Ron Weasley and the Philosopher's Stone

Exams have begun. The Philosopher's Stone was still in place-we regularly approached the door leading to the forbidden corridor. Harry put his ear to it to make sure that Fluffy was alive and well. It was terribly hot outside. In the huge office where we wrote our exam papers, it was not only hot, but also unbearably stuffy. Before the exams, everyone was given special pens, enchanted so that anyone who picked up this pen would not be able to copy. We also had practical exams. Professor Flitwick invited us into his office one at a time and demanded that the pineapple on the table dance. Professor McGonagall gave us the task of turning a mouse into a snuffbox. The number of points received for the exam depended on how beautiful the snuffbox turned out to be. But if the snuffbox had a mustache, the score was automatically lowered. And at Professor Snape's exam, everyone was terribly nervous, trying to remember how to make a potion that takes away memory. Barely remembering the ingredients, he brewed a potion. It really came out a little thin. Well, that's fine. Harry's is even worse. Harry had a severe stabbing pain in his forehead, which had been bothering him since the night of his detention in the woods. Neville was convinced that Harry was just nervous about exams and that was why he couldn't sleep at night. He had nightmares and often screamed and got up. I tried to send him to Madam Pomfrey, but he refused. Hermione and I were much less worried about the safety of the Philosopher's Stone. The thought of the possible appearance of Voldemort, of course, scared us. But not as much as Harry. Besides, we were so busy repeating what we'd learned that we didn't have time to worry about Snape. The last exam was history of magic. Within an hour, we had to answer questions in writing about ancient wizards who had lost their minds - which of them invented the self-mixing cauldron and all in the same spirit. And freedom was waiting for us ahead. A whole week of freedom before the announcement of the exam results. And when Professor Beans said it was time to hand in the papers, I rejoiced along with the others. “I thought it was going to be much more complicated,” Hermione noticed when we went out into the sunny schoolyard with the other students. “It turned out that I didn't even have to memorize the codex of the werewolves of sixteen hundred and thirty-seven and the history of the rebellion of Alfric the Impatient.” Hermione always liked to discuss her written work after the exam, but I said it made me feel bad. And we slowly went down to the lake and sat down under a huge tree. The twins and Lee Jordan were having fun on the shore, tugging on the tentacles of a squid that had swum into the warm shallow water. “No more repetitions,” I sighed, stretching out on the grass, and an expression of indescribable happiness appeared on my face. “And you, Harry, could have looked more cheerful - after all, we still have a whole week before the announcement of the exam results.” Harry rubbed his forehead. Last week, I went to Madam Pomfrey for headache painkillers and started giving Harry a drink at night. “Don't you think I'd like to know what's going on with me?!” He exploded. “The scar is constantly in pain - this has happened before, but rarely. And now the pain hardly goes away at all.” “Go to Madam Pomfrey's," Hermione suggested “But I'm not sick, and Ron brought me some painkillers.” Harry objected. “I think it's a warning... And it means that I'm in danger...” I smiled serenely. I was too hot to really think about Harry's words. “Relax, because Hermione's right," I advised. “As long as Dumbledore is nearby, the stone is safe. And besides, we have no proof that Snape found out how to get past the Fluffy. Last time, the dog almost bit off his leg, so now he won't act in a hurry. And Hagrid would never tell anyone how to subdue Fluffy. Neville would rather be accepted into the England Quidditch team than Hagrid would betray Dumbledore. Harry nodded. “It's all the exams, Harry.” Hermione declared. “For example, I woke up last night and started flipping through my transfiguration notebook, and only an hour later I remembered that we had already passed this exam.” It sounded convincing. My friend stared up at the bright blue sky, noticing an owl flying towards the castle. I followed his gaze. Oh, there's a letter in someone's beak. Harry jumped to his feet. “Where are you going?” I asked sleepily.I wanted to lie on the soft green grass, not run after this hurricane. My friend is running so fast that I can't keep up with him. Even though I run in the morning. “I just remembered something," Harry explained. His face turned white. "We need to go to Hagrid's right away.” “What for?” Ten minutes later, Hermione asked for the hundredth time, trying to keep up with Harry rushing ahead. “Don't you think it's all very strange?” Harry finally said, climbing the grassy slope. “Strangely, Hagrid dreamed of a dragon more than anything else in the world. And then suddenly a stranger appeared, who miraculously had a dragon egg in his pocket. After all, dragon breeding is prohibited. How many people do you think are wandering around England with dragon eggs in their pockets? And how many people are lucky enough to meet their Hagrid? Why didn't I think of that before?” “Do you think they brought it to him on purpose? But why?” I asked, puzzled, but Harry had already started running and therefore did not answer. Hagrid was sitting in an armchair two steps away from his hut, with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his trouser legs rolled up, peeling peas. There was a large pot at his feet. “Hi!” - He said, smiling. “Well, did you pass everything? Would you like some tea?” “I'd love to…" I began, but Harry cut me off. “No, Hagrid, we're in a hurry. We just stopped by to check something with you. “Do you remember the night you won at Norbert's cards? Who did the stranger look like?” ”I don't know.” Hagrid shrugged his shoulders. The question clearly didn't bother him. “He was wearing a hood.” Hagrid noticed how Harry, Hermione, and I froze, and raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Yes, this is a common thing at the Boar's Head... well.. in this... in the village bar. There's a lot of stuff... er... Strange people hanging around. You can meet anyone, for sure," he explained. “Maybe it was a dragon trader, so he hid his face, it's illegal. So I didn't see who he looked like.”  Harry sank to the ground. “What were you talking to him about, Hagrid? Did you say that you work at Hogwarts?” “Maybe.” Hagrid looked unusually serious. It seemed like it took an effort for him to remember that evening. “Yes... He kind of asked me what I was doing. And I told him that I work as a forester at the school... He also asked me... er-er... about the various animals I'm looking after here... Well, I answered him... And then he said that he always... well... I dreamed of having a dragon... And then... I don't remember very well, he was buying me drinks all the time... Now, now... Yeah, he said later that he had an egg, and if I wanted to, we could play cards on it... And yet... here... He asked me if I knew how to handle dragons. He didn't want to lose it to anyone... And I told him that... That one... After the Dragon Cannon, I can easily handle it...” “And he is... Did he ask anything about the Fluffy?” Harry asked. “Well... yes... What's the big deal? Do you think there are a lot of Cerberus roaming the world? Well, I told you about the Fluffy... well... That he's cute if you know how to treat him, yes! Just sing to him, or play the flute a little, or some other instrument, and he'll fall asleep right away...”  Hagrid suddenly looked scared. “I shouldn't have told you that!” he roared.“In short, forget what I said here! Hey, where are you going?” Harry, Hermione, and I didn't say a word to each other until we were inside the castle. It was very cold and gloomy here, not like in the open air. “We need to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. “Hagrid told that stranger how to get past a Fluffy. And it was either Snape or Voldemort, hiding his face under a hood and getting Hagrid drunk so that he couldn't recognize him. I hope Dumbledore believes us. And maybe Firenze will confirm my words, if Bane doesn't stop him. By the way, where is Dumbledore's office?” We looked around, hoping to see a sign. We were never told where Dumbledore lives and works. And we didn't remember anyone ever being called to a professor. “We're going to have to..." Harry began, but was cut off by a distant voice. “What are you three doing in the castle?” Professor McGonagall was approaching us. She had a stack of books in her hands. “We want to see Professor Dumbledore.” Hermione stepped forward bravely, surprising Harry and me with her courage. “To see Professor Dumbledore?” Professor McGonagall asked again, looking as if she found these words suspicious. “But why?” Harry took a deep breath and spoke quickly. “It's a secret," the professor's nostrils began to flare angrily. “Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,” Professor McGonagall said coldly. “He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and immediately went back to London.” “Has hegoneaway?” Harry said in a weak voice. "At this hour?" “You see, Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore is a very famous wizard, and he often has urgent matters.” “But it's important," Harry insisted. “Potter, you mean.” Professor McGonagall did not add her usual "mister" to his last name. This meant that she was already beside herself and was only holding herself together with an effort of will. “Are you saying that your case is much more important than the one that sent Professor Dumbledore to the Ministry of Magic?” “Listen, Professor," Harry began in an uncertain tone. “This is about the Philosopher's stone...” It is unknown what Professor McGonagall expected to hear from him, but clearly not these words. The books fell out of her hands, but she didn't even notice it. “Where from... How do you know that?” She spoke nervously. “Professor, I think... I know... like a Sne...” Harry broke off, immediately correcting himself. “That someone wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone. I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore.” Professor McGonagall was shocked by what she heard. But she didn't lose her suspicion and continued to stare at Harry intently. “Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow” Finally, she said after a long pause. “I have no idea how you found out about the stone, but be sure that it is very well guarded and no one will be able to steal it.” “But the professor...” “Potter, I know what I'm talking about.” Professor McGonagall snapped. “She bent down and began to pick up the fallen books. I think it's better for the three of you to go outside and enjoy the good weather properly.” She left, but we didn't follow her advice. “It's going to happen tonight.” Harry declared as soon as Professor McGonagall was far enough away and couldn't hear us anymore. “Snape is going to the hiding place today. He found out everything he needed to know and waited for Dumbledore to leave. I'm sure he's the one who sent Dumbledore the owl, and everyone at the Ministry of Magic will be terribly surprised when Dumbledore shows up.” “- But what about us...” Hermione gasped for air. Harry and I, noticing that she was looking behind us, quickly looked around. Snape was standing behind us. “Good afternoon," he greeted politely. We stared at him in silence, our eyes wide open. “Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the good weather,” Snape said with a strange crooked smile.” “We...” Harry began. “You should exercise reasonable caution.” Snape finished for him. “You look like you're up to something. And your department can't afford another hundred penalty points, can it?” Harry blushed deeply. We had already turned our backs on Snape when he called out to Harry. “I'm warning you, Potter, one more night walk around the school and I'll personally make sure you get expelled. And now, have a nice day.” Snape turned around and walked towards the staff room. We were leaving the castle, descending the stone steps, when Harry turned to us. “That's what we have to do," he whispered fervently. “One of us has to keep an eye on Snape. You need to get up at the staff room and follow him when he comes out of it. This assignment is for you, Hermione.” “But why me?” “It's obvious," I replied. “You can say that you are waiting for Professor Flitwick, you are his favorite, as well as many others, by the way. And if Flitwick ends up in the staff room, you'll find something to say to him. "Oh, Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, it seems to me that I answered question 146 incorrectly in the exam paper..." “Shut up," said Hermione. I did a very similar portrayal of her and her voice, but Hermione didn't seem offended at all. “Well, I agree.” “And we will be on guard in the corridor of the third floor.” Harry turned to me. “Let's go.” But the plan didn't work out. No sooner had we reached the door behind which Fluffy was, than Professor McGonagall appeared from nowhere. This time, she didn't hold back her emotions. “I suppose you think you're much more reliable guards than a dozen spells?!” The professor was loudly indignant. Enough of this nonsense! If I see you near this door again, or if someone tells me that they saw you here, Gryffindor will receive another fifty penalty points.” I had just opened my mouth to resent such an injustice when she interrupted me. “Yes, Weasley, my own house!” Harry and I returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, and before Harry could say that at least Snape was being looked after, Hermione came into the room. “I'm so sorry, Harry!” She whimpered. "Snape came out of the staff room and asked me what I was doing here. I said I was waiting for Flitwick. And Snape went and called him. And I just got rid of him. And while I was talking to Flitwick, Snape left, and now I do not know where he is.” “Well, it looks like the hour has struck, doesn't it?”Harry spoke slowly. He was pale, but his eyes were sparkling. Hermione and I stared at him in silence. “I'm going to leave my bedroom tonight and try to get the stone first.” There was a desperate determination in Harry's voice. “You're crazy!” I exclaimed. “You can't!” Hermione picked up the baton. “After what McGonagall and Snape told you? You're going to be expelled!” “SO WHAT?!” Harry shouted. “Don't you understand anything? If Snape steals the stone, Voldemort will return! Haven't you heard about the times when he tried to seize power? Then no one will be kicked out of Hogwarts, because there simply won't be a school! Voldemort will level it to the ground or turn it into a school of the Dark Arts! So penalty points don't matter anymore! Let's say you win a competition between faculties. So what? Will Voldemort leave you and your families alone? If I get caught before I get to the stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait there for Voldemort to find me. I'm just going to die later than I could have died if I hadn't done anything today, because I'll never go over to the Dark Side! Therefore, today I will go to the place where the stone is kept. And no matter what you two say, it won't stop me! If you remember, Voldemort killed my parents. I can't sit back and wait for him to start killing others...” After finishing his monologue, Harry stared at me and Hermione intently, as if he expected us to start arguing with him. We stared at him in silence. Well, what can I say if he's right. My knees are shaking from the possibility of meeting Voldemort, but I can't leave my friend alone in the lurch. “You're right, Harry,” after a while, Hermione answered in a low voice. “I'm using the invisibility cloak," said Harry. “I was lucky to get it back.” So, you can't let him go alone. “Do you think the three of us can fit under it?” I asked. “What do you mean, the three of us?” Harry didn't understand. “Come on," I said. “Did you think we'd leave you alone?” “Of course we won't," Hermione confirmed fervently. “Do you think you can get to the stone without our help?And now I'm going to go and look through the textbooks, maybe I'll come across some useful information...” “But if we get caught, you'll be expelled too.” Harry noticed. “Oh, no," said Hermione gloomily. “Flitwick told me in confidence that I scored a hundred and twenty points on his exam, although no one gets higher than a hundred. I don't think they'll kick me out after that.” I said nothing. Even though I might be expelled, I didn't want to leave my friend alone. After dinner, we returned to the living room and sat apart from each other so that no one would think we were up to something. Although if Professor McGonagall had come here, she would have immediately assumed the opposite. But the teachers didn't come in here, and everyone else preferred to ignore Harry and his company - no one had talked to us until now. Hermione flipped through her notes, hoping that it would help her to break the spells protecting the stone. Harry and I were silent, thinking about what we had to do. Gradually, the room emptied. Sleep time was approaching. “Go get your robe," I whispered when Lee Jordan finally came out of the room, yawning and stretching. Harry darted upstairs to the dark bedroom, returning a few minutes later in a silver bundle.” “Let's put on the robe right here and make sure it hides us all.” Harry suggested it. “If Filch suddenly sees one foot wandering down the corridor, he will...” “What are you planning?” a voice came from the corner of the room. So, we sailed. And who do we have? The three of us turned our heads sharply when we saw Neville frozen in his chair. He was holding his freedom-loving toad in his arms. Apparently, she tried to sneak out again, and Neville ended up in the corner precisely because he was looking for her. “It's okay, Neville, it's nothing special.” Harry reassured him, hurriedly hiding his robes behind his back. Neville looked carefully at our guilty faces. “Are you going to leave your bedroom in the middle of the night again” He stated confidently. “No, no, no!” Hermione babbled. “Of course not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?” You can't leave here. Neville said stubbornly. "You'll get caught again. And our faculty will have even more problems.” “You don't understand," Harry couldn't stand it. “This is very important.” But Neville was clearly very determined. “I won't let you out." He stood up, blocking the exit to the corridor with himself. “I... I will fight you!” “Neville!” I exploded. “Get away from the portrait and don't be an idiot...” “Don't you dare call me an idiot!” Neville retorted. “I don't think you should break the rules anymore! And you, Ron, taught me yourself that you need to be able to stand up for yourself!” “Yes, but we're your friends.” I spread my hands. “Neville, you don't understand what you're doing.” I stepped forward, and Neville let go of his Trevor, who fell to the floor and immediately disappeared in an unknown direction. “Well, then try hitting me!” Neville raised his fists. "I'm waiting!" Harry turned to Hermione. “Do something," he said desperately. Hermione stepped forward. “I'm sorry, Neville," she said softly. “I'm really, really sorry.” And she raised her wand. “Petrificus Totalus!” She exclaimed, pointing her wand at Neville. Neville's hands shot to his sides, slapping his body loudly. The legs jerked together. Neville stretched out and stood swaying. And then he fell face down. Hermione ran over to Neville and turned him over. Neville's jaw was clenched tightly -he couldn't speak. Only his eyes moved, staring at us in horror. “What did you do to him?” Harry whispered. “It's a paralysis of the body," Hermione replied sadly. “Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry.” “You forced us, Neville, we don't have time to explain everything to you.” Harry added. “You'll figure it out later, Neville,” I put an end to the conversation. Neville lying motionless on the floor seemed to us a bad omen. But there's nothing to do, we have to go. The robe covered all three of them securely. But we were nervous anyway, and in the darkness that surrounded us, we mistook every statue for Filch lurking, and any breeze, even the faintest and most distant one, for Peeves' approach. No sooner had we reached the very first staircase than Mrs. Norris appeared at the bottom of it. “Maybe kick her, I've been dreaming about it for a long time” I whispered in Harry's ear, but he shook his head. We carefully crept past the cat. And although Mrs. Norris was watching us intently with her lamp-like eyes, she clearly didn't see us because she didn't do anything. We haven't seen anyone else yet. But as we approached the stairs leading to the third floor, we noticed Peeves. Humming, he was doing something with a carpet lying on the stairs. Apparently, he was preparing a surprise for schoolchildren who, having stepped on this carpet, had to stumble and fall. “Who's there?” Peeves suddenly asked as we approached him. His evil black eyes became even angrier. “I know you're here, even though I can't see you. Are you a ghost? Or maybe a schoolboy?” Peeves rose into the air and hovered there, staring intently in our direction. “We should get Filch," Peeves said thoughtfully. “Tell him that someone invisible is wandering around the school.” “Peeves," Harry said in a hoarse whisper. “The Blood Baron has his own reasons for being invisible.” Peeves almost fell down the stairs out of fear. He was almost at the ground when he caught himself and hovered, almost touching the steps. Although my friend's whisper made me feel sick to my stomach. He sounded so sepulchral. There's something wrong with this robe. Did you really believe it?! Was it some necromancer's old artifact? But the Potters are descended from the Peverells. “I'm sorry, Your bloody Grace, Mr. Baron,” He saluted obsequiously. “I was wrong, oh, I was wrong... I didn't recognize you... Of course, I couldn't see you, because you're invisible... Forgive old Peeves for his silly joke, please, sir.” “I've got things to do here, Peeves.” Harry rasped in a sepulchral whisper “Don't come here tonight.” “Of course, sir, of course I will.” Peeves muttered in fright, taking off into the air. “I wish you success in your business, Mr. Baron, and I won't bother you anymore.” And Peeves hurriedly disappeared. "Brilliant, Harry!” I whispered. “This robe was probably made by a necromancer from your family.” Harry looked at me in shock. “But the Potters are artefactors.” Harry didn't believe him. “Yes, but the Perewells were necromancers, and your clan founder married the daughter of the clan head. Let's go.” A few seconds later, we were standing in front of the door leading to the forbidden corridor. The door was wide open. “Well, then," Harry said calmly. “So Snape had already passed the Flaffy.” The sight of the open door reminded us all of what lies ahead.Harry turned first to Hermione and then to me. “If you want to leave, I won't take offense at you," he said. “You can take the robe, I won't need it here anymore.” “Don't be a fool," I advised. “Did I just walk with you for company?” “We're with you," Hermione confirmed. Harry stepped inside, brushing against the door. There was a loud creaking sound, and a rumbling, thunderous roar reached us. The dog couldn't see us, but he turned his head in our direction, sniffing with all three noses. The mantle couldn't stop him from discovering us. “What's that lying under his feet?” Hermione whispered. “It looks like a harp," I replied. “Snape must have left her here.” “Fluffy falls asleep when he hears music, and wakes up when it stops.” Harry reminded us. “Well, have we started?” He raised the flute Hagrid had given him to his lips and blew. A friend would sometimes play simple tunes at Hagrid's hut at his prompting. Yes, and Hermione tried to play. At the first sound, all six of the Cannon's eyes began to close. Harry blew without stopping and barely had time to catch his breath, playing a simple lullaby. The growling grew fainter and gradually subsided. The dog swayed and sank onto its belly, and then fell on its side. There was no doubt that he was fast asleep. “Keep playing!” I whispered as we took off our invisibility cloak and slowly moved towards the hatch, which was guarded by Fluffy. The hot, fetid breath escaping from the three mouths was felt more and more strongly. “I think we can easily open the hatch,” I assured them, standing on tiptoe and glancing behind Cannon. Do you want to go first, Hermione? “No way!” She exclaimed, stepping back. “Good” I gritted my teeth, gathering my strength, and cautiously stepped over the paws of a Fluffy.And then he bent over the hatch and pulled on the ring. “What do you see there?” Hermione whispered excitedly. “Nothing. Darkness. You can't see any steps, so you'll have to jump.” Harry, who was still playing the flute, raised his hand and waved, attracting my attention. And then he pointed his finger at himself. “Do you want to go first? Are you sure?” I asked again. “To be honest, I don't know how far we will have to fly. Give the flute to Hermione, Fluffy must not wake up.” Harry handed the flute to Hermione. It took several seconds before she brought it to her lips, and the three-headed monster was already twitching and growling. But as soon as the sounds of the flute reached him, he fell asleep again. Harry stepped over Fluffy and peered through the hatch. He crawled through the hole, holding on tightly to the edges of the hatch, and finally hung on by his fingertips. And then he looked up at me. “If something happens to me, get out of here," he said. “Run to Hagrid, so that he immediately sends an owl to Dumbledore, understand?” “Got it," I nodded. “I hope to see you soon...” And with that, Harry released his grip and flew down. PLOP! Harry landed with a strange muffled sound, as if he had fallen on something soft. “It's all right!” he shouted. “You can jump, a soft landing awaits you!” I wouldn't be able to land on it now. I went around the hatch and jumped down. “What is this thing?” I asked first. There were some stalks before me. “I don't know, some kind of plant, probably,” Harry shook his head. “I think it's here specifically to soften the landing. Come on, Hermione!” The music coming from above stopped. There was a loud barking, but Hermione was already flying towards us and soon landed next door. It's a good thing it's not on us. “We're probably very deep under the school," she remarked. “That's for sure. We're lucky to have this plant here," I smiled. “Lucky?! Hermione suddenly screamed, Igniting lumos. “Look at you!” She jumped to her feet and backed up against the damp wall. She did it with great difficulty, because the moment she landed, the plant immediately began to wrap around her ankles. And as for Harry and me, the long creeping shoots managed to tie our legs so that we didn't even notice it. Hermione managed to free herself before the plant could entangle her, and now, pressed against the wall, she watched in horror as Harry and I tried to tear off the stems. But the more effort we put in, the stronger and faster the snake-like shoots wrapped around us. “Don't move!” Hermione ordered. “I know what it is. It's a "hell of a trap"!” “I'm awfully glad that's what it's called!” I growled, trying to stop the stalk that was trying to wrap itself around my neck. “This, of course, will help us!” “Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill them!” Hermione replied. “Then hurry up, I can't breathe anymore!” “Then hurry up, I can't breathe anymore!” Harry choked out, struggling with the stalk wrapped around his chest. I silently pulled the stem away from my neck. “Hell's snares, hell's snares," Hermione repeated tensely, wrinkling her forehead. “What did Professor Sprout say? This plant loves darkness and humidity...” “So make a fire!” Harry shouted, panting. “Yes, of course, but what should I set on fire? I don't see anything wooden anywhere, honestly!” There was desperation in Hermione's voice, and she was nervously wringing her hands. “ARE YOU CRAZY?” Harry bellowed. “ARE YOU A MAGICIAN OR NOT?” “Oh, that's right!” Hermione whipped out her wand and waved it, whispering something. A blue flame burst from the wand, the same one she had used to set Snape's clothes on fire at the Quidditch match. Just a second later, Harry and I felt the stalks' embrace weaken. The plant tried to crawl away from the light and heat. Convulsively twisting and spinning, the appendages that had enveloped us hurriedly unwound and finally disappeared. “It's good that you were attentive in herbology class, Hermione.” Harry said, wiping the sweat off his face. “Yeah," I agreed. "And it's a good thing Harry didn't lose his head in a moment of danger. "But what should I set on fire? I don't see anything wooden..."” I mimicked Hermione. “The witch is called.” “Let's go.” Harry waved his hand in the direction of the only stone passage that led from here. All we could hear-except our footsteps, of course-were drops of water falling from the walls. The corridor went down sharply. “Do you hear?” I whispered. From somewhere above came a soft rustling and a soft ringing. “Do you think it's a ghost?” Harry asked me. “I don't know...” I shrugged my shoulders. “But it looks like wings in general.” Harry thought about it. “There's a light ahead... And I see something moving there,” Finally, he said. “And whatever it is, we have no other choice.” We reached the end of the corridor and found ourselves at the entrance to a brightly lit hall with a high arched ceiling. The hall was full of fluttering and circling birds, small and bright as precious stones. There was a heavy wooden door on the other side of the hall. “Do you think they'll attack us if we try to cross the hall?” I asked. “Maybe.” Harry thought about it. “They don't look particularly dangerous, but if they attack all at once... Well, there's no other way... I'll try...” Harry sucked in a deep breath, covered his head with his hands, and rushed to the door. He reached the door and grabbed the handle - the door was locked. After making sure that the birds weren't dangerous, Harry turned to Hermione and me and waved at us. We pulled the door towards us and pushed it with our shoulders, but even the three of us couldn't open it. Even the Alohomora spell, which Hermione had cast several times, didn't help. “And what now?” I asked. “These birds... They can't just be here for decoration.” Hermione said wisely. We raised our heads, looking at the bright, shiny birds fluttering over our heads... “These are not birds!” Harry suddenly shouted. “These are the keys! The winged keys! Take a closer look and you'll see for yourself. These are the keys, which means...” Harry looked around. “Of course, look!” he exclaimed. "Brooms! We have to find the right key!” “But there are hundreds of them here!” Hermione was horrified. I leaned over the door, examining the lock.I took a closer look at the lock in the door. “We need a big antique key... It's probably silver, the same as the door handle.” We quickly straddled the brooms, rose into the air and found ourselves in a cloud of keys. At first, we tried to grab what we needed at random. But the enchanted keys dodged, diving sharply or gaining altitude, so it seemed that it was simply impossible to catch them. However, Harry did not become the youngest hunter in the last hundred years for nothing. After circling for a few minutes in a whirlpool of colorful feathers, he noticed a huge silver key with a dented wing. It looked like he had been caught and forcibly forced into the castle quite recently. “Here he is!” Harry shouted to us. “This big one, right here... no, over there... with bright blue wings... One wing is dented!” I flew where Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and almost fell off the broom. “We need to surround him!” Harry shouted, not letting the key out of his sight. “Ron, you go in from above, and you, Hermione, stay below and stop him from coming down.I'll try to grab him. Are you ready?” “Yeah.” We exhaled. “HERE WE GO!” I climbed up, Hermione rushed down, the key slipped away from both of us, darting to the side, and Harry rushed after him, pinning him against the wall with outstretched hand. There was an unpleasant crunch, which was drowned out by Hermione's and my enthusiastic cheers. We landed hurriedly, and Harry darted to the door. He slammed the key into the lock, turned it, and there was a click. At that moment, the key burst out of the keyhole and flew up heavily. He looked very rumpled and battered. “Are you ready?” Harry asked, holding on to the door handle. Hermione and I nodded, and he pulled the door open. The next room was so dark that nothing could be seen at all. However, as soon as we took a few steps, the room was suddenly flooded with bright light. We all stared in amazement. We were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, right behind the black stone pieces that were taller than the three of us, even me. There were white pieces on the other side of the board. Harry, Hermione, and I shivered - the white figures, unlike the black ones, had no faces. “So what do we do now?” Harry whispered. “In my opinion, the answer is quite obvious," I said. “We have to win to be on the other side of the room.” There, behind the white figures, was another door. “So how do we win?” Hermione asked nervously. “I'm thinking," I said after a moment's thought. “We have to become figures.” I boldly stepped forward and, approaching the black horseman, who was playing the role of a chess knight, touched his horse. In an instant, the stone figure came to life. The horse began to dig the ground with its hooves, and the rider turned his helmeted head and looked down at me. “Do we... er... do we need to join you to get to the other side?” I stammered. The knight nodded. I turned to Harry and Hermione. “I'll have to think about it," I whispered. “I think we should take the places of the three black figures...” Harry and Hermione waited in silence for me to finish my thoughts. “Anyway,” I finally raised my head. “No offense, but I'm a much better chess player than you are...” “And we're not offended," Harry quickly interjected. “Just tell us what to do.” “You, Harry, take the place of that elephant. And you, Hermione, take the place of this rook.” “And you?” they asked in unison. “I'll be a horse," I said confidently. It looks like the pieces were listening to our conversation, because in the next instant, the knight, bishop, and rook turned and left the board, freeing up three squares. And Harry, Hermione, and I took them without hesitation. “The whites always start” I said, looking at the other side of the board. “Yeah... That's it...” The white pawn moved two squares ahead. I began to guide the black figures, who obediently stood where I pointed them. I tried to calculate all my moves and the opponent's and tried not to think about what would happen if we lost. “Harry, move four squares forward!” I commanded. The first time I felt uneasy was when the enemy attacked our second rider. The white queen knocked him to the floor and pulled him off the board - the knight, who was lying face down, did not move. “I had to sacrifice him.” I whispered, although I was also shocked- not by the surprise of what had happened, but by the brutality of the massacre. Hermione, you can take this elephant now. The white figures were ruthless. Soon there was a whole mountain of motionless black bodies lying by the board, which meant that our turn could come soon. Twice now, I've only noticed at the very last moment that Harry and Hermione are in danger.I myself was constantly rushing around the board, and I had to admit that, despite the brutality of the opponent, there were not many more white pieces left on it than black ones. “We're almost there," I whispered feverishly. “Let me think about it... Let me think about it...” The White Queen turned her absent face to me. After calculating the remaining options, I realized that I had only one way out. “Yes...” I said softly. "It's the only way... I'll have to sacrifice myself. I hope she doesn't break my skull.” “No!” Harry and Hermione protested together. “But this is chess!” I shouted back. “You have to make sacrifices here! I'll take one step forward and she'll pick me up, and then you, Harry, can checkmate the king!” “But…" Harry began. “Do you want to stop Snape or not?” My voice was firm and confident. Even though I didn't have much confidence in the correctness of my actions. “But, Ron...” Hermione interjected. “Listen, if you don't hurry up, Snape will have the stone!” I was right, and Harry and Hermione couldn't help but admit it. “Are you ready? - I asked. "I'm off, and when you checkmate them, don't waste any time." I stepped forward, and the white queen darted towards me. Swinging her arm, she brought her nominal hand down hard on my head, and I fell heavily to the floor. Blood trickled down the top of my head, and I passed out as Hermione screamed.