Chapter 99 - Magical Chess
Ron was right. This was a chess game which we had to play. The only difference between this and normal Magic Chess was their size.
In front of us stood a giant chessboard which we had to cross to move forward. The black and white squares covered almost the whole room. Upon them stood enormous stone chess pieces. Every piece seemed alive, holding real weapons and waiting silently. The king alone was almost as tall as a troll.
Ron took one look at the board and smiled.
He said confidently. "We have to play a game."
Then he looked at me, waiting for my approval.
I looked over the board carefully before nodding.
"Yes. This seems to be a game of magical chess."
Then I sighed.
"Unfortunately, I don't know how to play wizard's chess very well."
The three stared at me.
"I'm not good enough to lead a game like this. I don't think we have anyone here who can..."
Before I could finish, Ron quickly interrupted.
"No, Arthur! I can do it! I know how to play!"
Harry immediately nodded.
"He's really good."
Hermione agreed.
"He's one of the best in the game."
I looked at Ron for a moment before smiling.
"Really?"
Ron nodded proudly.
"Yes, absolutely."
I stepped back.
"Then the stage is yours, Ron. You take the lead."
His face lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course. I trust you and both of them are vouching for you. So go ahead."
Ron straightened his back.
"All right."
He immediately began studying the board. After a few moments, he started giving instructions.
"Hermione, you'll be that castle."
"Harry, you take the bishop."
"I'll be the knight."
I looked around the board. There were only three empty pieces waiting for players. There was no place for a fourth person.
So, I simply stayed outside the board.
The three looked at me again.
"Arthur?" Ron asked.
I smiled.
"Don't worry about me. You three solve this. You have my full permission to do whatever you think is right."
Ron grinned.
"Right."
The game began. The pieces moved. Soon the entire room echoed with the sounds of stone crashing against stone.
Whenever one piece captured another, it smashed it apart with its weapon. Broken pieces were scattered across the board. The game was fierce and beautiful in its own way.
Harry and Hermione followed Ron's instructions without hesitation.
Watching quietly from outside, I noticed something they could not.
Every chess piece carried magic inside it.
Even after being destroyed, I could still feel that magic lingering in the broken stones.
I had already thought of another solution. I could probably disable the enchantment on the whole board and pass it without even playing the game. It would not have been very difficult.
But I did nothing as this was Ron's moment.
Harry had solved the keys. Hermione had recognised the Devil's Snare.
Now it was Ron's turn to shine.
Not every problem needed me to solve it. They had to grow stronger themselves.
Besides, in the original story, they had already passed all the challenges successfully even without me. I simply wanted to make sure nobody was seriously hurt.
The game continued.
Piece after piece were broken and discarded.
Ron calmly gave orders.
"Harry, move two squares."
"Hermione, stay there."
"No, wait."
"Now move."
Minutes passed and the game slowly reached its final stage.
Then Hermione suddenly realised something. She looked at the situation of the board then at Ron.
Her face turned pale.
"Ron, no. You can't."
Harry looked between them.
"What?"
Ron smiled weakly.
"It's the only move. If I don't do it we lose."
Hermione shook her head.
"There has to be another way."
Ron looked back at the board.
"There really isn't."
Harry finally understood.
"If you move there..."
Ron nodded.
"The queen will take my knight. I'll be knocked out."
Hermione stepped forward.
"We're not doing this."
Ron shook his head firmly.
"Yes, we are. If we stop now, everything we've done will be for nothing."
The three became so focused on the game that they completely forgot I was standing only a few steps away.
I almost laughed. Honestly, do they forget I exist every five minutes? I thought whether someone has put a charm like Notice-Me-Not or something like that on me, as they are always forgetting me.
Still, I stayed silent. I let them continue with their emotional melodrama.
Ron took a deep breath.
Then he looked at Harry.
"When I move..."
"...you'll have to checkmate."
Harry hesitated.
"I don't like this."
"You don't have to."
Ron smiled.
"You just have to win."
He turned his knight.
The stone horse beneath him charged forward exactly where Ron ordered.
Immediately, the giant black queen lifted her weapon. She rushed toward Ron.
The huge stone weapon came crashing down on his piece.
Just a fraction of a second before it struck, I quietly raised my wand.
"Protego."
A transparent magical shield formed around Ron.
The queen's attack struck the stone knight beneath Ron and the force shattered it. The debris struck the shield instead of Ron.
Pieces of stone flew everywhere and Ron disappeared beneath the rubble.
Harry and Hermione gasped.
"Ron!"
Hermione almost ran forward but Harry stopped her.
"Wait! We have to finish the game first!"
Fighting back his worry, Harry made the final move.
The black king looked around. Then, slowly, it removed its crown. Its sword fell onto the board with a loud clang.
The game was over.
The remaining chess pieces stopped and became un-animated.
Harry and Hermione immediately ran toward the pile of broken stones.
"Ron!"
They started pulling away the rubble. Then the stones suddenly shifted by themselves.
A dusty figure climbed out from underneath. It was Ron.
Ron brushed the dust off his robes.
"I'm... all right?"
He looked at himself in complete confusion and continuously checked himself.
"I... I'm not hurt."
Harry and Hermione stared at him in confusion.
"How is it possible?"
I cleared my throat loudly.
"Ahem."
The three turned toward me.
I folded my arms.
"Am I invisible? Or do you simply forget I exist whenever something exciting happens?"
The three looked at one another. Their faces immediately turned red. Ron scratched his head awkwardly.
Then he suddenly looked at me in realisation.
"Arthur! Did you protect me?"
I smiled.
"What do you think?"
Hermione's eyes widened and her mind started working. She guessed,
"Was it Protego?"
I nodded.
"Exactly."
She looked amazed.
"But... that's taught in higher years."
"Yes. I learned it some time ago. And if you have also forgotten it, I am now officially four years ahead of you. I've already finished my O.W.L. exams and even studied ahead."
"I cast it on him just before the queen's attack landed."
Ron looked at me with gratitude.
"Arthur. Thank you. You really saved my life."
I shook my head.
""It wasn't likely to kill you. You would probably only have been knocked unconscious with a few broken bones."
I thought to myself, 'After all, this is Professor McGonagall's magical chess set. She would never design a challenge that truly intended to kill a student.'
Still, there was no reason to let Ron get hurt if I could prevent it.
I smiled at the three of them.
"Come on now. The game is over."
"The next challenge is waiting for us."
Together, we walked through the open doorway toward the next chamber.
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End of Chapter 99 - Magical Chess