A Game of Chess for Hermione

A Game of Chess for Hermione

By Danielle_B

"I can’t find them," Ron muttered from under his bed as Hermione persisted to tell him that next to marriage and the birth of a child, O.W.L.s were the single most important event in a wizard’s life.

"I cannot believe you Ron. I spent a whole study session copying down those History of Magic notes for you and you manage to lose them!"

"Oh come on Hermione, I’m sure they’re around here somewhere," Ron remarked, crawling out from under his bed, glancing around at the now disheveled room.

"Well, what are you going to do if you can’t find them? Not even a week away and you still know nothing of the goblin rebellions, when the wand making revolution occurred, and I bet your broomstick you couldn’t tell me why Omlet the Old was so ugly."

It was at that precise moment when Harry walked into the room.

"Erm, Harry...how about a game of chess," Ron stammered, clearly looking for a way out of Hermione’s sermon.

"I cannot believe you’re thinking about playing chess!"

At that, Hermione marched out the door, followed by Crookshanks, his head held high.

Harry, clearly regretting walking in on another of Ron and Hermione’s arguments,muttered vaguely about trying out some Baruffio’s Brain Elixir and headed out of the dorm.

Now alone in the room, slightly worried about his history of magic O.W.L, a game of chess was exactly what Ron needed to calm his nerves.

Carefully, he pulled out his set and started setting up the pieces. It was to his disgust that he found his Krum action figure (though missing an arm) at the bottom of the box.

"What are you doing in here?" Ron spat, throwing him aside.

When finished, Ron couldn’t help but remember that he had no one to play with. Every fifth year in a thirty yard radius was studying for their O.W.L.s, Fred and George had left, and Ginny wasn’t even worth playing, as she didn’t know the difference between a pawn and a garden gnome.

Ron was about to pack up his set and try out some of that Baruffio’s Brain Elixir himself, when he spotted Krum lying there on the ground.

Checking that no one was around, Ron carefully picked him up and put him on the opposite side of the board.

"Alright Krum, just you and me now," Ron said slyly.

"Vhat are ve playing for?" Ron muttered in an accent that not nearly resembled Krum.

"Well, well, well...you want to play dirty then, do you? What do you have to offer?"

"Vell, obviously not my arm."

Ron laughed mischievously. "No, something worth more than that."

"My quidditch abilities?"

"No."

"My manly physique?"

"No."

"Vell, vhat do you vant then?"

"You know what I want, Krum," Ron said, squinting his eyes.

"No, not Hermioninny!" Krum exclaimed, in a melodramatic voice.

"The name’s Hermione, and yes! Unless you’re too afraid to lose," Ron said, leaning back.

"I am afraid of nothing!" Krum yelled.

"Good," said Ron calmly. "Then we’re playing for Hermione. Oh, and if I win I also get to break off your remaining limbs."

Krum shrugged.

"Let the game begin. Your move first."

Krum scowled. Chess clearly took more strategy than Quidditch. After five minutes of starring, Krum finally made his move.

Ron cackled once again. "Krum you underestimate my abilities!"

Within two moves, Ron had taken out most of Krum’s players (partly because Krum forfeited three of his plays).

"This is unfair!" Krum exclaimed. "I already haf Hermioninny! I need not play silly games for her!"

At that, Krum kicked one of Ron’s knights. The knight, clearly annoyed, threw Krum across the room.

"I am okay," said Krum, swaying slightly on his feet.

"Then are you ready to continue?" Ron asked, enjoying Krum’s unsettled mind.

"You are lucky I don’t give up," said Krum. "Knight to E5!"

"You didn’t!" Ron gasped.

"I play fair, not nice!" said Krum.

"Knight to G4!"

"Queen to E6!"

"KNIGHT TO G8!"

Ron was horror-struck. If Krum made the right move, he could easily check Ron’s king. Unless...Ron saw it. If Krum moved his queen aside, he would be free to check Krum’s king.

"Hermioninny, here I come," Krum laughed.

It was a tense moment. Ron looked at Krum. Krum looked at Ron. The Knight looked at Ron. The Queen looked at the knight. The knight looked back at Krum, who then looked at the clock. The clock rang five.

"Would someone please make a move here?" The king exclaimed.

"VHAT?! I AM THINKING!" yelled Krum, angered with the impatience of his players. After all, his limbs were on the line here.

"Queen to B3," Krum scowled.

"YES!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up and down. "CHECKMATE ! I WIN I WIN I WIN! Ah..HA! HA! HA!"

Ron grabbed a protesting Krum off his bunk.

"NO! I DIDN’T MEAN B3! YOU VILL BE SORRY!"

Ron then tore off Krum’s remaining limbs.

It was at that moment, that Hermione walked into the room.

"RON!" Hermione exclaimed, catching Ron, who was jumping up and down, cackling at the same time. "What are you doing?"

"NOTHING!" said a suprised Ron, throwing the Krum action figure to the side.

Hermione gave him a reproachful look.

"I found your History of Magic notes," she said, handing him a stack of papers. Ron starred at the stack. "Well...I guess I’ll get back to studying then."

Hermione turned to leave the room.

"Hermione...wait!" Ron placed the papers aside.

"What?" came Hermione suspiciously.

At that, Ron grabbed Hermione and pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem," said Hermione, taken aback.

The two stood embraced for a minute before...

"Ron! What happened to Krum?" gasped Hermione, spotting a limb less action figure on the floor.

"Oh...erm...I think I saw..uh..Crookshanks chewing on him earlier," Ron stammered.

"Oh," said Hermione quietly.

"Well, I guess I’ll go," said Hermione again.

When she left, Ron could swear that he heard Krum scowl.

"I won her fair and square," Ron told him with a grin.