Chapter 11: The Rook

23 November 1991

It was Saturday.

Harry woke up and tried to finish any of the remaining homework he had left to complete.

A few minutes later Draco woke up.

"Harry, do you want to do something today?", he asked.

"I wish I could Draco. But I have to study. You know McGonagall is just waiting for us to make some errors and inaccuracies in our transfiguration work."

Draco sighed. "Unfortunately, that is true."

"We could probably study with Pansy, Theodore, Crabbe, and Goyle", Harry said. "Theodore is probably the smartest one among us, and Crabbe and Goyle will need us for transfiguration."

"Don't forget, we have Quidditch practice later today", Draco said.

"Flint will definitely want us to train as hard as possible for the match against Ravenclaw in February", Harry said. "After the events involving Quirrell, Flint will most likely be breathing down our necks."

"He never ostracizes you, though, you're the starting seeker and a valuable asset to our team", Draco said. "And I'm one of the best chasers. Besides, we totally embarrassed the Gryffindor team during the match on Sunday."

"I have to acknowledge the facts in that statement", Harry said. "But you know the Ravenclaw captain, a sixth-year named Liam Goldstein, will be training his team to perform better than the Gryffindors played."

"Is he related to Anthony?"

"Yes, Liam is Anthony's older brother. He told me that once back in October."

Draco whistled. "Not going to lie, the Ravenclaw team is seemingly decent. Did you see them in their match against Hufflepuff? The final score was two hundred to twenty in Ravenclaw's favor."

"That's true", Harry said. "But we still have some time before the match takes place. Flint will assist us if we have to address our concerns to him."

"That's true."

Harry and Draco waited for Theodore, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle to wake up. When they did, they all walked down to breakfast with the Slytherin first-year girls.

As Harry was eating breakfast, Ron Weasley, Leo Dalton, and Lee Jordan walked past the Slytherin table.

Weasley gave an ugly sneer when he saw Harry.

"Potter, are you going to fall off your broom during Quidditch practice?"

Dalton and Jordan both laughed.

Goyle started to reply angrily but Harry told him, "Don't bother. He's not worth it."

"Yeah, Goyle", Weasley said. "Wouldn't want anyone to think you're a death eater in training. Just like your deadbeat father."

Goyle charged out of his seat and would have jumped on Weasley if Harry didn't hold him back.

Then Gaius Avery, Marcus Flint, and Cleo Rowle arrived, clearly on prefect duties.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for insulting a fellow student, Weasley", Cleo said.

"Mind your own business, bitch!", Weasley snapped.

"You will speak to us prefects in a respectful manner", Gaius said. "Twenty more points from Gryffindor. Now move along, or it will be more detentions for you."

Weasley, Jordan, and Dalton walked away.

"Are you all right, Goyle?", Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine", Goyle said.

Theodore was not pleased. "Typical Gryffindor attitude. Always accusing everyone from Slytherin of having vile intentions."

"This prejudice is really irritating", Pansy said.

After breakfast, the Slytherin first-years all decided to head back to the common room to study.

Daphne pulled out a small textbook. "Let's start with Charms."

"Yeah", Crabbe said. "Do any of you have any tips?"

"One tip I have is to concentrate harder when you're working on certain spells", Draco said. "Let's start with the wand-lighting charm. In order to cast this spell correctly, just hold your wand and say 'Lumos'. It's quite simple."

Crabbe hesitated, then pointed his wand out and said, "Lumos."

The tip of Crabbe's wand was illuminated.

"Goyle, you want to give it a try?", Theodore asked.

"Sure", he said. Goyle lifted his wand and exclaimed, "Lumos!"

The tip of Goyle's wand was also illuminated.

"I'm sure Harry can cast this spell without any trouble", Pansy said, smiling.

Harry pointed his wand out and said, "Lumos."

The tip of Harry's wand was now illuminated as well.

"In order to cast the counter-charm for this spell, also known as the Wand-Extinguishing Charm, just move your wand out and say, 'Nox'. Again, not that difficult", Blaise said.

Crabbe pointed his wand out and said, "Nox."

The light from Crabbe's wand was extinguished.

Goyle lifted his wand and said, "Nox."

The light from Goyle's wand was extinguished.

Harry then lifted his wand and said, "Nox."

The light from Harry's wand vanished.

"Let's now try the Levitation Charm", Draco said. "We'll use one of the chairs for practice. To use this charm properly, just point your wand at the chair and say, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Crabbe pointed his wand at the chair and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The chair was lifted in the air for a few seconds.

"Now you try, Goyle", Blaise said.

Goyle pointed his wand at the chair and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The Slytherin first-years studied for three more hours. Then Draco said, "Anyone else want to explore the school?"

"I don't think Professor Snape would want us to walk around the school unsupervised", Harry said.

"I wouldn't worry about that", Draco said. "The ten of us will stick together. We support each other. We'll be there for each other."

"Sounds good", Millicent said.

The Slytherin first-years decided to check out the library.

"You think there might be some books about that stone that Quirrell is after in the Restricted Section?", Theodore asked.

"Possibly", Draco said. "I just wish there was some way to touch those books without Madam Pince noticing."

The group of friends decided to walk to the fourth floor. There, they found an abandoned classroom. In this room, they found a mirror.

Intrigued, Harry peered into this mirror. In the mirror, he saw his parents smiling and putting their arms around him.

"Draco!", Harry exclaimed. "It's my parents!"

"How is that possible?", Draco asked.

"Look in the mirror", Harry said.

Draco looked in the mirror. "I'm seeing something different in this mirror. I'm seeing myself as Quidditch Captain, a Prefect, and Head Boy. I'm also holding the Quidditch Cup for Slytherin. That's interesting."

"Let me take a look", Theodore said. He peered into the mirror. "I'm seeing my mother alive and well. My paternal grandfather, Cantankerus Nott, is healthy and alive. My paternal uncle, Albert Nott, is fine as well. They're all in an embrace with my father, Hiram, and I."

Millicent looked into the mirror. "I see myself playing on the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team, as one of the starting chasers."

"There is something very strange occurring here", Blaise said. "Let's head back to the common room. We can discuss it there."

Once they were back in the Slytherin common room, Draco pulled out his Wizard's Chess set.

"Harry, let's study the rook. You should pull out some parchment and a quill."

Harry pulled out his quill and some parchment.

"Now write down the squares the two white rooks start at during the beginning of the game."

Harry wrote down a1 and h1.

"Now write down the squares the two black rooks start at during the beginning of the game."

Harry wrote down a8 and h8.

"I'm going to put one of the white rooks on e4", Theodore said. "Harry, which squares can the white rook move to from this square?"

Harry wrote down on the parchment a4, b4, c4, d4, f4, g4, h4, e8, e7, e6, e5, e3, e2, and e1.

"Now we'll move that rook to d4", Draco said. "Harry, what squares can the rook move to from this square?"

Harry wrote down on the parchment a4, b4, c4, e4, f4, g4, h4, d8, d7, d6, d5, d3, d2, and d1.

"Let's try moving the rook to a1", Blaise said. "Now list the squares the white rook can move to in this position."

Harry wrote down on the parchment a2, a3, a4, a5, a6, a7, a8, b1, c1, d1, e1, f1, g1, and h1.

"Let's put a white rook on c1 and a black rook on c8", Draco said. "Harry, how would the black rook be captured?"

Harry then said, "Rook to c8."

The white rook moved from c1 and smashed the black rook on c8 to bits.

Draco then said, "Now, I'll put the white king on g6, the black king on h8, and the white rook on b1. In just one move, the white rook can checkmate the black king. How can this be accomplished?"

Harry then said, "Rook to b8."

The white rook on b1 moved to b8.

"Checkmate", Harry said.

"Now I'll put the black king on e8, the white king on e6, and the white rook on g2. How can checkmate be accomplished for white in this position?"

"Rook to g8", Harry said.

The white rook on g2 moved to g8.

"Checkmate", Harry said.

"So, what are your conclusions from these findings, Harry?", Draco asked.

"The white rook is often the last piece to be developed", Harry said. "It proves to be a useful piece in the endgame, most notably. It can be sufficient enough for the superior side to deliver checkmate. It can also capture pieces from the opposite side, just like any other piece."

"Brilliant, Harry!", Draco exclaimed. "Well done. Soon you will understand the basics of chess like anything."