Better Be Slytherin!

out cold in the Hospital Wing. That'll teach them to quit talking bad about us! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room. We're having a party. Flint and Bletchley got some cakes and stuff from the kitchens.'

'Never mind that now,' said Harry breathlessly. 'Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this...' He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.

Both of them stared when he was done, as if he'd grown a third eye. 'Have you heard of the Sorcerer's Stone?' he asked.

Teddy shook himself to get over his shock and nodded. 'It's legendary, supposed to be able to turn lead into gold, and also can be used to make the Elixir of Life, so the bearer would never die.'

'The bearer?' Harry rubbed his hands over his face. 'So, if someone was trying to steal it for a, a Dark Wizard or something, so he could come back to life . . .'

Millie's eyes went wide. 'You don't think our Head of House has anything to do with this. Do you?'

'What am I supposed to think, Millie? He was talking with Quirrell about how to steal the Stone!' Harry shouted. A huge lump was lodged in his chest, the size of a fist, and it was squeezing his heart. Hard. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have believed Snape's lies?

'You think Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get the Stone?' Teddy asked. 'Why? He wouldn't need that bumbling oaf.'

'Except for the bit about how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus - I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through --'

'Harry!' Millie stopped him as his imagination played out many possibilities. She shook her head. 'I know you have a hard time trusting adults, but you're a Slytherin! Snape wouldn't--'

'Wouldn't what? Betray me? Try to kill me?'

'Exactly.'

Harry bit the inside of his cheek, hoping the sharp pain would keep him from screaming. She couldn't possibly understand. Everyone was against him. Everyone. 'You were one of the hardest on his case at the start of term Millie. How come?'

'Well,' she said, looking sideways at Teddy, who dragged his gaze away from Harry to meet her eyes, 'We thought he wasn't being fair to you. 'Cause he wasn't . . . ' she trailed off, shaking her head reluctantly.

'Wasn't what?' Harry pressed.

'Well, he wasn't following Rule One, but Harry--'

'Exactly,' Harry interrupted. 'I've been a fool to trust him just 'cause he changed his tune. We all have. I knew the new act was too good to be true; he was faking it, that's all. Now we just have figure out how to keep both of them from getting that stone and giving it to Voldemort.'

In the dead quiet that followed, Harry held each of his friends' gazes, willing them to trust him and support him. If they didn't, he didn't know what he would do. 'Are you with me?'

To his relief, they both nodded. 'To the end,' Teddy said.

Millie released the lip her teeth had captured. 'To the end.'

TBC . . .

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads and/or reviews! An especially HUGE thank you to Youka-chan for sending me the five thousandth review for Better Be Slytherin! Wowzers!