←O-O→

Q U E N T I N

I had chosen a compartment without the foreknowledge that I'd be dive-bombed.

As per usual, I had a novel open in my lap. It was a weathered copy of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and I'd already concluded that Agatha Christie was a genius for the twelfth time.

The window into the hall gave me a view of whoever passed by, and I watched it out of the corner of my eye, waiting for Caro. Louisa Skull was about to open the door, but saw that it was occupied and stalked off. I was relieved that I didn't need to interact with her.

Caro worked with her in Charms once. Louisa was a pure-blood supremacist, and I dreaded the day she'd finally realize that I was the son of two Muggle-borns. I think Caro was afraid of her too.

Minutes went by, and I frowned when there was still no Caro. I never bothered wearing a watch since I always forget to put it on, so I checked the large clock out in the station to see the time. It was less than a minute to eleven o'clock.

Did she get on without seeing me? I was about to go out and check the other compartments when she came flying out of the barrier, her yellow sundress and orange trunk a bright splash against the old brown platform.

The train was already preparing to go, and when she spotted me, I shook my head at her for being so late.

The Hogwarts Express began its move out of the station, and I settled down for a peaceful trip to Hogwarts.

SMASH! THUMP!

Glass sprayed across the little room as a bright orange trunk covered in air holes came crashing through the window. Carolina Fernández hurtled in right after just as the train burst out of Platform 9 3/4.

I just about lost my heart. I'd dropped my book — a telltale sign that this was truly distressing — and I tried to calm myself after the jumpscare that had surely halved my lifespan.

When my body had turned off fight-or-flight mode, I saw Caro calmly shaking pieces of glass off her ripped-up dress and frowning at the new scratches decorating her skin.

"You look terrifying!" I cried. "What — why —"

Caro tried to control her hair, which the wind was whipping around like a shredded flag. She peeked at me mischievously through the wild chocolate-coloured strands, "Hi Quent! Sorry for the scare!"

I checked myself for injuries, but miraculously there were none. I pointed at her trunk, which was lying on its side on the mess of clear shards. "Caro, I swear, if there is a dog in there —"

She rolled her eyes at the preposterous thought, "There is no animal in there!"

"Why did you have to jump through the window!?"

Caro coughed, trying to win me over by batting her long eyelashes. "I didn't want to miss the express?"

I picked up her trunk and set it out in the hallway. This girl was ten times crazier than before and it made me afraid. What had she eaten over the summer? "Please return to wherever you came from."

"No need!" she'd finished tying her hair back and took out her wand. "I can fix it. I've been practicing."

"Practicing on other things you've broken?" I cried, but I gestured at the glass and pulled her luggage back in. "Yeah, go ahead —"

The door was flung open. "AHA!"

We spun around to see Walter Wu, red-faced and pointing at the window, "I'm telling the prefects."

I was tempted to boot him out the train — everyone would understand — but I bravely resisted.

"It was an accident," Caro babbled, though it was fruitless, "my mother threw me in here, it wasn't my fault —"

"A likely story!" Walter shouted, obviously trying to sound grand.

"CAROLINA FERNÁNDEZ!" someone yelled, and the three of us froze.

The voice had been cross, and the approaching purposeful footsteps didn't sound very forgiving. If it wasn't for the pitch being clearly of someone my age, I would've thought it was a teacher.

Walter whirled as a brown-skinned boy with short dark hair burst inside. And though he was of average height, his presence towered. And I knew he could only be Xavier.

"There you are!" he barked. "Caro, are you serious?"

Caro kicked at the floor, trying to appear guilty and failing epically, "Maybe..."

Xavier turned to Walter with blatant annoyance, "I don't care about you, so I suggest you leave."

The fourth year was clearly affronted, "Excuse you, I'm going to be prefect next year."

"Sure," he said condescendingly, "now run along."

Walter gaped down at him incredulously. He must've been severely shaken because he actually obeyed.

Xavier returned to Caro, folding his arms and glaring, "I've been waiting for you since half past and you show up by internally Transfiguring yourself into a rhino."

Caro smiled nervously, "Oh! Here's Quentin! Talk to him and forget about me!" She slapped my shoulder and began frantically Reparo-ing the window.

He looked at me for the first time, most of his irritable manner vanishing. Still, his gaze was very critical for an eleven-year-old.

"I suppose you're Quentin," he observed. "I expected you to be crazy. I didn't believe Caro when she told me she'd befriended someone normal."

"Thanks," I said, because I supposed that was the only way to respond. 

He held out his hand, "I'm Xavier Columbus."

I shook it, "Quentin Stuart."

He let go and turned to Caro, who'd gotten half of the window restored. She shouted Reparo continuously until the final pieces from the station flew back into place.

Xavier went out for a brief second and returned with a dark green suitcase, which he pushed towards her. "I have healing salve in there for your cuts of stupidity."

"Thanks!" she beamed, tipping it over and zipping it open. "See, I knew you cared."

Xavier moved to sit down, and I did the same, only the moment I stepped back, I instantly knew I'd stepped on a corner of my fallen novel. Panicking, I yanked my foot up and lost my balance, crashing into Xavier.

I managed to right myself before we could fall over, and Xavier stared at me with his eyebrows raised, as if I had hidden intentions and planned the whole thing.

"Sorry," I said awkwardly, bending to pick up my baby — I mean my novel — and check if I'd damaged it. "The book's okay," I announced lamely.

Xavier was visibly judging me. "I take back what I said about you being sane."

I huffed, "This novel is worth more to me than my sanity."

He continued to give me a disparaging stare, and I reminded myself that I was months older than him and he was just cruelly unexposed to the wonders of fiction so I should feel sorry for him.

Caro sighed loudly, "Don't mind him, Quent. He doesn't understand 'sentimentality,' but he's secretly amused by your actions. Look, he's smiling!"

"I am not," Xavier said, but he was clearly about to.

Before I could answer, the door slid open and a kindly witch asked, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Then Xavier and I made eye contact in a brief moment of agreement. We both knew what was going to happen and were both horrified.

Caro leapt to the cart and began pointing at every item.

←O-O→

The Sorting Ceremony began, and Carolina and I waited for Xavier's Sorting. Caro was pouring colourful Salt Water Taffies into her mouth to the chagrin of nearby Slytherins.

I had decided to sit across from her this year, since I figured Xavier would rather sit with me than with her or alone. I don't think she minded or even noticed.

She offered a taffy to Ramesh, who was my roommate and now next to her. "Want one?"

He seemed a little startled. "Er, no thank you."

It didn't take long to be Xavier's turn; his surname was high on the alphabet list.

"Columbus, Xavier."

I watched as the Transfiguration professor, McGonagall, placed the talking hat on his head. Xavier was sat up straight, impatiently waiting. It took half a minute for the hat to shout, "SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table cheered, with me and Caro clapping enthusiastically. We welcomed him to the vacant spots near the front where we were sitting.

Xavier slid into the seat next to me, grinning broadly. "It considered putting me in Ravenclaw, but my judgement and leadership won out."

I smiled, "That's a relief. Caro was Sorted here instantly. I thought she'd get Gryffindor."

"Not surprised you'd think so," Xavier said, staring at her reproachfully. "Look at her. She's reckless and impulsive. Borderline insane."

"I can't hear you guys!" Caro shouted over the roaring and clapping of Hufflepuffs. "What are you saying about me?"

"Our parents are friends," Xavier confided to me. "That's why I speak to her."

"You're saying terrible things," Caro complained loudly. "Quentin, don't listen to him."

"But?" I asked him, awaiting something positive. "What made her a Slytherin?"

Xavier snorted, "When we were younger she wanted to be a queen. That should tell you something."

"A queen of what?"

"She never said. Just a queen," Xavier shrugged. "Now she wants to be Minister for Magic. I'm telling you, she aims way too high."

This time Caro heard, and she threw a Chocoball box at him.

"Hey, stop that!" Walter hissed from down the table, having regained his courage. "Pay attention!"

Gracelyn Montague was on the three-legged stool, and I clapped as she was Sorted into Slytherin.

Even though the real prefects didn't give us a second glance, Walter continued to shoot rays of disapproval at us, so we ceased our talking and paid full attention to the Sorting Ceremony.

Soon Professor Dumbledore began his speech, and he ended with his odd last words, "Mondongo! Goulash! Naan!" The very next second, the Feast appeared from thin air.

I eagerly turned to see Xavier's expression, but he was completely unsurprised. He put some roast chicken on his plate and said indifferently, "I figured this would happen."

"You'll see a lot of this soon," Caro said to me, grinning. "When he suspects something, he's hardly ever wrong."

Xavier looked smug, "That's right."

←O-O→

I certainly witnessed a lot of Xavier's instant analysis of different situations. Every night that Caro wanted to sneak out to get food or I wanted to visit the library to satisfy midnight curiosities, Xavier accurately predicted the best time to go out so we wouldn't get caught. When Peeves collapsed part of a second-floor hallway, Xavier easily pointed at the fastest path around it.

And most impressive of all, when Professor Zinnia found out someone was handing out DADA quiz answers to other classes, Xavier immediately figured out who it was.

He didn't tell Zinnia though, because he thought she was incompetent and the students deserved the extra help.

I didn't agree with the first part, but when I said so he delivered a ten-minute rant that ended up changing my opinion.

Xavier also had a seriously refined skill of making people he didn't like feel stupid. He told me about this time a Hufflepuff had mocked him for asking so many questions during Potions, and he'd shot back by giving her a once-over and saying he had even more questions.

It was followed by a look that informed her she was scum, and the other Hufflepuffs had their hands pressed to their mouths with laughter.

"What do you think?" Caro asked me a few weeks later, almost worriedly. "About Xavier?"

"He's nice," I answered truthfully. "And interesting."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, good. It's just that many people don't like him. You know how he just...says things? His opinions annoy a lot of people back home." She patted my shoulder, "I'm happy you see past it though!"

←O-O→

In June at the back of the library, Caro and I assessed the list of electives for third year, pondering which ones we should choose.

I had shown Xavier the list and asked for his thoughts, but he hadn't been very helpful.

"They're all pointless," he'd said.

By now I understood that he only loved studying for subjects he deemed useful.

Carolina was lying sprawled on top of the table, "Care of Magical Creatures is an obvious choice."

I agreed, then scooted to the right a bit since her hair was falling into my lap.

Xavier was sitting across me, flipping through my History of Magic textbook, which was absurdly one of his best subjects along with mine. "If you want more of my thoughts," he said while reading, "I think that one might be the least pointless."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "What will you choose next year, then?"

"You're allowed to only take one if two is a burden," he said thoughtfully, "but that wouldn't be good on my record. I'd say Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies."

Caro rolled over and propped herself on her elbows, nearly slapping my face with her hair. "Muggle Studies..." she mused, staring down at her paper, "it's a good choice. We definitely don't know enough to get around their world, but it won't be too difficult since we all went to a Muggle school."

I perked up, "Imagine me walking into an exam actually knowing I'd get a great score!"

Carolina giggled, "Imagine me walking into an exam actually knowing I'd pass!"

"Grades don't even matter yet," Xavier said dismissively. "As long as you don't fail, you don't need to really study until your O.W.L.s."

I frowned, "I don't think that's what teachers want you to think."

"Of course not, they want to get paid. Now stop distracting me." He turned a page.

"Teachers don't just want to be paid," I argued, though I knew he was only semi-serious.

He glared at me, "Be quiet."

My eyes landed on another option, "What about Divination?"

"Not reliable," Xavier said immediately. "It's nearly a pseudoscience. You'd need to actually be a Seer for it to come easy. Otherwise, it's a bunch of memorizing charts and vague predictions. Often it involves mortality, which only serves to freak you out, whether it's true or not."

"Oh," I said sadly. "That's not fun."

"My mother told me that Dumbledore wanted to get rid of the subject, but only kept it for Trelawney, who I guess is a real Seer. Still, it's a stupid class and you should never consider it." Then he added as an afterthought, "Unless you're a Seer."

Caro was exasperated, "Why do you know more about these classes than we do? You're younger than us!"

"Only by a few months," Xavier said. It was a wonder that he even knew his own birthday. He continuously claimed that the celebration held no importance. "And as for your question, I'm a genius."

"You're average," I said, though I didn't exactly believe it. "And you should open your mind more."

He made a face at me. "I've never had anyone argue with me this much. It's unsettling. You know that I don't always mean exactly what I say, right?"

I shrugged, "Yes, but I like it when you admit you're wrong."

His eyes narrowed, "Be quiet."

Carolina waved her hand, "I also exist, did you know?"

"No," he said flatly.

"You're so mean," she tried to poke him but he dodged out of the way. She turned to me instead, "I have an idea."

"Oh no."

"Shut up," she poked me. "Since we'd be pretty good at Muggle Studies, we should have some real incentive to study. Let's see who gets a higher grade on the final exam! Loser has to buy me a snake!"

"That doesn't make sense," I objected. "If you lose you're just buying yourself a snake. Wait, a snake?"

"Yes, a snake, Quent. Preferably magical. And poisonous."

"Venomous," I corrected.

"Same thing. Anyway, it'd be my own money, so I'm losing something."

"But you're getting a snake either way!"

Xavier cut in, "After that disaster with Taco, there's no way your parents would let you get another pet."

She ignored him and grabbed the front of my robes, shaking me. "Please agree with me. I miss Taco and I need a companion that isn't human."

I ignored her watery puppy eyes and the fact that I related too much, "It's still not a fair agreement. I need to gain something if you lose."

"If I lose you'll win my love forever."

"Oh, come on."

Xavier looked annoyed, which was his most common expression. "Don't harass him."

Caro did a spin on her knee and shook his shoulders. "Make him agree to this and I'll love you forever too."

He was unmoved, "You already do. Now stop touching me."

She started dramatically sobbing into the table and I considered trying out a Shield Charm just to avoid her hair, which had come down on me like frayed whips. "I just want a snake," she tried to wail but it came out like a deranged giggle, "why doesn't anybody love me enough to get me one?" She waved her burned arm at Xavier, "Find a compromise, please."

Xavier thought for a second, "If your parents agree to get you a snake — and I assure you there's no way it'd happen until at least fourth year — the winner gets to name it."

I was horrified, "Caro can't name the snake! She'll call it Hamburger or Burrito or something!"

He nodded, seeming very smug and entertained, "Now you see the stakes. You better get full points on that exam."

The pressure was starting to hit me. "I can't be responsible for a snake getting named Burrito!"

"Actually," Caro amended, "I don't like burritos much, so that won't happen."

"Hamburger," I whispered, frightened at the very thought.

"That sounds too prosaic," she mused, "hamburguesa is better but too long..."

"Look what you've done," Xavier scolded me. "Now she's using a fancy word I don't know the meaning of. Is prosaic even a word?"

"This whole thing was your idea!"

"What? I have been quietly reading about history this entire time."

"You have not."

"Prove it."

I smacked my skull into the table.

"I'm going to win," Caro said confidently, her voice lit with the flame that warned of an inferno. "It'll be the only subject I'll try hard at."

"A waste of talent," Xavier scorned.

I raised my head to Caro, "I haven't said yes, you know."

She waited patiently, irises glittering with devilry.

"Fine, I accept. Just keep in mind that I only take challenges that I know I'll win."

Xavier sighed, rubbing his eyes like he was tired of us. "I can't believe you two are making a bet for a year from now."

"Quentin's made a mistake," Caro agreed.

"My entire existence is a mistake," I said self-deprecatingly before I realized that it didn't help my case. "But not this part of my existence."

Caro had started laughing, but Xavier just stared at me and I could practically hear him thinking What is wrong with you, why would you even think that.

He went back to my book, "You're both making a mistake."