The first-year courage exercise was not supposed to be about courage. Professor Ward said so four times. That guaranteed everyone called it the courage exercise. The indoor training hall had been rearranged with low obstacles, padded walls and narrow balance beams no more than half a metre from the floor. Students worked in pairs. One crossed while the other used simple protective magic to move soft obstacles out of the way.

"This tests communication," Ward said.

Harper whispered, "Courage." Ava whispered back, "You are the problem." Jasper was paired with Mia for the first run. Mia crossed the beam while Jasper redirected hanging pads.

"Left," she said.

Jasper moved the left pad.

"Other left."

"That is your left!"

"I'm facing you!"

The pad bumped her shoulder. She laughed and nearly stepped off.

"Sorry."

"Pay attention."

"You said left."

They finished without disaster. Harper was paired with Ava. This became an event. Harper stepped onto the beam. Ava stood beside the obstacle controls.

"Wait for me to clear each one."

"Yep."

Harper reached the first pad. Ava moved it. Second. Moved. Third. Harper jumped over it before Ava acted. Ward blew a whistle.

"Reset."

Harper stopped.

"I cleared it."

"You ignored your partner."

"I didn't need—"

Ward waited. Harper closed her mouth. Reset. Again. This time Harper waited. At the final obstacle, Ava's spell slipped. The hanging pad swung back into the path. Harper could have jumped. Jasper saw her body prepare. Then she stopped. Ava corrected. Pad moved. Harper crossed. Ward nodded.

"Good."

Harper stepped down.

"That was slower."

"Yes."

"I hate this class."

"No you don't."

Harper thought.

"No."

Afterward, a Year Three student named Cal was showing off near the practice rail outside the hall. The rail guarded a shallow stairwell, not a cliff. Still, he had climbed onto the lower bar and was balancing with both arms out. Harper stopped.

"That's stupid."

Jasper looked at her.

"You said jumping over moving pads was courage ten minutes ago."

"That had a mat."

Cal took another step. A prefect shouted at him to get down. He did, laughing. Harper watched.

"I used to think if you're scared and do it anyway, that's brave."

Ava said, "That can be brave."

"Yeah, but sometimes you're scared because your brain is correctly saying don't do that."

Jasper smiled.

"Professor Ward got you."

"No."

"She did."

"Absolutely not."

That evening a storm shut the outer courtyards. The trio sat in Room Fourteen with homework. Harper was supposed to write four sentences about communication in protective magic. She had written one: WAITING IS ANNOYING BUT SOMETIMES IMPORTANT. Ava read it.

"Technically correct."

"Done."

"Four sentences."

Harper added: AVA LIKES WAITING TOO MUCH.

"That is not relevant."

"It is personal reflection."

Jasper tried to work while laughing. Later, after lights-out, wind pushed hard against the western window. Jasper woke sometime after midnight. The room was dark. A faint pressure sat in his chest. He stayed in bed. He did not reach. He did not test. The pressure grew slightly. Jasper thought of Deepwater. A student convinced response meant control. He thought of Harper stopping on the beam even though she could have jumped. Waiting was annoying but sometimes important. Jasper breathed. The presence remained for several minutes. Then faded. Nothing happened. He went back to sleep. In the morning, he told Ava and Harper. Harper looked impressed.

"You didn't go to the window?"

"No."

"Good."

Ava nodded. Jasper looked between them.

"Why do I feel like I passed a test nobody gave me?"

Harper said, "Because we are proud of you." Then made a disgusted face.

"Don't make me say that again."

Jasper laughed.