A/N- Well, since no one's complained about the story, I'm gonna assume one
of 2 things. 1.-No one read it. OR 2.- you read it and just didn't have
time to review. Either way, I'm gonna update it again! HA!! Hope someone
out there is enjoying it, and if you are, please review and tell me so I
know that I should keep writing! Thanx a ton!! Bye!!
Sammy Solo
"Harry!" I cried out. I pushed down hard on the broom, starting a dive to try to catch the falling wizard. He screamed as he fell, every second getting closer to the ground. The wind rushed in my ears as I sped towards him. Harry was only a few feet from the ground. I wasn't going to make it.
Then I felt something hard slam into me, and I was thrown from the broom and onto the floor. A sharp pain tore into my head and my side as I hit the cold cement. I groaned and lie still, catching my breath and waiting for the pain to fade.
"Jess? Are you okay? Jess?" Cole's voice was brimming with worry.
"Isn't this just a game?" I asked. "Why does it hurt?"
"It is just a game." His voice carried some relief now that he knew I was capable of speech. "But, the game's gotta let you know somehow that you lost health. Every time you get hit it'll probably hurt a little more and a little longer so that you know you're getting lower."
"But there's no damage to my real body?"
"Not even a scratch." I sat up slowly as the pain began to fade. I suddenly remembered that Harry was here too. Glancing around, I spotted him by the door, struggling to get the key into the lock. I heard the lock click, and he released the key. Both wings now bent, it flitted sideways into the air and joined the cloud of its brothers.
"Are you alright?" he asked, as I climbed to my feet and dusted myself off. The pain was gone by now, and I saw that my health bar was a little more than half gone.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?"
"Yes, thanks to you. Great catch, by the way, and amazing speed. Do you play Quidditch?"
I felt myself blush at the compliment. "No, I can't say I ever have. Anyway, we should keep going."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, turning back to the door. "Snape might already be at the Stone." He pulled at the door at it come open with a loud creak. Something about his last statement hadn't seemed right. Then I remembered.
"Snape's not after the Stone!" I cried, running after Harry into the darkened room beyond the door. "It's."
The room around us suddenly lit up with torches on either side. Before us stood a gigantic chessboard, stretching across the room, with huge pieces set up for a new game. I completely forgot what I was going to say as we gaped at the intricately carved pieces.
"I guess we've got to play our way across," said Harry nervously. "I sure wish Ron was here. He's an amazing chess player."
"Cole, you're pretty good," I said. "Do you think you could play us through?"
"As long as you help me out," he replied. "Remember, I'm watching this on a TV sized screen. You're gonna have to let me know where the pieces are and if I'm making a mistake. Why don't you have Harry be a knight, and you be the king. That way I can get him out of danger quickly and you won't be in danger unless we lose the game."
"Okay, Harry. You're gonna be the black king, and I'll be the G8 knight." Harry nodded his understanding, and the black king obediently stepped off the board. The horse shaped knight went to step to the side, but I called out "Hey!" It stopped and spun towards me. "Uh.Can I sit on top of you? Give me a better view of the board and all."
The knight jumped back onto its spot and I climbed up its back. "How did you and Harry switch places between my mouth and your ear?" Cole asked, annoyed.
"Well, from up here, I get a better view of the board. Besides, Harry's more important than I am. He's the one who's gotta get the Stone."
"Harry won't get the Stone if you don't make it through the challenges! The game will end when you."
"They're starting," I interrupted. Across the board, white's E2 pawn had slid silently to E4.
"Okay, Jess, move your knight up to F6."
"Uh, giddy up," I commanded. The knight didn't budge. "Um, move, please?" Still nothing.
"Tell it where to go," Harry called from his position a few squares away.
"My knight to F6!" I yelled, and with a jolt the knight began to slide forward. The pawn in front stepped out of the way, and my knight moved through its square and the square in front. It continued sliding to the right one square and finally came to rest on F6. The white's B1 knight moved up to C3.
"Okay, other knight to C6," Cole instructed. I called out the order, and the other black knight slid forward. The game progressed for a few minutes in this fashion, each side setting up its defensive positions. Then Cole saw his chance.
"Jess, move up and take the G4 pawn," he said.
"My knight to G4," I called. The knight slid forward, then reared up and slammed the pawn hard over its head. I struggled to hang on as the knight dragged the pawn off the board and returned to its square. "Wow," I said, at a loss for any other words. White made its next move, and the intensity level began to increase. Pieces were being taken all over the board. We were losing by two pieces, but just as I was about to comment about this I heard Cole gasp.
"I see the checkmate," he said quietly. "Jess, get off of your knight; it's got to be taken." I started to climb down from my perch on the knight's back, but the white bishop on the square next to mine pushed me back up. I tried the other way, climbing to the front of the knight and dangling from his mouth, but the bishop moved to stop me, then returned to its spot.
"Uh. what now?" I asked uncertainly.
"I'll just find another way," he said, but I could hear the doubt clouding his voice. We needed to get this game over with; we couldn't afford to lose any more pieces.
"Are you sure you've found the mate?" I asked, and he responded with a definite yes. "Then I can take the hit."
"But Jess, you're health's gotta be almost gone with everything you've gone through so far. If you try to take a direct hit."
"I'll jump off right before the knight gets hit," I said. "Don't worry, I can do it." With a resigned sigh, he told me the next move. I called it out and instantly saw what Cole was afraid of: the white queen had a direct diagonal path to my knight. She began to slide towards me.
"Jess, watch out for the queen!" Harry called from his spot across the board.
"Cole, what's the next move?" I asked as the queen drew nearer.
"Rook to A7, checkmate," he said, his voice stiff.
"Harry!" I yelled. "The last move is Rook to A7! I've got to be taken, so make the move in case I get hurt."
"Jess, you can't!" he objected. "She'll kill you!"
"I know what I'm doing!" I responded, and he nodded reluctantly. I turned back to the queen. She was three squares away, then two, then right next to me.
"Jess, jump!" Cole and Harry yelled at the same time. The queen raised her fist, it came pummeling towards my head.
I pushed off the knight and fell backwards. I heard a crunch as the queen hit the knight, then I landed on my back and pain shot through my body. I groaned and closed my eyes, hoping the pain would fade.
"Rook to A7!" I heard Harry call. "Checkmate!" A loud clung echoed off the walls, followed by a lot of shuffling. I opened my eyes and Harry was at my side. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"No," I said, sitting up. I glanced down at my health bar- there was less than a quarter of it left. "Help me up."
He pulled me to my feet. The chess pieces had reset themselves for another game. "Come on," Harry said. "We've got to catch up to Snape before he gets the Stone." He started walking towards a door set into the wall behind the white pieces.
"Harry, wait!" I called, painfully jogging after him. He paused just before he reached the door. "Snape's not after the Stone. It's Professor Quirrell, and Voldemort's with him."
Harry looked stunned. "But Voldemort's too weak. He can't be here. And with Professor Dumbledore around." He stopped and gasped. "But Dumbledore left the school. Professor McGonagall said so herself."
"Exactly. Voldemort wants the Stone so he can keep himself alive and gain some of his power back."
"Now we've really got to hurry," he said with a fresh determination. Grabbing the door, he pulled it open. A rancid smell escaped from the now open doorway. I pulled my shirt up over my nose, blinking back tears that welled up in my eyes from the stench. I stepped into the room and saw a huge figure lying on the ground. Its legs looked like they could pass as tree trunks, its head was covered in warts, and a giant club was lying clutched in its hand.
"What is that?" I asked, fighting back the urge to throw up.
"A troll," Harry answered, the reply muffled by the edge of his cloak as it covered his nose and mouth. "Glad we didn't have to fight it." We quickly made our way toward the other side of the room.
"Cole, you still with me?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm trying to figure out how to get you some health back. How bad is your health?"
"Almost gone," I replied. "What's the next obstacle?"
"Snape's potion challenge," he said, flipping pages.
"Well, at least I'll only lose health if I drink from the wrong bottle. Does it say which one it is?"
"Hold on," he said. "I'll find it." Harry had reached the door leading out and pulled it open. I hurried forward, desperate to escape the smell. I followed him through the door and took a deep breath of clean air. As soon as we were both through, purple flames shot up behind us. Across the room, black flames blocked the doorway leading out. In the middle of the room lay a long table with seven bottles lined up on top. They were all different shapes and colors. Harry stepped to the table and picked up a piece of paper.
"'Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind," he read aloud. "Two of us will."
"It's the smallest bottle," Cole said in my ear. "That one will get you through the black flames ahead. But in the book, there was only enough for one person. How will you both get through?"
"It's the smallest bottle," I told Harry. He stopped reading and picked up the smallest bottle on the table.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "There's only enough in here for one person, from the looks of it."
Lost in thought, I picked up one of the other bottles and swirled the little bit of liquid inside. It too only had enough for one sip. There had to be a way.
"Wait," Cole said, stunning me out of my thoughts. "All the bottles only have enough for one person. If Quirrell or Voldemort or whoever it is already got through the flames, then the bottle shouldn't have anything in it at all, right?"
I gasped and nearly dropped the bottle. "That's right!" I placed my bottle back in its place and grabbed Harry's out of his hand.
"What's right?" he asked, obviously confused.
"If Quirrell already got into the Stone, then there shouldn't be anything left in the bottle at all, right? But there is enough for one person. Which means that somehow the bottle must refill itself. Cole, which bottle will get us back through the purple flames?"
He paused, then responded, "The round bottle at the right end of the table."
"Okay, Harry. I'm gonna drink this and go forward. Once I'm gone, wait for a few minutes. If the bottle doesn't refill itself, drink." I found the right bottle and picked it up. ".This bottle. It will take you back. Go and get Dumbledore and bring him here."
"Wait," Harry objected. "Since I've faced down Voldemort before, shouldn't I be going through to him?"
"Well," I reasoned. "I'm the older and more experienced wizard here, and I'm a friend of Professor Dumbledore's. He trusts my judgement, and so should you." He nodded reluctantly. I lifted the bottle toward my lips.
"'Older and more experienced wizard'?" Cole was obviously struggling not to laugh. I ignored him and drained the contents of the bottle. It felt like ice running through my veins, but I gained a renewed sense of determination, almost like I had gotten my second wind. I glanced down to see that my health and energy bars were completely full. I shivered and started forward into the flames.
"Cole, I got my energy and health back," I said as got closer to the flames. Then, to Harry, "Remember, if the bottle doesn't refill, go back."
"Good luck," Cole said in a tight voice, filled with concern. I couldn't help smiling to know that he was here with me. I stepped through the black flames and into the next room, prepared to face the most powerful and evil wizard of all time.
"Harry!" I cried out. I pushed down hard on the broom, starting a dive to try to catch the falling wizard. He screamed as he fell, every second getting closer to the ground. The wind rushed in my ears as I sped towards him. Harry was only a few feet from the ground. I wasn't going to make it.
Then I felt something hard slam into me, and I was thrown from the broom and onto the floor. A sharp pain tore into my head and my side as I hit the cold cement. I groaned and lie still, catching my breath and waiting for the pain to fade.
"Jess? Are you okay? Jess?" Cole's voice was brimming with worry.
"Isn't this just a game?" I asked. "Why does it hurt?"
"It is just a game." His voice carried some relief now that he knew I was capable of speech. "But, the game's gotta let you know somehow that you lost health. Every time you get hit it'll probably hurt a little more and a little longer so that you know you're getting lower."
"But there's no damage to my real body?"
"Not even a scratch." I sat up slowly as the pain began to fade. I suddenly remembered that Harry was here too. Glancing around, I spotted him by the door, struggling to get the key into the lock. I heard the lock click, and he released the key. Both wings now bent, it flitted sideways into the air and joined the cloud of its brothers.
"Are you alright?" he asked, as I climbed to my feet and dusted myself off. The pain was gone by now, and I saw that my health bar was a little more than half gone.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?"
"Yes, thanks to you. Great catch, by the way, and amazing speed. Do you play Quidditch?"
I felt myself blush at the compliment. "No, I can't say I ever have. Anyway, we should keep going."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, turning back to the door. "Snape might already be at the Stone." He pulled at the door at it come open with a loud creak. Something about his last statement hadn't seemed right. Then I remembered.
"Snape's not after the Stone!" I cried, running after Harry into the darkened room beyond the door. "It's."
The room around us suddenly lit up with torches on either side. Before us stood a gigantic chessboard, stretching across the room, with huge pieces set up for a new game. I completely forgot what I was going to say as we gaped at the intricately carved pieces.
"I guess we've got to play our way across," said Harry nervously. "I sure wish Ron was here. He's an amazing chess player."
"Cole, you're pretty good," I said. "Do you think you could play us through?"
"As long as you help me out," he replied. "Remember, I'm watching this on a TV sized screen. You're gonna have to let me know where the pieces are and if I'm making a mistake. Why don't you have Harry be a knight, and you be the king. That way I can get him out of danger quickly and you won't be in danger unless we lose the game."
"Okay, Harry. You're gonna be the black king, and I'll be the G8 knight." Harry nodded his understanding, and the black king obediently stepped off the board. The horse shaped knight went to step to the side, but I called out "Hey!" It stopped and spun towards me. "Uh.Can I sit on top of you? Give me a better view of the board and all."
The knight jumped back onto its spot and I climbed up its back. "How did you and Harry switch places between my mouth and your ear?" Cole asked, annoyed.
"Well, from up here, I get a better view of the board. Besides, Harry's more important than I am. He's the one who's gotta get the Stone."
"Harry won't get the Stone if you don't make it through the challenges! The game will end when you."
"They're starting," I interrupted. Across the board, white's E2 pawn had slid silently to E4.
"Okay, Jess, move your knight up to F6."
"Uh, giddy up," I commanded. The knight didn't budge. "Um, move, please?" Still nothing.
"Tell it where to go," Harry called from his position a few squares away.
"My knight to F6!" I yelled, and with a jolt the knight began to slide forward. The pawn in front stepped out of the way, and my knight moved through its square and the square in front. It continued sliding to the right one square and finally came to rest on F6. The white's B1 knight moved up to C3.
"Okay, other knight to C6," Cole instructed. I called out the order, and the other black knight slid forward. The game progressed for a few minutes in this fashion, each side setting up its defensive positions. Then Cole saw his chance.
"Jess, move up and take the G4 pawn," he said.
"My knight to G4," I called. The knight slid forward, then reared up and slammed the pawn hard over its head. I struggled to hang on as the knight dragged the pawn off the board and returned to its square. "Wow," I said, at a loss for any other words. White made its next move, and the intensity level began to increase. Pieces were being taken all over the board. We were losing by two pieces, but just as I was about to comment about this I heard Cole gasp.
"I see the checkmate," he said quietly. "Jess, get off of your knight; it's got to be taken." I started to climb down from my perch on the knight's back, but the white bishop on the square next to mine pushed me back up. I tried the other way, climbing to the front of the knight and dangling from his mouth, but the bishop moved to stop me, then returned to its spot.
"Uh. what now?" I asked uncertainly.
"I'll just find another way," he said, but I could hear the doubt clouding his voice. We needed to get this game over with; we couldn't afford to lose any more pieces.
"Are you sure you've found the mate?" I asked, and he responded with a definite yes. "Then I can take the hit."
"But Jess, you're health's gotta be almost gone with everything you've gone through so far. If you try to take a direct hit."
"I'll jump off right before the knight gets hit," I said. "Don't worry, I can do it." With a resigned sigh, he told me the next move. I called it out and instantly saw what Cole was afraid of: the white queen had a direct diagonal path to my knight. She began to slide towards me.
"Jess, watch out for the queen!" Harry called from his spot across the board.
"Cole, what's the next move?" I asked as the queen drew nearer.
"Rook to A7, checkmate," he said, his voice stiff.
"Harry!" I yelled. "The last move is Rook to A7! I've got to be taken, so make the move in case I get hurt."
"Jess, you can't!" he objected. "She'll kill you!"
"I know what I'm doing!" I responded, and he nodded reluctantly. I turned back to the queen. She was three squares away, then two, then right next to me.
"Jess, jump!" Cole and Harry yelled at the same time. The queen raised her fist, it came pummeling towards my head.
I pushed off the knight and fell backwards. I heard a crunch as the queen hit the knight, then I landed on my back and pain shot through my body. I groaned and closed my eyes, hoping the pain would fade.
"Rook to A7!" I heard Harry call. "Checkmate!" A loud clung echoed off the walls, followed by a lot of shuffling. I opened my eyes and Harry was at my side. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"No," I said, sitting up. I glanced down at my health bar- there was less than a quarter of it left. "Help me up."
He pulled me to my feet. The chess pieces had reset themselves for another game. "Come on," Harry said. "We've got to catch up to Snape before he gets the Stone." He started walking towards a door set into the wall behind the white pieces.
"Harry, wait!" I called, painfully jogging after him. He paused just before he reached the door. "Snape's not after the Stone. It's Professor Quirrell, and Voldemort's with him."
Harry looked stunned. "But Voldemort's too weak. He can't be here. And with Professor Dumbledore around." He stopped and gasped. "But Dumbledore left the school. Professor McGonagall said so herself."
"Exactly. Voldemort wants the Stone so he can keep himself alive and gain some of his power back."
"Now we've really got to hurry," he said with a fresh determination. Grabbing the door, he pulled it open. A rancid smell escaped from the now open doorway. I pulled my shirt up over my nose, blinking back tears that welled up in my eyes from the stench. I stepped into the room and saw a huge figure lying on the ground. Its legs looked like they could pass as tree trunks, its head was covered in warts, and a giant club was lying clutched in its hand.
"What is that?" I asked, fighting back the urge to throw up.
"A troll," Harry answered, the reply muffled by the edge of his cloak as it covered his nose and mouth. "Glad we didn't have to fight it." We quickly made our way toward the other side of the room.
"Cole, you still with me?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm trying to figure out how to get you some health back. How bad is your health?"
"Almost gone," I replied. "What's the next obstacle?"
"Snape's potion challenge," he said, flipping pages.
"Well, at least I'll only lose health if I drink from the wrong bottle. Does it say which one it is?"
"Hold on," he said. "I'll find it." Harry had reached the door leading out and pulled it open. I hurried forward, desperate to escape the smell. I followed him through the door and took a deep breath of clean air. As soon as we were both through, purple flames shot up behind us. Across the room, black flames blocked the doorway leading out. In the middle of the room lay a long table with seven bottles lined up on top. They were all different shapes and colors. Harry stepped to the table and picked up a piece of paper.
"'Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind," he read aloud. "Two of us will."
"It's the smallest bottle," Cole said in my ear. "That one will get you through the black flames ahead. But in the book, there was only enough for one person. How will you both get through?"
"It's the smallest bottle," I told Harry. He stopped reading and picked up the smallest bottle on the table.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "There's only enough in here for one person, from the looks of it."
Lost in thought, I picked up one of the other bottles and swirled the little bit of liquid inside. It too only had enough for one sip. There had to be a way.
"Wait," Cole said, stunning me out of my thoughts. "All the bottles only have enough for one person. If Quirrell or Voldemort or whoever it is already got through the flames, then the bottle shouldn't have anything in it at all, right?"
I gasped and nearly dropped the bottle. "That's right!" I placed my bottle back in its place and grabbed Harry's out of his hand.
"What's right?" he asked, obviously confused.
"If Quirrell already got into the Stone, then there shouldn't be anything left in the bottle at all, right? But there is enough for one person. Which means that somehow the bottle must refill itself. Cole, which bottle will get us back through the purple flames?"
He paused, then responded, "The round bottle at the right end of the table."
"Okay, Harry. I'm gonna drink this and go forward. Once I'm gone, wait for a few minutes. If the bottle doesn't refill itself, drink." I found the right bottle and picked it up. ".This bottle. It will take you back. Go and get Dumbledore and bring him here."
"Wait," Harry objected. "Since I've faced down Voldemort before, shouldn't I be going through to him?"
"Well," I reasoned. "I'm the older and more experienced wizard here, and I'm a friend of Professor Dumbledore's. He trusts my judgement, and so should you." He nodded reluctantly. I lifted the bottle toward my lips.
"'Older and more experienced wizard'?" Cole was obviously struggling not to laugh. I ignored him and drained the contents of the bottle. It felt like ice running through my veins, but I gained a renewed sense of determination, almost like I had gotten my second wind. I glanced down to see that my health and energy bars were completely full. I shivered and started forward into the flames.
"Cole, I got my energy and health back," I said as got closer to the flames. Then, to Harry, "Remember, if the bottle doesn't refill, go back."
"Good luck," Cole said in a tight voice, filled with concern. I couldn't help smiling to know that he was here with me. I stepped through the black flames and into the next room, prepared to face the most powerful and evil wizard of all time.