There’s a certain electricity in the air on the last day of school. The growing excitement within each student at the mere thought that they’ll be seeing their parents and family soon and the knowledge that they won’t have to back here at Hogwarts for at least another two full months was enough to make any student ecstatic enough to keep talking while Headmistress McGonagall was coming up to the podium.

Or, even all of them.

Kibum noticed her standing there, watching the student body with a look of mildly amused disdain. He quieted down, until Mason three seats over made a joke about the Grindylows they saw in the Lacuspectio last night. He suppressed his shiver at the memory. It was always so cold in that room, underneath the Black Lake, but it was also one of his favorite places in the Slytherin common room. He’d have to figure out a way to sneak Minho in there someday.

McGonagall cleared , and without her even amplifying the sound, the entire Great Hall quieted, even the professors. “Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you all are enjoying your final lunch here before you leave tomorrow.” She paused, as if waiting for a response, but no student in their right mind would interject once she began her speech. “Congratulations again to Slytherin for your impressive win of the house cup, a new record to beat, if my memory serves me right.”

A couple of whoops and hollers went up around Kibum, as well as a weak applause from the rest of the students. When McGonagall raised her hand, they grew silent once more.

“Due to a magical malfunction, we were not able to have your report cards ready by last night, but they’re here now. If Crawley, Dunn, William, Hughes, Porter, Cunningham, Carson, and Wood would come up to collect the envelopes please.”

Somewhere far down the table, Vincent and Charlie got up, as well as the head students from the other houses, and hurried to the podium to get everyone’s report cards.

“Once you are finished with your lunch, you are dismissed to do what you wish for the rest of the day until dinner. Except for seventh and second years, of course.” Kibum sent a quizzical look across the table to Callum and Aaron, who shrugged. “Seventh years will stay in here and second years will report to Classroom 3C.”

The Dark Arts classroom? “I wonder what that’s for,” Kibum muttered.

“Maybe we all did really bad on our final?” Analecia whispered back.

“Thank you for your attention, you may go back to your meal now,” McGonagall said as she turned away from the podium.

Kibum glanced across the Hall to the Hufflepuff table to see that Minho was just standing to leave. Their eyes met and Minho nodded to the door. Kibum jumped out of his seat and hurried to meet him in the doorway.

“I wonder what that’s about,” Minho said once they were within earshot.

“Not sure.” Kibum looked back into the Great Hall, watching as O’Neely stood and started for the door behind the dais. “I hope it’s nothing bad.”

“Me too.”

They trudged over to the stairs, taking each one up to the third floor as slowly as they could, dreading the inevitable.

Whatever it was.

They were the third and fourth to the classroom, beaten by two Ravenclaws that Kibum couldn’t remember their names. The other second years continued to trickle in after they took a seat at one of the desks. Kibum hummed to himself as he glanced around at all the others, their nervous chatter spurring his own anxiety.

“When does Jonghyun get back from France?”

Kibum’s eyebrows rose and he looked over at Minho. “I think Grandma said the 26th. Why?”

“Just curious.” He looked as though he was about to elaborate, but O’Neely walked through the classroom, his long robes billowing behind him. Minho watched him, his mouth slightly agape, and Kibum’s face heated when he turned to flash a smile to the group.

“You guys seem nervous,” he said, chuckling, as he sat on the edge of his desk in the front of the classroom. “This is nothing bad, I swear. See, the professors here all take a year of students under our wing, to mentor and guide and counsel you, if the need arises. Last year, my class graduated, and so I get the pleasure of being your mentor for the rest of your time here at Hogwarts.”

Kibum’s eyes widened, and he spared a quick glance to see how Minho was reacting. Judging by the smile on his face, he was excited about this, too.

“Anytime, day or night, you need something – advice, help with your studies, someone to talk to? I’m here for you. That being said,” he turned, reaching for something on his desk, “I have your report cards, as well as your permission slips that you’ll need to have signed by either your parents or your legal guardian.”

Chloe Robbs raised her hand, and O’Neely nodded to her. “Permission slips for what, Professor?”

He smiled. “Your permission slips for Hogsmeade.” Excited murmuring filled the classroom, and Minho caught Kibum’s eye with a concerned look, and Kibum just shook his head. He’d explain later if O’Neely didn’t right now. “Yes, you’re all excited, but please do be sure to get those signed, because if you don’t, you will not be allowed to leave with the rest of the upperclassmen, alright? Now,” he shuffled through the papers in his hand. “Come up when I call your name, and then you can go finish packing.”

Minho was called up before Kibum, but he waited by the door until Kibum got his papers. Without a word to each other, they made their way to the far staircase, climbing up instead of down, and went to their study closet, their report cards held tightly in hand. Kibum lit the candles and Minho closed the door behind himself, sitting down beside Kibum.

“Same time?”

“Same time.”

The ripping of the envelopes was amplified in the small space, and Kibum slowly slid his out to see it.

Kim Kibum – 2nd year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – has succeeded in getting these grades for his classes this 2004-2005 term.

Astronomy – Exceeds Expectations

Charms – Exceeds Expectations

Defense Against the Dark Arts – Acceptable

Herbology – Exceeds Expectations

History of Magic – Acceptable

Potions – Outstanding

Transfiguration – Exceeds Expectations

It was his second year in a row to get an Outstanding in Potions, and for that, he was pretty proud of himself. He peaked over at Minho’s, but only saw him slipping it back into his envelope. “How’d you do?”

“Good!”

“Yeah?”

Minho wiggled slightly where he sat, grinning when he looked up at Kibum. “I got an Outstanding in Herbology.”

Grinning himself, Kibum started to hug him, only to pull back a little once his arms were around him. “Pass everything else?”

Minho leaned into the hug, and Kibum tightened his embrace. “Yup!” Kibum patted his back a couple times before he let go and leaned back against the wall. They both sighed.

“Five years left, and then we’re done.” Kibum hummed in agreement. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t think I’d make it this long here.”

“Really?”

He nodded, his head knocking lightly against the wall. “I don’t think I would have, if you hadn’t helped me.” Kibum glanced over at Minho, his gaze dropping to his folded hands when Minho met his eyes. “I…I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. With…with helping me learn English better and…and understanding what’s going on with the lessons. It“ – he cleared his throat – “it really means a lot to me. I’m really grateful to…to you.”

Minho fell silent, but Kibum could feel his eyes on him. “Well,” he said as he looked over at Minho, “what are friends for, right?”

“Yeah.”

There was a stretch of silence between them before Kibum cleared his throat. “Hey, we should probably go finish packing, huh?” Kibum said as he stood, brushing off the seat of his trousers. He held out his hand to help Minho up, which he took.

“Probably.” Kibum blew out the candles once Minho opened the door and followed him out into the hall. “Got your permission slip?” He nodded. “Report card?” Kibum nodded again. There was a hint of a twinkle in Minho’s eye, and then he was running off to the staircase. “Race you!”

“Not fair! You had a head start!” Kibum shouted as he started to run after him, picking up his speed with a huff when Minho reached the staircase.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Anything from the trolley?”

Minho shot up from his seat, which roused Kibum, who had been leaning against him while he slept. Callum joined him at the doorway, both of them digging in their pockets for change.

“Two packages of beans, please, and a bag of lemon drops?” Callum said, fishing out a Galleon and dropping it in the Trolley Witch’s jar. “You want anything?” he asked, raising his voice.

“No, I’m good,” Aaron said, since it was directed at him.

“And for you, dear?” she asked Minho as she handed Callum his candy.

“Uhhh...” he kept digging around in his pockets, searching in vain for a Sickle or even a Knut. “Nothing, I’m good.”

“What’d you want?” Kibum asked as he came up behind him, his voice still groggy.

“Just a couple of licorice wands, but it’s -- “

Kibum dropped a silver Sickle in the jar. “Red, please.” The Trolley Witch passed them to Minho and went on her way, calling out to the next cabin. Minho was about to thank Kibum when he reached around and took one of the twisted wands out of his hand with a wry smile. “Sorry I fell asleep, but you can blame Fredrick for keeping us up all night.”

Minho chuckled. “It’s fine. Seb and Travis kept us up late, too.”

His gaze drifted to the window, and he watched as the Scottish countryside passed them by. The light cream and lilac of the heather, lush green of the highland moors, and rich brown of the crags was just a blur as the Hogwarts Express zipped along on the tracks. Anytime he tried to focus on any one thing, be it a hill or even what he thought might be a deer, he lost sight of it. Absently, he stepped up to the long window in the hall, his breath fogging it up.

“It’s so pretty out here.”

Beside him, Kibum nodded. “I’ve been out there with Mom, once.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She took me here after Dad died, when we first moved in with Grandma, just to show me where they had been and what they had done. I actually got to see a Hogwarts from a distance, during that trip.” He sighed heavily, offering a small smile to Minho when he looked over at him. “It was nice, actually, being able to put a place to Dad’s stories. He loved living in Great Britain...I wish he would have been able to see it again before he died.”

“Why...why’d he move back to Korea?”

“His dad was sick. That’s actually where I was born, in Daegu, but I wasn’t there very long.” Minho knew why, as Kibum had told him the story before. His father grew sick -- leukemia -- and was taken to a cancer center in New York to be treated. They made a life there, until Kibum’s dad died, and after he was buried in South Korea, they moved to London.

He sighed listlessly and Minho worried his bottom lip. He didn’t often talk about his dad being sick, nor his inevitable death...“I’ve been to Daegu! It’s nice.”

Kibum sniffed in amusement, his expression brightening slightly. “Well, I would assume so.”

“Is Grandma gonna be on the platform?”

“Probably. She said she might be a little late, though. If that happens, I’ll just wait in Dulcis for her to show up.”

Minho turned to face him, leaning his shoulder up against the window. “I might wait with you, then. Mom told me that they’ll probably be late because Dad’s team has a game today. Oh, hey, speaking of -- “

“Hmm?”

“Are we still good to hang out this summer? I know I haven’t really set up anything with my mom, but I’d still like to, if...if you want to, that is.”

Kibum grinned. “Yeah, of course! I’ll ask Grandma on the way home, I promise. A week for each visit, right?”

“Hopefully.”

“It’ll be fun, if it works out,” Kibum said as he looked back out the window. The scenery had changed as they had been chatting, from the Scottish countryside to the rural area just outside of London. It wouldn’t be long now until they reached King’s Cross. “I’ll get our stuff.”

Minho finished the licorice wand he had been working on and stuffed the other two into his jeans pocket. By the time Kibum handed him his backpack, the train had reached London itself, and Minho slipped on his backpack as they went into the tunnel. Kibum’s hand found his arm in the darkness, holding it gently until they came back into the light of King’s Cross.

Parents and grandparents and siblings, both older and younger, were waiting for them as the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the platform. Both Kibum and Minho searched for Grandma, Kibum spotting her first. “There she is! Oh...”

Minho looked where he pointed, finding that she was not alone. “Who’s that?”

“My...mom? What is she doing home?”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Minho tore his gaze away from the two women when Kibum didn’t answer right away. “Isn’t it?”

“Yeah...yeah, it’s just weird.” The gray exhaust from the train billowed around the window, blocking their view for a second, and Kibum turned to Minho. “I’ll write to you with what she...well, they say, okay? First thing, I promise.”

“Okay.”

Kibum gave him a quick hug, looking back outside the window at his mom and grandma. “I’ll tell Grandma you said ‘Hi.’“

“Thanks,” Minho said as he watched Kibum walk toward the door and out onto the platform. He hooked his backpack over his shoulder before he followed him, but by the time he stepped down, Kibum was already reunited with them, getting hugged by both of them at the same time.

Smiling, Minho made his way over to where the luggage was being unloaded, finding his duffle bag easily amidst all of the heavy trunks. By the time he had Geum-nun’s cage, Kibum and his mom were making their way over to the luggage pile. Minho waved at him as he started walking toward the brick wall.

He stopped a couple steps away from it, taking a deep breath. It would be weird to be back with Muggles again, even if it was just his family. “You’ve got this, Choi,” he said, using the best Kibum voice he could muster.

Chuckling to himself, he started to run, slowing down once he passed through the wall. He blended into the crowd as best he could with a caged owl in his arms, and after another deep breath, he started making his way to the entrance to wait for his mom.