Baptism by Fire

By My Side

“From Hogwarts...Choi Minho.”

Minho lifted his head at the sound of his name. It was his name, right? He had heard it correctly? Must have been, given the pats on his back from the other students around him.

"Minho," Kibum said, and Minho honed in on his quiet, reassuring voice. "You've gotta go." The applause rang in his ears as he turned to Kibum. He said something else as he helped him stand, but Minho couldn't focus on it. Not right now.

The Goblet found him worthy enough to represent Hogwarts….Oh god, what if he wasn't...What if he disappointed everyone? When he reached the dais, he looked back over the cheering Hogwarts students, his stomach knotting.

Another voice cut through the din, saying his name, and Minho looked back, meeting the bespectacled green eyes of Harry Potter. "Come on, let's get you upstairs, yeah?" He could only nod before he followed him. Harry led him the back way out of the Great Hall, stopping a few steps after the door closed behind them. Minho, in his surprise, nearly bumped into him. “You are seventeen, right?”

Frowning, Minho nodded slowly. “I’ll be eighteen in December.”

Harry sighed, seeming to relax. “Okay, good,” he said before he started down the corridor again, bringing him out by the entrance to the Great Hall.

Minho stared at the back of Harry’s head, watching the way his messily tousled hair swooshed as he looked up at the grand staircase. He was famous for something, but Minho couldn’t quite remember what at the moment. Kibum had explained once before, but...the only thing that came to mind right now was --

“You’re married to Ginny, the Quidditch player, right?”

Harry stopped in his tracks, the torchlight of the main corridor twinkling in his eyes as he turned around, looking up at Minho. He scoffed, his lips, and glanced at the side staircase. “Yeah, it’s what I’m most known for.” He smiled to himself and scratched his chin, looking back up at the grand staircase. “You ever used one of the secret passages?” Minho’s eyes widened, and Harry’s smile grew. “You won’t get in trouble if you tell me, I’m not a professor.”

Minho nodded, and Harry jerked his head toward the side staircase. “I know a shortcut, come on.”

Curiosity piqued, Minho followed him into the side staircase, but instead of going up the stairs, Harry slipped into the shadows beneath the staircase. Excited now, Minho went in after him, frowning when he found that it was just a broom cupboard with a ladder leading up to...something. His heart sank a little as he glanced around at the dark and dusty room, his attention jumping back to Harry when he started climbing the creaky ladder.

“Is that safe?”

“Don’t worry!” he said as he hefted himself up on the ledge, pushing the wall back to reveal...the seventh floor? The wall...that was where the study closet was hidden. Minho rushed forward, hurrying to join Harry on the ledge before he pushed the tapestry back to walk through. His eyes were blown wide as he looked back at the tapestry, and Harry laughed when Minho looked back at him. “We probably would have only been up to the third floor by now.”

Once again, Minho could only nod as he watched the tapestry settle back into place, as if nothing ever happened. Had that been here this whole time?

“Let’s go, they’ll be waiting for us.”

Minho belatedly started after him after he stopped staring at the dancing trolls, picking up his pace to catch up to him before he reached the gargoyle. He ducked his head to fit beneath the wings, glancing down at Harry when he said Maine Coon clearly. The gargoyle immediately began to revolve, revealing a staircase, and Harry gestured for Minho to get on.

The other two Champions, Miloni and Turner, were standing with the other two former Champions. Turner was hugging himself, his head snapping up to look at Minho as soon as he stepped through the threshold. Miloni peered around the broad chest of Viktor Krum, her eyebrows raised in curiosity as Minho walked into the room. Any interest they had in him died as soon as the Headmistresses arrived, led by McGonagall herself.

“Please, Champions, take a seat,” she said as she breezed past them to sit behind her desk. Where there were usually two armchairs, there were now three. Minho stepped forward before the other two, taking the right-most seat. Miloni sat beside him and Turner to her left while their Headmistresses stood behind their chairs and the other Champions came around, standing on either side. Minho glanced over at them, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. “Congratulations on your selection, I’m sure you’ll do us -- “ She looked specifically at Minho, then, before looking at the other two. “ -- And your schools proud. Harry, would you like to explain, or shall I?”

“I can, if you’d like,” he said, his tone slightly surprised. When she nodded, he cleared his throat and Minho turned to look up at him. “So, this first task is one that tests you on your ability to handle the pressure of danger.” Minho gulped. “When we competed, they didn’t tell us about our first task, but we all found out anyways because of cheating -- “ Fleur chuckled and Harry cracked a smile. “ -- So, we’ve decided to cut the cheating out of the picture entirely. It’s better to know what to expect so you can be as prepared as possible, in my experience, because otherwise you’ll freeze or panic when you face whatever danger lies ahead.” He shook his head slightly. “But I’m derailing a bit. The first task you’ll face is a dragon -- “

Minho’s mind went completely blank for a couple of seconds. A...dragon? An actual dragon?

“ -- But you won’t be alone. The three of you will face it together, and your goal will be to relight the Goblet of Fire with a tongue of the dragon’s breath.”

There was some movement to Minho’s left, and he glanced over to find Miloni raising her hand. Harry acknowledged her. “What type of dragon is it? Or can you not tell us?”

“It’s a Ukrainian Ironbelly,” Krum answered instead of Harry, his accent much thicker than hers.

Благодаря.”

He smiled, nodding at her, while Harry went on. “Yes, the Ironbelly. Be sure to do as much research as you can before the task, which will take place before the Halloween feast, if I’m remembering correctly.”

McGonagall nodded. “Yes, that’s right.” She steepled her fingers as she glanced between them. “That’s all the information we have for you right now, so you can leave now.”

Minho stood, as did the others, and started for the door. He waited for the others to start down the gargoyle stairs before he stepped onto it and let it carry him back down to the seventh floor. Turner, Miloni, their Headmistresses, and the other Champions were being led back downstairs by Harry. Minho knew he should probably try to catch up with him, but he turned down the corridor to his left, passing the door to the study closet on the way to the water fountain.

Wait a minute.

He doubled back, pocketing his wand as he opened the door. “What are you doing up here?” Minho asked Kibum, who was lounging on their pile of blankets in the back of the closet, flipping through the Charmer magazine again.

He looked up at Minho, his dimples barely appearing with his small smile. “Waiting for you,” he said, flipping the magazine closed and stuffing it under the blankets. “I thought that’d be obvious.”

“I mean, it is, but -- “

“How are you feeling?”

Minho shook his head as he slipped off his robe, folding it neatly before he set it aside and joined Kibum on the nest of blankets. “Not sure yet.”

“Can’t really say I blame you, to be honest.” Minho sniffed a laugh as he rested his head against the wall. “What’d they want to talk about?” He lolled his head to the side, meeting Kibum’s gaze. “Or are you not allowed to talk about it?”

Minho frowned. Oh, was he not allowed to talk about it? Regardless if he was or not, he was already going to tell Kibum everything anyway, so… “They gave us information about the first task. We, uh,” he sat up straighter, clasping his hands together in his lap. “We have to go up against a dragon.”

Kibum blinked slowly several times. “Like an actual dragon?” Minho nodded. “I’m so glad I didn’t put my name in.”

All of the tension that had been building up within him since McGonagall called out his name was released in a fit of laughter. He doubled over, clapping his hand on Kibum's knee, which made him start to giggle as well. As he caught his breath, Minho looked over at Kibum, whose eyes were still squinting in amusement. I love you he wanted to say, for Kibum to take however he wanted, but he knew how he meant it.

Before he could, however, Kibum continued. "I mean, can you imagine me going up against a dragon? …" he shook his head, wiping his eye. "It'd be hilarious."

Actually, he could imagine how that would go, given the fact that Kibum had to face that giant serpent in Uganda. But, he held himself back from mentioning it. Kibum didn't like to think about that competition, and Minho respected that.

"I think you'd do okay." Kibum rolled his eyes. "Besides, I won't be alone. All three of us are going together."

Kibum's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" Minho nodded. "Well, that's a relief then."

Minho settled back against the wall, watching as Kibum grabbed his phone and checked the time. “This is crazy.”

“I know.”

He sniffed a laugh, offering Kibum a half-smile when he glanced his way. “We basically own the school now, you and I. I mean,” he tapped Kibum’s knee when his brow furrowed in confusion. “You're the Head Boy, and I'm the Hogwarts' Champion."

“You’re right. McGonagall’s basically out of a job now.”

Chuckling, Minho pushed away from the wall, scanning the stack of books before he pulled out Of Dragons and Brooms: What We Learned About Flight from Watching the Beasts and flipped back to the index. Maybe there was something useful about Ironbellies here. Once he found the page number, he thumbed through it until he reached the right page.

The Ukrainian Ironbelly boasts the title of the largest known dragon breed in the world. An adult male Ironbelly weighs in at approximately six tonnes, while an adult female can get up to five tonnes. Though they may be slower in flight than their smaller brother and sisters, they make up for it with the heat of their fiery breath, which has been measured to reach nearly 2000 degrees Celcius.

“Holy …”

Kibum looked up from Minho’s phone again. “What?”

“They’re really not gonna make this easy on us…”

Kibum sidled over to sit flush beside him, reading the part Minho was pointing to. He winced audibly. “Were you expecting them to, though?”

“I guess not.”

Sighing, Kibum took the book out of Minho’s hands and closed it. “You didn’t get any of the feast...Are you getting hungry?” His stomach gurgled in answer, and Kibum glanced down, smirking at the noise. “Let’s worry about this tomorrow then, yeah? You can get changed into something more comfortable and then we can go scrounge in the kitchen for leftovers, sound good?”

“Yeah, it does.”

He pushed himself up as Kibum put the book back in its place, and he extinguished the candles as Kibum started for the door. As he closed it behind them, he glanced up at the tapestry. “Oh hey, did you know about the secret passage behind there?” Kibum frowned at him, shaking his head as he walked away. “Don’t you want to use it?” he called after him.

“Maybe later!” Huffing, Minho jogged to catch up to him before he stepped into the stairwell. “You know how Filch is, he’d probably catch us. It’d be better to do it not so close to light’s out.”

Minho started laughing, and Kibum speared him with a look. “Sorry, that’s just a very Head Boy thing to say.”

“Oh, off,” he said, but his small smile belied his irritation. Grinning cheekily now, Minho fell into step beside him on the stairs.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Are you coming in?” Minho asked as they reached the barrels.

Kibum bit back a smile, forcing himself to not give himself away. “Yeah, sure,” he said as casually as he could manage. Minho tapped the password onto the rim of the barrel and the lid popped open.

“Huh, that’s strange...”

Kibum immediately tensed up. “What?”

“It’s just really dark in there.”

Humming noncommittally, Kibum followed him inside, closing the barrel behind him. The common room was pitch black and still, just like Gil had told him it would be. Minho shuffled along ahead of him, none the wiser to what was, hopefully, about to happen.

Light burst into the room -- from the wand tips of all the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins that Analecia could gather -- followed by a rousing cheer for Minho as he sat at the edge of the tunnel, perched to jump but frozen from --

“Surprise!” came the scattered call, and the lights lifted as Travis and Seb bustled around, reigniting the lamps. Kibum nudged Minho forward into the crowd of Hufflepuffs that greeted him, congratulated him, and pulled him further into the room. Grinning now -- he couldn’t help but -- Kibum hopped down and made his way over to where Analecia was checking the food she had gotten from the kitchen.

“Did you get the picture?” he asked, and she pulled a developing polaroid out of her robe pocket, handing it to him. The lighting wasn’t the greatest, but Minho’s expression of shock that morphed into pleasant surprise was something he wanted to remember. “Thanks, you’re the best.”

She smiled, looking up from the food to where Minho was being peppered with questions by Danny and some of the other younger students. “How’s he doing?”

“Okay for now. I’m expecting the stress to hit him soon.”

“Let him enjoy this while it lasts, then?”

“Something like that.”

Gil walked past, heading to the dorm room for something, from the looks of it, and she grabbed his attention with a wave of her hand. “Can you relight the fire? I don’t want it to get too cold in here.”

He changed direction as he pulled out his wand. “Sure thing, love.”

“I could have done that,” he said as he watched him go over to the hearth.

She shook her head and picked up one of the treacle tarts. “No, you should be with Minho. He needs you right now.” Kibum glanced his way, finding him still hounded by a swarm of younger students, and looked back at Analecia when she popped the tart in . “What?” she said around her mouthful. “Quality control!”

“Of course.”

He grabbed a pumpkin pastie before he left her to return to Minho’s side, who looked quite harried as Kibum approached. “No, like I said, I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about th -- “

Kibum passed the pastie to Minho before he looked back at the wide-eyed kids, who were glancing between the two of them. “Let’s wait to drown him in questions until after the first task, okay? Go on, give him some room to breathe...”

Minho took a meek bite of the pastie as he watched them walk away, their shoulders slumping slightly. “They weren’t bothering me, Bummie.”

“Well, they should at least let you eat first.” His hand slipped instinctively around Minho’s arm as he pointed to the food table. “It’s mostly just snacks, but like I said, after lights out, we can go get you some actual food, if you’re still hungry.”

“Okay.” Kibum started guiding him to the food. “Did you plan all of this?”

“Not just me. Analecia and Gil, too.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to take the secret passage? Because you were stalling?”

Kibum’s eyes widened and he glanced around to make sure no one was listening -- as if they weren’t speaking in quiet Korean. “Well, yeah. Obviously, I’m insanely curious and you’ll have to show me tomorrow.”

“Deal.”

Minho was able to get in a few bites between the people coming up to congratulate him, or wish him luck in the upcoming task, or ask him what Harry or Krum were like in real life. To his credit, he answered as many of their questions as he could without getting irritated at the repetition of it. Kibum would have already snapped by now. But, when the lamps started to flicker in warning for lights out, the seventh years sent the younger kids back to their rooms. Analecia left with the other prefects to make sure that everyone got to bed on time, while Gil, Minho, Kibum, and the other seventh years from both Hufflepuff and Slytherin started to pick up the common room.

“Min,” Kibum said, touching Minho’s side as he was picking up garbage around the room. “You can go to bed, we can finish up here.”

“The task isn’t tomorrow, Bummie, I’m fine.”

Kibum his teeth at him, which made Minho laugh. As Minho was gathering the trash to take it to the kitchen, Kibum charmed the trays of remaining food to float in the air behind him as he followed him out. When they reached the kitchen, Kibum started putting the food away in the icebox while Minho dumped the sack of garbage.

“Oh my god!” he said out of nowhere. Kibum dropped the platter he was carrying in surprise at Minho’s outburst and it shattered at his feet.

“What?”

“Oh, , are you okay?”

Kibum waved away his concern before he grabbed his wand. “I’m still wearing my shoes, relax. Reparo.” The porcelain platter shards clinked against the ground as it reformed. He picked it up, looked back at the distraught Minho. “What is it?” Was the fact that he was the Hogwarts Champion finally getting to him?

“It’s your birthday, and I completely forgot…” Oh, was that all? Minho’s forehead smacked against his palms as he rested his head in his hands. “God, I’m the worst...I’m so sorry, Bummie.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He set the platter in the sink, rinsing it off before he left it to dry. Minho’s hair was sticking up like crazy -- he must have fisted his hands in the fringe. Kibum walked and leaned on the counter across from him, feeling slightly guilty that he was so amused by his distress. In his defense, it was cute. “To be honest, I forgot too.”

“Yeah, but, you did all this stuff for me and…” He let out a long, defeated sigh. “What can I do for you? To make it up to you?” Kibum started to shake his head and Minho pointed at him. “And don’t say ‘nothing’.”

“Fine,” he said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “I guess…”

His mind went totally, completely, and utterly blank. There was nothing in the world he could think of that he wanted. Well, almost nothing. He met Minho’s gaze, saw the eagerness to please, the readiness to right an imagined wrong twinkling in his dazzlingly dark brown eyes. His second draft of the letter was hidden in his old Divination textbook, but he thought he could remember everything he wanted to say.

Or, maybe not.

Just the thought of voicing his feelings in this moment tied his throat up in a knot.

“A hug would be nice,” he managed to say eventually.

“A hug?” Kibum nodded, his breath catching as Minho’s smile blossomed. “That’s it?” Kibum nodded again and Minho made his way around the counter. “I can definitely do that.”

Kibum staggered back a step or two when Minho wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly. He rested his chin on Minho’s shoulder as his eyes slid shut. Now, he was content. Or, rather, as content as he could be until whenever he found his voice. His pats against Minho’s back slowed, turning into more of a caress for a second before he caught himself and stilled. “And,” he said quietly. “You know me well enough to know what I like for the next time we go into Hogsmeade.”

Minho’s laughter filled his ear as he pulled away, grinning at him. “You’ve got it, buddy.”

After they finished cleaning the dishes, they met Analecia in the corridor, who happened to be on her way back to Hufflepuff. “Something wrong?”

She shook her head. “Gil mentioned something about having a slumber party up in the loft.”

“Oh?”

“Did he say anything to you?” Kibum asked Minho, who shook his head.

“Is that okay, do you think?” Analecia asked.

Both she and Minho looked at him expectantly. Oh, right, he was Head Boy... “Yeah, I don’t see why not. Let’s just not make it a habit.”

Callum and Aaron were already upstairs, as were the other Hufflepuff seventh years. “Okay,” Travis said as Minho settled down on one of the giant cushions. “Can you tell us what the task is now that everyone else is in bed?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about it.”

“Honestly, guys, will you stop asking him that?” Kibum asked with an exasperated sigh. “It’s not like you’ll have to wait long for it.”

Seb sat up, his brow furrowing. “Wait, you told him?”

“Of course he told him,” Gil interjected before either Kibum or Minho could answer. “Don’t be daft.”

Minho had to dissuade a few more of the usual questions before everyone dropped the subject entirely, shifting their attention to their shared classwork, and then eventually, a game of “Would you rather?” that ranged from hilarious to ridiculous. Rhesa was the first to nod off, followed soon by Gil and Marvin. After that, Kibum decided that they should try to sleep before their Transfiguration lesson tomorrow. Everyone seemed to agree, and the lights dimmed as they all tucked in.

Kibum, who had been about to drift off, stirred when Minho shifted beside him. His shadow stood, and Kibum watched the darkness, his gaze darting to the threshold of the balcony when Minho’s silhouette passed over it. He stood, carefully stepping around the others who were fast asleep as he made his way to where Minho was standing outside and looking up at the stars.

The night was cool, not chilly. The last vestiges of summer still had a hold on the world, seemingly unwilling to let go. Still, it was a cloudless night, the moon sliced almost perfectly in half and hanging just so over the Astronomy Tower. Kibum leaned his back against the banister, facing the castle while Minho looked out at the lawn.

“I think it’s finally hitting me,” Minho said, a chuckle in his voice.

“I was wondering when it would.” He glanced down at Kibum, a boyish smile toying with the corner of his lips. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe remind me every once in a while that my dumb actually signed up for this.”

Kibum cracked a smile, his gaze trailing back to the darkened loft. “Aw, come on. Give me something more challenging.” Minho, sniffing in amusement, looked back out at the night. Kibum tipped his head back, looking up at him. “I meant what I said, though. Earlier.” Minho cast a curious glance his way. “I think you’ll excel at this. Speaking from experience, when faced with...challenges like this, instinct just sorta takes over. I know a giant snake isn’t quite the same as a ing dragon, but it’s still -- “

“I mean, they’re both reptiles.”

Kibum sniffed in amusement. “True.” Minho smiled at him before his attention turned to the forest. “We’ve got weeks. We can study up about the dragon together so you’ll have at least an idea of what to expect.”

“Okay.”

He patted Minho’s shoulder. “I’m going back to bed, you coming?”

“Yeah, in a minute.”

Kibum was fully settled on his cushion by the time that Minho crawled onto the cushion beside his, and in a moment later, sound asleep. He woke with the chirping of the birds outside, his eyes bleary in the bright morning light. Most everyone, Minho included, were still fast asleep, but there were a few empty spots. A cursory glance around told him that Analecia was one of the missing, which meant that Gil was probably up too.

Before he made his way downstairs, he made sure Minho was fully tucked under his blanket. The steps creaked under his feet, and when he glanced into the Hufflepuff common room, he found Analecia, Chloe, Amelia, and Rhesa working on...something. He didn’t get a good look until he drew nearer, but --

There were buttons, a little larger than a Galleon. Words flashed across them, first yellow, then black, then back and forth again with the same colors alternating for the background. Go! Go! Choi Minho! it read. Kibum reached around Analecia, his arm startling her, as she had been so wrapped up in her work, and picked one up.

“If you press it, confetti is supposed to come out, too,” Chloe said, demonstrating with a press of her thumb. There was a tiny bang! and little bits of yellow and black paper flitted down on the coffee table.

“Merlin’s beard, these are perfect.”

Analecia and the other girls beamed up at him. “Gil is delivering some to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor right now.”

“Good idea. I’ll take some back to Slytherin.”

Amelia slid some into a box, handing it to him before he made his way to the exit. Once he reached Slytherin, he took two off the top, setting the box by the everlasting tea tray before he went back to his dorm room. He changed into a fresh uniform, and after he donned his robes, he attached one of the buttons he had taken right beneath his Head Boy badge. The yellow was brilliant against the green of his lapel, and Kibum couldn’t help but smile a little as he watched the words flash.

He flipped the other between his fingers as he went back to his nightstand, opening the drawer. After a second’s hesitation, he set it inside, picking up the dried primrose Minho had given him a few years back. He sank into his bed, probably wrinkling his robes as he rolled over to look up at the pictures hanging over his head. All of his favorite memories, that he had captured on film, at least… He reached into his pocket, pulling out the one from last night, and stared at the minuscule shifts in Minho’s expression as he reacted to the surprise party. Smiling, he pressed it into place and tucked the primrose behind it.

His mouth dried the longer he stared at it, so he averted his eyes, slipping out of bed and reaching for his long-abandoned copy of /Unfogging the Future/. He flipped the book open to the page the letter was stuck in. It seemed to stare back at him, taunting him. Jonghyun’s voice filled his head. /Try not to worry too much about it./ Yeah, well, he couldn’t help it. It was easy for Jonghyun to say, but…

Kibum’s hand shook as he closed the book and slid it back into its place, releasing a shuddering sigh. He could do this, and he would...

Just not today.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Let’s open to page 568 in Defensive Magical Theory,” O’Neely said as he walked away from the chalkboard where he had been reviewing information he had went over last week on the Imperius Curse. “It’s time to talk about the Cruciatus Curse. It’s a bit heavier of a lesson today, so just -- yes?” O’Neely asked, directing his attention to the door that had just swung open.

Excited murmurs and gasps filled the room as Harry peeked in. O’Neely shushed them while Minho started gathering his things. “Sorry to bother you, Professor, but we need Minho upstairs.”

“Just leave them,” Kibum whispered as Minho was struggling to stuff his books in his backpack. “I’ll take them down for you.”

“Okay.”

“Good luck,” he said, smiling up at Minho before he moved away to join Harry at the door.

“Do you have your wand?” Harry asked, and Minho pulled it out of his pocket, holding it up for him to see. “Good.”

Miloni and Turner, who Minho had yet to have the opportunity to speak with even though they had been at Hogwarts for weeks now, were already upstairs in an empty classroom when he and Harry arrived. A rather familiar looking old man with a wiry nest of white hair was there as well, sitting behind one of the desks. “Harry, my dear boy,” he said, reached a shaking hand out to clasp Harry’s while Minho sidled up next to Turner. “Is your wand still alright?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, taking his wand out of his back pocket and handing it to the man, letting him examine it. “It’s working just like new.”

Krum cleared his throat, and Harry looked back at him, taking his wand back from Ollivander, if Minho remembered his name correctly. "Right, so this is just a formality, but we just need to make sure that your wands are in working order before the first task next week."

Minho nodded with the others and looked back at Ollivander, who was surveying them all. He opened his mouth to speak and held his hand out for one of their wands when the door behind them burst open and in bustled a rather cheery-looking woman and, to Minho's surprise, Mrs. Kim. His eyebrows shot up as he followed her progress into the room, only just now noticing her camera equipment.

"Sorry," the cheery woman said, brushing her wavy black locks off her forehead with a flick of her head. "We got caught up in Hogsmeade. I'd forgotten how lovely of a place it is." She smiled at the Champions, her lips lined in a bright pink lipstick that matched her robes.

"Romilda Vane, lead journalist for the Daily Prophet. It's simply a pleasure to meet you all," she said as she went around, shaking each of the hands of the Champions. Her gaze raked over Harry as she passed him, and he pointedly looked away, scratching the back of his neck while she moved around behind where Ollivander was sitting and stood by Mrs. Kim. "I'm sorry, you can continue," she said with a wave of her manicured hand, and Mrs. Kim raised her camera as she moved around to get a better shot.

Ollivander glanced up at Harry, who gave him an almost imperceptible nod. "Ladies first, I think."

Miloni fumbled for her wand, producing a thin short black wand with vine details engraved within it. Ollivander took it, holding before his eyes as he twisted it slowly. "Blackthorn...fine condition...Durvochev's work, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes, sir."

“Dragon’s heartstring core…” He tried to bend it, pressing his thumbs against it hard enough for his hands to start shaking. “Unyielding.” With a flourish, he brandished it, sending a jet of gold sparks up to the cobwebbed chandelier. Then, he nodded, and handed it back to her and reached out for Turner to go next. He stepped forward, setting a long reddish-brown wand with a wavy grip to Ollivander. “Hm, Rowan, nicely supple…” He squinted. “Veela hair for the core?” Minho squinted, mouthing the unfamiliar word. He flicked Turner’s wand toward the far curtain, rending it in two.

Oh, it was raining now.

Minho tore his gaze away from the gray and overcast day as Turner stepped forward to receive his wand again. He dug in his pocket, producing his wand for Ollivander to gently take. “Ah, a loyal old friend,” he said reverently as he twisted it in his hands. “Cedar and unicorn hair...a strong pairing.” He bent it between his thumbs again, and Minho had to stop himself from lurching forward to snatch his wand back. “Surprisingly flexible.” He looked up at Minho, his pale eyes surveying him before he directed his attention once more to the ripped curtain. With a flick of his wand, the curtain mended itself once more.

“Works perfectly.” Minho bowed a little to Ollivander as he took his wand back. “I think that concludes everything, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said.

Romilda stood, flashing a bright grin at Ollivander as he made to leave. “Let’s get a few pictures, shall we?”

A few turned out to be a ton… He found himself wondering halfway through whether Mrs. Kim would run out of film or not. First, it was just the Champions, then them with the former Champions, then each individual Champion, then the Champions standing behind Ollivander. By the end of it, Minho’s face hurt from smiling so much. He had to massage his cheeks to get them to go back to normal.

The bell rang, and Romilda finally let Ollivander go, and Harry and the others were soon to follow him, leaving Minho, Turner, and Miloni alone with Romilda. “It’s lunch, now, isn’t it?” Minho nodded, and her smile somehow grew. “Let’s all head down to the Leaky Cauldron. My treat.”

It was still raining by the time they reached the thestral-drawn carriage. Even though Minho couldn’t see them, he could tell that Romilda and Mrs. Kim could. A glance at Miloni and Turner told him that they couldn’t, or, if they could, that they were concealing it very well.

Minho immediately sat beside Mrs. Kim while the other two squished in next to Romilda. The thestral pulled them forward as Mrs. Kim turned to him. “How are you? Are things alright between you two?” she asked quietly.

His brow furrowed. Why wouldn’t things be fine with Kibum? Was this about what he couldn’t talk to him about this summer? “We’re fine. How has work been?”

She smiled, looking across the carriage to Romilda, who was trying to keep a conversation going with Turner. “A hectic mess. But it’s okay. I’m glad I get to help cover the Tournament.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Will you be here for the rest of the year?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be in and out with Romilda. You’ll have to sit through a few interviews, but…”

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the carriage coming to a halt. Minho and the other Champions hopped off before Mrs. Kim and Romilda could, and he fell into step beside her while Romilda led them all to the warm Three Broomsticks. Mrs. Kim left them at the table closest to the hearth, heading to the bar to talk to Rosmerta. Probably about their meal.

“Go ahead and find a seat. Get comfortable,” Romilda said as she pulled her hair back over her shoulder before she sat across from Miloni. “Do you mind if I use a Quick Quotes Quill?”

Minho blinked, glancing at the other two. They seemed to be as clueless as he was about it, but in the end, he nodded, shrugging. She flicked open her purse and a pad of paper and a flamboyantly pink-feathered quill floated in the air beside her as she searched their expressions. It started writing before she began to speak.

“We’ll start with you, dear,” she said with a nod to Miloni. “If I’m not mistaken, your name is Miloni?”

“Yes, Miloni Abel.”

“Have you told your parents about being selected? Are they proud?” Minho’s eyes widened slightly. Should he have done that? He hadn’t even told Minseok, given that he didn’t know exactly how to explain it to him, so he couldn’t imagine… What if he got that question? What would he even say? He shrunk back into his seat, clasping his hands on the table and refocusing on Miloni.

“Yes, I did. I played Seeker for three years then moved to Beater. I was the Captain of my house’s Quidditch team before being selected,” she said, replying to a completely different question that Minho must have not heard. Mrs. Kim walked behind Romilda, taking the seat beside her before she started fiddling with her camera.

“Ah,” Romilda said, her smile growing. “So you’re already athletic? Were you anticipating being selected for the Tournament?”

“I...I wouldn’t say I anticipated it but I was hopeful.”

Romilda’s attention shifted to Turner, who sat up a little straighter, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Turner, isn’t it?”

Oui, madame.”

Her eyes twinkled, then she asked him a question in French that Minho couldn’t understand. Sure, he picked up a few words here and there, but that’s only because Jonghyun liked to by slipping into French sometimes. When it came to be his turn, Minho gulped as Romilda met his gaze. “And you’re Minho.” He nodded mutely, tensing as he prepared for the parents question. “I hear that you have quite the Quidditch career as well. Care to share?”

“Uh…” Great. Perfect time for his mind to go blank. “Um, I started playing in, uh, second year. Seeker. But I’ve worked my way up to be Chaser and Captain of the Hufflepuff. The only position I haven’t played yet is Keeper.”

“Do you think you would have, had the Tournament not happened?”

Minho shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about it. “Maybe.”

“This is fascinating, you’re all so athletic...should prove to be interesting.” She glanced between them, her gaze darting back to meet Minho’s. “What do you think your odds are of coming out on top of the first match?”

His eyes widened, and he looked over at Turner and Miloni, who were watching him with veiled interest. “I...I have yet to see them in action, but I think...I think we’re all pretty evenly matched. It should be really exciting.” Miloni snorted, and Minho cracked a smile. Exciting was one way to describe a dragon, but none of them could say anything beyond that.

Romilda tilted her head, smiling at them. “I know you probably can’t but in the off chance that you can...Are you able to say what the first task will be?” Minho emphatically shook his head, and Turner said a quiet no. “Didn’t think so. Still sad.”

Before she could ask another question, Rosmerta came by, a platter of steaming hot food and frosted mugs of butterbeer floating behind her. The platter -- which was filled with a succulent roast, herb coated vegetables, mashed potatoes dripping with gravy and butter, and a flaming rum pudding -- set itself down in the center of the table while the butterbeers arranged themselves before them. Rosmerta set plates, napkins, and utensils before each of them before she went back to the kitchen.

“Let’s eat, shall we?”

She continued to ask them questions, and once Mrs. Kim finished, she started taking candid shots of them while they ate and joked with each other. Once the last bite of pudding was eaten, Romilda leaned back, glancing at her quill. “I think I have everything I need for today.” She looked over at Mrs. Kim, who was packing up her camera. “I guess we’ll see you next week, then? I’m definitely looking forward to it.” She stood, then, shaking each of their hands in turn before she gathered up her pad of paper and quill and went back out into the rain. Mrs. Kim wasn’t too far behind her.

The chatter of the other patrons and the clatter of dishes behind the bar were louder now, in Romilda’s absence. Minho looked over at the other two, trying to gauge their expression. “Have…” he started to say, but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat when they looked at him. “Have you been able to explore Hogsmeade at all?”

Turner shook his head, and Miloni said. “Nakova has had me studying since we found out. I only leave the ship for meals.”

“Same for me,” Turner said.

“Hm…” Maybe not Hogsmeade. Not today. Sure, it was raining, but… “Follow me,” he said, hurrying out into the storm. He led them out of Hogsmeade and once they reached the forest, they ducked under the treeline and out of the downpour. Hurrying now, he followed the Forbidden forest to the Quidditch pitch, where he took them to Hufflepuff’s tunnel. Both of them looked around the darkened corridor as Minho found the broom cupboard, hitting the right board and opening it up for them to see the selection of brooms.

Turner’s eyes lit up and Miloni looked up at him, curious. “I know, it’s raining, but I thought it might be fun still. It being cooped up inside for so long, right?”

Grinning now, Turner grabbed Seb’s broom and started for the door leading to the pitch. Minho picked up his and Sam’s, passing it to Miloni before he followed Turner. They all mounted with a practiced ease, and soon despite the rain, they were zooming through the air, letting it tear through them. Invigorate them. He laughed when Miloni darted through the far goal hoop without slowing, followed by a tight backflip through the lower-right one. He stopped flying, leaning back for balance to clap for her.

“Come on, what do you got?” she yelled back, a smile in her voice.

Soon, they were just taking turns showing off the tricks they had learned while playing or during their flying classes. Occasionally, they would stop to teach the others the technical aspect of a move, but it all came to a screeching halt when Madam Hooch came out to the pitch, calling for them to stop. Minho froze mid flip, clinging to his rain-slick broom until he was able to right himself and fly back down to her.

“Sorry,” he said as he landed next to her, Miloni and Turner plopping down beside him. “We just needed to get rid of some of our jitters.”

Any anger she had seemed to melt away, but her piercing yellow eyes didn’t leave Minho’s face. “Ordinarily, that would be alright, but if you hadn’t noticed, we’ve already started construction for the task, so the pitch is off-limits to everyone right now. Including the Champions,” she added, glancing at the other two before looking back up at Minho.

“Yes, ma’am, it won’t happen again.”

“I expect not.” She huffed, giving them a wry smile. “Go on, now. Before the Headmistresses notice you’re gone.”

“Thanks!”

They ran back to the tunnel, replacing the brooms. Miloni and Turner were waiting for him while he locked them back up, and together they ran back out to the lawn. They walked to where the carriages where they dropped Turner off with a wave goodbye and started for Durmstrang’s ship.

“You don’t have to come all that way with me,” Miloni said, looking up at Minho.

“I don’t mind. Really.”

She shook her head, nudging him toward the castle. “Thanks for today, though. I enjoyed it.”

“No problem. Anytime you want to break the rules, you know who to call,” he said, adding finger guns with a cheeky grin.

She laughed, the sound echoing across the lawn. “I’ll see you.”

“Yeah.”

He watched her go for a second before he turned, jogging back up to the castle. He was sopping wet by the time he reached it, which he took care of with a blast of warm air from the tip of his wand. While it dried him, the warm air didn’t linger, and the chill from outside had already settled into his bones. He shivered as he hurried downstairs, pulling one of his sweatshirts that still vaguely smelled like Kibum on before he went off in search of his friends.

Deciding to check the library first was a good choice, given that everyone was there, no doubt doing the reading that O’Neely assigned to them. Gil noticed his approach first and he quickly said something to Kibum, who was sitting across from him. He immediately looked up, finding Minho and following his progress around the table to where he sat beside him.

“What happened to your hair?”

“My hair?” he reached up, touching the disheveled mess. “Probably just dried weird.”

Nodding, Kibum gave him a once-over before he looked back at his notes from class. “What was that all about?”

“Wand-weighing ceremony. Your mom was there.” His gaze snapped up to meet Minho’s again, which made him chuckle. “Yeah, I was surprised, too. She was taking pictures for the interview.”

“For the Prophet?” Minho hummed, nodding. Kibum’s eyebrows raised suspiciously as he went back to reading his notes. “I’ll have to get it to make sure that you didn’t say any weird about me.”

Minho, who wasn’t trying to get kicked out of the library today, bit back a laugh. “I didn’t mention you at all, buddy, sorry. But I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

“Yeah, you’d ing better.”

Kibum went back to his reading, his smile bringing out his dimples. Sighing, Minho rested his chin on his palm, allowing himself a few seconds to watch him read. While flying helped him to relax, with the exertion and thrill it brought with it, nothing could compare to the way that just being with Kibum calmed him. Any stress, any anxiety always seemed to lessen when he was around. He could just relax and be...well, himself.

Not that any of this was a revelation to him, of course. But…

His gaze had slipped away from Kibum and across the table where he met Analecia’s eyes. He froze. She blinked, her expression taking on the knowing shift that Jonghyun’s had when he was at Minho’s house, and she looked back down, a small smile growing.

Well, ...

* * * * * * * * * *

The days until the task dragged by. Every spare moment he could, he spent with Minho upstairs, making notes on the Ironbelly and trying to come up with a plan of action that could actually work.

It was hard, though, given the fact that neither of them knew exactly what to expect.

Like, sure, they could study until their brains burst, but that didn't mean anything. Not really. If anything, it just gave Minho a little more peace of mind, which was more than enough of a reason to continue for Kibum. No matter how much it stressed him out.

Because of this, he had to rely on Analecia for notes on the classes, as he was either nodding off or preoccupied with anxious thoughts because Minho left the room for more Tournament preliminary stuff… The things Minho left for were all starting to run together…

He stared up at the newspaper clippings above his head, his eyes burning from lack of sleep as he watched Minho glance at the other Champions and strain to smile.

It was finally Saturday. Halloween. The day of reckoning.

Maybe after this was over he'd stop having those nightmares about the many possible ways for Minho to die by dragon. Last night, he had been engulfed in flames. Trembling, he pushed himself up before Aaron's alarm could go off and changed into his green oversized sweater and a comfortable pair of jeans before he made his way to Hufflepuff.

The odds of Minho being awake already were fairly high -- if he was unable to sleep, then Minho probably was, too, despite the Sleeping Draft Kibum had made for him.

He let himself inside, once again disappointed that they didn't have the tea tray set up at all times. Ignoring his need for some sort of stimulant, Kibum went into the boy's tunnel, following the lamps until he reached the seventh year's room at the end of it. He opened the door, closing it softly behind him.

Unlike the other rooms that Minho had been it so far, six cubbies were burrowed into the wall, giving everyone their personal space, as opposed to just having their beds. The cubbies were lined with cushions, each one lit from within with candles and a small round window that looked over the gardens and Merlin's beard. A small bookshelf for their textbooks was carved into the wall.

Kibum slipped off his shoes before he made his way to the second one in on the right. Minho's. His bed, like he had been expecting, was deserted and the curtains were drawn over his cubby. Without bothering to indicate that he was there, Kibum slipped inside, his expression softening with a sigh when he found Minho completely conked out, the books about dragons they got from the library strewn about him.

He tucked in on himself as he took a seat across from him. "Minho."

Minho snorted, his eyes snapping open as his head swung down to look at the book in his hands. "I'll go to bed in a minute," he mumbled. How many times had he told his roommates that this week? They were probably ready for this task to be over as much as he and Minho were.

"Hey," he said, and Minho looked up at him, his eyes drooping slightly. "Did you sleep at all?"

"I don't remember."

Sighing, Kibum reached for the book in Minho's hand. "You've gotta try, buddy."

It took some convincing, so much so that Kibum had to whisper an apology to Minho's roommates as he dragged Minho to his bed.

"You'll wake me up in an hour?" Minho managed to say before Kibum closed the curtains around them.

"Min, it doesn't start until noon," he whispered as he conjured a note saying Do NOT wake him before 10 that he charmed to hang outside. He settled then, his fingers carding through Minho's hair.

But Minho didn't argue like Kibum thought he would. He was already asleep, and despite his best intentions, Kibum was quick to follow him.

He woke with a start when the curtains were wrenched back, but instead of one of Minho's roommates looking down at them, it was Minho himself. "Wha -- "

"Come on, I've gotta head down for pictures and I thought you'd wanna come with me."

"Yeah."

Kibum tumbled out of bed and Minho passed him his yellow hoodie, which he slipped on without a thought. He followed him out of the room, rubbing his eyes.

It took him until they reached the main corridor to realize that Minho was wearing something other than his Quidditch robes. It looked like it was the same material that his suit had been during the potions competition, and a cursory feel of Minho's sleeve told him that his assumption was correct. It was thickly striped, alternating between black and Hufflepuff yellow, with a bright green Choi sewn across his shoulders.

"Did you get much sleep?" Minho asked, and Kibum offered him an incredulous look, which made Minho laugh. "I'm fine, Bummie, don't worry. I got like two hours and had a bunch of coffee."

"Make sure to use the restroom before the task begins, then," he said as they came up to the main floor.

"Okay, Mom." Kibum his teeth at him, which made Minho laugh again. "Did you wanna eat?"

"Don't you have to go do pictures?"

"Oh, right."

It was a cloudless day, but the morning chill still hung in the air, and they created little clouds of their own with their huffing as they ran down to meet the others. Miloni and her Headmistress still wasn't there, but before Minho could go over and cheerily greet Turner, Kibum grabbed his arm. "Bathroom?"

"Right, right."

Kibum let out his pent up breath in a forceful sigh as he walked up to stand beside Mom, who was screwing on the lens of her camera. "How are you holding up?" He shrugged. It wasn't important today how he was doing. "Are you still having your nightmares?" He met her gaze, nodding after a second's hesitation. "They'll probably go away after today. Try to rest after this is over, okay?"

"Okay."

Minho jogged back out onto the lawn, heading over to where Turner and Miloni were congregating by the Hufflepuff tunnel. "I'll be right back, hon."

Nodding, he watched her go. It took a while, probably an hour, to get the shots they needed. Kibum kept being the person everyone turned to when they needed someone to hold something for them, which got old after the second time it happened. Still, he did it without complaint. He was too caught up in the weird faces Minho would make at him between shots to care too much.

When the clock struck 11:45, Mom wrapped the photoshoot up and Minho and the others were ushered into the tunnel. Kibum watched the door close, his heart thudding with the echo of it, and everyone grabbed their stuff from him. They left him, then, to go upstairs to the announcer’s box, but Kibum still couldn't move away. As the stands started to fill, Kibum stepped forward, running up to the door and jiggling the handle.

It was locked.

"Kibum?" came Minho's muffled voice, and Kibum pressed his ear closer to the cool wood. "Bummie, is that you?"

"Yes! Please stay safe, Minho!"

"I will!"

"I'll kick your if you get hurt!"

“Good to know.” Minho's faint chuckle reached him, and Kibum couldn't help but smile a little as he leaned his head against the door. "I'll meet you here when it's done, okay?"

"Okay!"

Kibum pressed his hand against the door, fighting the urge to reach for the handle, before he reluctantly pushed away and fell into step with the crowd heading up to the stands.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Colloportus!” Flitwick said, his squeaky voice echoing in the dark corridor. Minho gulped, staring at the closed door and burning his last glimpse of Kibum into his memory. “Mr. Choi, if you’d come this way,”

He started to turn when Flitwick cast the Flame-Repellent Charm on one of the others, but then the handle to the door shook. He darted forward, listening for any sign that whoever wanted in was -- “Kibum? Bummie, is that you?”

“Yes!” His heart clenched at the faint but definitely anxious tremor in his voice. He pressed his hand to the door, wishing he could comfort him. “Please stay safe, Minho!”

“I will!”

“I’ll kick your if you get hurt!”

Grinning, Minho glanced down at the handle. If only he could open it, give Kibum one last hug before it started. “Good to know.”

“Mr. Choi?”

Minho glanced back at Flitwick, who was watching him with an air of impatience. “Meet me here when it’s done, okay?” he said before he pushed away from the door, jogging over to the tiny professor. “Sorry, sir. Kibum is just worried, that’s all.”

“He would be more worried if you went into the task without being properly protected, I should think!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ardobsisto!” he said, a bright blue light streamed from the tip of his wand, washing Minho in what felt like a cool mist. “Remember, this will wear off eventually, so try to act quickly once you reach the dragon. Everyone has their wands?”

Minho pulled his out, as did Turner and Miloni.

Turner let out a shuddering sigh, and Minho looked over at him for a second before he held his arms out, pulling them both in for a hug. “Good luck, you guys.”

Miloni patted his back with a quiet laugh. “We’re competing against each other, Minho.”

“I know. But I still hope you do well.” Turner squeezed them both a little tighter before the cannon fired and the door to what was once the Quidditch pitch blew open.

Flitwick handed them each a torch as they walked past him to the peer into the pale gray mist hanging in the air. “Good luck to you all!” he called after them as they stepped through the threshold. Minho jumped when the door closed behind them, then he looked back out, squinting through the mist.

They were in a valley shrouded in trees that were beginning to change color with the season. On either side of them loomed craggy mountains, their peaks piercing the overcast sky. No sign of the Ironbelly yet, but then there wouldn’t be, would there?

Minho tightened his grip on his wand, darting forward and leaving the others behind. They were soon to follow him, anyway, judging by the footfalls behind him, but they didn’t matter anymore. It was just him and the dragon now, wherever it may be. But first, like he and Kibum planned, he had to find the Goblet. If he didn’t and he had an angry dragon on his heels, he wouldn’t be able to keep his head while he searched. And, besides, the dragon was probably near the Goblet as it was, so…

His heartbeat pounded in his head as he ran through the trees and searched the mountains, the ground, the trees for any sign of the wooden Goblet. He recognized the area, if only a little bit, from the pictures in the books he and Kibum read about the Ironbelly. The Crimean Mountains in Ukraine, where the Ironbelly was from. Which, now that he thought about it, made the dragon slightly more formidable. It was on its home turf, defending itself against intruders...it was bound to be a bit more vicious, which in the end could be a good thing. More vicious might mean more fire, which would be more of a chance to get to the Goblet and win the task.

He stopped at a stream, tucking his torch under his arm and using his non-wand-holding hand to scoop up some water, then looked up and around. No wonder they wanted them out of the pitch...this was a lot of work. He could only imagine what else they have in store for the remaining tasks.

Minho dried his hand off on his pant leg and sloshed through the stream, carrying on.

It was hard to keep track of the time in here, with no sun peeking through the clouds to gage what time it might be. It felt like forever, though, and like he was running in circles. How embarrassing would it be to not even see the dragon because he couldn’t navigate through the trees that were definitely all looking the same.

In a of luck, or possibly spellwork from one of the onlookers, Minho found himself in a clearing that revealed a lake at the base of the tallest mountain yet. The russets, gold, and reds of the leaves shimmered across the water, blurring in the ripples from the light breeze. In the center, there was a tiny island. On which, the Goblet of Fire was set, though without the flame.

Then it came...the sound he had been waiting for.

The roar of the Ironbelly came like rolling thunder, rumbling through the air, vibrating through him. Dread settled into his bones even as his heartbeat quickened. A twig snapped to his left and he instinctively lifted his wand, brandishing it at Miloni, who did the same to him. He held out his hand in apology and lowered his wand, looking back up to where the roar came from. It was up there, somewhere to their right.

“Accio, broom!” he yelled, swishing his wand back to where he had just come from. His eyes trailed after Miloni as she started to run around the lake toward the mountain. “Come on...come on…” Turner appeared then, too, his eyes darting from Minho to the Goblet. There came a rustling behind them that drew both of their attention, and Minho held out his hand, waiting for his trusty broom to arrive. After finding Miloni’s footsteps, Turner ran, following her path toward the mountain.

The broomstick smacked against his palm. Without a thought, he tucked the torch into his waistband, mounted his broom, and was off, flying through the mist to where he thought the peak might be.

A burst of flame and a wave of heat colored the mist orange for a moment, and Minho changed course, moving away from it until he broke free of the haze. It cleared, and Minho pulled back on his broom, freezing in the air.

The books all said it was the largest known dragon in the world, but somehow, they thought that might be an understatement. It lay sprawling over the mountainside, bracing itself on its wings. The trees around it were swallowed with writhing flames already. The gray of its scales almost camouflaged against the stone of the mountain. If he hadn’t been specifically looking for it, he might have overlooked the dull sheen of its scales in the pale light. But its eyes, bright and flaming red...he wouldn’t have been able to miss those. Not even in the dead of night.

Right. The plan.

After checking to make sure his torch was secure, he tightened his grip on his wand and met the dragon’s eye.

Time to get it in the air.

He drifted closer, running through the list of spells and hexes and jinxes he and Kibum had gone over before he raised his wand, aiming for the bit of its hide just past its shoulder, and said, “Aculeus!”

The Stinging Jinx hit the Ironbelly in a flash of white light. He braced himself on his broom as the roar it let out tore through him. When it stopped, it was still perched on the mountain, unmoved. He cast the jinx, again and again, switching between that and Levicorpus. He wasn’t trying to hurt the Ironbelly -- and he didn’t, given the way that each of the jinxes glanced off its hide -- he was just trying to irritate it enough to fly.

“Acendio!” came the call somewhere below him. Miloni. That must be how she’s climbing the mountain.

He tried it yet again -- "Aculeus!" -- and the mountain creaked under the shifting weight of the Ironbelly. “Look out!” he called to Miloni, and probably Turner, as the rocks beneath the dragon started to move and tumble down the mountainside. As its wings spread, Minho started to quail on his broom. He could barely see the impression of the sun through its thin, bat-like wings. It cast a shadow over him and the mists and trees and mountains beyond him.

But, before he could let himself be caught up in his anxiety, the Ironbelly pushed off the mountain with its massive hind legs. Minho instinctively bent low on his broom and began to climb higher, drawing the dragon away from the mountain and into the sky. The heavy flapping of its wings filled the air around him, but all thought was drowned out with every earth-quaking roar.

When he reached the peak of the mountain, he surged forward. A little higher. The air was thinner up here, but Minho didn’t care right now. He watched, waiting for the reddish-orange glow of its breath, and when it came directly below him, he banished his broom and let himself fall.

* * * * *

“What are you doing!” Gil yelled on the other side of Analecia as Minho free-fell through the air.

Kibum ignored him, his breath catching as he watched Minho grab hold of one of the long horns on the face of the Ironbelly. Analecia squeezed his hand even tighter than she had been, and Kibum squeezed back. He scooted forward in his seat, his throat tightening as Minho lost his grip and slid down the dragon’s face.

Just then, the broom he hand banished flew into view, clattering up and over the banister of the stands. It was enough of a distraction to tear Kibum’s attention away from Minho, especially when it was passed up to him to hold. And hold it he did...clung to it, more like, his fingernails carving grooves into it as he found Minho clambering down its face, bracing himself as the dragon shook its head to dispel Minho.

Flames from the dragon’s breath engulfed the air; even from this distance, Kibum could feel the heat of it.

This was too much. He couldn’t watch this, but he couldn’t look away. Tears stung his eyes as Minho crept closer to the dragon’s mouth, pulling out his torch and casting another jinx at the dragon.

It lifted its head and he slipped, just as the dragon breathed fire again.

He fell through the flame.

Kibum stopped breathing, his eyes blown wide. But then, Minho’s broom loosened itself from his tight grip and Kibum jumped to his feet as it darted back into the mist. “Minho, get to the Goblet!”

* * * * *

Air whistled past Minho’s ears as he fell through the mist. He could feel himself losing his grip on his torch. His hand was probably slick with his blood...But it was lit, and that was all that mattered. Well, not all...his broom still wasn’t here. He tried to listen for it, but all he could hear was the wind buffeting him, threatening to extinguish the flame he worked so hard to get.

But then, through the clouds, it came to him and Minho let himself drop onto it. He stuck his wand between his teeth and held the torch close to his chest as he flew back to where he remembered the lake being. The dragon, now cloaked in the clouds, still roared, but he ignored it now. Another blast of flame; another wave of heat. He shook his head. He could only be focused on one thing.

The Goblet. Getting to it first. The fact that he was on fire.

Wait --

The fabric of his scale-shredded sleeve had whipped into the flame, the Fire-Repellent Charm that Flitwick had used was probably wiped out by the dragon’s flame. What remained of his sleeve was now alight, the heat of it rippling over and searing his arm that was already scraped up pretty badly. There were even a few scales stuck in his forearm, his blood pulsing around them.

But he couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t let himself be distracted.

Once he reached the lake, his pain-blurry vision crossed as a loud crack! echoed over the water. On the island with the Goblet, which had been empty a second ago, Miloni appeared, her torch lit, and she shoved it into the heart of the Goblet.

It instantly burst with blue flame, and Minho's broom sputtered beneath him and he jerked it down, diving into the lake.

The coldness of the water washed over him, soothing his scrapes and burns. He gave himself a few seconds of relief before he dismounted his broom and started to swim to the surface. His lungs were clawing for more air by the time he reached it, and he gasped for air.

“Minho!” Miloni called out for him, the splashes of her feet in the water drawing his attention to where she was a few meters away. Slowly, and with a great deal of effort, he swam toward her, letting her help him out of the water.

His injured arm trembled as he stood beside her, making him drop the torch. He looked around, finding Turner on the shore dunking his lighted torch into the lake.

“Are you okay?” Minho asked her. She could only nod as she looked at his arm. “Congratulations on winning.” He didn’t mean to sound like an , his exhaustion was just setting in. “How did you do it?” he was about to ask, but McGonagall’s voice boomed out across the lake.

“Miloni Abel is the winner of the first task!”

Whatever else she said, Minho couldn't focus on. His arm was throbbing too much, and the air around them started to shimmer. Minho gritted his teeth as he pulled out one of the scales, whimpering a little as it came loose. "Leave that for the healers," Miloni said, her voice tinged with worry.

When he looked back up, he could faintly see the stands through the trees and the mountains. It seemed like they were in the center of the pitch. Their surroundings were purely an enchantment. Was the dragon not real, too?

No, it was. There was a team of dragon wranglers flying around it, a stocky red-headed man calling out the orders as they led it away from the pitch. He looked back at the stands, finding that they were almost fully in view now. Around them, the lake was fading too, becoming the familiar grass once more.

His broomstick was there, scorched and frayed from the dragon's breath. He moved off the rapidly disappearing island, his body tense from the ordeal it had just been through, and he plodded toward it, his heart sinking as he drew nearer to it.

The twigs were in disarray. Unusable. He wouldn't be able to fly again.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry…

His bottom lip trembled as he stooped to pick up the stick, the twigs falling to the ground. Maybe he could get it retwigged...Would he have to send out for that? How much would it cost? Would it be back in time for whatever happened next?

He clutched the stick with his wand hand as he made his way back to Miloni, who was crossing the pitch to join up with Turner. Once Minho reached them, she slung her arm around both of their waists, patting their sides as they made their way back to the Hufflepuff tunnel.

Pomfrey met them there, grabbing Minho's arm to inspect it. It took her a little longer than usual to treat his scrapes, cuts, and burns, but the other two insisted that he be treated first. Miloni was called back out to take pictures and be interviewed by Romilda, and once Minho was given the okay to leave, he and Turner joined her. Just a few pictures. Minho chose not to give any comments, and he had to make sure that he didn't meet Mrs. Kim's eyes because he would have definitely broken down, then.

He trailed behind the others as they made their way back out to the lawn, setting his broomstick back in its place. It looked so sad next to the others… The castle came into view before he realized that there was a bit of a crowd waiting for them.

Well, maybe crowd was a strong word. It was Kibum, two girls, and another guy Minho didn't recognize. He lowered his gaze as the others rushed forward, the guy hugging Miloni and the two girls hugging Turner tightly.

"Come back after the feast and let me check on your arm, okay?" Pomfrey said as she walked past him.

He could only nod.

Miloni was already walking hand in hand with whoever that guy was back to the ship, and one of the girls was peppering kisses all over Turner's face. The other was standing off to the side with Kibum, who Minho finally lifted his eyes to.

.

The tears he had been holding back finally started to spill, but he turned around before all except Kibum noticed and made his way back to the locker room. He left the door open, knowing that Kibum was just a few steps behind him. It clicked shut once Minho slumped onto the furthest bench away from the door, and he buried his face in his hands, releasing all of his pent up emotions.

Kibum's arm slipped his arm around him, his thumb slowly his side while Minho cried. "I thought you were incredible, Min."

He shook his head, wiping at his tear-streaked face. "I looked like an idiot out there."

"Hey." Kibum lightly smacked his side. "I'm the only one who's allowed to call you that. Knock it off." Minho let out a choked laugh, and Kibum scooted a bit closer to him. "How many people have been that close to a dragon and survived, huh? Not even the other two can boast that."

Minho sniffed loudly, wiping his nose. "How'd she do it?"

Kibum hesitated when Minho met his eyes, and he reached up with his free hand to dry his tears with a swipe of his thumb. "Are you ready to hear it? Or would you rather wait?"

"Just tell me."

He sighed, regarding Minho before he bunched up the sleeve of his hoodie and kept drying his face. "The Ironbelly breathed some more fire as you were drawing it into the air and she caught some on her torch."

"Ah."

Kibum grabbed his face gently, keeping him looking at him after he started looking away. "I know it's really raw for you right now, but believe me, you were amazing out there. Please, don't second guess yourself."

"You're not just saying that because Minseok paid you to, right?"

"I would have said it anyway, but the extra money is nice." Minho sniffed a laugh and Kibum let go of his face, the tips of his fingers lingering a second longer on his chin. He let his head hang as Kibum kept his side. "You've got to be exhausted." Minho nodded. "Do you want to crash here or go back to your room?"

Going to bed sounded...so incredibly nice right now. He said as much, and Kibum helped to pull him to his feet. Together, they started back to the castle.

The sky was still heavily overcast, but growing darker. The sun must have been setting behind the clouds. Fallen leaves from the Forbidden Forest skittered across the lawn, swirling around their feet on the light breeze. The promise of rain hung in the air and Minho breathed in deeply, letting it fill him, refresh him.

Kibum, thankfully, accommodated his slower gate. His whole body ached, and walking only made it worse. Instead of taking him straight downstairs like he had been expecting, Kibum guided him to the infirmary where he asked after some Wiggenweld Potion. They were able to spare a vial, which Kibum thanked them for and gave to Minho once they reached the stairwell to go downstairs.

Most of Hufflepuff and a lot of Slytherin were congregated in the Hufflepuff common room, waiting for his return, it seemed. Whether they wanted to yell at him or comfort him, he wasn’t sure. Regardless, he froze, staring at them, unsure what he could do or say to make it better.

“Nope,” Kibum said after he hopped down from the tunnel, his hand going to the small of Minho’s back and giving him a gentle shove toward the boy’s dorms. “You can talk to him after he’s rested.”

An awkward silence settled over the room as Minho shuffled through it, Kibum at his side. He could feel the weight of their scrutiny on his back as he climbed into the tunnel, but he ignored that until he turned the corner and it lifted. Kibum opened the door for him, and after checking to see if Minho’s roommates were there, locked the door with a flick of his wand. He went over to Minho’s drawer of the dresser, pulling out his pajamas and bringing them over to where he was sitting at the foot of his bed. Then he turned, giving Minho a bit of privacy to change his clothes while he turned down the bed.

It took a great deal of effort to pull off his shirt, and even more to slip into his long-sleeved tee -- especially with the bandage wrapped around most of his arm -- but he was determined not to ask for help for such a simple task. Not after Kibum had already done so much for him.

Wincing as he stood, he fell into bed, watching Kibum walk around his bed to go curl up in the cubby behind him. “Aren’t you tired, too?”

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

He nodded. “Please.”

After a second’s hesitation, Kibum crawled in beside him. Minho, who was used to hugging his pillow to go to sleep, immediately wrapped his arms around Kibum and rested his head on his chest. The steady rise and fall of it was soothing, in a way, as was the way Kibum was his sore back. He had been expecting to lay awake, unable to sleep while he pondered his many missteps with the dragon. But instead, he snuggled closer to Kibum, thankful for the locked door as he let himself relax and be held.

Sleep came in minutes, but he didn’t dream about the dragon like he had done for weeks and weeks, ever since they were first told about it.

No, he dreamed about Kibum.

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bummbleMin1004
#1
Chapter 80: NOOOOOOOOOOO I LOVE THIS STORY VERY MUCCH WHY IT END BUT I LOVE THE ENDING TT THANK OU SO MUCH I SO HAPPY THEY TOGETHER THANK YOU WRITE THE STORY THANK YOUUU!!!!
Fan4manga #2
Chapter 80: Love the end ! I'm still a bit sad it's over but thank you so much for the story :)
Onew-1989 #3
Chapter 80: The End. 😭. For some reason I didn’t expect it to end. Great story!!
TOPkat
#4
Chapter 80: Thank you for this amazing beautiful wonderful story! This is one of my favorite stories to read thank you again sooo much.
bummbleMin1004
#5
Chapter 79: OMG THAT ENDING!!! WHAT WILL HAPPEN??!!!!! PLS ALL BE OK TT I WANT THEM BE TOGETHER AGAIN!!! WIHOUT PROBLEM THIS TIME!!!!!
THANK YOU WRITE THIS STORY YOUR MAZING!!!!
bummbleMin1004
#6
Chapter 78: BEST CHAPTER!!! THE PLOT, WRITING, PLOT, EMOTIONS!!!! I ING LOVE IT PLEASE DONT END THE STORY I LOVE IT SO MUCH DX
bummbleMin1004
#7
Chapter 77: I DO NOT EXPECT THIS OMG I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH HOPE IT WONT END YET T.T
bummbleMin1004
#8
Chapter 76: OMG THEY MARRY!!!! WOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW ING FINALLYYYY!!!!!!!!! T.T IM SO HAPPY I LOVE IT SM!!!!!!!!!!! <3333333333
bummbleMin1004
#9
Chapter 75: PLEASE TELL ME THEY NOT GONN BREAK UP OMG I WILL CRY BLOOD IF THEY DO DONOT WANT THEM TO BREAK UP PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!! DX LOVE THISS TORY YOU ARE AMAZING LIKE ALWAYS!!! <33333333333333333333