The mischievous gamer God

Snape opened the box and pulled out the game board with a sharp motion, the wood creaking beneath his hands. He then unfolded the two sides of the board, revealing the game in its entirety. In the center of the board sat a large, shimmering emerald, glowing faintly with a soft green light, as if alive.

The rest of the board was made up of white, tile-like paths that twisted and curled like jungle trails. At the beginning of each path sat a unique game piece—each sculpted with disturbing precision and eerie detail. There was the keratin rhinoceros, its horn jagged and dull white like fossilized bone; the metallic elephant, smooth and cold, with tiny crimson eyes; the obsidian crocodile, glossy and dark as night, its mouth open in a permanent silent snarl; and the jade monkey, carved with startling realism, its bright green eyes gleaming with mischievous intent.

Two dice rested in a shallow compartment next to the playing field, and beside them were the rules, engraved in timeworn script:

---

Welcome to Jumanji

A game for those who seek to find

A way to leave their world behind.

You roll the dice to move your token.

Doubles get another turn.

The first player to reach the end wins.

Adventurers beware:

Do not begin unless you intend to finish.

The exciting consequences of the game

Will vanish only when a player reaches Jumanji

And calls out its name.

---

Snape's black eyes scanned the inscription, his expression hardening.

"The rules are deceptively simple," he said slowly, his voice low and razor-edged. "And that's what worries me. Especially these… consequences that were mentioned."

He narrowed his eyes and added grimly, "This game board is clearly cursed."

Malfoy, his voice thin and uncertain, asked nervously, "Professor… what do we do?"

Snape looked at him sharply and said, with the cold disdain of someone stating the obvious, "Isn't it obvious, boy? We play."

Crabbe and Goyle shivered visibly in fear, exchanging anxious glances, but nodded nonetheless, unable or unwilling to argue.

Snape reached out and claimed the obsidian crocodile as his piece with deliberate precision, his fingers curling tightly around it. Malfoy chose the jade monkey, drawn to its gleaming green surface. Crabbe hesitantly picked up the keratin rhino, his hand trembling slightly, while Goyle took the metallic elephant, swallowing hard.

Snape rolled the dice first. They clattered against the board and came to a stop—a three.

The obsidian crocodile glided forward three tiles with an eerie click-click-click.

Then, suddenly, glowing green words began to swirl and form inside the emerald at the center of the board. The eerie glow pulsed in sync with the beating of their hearts as the message revealed itself:

---

"It watches still with lidless eyes,

No hiss, no strike—just patient lies.

Make one move, you'll face its might,

And vanish in a single bite.

To end its stare and still its guise,

A mirrored pair must tempt the dice."

---

Snape frowned deeply. His brow furrowed in suspicion and irritation as he muttered, "What the hell does that mean?"

Crabbe and Goyle suddenly froze—eyes wide, skin pale—and pointed trembling fingers behind their professor.

Malfoy, who had gone as rigid as a statue, stared past Snape with growing horror but did not move an inch.

Snape turned his head slightly, his instincts screaming, though his expression remained tightly controlled. From the ceiling behind him, a massive, monstrous green anaconda hung coiled and watching. Its body was easily over thirty feet long, thick as a man's torso, its scales an iridescent jungle green mottled with dark splotches. Its eyes—large, lidless, and yellow with slitted pupils—were locked onto Snape's form with predatory stillness.

The serpent slowly unwound itself, its movement sinuous and silent, slithering down from the beams and coiling around the edges of the room, circling him. Its forked tongue flicked the air near Snape's face, tasting his scent. Its massive body made barely a sound against the stone floor, but the weight of its presence was suffocating. The unblinking gaze never faltered.

Snape, recalling the message from the emerald, did not move. He did not flinch. He did not twitch. He barely dared to breathe, his entire body locked in place through sheer force of will. His dark eyes remained forward, burning with tension, but his wand hand itched with helpless urgency.

He clenched his jaw and, through gritted teeth, muttered out, "Someone… roll."

Malfoy, his hands shaking and face pale with fear, slowly picked up the dice. He rolled, the sound unnaturally loud in the silent room.

A five and a two.

The jade monkey advanced seven paces along the board, landing on a new tile.

The gem began to glow again.

And the next message began to form.

"The jungle waits with creeping dread,

For those who step where none should tread.

Unyielding vines will twist and wind,

To drag you where the sun's confined.

Resist you may, but none escape,

The jungle's grip, your final fate."

Before Malfoy could fully process what that meant, he heard rustling behind him. His eyes widened in confusion as he turned—and froze. A thick jungle had appeared where the wall used to be, its shadows deep and foreboding. Then, without warning, thick vines shot out of the darkness and wrapped tightly around his legs, their grip cold and unyielding. Slowly but surely, they began dragging him into the depths of the jungle.

Malfoy screamed, panic twisting his voice. "Someone help me!"

The vines were moving slowly enough that he had time—but not much. His eyes darted wildly, his hands clawing at the ground for anything to hold on to. Fear was written all over his face.

Snape, standing rigid nearby, desperately wanted to help. His eyes flicked between Malfoy and the vines, but he couldn't risk movement. The tension in his jaw was visible as he gritted out through clenched teeth, "Crabbe, roll!"

Crabbe, pale and shaking, nervously picked up the dice with trembling fingers. Swallowing hard, he cast them onto the board. The dice bounced and rolled—then finally landed on a 6 and a 2.

The keratin rhino moved eight paces toward the center of the board, its heavy footsteps echoing like thunder. Then, inside the glowing green gem at the center, glowing letters began to form—the verse appearing like smoke curling across glass.

"The ground grows hot, a searing glow,

From deep beneath, the fires grow.

Sit too long and you may fry,

But stand too fast—and you will die.

The floor's no more, the heat won't cease,

'Til molten rage has found its peace."

Then Crabbe felt it—heat rising beneath his chair, intense and sudden.

He looked down, his eyes widening in growing terror as the floor around him began to crack and glow. The stone turned cherry red, then blazed orange as if lit from beneath by an inferno. It began to melt and bubble, thick wisps of smoke curling upward.

Realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

The floor around him had become lava.

His skin began to sweat, his robes clinging to him as the blistering heat crawled up his legs, slowly cooking him alive where he sat. The sickening smell of scorched fabric wafted through the air.

Crabbe let out a strangled gasp, his face pale and glistening. In fear and desperation, he stammered out, "Y-Your turn, Goyle!"

Goyle, now trembling and white as a sheet, picked up the dice with both hands. His palms were slick with sweat, and his thick fingers fumbled as he tried to keep hold of them. After what felt like an eternity, he finally shook them and tossed them across the game board.

They landed with a clatter—a two.

Snake eyes.

The moment the dice stopped moving, the green anaconda that had been lingering in the room let out a sharp, pained hiss, its yellow eyes narrowing. With a powerful, serpentine twist, it slithered swiftly across the floor and vanished into the tangle of conjured jungle behind Malfoy, disappearing into the shadows with unnatural speed.

Goyle's piece—the metallic elephant—moved two paces forward along the tile path with an ominous click.

But before anyone could even read the verse beginning to swirl inside the emerald gem, Snape exploded into motion.

He jumped out of his chair with the reflexes of a man long-accustomed to danger, his wand instantly in hand, eyes burning with focus. He pointed at the vines that had silently begun pulling Malfoy from behind—thick, dark tendrils coiled around the boy's shoulders and waist.

With a sharp flick of his wrist and a voice filled with commanding precision, Snape shouted, "Diffindo!"

An invisible blade of energy shot from his wand with a whipping crack, slicing through the vines like paper. The severed tendrils shriveled and fell to the ground, writhing before vanishing into nothing.

Malfoy gasped and fell back into his chair, panting heavily. His face was as pale as moonlight, and his normally arrogant expression was replaced with raw relief.

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and managed to say nothing—only nodding slightly in silent gratitude.

Snape lowered his wand but did not sit.

His dark eyes swept across the table, his voice low and grim. "This game is far more dangerous than I thought. At least surviving the consequences hasn't been too difficult."

Just then, Crabbe—still sweating and shaking, his chair slightly scorched from the intense heat—suddenly pointed at the emerald gem, his voice rising in alarm.

"Professor Snape—look!" he cried, his eyes wide with fear.

Snape's head snapped toward the center of the board, where glowing green words were now forming inside the gem…

"The weak little elephant strayed behind,

Too slow, too lost, too misaligned.

The pride has caught the scent of fear—

And now the hunters draw in near.

Run you may, but tread with care...

For golden eyes are everywhere."

Then the wall behind Goyle began to crack and shatter, deep fractures spidering across the stone like lightning bolts.

Within seconds, with a loud, echoing crash, the entire section of the wall collapsed, the rubble vanishing in a shimmer of magic—and in its place appeared a vast savannah, stretching endlessly toward the horizon. Rolling plains of golden grass swayed in the wind, the air hot and dry.

From somewhere in the distance, a mighty roar echoed across the plain, primal and commanding.

Malfoy's eyes widened in horror, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"Please tell me those aren't lions…"

Snape's head snapped toward the sound, his face tight with urgency. His black eyes darted toward the magical board and back to the open savannah.

Alarmed, he said sharply, "We must finish the game quickly."

Without hesitation, he grabbed the dice and hurled them toward Goyle, his tone sharp and demanding.

"Roll again, boy! You got doubles last time, so you get another turn!"

Goyle, startled and panicked, caught the dice with fumbling hands. His face was pale, and his breath came in shallow gasps as the roars from the savannah grew louder… and closer. The unmistakable pounding of paws hitting earth began to echo like drums.

With shaking fingers, Goyle quickly rolled the dice, practically tossing them onto the board in desperation.

The dice landed with a clatter—a four and a one.

The metallic elephant advanced five more paces, the token clicking forward and stopping neatly beside Malfoy's jade monkey. Now, both boys sat at seven paces from the goal.

If either of them could roll an eight… the game would end.

But the danger had not yet passed.

Inside the glowing emerald gem at the center of the board, a new verse began to appear—its eerie green letters swirling to life once more.

"The lions ran, their hunt begun,

But now they see not one—but two to run.

The Jade, the tusk, both caught their eye,

No beast is safe beneath this sky.

Two strayed paths, two beating hearts,

The pride now stalks from shadowed parts.

But teeth need only one to feed...

So who will fall—and who be freed?"

Malfoy's eyes widened in horror, his face drained of all color, and he said, "Does this mean they're after me too?"

Before anyone could answer, the roaring grew even louder, shaking the very air around them. Then, without warning, the tall grass parted violently, and the first lion breached through—barreling toward the two boys with terrifying speed.

Snape, who had been poised on the edge of his chair, reacted instantly.

He jumped up, his black robes whipping behind him like smoke, pointed his wand toward the charging beast, and shouted, "Confringo!"

An intense fireball burst from the tip of his wand, slamming into the lion's chest and sending it reeling backward with a loud, wounded roar. The smell of scorched fur filled the room.

Snape didn't waste a moment. He scooped up the dice from the table and hurled them onto the game board, not even bothering to check what he'd rolled or glance at the new verse glowing in the emerald gem.

He turned back toward the savannah opening and continued firing spell after spell, his voice crisp and furious, each incantation laced with unrelenting precision. More lions crashed through the tall grass, their golden bodies sleek and muscular, eyes filled with feral hunger.

One managed to breach past Snape's barrage and lunged—claws outstretched, it sank its teeth into Goyle's robes, dragging him backward.

Goyle screamed in panic, flailing and struggling, his heavy limbs floundering as he tried to tear himself free. He finally managed to rip his robes, tumbling to the ground with a loud grunt.

Snape turned instantly, eyes flashing, and blasted the lion with another fire curse, sending it tumbling across the floor with a charred mane. Goyle clambered to his feet, gasping and stumbling back behind the table.

Then Malfoy looked at the board, his voice high with shock as he exclaimed, "Professor! You got a 10!"

The obsidian crocodile clicked forward ten spaces with a harsh rattle.

Snape was now two paces from victory.

Snape, teeth clenched and wand still raised, shouted, "That's fantastic, Mr. Malfoy! And if you'll excuse me— I'm a bit busy!" He turned and resumed fending off the remaining lions with vicious, precision-cast spells, his movements efficient and practiced.

Malfoy, meanwhile, caught sight of one of the lions charging straight at him. His panic overtook him, and with a wild look in his eyes, he grabbed Goyle by the shoulders and shoved him forward.

"Take him!" Malfoy shouted frantically. "He's the one you want! He's a bigger meal anyway!"

Goyle let out a startled scream, arms flailing as he was thrown directly into the lion's path.

Snape spun around, his face twisted with cold fury, and incinerated the lion mid-leap, the beast turning to ash in the air before it could touch Goyle.

The savannah beyond began to fall eerily silent. The tall grass ceased moving. The drumbeats faded. No more lions emerged from the brush.

Snape breathed a heavy sigh of relief, his shoulders lowering ever so slightly. The tension in his frame did not disappear, but for the first time, his stance eased.

Only for Malfoy to ruin the moment.

"Um, Professor… there's another verse," Malfoy said nervously, pointing toward the gem.

Snape turned slowly, his dark eyes narrowing once again, and looked into the center of the board where more glowing lines were beginning to form inside the emerald gem...

"The monkey danced, the tusker fled—

Both were spared when they should be dead.

But fate was fooled, its hunt denied,

By one who dared to turn the tide.

The crocodile chose to intervene...

And now he pays for what was foreseen."

With that ominous verse now read, Snape began to grow nervous. A faint crease formed between his brows, and his grip on his wand tightened ever so slightly.

Then, without warning, from the jungle illusion behind Malfoy, a thick vine shot out—like a serpent striking—and coiled tightly around Snape's body.

Before he could react, more vines lashed out from the undergrowth, wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso. They yanked him violently into the air, suspending him midair above the table. He struggled fiercely, but the magical vines held fast, trapping him completely.

Then, without warning, the obsidian crocodile game piece was flung from its path, tumbling across the board and landing on the table with a dull clatter, no longer part of the playing field.

A chilling silence followed.

Its sudden removal signified one terrible truth:

Snape was no longer part of the game.

Then, as if mocking their growing fear, a new verse began to appear—its glowing green letters unfolding slowly within the heart of the emerald gem...

"He who dares to steal fate's hand,

Must now obey the jungle's brand.

A pawn until the dice set free,

No voice, no turn, no will to flee."

Malfoy gulped and nervously picked up the dice.