The next four months flew by with almost disturbing speed, and before the students knew it, it was April. The teachers were all hounding then about their exams.
"Your exams are two months away!" Severus said sternly one lesson. "You had best begin studying now!"
"They're two months away!" Ron retorted. "We've got plenty of time!"
"Snape's right, Ron." Draco said. "We need to start studying now, or we'll regret it."
"Harry's not studying!" Ron exclaimed. "He said himself, 'We've got ages, we don't need to study!'" Ron deliberately made his voice much deeper than Harry's would ever be.
"Harry said that?" Severus asked.
"Uh, no..." Ron hedged. He looked around. "Where is Harry, anyway?"
The entire Potions class looked around. Harry was, indeed, not there.
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Mr. Weasley, go find him." he sighed. "The rest of you, get to work."
Ron hurried out of the classroom, through the entrance hall, up many flights of stairs, and finally found himself in front of the Fat Lady.
"C-c-caput Dr-dra-draconis." he panted.
As the Portrait Hole opened, Ron saw Harry hurrying down the spiral staircase.
"Snape's looking for you." Ron said.
"Um, can't talk right now." Harry said.
"Where are you going?" Ron asked, staring.
"Er, on a walk." Harry lied.
"With your wand and invisibility cloak?" Ron asked, skeptical. "And, uh, that flute Hagrid gave you?"
"My wand is always where I can reach it, and I never go anywhere without my invisibility cloak." Harry informed Ron.
"That's not true!" Ron exclaimed. "Half the time your cloak is locked in your trunk!"
"Well, I'm going somewhere alone, don't follow me." Harry shoved passed Ron and down the corridor.
Ron followed him just far enough to see Harry entering the third floor corridor. He'd seen enough. Ron hurried back down to the dungeon.
"Where is Harry, Mr. Weasley?" Snape asked.
"He's, um, on the third floor." Ron said, staring wide-eyed at Snape, willing him to understand where he was talking about. "There are lots of threes where he's gone, you know?"
Snape stared at him blankly.
Ron sighed. "The three has a big teeth."
Snape looked alarmed. "Why would he go there?"
"How would I know?" Ron asked. "He hasn't told me anything in months."
Snape hurried out of the classroom.
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"AHHHH!!!!" Harry screamed.
With a soft "thwump," he landed in a dark chamber, which must have been miles beneath the school.
Looking around, he realized he was laying in a thicket of Devil's Snare.
"Crap." he muttered. "It's gonna strangle me. How do I know that and not how to kill it?"
Harry sat there thinking as the Devil's Snare slowly wound around him, slowly creeping up towards his face.
"Oh, right!" he whispered to himself. "LUMOS SOLAM!"
The Devil's Snare recoiled away from him, and he was able to stand up and walk out.
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Okay, so, the rest pretty much happens the same, except Harry's grown up with a wizard potions master, so he's smarter and does it by himself. Now, into the room with the Mirror of Erised!
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Harry entered a large chamber. Standing inside was Professor Quirrell, and someone Harry had never seen before. A tall and horsey woman with dark hair and almost twice the usual amount of neck.
"Harry, how wonderful for you to join us." the woman said, and drew her wand.
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