Felix closed the door of the circular amphitheater behind him. In the center of the well-lit room he saw a table with two chairs facing each other under the skylight of hexagonal ceramic windows.
On the table was a timer and a chessboard of Wizard's chess.
A Slytherin seventh year boy was sitting in one of the amphitheater's seats reading a book.
Closing his book he stood up shaking Felix's hand. "Hello, Felix. We were arrogant morons not to accept you back in our second year" He told Felix his hazel eyes blinking feeling awkward.
"Yes, you were. Which pleased me when I received your invitation to join the Chess Club.
"Wasn't the first one either", the Slytherin boy pointed at the two chairs opposite each other by the chess table.
"Well, I rejected the other ones the previous years. Can't reject someone solely based on their family name and not expect them to reject you back", Felix replied taking one of the two chairs.
"The others didn't believe you'd accept this time either, I thought different and since I am the club leader…my will be done", the Slytherin boy sat on the other chair.
"I want the trophy", Felix stated placing the black pawns in their positions on the board.
"Indeed, the qualifiers are the week after Christmas", the Club Leader placed the white pieces.
"Oh, Silvester, I'll reach the final and win the tournament", Felix made eye contact waiting for his peer to move first.
"I like your 'tude but…" Silvester moved the pawn in front of his queen two spots forward.
"I'll win", Felix moved the pawn in front of his king.
"How about you show me if your skill matches your mouth?" Silvester taunted him moving his knight.
"Sure", Felix moved his knight on the other side.
Silvester reciprocated by moving his bishop opposite Felix's moved knight. Felix moved his knight again between the white bishop and pawn. Silvester moved his knight again, followed by Felix moving his queen threatening Silvester's knight. Silvester moved it taking a pawn and now threatening Felix's rook and queen with a faint self-pleased smirk forming on his lips. Felix remained emotionless as he moved his queen forward taking a pawn and also threatening Silvester's rook on same side.
Silvester panicked moving his rook next to his king with Felix moving the queen diagonally backwards taking the pawn there.
"Mate", Felix said calmly checking Silvester's king knowing there were only three moves ahead for Silvester, one ended the game in the move after the other two gave Silvester breathing room.
Silvester moved his bishop back placing it in front of his king.
Felix moved his knight. "Checkmate."
Silvester looked at the board incredulously for a moment before his King fell. "I'm very rather happy you are going to be playing for our side…and not against us."
"With my brother dead and the war over I find myself in need of a new purpose and compass and so in my last year in Hogwarts I want to experience it all, achieve all that can be achieved and stop having guilts or regrets. Now, that Azrail is gone I want to finish avenging my cousin, Charles, by hunting down the person who betrayed the Blakes' existence to him", Felix started setting up the board.
"And do you know who that person is?" Silvester raised an eyebrow, looking interested.
"Shall we play another game? I'll set the board", Felix replied.
"Sure, loser sets the board, I can do it."
"No, winner sets the board and acts on strategy, loser reacts on fear. I'm setting up the board."
"I have this feeling you are not talking about our game. Do you think Slytherin will win anything this year?" Silvester tried to laugh, but only a half cackle came out.
"Not if I have anything to say about, I want both cups for Hufflepuff", Felix replied looking at the board, slowly moving the pieces to their places.
"Yeah, I thought so…"
They started a second game, whereas the first game had been fast-paced this one dragged on, Felix seemingly wanting to exhaust moves and pieces.
"You should not hope to distract me by talking to me, concentrate on the board, because you are three moves from checkmate", Felix looked up for a second before looking down again, head propped up on his left hand, moving his queen diagonally to the center of the board, seemingly unprotected and alone.
Silvester moved his bishop with Felix moving his Knight in turn followed by Silvester moving a pawn to block his queen.
"Why not block the knight?" Felix spoke for the second time in the game.
"He wasn't a threat", Silvester replied, now less certain of his strategy and move, his eyes frantically scanning the board for answers.
"The queen isn't the threat even if she threatening your rook. The threat is that lowly, lonely pawn standing neglected there next to your other knight", Felix moved a pawn ahead by one spot, blocking the rook. "That pawn. Checkmate."
"What? How? I can take that pawn with my queen!" Silvester said flabbergasted.
"See the whole board, why for example you can't move your queen or take that lowly pawn that takes your king?" Felix lifted his head from his hand.
Silvester searched the board. "Queen can't move because your rook will take it, if my bishop takes your rook your bishop takes it, my bishop can't take your bishop because it is protected by the other knight and your Queen because while I blocked her from checking I opened the way for this…if I had taken the knight it'd be less protected…you have been having me talk you into boredom only having that boredom turned against me because I was more focused into trying to distract you than look what you're doing and act differently, using my tactic against me to shape the board to your advantage…"
"You lost the game three moves back, and not because you blocked the Queen."
"Holy smocking Merlin's beard…the Tournament is ours if you play like this!" Silvester's dismay at the loss turned into bliss in an instant.
"Want another game?" Felix smiled for the first time.
"No, thanks. My pride needs no more humiliation this day. You are a member of the Chess Club if you have accepted the invitation?"
"Indeed", Felix stood and left.
"A pawn for a queen and the king is already dead and fallen. Mine is the fruit of laboured victory ripe for the taking if the pawn but does its job and whisper guilt's doom" Felix whispered to himself catching one hand with the other behind his back.
He walked outside and to the training grounds where the team waited for him for the year's tryouts.
"Captain", Eloise greeted him.
"Boss", Katya greeted him with the rest of the team following.
On the other side of the team stood those Hufflepuffs who wished to try out for the team. Liam, Nate's cousin amongst them and the only one looking less than gloom with stress and anticipation.
"Team, ready to win?" Felix asked them, after the handshakes.
They replied by knocking their brooms on the ground three times "Yes, Captain!" They said in unison.
"Good, let us test and try and fill our three void spots, shall we?" Felix told them before turning his attention to the others.
"There are brooms on the ground. But, before, anyone who is above year three or doesn't want to fight as a team but for themselves, leave now", Felix told them, and a few people departed.
"Good, one person per broom and call it up to you" Felix instructed them.
"Yeah…let's get this over with so we can leave this pissing drizzle", Steven mumbled making Eloise roll her eyes.
"Up!" The students called out to the brooms beneath their hands on the ground, most of which ignored their call for a few tries.
After a good ten minutes most students had a broom in their hand or had started giving up. "Those who have not managed to call their broom, thank you for trying", Felix seemed uninterested and unfazed by the pissing rain, droplets cascading slowly down his hair and robes.
Those who had no broom left. "Good, mount your brooms, and let's put you all through the ropes", for the next hour Felix had them do a variety of exercises and drills until only four remained, slowly one by one having been cut from progressing further, or quit over the difficulty of it.
"Liam, Sofie you are in the team. Laura and James you are in the reserves. Welcome to the team, one and all", Felix announced them with the four new members yelling their excitement, all drenched but uncaring.
Eloise and the other team members hit the ground with their brooms thrice, as they all yelled "Hufflepuff!" in one voice.
"First training is in two days. For seven years now the Headmistress had added three games to help us be distracted from the war, as of this year that changes to how it used to be. Three games and in the end the House with the most total points wins the Cup. It'll be a challenge, but we like challenges, do we not?" Felix stated.
"Aye!" The team yelled in unison, with the new members swiftly gaining confidence in their new positions.
"My name's Felix Burton, and I have no idea what I want to do after Hogwarts, I was never meant to be, nor win this war, yet here I stand as your Captain."
"My name's Katya, I'm the Seeker, in my fourth year and I want to be an excellent charms researcher."
"My name's Graham and I'd like to be a professional goalkeeper for the Chudley Cannons after Hogwarts."
"My name's Eloise and I want to become a Potions' researcher and Master."
"My name's steven and I want to be a curser-breaker."
"My name's Liam…I have no idea…yet", Liam shrugged trying to smile feeling very awkward.
"My name's Sofie, I am going to be a magizoologist, I just love magical creatures."
"Good, follow me", Felix took them to the Quidditch field standing in the middle for the new team members to savour it no longer as spectators but players. "Our first training may be in two days, but I wanted you to have this sensation, this feeling now. You are no longer going to be up there", he pointed the stands to them. "You are all going to be up there, playing. Feeling scared? Good. I am going to train that fear out of you and turn you into the best players you can possibly become. So, for now I want you to mount your brooms and fly about some", Felix opened the balls chest taking out the Quaffle, but not the bludgers or Golden Snitch. "Let us get to know each other up there where it maters the most, play around and relax, 'cause come forty eight hours from now…" Felix let that hang with just the wickedest of smirks.
For the next two hours they flew around the pitch, under the spectators' stands, around the towers and through the six goal hoops dashing, passing the Quaffle and just horsing around.
Returning to the castle for dinner Felix placed the brooms and balls' chest in the brooms' closet and made his way to the Great Hall when a second year Ravenclaw girl with long crimson locks, green eyes and pimples jumped in front of him with a profoundly serious look about her face.
"Duel me!" Felix almost burst laughing when he realised she was not jesting.
"Enter the dueling tournament and hope to not get drawn against me", he tried to sidestep her, but she insisted drawing her wand. Felix just waved his hand, and her wand went flying. "No."
"I suggest you return to your common room, Mrs. Learnbone, or the twenty points from Ravenclaw will be the least of your worries as I will have to get your ass to our Head of House for detention", one of the Ravenclaw Prefects stood behind her, looking very bored at her, hands on her waist and head shaking slowly.
The second year girl left all teary eyed, Felix gave a nod of appreciation to the Ravenclaw Prefect before leaving for the Great Hall.