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"I will not have a Dementor in this school," said Dumbledore. "They are creatures of pure evil, completely amoral. We want to capture any potential thief, not completely destroy him. And what if someone wanders in there by accident?"

"Right, they wander past that massive thing of Hagrid's, and they wander away from that plant, and they just wander into the possession of that key that's zipping around at a hundred miles an hour…"

"No Dementors," said Dumbledore.

"Fine, then. What about a boggart?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Someone trying to get at the stone would be most terrified of their own dead body, wouldn't they? Or of abject poverty. Those are really primal, scary things. Someone with different motives, especially if they were prepared…?"

"A boggart may be acceptable. If you can acquire one, that can be your contribution. Was there anything else, Professor?"

"Yes, actually. About these test thingies. Some of them are just rubbish. Like Minerva's. I mean, it's one thing to talk about letting certain people through, people who need to, but any first-year can win at—"

"—chess?" said Malfoy blankly.

"We've got to play our way across the room," said Ron.

"Er…and how were you planning on doing that, exactly?" asked Malfoy.

"Well, it looks like we've got to be chessmen."

"Blow that," said Malfoy. "I'm going back to get some of those broomsticks in the key chamber."

"We don't have time," said Harry.

"It'll take about thirty seconds if someone holds the doors for me," said Malfoy.

"It won't do any good, though," said Hermione. "Look, the chamber is curved, and those chessmen are tall. And they're alive…I bet they grab anyone who tries to fly over them."

"Broomsticks are actually a good idea, though, maybe for later," said Ron, surprising everyone. "You and Hermione go get them; we might be able to use them later on. You can join the game when you get back."

"You sure it'll let you replace them?" Harry asked.

"It's not against the rules, as long as they replace people still in the game," said Ron. "Harry, you be that bishop. Hermione, when you get back, you can be the rook next to him—that's the castle. Malfoy…I'm not allowed to make him a sacrificial pawn, am I, Harry? Fine, he can be the queen, as in drama queen. He just has to promise to do everything I say."

"Why? How come we have to listen to him?" demanded Malfoy.

"You any good at chess?" Harry asked.

"Well, no, but…"

"Well, Ron is. Go and get the brooms, will you? And watch out if that boggart comes back."

"If anything happens to Hermione you'll regret it," Ron said. "Come on, Harry."

They began to play, Ron calling out directions and Harry and all the other pieces blindly following them.

"What was your thought?" Ron asked at one point as they watched their knight take down a white bishop. "Knight to G4."

"My what?"

"Your thought. When you cast your Patronus at that Dementor. I mean, of course it wasn't a real Patronus, but I never knew a kid who could do anything like that…bishop to…I mean, move three to your left, Harry. So what were you thinking about?"

Harry moved three to his left. "It was just the same thing as always."

"Oh, yeah? What?"

The train chugged threateningly, ready to depart, and Harry still hadn't managed to manhandle all his baggage on. It was easy enough to drag, but simply too heavy to lift even the few inches necessary to get it in the door.

"Let me help," said a voice by him suddenly. He looked up and saw the redheaded girl, the one whose four brothers he had watched board the train. She bent down and grabbed the other end of his trunk; together they were just able to heave it on board with a tumble and a crash.

"Is that it?" she asked.

"Except for Hedwig," he replied, pointing to the owl. "But I've got her, thanks."

"I wish I were going, too," the girl said. "You're awfully lucky."

"Well, if you're magical, you'll probably get in. Are you magical?" he asked. She nodded.

"When I was five, I turned a mouse into a flower. And once when Fred was teasing me I made him sneeze a bat."

"You did what?" said Harry, startled.

"I made him sneeze up a bat. He was sore for days, and I felt bad later, but," she giggled, "it was sort of funny, anyway."

Harry smiled. "Well, if you can make somebody sneeze a bat, you're definitely magical," he said. "I've know some people I'd love to make sneeze bats. You'll definitely get into Hogwarts someday."

She nodded. "Next year. But that's so far away! I've wanted to go since I was born."

"Listen. Next year looks like a long time, but it's not, really, I mean, especially not compared to all the years since you were born," said Harry. "That's like one-tenth of all the time you've been waiting so far. Have you ever seen one-tenth on a graph? It's tiny. Anyway, now that all your older brothers are gone, you can get a better room and use all their stuff. The year will pass really fast."

The little girl thought for a moment, and then she grinned brilliantly, showing a space on the top, a little to the side, where she'd lost a tooth.

"You're nice," she said. "I like you."

"I just think about the first time anybody ever said they liked me," Harry said. "It always makes me smile when I think about it, so I thought it might work."

The door behind them swung open and Malfoy and Hermione appeared, bearing a broom in either hand. Harry recognised with distaste the first one Coach had offered him, the one that looked like it had been chewed by a dog and then stepped on by an elephant.

"Good, you're back. Malfoy, take over the queen. That's the really big one with the crown. And Hermione, you be that rook."

They continued to play. Malfoy gave a great deal of advice, all of which Ron ignored unless he was planning to do it anyway. Their first real shock came when the other knight got taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.

"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 Harry and Hermione were in danger, and once he shot a pleading look at Harry before saving Malfoy.

"Ta muchly," said Malfoy. "Nice of you to save your most powerful piece."

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

"No!" cried Harry and Hermione almost in unison.

"That's chess," said Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices. I take one step forward and she'll take me…that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry."

"But—"

"Do you want to protect the Stone or not?"

"Ron—"

"Look, he could be climbing down the trapdoor right now, or catching that key, or fighting the boggart. You have to hurry."

"Weasley's right, you know," said Malfoy. Hermione shot him a dirty look, but there was no alternative.

"Well, you needn't look so happy about it, Malfoy," said Ron. "Here I go. Don't hang around once you've won."

He made his move, and the white queen made hers. She struck Ron hard across 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.

Harry set his teeth, shut up his screaming mind, and moved three spaces to the left. The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear.

"Well, come on," said Malfoy, shrugging and stepping forward.

"Harry, we can't just leave him!" said Hermione. "What if Coach comes through and sees him?!"

"Good riddance," said Malfoy.

"Don't you dare…"

"Look, we can't go get him, we can't get back through without resetting the whole thing. We'll just have to leave him."

"Shut up, Malfoy. Hermione, what's that protective enchantment?"

"Oh!" she said, looking relieved. She pointed her wand at the edge where Ron lay, facedown and bleeding, and shouted "Protego Maxima."

"Now as long as nothing happens to me he should be all right," she said.

"Well, then let's just make sure nothing happens to you," said Harry.