4The Tales of N&L – Year 1
Not Potter and the Stupid Stone (Part Two)
Noel
Harry stuck the, now, very battered key into the door before releasing it to hover limply above the ground. We stepped through the door and onto a giant chess board. Laura made a move to go through the chessmen, to the door on the other side of the board, but they blocked her.
"HEY!" Laur shouted in shock and confusion.
"Now what are we going to do?" Hermione questioned, as Harry joined Laura and the pair continued attempting to move around them.
"I think I know," Ron muttered.
"You're not saying," I mumbled, knowing where he was going with this.
"It's just a larger version," Harry said, finally stopping trying to force his way through and catching on.
"What?!" Laura asked, as she seemed to be the only one still confused.
"We have to play a game of Wizard's Chess." Ron explained.
"Can we not just use a spell?" Hermione questioned, trying to find a way around the task.
"No," Harry shook his head, "I doubt we can."
"Harry's right." I agreed. "Each task so far has been so drastically different; it seems that the defenses are put so that it's impossible for one to complete on their own. And, from the looks of it, this task won't be involving our magic, most likely."
"I think we're going to have to each take the place of one of the black pieces." Ron commented, staring at the board.
"Oh, goodness," I muttered, growing concerned.
"Don't be offended," Ron turned around. "But I think I'm probably the only one here who knows how to play well."
"We're not offended," Hermione half-smiled. "You'll guide us?"
"Sounds like a plan." He nodded, "I'll be a knight."
He then proceeded to guide me, Laura, Hermione, and Harry to four open spots on the board before placing himself atop a large horse, as the knight.
"White plays first, always." He explained.
A white pawn then moved forward two squares.
Ron began directing the black pieces, they moved silently to wherever he sent them. Fear certainly was dribbling in everyone's' minds, wondering, as I was, what would happen if we lost.
The first real shock of the game was when our other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.
"Had to happen." Ron said, looking somewhat solemn. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione. Go on."
After time, the white pieces showed no mercy, and there sat a pile of limp black pieces against the wall. Twice, Ron noticed, just in time, that Hermione, Laura, Harry, or I was in trouble. Luckily, although we had lost many pieces, Ron was nearly able to take as many white pieces as black pieces we lost.
"We're nearly there," he added, encouraging the group. "Now, I need to just figure out what to do next."
The white queen turned her blank face towards him.
"Yes, it's the only way." He mustered, "I have to be taken.
"NO!" Harry screamed.
"Ron, you can't!" Hermione shouted.
"That's chess! You make sacrifices!" He bellowed back, "I'll make my move, she'll take me, and then you're left to checkmate the king, Harry!"
"There has to be another way!" Laura pleaded.
"Do you want to stop Snape, or what?"
"Ron, you'll get hurt - or worse!" I shrieked.
"If you don't hurry, he'll get the Stone!"
We sadly realized that this would be the only way.
"Ready?" He asked. "Don't hang around once you've won; just go."
He stepped forward, and the white queen showed no care, or mercy, against him. She struck Ron across the head with her stone arm, and he fell against the hard floor. Hermione shrieked, and nearly ran to help, before Laura called out to her.
"Hermione, NO!" She called out, "the game isn't over yet. We're still playing"
"Oh," she shook her head to herself. "I forgot..."
Harry then moved three spaces to the left, checkmate. The white king took off his crown and threw it against Harry's feet.
We had won.
The rest of the chessmen parted and bowed to the victors. Hermione and Laura sprinted towards Ron, who seemed have been knocked out.
"What if he's-?" Hermione cried.
"He'll be okay." Harry said, ushering us forward.
"I'm staying." Laura said, "he's knocked out cold, and he could get worse. I'll wait for him to wake up, and maybe try to figure out a way to contact Professor Dumbledore."
"Are you sure?" I questioned. "The door might close behind us."
"It's fine." Laura reassured, "go on.
With one desperate look back, to Laura sitting silently next to Ron, we charged through the, now open, door.
"What is that smell?" Harry said, holding his robe over his nose, as his eyes watered.
"Size of a small mountain, that one is." I replied, following Harry's lead of covering my nose, as we moved past a large knocked out troll.
"Glad we didn't have to fight that one." Hermione joked.
"Let's go." I insisted.
As we ran through the next doorframe, purple flames shot up behind us and across from us, black flames shot up in another door.
"Look!" said Hermione, picking up a scroll that lay next to a long line of differently sized and shaped bottles. It read:
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 forevermore,
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 onward, 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, after reading it, let out a great sigh. Harry and I stared at her, shocked.
"You understand that?" Harry asked.
"It's not magic," she said, giving us a look, "just logic. Most wizards haven't got a speck of it. Even the greatest of them."
"And you?" I questioned.
"We won't be stuck here long." She grinned.
"So," I began, "the solution is…?"
"Just give me a moment." She said, focusing intently. "Three poison, two wine, one towards safety, and one back."
She puzzled to herself, examining the bottles each several times before coming to a decision.
"This one will take us forward," she explained, picking up the smallest bottle. "But there's only enough left for one person."
I pushed Hermione's hand, with the potion in it, toward Harry. "This is your battle; you should go forward."
"And what'll you do?" He asked, hesitant.
"We'll go back," she explained, "using this." She picked up a small rounded bottle from the end of the line. "There's enough to take us both."
"Harry," I asked, nervously, "what if You-Know-Who's in there?"
"I got lucky once, didn't I?" He nervously joked.
Harry continued, most likely, seeing his words had not comforted either of us. "Listen, just get out of here and get Professor Dumbledore. Don't worry about me."
Hermione and I look at each other before running up and embracing Harry.
"You're a great wizard, Harry." Hermione cried.
"So are you." He smiled.
"Me? Books! And cleverness!" She laughed, "there are more important things," she listed, "— friendship and bravery."
"Oh, Harry—be careful!" I said, scared and, slightly, saddened.
"You two drink first." He ushered. "And you're sure you got them right?"
"Positive." Hermione said, confidently before taking a swig of the potion and handing it off to me.
"It's not poison." Hermione shrugged.
"No," I agreed. "But it's like ice."
"We have to go, quick." Hermione added, "before it wears off."
"You've saved us once before Harry," I encouraged, "you can do it again." I managed to say before Hermione dragged me through the purple fire.
