Night Games

Final

"It's time", a voice whispers. It resonates throughout the room, repeating a few times while piercing the silence. Slowly, a few shadows rise, the covers slipping off their lithe bodies as they quietly slip out of bed, so as not to make a sound. They glide soundlessly to the trunks at the foot of their beds, pulling out a long object, spiked and sharp at the tip.
The moon is bright and big outside, as the cry of a wolf is heard. A shiver wracks the bodies of the shadows, but they proceed with their task, tucking oddly-shaped objects under their blankets, to make it seem like they'd never left.
The door is pushed against, and it gives away easily, opening with a squeak. The shadows wince collectively, but they pull their broomsticks closer to their chests and march out into the dark common room.
The fire in the fireplace flickers pathetically, illuminating the banner above the fireplace. In this dim light, the lion looks almost real, and its claws and teeth look particularly sharp. The banner ripples, creating the illusion that the lion is breathing.
"Let's go." The voice says once more, as he waves his hand to lead them out of the building. As the group steps out of the shadows, they wrap their hands around themselves tighter. The cold wind is biting against the skin of their prepubescent faces. They raise their red flag high, its vibrant colours standing out against the moon. The silent tranquility of the moment is broken by the arrival of another group of people. A badger is emblazoned across their flag, and they come forward bravely. They're not Gryffindor's enemies. The Gryffindors don't bother about them, but instead send their representative out to agree on a referee.
Gryffindor's representative is a small young boy with round cheeks. His eyes flashes with fear. Quite funny for one in the house that is infamous for their bravery.
"H-hello? " He whispers to the Hufflepuff representative. The Hufflepuff representative is buff and good-looking.
"Hello," the representative says. For one who looks so scary, his voice is unnaturally kind and gentle. "You are Seungkwan, I reckon?"
"Y-yes, and you are Seungcheol?"
"That is correct," he smiles and nods his head, but you don't need to be so scared of me, I won't bite." He rubs his hands together. "Who's going to be the referee?"
"Maybe Jeonghan from Ravenclaw?" The mouse-like Seungkwan suggests. "He's pretty impartial about everything."
"That seems like a good idea," Seungcheol affirms. It's no secret that the Hufflepuff is best friends with the Ravenclaw. Since after the Hogwarts War, the sorting into houses still carried on, and most houses became one somehow. (The idea that Slytherin was an evil house was hard to discard, though.)
"There they are!" A voice shouts from the crowd of yellow and red, as they see their enemies for the night approach. Although everyone is in their pyjamas, they wear colour-coded ones, just for that night (and many more that follow). The greens and blues send out their representatives, unsurprisingly the short Slytherin and the tall Ravenclaw.
Jihoon and Mingyu are actually quite famous among all the students of Hogwarts for their height. One for being way too short for his age, and another way too tall for his age.
"Will Jeonghan be the referee again tonight?" Jihoon asks, fiddling with the hem of his pyjamas.
Seungcheol runs a hand through his hair. "I hope so," he says, glancing over at a very sleepy Jeonghan. "That is, if he hasn't slept his fairness away." He adds on cheekily.
For that, Seungcheol gets slapped. But it's all in good fun, he supposes.
Not long after, the actual Quidditch games start. The house teams separate from the normal Quidditch players, and they're good to go. Jun, a hot-headed boy with quite the temper, notices that the Slytherin Seeker has changed. It's not like he's complaining, their old seeker, Yoongi, scares the hell out of him. They nearly collided once, during the House Cup, and Yoongi nearly bit his head off then.  He shudders. Nope. The change in the seeker certainly is good.
Meanwhile, the Slytherin Seeker is quaking in his boots. He's never actually played in a Quidditch game before, much less the real tournament. He only got in then because Yoongi had broken his butt and can't sit on a broomstick for who knows how long, and so, he's stuck with the position. Minghao runs a hand through his already messy-hair. He doesn't know exactly if his nickname (The8, meaning the lucky one) is true or not. He hopes it is though, word has it that Gryffindor's seeker is particularly powerful.
"Yah, Hansol-ah! Are you playing Quidditch in that?" Mingyu yells from across the pitch. The Hufflepuff looks down nonchalantly at his pyjamas.
"What's wrong with them," he demands, "they're comfortable!"
"But, Hansol-ah, you're going to fall off your broom in those silk pyjamas." Mingyu retorts, falling off his broom in an unexpected bout of giggles. Just then, Ravenclaw's Keeper swoops in and catches Mingyu before he hits the ground. She tuts disapprovingly at him as he gives her a cheeky smile.
"Kim Mingyu!" Sara huffs, putting her hands on her waist. "What would we have done if our Beater had fallen and cracked his head on unforgiving stone?!"
"Well, I don't really know, it hasn't happened." He replies , giving her a smile. Sara rolls her eyes before unceremoniously dumping Mingyu back on his broom.
"Keep your balance." She says testily, before zooming off to talk to Jihoon of Slytherin, the commentator of the night.
"She's a Keeper," Hansol whispers in his ear, having already mounted his broomstick. Mingyu sticks his tongue out at Hansol and gives him a light shove, sending him flying.
"That was a horrible pun, Hansol-ah. A very horrible one."
Suddenly, without warning, a Beater's Bat flies past Mingyu's ear, missing him by just a centimetre. "Woah!"
Seungcheol shrugged atop his broom. "Pay attention, Mingyu, or Ravenclaw's going down tonight!"
"They already are!" Shouts Hansol, and he grips onto his broom tightly with one hand, the other hugging the Quaffle tightly. He tosses it to Wonwoo, an agile Chaser, who zigzags between his housemates with much ease. He pretends to throw it at the left hoop, but as Sara hovers protectively near it, he makes to throw it at the right one instead, scoring a goal for Hufflepuff. His housemates fly over to congratulate him briefly.
Mingyu scratches his head. Oh. So the game started already?
"Get your head in the game, Kim!" Taehyung (another Kim) yells from his side. Taehyung is a beater, however, he isn't a very good one. He's too gentle, Mingyu reckons, because he cries if he actually were to hurt somebody. Mingyu was not to be fooled, however. Once that boy Taehyung felt competitive, most Hufflepuffs on the pitch ended up in the hospital wing the next day with multiple injuries all over. For the sake of other students, Headmistress McGonagall had thought to actually ban him from the pitch. With much begging from their (sensible) Chaser Joonmyeon, they were able to keep him on the Quidditch pitch, with the promise that he would tone down his competitive streak.
On the other side of the field, the Slytherins and Gryffindors are having a fierce competition. They are tied at 60-60, with both equally skilled Quidditch players. The Quaffle is in Chaser Jisoo's hands, and he throws it neatly to Chaser Hoseok who catches it deftly, just as Jisoo goes down with a hit from a Bludger.
"Sorry!" Gryffindor's Beater, Kihyun, yells sorrowfully.
"Tis' but a scratch!" Jisoo shouts back and mounts his broom once more, spitting out mouthfuls of grass.
"Go 'Oseok! Fly like the wind yer' are, yeah?!" Hagrid cheers from the sidelines. He pats Fluffy's head. "Look Fluffy, yer' 'Oseok's flyin' well!" Fluffy lets out a volley of barks, tail wagging. It's quite ironic since Hoseok is afraid of practically everything but Fluffy.
Chaser Kunpimook of Slytherin flies valiantly, but he is blocked by Gryffindor Chasers Seunggwan, Seokmin and Minhyuk. Seunggwan and Minhyuk are knocked off their brooms as two bludgers from Slytherin beaters Jooheon and Soonyoung hit them simultaneously, clearing a direct path to the hoops for Kunpimook. Kunpimook tries to score, Alas! He misses! Gryffindor's Keeper Daehyun bats the Quaffle away easily. He tosses it back into the game and it's caught by Jisoo once more. Jisoo throws it with all the strength he has and it flies through the hoop, and heads straight for their commentator.
A series of muffled cuss words are heard as the Quaffle hits Jihoon's face.
"Yah! Hong Jisoo! I think the point of Quidditch is to get the Quaffle in the hoop, not kill the commentator!" He squawks out angrily.
Jisoo winces apologetically, and Jihoon shakes his head. Jeonghan contemplates briefly on whether he should give Jisoo a foul, but on the terms that Jihoon isn't exactly a Seeker, Beater, Chaser, or Keeper, so, that wouldn't be a foul?
Jungkook, the Slytherin Keeper, flies over to check on both Jihoon and Yoongi sitting in the stands. The Quidditch teams fly round to gather, even though the game is still on. There are no rules for these night games they have, only those concerning safety remain.
Minghao desperately wants to check on his Jihoon hyung, but at the same time, he feels like he should watch out for the Snitch. It will ensure a win for Slytherin, the fifth consecutive one for the month. His eyes scan the clearing, looking for the telltale flash of gold.
As his eyes sweep critically over the Quidditch pitch, his eyes land on Jihoon. Or rather, what's beside Jihoon. A tiny gold ball with wings. He steals a quick glance at Junhui.
It doesn't seem like he's noticed the Snitch, so Minghao edges closer on his broomstick, occasionally hiding behind Slytherins, or maybe even Gryffindors (one particular one is Hyunwoo, and he doesn't look too pleased about it).
Minghao gets closer and closer to the Snitch, and just then, a cloud covers the moon, shrouding the pitch in darkness.
"Lumos," Minghao whispers, fishing his wand out of his pocket and holding it out in front of him. He swings it about for awhile, until his eyes catch sight of the gold flash again. This time, it's near the Slytherin goalposts, where Jungkook usually is. Minghao's not going to hesitate anymore. He takes off after it, brushing away the occasional leaf that falls into his face, and stretches out his hand to grab it. Just a little closer...
Just as his hands are about to close around it, it flies away, just tantalisingly out of reach.
Junhui finally notices his missing opponent, and he looks up just in time to see Minghao flying over his head to get to the Snitch. Not wanting to lose, he gives chase as well. It is a blur of green and red as they fly neck-to-neck around the Quidditch pitch after the Snitch. Every millimetre moved counts in this fierce competition.
Suddenly, a stray Bludger from Mingyu, Ravenclaw's beater, knocks Junhui sideways off his broom. Junhui plummets towards the ground, pyjamas billowing around him. Minghao has to make a decision in this tantalising moment: to save Junhui and preserve the bond of friendship between the two houses, or grab the Snitch and save Slytherin pride. Oh well. He'll grab the Snitch later.
Without further ado, Minghao darts after Junhui, catching him on the back of his broom and depositing him on the grassy field before resuming his chase of the Snitch.
Junhui is visibly shaken, and his face pales considerably. He shudders at the thought that his brains could have been dashed on the grass, if not for the kind Slytherin. Mingyu rushes up to Junhui. "Junhui! I am so sorry, I don't know what happened to the Bludger, it just suddenly went out of control and I-"
"Save it, Mingyu," Junhui sighs, "I'm fine, aren't I?" He looks for the Snitch. It's hovering by some trees just diagonal from Mingyu, and if he hurries, he just might be able to catch it before Minghao does. "Accio broom," he calls out clearly, summoning his broom with a twitch of his fingers. He hops on and zooms after Minghao.
He's almost there, and he stretches out his hand, and it almost closes around the Snitch, when another hand does first. Minghao lets out a little whoop of joy and stuffs it into his pyjamas shirt pocket. Junhui feels a little disappointed, but that's replaced by fear as the momentum of his movement carries him once again over the edge and off his broom. This time, Minghao's not fast enough to catch him. Hansol falls off his broom reaching him (silk pyjamas). Mingyu's too far to reach him. Jisoo's too slow. He hits the ground. The last thing he sees is Yoongi's worried face above his before he blacks out.
He wakes up in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey looks absolutely exhausted, and he feels quite sorry for having to wake her up at this time to patch him up. He sits up, albeit a little slowly, a groan of pain escaping his lips. He turns to one side to see Sara, Ravenclaw's keeper, slumbering quietly on another bed as Mingyu grips her hand tightly, sleeping as well. Junhui ships them. Totally and infinitely. #Mara forever.
He turns to the other side and is met with Seokmin's grinning face.
"You scared me!" Junhui hisses, smacking Seokmin lightly on the arm. Seokmin just smiles, revealing rows of gleaming teeth.
"You have to be thankful to Yoongi, he saved you, he placed you on his broom and smashed through the windows of the hospital wing, you're also lucky you don't have any cuts from glass."
Junhui looks puzzled. "Wait, Yoongi hyung? The Slytherin Seeker with a broken butt?"
Seokmin shakes his head. "Junhui, you may be older than me, but you are significantly less smarter than me. You can't break your ass. There's so much fat there for a reason."
Junhui resists the urge to roll his eyes. Seokmin snaps his fingers, suddenly remembering something.
"Talking about Slytherin, they're having their 'this-is-the-5th-night-games-we-won-bow-down-to-us-peasants-party'. Seungkwan told me." Seokmin informs him, an evil glint in his eyes.
"You don't mean-"
"Yes, my dear Junhui. Yes, I do."
Meanwhile, Ravenclaw is going crazy with worry. Well, more of their Seeker, Lee Chan. He saw how Gryffindor's Seeker had fallen off his broom and hit the ground, no one being nearly quite fast enough to get to him, and he bites his lip. He doesn't exactly want to die, being the youngest member on the Quidditch team. He's only a first year! Worry clouds his features as he buries his head in his arms. He thinks of Sara, their Keeper, and the way she had the dodge when the stray Bludger went after her next, and knocking her in the head, knocking her out. He remembers the look of horror on Mingyu's face as she went down, and the small smile playing on her lips as she lost consciousness. He shudders again. Quidditch is such a dangerous sport.
In the Slytherin common room, although it is dark outside, it is lit up with bright lights, and Soonyoung goes down to the kitchens to get cakes (repeat, cakes, not cake) from the house elves. Even the Giant Squid came to party. It is pretty obvious that they've won, aside from the previous scare, their game went ever so smoothly.
Minghao twirls his cup of Butterbeer between his fingers. He can't help but worry about Junhui, even if Junhui wasn't even hurt that badly. Just a broken arm, thankfully. He watches Jooheon and Soonyoung leave the room to go get some air. He sets down his cup of Butterbeer and sighs, and braces himself for slaps and pats on the back for catching the Snitch.
Just then, he sees Jooheon and Soonyoung reenter the common room together, and he goes to greet them.
"Back so soon?" He asks, walking over to them with quick strides. They freeze at the sound of his voice and peer fearfully at him. Minghao tilts his head to one side. Jooheon slaps Soonyoung, and Soonyoung blinks. "Oh, uh yeah. Heh. There wasn't much to do?" It came out more as a question than a statement. Minghao stares at Soonyoung with worry.
"Yah, Soonyoung hyung? Are you okay? You're looking a little pale..."
Soonyoung nudges Jooheon, and Jooheon starts moving, and he moves off into the crowd quickly. "Huh, oh yeah, I'm fine, it must be the...the...cake! Yeah! It must be the chocolate cake! I'm allergic to chocolate!"
"Soonyoung hyung? Are you sure you're okay? You love chocolate."
"Huh? I do? O-Oh okay."
"You must be drunk, Soonyoung hyung." Minghao concludes. Soonyoung immediately starts swaying from side to side, purposely bumping into people, earning him a dirty look from Yoongi and some others. "Hic-! I guess I hic-!"
Jooheon sneaks a few furtive glances around the room, before pulling out a tube filled with red crystals. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sends them flying everywhere over the food table, landing on the food. He quickly caps the bottle and looks up, and his eyebrows knit together as his gaze fills with horror. The real Jooheon and the real Soonyoung were back!
"Soonyoung!" He hisses, "Shit, Soonyoung, we have to go-" He sees the fake Soonyoung attached to Minghao's hip and rushes forward. "I'll take him to the dormitory now, he's a little drunk, come on Soonyoung, let's go."
Minghao looks at their leaving figures in confusion, and turns to his right, and sees Soonyoung and Jooheon approaching him.
What?
He looks back to his left, and sure enough, there's Jooheon and Soonyoung leaving the common room. He looks to his right, and there's Jooheon and Soonyoung approaching him with broad smiles on their faces.
He whips out his wand. "Colloportus!" He shouts, and all heads in the room turn to him.
The Jooheon that is leaving the room curses inwardly. He hisses to the Soonyoung beside him, "I knew it wouldn't work!" He pulls his hair down in front of his face as a habit and watches in horror as it goes from red back to brown. He loooks at Soonyoung and watches as his nose grows sharper and hair goes back to a light, chestnut brown.
"Seokmin! I thought you said the potion would last at least an hour?!" He whispers.
Seokmin looks scandalised. "I never said that! That Polyjuice Potion we used was from at least 9 months ago! It's bound to have gone bad!"
Minghao walks over to the pair of them just as Jooheon's features shift into Junhui's. Minghao looks confused and looks at Seokmin. "How did you two get in? And where did the Jooheon and Soonyoung that were just standing here go?" His eyes narrow. "Aren't you two Gryffindors? How did you get in?"
"You haven't actually changed the password since last year's Mass jumble." Seokmin pipes up.
"Huh," Minghao glares at Hoseok, "I thought we did." Hoseok shrugs and picks up an éclair nonchalantly and shoved it into his mouth. Junhui and Seokmin share a knowing look.
Hoseok spits out the half-chewed éclair. "Blegh!" He splutters, hands flying about, "I need water! Someone! Have mercy on my tongue!"
Pained cries arose from the room as people spit out the food in their mouths, frantically grabbing water or Butterbeer from the table. Their panic intensifies when they find that the water doesn't help, just intensifies the pain.
"What did you do to my friends?!" Minghao screams, hands flying to his ice-cream coloured hair. He rushes to get water that wasn't from the table for his friends who are suffering.
Amidst the chaos, Junhui decides he doesn't want to stay in the Slytherin common room anymore and pulls out his wand. "Alohomora", he whispers, and slips out the door, pulling Seokmin along.
"Don't you think you should have gone a little easier on the chilli crystals?" Seokmin hisses, as soon as they're out of the dungeons.
"They're so tiny that they're hard to control." Comes the half-hearted reply.
"Do you think they'll ever know what it was?"
"No, Slytherins don't care for muggle things. They wouldn't know what chilli is, let alone the latest trend: chilli crystals." He pauses. "We're crashing at the Hufflepuff dorm, right?"
"Yeah." Seokmin answers, panting a little. "The house elves prepared a lot of food for them."
Well, Junhui finds out the next day that he is definitely wrong, and somehow, he is glad no one else in Hogwarts (except Half-bloods and Muggle-borns) knows the true meaning of the strong middle finger Minghao practically shoves in his face.
"Do you think we'll ever get to sleepover at the Slytherin dorm?" Seokmin asks sleepily in the middle of Transfiguration. He didn't get much sleep in the Hufflepuff dorm last night. Too much partying, accompanied by the scare of Professor Slughorn turning up (Thank goodness for the Grey Lady).
Junhui catches the angry look on Minghao's face. "Not after last night's episode."
"Wen Junhui! What's so interesting that you're talking nonstop about with Seokmin?!" Professor McGonagall asks, looking around at her class full of sleepy students. "Maybe it will wake all of you up!" She shakes her head disapprovingly. "Goodness knows what goes on every Thursday night for you all to be this sleepy!"
As Professor McGonagall turns back to the blackboard, the class full of students share a single knowing glance full of mischief. Unbeknownst to them, Minerva McGongall has long figured out what has been going on every Thursday night between the houses. She brought it up to Dumbledore once, but he shrugged and let it slide, claiming that it "better fostered house unity". Minerva rolls her eyes. So long as they stay alive and have good fun, she's fine with pretty much everything.