Ember started to walk down a corridor, pausing when she heard something. "What is that?" Hermione asked, having heard it as well.
Ember shrugged "I don't know. Sounds like wings". They followed the sounds into room that towered high above them. Flitting to and fro were small gold objects.
"Curious. I've never seen birds like these", the curly haired witch comments, looking up at them.
"They're not birds, they're keys", the hybrid corrected "And I'll bet one of them fits that door", she nodded to the door on the opposite side of the room. The trio crossed the room, coming to a stop in front an old broom suspended in the air.
"Why's this here?" Hermione, confused.
"Got to get to those keys somehow", Ember replied "and that is the one we need" she pointed at an old fashioned one with a crumpled wing.
"How can you be sure?" Peter questioned.
"None of the others have busted wings", the ginger explained "that could've only happened if Snape had grabbed it first". Ember took hold of the broom and almost immediately she was swarmed by the keys.
"This complicates things a bit!" the Ravenclaw cried as Ember, climbed onto the broom, swiping the keys away with her free hand. The hybrid kicked off and flew through the air, after the old fashioned key. Behind her was a trail of all the other keys. She snatched the key she'd been chasing and swooped down.
"Catch the key!" the ginger shouted to her friends before she tossed it down into Hermione's awaiting hands. She ran over to the door and stuffed the key into the lock. The witch twisted it and the door swung open. She and Peter rushed through the door, holding it open long enough for Ember to fly through on the broom. They then slammed it shut, the keys thudding against the heavy wood on the other side.
"What a rush", the ginger breathed, jumping off of the broom, her hearts racing in her chest from the adrenaline. She felt very exhilarated from that challenge. Then again she always got a thrill every time she flew through the air on her broom. Maybe it was the Fenix in her but she felt like she was born to fly which was probably why she was so keen way back in their first flying lesson.
"I don't like this. I don't like this at all", Hermione said quietly as they walked into a darkened room filled with broken and battered statues. Ember gave her hand a squeeze.
"This is a big chessboard", she murmured, seeing what the room was without any light on.
"A very big chessboard", Peter agreed as flames sprung up around the board, flooding the place with light.
"There's the door", Hermione said, spotting it behind giant white chess pieces. They walk across the board towards the door but when they reached the line of pawns, the chess pieces sprung to life bringing up their swords, blocking the way. "Ember can you…?" the brunette asked, nodding to them.
The hybrid shook her head "I don't think it's a good idea", she replied "Snape would've done these properly and so should we".
"Well…" Peter rubbed his hands together "both of you did the devils snare; Ember caught the key and wizard chess…this is where I come in".
"You play?" Ember enquired.
"I've dabbled", the brunet told her "and I've beaten both Fred and George a number of times".
"Then we'll leave this in your capable hands", the hybrid declared.
Peter nods "All right. Ember, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle" he instructed "As for me, I'll be a knight". They all took their places.
"What happens now?" Hermione asked.
"As with normal chess, white moves first, and then...we play", Peter answered, from where he now sat on the back of one of the black horses. Under his direction he, Hermione and Ember played chess alongside the black pieces. Move after move chess pieces were destroyed both black and white. Most of the black pieces were destroyed thanks to the white queen.
After the queen destroyed another black piece, it turned towards the rest of the black pieces. "No…" Ember breathed, after a moment of studying the board. Granted she had only played the game once and rather begrudgingly against Ron but even she could spot the only move that they could make would put Peter in danger.
"It's the only way", the brunet states, glancing at her, seeing that she'd figured it out.
"Em, whats going on?" Hermione asked, not understanding.
"Peter's going to sacrifice himself", Ember told her.
"What?" the curly haired witch stared at the Ravenclaw "but…but you can't! there must be another way!"
"I wish there were. And even there was another move we could take…it's the only way to win" Peter turned his attention to Ember "Em, you're the one who has to stop Snape. Not me. Not Hermione. You".
"I-I can't", Ember whispered "I can't do this on my own".
Peter gave her a sympathetic look. He didn't wish to put this pressure on anyone but he knew that she was more than capable of obtaining the stone alone. "You can do this", the brunet insisted "I have faith in you" Peter took a breath before he declared his move "Knight...to H-3". His horse moves forward, slides and stops.
"Check", he stated. The Queen turns and advances on the third year. She stops right by Peter's 'piece', the boy starting to breathe quicker. The Queen raised her sword and jammed it into the horse, destroying it.
"Don't move!" Ember ordered when Hermione went to run over to the unconscious boy "we're still playing". The hybrid turned her gaze to the white king, her eyes flickering red-gold in anger. She strolled towards the piece, stopping in front of it. "Checkmate!" she proclaimed. The King's sword falls onto the ground victory. Knowing it was safe to move, Ember took off towards Peter, Hermione running over to him as well. "I'm so sorry", the ginger said quietly as she knelt by his unconscious body "I should've just phased through those chess pieces instead of playing the game".
"You did the right thing", Hermione assured her "who knows what would've happened if you'd tried to cheat? It could've been a lot worse!"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right", Ember reluctantly agreed "take care of him. Then, go to the owlery. Send a message to my Aunt Azaela".
The witch frowned "your aunt? But why not Dumbledore?" she questioned.
"It's…its just a feeling I have", the hybrid confessed. She didn't know why but she felt that she could trust family over the headmaster, especially since Azalea was just like herself: a hybrid. "Please Hermione, do this. For me", the ginger pleaded.
Hermione nodded "Alright", she reluctantly agreed "you'll be ok, Em", she added when the 11 year old looked over at the door behind the remaining white chess pieces "You're a great witch, you really are".
Ember managed a smile, knowing she were trying to make her feel better. And it was working. "Thanks you", she whispered, standing up.
"Be careful!" Hermione called after her as the ginger walked away.
"I will!" Ember called back. The hybrid pushed open the door at other end of the chessboard and stepped inside. She was met with a horrific smell…worse than Fluffy's stinky breath. "Ugh", she pulled a face, covering her nose with her hand. On the floor and unconscious was a troll. He was bigger and meaner looking than one from Halloween. The 11 year old was really glad that she didn't have to face that one.
Ember carefully skirted around the troll and entered another room, jumping when purple flames shot up behind her. Across the room, black flames blocked her way forward. In the middle of the room was a table with seven bottles of varying size and colour. "Looks like this is the next challenge", she remarked.
The ginger stepped up to the table, unrolling the scroll that laid on the table. "A logic puzzle", she muttered, reading it "damn. This is Hermione's forte, not mine". Ember dropped the scroll back onto the table, moved around it over to the black flames. She knew that she should complete the task properly but it was something she wouldn't be able to easily figure out. The 11 year old eyed the enchanted fire, took a deep breath and plunged her hand into it.
Ember let out a laugh of relief when it didn't burn her. She just taken a big gamble and was overjoyed when it paid off. She had hoped it would given that Fenix's, like their earth counterparts, were impervious to fire. Plus Norberta's dragon fire didn't injure her either. The ginger moved fully though the fire and continued on her way.