Switcheroo
“What if we mixed up the testing schedule?” Harry asked.
Draco and Hermione looked up from their transfiguration revising with questioning looks at Harry’s random outburst.
“We wouldn’t be able to fool the proctors,” he continued, “but we could fool the students. If every student showed up at the wrong time, they’d be forced to realize the mix up and allow them to retake their tests. It would all look like Dumbledore just gaffed up when organizing the whole thing.”
“But how would we fool every student?” Draco asked, schoolwork gone from his mind.
“I’m not certain,” Hermione began, “but I think the Heads of House post the schedule on the bulletin board a day or two before the tests. If I’m right, we’d just have to find a way to change the times before the students saw it.”
“We’d have to break into all three other houses in the same night,” Draco stated. “Harry’s got his cloak, but there’s no way we can get into the other houses undetected. We don’t even know what times the Heads of House plan to post them.”
“That’s true,” Hermione admitted. “A bit of snooping might help us out, but it’s still not really foolproof. How do we make sure none of the students see the original one before we make the switch?”
“What if we switched the schedules before the professors post them?” Harry asked. “That way, we don’t have to break into any of the other houses. The professors will do the work for us.”
“Then we’d have to break into the professor’s offices.” Hermione warned. “I don’t know about such an invasion of privacy.”
“Hermione,” Draco rolled his eyes in exasperation. “With everything we’ve done so far, you’re going to draw the line at breaking into the professors’ offices?”
Hermione huffed back at him. “Fine, but I’m only doing it if we use the invisibility cloak.”
“Done!” Harry agreed easily. He’d been looking for an excuse to use it again anyways.
Their days were filled with so much revision and studying that they found themselves with less and less time for scheming and hijinks. According to Draco’s reports, even the twins were spending less time on pranks. Although their focus was more on the Stone than studying. They seemed to be determined to get to the Stone before the term ended.
The trio were definitely pleased about that. More fodder against Dumbledore.
May 30th fell on a Saturday. 2 more days until OWLs and NEWTs began. Harry, Draco, and Hermione had carefully crafted a plan to sneak into Professor Snape’s office and steal the schedule. From there, they would quickly create a new one that would cause the most chaos, duplicate it, then head to Professor Sprout’s office. Flitwick was next, then McGonagall was last.
They planned to take the least traveled routes to get around the school. It would add loads of extra time to their expedition, but it lowered their chances of getting caught by Filch.
Since it was a Saturday, they would have plenty of time to catch up on their rest before they had their own classes to attend. Everything seemed to be going perfectly according to plan.
Except Harry’s headaches.
Despite the potion they’d concocted, the headaches weren’t getting any better. In fact, they were getting progressively worse.
To add to Harry’s troubles, he’d been having these awful nightmares about a sickening green light and a high pitched cackling. They weren’t exactly new. They were the same frightening dreams that he’d had intermittently throughout his entire childhood. Now, they were happening nearly every night. Then he’d wake up with a splitting headache that would last throughout the day.
They left him feeling exhausted and barely able to focus on his revision.
That Saturday morning, Hermione allowed him a break, and let him sleep in while she and Draco went to ask Professor Flitwick a question about charms theory that the trio had been stuck on. Technically, it was 3rd year material, but any extra understanding would only serve them well in the end. Besides, it left them all frustrated—Hermione the most—to not be able to understand something.
After lying down for a while, Harry was just barely about to drift off to sleep again when the doors to the dorm flew open, slamming against the wall. He didn’t bother to look, figuring one of the other boys must have been angry about something. Probably Crabbe or Goyle. Both boys had short tempers and aggressive tendencies.
Without warning, his curtain was ripped back and a body pounced onto his bed, landing on top of him and bouncing up and down.
“Wake up!” Draco whisper shouted. “You aren’t going to believe this!” Harry groaned in irritation, trying to push Draco off. His arms were trapped under the blonde’s legs, so he wasn’t having much success.
Hermione reached through the curtain, shoved Draco over, then climbed onto the bed herself. “Budge up!” she warned, heaving a stack of papers onto the duvet. Harry sat up and tugged his knees into his chest while Hermione applied a silencing charm against prying ears.
“What is all this?” Harry asked, gesturing to the stack of papers with one hand while the other rubbed his eye.
“You will never believe how bloody lucky we are!” Draco sang, excitement twinkling in his eyes.
“On our way to Flitwick’s office,” Hermione explained, “we ran into Professor McGonagall!” Her eyes were alight with elation too, and Harry didn’t understand all the fuss.
“So what?” he asked, confused.
“No,” Draco continued, “we literally ran into her!”
“We didn’t,” Hermione corrected. “We were just right behind the Hufflepuffs who did.”
“They knocked her clean over!” Draco added.
“Her arms were full of a bunch of papers,” Hermione continued, “and they went flying all over the hall. We helped her to pick them up, and guess what we found?”
“Her testing schedule?” Harry asked, figuring it out.
“Not just her schedule,” Draco cut in again. “All four of them, plus the master copy!”
“I don’t know why we didn’t think of it before,” Hermione shook her head. “She’s Deputy Headmistress. Of course she’d be the one to pass them out.”
Hermione dug through the pile and about halfway through, pulled out the 5 identical schedules. Smirking evilly, she waved them through the air before handing them over to Harry.
“What’s all the rest of the paper for?” Harry asked.
“They belong to the Hufflepuffs who hit her,” Draco explained. “We’ll give the papers back to the Hufflepuffs with the fake schedules mixed in. They’ll find them, realize they aren’t theirs, and give them back to McGonagall. They must have picked them up by mistake. No harm, no foul.” Draco added the last part with his exaggerated voice of innocence.
“This is perfect!” Harry laughed with incredulity. “It’s like the universe itself just wants us to get rid of Dumbledork!”
The trio immediately set to work scrambling the schedule. The first thing they did was to change it so that all the tests started an hour later. Then, they began switching the subjects so that the written exams were in the afternoon, and the practical exams were the following morning.
They started the week with History of Magic since it had no practical examination. Care of Magical Creatures was next. That would cause an impressive amount of confusion with all the students going outdoors when they should be in the Great Hall for Transfiguration. Herbology was next, creating the same effect with the greenhouses during DADA on the following morning. The next test would be Divination, and the week would end with Ancient Runes because it had no practical either.
The second week would begin with the Muggle Studies because it was another class with no practical. Then they’d be taking the written test for Charms when they should be in the potions lab. They’d be in the Great Hall for the Charms practical the next morning, but they should be taking the written Care of Magical Creatures test. They’d be indoors taking the written Transfiguration while they were expected outside.
They’d have their written Astronomy test that afternoon, then get up a few hours later for the practical. After a long break in between, they’d have their written Potion’s exam. That wouldn’t cause too much trouble because they’d both be in the same room. However, the room would be full of crystal balls and tea leaves for the Divination practical that should have been taking place.
While the Arithmancy test should be going on, the students will be in the potions lab, then the tests would end with the actual Arithmancy test, because it was another with no practical.
By the time they finished creating the fake schedules and destroyed the real ones, the trio was overtaken by laughter as they imagined the confused proctors looking at empty rooms, while the students found themselves outside with no supervision nor a test in sight.
“The only reason I’d laugh at something so horrible is because I’m certain they’d have to give the students a second chance,” Hermione admitted between chortles.
“Besides,” Harry added, “they’ll probably figure out the problem and have it sorted by the end of the first day anyways. I’m sure someone around here is competent at their job.”
Harry had missed his opportunity for a nap, so he went with Hermione and Draco to track down the Hufflepuffs they’d “bumped into”. They found them in the Library, frantically searching through their notes to get them all in order.
“I found these mixed with my things,” Hermione lied, handing them over. “I must have picked them up on accident. I was in such a rush, that I guess I wasn’t paying much attention.” That was the furthest from the truth. Hermione hadn’t actually dropped anything at all, and when she spotted the first schedule, she was paying very close attention to what papers she grabbed next.
She was met with so much congratulations and verbal expressions of relief that Madame Pince had to make an appearance and shush them.
Now, they just had to wait.
Much to the trio’s pleasure, Monday morning was absolute chaos. Of course, the first years’ only signs of that were the number of people running back and forth through the hallways while they were taking their own exams.
Nothing appeared to be solved by the time lunch rolled around. The corridor in front of the Great Hall was full of confused students, unable to get inside. There were still tests going on because of the late start, so the rest of the school had been locked out for privacy.
Finally, an aggravated Professor McGonagall—followed by an unrecognizable face that must have been one of the reviewers—instructed the students that lunch and dinner were to be served in their common rooms until further notice.
By the end of the day, none of the 5th or 7th years looked particularly upset, but they wouldn’t stop talking about how confused they all were. Hermione was glad that the change in schedule didn’t appear to lead to anyone failing when they ordinarily wouldn’t. Although, Draco reminded her that of course the Slytherins and Ravenclaws would have been able to adapt quickly, but that didn’t say much about the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.
To the trio’s surprise, Tuesday was just as hectic as Monday. They figured things would have been fixed by then, but apparently not.
Through the window of their upstairs class, Draco spotted a proctor leading a troupe of students indoors, from where they’d gathered for their Care of Magical Creatures practical.
When in the halls to switch classes, the first year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had to wade through a crowd of upper years surrounding a proctor who was trying to figure out which student was supposed to be taking which exam and which ones were missing.
The proctors and advisors were having so much trouble trying to get everything back on track that, finally, the tests were just canceled for the day. The whole school was allowed to eat in the Great Hall again and the upper years spent the entire lunch hour frantic and confused, stressing about what to do next.
Finally, Professor McGonagall addressed the students and told them to check the bulletin boards that evening for a revised schedule. The tests that were missed that day, would be made up on Saturday.
The whole time, no one ever caught a glimpse of Professor Dumbledore.
With the new schedule, everything was resolved on Wednesday, and it was smooth sailing from there.
Or at least, mostly smooth.
Harry’s headaches had been getting progressively worse. Though, he was far enough ahead to have no trouble on his exams, by the time they were over, the pain had times where it was nearly debilitating.
He finally got a moment of reprieve after they’d taken their final exam. In the Great Hall that evening, he was able to actually enjoy the fact that testing was done with the others. Hermione, however thought it may be a little too soon to be rejoicing.
She put up a small perimeter of a silencing charm around them, then leaned forward to talk to Draco and Harry.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about your scar, Harry,” she started, “and I think it’s time you tell Professor Snape about it.”
“Why?” Harry asked. Despite the man’s advice, Harry hadn’t mentioned the pain in his head to him at all. “He won’t even tell me what it’s about. Why should I trust him?”
“Because, I think it has something to do with You-Know-Who,” explained Hermione.
“Voldemort?” Harry asked doubtfully. Draco flinched at the name, and Hermione winced, not liking to hear it either.
“Yes,” she agreed. “Just think about it. He’s the one that gave you that scar, it would make the most sense that the pain you’re feeling from it has to do with him.”
“But he’s dead!” Draco argued. “That can’t be possible!”
“Is he dead though?” Hermione questioned. “Everything I’ve read on it says they never found a body. He just disappeared in a huge explosion. But what if he’s not actually gone?”
“There’s not exactly going to be a body left after an explosion like that,” Draco disputed.
“Maybe not, but what if it only destroyed his body? What if it left a piece of him behind?”
“Like a piece of his soul?” Harry asked, putting a hand to his forehead. “You think there’s a piece of Voldemort’s soul in my scar?” Draco flinched again, but this time Hermione only frowned a little.
“I guess that’s possible,” she replied, “but that’s not what I’m saying. What if another piece of his soul managed to escape? A sentient piece. What if it’s been in hiding this whole time, but now it’s come back because it’s come up with a way to get a new body?”
“The Philosopher’s Stone,” Draco breathed.
“Exactly,” she agreed. “I think your scar keeps hurting,” she gestured to Harry’s head, “because he’s getting close.”
“But, Quirrell is the one after the Stone,” Harry said. “Do you think he’s working for him?”
“I don’t think he’s just working for him…” Hermione trailed off.
“There’s no way!” Draco nearly shouted in disbelief. It was a good thing Hermione put up the silencing charm otherwise he would have drawn a lot of attention to their small group. “You can’t possibly believe that Professor Quirrell is You-Know-Who! He’s a complete coward! You-Know-Who would be way more powerful than that blubbering idiot!”
“Wait,” Harry interrupted. “Draco has a point, but if Voldemort has no body,” Draco grit his teeth, “he could be possessing him. He’s been weak the whole school year, which is why I never felt anything before. Then he’s been getting stronger. That’s why my scar hurt in the Great Hall and in DADA. It was always when Quirrell was around. And now, he’s gotten even stronger! He must be about to go after the Stone soon!”
“Exactly!” Hermione agreed again.
“We can’t let him get to it!” Draco panicked. “Last time, it was absolute war!”
“I don’t think things would be so bad,” Hermione shook her head. She lifted up her left hand and drew her sleeve back to reveal her Trinket. “Not with these. These prove that everything he stood for was completely wrong.” She didn’t sound completely convinced.
“But his followers used to worship him,” Draco said frantically. “He used the Imperius Curse to force my father to work for him the first time, and he told me what it was like. He said the others would bow before him like he was a god in their eyes. They were willing to die for him. Lots of them did. If he comes back, they aren’t going to care about a bunch of bracelets!”
“Draco’s right!” Harry agreed. “So many people died last time. We can’t let that happen again. We have to stop Quirrell.”
“Dumbledore’s review is in the morning,” Draco reminded them. “He’ll probably be gone most of the day. I bet that’s when Quirrell will go after the Stone.”
“Then that means we have to go after it tonight!” Harry declared.
“But the twins-” Hermione started.
“We can’t trust them to figure it out tonight!” Harry interrupted. “They don’t even know that there’s other obstacles after the chess board. We have to do it! Let’s go!”
Harry stood up from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall. Hermione ended the silencing spell and went chasing after him, Draco on her heels.
They caught up to Harry in the corridor, waiting for one of the staircases to turn back toward him.
“Stop!” Hermione called. Harry turned to look at her and she grabbed him by the sleeve, tugging him away. “Don’t be an idiot Gryffindor!” she accused in a whisper. “We can’t just go running to the third floor! We have to be smart about this!”
“Like how?” Harry snapped.
“Like preparing ourselves, for one!” Draco retorted. “We know the next task is potions related, and then there’s the troll, but we don’t know what the task is!”
“Then how are we supposed to prepare ourselves if we don’t know what it is?”
“Then, we’ll just have to be prepared for anything!” Draco replied. “I’ve got an idea.”
Despite Harry’s arguments of wasting time, the trio returned to the Slytherin dorms. There, they quickly scoured all 3 of their remaining potions kits, then condensed them into a single large kit.
One of the many gifts that Harry received from Aunt Wally throughout the year was a satchel that seemed to be able to hold an unlimited number of things. It had a featherlight charm on it, so it weighed nothing, and it came with an alphabetical file system so things were easy to find.
Harry never found a reason to carry so many things at once, so it remained in his trunk. Now, the trio filled it with all of their ingredients and brewing supplies. They also added Draco’s entire collection of extracurricular potions books for good measure. They had no idea what they were up against, so indeed everything helped.
Harry added his invisibility cloak, then shouldered the bag. Prepared—or as much as they ever could be—they headed back out to the third floor just in time for the bulk of the students to be leaving the Great Hall.
Before a large group of Ravenclaws walked by, Hermione tugged the boys into a small nook behind a suit of armor. Harry carefully removed his cloak and covered the 3 of them with it, just in case someone happened to look their direction.
They waited for the group to pass, then gave it a few more minutes as pairs and individual stragglers continued by. Just when it seemed like no one else was coming, Professor Quirrell walked by. He was hunched over nervously and walking with stiff legs. Not far behind him, Professor Snape was glaring daggers at his back, keeping a careful—and vicious—eye on the man.
Fortunately for the trio, they were going the complete opposite direction from the third floor corridor.
With the coast finally clear, the trio stepped out from their hiding spot, still huddled beneath the cloak. As quietly and carefully as they could, they continued down the halls until they reached their destination.
They rounded a corner and had to freeze in place as they were greeted by the Weasley twins pointing their wands directly at them.
“Where are they?” a voice behind the twins asked. “It says they’re right there.” The youngest Weasley brother poked his head around the twin on the left, holding a large piece of paper in front of himself. He looked back and forth between it and the empty space where the trio stood. “This map must be broken,” he complained.
“It’s never failed us before,” the twin on the left disputed.
The twin on the right waved his wand in a circular motion, jabbing it forward at the end. “Homenum Revelio,” he cast. A light blue cloud appeared over the trio, swooping low over their heads. “Aha!” Righty scoffed. “We know you’re there, Slytherins.”
“Reveal yourselves!” Lefty ordered. “Before I start shooting curses.”
Defeated, Hermione poked her head out from under the cloak and Harry pulled it off of them, returning it to the bag.
“An invisibility cloak?” the younger Weasley gasped. “Wicked!” He seemed to come to himself, and his wondrous expression morphed into one of disdain. “What are you snakes doing here?” he spat.
“We could ask the same of you!” Draco accused, crossing his arms and eyeing the redhead suspiciously.
“You know why we’re here!” Lefty broke in. “So what do you want? Come to spy?”
“No,” Hermione disagreed calmly. “Come to make sure you get through.”
“We’re coming with you,” Harry posited.
“You snakes aren’t coming with us!” the younger Weasley argued.
“Yeah,” Lefty agreed. “How can we trust you?”
Draco smirked at the Gryffindors, basking in the moment of superiority before saying “Because we know what it is you’re looking for. We also know that the chessboard isn’t the last obstacle. And we even know how many and what the next obstacles are.”
“How could you possibly know all of that?” Righty asked, seeming more curious than anything.
“We have our ways,” Draco replied cryptically.
“Do you think you can make it past the chessboard this time?” Hermione asked.
“Of course we can,” Righty insisted. “We had to pull out our secret weapon, but we’ve definitely got it.”
“What’s your secret weapon?” Harry asked.
Lefty jerked a thumb over his shoulder at his younger brother. “Dear Ronnie-kins here is,” he answered.
The trio sized him up, but none of them were impressed.
“He doesn’t look like much,” Draco stated, having his doubts.
“Hey you-” Ronnie took a step forward as if to start a fight, but Righty grabbed him by the shoulder and tugged him back.
“We know he doesn’t look like much,” Righty agreed, “but he’s an absolute master at chess. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
“Whatever,” Harry shrugged it off impatiently. “Let’s just get on with this!”
“What’s the rush, Potter?” Lefty asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes and brushed past the Weasley boys. “Doesn’t matter,” she tossed over her shoulder. “Are you coming, or not?” Without waiting for an answer, she pointed her wand at the locked handle of the door at the end of the path. “Alohamora,” she cast, and the lock automatically clicked open.
Harry and Draco were immediately on her tail, wands at the ready as she slowly tugged the door open. The Weasleys were right behind them, prepared to protect themselves.
Luck appeared to be on their side that night. As the group crept silently into the room, it became apparent that the Cerberus was already sleeping. Now they just had to make sure he stayed that way.
As quietly as he could, Harry cast a spell he’d learned from one of the books Aunt Wally had given him. It was an endless lullaby spell that caused a gentle tune to flow quietly from the cracks in the wall. It was meant to soothe disgruntled babies, but a three headed dog was close enough.
Keeping an eye on the dog, Hermione led the group to the trap door in the middle of the room and lifted it up, revealing nothing but darkness within.
“How far is the fall?” she asked the twins in a whisper.
“ Straight down? It’s enough to hurt,” Lefty explained. “Better to land on the devil’s snare and sink all the way through. Might twist an ankle if you get rid of it first.”
Hermione nodded her head and took a deep breath. “I’ll go first,” she stated.
“No, I’ll go.” Harry said. “This was my idea.” He stepped up to the gaping hole in the floor and with one last look to the others, he jumped down.
Landing on the devil’s snare didn’t exactly hurt, but it wasn’t a comfy landing. At first, nothing happened, then Draco came down next. After a few more seconds, Hermione was next. One of the twins came after that, then Ronnie, and the second twin last. Once they were all on the plant, that’s when Harry finally felt it move.
At first, it only wrapped around an ankle. Then he felt another tendril circle his waist. Another crept over his shoulder, binding his arm to his side, and even more crawled over his legs. He couldn’t help the nerves, but he kept as calm as he could, knowing that was the best way to get out of the carnivorous plant’s clutches.
He could hear Draco taking deep, calming breaths a few feet away as he too was wrapped up. Both of the twins—it was impossible to tell which was which at this point—seemed perfectly calm. They’d been through this plenty of times and had nothing to be nervous about. Ronnie however, was not doing so well.
“Be still, Ronnie!” Hermione ordered. “If you keep squirming like that, it’s going to strangle you!”
“It’s Ronald,” he snapped. “And that’s easy for you to say. You know what’s coming next!”
Hermione rolled her eyes, recognizing the Gryffindor’s stubbornness from the few classes they had together, and knowing she wasn’t going to get through to him.
“If you’re supposed to be the secret weapon that gets us across the chessboard, then you’d better not die on us!” Draco threatened.
“It’s not like I’m trying!” Ronald argued as he attempted to wriggle out of the grasp of a vine wrapping around his shoulders.
“So much for the brave Gryffindor,” Harry sighed in exasperation.
“I am too brave!”
“Then prove it!” With those last words, Harry was fully enveloped by the plant and sucked to the bottom, where he fell through and landed on a cold stone floor.
Harry could hear Ronald whining quietly as he grew more and more entangled.
“Honestly, Ron,” one of the twins said. “You’re only making it more difficult on yourself.”
“Just relax,” the other added.
Draco fell through the plant next and landed right beside Harry. Hermione came not long after, and both boys reached their arms out to catch her.
Ronald groaned loudly, but the sound was cut off abruptly. Likely, a vine had wrapped around his mouth. The trio exchanged glances and silently decided to put the poor Gryffindor out of his misery.
Simultaneously, they lifted their wands to the devil’s snare and called out the incantation, “Lumos Solem.” With the force of 3 wands, the plant immediately began to shrivel and dissipate, releasing its remaining victims with a high pitched keening that could only be described as a scream.
With all 6 students on solid ground, they continued through to the next task. The twins mounted a pair of brooms with no preamble, and in no time at all, they found themselves walking through a door and into a cavernous room, set up like a giant chess set.
Harry had the image of a giant chess set in his mind for months, ever since he first found out about it. But none of the things he imagined could possibly compare to what he saw before him. The chess set was spectacular.
The board and pieces were made of sparkling white and black marble. Though, some of the pieces had obvious damage from previous games. They reminded Harry of the ancient Greek and Roman statues he’d learned about in muggle primary school. Worn and decayed over time, yet still masterpieces. Brilliant works of art.
Stepping onto the board made him feel small and insignificant. He was surrounded by knights and castles and kings and queens, even the pawns towered over him ominously.
“Alright,” one of the twins commanded, “take your places on the board, then let Ron do all the talking. He knows what he’s doing, so just listen to the directions he gives you.”
Harry could see Ronald take a nervous gulp as he watched a knight spring to life and dismount his steed.
“We’re doomed,” Draco muttered under his breath, frowning as he saw the same thing.
Their group took their places on the black side of the board. Ronald and Draco were knights, the twins were each a rook, and Hermione and Harry were bishops.
Ron stared at the board pensively, already working out the moves in his head. A white pawn slid forward a space, grinding across the board with an eerie echo that grated against Harry’s ribs. With that, the game had started.
45 minutes later had only Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the board, Draco and the twins amidst the chunks of white and black marble scattered around the sides like a disarrayed graveyard, and everyone’s nerves on edge.
So far, no one got seriously hurt, but there had been a few close calls. Draco had an apple sized bruise blooming on his cheek and one of the twins was gripping his arm painfully.
It was the black side’s turn, but Ronald seemed to be taking a lot of time deciding how to move. After what felt like an eternity of thinking, he finally spoke up.
“I got it!” he called. “We can win this! But, I’ll have to sacrifice myself to the Queen.”
“No way, Ron!” one of the twins called. Draco had been certain it was Fred. “She’ll kill you! Find another way!”
“There is no other way!” Ronald argued. “It’s this or lose!”
“It’s not worth it!” he yelled back. “Just forfeit. You don’t need to get hurt!”
“It’s very important!” Harry nearly shrieked. They couldn’t give up now! Especially this close. Not with Quirrell coming for the Stone in 12 hours or less.
“No it isn’t!” Fred disagreed. “We don’t need to know what Dumbledore’s been hiding that bad!”
“You don’t get it!” Harry interrupted. “This is life or death! Dumbledore’s hiding the Philosopher’s Stone! Professor Quirrell is possessed by Voldemort, and he’s going to come after it! If he gets it, he can use the Elixir of Life to give himself a new body, and pick back up from where he left off.”
The room was silent for a moment as the Gryffindors allowed the thought to sink in.
“You’re lying! He’s dead!” Ronald shouted. His voice was laced with a nervous fear.
“No, I’m not!” Harry told him. “Why would I lie about something like this?”
“You’re a Slytherin. You’d lie about anything if it got you your way. How do we know you aren’t working for him, and you don’t want it just to deliver it right to him?”
“Not all Slytherins are evil!” Hermione reprimanded. “Stop using your generalizations, and use your head! Vo-Vol-” she tried to say the name, but she couldn’t. “You-Know-Who killed Harry’s parents, and I’m a muggle born. Why would either of us want to help him come back to power?”
“What about Malfoy?” George asked, saying the name as if it were a swear. “His father was one of his followers.”
“My father was imperiused!” Draco scoffed angrily. “He never wanted to be a part of any of it! He doesn’t want You-Know-Who back any more than the rest of us. And I certainly don’t!”
“Likely story!” Ronald scoffed.
“Ron!” Harry pled. “You have to trust us! Please! We’re trying to help! This is so much bigger than house rivalries. If Voldemort comes back, it could mean war!”
Ron hesitated, locking eyes with Harry. It was as if he was searching for something. Whatever it was, he must have found it because in the next moment he turned to face the queen.
In a steady breath, he shouted, “Knight to H3!”
“No!” the twins shouted in unison from the sidelines.
“Ron, jump off the horse!” George instructed as the White Queen came sliding toward him. “As soon as she swings her sword, jump!”
Ron followed his older brother’s directions. While the White Queen took her time sliding toward him in an agonizing build of anticipation, he switched his position in the marble saddle. Clutching onto the reins, he moved so that he was crouching rather than sitting, legs at the ready to kick off as soon as the queen was close enough.
She lifted her heavy sword above her head, light glinting off the shining finish. Then, with a powerful swing, straight from the shoulder, she crashed her blade into the knight. The moment of impact was an atomic explosion in the wide echoing room. Dust and crumbled bits of marble shrapnel went flying in every direction, leaving a thick cloud and the battered base of the chess piece all that remained in its wake.
Without wasting any time, Harry went straight to the King. “Checkmate!” he shouted, ending the game. The king removed his crown and tossed it to Harry’s feet. The remaining pieces on the board slid out of the way, leaving an open pathway for the students to move to the next task.
Instead of rushing to the door, Harry ran straight to where the last piece of the Knight was, checking to see if Ron was alright. The twins were already there, and Hermione and Draco were standing nearby.
Ron was okay, coughing on the dust that was still thick in the air. His left leg appeared to be broken and his brothers were lifting him up on each side.
“I was just barely fast enough not to get hit,” he joked. “Landing needed work, though.”
“Thank Merlin you’re alright!” Fred sighed in relief.
“Are you kidding?” George disagreed. “Mum’s going to kill us!”
“Why?” Fred asked, with false innocence. “It’s not our fault ickle Ronnie-kins fell down the stairs.”
“Yes,” George agreed, immediately catching on. “He should be more careful in the corridors.”
“Especially with those moving staircases.”
“Dangerous, they are.”
“A total hazard.”
“I think we should move on,” Draco interrupted.
“Alright, alright,” the twins crowed in unison.
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist,” Fred finished.
Carrying Ron on his good foot, they led the way to the door leading away from the chess set.
“So what is the next challenge, anyways?”