Families were left in pieces as they buried loved ones, or, in some cases, as they put family members behind bars in Azkaban.

And it was harder on the children -- all of the children. It was as if as the years went on, the tension only grew more and more amongst them.

Harry Potter could take as many pictures with Draco Malfoy as he wanted; could recount over and over again the great deeds of Narcissa Malfoy and Severus Snape in being key players to the victory; he could try again and again to explain that the wizarding world needed to patch things up and unite together as a community, but people were still bleeding from the invisible wounds of loss at the hands of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. And they saw their villains in the surviving family members of the Death Eaters, whether or not they were even old enough to understand what was happening when it all happened.

Hogwarts was a hellhole for any Slytherin, especially one with close ties to a Death Eater. The definition of Close was loose in this case.

Any excuse to hate…

The Kang twins lost much of their mother’s family in the War, but they were able to grow from it and find strength in the family bonds of their father’s family, though that side of the family consisted of muggles. As children of two successful parents, an accomplished author in the wizarding world and a talented former rugby player, the twins never wanted for anything.

Except sometimes, they really wished their father was also a wizard. Such as the first time they were being sent off to go to Hogwarts and their father couldn’t enter the platform with them. They hugged the burly man tearfully and left him behind on the other side of the platform.

Their mother and older cousin, already a fourth year, led the two girls through what they needed to do and know about going to school.

“Harin, you make sure your sister doesn’t overwork herself or that she falls asleep in strange places.” Their mother smiled at the more athletic and friendly girl. “Haneul, make sure your sister doesn’t get into too much trouble.” This time she smiled at the more reserved and levelled daughter.

For twins born merely four minutes apart, they were so different from each other even in just their looks. Harin was all bright smiles and glowing sun kissed skin while Haneul was fox-faced and fair skinned. Harin preferred running and playing rugby with their father while Haneul was one to play chess with their mother. Both girls loved to sit in the library with their mother on rainy days though. Both had a thirst for adventure and knowledge, they just went about things differently. They liked to bother their cousin Namjoon and read his school books to see what things they could learn.

The twins smiled and looked away from their mother’s teary smile and at the little niche of the platform where there were some families with drawn faces or fake smiles. The twins frowned, though Haneul was quicker to figure it out, seeing the tension of the families nearest to those in the niche.

Harin saw a boy their age, dressed in fine clothing, with a man who seemed to be more of a butler than a guardian. Neither spoke to each other. He was small with big eyes, eyes that stared at the ground more than anything else. They were soon joined by another boy, probably close to Namjoon’s age, and another butler. He was sleepy-eyed and very pale. He looked grumpy, like their housecat after a bath. He ruffled the younger boy’s hair, seemingly trying to raise the boy’s spirits or reassure him.

And then it was time to get on the train. They said their goodbyes, promised to write, and followed their cousin onto the train to find a place to sit. When they were about to step into an empty cart, they noticed Namjoon trying to shoo off some boys around his age behind their backs. Haneul snorted and Harin smiled encouragingly.

“Go sit with your friends! We’ll be together. You know we’ll be fine.”

“It’s cool.” He shook his head and tried to get in the cart with them.

Both sisters pushed him back out. “Go. We’ll be fine.” They shut the door on him giggling together. They saw their beloved cousin smile down at them fondly through the window and walked down the aisle the way they saw his friends waving at him from.

They were unpacking some snacks and books for the ride when there was a knock on their door. Haneul perked her head up from her book and saw that it was someone she recognized from standing with the group of people ostracized from the rest of the families sending off their kids to Hogwarts. Harin paused in her rummaging through their snack bags to see that it was actually the two boys with the butlers who had been standing slightly away from the families in the niche, but still very much a part of the group. Harin smiled and opened the door.

“Can we sit here?” The grumpy one asked. The younger boy stood behind him, eyes still trained on the ground. “Everywhere else is full.”

“Of course!” Harin beamed and grabbed her stuff to toss it on Haneul’s side to give the boys some room to sit. “I’m Kang Harin!” She stuck her hand out to shake theirs.

“Min Yoongi. That’s my cousin, Jeon Jungkook.” He nodded his head over to the boy.

“Kang Haneul.” Haneul introduced herself without really looking back up from her book again.

Harin was always better with strangers. And friends. And family. And animals. Harin was just generally better at socializing and getting people comfortable with her. Haneul was better at reading people, she had to be. Harin would make friends with just anybody when they were kids, so Haneul had to watch out for people who would want to take advantage of Harin’s never ending kindness and generosity.

Haneul read that Yoongi was depressed, always on the defensive and trying way too hard to put up a stronger front than he actually was. He was protective of his cousin, standing in front and leaning forward to shield the younger boy even from the friendly smiles of Harin. Jungkook wasn’t going to look anyone in the eyes any time soon. He was terrified of people, and that’s saying something because it was hard to be afraid when Harin was smiling at you like you just gave her a puppy for her birthday.

Both boys were extremely wary of Harin, more than they were wary of Haneul. Haneul figured that was because Haneul wasn’t looking at them, and it was easier not to expect her to do anything to them if she was more interesting in reading her book. Harin on the other hand was interested in them and smiling at them, which Haneul figured unsettled them because they were either unused to smiles or because a smile never necessarily meant friendliness for them. They feared an ulterior motive from Harin.

Haneul could tell right off the bat that they were related to Death Eaters and were suffering for it.

If Harin cared, she’d have figured that out too, but she doesn’t care. That’s just not who she is, and that thought has Haneul smiling to herself.

“We’re twins, and our cousin would have sat with us too, but we wanted him to sit with his friends. Do you know him? His name is Kim Namjoon.” Harin sorted her stuff out for some semblance of organization on their side of the cart.

“He’s that tall and kinda awkward Ravenclaw, right?” Yoongi almost smiled.

“That’s him. He’s really nice. He’s been living with us for as long as we can remember.”

“Why?” Yoongi asked, too late to stop himself because he figured out the answer almost instantly. He pretended not to notice how Haneul glanced up at him with a bemused smirk.

“The war. He lost both of his parents, so he came to live with us.” Harin’s smile only faltered slightly, but she pushed it away quickly. “So what house are you in?”

“Slytherin.” Yoongi’s face closed off at that.

Harin noticed, but didn’t let that stop her. “Oh really? Honestly, Haneul’s either going to Ravenclaw or Slytherin. She’s like our mum and that side of the family usually goes to Ravenclaw or Slytherin.”

Yoongi’s stone face broke open at hearing that. He knew that these girls weren’t related to Death Eaters or of a notorious family by any means. But this girl is just casually talking about the Slytherin house without any malice. She’s just talking about how her sister might go to that house with a bright smile. Was she an idiot?

“No. She’s not an idiot. No, you didn’t say that out loud.” Haneul stated after a moment of silence. “Don’t worry about it. She’s just a nice Hufflepuff.”

“Since you might be in the same house, let’s all be friends!” Harin clapped happily and presented some of their snacks for the other boys to look at. “Have some!”

“What… is it?”

“Muggle food! Our dad is a muggle, but he’s also the better cook in the house, so he made our snacks for us. It’s really yummy, I promise!”

Yoongi hesitantly grabbed a plastic fork and stabbed one of the mystery foods. Jungkook stared at the food, but didn’t make a move though they could tell he was curious. Harin grinned and grabbed a fork, picked up a bit of food, and poked Jungkook’s mouth with it until he opened up. He looked at her in shock before relenting. Haneul didn’t even bother in hiding her snorting laughter, and Yoongi turned away to chuckle to himself.

Jungkook hadn’t been likely to look anyone in the eye any time soon, but Harin had a way with people. If Namjoon was surprised by who his cousins were sitting with in the cart, he didn’t show it when he came to get them as they arrived at the school. He greeted them politely, and ushered them outside to where the first years were being herded.

Harin turned back and grabbed Jungkook’s sleeve, pulling him along with them. “He’s a first year too!” As if that explained everything to Namjoon, which, for Harin, it really did. Haneul smiled at Namjoon over their heads and nodded that everything was alright. Namjoon accepted that and waved at them, yelling that he’d see them in a bit. Yoongi was anxious, but hid it well, and yelled for Jungkook not to drown or something on the way.

Jungkook looked panicked as they approached the other first years waiting as well. Many of them bristled at seeing Jungkook -- especially incensed at him more than some others, so Haneul filed that reaction away and reminded herself to look into the Jeon and Min family later. Harin just smiled and chatted at Jungkook about all the things she’s heard from Namjoon about the school. A lot of times, she’d turn and talk to other students nearby, easing nerves and making friends the way she always did. Haneul gently led Harin away from those she deemed dangerous or unworthy of her sister’s presence and guided Harin, and Jungkook since Harin refused to let the small boy be alone, to a less crowded boat.

When they were sorted, their predictions were all spot on. Haneul went to Slytherin, Harin went to Hufflepuff, and Jungkook of course made it into Slytherin. The cheers for those entering Slytherin were subdued compared to the other houses, but Harin cheered loudly for her sister and almost friend regardless.

As the houses were all separating to get shown around to their new homes for the school year, Harin got to know almost everyone in her house, bonding over anything from desserts to favorite constellations. It was somewhere between the great hall and the Hufflepuff dormitory that Harin startled the Hufflepuff prefect by sprinting off angrily down the hall. They rushed to follow after her or else she’d get lost and never make it home.

What they witnessed shocked pretty much everyone involved or present.

Harin saw two Gryffindors cornering someone, she hadn’t recognized who until she got closer, but she knew what bullying looked like. So she charged all the way there and essentially body checked the students so hard they flew several meters down the hall.

“Jungkook? Why are you alone?” Harin panted out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…”

“Jungkook!” Haneul and Yoongi came sprinting as fast as they could to them.

“What was that?” The Hufflepuffs asked.

“Harin! Mum told you not to get physical at school!” Haneul groaned, figuring it out first.

“What do you want me to do? I haven’t learned how to actually use spells yet!”

“You did that? To two third years bigger than you?” Yoongi’s jaw dropped. “Are you sure you’re a Hufflepuff?”

“Hufflepuffs do not stand for unfairness or bullying!” Harin frowned.

The prefect stepped forward to be beside her. “She’s right. That’s a very Hufflepuff standpoint.” He turned to the other prefect, “Go get a teacher.” He waited until the girl was around the corner before returning to the situation. “We’ll have a teacher handle this properly. But why were you alone in the first place?” He asked Jungkook. “You had to have known how dangerous it is for a Slytherin student to be alone.”

“I don’t care how dangerous it is for a Slytherin student to be alone; it’s the first night, he’s only 11, and we’re all students at this school. Students! If we’re not safe at school, nothing’s changed since Harry Potter killed the Dark Lord.” Harin huffed. “They told me that it was rough, but this is disgusting.”

“Harin…” Haneul tried to step in.

“No! You’re the calm and smart one, but I can’t be wrong in believing this is not right!”

“No, you’re not wrong.” Haneul sighed. “But I knew this was going to happen. I was hoping I’d have more time beyond the first night though. I need to learn how to properly use magic before I can put up any kind of a fight like you.”

“But you’re not supposed to need to! That’s not the point! Merlin’s left bullocks! The problem is that this is a school and we are students and ugh!” Harin kicked the wall and yanked at her hair in frustration.

The Hufflepuff prefect sighed and placed a gentle hand on Harin’s head. “I understand. I admit my faults for having any kind of a hand in this. While I may have never harmed someone related to a Death Eater, I have also never gone out of my way to help. It’s no secret that Slytherin students get… bullied, but I never put myself out there to help them, and I should have, as a Prefect and fellow student. As this is the start of a new year, I’ll make sure that I and the rest of the house do as we truly should. I’m sorry.”

“Likely.” Yoongi snorted, still having Jungkook tucked behind him.

“Even if they don’t, I will.” Harin gritted out.

“Mum told you not to get into fights.”

“And dad told me to do the right thing.” Harin countered. “And don’t pretend you’re not thinking of fighting too. You’re just going to do it with magic. Until we’re both proficient with the wand, my fists will do just fine.”

“I can’t condone fighting.” The prefect winced.

“And I can’t condone doing nothing.”

“Are you sure you’re a Hufflepuff? You’re an awful lot like a Gryffindor.” Yoongi frowned.

“You mean to say I’m like them?” She pointed at the two students Yoongi magically bound. “Though between being the assailants or the obstinately inactive bystanders,” She sneered at the Hufflepuffs, “I can’t really say which House I’m more like.”

“Harin, you know I love you more than life itself, but sometimes, you just burn too hot. Cool down.” Haneul sighed heavily. The more cool and collected twin turned to bow apologetically to her sister’s housemates. “She gets fiery when she’s hyped up on some ‘greater good’ tirade. She’s like our dad, and I’m pretty sure, between the two of them, they’ve fought hundreds of bullies and criminals each. What’s worse is that they both like to lecture. Do you know how painful that is to live with two people like that? Mother once killed off a beloved character in her series and I swear I wished it was me that was killed off.” Haneul grinned. “She’ll be less angry in the morning. She’ll only be disappointed then. Not much better, to be honest, but at least she won’t be openly furious with you, so yay for the small victories.”

“What in Merlin’s name happened here?” The Headmaster entered the hall in a flurry of robes, led by the other prefect.

“They were bullying him. I took them down. He’s keeping them down.” Harin answered succinctly with a short gesture to Yoongi and Jungkook.

“These two got separated from the group.” Yoongi nodded at Jungkook and Haneul. “When things turned south, Haneul ran until she found help, which was me. I came right after that thing tackled them like a common street brawler. One shot kill.”

“I did not! I’m more of a specialized street brawler.” Harin joked mildly.

“You… you mean to tell me this first year took down two third years, a Chaser and a Beater, on her own? In one go?”

“If you ever meet our muggle father, you’d understand.” Haneul grimaced. “Ever heard of Rugby?”

“Of course.”

“Our dad’s kind of a big deal in Rugby, and she’s got his talent. Rough play is in their nature.” Haneul explained briefly. “They should probably go seek medical attention.” She glanced down at the bound assailants. “If she can bruise the ribs of a grown bear of a man, she likely cracked some ribs on these boys.”

“Are you sure you’re a Hufflepuff?” Headmaster McGonagall gaped at Harin.

“As opposed to a Gryffindor?” She gestured to the Gryffindors on the round with an unimpressed raised brow. “At this rate, I’m not even sure I’m a Hogwarts student.”

“She’s just mad. She doesn’t like bullying and now that she has a more realistic grasp on the problem with it here, she’s… well, she’s just really not okay with it and she’s blaming the system in place.” Haneul put a calming hand on her sister’s arm. “She’s usually not so… angsty, I promise.”

“Can’t really say I blame her though. I get it, we all lost family, but for it to go to the extent of cornering first years on their first night… it is truly unacceptable.” The prefect sighed, many of the other first years behind him slowly nodding in agreeance. “Harin’s right. If students can’t be safe at school, then nothing’s changed since Harry Potter went to school here and the Dark Lord threatened his and every other student's’ lives here.”

Harin darted her eyes over to Haneul in a question. Haneul nodded, “He’s not lying. He’s actually being annoyingly sincere like you and dad. Look at you, first night and you’re already changing lives. Too bad I’m still telling mum you got into a fight.”

“Can you really even call that a fight? I knocked them out of the way and they were immediately spell-bound to stay down.”

“I’m telling her you got into an all-out brawl. I wonder how much I need to tell her before she sends you a howler. What if I tell her you put one kid in a coma, and then you tried to use magic, but didn’t know how, and accidentally blew up another kid’s arm? If I tell them you did it for fun, maybe dad will get in on that howler too. But I gotta keep it believable.”

“This is why you’re definitely a Slytherin.” Harin sighed.

And that was the first day Jungkook ever met the Kang twins, specifically, Kang Harin, and he’d never forget it.