The Great Hall was eerily quiet.

It was the morning of the second day of exams. The only sounds that could be heard were the scraping of forks against plates and the occasional heavy sigh. The seventh years hadn’t been seen in days. Most of them were holed up in their rooms or the library studying for their N.E.W.T.s.

Minho’s head thudded against the table, rattling the plates and silverware. Kibum dragged his fork through his eggs and syrup as he glanced at Minho. He offered him a sympathetic smile, even though Minho wasn’t looking. “Nervous?” He groaned, and Kibum his hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

“How do you know, though?”

“Because I took my Charms exam yesterday. And we’ve been studying the pronunciations for weeks now. You’ll do great.”

Minho sat up slowly, sighing. “I guess you’re right. What other exams do you have today?”

“Potions first, then Herbology. Flying after lunch.”

Minho perked up. “I forgot about Flying.” Kibum made a non-committal noise and Minho sobered quickly, grabbing his hand under the table. He glanced across the table to Aaron and Callum, who were both staring blankly at their full plates, and Minho scooted a little closer to him. “Be sure to stand by me, okay? I’ll make sure you're okay.”

He nodded absently. Kibum had never liked flying, not even in Muggle airplanes – even though those were far safer than a stupid old broomstick. He wasn’t sure what the Flying exam would include, all he knew is he wasn’t looking forward to it. Minho squeezed his hand a little tighter as the bell rang for class. 

They pushed away their uneaten plates of food and trudged to the doorway. Minho kept his hold on Kibum’s hand as the other students swept past them, and pulled him into a quick hug. “Good luck with Potions.”

Kibum smiled into Minho’s shoulder. “Yeah, I hope I don’t forget anything.”

A couple seconds of silence passed before Minho snorted. “Really?” He smacked Kibum’s shoulder as he released him of his embrace.

“What?” Kibum laughed as Minho shook his head and started walking toward the staircases. “Because it’s the Forgetfulness Potion. Get it?”

Minho turned and kept walking backward, a lop-sided grin betraying his amusement. “No, I get it. It’s just stupid, that’s all.” Once he reached the staircase, he turned away from Kibum and started up the stairs.

“I hope you do well in Charms! Good luck, Minho!” He waved as he darted up the stairs and out of Kibum’s line of sight. 

Kibum sighed and hurried down the stairs to the basement to the Potions classroom. This was one exam he wasn’t necessarily worried about. He had grown up watching Grandma and Mom concocting potions and asked as many questions as he could. The Forgetfulness Potion was difficult and he had yet to actually make it, but, even so, he was sure that he would do well. 

His steps echoed in the darkened hallway, and he quickened his pace when he heard the sounds of his classmates’ voices following him. He wished he had been able to take his exams with Minho. With the way exams were set up, everyone was able to take whichever exams they felt the readiest for, or rather, just wanted to get over with first. 

Yesterday, he had taken his Charms, History of Magic, and Astronomy exams. And, Minho had taken his History of Magic, Potions, and Astronomy exams. Minho had wanted an extra day to study Charms, so Kibum took it to give him the peace of mind. Minho was doing the same for him with Defense Against the Dark Arts today. 

Even though their schedule was working out nicely, he wished that they could take their exams together. 

Warm candlelight seeped through the open doorway to the Potions classroom, inviting him inside. Kibum grabbed his cauldron from his cubby hole on the bookshelf. He froze when a scrap of parchment floated to the floor. With a quick glance around, he hunkered down and picked it up.

Good luck! I hope you don’t forget any ingredients!

Kibum snorted and stuffed Minho’s note in his robe pocket. He wrote that and still had the audacity to say his joke was stupid? Kibum clicked his tongue and tried not to smile. He failed.

“All right, everyone, select a workstation and let’s get started.”

Kibum looked up at Professor Slughorn and hurried to his favorite spot, stepping up on the stool. He set his cauldron on the rack over the small candle and folded his hands around his mortar. Slughorn walked around the room, checking each workstation for any evidence of notes for the potion recipe.

Ironically, they were supposed to replicate the Forgetfulness Potion from memory.

Once he was sitting, Slughorn extended his hand and flipped the hovering hourglass above his desk. “You may begin.”

Kibum’s heart thudded in his ears as he stepped off his stool. He joined the others swarming to the bookshelves full of ingredients. “Lethe, Lethe…ah,” he grabbed one of the thin phials of Lethe River Water. He crouched to grab a pouch of the Standard Ingredient from the bottom shelf. Then, he went over to the herbs on the other bookshelf to get a tied bunch Valerian sprigs and mistletoe berries.

Once he was back to his workstation, Kibum dumped the ingredients and grabbed the beaker and hurried over to the line by the sink. Why was he nervous? He was good at Potions; he could do this. “I can do this.” 

A Gryffindor boy – Damian, Kibum thought his name was – glanced over his shoulder at him as he was filling up his beaker. Kibum’s eyes narrowed and Damian looked away, turning the faucet off when he was through.

Kibum stepped up and squinted at the two-pint mark on the side of the beaker, being careful to fill it up exactly to the mark. He poured the water into his cauldron and lit the cold candle beneath with a match. He arranged his ingredients around his mortar and pestle while he waited for the water to come to simmer.

Analecia was already stirring in her Lethe River Water, and she gave Kibum a discreet thumbs up when he met her gaze. He smiled and went up on his tiptoes to check his cauldron. The water was simmering now, so he unstoppered the phial and carefully let two drops fall inside. He went to stir it but stopped himself, taking a deep breath instead.

Not yet.

“What’s next, what’s next…” The Valerian sprigs, of course. He pulled two of the sprigs out of the bunch, dropping them into the cauldron. Now, he could stir. He grabbed the long, thin silver spoon and plopped it inside and immediately blanked on which direction to stir it. “,” he muttered under his breath, and immediately glanced around to see if anyone heard him.

He was in the clear. 

He stirred it three times – he remembered that much – and tapped the excess moisture off the spoon as he reached for his wand. Kibum waved it over the cauldron and the steam cleared for a second. 

Now, to wait. For at least forty-five minutes.

The time crawled by. Fifteen minutes in, he had already measured out the Standard Ingredient that he needed. Twenty minutes in, he was crushing the mistletoe berries and Standard Ingredient together in his mortar. Kibum sighed, resting his chin on his fist as he glanced around at the others. They were all attempting to find ways to entertain themselves. Analecia was passing notes with Gilbert Edwards, who Kibum knew to be one of Minho’s dorm mates.

How was Minho doing in Charms? Had he already performed the spells? Or was he waiting until the end?

Kibum sighed again and reached into his pocket for the note Minho left. He stared at the hurriedly scrawled characters and smiled again. In the middle of the workstations at his table, Kibum spotted a spare quill and inkwell. He glanced over at Slughorn, who was almost nodding off, and reached for them, dipping the quill into the ink. He doodled little stars and underlined some of the characters while emphasizing others by retracing them. 

In his peripheral vision, Slughorn sat up and flipped the hourglass over, and announced, “Halfway through.”

It was time to finish this off.

Kibum stuffed Minho’s note back into his pocket and rubbed two pinches of the crushed mixture into the bubbling cauldron. He stirred it carefully, leaning over to inspect the potion. He wrinkled his nose at the strong scent of rosemary wafting up to him in the steam and grabbed his wand.

“Obliviate,” he whispered, being careful to point his wand directly at his own cauldron. The steam dissipated for a moment before returning, and he blew out the candle before he sat back and waited for Slughorn to stop by his workstation. 

He was speaking with Damian now, and he just dropped something inside his cauldron. Slughorn nodded and jotted something down in his notebook. He nodded and Damian stood, wiped his hands off on his robes and started cleaning up his workstation. Kibum’s eyes widened as Slughorn looked up, met his eyes, and started over to him.

“What have we got here, my boy?”

Kibum held back a grin in an attempt to keep himself from making a joke. It didn't work. “Did you forget, or..?” 

Slughorn chuckled to himself and patted Kibum’s shoulder. “No, of course not.” He tore a strip of paper out of his notebook – Kibum saw his name written there – and dropped it into the simmering potion. “Hmm,” Slughorn leaned in, wafting the steam toward him. “How many mistletoe berries did you add?”

“Uh…five.”

“Oh, all right.” Slughorn fished the scrap of paper out with Kibum’s spoon and showed it to him. “See here – don’t touch the potion – your name should be completely disappeared by now.” The UM was still there, albeit slightly blurry and slowly melting away. “You’ve added one too many berries, and that’s delaying the reaction.” Kibum nodded, blinking when the U vanished. “Otherwise, you’ve done a good job. You may clean up and go to your next exam.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Leave your potion in the cauldron, I’ll take care of it.”

Kibum nodded and Slughorn went on to his next student, leaving Kibum to breathe a sigh of relief. Not perfect, but adequate. He could deal with that. 

He started picking up the excess ingredients and hurried to put them away on the shelves. Analecia stepped up next to him as she stretched to put her Lethe River Water away. “How’d you do?” she asked.

“Okay. You?”

Analecia nodded, quieting when Slughorn walked behind them. Kibum finished putting away his ingredients and headed for the door, hurrying to the third floor to see if Minho was finished with his exam yet.

* * * * * * * * * *

“I hope you do well in Charms! Good luck, Minho!”

Minho waved back at him as he kept running up the staircase, his stomach churning with every step. He came to a sudden stop at the top step and clutched at his stomach, groaning. Was he feeling sick because he didn’t eat breakfast? Or because he was nervous? Or was it both?

Probably both.

He rounded the corner and stopped after another couple steps, and covered his mouth with his the back of his hand.

Exams were his nemesis, even in Muggle schools. School came naturally to Minseok, of course, and he always tried to help Minho with his studies, when he could. He was glad, so glad, that he had Kibum to help him all year. But now, Kibum wasn’t here.

His stomach clenched and he sat down on the stairs, burying his face in his crossed arms as he breathed deeply. In and out…in and out. Footsteps hurried past him, the passersby quieting as they stepped around him.

He could do this; he had to. He didn’t want to have to wait until tomorrow. That would mean two full days without eating, and Minho knew he didn’t want that. He moved to stand, cringing as the staircase seemed to waver beneath his feet. Minho took deliberate steps down the stairs and returned to the first floor, stumbling in the direction of the infirmary.

“What can I do for you, dear?” Madam Pomfrey asked as he reached the open doorway. Minho held his stomach and grimaced. The head nurse ushered him inside. “Exam jitters?” Minho nodded, frowning. He didn’t know what jitters meant. But, she had said exams before it so, odds were his answer was yes to whatever she was asking him. “I have just the thing.”

She had him sit on the edge of one of the hospital beds next to a cabinet full of potions and herbs. “Upset stomach?” Minho nodded, and she reached for a phial before she pulled her hand back. “Have you eaten anything today?” He shook his head and she reached for a different phial, a clear, pink-tinted potion.

“Ventrinfi.” She shook the phial before she unstoppered it and reached for a teaspoon on the nightstand. “It will help settle your stomach a bit.” She filled the teaspoon and held it out for Minho to take.

It was cloyingly sweet, and Minho gulped it down with a great effort, his eyes squeezing shut as he smacked his lips. When he opened his eyes, the phial was back in its place on the shelf, and she was offering him a piece of something that looked like soft caramel.

“Chamomile caramel. To help with your nerves. Well, and to mask the aftertaste of the Ventrinfi.”

Minho chewed it, the chamomile giving the caramel a slight floral flavor. It was nice. “Thank you,” he said, once he swallowed the caramel, and gave the head nurse a small smile.  

“Hurry along to your exam, now.” She moved aside as he darted out of the infirmary, feeling surprisingly less anxious as he rushed up the stairs to the Charms classroom. His stomach churned again as he slid into one of the empty seats, but he didn’t feel as though he was going to throw up, now.

At least there was that.

“Madeline Brennen?”

“Here!” came the voice of one of the Ravenclaw girls across the room.

“Marvin Carter?” No answer. Flitwick made a mark on his parchment. Minho sat up and glanced around to see if he could see his dormmate. He had mentioned last night that he was going to wait until tomorrow to take this exam. Marvin was probably in Potions with Kibum right now. “Choi Minho?”

“Yeah?” he asked, tearing his attention away from the class and back to Professor Flitwick. Giggles tittered through the class and Minho sunk down in his seat as Flitwick continued roll call. He sent the parchment floating back to his podium once he was through, and he rubbed his hands together as he looked out at the class.

“We’ll be performing the exams in alphabetical order.” Behind him, Amaryllis Zachary whimpered quietly. Minho turned around, offering her a small smile. She returned the smile and closed her eyes, sighing heavily.

“Tracie Asher, come up here please.” Everyone turned toward her as she tied her bushy hair into a mess of a bun. She stood and traipsed down to Flitwick’s desk, clutching her wand before her with both hands.

Last night when they were cramming for today’s exams, Kibum gave him an idea of what to expect. He would have to perform five spells – Kibum, of course, did not tell him which ones – in front of the class. Once they had gone to bed for the night, Minho had fallen asleep with his face in his copy of Standard Book of Spells, trying to commit the charms they had learned this year to memory as best he could.

Minho rested his chin on the thin tip of his wand, staring ahead as Tracie returned to her seat and Martin Albright took her place. There was a high-pitched ringing in his ears as Martin performed the spells. Every time he tried to pay attention to the exam currently happening, his vision would blur and he would avert his eyes.

This must be what Kibum was referring to last night.

“There’s no point in trying to pay attention to the other’s taking the exam,” Kibum had said as he passed him half of the last pumpkin pastie from Grandma’s care package. “Flitwick enchanted the front of the classroom. I couldn’t hear a thing when they went up there.”

“Really?”

Kibum had nodded then, and wiped the crumbs from the pastie off his lips. “When I went up to do mine, there was like this -- “ he mimed an invisible wall and made a quiet bwah! sound. Minho had frowned before he laughed in confusion. “Eh, you’ll see what I mean.”

Martin was followed by Amy, Eion, Nathan, Bryan, and then Madeline. His stomach dropped as she completed the exam and practically skipped back to her seat. Flitwick glanced down to the parchment in his hands and then looked up, searching until he found him.

“Choi Minho, you’re next.”

Gulping, Minho’s hand tightened around this wand as he stood and shuffled slowly to the front of the class. Flitwick had set up a table with props to perform the spells on – a stone from the Black Lake, an empty glass beaker from the Potions classroom, an unrolled sheet of parchment hovering in mid-air, a little wooden box with a lock on it, and a whole pineapple.

According to Kibum, the point of the exam was that it was up to you to decide which spells to use on each of the items.

As he stepped up to the table, there was a second where his vision distorted and a soft whoosh sound washed over him -- as though he had dunked underwater. Minho blinked, his ears popping as he stepped up behind the stone at the head of the table. Flitwick stood at the other end of the table with the pineapple and gave him an encouraging smile as he fiddled with a small hourglass.

“You may begin when you’re ready.”

Minho nodded and twirled his wand between his fingers, staring intently at the stone before him. It would probably require the Levitation Charm. Satisfied with that answer, Minho glanced to the empty beaker. If he remembered right, Flitwick used it to contain the flame from the Fire-Making Spell, so he decided to go with that.

"Mr. Choi?” He hummed in response and glanced over at Flitwick, who was watching him, concerned. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Sorry.” He cleared his throat and held his wand up. He could figure out the other three spells as he went. Hopefully. “I’m ready.” Flitwick flipped over the hourglass and set it down on the table, and Minho’s breath hitched as he tightened his grip on his wand.

“I can do this.”

He took a deep breath a raised his wand with a swish and flicked his wrist at the stone. “Wingardium Leviosa!” The weight of the stone startled him as it began to levitate. Until this moment, he had only lifted feathers and leaves, so the weight had barely registered for him. Minho let out a surprised little oh! and supported his wand arm with his other hand as he lifted the stone to eye level. He glanced over at Flitwick, who nodded, and he returned the stone to the table.

Sunlight from the open windows glinted off the rim of the empty beaker. Minho squinted as he stepped up to the table. He pointed his wand at the beaker. “Incedio!” Sparks spurted from the tip of his wand as a small orange flame appeared in the center of the beaker.

Minho grinned and stepped over to the hovering unrolled parchment. What...the hell was he supposed to do with this. When he looked over to Flitwick to gauge what he should do the parchment, he was met with a blank expression. He gulped, blinking rapidly. The first class they had after Christmas break, Flitwick had levitated and unraveled a bolt of fabric, slashing it to ribbons before the fabric hit the ground. He had used...the Severing Charm, if Minho remembered right. Another glance at Flitwick, and Minho raised his wand. “Diffindo!” The parchment rended, the two halves falling to the side and sliding off the table.

Sighing, Minho moved on to the locked wooden box. This should be easy, it was the Unlocking Charm, for sure. However, his tongue always seemed to tangle around the syllables. Kibum kept going over and over it last night with him, helping it with him with the pronunciation. Minho his lips. “A-lo-ho-mora,” he said, and held himself back from doing a tiny victory dance when the lock clicked and popped open.

As he stepped up behind the pineapple, Minho grimaced. He already knew what he had to -- make the pineapple dance across the table. The thing is...he only saw Flitwick perform this once in class. And, even now, he was completely blanking on what the actual spell was. T...something. Tarantula? No, but he was close. Tara --

Tap-tap.

Minho looked over at Flitwick, who pointed to the hourglass. His time was up. He didn’t complete the exam. He failed. Tears sprung to his eyes as he lowered his wand, and he gritted his teeth to keep them from falling. He should have been quicker, he should have known the material better. If only he weren’t so st --

“Good job, Mr. Choi. I’m impressed.” Wait, what? Minho sniffed and turned to Flitwick without meeting his eyes. “Don’t worry about not getting Tarantallegra. Only one student has been able to get it so far.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You did well, you should be proud.” With a simple wave of his wand, the test reset, and Minho’s eyes widened at the casual display of magic. When he looked back at Flitwick, he was smiling up at Minho. “Now, you can stay for the duration of the class if you wish, but you are also allowed to leave right now.”

Minho mentally calculated what time it should be. Would Kibum be done with the potion by now? Possibly. If not, he could wait for him to finish. “Thank you, Professor,” Minho said, bowing to Flitwick before he bolted out of the Charms classroom.

He dodged the students milling about as he ran through the halls and cursed the moving staircases as they kept him from reaching the basement. He was on his fifth redirection when he spotted Kibum running up the stairs from the first floor. “Bummie!”

Kibum froze mid-step and looked over at him, his cheeks dimpling as he smiled. Minho sighed and glanced around, his gaze falling on the wall of paintings behind him. He pointed to it and Kibum nodded, both making their way up and off of the moving staircases.

“How’d you do?” They both asked at the same time. “You go,” Minho said when Kibum laughed.

“I did okay. Added an extra berry but Slughorn said it was fine. What about you?”

Minho shrugged and Kibum smacked his arm. “Ow, hey...”

“Sorry. Did you pass?”

“I don’t know. I missed one, but Flitwick said he was proud of me, so...”

“That’s great! I missed one, too.”

Minho brightened, looking up at Kibum. “Which one?”

“Ta...Tarantallegra. It’s so hard to reme -- what the...” Kibum’s voice trailed off as the large painting of a rather robust woman swung open and hit his shoulder gently. Minho walked around him and they peered inside. He squinted at the assault of the color red lining every wall. “So, this is what Gryffindor Tower looks like.”

“It -- ” Minho lowered his voice as a couple of Gryffindors walked inside, giving them somewhat confused glares. “ -- It’s a bit much.”

“Agreed.” Kibum let the painting swing shut once another Gryffindor was safely inside. “What’s next for you?”

“Defense Against the Dark Arts. But, I have some time to get there.”

“Yeah, Herbology doesn’t start for another hour. Come on,” Kibum said, grabbing Minho’s arm and leading him away from the moving staircases. “Let’s go study in the library while we wait.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The mild summer morning turned cold and dreary in the middle of lunch. Kibum looked up when rain started to fall. Great. Perfect, even. Of course, it would start raining before he had to take his Flying exam. It could have been a cloudless summer’s day with no wind and he would still have been terrified to get up on that broomstick. Kibum shivered and pulled his robe tightly around himself.

At least, Minho would be with him.

He peeked around Aaron to catch a glimpse of Minho across the Hall, only to find him eating happily. Kibum sighed with a small smile. He wished he was hungry now, but he was glad that Minho was able to eat again. He glared at his full plate of food when his stomach churned. Hopefully, he’d be hungry by dinner.

When he looked back across the Hall, Minho was nowhere to be seen. Kibum sat up a little straighter, searching the Hufflepuff table and then around the Hall. Where...Kibum stood and frowned, glancing down at Callum when he called his name.

“What’s wrong?”

Kibum shrugged and glanced over at the door to find Minho waving him over. He cocked his head, and Minho waved harder. “Nothing. I’m fine.” Once he stepped over the bench, he hurried over to Minho in the doorway.

“Follow me,” Minho said, nodding over to the staircase to the basement. They stepped off to the side to let a couple of the other Hufflepuff girls pass. Minho leaned around Kibum to watch them leave before he dug his hands into his pocket and produced two wrapped soft caramels.

“What.”

“They’re from Madam Pomfrey. Chamomile Caramels.” Kibum took one out of Minho’s hand and sniffed it as he unwrapped it. “I know you’re nervous about Flying and she said that the help with exam -- “ his forehead scrunched in concentration “ -- jitters, so...”

Smiling, Kibum popped it into his mouth. His eyebrows rose and he hummed as he chewed. There was a hint of honey in the caramel, and it reminded Kibum of the many cups of tea Grandma had fixed him over the years. He sighed as the tension in his chest started to loosen.

Minho stuffed the other caramel into his robe pocket. “I’ll save the other one for when we get out to the Quidditch pitch.” He froze when he met Kibum’s gaze, his eyes widening. “Did you not like it?”

“No, it was good.” Minho grinned and relaxed. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, it was, uh, no problem.” He glanced around Kibum to the door. “You wanna go?”

Dread settled in the pit of Kibum’s stomach. “Sure.”

Minho led the way out of the stairwell and he followed the crowd through the corridor. They almost lost each other in the crowd but Kibum latched onto Minho’s robe sleeve. He let Minho guide them through the hall and out into the lawn.

Rain battered them as they ran to the safety of the Quidditch pitch. Kibum pulled his robe over his head to keep himself as dry as possible and helped Minho up when he slipped on the slick grass. Once they were under the safety of the stands, everyone huddled together to stay warm as they waited for Madam Hooch.

“Are...” Kibum cleared his throat and Minho scooted a little closer. “Are you nervous for this, too?”

“A little. I wasn’t expecting it to rain.” Kibum’s teeth chattered and he peered around Minho at the other first years. “It’ll be okay. Do you want to go before me or after me?”

“Uh...”

Any response died on the tip of his tongue as the ominous clicks of Madam Hooch’s heels echoed in the hallway. All the first years hurried to stand and trailed after her as she walked to the other end of the hall. “Jeffers, Brent, Russell...get the ponchos out of the gear closet. There should be enough for everyone.” Marcus, Damian, and Nick broke free of the group and ran down the hall, their shoes squeaking on the tiles. “Vitton and Reed, get the hoops from the Ravenclaw locker room. Everyone else, follow me.”

Hooch waved her hand and the doors swung open to let them onto the empty Quidditch pitch. Kibum stayed pressed to Minho’s side as they followed her onto the pitch. She clicked her fingers, and the walls rolled up to reveal the cupboards where they kept Cleansweep Sixteens. Kibum let out a huff of a sigh, and Minho grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly.

“Once you get a poncho, grab a broom -- thank you Vitton,” she said as Marshall handed her the practice hoops. “Once you have your broom, join me on the pitch.”

With that, she stepped over the chalk line on the grass and everyone hurried back over to the entrance of the hall where Damian and Marcus were passing out the clear ponchos. Minho let go of Kibum’s hand once they reached the front of the line. Damian passed them both a poncho and Kibum slipped his on as they went over to get their brooms.

“How do I look?” Kibum asked, arranging the crinkled hood around his face.

Minho snorted and grabbed two brooms, passing one to him. “Like you’re wearing a poncho.”

Kibum smacked his arm and spritzed his face with the rain on Minho’s poncho. He sputtered and Minho laughed, almost losing his grip on his broom. Kibum sniffed a laugh and turned away, heading to the pitch by himself. Wet footsteps chased him until Minho caught up with him, his amusement still evident as he let out the occasional chuckle.

The practice rings hung over the students, the raindrops creating a tinny, syncopated melody overhead. Kibum looked up at them, squeezing his eyes shut when several raindrops fell in them. Minho snickered off to his right, and Kibum elbowed him. He nudged back, but then caught Kibum when he almost fell into Tracy.

“Sorry,” they both mouthed to her before Hooch blew her whistle, garnering everyone’s attention.

“All right.” Her voice rang out across the empty pitch. “I know this is unfortunate weather to take your practical flying final in, but...you can’t expect perfect weather everytime you fly.” Kibum took a deep breath and Minho glanced over at him, opening his hand for Kibum to take.

He did.

“So, I will be timing you all as you fly the course I have plotted out,” she gestured over her head at the rings. Kibum’s eyes followed all the way up to the highest goal post. He whimpered quietly, and Minho squeezed his hand. Once you reach the top, turn right around and come back through the course. Your time will stop and your exam will be over and you can return to the castle.”

Minho turned to him, whispering, “When do you want to go?” Kibum shrugged. He wondered if Minho could feel his hand shaking. “As soon as possible to get it over with?”

“I guess.”

“Do you want me to go before you or after?”

Madam Hooch brought her stopwatch out of her robes. “Any takers for the first go?”

Kibum looked over at Minho, meeting his wide eyes. “After, I think.” Would he feel better after seeing Minho go through the through the course? Possibly. It was worth a shot, at least. Minho released his hand and dug into his pocket, passing Kibum the other Chamomile Caramel.

“I’ll go, Madam Hooch,” Minho said, waving his hand over the heads of the others. The second Minho stepped away from him, Kibum unwrapped the caramel and popped it in his mouth, opting to on it this time rather than chewing it. Minho ducked out of his sight once he reached Hooch -- probably setting his broomstick on the ground. Kibum stood up on his tiptoes to see him over the others. “Up!” Minho said, a little smile appearing when his broom came to him.

“Ready?” Hooch asked him, and Minho nodded. She blew her whistle, and he was off.

His hood was blown back the second he started flying, and Kibum hugged his broom as he watched. Minho whizzed through the hoops, his body hunched closer to the broom the higher into the course he flew. Once he reached the goal post, he paused, wiping the rain off his face. Kibum was going to count how long it was taking him, but he forgot to do so the second Minho took off.

If he were being honest, Kibum didn’t care if he was the slowest time in the history of Flying exams. As long as he passed and survived this...ordeal...he would consider it to be a success.

Also, he would never ride a broomstick again, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Minho was grinning by the time he reached the end of the course, his hair slicked back by the wind and the rain. He found Kibum in the crowd, giving him a quick thumbs up and nodding him over. Kibum swallowed the rest of the caramel as he made his way through the group, dragging his broom through the grass behind him.

“You did good,” Hooch said to Minho as she made some notes in her notebook. “Your posture was a little too tense, but otherwise, good. You’ll relax with time.”

“Thank you, Madam Hooch.”

“You can go back now.” She looked over Minho’s head at Kibum. “Are you next?” Her tone seemed surprised, and at any other time, Kibum would have laughed.

“Yes, Madam Hooch.” His stomach lurched as he set his broomstick on the ground. Kibum pulled his hood further over his head, the crinkling of the poncho loud in his ears.

“Whenever you’re ready, Mr. Kim.”

Kibum scoffed internally. Like he would ever be ready. He turned, getting a glimpse of Minho, who was standing a few steps behind Hooch. Kibum let out a long sigh and glared at his broom. “Up!” He winced as it smacked against his hand, and he tightened his grip on it. Reluctantly, he mounted his broom. He thought he might not hear the whistle due to his heartbeat pounding in his ears, and he almost didn’t.

It was faint, but there. Kibum groaned and pushed off from the ground.

His flight was wobbly and uncertain -- what else was new -- and he tightened his grip on the rain-slick broom handle. When he flew into one of the rings, he realized he had had his eyes closed since he left the ground. Slowly, he pried open his eyes. “Don’t look down, Kibum. Don’t loo -- .”

He looked down.

Kibum sat there, frozen, staring at the ground far beyond his broomstick. So high...he was up so, so high.

Through the whipping wind and pattering rain, he heard a distant “You can do it, Kibum!” Minho? He wiped the rain from out of his eyes with a shaking hand, and steeled his resolve with a deep breath. He could do this...he could.

Clenching his jaw, he pressed on, his heartbeat doing a rapid staccato in his ears by the time he reached the goal post. Kibum turned around, his eyes squeezing shut again. “You’re okay, you’re okay. You’re halfway done.” His broom shook as he crept through the course and slowly, but surely, returned to the ground.

Never in his life had he been so grateful for the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet. Kibum sighed heavily and leaned on his broomstick as he made his way over to Hooch. His gaze flicked to Minho for a second, and he gave him a tiny nod, which seemed to make Minho relax.

“You did all right, Mr. Kim. I know how nervous you are about flying. You should be proud.”

Kibum gulped, glancing at the waiting students. “Did I pass?”

Hooch raised an eyebrow as she read over her notes. “I’m not really allowed to say, yet, but...” she gave him the slightest nod. Kibum was thankful that he was leaning on his broom or else he might have collapsed in his relief. “You can return to the castle now, Mr. Kim. Who’s next?” she asked once Kibum walked past her.

Once he reached Minho, he rubbed Kibum’s back until they reached the broom cupboards. He kept telling Kibum how proud he was of him, but all Kibum heard was the vaguely fuzzy sounds of Minho’s voice and the ringing in his ears. His body was numb yet tingling at the same time. Minho took his broom and put it in its place, holding his arm when Kibum swayed.

“ -- um...Kibum...”

“Hmm?”

“Are you all right?”

Kibum wiped the rain off his face and blinked. “I, uh, I think I need to, uh...” He swayed again, this time he reached out to Minho to steady himself.

“I think you need to sit down.” Minho hooked Kibum’s arm over his shoulders. “Lean on me.” He guided Kibum through the hallway and out the other side, changing course and taking him to the nearest stairwell tower that lead to the stands. Once Kibum was sitting, Minho slipped out of his poncho and helped Kibum out of his. “How are you feeling?”

How was he feeling? Kibum thought for a moment, his eyes drooping closed. “Tired.” Minho nodded and started rubbing some warmth into Kibum’s arms. It was then that Kibum noticed that he was shivering. “Relieved too, I think.”

“I bet.”

“You did r-really good,” Kibum said, his teeth chattering.

“So did you.”

He scoffed. “I will never get on a broomstick again for as long as I live.” Minho laughed, resting his forehead on Kibum’s shoulder. “I’m serious. I swear it on my life!”

“I believe you.”

“Good.”

At least ten other first years returned to the castle and both Minho and Kibum followed their progress across the lawn. It wasn’t long until the rain lessened to a drizzle, and Minho gathered their ponchos. “I’m gonna go return these, are you ready to go back?” Kibum nodded as Minho stood. “Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.”

True to his word, he was back in less than a minute, and he was slightly breathless. Minho helped him up, grinning at him when he could stand on his own.

“What do you think about getting some hot cocoa once we get back inside?”

Kibum clicked his tongue and started walking, Minho stepping up beside him. “I’m not gonna lie, I think that’s your best idea yet.”

Minho laughed heartily, all open-mouthed and crinkled eyes, and Kibum looked over at him, smiling himself.

* * * * * * * * * *

A light rapping on the door hushed the chatter of the Hufflepuff first years. Minho and the others looked to Seb, who finished rolling a pair of his socks. He tossed them into his trunk and opened the door.

“How’s packing coming?” Rhys asked, glancing around the practically bare room.

“Good,” Seb said, and Travis reiterated. Minho and the others nodded mutely. For his part, Minho was preoccupied with the ivory envelopes that Rhys patted against his palm.

Rhys cleared his throat. “That’s good. I have your report cards,” he said, holding the envelopes up. “Don’t forget to show these to your parents when you get home tomorrow. Sebastian, here.” Seb grabbed his report card and went over to his bed. “Eli. Travis. Marvin. Minho.” He got up from the floor and took the envelope, bowing slightly before he went back to his place by his duffle bag. “And Gilbert, here. Okay, dinner starts in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.” 

With that, Rhys closed the door behind him. 

“‘Kay, Muuum,” Travis said, rolling his eyes. “I hope Tanner is Head Boy next year.”

“You’re just saying that because he’s your brother.”

Minho snorted and looked down at the bright yellow wax seal on the back of the envelope. Was it even possible that he passed any of his classes? There was only one way to find out. With a deep breath, Minho popped open the wax seal and unfolded the parchment.

Choi Minho -- 1st year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- has succeeded in getting these grades for his classes this 2003-2004 term.

Astronomy -- Exceeds Expectations 

Charms -- Exceeds Expectations 

Defense Against the Dark Arts -- Acceptable 

Flying -- Exceeds Expectations 

Herbology -- Exceeds Expectations 

History of Magic -- Acceptable 

Potions -- Acceptable 

Transfiguration -- Acceptable

“I...I passed?”

“Way to go, buddy!” Gilbert said, grinning at him from his bed. “So did I!” 

Minho grinned at him as he returned his report card to the envelope and sat up. He couldn’t believe he had made it through this first year on top. Sure, he hadn’t gotten any Outstandings, but he was still happy. It...it meant that he could come back next year, that he could be a wizard. A warm sort of hopefulness bloomed in his chest as he tossed his report card into his duffle bag.

“Save me a seat at dinner!” he said before he closed the door behind him. 

He parted the mess of vines that covered the entrance to the common room from the dorm rooms with the back of his hand, and hopped down to the hardwood floor. Sunlight gilded the beige brick walls and cinnamon wood floors, making the common room almost glow. Minho took off running across the room, gliding through the sunbeams on his socked feet. He stopped sliding before he hit the outside walls and hunkered down to put on his shoes.

Once he clambered through the tunnel and the barrel was closed behind him, Minho darted down the hall toward Slytherin. When he turned the corner, he ran directly into Analecia, but caught her before she toppled over.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear with a shy smile. “I’m fine.”

Minho sighed in relief and let go of her arms. “Have you seen Kibum?”

“Uh, yeah.” She pointed over her shoulder to the hallway, where the faint green light from the entrance was disappearing as the bricks returned to their places. “He was just in the common room. Want me to go get him?”

He peered around her at the dark, damp corridor. “If you don’t mind.” She nodded and hurried back toward the Slytherin entrance, letting herself inside. 

Minho squinted as he looked back on the Hufflepuff side of the basement. The torchlight seemed so much brighter and the hallway far more inviting than the Slytherin side. As he looked back to Slytherin, the torchlight was an almost sickly green. He shivered as the bricks shifted to reveal the greenish light from the common room. A pair of silhouettes was cast across the stone floor, and Minho took a step into the shadows. One of the dark figures started running toward him, and once they were closer to him, he saw that it was Kibum.

“So?” he asked, slightly panting. “How’d you do?”

“Passed!” He grunted when Kibum pulled him into a tight hug. “Passed all of them. You?”

Kibum nodded against his shoulder and patted Minho’s back before he let him go. “I got one Outstanding, which surprised me, but the rest of them are Exceeds Expectations and Acceptables.”

“Oh?” Minho started for the stairwell and Kibum followed him. “What’d you get the Outstanding in?”

“Flying.” 

Minho’s brow furrowed and he looked over at Kibum, who was struggling to keep a straight face. They both burst out laughing and collapsed into each other. Kibum kept trying to answer Minho’s question, but every time he did, they both just started giggling again. Everyone who walked past them on the stairs stepped around them with either a groan or a grin. 

Eventually, they made it to the top of the stairwell and to the Great Hall. Minho pushed Kibum away from him in the doorway. “I’ll see you after!” Kibum called out to him as they walked to their tables on opposite sides of the Great Hall.

“How’d Kibum do?” Gilbert asked once Minho took his seat.

“Good! He passed, too.” 

Travis was about to say something, but Headmaster McGonagall stepped up to the podium, quieting the room. 

“Yet another year has come and gone, quite successfully, too, I think. To the first years, I hope that Hogwarts has been a home away from home for you and that you learned something new. To the seventh years, I trust that you are ready to join the wizarding community and make a positive difference in our world. To everyone in between, I hope your heads are a little fuller than the year before, and I look forward to seeing you in the halls next year.”

Somewhere in the middle of her speech, Travis had taken his envelope out of his pocket and ripped it into strips. When he folded it into a triangle, he captured Minho and Marvin’s attention. They watched as he held it upright with his finger and poised his other hand to flick it. Both Marvin and Minho formed a goalpost with their hands, but Marvin was quicker, so Travis flicked it toward him. He aimed too high and hit Marvin square in the chest. 

All six of them giggled, trying to muffle it behind their hands. But, Rhys, who sat several seats down, clicked his fingers and fixed them all with a stern look. They sobered quickly -- aside from the occasional giggle that shook their shoulders.

“As for the House Cup, the points stand as follows: In fourth place, Gryffindor with 326; in third, Hufflepuff with 377; in second,” she paused, when excited chatter erupted at both the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables. McGonagall tapped her wand on the podium, and the Great Hall fell silent. “In second; Slytherin -- “ The entire Ravenclaw table rose to their feet, cheering loudly and hugging each other. McGonagall placed the tip of her wand against , magnifying her voice over the din. “ -- with 401; and Ravenclaw in first, with 419 points.” 

There was a small smile adorning the Headmaster’s usually stoic expression as she waved her hand. The large House banners lining the walls billowed as they changed from red and gold, green and silver, and yellow and black to all blue and bronze. Colorful sparks rained down from the stars, most likely caused by Professor Flitwick, who was dancing happily on the professor’s table. 

“Now then, let’s eat!” McGonagall waved her arms out wide and the end-of-term feast appeared before them all.

Minho piled his food high, not caring if the different dishes touched like Kibum seemed to sometimes. When he was dishing up his second helping, he stood up halfway to see if Kibum was eating well, too. He hadn’t really eaten much in the past few days, since he had been stressed about the exams. To his relief, it looked like he was. 

It was a merry feast, everyone recounting stories from the past year. Marvin kept trying to retell the time that he had accidentally let a bird into their room, but he kept laughing too hard and ended up spitting mashed potatoes all over Travis. Before Travis could retaliate, Rhys stopped him with a firm “Hey!” 

Once the food was cleared and the Head Students gathered their housemates, they started filing out of the Great Hall. Minho hung to the back of the Hufflepuff crowd, lingering at the corner between the houses while he waited for Slytherin. He perked up when there was a stampede of footsteps coming down the stairwell. Charlie smiled pleasantly at Minho as he led the Slytherins down the hallway, and Minho stood on his tiptoes to try to find Kibum.

“Min-hooo!” He grinned when Kibum broke free of the group and ran over to him.

“Congratulations on second.”

“Oh, yeah, that was all me.” Minho snorted and pushed Kibum, who grinned cheekily. “Thanks, though. See you in the morning?”

“Yeah, we’ll sit together on the way back home.”

“Okay. Oh, hey...” he lowered his voice and stepped closer to Minho. “Were you able to write your parents?” Minho huffed and nodded. He wrote to them for the first time in months to let them know that he would be coming home tomorrow. He could only hope that they got his letter since he couldn’t be sure. “Don’t worry,” Kibum said, patting Minho’s shoulder. “Grandma said she’d take you to them if they don’t show up.”

Minho sighed, feeling somewhat relieved. “Okay.”

A voice called out from Kibum’s side of the hall, and they both looked toward the sound. “I gotta go. Good night, Choi.”

“Night, Bummie,” he said, watching Kibum run down the hall of the green light of the common room. Kibum waved before he stepped inside, and Minho raised his voice. “See you in the morning!”