Chapter 2: Damiano Defense

Draco continued teaching Harry the basics of chess. Harry felt like his gameplay was improving, but he still felt doubtful. Harry and Draco had extremely busy schedules, with Quidditch Practice every Saturday and all the work in their classes. Regardless, both were doing extremely well. Most of the professors complimented Harry's work…except for Professor McGonagall. Harry knew it because of the typical Gryffindor bias against Slytherins. Harry didn't let that disturb him, even though McGonagall never awarded Harry and Draco any points for Slytherin. Harry and Draco earned many points for Slytherin in potions regardless. Slytherin had a good chance of winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.

On 25 October 1991, which was a Friday, the Slytherins had double potions with the Gryffindors. Harry and Draco sat with Pansy Parkinson, just like they did in every other potions class. Harry, Draco, and Pansy all managed to successfully brew Wiggenweld potions, to no one's surprise. Snape showed a rare smile to the three friends, acknowledging their success. Suddenly, an explosion occurred on the other side of the classroom. Snape turned towards the students that caused it. They turned out to be Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Seamus Finnigan. Snape hustled towards them in anger.

"You imbeciles! You cretins! I am tired of you three exploding and blowing up cauldrons in my classroom almost all the time. You keep doing this! Twenty points from Gryffindor, each."

"But sir…", Ron tried to argue.

"Also detention for all three of you! You three will also clean up the potions lab every night for the next two weeks!", Snape continued shouting.

"Fools", Theodore Nott muttered.

Harry didn't say anything. But Harry secretly knew that Weasley and Longbottom looked hopeless in potions. Granger was the only Gryffindor that seemed to know what she was supposed to do.

After all the Gryffindors had left, Severus turned to the ten first-year Slytherins.

"For all of you, ten points each to Slytherin for successfully brewing the Wiggenweld potion. At least not everyone in this class is a dullard."

Harry, Draco, and Pansy rejoiced amongst themselves.

Later that day, once their classes were over and their homework was complete, Draco asked Harry if he wanted to play Wizard's Chess again.

"Fine", Harry said.

Draco had the white pieces and Harry had the black pieces.

"Pawn to e4", Draco said. The white pawn on e2 moved to e4.

"Pawn to e5", Harry said. The black pawn on e7 moved to e5.

"Knight to f3", Draco said. The white knight on g1 moved to f3, attacking the black e-pawn.

Harry knew it was obvious he had to defend the e-pawn. Harry knew there were numerous ways to defend the attacked pawn. Harry decided to defend the e-pawn with the f-pawn.

"Pawn to f6", Harry said. The black pawn on f7 moved to f6.

Draco showed a brief look of surprise on his face. Harry saw the facial expression before Draco quickly changed it.

"Knight to e5", Draco said. Harry was shocked. Draco had sacrificed one of his knights for a pawn. Had he suddenly blundered?

The white kingside knight pounced on the black pawn on e5 and smashed it to bits.

"Pawn to e5", Harry said. The black pawn on f6 yanked its sword out and pierced the white knight on e5, destroying it.

"Queen to h5", Draco said. The white queen on d1 moved to h5, putting the black king on e8 in check. Harry was shocked that Draco had moved the white queen so early in the game. Harry was also wondering how he would deal with the queen's attack on the black king. Harry had two legal moves. Harry could play the black pawn on g7 to g6-which would block the check-or he could move the black king to e7. Harry knew that if he played his pawn to g6, he would lose the black kingside rook on h8 when the white queen would move to e5, forking the black king and the black kingside rook. So, Harry knew what he would have to do.

"King to e7", Harry said. The black king on e8 moved to e7.

"Queen to e5", Draco said. The white queen destroyed the pawn on e5, putting the black king in check again.

"King to f7", Harry said. The black king on e7 moved to f7.

"Bishop to c4", Draco said. The white kingside bishop on f1 moved to c4, putting the black king in check.

"King to g6", Harry said.

"Queen to f5", Draco said. The black king was in check again.

"King to h6", Harry said. Now Harry was wondering if he had made a mistake. He also wondered if Draco had intended to sacrifice the white kingside knight.

"Pawn to d4", Draco said. The white pawn on d2 moved to d4. This pawn move also gave a discovered check from the white bishop on c1.

"Pawn to g5", Harry said. The black pawn on g7 moved to g5 to block the check.

"Pawn to h4", Draco said. The white pawn on h2 moved to h4.

"Bishop to e7", Harry said. The black bishop on f8 moved to e7, serving as another defender for the black pawn on g5.

But it did absolutely nothing for the black king.

"Pawn to g5", Draco said. The white pawn on h4 captured the black pawn on g5, giving a double check from both the white pawn on g5 and the white kingside rook on h1.

"King to g7", Harry said. The black king on h6 moved to g7.

"Queen to f7", Draco said. The white queen on f5 moved to f7.

"Checkmate", Draco said triumphantly.

Harry almost felt relieved that the tension was over. "I knew near the end I was losing", he admitted.

"The problem began on your second move, Harry. You moved the black pawn on f7 to f6. This is known as the Damiano Defense. It's a very mediocre and inferior defense."

Draco took a deep breath and continued. "The Damiano Defense was named after the Portuguese chess author Pedro Damiano. Even he admitted it is a weak opening and should never be played. On your third move, the best move you could have played was "Queen to e7". It shows that moving the f-pawn to f6 did not really defend the e-pawn at all. If the queens on d1 and d8 were not in the game, the Damiano Defense would be fine for black."

Harry nodded. "You're right. I never want to play that opening again."

"The more you learn, the better", Draco said.

Six days later, on 31 October 1991, the Halloween feast at Hogwarts took place. Earlier, Harry had asked Marcus Flint and one of the substitute chasers for the Slytherin Quidditch Team, Cassius Warrington, to help him learn defensive spells and combat spells that could help him. Harry knew that Voldemort could return at any time. Harry had to prepare himself for that inevitable day. Harry paid Flint and Warrington five galleons each for teaching him, although they were so pleased with Harry, they likely would have taught Harry for free anyway.

Harry decided to use the bathroom. Harry left the Slytherin table and went on his way. About ten minutes later Quirinus Quirrell came charging in and yelled, "There's a troll in the school! Everybody, get to safety!" Then Quirrell fainted. All the students except for the Slytherins began screaming for their lives. Draco and Pansy were about to leave with the other Slytherins when all of a sudden Draco realized something.

"Harry doesn't know about the troll!", Draco said.

Pansy showed a fearful expression. "We have to tell Professor Snape and Prefect Flint."

Draco and Pansy told Professor Snape and Marcus Flint, who was one of the Slytherin prefects, about Harry going to the bathroom. Snape then decided to search for Harry and bring him to safety. However, Draco and Pansy decided to search for Harry themselves.

Meanwhile, Harry had just left the bathroom and was about to head back to the Great Hall when he heard crying in the girls' bathroom. It sounded like a girl. Could it be…

"Granger?", Harry asked. Hermione Granger was crawled into a sitting position under the sink.

"What happened?", Harry asked.

"I was trying to help Ron Weasley with one of his Potions assignments. He told me to piss off and that I was an annoying know-it-all and that I was a loser."

"I don't think you're a loser", Harry said. Harry may have despised Gryffindors but he could tolerate Hermione.

"Thanks, Potter. But I'm a Gryffindor and you're a Slytherin, we're not supposed to be seen talking to each other."

"True", Harry said. "There is this unspoken policy against students from different houses socializing, especially between Slytherins and Gryffindors. That doesn't surprise me, seeing what assholes Weasley and the other Gryffindors are."

"Well, Neville Longbottom is pretty nice", Hermione said.

Before Harry could reply there was loud movement. Then Harry saw a horrifying sight. An ugly twelve-foot troll was outside the bathroom. The troll was holding a club. Draco and Pansy tackled the troll to the ground. Pansy hugged Harry tightly.

"We were so worried about you!", Pansy said to Harry.

But as the three Slytherins moved backwards, the troll got up. The troll charged towards Harry.

Harry was prepared, remembering the training with Flint and Warrington.

"Impedimenta!", Harry shouted while pointing his wand at the troll.

The impediment jinx threw the troll backwards. But Harry wasn't finished.

"Avada Kedavra!", Harry shouted.

The killing curse hit the troll squarely in the chest. The troll fell to the ground, lifeless.

Before Harry, Pansy, and Draco could celebrate, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore, and Quirrell all burst into the bathroom.

"What happened?", McGonagall asked while glaring at the three Slytherin first-years.

"It was my fault, professor", Hermione said. "I wanted to kill the troll by myself. But I quickly realized how stupid I was. If Malfoy, Parkinson, and Potter hadn't come to save me, I probably would be a corpse right now."

"Miss Granger, I can't believe you! Ten points from Gryffindor for such reckless and irresponsible behavior."

Hermione nodded and looked at the three first-year Slytherins in gratitude before she went to the Gryffindor Common Room.

McGonagall turned to Draco, Pansy, and Harry. "As for you three…", she began.

Snape then intervened. "I believe a reward is in store. You three have each gained fifty points for Slytherin."

Harry couldn't believe it. Not only did all three of them survive the troll, they even got rewarded for it. Not to mention that the 150 extra points gave Slytherin the lead by far in the competition for the House Cup.

Harry, Draco, and Pansy refused to speak until they reached the Slytherin Common Room. When they reached the common room, they all squealed in excitement.

"Potter, Malfoy, what happened?", Marcus Flint asked.

Harry told him how the troll had been killed and that Slytherin had won another 150 points. Flint smirked, showing his approval.

When Pansy, Draco, and Harry were about to walk to their respective dormitories, Pansy hugged Harry again. "What you did was risky, Harry, killing that troll on your own."

"Yes, that is true", Harry said. "Fighting that troll was like playing the Damiano Defense."

Harry and Draco laughed briefly, then all three of them went to their dorms. When Harry reached his dorm, he laid down on his bed and immediately fell asleep.