The three told me about how the person who gave Hagrid Norbert knows how to get him to sleep so now we head to McGonagall's classroom. We come tearing in and run up the aisles between desks. We pass a ghost and stop at the desk.

"We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!" Harry breaths

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London." She says.

"He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about...the Philosopher's Stone." Harry exclaims.

"How do you know" she says shocked.

"Someone's going to try and steal it." Harry says.

"I don't know how you three found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly." She orders and we leave.

————

After exiting McGonagall's class, they walk down the hallway.

"That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy." Harry says and I mumble 'it was Quirrell'

"And with Dumbledore gone"Snape suddenly appears behind us.

Good afternoon. Now, what would four young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?"

"Uh...we were just..." Hermione stutters.

"You want to be careful. People will think you're up to something." He says

"Now what do we do?" She exclaims and I sigh knowing what's coming next.

"We go down the trapdoor. Tonight." Harry says.

————

Nighttime. In the Gryffindor Common Room. Us four come down the stairs and begin to walk across the floor. They stop when they hear croaking.

"Trevor." Harry says

"Trevor shh! Go, you shouldn't be here!" Ron whisper yells

"Neither should you. You're sneaking out again, arent you?" Neville says as he appears out from behind a chair.

"Now, Neville, listen. We were" Harry says but Neville cut him off.

"No! I won't let you! You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you." He says holding out his fists.

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this...Petrificus Totalus." I say. Neville is frozen and falls backwards onto the ground. I put my wand back.

"You're a little scary sometimes...you know that? Brilliant, but scary." Ron says

"Let's go.Sorry." Harry says as he walks past Neville.

"Sorry." Hermione apologises.

"It's for your own good, you know." I say as we exit.

————

The four of us are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor.

" Alohomora." I say using my wand to unlock the door.The door opens and we go in.

"Wait a minute...he's....Sleeping."

"Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp." Harry says

"Uh. It's got horrible breath!" Ron says.

"We have to move its paw." Harry explains.

"What?!" Ron asks.

"Come on! Okay. Push! I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. If something bad happens, get yourselves out...Does it seem a bit...quiet?" He says as he moved the paw and I see Fluffys eyes open.

"The harp." I say.

"It stopped playing." Hermione continues. Drool from one head comes down on Ron's shoulder.

"Ew! Yuck! Ugh." We all look up and see Fluffy standing there. Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing. He breaks the harp and dives at us.

"Jump! Go!" They all jump through the trapdoor and I look at fluffy before following after.

"Ahh! Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really." Ron gasps as he lands on some mushy black ropelike vines

"Whoa! Oh. Ahh!" Harry exclaims as the plant comes near us and trap us.

"Stop moving, both of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster." Hermione says

"Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!" Ron says. Hermione manages a smile as she is sucked down below not long after followed by me.

"Hermione!! Athena!!" Ron and Harry exclaims.

"Now what are we gonna do?!" Ron asks from above.

"Just relax!" Hermione shouts up.

"Hermione! Where are you?!" Harry asks

"Do what I say. Trust me." Hermione says. Harry relaxes and is sucked through.

"Ahh! Harry!" Ron panics. Harry falls through and lands on the hard ground. Hermione goes over to him and he stands up.

"Harry!" Ron shouts.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asks the raven haired boy.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He says.

"Help!" Ron shouts.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione asks.

"Apparently not." I say.

"Help! Help me!" He pleads.

" We've got to do something!" Hermione exclaims.

"What?" Harry asks.

"Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology. Um Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, it's deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight! Lumus Solem!" I shout using my wand for the spell." A beam of light shoots out of my wand. The Snare shrieks and recoils. Ron falls in front of me.

"Ahhh!" He shrieks.

"Ron, are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Whew. Lucky we didn't panic!" Ron says and I scoff.

"Lucky Athena pays attention in Herbology." Harry says then There is a sound.

"What is that?" Hermione asks and I shrug.

"I don't know. Sounds like wings." Harry says.we enter into a room filled with golden "birds."

"Curious. I've never seen birds like these." Hermione says.

"They're not birds, they're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door."Harry says" We come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.

"What's this all about?" Hermione says.

"I don't know. Strange." Harry says.

"Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be 1000 keys up there!" Hermione exclaims.

"We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle." I say.

"There! I see it!The one with the broken wing!" Harry says.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asks.

"It's too simple." Harry contemplates.

"Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!" Ron says. Harry nods and grabs the broom. All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at Harry. He climbs on, swiping at them.

"This complicates things a bit!" Ron says and I give home a 'ya think' face.
Harry pushes off into the air. He flies off, after the key. The others follow him. Harry grabs the key.

"Catch the key!" He shouts. He zooms by and throws the key to Hermione, who catches it and heads for the lock while Harry distracts the other keys. Hermione puts it in the lock.

"Hurry up!" He shousys. The door opens, and we rush through, followed by Harry. We shut the door just as the keys slam up against it.

————

We enter a dark room, with broken pieces all around it.

" I don't like this. I don't like this at all." Hermione says and I can't help but agree with her.

"Where are we? A graveyard." Harry asks and I shake my head 'no'.

"This is no graveyard. It's a chessboard." Ron says as we walk out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and GIANT players. Harry and Hermione come up with him and I stay beside them.

"There's the door." Harry says.

They walk across the board, towards the door and I follow. Suddenly, as we reach a line of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords. The three jump and back up.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asks

"It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. Athena be the Queen.As for me, I'll be a knight." Ron commands and we all take our places.

"What happens now?" I ask.

"Well, white moves first, and then...we play." He says and I nod. A pawn on the other side moves forward. Ron studies the game.

"Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?" Hermione asks.

"You there! D-5! Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess!" Ron says. A black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one. The three jump The game continues. Pieces smash each other, boom! Boom!

"Castle to E-4!" Smash!

"Pawn to C-3!" Smash! Boom!

I turn, and smash a piece! Harry, Ron and Hermione wince. The Queen turns again. Both Ron and Harry study the game.

"Wait a minute." I say

"You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King." Ron says and I shake my head.

"No, Ron! No!" I shout.

"What is it?"

"He's going to sacrifice himself!" Harry says.

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

"Your brothers are going to kill me.."

"Do you want to stop Snape or not? Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you. Knight...to H-3." Ron's horse moves forward, slides and stops.

"Check."

The Queen turns and advances. Ron breathes faster, clutching the steel reins. The Queen stops. SMASH! Ron goes flying off the horse and lands on the floor, unconscious.