章节_102
oose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
to help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
first, however slyly the poisoo hide
you will always file wines left side;
sed, differehose who staher end,
but if you would move oher is your friend;
third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
her dwarf niant holds death in their insides;
fourth, the sed left ahe right
are twie them, though different at first sight.
hermio a great sigh and harry, amazed, saw that she
was smilihi like doing.
”brilliant,” said hermiohis isnt magic -- its logic --
a puzzle. a lot of the greatest wizards havent got an ounce of
logic, theyd be stu here forever.”
”but so ont we?” ”of ot,” said
hermi we his paper. seven bottles:
three are poison; two are wi us safely through the
black fire, a us back through the purple.”
”but hohik?”
”give me a minute.”
hermiohe paper several times. then she and
dowles, muttering to herself and pointing at
them. at last, she clapped her hands.
”got it,” she said. ”the smallest bottle will get us through
the black fire -- toward the stone.”
harry looked at the tiny bottle.
”theres ohere for one of us,” he said. ”thats
hardly one swallow.”
they looked at each other.
”whie will get you back through the purple flames?”
hermio a roule at the right end of
the line.
”you drink that,” said harry. ” bad get
ron. grab brooms from the flyiheyll get you out of
the trapdoor and past fluffy -- ght to the owlery and send
hedwig to dumbledore, we need him. i might be able to hold snape
off for a while, but im no mat, really.”
”but harry -- what if you-know-whos with him?”
”well -- i was lut i?” said harry, pointing at
his scar. ”i might get lu.”
hermiones lip trembled, and she sudde harry and
threw her arms around him.
”hermione!”
”harry -- yreat wizard, you know.”
”im not as good as you,” said harry, very embarrassed, as she
let go of him.
”me!” said hermione. ”books! ahere are more
important things -- friendship and bravery and -- oh harry --
be careful!”
”you drink first,” said harry. ”you are sure which is which,
arent you?”
”positive,” said hermioook a long drink from the round
bottle at the end, and shuddered.
”its not poison?” said harry anxiously.
”no -- but its like ice.”
”quick, go, before it wears off.”
”good luck -- take care.”
”go!”
hermiourned araight through the purple fire.
harry took a deep breath ahe smallest bottle. he
turo face the black flames.
”here i e,” he said, and he draile bottle in
one gulp.
it was ihough ice was flooding his body. he put the
bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black
flames lig his body, but t feel them -- for a moment he
could see nothing but dark fire -- thehe other side,
i chamber.
there was already someo it wasnt s
wasnt eve.
chapter seventeen
the man with two faces
it was quirrell.
”you!” gasped harry.
quirrell smiled. his fat twitg at all.
”me,” he said calmly. ”i woher id be meeting you
here, potter.”
”but i thought -- snape --”
”severus?” quirrell laughed, and it wasn'