"Stop pulling! Stop pulling! It's going to fall off!"
Ron swatted blindly upward, trying to catch the little pixie perched on his head, but the sprite was far too nimble to be caught. Still, at least this time it had actually flown back with a clue, so maybe it did have some uses after all.
Shaking his head with a helpless sigh, Ron peered down the fog-choked corridor, following the direction the pixie had pointed a second earlier.
"Are you sure there's something over there?" He barely finished the question before his hair was yanked again.
"Oi, one chirp is enough! Quit yanking my hair!"
Muttering, Ron stomped off in the direction the sprite indicated, still fending off tiny fists tugging at his scalp. Suddenly, there was a low, heavy roar from the mist behind. Something between a bellowing snooze and a lion's growl.
Ron froze mid-step, every muscle tight. That line from the letter flashed through his memory: There are three monsters hidden in the mist within the castle. If caught, you will face the most agonising torture in this world.
"Professor Kahn... he didn't really put actual monsters in this castle, did he?"
He glanced around. The place was practically identical to Hogwarts, but now icy dread prickled along his spine. Heart pounding, Ron picked up his pace. A brisk shuffle, then a flat-out run, straight in the direction the sprite's tiny blue hand had motioned.
Dashing along the corridor, Ron soon felt another hard tug, this time from the left. Instinct kicking in, he ducked into the first classroom on that side, slammed the door behind him, and pressed a hand over his chest, gasping for breath.
He listened. The monster's footsteps faded away into the swirling fog. Relief flooded through him, and he shook his head, focusing on the room.
It looked like an ordinary abandoned classroom. The desks and chairs weren't much, but right in the centre sat a wizard chess board.
Ron's eyes lit up. He hurried over for a closer look. As he examined the board, a neat line of text shimmered into view:
[Puzzle: Incomplete Wizard Chess. This is a not-so-fair game of wizard chess. You are missing a queen. Time limit: 20 minutes. Please complete this game of wizard chess. If you find the missing queen, you may place it anywhere on the board. If you fail, you may restart.]
The message lingered, then faded, replaced by a ticking 20-minute countdown.
Ron studied the board, putting the hints together. He would play chess while sending the pixie to search for the missing piece. Near the endgame, if he needed to, he could have his partner deliver the missing queen and checkmate his opponent.
Playing without a queen doesn't sound that hard. Worst case, I can always try again.
With a grin, Ron pulled up a chair opposite the board and got to work. He figured a single game shouldn't take long, and in his current mental state, he could easily get two games in before time ran out.
Ten minutes later, the opposing king let out a dramatic wail as he toppled over. Ron jumped up, fist in the air, beaming.
"Yes! Didn't even need the queen!"
Above him, his faithful iron-blue pixie squealed in triumph, giving his hair one last proud tug.
Now he couldn't even feel the pinching pain. He stared down at the chessboard, noticing a shiny new object. Something like a medal had appeared among the pieces.
It was a badge engraved with a group of adorable magical creatures. Recognition sparked: Ron was sure he'd seen that mark on Hermione's hand before. Wasn't it Professor Kahn's club symbol?
His question was quickly answered by glowing text above the board:
[Item Obtained: Seal Fragment. Collect seal fragments to seal the mist in the castle. After the assessment ends, this fragment automatically becomes a Magical Creatures Club badge.]
Outside the castle, Evans watched Ron clutching his new badge, an odd smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
So he really did pull the puzzle that played to his strengths.
Evans' idea with these puzzles was for the magical creature partners to head out into the mist, fetch items, help solve tasks, or cooperate with each other. Basic teamwork training for future explorations in the Forbidden Forest.
Apparently, there was more than one way to win.
Did Ron even remember what the letter had said about the cats being safe zones? Evans suspected he didn't. Yes, the puzzle was here, but there were no cats nearby to save him if a monster found him.
Still, he'd won on pure chess grit. Should Evans call that luck, skill, or a bit of both?
Ten, nine, eight...
Sweat beaded on Harry's brow as he dropped the final puzzle piece (the one the little black cat had just delivered) into the last gap of the mirror maze.
With a soft click, the maze shimmered and disappeared. Harry let out a long breath and glanced at the little black cat by his side.
"You really didn't get lost?"
"Didn't get lost, meow! That place was just really, REALLY far away, meow!" she huffed, crossing her paws and turning away with a dramatic flick of her tail.
Harry grinned. "Alright, alright! You didn't get lost!" He ruffled her fur in apology. While he stood in front of the mirror, waiting for his reward, he suddenly felt something heavy slip into his pocket. When he reached in, he found a deep red stone glowing faintly in his palm.
Was that... the Philosopher's Stone?
Harry stared, stunned. If this was actually the Philosopher's Stone, Professor Kahn's assessment had just gotten legendary. But hadn't Dumbledore said the real one was destroyed by Flamel himself?
His thoughts were interrupted by the orange cat's neutral, sleepy voice.
[Item Obtained: Inferior Philosopher's Stone. Effect: Crushing the inferior Philosopher's Stone will grant you the power to dispel the mist and monsters on an entire floor for a short time, lasting five minutes.]
Harry breathed out slowly, slipping the "stone" back into his pocket. At least it wasn't the real one. He wouldn't risk burning a hole through his trousers.
Now, how to use it? Crushing it would give them five minutes of safety, but that kind of help shouldn't be wasted. Better keep exploring; save it for when things get truly dire.
He gave the cat a grateful grin. "Let's keep going. This castle's just full of surprises today."