"Come on Harry!"
His friends continued to encourage him as he carefully made his way up.
Harry kept a steady hand around the broom and his eyes stuck on the key.
Like grabbing the snitch
Like grabbing the snitch
Like grabbing the snitch
The ebony boy bit hit lip lightly, keeping in mind his earlier gut feeling and John's words of caution.
Anything could happen in Hogwarts, Halloween was proof of that.
He held a breath as the key sifted slightly, before grabbing the older piece quickly.
He let out the air with relief.
He got it.
Harry ducked in surprised as another key almost hit him.
It seemed....faster...than the others...
He yelped as several more attempted similar motions.
He knew it!
He flew down as fast as he could, swatting and moving around as many keys as he could-ignoring the ones he didn't.
They hurt when they flew at him....
Once the broom landed at a decent enough height, he swung one leg over and ran towards the door where his friends were cooped up, their own hands covering their heads for protection.
John moved in front of the group, raising up his hands.
Like the troll all those months before, a wall of light was brung up just in time to collide with the hurricane of flowing keys.
The trio let out a collective sigh of relief at the familiar cover; they were able to unlock and go through the door a little less stressed about being pelted by wooden and metal objects at high velocities.
John stepped through the door backwards, only letting down their shield when he was on the other side and slammed the door firmly shut.
"That went well I think."
Ron couldn't help but let out a snort.
"Well?"
The blonde shrugged.
"Well in my experience: yes. I know it could've gone a lot worse. We got off pretty easy on that one."
Whatever experience he meant, they couldn't help but agree as they walked.
"Bloody hell.....is that what I think it is?"
They nodded.
The next room down the hall, was the largest by far.
Yet, strangely enough, it was what filled the space that surprised them.
"Now this-This is a chess match."
A large, black and white marble floor was raised and set.
On either side held an army at ones disposal.
Black and white respectively.
"Oh mate.....I'm bloody rubbish at chess...."
"It's alright John, Ron is fantastic at wizards chess! Honestly! I've never seen anyone play half as good as him!"
He must've been good to've earned such high praise from his friends.
"So I assume that this is the next trial?"
"Trial?"
"That's what I'm calling them, the Cerberus, the Devil's Snare and the Key: Tests in my opinion, to keep the stone of the hands of those unprepared for the dangers apparently."
"Cerberus? What's that?"
"The three headed dog mate."
"Oh. Yeah I suppose Fluffy's a Cerberus then...."
"Fluffy?"
"Yeah, ask Hagrid. That's his name."
"Oh you've got to be kidding me-"
"-gentlemen. Please. Like we're in a hurry."
"Right."
The redhead took the pleasure in leading them to the board.
"Who are we playing against?"
The group shrugged, no one was in sight.
"Well it is magic, so I'm sure something will work out."
That was John's logic anyways.
"Also....how are we apart of this? Do we stand off to the side or....?"
Ron glanced over the board, noticing a few slots of the side open randomly.
"I-I think.....I think we're the pieces mate..."
"Ah.....I see.....well Ronald, you seem to know what your doing-take it away."
Motioning with an open palm, the blonde stepped into the unintentional line Harry and Hermione formed when standing still.
Ron nodded, looking over the board carefully.
"Right-Harry, Bishop."
Harry picked himself up and over to a square.
"Hermione, a Rook."
The witch nodded and moved to her slot.
"John, you're a Pawn."
The mage sighed and hanged his head, muttering to himself quietly before dragging himself to his pointed square.
"Glad ta see that nothins changed..."
Ron's face then lit up nicely,
"I'm gonna play a Knight!"
The following was honesty a blur for John.
He didn't know a whole lot about chess, so half of the moves the redheaded Gryffindor called didn't make a lick of sense to the mage.
But it was incredibly violent as far as most chess went....well....for the normal games he's spared a glance at.
First of all-the statues moved themselves, the opponent Ron was most likely playing against was either the board or room itself.
Second-the pieces themselves actually seemed incredibly dangerous by themselves. Stone carved swords and shields slamming into each other with surprising amounts of force.
When struck-stone flew and crumbled, sometimes almost hitting the student pieces.
By the time the match reached its sudden end, each player was covered nicely in a thick coat of dust and debris.
Even without much knowledge on what's happening, John knew something changed as Ron's face went grim.
"Ron? What's up mate?"
His question made the heads of his peers turn, their attention drew at the potential problem.
Harry was quick assess the situation before stuttering in surprise.
"Ron don't!"
"Harry. You know why I'm doing this. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me; and you're free to check the King."
"Harry I don't understand! What is he doing!"
"H-he's sacrificing himself!"
Hermione gasped in horror,
"Ronald no!"
"Kid-bloody don't!"
The redhead whirled his frame around to them, his face stern with a masked fear.
"Do you want to stop Snape from getting that stone or not?! I have to!"
No one could argue much.
He was right, unfortunately.
There weren't too many options open for a clean victory without taking that much more longer.
He had to do this.
He took a deep breath.
Before moving his horse forward and to his fate.
"Ron!"
The white Queen twisted towards him, danger radiating from the piece.
This particular character had made a devastating opponent, tearing apart every piece that crossed her.
And Ron Weasley was next on that list.
The Queen glided towards him, threateningly silent.
John grimaced as he saw Ron's barely stable facade of bravery crumble soundly.
He was quite grateful that the other children didn't have as good of an angle at his face like John did.
The bloody kid was barely hanging on.
The piece rose her blade, arching the stone sword over her shoulder and swiftly across the horse's torso-knocking the redhead to the floor feet below him.
He was out.
And the kid didn't get back up.
"Ron!-"
"Don't luv!-"
"Hermione don't! Remember-the game's not over!"
The brunette nodded fearfully, the poor girl stealing glances towards her unconscious and hurt friend.
Harry gulped before making a move of his own.
In his friend's sacrifice, he was going to end this.
He walked with a fake bravado across the war ridden board.
His pathing clear to the King in white.
"Checkmate."
Silence was deafening as the king released his own blade.
Harry had to swing his frame to the side as the sword clattered down at his feet.
"Is.....is it safe now...? Is it over?"
Harry paused, before nodding to the witch.
Without much hesitation, she rushed to Ron's side, kneeling down to comfort the conked out Gryffindor.
Harry was about to join her when John spoke.
"Harry mate....we need to go."
Harry turned his head towards the blonde who backed up to the next door.
"Hermione can take care of Ron and wait for a teacher or any help that comes this way."
He rested a heavy hand on the wooden door leading to their way out.
"Whether you want to stay here or not is fine mate, I'm not goin ta make you choose, but the stone is still down there."
Harry looked back to his two friends on the floor, meeting eyes with Hermione.
"Go Harry. I've got him-you, and John, need to stop Snape from getting that stone. Go."
Harry nodded, turning on his heel and went with John through the doors and down the staircase behind them.
They had a job to do...
John brushed a bit of dust off his shoulder, regretting the decision as it filtered the air and made him cough some more.
He hated dust more so than usual.
Harry followed silently behind him, steeling his nerves for whatever came next.
John sighed.
This, was what he tried to avoid.
These kids involving themselves and getting hurt!
But they stuck their noses into this mess and caught onto far more than what John ever tried to uncover.
And now they were all paying for it.
A sudden warmth drew his attention, a hand sticking out to stop his charge.
"John what-"
"-shh."
He flicked his wrist lightly, signaling the boy to follow slowly and silently.
The staircase lead them to a room resembling something akin to a hall.
Torches and candles lit the setting well, giving light to reveal the man behind it all.
No less standing in front of the that cursed mirror from before.
John gritted his teeth.
"God I knew it-"
Harry blinked at the culprit, confusion and shock written on his face.
He had been wrong?
Severely wrong.
"............Professor Quirrell?"