On the next Sunday, Leo and Marisa were relaxing in the grounds together. The first Snow Leopards meeting since the attacks had been stopped was scheduled for later that morning, but first they had a game to play with a certain Gryffindor.

"I'm just hoping he won't try the Queen's Gambit," said Leo. "I've always hated having to defend against that one, it's just so awkward, and it leaves the bishop trapped."

"Stop taking it so seriously," said Marisa, flicking a piece of grass at him. "This isn't about winning, it's about improving Slytherin-Gryffindor relations."

"Only losers say that. Anyway, are you turning into some kind of politician?"

"How dare you?" gasped Marisa in mock offence, reaching for her wand, but before she could cast a Tickling Charm, she heard Weasley say "Uh… hey."

"Hi," said Marisa, instantly flicking from "alone with Leo, go crazy" to "people are watching, keep it under control". She spun round to look at him, and was not surprised to see Potter and Granger also there.

Leo pulled two chess boards out of his bag, tossed Marisa the bag with her pieces, and began setting his own up along the board.

"So, if those two are playing each other," said Marisa, opening her bag and placing her king in the middle of the back file, "do you two want to play me?" She gestured to Granger and Potter.

"Two against one?" asked Potter.

"Sure, if you like."

"You're on," he said. "Prepare to be crushed."

Marisa smiled and decided to make her victory as sweet as possible.

"You can be white, then," said Granger. "That makes it fairer."

"Please, like I need a fair game to beat you two," she said, but made it clear that she was joking. Once both sides were set up, Marisa said "Pawn to e4."

"Pawn to e5," said Potter immediately.

"Hold on," protested Granger, "can we at least discuss strategy before we move?"

"Yeah, but not in the opening, I know these moves by heart!"

"We should have used the Sicilian Defence, that's the best response to that opening!"

"Knight to f3," said Marisa, smirking in a way she knew was completely infuriating.

"We defend the pawn, right?" said Potter.

"Right. Knight to c6," said Granger.

"Who are you?" barked the knight. "We take orders from him, not you!"

"You take orders from both of us for this game. Knight to c6."

"Fine," snapped the knight, moving forward.

"Bishop to b5," replied Marisa immediately.

Potter and Granger conversed in whispers for a while before Potter finally said "Pawn to a6."

Marisa, though, wasn't prepared to let her bishop be forced back. "Bishop to c6," she said, watching with a smile as her bishop wrestled the knight off its square.

"Pawn to c6," said Potter immediately.

"Which one of us?" asked the d-pawn.

"That's a tricky one…" said Granger. "Because if you take with the d-pawn you mess up the structure of moving it forward in a few moves, but if you take with the b-pawn you mess up advancing on the queenside later on."

Marisa stared at the other board, where Leo had just begun playing Weasley. Leo seemed to be trying to use the Queen's Indian Defence (or something of that sort; it was a bit beyond Marisa's level). As she watched, Weasley's bishop attacked one of Leo's pawns.

"B-pawn," said Potter finally, and Marisa watched with a frown as the pawn moved onto the square and charged at the bishop.

Then she began plotting her next attack.