The dimly lit corridors of the castle hummed with the soft flickering of torches. You and your best friends—Mattheo, Tom, Draco, Blaise, Theodore, Lorenzo, and Regulus—were gathered in a circle.

Theodore was grinning, clearly about to say something unnecessary.

"Shut up!" you hissed, narrowing your eyes at him.

His smirk only widened. "I don’t shut up—"

Mattheo picked up immediately. "I grow up—"

Draco ran a hand through his hair and continued smoothly. "And when I look at you—"

Lorenzo, who had been leaning against Blaise’s shoulder, smirked and delivered the final blow. "I thr0w up."

Silence.

And then—chaos.

Laughter erupted, filling the corridor as Regulus covered his mouth, shaking his head, and even Tom, ever composed, fought back a smirk. You were doubled over, tears prickling at the corners of your eyes as Mattheo wheezed, clutching his stomach. Blaise had thrown his head back, cackling, while Theodore wiped at his eyes dramatically.

Unfortunately, the universe had a cruel sense of timing.

"Three hundred points from Serpentine!"

The sharp voice cut through the air, instantly silencing the group. You all whipped around to find the Professor standing at the end of the corridor, arms crossed.

You stared at her, dumbfounded. "Three hundred? That’s not fair!"

Mattheo’s grin hadn’t faded. "I mean, technically—"

"Run," Blaise whispered urgently, eyes darting to the left as the professor took a step forward.

Without hesitation, the entire group bolted. Footsteps pounded against the stone floor as you sprinted down the corridor.

"Down to the left!" Mattheo called, taking the lead.

Draco groaned, struggling to keep up. "Is that your left—"

"Or my left?!" you shouted, nearly tripping over Lorenzo’s foot.

Theodore, exasperated, huffed, "We have the same left!"

But as you turned another corner, finally catching your breath, you exchanged looks with the group—Mattheo grinning like a madman, Theodore still chuckling, Draco fixing his windswept hair—and you knew one thing for sure.

Totally worth it.