Nate was on his way to the Transfiguration classroom when he got accosted in the hallway by two Gryffindor fourth-years babbling excitedly about the duel. Nate had had to talk to them for a little while before he'd sorted out probable fact (it just figured that Professor Saporta would volunteer to referee) from likely fiction. He was fairly certain that "Mister Librarian Beckett and Professor Smith" hadn't actually absconded to Chile or the Caribbean. (It was entirely possible that they had absconded to parts unknown, as long as "unknown" was defined in this case to mean "the corridor on the second floor where Nate saw Spencer approximately ten minutes ago." William he hadn't seen, but then again, they did have a ministry official skulking about. Nate hadn't really expected to see William, except under the most extreme duress.) He also very much doubted that, immediately following the duel, Pete was planning to kidnap William and have his wicked way with him all over Gryffindor Tower, for numerous reasons, starting with creepiness (even Pete wouldn't have sex in front of his students) and ending with the fact that the most popular book being read in the school at the moment was The Pirate and the Sorceress, by Trelly Silawney.
Pete not actually being a pirate wasn't anywhere on that list, because Nate didn't think Pete would let a thing like that stop him.
There were one or two things that hadn't made either the fact or the fiction list. For example, Nate wasn't certain whether or not the duel would really be carried out in the Old Style, complete with doves, flaming fences to keep the spectators at a distance, and dueling clothing designed in the 1500s. Spencer didn't seem like he would go for that, but he had a sense of humor, and Nate definitely wouldn't put it past Saporta or Wentz.
However, the interruption had reminded him about the little tidbit he knew about Professors Way and Smith, and he was brought straight back to his dilemma. It was a great piece of information, and at times like this, when there was so much beautiful bullshit everywhere making the students go crazy forming alliances and over-analysing every action, he would love to confuse all the gossip with a bit of truth. Still, Spencer and Mikey seemed like they were keeping things quiet, and Nate didn't want to ruin their privacy. (Other teachers, however, who may have been a bit more obvious — Nate wasn't naming any names, even if "William Beckett and Gabe Saporta" did run off the tongue very well — were fair game.)
Besides, they would know if he'd done it, which would make life incredibly uncomfortable for Nate. It might disappoint Gerard, for one, and for another, Nate had to work for Spencer and Mikey now. They had full rein to make his life a living hell.
And there was the Transfiguration classroom. Nate only hesitated for a second before he knocked on the door.