The chess game in SS/PS, quidditch, and Snape's potion puzzle...

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 109528

I'm embarrassed to say that I read SS only after I read GoF--and only 
because I couldn't wait for the next HP book (OOTP) to come out. I 
started reading the HP series after I saw the SS movie, and I started 
with book two—a big mistake. Anyway, I believe I missed some 
important clues by not reading the books in order. 

The Chess Game:

The chess game represents the second war against Voldemort. (I'm not 
the only person who believes this theory, it's been mentioned by many 
fans and writers.) 

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen." Page 281, 
SS, U.S. version 

Ron walks over to a black knight and asks if they have to join him to 
get across the board--the knight nods his head. Ron turns to Harry 
and Hermione:

Page 282

"This needs thinking about
." He said. "I suppose we've got to take 
the place of three of the black pieces
" 

"Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he 
said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are 
good at chess—" 

Ron knows that he is the strategist (not Hermione or Harry). Harry 
has survived every book because he is quick on his feet and relies 
heavily on his natural talent and instincts. Hermione is very 
intelligent, but she is not a good strategist. (All you have to do is 
see how successful she is at liberating the house elves.) 

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do." 

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go 
next to him instead of that castle."

"What about you?"
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

Three chess pieces listen to Ron and walk off the board. Do these 
pieces represent characters from the first war? (Who were the knight, 
castle, and bishop then? We can probably guess.)

Interesting that Hermione is a castle and that Ron is a knight. Isn't 
a knight's job to protect his castle? Also, Ron's position in 
Quidditch is that of Keeper. The Keeper tries to prevent the other 
team from making any goals—he's the Gryffindor protector. The knight 
in chess never moves in a direct manner but weaves back and forth 
between other pieces. (Chess is a game of strategy that is usually 
won in small steps. I believe that Dumbledore is the strategist of 
the HP series and is manipulating events in the story but in small 
steps/ways.)

The bishop has long-range ability (especially towards the end of a 
game when there are more open spaces), which enables it to make 
extended penetrating attacks which are impossible for the Knight. 
This gives the Bishop an end-game advantage (according to several 
chess player websites). (Think of Harry's Seeker position in 
Quidditch. The other players can only score 10 points per goal, but 
if Harry catches the snitch he gets 150 points, and the game is over. 
The Seeker is key to winning the game.) We know that Dumbledore is 
already setting Harry up to take on Voldemort in the final 
confrontation. Harry as bishop also makes sense since he often moves 
diagonally (remember in the CoS movie when Harry uses flu-powder and 
says diagonally instead of Diagon Ally?) not like the castle/rook, 
which only moves in straight lines (sounds like straight-laced 
Hermione to me). 

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the 
board. "Yes...look
"

A white pawn had moved forward two squares. (Wormtail?)

"Harry—move diagonally four squares to the right." 

"Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The 
white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, 
where he lay quite still, facedown."

This knight represents Sirius Black who was killed by the queen 
Bellatrix.

Who is the queen on the Order's side? Ginny? (I believe that Ginny is 
being set-up for something. She is the only child that has had direct 
contact with Tom Riddle/Voldemort, and like Harry, and has also 
shared thoughts with the evil guy. Another interesting point is that 
Ginny also played Harry's position in Quidditch and may eventually 
take over Harry's position against Voldemort at some crucial moment. 
Will she step in to save Harry like he saved her? Is she a 
metamorphmagus or an animagus? 

"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free 
to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

This is disturbing because it implies that if Ron is Dumbledore (due 
to time-travel) that Dumbledore knew Sirius was going to die. Who 
does Hermione take down? Malfoy?
Page 283

The game continues with the white pieces showing no mercy every time 
a black piece is taken. Ron loses a lot of black chess pieces. 

"Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in 
danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many 
white pieces as they had lost black ones."

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think—let me 
think
"

The white queen turned her blank face toward him.

"Yes
" said Ron softly, "it's the only way
I've got to be taken." 

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I 
take one step forward and she'll take me—that leaves you to checkmate 
the king, Harry!"

"But—"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron—"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the stone!"

There was no alternative.

"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go—now, 
don't hang around once you've won." He stepped forward and the white 
queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone 
arm, and he crashed to the floor—Hermione screamed but stayed on her 
square—the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd 
been knocked out. 

Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left. (Seven spaces 
mentioned altogether--for the 7 school years?)

Notice that Ron looked as though knocked out, not still and facedown 
like Sirius. I think this means that Ron will be taken out of the 
war, but not killed. (Or that Dumbledore will be killed, but not 
Ron.) I think there will be a point in time that Ron is "knocked" 
into the past. Yes, that dreaded time-travel crops up again.

We may think that Ron has died but he has not. Hermione and Harry 
will have to continue in the present war without Ron. It's 
interesting to note that the castle and bishop in chess are 
considered end game pieces. 

The next room (after they walk through the room with the unconscious 
troll) is Snape's potion puzzle.

The potion test also gives clues to the rest of the books. There are 
seven bottles representing 7 years and if you read the bottle 
descriptions some could also be HP characters.

Page 285

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead, 

(Harry drinks this to get to Voldemort.)

Another will transport the drinker back instead, 

(Hermione drinks this to return to Ron.) 

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First however slyly the poison tries to hide 

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side; 

(The poison hides next to something benign.)

Second, different are those who stand at either end, 

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; 

(Dobby and Hagrid?)

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right 

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight. 

(The bottles don't look alike but hold the same potion contents: 
Ron=Dumbledore?)

"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic—it's logic—a puzzle. A 
lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be 
stuck here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?" 

"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this 
paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us 
safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the 
purple."

(This is probably a coincidence but there are also 7 people on a 
Quidditch team. Each team has three Chasers, a Keeper, two Beaters 
and a Seeker. Look at the seven potion bottles: Three are poison:3 
chasers, two are wine: 2 beaters, one potion goes forward: Seeker, 
and one potion goes backward: Ron as Keeper?) 

I believe that Hermione will figure out something important in book 
six or seven. She may be starting to piece something together 
already. The potion test was set-up by Snape. Will she figure out 
something important about Snape? Remember how she figured out what 
Lupin was, but did not mention it to the boys until she believed they 
were in danger? During the potions test Hermione figures out that the 
smallest bottle will move the player forward (will Dobby help 
Harry?), and a rounded bottle at the right end of the line will 
propel the person backward. (Since Hermione uses this to go back to 
Ron in SS/PS, I think this represents Hermione eventually time-
traveling to the past to find Ron.) Someone may find a way to help 
Hermione get back to him.

Below is an interesting read about the potions puzzle at the HP 
Lexicon:

Prefect Marcus. The Riddle of the Potions 

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/essays/es...tionriddle.html

vivian - who is somewhat afraid of being attacked for posting this 
idea.