The Philosopher's Stone | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book One)

23. The End Of First Year

Y/N's POV

"So wizard's chess in real life?" I asked.

"Pretty much." Ron replied.

I then walked up to a black knight and put my hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at me.

"Do we have to join you to get across?"

The black knight nodded. I turned to the others.

"This needs thinking about..." I said, "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces..."

Ron started thinking before he said. "Now, don't be offended or anything, but only me and Y/N are good at chess-"

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly, "just tell us what to do."

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle."

"What about you and Y/N?"

"We're going to be knights." I said.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words two knights, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that we took.

"White always plays first in chess," I said, peering across the board, "yes... look..."

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Me and Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever we sent them.

"Harry, move diagonally four squares to the right."

Our first real shock came when our other castle was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he laid quite still, facedown.

"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken, "leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, I only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. I darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as we had lost black ones.

"We're nearly there," I muttered suddenly, "let me think, let me think..."

The white queen turned her blank face toward me.

"Yes..." I said softly, "it's the only way...I've got to be taken."

"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS Y/N!" Hermione shouted.

"That's chess!" I sighed. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me, that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But-"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Y/N-"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

At last they accepted that this was the only option.

"Ready?" I called. "Here I go...now, don't hang around once you've won."

I stepped forward, closing my eyes.

I didn't really remember what happened next.

Hermione's POV

Y/N stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck him hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor, I screamed but stayed on my square. The white queen dragged Y/N to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.