WHO: Michael Corner and Stephen Cornfoot. WHAT: A newly christened DA member sniffs out loyalty- or derision- over chess. WHEN: October 1st, 1997; Curfew. WHERE: Ravenclaw Dorms- 7th Year Boys. STATUS: Continuing.
"Fancy a game of chess?"
Michael kicked back in his desk chair and folded his hands on the top of his head. As if asking the question themselves, his eyebrows rose. But Michael wasn't looking at someone who he regularly asked the question to. Anthony was gone- Michael assumed on rounds. Terry, Michael had lost track of for the moment. He was probably downstairs ogling some forgotten, tedious bit of esoterica... or erotica. Michael wasn't about to rob him of either pleasure if he was.
Kevin's bed was empty. Michael had for the moment abandoned wondering how things were going for him. He didn't even look at the empty bed with any emotion as he made his suggestion to the one boy left: Stephen Cornfoot.
They shared classes. They shared Chess Club. But beyond that, Michael had to admit he knew very little about this person that he shared a dorm with. To accentuate his intent and bring pressure to bear, Michael stood up- taking a minute to pull up his drooping trousers- and then he walked over to his bed. He squatted down and rummaged under it until he came out with an ordinary looking chess box. Deceptively ordinary, of course.
"White or black?" Michael asked as he flipped it open and began to arrange the pieces. Their motif was less than ordinary- it seemed to be wild beasts arrayed as pawns, governed by quasi-demon looking wizards in the higher pieces. Michael recalled but did not share the set's origins- his very Slytherin uncle had given it to him for his tenth birthday. It so spoke of a conservative way of thinking- the civilized wizard controlling the beast- which lay at the heart and formed foundation of a Purist way of thinking. It was certainly the intent Michael read into when given the baubles, and was later known to be his Uncle's lesson at the time.
Each piece moved and jostled in a unique way as he placed them. Michael's eyes glanced poignantly up at Stephen, for the first time really taking in what Stephen had been doing beforehand. Then he flared his eyebrows, asking if Stephen was going to join him or not.