Welcome to year 3, or the year of Xavier and Quentin's constant arguing.

←O-O→

Q U E N T I N

It was ten o'clock at night when my lifespan once again got sliced in half.

"I'm upping the stakes!" Caro announced, bursting into my room with too much energy. Despite the lack of a door, the heavy thud of her jumping in scared every single one of us.

I heard a thump as Ramesh rolled straight off his bed and engaged in a blanket-battle. As for me, I shrieked and instinctively threw the shirt I was putting on at her.

"Oh thanks," she said calmly, taking it off her face and examining it. "I didn't know you like Michael Jackson. Anyway, about our Muggle Studies test —"

"Can you give it back?" I cried, reaching for the MJ merchandise.

Hopping backwards, she held it aloft and shook her head sternly, "Not until I'm done."

I grabbed my pillow and grasped it in front of me. "Okay. What?"

Her face was the picture of innocence and chaos at the same time. "I just feel like the naming of my future snake is not enough motivation."

"Caro," I complained, again grabbing futilely at MJ. "I want to sleep and it's September. Exams are in May, so why are we talking about this now?"

"Because I just thought of it! Hurry up and say you agree."

I had long learned to be wary of agreeing to anything she proposed without knowing everything. Even in my embarrassment, I knew this well. "To what?"

She spoke very fast, like raindrops falling during a storm, "Whoever loses has to do the other's homework for a month. It'll have to start next year, of course."

"Fine fine," I said too quickly, confident that I'd win anyway. "Now give it back before someone comes to investigate. If Walter sees you here again he'll follow through on his threat to chain you to the girl's side."

Caro shot me a wide grin then tossed my shirt at me, which meant it somehow landed on Ramesh.

She skipped out the door past Xavier, who'd poked his head in. "I heard inhuman screeching," he said, then surveyed the scene.

Three boys were in the process of magicking undergarments out of view, I had a pillow hugged to myself, and Ramesh was asking "who are you?" to my shirt.

"I am very confused," Xavier stated, then left.

Well, so was I. And afterwards, Caro did not provide much explanation.

←O-O→

It was a Hogsmeade weekend in November and we were back early, so the common room was still pretty empty.

Louisa was hogging the green fireplace. Jack Liang — a first year — was napping by the door. I quite liked Jack, mostly because he constantly forgot to do his homework and that got Walter off our backs and onto his.

And yeah, Walter beat out a diehard perfectionist in his year and ended up prefect. Xavier was very upset about it, since he loved being right and he'd been wrong about that.

I thought it strange that Walter didn't seem to care about Fred and George, who shocked practically everyone when they caused plates of Dungbombs to appear at every table during the Welcome Feast. I vaguely remembered Bill as a responsible Head Boy, I knew Charlie was a Quidditch Captain and prefect, and of course there was Percy. The Weasley family's gene pool was apparently more complicated than anyone thought.

Anyway, the most important news was that I'd finally convinced Xavier to read one of my favourite mystery novels, And Then There Were None. I had done so by endlessly pestering him with magical paper planes and getting chased around the library, and now I was peering over his shoulder to track his progress.

Carolina sighed from the other end of the couch. Her hair was half-combed, as usual, only this time she hardly had an excuse. For her birthday in early August, I'd bought her a brush that instantly untangles hair. Since then, she hadn't even used it more than a dozen times.

She tried to do a backwards somersault but thankfully failed. "You're both bookworms," she announced grandly, poking at Xavier's leg with her yellow-socked foot.

Xavier scooted away. "Stop that. Also, Quent is the bookworm. I just like learning."

She flung her head back and stared at me helplessly, "I'm bored. Save me. I'm going to die. I'm becoming deceased. Carve my gravestone, Xavier, because my death is eminent."

"Imminent," I corrected.

"Same thing."

"They're not even similar!"

Xavier groaned, "What do you want to do, then?"

"We should make our own secret passageway," Caro suggested, eyes going bright as she smiled at us conspiratorially. She reminded me of an evil bunny.

I could tell she was serious, and that made me consider it. While it was brightened like all her other ideas, it was plausible. And honestly kind of fun — and a chance for me to not be someone boring.

"That's a great idea," I remarked slowly, my brain already forming a dozen plans. "I want to do it. It might be risky and impossible though."

Caro poked Xavier again and said in hopeful singsong, "What do you think?"

Xavier shut the novel with a resounding clap. I thought he was going to say absolutely not and you're both insane, but to my pleasant surprise, all he said was "sure."

I voiced my astonishment, "I thought you'd say no."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm not Percy."

I flushed, "What is that supposed to mean?"

He waved the book, "It means I find her idea more fun than reading about ten implausible murders."

Offended, I glared at him, "It'll make sense later. And I know you like reading it."

He smirked, "Yeah, sure, whatever you want to think, Quent."

←O-O→

We spent the next day brainstorming in the library. After two minutes we'd already gotten shushed by Percy, and in fear of bothering him further, I insisted that we move to the back among the dusty shelves of long-forgotten aisles.

"What's a place we want access to, but is normally barred?" Caro wondered, sprawled over the tabletop, her hair a whirling mass of brown.

"The Restricted Section," I mumbled dreamily, reflecting on all the knowledge it contained.

She groaned loudly, "Not something related to books. Besides, there's already one that leads there. You use it all the time and we don't need another."

"Girl's dormitory," Xavier suggested, smirking. "Or their shower room."

I started to laugh until I saw Caro's face and tried to turn it into a sudden wheeze. She rolled up her two pages of homework threateningly.

I leapt out of my chair, but she'd already swatted me with the tube of paper, and then descended upon Xavier while he tried to justify himself. "It was just an idea — ow — It's not exactly fair that girls get to come into our rooms — stop — You're always waking me up in the middle — hey — of the night to go donut-hunting —"

Amidst the frenzy and in a rare moment of good hand-eye coordination, I managed to grab the paper out of her hand. "Madam Pince will kill us!" I hissed urgently.

"Yes!" she cried, pushing at Xavier's chest with one hand and pressing the back of the other to her forehead. "Guardian of the library! Lock away this scoundrel —"

Xavier was not backing down, though he looked slightly panicked, "Wait. You know that I really meant it like I could bother you instead of the other —"

Angry and sharp footsteps came their way. Caro abruptly flipped off the table and into a seat, "I know Xavier, I know, but the bloodroot is a lot different than the gurdyroot."

Madam Pince glared at us pinch-faced, and while Caro ad-libbed some more about homework, reluctantly slunk away.

"I can't believe you," Xavier grumbled. Then he said to me, "Why didn't you stop her? You nearly got kicked out of your second home."

I moved the roll of paper to and fro, "Hey, I disarmed her. Give me some credit."

Caro snatched her weapon back. "Anyway, we were coming up with...what's the right word...pure and innocent ideas."

Xavier shook his finger at her. "I never implied otherwise."

"You did!"

"I can't believe you'd lie about me."

She smirked and raised the weapon again. I threw my arm between them and quickly interrupted, "Okay, stop and wait a second. I have an idea."

Caro calmly set her torture instrument down and laced her different-coloured fingers together, "What is it?"

"How about the common rooms of other Houses?"

Caro considered this, "That's interesting, but I don't know what we could do with that. Pranking, maybe, but it's not our style. Plus, Walter is the only person we hate with a passion and he's in Slytherin."

Xavier blinked. "We hate Walter?"

She whirled to him with a startling vengeance. "HE TOOK MY DOG."

"Oh, yeah," he said vaguely. "Forget I said anything. Why the common rooms, Quent?"

I wasn't sure either. To be honest, a secret passageway like that might be crossing a line, but I wanted to defend my idea. "Well...if we ever...date someone in other Houses...or it could just be a friend...it'd be great for Gryffindor especially...you know...we could...just go in...."

Xavier looked amused. "Gryffindor?"

"Or other Houses." I shrugged, trying to play it nonchalant to hide my inner turmoil.

Caro had her eyebrows raised, and Xavier regarded me like he knew everything about me. "Do you have a confession to make?"

I got nervous. THIS WAS NOT MY INTENTION.

"Since a few weeks ago," Xavier continued as I began sinking below the desk, "I've been wondering — and I guess you don't have to answer — but do you have a crush on a certain Gryffindor?"

Caro started coughing profusely, "I've actually noticed this too —"

"No you didn't," Xavier shot back, "not until I told you."

I hid under the table, "You two talk about this? And since when did I...?"

Xavier looked down at me, obviously holding back a smirk. "I don't know. At least a few weeks. Caro and I made a no-stakes bet as to whether or not you'd actually talk to him."

I coughed delicately at the last word. "So you know who it is?"

Caro snorted, "Well, obviously. Also, can you get up? No, never mind, I'll join you." She slid down next to me, her smile infectious.

Xavier sounded thoroughly annoyed, "Why are you both under the table?"

I huffed, "It's where I go when I'm freaking out inside."

I saw him turn around in his chair, then say: "Oh, Percy's coming."

I cracked my head on the underside of the table. "Ow! Really? Wait no, you're lying."

"Yes, I am," he looked down again. "And yes, I've known for ages that it was Percy."

"Wait —" I protested, climbing back up with Caro. "Wait wait wait. I don't..."

He seemed a little concerned. "What exactly are you denying? If it's that you like guys, then okay, we'll forget this whole conversation —"

"No no," I said, but I was relieved that they were cool with that too, even though I was pretty sure they would be. "I'm just — you know — Percy?"

Xavier rolled his eyes, "In that case, it's very obvious."

"How is it obvious?" I asked, alarmed.

"Short story?" Xavier said, sitting back proudly, "I'm a genius."

At my glare, he said, "Okay, long story: whenever Percy passed us in the hallway, you switched places so that you were on the side closest to him. You did it really casually and acted like it was just to avoid standing next to Caro, but after a few days I saw the pattern."

Caro stared at me with narrowed eyes. "Is this why you like the library? Because he's here all the time too?"

"No!" I exclaimed, appalled, though I couldn't think of anything else to say. I honestly thought I'd been really sly. I coughed again. "Right. Anyway, secret passage —"

"Why Percy?" Xavier asked, completely ignoring my desperate attempt to change the subject. "He comes across as a pretentious prat to me. I mean, I'm only judging you a little bit. No offence."

"He's really smart," I defended him. "He's honest and speaks his mind. People don't like him because they say he's conceited, but I think he's a good person overall."

Caro was swooning about rival Houses and forbidden love, but Xavier seemed unconvinced. "He sounds like me, but somehow terrible."

"You are arrogant," I agreed with a grumble.

"No, just a genius to have figured it out."

"You're barely passing Astronomy."

"It's called strategic time management. Besides, Astronomy's pointless." Despite his tone, Xavier seemed moved.

"I don't need to justify who I like."

"You don't," he agreed, "I'm just trying to understand."

I looked at my two friends pleadingly, "Can we get back to the secret passageway?"

Xavier shrugged. "Sure. Your love story sucks anyway."

"And yours is nonexistent."

Xavier glared at me, his pride attacked. "Be quiet."

"Wait," Caro cut in, "how did we even end up talking about this? Oh right, just when I said pure and innocent ideas, Quentin suggested making a passage to Gryffindor Tower —"

"I didn't mean it like that!" I wailed. "Can we stop bringing up Gryffindor?"

Caro sighed dramatically, "Alright alright. So your idea of other common rooms would be interesting, but we're not going to use it nearly enough for it to be worth the trouble."

"Snape's office with all his potion ingredients?" I offered.

"No," she shook her head, "way too risky. Even I wouldn't do it."

"Outside?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Maybe to the lake. It's nice out there at night, but we're not allowed to go out when it's late."

Caro hmmed. "I like it. What are your thoughts, Xay-Xay?"

Xavier shrugged. "I don't know, Gryffindor Tower seemed like a good idea too."

"Stop!" I wailed.

←O-O→

Even with Caro's over-the-top vigour, it took us weeks to make the passage.

Caro and I had taken a few days to scout around for a suitable entrance. The back of the marble stairs was nice, but it was dangerously close to the Staff Room and surrounded by watchful paintings.

We decided on an empty classroom at the end of the corridor left of the Entrance Hall, and we brainstormed ways to figure out how to cover the entrance while we worked. I came up with a using a curtain with the brick pattern copied onto it.

Xavier had the task of tracking the patrols of prefects and teachers on that floor to get an exact schedule and find the windows where we'd be left alone.

"Someone will pass by this area about every fifteen minutes," he reported. "Not too bad since they'd have to look in to see us. Unfortunately, it's also their job to look inside. Most don't, but when it's Walter he always does. We also need to be quiet or cast a Soundproofing Charm. Any kind of noise alerts Mrs. Norris, who is somehow everywhere at once. I hate cats."

"Did you even sleep?" I asked upon seeing his notes. "You finished writing down the entire weekly patrol schedule in a week."

"I did some extrapolating."

"Does that mean 'guessing'?"

"My guesses. So they're fact."

I could tell he was trying to rile me up for entertainment, so I brushed off his exaggerated arrogance and laughed, "Okay then."

He threw up his arms, "You are so hard to annoy! Even Caro starts hitting me after a while, and she once called me 'God' by accident."

"An egregious mistake."

Xavier looked like he wanted to throw me somewhere far away. "I didn't ask for a new addition to my list of Pointless Vocabulary."

"You're the one who said 'extrapolating'!"

"Are you two nerds done?" Caro crossed her arms. "This is the single most boring argument I have ever witnessed."

←O-O→

"We have a location," I said, staring at the blank wall with the curtain rumpled up beside it. "Now we need to make it."

Caro set down the false stone cover we'd prepared. It had handle installed so so we could pull the passage shut after us. We planned to make a lock inside too. She wiped her hands on her trousers. "Bringing a Niffler is, as Xavier said, out of the question."

"Of course it is," Xavier sighed, "they're uncontrollable. A worse version of a dog."

"My parents know a family with a Niffler that's trained very well," she huffed. "The Labrinths. Remember them?"

He snorted, "No, which means they weren't interesting."

Caro glared at him, "Morfinus is at this school now. He knew Tristan Crosswood. You know, the kid who got murdered by a Death Eater?"

Xavier's jaw tightened, "Alright, I'm sorry. I have a bad memory, okay?"

She made a sad face. "Can we get a Niffler now?"

"Hell no. Your guilt-tripping won't sway me."

Caro sighed theatrically, crouching down and pulled out her wand. "I guess Gouging Spells are our only option."

Xavier pointed his wand at the door, "Captionem canetis."

"Protego," I said, waving my own wand around the three of us.

With the Soundproofing and Shield Charms in place, it was safe to begin. "Defodio!" she shouted.

←O-O→

It was week two of the process. There was a good deal of wall to work with — about four feet thick — so we ended up hollowing out a huge part of it to make a hidden alcove.

Right now we were smoothing out the walls and adding any necessary items.

I Levitated a jar of blue fire just under the ceiling while Caro told me to move it left or right.

The blue glow made it look like we were underwater, and Caro enjoyed this immensely. "There!" she exclaimed. "Now we can add 'playing with fire' to the fifty rules we've broken."

"Seven," Xavier corrected, firing a Sticking Charm at the makeshift lamp. "But each has been broken at least a dozen times by now. Being out past curfew, vandalism..."

He trailed off when he saw me staring at him. "You read the rulebook? What's wrong with you?"

Xavier was swift to quip back, "Says the guy who reads every word on his own clothing tags."

I spluttered, "W-well, it's when I'm bored! What's your excuse?"

"I read the rules to look for loopholes," he returned to shaving the stones smooth. "As you know, they're my favourite things."

I glared at the back of his head, "You blatantly cheat at card games. At everything."

Xavier looked smug, "If you didn't want me to make the moves I did, then you should've established the rules at the beginning. How was I to know that we were playing normal poker, and not some modified version that happened to benefit me?"

"You'd make a great defence lawyer."

"I'd make a great anything."

"Oh yeah?"

"You're both distracted," Caro complained. "Hurry up and get the other jar. The Ravenclaw prefects will come by soon."

←O-O→

The secret passageway was awesome and all, but in the days leading up to the May exams I was focused on something else entirely. The fate of my homework and Caro's new snake had been laid upon my shoulders.

The second we finished our Muggle Studies final, Caro whirled to me. "You freaking lost."

I gaped at her. "You still remember that bet?"

Her triumph dissipating like I wished my anxiety would, she stared back at me. "You still remember? It's been nine months!"

"Well yeah! I remember the stupidest things! My neighbour's birthday, the capital of Bulgaria, how many stripes are on that orange skirt you have —"

Her voice got higher and shriller, "With everything going on this year, I thought you'd forget! Does this mean you actually did well?!"

"Caro, I do well on most tests. As for this one, I studied harder than I usually do."

She glared at me, face turning pink. "I raised the stakes because I thought you'd underestimate me or forget and study like normal. Xavier forgets everything unrelated to academics. He doesn't know what day Halloween is —"

"— because it's pointless," we both finished.

"Yeah!" she cried.

"I'm not Xavier," I shrugged, trying to hold back my grin, "and I remember things we talk about."

"I better get full points on that exam," she scowled. "Quentin, I studied. You don't understand what I went through. I had to open a textbook." Caro lightly thumped her head against the wall. "I planned this for nine months!"

Xavier came around the corner, finished with his Potions exam. He halted upon seeing her, "Caro, stop that. What's wrong with you?"

"I COULD'VE BIRTHED A BABY IN THAT TIME."

Xavier's eyebrows rose. "What?"

"Remember that bet Quentin and I made?" she shrieked, running to him.

He blinked, getting even more confused. "No?"

She shook him. "WHY CAN'T QUENTIN BE MORE LIKE YOU?!"

←O-O→

Turns out Caro didn't have to panic, because she passed the test with full points.

That meant she'd gotten all the years and dates correct, could explain how vaccinations and the UK government worked, the latter of which I could never wrap my head around; I barely understood the Ministry of Magic.

Xavier wasn't even all that surprised. "You should've known better," he told me solemnly. "Now her snake's going to be named Nuggets."

"Don't remind me," I groaned. That part of losing was worse than doing her homework, because now all the other Slytherins had to suffer with me.

But the scariest part was that now I was truly aware of what kind of insane determination Carolina kept stored inside.

She gleefully gloated for the rest of the year and had already begun drafting names. Xavier skimmed through her list and informed me that I had wronged humanity.

←O-O→

The lake was very pretty at night. The moon threw an unearthly glow on the grounds, and I kept wanting to scoop its reflection out of the water and keep it.

I hadn't gotten to appreciate it much during my first year, since Caro had nearly killed me on the boat ride, along with Ramesh and Oliver. And all the other times I was out here was because of Taco, and I was always distracted by him.

Xavier was sitting beside me, not hiding his misfortune. "I don't understand the appeal. This is just nature."

I patted his back. "It's okay."

Caro laughed from Xavier's other side, and she leaned forward so she could look at me. "You and I used to walk Taco here at night. Remember?"

"Yeah, of course I do." The memories were riddled with so many heart attacks and cuteness that I couldn't exactly forget them. "How is he?"

"He's soo big now. I'll get my brother to send a picture so you can see. Hey, if we'd done this earlier we could have used this for him."

I shook my head, "We would've never been able to make something like this in first year."

She shot me her trademark grin of wild unrestrained mischief, "Wanna bet?"

I had a sudden vision of her pulling out a Time-Turner and said quickly, "No no no. That's okay."

"What a shame. I'm sorry that you have to do my homework for a month."

I sighed. "A deal's a deal."

Xavier yawned, "I want to sleep. You two better not drag me out here every night."

"Oh I will," I said.