"We'll figure that out later. Right now, we need to stop Snape…"
Harry stubbornly held onto his suspicion.
He pushed open the next door.
The group stepped into the second-to-last trial—
Professor Snape's challenge.
The moment they entered,
purple flames burst up behind them, sealing the entrance.
At the same time,
black flames rose before the exit.
They were trapped.
The room itself was simple—
a table, seven differently shaped bottles,
and a scroll containing a riddle.
Hermione picked it up and read aloud:
Danger lies ahead, safety lies behind.
Two of us will help you, whichever you find.
One among us will let you move ahead,
Another will bring you back instead.
Two among us hold nettle wine,
Three are killers, waiting in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay,
Forever trapped and lose your way.
Four clues we give to guide your hand:
First—though poison hides with cunning art,
They always stand left of the nettle's part.
Second—the ends are useless both,
Neither helps you move forth.
Third—though sizes differ, large and small,
No death hides in the tallest or smallest of all.
Fourth—the second from left and second from right,
Though different in shape, taste the same outright.
The bottles were arranged in a row.
Harry frowned.
Ron looked completely lost.
Hermione, however—
"Isn't this just a logic puzzle?"
Lewis nodded.
"I already know the answer."
"…Figures," Harry muttered.
But Lewis shook his head.
"This isn't about Ravenclaw riddles. Those are more like philosophy or trick questions. This one—has a precise logical solution."
He glanced at Hermione.
"Honestly, Muggle-educated students are better at this."
"Wait, really?" Ron blinked. "Harry, do Muggle schools teach this?"
"I… don't know," Harry admitted helplessly.
Lewis and Hermione exchanged a look.
"You go," Lewis said.
Hermione stepped forward confidently.
"Let's break it down."
She pointed at the bottles.
"The largest and smallest are not poison. Also, the second and sixth bottles are identical—so they must be the same type."
"That means bottles 2, 3, and 6 are not poison."
"There's only one forward potion and one backward potion. The rest of the non-poison must be nettle wine."
"So bottles 2 and 6 are nettle wine."
"Since poison is always to the left of the nettle wine—bottles 1, 4, and 5 are poison."
"The ends don't help you move forward, and bottle 1 is poison—so bottle 7 must be the one that sends you back."
"Which leaves—"
She pointed.
"Bottle 3. That's the one that lets you go forward."
Perfect logic.
Harry nodded rapidly.
Even Ron looked like his brain had just leveled up.
"…So Harry," Ron asked hopefully, "you just went to a different primary school, right?"
"No," Harry said flatly. "Same as Lewis."
…Life was unfair.
Harry grabbed the third bottle.
"There's only enough for one."
Silence fell.
Then—
"I'll go."
His voice was firm.
"They call me the Boy Who Lived. This is my fight."
No hesitation.
Pure Gryffindor courage.
Lewis, however, had no intention of drinking it.
He had already examined the flames.
Not Fiendfyre—
which meant…
they were manageable.
"Here's the plan," Lewis said.
"Harry drinks the potion and goes ahead."
"I stay here and find another way through."
"Ron, Hermione—you take the return potion and go warn the professors."
They exchanged glances—
then nodded.
"Be careful."
Harry stepped toward the black flames.
"Before you go," Lewis said quietly,
"what you see ahead… might not be Snape."
Harry froze.
"At least—I don't think he's the real enemy."
"Be prepared for that."
"And don't try to fight alone. You've got us—and the professors."
"…Okay."
Harry took a deep breath—
drank the potion—
and stepped into the black fire.
Gone.
Hermione and Ron drank the return potion and passed through the purple flames.
Lewis remained.
He began layering spells on himself.
Fire Aura.
Energy Resistance (Fire).
Elemental Shield (Fire).
Even so—
the heat was intense.
"…Impressive, Snape."
He exhaled.
"Then let's try something else."
His eyes sharpened.
"Primal Form."
In an instant—
his body transformed into a being of fire.
"If I can't resist it—"
"I'll become it."
He stepped into the flames again.
This time—
they did nothing.
He passed through effortlessly.
The final chamber.
Immediately, he dropped the transformation and cast Invisibility.
He stayed within the doorway, unseen.
Inside—
two figures faced each other.
Perfect.
If possible—
he had no intention of revealing himself to Voldemort.
He slipped behind a wall—
and watched in silence.
If you want to read 60 chapters ahead of the public release, head over to: Patreon.com/RedString