[All three kids look up and see Fluffy standing there. Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing. It breaks the harp and dives at the three.]

"YOU GUYS ARE SLOW!" Pansy yelled in frustration, her impatience palpable as she urged the others to pick up the pace.

"JUST JUMP," Ginny said assertively, her voice ringing out with a sense of urgency and determination, offering a straightforward solution to the pressing situation.

Mia: Jump! Go! [They all jump through the trapdoor.]
Ron: Ahh! [gasps as he lands on some mushy black ropelike vines.] Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing's here, really.

Some sighed in relief as the trio managed to escape from Fluffy's dangerous clutches. However, among those who were well-versed in herbology, recognition dawned as they identified the ominous black vine. Neville, in particular, paled visibly, his eyes widening almost to the point of disbelief in response to the unsettling sight.

Professor Pomona Sprout's eyes widened as she processed the alarming realization. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her concern evident in her expression.

"RUN!" Neville yelled, his outburst startling everyone present. It was uncommon for Neville to display such a heightened degree of distress, causing a ripple of unease to spread through the room.

Mia: Whoa! [The plant begins to move towards them.] Oh. Ahh! [The plant ties both of them up like a rope.]

Screams filled the room, drowning out all other sounds, as most people paled with fear and apprehension upon realizing how dangerous the plants is.

Hermione: Stop moving, both of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster.

"Just listen to her for Merlin's sake!" Draco yelled, his voice betraying of frustration.

Mia looked at him suspicious.

Why does he sound like he care?

"Would you, Draco?" Ron retorted, his own voice rising in a blend of defiance and desperation, challenging Draco to consider the gravity of their predicament.

"No." Draco responded. "but you need to act fast."

Mia and Hermione shared a silent laugh, their eyes meeting in a moment of shared relief amidst the tension, finding solace in a brief exchange of understanding amidst the chaos.

Ron: Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax [Hermione manages a smile as she is sucked down below.]

Some chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood, but their efforts fell short in the face of the palpable tension that lingered in the air. The gravity of the situation kept the overall mood somber and serious despite the attempts to inject levity.

Ron/Mia: Hermione!
Ron: Now what are we gonna do?!
Hermione: Just relax!
Mia: Hermione, where are you?
Hermione: [from below] Do what I say! Trust me. [Mia relaxes and is sucked through.]

"Oh, thank Merlin you listened to her!" Sirius exclaimed, relief evident in his voice as he held a hand to his heart.

"Of course I would," Mia responded, her own relief palpable as she affirmed her trust in Hermione's wisdom and guidance.

Ron: Ahh! Mia! [Mia falls through and lands on the hard ground. Hermione goes over to her and she stands up.]
Ron: Mia!
Hermione: Are you okay?
Mia: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
Ron: Help!
Hermione: He's not relaxing, is he?

"Ron? Relaxing?" George said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Never," Fred chimed in.

Mia: Apparently not.
Ron: Help! Help me!
Hermione: We've gotta do something!
Mia: What?
Hermione: Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology.
Ron: Help!
Hermione: Um, Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, [The snare shuts Ron's mouth] it's deadly fun... but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight! [takes out wand and points upwards.] Lumus Solem! [A beam of light shoots out. The Snare shrieks and recoils. Ron falls below.]

"Thank you, dear!" Molly cried as she almost hugged all the air out of Hermione, expressing overwhelming gratitude with the tight embrace.

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley."  Hermione replied, her voice filled with warmth and relief.

Ron: Ahhh!
Mia: Ron, are you okay?
Ron: Yeah.
Mia: Okay.
Ron: [stands] Whew! Lucky we didn't panic.
Mia: Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology.

"Seriously, Hermione, thank you!" Ron expressed his gratitude, his voice sincere as he acknowledged Hermione's crucial role in their escape.

"Yeah, we wouldn't survive this if we were alone, without you," Mia added, her appreciation evident as she recognized the value of Hermione's knowledge and quick thinking.

"That's why you should pay attention in class, even if you find them boring!" Hermione scolded them lightly, her words laced with a hint of amusement.

[There is a sound.]
Hermione: What is that?
Mia: I don't know. Sounds like wings. [They enter into a room filled with golden "birds."]
Hermione: Curious. I've never seen birds like these.
Mia: They're not birds. They're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door.

"Is that keys? With wings?" Blaise asked with a mix of curiosity and incredulity.

"Looks like it," Theodore Nott observed, his tone reflecting a similar sense of surprise at the unusual sight.

[They come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.]
Hermione: What's this all about?
Mia: I don't know. Strange. [Ron creeps over to the door and takes out his wand.]
Ron: [rattles lock.] Alohomora! [Shrugs] Well, it was worth a try.

"I would do this if I were you."

Hermione: Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be a thousand keys up there!
Ron: We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle.
Mia: There! I see it! [points] The one with the broken wing. [She looks at the broom.]
Hermione: What's wrong, Mia?
Mia: It's too simple.

"It's too simple," Remus mused, her brow furrowed in contemplation as she struggled to reconcile the apparent straightforwardness of the situation with her intuition.

"Yeah, It's suspicious," Ginny remarked, her voice marked by a note of unease

"Feels wrong," Dean added, his expression clouded with uncertainty as he grappled with a growing sense of foreboding.

Ron: Oh, go on, Mia! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest Seeker in a century!

"Exactly Ron!" Sirius exclaimed, conveying his approval with a wide smile directed at Ron as he clapped him on the back.

Remus also smiled warmly, offering a supportive nod to Ron.

Ron smiled.

[Mia nods and grabs the broomstick. All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at Mia. She climbs on, swiping at them.]
Ron: This complicates things a bit.

"You think?!" Ginny said sarcastically, her tone punctuated with frustration and disbelief, eliciting a renewed sense of anxiety from Remus and Sirius at the escalating tension.

[Mia pushes off into the air. She flies off, after the key. The others follow her. Mia grabs the key.]
Mia: Catch the key! [She zooms by and throws the key to Hermione, who catches it and heads for the lock while Mia distracts the other keys. Hermione puts it in the lock.]
Ron: Hurry up!

"Oh, thank Merlin you three are safe," Molly exclaimed, relief evident in her voice as she gathered her children close.

"Are we, Mum?" Ron asked, avoiding eye contact with his parents, his apprehension palpable.

"What now!?" Arthur asked in frustration, his tone reflecting a mix of concern and exasperation as they navigated the ongoing challenges they faced.

[The door opens, and Hermione and Ron rush through, followed by Mia. They shut the door just as the keys slam up against it. They enter a dark room with broken pieces all around it.]
Hermione: I don't like this. I don't like this at all.

"I don't like this at all, too," Dean said, his agreement with Hermione underscored by a shared sense of unease and apprehension.

Seamus and Neville nodded, their expressions reflecting genuine fear for their fellow friends, the gravity of the situation hanging heavy in the air.

Mia: Where are we? A graveyard?
Ron: This is no graveyard. [sighs] It's a chessboard. [Walks out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and GIANT players. Mia and Hermione come up with him.]

"It's a barbaric chessboard that Mia and Ron played," George realized, an expression of concern crossing his face as he shared a knowing look with Fred.

"Oh, Merlin!" Molly exclaimed, her voice tinged with fear and concern for her son and his friends,

Mia: There's the door. [They walk across the board, towards the door. Suddenly, as they reach a line of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords. The three jump and back up.]

"That is too easy," Luna remarked, her voice carrying a hint of skepticism as she contemplated the seemingly straightforward nature of the situation.

"You're right." Ginny said, her tone filled with a combination of exasperation.

Hermione: Now what do we do?
Ron: It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. Alright. Harry, you take the empty Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen-side castle. As for me, I'll be a knight. [They all take their places.]

Anxiety filled the room once again, weighing heavily on everyone as they grappled with the mounting danger and uncertainty that lay ahead. The collective tension in the air was palpable, a somber reminder of the challenges they faced.

Hermione: What happens now?
Ron: [aboard a horse.] Well, white moves first. And then... we play. [A pawn on the other side moves forward. Ron studies the game.]
Hermione: Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like... real wizard's chess, do you?

The tension in the room reaching its peak as everyone braced themselves for the imminent trials and tribulations that awaited them.

Ron: You there, D5. [A black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one. The three jump.] Yes, Hermione. I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess.

The sudden surge in nerves startled the audience. A few gasps escaped, and startled cries pierced through the silence, as the tension reached its zenith. The unexpected outpouring of emotion startled onlookers, causing some to flinch while others involuntarily let out piercing screams. The palpable sense of fear had overtaken the room, leaving everyone on edge as they grappled with the overwhelming anxiety.

[The game continues. The pieces smash against each other. Boom! Boom!]
Ron: Castle to E4! [Smash!]
Ron: Pawn to C3! [Smash! Boom! The Queen turns and smashes a piece! Mia, Ron, and Hermione wince.]
Mia: Wait a minute.
Ron: You understand right, Mia. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me. Then you're free to check the King.

Molly and Arthur were terrified for their sons' lives, their hearts clenched with fear and dread as they contemplated the perilous predicament that lay ahead. Their concern extended to Mia and Hermione, the young women who had become like daughters to them, their anxious eyes betraying the depth of their fear for the safety of their loved ones. The weight of their collective worry hung heavy in the air, fueling a fervent hope for the successful resolution of the daunting challenges that lay ahead.

Mia: He's going to sacrifice himself!
Hermione: No, Ron, you can't! [Ron closes his eyes.] There must be another way!
Mia: No. Ron, no!
Hermione: What is it?

"Arthur, I can't bear the thought of what they might face," Molly whispered, her voice quivering with unspoken fear as she clutched her husband's hand tightly.

"I know, Molly. I can't help but worry for all of them," Arthur replied, his own voice strained with concern as he struggled to find solace in the face of uncertainty.

"Don't worry, Mum. We did outsmart the chess pieces," Ron quipped with a lopsided grin, attempting to lighten the palpable tension in the room.

Mia flashed a determined smile. "Yeah, we've faced worse things," she added, her voice conveying a mix of confidence and resolve, seeking to inspire reassurance in the face of adversity.

Ron: [turns to face Hermione.] Do you want to stop Snape from getting that Stone or not? Mia, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me. Not Hermione. You! [Mia nods.] Knight to H3.

Ginny's exclamation pierced through the air, her voice filled with shock and disbelief at the perilous situation confronting her brother and his friends.

"NO!"

"DON'T"

Fred, Bill, George, Charlie, and Percy erupted in unison, their voices echoing the shared sense of concern and alarm at the recklessness of the chess game.

"What were you thinking?" Molly's voice rose in a mix of fear and frustration, her words overlapping with Arthur's, both parents expressing their deep-seated worry and dismay at the perilous decision made by their loved ones.

[Ron's horse moves forward, slides and stops.]
Ron: Check. [The Queen turns and advances. As she starts moving, Ron breathes faster clutching onto the steel reins. The Queen stops moving. And then... SMASH! The Queen uses her sword to bust the horse's hips. Ron goes flying off the horse and lands on the floor unconsciously. The knight's horse then falls to pieces.]
Ron: Ahhhh!

"RON!"

Screams rang out from around the room, the collective fear palpable in the voices of his family and friends.

"I'm okay, I'm right here," Ron reassured them, his own voice a resolute attempt to pacify their distress. As his family enveloped him in tearful embraces, a flood of relief washed over the room, the warmth of their shared embrace offering solace amidst the tumultuous emotions that had enveloped them.

Mia: RON! [Hermione starts walking to him.] No, don't move! Don't forget, we're still playing. [Hermione moves back. Mia walks the diagonal in front of the King.] Checkmate. [The King's sword falls onto the ground in victory. Mia breathes out and then the two run to Ron. They bend beside him.] Take care of Ron. Then go to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right. I have to go on.

Many sighed in relief as the intense game finally concluded, but the underlying fear still lingered in the room. It was a grim reminder that the danger was far from over, and the looming uncertainty cast a shadow over the temporary respite. The air was heavy with trepidation.

Hermione: You'll be okay, Mia. You're a great witch. You really are.
Mia: Not as good as you.
Hermione: [smile] Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship, and bravery. And Mia, just be careful.
[Mia nods and stands, walking away.]

Mia looked at Hermione and Ron and smiled. Grateful for having such a great friends like them. Mia's gaze met Hermione's and Ron's, and a warm smile illuminated her face as she felt a surge of gratitude for their unwavering friendship and support. In that moment of respite, amidst the lingering tension and uncertainty, the bond that united them felt unbreakable, lending strength and comfort in the face of adversity.

"Couldn't have done it without you two," Mia said, her voice filled with sincerity as she expressed her appreciation.

Hermione returned the smile. "We're in this together, always," she reassured, her eyes reflecting a shared sense of determination.

Ron nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, we've got each other's backs," he added, his tone reflecting solidarity and unspoken camaraderie.

a/n
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