VIII. The soldier’s change of heart

Acting impulsively was a trademark Gryffindor feature - sometimes needed but also equally hated.

In this moment it was definitely needed, with Taehyung casting a protection charm as soon as Jungkook started to scream, successively shielding everyone in the dorm from the broken pieces of glass, wood, furniture and marble flying their way and everywhere else.

The group was living together for almost a month and the soft spot Jungkook developed for Chaeyoung was no secret amongst them. Surely you didn’t have to be a medium or a Ravenclaw to predict his reaction at the news of her kidnapping.

Finally the chaos, the ashes and the dust fell, showing Jungkook what he did.

The dorm didn’t look like anything before, with smaller groups parted in different variations – panting Taehyung in the lead with his wand still up with Namjoon right next to him, Jisoo being practically invisible from Seokjin and Yoongi’s protective embrace, Lisa trying to shield Hoseok and Hoseok trying to do the same to her, and finally Jimin still keeping Jennie behind him with his arm.

“Is everybody ok?!” Namjoon yelled, getting a bunch of murmured ‘yeahs’ in response.

Jungkook blinked and took a step back.

“I-I’m sorry” his eyes widened while his mouth hung open, shock evident “What I just-“

“Magical power explosions are rare but possible” the new voice said and everyone turned to the portrait entrance, seeing Jiyong, Chaerin and Yongguk. They all looked pale, worried and scared, although not by the sight of the dorm’s condition.

“Reparo!” Jiyong took a solid swing with his wand and everything started to come back together.

Finally the headmaster turned to the students.

“What happened and where is Park Chaeyoung?”

The drop of the name made Lisa cry instantly while Jungkook took a deeper breath, as if trying to swallow the sob. The rest looked between themselves, surely troubled.

Of course, the recent events made them very suspicious of Kwon Jiyong but they didn’t have any choice but to trust him now.

“She got kidnapped from the Gryffindor prefect’s baths by some guy who…stepped from the mirror?” Namjoon recited everything Lisa said before, just now catching how bizarre it sounded.

“Have you met him before?” Yongguk folded his arms, weirdly unimpressed by the explanation.

“I have” Jisoo took a step forward and tapped her temple with the wand, just to wave it at the empty space before her right after “Picturae!”

Suddenly there was something like a ghost or a hologram, exactly picturing the tall, blonde wizard the girls met earlier in the pub.

“That’s him” Lisa wept with a scowl, breaking a little from Taehyung’s hold “Just in the baths he was dressed differently…Long, black coat and combat shoes”

“I ing knew it…” Yongguk snarled with gritted teeth “Woo Jiho, or rather Zico. He was in Hogwarts with me, former Gryffindor, pureblood extremist since forever. A placer”

“A what?” almost everyone cried and Chaerin, even giving current situation, rolled her eyes at her students. She was about to give a dictionary written description before Hoseok started to speak.

“A magician who puts its magic not only into a wand but also other objects…or things” he told them and blushed upon seeing everyone looking at him questionably “What? It happens in my family sometimes…My dad can literally control the fire on his will and kind of, um, blend with the flames”

“Makes sense” Chaerin blinked, thinking of the dragon history of the Jungs and then adding her two cents to the portrayal “It’s a rare skill, making placers’ magic very unique and unrepeatable as it depends only on them and not the charms. They mostly target ink, shadows, flames - like the Jungs apparently - but in this case-“

“-mirrors and thus reflections?” Jiyong looked at Yongguk and he just nodded “Perfect for moving places and spying…Did he drag Chaeyoung back with him to the mirror?”

“Yes” everyone nodded and Lisa just clasped her hands against her lips, surpassing another upcoming sob.

“So he needed to infuse her with a piece of mirror, somehow to place it in her body…”

Jisoo and Lisa exchanged an alarmed look.

“He bumped into Chaeyoung once…And later she complained about some splinter in her finger”

“We thought it’s nothing serious…” Jisoo turned to the teachers, her face concerned “Really, we wouldn’t have considered-“

“Don’t blame yourselves Ms. Kim and Ms. Manoban, no one would have considered that possibility” Jiyong cut with assuredness, lowering his voice and already predicting who stood behind such deliberate stunt “It was ing genius…”

With that he turned to Chaerin and Yongguk, nodding at them.

“We know everything, let’s go” the headmaster said and then faced the students for the last time “Ms. Lee will be back in few minutes with someone from the hospital wing. Do. Not. Move outside the dorm. This is not a damn joke. You try something – I’m kicking you out, period. Am I clear?”

“Y-Yes” everyone started to nod, the weight of the situation still not really there.

At that Jiyong his heel and scooted to the exit with Chaerin following but Yongguk stayed, gazing at the confused and troubled group.

“You’re a sharp bunch so you probably know what’s gonna happen now” he started once they were alone, getting their full attention “I know your friend is in danger and I know one of you have me under the flame tracking spell – don’t reverse it but don’t go after me” Yongguk specified “I’ll get her back, you stay here”

And with the last short nod he was gone.

The silence filling the newly-repaired dorm was actually as loud as the Quidditch stadium during championships. It was obvious everyone was thinking intensely and strongly.

Acting impulsively was a trademark Gryffindor feature - sometimes needed but also equally hated.

Suddenly Namjoon cleared his throat.

“We might get kicked out…But I assume it’s not a problem if we pull a Gryffindor in this matter?”

The determination on every single face was truly inspiring. With that he nodded and clapped his hands, seeing they all – no matter what – were on the same page.

“Perfect…Thoughts?”

“First and foremost we definitely are in some deep , this is not just a prediction anymore” Hoseok stepped forward with a plain, very un-Hufflepuff fortitude gracing his features “Chaeyoung is kidnapped. This is serious and big. Thus, we shall not leave our wands out of the reach from now on!”

“Agreed” Namjoon nodded and then moved to another person “Taehyung?”

“We know Yongguk is an auror and he just confirmed he will go after Chaeyoung…We need to activate the flame tracking spell on him and just…track him?”

“Obviously. Jimin?”

“We all can’t go…Some of us must stay to cover the rest. I mean, we always do that when pranking so I guess it applies to the rescue mission, too. Not to mention Ms. Lee is supposed to come and stay here, so-”

“I’ll command her to go to sleep” suddenly Jisoo announced and at that everyone gasped, guessing what she really meant.

“But haven’t you promised-“

“I’ve changed my mind” Jisoo folded her arms, voice and stare firm “Listen guys, veelan charms will be damn useful now, and giving how this moron-“ she pointed at Seokjin, who was still exhausted from luring more than one person at once “-just drained himself it leaves only me. Keeping you safe is more important than my rules”

“Thanks Merlin, ing finally!” Seokjin commented, throwing his hands in the air and looking at the ceiling as if he was praying.

Everyone, sans two people, smiled proudly at the veela-Ravenclaw.

Namely, Jisoo wasn’t aware of the fact that her statement was a nail to the coffin for Yoongi, who was battling within himself since the moment Lisa ran into the dorm with panicked state and partly blood-covered head. Sure, he felt extremely bad for Chaeyoung and wanted to help, but then he imagined the whole situation a bit differently, thinking what he would do if it was Jisoo who was kidnapped instead. The mare thought of the possibility was making him sick and petrified. With that his gaze moved from his girlfriend to Jeon Jungkook, who was the next abnormally silent person during the whole in-dorm planning and brainstorming. Then honestly, Yoongi couldn’t blame him.

Finally he took a deep breath and stood up, folding his arms and taking a place next to Jisoo.

“In that case I need to borrow the invisibility cloak and go to the restricted books section in the library”

“Why?” the half of the dormmates grimaced, not getting what he was implying. But Jisoo quickly caught up, gasping and widening her eyes.

“Yoongi, don’t-“

“Keeping you safe is more important than my - or socially-normed in that matter - rules, little raven” he practically quoted her, staring into her eyes with nothing but sureness and desperation before looking at the rest and raising his hand with a black, elastic strap around it “I’ll start to home-school myself in the dark arts and then we’ll get rid of the wristband. I’m not talking only about Chaeyoung now, but something surely ed-up is coming and it’s better to get all the ammo we can gather, the obscurus being one of the main bullets”

Surprisingly there were no straight protests, maybe besides Jisoo’s tightened hold on his hand.

“Yoongi please, we can stick to normal magic, you don’t have to do it” she whispered, making sure no one would hear them “Besides you know I can take care of myself-“

“I know you can but I don’t think you realize that taking care of you is not only your thing now, but mine too, like it or not” he half-whispered and half-snapped “Besides, I’m also pretty skilled when it comes to taking care of myself, I’ll be fine”

“Then we’re in this together, because I don’t see any other way than taking care of you also, like it or not” Jisoo snapped back with watery eyes, lips tightly pressed together and the indisputable fact of Yoongi being right “If that plan of yours will backfire I swear to Merlin, obscurial or not, I’ll kick your ”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way” Yoongi smirked and leaned down for a quick kiss, sealing their agreement.

“Are you done with this in front of my salad?” Seokjin complained at the view he was still not ready to see and then turned to the rest with dead-serious expression “What do you guys think?”

“There’s a point in Yoongi’s reasoning” Hoseok retorted, eyeing the said Slytherin “But are you sure? It’s the dark magic we’re talking about here…It changes people”

“Studying art doesn’t make you a painter” Namjoon cut “I think we should go for it. Plus the other obscurials in the Auror Headquarters learn about the dark arts and apparently can manage without turning into dark wizards or witches”

And so it looked like everyone, yet again, approved.

“Ok but Hogwarts library won’t deliver” Jennie pointed out “I have the detention there and I know the restricted section doesn’t have anything dark arts related…There’s one book, two max”

“So we need to find books for Yoongi…The headmaster’s office? Hogsmeade bookstore? Maybe some muggle internet portals, like Amazon?” Jimin proposed just to see Jennie shaking her head.

“No. I…I have other idea” with that she looked between her dormmates, pausing her stare for longer on few of them.

Jungkook looked like the personification of misery, Yoongi was about to start stepping on the very thin ice, Jisoo was evidently on the edge of mental breakdown whereas Lisa surely blamed herself for all that happened.

And then there was a blank spot in the room that should be occupied by Chaeyoung.

Pure, innocent, sunshining Chaeyoung, currently taken away from them by some mirror-walking guy for the sole purpose of, exactly, what?

Jennie had a great intuition and widely ranged intelligence, so her imagination wasn’t working as strongly, trying to explain the whole mess to herself in a rational, factual way. Somehow she was sure Chaeyoung is and will remain ok; there was something bigger behind it than just – as bad as it sounded – hurting her. There was generally something bigger behind it all.

The dorm, Bang Yongguk, the tracking spell, the vision, the vampire attack, Sandara Park, Chaeyoung’s kidnapping – it was surely connected but also foreshadowing something else.

Suddenly Jennie felt another flood of emotions, signaling her the bond and its work. She stared at Jimin and felt the drive, power, passion and fire, something absolutely opposing Slytherin and for a second she though like being sorted into the wrong house from the beginning.

Jimin kept on looking at her, with a ghost of a smile that was saying more than the bond itself. That one expression gave her everything; compassion, patience and confidence.

And so the last streak of uncertainty and humiliation in her faded. She was Kim freaking Jennie, for crying out loud - screw Seulgi and everyone else, they needed to save Chaeyoung and prepare for anything coming up next. She had things to do so the time for being a weeping clutter needed to stop.

“There’s a library in my family mansion and I know what it…consist of” she finally said, head held up high “My lineage is what it is, I can’t help it, but if it means we can take advantage of it then let be it”

And at that the rest cheered, as if hearing the hottest gossip.

“I’ll use the weekend pass to get there as soon as possible” she continued, successively outvoicing everyone and then seeing Jimin right by her side.

“I’m coming with you” he offered and Jennie merely nodded, not seeing why she should say no.

“Ok, perfect!” Namjoon clapped his hands, signaling coming back to the plan “So we’re grouping pretty wisely here…Yoongi and Jisoo stay in the dorm, taking care of Ms. Lee and the Hogwarts library and anyone else if necessary to cover us…Jennie and Jimin go to the Kims mansion…And as for the rest, um, I guess we’re the storming, rescue party?”

“Damn straight we are!” Lisa, Taehyung and Hoseok jumped forward with raised fists.

“Um, yes, we are but…You know” Seokjin muttered, pointing softly with his eyes at Jungkook and hinting on how the Slytherin should stay behind too. Namjoon bit on his lip, seeing the point.

The whole situation was even more personal for Jungkook than any of them, and having him around while going after Bang Yongguk Merlin knows where to cross Merlin knows who was as risky as it was tempting. Someone with such feelings-based agenda would never stop, after all.

No, Namjoon couldn’t jeopardize the quest for the potential mad-drive that could threaten the others and even the mission itself. Everything they were about to do was steadily irrational enough and Jungkook already destroyed their surroundings once.

“Jungkook…” the Ravenclaw started “I think you should stay put, too. Help Jisoo or go to the Kims, whatever really, but-“

“I don’t think you understand, raven” suddenly Jungkook spoke, but there was absolutely no emotion in his tone “I have a blonde, mirror-placer named Zico to deal with, so I’d suggest us to move. Now”

Namjoon sighed, knowing there was no place for a discussion. Fighting an angered, hurt Slytherin was just as bad as fighting a misjudged Ravenclaw, if not worse.

“Guys, another thing!” Hoseok’s hand shot in the air “The flame tracking spell! It’s still on us! We shouldn’t be rising headmaster knowing we’re not here…”

“Leave it to me” suddenly Lisa stepped in, wiping the remains of her tears once and for all.

She was still dressed in nothing but a towel and Taehyung’s sweater, her hair being dry but still party colored in crimson, painfully reminding everyone of what happened.

After taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and concentrated on something, suddenly crossing the room and standing in front of the fireplace.

Lisa started to mutter something under her nose and then stretched her arm, opening the palm at the abrupt burst of fire. Her slender fingers got covered in single, glowing ornaments unknown to anyone.

Just then Taehyung paled in realization, jumping between her and the fireplace.

“Lisa, you can’t!” he exclaimed “They may banish you!”

“Don’t perform Thai magic here!” Jimin quickly followed, darting next to his best friend.

“Get out from the way guys, it’s just the emergency call” Lisa urged with a swift move of her chin and a stare that was spitting flames bigger than the fireplace behind, signaling them to move “Now!”

Two Gryffindors exchanged the worried glare but backed off nonetheless, joining the rest in observing.

And so Lisa looked into the fire again, narrowing her eyes and repeating something of a mantra in her mother tongue. The glowing ornaments from her hand vanished and in that moment the flames inside the fireplace shaped themselves into a semi-face.

The dormmates quickly gathered what she was doing so each casted a translation spell.

“Lalisa?” the fire-face, evidently a girl, asked with concern “What happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt? Your hair! Is that blood?!”

“Hey, Sorn, chill” Lisa shushed “I’m fine…Sorta”

The girl, Sorn, blinked in confusion as the fire representation of her eyes scanned Lisa from head to toe.

“What did you get yourself into this time?”

“Sorn, listen, we might be in huge trouble so I need your help…My friend got kidnapped and we’re about to go get her back-“

“Absolutely no, Lisa!” Sorn snapped “Whatever is happening in Hogwarts is not your fight! You can’t risk that much!”

Lisa groaned and got more into the argument, completely missing her dormmates swapping partly-knowing and partly-quizzical stares between themselves.

Lisa’s origins or even anything about her motherland wasn’t really known but the fact that she was someone important was pretty apparent. Manobans were ancient, practically royal family with the history reaching way before the medieval times. No one was certain what the real deal with Lisa was, besides the fact that she wasn’t holding any title - as the rumors like that swayed the school at some point in the past. Then again, maybe she wasn’t the literal princess but if something of a pureblood families ladder would exist the Manobans would probably take the top spot.

Suddenly the brawl between two Thai girls seemed to die down as Lisa finally exploded, yelling at the fireplace and Sorn’s reflection in it.