Chapter 2: The Slytherin wager
Ron woke up grudgingly in the morning to walk down to the great hall with the rest of the Slytherins, upon entering the hall, the place was nearly deserted with only a few Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs there already. After helping himself to scrambled eggs on Toasts he was interrupted from a voice from behind, "So Ron I see you have settled in well with the snakes", the snakes hissed back in return at Fred and George. Ron groaned, why did they have to start a confrontation now, especially when he was eating!
"Go away, you're not welcome at this table" a Slytherin said down the table, earning agreements from the snakes
"Well Julius Rookward, we have no intention for hanging around you slimy snakes for too long, we don't want to catch a disease" said Fred, with George adding, "yeah Fred, we might catch a disease to turn us into cowards. What we actually came for was Ron. A family emergency chat. Come on Ron let's go."
"I'm not a dog, I'm not just going to follow you because you command it. In fact, I'm staying here" I Replied with my temper rising, annoyed at the twins behaviour.
"You're going to regret that Ronniekins" retorted Fred. Both the twins left after giving their warning.
"Standing up to those meddling Gryffindor's. You might do well in Slytherin Ron." Julius said breaking the silence
Ron did not reply, solemn from the encounter, he returned to the meal and ate in silence. Until he received the timetable, and realised he had Transfiguration with Hufflepuffs. Walking to the classroom, Daphne came up and started walking next to him, "it must be tough being sorted into Slytherin, with your loyalties divided" after he didn't respond she continued, "don't worry Ron, I'll be here with you".
Feeling a surge of warmth traveling up his body, "thanks, though if you keep spouting nonsense about me a blood traitor, along with other pureblood nonsense there wont be a Friendship," Ron replied back.
"oh so you wants to be friends," she replied in a teasing manner, playing with her hair.
"yeah Friends, I'm 11, I don't intend to make political alliances with others of my age, I just want to enjoy my time at Hogwarts," he replied honestly.
"Friends it is then." She said, while holding out her hand, he grabbed it, and noticed how small her hand was, he gave her a warm smile, let go off her hand, and entered the classroom.
While Daphne went and sat next to a pug faced girl called Pansy Parkinson, Ron sat on his own, until he was joined by Theo.
Professor McGonagall started the class with a very stern talking to, "Transfiguration is a complex and dangerous branch of magic that you will learn at Hogwarts, so it will require your full attention. Anyone that messes around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." She then gazed at every one on the room to put her point across.
In a highly impressive display for a 1st year, she changed her desk to a pig and back again. Yet they were given the task to change a match into a needle. While Ron thought it would be easy, it wasn't by the end of the lesson, no one achieved a full transfiguration. Ron made his match slightly shiny but that was it.
The day progressed and eventually him and Theo were heading to the Hall for Dinner when Harry greeted him, "Hi Ron", he said rather shyly.
"Hi Harry, this is Theo Nott" Ron indicated with his arm, both boys gave a small nod and greeting to each other, until Harry turned to Ron and asked if they could speak alone.
"Yeah sure, I'll see you at the table Theo," the quiet boy nodded in response and left to go to the Slytherin table.
"So You're in Slytherin eh?" Harry started, knowing this to be a touchy subject.
"Yeah, I wanted to be in Gryffindor with you, but the Sorting Hat didn't really give me much of a choice," Ron admitted, earning a surprise look from Harry.
"That's a shame it would have been good if you were in Gryffindor"
"you Know Harry we can still be friends?"
Harry raised his head looking like a kid when Christmas has come early, "really?"
"Yeah, I mean there must be someplace in this massive castle that we can hang out, maybe I can teach you wizard chess."
"I would like that," harry smiled with the two boys shaking hands.
Before the day was finished Ron had to write a letter to his parents, plucking up his Gryffindor courage he started to write,
Hi Mum and Dad
So, there's no easy way of saying this, but I got sorted into Slytherin, hopefully you're not ashamed that I got sorted into this house and not Gryffindor. The Slytherin common room is quite grand and nice even though its quite cold. The first day was fun, had transfiguration, theory of magic and astronomy, we had to change a match to a needle, all I did was make it shiny. I've already made a few friends including Harry potter whose in Gryffindor, though we still agreed to be friends.
Love from Ron
After sending of that letter, Ron returned the common room, noticing Daphne playing chess with fellow first year Tracey Davies, "over here Ron, I'm about to beat Tracey. Checkmate," she said with a smirk
Tracey huffed "I wouldn't play her Ron she's pretty good, though to be fair I don't really understand the game"
"Oh I'm sure I can beat her easily," Ron said unusually confidently. Daphne raised an eyebrow, and said, "well let's see if you can back up what your mouth says."
The game started, and Ron learned that Daphne was pretty good, finding out she was taught by her grandfather, however Ron's natural ability meant that he would always win, and eventually won after only 30 minutes of the game.
Daphne was shocked "wow Ron you're amazing at this game, I bet you could beat anyone in this school," making Ron blush hard, and his ears go red. She called over her brother and next thing he knew he was playing a 5th year.
"ok I will play him" said Mervyn "but there has to be some sort of wager" he continued after I had no objections to it, "if I win, then you have to stand up in the great hall and shout 'Slytherin is the greatest house, and Gryffindor's stink. What would you want, if you win Weasley?" at this point there was a crowd of Slytherins gathering round them.
Ron looked down and saw his wand, well Charlies old wand, it looked battered with cracks in it, he desperately wanted a new one, "I would like money for a new wand, as this is my brothers old one."
Mervyn pondered on that statement for a while, "very well if you checkmate my king, I will give you 10 Galleons so you can buy a new wand. After all, I will be helping a fellow pure-blood in becoming a great Slytherin wizard," Ron nearly scowled at this, but agreed with his wager.
And so, the game begun. To his shock Mervyn was very good. The game went out for too long, most of the crowd would go of and come back, eventually Ron got the upper hand after 2 hours, he was only a few moves away from a checkmate, everyone involved in the game knew this.
Ron never felt so nervous and yet so excited, he was a few moves away from a new wand, he could not believe it, he was already thinking about what would happen when he went to Ollivanders to get his wand, and what type of wand it will be.
"knight to B6, check" Ron smirked, knowing he had him on the ropes, there was little he could do to escape.
The, out of nowhere, Mervyn got up from his seat and said "I resign" at this the game was finished and the chess pieces left the board. Ron was stunned, why did he resign? Why not just finish the game? He looked at Mervyn and so a massive smirk, looking around he saw many of his friends and fellow Slytherins grin. Something was very wrong here.
Hesitantly he asked, "so that means you'll give me 10 galleons then?"
"No Ron, the deal was that you had to checkmate my king, yet you did not do such thing. No one won, so no one gets anything," all of a sudden the Slytherin's started laughing at Mervyn's ploy. Ron never felt so embarrassed in his life, he just got conned.
With his temper rising, he shouted "where is your honour!"
Mervyn calmly replied, "first lesson as a Slytherin, there is no such thing as honour. Second lesson you must learn Ron, is to listen what you agree to, and try and find a loophole. And the most important is see the bigger picture, the game is simply not played on the chessboard, remember that, and you will do well in Slytherin." Ron simply stood there shocked and lost for words, he had been completely outplayed. Mervyn simply walked away and to his dormitory, before he left the common room he turned around and said "oh I forgot. I must congratulate you on a terrific game. You have a fine mind for strategy."
Sleep did not find him easily that night. He stayed up all night pondering what Mervyn said, so much anger boiled up inside him at what happened. He had cheated! He should have won that wager and he would have been able to get a new wand, yet Mervyn found a loophole in the wager and embarrassed him in front of all of Slytherin. Daphne try to talk to him afterwards, yet Ron not in the mood, just stormed to bed, ignoring her pleas to listen to her. He must have looked a right fool to her, being so innocent to fool into such a trap.
Maybe he could learn from Mervyn said, was he right to say there was no such thing as honour. That we should not try to be honourable, Ron tried to think what his dad would do, he reckoned he would encourage his sons to be honourable, yes Ron would listen to the greatest man he knew, not some 5th year pure-blood Slytherin who cheats a 11 year old out of a win.
Yet has sleep found him, the Words "there is no such thing as honour" repeated inside his head.