"Rilow, you didn't tell me you had sisters!" Hänschen was escorting the girls to the Slytherin common room after the Sorting. At the voice behind them, his face twisted into a sneer.

"That's the sort of thing I'd tell a friend," he said coolly. The girls exchanged knowing looks. This must be Hänschen's…enemy was too strong a word, but nemesis didn't quite fit either. Whatever he was, when they'd asked about Hogwarts over the summer they heard of not much else. (The other half of the time they heard about Robert Maler, the handsome one.)

The Rilows turned as one to face the Melchior Gabor. Melitta gasped and nearly forgot to translate for Thea.

"Shame we couldn't have had them for Ravenclaw," he said. When he saw Melitta's hands fumbling to catch up, he signed it himself. Thea's eyes grew starry.

"Wasn't likely, since their brains have some practical use."

"My name is Thea," said she, offering her hand.

"And I'm Melitta."

"Melchior Gabor." He shook their hands, and his green eyes shone. The twins knew they were thinking the same thing, and it wasn't just their psychic bond (Hänschen said magic didn't work that way, but they suspected he was jealous). "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Thank you," they said together.

Another Ravenclaw second year rushed into the corridor and skidded to a halt at Melchior's side. He signed so frantically even Thea couldn't catch everything. "Melchi, have you heard the riddle? Even the prefects can't answer it. We won't get into the common room or get any sleep tonight, and I've forgotten which stairs you take to the Transfiguration classroom, and..." His hands dropped helplessly to his sides.

Melchior laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Moritz, they do this every year. I'm sure they're trying to challenge the first years, make their brains work."

"Oh. Right." Moritz grinned, embarrassed. Hänschen smiled with him, though his didn't reach his eyes. "Would you help? You were always good with riddles."

"You've got to think in ways they don't expect you to think..." Melchior began. He bowed to the Rilow girls. "Good night," he said, and he and Moritz left, earnestly discussing riddle-solving strategies. The girls watched him go with matching pleased expressions.

Hänschen sneered and straightened his tie. "God, he's so pretentious."

"I like him. He's pretty," said Thea.

"You're not allowed to like him."

"He has nice eyes," said Melitta. "And arms."

Hänschen cast his eyes to heaven. "I don't know what I've done to deserve this talk."