33: Games And Puzzles: Pt 2

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They were standing on the edge of a giant chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and were carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. They all shivered slightly. The towering chessmen had no faces.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ron said. "We have to play across the room."

Beyond the white pieces they could see another door.

"How?" said Hermione nervously.

"I think," said Ron. "We're going to have to be chessmen."

He walked up to a black Knight and put his hand out to touch the knights horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the Knight turned his helmeted head tk look down on Ron.

"Do we - er, heave to join you to get across?"

The black Knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.

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

Harry, Y/N and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said. "Now don't be offended or anything, but out of you three, Y/N's the only one who's any good at chess -"

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

"Well Harry, you take the place of that Pawn, Hermione, take the place of that Castle, and Y/N go instead of that Bishop."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a Knight." said Ron.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words, a Knight, a Pawn, a Bishop and a Castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board. Leaving empty spaces for the four of them to take.

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes... Look..."

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces.

"Y/N - move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock was when their other Knight was taken. The white queen smashed him onto the floor and dragged him of the board, where he lay face down, quite still.

"Had to let that happen." said Ron. "Leaves you free to take that bishop Harry, go on."

The game went on. After a while, there were a huddle of many black and white pieces slumped across the opposite walls. Y/N had to give Ron credit for keeping all of them safe so far.

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think... yes, I've got to be taken."

"Are you having a bloody laugh Weasley?!" Y/N shouted.

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"That's Chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me - that'll leave you free to checkmate the King, Y/N!"

"But-" started Harry.

"Don't you dare-" Y/N growled.

"So you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron-"

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

There was nothing else for it. Ron stepped forward and the white Queen Pounced. She struck Ron hard around the head with her stone arm and he crashed to the floor. Hermione screamed and Y/N said a few words he wouldn't dare say in front of Ellie. Ron looked as though he'd been knocked out.

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