This story is dedicated to one of my friends, Bec.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters whose names can be found in any of the Harry Potter books.

Harry and Neville were alone in the common room seated deep in the armchairs by the fire so as not to be seen, waiting. The clock struck eleven and there was no sound for a few minutes, then voices came from the boy's staircase.

"Come on Ron, hurry up Snape could have put Fluffy to sleep by now." Matt's voice floated down the stairs.

"Have you checked the map?" Ron asked.

"No, there's no point, you can't see the corridor I only needed it to find the quickest route and if we take it, it might get ripped."

"Right," Ron agreed.

Harry and Neville heard two sets of footsteps coming down the boys staircase and stop in the common room. Silence only lasted for a few seconds before footsteps from the girl's staircase were heard and then Hermione's voice in the common room.

"Sorry I'm late guys I was going over some spells."

"Typical," Ron replied, rolling his eyes.

"I don't see you," Hermione started.

"Guys!" Matt interrupted, "don't fight remember why we're doing this."

"Right, sorry" Ron said sheepishly.

"Sorry," Hermione echoed.

"Let's get going then," Matt said turning from Ron and Hermione and starting towards the portrait hole.

"Where exactly are you guys going?" Harry asked, getting up from the armchair he had previously been occupying and standing in-front of the three. Neville remained hidden as they had agreed so if Harry was jinxed, Neville would wait till the three left, unjinx Harry then they could follow.

"Harry!" Matt exclaimed in a whisper, surprised at his twin's sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Harry countered.

"Go back to bed," Matt hissed.

"Why, so you can sneak out to some place you didn't tell me about, I'm not going to let you go until you tell me where you're going." Harry said, forcefully.

"I can't" Matt hissed again, "it'll put you in danger."

"You let Ron and Hermione in on it." Harry stated.

"I didn't really have a choice with them." Matt replied. "Besides we've know for a while now and I've been training them. You haven't been training and I'm not putting you in danger, go back to bed before I jinx you."

"No."

"I warmed you," Matt said. "Petrificus Totalus."

Harry flattened himself to the floor, not wanting Matt to think he was being beaten to easily.

"Stupefy," Matt hissed, aiming his wand at Harry who was still on the floor.

The red jet of light flew at Harry and hit him in the arm him, making him fall to the floor, un-conscious.

Looking at Harry's motionless body Hermione spoke up. "Will he be alright?'

"Yeah," Matt said sadly. "I hate doing that to him because he's not as strong but it had to be done. Let's go."

With only a glance back at Harry lying motionless on the floor the trio hurried from the room.

As the portrait hole closed Neville jumped up from his armchair and hurried over to Harry. They had to be quick if they were going to follow the trio but from what they had over heard they guessed where Matt, Ron and Hermione were going.

"Enervate," Neville whispered, pointing his wand at Harry, they had known Matt would use something like that jinx and had spent some time practising its counter jinx.

Harry stirred with a moan and his first words were, "Matt can sure stun."

"Too right," Neville said helping him to his feet, "I could see the light from where I was sitting."

"Ready?" Harry asked.

Neville grinned, "Let's go."

The pair hurried out of the common room, heading towards the third floor. With Matt, Ron and Hermione with the invisibility cloak, they had to be very quiet and every noise sounded like a teacher to them but nothing really went wrong and they reached the third floor with no problems. They had passed Peeves in the corridor but he hadn't seen them and now they stood before the door to the third floor corridoor.

Taking a deep breath Neville reached forward and pushed the door open. Stepping inside followed closely by Harry, both boys wands raised the sight that met their eyes was what they had been expecting but it still came as quite shock as the pair came face to face with a three headed dog.

"Harry," Neville whispered as the dog beared down on them. "What were we singing again?"

"Er, Mary had a little lamb." Harry blurted out the first thing that came into his head.

"What?" Neville asked in out-rage.

"I don't know just sing!" Harry screamed and started to up a tune.

Shrugging Neville broke into a very off tune song but it didn't seem to worry the dog as it was starting to look drowsy. It didn't take long before the dog had all it's three heads resting on his paws and each one were snoring. Harry glanced around the room and spotted an open trapdoor. Motioning Neville to follow but keep singing the pair tip-toed carefully around the dog and over to the trap door.

"I'll go first" Harry said, breaking the tune.

"We go together." Neville said also stopping singing.

The dog began to stir, grunting and snorting. "On three we jump," Harry said and the dog gave a bark.

"THREE!" Harry and Neville leapt into the hole, just as the dog's jaws closed around the spot they had just been.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," The two boys screamed as they fell through the air, arms and legs flailing trying to get a hold of something.

"Oof." Neville grunted as he landed first, unceremoniously in a heap while Harry flipped at the last second and landed like a cat on all fours.

"Why are you so co-ordinated?" Neville asked.

"Lots of experience falling on my head," Harry replied, standing up to his full height.

"Great," Neville sighed, rolling his eyes. "That's what I have to look forward to, falling on my head." Neville reached out with his hand and moved it over what had cushioned their landing. "Hey what is this stuff it feels like some sort of plant, lucky it's not spiky." He commented with a laugh.

"Do you know what this is Neville?" Harry asked, looking over at Neville and feeling a fear well up in his chest.

"No," Neville replied calmly.

"Look at your legs," Harry said.

"Ah," Neville screamed in shock, struggling against the plant which had wrapped itself up to Neville's ankles. "It's trapping us."

"You know what it is now?" Harry asked, a bit of fear creeping into his voice and he could almost see the gears turning in Neville's head.

"Devils Snare?" Neville asked, as he stopped struggling.

"That's right," Harry said, standing very still.

"How are we going to get out," Neville asked, lying like stone. "We need light and heat, fire we need fire. The flames charm, ah Harry I can't move my arms," Neville was starting to panic.

"Just lie there," Harry said. Taking a deep breath he focused on the plant and envisioned a spark.

"Harry?" Neville's voice sounded questioning as he lie very still.

Harry breathed out slowly, fire, he thought pushing the magic out. A spark quickly caught on the Devils Snare and before the boys eyes a flame sprung up between them. Catching very quickly to the devils snare it began to burn the creepers. Instantly the boys felt the feelers withdrawing and they jumped to there feet leapt onto solid ground, eager to get away from the trapping plant.

"That was close," Neville said his hands on his knees.

"Almost to close," Harry agreed panting.

"Professor Sprout must have put that there," Neville said standing up again.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, turning to the passageway ahead of them.

Turning his head in the direction Harry was looking Neville spoke up. "Let's go" he said, running ahead along the winding corridor ahead, Harry close behind. They ran along the winding corridor, torches being the only source of light until they were confronted by an oak door. Glancing at Neville and receiving a nod Harry pushed open the door and they stepped inside.

"What are they?" Neville asked, looking up at the ceiling. The room was full of brightly coloured objects with wings, they looked almost like birds.

"Birds?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Shiny, birds?" Neville asked, just as unsure.

"The door's over there," Harry pointed to the over side of the room at another old looking door.

Neville shrugged and walked across the room with Harry beside him and tried the door.

"Locked," he said, turning from the door to face Harry.

Harry sighed and looked up at the winged objects, studying them.

"Hey look broomsticks," Neville said, pointing over to three lying abandoned on the floor.

"Broomsticks, why?" Harry trailed off, taking another look at the objects. "They're keys." He said.

"What?" Neville asked.

"They're not birds, they're keys and the broomsticks are to catch them."

"Right and I'm guessing that's the one we have to catch." Neville said.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"It has a broken wing and I don't see Ron, Hermione or Matt in here." Neville replied.

"Smart," Harry commented. "Well let's get going." Walking over to the broomsticks with Neville behind him, he picked two up tossing one to Neville and mounting his own.

Harry grinned at Neville before kicking off and soaring into the air. It took the two about five minutes to catch the key, it kept getting away but eventually they cornered into and landed.

"Why didn't we summon it?" Harry asked.

"Not thinking about it." Neville replied with a grin.

"Some rescue team we are." Harry remarked with a laugh.

"Too right," Neville said, "now put that thing in the door."

Placing the key in the door and turning the sight that met there eyes in the next room was shocking to say the least. A giant chess board made up most of the floor, piles of black and white pieces were lying on the side of the board, mutilated and on the right side was Ron, looking beat up, there was no sign of Matt or Hermione.

"What happened in here?" Neville asked.

"I don't know," Harry said looking around, "but I'm guessing they played chess and Ron got taken."

"Is he alright?" Neville asked, looking concerned.

"Let's check," Harry said, jogging over to Ron and bending over him.

"He's fine, just out-cold." Harry said standing up. "From the look of this Matt and Hermione went on."

"Then that's where we're going," Neville said, looking towards the door at the end of the room.

Harry just nodded and started towards the door, wondering what the next task would be. As Neville opened the door to the next room a fowl stench met their noses.

"Ew," Neville said, pinching his nose and stepping in. "Yuck it's dead!"

A huge mountain troll lay on the floor, it's head lolling to one side and looking kind of rotten.

"Arg," Harry said, tying hard not to be sick, "that's just gross."

"Let's get out of here," Neville said, rushing to the over door.

"Right behind you," Harry said, picking up the rear.

In the corridor after the troll Harry and Neville took some deep breath of air. "That thing was huge." Neville said, "fully grown at least."

"How did they get that thing in here?" Harry asked his hands on his knees and panting from lack of air.

"I don't care," Neville said, "as long as I don't have to smell it."

Harry nodded his head in agreement, "let's keep going." Harry said looking up just as Hermione burst through the black flame at the end of the corridor.

"Hermione!" Harry and Neville exclaimed.

"Harry, Neville?' She asked looking shocked.

"Hermione, where's Matt?' Harry asked, looking worried.

"He went on," she replied still shocked. "How did you get here?"

"That doesn't matter, where are you going?" Neville asked urgently.

"To send an owl to professor Dumbledore, Matt's taken on Snape." Hermione exclaimed.

"I've got to help him," Harry said, taking a step forward.

"You can't Harry you're not strong enough." Hermione said, her voice full of worry. "Besides you can't get through the fire. Just then the black flames seemed to die into the floor.

"I'm going to help my brother." Harry said forcefully, taking a step foward. "You and Neville go back and send the owl to Dumbledore."

"Ok Harry." Neville agreed, knowing it wouldn't help to argue, he knew his friend was strong even if no-one else thought so and he trusted Harry's judgement.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "You can't do that, why are you letting him go?" She asked turning to Neville.

"I trust him," Neville said, "but you better come back alive," he added.

"I haven't died yet," Harry said.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed again. "I won't let you do this, Matt wouldn't want you to do this, Snape is getting the stone for You-know-who he'll kill you easily.

"Look I don't have time for this," Harry said, "Matt could be in trouble, hurry up and get back," with that he stepped through the archway. Hermione went to follow but the black flames sprang back to life.

"Aren't you worried, he'll get killed?" Hermione snapped turning around to face Neville.

"More then you know," Neville said sadly. "But Harry has to do this, there is no other way, his twin is in there, I couldn't stop him. We don't have time to argue about this though we have to get back." Turning around Neville headed back towards the troll room, pinching his nose before opening the door.

Harry stood looking at the potions on the table; it hadn't taken him long to figure out which one to drink, it seemed they replenished themselves once you had stepped through the fire. Looking at the purple flame in-front of him Harry uncorked the tiny bottle and drained it, in an insistent ice seemed to flood through him, making him shiver.

"You and me Aidan," Harry said, stepping forward to stand in front of the flames.

"Forward to victory," Aidan replied and Harry stepped through the curtain of flame.

Warmth flooded his senses as Harry stepped through the flames and emerged on the other side what sight on reaching the other side though was anything but warming.

Quirrell stood over Matt who was on the ground cornered against the stairs but it wasn't Quirrell's face that stared down at Matt, no the face didn't even look human. It had slits for nostrils and its eyes were blood red, its mouth looked like a scar that opened. The thing hadn't noticed him yet though, it seemed too caught up with Matt.

"Well, well the famous Potter, loses to Lord Voldemort what a day this is."

Harry felt ice flood through his blood and it wasn't because of the potion.

"You haven't won yet." Matt said defiantly.

"You have no spells to use against me and are cornered and soon to be dead but before I kill you and take the stone from your pocket I must ask you one thing. How did you survive?!" Voldemort hissed in venom.

"I don't know how I survived no-one does, I don't even remember that night." Matt said with the same defiance in his voice as he stared Voldemort right in the eye.

"Very well then," Voldemort said with a smirk, "you may kill him."

"NO!" Harry shouted stepping forward, Quirrell whipped around to face him.

"Harry, no!" Matt yelled, turning his head to see his brother.

"Kill them both!" Voldemort shouted in fury.

Still facing Harry Quirrell raised his wand, "Avada," and that was as far as he got, for Matt leapt up and grabbed his arm.

"Ah!" Quirrell screamed as his arm began to burn. Quirrell swung his arm around wildly trying to through Matt off but he held on. Pointing his wand Quirrell started to say the killing curse but Matt seeing what he was doing let go of his arm. Spinning around Quirrell had a spell on his lips before Matt was even off the floor. "Avada" Quirrell started but Matt flung out his legs and whipped Quirrell's legs out from under him, sending him tumbling to the ground and his spell shot up at the ceiling, causing some stones to fall. Matt flung himself out of the way of the stones but having not had much physical training the movement through him off balance and gave Quirrell the chance he needed.

"Avada Kedavra!" Quirrell shouted.

Matt just had time to through himself to the ground as the killing curse shot over his head but he didn't see the large piece of stone fall from the ceiling. It hit Matt hard and a nasty crack was heard and Matt slumped on the floor.

This seemed to be just the thing to bring Harry out of the daze he was in. "NO!" He screamed and whipped around to face Quirrell, "you hurt my brother." Harry eye's narrowed and Quirrell took a step back in shock.

"KILL HIM FOOL!" Voldemort yelled.

"Yes master," Quirrell replied and pointing his wand at Harry."Avada Kedavra,"

A blinding green light erupted in the room and Harry hit the floor, the curse missing him by inches. Rolling over so he was in-front of Matt, Harry flipped to his feet and his gaze fell on Quirrell.

"You may no longer harm my brother." Harry said,dangerously.

"Avada Kedavra," Quirrell cried again but this time Harry merely stepped to the side to dodge to curse which hit a foot above Matt's head.

"You will not hurt my brother!" Harry cried out and a light erupted in the chamber, it encircled Matt and swept outwards towards Quirrell who stood there in shock before the light engulfed him.

When Dumbledore rushed into the room minutes later the sight that met his eye's was horrifing. The room looked like there had just been a fierce fire, Quirrell's clothes lay on the floor filled with ash and a couple of steps away on the floor lay the two boys, much like the day ten years ago. Hurrying to the boys Dumbledore carefully levitated them on stretchers and rushed them up to the hospital wing, his mind over wrought with worry.

"Mmmmm," Harry groaned.

"Harry," a voice called his name.

"Mmmm," Harry groaned again.

"Harry," the voice repeated.

Harry raised his hand as if to swat away the annoying voice but found it took too much energy and just let his hand drop.

"He's awake!" The voice called.

Harry opened his eyes, Neville stood over his bed, a huge grin on his face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Neville said happily.

"You're too loud," Harry moaned.

"Well you've been asleep for three days," Neville remarked.

"Three days!" Harry yelped and sat bolt up right in bed.

"This seems familiar." Neville remarked.

"Mr Potter!" Madam Pomfrey screeched.

"Hi Madam Pomfrey," Harry greeted.

"What do you think you are doing?" She exclaimed, bustling over to his bed.

"I was just talking to Neville, mmmm" Harry mumbled the last part as Madam Pomfrey had stuffed some chocolate in his mouth and pushed him back down on the bed.

"Mr Longbottom if you would so kindly leave, your friend needs rest." Madam Pomfrey remarked shooing a grinning Neville out of the hospital wing.

Turning back to Harry she remarked. "That chocolate as you must already know seeing as you are awake had a sleeping potion in it and fighting it will only slow down recover so you had better just give in to it."

Realising she thought he was fighting the potion Harry let himself fall into meditation.

After persistent pestering from Harry that he was fine, Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a check up in the morning and to her absolute shock and his pleasure it turned out he was in perfect health but he ended up staying in the hospital wing for another hour after being cleared because Matt had woken up.

"Mmmm what happened?" Matt asked, looking slightly confused as he sat up.

"Matt!" Harry exclaimed having just finished being pronounced clear by Madam Pomfrey. Turned around to face his brother and jogging over to his bed. "You're awake."

"Yeah," Matt said. "Where am I?"

"The hospital wing Mr Potter." Madam Pomfrey said, coming over to fluff Matt's pillows.

"Why am in the hospital?" Matt asked, looking confused.

"It's seems that you took a rather nasty hit to the head and had slight magical execution." Madam Pomfrey replied finishing fluffing his pillows and started waving her wand over Matt to check his vitals.

"Can I go now?" Matt asked, going to get up.

"Are all Potter's alike," Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, pushing Matt back to the bed. "You may go when I say so."

"But," Matt started before a voice interrupted.

"Ah Matt it's good to see you're awake, I was just coming to see how you and Harry were." Professor Dumbledore stood in the hospital doorway, his eye's twinkling. "If I may Poppy?" He asked.

"Why not?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, "no-one else seems mind that I have patients to attend to, go ahead professor." With that Madam Pomfrey stormed off to her office.

"Hello Professor," Matt greeted, happily, "how are you?"

"Oh I'm very well thank-you but it seems like I should be asking you that." Dumbledore replied.

"Oh I'm well, not even sore," Matt replied.

"Good, good," Dumbledore said, "and you Harry?"

"Very well professor," Harry replied politely.

"Jolly good, jolly good." Dumbledore said, walking over Matt's bed and standing at the foot of it.

"Now on to some less pleasant matters," Dumbledore's face seemed to sink as he reached the bed where Matt was lying; Harry was standing beside the bed.

"Is it about what happened dungeons Professor?" Matt asked, his face also becoming sad.

"Yes Matt," Dumbledore answered.

"What happened down there sir?" Matt asked.

"You don't remember?" Dumbledore asked, sounding very old.

"No, sir," Matt replied, shaking his head.

"Harry?" Dumbledore turned his head to face the other Potter.

"Only when I walked in Quirrell was looking at Matt and, and -" suddenly something seemed to click in Harry's brain. "Voldemort, Voldemort was attached to Quirrell's head I think he was possessing him."

"I think I remember that," Matt said, "before you walked in Quirrell said he wanted the stone and he was going to break the mirror. I tried to distract him but he had me cornered in minutes. He unwrapped his turban and Voldemort was under it, he told me he had been living in the forest as a spirit, then Voldemort was offering me happiness saying only he could give me what I wanted and there was no such thing as good and evil. He was about to finish me off then you walked in," Matt said, turning to Harry. "He turned to you and I grabbed his arm to stop him and my touch burned him then we kind of duelled and I dodged his curse and then I just don't remember anything."

"Is that what you remember Harry?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked a bit pained as he tried to remember "yeah most of that but I remember also this bright, white light."

"Light?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah, just light then nothing." Harry said.

Dumbledore sighed. "What was the light?" Matt asked his hazel eyes turned to Dumbledore.

"I think," Dumbledore said "but I could very well be wrong. But I think it was you Matt."

"Me?" Matt asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore said, "you said you touched Quirrell right before you blacked out. My theory is that your magic, which is very pure, reacted with his and it created a kind of magically backlash, knocking you and Harry out."

"Wait, what happened to Quirrell?" Matt asked. "He didn't get the stone did he?"

Dumbledore grinned, "thanks to you and Harry here no he didn't. It would seem, if my theory is right that the backlash from your magic drove Voldemort from Quirrell's body."

"He's gone then?" Matt asked.

"Not totally," Dumbledore said sadly "but for now he is."

"What if he comes back for the stone?" Matt asked.

"Sorry to interrupt," Harry said, "but what's this stone."

"The philosophers stone, it can turn any metal to gold and make the elixir of life, which makes the drinker immortal." Matt replied, sounding very much like Hermione.

"You have done this right," Dumbledore said happily.

"But what about the stone," Matt said, not being deterred.

"Ah yes," Dumbledore said sadly. "Well the stone has been destroyed,"

"Destroyed but what about Nicolas Flamel, Matt exclaimed. Won't he die?"

"You know about Nicolas, you really did do this properly," Dumbledore said, happily, while Harry just looked confused but quickly put two and two together. "Nicolas and his wife will have just enough elixir to put their affairs in order and then yes they will die."

"How can you be so calm?" Matt asked.

"Well, to Nicolas and Perenelle it will just be like going to sleep after a very, very long day. After all to the well organised mind, death is but the next great adventure." Dumbledore remarked, chuckling at the face Matt pulled.

"Now how about these sweets," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the rather large pile at Matt's bedside. "I don't think Lilly would approve you eating them all, but a few couldn't hurt." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Matt grinned and grabbed a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. "Want one professor?" He asked holding the box out.

"Don't mind if I do," Dumbledore said, "I had a rather unfortunate experience with these when I was younger and rather lost my liking for them but I think I would be safe with a nice toffee." He said picking up a brown bean and popping it into his mouth then making a face. "Alas earwax."

Matt snorted, "want one Harry," he offered it to his twin.

"Thanks," Harry said and grabbed a yellow bean chewed it and swallowed. "Lemon," he remarked.

"Lucky," Matt said, his face screwed up in disgust at the bean he had just eaten.

"Well," Dumbledore said "I'll leave you to it then." With that he swept from the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey bustled back and shooed Harry out before giving Matt a dreamless sleep potion.

The leaving feast was a very dramatic event, almost every one in the school, excluding the Sytherins wanted to know what had happened. It wasn't known however that Harry as well as Matt had been down in the dungeons so he and Neville were left alone, which was the way they liked it. The giving of the house cup was the most exciting event of the feast however, for everyone but the Sytherins they didn't seem too pleased when Dumbledore gave out all the extra points and Gryffindor snatched the cup from right under their noses. To Harry and Neville's great pleasure they came second and third in the grade. Hermione came first and Matt came forth, his potions marks bringing him down. The time on Hogwarts express was a sad one, the school year was over Harry and Neville spent it playing exploding snap and when they pulled in at the station both promised faithfully to write over the summer. Then it was all over the school year was finished, the first year at Hogwarts was done but there were still six more years at the castle and a whole lot more adventures to come.