Magic? || Years 1-5

Playing Chess: Year 1

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

"NO!" Harry and Hermione yelled in unison.

Amisty let out a strangled bark, squirming around in Harry's grasp.

"That's chess! You've got to make some sacrifices!" He snarled sharply, managing to conceal his fear well. "I'll make my move and she'll take me -- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But -- " Harry protested.

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?" He snapped back.

"Ron --" He tried again.

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!" He replied.

Harry stopped talking, clamping his mouth shut, tightening his hold on the struggling wolf in his arms.

Amisty whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Ready?" Here I go -- now, don't hang around once you've won," Ron's voice reached her ears and a sickening thump soon followed.

Hermione let out a piercing scream. She desperately tried to block out her ears.

Slowly, she felt Harry take three steps and the sound of something hitting the ground. Opening her eyes hesitantly, she watched as the chessmen moved away from the center, leaving a small pathway to the door.

"Amisty, I don't want you to go any further with your paw in that state. Stay here with Ron, make sure he's alright," Harry whispered, kneeling down and placing her on the ground.

She nursed her paw slightly, only letting her claws graze the hard stone floor. Nodding with a lump in her throat, she limped off the chessboard and toward the, hopefully, knocked out boy.

With wide eyes, she watched as Harry and Hermione raced through the door, disappearing into the shadows.

Dread a stone in her heart, she struggled closer, pressing her nose to Ron's wrist to check for a pulse.

A shudder of relief passed through her as she felt the faint beating of his heart, he wasn't dead after all.

A groan left his mouth and he stirred slightly. Hope flared in her chest and she yipped softly, not wanting to disturb the haunting chess pieces behind them.

Gently, she pawed at his arm, trying desperately to wake him further. Soon enough, she realized her attempts were in vain, and instead sat down with her paw yet again hovering about the ground.

The silence around her was suffocating, and she almost barked just to break it up when she caught the sound of footsteps.

Getting to her paws, she squinted into the darkness, watching as Hermione's form slowly became clearer and clearer.

"AMISTY!" She called, her eyes wide and panicked.

She howled back, signaling to the girl to where she was.

Ron shifted yet again, his eyelids fluttering as he struggled to open his eyes. Hermione knelt down at their side's, pulling out her wand and turning to face Amisty.

"I'm going to turn you back, okay? I can't carry you and ride a broom," She explained hurriedly. "Lupus Estaria!"

Her shift went much faster than before and the second she felt her knees touch the ground she shook Ron's shoulders, ignoring the pain in her palm.

So her injuries did transfer with her forms.

"Ron, wake up. Please, wake up," She repeated desperately, her movements steadily becoming more and more frantic.