"Everybody please remain silent. We are now sorting houses for our little newcomers, I expect seniors to help their juniors once this ceremony is over! now, when I call your name, please step forward!"

Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the great halls, flying candles illuminated the sky beautifully, flickering once in a while. Dumbledore had gathered all students for the sorting ceremony. Everyone felt the same. The 1st years students were excited, eagerly waiting in their lines. It was that time when the 1st years were going to be sorted to their houses, and one particular boy couldn't wait to join his new family.

Zitao was nervous like the other students, but he couldn't deny he was excited as well. He had planned nights before on his little to-do-list, like greeting the other students especially the headboy or headgirl and prefects once he was sorted into a certain house, and finding a potential soon-to-be best friend because Zitao wouldn’t want to spend his school years being a pathethic loner. He couldn’t wait to be sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Slytherin was out of his list of course, there was no way he would be sorted into that house. From what he heard, Slytherin always despised people like Zitao for centuries, and it wasn’t as if Zitao wanted to be in that house either. One by one, students went up and sorted to their respective houses, until it was Zitao's turn.

Zitao timidly went to sit, biting his lips nervously. Professor McGonagall seemed to notice the boy’s nervousness so she gave Zitao a reasurring smile, put the hat in Zitao’s head and it made the boy grinned.

"You lack bravery in you. Maybe you wanna scratch Gryffindor from your little list, kid."

The sorting hat spoke, Zitao silently gaped because how did it know about his “list”? Seniors and the rest of the student silently snickering until Professor McGonagall gestured them to stay silent.

"You're quite witty, but also kind of slow aren't you? Ravenclaws don't need someone who slowed them down, they might be unhappy." The Ravenclaws nodding silently, agreed to what the hat said.

Zitao really started to question the moralty of this school, because was the sorting ceremony supposed to be embarassing like this?

"Ha! Compassion, and hardworking. Interesting. You might be the 50th boy joining the Hufflepuff this year. How boring."

Zitao cursed the hat internally, he really just hope he could just be sorted quickly.

Hufflepuff is not bad. The legendary magizoologist Newton Scamander was a Hufflepuff, and from what he heard Hufflepuffs are nice and humble, perfect for a soft boy such as Zitao.

"Let's get this over with, I know where to put you...no wait!"

Everyone stayed silent, even Zitao stopped his internal cursing. Wasn't he going to be sorted to Hufflepuff?

“Interesting..there’s something in you.. dominating strongly. Something the other houses don’t have..”

Zitao thought to himself, what? Other houses? Hardworking?  Diligent? Kind hearted?

“Very interesting indeed..no doubt I will put you in this house just so perfect for you. Let’s get this over with...SLYTHERIN!!” There were no cheers nor clapping, everybody was too shocked, it was as if the great hall was dead.

Zitao’s heart dropped.

---

Zitao groaned when he felt heavy or more like  evil presence in his sleep, and opened his eyes only to screamed in shock when he saw Jongdae and Jongin grinning mischeviously up close to his face. It was morning time and he was so not ready to face the Kims, like literally their faces.

“Rise and shine Huang! Bad dreams, eh?” Jongin shouted and bounced in Zitao’s bed, much to the boy’s discomfort. Zitao groaned some more, burrying himself inside the blanket.

“Whatcha dreaming of? You had some ugly expressions in your sleep so I assumed you had imaginary breaking up with Kris Wu.” Jongdae laughing histerically like he always did, joining Jongin, making Zitao bounced in his own bed some more. Zitao swore he was so close in smashing their faces.

“Go away.” Zitao groaned, he really wasn’t in the mood with their pranks.

“Woah, come on Zitao, we were just trying to wake you up! you have morning classes right? you’re going to be late.” Jongdae shamelessly acted as Zitao’s mother like he didn’t just tease the poor boy.

 “Curse morning classes, I’m skipping.”

Zitao mumbled under his blanket, it wasn’t that he hated morning classes, he had transfiguration and charms but he still didn’t have his wand so what’s the point attending those classes?  He planned to attend noon classes like ancient runes and arithmancy that didn’t require wands.

“Woah, who are you and what did you do to Huang Zitao? Little Taozi wouldn’t skip classes!” Jongdae gasped dramatically, and Jongin only nodded in agreement, both still bouncing in Zitao’s bed.

“Leave me alone will you?”

“No.”

Zitao groaned for the hundreth time, and kicked Jongin’s shins until the boy shrieked and fell from Zitao’s bed. Jongin glared and Zitao only smirked under his blanket.

“I’m telling Kris.”

“Go ahead. He wouldn’t care anyway.”

“No, I’m telling Kris you’re skipping classes.”

Zitao quickly sat up and glared to the boy who was still sitting on the floor, this time, Jongin smirked.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh I would. I’m telling Kris, that the 4th year prefect Huang Zitao is giving bad examples to other as skipping classes. Kris would flip.”

Zitao had lost his patience, so he jumped from his bed and tackled Jongin, when suddenly he felt himself lifted in the air upside dow. Jongin laughing histerically underneath him along with Jongdae and Zitao realised Jongin had jinxed him, using the spell Levicorpus.

“KIM JONGIN!” Zitao was red with embarassment, the Kims still laughing and Zitao could heard Jongdae said ‘well done my boy’. He didn’t have his wand so he couldn’t un-jinx himself, curse Kim freakin Jongin, so he only wriggled as hard as he could, only to sagged his own pajamas so he exposed his toned and firm tummy.

“Woah Huang, you have such a nice body! Who would’ve guessed?” Jongin gaped and the firm tummy. When Zitao was about to strangle Jongin, the door bursted open, Kris standing with an annoyed face.

“What was all that noises-“

And then silence. Everyone who saw the position they were in, must thought the same.

Zitao was in the air upside down, while Jongin standing only few inches from the boy, a hand on Zitao’s exposed tummy. Jongdae was awkwardly posing in his bed, watching the entire scene infront of him. Although Zitao was upside down, he could see clearly Kris was not pleased, he was very much pissed. The eyes were even darker than before, lips pressed into thin line and Zitao saw imaginary fire from the headboy’s nose.

“You see, I was wondering why your room was so noisy, I thought maybe there were dementors but apparently it was only you guys with your hormones. Dementors were a better deal.”

Jongin quickly un-jinxed Zitao and the boy yelped in surprise that he fell on top of Jongin. Jongin groaned and rubbed his head, pushing Zitao away from him. Jongdae snickered until Kris glared some more and he immediately shut his mouth.

“And you Zitao, you should be ashamed. You’re a prefect yet you manage to make a huge deal in the morning. 10 points from each of you three.” Kris shot Zitao one last cold glare before he closed the door harshly. Zitao shrunked. Why was he always made Kris angry?

What a start for today.

---

Sehun was walking, or rather dragged himself lazily. He had transfiguration class in the morning, yet Zitao had told him the night before that he would skip morning classes, so Sehun wasn’t really in the mood without his “parter in crime”. Yeah, they were so close already despite it had only been three days since their first conversation.

What Sehun didn’t expect was when he saw a grumpy-faced Zitao in class, sitting awkwardly with a bedhair and wrinkled uniform, throwing glares to the poor hedgehogs infront of the boy. Sehun grinned and walked up to where the Slytherin prefect was.

“Hey I thought you’re skipping morning classes?” Sehun settled his bag and sit next to Zitao, and Zitao softened a little seeing his Gryffindor comrade, lightened up his mood.

“I was planning to. But I couldn’t bear staying any longer with my roommates so I decided to come.” Zitao pouted and Sehun chuckled, ruffling the bedhair and Zitao swatted the boy’s hand quickly before he could ruin his already embarassing hair.

“What about your wand?”

And Zitao smirked evilly, much to Sehun’s surprise. The boy had never smile that before, he looked as evil as any other Slytherins and if Sehun said that out loud Zitao would be thrilled to hear that.

“Don’t worry, I snatched my roommate’s wand.”

When Jongin had un-jinx him and Zitao fell on top of the boy, he managed to secretly snatched the boy’s wand when Kris was sending them death glares. He didn’t see Jongin in class yet, so he could only assume the boy had realized that he lost his wand and probably sending curses to Zitao right now.

“Woah, he might be in trouble though?” Sehun raised his brows, confused on why was Zitao acting bad all suddenly. Was the boy possessed by Salazar Slytherin’s spirit or what?

Zitao only scoffed.

“Nothing I ever did is as worse as what Kim Jongin had done to me.”

“Kim Jongin? The Slytherin’s Quidditch seeker? You’re telling me your troublemaker roommate is Kim Jongin and you stole his wand?”

Sehun was amazed that his fellow Slytherin was, in fact, rooming with his rival. Sehun himself was a Gryffindor’s seeker, he had encountered Jongin several times as both were brilliant seekers. Sehun got this reputation as “The golden Seeker”, thanks to his amazing skills in seeking the golden snitch.

But apparently, finding Zitao’s wand was harder than the golden snitch. Ironic.

“I just hope his wand wouldn’t do some tricky magics though. Gods know whatever that brat did to his wand” Zitao mumbled.

Oh how he was so right. Kim freakin Jongin did something to his wand. The entire morning classes was a disaster. Zitao should’ve stayed in his room, sticking to his original plan. He couldn’t control the wand, it was as if the wand that was controlling him. He managed to turn the hedgehogs into a massive babbling-bumbling-band of baboons, and boy, how professor McGonagall was not pleased. The charm class wasn’t better either. They were supposed to learn Depulso, a banishing charm, but instead of banishing he was summoning nonsense stuffs until professor Flitwick threw him out. Sehun could only sent him apologetic stares.

It was true about what they said. The wand was only loyal to his owner.

---

It was night time already when Zitao and Sehun agreed to stay in the great hall after dinner. Sehun had potion and herbology homeworks, and Zitao offered to help him with the subjects which the boy mastered. Sehun had said it was a good idea and they could continue their usual night patrols afterwards. The great hall was still crowded, with students suffering the same fate as Sehun and  their homeworks. Mainly the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and some of Gryffindors. Zitao hadn’t spotted any Slytherin yet, so he assumed it was save to hang out with Sehun in the great hall.

“Why did I take herbology again?”

Sehun groaned, herbology and potions really messing up with his head. He thought the subjects were lame, he preferred something more challenging such as defence against the dark arts or charms. Zitao only rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be such a whiny brat, these are nothing as worse as ancient runes or divination.”

“..You got a point.”

They studied some more until Sehun begged Zitao to take a “short” break, saying something like ‘he could damage his brain if he thinks any further’ and Zitao could only agreed, not without rolling his eyes first.

“Hey, do you remember the first time we were sorted into our houses?” Sehun rested his head on the table, eyeing Zitao lazily but with curiosity.

Zitao blinked his eyes several times. Why suddenly bringing that up?

“Yeah, why?”

“I still remember when you were sorted to Slytherin, how there were no cheers and claps, only silence. That was one of the legendary sorting hat ceremony. You’re a legend”

“It wasn’t legendary. And I’m not a legend.” Zitao scowled.

“You were though. My housemates give you a nickname you know? The legendary Slytherin boy, Kris’ little sidekick. I think the Ravenclaws are starting to use that name too.”

“What is me being Kris’ sidekick is a thing anyway?! And I’m not little! I’m literally taller than you, Sehun.”  Zitao smashed his face on the desk, regretting it immediately and rubbing his reddening forehead.

“Because you were so close with that face dragon. Even before you became prefect and him becoming the headboy. What happenned though? Tell me the history.” Sehun now staring Zitao with eagerness.

“Don’t push me Oh Sehun, I might wushu you. I’m pretty good at that even without my wand, I could still hurt you.” Zitao narrowed his eyes. Although he wouldn’t really hurt Sehun, he wasn’t that kind of person who would do that. Zitao was not the boy who took advantages with his capability of doing wushu either.

“I don’t care.”

Damn Gryffindors and their daring traits.

Or perhaps it was because Sehun didn’t know what “wushu” was.

“We were just friends, that’s all.” Zitao really didn’t want to continue this story.

“So? Why you’d stop being friends?”

Zitao sighed. Maybe he could tell Sehun just a little bit? Sehun was his potential soon-to-be-bestfriend after all and telling the Gryffindor boy wouldn’t hurt him. Gryffindors were known for their chivalry as one of their traits, so he was positive enough Sehun wouldn’t hurt his feelings by spilling his not so little secret.

“Swear to me Oh Sehun, if you ever tell anyone, I’m feeding you to one of Hagrid’s hippogriff or worse, his acromantula pet.”

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” Sehun grinned and saluted the Slytherin boy. Zitao slapped his head, huffing a ‘I’m serious’ but laughed anyway.

“Alright, here it goes. I’m actually-“

“Zitao, Sehun.”

Yixing came suddenly, his dimple showing as usual. Zitao realized another boy trailing behind Yixing, black and yellow robe. Must be a Hufflepuff. The great hall was almost empty as candle lights were dim, students went back to their common rooms already, probably not wanting to get yelled by those prefects for breaking the curfew. And wow, Sehun really did take a long time with his homeworks.

“Hey Yixing! And..you are?” Zitao eyed the other boy curiously, but kept his smile on his face anyway, not wanting to be rude. The boy had brown hair, slim body and a pair of pretty doe eyes. He looked really beautiful, Zitao would mistake him as a girl if he didn’t see that the boy was wearing pants instead of skirts.

“This is Luhan, a 6th year Hufflepuff’s prefect. I told him about the frame we found, and he got something to tell.”

They sat in the middle of great hall, now the other students were completely gone, which was a good thing so nobody would eavesdrop.

“Remember when I told you about the bits of oil paintings left?”

The 4th years nodded silently. The pretty boy spoke suddenly, even his voice was as sweet as a honey.

“Yixing had asked me to take care  of the oil paintings, and I did some research, the paint was from the 16th century.”

“Now, after I asked Luhan to take care of it, I examined the frame further. It had been bewitched. There’s something more interesting though.” Yixing whispered, not sure what was that for.

“What?” The 4th years asked in unison.

“There were few scratches on the surface. Something scratched it with force. The edge of the frame is broken, so it could be that the frame fell before you guys found it.”

Zitao gasped, eyes widen in horror and the three other prefects eyed him with anticipation. Suddenly he remembered what he had told Kris about his ‘pixie cornish’ incident.

"There were noises in the dungeon! like cackling and scratching...and a loud bang like something just fell!"

“What is it Zitao?” Sehun shook the boy, eyes filled with worry.

“I- a few days ago when I was patroling alone in the dungeon, I heard scary noises. A cackling noise, and a scratching. Then, there was this loud noise like something just fell...” Zitao’s voice were quivering. He would never forget that horror incident, the beginning of the problem of his lost wand.

Yixing and Luhan gaped, more to the fact that a young prefect like Zitao patrolling alone. In the dungeon. What were the Slytherin’s prefects doing?

“And then what happenned?”

“I..ran. I told Kris about what happenned, and he asked me to check it again the next day so I dragged Sehun with me, until that frame came.”

They were now silent, too many informations to sink. Zitao couldn’t believe he was in a situation which could probably endangered his life and all he could think was goddamn pixie cornishes.

“We need to check again. Let’s paired up. One team go check the dungeon in basement, and the other check near Slytherin’s common room. I’ll go with Sehun, and Luhan, you go with Zitao.” Yixing had thought for a moment until he told the other prefects to just split up so they could save time.

“Wait, why can’t I go with Sehun instead?” Zitao frowned.

“You’re both only 4th years, this issue might be a dangerous one. I wouldn’t want to risk you guys getting hurt and later being yelled by the two headboys which happen to be both Gryffindor and Slytherin. Well, I can deal with Joonmyeon, but not with Kris. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.” Yixing sighed.

“Well..” Yixing was right, but then his ‘secret mission’  with Sehun was going to be postponed until tomorrow evening. Zitao thought to himself how could he face all these problems? First his lost wand, and now the mystery of the painting. Not to mention, what kind of excuses he was going to tell Kris? The headboy had sharp sense, he would know instantly when Zitao lied. For now, Zitao decided to just focus with the painting first, maybe, if he succeded in solving this problem he could prove Kris he was actually a responsible prefect?

His wand could wait.

“Alright, let’s go shall we?”

Author here! Thank you so much for sticking up with my random story! <3

Aww, no sweet Taoris interactions?;; I’m sorry, this is needed for the sake of story line! But don’t worry I’ll make it up with the next chapters! ;w;

But yay for new character appearance, Luhan! Our pretty XiaoLu, and, did you spot the slight SuLay? XD

And by the way, I’m planning to update every Sundays, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

Love, author