Harry Potter: The Lion of the Serpent House

Harry and Zabini crept silently toward Gryffindor's common room. The detour from Slytherin's dungeon was long, but Harry prioritized meeting Ron and Hermione. It was February, the corridors freezing.

(Ron, Hermione, and I beat a troll on Halloween,) Harry recalled, steeling himself.

(Now Zabini's here, and we've got the Invisibility Cloak.)

Zabini followed quietly but tugged Harry's robe when he spotted Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. Using hidden cat food, Zabini lured her away. Slytherins often allied with Filch to undermine other houses, and Zabini was prepared.

"Thanks," Harry whispered.

"Let's move," Zabini replied.

At Gryffindor's entrance, Ron and Hermione huddled in blankets for warmth. "Pretty cozy, Weasley," Zabini teased.

"Zabini! Where are you? Harry? The others?" Ron asked, serious.

"Farcas and Bloom held back Draco. We four will guard the stone," Harry said.

"No backing out. We're serious," Zabini warned.

Hermione responded firmly, "We petrified Neville to get here. It scared him terribly."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had paid a price for freedom too. "We're accomplices now, crossing house lines to protect the stone. No turning back. This isn't a game," Harry said.

A strange bond formed among the four. Worried for friends left behind, they focused solely on the stone. Under the enlarged Invisibility Cloak, they huddled and headed for the fourth-floor corridor.

No poltergeist or cat interfered. At the door hiding Fluffy, the Cerberus, Zabini volunteered to play the flute. "I'll do it. I learned flute. Keeping it going's easy," he said.

"Great, I've never played. Ron, Hermione, okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, no flute lessons here," Ron said.

"Me neither. Please, Zabini," Hermione added.

"Alright. Everyone else, wands ready! One, two… Alohomora!" Harry cast, unlocking the door. It creaked open, inviting them to hell.

Zabini played, his tune unfamiliar to Harry, who wished he could listen longer. Fluffy began to doze. "Amazing, Zabini! Keep it up!" Ron cheered, unheard by Zabini, who, seeing Fluffy for the first time, played desperately, drenched in sweat.

When Zabini paused to breathe, Fluffy's eyelid twitched. Hearts racing, they passed Fluffy, opening the next door to a basement. "Ron, take over the flute," Harry said.

"Got it!"

Using Lumos, Harry scanned below. Vines carpeted the floor. "Devil's Snare! Sprout's trap!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Whatever, let's go! Fluffy's dangerous!" Zabini urged, more scared of the Cerberus.

"Alright. When we land, I'll cast Incendio. Zabini, catch Hermione. Ready? Go!" Harry ordered.

Harry and Zabini landed, Devil's Snare lunging. "Incendio!" Harry's flames scorched the vines, carefully controlled to avoid overburning, a spell practiced to defy Dumbledore now protecting his stone.

"Here, Granger! Lighter than expected. I'll burn too, Harry! Incendio!" Zabini caught Hermione but, rattled by fear and untrained, his spell misfired, burning his right foot and nearby vines.

"Ow!" Zabini yelped.

"Zabini!? Someone get water! Incendio!" Harry shouted, fending off vines alone.

"Aguamenti! Aguamenti! Zabini, take off your shoe!" Hermione doused his foot.

Harry and Ron, who'd landed last, finished the vines. Harry rushed to Zabini. "You okay!?"

"Sorry… messed up at a time like this," Zabini muttered.

"Don't worry! Hermione, is he okay?" Harry asked.

"Episkey!" Hermione's spell healed Zabini's burn. "Better, Zabini? Any pain?"

"None," he replied.

"Good. It was minor, but magical burns need Aguamenti for ten more minutes," Hermione said, noting his foot looked fine but required cooling.

"But staying here while you go on… leaving me safe…" Zabini hesitated.

(Zabini can't come. He might overuse magic in this state,) Harry thought. "Zabini, we need to return with the stone. If the cloak or flute's gone, we're stuck. Stay here, prepare for our return."

"Harry… can you really come back? You, Weasley, Granger—alone against whatever's next?" Zabini's fear showed, genuinely worried for Hermione, dropping his Slytherin mask.

"I promise, for you, Farcas, and Bloom, we'll return," Harry vowed.

"Don't lie, Harry! Or you'll pay!" Zabini said.

Harry hugged him, entrusting his treasures. Harry, Ron, and Hermione pressed on, risking their lives.