Chapter 16: Through the Trap Door

In years to come, Jessica would never quite remember how she had managed to get through her exams when she half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.

It was swelteringly hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuff-box - points were given for how pretty the snuff-box was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion.

Jessica did the best she could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in her forehead which had been bothering her ever since her trip into the Forest. Hermione thought Jessica had a bad case of exam nerves because Jessica couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Jessica kept being woken by her old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.

Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Jessica had seen in the Forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Jessica. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their revision they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Jessica couldn't help cheering with the rest.

'That was far easier than I thought it would be,' said Hermione, as they joined the crowds flocking out into the sunny grounds. 'I needn't have learnt about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager.'

Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterwards, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.

'No more revision,' Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. 'You could look more cheerful, Jessica, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet.'

Jessica was rubbing her forehead.

'I wish I knew what this means!' she burst out angrily. 'My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this.'

"Go to Madam Pomfrey,' Hermione suggested.

'I'm not ill,' said Jessica. 'I think it's a warning . it means danger's coming.'

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.

'Jessica, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down.'

Jessica nodded, but she couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something she'd forgotten to do, something important. When she tried to explain this, Hermione said, 'That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one.'

Jessica was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. She watched an owl flutter towards the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent her letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy ... never ... but -

Jessica suddenly jumped to her feet.

'Where're you going?' said Ron sleepily.

'I've just thought of something,' said Jessica. She had gone white. 'We've got to go and see Hagrid, now.'

"Why?' panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.

'Don't you think it's a bit odd,' said Jessica, scrambling up the grassy slope, 'that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?'

'What are you on about?' said Ron, but Jessica, sprinting across the grounds towards the Forest, didn't answer.

Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.

'Hullo,' he said, smiling. 'Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?'

'Yes, please,' said Ron, but Jessica cut across him.

'No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?'

'Dunno,' said Hagrid casually, 'he wouldn' take his cloak off.'

He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.

'It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head one of the pubs down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up.'

Jessica sank down next to the bowl of peas.

'What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?'

'Mighta come up,' said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. 'Yeah ... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after ... so I told him ... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon ... an' then ... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... Let's see ... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home ... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy...'

'And did he - did he seem interested in Fluffy?' Jessica asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

'Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -'

Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.

'I shouldn'ta told yeh that!' he blurted out. 'Forget I said it! Hey - where're yeh goin'?'

Jessica, Ron and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the Entrance Hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.

'We've got to go to Dumbledore,' said Jessica. 'Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?'

They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.

"We'll just have to -' Jessica began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

'What are you three doing inside?'

It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

'We want to see Professor Dumbledore,' said Hermione, rather bravely, Jessica and Ron thought.

'See Professor Dumbledore?' Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. 'Why?

Jessica swallowed – now what?

'It's sort of secret,' she said, but she wished at once she hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.

'Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,' she said coldly. 'He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once.'

'He's gone?" said Jessica frantically. 'Now?'

'Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -'

'But this is important.'

"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?'

"Look,' said Jessica, throwing caution to the winds, 'Professor - it's about the Philosopher's Stone -'

Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms but she didn't pick them up.

'How do you know -?' she spluttered.

'Professor, I think - I know – that Sn- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore.'

Professor McGonagall eyed her with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

'Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow,' she said finally. 'I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected.'

'But Professor -'

'Potter, I know what I'm talking about,' she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. 'I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine.'

But they didn't.

'It's tonight,' said Jessica, once she was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. 'Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up.'

'But what can we -'

Hermione gasped. Jessica and Ron wheeled round.

Snape was standing there.

"Good afternoon,' he said smoothly.

They stared at him.

'You shouldn't be inside on a day like this,' he said, with an odd, twisted smile.

'We were -' Jessica began, without any idea what she was going to say.

'You want to be more careful,' said Snape. 'Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can they?'

Jessica flushed. They turned to go back outside, but Snape called them back.

'Be warned, Potter – any more night- time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you.'

He strode off in the direction of the staff room.

Out on the stone steps, Jessica turned to the others.

'Right, here's what we've got to do,' she whispered urgently. 'One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape - wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that.'

'Why me?"

'It's obvious,' said Ron. 'You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know.' He put on a high voice, 'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong ...'

'Oh, shut up,' said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.

'And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor,' Jessica told Ron. "Come on.'

But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again, and this time, she lost her temper.

'I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!' she stormed. 'Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"

Jessica and Ron went back to the common room. Jessica had just said, 'At least Hermione's on Snape's tail,' when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.

'I'm sorry, Jessica!' she wailed. 'Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away. I don't know where Snape went.'

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?' Jessica said.

The other two stared at her. She was pale and her eyes were glittering.

'I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first.'

'You're mad!' said Ron.

'You can't!' said Hermione. 'After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!'

"SO WHAT?' Jessica shouted. 'Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter any more, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave families alone if Gryffindor win the House Cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there. It's only dying a bit later than I would have done, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?'

She glared at them.

'You're right, Jessica,' said Hermione in a small voice.

'I'll use the Invisibility Cloak,' said Jessica. 'It's just lucky I got it back.'

'But will it cover all three of us?' said Ron.

'All – all three of us?'

'Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"

'Of course not,' said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful ...'

'But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too.'

'Not if I can help it,' said Hermione grimly. 'Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve per cent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that.'

After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Jessica any more, after all. This was the first night she hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try and break. Jessica and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do.

Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.

'Better get the Cloak,' Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Jessica ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. She pulled out the Cloak and then her eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given her for Christmas. She pocketed it to use on Fluffy – she didn't feel much like singing.

She ran back down to the common room.

"We'd better put the Cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own-'

'What are you doing?' said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.

'Nothing, Neville, nothing,' said Jessica, hurriedly putting the Cloak behind her back.

Neville stared at their guilty faces.

'You're going out again,' he said.

'No, no, no,' said Hermione. 'No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?'

Jessica looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.

'You can't go out,' said Neville, 'you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble.'

'You don't understand,' said Jessica, 'this is important.'

But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate. 'I won't let you do it,' he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. 'I'll – I'll fight you!'

'Neville,' Ron exploded, 'get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -'

'Don't you call me an idiot!' said Neville. 'I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!'

'Yes, but not to us,' said Ron in exasperation. 'Neville, you don't know what you're doing.'

He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.

"Go on then, try and hit me!' said Neville, raising his fists. 'Im ready!'

Jessica turned to Hermione.

'Do something,' she said desperately.

Hermione stepped forward.

'Neville,' she said, 'I'm really, really sorry about this.'

She raised her wand.

'Petrificus Totalus!' she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.

Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.

'What've you done to him?' Jessica whispered.

'It's the full Body-Bind, said Hermione miserably. 'Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry.'

'We had to, Neville, no time to explain,' said Jessica.

'You'll understand later, Neville,' said Ron, as they stepped over him and pulled on the Invisibility Cloak.

But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.

At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs Norris skulking near the top.

"Oh, let's kick her, just this once,' Ron whispered in Jessica's ear, but Jessica shook her head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs Norris turned her lamp-like eyes on them, but didn't do anything.

They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing half-way up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.

'Who's there?' he said suddenly as they climbed towards him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. 'Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?'

He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.

"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen.'

Ron had a sudden idea.

'Peeves,' Ron said, in a hoarse whisper, 'the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible.'

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr Baron, sir,' he said greasily. 'My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir.'

'I have business here, Peeves,' croaked Ron. 'Stay away from this place tonight.'

'I will, sir, I most certainly will,' said Peeves, rising up in the air again. 'Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you.'

And he scooted off.

'Brilliant, Ron!' Jessica whispered.

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor - and the door was already ajar.

"Well, there you are,' Jessica said quietly. 'Snape's already got past Fluffy.

Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the Cloak, Jessica turned to the other two.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you,' she said. 'You can take the Cloak, I won't need it now.'

'Don't be stupid,' said Ron.

"We're coming,' said Hermione.

Jessica pushed the door open. As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

'What's that at its feet?' Hermione whispered.

"Looks like a harp,' said Ron. 'Snape must have left it there.'

'It must wake up the moment you stop playing,' said Jessica. 'Well, here goes...'

She put Hagrid's flute to her lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Jessica hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

'Keep playing,' Ron warned Jessica as they slipped out of the Cloak and crept towards the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.

'I think we'll be able to pull the door open,' said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?'

'No, I don't!'

'All right.' Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trap-door, which swung up and open.

'What can you see?' Hermione said anxiously.

'Nothing - just black – there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop.'

Jessica, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at herself.

'You want to go first? Are you sure?' said Ron. 'I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep.'

Jessica handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.

Jessica climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.

She lowered herself through the hole until she was hanging on by her fingertips. Then she looked up at Ron and said, 'If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?'

'Right,' said Ron.

'See you in a minute, I hope ...'

And Jessica let go. Cold, damp air rushed past her as she fell down, down, down and -

FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump she landed on something soft. She sat up and felt around, her eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant.

'It's OK!' She called up to the light the size of a postage stamp which was the open trapdoor. 'It's a soft landing, you can jump!'

Ron followed straight away. He landed sprawled next to Jessica.

'What's this stuff?' were his first words.

'Dunno, sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"

The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Jessica's other side.

'We must be miles under the school,' she said.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really, said Ron.

'Lucky!' shrieked Hermione. 'Look at you both!'

She leapt up and struggled towards a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snake-like tendrils around her ankles. As for Jessica and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.

Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as Jessica and Ron fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.

"Stop moving!' Hermione ordered them. 'I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!'

'Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help,' snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant curling around his neck.

"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it! said Hermione.

'Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!' Jessica gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around her chest.

'Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare ... What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp -'

'So light a fire!' Jessica choked.

'Yes - of course - but there's no wood!' Hermione cried, wringing her hands.

'HAVE YOU GONE MAD?' Ron bellowed. 'ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?'

"Oh, right!' said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, Jessica and Ron felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies and they were able to pull free.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione,' said Jessica as she joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off her face.

"Yeah,' said Ron, 'and lucky Jessica doesn't lose her head in a crisis "there's no wood", honestly.'

"This way,' said Jessica, pointing down a stone passageway which was the only way on.

All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downwards and Jessica was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, she remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully grown dragon - Norbert had been bad enough ...

"Can you hear something?' Ron whispered.

Jessica listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.

'Do you think it's a ghost?'

'I don't know ... sounds like wings to me.'

"There's light ahead – I can see something moving.'

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy, wooden door.

'Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?' said Ron.

'Probably,' said Jessica. They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once ... Well, there's nothing for it... I'll run.'

She took a deep breath, covered her face with her arms and sprinted across the room. She expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at her any second, but nothing happened. She reached the door untouched. She pulled the handle, but it was locked.

The other two followed her. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora Charm.

'Now what?' said Ron.

'These birds ... they can't be here just for decoration,' said Hermione.

They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering - glittering?

"They're not birds!' Jessica said suddenly, 'they're keys! Winged keys – look carefully. So that must mean ..' she looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys.' ... 'Yes – look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!'

'But there are hundreds of them!'

Ron examined the lock on the door.

'We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle.'

They seized a broomstick each and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.

Not for nothing, though, was Jessica the youngest Seeker in a century. She had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, she noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.

"That one!' she called to the others. "That big one - there – no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side.'

Ron went speeding in the direction that Jessica was pointing, crashed into the ceiling and nearly fell off his broom.

"We've got to close in on it!' Jessica called, not taking her eyes off the key with the damaged wing. Ron, you come at it from above - Hermione, stay below and stop it going down – and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!'

Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upwards, the key dodged them both and Jessica streaked after it; it sped towards the wall, Jessica leant forward and with a nasty crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.

They landed quickly and Jessica ran to the door, the key struggling in her hand. She rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

'Ready?' Jessica asked the other two, her hand on the door handle. They nodded. She pulled the door open.

The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Jessica, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces.

'Now what do we do?' Jessica whispered.

'It's obvious, isn't it?' said Ron. 'We've got to play our way across the room.'

Behind the white pieces they could see another door.

'How?' said Hermione nervously.

'I think,' said Ron, 'we're going to have to be chessmen.'

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

'Do we - er - have to join you to get across?'

The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.

'This wants thinking about ...' he said. 'I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces...'

Jessica and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, 'Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess -'

'We're not offended,' said Jessica quickly. 'Just tell us what to do.'

'Well, Jessica, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle.'

'What about you?'

'I'm going to be a knight,' said Ron.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board leaving three empty squares which Jessica, Ron and Hermione took.

'White always plays first in chess,' said Ron, peering across the board. 'Yes ... look...'

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Jessica's knees were trembling. What if they lost?

'Jessica - move diagonally four squares to the right.'

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, face down.

'Had to let that happen,' said Ron, looking shaken. 'Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on.'

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Jessica and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

'We're nearly there,' he muttered suddenly. 'Let me think - let me think ...'

The white queen turned her blank face towards him.

'Yes ...' said Ron softly, 'it's the only way ... I've got to be taken.'

'NO!' Jessica and Hermione shouted.

"That's chess!' snapped Ron. 'You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Jessica!'

"But -'

'Do you want to stop Snape or not?'

'Ron -'

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

There was nothing else for it.

'Ready?' Ron called, his face pale but determined. 'Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won.'

He stepped forward and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard around the head with her stone arm and he crashed to the floor - Hermione screamed but stayed on her square - the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.

Shaking, Jessica moved three spaces to the left.

The white king took off his crown and threw it at Jessica's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Jessica and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.

'What if he's-?'

'He'll be all right,' said Jessica, trying to convince herself. 'What do you reckon's next?'

'We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare - Flitwick must've put charms on the keys - McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive - that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's ..'

They had reached another door.

'All right?' Jessica whispered.

"Go on.'

Jessica pushed it open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one,' Jessica whispered, as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe.'

She pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

"Snape's,' said Jessica. 'What do we have to do?'

They stepped over the threshold and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onwards. They were trapped.

"Look!' Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Jessica looked over Hermione's shoulder to read it:

Danger lies before you,

while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you,

whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers,

waiting hidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,

To help you in your choice,

we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end, But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

Hermione let out a great sigh and Jessica, amazed, saw that she was smil- ing, the very last thing she felt like doing.

'Brilliant,' said Hermione. "This isn't magic – it's logic - a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here for ever.'

'But so will we, won't we?'

"Of course not,' said Hermione. 'Everything we need is here on this paper.

Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire and one will get us back through the purple.

'But how do we know which to drink?'

'Give me a minute.'

Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to her- self and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.

"Got it,' she said. 'The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire to- wards the Stone.'

Jessica looked at the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough there for one of us,' she said. That's hardly one swallow.'

They looked at each other.

'Which one will get you back through the purple flames?'

Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

'You drink that,' said Jessica. 'No, listen - get back and get Ron - grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy - go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him really.'

"But Jessica- what if You-Know-Who's with him?'

'Well – I was lucky once, wasn't I?' said Jessica, pointing at her scar. 'I might get lucky again.'

Hermione's lip trembled and she suddenly dashed at Jessica and threw her arms around her. 'Jessica - you're a great witch, you know.'

'I'm not as good as you,' said Jessica, feeling touched, as Hermione let go of her.

'Me!' said Hermione. 'Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Jessica- be careful!'

'You drink first,' said Jessica. 'You are sure which is which, aren't you?'

'Positive,' said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end and shuddered.

'It's not poison?' said Jessica anxiously.

'No - but it's like ice.'

"Quick, go, before it wears off.'

"Good luck -take care -'

"GO!"

Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.

Jessica took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. She turned to face the black flames.

'Here I come,' she said and she drained the little bottle in one gulp.

It was indeed as though ice was flooding her body. She put the bottle down and walked forward; she braced herself, saw the black flames licking her body but couldn't feel them - for a moment she could see nothing but dark fire - then she was on the other side, in the last chamber.

There was already someone there but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.