You Have , You'll Have to Catch them in the Act.

The time for planning is over. You don't know near enough, but you do know that Harry is in danger. Snape is either loyal and in danger, or a traitor and on to them. Despite your antipathy for the Boy Who Lived, he shouldn't charge blindly into the adder's nest.

Coming into the Ravenclaw common room you put up the Reference Book, grab a few things from around the room. You grab a few things that you think that might help you. Throwing them in your satchel bag you slink back down the stairs into the Common Room.

"Excuse me, Marvolo!" says an icy cold voice from behind you. You turn and see Jennifer standing behind you, her eyes cold and hard. "Where do you think you are off to? Leaving in a hurry and coming back acting all suspicious."

"I uhh... I was..." you flounder.

"You are most certainly not!" she objects She moves down the stairs pulling you to a quiet corner of the Common Room.

"You are not going to steal the stone before the Enemy!" Jen hisses. "That only shifts their attention from the defenses of the teachers to you!"

"They are already looking at me remember?!" you growl. "I'm already on their list, what's the harm in moving up a few spots? Besides this way we will keep Harry safe, the Wizarding World needs a hero."

"How do you think a first year is going to get by these tests by themselves?" she asks

You pause.

"You don't even have the faintest idea what they are!" she exclaims.

You feel your pulse quicken. "Not true!" You interject with a smile. Running back to your room you grab the Reference Book, and hurry back to the Common Room.

Setting the book down with a thunk you flip the book open as words appear on the page.

Hypothesis on Professor's Security On the Forbidden Hallway: a Character Analysis

Jennifer gives you a flat look "Really?"

You smile, "I needed to do something while you were studying for charms."

You slide your chair next to Jennifer and reorient the book.

"So we know that there's seven challenges-"

"You dreamed that we don't know it"

"So of the Seven we know one is the Dog. Of the remaining professors we know we have Professor Sprout, who would have some kind of gardening threat."

You reach inside your satchel and take out some Gimble's Mandrake Flakes. "I ordered these a little while back to help with my Herbology project, they are essentially magical weed killer."

"Next we have Professor Flitwick. He loves to show off his skill at charm work. Invariably the challenge will involve a lot of detail and moving parts, I can probably use my skill with charms to disable a key working part and cause it all to collapse inward on itself."

"Then we have Professor McGonagal, I have here riddles- I am not sure which, but McGonagal values lateral thinking and clinical weighing of situations, she's not one for tricks, but she'll have a puzzle, which if I can't solve neither could Harry, and we can be sure that he is safe."

"Professor Snape" you continue, "Would invariable test someone's intellect and determination, some kind of potion equation or riddle. I don't have any remedy, but hopefully I can solve it."

You pause as you look at the last entry. "Professor Quirrell." you say slowly. Jennifer looks at the book.

"You just have 'arrogant prick' written here." She says. You shrug guiltily. "He doesn't seem that arrogant to me more of a coward."

You nod, "I think it might be both. He's confident in his abilities, but afraid of risk. He'd make something that he could easily bypass, but would seem insurmountable to everyone else. There'd be some kind of trick or exploit that would completely invalidate his security in case he ever needed to get through, something that makes him feel very clever."

"That's six..." Jennifer says. "You said there were seven."

"The seventh is Dumbledore's" you say. "Or at least I think it is. It would fit his profile."

"You have a profile on the most inscrutable wizard alive??" Jennifer asks incredulously.

"Frankly that might be generous." You mutter. "I don't claim to understand the man, but he's easier to read than Professor Snape. At least he has a public presence, he's given speeches, he helped defeat Grindelwald, and is the most famous wizard of the last few generations. These things help create a rough idea of who a person is."

Jennifer looks less than convinced.

"Either way, its a safe bet that the 7th one is Dumbledore's and it will probably be the hardest to cheat, I don't need to get the stone, only stop Harry from endangering himself. Whatever the order is I know what to expect... roughly."

Jennifer scowls at you. "You are trusting in your ability to figure out things as you go far too much, Marvolo. If that were all it took then someone would have already gotten past."

You both sit in an awkward silence.

"I'll help you." Jennifer says finally, "But only if I go with you, and we turn back once Harry is safe."

You feel like you have to agree...