Howard wraps his arms around himself, not even realizing how he's making himself smaller through his body language. He has a bitchy jealous comment at the tip of his tongue, but while he wouldn't have stopped himself from telling someone a year ago that they're lucky their parents died rather than left them, he has the good sense now to keep silent.

Besides, it must hurt knowing that there are people who loved you that much who you'll never see again. You may not even remember them.

He takes Harry's queen, but feels no rush of satisfaction having taking such a powerful piece. "My parents abandoned me. So I guess I wouldn't know how that feels."

Or they didn't, and they were taken involuntarily. But Howard prefers anger and dejection to grief. At least you can target someone with anger. And all evidence points towards the adults leaving, rather than just vanishing.