"Want to play some Wizards Chess, Henry?" Ron tilted his head quizzically.
"I don't know how to play," Henry answered truthfully. "I don't really feel up to it, either."
"Aw, come on! You can't still be upset about being paired up with Malfoy, can you?" Ron looked at Henry incredulously.
Henry scowled. Apparently, Ron had guessed correctly.
"Really, Henry! Can't you just get over it?"
"That's easy for you to say! You're not the one who has to 'spend most of Potions' with him!" Henry threw a pillow at Ron, smacking him on the face.
"Hey!" Putting on a mock smile, he grabbed his own pillow and hurled it at Henry.
It hit him on the stomach, and the boy doubled over. "I'm dying," he gasped.
"You're kidding Henry!" leaping over his bed, Ron rushed to him, worried look on his face.
"Of course," Henry replied, as he hopped off his bed. "Now, did I hear someone say they would teach me how to play 'Wizards Chess'?"
"I didn't say that," Ron teased, "but I could. Teach you."
Still panting, the two boys hovered over the game board. "See, according to Harry, this is pretty similar to your muggle version of chess."
Henry nodded, as he admired the playing pieces. "I recognize these."
"All you have to do is, basically, order them around. Put that piece back, will you," Ron ordered casually as he scrutinized the board for a good move. "I'm white, so I guess I'll start," he paused for dramatics. "Pawn to E-5!"
Henry watched, amazed, as the piece advanced on its own. "Wow!"
"It is cool, isn't it?" Ron grinned knowingly. "Wait 'til we get to actually take pieces off the board!"
The chance came soon, for Henry was too awed to think clearly. Ron's queen was diagonal from one of his knights, and Ron decided to move in for the kill. "Queen to C-3!"
Henry winced as the queen used her throne to smash his knight. "That's barbaric!" he cried before he could stop himself.
Ron arched his eyebrow.
"Could we play something else?" Henry asked, when he found a move that could avenge his knight. He didn't need anymore violence in the game. "Please?"
Ron saw the move too, "Don't be silly Henry! Just move the piece already. She accepts her fate."
"No," Henry said firmly.
"Oh please. Just pretend the queen is Malfoy!"
"But Malfoy is not a girl!" Henry pointed out.
"Who's to say? He's cowardly enough."
Henry giggled. "Okay, okay. Rook to C-3!"
Ron shook his head, an evil smile tugging at his lips. He pretended Henry's giggles were dry coughs, as he watched the rook demolish his queen. Boys didn't giggle, Ron thought. There was no way, those sounds coming from Henry's mouth, were giggles. But he was distracted.
The game soon ended. Henry won. More giggles.
"I don't know how to play," Henry answered truthfully. "I don't really feel up to it, either."
"Aw, come on! You can't still be upset about being paired up with Malfoy, can you?" Ron looked at Henry incredulously.
Henry scowled. Apparently, Ron had guessed correctly.
"Really, Henry! Can't you just get over it?"
"That's easy for you to say! You're not the one who has to 'spend most of Potions' with him!" Henry threw a pillow at Ron, smacking him on the face.
"Hey!" Putting on a mock smile, he grabbed his own pillow and hurled it at Henry.
It hit him on the stomach, and the boy doubled over. "I'm dying," he gasped.
"You're kidding Henry!" leaping over his bed, Ron rushed to him, worried look on his face.
"Of course," Henry replied, as he hopped off his bed. "Now, did I hear someone say they would teach me how to play 'Wizards Chess'?"
"I didn't say that," Ron teased, "but I could. Teach you."
Still panting, the two boys hovered over the game board. "See, according to Harry, this is pretty similar to your muggle version of chess."
Henry nodded, as he admired the playing pieces. "I recognize these."
"All you have to do is, basically, order them around. Put that piece back, will you," Ron ordered casually as he scrutinized the board for a good move. "I'm white, so I guess I'll start," he paused for dramatics. "Pawn to E-5!"
Henry watched, amazed, as the piece advanced on its own. "Wow!"
"It is cool, isn't it?" Ron grinned knowingly. "Wait 'til we get to actually take pieces off the board!"
The chance came soon, for Henry was too awed to think clearly. Ron's queen was diagonal from one of his knights, and Ron decided to move in for the kill. "Queen to C-3!"
Henry winced as the queen used her throne to smash his knight. "That's barbaric!" he cried before he could stop himself.
Ron arched his eyebrow.
"Could we play something else?" Henry asked, when he found a move that could avenge his knight. He didn't need anymore violence in the game. "Please?"
Ron saw the move too, "Don't be silly Henry! Just move the piece already. She accepts her fate."
"No," Henry said firmly.
"Oh please. Just pretend the queen is Malfoy!"
"But Malfoy is not a girl!" Henry pointed out.
"Who's to say? He's cowardly enough."
Henry giggled. "Okay, okay. Rook to C-3!"
Ron shook his head, an evil smile tugging at his lips. He pretended Henry's giggles were dry coughs, as he watched the rook demolish his queen. Boys didn't giggle, Ron thought. There was no way, those sounds coming from Henry's mouth, were giggles. But he was distracted.
The game soon ended. Henry won. More giggles.