Theo didn’t make a habit of entering public competitions, not anymore – he had used to like duelling, but after not completing his auror training, and accidentally giving some Hogwarts matron a black eye in the last tournament, he’d thought better of it – but chess, chess was safe. And Veronica knew he had always liked chess, and had suggested it – and he knew she would be pleased if he agreed to something like this, just for once.

He was not in great practice, though, or at least didn’t play nearly as often as he had at school. And Theo wasn’t sure how much ‘being able to best his half-siblings in a game if he wanted to’ was saying about his skill-level, given that they were a seven- and a nine-year-old who were still learning to play. But he had used to be good. So they would see.

Fortunately his first opponent looked more friendly than he did intimidating – and at least Theo didn’t have to make conversation with one of the debutantes populating the hall. (He hadn’t known chess competitions were so favoured by society sorts as this.) Having echoed his name in turn as they sat down, now Theo said easily: “Ah, yeah, I was – Ravenclaw, though.” The other Greengrass was far more familiar to him than Ford, anyway; nothing was coming to mind about this Greengrass brother. “But it’s probably that,” he agreed, absently straightening his pieces in place as he waited for the other man to make the first move. “That or from quidditch, I s’pose.” Most people probably still thought of his father first by it, rather than him, but Gallivan at least was a familiar name to most who followed the league. If Greengrass followed the league.

Theo hoped one or the other explained it, anyway, because he wasn’t sure there was anything else he particularly wanted to be known for.

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