Practice had run long. The usual separation of boys' and girls' classes was over. Now, Coach Rena—a woman with a severe bun and eyes that missed nothing—clapped her hands sharply. The sound echoed in the cavernous studio.

The boys, having just finished their own drills, were gathered by the piano. They were loose-limbed, shirts damp, talking in low voices. Among them, a tall, blond boy you didn't recognize from Hogwarts wiped his neck with a towel. He had a sharp, clean profile and an easy, athletic stance.

You could feel the space he occupied, the slight disturbance of air. You kept your eyes forward, on your reflection in the mirror. You saw him there, over your shoulder. He was taller than you’d realized.

Other boys approached. A dark-haired boy named Nico came up on your other side, giving the blond a look. Another, Ezrai, joined them. Soon, there were three boys standing in a loose semi-circle behind you.