Chapter 76: Just a bunch of rats and sparrows!

Soon, with the cooperation of the four of them, the chess pieces were reduced to fragments all over the ground.

"Let's go!" Harry said in a low voice.

They quickly passed through this room and came to the third challenge. 

There was only an unconscious troll in this chamber. They did not linger long, pinching their noses and holding their breath as they entered the next room.

When the four came to this new room, purple and black flames instantly rose at the entrance and exit, and on a table in front of them were seven strangely-shaped potion bottles. 

Next to these bottles, there was a roll of parchment.

Irina opened the parchment and read the riddle written on it:

"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 you 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 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."

Looking at the text, Hermione held her chin pensively, "Obviously, this is a logic puzzle."

Irina said bluntly, "The smallest bottle contains the potion that lets you pass through the black flames, and the bottle on the far right contains the potion to go back!"

Hermione looked at Irina with some surprise. She is indeed her brilliant best friend!

Harry picked up the smallest bottle and frowned, "There's only enough for one person though, not even a full swallow!" 

Irina spread her hands and said, "It seems one of us has to go back then. But that's alright, we need someone to go get help from the professors anyway!"

"That makes sense," Ron nodded, speaking as he typically would, "I'll go to the Owlery and write to Professor Dumbledore, maybe he can come rescue us in time."

Hermione also agreed, "Then I'll go call Professor McGonagall."

But at this moment, Harry picked up the bottle on the far right, and he frowned again, "But there's only enough for two people in this bottle, which means one person will have to stay behind in this room."

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Irina suddenly said, "Harry, can you show me the potion to pass the black flames again?" 

"Here." Harry handed the smallest bottle to Irina without hesitation.

"A fire-protection potion!" Irina brought the bottle to her nose and wafted the fumes, identifying it.

"Ah," Irina said softly, reaching into her pocket, "I think I actually have some in stock!"

With that, Irina took out a small vial from her pocket. Opening it, the smell inside matched the fire-protection potion exactly.

"Irina, I thought you weren't good at Potions?" Harry looked a bit shocked.

Irina rolled her eyes at him, "Come on, even if I'm not great at it, it's still easy enough to get an 'Exceeds Expectations' on the exam!"

Harry fell silent at that.

After checking her own potion, Irina said with some regret, "Unfortunately, I only have enough for two people, so one of us still has to go back to inform the professors."

Hearing this, Ron hesitated for a moment before volunteering, "I'll go then! I know my magic skills are the weakest among us, so I won't just hold you back."

Ron picked up the potion to go back.

Irina nodded at him encouragingly, "Believe in yourself, Ron. Informing the professors is actually the most important task, it's about whether we all make it back alive!"

Ron nodded vigorously, drank the potion, and passed back through the purple flames.

Irina, Hermione and Harry took the fire-protection potion and passed through the black flames at the exit.

Through the black flames, the three came to the final chamber.

As soon as he entered, Harry saw Quirrell in front of the Mirror of Erised. 

"You? But how...I thought..." 

Harry was incredulous. He had always suspected Snape, but after Snape was ruled out, he was still unwilling to believe Quirrell was the one after the Stone.

But unexpectedly, what Irina said was actually true!

"Use the boy! Use the boy!" A terrifying voice came from behind Quirrell's head.

"Yes, Master...Potter, come here!" Quirrell waved his wand, and the gravel on the ground turned into countless ropes, binding Harry tightly.

"Expelliarmus!" Irina quickly cast the Disarming Charm, forcing Quirrell to cancel his spell and retreat. 

"Fool! Deal with those other meddlers first!" Voldemort's voice rang out.

Quirrell nodded, and he quickly cast a barrage of spells at Irina and Hermione.

"Protego!" Hermione cast the Shield Charm, trying to block Quirrell's attacks.

However, Hermione seemed to have underestimated Quirrell's true skill level. After all, his bumbling classroom persona made it hard for her to see him as a real dueling threat.

A Stunning Spell broke through Hermione's Shield Charm and struck her squarely in the chest. Hermione flew backwards several meters, slamming into the stone wall behind her, and crumpled unconscious.

"No!" Seeing a teammate fall at the start, Irina felt the situation turn dire. 

With Hermione knocked out, and Harry immobilized by Quirrell's ropes in the next few spells, Irina was left alone to face him.

Even if Lynn joined her, the two of them together might struggle to defeat Quirrell, let alone Irina by herself.

Sure enough, after just a few more exchange, Irina was hit by a Disarming Spell, her wand flying from her hand. 

Though Irina still had the ability for wandless casting, she chose to feign being defeated, falling to the ground and thrashing about in apparent pain.

It's up to you now, Harry!

Irina pretended she could barely move from the pain, but her eyes remained fixed on Quirrell's every move.

There was no telling whether the unethical Quirrell might just kill her outright!

Even if she had to act, she would be prepared for either scenario.

Fortunately, Quirrell's obsession with the Philosopher's Stone outweighed any desire to kill her. He bound Harry with magical ropes to the Mirror of Erised, forcing Harry to gaze into its depths. 

After a while, Harry saw his mirror self holding the bright Philosopher's Stone. Then, he felt a heavy weight fall into his own pocket - the real Stone had indeed materialized there!

Once Quirrell realized Harry had obtained the Stone, he unwrapped his turban, revealing Voldemort's twisted face on the back of his head.

And Voldemort possessed Quirrell again, grinning wickedly at Harry as he tried to seize the Stone.

Bang! Bang! Bang!...

But at this critical moment, three gunshots rang out in succession. 

Three bloody holes appeared in Quirrell's back, the violent impacts forcing him to lurch forward and collapse to the ground.

"How dare some worm sully the master's great work!" 

Lynn strode slowly in from the entrance, eyeing the scene coldly. In his left hand, a faintly glowing Desert Eagle was smoking from the muzzle. 

The surrounding black flames parted to the sides as Lynn approached, as if making way for their new dark lord. These sinister flames seemed to burn higher in his presence.

(end of chapter)