Avada Kedavra!
"Amazing!" Ron gave a thumbs up.
Harry stepped forward, inserted the key into the keyhole, and turned it; the lock clicked.
Pushing open the door, the next room was pitch black; nothing could be seen.
But as soon as they stepped inside, the room was suddenly brightly lit, illuminating a shocking scene.
They stood around a huge chessboard, with black chess pieces in front of them, all taller than them, seemingly carved from black stones or something similar.
At the other end of the room, facing them, were some white chess pieces.
The towering white chess pieces had no facial features and looked terrifying. Neville let out a groan and grabbed Seamus's arm.
"If you use any more force, my arm will break, Neville," Seamus said sarcastically.
He was actually quite scared just now, but after Neville grabbed him like that... he wasn't scared anymore.
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked.
Ron looked up at the chess pieces, his expression grave.
"Obviously, we need to play chess to get to the next room."
"Perhaps there's another way?" Seamus asked eagerly, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the king among the white pieces. "Confringo!"
The chess piece shattered with a crack, and just as Seamus revealed a smug smile, the fragments of the chess piece shook rapidly on the ground, and soon, they reformed into a king chess piece.
"It seems that taking shortcuts is definitely not going to work," Hermione said in a low voice.
"In my opinion," Ron said, "We must act as pawns."
He walked up to a black knight and reached out to touch the knight's horse.
Instantly, the stone came to life, the horse pawed at the ground, and the knight turned his helmeted head to look at Ron.
"Do we... well, do we have to be with you guys to win?" Ron asked.
The Black Knight nodded.
Ron turned to Harry and Hermione and said, "We need to think this over carefully... I'm afraid we'll have to replace these five black pieces..."
The others remained silent, watching Ron deep in thought.
After all, Ron is a master of Wizard Chess, and only he can win this game.
After careful consideration, Ron said, "Here's the thing, don't be angry, or I might be rude, but to be honest, none of you are very good at chess—"
"We're not angry," Seamus said quickly. "Tell us what to do."
"Alright, Harry, you take the bishop's place; Hermione, you stand next to him, taking the castle's place," Ron continued to direct. "Neville, you go to the other side and take the bishop's place on that side; Seamus, you stand next to Neville, taking the castle's place."
"And what about you?" Hermione asked loudly.
"Me?" Ron took a deep breath, his gaze resolute. "I'll be a knight."
The chess pieces seemed to be listening to them. As soon as Ron finished speaking, a knight, two bishops, and two castles turned around, their backs to the white pieces, and stepped off the chessboard, leaving five empty spaces for the five players.
"As is customary in Wizard Chess," Ron took a deep breath, "White moves first—"
As soon as he finished speaking, a white pawn on the white side moved forward one step.
"Harry, move four squares to the right and forward!" Ron shouted.
Harry followed Ron's instructions and moved forward four squares.
Then it was White's turn. White's queen stepped forward and fiercely knocked down another black knight with her iron hammer, throwing him off the board.
"I... I'm a little..." Seamus swallowed hard. "Ron, please don't send me to get beaten up..."
"Go, Neville." Ron's face remained expressionless as he commanded Neville to step forward. "Go and kill their bishop!"
"Me?" Neville flinched. "Me, playing against the White Bishop?"
However, he still obediently took out his wand and used Disarming Charm to kill the white bishop.
Soon, a large pile of lifeless black chess pieces lay scattered haphazardly against the wall.
On two occasions, Ron was able to rescue Seamus and Neville from danger thanks to his timely discovery of their predicament.
Ron himself charged into battle on the board, capturing almost as many white pieces as they lost black pieces.
"Let me think, let me think..."
Ron sat on his black warhorse, his face contorted in a dilemma for a long time.
Just then, the White Queen turned her featureless face toward Ron.
"I need someone." Ron swallowed hard. "Someone who will willingly be eaten with me—"
"What will be the consequences?" Seamus swallowed hard.
Ron didn't speak, but just glanced at the scattered, incomplete black chess pieces lying on the ground outside the arena.
"No!" Hermione roared, "You'll be dead! Ronald!"
"Do you even want to stop the Dark Lord or not?!" Ron roared back, his voice sharp and stern. "This is a game of chess! There have to be sacrifices! Someone has to sacrifice, why can't it be me! I was prepared for this before I came here!"
"But..." Hermione wanted to argue.
"Hurry up! Don't waste time!" Ron's tone was almost commanding. "If we delay any longer, the Dark Lord will get his hands on it!"
"I'll do it!" Seamus stepped forward. "It can't be Harry. He's the only one here who's destined to be the Dark Lord's adversary... Ron, I hope my sacrifice won't be in vain."
Harry clenched his fists tightly. He knew that his companions in front of him were only inferior to his old friends in the Order of the Order of the Phoenix in terms of Charms, but in terms of willpower, they were absolutely no less than anyone else.
"Ready?" Ron took a deep breath, his face pale but incredibly resolute. "I'll go first, then Seamus will go to A1, Harry —you're in charge of the dying King..."
"Yes!" Harry nodded emphatically.
Ron took a step forward, and the White Queen pounced on him. She raised her stone arm and punched Ron hard in the head, sending Ron sprawling to the floor. The White Queen dragged him off the field and threw him out.
Hermione let out a scream, but she did not leave her assigned cubicle.
"I went too."
Seamus glanced at Harry and Hermione, then walked heavily to A1.
"Check! (General)"
The White Queen, who had been standing between Harry and the White King, slowly turned around and walked to Seamus's side.
Tell Mom I love her.
Seamus left with only this sentence before being knocked unconscious by the White Queen and thrown out of the arena.
"Seamus!" Neville called out.
"Don't move!"
Harry pointed at Neville and said loudly, as he walked up to the White King and looked up.
"Checkmate (dying)!"
The White King removed his crown and threw it at Harry's feet.
As the White King made his move, the white pieces bowed and retreated, making way for him.
"Hermione, Neville," Harry said to Hermione and Neville, "You two... take care of them. Go back to the door with the key. I remember there are still a few brooms there. Hurry back and get them to the Hospital Wing. From here on out, I'll have to rely on myself."
"Harry..." Hermione covered her mouth and whispered, "You must be careful!"
"Don't worry." Harry nodded to Hermione, then patted Neville on the shoulder. "Neville, take good care of Hermione. You're a man, stand up straight!"
"Okay!" Neville nodded emphatically.
Harry watched them leave, then turned and continued walking forward.
In the previous level, there was a Troll that had been knocked unconscious—if nothing unexpected happened, it was definitely Quirrell or Voldemort who did it.
After the Troll, there are some potion levels, which seem to have been set up by Professor Snape.
Harry made a quick decision, grabbed the smallest bottle, and drank it all in one gulp.
He then passed through the cluster of flickering black flames and entered the next room.
Sure enough, there was already a person standing in the next room.
Just as Harry suspected, the man was Professor Quirrell, and behind him was the Mirror of Erised.
As Harry entered the room, a sinister smile crept across Professor Quirrell's face.
"Harry Potter..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Harry draw his wand and point it at him.
A beam of emerald green light shot out from Harry's wand, carrying an aura of death, and hurtled toward Quirrell.
"Avada Kedavra!"
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