The Savior? You're Just My Friend

The four of them quickly ran over, opened the trapdoor, and below was unfathomable darkness. Harry slowly slid down the hole. "If anything happens to me, have Huan take you out and write to Dumbledore."

Beside him, Bing Huan dodged the bites of the three-headed dog while looking for opportunities to punch Fluffy to distract it, so that Hermione and the others wouldn't be targeted.

Harry let go and quickly landed on something soft, like some kind of plant. Looking up again, the hole was only the size of a postage stamp. Harry shouted, "You can come down now, it's a soft landing!"

Ron jumped down next, landing beside Harry, followed by Hermione. Just as Draco was about to jump down, Hermione's scream came from below.

"What is this thing?!"

The plant that caught them extended snake-like tendrils and instantly wrapped around the feet of the three of them. The more they struggled, the faster and tighter the vines wrapped around them.

Draco shouted down, "What's wrong with you guys?"

"Don't move!" Hermione shouted at them, "It's Devil's Snare, moving will only make it worse!"

"Then what should we do? I can barely breathe."

"Shut up, I'm thinking!" Hermione said, "Devil's Snare likes dark and damp places, and hates warmth and sunlight."

"Then burn it," Harry said, barely able to speak.

"But there are no matches here!"

"Are you even a wizard?!" Ron was starting to lose his temper.

Draco took out his wand, took a deep breath, "Here goes!" He leaped down, wand pointed at the Devil's Snare below.

"Lumos Maxima!"

The Devil's Snare, which had been gaining momentum, immediately began to retreat, abandoning its entanglement of them. The four of them successfully broke free.

"Fortunately, Hermione paid close attention in Herbology class," Harry said.

Ron said, "And fortunately, Draco didn't panic like you at the critical moment."

After the effect of Lumos Maxima wore off, the Devil's Snare began to sprout again, weaving a large net above their heads with its vines.

Harry yelled up, "Huan, we're safe, come down quickly." Bing Huan heard this, kicked Fluffy away, and dove into the hole like he was diving. But before Bing Huan could get down, the Devil's Snare was quickly filling the passage above them.

Bing Huan didn't have time to grab his wand, so he extended his left hand, and a ball of light gradually condensed in his palm.

"Shining Finger!"

Affected by the light, the vines left an opening large enough for Bing Huan to pass through. Hermione grabbed Bing Huan's hand, "What did you just do?"

Bing Huan scratched his head. "Oh, I didn't have time to grab my wand in mid-air, so I tried wandless magic, and it worked."

"But your spell was different too, I've never heard of it."

"We'll have plenty of time to ask these questions after we get out, and we still have to protect the Sorcerer's Stone. This way," Harry said, pointing to a stone corridor.

To prevent their tracks from being exposed, no one dared to speak. In the corridor, besides the sound of footsteps, there was only the sound of water slowly dripping.

As they walked, new sounds came from ahead. Reaching the end, they found a brightly lit room. Countless winged keys flew around, and opposite them was a heavy wooden door with several flying broomsticks parked in the middle.

Bing Huan patted Harry's shoulder. "Your turn to perform, Ace." Harry grabbed a broom, pushed off, and charged into the dense cluster of keys. It was still less difficult to catch than a Golden Snitch, even with a bunch of companions covering for him.

Harry still found his target, and after grabbing the correct key, he quickly rushed towards the wooden door. The next room was initially pitch black, but as soon as they stepped in, it lit up.

As their eyes adjusted to the light, they found themselves beside a giant chessboard. Black pieces were closer to them, and white pieces were opposite.

As they approached the white pieces, they drew their double-edged swords. "It seems we have to break the chess game to get past," Ron said with a solemn expression.

He walked up to a black knight. "Do we have to be with you guys to get past?" The revived black knight nodded.

Ron looked at the others. Draco shrugged, "What are you looking at me for? As for wizard chess, I'm definitely not as good as you, Weasley."

The remaining three naturally had no objections. Bing Huan had no interest in wizard chess, and as for Hermione and Harry, they were simply terrible at it.

"Alright, Harry. You and Malfoy go replace those two bishops. Hermione and Bing Huan will replace the castles." Ron mounted his horse. "And I'll be a knight."

After the four of them took their positions, the white pawns moved forward two squares.

The match officially began. Ron's understanding of wizard chess was indeed extraordinary. He had to defend against the white pieces' attacks while also finding ways to protect his own side.

But after several exchanges, the sacrifices on both sides were roughly equal. Ron, still on his horse, was contemplating all possible strategies. The White Queen turned her faceless head towards Ron.

"Yes, that's right. This is how it ends."

"Calm down, Weasley, there must be another way." The other three hadn't reacted yet when Draco suddenly shouted to stop Ron.

"Do you believe that yourself when you say it? We don't have time to waste here."

Harry understood at this moment that Ron was going to sacrifice himself to end the game. "It can't be like this, Ron."

"This is chess!" Ron had never been so stern as he was at this moment. "We don't have time, so there must be sacrifices."

"But..."

"Do you really want Voldemort to come back to life?"

Hermione and Draco wanted to say something more, but Bing Huan stopped them. "Don't try to persuade him, he's made up his mind." Ron's expression was resolute. Even decades later, looking back, Ron would consider this moment one of the coolest in his life, at least in the top three.

As soon as Ron moved, the White Queen not far away lunged forward. Using her stone arm, she struck Ron heavily on the head. Ron flew off the chessboard. Hermione screamed, and Harry and Draco couldn't help but clench their fists, their faces pale.

But they couldn't stop now, or Ron's sacrifice would be in vain. Harry trembling walked towards the King. The White King took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. All the white pieces bowed and retreated, clearing a path.

Harry and the others turned back, wanting to catch one last glimpse of Ron, but saw him slowly getting up. "It doesn't... hurt that much." The meticulous Hermione noticed a golden light flash over Ron.

"I guess I forgot to tell you. Before we got on the board, I put a Vajra Talisman on each of you. So those pieces couldn't hurt us. I only had Ron direct because I was afraid we wouldn't be able to pass through the subsequent doors if we didn't follow the rules."

Bing Huan, hands in his pockets, looked at them. "Didn't we agree? Everyone has to get back safely."

Devil's Snare, making the keys fly, flying broomsticks, and giant chess pieces coming to life.

Waiting for them ahead were only the checkpoints set up by Snape and Quirrell. Harry pushed the door open, and a nauseating smell rushed into his nostrils. It was a troll larger than the one from Halloween night.

It lay motionless on the floor ahead, unconscious. It seemed a predecessor had solved the problem for them. Everyone quickly moved to the next room, lest they actually vomit from the smell.

Ron grumbled as he walked. "Quirrell definitely set this one. It stinks!" The setup of the next room made them a bit puzzled; compared to before, this room seemed too simple.

There was only a table, on which sat seven differently shaped bottles and a piece of parchment. As soon as they crossed the threshold, flames ignited behind them and in the last door ahead.

Hermione snatched the parchment, which contained a riddle.

Danger lies before you, safety lies behind, Two among us you'll find, to help you this time.

Drink one, and you'll advance, The other sends you back, to where you began.

Two are nettle wine, Three are killers, in a deadly line.

Choose wisely, or forever here you'll stay.

We offer four clues to guide your way:

First, however cunningly the poison hides, It stands to the left of the nettle wine;

Second, the contents of the left and right end, Will not help you advance, if you depend;

Third, you will notice that the bottles vary in size, Death does not hide within the giant or the dwarf's guise;

Fourth, the second on the left and the second on the right, Though different in appearance, taste the same, day and night.

Hermione let out a long sigh. This was the first time the young girl had smiled since entering through the trapdoor.

"Wonderful! This is a logic puzzle." Hermione walked back and forth with the paper, reading it several more times. She paced in front of the bottles, constantly deducing. Soon, she found the correct potion.

However, it was unfortunate. This time, the thief had not left them complete materials like in the Fluffy's chamber.

The potion in the bottle was only enough for one sip. Harry took that bottle. "I'll drink this. You guys drink the one to go back. Someone has to go notify Dumbledore. I might be able to stall him for a while, but I'm absolutely no match for him."

"But what if the Dark Lord is with him?"

"I've luckily escaped once before. Maybe I can again this time." Harry pointed to the scar on his forehead.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Potter? Is that something you can gamble on luck? You'll really die!" Bing Huan stepped forward, looking at the boy who was gradually becoming the savior.

"There's no need to face an enemy you can't possibly win against, Harry."

"Can't possibly win, I don't understand. I only know someone has to stop him, and I'm the most suitable." Harry wanted to speak righteously, but his hands couldn't help but tremble. What eleven-year-old child isn't afraid of death?

Bing Huan continued, "The moment we stepped into the fourth-floor corridor, the test began. The first trial was Fluffy, which I blocked. The second trial was when Draco saved us. The third was your flying talent, Harry. For the fourth, we relied on Ron's chess skills. Now, it's Hermione's logic and intelligence that helped us pass this trial.

What I mean is, if we were missing even one person, none of us would have arrived here safely. We should continue to work together. You are the savior of the wizarding world, but to us, you are first our friend, and then those so-called titles."