After the war, Headmistress McGonagall decided it would be best for Slytherins and Gryffindors to have as few classes together as possible. Thus, Gryffindors and Ravenclaws shared Herbology class, despite the fact that any minor spats over who had the best method for removing Mandrakes from their pots usually turned into heated arguments, often ending in Professor Longbottom having to step in and break up the fight.
Atlas and the twins were working together on retrieving one of Carol's textbooks from a particularly stubborn Devil's Snare, the other students still working on their assignments and the professor feverishly grading the previous day's test. Robin had fired just about every spell he knew at the plant before Carol managed to calm him down and let Atlas have a go.
He chuckled and pointed his wand at the Snare, "Lumos."
The plant recoiled into its pot, dropping the book back onto the table. "Blimey, Trip, was I sleeping when we learned about that?" said Robin, handing the book over to his brother.
Trip was a shortened version of 'Triple A,' the stage name that Robin and Carol had chosen for Atlas after finding a similarly named muggle device in Thomas's attic one summer. Thomas's father was a muggle, and had brought a slew of strange devices along with him when he and his new wife, a witch, had moved into an area more friendly to wizarding folk than their previous residence. One of these contraptions was called a 'remote control' car, and Thomas and his father had disassembled it to show Atlas and the twins the various parts that made its tiny wheels turn. Two small, cylindrical objects were the car's power source, and had three A's printed on them. Mr. Beech had called them triple A scatteries (or was it vatteries? No one could quite remember, and when they asked Thomas about it he only laughed) and, because his initials were AAA, the twins had decided that Triple A was a perfect stage name for Atlas.
"We learned about Devil's Snare in first year!" Atlas laughed, "Don't you remember?"
"Oh…oh, yeah! 'Deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun!' I remember now. God, how did we forget that?" Carol asked his brother, who only shrugged, a lopsided smile forming on his face.
Robin's stage name was Wingman (due to being named after a bird), Thomas was Mouse (due to his previously stated quiet nature), and Carol, through a long, convoluted process that the other three members of the Quartet barely ever remembered, was named Crosshatch. Atlas never understood why the silly names were necessary, but had no complaints. Unfortunately, they had yet to choose a real name for their band, and usually resolved to just call themselves The Quartet when other students asked about the group. It wasn't a particularly memorable name, but it would do for the time being.
"Hey, by the way, Atlas, Carol and I need you to help us with our Potions essays," Robin said, "Think you're up to it?"
"Yeah, sure, when do you guys figure we can get together?" It was difficult for the Quartet to meet up during the week, as they never had classes as a group. Most of their time together was during the weekends or the rare study period when the twins didn't have detention and Atlas wasn't working on an extra credit project. Unfortunately, the essays were due only a week from now, and a trip to Hogsmeade was scheduled for Sunday. The twins had never been known to do any type of work on a Saturday, so that was also out of the question.
"Well," Carol said, mischievously, "we've got a puzzle for you."
"What does that have to do wi-?"
"Just trust us," Said Robin, "We figure that we can get you into the Gryffindor commons, but only if you can figure out the password so the Fat Lady'll let you through."
"Listen, guys, I don't think that's such a good-"
"Hey, aren't you a Ravenclaw? Wit and measure and all that?" said Carol, "You should be jumping at the opportunity for a riddle." The twins both smiled slyly at Atlas.
He sighed, "Alright, but if this gets us in trouble," Atlas said, pointing at the Devil's snare, which had unfurled its tendrils, "Next time, it won't just be your books in there."
The boys all laughed, and the twins whispered their homemade riddle into Atlas's ear before all of the students scurried off to their next classes.