The Tree of Blacks (English version)

Checkmate

The green leaves of the oak danced lightly in the breeze which came from the coast. The sun's rays broke against the branches, scattering the ground in confetti of light. Small clouds dotted the otherwise clear sky with white, flowing across the dense celestial vastness.

Alya was in the living room on the ground floor, sitting on a green velvet armchair. With an absorbed gaze, she was contemplating the glimpse of this perfect landscape, beyond the window.

Regulus and Sirius were also in the living room; the eldest brother was sitting in front of a round table, together with his cousin Andromeda; she was teaching him how to play wizard chess (with alive figures). Regulus, perched on a chair next to his older brother, watched the game with deep interest.

That morning, Alya's aunt and uncle had arrived at Arcturus Black's manor, together with their three daughters, Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa.

Fortunately, Bellatrix was not around at the time, so there was a blissful air of placid gaiety in the room.
The unbearable cousin was upstairs with her mother, Druella, and the youngest of her sisters, Narcissa. Walburga had invited both her sister-in-law and her nieces to drink tea and exchange gossip in her personal boudoir, while Orion and Cygnus were holed up in the study, smoking pipes and cigars and discussing politics.

Andromeda, who hated such frivolities, had firmly refused to join the little group of women upstairs, offering instead to baby-sit her little cousins.

Alya, Regulus and Sirius couldn't have been more pleased. They truly adored Andromeda. She was kind and smart, definitely their favourite cousin.
Andromeda also liked to entertain the three children with hilarious tales about Hogwarts. Alya, Sirius and Regulus always listened to her enchanted, imagining themselves living, sooner or later, the same fantastic experiences narrated by the girl.

Alya looked away from the window and focused on what was happening on the little, round table. It seemed Sirius had some problems with his figures, who apparently didn't trust him at all. Sirius wasn't a very good player yet and pawns felt his uncertainty. They kept shouting bits of advice at the boy, who looked desperately confused.

Alya couldn't help but giggle. It was rare to see Sirius in difficulty. He usually showed an ostentatious confidence in everything he did. However, despite his best efforts, the game of chess was not really in his wheelhouse.

"Checkmate!" announced Andromeda at last, bringing the game to an end.

Sirius huffed, sullen.

"Phew! You're too good... It's impossible to beat you!" he complained.

"It's all about strategy, Sir. You are too impulsive. You have to weigh every move well, assess every possible consequence." explained Andromeda patiently, as she rearranged all the pawns for another game.

"Rematch?" she proposed cheerfully.

Unfortunately, Sirius didn't even have time to nod his head in assent when the door of the living room suddenly burst open. In fright, Alya winced in her armchair.

On the doorstep appeared the imperious figure of Bellatrix; long dark hair fell wildly over her shoulders, while her glittering, inquisitive eyes searched the perimeters of the room. Behind her was Narcissa, the youngest of the three sisters and also the most different in appearance.
Unlike Bellatrix and Andromeda, Narcissa had long blond hair, shiny and silky, while two blue eyes, a little watery, stood out in the diaphanous skin of her thin face. If Bellatrix and Andromeda had inherited their father's dark, untamed features, Narcissa, on the other hand, flaunted the milder ones of her mother, Druella.

"Here you are! Cissy and I have been looking everywhere for you." the Bellatrix's hoarse voice penetrated the room, as unpleasant as the out-of-tune note of a violin. "You've played with these brats enough! You must come upstairs now, our mother demands your presence." she intimated to Andromeda, in the tone of a woman who would admit no reply.