The group waited in the library, certain that Trey would show up at some point to return the tart book. When he finally did, they approached him calmly, telling him that they still had a problem with the way Riddle was handling everything. Trey wasn't surprised.

"Come clean with us. What's your take on Riddle? Is it true you've been pandering to him since the two of you were kids?" Ace asked.Trey panicked. "What?! Who told you that?"

"A guy who called himself Chenya." Deuce answered. Trey understood now. Then Grim asked him why Trey hadn't told Riddle off already, but Trey said that he thought the situation didn't call for it.

"Why not?" Ace asked. Trey explained that these strict rules created Riddle. His parents were famous magical healers, and especially his mom wanted to have Riddle follow her footsteps. Therefore, every minute, every aspect of his life was planned out for him. What he ate, what he wore, who his friends were... everything was chosen for him. Riddle wanted to please his parents, so he did everything they asked without question. He was always the top student and mastered his unique magic by age ten as a result.

"Riddle sees the enforcement of strict rules aws a service to his dorm members. In his eyes, being bound by rigid guidelines - by fear - is a fast-track to personal growth, because that's how it worked for him." Trey explained. He further explained that while he understood why they saw him as a tyrant, he couldn't hold it against him.

Everyone was quiet, pitying Riddle for what he'd been through. Then Ace spoke up: "Alright, now I get it... It's YOUR fault Riddle's like this."

Deuce, Grim and Trey gasped, but Serena and Naomi agreed. "Ace is right. He didn't get to choose his parents, but you knew what they did to him, and you knew it was wrong, right?" Naomi said. Trey nodded guiltily.

"Well, now Riddle's making the exact same mistake that his parents did." Ace said. "You're going easy on him because he had it rough as a kid? Don't you see where that's leading? You're letting him make a pariah out of himself!"

Serena nodded along. "As his friend, you need to tell him when he messes up. Honestly, someone should've called child protective services on Riddle a long time ago. He was being abused, and you offered him no escape!" She said.

"What was I supposed to do?! I was just a kid myself." Trey defended himself.

"You're right... And perhaps you didn't recognize this as wrong immediately. But the moment you did, you could've told your parents, and they could've called cps on Riddle's parents. You could've tried to help somehow, but you didn't."

"Even if that wasn't an option, you could've spoken up here at school." Ace continued. "So why don't you say something? Are you just afraid you'll "lose your head" too? That's pathetic! You guys are supposed to be childhood friends? Then act like it."

Suddenly, the headmaster shouted through the library: "YOU THERE! BE QUIET! YOU ARE IN A LIBRARY!"

"You're yelling louder than any of us, though." Grim pointed out. Crowley apologized and toned himself down. Then he asked what we were discussing with such grim faces. They explain the situation to him, and Crowley suggests that if they're really struggling with Riddle so much, they could always transfer to another dorm, though the procedure would be tedious. Ace immediately declined, as it would make him feel like he was running away with his tail between his legs.

"Hmm... Then it sounds like you should challenge Mr. Rosehearts for the leadership of the dorm."

"WHAAAAT?!" Everyone gasped loudly, and Crowley immediately shushed them. He explains that housewardens can either be appointed by the previous housewarden or you could challenge the current housewarden to a duel, and if you won you became the new housewarden.

"But isn't fighting with magic against the rules?" Ace asked. Crowley explained that official duels in his presence were the exception.Trey chimed in, telling them that Riddle will have to remove the collar for the duel. Ace and Deuce agree, wanting to take the chance. They devised a plan to just use their fists since they knew they couldn't beat him with magic, but Crowley pointed out that non-magical attacks were not allowed. They scheduled the duel for tomorrow, and while they left the library Ace proclaimed that if he became the housewarden, he'd make Riddle apologize and that the dorm would never have to live under such ridiculous rules again.

"If only you could train until tomorrow..." Serena lamented. She knew that the two probably needed it.

"Yeah, me too." Deuce sighed, but then Naomi had an idea: "How about you train dodging his spells? Serena and I could throw tennis balls at you in the gym."

"That's... not a bad idea. Great thinking, Naomi!" Ace said, smacking her back playfully, which made her gasp in pain.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry, I didn't think that would hurt that much!" Ace immediately apologized, surprised because he didn't put any strength into that smack.

"I-It's okay... I suffered a back injury when I was young, and it's been sensitive to touch ever since." Naomi explained, taking some deep breaths. "Are you okay?" Serena asked, arms stretched out in case Naomi had to lean on her.

"Don't worry, it's fine." Naomi assured her, her posture normalizing again. Serena sighed in relief and Ace apologized over and over again all the way to the gym.

"You're quite fragile, huh?" Grim pointed out as they entered the gym. "You collapsed during PE yesterday and now you have a fragile back? What a nuisance..."

Serena bonked Grim on the head. "Apologize. Right now." She demanded with a sharp glare. Grim winced. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"I'm not that fragile." Naomi said. "Yesterday was because I was yeeted into a cave wall by that monster, and yet I got away with a few bruises."

"Now that you say it, I'm surprised you didn't break all of your bones from that hit..." Deuce said. "You were really lucky."

Naomi and Serena got a large box of tennis balls and immediately started throwing them and Ace and Deuce. "Wah! Wait! We weren't ready!" Ace and Deuce complained, trying to avoid getting hit by the balls, but failing miserably.

"In a real fight, your opponent doesn't wait for you to get ready." Naomi said. They trained for hours on end, only taking a break to gather all the balls. Eventually, it escalated into a tennis ball fight as Ace and Deuce threw the balls back. It was like a snowball fight without the snow.

By dawn, they all panted, lying on the ground with their limbs spread away from them. "That was fun." Serena said. The rest agreed.

"I'm hungry!" Grim complained. Everyone laughed. "The kitchen in Ramshackle is still busted. Let's use the kitchen in the cafeteria. We can cook together." Serena suggested, getting up.

"I never actually cooked before, though..." Ace admitted. "Then we'll teach you. It's really not that hard." Naomi said. "Cooking is a vital skill. Anyone should be able to at least whip up some simple recipes."

They went to the kitchen together. The kitchen ghosts just cleaned up, but allowed them to use anything so long as they cleaned up afterwards. Serena went ahead and got out the ingredients they needed: pasta, chicken, mushrooms, cream as well as some herbs and spices. "We're making pasta with chicken strips and mushroom cream sauce." She announced, then grabbed Grim by the collar as he tried to eat the raw chicken breast. "Don't. Even. Think. About it."

Then, she tasked Ace and Deuce with cutting the mushrooms and Naomi with chopping the chicken breast. She set up a pot with water, adding salt and oil, and a big pan in which she put a little bit of oil. Grim got tasked with setting the table.

Once the chopping was all done, Serena threw the chicken into the pan, shortly followed by the mushrooms. Then she added the spices and herbs and mixed them in, then put a lid on the pan to let it simmer. "Naomi, you can put in the pasta." She said. Naomi nodded and put the pasta into the boiling water.

They cleaned up all the utensils that they didn't use anymore while Serena finished the sauce with cream and water. Once the pasta was done and strained she dumped the sauce in the pot and mixed it thoroughly, then brought the pot to the table. "Dinner is ready!" She announced, giving everyone their share.

"Mmh! This is amazing!" Ace exclaimed after trying it. Grim had already finished his plate and asked for seconds. "Where did you learn to cook so well?" Deuce asked.

"My dad. He used to be a chef." Serena said, a sad smile on her face as she thought of him. She missed him so much, and the rest of her family as well. "I make this dish every time I don't feel like cooking because it's so simple."

"So you cook a lot at home?" Ace asked. "Well, the food won't cook itself. I moved out about a year ago."

"Ehh?!" Ace and Deuce asked, surprised. "Wait, how old are you that you have already moved out?!

"I'm 20."

Ace and Deuce were flabbergasted. "I thought you were 16 like us!" Ace exclaimed. Serena laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. But that doesn't really matter, does it?"

"I WAS HITTING ON YOU!" Ace exclaimed as he buried his face in his hands shamefully. "I hit on an adult!"

"Hey, at least it wasn't the other way around." Naomi chuckled. Ace immediately asked how old she was, as he had hit on her too on the first day. Naomi pondered. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I travelled alone for so many years that I forgot it." She said, unbothered. "I should be past 20 by now though."

Ace grabbed his hair in frustration, embarrassed by his own actions. "This is so embarrassing!" He whined. The girls laughed. "It's okay. You did nothing wrong." Naomi said. "Don't you dare treat us differently because of our age." Serena added.

They finished their meal, with no leftovers as Grim ate whatever was left. They did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen before returning to Ramshackle, where they immediately went to bed.