The Chess Set

Epilogue

The party was fully underway when Virginia arrived. Children of all ages scampered about the rambling house and garden. Chatting merrily, the party guests greeted each other, their hands busy with cups of punch and plates of food. The gift table immediately caught her eye, overflowing as it was with piles of brightly wrapped packages. The small, beribboned parcel she carried in her pocket didn´t strike her as impressive compared with the monstrous pile of gifts before her. It weighed little enough - she decided to keep it with her for the time being.

She chatted with aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends in the atmosphere of merriment. Her great uncles, still plenty sprightly, teased the children with trick sweets. She laughed as one cousin´s hair changed shades in a rainbow of colors from puce to lavender to salmon. Several other children burst into assorted barnyard animals for a several seconds before popping back into themselves, giggling. Loud bangs could be heard as people unwittingly tripped booby-traps of enchanted confetti, which subsequently followed them, repeatedly raining down on their heads until they could figure out the counter spell.

Virginia waved away an offering of a suspicious-looking treat and was glad she had done so when she saw one of her little cousins sprout large, wiggly antennae after taking a bite. One of the tamer efforts of her uncles, she thought, at least until she saw that six sets of insect-like legs were erupting as well.

Virginia drank a cup of punch with her great aunt and namesake, who was trying to corral the children, a number of whom were her grandchildren, Virginia´s cousins, into the parlor. They were actually second cousins or cousins once removed or something, but in a family as close as theirs, the specifics didn´t matter. Virginia helped her round them up, including the three who were still fleecy lambs from an especially long-lasting trick sweet.

Virginia caught a glimpse of her mother, who was wheeling a trolley with a giant cake on it. The icing inscription read, "Happy 50^th Anniversary!" Candles flickered across the cake, blinking out festive patterns that someone joked were Muggle distress signals of some sort. Bursts of fireworks shot from the cake at odd intervals, showering colored sparks across the room.

Family and friends alike gathered around the cake, and the two guests of honor were given transfigured, regal-looking velvet thrones to sit upon. Flashes from wizarding cameras lit up the room, capturing the moment in time.

Everyone drank to the couple, raising their glasses and chuckling as her Great Aunt Ginny´s husband delivered a witty toast. Cake was distributed and the fireworks finally ceased. It was time for presents. Virginia watched as gifts were opened, one after the other, and hugs and kisses and much laughter exchanged. Finally, there were no more. Virginia felt in her pocket for the wrapped box. It was now or never, she thought. Approaching almost hesitantly with the gift, she fiddled with the ribbon nervously.

"Happy anniversary." Hands trembling a bit, she held out the package toward her grandfather. The man looked nowhere near his sixty-eight years of age despite his gray hair. He smiled as she kissed both him and her grandmother on the cheek.

"My, my," he chuckled, holding the box and giving it a little shake. "What do we have here? Another present?" He sat back, putting his arm around his wife, brushing her still-thick hair aside. "What do you think, dear? Should we check it for curses?" he joked.

Nervously Virginia looked on as her grandfather pulled off the ribbon and paper. When he saw the box, his breath caught in his throat and he made a strange sound. "This isn´t... it couldn´t..." His fingers stroked the box lightly, feeling the smooth finish beneath his fingertips.

His wife leaned closer. "What is it, dear?"

He opened the lid with a practiced movement. Upon seeing the contents of the box, her grandfather lowered the box to his lap and put one hand over his eyes. For a long moment, Virginia worried that she might have upset him. She wished almost desperately that a hole might open up in the floor to carry her away. She wished she had never found the thing in that Muggle pawnshop.

Her grandfather stood suddenly and embraced her in a huge bear hug. His lips next to her ear, he whispered quietly, "I never thought that I would see it again. Thank you."

Her grandmother was looking at the chess set. "My goodness, is this...?"

"It is."

Aunt Ginny´s husband stepped closer, an incredulous expression on his face. "But... but... how...where -"

Her grandfather raised his wand and shot sparks in the air, getting everyone´s attention.

"I want to show everyone something very special," he said, lifting the box to display its contents. "My dear granddaughter, Virginia, brought it to us. It is so incredible that it could be found and returned after all these years. I never thought... Never..." Ron shook his head. "I won´t even ask her where she got it. I think I´d rather have the mystery."

He cleared his throat and looked out over his family, who were all gathered around, looking curiously at the box he held in his hand. "I´m sure you´ve all heard the story of how Hermione and I met at school." There was some immediate groaning and eye rolling, mostly from the younger kids, although Virginia saw her twin great uncles sniggering as well. Her grandfather´s voice cut through the noise and the crowd drew again silent. "And how we fell in love, and how I proposed before the Hogwarts leaving feast at the end of our seventh year."

"Some of us lived through it - barely - or don´t you recall, Ron?" Virginia´s great aunt called out, laughing.

"This chess set was the only thing of value that I owned. I wanted to ask Hermione to marry me, but I didn´t have the money for an engagement ring." He swallowed hard, and Virginia thought that his eyes looked a little moist.

"Some of you may have heard this story, but bear with me. It´s my party, after all." A sprinkling of laughter rang through the room.

He took his wife´s hand and led her from the chair to stand next to him. He winked at her. "Of course, my head told me that if she was dumb enough to fall for a clown like me in the first place, then she might just be dumb enough to accept my proposal without a ring..." He paused a moment as more laughter filled the room and Hermione batted him on the chest lightly. "But my heart knew better," he announced.

"So I sold the only thing I had that was worth anything to my best friend, Harry. This set of chessmen." He gestured with the box of chessman at Harry, who had given the toast earlier and stood nearby, looking at the chess set, still wearing an expression of extreme astonishment. Harry had told him that the Death Eaters had taken or destroyed the chess set, so Ron imagined that seeing it again probably brought back memories of that terrible night at Privet Drive.

"Yes - sold it to Harry. He drove a hard bargain, the skinflint..." He winked at Harry, who rolled his eyes and laughed. "But it was enough to buy the ring - a nice enough one that she couldn´t possibly turn me down." The crowd laughed.

"I loved this chess set so much. I loved it because it was my grandfather´s, and he taught me how to play the game. I loved it because knowing the game helped Harry, Hermione, and me do something absolutely incredible during our first year at school. I loved it because of all those hours I spent winning. I especially loved it for all those hours that Hermione spent losing." It was Hermione´s turn to roll her eyes as everyone laughed.

Ron picked a knight from the chess set and held it in his hand, looking at it. "Chess can be a very good teacher in life. I learned a lot about strategy and tactics at my grandfather´s knee, but the most important thing I learned was what sacrifice truly means. Sometimes you have to sacrifice something to win. Sometimes," he placed the knight carefully back in the box, "you have to give up something now for something you want in the future."

"You´ve all seen wizarding chessmen, but did you know," he said, looking about him, "that Muggle chess sets actually contain two sets of chessmen?" Most of the people in the room shook their heads, murmuring. "In our world, it´s not like that. In the wizarding world, two sets of chessmen coming together make a real game. Sort of like people - two people coming together make a life... Sorry, I digress. On with the story."

"Before we all die of old age, please," Ron´s brother, Fred, called out.

Ron looked again at the box. "Ah yes, about chess. And sacrifice. And strategy. I realized that some things are more important than memories. Things like caring. And love. And a chance to make new memories with someone as special as my wife." He looked at Hermione and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"So I did it." He paused, as the room was silent. "I sold my most prized possession for a chance at something better. And I never regretted it once..." Ron looked around, a grin creeping across his face. "At least until my stupid prat of a best friend lost the bloody thing!"

Everyone burst out laughing, Harry included.

"Almost didn´t let him marry my sister for that." Ron added, winking at his sister.

He lifted the box again. "I never imagined that I would see it again, but today it is returned to me - to us. Thank you, Virginia, for a chance to remember. You have a fine eye for the game yourself - from my tutorial, naturally." He smiled at her.

Virginia smiled back at her grandfather, memories of many hours spent together at a sunny table littered with chessmen running through her mind happily. Her mother squeezed her shoulder and smiled.

"Thank you, Harry, for making me realize fifty years ago that there are some things more important than pride." Ron nodded at his friend. He turned to Hermione. "Thank you, my dear wife, for being the lovely person that you are. And for not laughing in my face when I proposed."

Everyone clapped and cheered as Virginia´s grandparents kissed long and quite passionately.

Afterward, Ron looked about him and shook the box he still held in his hand. "Now, does anyone care to watch me beat Hermione at chess again after all these years?" Laughter filled the room - a room full of family and love and friendship.