Chapter -101.
Ron took a deep breath, collected himself, and got ready to play chess.
Even though it was called wizard's chess, it resembled regular chess quite a bit; the pieces and the way of playing were very similar. The key difference was that in wizard's chess, the pieces could move on their own, and with a loud clang, the white knight knocked the black pawn to pieces.
Ron's heart raced, his cheeks flushed, and his palms were sweaty from nerves. If that sword could break a chess piece, what could it do to them?
Malfoy noticed his worried reaction and said, "Don't worry, Ronaldo! Just take it easy! You've got this!"
Hearing "Ronaldo" sent Ron's blood pressure soaring, but he managed to rein in his anxiety.
He started guiding the black knight to take down the white pieces in a similar fashion.
'This is just a game of wizard's chess, just a game of wizard's chess. Rofus, it's just a game of wizard's chess, ugh!'
Ron kept reassuring himself in his mind, even calling himself peculiar names.
He wasn't certain if his self-encouragement was working, but with his commands, the black pieces became an unstoppable force, taking out numerous white pieces along the way.
As if sensing the threat, the white pieces raised their aggression, causing many black pieces to be demolished.
'We're going to win! As long as we checkmate the king, victory will be ours.'
With his guidance, the strength of the white pieces was gradually diminishing, and the white king had fewer moves available. Now there was just...
"Only one more step to checkmate."
Ron's face beamed with excitement.
But then…
The white queen emotionlessly approached Malfoy.
This meant that, on the next move, he would be captured.
"Wait..." Ron's face went pale instantly.
He quickly realized the gravity of the situation.
If Malfoy stepped aside now, the black knight could checkmate the white king, but the white queen would simultaneously checkmate the black king, leading to their loss.
If Malfoy didn't step aside and went straight for the checkmate, then Malfoy would be caught.
"There has to be a solution, there has to be! Ugh! How could I forget?!"
Sweating, Ron desperately searched for a decisive plan.
"There's no way!" Malfoy cut in, remaining composed. "This is our only escape; sometimes sacrifices are unavoidable."
"Do you remember Slytherin's motto? Victory above all, glory above all."
"Think back to what the Sorting Hat said! Those cunning and resourceful folks will do whatever it takes to succeed!"
"We must win! We cannot be a burden!"
"Go on, black piece bishop; achieve the final victory!"
Malfoy took over Ron's command, sending the black piece to checkmate the white king.
Dudley had once mentioned that Gryffindor and Slytherin were initially great friends, enduring life and death together, completely trusting one another. Any differences arose from their ideals, but it didn't diminish the sincerity of their feelings.
He yearned for that connection and truly desired solid friendships.
He recalled that Ron was excellent at wizard's chess, but he didn't voice it; he too was quite skilled, not far behind Ron.
The white queen walked expressionlessly towards Malfoy.
Ron clenched his eyes tight.
Harry and Neville followed suit, closing their eyes.
Hermione shut her eyes, unable to bear what was about to transpire.
Malfoy slowly closed his eyes as well, resigning himself to whatever fate awaited him.
'Now, Ron, Potter, and everyone, we're friends now.'
Thud!
It wasn't a brutal scene; the white queen merely tapped Malfoy lightly on the head, and with a thump, he fainted.
"He should be okay, right?"
Seeing that he hadn't been ripped apart, Harry and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Neville thought for a moment and commented, "That was gentler than D-Bro's usual strength; it won't be fatal, but he'll definitely be out for a while."
"Let's hurry on to the next level."
The white king removed his crown and tossed it at their feet, signaling their victory. The remaining white pieces didn't resist and simply withdrew, clearing a path.
The group quickly moved down this path, and the door to the next level creaked open.
Then a foul stench hit them like a ton of bricks.
"What on earth is that?"
Harry rubbed his eyes hard, trying to clear the irritation.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to see anything.
This odor was beyond anything simply unpleasant; it was almost a weapon, just as Dudley often remarked, akin to a biochemical weapon.
A strange roar emanated from within the room, and the stench intensified.
Again, Hermione took charge, waving her wand to lessen the awful smell, making it possible to see what was in the room.
"It's a troll!"
A huge creature, radiating an awful odor, charged at them with its claws ready.
Calmly, the young wizards drew their wands and unleashed spells at the creature.
And then—
The troll collapsed.
Since the Halloween troll incident, the professors had specifically taught the young witches and wizards how to handle trolls, even capturing one for practice.
So by now, all of Hogwarts' young wizards knew how to tackle a troll.
This challenge was about as tough as dealing with Devil's Snare and perhaps a tad easier.
The poor troll barely had time to appear before it went down.
Pinching their noses, the young wizards hurriedly exited the room.
The smell was simply unbearable; they couldn't stay in there any longer.
The next room was straightforward, featuring a table with seven uniquely shaped bottles, and a wall of fire obstructing their way forward.
On the table lay a scroll of parchment filled with clues.
"Is this a logic puzzle?"
Harry asked, examining the contents; he had encountered similar questions back at St. George's School.
However, since he hadn't studied diligently, he couldn't remember the answers or the ways to solve them.
So he looked silently to Hermione, the only scholar among them.
With Dudley absent, they were relying solely on her.
"No, it's also a potion conundrum."
Hermione picked up one of the bottles and inhaled its scent: "There are two ways to find the right potion."
But these potions were brewed by Snape, the potions master, meaning ordinary wizards usually couldn't discern them unless they were potion masters themselves.
Luckily, he had provided ample hints.
With quick thinking, Hermione deciphered the puzzle based on those hints.
"The potion in this bottle is only enough for two people to drink."
She glanced at the potion's amount and frowned. "So that means it's only sufficient for two people."
Then she hesitated, her brow furrowing as she looked at Harry intently.
"I believe this potion should be for you and Neville."
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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really motivating.