Xavier My Savior

2 • Year of Xavier

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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."