Miller’s eyes catch on the loose button at Roald’s blazer, still hanging by a thread from the earlier drill.
Miller
That is sloppiness. A boy who cannot keep his kit sound cannot be trusted with school property.
He steps in close and pinches the thread between two fingers, using the tiny flaw as if it were proof of guilt.
Halloway
Easy, Miller. He was protected before for a reason, and I want to hear him answer for it first.
The Prefect’s earlier mercy clicks into place now, not kindness but a test, a way to see whether Roald folds when a small fault is named aloud.
Miller
Then let him stand there and prove he can hold himself together.
Roald stands in the prep room light, ledger ready to hand over, while the loose button becomes the new lever of control.
✓ Quest Accepted
Defuse Miller’s scrutiny of the loose button
The younger boy is subjected to a caning by the prefect or teacher.