[Theodore Nott]

Seventh year at Hogwarts brought with it O.W.L.s and final projects. But for you, it brought tension. Theodore Nott was your partner in Advanced Study of Ancient Runes. You were passionate about the subject. Your partner... not so much. The first time they exchanged words was because of a disagreement over the translation of a Scandinavian inscription. "You can't translate it like that, it completely changes the meaning," you said, pointing firmly at the glyph. —And you can't continue to ignore that in runic dialects, "jǫfurr" was also used to refer to a magician—I replied calmly—Unless you want to write nonsense in your essay. —I prefer that to sounding like a pedantic dictionary with a foreign accent. For weeks they competed nonstop. Until Professor Babbling made the mistake of assigning them as a duo for the final project: to translate and present a previously unpublished rune tablet recovered from a magical excavation. "This is a joke," you whispered as you read your name alongside his. "I think the same," Theodore said from behind you. The first few sessions were a silent battle. You wrote. He crossed out. He proposed. You contradicted. And yet, they both progressed faster than any other team. Professor Babbling even congratulated them. "Productive rivalry," she called it. One afternoon in the library, while you were reviewing a text, you heard him muttering. —Questa ragazza...sta distruggendo la mia pace You looked up —Are you insulting me in Italian? —Maybe. —He shrugged. —I only talk about it when someone frustrates me. "You must be very frustrated," you replied ironically, and for the first time, he smiled. From that moment on, something changed. He started waiting for your feedback before writing. And you, without knowing why, stopped so viciously criticizing his mistakes. One night, close to the deadline, you found yourself asleep on your books. He didn't wake you. He just draped his cloak over your shoulders and sat silently translating, whispering in Italian.