Because You Love Me

36. Two-Faced Villian

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had survived pretty well since they plummeted into the trap door. Hermione had defeated the Devil's Snare plant and told Ron and Harry how to do it. Ron nearly had a heart attack, but they managed to get past it. They had gone through what they knew to be Snape's enchantment, also thanks to Hermione. She kept the three of them from being poisoned. The room with the winged keys had been next and up to Harry to complete. He had to fly on a broomstick because he was best at it out of the three. After finally catching the right key, he opened the door so the three of them could go into the next room to face the next challenge. They heard the keys fly into the door like knives behind them.

Darkness engulfed them as they stepped farther into the room they had gone into. Once they got so far inside, the lights finally came on and they could see where they were walking. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all widened their eyes, shocked by the sight before them. It was the biggest chess set either of them had ever seen.

"Whoa," Ron commented.

The floor was the chess board and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were a part of the pieces. They figured it out rather quickly when they walked toward the door on the other side of the room and the other pieces drew their swords, threatening to cause them harm. The trio retreated.

"I guess we have to play our way across the room," Harry stated.

Hermione gulped. "You don't suppose it's like real wizard's chess, do you?"

They looked at each other nervously.

Ron cleared his throat and spoke up. "There's only one way to find out. Knight to E-5."

The three of them watched as the piece moved to the space Ron had called out. The other side moved. A pawn destroyed the night by sticking it's sword through it. It was smashed into a billion tiny pieces.

Ron gulped. "Yes, Hermione. This is exactly like real wizard's chess."

Harry sighed. He wasn't very good at chess, but he knew that Ron was. "Ron, you're the best at this game. I think you should handle this room."

"Me?"

"Yes. I have complete faith in you. You'll get us out safely."

Ron suddenly became very nervous. "Okay then," he said with a sigh. "Hermione, you stand over there." He pointed to a space for her to go to. She walked over to it cautiously. "Harry, you take the empty space right next to her. You'll be pawns. As for me, I'll be a knight." He hopped on the stone horse's back. "Let's play."

It seemed like the longest game in the world to Harry, but they had finally made it down to the last few pieces after a only a short time. Ron really was the best chess player he had ever seen. He had done really good job so far, but now he seemed to be in a bind. Ron paused for a few minutes, unsure of what his next move would be.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to have to take the last piece," Ron told him. "Then the queen will take me and you'll be free to take the king."

Harry stared at him. "Ron, no."

Hermione frowned. "Why not? It sounds like a good plan to me."

"He's going to sacrifice himself."

"Ron, no!" she exclaimed. She hadn't understood what he meant. "There has to be another way!"

"It has to be done," Ron declared. He turned to Harry. "It has to be you that goes on. Not me, not Hermione, but YOU. This is the only way."

Harry licked his lips nervously. He knew it was the truth, but the thought of something happening to his best friend didn't sit well with him. He had not really thought about it though. Bringing Ron and Hermione along had just endangered them. He gave Ron the okay reluctantly. He and Hermione watched with nervous anticipation as Ron moved forward. He took the piece, which initiated the movement of the queen. She came forward to claim him. The queen destroyed the horse Ron was on and the impact from the blast threw him to the floor. He wasn't moving. Hermione started to move to help him.