The decision to go after the Stone had been made, but for the "Circle," the terms were different. They weren't just going to face a trapdoor; they were going to transport a treasure.
"She isn't walking a single step," Cassandra hissed, her eyes wide with a frantic, silver-tinged devotion. "The Stone floors are too cold, and those stairs are dangerous. We carry her, or no one goes."
Ana stood in the center, her skinny frame draped in a cloak of heavy, enchanted silk. She looked at Harry, who nodded solemnly. He no longer argued with the girls; he simply accepted that Ana was the heart they all moved around.
The Descent into the DarkThey reached the third-floor corridor like a royal procession. Hermione and Cassandra acted as the primary bearers, locking their arms together to create a stable, velvet-lined seat for Ana.
"Stay tucked in, sweetling," Hermione whispered, her breath hitching as she felt Ana's light weight against her shoulder. "Don't let your feet dangle. I've got you. I'll never let go."
When they reached the trapdoor, the three-headed dog was already snoring, lulled by a harp that sat nearby. But as they prepared to drop into the Devil's Snare below, the girls grew frantic.
"I'll go first!" Lavender cried, her face pale. "I'll make sure the landing is soft enough for her. She's so thin—if she hits the ground too hard, she'll break!"
One by one, they dropped. When it was Ana's turn, Harry lowered her down with agonizing slowness into the waiting arms of the four girls below.
The Trials of the CircleThe obstacles that followed were no longer just puzzles; they were threats to the "Queen."
The Devil's Snare: As the black tendrils curled around them, the girls ignored the vines on their own legs. They threw their bodies over Ana, creating a human shield of robes and limbs. "Relax, Ana! Don't move!" Hermione screamed, her hands frantically tearing at the vines that tried to touch Ana's skinny ankles. When the light finally broke the snare, the girls collapsed in relief, checking every inch of Ana for a bruise.
The Winged Keys: Harry flew for the key, but on the ground, the circle remained unbroken. Cho Chang stood over Ana, her wand tracing protective arcs in the air, her eyes darting toward the swarming keys as if she would swat them out of the sky with her bare hands if they dared fly too close.
The Wizard's Chess: Ron took command of the board, but his strategy was dictated by one rule: The Queen must not move. Ana was placed on the back rank, surrounded by Hermione, Lavender, and Cassandra. They stood like statues, shielding her petite body as the stone pieces shattered around them.
The Final DoorWhen Ron was knocked unconscious to win the game, the girls let out a collective sob, but they didn't leave Ana's side. They lifted her once more, their movements practiced and reverent, and carried her toward the final chamber.
"You have to go on, Harry," Hermione said, her voice trembling as she adjusted her grip on Ana's waist. "We'll stay here. We'll keep her safe in the shadows. She's done enough. She shouldn't have to see what's behind that door."
"I am going with him," Ana commanded softly.
The girls went rigid. The "Influence" rippled through the cold room, vibrating the stone floor.
"But Ana—you're so fragile tonight," Cassandra pleaded, her eyes wet with tears. "You're so skinny, and the fire in there..."
"Set me down," Ana whispered.
They obeyed instantly, their bodies moving with a dazed, blissful submission. Ana stood on her own two feet, her skinnyhand reaching out to touch the silver moonstone at her throat. It was glowing a fierce, blinding violet.
"Harry and I will finish this," she said, her melodic voice echoing through the chamber. "Wait for me at the hearth. Guard the way back."
The four girls sank to their knees in the dust, their heads bowed in total surrender. "We will wait, my Queen," they whispered in unison. "We will be the wall you return to."
As Ana stepped through the black fire with Harry, her small shadow stretching long across the floor, she knew the girls would stay exactly where she had placed them—four guardians waiting for the heart of their world to stop or start again.