The Adventures of the Half-Blood Princess

Part 10

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked his shaken friend.

"Yeah. Whew! Lucky we didn't panic!"

Anne rolled her eyes at his comment. He sure acted like a big coward even though he didn't want to admit it. What was it with boys who think they are so brave when they were clearly not most of the time?

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology and Anne acted quickly," Harry told him with admiration.

Just then they heard a soft rustling and clinking sound coming up ahead of them as they walked through the passageway.

"What is that?" whispered Hermione.

"I don't know.....sounds like wings," Harry said listening.

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a large chamber. It was full of small jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side was a heavy wooden door.

"Curious. I've never seen birds like these before," said Hermione fascinated.

"They're not birds, they're keys," Anne remarked.

"And I'll bet one of them fits that door," Harry added as he came upon a broomstick suspended in the air.

"What's all this about?" asked Hermione frowning.

"I don't know. Strange."

Ron took out his wand and tried to conjure the spell to unlock the door. Nothing happened. He shrugged in defeat. "Well, it was worth a try."

Hermione groaned in frustration. "What are we going to do? There must be a thousand keys up there!"

"We'll probably have to look for one that's different from all the rest," Anne suggested. "Like there's two objects that may look the same but one is different from the other, and you have to figure out which one it is."

"There! I see it!" Harry shouted pointing toward the ceiling. "The one with the broken wing."

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked when he looked down at the suspending broom contemplating.

"Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape could catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest Seeker in a Century!" Ron encouraged him.

Harry nodded and grabbed the broom. All at once, the keys went flying straight toward him. He climbed on the broom, swiping at them. He then pushed off, flying to the ceiling.

"Catch the key!" Within moments, he had the key and zoomed down toward his friends. He threw the key down where Anne caught it.

"Hurry up!" Ron yelled as Anne raced to the door pushing the key into the lock. The moment the lock clicked, the door opened. She and Ron rushed through followed by Hermione. Harry flew in behind them. Quickly, they shut the door before any of the flying keys could reach them.

They found themselves in a dark corridor with broken pieces of stone everywhere. 

"Where are we? It looks like a mausoleum," Anne's voice wavered as she looked around.

As they stepped further in, light suddenly flooded the chamber to reveal an astonishing sight.

"This is no mausoleum," said Ron taking in the sight before them. "It's a chessboard."

There's the door!" Hermione pointed up ahead.

They walked across the marble board toward the door. But as they reach the line of giant pawns, the pawns sprang to life blocking their paths with swords.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione repeated.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We got to play our way across the room," replied Ron. "Harry, you take the empty bishop square. Hermione, Anne, you two will be the Queen's side castles. As for me, I'll be a knight."

"What happens now?" asked Anne as they all took their positions.

"The white moves first, and then we play."

A pawn on the other side moved forward two spaces.

"Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like real wizard's chess. do you?" Anne asked sounding frightened. Yet she knew the answer.

Ron called out a command to a pawn on their side. The pawn moved until it was in front of the white pawn which rose up and cut the pawn in half with its swords.

"Yes, Anne. I think this is gonna be exactly like wizard's chess." It was clear they had no other choice. They had to play the game.

"Castle to E-4! Pawn to C-3!"

Soon every one of their teammates was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. There was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. The white queen turned and smashed another one of their pieces, before turning her blank face toward Ron.

"You understand, don't you, Harry? Once I make my move, the Queen will take me. Then you're free to check the King," Ron explained serious but calm.

"No! Ron, no!" Harry yelled horrified.

"You're going to sacrifice yourself!" Anne cried.

"No, you can't! There must be another way!" Hermione protested.

"Do you want to stop Snape from getting that stone or not?" snapped Ron, before turning back to Harry. "Harry, it's you who has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, not Anne. You!"

Harry nodded sadly. He and the girls could do nothing but watch as Ron instructed his knight horse to move forward three spaces.

"Check." Ron watched in fear as the white queen turned and advanced toward him. She stopped a space on his right, took her sword and plunged it into his horse, sending Ron crashing to the ground.

"Ron!" cried Harry.

Hermione started to go to him. Anne wanted to go too but knew she couldn't until the game was over.

"No! Don't move! Don't forget, we're still playing!" Harry reminded Hermione who stopped.

He then moved diagonally across the board and stopped in front of the King. "Check mate!"

The King's sword fell to the ground at Harry's feet. The game was finally over.

Harry, Hermione, and Anne rushed over to an unconscious Ron. To their relief, he was breathing.

"Take care of Ron. Then go to the Owlery, send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right.....I have to go on," said Harry soberly.

"You'll be okay, won't you, Harry? You're a great wizard, you really are," replied Hermione with a sad smile.

"Not as good as either of you," he admitted.

Anne shook her head. "Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship and bravery. And Harry, just be careful."

He gave them a solemn look before departing.