Brute force and obstacles

"The music box Neville gave me actually came in handy."

The music box spun, playing a beautiful melody. Neville had given it to John for Christmas.

After learning that Fluffy liked music, John had made a special trip to his dormitory to fetch it.

"Accio music box."

Once through the trapdoor, John used the Summoning Charm to bring the music box along with him.

It was a gift from Neville, after all. John didn't want Fluffy breaking it when he woke up.

[Ding! Challenge Mission triggered: clear the chamber containing the Philosopher's Stone. Reward: Free Point +2, blessing: Knight]

John had triggered a Challenge Mission upon entering this room.

As he fell freely through the trapdoor, John spotted something writhing below him like tentacles.

"Reducto!"

White light punched through the tentacles, and John cast a Levitation Charm on himself just before he hit the ground.

He landed gently and John looked up.

The shattered tentacles writhed, filling the hole back in. After taking a closer look, he recognized the plant as Devil's Snare.

"Was this here to keep people from falling to their deaths?"

Rubbing his chin, John figured that kindly Professor Sprout was probably the only person who would set up an obstacle like this.

Professor Sprout probably hadn't expected anyone to force their way through so violently. Devil's Snare was a plant that liked damp, dark places.

Beneath the Devil's Snare lay a stone corridor, the only way forward.

John followed the corridor for a while before he heard rustling and jingling sounds.

It sounded like a swarm of insects beating their wings.

At the end of the corridor was a brightly lit room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Countless little birds, glittering like jewels, fluttered around inside.

They were keys with wings.

On the other side of the room stood a heavy wooden door with a keyhole.

John looked thoughtfully at the Flying Broomstick to one side and said, "I suppose I'm meant to find the matching key."

Looking at the densely packed keys, John reckoned Harry would probably be out by the time he found it.

In that case, he would try another method.

John took the Greatsword off his back and approached the wooden door. He tried the Unlocking Charm, but it clearly didn't work.

"Then I'll just break it down."

Gripping his sword with both hands, John brought it down on the wooden door.

The Greatsword was heavy to begin with. Combined with Greatsword Mastery, John's blow sent wood chips flying.

On his tenth strike, the wooden door finally gave way and fell.

Resting the Greatsword on his shoulder, John stepped through the doorway.

The second room was pitch-black. John blinked, struggling a little with the sudden transition from light to darkness.

As he stepped inside, lights came on.

They illuminated the entire room, revealing an enormous chessboard.

Standing at its edge, John looked around. Black and white pieces stood on the board.

Judging by their design, they seemed to be Wizard's Chess pieces. Behind the White Chess Pieces stood a wooden door.

"Ron?"

Just then, he noticed a red-haired figure lying beyond the chessboard.

John's heart sank. Had something happened to him?

After calling a few times without getting a response, John tried to walk over.

But the white pieces on the opposite side of the board drew their weapons and blocked his path. John's expression darkened. "Either move aside, or I'll smash you to pieces and go through," he said coldly.

The White Chess Pieces clearly had no intention of moving. John showed them no courtesy either. With his wand in hand, he attacked immediately.

"Reducto!"

White light shattered the foremost pawn, stirring up a hornet's nest.

The White Chess Pieces all moved into action. John cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and vanished before their eyes.

The wary White Chess Pieces were still trying to work out what had happened when his Greatsword scraped sparks across one of them and shattered it.

Wand in his left hand and Greatsword in his right, John blended into the darkness and slaughtered the White Chess Pieces.

The shattered White Chess Pieces tried to restore themselves. John's expression tightened. With Transfiguration this advanced, the obstacle had probably been set up by Professor McGonagall.

"Trying to repair yourselves? Let's see you do that when I mix you all together."

He waved his wand, lifting all the broken White Chess Pieces into the air and gathering them into one pile.

John turned his gaze to the White King. That appeared to be the core.

He leaped, twisted at the waist, and delivered a powerful overhead slash, splitting the White King from the top of its head downward.

The White Chess Pieces stopped moving. John glanced at his slightly warped sword and frowned.

"This sword still isn't good enough."

With the chess pieces dealt with, he approached Ron.

He shook Ron, who finally woke up.

"Ron, are you all right?"

Ron was still dazed. All he remembered was choosing to sacrifice himself so Harry could take the White King. After that, he had been knocked unconscious and remembered nothing.

Hearing the voice, he opened his eyes, saw nothing in front of him, and screamed in fright.

"It's me, Ron. Are you all right?"

John lifted the Disillusionment Charm and checked on Ron.

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. John, what are you doing here?"

Realizing something was wrong, Ron stared at John with his mouth hanging open.

John shrugged and said casually, "Hagrid was worried something might happen to you, so he asked me to check."

Well, that explanation was just about plausible.

Ron's head was spinning. He stood, swayed a few times, and nearly fell again.

Just as John was considering whether to take Ron back first, Hermione emerged from another door.

"Ron!"

Hermione cried out anxiously, then froze for a moment when she saw John standing beside Ron.

"Hermione, where's Harry?"

"Harry's gone on to the final obstacle. John, what are you doing here?"

John explained his reason again, then looked toward the door on the other side.

Noticing his gaze, Hermione said, "Harry's already gone through. The antidote for the fifth obstacle has all been used up."

With no antidote left, worrying would do Hermione no good. All she could do was head back and see whether she could find Dumbledore and bring him here.

"Fire, huh." John instinctively touched the pocket holding his bottles of potions.

Well, wasn't that convenient.

He happened to have a bottle of Fire Protection Potions in his pocket. As luck would have it, he had found the recipe in Moste Potente Potions, and it required dragon blood to brew.

He had only one bottle, just enough to get through.

"Then you two go out as planned. I'll help Harry."

With that, John ignored Hermione's surprise and went through the door behind the White Chess Pieces.

The moment he entered, a foul stench hit him.

He knew that smell all too well. After all, he had once dealt with a big brute that smelled just like this.

Only this time, the stink was even more overpowering, making John's eyes water.

Through his blurred vision, he saw a troll lying on the floor.

This troll was even larger than the last one. An enormous lump bulged from its head, and it looked as though it had been unconscious for some time.

Just as John thought he wouldn't have to fight another troll, the creature on the floor opened its eyes at the worst possible moment.

[Ding! Defeat the second troll. Free Point +1, blessing: Troll Bane]

[Troll Bane: greatly increases damage against large creatures and increases the fear you inspire in them]

A mission had triggered. John narrowed his eyes.

Seeing the enormous troll begin to wake, John cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.

Before the troll fully woke, he moved behind it.

That lump was clearly showing him where the troll's weak point lay.

John aimed at its head and hit it with a full-power Reducto.

The poor troll had barely gotten up before it was blasted away again. This time, it fared even worse: a huge hole burst open in its head, blood pouring out without pause.

It soon pooled into a small stream on the floor.

At the same time, the system notified him that the mission was complete. Even Dumbledore probably wouldn't have imagined such a simple, brutal way of clearing the obstacles.

John reached the final door and pushed it open.

Purple flames blocked his path. John took out the Fire Protection Potions and prepared to drink.

Suddenly, he stopped. His gaze unfocused as he summoned his panel.

[Magic: level 3 (105/1500)]

[Spells: Alohomora (level 3), Levitation Charm (level 4), Transfiguration Spell (level 2), Disillusionment Charm (level 3), Lumos (level 2), Incendio (level 3), Reducto (level 3), Fiendfyre (level 2)...]

[Skills: Short Weapon Mastery (level 7), Greatsword Mastery (level 4), Firearm Mastery (level 1), Runes Mastery (level 1), Alchemy Mastery (level 1)]

[Blessings: Strengthen the Body, Rapid Attack, Precision, Top Student, Pilot, Long-Distance Running, Sword Dance, Night Demon, Troll Bane]

"My Disillusionment Charm failed in front of Dumbledore last time. I shouldn't be careless this time."

Having made up his mind, John focused on the Disillusionment Charm and assigned his newly earned Free Point to it.

The number beside the Disillusionment Charm changed, becoming level 4.