Waking up, it was already past 10 a.m. I slept like a log after yesterday and didn''t wake up to the noise made by others leaving early, heading home for the winter break. Not that I would have heard it, thanks to my bed''s curtains blocking out all the noise. Standing up and dressing quickly, I felt myself full of energy, looking forward to our holiday… right until I pulled the curtain away.


    "..."


    I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. It was Draco, sitting on his bed, reading. He ignored me, saying nothing; not even a smirk came my way. I quickly regained my composure and walked out, meeting up with Quincy, who was already waiting in the common room.


    "You saw him too…?" I asked, noticing her expression confirming it with a nod.


    "He was here when I came out. He said nothing and returned to your dormitory after a while."


    As we were speaking, he came back out, walking past us, sitting into one of the armchairs by the fire, and continuing reading. I had a really bad, no, a really annoying feeling welling up in me. Without further hesitation, we left the common room and got our confirmation at once… he followed us right away. Damn… he was not back by choice, but I am sure it was by his father''s orders to keep an eye on us. Quite literally, it seemed.


    "Hey!"


    It was Quincy who lost her temper first, turning around on the first floor and shouting at Draco. Seeing him flinch and hear her voice echoing all around us was funny to watch. If it were regular school days, I may have been worried we would lend ourselves in detention, but now? Not really.


    "What?" Draco asked, but his voice was anything but calm.


    "Why are you following us? Are you a peeping tom?"


    "What?"


    "Heh… what? What? W-H-A-T-?” She mocked him, her tone cold and sharp, "Did Conrad''s spells damage your brain, cutting your vocabulary down to one word?"


    "Wh-" He wanted to say something but then caught himself, and I couldn''t help but laugh, echoing around us like a raven''s cries.


    "I see… Poor Youngest Slug Eater got a booboo on his head and now returned as a special student…" She continued mercilessly, and I saw the veins popping on Draco''s neck and head. He was already reaching for his wand, wanting to curse us.


    "You wretch! You dare-" He spat through gritted teeth, but Quincy was faster.


    With a good-aimed move, she flicked her wand, disarming Draco, raising his body into the air, and flinging him into a suit of armor, creating an unearthly ruckus.


    "Ohohoho! Naughty-naughty!" We heard a clear cackle, and looking up, it was Peeves, circling above us, having the time of his life. "I should tell~ I shouldn''t tell~; Peeves is in a pickle because the show is so good, he doesn''t want a farewell!"


    "For once, I agree with him," I added, watching the groaning Draco trying to get out under the collapsed suit of armor.


    "Wait until I tell-" He complained, which was met with Quincy''s mocking laughter.


    "That the famous Dirt Eater got wrecked by a girl? Go ahead! Tell everyone! You know what?" She licked her lips with a wicked light in her eyes, "Peeves, what do you think? Would the others mock him because of it? Hearing that a proud boy, a talent of the century, got bested by a lowly girl?"


    "Ooooh~! Draco is a talented wizard who, when in trouble, loses his wand like the tail of a lizard!" And with that, Peeves was whooshing off, singing a song about him, calling him anything but pretty names.


    By the time he managed to stand back up, we were gone. I didn''t have any false ideas and knew he would be back soon enough… but until then, a little peace. This break may turn out even worse than before… but damn, watching her demolish him felt good! I could see that Quincy thought the same as she was visibly glowing and chuckling to herself while we headed to our little headquarters at the top of the North Tower.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "What do you think?" I asked when we settled down on our beanbags. We were making hot chocolate when I ignited the fire in our little stove and opened some cookies to snack on in the meantime. Knowing that we would spend the holidays here, we stacked up on munchies and wanted to have days where we do nothing, just lazily enjoy ourselves.


    "No real idea!" She shrugged, wiping the windows with her sleeve, watching the snowfall covering the landscape in white. "Keep an eye on us? Annoy us? Something like that!"


    "Kill me while I''m sleeping?" I joked, but seeing Quincy''s face turning so dark, I knew she wasn''t taking it as one.


    "That… could be right. You should move to a different room. Or… to mine? It''s empty."


    "I would, but I can''t. Don''t forget, enchantments are put up in the dormitories! I can''t visit yours, or I would be flushed down…"


    “Err… yeah… I forgot… Then what about me coming into yours? Girls are not prevented from doing so!"


    "Heh, old ass enchantments and morals…" I mumbled, "It would annoy him for sure! But we have to keep up some decorum. We can''t make it out as if you are some kind of… weird girl!"


    "Why not?" She raised an eyebrow, taking away one of the cups and slurping on it, "I wouldn''t mind! It would at least paint an even worse image of the Malfoys!"


    "Because it would paint a worse image about you! I don''t want people to have the wrong idea about you! I want you to walk with your head held high!"


    "Let''s forget him for a second then!" She chuckled, turning a bit redder while doing so, "We should talk about what we will do in the castle! Many teachers left just the same; we only have a few remaining! We can easily slip by them!"


    "Listening to you, it seems you want to explore by night?"


    "Of course!" She nodded with excitement glinting in her eyes. "And you know what I was thinking of?"


    "I''m all ears!"


    "Let''s find Salazar Slytherin''s old room!"


    "Mhmfh?!" I almost choked on my drink, blowing it out through my nose and landing in a coughing fit.


    "I read it here!" She stood up, ignoring my plight and bringing over a book that she borrowed from the library a few days ago. "It''s a history book about Hogwarts!"


    "Yes, I know!" I groaned, wiping my face, "I recognize the cover; copies of it sit on Professor Binns''s table all the time! The moment I saw it, I felt sleepy!"


    "His lessons are boring but only because he is a bad teacher! How much do you know about the history of Hogwarts?"


    "That it was created in the tenth century when Muggles were prosecuting witches and wizards left and right… so they came here and created it far from prying eyes. Plus, the fact that the four were the greatest witches and wizards, like, ever!"


    "Surface level knowledge, but correct." She nodded, giggling after seeing my reaction.


    "Thanks… Professor Black."


    "Hah! The four founders were friends, and they wanted to make this school the best place to educate future wizards and witches! But even a strong friendship couldn''t withstand the arguments of what type of people should be accepted. Especially Slytherin''s view of only accepting pure bloods!"


    "I know of that." I mumbled, sulking a little, "I also know he left after being defeated by Gryffindor, and until HE came to power and reclaimed Slytherin''s title, his ideas were ready to be finally implemented... After a thousand years! I am not stupid; we read about this last year when we learned about the basilisk!"


    "And here comes my question! Where did these teachers live? Presumably here, at the castle, no?"


    "I suppose so."


    "We know that few of their belongings were used later on, displayed in the Headmaster''s office, normal stuff."


    "Mhm!" I nodded, recalling it, "I know that the Sorting Hat is of Gryffindor''s design and also know that his sword is with Dumbledore."


    "Yep! But… what about the rest? They lived here! Where are their stuff?! Where are their living quarters? Clothes? Artifacts? Knick-knacks? Nobody knows!"


    "You are starting to pique my interest, Quincy!" I grinned, leaning forward, "What did you find?"


    "Nothing."


    "Eh?!"


    "I found nothing, but… that is because this place has so much mystery! How was it built? How did the first years go when they were still in harmony? Who did they teach? Where did they live? Where are their STUFF?! Then it hit me! Of course, we wouldn''t know! Not if they don''t want us to find it!"


    "You found a clue?" I asked eagerly, but she shook her head once again.


    "Nope, but think! Salazar was a parselmouth! He left behind a chamber… who says he didn''t hide his own abode here? Maybe it''s similar to the Room of Requirements! Now… both of us can speak parseltounge… I think if we put our heads together and explore the castle, we could find something!"


    "So… are we going to go around at night, hissing at the walls?"


    "Err… well… not really, but… sometimes?" She flinched, apparently more excited about a treasure hunt than really thinking it through. Not that I am faulting her… It sounds fun, and I would love to try it!"


    "When do we start?" I smiled, watching her eyes light up once again.


    "Tonight? What do you say? I will transform into an owl, slip out and you just need to ensure Draco isn''t following you!"


    "Ahaha… don''t worry, I will deal with him! And if we are searching… why not start at the Chamber of Secrets?"


    "Mhm! My idea exactly!"