ÍROAS

"Of course! Why am I surprised? - a fully grown mountain troll is what Quirrell contributed." I angrily muttered. The idiotic creature still hadn't notice us. As soon as we saw it, we immediately went into the dark corner part of the room. I then secretly conjured the pitch-black clouds above us to hide our bodies to the naked eyes of the tall creature. Unfortunately, our noses have been badly murdered by the dreadful smell coming from the troll itself.

"Are you kidding me? We barely manage to stay alive the last time we fight a troll." Ron mumbled.

"Can't you just do what you did Ron before?" Harry asked from his rather terrified and squeaky voice.

"No Harry, there is nothing we could use here to bang his head like he did the last time." Said by Hermione. The three obviously sure are nervous. But I couldn't blame them, they are still 11-year-old kids... I mean we are... I watch them fidgeting while doing some plans to kill the creature. I stayed silent by their side, with my hands inside my pocket doing its job again to find something inside of it. Suddenly, I realized something. I cussed under my breath and obnoxiously looked at them.

"Guys!" I began, tearing their gaze towards each other, they frantically looked at me. "I couldn't reach Snape anymore. He must be getting further from us and closer to the stone. We have to hurry."

"But how do we get past this troll? It's bigger than the last time for Merlin's sake!" I chewed my lower lip and knitted my brows to what Ron reminded me. But there is no time to waste. I took a deep breath, not minding the disgusting smell engulfing this room, and summoned all the courage and foolishness within me and wore my most serious face that I ever have.

"Go! Leave it to me."

"No! you're idiot Iro. How could you think of that!"

"But Hermione, Snape is getting nearer to the stone. Just go, I can handle myself."

"Where do you get all this bravery... no scratch that! Where do you get all this idiocy Iro? You almost died from the last time." I tried to smirk to what Harry told me, trying to defuse the growing tension.

"Well, I'm not a Gryffindor for some petty reason."

"No Iro, you're not acting like a Gryffindor, you're being a big idiot."

"Acting like a Gryffindor or not, Ron, that's how it is today, you three needed to go. If you didn't, we won't be able to stop Snape. And it'll be a matter of time before Voldemort kills Harry... No! before Voldemort kills us all! Now, leave! Don't make me drag your butts out of this room." They all went quiet but I didn't wait for their response as I called off the dark clouds above us and charged at the humongous mountain troll and threw different hexes to get its attention to me.

The three didn't move for a moment until I saw Harry reluctantly drag the others towards the door and took a final glance to me. I gave them my smile before they moved out to the next room. I tore my gaze from them and diverted it back to the stinking creature.

"It's just you and me now, buddy!"

It let out a terrifying sound as it started to trudge over me and tried to seize its hand to hit me but I managed to roll over the floor and dodge.

It's a bit limping and weakened.

'Must be what Snape had done to him." I thought (Assuming that it's a male troll). I throw another set of hexes that I learned over the year, but nothing has affected the creature and I avoided once again the upcoming enormous hand. I cussed under my breath and reluctantly put back my wand inside my robes as it leaves me no choice to push myself further.

I concentrated to my fullest as I conjured my signature blinding pitch-black clouds of smoke to its head. The creature went wild and berserk to its sudden loss of vision. I advanced to the troll and ready to give him a bloody iron fist but I caught off guard as out of nowhere, one of its hands slammed me hard straight against the wall. My body felt the strong impact as I coughed blood and my vision darken and got wavy for a second.

The troll is still blind by the clouds I surround to its head. I morphed myself to my winged panther form and flew above the creature and let out my sharp and hard claws hiding from my paws. I scratch and cut the Hades out of the creature and a massive amount of green blood escape from all the wounds it earned from me.

Blood Curdling screams rippled in my ear and it tried to randomly and blindly attack me. I flew higher to dodge its struggling hands.

I dove down the air and landed to the ground, away from the troll. I swung forward my big and sturdy wings causing a strong burst of winds that made the troll topple and gave out a heavy thump as it tumbled over the floor. A loud pained groan escaped from its mouth and now could barely move its body. I transform back myself when I remember something from my last encounter to its kind over Halloween.

I step closer to the weakened and exhausted creature and give him a hefty punch to its stomach that makes it give its final grunt and let lose its consciousness and blackout.

A heavy sigh escaped from my mouth and unsteadily walked towards the wooden door where my three friends went and vanished earlier. I substantially coughed and breathed in some fresh air when I reached the next room. I examined the area to look for my friends but to my utmost horror, the only person I saw is the now unconscious body of Ronald Weasley and the broken pieces of black and white massive stones that familiarly resembled the wizard's chessmen.

I ran towards Ron and shook his body to try to wake him up, but failed. There are bruises on his arms and cheeks. I checked his breathing, it's a bit hazy but still fine. I released a relief sigh.

I frantically put my hand inside my pocket and searched for my reserved healing potion. When my hand found it, I immediately retrieved the small glass container that contains a blood red liquid. I swung my left arm around Ron's shoulder and held him up, I pushed off the cork of the container and put the tip of it to his mouth and let him drink the potion.

"You git! Lecturing me about not acting like a Gryffindor when you too just did what I did." I mumbled to the boy in my arms, who's now having a normal breathing. I looked at the room and noticed for the first time that the elevated floor next to me is a unit square in shape with an alternating pattern of square in black and white. I gasped as it made sense to my obscure brain. This room is a life size wizard's chess.

'Must be from Professor McGonagall.' I thought. I looked at Ron and smiled at him.

"Huh! So, you just lead Harry and Hermione in this game, you douchebag. Sacrificing is not so healthy in our group." I chuckled from the thought, "Let's see, me as a Potions Master, 'Mione for Herbology, and little Ronald here is for chess. Perfect!" I muttered.

I widen my senses and realize that Hermione and Harry are in the next room, but one of them is now coming back to this place. Minute had gone by and the door across the room creaked open revealing a bushy brown-haired girl in a slender but tore black robes.

"Hermione!" I yelled as she quickly approached us and kneeled beside Ron.

"Oh Iro, I'm glad you're alive! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little bruise. I already gave Ron healing potion, but he still needs to be taken care of by the hospital wing. I'm going after Harry."

"How about you? Did you get one yourself?" I ran out of healing potions thus, I decided to ignore Hermione's question and carefully let down my hold on Ron's body and stood.

"Be careful Iro." I gave her a smile and immediately ran for the next room. I could feel my heart pounding rapidly as I realized that there are two human shadows close to each other in the same room ahead. - 'Snape and Harry must be fighting by now.' Upon my arrival to the next chamber, a long and brown table perfectly stood in the doorway with seven differently shaped bottles in line and a piece of parchment.

I stepped over the threshold and immediately, a fire sprang up behind me, blazing a purplish color; and in a doorway ahead, a black flame leapt up, blocking the next door. I step closer to the table and pick up the parchment where a riddle is written. I hissed and undoubtedly tear the paper without reading a single word. Knowing what is the challenge lies in the paper; I have to pick one of these potions to get past the flame that leads on to the next room or be trapped. Hermione must have been the one who figured out which of them leads forward and backward. Good thing they hadn't ended up using their bezoars.

I smirk at the silly test Snape had placed upon the stone. The flame may be as black as my shadow but it still radiates brightness, and I could easily dissipate anything that gives light.

I walk closer to the flame and call upon the power of the night resting within me. I let out my shadows reign over the fire and let it devoured the dim light; instantly, the black fire went out and died, leaving the door behind. I didn't waste any time and advanced towards the door and quickly opened it.

As I entered the chamber, I saw a boy standing 10 meters away, wearing a black robe that is barely holding to its body as it is now ripped badly. Its back is facing me; right in his chest, a brown robe curled tightly all over him.

"Use the boy..." said by a dangerous voice.

I followed the trail of Harry's gaze and to my utmost surprise, the man that we were expecting to be Snape turns out to be the guy who's nowhere near to be suspected of stealing the stone at all. Only by then, I noticed that he pulled out his wand from his pocket and pointed it in Harry.

'No!' I shouted from my mind. As I step forward, one second I was at the door, the next moment I'm standing next to Harry. I didn't try to ponder what happened and immediately pushed Harry away. I looked at Quirrell's direction but only saw a blinding light coming and immediately hit me right in the middle of my chest. I heard Harry shout my name.

At first, I didn't know what the spell did to me, but then I noticed my body moving by itself, walking towards the Professor, as if I have no right over my own body. I moved my gaze to Quirrell and saw his disappointed face as he was intending Harry to be hit by his spell. By then, I noticed the thing standing behind Quirrell's back. The 'Mirror of Erised'.

I snapped wide, my eyes open as I realize what will happen. The mirror will show me what I desired the most, and at this moment, I desperately wanted to seize the Philosopher's Stone and keep it safe away from Voldemort, for Harry's sake. If I look in it, it will show me where it's hidden.

'But no!' I thought. I shouldn't look in the mirror. The lady in my dreams said I'll lose myself this time if I looked in it again and she won't be able to give me help anymore. My feet keep moving, bringing me closer to the damned mirror. I could feel my pounding heart and all the insults and pleading I shouted from my head.

I summoned all the energy I have and shouted in a rather squeaky and terrified tone of voice, "Harry!" he seemed to remember what would happen to me if I looked in the mirror again, as he suddenly got out of his trance and ran over me. My body is getting nearer and I could see now a bit of a glimpse of myself in it. The magic of the mirror is not yet working, but my head is starting to get heavy as I feel the stinging pain it is giving me.

I couldn't close my eyes as I am in some kind of body control, then all of a sudden, an impact hit me. Harry pushed me hard and forced my uncontrolled body to fall over the floor, a bit far away from the mirror.

I inhaled desperately as I could now feel the influence over me starting to lose. My body has stiffened and my vision started to darken and get wavy. I breathe in again and fight for my consciousness.

'Just a little longer!' I reminded myself. My sight is still blurry but it got better. I looked at Harry and saw from my side that he's now standing in front of the mirror, and talking to Quirrell. I noticed that Harry's finger twitched and only by then, I saw the bump of his pocket that wasn't there before.

Then, I gasped as I realized what's inside there.

"Get out of the way!" hissed by Quirrell and pushed Harry away from the mirror and positioned himself in front of it. My body is still rigid and heavy but I couldn't differentiate now if it is because of the spell that hit me earlier or because of exhaustion. I was so engrossed in my thoughts I didn't instantly notice that Harry is slowly getting his way towards me until the high cold voice I heard earlier speak again that is clearly not from the professor himself.

"He lies... He lies." Harry hadn't walked ten paces away from Quirrell then.

"Potter, come back here!" the turban man shouted, "Tell me the truth! What did you see in the mirror!? Where is the Stone?"

"Let me speak to him. Face-to-face." The other voice spoke again.

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough for this." The cold voice dramatically hissed. I watched Quirrell reach up and began to unwrap his turban. It made my eyebrow raised out of confusion. But then, the creepiest thing happened as I saw from the back of his head, instead of hairs, another face lies. A chalk white skin with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake. I let out a low gasping noise and felt the cold shiver rippled through my spine.

'Voldemort!' I spat in my mind.

"Harry Potter." it began, "See what I have become? - mere shadow and vapor... I have form only when I can share another's body. Unicorn blood has strengthened me these past weeks. You saw Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest. And once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own. Now, why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

"Harry, No!" I immediately shouted and that made their attention turn to me.

"Ah Yes! Íroas Olympia, I could sense the power you radiate. Such incredible power at your young age, you will do great in my army when I rise up. But you needed to be a pureblood, of course."

"Err... no thanks Voldy, I'm good!"

"You insolent kid! How dare you disrespect the Dark Lord!" yelled by Quirrell, but I just ignored him and looked up to my friend.

"Harry run!" but before he could react, Voldemort interrupted his thoughts.

"Pity! Your bravery will get you both killed. Though I always admired the character, what you showed tonight Íroas Olympia is stained with idiocy." I smirk at what he last said to me.

"Yeah, I've been told that many times today." I sarcastically said, but was disregarded by the noseless face, and glared at the other boy.

"Give it to me Harry Potter."

"Never!" he shouted and about to pull out his wand when Quirrell quickly pointed his' to him, muttered under his breath and a flash of blinding green light erupted from the tip of his wand and went straight to my friend.

"HARRY!"