Chapter 136: Playing Games with Hermione in the Office

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Hermione initially intended to start working right away, but Tom stopped her. They had enough time, and she could go back to the library later to organize the materials.

"Let's play cards or maybe Wizard's Chess," Tom suggested. He felt that if Hermione was here, working on revising Lockhart's books would be too dull. He opened a drawer, revealing a deck of cards and an exquisite Wizard's Chess set.

Hermione sighed, "The magical world has only a few games, to be honest, and I've grown tired of them."

It was a fact. Games like Wizard's Chess, despite having a magical touch, were essentially just a magical version of regular chess. Tom and Hermione were wizards, living in the magical world, so games like Wizard's Chess became mundane after a few plays.

However, looking at the chess pieces and the board, Tom suddenly had an idea. Since Wizard's Chess had become dull, they could create their own game!

He shared this thought with Hermione, and her eyes lit up with excitement. Tom proceeded to flip his Wizard's Chess set, causing all the pieces to fall off the board. He then used his wand to enlarge the chessboard, making it about the size of his desk.

Next, he started reshaping the board. In the center, he created a flat area, surrounded by four circular hills in each corner.

The black and white pieces struggled to their feet. Each piece returned to its designated spot, standing upright with clarity. These were high-quality pieces Lockhart had left behind—each one resembled a small action figure, vivid and lively. Weapons gleamed on the knights, and the armor on the rooks displayed intricate details. Tom murmured to himself, "Still a bit lacking." Turning to Hermione, he asked, "Can you perform the duplication charm?"

Hermione shook her head. Such a complex spell wasn't something a second-year wizard would typically encounter. However, while she couldn't duplicate spells, she was proficient in Transfiguration. She transformed parts of the board into lush green meadows, giving the entire chessboard a more vibrant look.

Tom then had an idea to enhance the game further. He sought out Professor Flitwick to ask for his help. Flitwick, after hearing Tom's plan, agreed to cast a duplication charm on each chess piece, allowing them to replicate when touched. However, he also ensured Tom knew the counter-charm to stop the replication.

With the enchanted pieces, Tom and Hermione now had a more dynamic game on their hands. The duplicates were created and promptly stopped using the counter-charm. The number of rooks and knights quickly multiplied, and Tom was satisfied. The game had more complexity and potential strategies.

Before leaving Flitwick's office, he expressed his gratitude and excitement, and the professor eagerly anticipated trying out the modified game himself.

Returning to his office, Tom handed Hermione the black king, and he took the white queen. Using Transfiguration, Hermione turned the king into a likeness of herself, and Tom did the same with the queen, mimicking him.

They distributed the pieces among themselves—900 pawns, 200 knights, and 50 rooks each. Tom was impressed with the outcome, as the duplicates made the game appear larger than it actually was.

The chess pieces, however, lacked the original's rich spirit. They seemed dull and responded solely to direct commands. Nevertheless, with this setup, Tom and Hermione could engage in a more realistic strategic game.

At this point, Tom noticed the time and used the counter-charm to stop the replication. The final count revealed over a thousand pawns and hundreds of knights.

Although lacking the vividness of the original pieces, the chess set had become a vast army, ready for a strategic battle. Tom and Hermione were content with their modifications, looking forward to playing their enhanced Wizard's Chess.

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