The Debriefing

The room fell silent after Thaor spoke. It was a valid question. There seemed to be no leads. No place to go.

Khaat knew her father was the one known for playing chess in her family. The secret amongst them was that her mother always defeated her father. Always.

"In that case," Kate Lupin spoke up, "I would surely protect my queen first and my king second. I'd set up to protect and then wait. If I were indeed playing chess."

"Translate that to the Ministry, please?"

Robert got up and took the tea tray from under the tea set. He charmed it to stand on end and put it across the board in the center. Then he moved some of the pieces on both sides to set up a theoretical game. Then he motioned to Michael.

Michael went over and took a seat at the white side of the board, while Robert sat on the other.

"Well, hell," Michael said. "There is nothing to do but become defensive and wait."

"Precisely," Kate said. Robert picked up his knight and made a move, placing the piece on Michael's side of the tray. Michael then could protect himself and offensively go after Robert's knight. Michael could then play the game one step at a time.

Khaat understood.

"He's suggesting we wait and be exceptionally observant at whatever is going on at the ministry and do our homework better than perhaps we've ever done it. If we do that," she said. "maybe we won't miss the next move."

"And," Kate said, "so long as we're using the chess analogy, he makes the move you're waiting for..."
Robert moved the tray out from the middle of the board. "Exactly," she said. "If he makes the move you're waiting for, you'll be able to see the whole game."

Thaor stood, and walked over to the chess board. What if we set up their next move for them. he said, as he moved a pawn in place to be taken by the knight. But, when they take our pawn,, he moved the knight and took the pawn he had previously moved.

They leave themselves open to be taken by our waiting bishop. he said, motioning to the bishop who now had a clear path to the knight.

They want Robert out of play. Now, I think we all agree Robert is in no state to return to the Ministry. he said, pausing to clear his throat. What I think may be smart, is to use polyjuice to send someone in his place, to draw out the person behind this.

Michael frowned for a moment at Thaor's suggestion. Off the top of his head, without thinking, there were some advantages to it--when he got on the other side of the disadvantages.

He saw Robert thinking for a moment. The he watched Robert setting the board for a new game.

"You have an idea?" he asked Robert. Robert nodded.  He motioned the others to watch and Michael to play. "I have no idea what he's up to," Michael said. "Let's just go with it."

So, they played. Robert had no intention of making it a slow game. He merely wanted to illustrate a point.  As the game progressed, Michael made all the textbook, traditional moves, but Robert seemed to be playing a game that had no relevance to what Michael was doing. Michael was a bit perplexed.

"Are you playing by yourself, or what?" Michael finally asked. Robert shook his head no and motioned Michael to keep playing.

As the game played out, Michael attempted to take Robert's key pieces, concentrating on the king and the queen. All of a sudden, though, he found himself losing the game, and it wasn't in a way he thought h would.

Robert was defeating Michael's king with a pawn.  

"So,..." Michael was thinking.  "You'd like to run a distraction, and then let someone who wouldn't be noticed do the real fighting? Someone who wouldn't be considered of any consequence."  

Robert nodded slowly, looking at them.