Faux Bravery

Through The Trapdoor

We landed on a bed of something dense, and I was poked with a dozen or so blunt thorns. "Oww..." I groaned.

"We must be miles underneath the school." Hermione commented.

"Luckily this plant thing's here, really." Ron said,

"Lucky! Look at you both!" Hermione tried to move, but black vines had snagged her ankles. Noticing this, I quickly got out myself, and scrambled away from it. I racked my brain for the name of the plant, but luckily Hermione was quick on her feet. "Stop moving! I know what this is! It's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh!" I gasped. "I know!" I quickly drew my wand, and pointed it to the Devil's Snare. "Lumos Solem!" I shouted. A beam of light shot out of the tip of my wand and brightened up the room. The vines loosened on Harry and Ron, allowing them to squeeze out of the vines.

"Thank you, Kenzie." Harry said.

"No problem." I said offhandedly, slipping my wand back into my pocket. "Now, can we move on?" The others looked at each other and nodded, and we headed through the only doorway that allowed us to leave. Our footsteps echoed through the passageway, joined by the gentle drip of water as it trickled down the walls. The pathway sloped downwards, causing us to shuffle awkwardly and carefully.

"Do you hear something?" Ron asked softly at some point throughout our journey. We all went quiet, listening to hear what Ron was hearing. There was a soft fluttering up ahead, joined by the clinking of metal hitting a wall. "Do you think it's a ghost?"

"I don't know." Harry admitted. "Sounds like wings to me."

"Bird wings." I commented. "They're...little bird wings."

"There's light ahead, I can see something." We reached the end of the pathway, and the room opened up to a massive, brightly lit chamber. The ceiling arched high adobe us, and a rainbow of wings flew around us the creatures...glinting? On the other end of the room, was a very large and seemingly heavy door.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Ron asked.

"The...keys?" I wondered. "You're wondering if the...keys will attack us?"

"Surely they're birds." Hermione argued.

"You're questioning the Animal Legilimens whether or not the flying creatures are animals or not?"

"Ah, I guess you're right." The four of us strolled across the floor, not bothered by the keys that flew high above us. Pulling at the large door, it didn't budge, even using Alohamora, it didn't open.

"Now what?" Ron demanded.

"Look, broomsticks!" Harry pointed out. "We've got to catch the key to the door!"

"But there are hundreds of them." Hermione complained.

"We're looking for a big old-fashioned one, probably silver like the handle." Ron stated.

"It might have a bent wing." I said to the other as we all grabbed a broom. "Snape may have already come through." The First Years nodded and we kicked off, flying around the chamber to search for the key.

"That one!" Harry shouted after some time. "That big one, there...no there! With bright blue wings! The feathers are crumpled on one side!"

"Don't even think about rushing it, Ron, we have to close in on it."

"Ron, you come it from above." Harry said. "Hermione, stay below and stop it going down, Kenzie, you and me come at it from either side." We all got into position. "Right...now!" Ron dove, Hermione shot up, and then Harry and I shot straight towards the key. The key seemed to 'see' me first, and then turned around, getting caught instantly. We landed quickly, and Harry shoved the key into the lock and turned it. Before the door could click open, I grabbed the key and pointed my wand at it.

"Episkey." I chanted. The key's wing snapped open, healed, and then it flew up proudly with the rest of it's 'flock'.

"Ready?" Harry asked. We nodded and pushed open the door. The room was dark when we entered, but after a couple of steps forward, fires erupted around the room, light spilling across a black and white board...a chessboard. We stood behind the black pieces, the white one directly across from us. "What do we do?" Harry breathed,

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron wondered. "We've got to play across the room."

"How?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I think...we're going to haveto be chessmen." He walked up to the Black Knight, and set a hand on the Knight's horse. Both the horse and Knight sprung to life, the horse pawing the ground. I tried to listen but...it was silent, as if the pieces were moulded and then enchanted to life. The Knight turned to look at Ron. "Do, we, er...do we have to join you to get across?" The Bkack Knight nodded, Ron then looked around. "This wants thinking about...I suppose we've ot to take the place of the black peices..." We watched him think, until he looked at us. "Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are that good at chess-"

"Ron, shut up and tell us what to do." I snapped.

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop." Ron said, pointing to a piece. "And Hermione, you go there instead of that castle, and Kenzie, take the place of the Queen." I nodded.

"What about you?" Harry asked,

"I'm going to be a Knight." Ron stated. As if the chessmen were listening to our words, the moment Ron stopped speaking and the pieces he mentioned turned their backs and walked off the squares, leaving them open for us to take. I took a deep breath, and took the spot of the Queen. "White always plays first in chess...ues...look..." A White Pawn had moved forward two places. Ron started to direct the Black peices, and us as well, the peices moving silently. The Queen was ruthless, smashing pieces and dragging them off the board. I clutched my robes and watched. But then...Ron said the thing I dreaded most. "I have to be taken..."

"What?" I breathed. "Ron, you can't!"

"That's chess!" Ron snapped. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move, and then she'll take me, that leaves you free to checkmate the King, Harry!"

"But-" Harry started.

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron!"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone." Everyone looked at each other, knowing this was the only way. "Here I go. Now, don't hang around once you've won." Ron stepped forward, and then the White Queen pounced. I had to look away, but I heard the dull thud of Ron falling, Out the corner of my eye, I saw Harry approach the King, who threw his crown at the boys feet. The White peices parted, and then bowed, the pathway clear.

"You both leave." I said to Harry and Hermione.

"But, Kenzie-" Hermione started.

"I'll look after my brother." I told them. "And if someone comes back through, I can at least hold them off. Go protect the stone."

"Thank you, Kenzie." Harry said softly, and then the two ran off. I approached Ron and knelt next to him. He was unconscious, a large welt forming on his head. I pulled Ron close and sighed softly.

"You idiot..." I sighed softly. "You better hope Mum doesn't find out about this."