I sat at the end of the long wood table, touching its ashy surface with my
bare hand. I picked up my study book and opened my ink bottle, grasping my
feather pin and resting my hand on my note book paper stack. I started to
read on how to ___ when a boys voice took hold of my attention. I looked up
from the ink words in my book and placed my eyes on the red haired Ron
Weasley smiling and talking to Harry Potter. They were discussing Wizards
Chess. I had noticed the Ron was exceptional at Wizards Chess, amazingly
accurate at all the strategies I had studied and memorized. I set my study
book down and pretended to read, but constantly glanced up at the chess
board making sure nobody screwed up. I watched queens killing rooks and
pons being struck down by knights, the whole game was amazing to me.
Studying it not only gave me control over the game, but I felt it gave me
control on life. I viewed myself a pon, my mother and father the king and
queen, ruling over my and which way I turn. My sister I viewed a knight of
the opposite side, constantly hunting me, trying to knock me off my course.
My peers I viewed rooks. One step higher then me, hovering just over my
head as to make it obvious they were more important then me. Harry picked
up his queen and moved it in striking distance of Ron's. Ron saw it; his
lips moved slowing to form a crooked smile. I giggled and mumbled to
myself, "That wasn't very smart." Instantly my body froze. I didn't mean to
say that out loud, what if someone heard me. It would be all over the post
"QUIET BLUE HAIRED GIRL GIGGLES AT STUPID CHESS MOVE MADE BY POTTER." My
cheeks flushed. Harry turned his head at me and said "I'm sorry, did you
say something?" I looked up and stiffly shook my head no. The loud mouthed,
know it all Herminie was sitting next to them, she spoke up, as she usually
does, before I could explain myself. "WELL, you must have said something,
or else Harry wouldn't have responded." She said, puckering her lips
together in a tight lemon shape as she usually does after getting something
right. I really didn't like her. I clinched my teeth together and smiled
meanly at her, then turned to Harry, smiled and shyly said, "That move you
just did, you know, Queen to D4. It was a silly move. Now, supposing Ron
sees it, which, complementing his amazing chess skills, I'm sure he does,
he will take your queen and then call a check mate. The game will be over
in less then two move." I blinked, bit my lowed lip and smiled, looking
down at my shoe. "Wow." Ron marveled. "I saw it yes but, I didn't think
anyone else did." I smiled and looked at him. "Hell, Herminie doesn't even
know anything about Wizards Chess. As smart as she is, she still couldn't
last one move out on the battle field." I laughed as Herminie punched his
arm. Harry got up from his seat and went over to me. I started to sweat and
my heart was pounding. I felt like it was pounding so hard it sounded like
war drums and might very well scar Harry away. I clinched my hands into a
fist and tried to smile at him. He closed my study book and placed my
notebook paper stack inside it. Then, closed my ink bottle and handed it to
me. "Come and play winner. I want to see someone beat Ron." He smiled. I
smiled. We smiled. It was heaven. I gulped and nodded. I walked around the
table to the opposite side and sat down were Harry was sitting. I smiled at
Ron, who was wearing a constant toothy grin. I pulled my hair into a tight
bun and placed the bobby pins around it to keep my bangs from falling out,
and then I sat up and set the board in record time. Ron's eyes were wide;
in fact, everyone's eye's were wide. I sat there for awhile, waiting, then
looked up at Ron and said, "You move. White always goes first." He snapped
out of his gaze and said, "Right, right." Then it was on. He moved, I
moved. It was a repetitive pattern. One move right after the other, and in
less then 27 moves I already had his king in check. As the game had
progressed, Ron's expression got very sour, never the less he kept going.
He had to move his king out of check so, he moved it to B6 putting his
queen in full view on B8. I moved my queen over to B8 and snatched it. I
leaned back in my chair and said "Check mate." He looked up and me and then
back at the board. Harry was all smiles. He patted me on my back. Ron got
out of his chair and said, "Brilliant, just brilliant." He stormed out of
the room in a fluster. Herminie looked at me and sneered, but said "Don't
take it personally." Then she stormed right after him. I looked at Harry
and said, "I-I-I-I didn't mean to..to do any harm. I feel really bad."
Harry smiled and said, "Don't. You just wounded his pride, that all. He'll
be read for a rematch in no time." He handed me my study book, and left,
leaving the chess board and pieces undisturbed. I sat there, confused, for
a second, trying to register everything that had happened. It happed so
fast. It was about dinner time; Professor McGonagall asked me to leave so
they could set the table and call everyone down. I nodded and said
"certainly." Then, I packed up the chess set and made my way back to the
Gryphon Door Common room.