Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 34
Neville reacted quickly, catching the key midair. He sprinted to the heavy wooden door without hesitation, jamming the key into the lock. "Come on, come on," he muttered under his breath, twisting it with all his might as the keys swarmed closer.
"Hurry up, Neville!" Hermione urged, her voice high with panic.
"Anytime now, mate!" Ron shouted, his eyes wide as the buzzing grew louder.
With a loud click, the lock turned, and Neville pushed the door open. "Got it!" he called, holding the door wide as Harry looped around for another pass.
Ron and Hermione darted through the opening, Neville close behind. "Quick, Harry! Come on!" they shouted, waving him in.
Harry dove through the open doorway just as the keys swarmed toward him. Neville slammed the door shut, pressing his weight against it as the keys thunked and embedded themselves into the wood, their wings fluttering madly.
Hermione slumped against the door, breathing heavily. "That was too close," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
"You could say that again," Harry said, landing next to them and wiping sweat from his forehead. He leaned on the broomstick, his chest heaving from the effort.
Ron, catching his breath, pointed past them. "Uh… guys? Look."
….
They found themselves standing at the edge of a massive chessboard, the black chessmen towering above them, each piece carved from what appeared to be solid black stone. Opposite them, on the far side of the chamber, were the white pieces, equally massive and eerily faceless. Their smooth, blank surfaces gleamed in the dim light of the room.
Hermione stepped forward cautiously, stopping at the edge of the board. "It's a chessboard," she said, her voice hushed.
She pointed across the room to the opposite side of the board. "There's the door," she said, gesturing toward a heavy wooden door visible beyond the white pieces. "That must lead to the next chamber."
"Maybe we can just cross it," Ron suggested, already stepping forward.
Neville sighed, shaking his head. "I doubt it's that simple," he said flatly, following them.
They moved carefully across the board toward the opposite side, but before they could get far, one of the black pawns stepped forward with a heavy clang. It raised a massive stone sword and blocked their path.
"Ahh!" Hermione yelped, jumping back in fright.
Neville crossed his arms, his expression unsurprised. "Just like I thought," he said calmly. "It won't be that easy."
Hermione huffed and shrugged. "It was worth a try."
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered, glancing nervously at the imposing chess pieces.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron said, his tone more excited than worried. "We've got to play our way across the room."
Neville glanced at Ron, noticing the slight grin tugging at the corners of his lips. 'Of course, he's excited,' Neville thought dryly. 'It's something he's actually good at. Dumbledore really did tailor these obstacles for us, didn't he?'
"How?" Hermione asked nervously, pointing to gaps in the lineup. "Some of the pieces are missing."
Ron stepped forward, inspecting the board closely. "I think," he said slowly, "we're going to have to be chessmen."
He walked up to one of the black knights and extended his hand toward the horse. The moment his fingers touched the cold stone, the knight sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground, and the knight turned its helmeted head, looking down at Ron with an expressionless but somehow expectant posture.
"Do we—er—have to join you to get across?" Ron asked hesitantly.
The black knight nodded stiffly.
Ron turned back to the group. "This needs some thinking," he said, rubbing his chin. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces."
Harry and Hermione remained silent, watching as Ron's mind worked through the problem. Neville stood nearby, his gaze shifting between the board and Ron, already resigned to the fact that the redhead would be leading this part of the challenge.
After a few moments of contemplation, Ron spoke again. "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are particularly good at chess—"
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."
Ron nodded, his face serious as he surveyed the chessboard. "Alright, Harry, you take the empty bishop square. Hermione, you're the queenside castle. Neville, you take that rook's spot on the kingside." He pointed to their positions.
Neville let out a sigh and thought to himself, Let's just get this over with, as he mentally braced for whatever madness was about to unfold.
"What about you?" Harry asked, curiosity laced with concern.
"I'm going to be a knight," Ron declared, his tone resolute as he strode confidently toward the piece and climbed onto the horse.
Neville rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Why does it feel like he's making this more dramatic than it needs to be?" Still, he walked to his assigned square, along with Harry and Hermione, while Ron adjusted his grip on the reins of the now riderless knight.
Hermione glanced nervously between the chess pieces and Ron. "What happens now?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"White always goes first in chess," Ron explained, squinting at the board as the pieces came to life. "Look, there it goes..."
Neville quipped instinctively, "That's racist."
All three of them turned to stare at him. Harry blinked, and Hermione looked scandalized. Ron just gave him a deadpan look.
Neville shrugged and mumbled, "What? It's true."
Before anyone could respond, a white pawn moved forward two spaces, the faint grinding of stone against stone echoing through the chamber. Ron immediately began directing the black pieces, pointing sharply as he gave instructions. The game was on.
"Harry—move diagonally four squares to the right," Ron ordered, his voice sharp with focus.
Their first real shock came when one of their knights was sacrificed. The white queen advanced, smashing the black knight into jagged pieces that scattered across the board.
Ron winced but kept his composure. "Had to let that happen," he muttered, though his shaken tone betrayed his nerves. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione. Go on."
Neville gripped his wand tightly, his mind racing. 'If I could cast Bombarda, we could end this whole mess in a second.' His thumb brushed the tip of his wand as he glanced around the board.
The game dragged on for nearly twenty minutes, with Ron issuing commands and directing their moves with unwavering focus. Tension built with every turn, and each piece they lost made the stakes feel higher.
"We're nearly there," Ron muttered suddenly, his voice low as he scanned the board. "Let me think... let me think..."
The white queen turned her blank, unfeeling face toward him, her next move clear.
"Yes," Ron said softly, his expression resolute. "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."
"NO!" shouted Harry and Hermione in unison, their voices echoing through the chamber.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron, his frustration bubbling over. "You've got to make sacrifices! I make my move, she'll take me, and that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"
Neville groaned, rolling his eyes so hard it felt like they might fall out of his head. Why is he acting like this is the end of the world? Just get off the bloody horse and let's finish this already.
"But—" Harry began, his face pale.
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?" Ron shot back, cutting him off with a sharp glare.
"Ron—" Harry tried again, but Ron silenced him with a raised hand.
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!" Ron shouted, his voice rising dramatically. "There's no alternative."
He took a deep breath, his pale face determined, and called out, "Ready? Here I go—don't hang around once you've won."
With that, Ron urged the horse forward. The white queen moved swiftly, her marble arms raised to strike.
Neville's eyes narrowed as he watched the queen's movements. His grip tightened on his wand. The moment the queen lunged, Neville acted. With a quick flick of his wand, he shouted, "Accio!" aiming at Ron's robes.
Ron yelled in surprise as the spell yanked him off the horse just as the queen's blow shattered it into pieces. He landed with a thud on the ground next to Neville, his face a mix of confusion and shock.
"What just happened?" Ron stammered, looking bewildered as he stared at Neville.
Neville sighed, his expression unimpressed. "Stop being so dramatic, Ron. You weren't hit by the queen. Just walk off the board next time."
Ron blinked, then looked sheepish. "Er, yeah. Thanks, mate."
Hermione, realizing what Neville had done, looked at him with a mixture of awe and relief. "Brilliant, Neville! You saved Ron!"
Harry, still wide-eyed, asked, "How did you do that?"
Hermione jumped in to explain. "It was the Summoning Charm! He used it on Ron's clothes and pulled him back just in time."
Neville shrugged off the praise, turning to Harry. "What are you waiting for? Let's finish this and get it over with."
Ron, still sitting on the floor, nodded. "Yeah, Harry. Checkmate the king."
Harry snapped out of his shock, stepped forward, and moved three spaces to the left. The white king froze, then removed his crown and threw it to the ground, signaling the end of the game. The chessmen parted, bowing to the group as the path to the next door cleared.
"We did it!" Harry said, excitement mingling with relief. "Come on, let's go."
Come on, let's go," Harry said, his voice firm as he led the way toward the next door.
Neville, Hermione, and Ron followed close behind, their footsteps echoing softly in the tense silence of the chamber.
As they reached the door, Harry hesitated briefly, glancing back at his friends. "What do you reckon's next?" he asked, his voice low.
Hermione furrowed her brow, thinking aloud. "We've had Sprout's—Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've enchanted the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive... that leaves Quirrell's spell and Snape's."
Neville froze mid-step, his eyes widening as her words sank in. 'Wait, Quirrell?' he thought,
as soon as Harry pushed the door open, and a wave of putrid stench hit them immediately. The foul smell made their eyes water, making all of them pulled their robes up over their noses. As they stepped inside, the source of the smell became painfully clear.
Lying flat on the floor in front of them was a massive troll—easily larger than the one they had faced on Halloween. Its mottled, greyish skin gleamed with sweat, and its enormous limbs twitched slightly as it stirred. The moment the door creaked open, the troll turned toward them, its beady eyes narrowing with a low, guttural growl.
Neville's thoughts froze for a split second. 'Shit.'
The troll let out an ear-splitting roar, as it stood up and lunged toward them with terrifying speed.
Acting on instinct, Neville pointed his wand and shouted, "Lumos Maxima!" unleashing an overpowered burst of light that blazed through the room. The troll howled in fury, shielding its face from the searing brightness, but it kept charging.
"Move!" Neville yelled, grabbing Hermione's and Harry's arms. Harry managed to grab Ron's hand as they dove out of the troll's path. The troll crashed into the wall, then fell heavily to the ground, momentarily dazed and still blinded by the light.
Neville shoved his friends toward the door on the far side of the chamber. "Go! I'll distract it!" he shouted.
Hermione, still blinking spots out of her vision, shook her head. "No! We can't leave you to face that troll alone!" she shouted.
Harry nodded in agreement, his grip tightening on his wand. "She's right, Neville! We can't just leave you here!"
Neville turned to them, his expression firm. "Go! I can't focus on keeping you alive and fighting this thing. You'll only slow me down. Get to the next chamber—I'll catch up. Trust me, I have a plan."
His eyes darted back to the troll, which was shaking its massive head in an attempt to clear its vision.
"Quickly!" Neville shouted as the troll stood up and roared again, turning toward them, its vision slowly clearing.
Harry hesitated, looking between Neville and the troll, then gritted his teeth. "Come on, Hermione. He says he has a plan. We'd just get in his way. And we can't waste more time—Snape might already be after the Stone."
Ron nodded quickly. "We've got to hurry. That thing's starting to figure out where we are."
Hermione looked torn, her hands clenched into fists. She finally stepped forward, hugging Neville tightly. "You'd better be okay when we come back," she said, her voice trembling.
Neville gave her a small, reassuring smile and gently patted her shoulder. "Yeah, sure. Now go, before it's too late!"
Harry grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling her away as Ron opened the door on the far side of the chamber. The three of them darted through the opening, sparing one last glance at Neville before disappearing into the next room.
Neville turned to the troll, which had now steadied itself. It let out a low growl and focused its beady eyes on him.
All right, Neville thought, gripping his wand. Now I just have to take down this troll. Let's hope the others stick to the plan—and that only Harry ends up hurt like in the movies. His eyes swept the room, searching for anything he could use.
The troll roared and charged, raising its massive club. Neville dove to the left, rolling away just as the troll's club slammed into the floor where he'd stood seconds before. Coming to a stop, Neville aimed his wand at the troll's wrist and shouted, "Flipendo!" firing an overpowered spell.
The spell hit the troll's wrist with a loud thud, forcing it to drop the club. The troll roared in pain, clutching its wrist.
Neville, not letting up, raised his wand again. "Lumos Maxima!" he shouted. sending another blinding flash of light into the troll's face. The troll stumbled back, roaring and thrashing blindly as it tried to protect its eyes.
Neville ducked under the troll's wild swing, rolling toward the fallen club. His breathing was ragged as he tapped the club with his wand "Acusfors!" he incanted. The club shimmered, twisting and shrinking into a giant, sharp needle.
The troll shook its head again, blinking as its vision returned. Spotting Neville, it let out an enraged growl and stomped forward.
Neville pointed his wand at the needle and cast, "Wingardium Leviosa!" lifting the needle into the air and aimed it at the trolles head.
As the troll roared and took a step forward, Neville yelled, "Depulso!" The needle shot forward like a spear, piercing straight through the troll's skull. The creature froze, let out a low groan, and then toppled backward with a thunderous crash that shook the floor.
Neville dropped to his knees, panting heavily. He stared at the troll, now lying still on the ground, and let out a shaky breath.
He fell onto his bum, panting hard. Sweat dripped down his face, and his whole body felt tired from the magic he'd used.
'Good thing I came up with a strategy after the Halloween troll incident,' he thought, wiping his forehead. 'If I hadn't, I'd be squashed by now.'
Neville then looked toward the door the others had gone through.' Now I just have to wait for them to come back,,' he thought.
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