Kyungsoo stepped into the familiar building that was Hogwarts: one of the world's greatest wizarding schools there was. His large doe-like eyes scanned the familiar, spacious corridors as he trekked through towards the Great Hall with a few other students eager to start another school year.

There was a lot of loud chatter around him, but probably the loudest voice he could hear was none other than Byun Baekhyun's next to him. His best friend and roommate was practically bouncing with every step as the boy happily chatted away about his holiday to him and Park Chanyeol, an equally excitable and tall boy from Hufflepuff.

It was such a wonder how Baekhyun wasn't sorted into the same house as Chanyeol for the half-blood was highly approachable, loyal to his best peers, and practically a goofball––the last trait twice as intensified with Chanyeol around. Not only that, but he and the tall boy were joined by the hip. It would be considered strange to see Chanyeol or Baekhyun all by their lonesome while out of their respective dorms; you'd always see one with the other, and never apart.

However, it made sense for him to be in Gryffindor for he was open to trying new things and never held back in voicing his honest opinions until he had the last word. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were both daring and almost had the same opinions, except Kyungsoo knew when to zip his lips while Baekhyun had no filter at all. Perhaps half of the times they spent together consisted of Kyungsoo either trying to hold his best friend back, or steering him away from potential fights just because of what he said.

The two were quite opposites as well, and what one didn't have, the other filled in: Kyungsoo was quiet and had a lot of patience in him while Baekhyun wasn't; Baekhyun was quite clumsy and fiddly while Kyungsoo was the opposite; and Kyungsoo was well-organised while Baekhyun lost things constantly, yet he somehow always managed to find items when he absolutely needed them. These were just some of the opposing traits they had, but they complemented each other well. After all, opposites attract, right?

The trio entered the Great Hall and were greeted by even more noise and chatter, something which both Baekhyun and Chanyeol were contributing to and thus were not bothered by, while Kyungsoo felt like his ears were about to explode at the sudden amplifying noise. Even so, he kept mum and followed his best friends to the Hufflepuff table to drop off the tallest one of the trio.

“Hey, guys!” Jongdae’s cheery voice was miraculously heard over the noise coming from all directions. The boy flashed a wide grin as his right arm was up and about, waving it wildly in the air as the trio approached the Hufflepuff table. Chanyeol perked up at the sight of the last member of their quartet and gave him a tight hug.

“Jongdae!” Baekhyun jumped into Jongdae’s arms once Chanyeol let him go, patting the boy square on the back with a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Baek! How was your holidays?” Jongdae greeted back, mirroring the smile. Although his looked more Cheshire-like, there was no hidden wicked intention whatsoever.

“Merlin, don’t get him started, Dae,” Kyungsoo said, “He was yapping all about it to Chanyeol and I on the way here.”

“Don’t be so upset that I had a better holiday than you did. I mean, seriously Kyungsoo? Just watching those Korean dramas all day? How boring,” Baekhyun retorted with a roll of his eyes and a cross of his arms over his chest.

“What’s wrong with that?” Kyungsoo huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in defense as well. To him, there wasn’t anything wrong with binge watching all the good dramas he missed throughout his second year in Hogwarts the previous year. Why couldn't he indulge in the muggle things he used to enjoy before he started in Hogwarts just as much as he enjoyed learning the wonderful wizarding world?

“You could’ve done so many other things, Soo,” Baekhyun said, “Like go to the beach to soak up some sun! Or go shopping!”

“I think I spent my time well during the holidays,” Kyungsoo replied then frowned as he recalled, “Besides, I wasn’t the one who promised to visit but never turned up.”

"Oh sweet Merlin, you're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope," Kyungsoo said with a pop of his lips, "You promised and you broke it, so you'll be hearing about it for the rest of the year."

Baekhyun rolled his eyes then turned to their other two best friends, his face brightening up again as he said, "Anyway, Soo and I'll go ahead to our table. Don't worry, Dae, I'll talk about my holidays with you later!" Both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo waved goodbye as they left for the Gryffindor table, threading their way through crowds of students coming in from the main entrances. Baekhyun continued to waffle on about his "amazing" holiday as best as he could as Kyungsoo listened, though the latter was moreso focused on getting the two of them to their destination through the crowds by keeping his hands on his best friend's shoulders since Baekhyun just wouldn't shut up and kept looking back to check whether Kyungsoo was listening.

A sturdy figure unexpectedly bumped onto Kyungsoo's shoulder, slightly sending him back a step upon contact and losing his grip on his best friend's shoulders. His head swiftly turned around to have a good look at the other person, his eyes meeting another pair of brown, slightly-hooded ones. He also noticed the button nose and full lips which looked almost like he was pouting. The next thing Kyungsoo's eyes noticed was the green and silver badge with a "P" proudly pinned on the other's uniform, indicating the prefect status of the Slytherin student. Even with such, this didn't really frazzle Kyungsoo very much––he thought the on-going silent feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin was such a trivial matter. Ever since his first year at Hogwarts, he always thought it best to treat the Slytherin students nicely as how he wanted to be treated by them as well. So far, he wasn't looked down upon, nor was he ignored for his efforts in being civil.

"Sorry," Kyungsoo automatically said then sent a small apologetic smile towards the Slytherin prefect before catching up with Baekhyun a few steps ahead of him.

"Are you okay?" Baekhyun queried, having seen half of the exchange, then received a nod of assurance from the other.

They both arrived and settled at the Gryffindor table, Baekhyun immediately starting a conversation with a few people in front of them, so Kyungsoo took this time to have a look around the bustling Great Hall which was already filled to the brim with students of four different houses. He spotted the professors standing by the High Table while either chatting to themselves or looking over at the students. Headmaster Dumbledore was seated on the throne in the middle, his head turned to the side as he had a friendly chat with another professor. Kyungsoo's eyes then roamed around the familiar walls and large windows, then up at the high ceiling of the Great Hall dusted with numerous brightly-lit candles floating about that resembled the stars in the night sky. With his stare fixated at the "stars", his mind started to wander.

This was it—Kyungsoo's third year at Hogwarts; he was nearly at the midway point of the seven years of wizardry schooling. Even so, it only felt like just yesterday when he was in first year. With the holidays already gone, Kyungsoo was pumped and ready for the upcoming year. It wasn't like Kyungsoo was looking forward to studying again, but he did enjoy learning new things especially those that come off as extraordinary, and the world of wizardry was definitely extraordinary. This drove him to want to learn more, which explained his higher than average grades. However, more importantly, he was excited to start this year for it was when third year students were finally able to start on their chosen electives—Kyungsoo couldn't wait to start on Divination and Care of Magical Creatures.

"How about you, Kyung?" a fellow Gryffindor, Alex, asked him which pulled him out of his thoughts. Kyungsoo turned his gaze away from the ceiling to look at him. What was the question?

"Pardon?" Kyungsoo asked, his owl-like eyes blinking in confusion at the person sitting across him and Baekhyun.

"Are you excited for Hogsmeade?" Baekhyun parroted Alex's question, a wide and excited smile gracing his radiant features, "Finally, we'll be able to go and see the buzz of it all!" Alex beamed as well, his blue eyes practically sparkling much like Baekhyun's.

Kyungsoo began to frown at the mention of the one thing he was most excited about as becoming a third year: going to Hogsmeade.

Since his first year at Hogwarts, he's heard accounts of Hogsmeade from peers and classmates alike and ever since then Kyungsoo couldn't wait to explore the area himself. Being muggleborn, everything was new to him and all he's experienced so far were amazing. Even the fact that he was a wizard still fascinated him.

Now that he was a third year, Kyungsoo was finally able to go to Hogsmeade—that is, if he had signed permission from his parents.

Do Kyungsoo was no ordinary muggleborn. His parents weren't strict, but moreso overprotective of the youngest son of their two children—too overprotective, if you asked Kyungsoo, and it had always been that way ever since he could remember. Back in pre-school and his first few years in ordinary muggle school, Kyungsoo was picked on by kids—young and old—for his owl-like eyes which seemed to appear larger with round glasses on, his shorter than average stature, and chubby cheeks (to which Kyungsoo was proud to say he's growing into it now). It also didn't help that Kyungsoo was quiet and mostly kept to himself, making him appear fragile, which made it all the more reason for him to be an easy target especially to a particular popular but snotty kid two years older. The bullying led to accidents where Kyungsoo was the main victim. As a result, his parents pulled him and his older brother out and they were transferred to a new one two years before Kyungsoo received his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Of course, word spread out fast to his new school before Hogwarts, but Kyungsoo was glad he wasn't bothered as much anymore.

Past was past and as opposed to his parents, Kyungsoo had nothing to worry about now that he was in a better environment. Bullying was the least of his concerns, and he was more focused on learning and exploring everything that had to do with the wizarding world.

Or at least as much as his parents would allow him to.

"Mum and dad didn't sign the letter," Kyungsoo answered with disappointment laced in every word, "I can't go."

"What do you mean you can't go?!" Baekhyun half-shrieked in bewilderment, completely ignoring Kyungsoo's first statement, "you've been dying to go since the first time you heard about it in first year!"

"I know, but I just can't go. My parents think it's too dangerous for me, no matter how much I tell them we'll all be supervised," Kyungsoo shrugged a shoulder, his forlorn eyes fixed on a dented spot at the long, wooden table in front of them.

"That's bad luck, Kyung," Alex frowned, feeling disappointed for his friend and classmate, "maybe next year they'll let you go."

"No!" Baekhyun whined like a child, his head quickly turning from Alex to Kyungsoo as he shook the latter by the shoulders with a vice-like grip, "You have to come, Soo! Who's going to hold all my stuff?"

"You want me to go just to hold your things?" Kyungsoo replied, sounding unimpressed despite knowing how his best friend was only kidding. He rolled his eyes, replying, "Going or not, I'm not holding anything for you! What am I? Your personal assistant?"

"I didn't mean it, geez," his best friend then added, "but it's going to be so dull without you," he proceeded to pout with his puppy-dog eyes, as if that would ever change Kyungsoo's parents' decision. But only seconds after did Baekhyun's face suddenly light up with a smile that on any other would imply innocence. But this was Byun Baekhyun––it meant nothing but mischief.

Alex and Kyungsoo shared a knowing look.

As if sensing his companions' uneasiness, Baekhyun frowned at the two.

"What?" the boy questioned, feigning innocence.

"What are you up to this time?" Alex hummed in slight amusement, a smirk playing on lips as he knew fully well the reason for Baekhyun's sudden uplifted mood. Unlike Kyungsoo, Alex found some fun in whatever idea Baekhyun came up with. These things added entertainment into what would be a boring and very ordinary wizarding school life without the boy that is Byun Baekhyun.

"Nothing! It's nothing," however Baekhyun's shrill voice said otherwise, and Kyungsoo rolled his eyes again at that.

The first school day was finally over and all the students have gone to their respective dorms to rest for the next day. Kyungsoo was busying himself by his desk with a book he already borrowed from the library, his eyes quickly reading through paragraphs and paragraphs of Hippogriffs to prepare for his next Care of Magical Creatures

class. His roomie was nowhere in sight for now––he was probably off to chat with a few other Gryffindors––and Kyungsoo was using this opportunity to absorb some knowledge before his best friend would waltz in to distract him. Even without the presence of his main source of distraction, Kyungsoo couldn't really concentrate for his mind kept returning to his conversation with his parents about Hogsmeade.

Without even noticing it himself, his eyebrows began to furrow in disappointment and his lips pursed into a thin line. His eyes stared unfocused on the page before him as he replayed his mum and dad's words over and over in his head.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we're not allowing you to go. It may be too dangerous for you," his mum said, voice laced with worry yet with a touch of guilt for keeping her youngest son back from enjoying the things wizard children his age usually do. Her youngest was fragile and so precious to her to be exposed to anything potentially dangerous, and the wizarding world was definitely something which seemed dangerous seeing as how both her and her husband were just normal humans with no experience of what their son was going through.

"Your mother is right," Kyungsoo's father added as he pushed up his thick, dark-rimmed glasses which were threatening to slip off his nose, "we'd much rather you are kept safe in the school grounds. You might wander off and get yourself hurt."

Kyungsoo's face fell even more which pained his mother—she always had a soft spot for her children, and she almost gave him permission. Almost if it weren't for her husband who came to the rescue and kept his ground.

"I'm sorry, Kyungsoo, but you just can't go and that is that," his father said in a stern tone, closing the topic.

Kyungsoo groaned in frustration and buried his forehead against the borrowed book with a thud. He just couldn't understand his parents sometimes, and it annoyed him. Surely, they could start trusting him to be independent and to be able to fend for himself—it's not like he was still five-years-old!

The boy groaned again and Baekhyun chose this time to prance into the room. He stopped briefly by the doorway and lifted a delicate eyebrow at the agonised sound coming from his bestfriend-slash-roomie. Bouncing over to sit atop the edge of Kyungsoo's bed, he observed the other while his legs dangled off the side.

"What's got your in a bunch?" Baekhyun asked, trying to set a lighter mood for his friend. Usually, especially at this hour, this would've worked, but this was something Kyungsoo was so excited for in the whole year of second year only for it to crash down on him full force. Instead of the usual chuckle and a bout of worries coming at him, Baekhyun only received a disgruntled groan akin to something like "go away".

"Soo?" Baekhyun prodded again, his voice laced with genuine worry. He may have seemed like a snob and was sassy 24/7, but those who knew Byun Baekhyun well enough would know he cared for all of his close friends and family, and his care definitely showed. "Is this about Hogsmeade?"

His bestfriend-slash-roommate chose to keep mum, grumbling under his breath about how he perhaps did something horrible in his past life to deserve this and how the world was simply just against him. Baekhyun let out a snort.

"This isn't funny, Byun Baekhyun," Kyungsoo glared daggers at his best friend, groaning frustratedly and standing up off his desk to plop himself face down on his bed next to Baekhyun, his protests muffled by the sheets as he whined, "It's just so unfair! I don't understand what my parents see Hogsmeade as dangerous since there's supervision anyway... Everyone's going to have fun exploring it without me..." he deflates, sagging further into the bed.

"Well, my friend, I may have a solution for you," Baekhyun sing-sang, shifting his position on the bed to sit cross-legged, and facing his distressed friend.

Kyungsoo lifted his head off the sheet-clad mattress, raising an eyebrow curiously as he carefully asked, "Alright... What is it?"

"Okay," Baekhyun composed himself before presenting his brilliant idea, "You'll probably think this is bonkers, but I think you should sneak out."

Before Kyungsoo could scream out in protest about how Byun Baekhyun was absolutely insane and how they would both get in trouble––worse was to get expelled––Baekhyun quickly clapped his palm over his best friend's mouth to muffle out the latter's string of curses and disapproval. He peered over to the door before leaning closer to Kyungsoo's face and hissing, "Hear me out for a second, Kyungsoo! I promise this won't be stupid!"

Kyungsoo shot a disapproving glare towards his best friend, managing to peel away Baekhyun's hand away from his face, hissing back, "Baekhyun, I'm not going to sneak out!"

"Aww, come on, Soo! Look, I've got some ideas so just listen to me for at least a few minutes, okay?"

"Ugh, you're impossible–"

"Okay," Baekhyun cut off his best friend with a clap of his hands, "so my first idea is simple. We'll steal one of the extra Quidditch brooms and have you fly to Hogsmeade!" Kyungsoo furrowed his brows at his best friend. There was no way he was going to have himself risk his one and only chance in learning Wizardry in Hogwarts by a mere stealing of a flying broomstick. Plus, he wasn't particularly a fan of heights, so flying was definitely out of the question if he agreed on sneaking out.

"First of all, no," Kyungsoo deadpanned, "and second, how am I supposed to know how to get to Hogsmeade if I don't even know where it is? I haven't been there yet, Baekhyun."

"Oh yeah... Okay, next idea!"

"Baekhyun, no—"

"Okay, hear this: I heard from my sources that there are actually secret passageways scattered throughout Hogwarts," Baekhyun whispered once he leant in a tad closer so as not to be heard, "and one just so happens to lead right into Hogsmeade! I say you sneak out into Hogsmeade through those passageways, Soo."

"Wait, who are these 'sources' you are talking about? Last time we went by any of your so-called 'sources', it was all a trick to get us both locked in the toilets overnight. Remember Myrtle and how she basically flirted with you all night?"

Baekhyun visibly shivered at the reminder of that horrible night, waving his hands about wildly in an attempt to shoo the memory away, "Alright, maybe those sources weren't reliable, but these sources are!"

"I'm not going to try and sneak myself out through 'secret passageways', Baek. If those passageways are another ho