Sunday, January 8th. 06:15 AM. Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Vice Minister's office.
The office was busier than usual. A hive of activity hummed through the corridors. Distressed chatter from overworked employees, heavy doors opening and closing every second, and constant hooting from post owls disrupted the silence that usually reigned the weekends at the office. Other than that, it was a morning like any other in the Ministry of Magic.
Well, at least it had been until the vice minister heard a strange noise to his right. One brow raised, he glanced up from the report he had been working on for the past hour and scanned the room.
The neglected, dusty bookshelf, the vertical two-door cabinet full of badges and trophies, the large, old-fashioned fireplace. No signs of intrusion or disturbance. After a few beats of silence, he directed his attention back to the parchment in front of him. Barely a minute had passed when he heard the same noise again.
This time he was certain. It had come from the fireplace.
The vice minister drew his wand and rose from his office chair. It rolled backward until its backrest bumped against the bookshelf behind him bookshelf. He approached the fireplace, slowly, his wand directed at the dancing, orange flames.
He hesitated, listened. But nothing happened. The flames crackled mockingly around the firewood.
He rolled his eyes, starting to get annoyed. He was about to return to his seat when, in the blink of an eye, the flames turned emerald green. Tightening the grip around his wand, he braced himself as they hissed angrily and grew higher than the size of a man. The deadly spell had just begun to form on his lips when a person leaped out of the fire.
The vice minister was knocked off balance, stumbling backward against his desk as the attacker's arms wrapped around him. His familiar warmth encased him. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"David," he whined. "You scared me."
David laughed his hearty laugh. The one he showed a few select people. "That was the plan, Vassily."
"I almost cursed you!"
"Yeah, yeah, but you didn't!"
Vassily shook his head. "Thankfully."
David pulled away from him, grinning.
Vassily stifled a grin of his own. "What are you doing here anyway? You were supposed to lay low for another month."
"I know, I know. But laying low turned out to be a lot more boring than I thought."
"Laying low is supposed to be boring."
"I wanted to see you."
Vassily studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. You can stay for a while. But make sure you don't get caught."
"Yes, my Lord," joked David. Not that he had to use that title.
Vassily pointed his wand at the door on the other side of the room and muttered, "Colloportus."
The lock clicked closed.
He plopped back into his office chair and let his wand glide back into the inner pocket of his fine, plum-colored robes.
David spun the chair for him as he glanced around the room. The expensive paintings and portraits that covered almost every inch of the emerald tiled wall, the ceiling-high bookshelves, the ancient telescope in the corner, the self-watering plant next to the entrance, the flames in the fireplace that had returned to its original state. He ran a hand over the nameplate on Vassily's desk.
"Vice Minister Vassily Politovski," he read aloud. Another grin played across his lips. "It's officially been half a year since you got promoted. How does it feel?"
Vassily smiled. "It still feels amazing, of course. Pat told me the Wizengamot approved of the letter of recommendation I wrote for you."
"They did." David chuckled. "Thanks. Seems like I'll make a comeback as the Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic soon."
"You deserve nothing less."
A beat. David studied him again. "Are you busy?"
"A little. I am filing a report to the Daily Prophet." He couldn't stifle his grin this time. "They want to hear more about Minister Quintrell's incapability."
David snorted and took a seat on the ancient leather couch beside Vassily's desk. "Wonderful. It seems like everything is still going according to plan."
"For now," said Vassily. "Let us not get ahead of ourselves. We - "
"We still have a lot to do," he chuckled, "I know. You won't rest until you sit in the Prime Minister's chair, will you?"
Vassily nodded, his grin faltering. "I cannot. Not after how far we have come."
David smiled. "You didn't change one bit."
"Neither did you." Vassily picked up his writing feather and cleared his throat. "You cannot stay for long, by the way. I do not want you to take any unnecessary risks."
"Yeah, yeah. I wasn't planning to anyway. Like I said, I just wanted to see you."
Vassily didn't respond. They fell silent for a while.
No more than five minutes later, Vassily had finished his report. He tried to read it once more, making sure everything was in order, but the words slipped right through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.
David's presence worried him. The plan was already taking much longer than he had originally anticipated, and the cause had suffered more than just one setback. If they raised suspicion in the final and most crucial stage of their plan, Vassily would simply lose his mind.
David, however, appeared as calm and collected as ever.
He had made himself at home on the couch, stole a sip of Vassily's coffee, grabbed a stack of documents about the missing employees, and leisurely paged through them. He let out the occasional chuckle.
"Such a big fuss about a few missing muggleborns." David spat the last word, screwing up his nose with disdain. "It's not like they're of any value to the wizarding community. They don't belong in positions of power to begin with. All they do is abuse it anyway..."
"David," said Vassily, "you said you wanted to leave soon. It is unnecessarily risky for you to stay here any longer. If anybody sees you here, they might- "
"Relax. Even if someone saw me here, I'm sure I'd find a way to silence them."
"David."
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'll leave in a minute. Why are you so eager to get rid of me today?"
"I am not trying to get rid of you, I simply do not want you to get in trouble. We are too close to our goal."
David opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a firm knock on the door.
Vassily's eyes widened. "Go. Now."
David didn't budge. Instead he squinted at the door for a moment, as if trying to see through it. Then he smirked. "It's fine. It's one of us."
Vassily released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He released the lock on the door. "Who is it?"
The door opened and a tall, blond man stepped inside, an agitated look on his face.
"Oh, it is just you, Zachary," said Vassily. "Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts right now?"
Zachary waved off. He seemed to want to cut straight to the point. "Is it true?" he demanded in an irritated tone. "Liam said you gave the order to cancel the mission tomorrow. Is that true?"
The Vice Minister nodded. "Yes, that is in fact true."
"Vassily!"
"Is there a problem?"
"Just what are you waiting for?" complained Zachary. "Tomorrow would be the perfect opportunity to ambush him at King's Cross. In fact, we already had a million opportunities to do it in that stinky, old town he and his little friend are staying in. Matthew has been on his tail for two weeks now. Once the boy is in Hogwarts, it'll be a hassle to get our hands on him!"
Vassily shook his head and chuckled, which only seemed to irritate Zachary further. "Oh, Zachary. Always so hungry for violence. I've always appreciated that about you," he said calmly. "But right now is the time for patience."
David sighed. "I tried to convince him otherwise, but you know how he is," he addressed Zachary. "Once he's made up his mind about something, he won't stop until he makes it a reality."
"But why?" demanded Zachary. "Why would you go through all this trouble for someone as insignificant as him? I say let's just knock him out, take whatever it is that you're after, and move on!"
David considered him, then turned to Vassily. "You know, I have to agree with him there. I don't understand what you want with the boy, much less why you're so hesitant. You're the one who keeps saying that things are taking too long."
"If he is truly as powerful as the prophecy says, it will be a great advantage to have him on our side. It is the whole reason we have decided to consult the prophecy in the first place, after all."
Zachary gave a defeated sigh. He let himself fall into the armchair by the fireplace, raking a hand through his blond hair. "I really don't understand you sometimes."
"I do not need you to understand me," said Vassily. "I need you to trust me." His calm tone had evolved into a threatening one. "Do you trust me?"
Zachary pursed his lips and looked down at his hands. "...I do."
"Great. Then you should have no problem doing as I tell you."
"Alright." He stood, glaring at Vassily. "But if your plan fails...I won't hold back."
David practically jumped to his feet. "What? How dare you threaten our Lord?!"
But Zachary was already slamming the door shut behind himself.
David shook with anger, his hands balled into fists. "Do you want me to teach him a lesson?"
"Calm down. He is just frustrated and impatient. No need to go overboard."
"But! He's doubting you! Aren't you worried he might betray us?"
Vassily rested his fingertips against each other. "No. I do trust him. And besides, we need him for our plan. I fear he would not make it out alive if you were to 'teach him a lesson.'"
That got a malicious chuckle out of David. "You're not wrong about that." He approached Vassily's desk and squeezed his hand. A surprisingly gentle gesture for him. "I'll go now. Work hard."
Vassily nodded. "Do not get caught."
David threw some Floo powder into the fire, stepped into the angry flames, and disappeared in a flash of green.
Sunday, January 8th. 07:00 AM. Snowshill, Gloucestershire, 24 West End Lane. Choi San.
It was yet another rainy morning. Thick, icy drops had been hammering against the windowsill since before sunrise. A perfect day to spend wrapped in the cozy sheets of Wooyoung's bed, San thought. But they had different plans today.
Christmas break had come to an end, and it was time to travel back to Hogwarts.
He and Wooyoung rose at seven in the morning. They had already packed their bags the night before. They took their time preparing the last breakfast they'd be able to enjoy at Wooyoung's house for at least a few months.
San already knew he was going to miss this place.
As usual, he set the table while Wooyoung cooked up a delicious tower of pancakes and waffles for everyone.
Mr. Jung had originally offered to drive them back to the station, but the poor man was still drowning in work. He barely had enough time to finish his waffle before he stormed out the house, yelling, "have a safe trip, boys!"
So instead, Mrs. Jung kindly became their chauffeur for the day.
It took them two hours to reach King's Cross, leaving them with about half an hour to spare before the Hogwarts Express would leave. Mrs. Jung accompanied them all the way to platform ten. Once they arrived at the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten, she pulled Wooyoung into a tight hug.
"Be careful," she said. "I want you to stay out of trouble and send your father an owl every week, okay?"
Wooyoung laughed. "Got it, mom. I'll be a good boy. Now please let me breathe!"
"Sorry, darling." She chuckled and released him, holding him at arm's length for a moment. Then she turned to San, and embraced him as well. "The same goes for you too, dear. I'm leaving Wooyoung in your hands."
"I'll take good care of him, Mrs. J. That's a promise."
She smiled. Wooyoung took after his father, but his smile was a perfect copy of his mother's. "You're always welcome in our home, San. Come visit us whenever you like." She glanced at the clock overhead. "But you'd better go now. I wouldn't want you to miss your train because of me."
Wooyoung nodded. "See you next summer, mom."
"Goodbye, Mrs. J," San smiled. "Be safe on your way home."
Mrs. Jung handed them a lunch box of chicken sandwiches, gave Wooyoung one last kiss on the cheek and finally sent them on their way.
San shouldered their travel bags and took Wooyoung's hand. He scanned the area, making sure they didn't attract the muggles' attention as they walked as casually as possible toward the barrier separating platform nine and ten. They halted in front of the ticket box disguising it and pretended to buy some regular train tickets, checking their surroundings one final time. Once they'd assured nobody saw them, they leaned against the ticket box and slid right through the stone wall.
Stumbling out the other side of it, San and Wooyoung came face to face with the Hogwarts Express.
Platform nine and three quarters was remarkably less overcrowded than it would've been at the beginning of a school year. Still, it was packed with countless students parting with their families. A scarlet steam engine waited next to the platform, spewing out smoke that drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd. Some students hung out of the train windows to talk to their families.
It was a harsh contrast to the platforms in the muggle world they'd just come from; the magic this place radiated was almost palpable. Owls hooted at each other over the scraping of heavy trunks, everyone - save for a few students and muggle parents - wore long, flowy robes, and cats of every color wound here and there between people's legs. A sign overhead read, Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock.
San smiled. As much as he admired the muggle world, this world was his true home.
He and Wooyoung pushed through the clusters of people and boarded the train. They found an empty compartment near the end of the train. San tucked away their travel bags in a corner of their compartment and the two of them changed into their school uniforms.
Wooyoung let out a sigh as he plopped into his seat. San took the one across from him.
"Are you excited?" San asked. "You know, for the feast and everything?"
"Of course," said Wooyoung. A smile lit up his face - and the whole compartment for that matter. "I can't wait to see the others again. But at the same time, I'm definitely gonna miss having alone time with you."
San chuckled. "Who says we'll no longer have any?"
Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. "Come on. I just know that Jongho is going to cling to me again. He's pretty much a personal bodyguard at this point."
"Right."
San had nearly forgotten. Ever since the kidnapping incident, Jongho's behavior towards Wooyoung had changed the most out of all of them. As soon as he'd been discharged from the hospital wing, he'd begun to accompany Wooyoung pretty much everywhere. And whenever it was San's or Yeosang's turn to keep an eye on Wooyoung, he'd disappear to do strength training. He even neglected his studies and private life.
In a way, San understood him. He suspected Jongho, too, felt guilty about what had happened. He probably blamed himself for coming back to the dorm so late that night. Still, the sudden change in behavior had certainly come as a surprise to everyone, including San.
"I never would've expected him to have such a protective side to him," said San.
"I know. He used to be so... carefree." Wooyoung's features hardened. "It's my fault he ended up like this. If only I hadn't been - "
San reached for his hand. "Stop it," he said firmly. "None of this is your fault. How could you possibly have known what was going to happen that night? The only person who can be held accountable for this mess is the New Lord. And I... no, we are going to make him pay for it. Together."
Wooyoung met his eyes and managed a smile. "Together."
The train rattled into movement. Family members on the platform waved to their kids, some following the train until it left the station and rounded a corner. Houses flashed past the window, going faster and faster. Darkness embraced them as they passed a tunnel before they dove into neat, wide fields of frozen grasslands. As they steadily moved north, the scenery became wilder and the clouds overhead thickened.
Wooyoung's gaze was directed outside, his chin in the palm of his hand. He watched the rain distort the view as it splattered against the windows. An absent-minded smile played across his lips and his bangs fell into his face just right. He looked gorgeous as ever.
San really didn't want to ruin his peace by bringing up the thing he'd had on his mind ever since they'd left this morning. But unfortunately, he had to. He simply couldn't wait any longer.
The time turner in his pocket was practically burning in his hand. Now that they were no longer staying at Wooyoung's house, the risk of getting Wooyoung's father in trouble for illegally using a time turner was no longer hovering over them. And because they hadn't arrived at Hogwarts yet, they also didn't have to worry about getting caught by any teachers.
It was the perfect opportunity to take a trip to the past.
Maybe they'd be able to learn something, anything, about the New Lord and his goal. If San wanted to stop him, he had to figure out what he was planning first. His grip around the time turner tightened.
"...San?" San's head shot up at the sound of Wooyoung's alarmed voice. He was regarding him with warning eyes. Oh boy. "Tell me I misheard that."
"Misheard what?"
"Don't act dumb. Your thoughts!"
"Oh, right..." San sheepishly scratched the back of his head. Wooyoung's Legilimency skills were getting better and better each day. Apparently there was no need to explain the idea to him anymore. "Look, you said we could try it once we were out of your house."
"I know what I said but..." Wooyoung threw a concerned look toward the corridor and lowered his voice. "You want to use that thing here? We're on a train!"
"So?"
"So, what if we get thrown off?!"
"We won't. And even if something were to happen, we could always just come back to the present."
"San this is insane." Wooyoung raked a hand through his hair. If this hadn't been such a serious conversation, San would have probably reminded him how attractive he looked when he did that. "We don't even know what time to travel to or... or if we'll even find anything useful!"
"I've already decided what time we will be traveling to," said San. He pulled a handwritten note out of his pocket and handed it to Wooyoung. Vassily Politovski. Vice Minister of the Ministry of Magic. Born June 21st, 1987, it read. "Your father dug up some information about the New Lord for me. It's not much but it's a place to start at least. If he attended Hogwarts, it must have been from 1998 to 2005."
Wooyoung stared at the piece of paper for several seconds before he returned it, his expression unreadable. For the first time in a while, San had no clue what he was thinking. He moved to sit next to Wooyoung.
"The Hogwarts Express leaves on September 1st every year. It's safe to assume that he was on it." San cupped Wooyoung's face and gently grazed his cheek with his thumb. The crease on his forehead eased the tiniest bit, but he wouldn't meet his eyes. "I can't read minds like you can, Wooyoung. Tell me what you're thinking."
"Just..." Wooyoung sighed. "What if something goes wrong? Time travel has to be the most dangerous thing we could possibly engage in," he said. "We could mess something up, get stuck in a time loop, create a timeline where we were never born..."
San chuckled. "Where's the dauntless boy from yesterday gone?"
"That's hardly comparable."
"Don't worry. We won't even be seen, remember? We'll just watch. We won't be able to change the past even if we wanted to," explained San. He pulled out the time turner and put its long, thin chain around his neck.
Wooyoung bit his lip in thought, eyeing the device. Contemplating.
"I'm not going to force you to come along if you don't want to," San added. "But I'm willing to take this risk. In fact, I have to." He tipped up Wooyoung's chin to make him look at him. "Are you?"
Wooyoung looked deep into his eyes. Then he pushed away his hand. "Are you kidding? I'm not staying behind, if that's what you're implying."
"Wooyoung."
"I'm coming with you," he said firmly and put the chain around his neck as well. "No matter how dangerous it is, I'm not letting you go alone."
San smiled. That was the Wooyoung he knew.
He glanced at the compartment door. If somebody walked by, they'd definitely be able to see what they were doing.
Wooyoung caught on and drew the curtains. "Let's go," he said. "Before I have time to change my mind."
San nodded and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at the time turner in his hand and tapped it twice. "September 1st, 2003. 11:15 AM."
It was like the train had pulled the brakes. Everything around them began to slow. Time itself came to a standstill, as if it had stopped running altogether. Then it gradually began to spool backwards, faster and faster until the world around them spun out of control. San closed his eyes as he endured the familiar yet nauseating feeling of his insides being pressed together, then stretched out. It felt like falling from the sky, the uncomfortable tingling in his legs. And a few long seconds later, everything returned to normal.
San reopened his eyes. It was no longer raining outside. Bright rays of sunlight flooded the compartment, dowsing it in a warm, golden light. The air was hot and stuffy and the room temperature had doubled.
Wooyoung, who'd kept his eyes shut tightly for the past minute or so, slowly opened them. He glanced around.
"Did...Did it work?"
"I think so," said San with a grin.
He'd done it. He'd officially built himself a functional time turner.
San let the device glide back into the inner chest pocket of his robes. "Welcome to 2003, baby."
Wooyoung breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad we didn't end up on the rails."
"I told you we'd be fine."
"Yeah, yeah. What now?"
Good question. The Hogwarts Express was probably packed with students. San hadn't thought about how they were going to find the New Lord amongst them.
He rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "Why don't we start by just heading down the corridor? We could peek into the compartments, see if we can find anything."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Good. Then let's - "
The sound of voices right outside their compartment made them freeze. It sounded like they were coming closer, fast.
San and Wooyoung exchanged alarmed glances, yet neither of them could react before the door slid open.
"Yeah. Hogwarts is an absolute dump but it still beats that horrible place I refuse to call my home any longer. I wish I could just – "
Wooyoung slapped a hand over his mouth in shock and San's insides crumpled into a tiny ball. He couldn't believe his eyes.
Six students piled into the compartment, all of them boys, making San and Wooyoung back against the window. Among them were none other than the sixteen year-old versions of Vassily Politovski and David Donovan themselves. But that wasn't all.
They were looking directly at San and Wooyoung.
"Oh," said David. He took a step backwards. "I guess this one's occupied too now."
"So are all the other compartments on this half of the train," Vassily retorted. He spoke in a bold, slavic accent. "But this one is not as full. I say unless Nadia and Pat have found an empty one on the other half, we should probably settle for this one."
"Vas is right," agreed one of the other boys behind them. San didn't recognize him. "It's better than splitting up."
David sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He almost seemed... reserved. Much unlike the cold-blooded torturer San now knew him as. "Fine, if you say so."
The other boys nodded and Vassily turned to Wooyoung, smiling. "Sorry, but would you mind if my friends and I joined you here? We are kind of a big group."
Wooyoung opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He only clung to San's arm and stared at David with fear written in his eyes.
San pulled Wooyoung behind himself and forced a smile. "Of course. We were, uh, just about to look for our own friends anyway."
"Is that so?" Vassily grinned. "Well, perfect. Thank you."
San gave him an awkward nod. He led Wooyoung past the small group, eager to get out of that compartment. He could only hope they wouldn't remember their faces. Once the door slid shut behind them, he turned to Wooyoung. "Are you okay?"
Wooyoung only pulled him further away from the door, his face paler than ever. "Why can they see us?!"
"I don't know!"
"You said we were supposed to be invisible!"
"I know, and we were! I have no clue what went wrong!"
"What if they recognized- I mean, will recognize us?"
"They only saw us for a few seconds and to them we were just two random students. I doubt they memorized our faces... I hope."
"You hope?" Wooyoung rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Whatever. Let's just go back to the present for now and - "
"Whoa, what? No, we haven't even learned anything yet!"
"San, please. Lurking around here will only give them more chances to see and remember us! Who knows what'll happen if we accidentally change something!"
San put his hands on Wooyoung's shoulders in an attempt to calm him. "Look, I hear you. We'll be careful. We'll just stay out here in the hallway and eavesdrop on them for a bit, okay?"
Wooyoung gnawed on his lip in thought. He glanced at the compartment they had just left. There was no denying his curiosity. "You're insane, you know that?"
"I prefer the word courageous."
He sighed. "We head back right away if anything happens."
San grinned. "Deal."
"Then let's hurry."
San gave a nod and carefully stepped closer to the compartment door. He pressed his ear against the wall beside it. Wooyoung did the same on the right side of the door. They had to crouch to not be seen through the windows.
San furrowed his brows and tried to press his ear even closer to the wall. He could barely make out a word they were saying over the noisy rattling of the train.
In the corner of his eye, he saw how Wooyoung drew his wand and pointed it at his ear. "Clarisonus," he muttered.
Then he did the same for San. The voices became louder and clearer until San could make out every word they were saying.
Genius. A hearing amplifying charm.
"I'm just wondering where those two students came from," said a voice San recognized as David's. "I could've sworn the compartment was empty when I passed by here a minute ago and went to get you guys."
"Doesn't matter, Dave. At least they left."
"Exactly. No need to overthink it. I'm just glad we finally get to rest our feet. The school year hasn't even started and I'm already tired."
"You can say that again."
"Did you see that one guy, though? How he was hiding behind his friend when we came in? He looked at Dave like he was the ghost of his grandma or something."
"Yeah, who the hell was that guy? Do you know him, Dave? He was a Gryffindor too."
"Never seen him. And I also don't care."
"True, you suck with faces. I bet you wouldn't even recognize him if he slept in the same dorm as you."
"Weirdo."
Damn it. San couldn't tell their voices apart at all. He had to find out who these people were or this whole spiel was going to be for nothing. Bracing himself against the wall, he shifted to his knees and craned his neck just enough to be able to peek inside the compartment.
A tall, blond Gryffindor and a dark-haired Ravenclaw sat on the left side of the compartment, across from two Slytherins, one of which looked rather relaxed while the other wore a sarcastic sneer. Vassily and David sat on the same side as the two Slytherins, Vassily actively engaging in their conversation while David stared grimly out the window.
A chill ran down San's spine. Seeing David, a guy who was ready to torture a person without the blink of an eye, as a reserved teenager was beyond strange. He looked so normal. Kind of shy, even. How the hell had he turned into a murderer?
San shook his head. He could still think about that later. For now he had to try to extract as much information as he could from their conversation.
"Matthew, what about you?" Vassily addressed the only Ravenclaw. "I take it you spent all summer studying again?"
One of the Slytherins laughed.
Matthew scoffed. "We'll talk again when you have N.E.W.Ts coming up. I learned all the spells in advance just to be sure."
"Nerd."
"I heard you're a prefect too this year," said the calm Slytherin. "Congrats, man. I'm happy for you."
"I appreciate it, Liam. I wish I could be happy about it too, but it ultimately just means more work for me."
"Being seventeen must be great though," the Gryffindor guy sighed. "I wish I could use magic at home. Make my sister shut her trap for a week."
That Slytherin laughed again. "Of course you'd be the first to curse your entire family, Zach."
"How many times, Joshua. It's Zachary. Stop calling me Zach or I'll curse you next." San's head hurt trying to keep track of all the names.
"Enough, you two. Nobody's cursing anybody under my watch." Matthew said and broke into a grin. "Save that for the new teacher."
Vassily perked up. "We have a new teacher?"
David finally managed to rip his gaze from the window. "Oh, I heard about that too." He made a face. "What was his name again?"
"Professor Finch-Fletchley," spat Matthew. He let out a mocking laugh. "You can just tell he's a Mudblood."
David screwed up his nose. "And here I thought Hogwarts couldn't get any worse. What a shithole."
San glanced at Wooyoung, whose features had hardened. In the present, Professor Finch-Fletchley was their Transfiguration teacher. He was a kind man and a talented professor. Hearing those people call him by such a disrespectful slur made San's blood boil.
"Ugh, I second that. He'd better not be as annoying as Professor Park. She's not a Mudblood but about as brainless as one."
The sound of footsteps approaching made San whirl around. But this time he and Wooyoung were quicker to react.
Wooyoung crawled over to San's side of the door and put a hand on his chest, pushing him against the wall. Then he wrapped his arms around his neck and promptly kissed him. San put his hands on his hips and pulled him closer, making sure the group of students approaching couldn't see their faces.
Glancing past Wooyoung, he spotted a stern-looking Slytherin guy, a brunette Slytherin girl, and a timid Hufflepuff guy rush into the compartment. They didn't pay San and Wooyoung any mind.
"We finally found you. The other half of the train is completely full."
"Pat, Nadia. There you are," he heard Vassily say. "I see you brought Ilya too. Why?"
"He just followed us. We tried to lose him, believe me. But he sticks like gum."
The door slid shut once more. San pulled away and grinned. "Nice tactic. We should use it more often."
Wooyoung rolled his eyes but couldn't stifle a grin. "Oh, shut up. I hope we won't get into too many situations like this from now on. I'd much rather do this in a less tense setting."
"Come on, don't you kind of like the adrenaline?"
"Adrenaline, my ass."
San pressed a brief kiss to Wooyoung's forehead before the two assumed their positions on either side of the compartment door again and continued to eavesdrop. The three newcomers had taken their seats on the left side, next to Matthew and Zachary.
"Finally everyone's here," said Joshua. "I was almost worried we were gonna have to break the tradition of sharing a compartment every year."
"For real," said the stiff Slytherin guy they had called Pat, "the school should really invest in a few more compartments."
Nadia gave a laugh. "Don't kid yourself, Patrick. That mope of a headmaster wouldn't lift a finger for the life of him. I swear he's only doing this job 'cause the ministry has no other use for him." Her accent resembled Vassily's, though hers was a lot fainter.
Matthew nodded. "I second that. Back in my first year, when the school was still ruled by Death Eaters, we had so much more freedom."
"Right, I heard they even taught you guys the dark arts back then," said David. A dreamful smile appeared on his face, which made a shiver run down San's back. "Man, if only I had been born a year sooner."
The Hufflepuff guy shifted uncomfortably, his eyes directed to the ground. He didn't say a word. At least until Zachary began to eye him, his features screwed up with disdain.
"Hey Ilya," he said, nudging him with his foot. "Do you have to stink up our compartment every year? One would think you'd finally find some friends of your own after five years at Hogwarts." Nadia and Patrick chuckled.
"L-Liam is my friend!" he retorted, throwing Liam a pleading look. "Right, Liam...?"
Liam shrugged. "I don't know if I'd call us that."
"We're in the same year!"
"I'd say you're acquaintances at best," sneered Zachary, which earned him laughter from everyone except Ilya.
He pursed his lips and looked back at the ground.
"Come on, everyone. No need to be so mean to my baby brother," Vassily threw in. "He may be a loser but he has feelings too." More laughter. His words were nice on paper but his tone was more than condescending.
San couldn't help but wonder why Ilya didn't just leave. Surely it was better to sit in a compartment by himself instead of getting humiliated by his brother's friend group. Yet, Ilya didn't move. He simply endured it.
The group continued their chat and shared some snacks Liam offered. The train zoomed further north passing the wild fields and mountains of the countryside.
"By the way, Vas. Aren't you excited for this year's Quidditch season?" asked Nadia.
Joshua nodded eagerly. "Yeah, we can't let anyone break Slytherin's winning streak this year!"
Vassily gave an awkward chuckle. "I am excited, of course. But I do not think that I will be trying out for the team this year."
"What?" Nadia's jaw dropped. "Why?! You're the best Keeper Slytherin has ever had!"
David's eyes met Vassily's for a moment, exchanging meaningful, dark glances before David directed his attention back to the wild fields rushing by the window.
"Don't tell me it's because of that kid that died last year?" Zachary rolled his eyes. "That had nothing to do with you."
"Exactly," Joshua agreed, "we can't win the season without you, man."
Vassily's smile faltered for a moment. "I appreciate it, really. But I am certain they will find a better man in no time. Besides," a malicious grin spread across his handsome face, "now that I don't have practice anymore, we'll have more time for our... extracurricular activity."
Those words put grins on the others' faces as well.
San furrowed his brows. Extracurricular activity? What did he mean by that?
"Hey. You two."
San and Wooyoung whirled around at the sound of a familiar, female voice.
San's jaw dropped. He promptly got to his feet and joined Wooyoung's side. "Headmistress Park?"
There was no doubt about it. Before them stood none other than Headmistress Park. She looked younger of course, probably in her early twenties. But she had the same pretty features and long, raven hair. She wore neat, navy blue robes and carried a leather briefcase. She also had the same quiet and elegant way to carry herself. They hadn't even heard her footsteps.
She gave San a bewildered look. "Headmistress? What are you talking about?" Wooyoung elbowed his side. The headmistress shook her head. "And what are you doing out in the hallway? You should stay in your compartment while we are moving."
"S-Sorry, ma'am," said San. "We're, um..." He looked at Wooyoung for help.
"...looking for our friends."
She narrowed her sharp eyes at them. "You'll have plenty of time to see your friends at the feast." She glanced at the emerald badge on San's uniform. "Five points from Slytherin. Now go find a seat."
San opened his mouth in disbelief. "But ma'am, you don't understand. That's not - "
"Mommy, I want Chocolate Frogs. You said you were gonna buy some!"
Their eyes dropped to the little boy behind her. San hadn't even noticed him until now. He looked about five years old, his big, brown eyes as round as his face. His dark grey robes were at least two sizes too big for him, making him appear even smaller as he tugged on Headmistress Park's arm.
Her features softened as she patted her son's raven hair. "And I will. Just be patient for a minute, alright? I'll get you a Cauldron Cake too."
The boy's face lit up. "Really? You promise?"
"I promise," she chuckled. A sound San had been sure he'd never hear fall from her lips. "Now be a good boy, Seonghwa."
San had to restrain himself from showing any kind of reaction. Who would've thought they'd run into five-year old Seonghwa?
"Why are you still here?" the headmistress demanded, back to her sharp demeanor. "Hurry along before I take more points from you."
"Y-Yes, ma'am," said Wooyoung, pulling on San's arm. Headmistress Park gave them one last disapproving look before she and little Seonghwa continued their path further down the train.
"I can't believe she only took points from my house," San grumbled once they were out of earshot.
"It's not like it matters," grinned Wooyoung. "This is 2003, remember?"
"Still... Just because you're beautiful doesn't mean you don't deserve punishment."
Wooyoung chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Now, come on. We should really head back. We can't run into anyone else."
"You're right."
San pulled out the time turner and swiftly put the chain around their necks. He tapped the device one time with his wand.
Once again, the world around them slowed to a halt, spooled backwards, and began to spin at a nauseating pace. Seconds later, they were back in the present.
Wooyoung staggered to the side a little once they arrived.
San grabbed his arm. "Are you alright?"
"Does traveling through time always feel terrible?"
"Kind of," he chuckled. "But you'll get used to it."
San looked around. Luckily, nobody seemed to have seen them appear out of thin air.
"Our encounters in the past don't seem to have changed anything," he observed. "We didn't overwrite our births at least."
Wooyoung chuckled weakly. "Seems like it. We got incredibly lucky."
San eyed him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, of course. Let's go."
The two of them headed back to their compartment and sat in silence for several moments.
Wooyoung was looking out of the window again, his demeanor more quiet and pensive than San had ever seen. A deep crease had formed between his eyebrows and his fingers fumbled anxiously with the fabric of his robes.
San felt numb watching him. The hard expression on Wooyoung's face reminded him too much of the night they had rescued him from the Department of Mysteries.
Wooyoung hadn't expected to see David during their trip to the past. He hadn't been prepared for what standing face-to-face with the man who had tortured him would do to him mentally. And right now he was most likely trying to hide it from San.
San didn't know what to say. Had he known that they were going to encounter David, he would've never let Wooyoung accompany him. He hadn't even realized that David and Vassily were the same age. That they'd known each other for so long.
But San had seen it with his own eyes.
There were so many questions soaring through San's head. Who was the kid they said had died the year before and why did it result in Vassily giving up his spot on the Quidditch team? Did they have something to do with it? And what had Vassily meant by extracurricular activity? San doubted he was referring to a regular, harmless club. And most importantly, was this friend group related to the Cleanse people working with the New Lord today? He needed to find out more as soon as possible.
Yet, San refused to mention any of this to Wooyoung. At least not right now. He was already upset enough as is, and San felt guilty for dragging him into this mess in the first place. He tried to push aside the anger that threatened to boil up inside of him again. This wasn't the time to think about his revenge plans either.
What worried him the most was Wooyoung's silence.
Still, San couldn't just turn off his curiosity about whether Wooyoung had recognized any of the New Lord's friends besides David.
"I did." Wooyoung spoke up suddenly, without looking away from the window. "Five of them."
"Huh?"
"I recognized five of those students... from back then."
"Wooyoung, I-"
"Obviously there was Vassily and... David," he began, trying to sound as if it didn't bother him, "but I also recognized some of the others. That one guy who..."
San moved to his side again and interrupted him by taking both of Wooyoung's hands in his.
"Later, alright?" San said softly. "Tell me about it later. Let's forget about all that for now and worry about it at the castle." He gave his hands a gentle squeeze.
Wooyoung closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Come here," whispered San and pulled him into a long hug.
"Sorry," Wooyoung mumbled into San's shirt. "I'm all over the place right now."
"No, I'm sorry I made you go through this. It's my fault for building a faulty time-turner. We were supposed to be invisible and that asshole wasn't supposed to be there." San pulled away just enough to look at Wooyoung. "I love you."
That earned him a smile. "I love you too."
The compartment door slid open. San turned to see two familiar faces peek inside.
"There you are!" said Jongho, rushing to claim the seat across from Wooyoung. "We've been looking all over for you!"
Yunho followed, taking a seat next to him. "Yeah, we checked every single compartment like three times," he chuckled. "I think Professor Robinson would throw Jongho off his Quidditch team if we knocked one more time. Where have you been hiding for the past hour?"
San and Wooyoung looked at each other. An hour? San checked his wristwatch.
It was true. It was already past noon. Apparently, time had passed in the present while they were traveling through time.
"Well, um..." Wooyoung stammered. His voice rang in San's mind. Do we tell them?
San shook his head. Not yet, he thought.
Wooyoung gave a nod.
"Why is it so dark in here by the way?" asked Yunho and stood up to open the curtains covering windows to the corridor. He showed a suggestive grin. "What were you two doing in here that prompted you to draw the curtains?"
San rolled his eyes. "Not what you're thinking."
"Uh-huh, sure. Please don't elaborate," said Jongho, shuttering.
"Agreed," grinned Yunho. "We're better off not knowing any details."
"Oh, shut up," San said.
Jongho eyed Wooyoung worriedly. "Are you okay, Woo? You're really quiet." He was observant as ever.
"Me?" Wooyoung smiled. "I'm fine."
"You sure? You don't look so hot."
"Relax, Jongho. I'm just tired and hungry is all."
Jongho raised his hands in defense. "Alright, alright. I'm just making sure."
He and Yunho stored their travel bags in the same corner as San and Wooyoung's, though Jongho kept his backpack in his lap. He produced a water bottle from it and handed it to Wooyoung before carefully zipping it up again.
At around one, clattering outside in the corridor announced the snack lady, a plump witch with a food trolley. San bought a set of Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Juice for the four of them to enjoy over a chat. They talked about anything and everything, from what they did over the break to which subjects they absolutely didn't look forward to studying again. Wooyoung eventually fell asleep on San's shoulder, which made the others continue their conversation in a whisper.
Wind roared across the landscape and rattled the train. As they sped further north, woods and twisting rivers replaced the neat fields. Heavy rain hammered against the windows and blurred the rolling hills outside. The sky had turned so dark that the lanterns were lit by midday.
Wooyoung woke up at six and finished the water Jongho had handed him. "How far are we?"
San once again checked his wristwatch. "I'd say we'll arrive in about two hours."
Wooyoung groaned. "My ass hurts from sitting for so long."
"Same."
"Don't forget to put on your coats and scarfs before we get off. I'm sure it'll be freezing in Hogsmeade," Yunho reminded them.
"You're right," agreed Jongho. Once again he consulted his backpack and pulled out his Gryffindor scarf.
Yunho glanced over at him with narrowed eyes. "Are those... flowers in your backpack?"
Jongho's eyes widened.
Wooyoung perked up and peering inside. An excited gasp. "You brought roses?!"
"T-That's, um-" San didn't think he'd live to see the day Choi Jongho blushed. But there he sat, beet-red, fumbling with the zipper. "No!"
It was too late, they'd all seen them. Countless beautiful, orange roses wrapped in golden silk and carefully tucked away in his backpack.
Yunho grinned, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "I was wondering why you were holding onto that backpack all day! You looked like you had a baby in there!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Wooyoung beamed. "Yeosang is going to freak out!"
Yunho paused. "They are for Yeosang... right?"
Jongho scowled. "...Who else would they be for? Idiot."
"Wow," grinned San, "I had no idea you were such a romantic, Jongho."
"Stop it, you guys. I'm already unsure enough about this as is. What if roses are... you know, too much?"
Wooyoung laughed. "Don't be stupid. Roses are perfect. You're gonna sweep him right off his feet with these."
Hope flashed across Jongho's face. "You think?"
"One hundred percent."
They spent the final two hours teasing Jongho until he threatened to beat them all to a pulp if they didn't shut up. The rain had calmed a little. San could make out mountains and forests under the deep purple sky when the train began to slow down.
A voice echoed through the train. "We will be reaching Hogsmeade Station in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
The four of them gathered their belongings and joined the other students thronging the corridor. Once the train had finally stopped, they made their way out onto the tiny, dark platform.
Perched atop the high mountain on the other side of the lake was the vast Hogwarts castle. It was as beautiful a sight as ever, its windows sparkling in the starry sky and its many turrets and towers glistening in the light rain driving down in icy sheets.
San shivered in the cold air. He pulled his damp scarf and coat tighter around his body, then took Wooyoung's hand and put it in his pocket.
Everyone made their way down the platform and piled onto a rough mud track, where a dozen carriages awaited them just like the beginning of every school year.
But there was something very different about them this time.
The carriages normally pulled by an invisible force - or so San had guessed - were now tied to creatures he'd never seen before. Winged horses with skeletal bodies, faces with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that reminded San of overgrown bats.
"Thestrals," breathed Wooyoung. "Of course."
The realization seemed to hit them all at the same time. None of them had ever been able to see the thestrals before. Only people who had witnessed death could see them. And all of them had seen Wooyoung's uncle die right in front of them.
A heavy silence weighed on them as they climbed inside their carriage. Once Yunho had closed its door, it immediately set off, bumping and swaying in procession. They trundled toward the familiar pair of magnificent wrought-iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged bars that marked the entrance to Hogwarts grounds.
Sunday, January 8th. 08:21 PM. Hogwarts, Great Hall. Kang Yeosang.
The welcoming feast was about to begin and Yeosang could barely sit still. His eyes were glued to the heavy doors guarding the entrance. More and more students piled into the Great Hall, their excited chatter and laughter filling the air as they reunited with their friends and found their seats.
But there was no sign of Jongho yet.
Yeosang sat at the Ravenclaw table, across from Seonghwa who had spent the past fifteen minutes enthusing about a book on Ancient Runes he'd annotated this morning. Even though it was kind of interesting, Yeosang only listened with half an ear. He went back and forth between nervously drumming his fingers on his napkin and fumbling around with his cutlery.
He was burning to see him. Even if it was only for a few seconds.
How ridiculous he must look, getting nervous and excited over a guy he'd seen almost every day for years. A guy who used to be nothing but a mutual friend of Wooyoung's to him. A guy who made Yeosang's heart skip whenever he crossed his mind. A guy who just so happened to have the softest lips in the castle.
"Yeosang...?"
He whipped his head in Seonghwa's direction. "Huh? What?"
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Oh, um, sorry. I zoned out for a bit."
Seonghwa smiled. "No matter. I was just wondering about the new teacher."
"New teacher?"
Yeosang glanced at the long teachers' table opposite the entrance. Most professors had already taken their usual seats. Professors Finch-Fletchley, Bones, and Longbottom, the youngest of the faculty, sat at the far left end of the table, engaged in a hushed conversation that left them chuckling. Professor Snippet, an elderly wizard with ridiculously long, grey hair and indigo silk robes, sat on the opposite end, silently invested in a thick book. To his left sat Professor Robinson, the Quidditch coach who had arrived only a few minutes ago, was happily playing with the ends of her long ginger hair as Professor Knotts stared off into space next to her. Headmistress Park sat in the very center on a throne-like chair, her sharp eyes monitoring the hall.
The chair to her right, however, was empty. It was the chair Professor Donovan used to occupy before he "resigned" last month.
"Yeah," said Seonghwa, "I came across his application file while working on documents with my mother. I heard he arrived yesterday, but he's nowhere to be seen."
Yeosang furrowed his brows. Could the new teacher be the guy he and Mingi had bumped into yesterday? That would explain why they hadn't seen him around before. "Running late, perhaps?"
"Maybe. He'd better be taking his job seriously."
Yeosang laughed. "You sound just like your mother."
Seonghwa's cheeks took on a light shade of pink as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Nonsense..."
Yeosang eyes flickered toward the entrance once again. This time he finally saw him.
Jongho.
Butterflies in his stomach, Yeosang instantly shot to his feet. He watched as Wooyoung, San, and Yunho appeared behind Jongho who had stopped in his tracks, his eyes scanning the Ravenclaw table. Without a second thought, Yeosang raised a hand.
His heart once again skipped a beat when their eyes finally met. A smile brightened Jongho's face.
Yeosang couldn't take it any longer.
Before he knew what had gotten into him, he'd stepped over the bench and began to sprint toward him. He could feel the other students' eyes on him as he did, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. His tunnel vision was activated, and all he saw was Jongho.
Jongho dropped the backpack he was holding and took a few steps forward, his arms wide open. Yeosang dove into his embrace as soon as he reached him. Chuckling, Jongho wrapped his arms around him, picked him up, and spun him around, once, twice. He was still holding Yeosang's waist even after they pulled apart.
For one long moment, they just stood and stared as they held each other, smiling like idiots.
"I missed you," said Yeosang as if that wasn't blatantly obvious.
"Me too," grinned Jongho. "Two weeks have never felt this long before."
"Seriously."
They both let out awkward chuckles, feeling giddy to the point of speechlessness. Then Jongho's eyes widened. He let go of Yeosang and hastily picked up the backpack he'd dropped. Horror washed over his features. "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?"
"No, no, I'm such an idiot." He unzipped the backpack and pulled out a beautiful bouquet of orange roses, wrapped in thin, golden fabric. Some of them were a little bent, the petals squished together. Jongho tried to straighten them out, which only resulted in more rose petals falling to the ground. "So much for my romantic gesture," he mumbled in disappointment. "These were supposed to be for you."
Heat rose to Yeosang's cheeks. "For me?"
"Y-Yeah..." He gave Yeosang an apologetic look and sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "I tried so hard to preserve them but now they're ruined."
"Are you kidding? Jongho, these are gorgeous."
"You... You think so? I swear they were flawless when I got them."
Yeosang laughed. "They're perfect. Can I... have them?"
"Oh! Of course." Jongho hastily handed him the roses. They smelled as amazing as they looked.
"Thanks, Jongho," Yeosang couldn't contain his smile. "I love them."
Jongho grinned from ear to ear.
"So you're just going to ignore your best friend of seventeen years?" Remembering that they weren't alone on this planet, Yeosang and Jongho turned to face Wooyoung who had appeared next to them, arms crossed. He shook his head in faux disappointment. "I can't believe I lost the number one spot on your priority list."
"Come on now, Woo," Yeosang chuckled as he embraced him, careful not to damage the flowers. "You'll always be my top priority."
Wooyoung smiled when they let go again. He gingerly held a hand to his collarbone. "I'm flattered."
San, who stood behind him acknowledged Yeosang with a smile.
Yunho was with them as well, though his attention was directed elsewhere. Following his eyes, Yeosang spotted Mingi, who was making his way over from the Slytherin table. His stance was uncharacteristically awkward as he approached Yunho.
The two eyed each other for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to go for a hug or a handshake, until Mingi pulled Yunho into his arms. Yunho returned his hug, a smile on his face.
"It's, uh, nice to see you," said Mingi.
Yunho's smile widened. "Yeah, you too."
Though the air between them was still somewhat awkward, Yeosang considered this a win. Yeosang's countless speeches about how Mingi should try to be more honest about his feelings seemed to have accomplished something.
Their little reunion was cut short when Professor Knotts came over and told them to finally take their seats. When San began to follow Wooyoung and Jongho, Knotts made sure to stop him and steer him toward the Slytherin table, despite San's angry protests. Yeosang, too, could only throw Jongho another smile before he returned to his seat across from Seonghwa, who eyed the flowers with an unreadable expression.
Soon, all students had settled down and the sound of a fork clinking against glass prompted them to direct their attention to the faculty table.
"Quiet down, please," said Professor Snippet as Headmistress Park rose from her seat and stepped up to the podium.
She cleared her throat and glanced across the student body. "First and foremost, I would like to welcome back all students who have returned to the castle tonight. I hope that you have found the time to rest without neglecting your studies. I recommend you enjoy the feast and head to sleep timely so that you may be well-rested and energized for your morning classes which will resume tomorrow."
A collective groan went through the crowd of students. The headmistress ignored them and Professor Snippet once again shouted for everyone to quiet down.
"Before we begin the feast, however, I have something to announce. As most of you are probably aware, the biennial occupational guidance workshops will begin next Sunday. All sixth and seventh-year students are obligated to participate in two workshops that will offer an advanced study of the subject of their choosing. This is to help you figure out what career you would like to pursue after you graduate. The workshops will be led by experts and professionals from each field. Normally, these workshops take place in Hogwarts. This year, however, will be a bit special."
Yeosang shot a questioning glance at Seonghwa, who only shrugged.
"Choi Yeonjun's parents have generously invited us to spend one whole week at their high-end luxury ski-resort in Switzerland."
Excited gasps and murmurs filled the Great Hall. Luxury ski-resort? Sixth and seventh-year students exchanged thrilled grins while the younger students scowled and complained about unfairness.
Headmistress Park raised her hand, and the chatter faded. "As the Choi Mountain Winter Resort is located near an all-magic village, it will be the perfect location to host our occupational guidance workshops while granting all students, professors, and experts involved the space and resources needed. Please use the coming week to decide which two subjects you would like to sign up for and notify the head of your house of your choice by next Saturday, as you will leave on the following Sunday evening. Note that you will be there to learn, not to entertain yourselves. Should you misbehave in any way and mar the school's reputation, you will be sent back to Hogwarts immediately."
Excitement rose up in Yeosang's chest. Advanced courses taught by professionals. He already knew which subjects he was going to sign up for.
"Lastly, I have one more announcement to make. Starting tomorrow, our new teacher, Professor Abston, will teach all Divination classes." Once again, murmurs and whispers erupted. Students curiously craned their necks, trying to spot a new face at the faculty table. His chair was still empty. "Due to... urgent business... he, unfortunately, could not join us tonight. But I am sure you will meet him soon enough."
Yeosang furrowed his brows. Urgent business? On his first day?
After a meaningful pause, the headmistress allowed herself a small smile. "Now without any further delay, let us begin the banquet."
She raised her hands to clap twice and an abundance of food appeared on the tables, earning cheers from the students. Despite witnessing a huge feast like this three times every school year, Yeosang couldn't help but gasp at the sheer amount of dishes in front of him. Piles among piles of roast beef, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak and kidney pie, peas, carrots, fries, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, burgers, and, much to Yeosang's delight, huge piles of chicken. Cooked, fried, deep fried with and without bones - Yeosang didn't even know where to begin.
Seonghwa chuckled as he observed Yeosang's indecisiveness, already chewing on a lamb chop. "Are you just going to stare at the food or are you actually going to eat something?"
"Of course I'm going to eat something. That chicken pile is mine. And that one too."
"Thought so."
When Yeosang still couldn't bring himself to choose between the various kinds of chicken, he simply loaded three pieces of each onto his plate, along with some fries.
Seonghwa let out a pleased hum as he tried the potato salad. "Heavenly as always."
Yeosang silently agreed. To say the food was delicious would be the understatement of the year. He devoured the meat within minutes. Before getting seconds, Yeosang glanced at the faculty table once more. His eyes lingered on the empty chair beside Headmistress Park.
Seonghwa followed his gaze. "You seem to have a lot on your mind today."
"Yeah..."
"...Care to talk about it?"
Yeosang considered. "That new teacher... I don't like him."
Seonghwa chuckled. "How do you know that? He's not even here yet."
"I already met him."
"You did?"
He nodded. "Yesterday, with Mingi. I bumped into him near the library. Or, well. He bumped into me."
"Oh," said Seonghwa. "And? What was he like?"
Yeosang frowned at the memory. "Weird. And kind of rude. But most importantly..." He smelled like blood. "His... vibe was off. I don't know, he had this aura of danger around him. I don't trust him."
Seonghwa raised a brow. "His vibe and aura."
"I know, I know." Yeosang sighed, knowing how ridiculous he must sound. "I don't have any proof that he's sketchy or anything. I'm just saying that it might be a good idea to steer clear of him."
Seonghwa studied him for a moment, then smiled. "Well, if you say so, then there must be some truth to it. His teaching subject is Divination, correct? Good thing I didn't take that."
"Yeah." Yeosang grinned. "You didn't strike me as the spiritual type."
He'd meant it as a half joke, but Seonghwa's smile faltered the slightest bit. "...That's what my mother said too. When she took it upon herself to decide for me what subjects would be beneficial for my future."
Sympathy welled inside of Yeosang. Knowing the relationship between Seonghwa and the headmistress, he probably didn't have much of a say when it came to his future. Unable to think of the right thing to say, Yeosang simply said, "Sorry."
Seonghwa waved off.
Once everyone had finished their meals, the food disappeared and was replaced by a palette of desserts. Blocks of assorted ice cream, apple pies, chocolate gateau, treacle tart, pumpkin tart, chocolate éclairs, strawberries, rice pudding, and an array of jellies now occupied all tables.
Already pretty stuffed from the chicken, Yeosang decided to stick to a handful of strawberries while Seonghwa reached for the pudding.
"Which subjects do you intend to choose for the occupational guidance workshops?" Seonghwa asked after a while.
"I was thinking Potions and Herbology would make the most sense for me. Both subjects are useful for healing magic and would look good on my college application."
"Great choices." He smiled. "You seem to have everything figured out already."
Yeosang scoffed. "Says you. You probably have your life planned out ten years into the future."
"I used to think so too... but honestly, now I'm not so sure anymore."
"Really? So no more Ministry of Magic?"
"I don't know," said Seonghwa, frowning. "A part of me thinks a job at the ministry wouldn't be so bad. It pays well and my mother has been preparing me for it all my life. Another part of me thinks I should do what I want, though I don't really know what that is. And yet another part of me thinks that I should take a break after I graduate. Go travel the world and discover myself or something."
"I see the problem, Hwa. That's not an easy decision..." Yeosang considered. "But this ski trip could help you find out what you really want. Why not try something you've never really done before?"
"Something I've never done before?"
"Yeah. Sign up for the two subjects you're least familiar with. Step out of your comfort zone. Maybe you'll find your real passion in those. And if not, at least you'll know what you don't want to do."
"Huh." Seonghwa leaned back in his seat, his expression thoughtful. He didn't seem too opposed to the thought. "Something I've never done before..."
He remained silent for the rest of dinner, contemplating as he munched on his pudding.
Once the students and teachers had finished and curfew was approaching, the food vanished and the Great Hall began to gradually empty out.
Yeosang rose to his feet and picked up his flowers, breathing in their sweet scent once more.
He met up with Seonghwa at the foot of the Ravenclaw table, and the two of them followed the crowd into the Entrance Hall, where everyone parted ways to head to their respective common rooms.
Jongho was already waiting for him with his back against the wall at the base of the Great Stairs. Once again, a grin brightened his face as soon as he spotted him.
Yeosang told Seonghwa to go on ahead as Jongho jogged toward him. After he'd come to a halt in front of him, they did nothing but smile giddily at each other and chuckle awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to say to one another.
"The, uh," began Jongho, "the food was beyond delicious tonight. I ate so much I might be in trouble for Quidditch practice tomorrow."
"Let me guess. Bacon."
He scoffed. "I have more foods that I like than just bacon."
Yeosang raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, fine. It was the bacon."
They both laughed. Jongho brushed a strand of hair behind Yeosang's ear, then let his hand trail down his arm before he took his hand. Crazy how one gentle touch could start a firework in Yeosang's chest.
"I'd walk you to your dorm but..." Jongho glanced at Wooyoung, who stood by the entrance to the dungeons, laughing about something with San, Mingi, Yeonjun, and Changbin.
Yeosang nodded, connecting the dots. "You wanna make sure Wooyoung gets back safely."
Jongho smiled sheepishly. "Yeah... I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright. I'm sure I'll find it by myself."
Jongho squeezed his hand. "See you at breakfast tomorrow?"
"Sure." Yeosang pressed a brief kiss to his lips. "Good night."
Jongho's cheeks turned red. "Thank you. I-I mean, you too."
Yeosang chuckled.
The two waited until Wooyoung and the Slytherin boys wrapped up their conversation and bid their goodbyes for the night. Of course, San was the last to wish Wooyoung a good night and embraced him in a long, tight hug. Yeosang noticed the longing looks on both of their faces when they finally pulled apart and shook his head.
"Come on," he said, "you guys had two whole weeks of vacation together and you're literally going to see each other in class tomorrow."
Wooyoung swatted at him. Yeosang dodged the attack. "Oh, shut up."
Yeosang stuck out his tongue. "Never."
Jongho joined Wooyoung's side. "Shall we go?"
He nodded. "Ready when you are."
Sunday, January 8th. 11:50 PM. Hogwarts, Dungeons, Slytherin Common Room. Choi San.
A grin spread across San's face as soon as he'd climbed through the portrait hole. Yeonjun and Changbin followed closely behind him, equally delighted. The two immediately sprinted across the room and threw themselves onto the couches by the fireplace.
San loved Wooyoung's house and the time he had spent there, but no place felt like home as much as the Slytherin common room did. Drinking in the feeling, he sighed. "Home, sweet home."
Changbin put his feet on the armrest. "It's so good to be back."
Yeonjun nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
Mingi let a few first-year Slytherins through the entrance before pulling the portrait shut behind him. "I can't believe you guys just left me here." He wiped a fake tear. "All alone over the holidays..."
Yeonjun wiped a fake tear of his own. "I know. How could we?"
"Oh, your royal Mingi-ness." San gave him a side hug and pretended to cry into his shoulder. "Please forgive us."
Mingi patted his back. "I'll forgive you. But only in exchange for a month-long supply of Chocolate Frogs."
"Deal." San released him and yawned. "On that note, I'm gonna head to bed. I'm dead tired."
"Me too, actually," said Mingi. "I spent all afternoon giving Yeosang flying lessons."
Changbin sat up on the couch. "Yeosang? Since when do you two hang out?"
"Since a few days ago. He gets lonely when Wooyoung isn't around."
"Lonely, huh?" Yeonjun wagged his eyebrows.
"Shut up, Yeonjun. Not like that," said Mingi. "We've just been keeping each other company."
Yeonjun's grin persisted. "Whatever you say, dude."
Mingi rolled his eyes at him. "Anyway, are you guys coming?"
"Nah, man. I'm wide awake," said Changbin. "I'm gonna stay up for a few more hours."
"Same. Sleep is for the weak."
San yawned again. "Then I'll gladly be weak. Come on, Mingi."
"Right behind you, brother."
They made their way up the spiral staircase that led to their dorm. San's luggage had already arrived, most likely transported up here by somebody during the feast, leaning against the end of his bed.
He only grabbed a few necessities before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Too tired for a whole shower routine, he simply freshened up with a washcloth, brushed his teeth, and changed into his pajamas before he returned. Mingi went in right after.
San opened his suitcase and pulled out his school uniform and the books he was going to need for tomorrow's classes. As he moved to place them on his bedside table, something fell out of his Charms book.
An envelope.
Brows furrowed, he picked it up. He flipped it in search for any indication who it was from, but the envelope was completely blank. He looked around the empty dorm room. What the hell?
He opened it.
Inside was a thick, folded piece of parchment. Once San unfolded it, a few more pieces of parchment fell into his lap, though ignored them for now.
His eyes widened as soon as he laid eyes on the letter.
Pieced together letter by letter from what looked like cutouts from a newspaper, the parchment spelled out a message.
Don't get too comfortable. We're breathing down your neck at all times. If you don't want your pretty little friend to pay with his life, join our ranks. You have fourteen days.
San's heart raced. His hands were trembling as he picked up the pieces of parchment that had fallen into his lap. Flipping them around, he almost dropped them again.
They were pictures. Pictures of him and Wooyoung in Snowshill. Them talking in Wooyoung's backyard. Them on the bus. Them writing their names into the snow. Them on the ice rink. Them kissing in the car.
The world was spinning. San dropped the pictures to the ground and slapped his hands over his mouth, trying not to hyperventilate as panic clouded his mind. He felt numb, dizzy, nauseous.
He barely registered the bathroom door opening. "Geez, I forgot my..." Mingi trailed off when he spotted San, "...fuzzy socks. Hey, what...what's wrong?"
We're breathing down your neck at all times.
He'd been so stupid. So careless. He should have known that they wouldn't leave Wooyoung alone. He should have known that he wasn't safe. He should have known as soon as they had begun to feel watched. Followed. Stalked. He had no control over his shaking hands as he crumpled the parchment in his fist.
Join our ranks.
"San?" Mingi stepped closer, his eyes scanning the pictures scattered over the floor. "What in the world is going on here?"
What the hell? Why would they do this? Why would they ask San to join them? Was this some kind of trap? Some kind of mind game? He felt like he was going to be sick.
Fourteen days.
"Talk to me, man! What the fuck is this?!"
Two weeks.
What were they going to do in two weeks? Take Wooyoung again? Kill him? San couldn't let that happen. He had to do something. He had to get away. Take Wooyoung and go somewhere far, far away. But where?
"San!"
"I have to get him away from here... Somewhere safe..."
If you don't want your pretty little friend to pay with his life...
A rough slap to his face brought San back to reality. Mingi was suddenly next to him, gripping his shoulders.
San held his throbbing cheek.
"Look at me, San." His hair was wet and his dark eyes were sharp and alert as ever, though they carried deep concern within them. "I'm sorry, but I need you to stop freaking out. Tell me what's going on."
"I..." San's breathing calmed, but his thoughts were still racing. Wooyoung. Wooyoung.
"What are these pictures?" Mingi demanded, waving around the crumpled parchment. "Who sent you that letter?"
"I...I don't know. I think it's from... from them. Those people who took Wooyoung."
Mingi's grip on his shoulders weakened. His eyes widened with disbelief. "No..."
"It says they want me to join them."
"But why?"
"Fuck if I know!" San clawed a hand in his hair. "But if I don't do it...They're going to kill him."