan properly.

"This way!" shouted Harry. He had found the small door. He pushed it open, dropped to the floor, and wriggled through. Hermione followed, and then Draco. Draco took a half a minute to throw a large Bolo Hex right at the beast's head. Without waiting to see the result, he dove through the small door, and the door not only slammed behind him but vanished.

Filius Flitwick’s Trial

The room buzzed and chimed oddly with the busy activity of dozens of curious little fairy-like things flying about the room. The door this time was easy enough to find as it was tall and wide, except for a very small keyhole in the center of the door.

"Keys," declared Draco looking up at the flying things as he swatted at one that kept touching his cheeks. "They're all keys with wings!"

Harry frowned as he swatted away two that kept circling his head. "Yeah they are but which one do we catch?"

"What happens if we catch the wrong one?" asked Hermione worriedly.

Harry snatched at random flying keys but they flitted just above him. "How are we even supposed to get close enough to do that?"

"This!" Hermione had found a ragged looking broom and held it up.

Draco took a step towards the broom but was suddenly swarmed by dozens of keys. Hermione dropped the broom and ran to Draco. Draco was screeching as he and Hermione both swatted at the flying keys. Harry ran towards the broom, mounted it, and flew up amongst the keys.

He could grab any key he wanted but instinctively he knew he should not. He needed the right key so his eyes darted here and there. He soon saw one key that was gold where all the others were silver. He dove the broom towards the gold key. Harry's hand shot out and he snatched the key. It struggled furiously in his hand but he clutched it tightly and aimed the broom for the door. Once he hopped off he shoved the key into the keyhole, turned it, and pushed the door open.

The remaining keys dove for Draco again; not to attack but to surround him. "Go, Hermione! The door is closing!" Hermione's head snapped to the slowly closing door, and then at Draco. "GO!!"

Hermione turned and ran through the door. Seconds later it slammed, and clicked shut.

Severus Snape’s Trial

A whoosh alerted both Harry and Hermione to a change. The door they had come through vanished and was replaced by flickering purple flames. At the same moment the wall opposite morphed into black flames.

The sixth room was sparsely decorated: a heavy black marble table held seven bottles that held colourful liquids. Harry had found a parchment scroll next to the bottles and he unrolled it, and read what was written there:

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 hold 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.

"Is this a spell?" asked Harry.

Hermione snatched the scroll from Harry. "Ohhh, this is brilliant! Harry, this isn't magic... it's a logic puzzle!"

"That's good?"

"Of course! My dad and I used to play with logic puzzles when I was younger. I know how to solve this." Hermione began to study the riddle, reciting it under her breath. She then studied the potion bottles, and recited the riddle again.

Harry had hoped for a faster resolution but Hermione continued to study both riddle and potions, and he was simply getting tired. Just when he thought he might fall asleep on his feet he heard Hermione whoop with triumph.

"I've got it, Harry!"

"Are you sure?" he asked dubiously.

Hermione glared but then huffed. "Yes, Harry, I am sure. This potion will allow you to travel through the black flames into the last chamber."

"What about you?" he asked as she handed him the right potion -- the one she was sure was right.

"There's only enough for one and I'm going back to get help for Ron and Draco. You get the Philosopher's Stone." Hermione grabbed a potion that Harry hoped was not really poison, and she quickly drank it. She then nodded for him to drink his.

Going to the black flames he faced them, then muttered darkly, "This is really moronic." He swallowed the potion, turned to say goodbye to Hermione but she was gone. Shrugging, Harry stepped through.