The first move in wizard chess belongs to White. With graceful poise, Lilith moved a white pawn two squares forward, signaling the start of an extraordinary game. Professor McGonagall, who took command of the Black pieces, responded immediately. With sharp precision, she advanced five squares to the right, capturing one of White's knights. Her decisive strike on the board was fierce, knocking the knight over, and as if compelled by unseen hands, the piece was dragged off the board into the void. Moriarty watched in concern, noting the knight's prone form—face down, motionless. Would Lilith suffer the same fate? Would she be struck down like a disposable chess piece? That dreadful thought became real in the next breath. "Smashed to pieces!" Without warning, Professor McGonagall raised her wand and unleashed a crushing spell directly at Lilith. The red light tore through the air with brutal speed, illuminating Lilith's stunned expression as the spell raced toward her. "No!" Moriarty lifted his staff swiftly. "The pieces are flying!" The fallen white knight from earlier suddenly flew across the board, placing itself between Lilith and the incoming spell. It took the brunt of the impact. A loud bang echoed as the knight exploded into shards. Lilith shielded herself instinctively, her arms raised to block the flying debris. Furious, she turned her gaze toward Dracula. "Dracula?! How is McGonagall allowed to use spells during chess?" "Ah~ this…" Dracula feigned innocence with mock surprise. "Why can't Minerva McGonagall use spells? She's a witch. Isn't that what witches do? Use magic?" "Fu*k!" Jericho, trembling with fury, shouted, "Crush to pieces!" "Boom!" His spell hit the chessboard, but it only left a tiny dent—his rage too raw, the board too enchanted to be truly harmed. "If you cheat again," Jericho growled, "I swear, I'll become the mortal enemy of vampires!" "Tsk tsk," Dracula smirked. "Dear Jericho, why the tantrum? You're not the one on the board. Besides, cheating? I'm Dracula—the progenitor of vampires. I stand shoulder to shoulder with Merlin, the god of wizards. Why would I cheat a little girl?" He chuckled. "I merely forgot to mention one rule: Every time Lilith or Professor McGonagall captures an opposing piece, they earn the right to cast one spell—against a player or a piece. My bad. But now that it's been clarified, we can continue, yes?" Dracula's smug tone was deliberate. He hadn't forgotten—he was retaliating for Liz's earlier slight. Lilith looked heavenward in frustration. Dracula's presence was suffocating. Moriarty, observing her, tapped his staff lightly. "Whispering Snake." Shadows spread like ink across the marble floor in a fan pattern. From these shadows, black serpents slithered out, crawling up the board and wrapping themselves protectively around the bases of all the chess pieces—both black and white. Then, a small white snake emerged. It coiled gently up Lilith's robes and wound itself around her wrist like a living bracelet. When the spell completed, Moriarty announced: "The black snakes are to protect the pieces—we don't want to ruin this centuries-old wizard chessboard and leave Professor McGonagall heartbroken. The white snake, however, protects Lilith. So I added a rule. Seems fair to me." He glanced at Dracula. "You forgot a rule. I added one. We're even." Lilith's scowl gave way to a delighted smile. She reached for the white snake, stroking it tenderly, enchanted by its grace. "Thank you, Moriarty. With this, I can keep playing." Dracula's eyes narrowed. His tone chilled. "If we're talking fairness, then let's add more rules—" Moriarty cut him off. "No! The rules stand as they are. Not another change. No more loopholes or sly amendments. The game moves forward." "But this is my game!" Dracula's voice cracked like brittle stone, raw and rasping with rage. "Dracula!" Moriarty's commanding voice echoed across the hall. "Once a wizard's game begins, nothing may interrupt it. The rules are set. They cannot be broken. The game continues. Lilith, it's your move." Lilith stepped forward with determination, sliding four squares to the left and capturing a black bishop—thus earning another spell. "Quickly imprison!" she incanted, locking a black rook in place with invisible magical bonds. Jericho leaned toward Moriarty. "If I were her, I'd just destroy a pawn." "That would be foolish," Moriarty replied. "Once Professor McGonagall has her spell, she could restore any damage. Lilith's choice was strategic. Watch closely." Sure enough, McGonagall captured a white pawn, earning a spell cast from Dracula. He hesitated—should he undo the bishop's imprisonment, attack Lilith, or target another piece? "He's confused," Moriarty observed. "Lilith's protected by the white snake. The bishop's locked. Targeting a pawn won't change much." Dracula, stumped, chose to strike a white bishop. Lilith raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. She calmly sent forth her last knight. Dracula's confusion deepened. To his eye, the knight was moving toward empty space—where a king was nowhere to be found. "You fool! That's not where my king is—there's a bishop in the way!" But the bishop didn't budge. "Quickly imprisoned…" Dracula finally remembered. "Damn!" He scrambled to shield his king, pushing McGonagall in front of the knight. Lilith's eyes gleamed. "Checkmate, Dracula." With poise, she struck. Her knight attacked the square representing McGonagall, removing her from the board. "Brilliant!" Jericho cheered, fists pounding together. "She saved Professor McGonagall!" Lilith wasn't done. She looked directly at Dracula, chin raised, her voice filled with righteous pride. "Now only a frozen bishop and two pawns stand between me and your king. What can you possibly do to stop me?" Dracula trembled in silence. Moriarty clapped, his eyes gleaming with admiration. Lilith gave a graceful bow, a final flourish as if ending a dramatic stage performance. She descended from the board with the grace of royalty. Even in victory, her elegance was untouched—immortal. Moriarty and Jericho met her at the foot of the board. "Brilliantly done," Moriarty said. Lilith flipped her hair and smiled. "Only one regret—there's no queen piece in this game! I detest the idea of being 'the king's captive' like Mrs. Malfoy." "Perhaps you should propose to the Ministry to change the title," Moriarty chuckled. "I'm sure Professor McGonagall would second it." But Dracula had no desire to hear their banter. "Jericho!" he shouted. "Are you next? I've arranged an opponent for you that you'll never defeat!" Above them, the ceiling of the hall shimmered and opened into a glowing portal. A figure emerged from the second-floor corridor, stepping into the light. Moriarty recognized him immediately. It was Professor Snape.
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