"Brilliant." Ron gave a thumbs up.
Harry stepped forward, jammed the key into the keyhole and gave it a twist, and the lock clicked open.
Pushing open the door, they found the next room pitch black; nothing was visible.
But as soon as they stepped inside, the room was suddenly ablaze with light, illuminating a shocking sight.
They stood at the edge of a giant chessboard. In front of them were black chess pieces, each larger than themselves, seemingly carved from black stone or something similar.
At the other end of the room, directly across from them, were some white chess pieces.
The towering white pieces had no facial features, making them look quite terrifying. Neville whimpered and grabbed Seamus's arm.
"If you squeeze any harder, you'll break my arm, Neville." Seamus said sarcastically.
Actually, he had been pretty scared a moment ago too, but with Neville grabbing him like that... he actually felt less afraid.
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked.
Ron looked up at the chess pieces, his expression grave.
"Obviously, we have to play chess to get to the next room."
"Maybe there's another way?" Seamus, itching for action, whipped out his magic wand and aimed it at the King among the white pieces: "Confringo (Thunder Explosion)!"
The piece shattered on cue, but as Seamus flashed a smug smile, the fragments on the ground began to shudder rapidly, and soon reassembled themselves into another King piece.
"Looks like there's no shortcutting this one." Hermione said quietly.
"If you ask me," Ron said, "we'll have to play as the chess pieces."
He walked up to a black knight and reached out to touch the horse.
Immediately, the stone came to life. The horse pawed at the ground, and the knight turned his helmeted head to look at Ron.
"Do we... um, have to join you to win?" Ron asked.
The black knight nodded.
Ron turned to Harry and Hermione. "We need to think carefully... I'm afraid we have to take the places of five of the black pieces... "
No one else spoke, watching as Ron thought it over.
After all, Ron was a wizard chess master; only he could win this game.
After some careful pondering, Ron said, "Here's the thing: don't be upset, and don't blame me for being blunt, but honestly, you lot aren't great at chess—"
"We're not upset," Seamus said hastily, "Just tell us what to do."
"Alright then. Harry, you take the bishop's place; Hermione, stand by his side and be the castle. Neville, you go to the other side and take the other bishop; Seamus, you stand next to Neville as that castle."
"And you?" Hermione asked loudly.
"Me?" Ron took a deep breath, his gaze resolute: "I'll be a knight."
The chess pieces seemed to be listening. As soon as Ron finished, a knight, two bishops, and two castles turned around, their backs to the white pieces, and walked off the board, leaving five empty spots for the five of them.
"It's wizard chess as usual," Ron took a deep breath, "White moves first—"
Just as he finished speaking, a white pawn stepped forward from the white side.
"Harry, move four spaces diagonally to the right!" Ron commanded loudly.
Harry followed Ron's instructions and moved four spaces forward.
Then it was white's turn again; the white queen advanced, swinging her iron mallet savagely to knock over another black knight, hurling him off the board with force.
"I... I'm a bit..." Seamus swallowed, "Ron, mate, please don't send me to take a beating..."
"Go ahead, Neville." Ron's face betrayed no emotion; he directed Neville to move forward, "Take down their bishop!"
"Me?" Neville flinched. "I'm supposed to attack the white bishop?"
Still, he obediently drew his magic wand and used a Disarming Spell to take out the white bishop.
Soon a pile of lifeless black chess pieces were scattered along the wall.
Twice, thanks to Ron's quick thinking, Seamus and Neville were rescued from dangerous spots.
Ron himself charged up and down the board, capturing as many white pieces as there were black pieces lost.
"Let me think, let me think..."
Ron sat atop the black warhorse, deeply conflicted.
Just then, the white queen turned her featureless face toward Ron.
"I need someone." Ron swallowed. "Someone willing to get captured with me—"
"What'll happen to us?" Seamus swallowed hard.
Ron didn't answer, only glanced at the mangled black chess-piece corpses lying broken off the board.
"No way!" Hermione shouted, "You'll get yourself killed! Ronald!"
"Do you want to stop You-Know-Who or not!" Ron shouted back, his voice harsh: "This is chess! Some sacrifices have to be made! Someone has to go—why shouldn't it be me! I was ready for this before I ever came here!"
"But..." Hermione tried to protest.
"Hurry! Don't waste time!" Ron practically barked the order. "Any longer and You-Know-Who will get what he's after!"
"I'll do it!" Seamus stepped up. "It can't be Harry—he's the one fated to face You-Know-Who... Ron, I hope I won't die in vain."
Harry clenched his fists tight. He knew—these friends of his might not match Phoenix Society veterans in spellwork, but in spirit, they were second to none.
"Ready?" Ron took a deep breath—his face was deathly pale, but his voice unwavering—"I'll go first, then Seamus, you go to A1, Harry—you're to checkmate the king..."
"Yeah!" Harry nodded hard.
Ron advanced a step, and the white queen pounced. She raised her stone fist and brought it down hard on Ron's head; he crashed to the floor, and the queen dragged him off and tossed him out of the arena.
Hermione screamed, but didn't budge from her square.
"Here goes."
Seamus glanced at Harry and Hermione, then walked heavily over to A1.
"Check!"
The white queen, who had been blocking Harry and the white king, slowly turned and marched over to Seamus.
"Tell Mum I love her."
That was all Seamus had time to say before the white queen knocked him unconscious and tossed him off the board.
"Seamus!" Neville cried out.
"Don't move!"
Harry shouted at Neville, then walked up to the white king and looked up at him.
"Checkmate!"
The King Bai took off his crown and tossed it at Harry's feet.
With the King's gesture, all the white chess pieces bowed and stepped aside, opening a path.
"Hermione, Neville." Harry spoke to them, "You two... take care of those two—go back to the key door. I remember there are several brooms back there. Go quickly. Get them to the hospital wing. The rest... is all up to me."
"Harry..." Hermione covered her mouth, whispering, "Be careful!"
"Don't worry." Harry nodded to Hermione, then patted Neville on the shoulder, "Neville, take care of Hermione. You're a man—stand tall!"
"Okay!" Neville nodded vigorously.
Harry watched them leave, then turned and pressed on.
The next challenge was a knocked-out Giant—if he guessed right, that had to be Quirrell or Voldemort's handiwork.
After the Giant was a potions challenge, which looked like Professor Snape's doing.
Harry made a quick judgment, grabbed the smallest bottle and downed it in one gulp.
Then he strode through the flickering black flames, entering the next room.
Sure enough, there was already someone inside.
Just as Harry guessed—it was Professor Quirrell, and behind him stood the Mirror of Erised.
Seeing Harry enter, Professor Quirrell's face twisted into a sinister smile.
"Harry Po—"
He didn't finish before Harry whipped out his magic wand and pointed it at him.
A flash of green light burst from Harry's wand, laced with death, surging toward Quirrell.
"Avada Kedavra!"
(Third update! Please vote!)