Below the trapdoor, there was nothing but a large patch of Devil's Snare.
This particular magical plant thrives in dark, damp places and has a mind of its own, using its strong, wiry tendrils to ensnare its victims and squeeze them to death. Herbologists often cultivate it to guard valuable treasures, so it's a rather powerful magical plant to contend with.
However, when Dudley came down, the Devil's Snare had all shrivelled up against the walls, clearly having just had a very unpleasant experience with a certain bright light. Devil's Snare despises light and heat; they are its natural enemies. It's its one and only weakness, but it's a major one. It's a bit like how a human-turned-vampire burns to a crisp in the sun after putting on the Stone Mask. The best way to deal with Devil's Snare is to hit it with a charm that produces light and heat.
Dudley looked around, noticing the room was empty. Harry and the others were nowhere to be found, so they must have already moved on.
"I wonder which challenge they've gotten to now."
He said this as he began to move in a peculiar way, slowly placing his left foot down at an angle while his right foot stepped out in the opposite direction. He moved with a strange, deliberate gait, and slowly, slowly, his entire body seemed to meld into the darkness and vanish from sight.
This was the Zoldyck family's assassination technique, the 'Shadow Walk'—a remarkably practical skill for hiding oneself in the shadows without making a sound.
As Dudley used the Shadow Walk, a complex and intricate series of strange patterns began to appear on the floor where he had moved.
A Transmutation Circle.
At this point, Harry and the others had already found the right key among a swarm of winged keys and had just opened the door.
"This is way too easy."
Both the Devil's Snare and the key challenge seemed incredibly simple. The first only required that you paid a bit of attention in Herbology, while the second could be solved by anyone with basic spell-casting knowledge or who could fly on a broomstick.
It just so happened that their recent Herbology lesson was all about how to deal with Devil's Snare, and Professor Flitwick had just taught them a spell to tell the difference between real and fake objects. Talk about a stroke of luck, wouldn't you say? They even suspected that the three-headed dog Dudley had faced outside was actually the most difficult obstacle.
That creature was simply not something a few first-years could handle—not even them, who could usually take on much older students.
"Shouldn't we wait for D?" Harry glanced back at the dark room behind them and asked his companions.
"Let's move on a bit further," Hermione said seriously, her wand held high. As the most proficient spellcaster of the group, she had already distinguished the real key with a single charm. "We can't let Dudley down. We should try to finish these tests before he gets here."
"We can't rely on him all the time. He needs partners, not dead weight."
Hermione was deeply displeased with herself for not having been able to help at all against the three-headed dog; none of the knowledge she had learned was of any use.
"So, Potter, what are you waiting for?"
Malfoy said this impatiently, pushing past Harry and opening the door ahead. He hadn't been able to help with the Devil's Snare or the keys, and the fact that Potter had gotten the real key on his broomstick was maddening.
No way. I am absolutely taking the lead in the next challenge.
The others exchanged a look and followed him inside.
This was a peculiar room, much more spacious than they had imagined. They found themselves standing at the edge of a giant chessboard, with enormous black pieces looming over them, several heads taller than they were. On the other side of the room, facing them, were the white pieces.
"Wizard's Chess?" Malfoy murmured, clearly recognizing the pieces. He shot an unpleasant look at Ron. "Tch, Rofus, this is your territory. It seems we have to finish this game to get through."
Ron was the best at Wizard's Chess among them.
"It's Ron!"
His fists were clenching! That wretched Malfoy must have done that on purpose! Ron fumed, swinging a fist at Malfoy, but the other boy didn't seem to care in the slightest.
Just little Roonil.
"It's Transfiguration," Hermione said, her voice dropping. She seemed to have found a key piece of information. "The Devil's Snare was a test of Herbology, so it must be Professor Sprout's doing. The fake keys had a duplication spell on them, so that was Professor Flitwick. I think we'll have to face tests from Professor Snape or Professor Quirrell next."
There were only so many subjects for first-year wizards, and only a few professors left.
"Was the three-headed dog from Professor Kettleburn?" Neville seemed to catch on as well.
Professor Kettleburn was the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
"I doubt it," Malfoy scoffed. "The three-headed dog is clearly not on the same level as the others. Only that reckless giant Hagrid would put a dangerous beast like that there." Ever since Hagrid got his dragon egg, Malfoy had been stopping by his hut frequently. One time, while Hagrid was bragging about his knack for raising creatures, Malfoy had overheard him mention raising a three-headed dog. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but Hermione's observation brought it all back to him.
Meanwhile, Ron had been studying the chessboard for a while. "Hey, guys, listen. I think I know how we can get through this. Three pieces are missing, and I need three people."
They had to finish the game to get past this point. There was a faster way, of course—if they could destroy the pieces with a spell, that might work—but they obviously hadn't learned such powerful spells yet. Since they couldn't break the rules, they had to join the game and use them to their advantage. This was something Dudley had once told them.
"I'll go first," Neville volunteered. "My mind isn't as quick as yours, and I'm not as good with spells, but I think I can be useful now."
"I'll go second," Harry said, stepping up.
Ron thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll be third..."
"I think..." Malfoy cleared his throat, pushing Ron aside and stepping forward. "The third person should be me."
This caught everyone by surprise, and they all stared at Malfoy with astonished looks.
"What are you all staring at me for? Did you think I wouldn't step up?" Although he said this, Malfoy looked like he had expected it, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't be daft! I'm not going to let you Gryffindors get all the glory."
"But..." Ron hesitated.
"No buts. As the one playing the game, you can't be a part of it. You have to stay calm at all times, or you won't be able to play your best. Miss Granger is right—we aren't going to be dead weight. We're going to prove it to him. We're going to prove it to D!" Malfoy said seriously. "I don't want to lose. Let's win, Rofus!"
Ron was a bit moved at first, but that last name completely wiped away any good feeling. "One more time: My name is Ron! Ron Weasley!"
"All right, Witherbee."
"Malfoy, you—"
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