Part Seventeen

When everyone had gone to bed Hermione and Erin met Harry and Ron in the Common Room. They were going through the darkened room when they heard a croaking. Ron spoke. "Trevor! Go! You shouldn't be here!"

"Neither should you." Neville stood up.

"Now, Neville, listen—" Harry began.

"No! You're sneaking out again! You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again! I'll—I'll fight you!" He put up his fists hesitantly.

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this. Petrificus Totalus." Hermione said. Neville immediately seized up and fell on the floor, only his eyes could move.

"Sorry." Harry said going past him.

"Sorry." Hermione echoed.

"It's for your own good, you know." Ron said.

Erin stopped by him. "I'm sorry, Neville, but some things are more important than House Points."

He looked at the girl, not in terror now, but in understanding. She left him there and turned herself invisible.

They stood outside the door to where Fluffy was. "Alohomora." Hermione said. The door opened and Fluffy was there…but he was...

"Asleep." Harry said. "Snape must have already been here."

"Yes, there's a harp playing." Erin said. "He must have enchanted it."

"Erin, can you become visible, please?" Harry asked.

"Oh, sure." The others were already out of the cloak. Erin appeared beside them. "Help me move his foot." She said.

Harry stepped forward and after a moment so did Ron and Hermione. They moved Fluffy's paw from the trapdoor and, after opening it, stared down into the darkness. "I'll go first." Harry said. "If something happens get yourselves out." Harry said. Ron and Hermione looked at the black haired girl. "Erin?" Harry said.

She didn't look at them. "I'm not promising anything."

"Ron, Hermione if something happens, don't follow Erin." Harry said rolling his eyes.

"Ok." They said in unison.

"Does it seem quiet to you?" Harry asked.

"The harp it stopped playing." Hermione said.

Erin dug quickly into her pocket as a gallon of drool fell on Ron's shoulder. "Yuck!"

She put the recorder to her lips blowing a note and the snarling beast fell to the floor again. When Harry dropped out of sight she handed the recorder quickly to Hermione who played it as the girl dropped. As she fell heard Ron say, "That girl has guts."

Erin fell beside Harry and rolled out of the way. "It's ok!" She yelled up. "A soft landing…what the—oh fabulous." She muttered. "Hey, guys! Wait—" Too late Ron had jumped and the music stopped and Hermione jumped also.

"What the—" Harry said with vines creeping around him.

"Don't struggle." Erin said.

"It's Devil's Snare." Hermione said.

"If you don't relax it will kill you!" Erin elaborated.

"Oh, now I can relax." Ron yelled. The vines were twined around them. Hermione and Erin rolled their eyes as they fell through the vines landing on the cold stone floor below.

"Erin? Hermione!"

"Relax, you two!" Hermione yelled.

"Harry, if you don't relax I'll kill you myself!" Erin hollered up.

Harry landed beside us. "Nothing like a threat." He grinned.

"Anytime." She said smiling. "Ron!"

"He's not relaxing." Hermione said. "What do we do?"

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare," Erin quoted. "It's deadly fun, but will sulk in the—"

"Sun!" Hermione said. "Lumos Amens!"

Ron fell out of the vines. He got up. "Well, at least we didn't panic." He said.

"At least Erin and Hermione listen in Herbology." Harry said.

"If you did, we wouldn't have to be here." Hermione said.

"What's that?" asked Harry not listening to Hermione.

"What's what?" Ron asked.

"It sounds like wings." Erin said.

They went along a corridor leading from the Devil's Snare. "Keys." Harry said in front of everyone. And they were! There were thousands of keys flying above them. Four broomsticks leaned against the wall beside the entrance. On the other side of the room was a door.

Ron went over to it, drawing his wand. "Alohomora!" Hermione rolled her eyes groaning. "Well, it was worth a try."

"What are we going to do?" She asked. "There must be a million keys here."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron said.

"Yes, one of these keys opens the door. Ron, what does the doorknob look like?" Erin called to him from her spot next to Harry on the other side of the room.

"Old fashioned and rusty." He called back.

"There!" Harry pointed. "The one with the broken wing."

"Come on." The girl said. "Climb on!"

She took a broom and mounted. Harry followed without even a sideways glance. Hermione looked ill and Ron wasn't sure about it. "Come on, you guys! We have to do this!" Harry groaned.

"Easy for you!" Hermione said. "You aren't afraid of heights and you don't get airsick!"

"You both are naturals on brooms." Ron said.

"Stop your whining and get your butts up here!" Harry called down. "We don't have time for this!"

After looking at each other they sighed and mounted their brooms joining the two others in the air. They were off and after the key; unfortunately it was faster than a Snitch. After a few minutes Harry gathered the other three to him. "OK, Ron you come in from above, Hermione below, and Erin you come from the other side. One of us has to catch it."

They nodded and went for it. Erin dived strait for the key at Harry's signal and just before she got there she pulled out to stop a collision with Harry. He caught the key and they were down and off and past the door before they knew it. "Nice catch." Erin told Harry.

"I don't know, you could have caught it just as easily." Harry smiled.

She looked away blushing, good thing it was dark. "Is this a graveyard?" Hermione asked in front of them.

They looked around and found themselves surrounded by statues. "This is no graveyard." Ron said. "It's a chessboard." Just as the lights seemed to come on around them and they saw they were indeed surrounded by a giant chessboard and just as giant chessman.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked.

"It's obvious isn't it?" Ron asked. "We have to play to get across the room. Now don't be offended but—"

"Ron, we aren't offended." Erin said. "Now tell us what to do."

"OK, Harry you take the Queen side bishop, Hermione the rook square, Erin you take the Queen's. As for me, I'll be a knight." He said. Erin smiled and he smiled back. They took the spaces and waited. "White always plays first. Yes…look…"

A white pawn moved forward two spaces. "Ron, you don't think this is like real wizard chess, do you?" Hermione asked.

"You there!" Ron said to pawn. "D5!"

The pawn went forward and the only took out two swords and crushed it. Erin and Ron's mouths opened and they was used to wizard chess! "Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard chess."

Ron began to direct the pieces and the other three. "Erin, take the knight."

"Which one?" Erin asked. "I could take either."

Ron looked over. "Oh, the one on your right."

Erin moved over and touched the white knight. It walked or rather galloped off the board on its own. The first bad thing to happen was when the other queen took out their other knight. "Had to let it happen, leaves Hermione free to take the bishop. Go on."

Hermione did very reluctantly. They were all taking players left and right, just to protect the king. Erin called out suggestions at times and Ron took them sometimes and sometimes he did not. At last Ron was looking at the other queen. Erin looked closer at the board. "Ron…no…" She said slowly.

Then Harry noticed it too. "Wait a minute."

"You're right, you guys."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"He's going to sacrifice himself." Harry said.

"No you can't!" Hermione yelled. "There must be another way!"

"Do you want to stop Snape from getting the Stone or not?" Ron asked. "Harry it's you that has to go on. Not me, not Hermione, you."

Harry looked at him. "What about Erin?"

"She chose her fate." Ron said. "Hermione and I are here to help you, but Erin is there to protect you."

Harry looked at the girl. "Erin, you don't have too…"

"I made my decision, Harry." She said. "Let's go, we don't have much time."

Harry nodded and Ron spoke. "Knight to H3." He went forward. "Check."

They all held their breath as the other queen went to him. They couldn't close their eyes, all they could do was watch as she hit him over the head and dragged his crumpled body off the board. Hermione screamed but held her place. Harry went diagonally 4 spaces. The king couldn't move. Erin was stopping him on one side and Hermione on the other. "Checkmate." Harry said.

The king tossed down his crown and they all ran to Ron. Erin kneeled next to him. "Is he—" Hermione asked not wanting to know the answer.

The black haired girl felt for a pulse. "He's alive." She said. "He'll be all right." She took off her sweater and set it under his head. "Let's go."

They got up and ran from the room coming to an intricately carved door. Harry pushed it open and what they saw was…grotesque, a troll, even bigger than the one they saw on Halloween, just getting up from being clubbed unconscious. Great, Erin thought, a troll in a rage. The troll lumbered toward them snarling. "NO!" Erin cried and picked up the troll's club, which was lying near them. She hit it across the face. "GO!" She shouted. "Just go!"

"Erin, we can't—" Harry was saying.

"Harry, just go!" She yelled. "Hermione! Get him out of here!" She hit the troll again across the face again keeping him away from Harry and Hermione. "I said get him OUT OF HERE!"

"She has no fear." Harry said.

"Yes, she does." Hermione murmured as they ran to the other door. "She's afraid for you."