Catastrophe~Harry Potter

Chapter XVIII

We walk up to the chess board and stare at awe at the huge chess pieces. Across the chess board at the end of the room was a door leading out.

"There's the door." ,Harry mentions.

They start moving towards it, when the chess pieces raise their swords blocking the pathway.

"C'mon guys. You seriously didn't think that you can just walk your way without— without facing this obstacles, did you?" ,I say in disbelieve folding my arms over my chest.

"Now what do we do?" ,asked Hermione expatriated.

"It's obvious isn't it." ,Ron explains and instructs us taking the lead, "We play our way across the room. Harry you take the empty Bishop's square. Hermione you take the Queen's side castle and Annabeth you be the rook."

He scans the board a bit more and decides, "and as for me, I'll be the knight." Pieces from the boxes where allocated us, moves in the sidelines leaving the spaces empty.

"What happens now?" ,Hermione enquires as we take our positions.

"Well." ,Ronald sighs, "White moves first, and then, we play."

- - -

All of us nervously stare at the broken and shattered pieces while Ron plays with the utmost concentration refraining me from making any sarcastic side comments. We were in the middle of ruins, bleeding, hurt and tired.

"Wait a minute." , Harry contemplates looking straight at Ronald. At this point, I don't vendor try to think anything and trust Ronald completely.

"You understand right Harry." ,Ron replies, "Once I make my move, the queen will take me and you're free to check the king."

"So what happens to you? Ka-boom?" ,I shout over the distance clashing my hands together in a 'smash' motion.

"What is it?" ,Hermione shouts clueless.

"He's going to sacrifice himself." ,Harry explains still horrified.

"No you can't! There must be another way." ,Hermione retorts trying to make sense.

"Do you want to stop Snape from getting that stone or not?" ,snapped back Ronald immediately.

"I'm not seeing this. I'm not. Just—do it. God, just get over with it. I'm not looking." ,I say closing my eyes, putting my hands over them and turning around. Ron shouts orders with words following something like, 'knight to E-5', which is followed by sounds of crashing and crumbling pieces and Hermione shouting and trying to run over to Ronald's motionless body and Harry refraining her by shouting. Harry then checkmate's the king and all the pieces fall and the game comes to an end.

"Holy-hell" ,all of us crowd around Ronald and try to shake him awake, "This was pure savage. It had to be McGonagall's. Imagine the look on her face when she would realise that Ronald defeated her obstacle. I mean, he was brilliant." ,I say laughing.

Harry then orders both of us to take Ron back to the hospital wing and inform a teacher if we can and called Hermione as the bravest witch which she denied saying, "Me? books and cleverness. There are more important things; friendship and bravery Harry."

"Harry, Hermione really appreciates your compliment in crisis, but it would be great if you get going for I understand that you're not going to let us come with you." ,I say resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes. Go back safely." ,he says and starts walking when I call him back and engulf him in a tight hug.

"By you don't hug anyone." ,he says smiling.

"Well, for all I know, you can die today down there and I might have to regret the rest of my life that I didn't hug you at least once." ,I reply trying to sound funny, yet deep down we both knew how serious we were.

Harry goes on his way and I and hermione levitate Ronald and go all the way back. On the way to the hospital wing we come across Dumbledore who strangely seemed to know about everything and says, 'he's down there right?' ,and we nod in surprise as he goes away without soaring us a second glance. On reaching the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey exclaims loudly fussing over us. She puts Ronald on a bed, flicks her wand twice and drowns a potion down his throat. She also made us settle on beds and gives us a glass of, uh, well—some medicine which I drink and immediately hit my head in the pillow with the feeling of falling into an endless abbys.