Of The Solstice

Wizards Chess

Sirius walked away from the courtyard, disappearing from my sight. Without thinking, I grabbed my bag and hurried after him.

I spotted him walking down the hallway and hastened my steps to catch up. When I reached him, I grabbed the back of his robe and pulled him into a secluded alcove in the hall.

"What were you thinking, telling Snape about the Willow? Are you out of your mind?" I hissed at him, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, hello to you too," he smirked, leaning his arm on the wall. "I think I'm about to pull off the prank of the century."

"Well, I hope you're not including Remus in your twisted little plan," I said, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow. "And don't forget about Snape. He may be an insufferable git, but he doesn't deserve to face a werewolf."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Relax, Cali. Snape is always lurking around, trying to catch us out. It's time he got a taste of his own medicine."

I slightly raised my voice, "Sirius, are you out of your mind? You can't seriously be planning to prank Snape by leading him to the Whomping Willow on a full moon night!"

Sirius shushed me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Just trust me, Cali. We won't let anything happen to him," he said reassuringly, before patting me on the back and walking away down the hall.

"There's no 'We' about this," I muttered under my breath as I turned and walked in the opposite direction towards the Gryffindor common room.

I sat down in the big chair and crossed my legs, sinking into the comfortable cushion. I reached into my bag and pulled out my book, preparing to pass the time while I waited for James and Remus to return.

As I turned another page of my book, I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up to see James and Remus walking into the common room, deep in conversation about their recent trip to Hogsmeade.

"Where's Lily?" I asked, setting my book aside.

"She went off with Marlene and Dorcas," James replied.

"Good, we need to talk. Now," I said firmly, walking towards James and pulling him away from Remus, who looked confused.

I led James all the way to my dorm room before telling him anything. Once we were inside, I waved my wand and cast a privacy ward.

"Cali, what the hell are you getting at?" James asked, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Sirius is planning to prank Severus," I said, my expression serious

"We do, quite often?" he said, looking confused.

"No, James. He's going to get Severus killed!" I raised my voice. "He told him how to get past the Willow."

James scoffed. "That's ridiculous, Cali. Sirius wouldn't do something like that."

"But he did," I insisted. "I heard him telling Severus about the Willow earlier when I came back. He's planning to prank him by letting him stumble upon Remus as a werewolf."

James shook his head, his expression skeptical. "I don't believe you. Why would Sirius do something so dangerous?"

"I don't know, James," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "But you have to trust me. We need to stop him before someone gets hurt."

James looked at me "I'll talk to him" he said blankly.

James and I left the room, returning to Remus. "What was that about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing important," James said with a shrug, while I simply nodded in agreement.

"All right," he said, sitting down on the couch and stretching his legs out across it. James and I took our seats in armchairs across from him.

"So when is everyone coming back?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I know the girls won't be back until late tonight. Marlene mentioned they were going stargazing," James replied.

"Where's Padfoot?" Remus asked.

James shot me a quick look before replying, "I think he said he was going to the library today."

I leaned back in my chair, letting out an exaggerated groan. "This is so boring," I complained.

James chuckled. "Why don't you read that book you were so engrossed in earlier?"

I sighed. "I already finished it."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Already? How fast did you read it?"

I shrugged. "I just couldn't put it down. But now I need something else to occupy my time."

James stood up. "Well, I have an idea. Let's play some wizard chess."

I rolled my eyes. "You know I'm terrible at chess, James."

He grinned. "That's why it'll be fun."

Reluctantly, I followed James and Remus to the nearby table where the wizard chessboard was set up. I knew I was in for a long and competitive game.

James and I sat down to play the game first, winner played Remus. As soon as we started, I could see the competitive fire in James' eyes. He was not going to let me win easily.

The game was intense, with each move being thought out carefully. As the game progressed, James seemed to be getting more and more frustrated. I could see him frowning and muttering under his breath.

Finally, I made a move that put James in a difficult position. He sat there for a few minutes, staring at the board and considering his options. Finally, he made his move, but it was the wrong one.

I could see the disappointment on his face as I said "checkmate." He threw his hands up in frustration and let out a loud groan. "How are you suddenly good at this?" He said frustrated.

"Ok my turn," Remus pushed at James so he would get up. The two switched positions and Remus reset the board.

I moved my knight forward, positioning it to take out Remus's bishop. He raised an eyebrow and studied the board for a moment before making his move. We continued to play, each of us deep in concentration as we strategized our moves.

As the game progressed, I could see that Remus was starting to gain the upper hand. I felt a twinge of frustration and a small part of me wanted to throw in the towel, but I refused to give up.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I made a bold move, sacrificing my rook to take out Remus's queen. He let out a surprised gasp, and I couldn't help but smirk.

But Remus wasn't going down without a fight. He quickly countered with a move that left me in a precarious position. I had only one move left to make, and it was a risky one.

I took a deep breath and moved my knight forward, hoping that I had made the right decision. And then, with a triumphant shout, I knocked over Remus's king.

I grinned in victory as Remus groaned and leaned back in his chair. James looked over from the couch and chuckled. "Looks like you're the reigning champion for now, Cali."