15 Times We Cried While Watching the Harry Potter Movies
By Buckie Wells
2. Ron Sacrifices Himself During a Game of Wizard’s Chess
Despite what the movies would have you believe, Ron isn’t always a sniveling little ginger spending a majority of his time making Hermione feel bad about herself. Oftentimes, he’s the trio’s greatest champion.
His first shining moment in the movies comes toward the end of The Sorcerer’s Stone. While trying to find the stone, Hermione, Ron and Harry engage in a life-sized game of wizard’s chess. While many of the rules are similar to the regular version, the kids learn quickly that the large pieces will also get smashed when the opponents are captured. Ron leads the offense as the Knight while Harry and Hermione hold their respective positions.
To finish the game, Ron offers himself as a sacrifice:
"“You understand, right, Harry? Once I make my move, the Queen will take me. Then, you’re free to check the King.”"
Obviously, Ron doesn’t just get knocked off the board next. Instead, the Queen slides toward him slowly. Suddenly, she releases her scepter and stabs Ron’s horse in the shoulder. Ron crashes to the ground in a pile of rubble. Hermione rushes to check on him, but the game is still in play, so he lies there helplessly.
Like, this is an eleven-year-old. Eleven.
Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone