#82
Ted's eyes lit up with realization. "Yeah… these animal statues and the magic symbols—this is just like the magic puzzles we've solved before. Same concept, at least."
"So, we have to place the statues in the blank spaces of the circle?" Ron asked, tilting his head as he examined the markings.
Hermione frowned, stepping closer. "Hmm… no, something's off. The symbols in the circle don't look right."
She glanced at Ted. He was the best at deciphering magical formulas—partly because of his natural intelligence, but also because he had a knack for spotting patterns.
Plus, his ability to augment his intelligence with magic made him the go-to problem solver for things like this.
Ted cast "Arcane Intellect" on himself and activated [Ravenclaw's Wisdom] to sharpen his mind.
After a few seconds of mental calculations, he muttered, "Yeah, I see it now. There are deliberate mistakes in the magic circle—it's a trap."
"A trap?" Harley tensed. "What happens if we get it wrong?"
Ted cast a wary glance at the row of stone swordsmen and robed figures standing ominously nearby. "I'm guessing they don't just stand there for decoration."
That raised another question. "Who even set this up?" Hermione wondered aloud. "And how did Quirrell and Voldemort get past it?"
Ted rubbed his chin. "Good point. The symbols look untouched—there are no signs that anyone broke through by force. Maybe they found a way around it?"
Ron grimaced. "Or maybe Voldemort just… did something. He is an evil magical genius."
"Even weakened, he's still a legend," Neville muttered. "Which means we have our work cut out for us."
Ted cracked his knuckles. "Alright, let's do this. I'll figure out the right placements. You lot keep an eye on those statues—because the second we move something, I bet they'll start moving too."
He turned to Neville, tapping a stone on the ground with his wand to transfigure it into a sturdy iron sword. "Here, take this. Just in case."
Neville accepted it, gripping his wand in one hand and the sword in the other. "Alright. Let's go."
Ted began solving the puzzle, directing the group. "Move the bull statue to the second row, three o'clock. And shift that rune in the third row, five o'clock—move it left by one."
As soon as Ron adjusted the rune, the group heard a deep thud.
A stone swordsman stirred. With a grinding noise, it lifted its heavy stone sword and took a slow step forward.
Neville took position. "I'll handle it!"
He cast "Disarming Hex" at the statue, but the spell barely made it stumble. The weapon and the warrior were part of the same enchanted mass—disarming wouldn't work.
Focusing, Neville tried again. "Leg-Lock Curse!"
The spell hit true. The swordsman's legs locked in place, forcing it to awkwardly shuffle where it stood, unable to advance.
"Nice one!" Ted called out, quickly correcting another symbol and adjusting a statue.
THUD.
Another stone swordsman awoke.
Ron cracked his knuckles. "My turn!" Eager to redeem himself, he raised his wand. "Leg-Lock Curse!"
The second swordsman froze, unable to move its legs—but unlike Neville, Ron had a follow-up move.
"Skating Jinx!" He cast the spell on the floor beneath the immobilized knight, turning it into an icy surface. Unable to balance, the swordsman slipped and fell flat on its face with a resounding CRASH.
"Ha! Two birds, one spell!" Ron grinned.
"Nice work!" Harley cheered.
Ted was almost done—just a few more adjustments. But before he could finish, two more swordsmen activated. Worse, this time a stone wizard joined them, lifting a carved wand in its hand.
Ted barely had time to react. "Watch out for that wizard! Protect yourself!" In an instant, he cast a shielding spell over Ron, deflecting a barrage of stone bullets flying his way.
Even though the stone wizard couldn't cast real spells, it was still a ranged attacker—something they had not anticipated.
"Fire Blast!" Ted thrust his wand forward, and a swirling ball of fire exploded against the stone wizard's chest, nearly toppling it over.
Not letting up, he followed with a well-aimed "Burning Hands"—a sweeping wave of flames burst from his palms, engulfing several statues in a 60-degree arc. The stone wizard was just at the edge of the fiery onslaught.
"Frost Nova!" Ted sprinted toward the center of the battlefield and unleashed a chilling shockwave. A brilliant blue ring of icy magic spread out, freezing the flaming stone statues solid.
Then came the finishing touch—heat expands, cold contracts.
Cracks formed. And then—CRASH! The frozen statues shattered into countless pieces.
"Merlin's beard! That was awesome!" Ron's jaw practically hit the floor.
"Ted, your magic is insane! You just wiped them out in one go!" Jerry added, eyes wide with admiration.
Ted smirked. Magic and science, my friends—you can't beat the combo.
Destroying stone golems outright required advanced spells like the Shattering Curse, something only top-tier students could usually pull off. But with the right application of elemental magic, even an impossible feat could become possible.
With one final move, Ted placed the last statue into the remaining empty space.
The magic circle on the floor suddenly flared to life, glowing with intense magical energy. A pulse of power radiated outward—
And the stone statues moved.
Ted tensed. "Oh, come on! We solved the puzzle—what now?!"
But instead of attacking, the statues spread out, stepping aside in unison. With eerie precision, they raised their swords in salute, forming a pathway forward.
Still gripping their wands, the group exchanged wary glances before cautiously walking through the stone honor guard.
Beyond them, a heavy wooden door stood waiting.
The next room was massive—easily the size of a stadium. The ceiling loomed at least ten meters high, disappearing into the dim glow of enchanted torches.
Ted took one look around and immediately knew.
'This… this is Professor McGonagall's challenge.'
A colossal chessboard stretched before them, the squares polished to an almost reflective sheen. Massive chess pieces stood in perfect formation, waiting to be played.
But that wasn't all.
Above them, fluttering in the air, were countless winged keys. Tiny, metallic, dragonfly-like creatures zipped through the air, each one reflecting the light as they darted around chaotically.
"Oh, come on! Did she borrow this idea from Professor Flitwick?" Ted groaned, watching the flying keys in exasperation.
The group took a moment to assess the situation. The only exit—a large wooden door—had no keyhole in sight.
"It's obvious," Ron said. "We have to play the chess game."
"And find the key at the same time?" Jerry asked.
"Yeah, but which key is the right one?" Hermione frowned, scanning the hundreds of them flitting about.
Harley picked up a broom leaning against the wall. She gave it a few experimental swings. "Looks like we'll need someone on the board and someone in the air."
Ted nodded. "And probably at the same time. If I were designing this trap, that's how I'd do it."
"Wait… but how did he get through?" Hermione asked, her voice dropping. "Voldemort. Wasn't he alone?"
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Voldemort was a legendary dark wizard, even in his weakened state. It was unlikely that any of these puzzles could truly stop him.
But something about the way these trials were structured—it didn't feel like they were designed to stop him. More like they were meant to test students who dared to come this far.
This isn't a defense. This is a lesson.
Ted shook off the thought. "No time to dwell on it. He's already ahead of us. We need to move."
He turned to Ron. "Can I trust you to handle the chess game?"
Ron smirked. "Ha! The Weasley family has played wizard's chess for three generations! Leave it to me!"
Ted grinned, then hopped onto the broom. "I'll grab the key. Let's do this!"
With a kick, he soared into the air, heading straight for the swirling storm of keys above.
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Word count: 1423
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