Chaeyeon is an ordinary girl, living a peaceful, calming and fulfilling life.

She is a normal 14 year old witch, studying in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Okay, perhaps that’s not so normal anymore, provided that she not only knows basic maths and sciences, she also studies Potions, Charms, History of magic, and she can fly (not on an airplane if you're wondering), just recently, she has taken up certain elective subjects such as Arithmancy, Divination, study of Ancient runes and care for magical knowledge to broaden her expanse of knowledge in the wizarding world.

Although she could have taken Muggle studies and ace it effortlessly, her poor conscience just didn’t allow her to and she took up all the other four elective subjects offered in year two.

All in all, in simple words, she freaking knows magic.

How amazing is that?

Chaeyeon seldom reveals that she’s a muggle born, although the students in Hogwarts are more open minded and nice about it and she had made several close friends up till her third year in hogwarts now, but as we all know, there are always those annoying, imperious, self obsessed pricks (those damned slytherins)that couldn’t help but have to prove their superiority by prickling other people. 

Oh and yes, of course, since no one knows she’s a muggle. She doesn’t get picked on, although she’s not ashamed of her bloodline and there are instances she wished she could just flung those snakes away for making such nasty slurs about Muggle-born, she’d rather avoid getting her books hidden all over the school compound or having her food being tampered with confusing concoction potions and that she would spend days avoiding herself from knocking into walls or falling into fountains.

Perhaps she doesn’t suit to be in gryffindor, she’s not as adventurous or courageous as her fellow peers, she steers away from conflict and she never confronts her issues up front. 

Chaeyeon is (unwillingly) bold with her appearance in the muggle world, she keeps up with the fashion trends because her muggle friends would, without her consent, drag her out for shopping sprees and movie dates during the holidays before she would go far far away back to hogwarts, 

Chaeyeon’s favourite outfit would be a simple white tee paired with black ripped jeans, she also often brings her favourite brown trench coat just because it’s soft and comfortable.

But every time before the school term starts, she would stop straightening her hair, wear her nerdy round glasses, stop wearing any make up and just keep herself as lowkey as she could, she doesn’t need any attention from people because that could bring about unwanted bullying and teasings which may pose as a huge burden to her.

Now her goal is to graduate Hogwarts as a honour student so that she could secure a job in the ministry of magic, she need not get herself involve in any trouble now because that may leave a black record which may affect her in the future.

She might consider staying the wizarding world because she could be more familiarised this world’s environment than the muggle world as she would have then spend her entire adolescence doing magical studies than the ‘normal’ studies. But on the other side, she couldn’t bear to separate from her parents although she has 3 capable siblings which can take good care of them. However, that does not mean she didn’t think of staying in the muggle world, she has been attending separate classes in her holidays to catch up with her muggle studies, it is extremely tough but her motto is to strive for excellence. All those preparations should be adequate for her to sit for exams as an individual candidate and hence she could secure jobs with those qualifications then.

Chaeyeon can’t recall on how to use smart phone when she returned home at the end of every school year, and that’s because smart phones are strictly prohibited in school compounds and they encouraged students to use owl postal services instead like how a wizard would do, Chaeyeon feels bothered because she wishes people would allow her to embrace the muggle-part of her, but since everything is supposingly daunting and harsh in the wizarding world, she chose not to make her life more difficult

Like I said, Chaeyeon is an ordinary girl, living a peaceful, calming and fulfilling life. 

She’s satisfied with how it is and she doesn’t feel the need to spice things up anymore, she wished that everything would continue as it is.

(Actually she need not wish, this is nothing special, to graduate from school and find a job, just how much wilder can her life get?)

Until a damned slytherin came into her life, unwelcomed, not that she has ever asked for it, and she definitely dislikes it. 

And Chaeyeon doesn’t feel like herself anymore, the once quiet, reserved and shy girl. 

——————————————

“Mikawagi Sakura?”

“Yes! Her!”

Yujin pressed her bunny teeth onto her lips in annoyance and tossed the stack of daily newspaper across the table. Chaeyeon cringed when bits of her porridge splattered onto her collar, she hurriedly grabbed the newspaper away from her bowl and took one last sip from her spoon before peering through her thick rounded glasses at the news that had made to the headlines.

“Mi...yawaki Sakura? Oh, Miyawaki Sakura...daughter of the newly appointed leader of Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures Mr Miyawaki...the child prodigy...outstanding, spectacular witch...the future leader of the wizarding world...transferred to Hogwarts?”

Chaeyeon looked up at Yujin, blinking, visibly confused. She’s not quite caught up with the happenings in the wizarding world, all she knew was that now they had invented flying carpets, like those in Aladin, and okay that’s irrelevant, she could use a broomstick,

Yujin sighed as she grabbed the newspaper back roughly and stared hard at the moving picture. Chaeyeon meekly sipped on her tea and watched how Yujin’s face grew into a irritated snarl,

“Child prodigy, future leader my ! These are just empty titles! Now her father has been appointed the leader of the department for the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures, he can boost his daughter’s reputation by manipulating the news!”

Chaeyeon bowed her head down when she noticed the turning head and curious eyes fixated on them across tables in the great hall, she looked at Yujin pleadingly, hoping she ould take the hint to lower down her volume and keep her language mild, but Yujin only got more agitated and continued rambling about whichever girl it is, is it mihagaki Sakura? Mirahaki Sakura? Oh right, Miyawaki Sakura.

“I can bet a thousand galleons that she would be in that snake house, ugh, disgusting pricks, thinking they're all so high up because they're pure blooded.”

“Hey...we have not even seen her yet...and she looks pretty?”

Chaeyeon exclaimed doubtfully as she glanced between a solemn Yujin and the moving figures in the picture, she nudged her glasses up her nose and leaned closer to take a better look at the girl, and-

‘Woah.’

Chaeyeon’s breath stopped when the girl’s cold eyes indifferently met hers, a stench of cockiness heavy around her. Her deep dark eyes were strikingly prominent in contrast to her porcelain Ivory white skin and she’s reckon it’s because of the camera flashes because how can someone’s skin be so unbelievably smooth? Her features are so beautiful carved as if she’s a born aphrodite, it’s almost intimidating to look at her for more than a second because she’s that pretty.

The young girl casted the camera a careless look and diverted her eyes to else where to meet the other cameras, and Chaeyeon shuddered from the coldness radiating from the picture, judging by the prim posture and appearance the girl beholds, anyone could tell she’s a patrician.

Sakura didn’t leave any hard impressions on Chaeyeon, she’s entirely out of her league, and it’s not like she will be an significant existence in her life, Chaeyeon highly doubted she would ever recite her surname correctly.

She’s exceptionally pretty. Chaeyeon will probably remember that.

“Okay, another thing, she looks mean?”

“Yeah, daughter of the known corrupted leader and having ties to the ministry of magic...just great, sounds like a disaster, she fits in just right into that snake house, period!”

“Yujin...that’s not very nice, I know you are angry, you may seem like a third year like me but in fact you’re only twelve, well eleven and a half to be exact...if they know about this, they can do really nasty stuff to you...”

Chaeyeon hushed Yujin down when she can see visible movements from the slytherin cliques settled at their respective tables, she had quickly darted her eyes away from them when a few of them started glancing at them from time to time, seemly to have heard the open insults made by Yujin.

However, Yujin didn’t seem to be that bothered after all, she even sluggishly turned to stare at the Slytherin and mockingly grinned at them.

“Yujin! What are you doing? You’re going to get yourself into trouble!”

Yujin nonchalantly turned back and even had the audacity to laugh, Chaeyeon grabbed the most bulky looking textbook among her stack of other books and smacked her across her head, Chaeyeon must have smacked a bit too hard because Yujin looked like she was out of her head because she ran into a wall.

Chaeyeon fumbled about in her bag and took out a slightly lighter book, she rolled it and then mercilessly swung across Yujin head again, bringing her back to reality,

“Ouch! C-Chaeyeon unnie! Why did you hit me!”

“Why did I hit you? You should asking why I didn’t cast Bombarda on your log head! Don’t try to provoke them when they haven’t done anything to you, you’re going to get seriously hurt!”

“Bombarda? That explosive charm?!”

“Okay technically we couldn’t cast this charm on humans but that’s because we’ve only casted it on objects, but we can always give it a try-”

“Woah!”

Yujin’s eyes shimmered with admiration, Chaeyeon cringed, Had this girl gone bonkers? She should be cowering in fear at her rare display of menace, not shaking in excitement when she’s about to blast her head off.

“You can actually cast Bombarda? Isn’t that what the fifth years learn?! Have you memorise all the incantations taught up to year five?! That’s so cool! No wonder professor flitwick said that you’re the best charms student in the whole school!”

“Professor Flitwick said that?”

Chaeyeon squeaked, Really, is she that incredible? Or Professor Flitwick is just flattering her because she offered to help him clear the quills the other time? Or that he actually knew that she secretly casted a silencing charm on the students during his class because they were too noisy?

“Yeah, he said you’re the best student he has taught!”

“Nah, I’m not. That’s not true-”

Yes, she really thinks not, she’s not the best when she would have to practise repeatedly on her own at her lone time so she wouldn’t fall behind others.

Seriously, she’s a muggle born who’s lacked of 11 years of magical knowledge than her peers, of course she would have to buck herself up. 

“You can definitely protect me from those snakes!”

“We are not to use magic on each other-”

“Thanks Chaeyeon! You’re the best!”

Chaeyeon breathed in sharply and exhaled with a huge sigh, she really doesn’t have the heart to be harsh on Yujin, she cares for her like a sister. Chaeyeon met Yujin during her orientation week when she had lost her way at the moving stairs, if Chaeyeon didn’t pull Yujin away in time, she would have plummeted down at the trick stairs and end herself up  in the infirmary with several fractured bones. 

That’s a considerably bad way to start the year off.

And from then on, Yujin would tirelessly stick with Chaeyeon.

Yujin is the typical popular kid that everyone loves hanging out with, she’s outgoing, bright, the perfect epitome of a puppy and so if you’re wondering why on earth would she hang out with someone as presumably mundane and boring as Chaeyeon, this should explain why.

Although Chaeyeon’s closest friends, Eunbi and Yena including Yujin figured that Chaeyeon has her own wild side and had encouraged her to be more expressive and daring, Chaeyeon didn’t want to, she prefers huddling under her covers and reading under the dim lamp light while she sips on her pumpkin juice, she’s satisfied with the simplest things. 

That’s not a gryffindor behaviour though, no matter how you look at it, she felt that she has the nature of a huffle puff, perhaps the sorting hat finally made a mistake? 

“Well, only if you’re going to die, that’s when I will help. But I doubt you’ll ever be in actual danger, so I won’t help you.”

“Ouch, why are you so mean to me! Your inner lion bites!”

“Shush it, I have to go to my class and you will have to go to yours now, let’s move. You wouldn’t want to face professor snape’s wrath.”

“That’s right! I’m having potion class next! I haven’t even got my textbook with me yet!”

“Catch it.”

Chaeyeon only gave Yujin a second to react before she tossed a heavy book wrapped with black leather bindings, Yujin goggled at the book in amazement while she flipped through the pages scribbled with notes and sometimes with folded sheets of extra informations properly tapped at the corner. She whipped her head up at Chaeyeon who’s seemly confused by Yujin’s reaction,

“Is this not the first year’s potion textbook?”

“It is! Did you do all of this?!”

Yujin flipped to a page where it was fully filled with Chaeyeon’s very own annotations yet it is not cramped and definitely useful to anyone who’s reading it. Chaeyeon nodded slowly, a look of nonchalance on her face.

“Yeah, is that fine? I hope you can still read the original text, some of my ink is smudged so it might block the words-”

“No! It’s perfectly fine? Are you giving me this?”

“Do you want it? You can have it if it helps, I kept several copies of it in my laptop and thumb drive, if you even know what those are, but yea, sure, have it!”

“Oh my god, Chaeyeon, you’re really so amazing! I really wish more people could see this side of you! I love you! Bye!”

Yujin kissed the smooth surface of the book and spun around in circles, 

“T-thanks?”

Chaeyeon sheepishly waved her hands at the girl skipping out of the grand hall.

Perhaps Yujin is that hint of excitment she needs in her life, hanging out with Yujin is really fun, Chaeyeon enjoys having someone to laugh with or even laugh at, although it overwhelms her at times, it’s fine because she’s one of her important friends along with Eunbi and Yena.

Chaeyeon lowered her head when people started whispering among themselves while they watch the interaction between her and Yujin, to avoid being the centre of attention any longer, she scurried out of the hall and quickly headed towards her Arithmancy class.

Chaeyeon wished she could just disapparate away and right into her class but unfortunately Professor Dumbledore implemented some magical restriction that doesn’t allow her to do so. 

She only has 3 minutes left.

‘Darn it.’

Chaeyeon inwardly cussed as she picked up her baggy robes and picked up a run down the empty corridors.

—————————————-

Students were groaning as the exited the classrooms, well, it’s that time of the year, where they were loaded with revision materials and endless mountains of homework. Although herbology is considered one of the easiest elective subjects, having to do a combined theory paper with potion making knowledges is a whole new level of hell.

Chaeyeon knocked her head onto the thick pile of books, she drew out her wand and commanded her self-writing quill to stop with a flick of her wrist. 

She sighed out in exasperation when she heard a unsettling clang and she wished her quill didn’t topple her ink over, she should have paid more attention to the movements of her wrist, it’s way too big for just stopping a tiny quill.

Chaeyeon only lifted her head up from her book when all the students had evacuated from the classroom, she needed some peace and silence after all of those endless chanting of complains she could hear them swearing under their breath, it’s quite annoying, sometimes. 

Chaeyeon almost broke into yawn but resisted it when she saw Madam Professor Sprout watching her with a motherly smile.

Embarrassed, Chaeyeon bowed her head and quickly packed her things, eager to clear the classroom for her, she cussed and accidentally bit her tongue.

“Um s-sorry, I will leave the classroom now.”

Her elbow knocked her ink bottle off the table and it could explode into a messy pool of ink on the ground if she didn’t chant ‘Arresto Momentum’ in time to delay the fall.

Chaeyeon grinned awkwardly at Professor Sprout as she bend down to pick her bottle up, she timidly tucked strands of black hair behind her pointed ears and proceeded to glance through her notes,

 Professor Sprout chortled at her clumsiness, she slowly approached Chaeyeon who’s immersed in inspecting her notes,

“Ms Lee, what a rare occasion to witness such apprehension in you , are you too having trouble with the class now?”

“Y-yes, Madam Sprout.”

Chaeyeon’s stomach was in knots, she has always excelled in Herbology until recently when it has been nothing but theory papers. Chaeyeon does not go well with theory papers, there are always wizardry terms that a muggle head like her couldn’t comprehend, she just couldn’t help it.

“Would you like to pay the green house a visit? There are reference books for you to find out more, and now, you should head for your lunch. Ms Lee, You’ll do just fine, there’s no need for you to worry.”

Professor sprout suggested while she secured her satchel across her shoulder and walked out of the classroom. Chaeyeon nodded in response although Professor Sprout had already exited the room.

‘Can I really not worry...? There’s just so many things that could go wrong. If not I wouldn’t always be this jittery, it’s just that I’m more anxious than usual today.”

Chaeyeon neatly arranged her belongings and kept them in her satchet, she quickly trotted out of the classroom and towards the grand hall to have her lunch.

"We have the whole afternoon to ourselves until at night where we have astronomy classes...wait.”

Chaeyeon adruptly stopped in the middle of the tracks along the corridor adjacent to the courtyard and stared at schedule sheet.

“A feast...?”

Chaeyeon was snapped out of her daze when a group of year six slytherins shoved past her on her shoulder. Unable to stand against the impact with her tiny frame, she could have fallen flat on her face if she didn’t move out in time.

Feeling the contents in her stomach boil, she was inevitably irritated knowing that it was all intentional from hearing all the nasty remarks and names they didn’t bother to filter as they shoot her dirty glances.

“Watch it, stupid nerd.”

Keeping her expression impassive, she avoided their gaze as they walked away. For some reason, they have been very generous with all the insults and bullying these days, like they aren’t scared of serving detention or deducting house points.

 Although it shouldn’t be such big of deal, Chaeyeon felt strangely unsettled, like this is a foreshadow of a bigger storm approaching.

Today felt ominous.

Chaeyeon looked back at the sheet of crumpled paper and creased her brows again, 

How strange, the fact that the school has to even cancel classes for a feast, that is neither the christmas or halloween feast months away, but it must be an important event. But it was so sudden that it was unannounced only until now, and the time table was edited on its own without her notice, there was no indication of what is it for too.

Chaeyeon flipped the sheet to see if she has missed anything, still confused, but she decided to stop thinking about it because she shall see what’s all that about.

————————————

Chaeyeon entered the gryffindor common room, she was greeted of a sight of a group of gryffindors from all years congregated infront of the bulletin board, mercilessly chaotic and boisterous with discussion, it was unusually crowded especially after lunch, since they were granted spare time all the way till dinner.

Chaeyeon squeezed past the stubborn sea of surfing gold and red and away from the commontion she needn’t know. Spotting Eunbi, Yena and Yujin huddled near the cozy fireplace which its mantle is adorned with a majestic lion, she soundlessly made her way towards the clique and popped herself comfortably on one of the squash chair.

“Oh! Chaeyeon! You’re finally here!”

Eunbi’s loud voice sounded unbelievably small, Chaeyeon squeezed a thin smile in response, it didn’t effectively convey her appreciation towards Eunbi’s effort to acknowledge her presence because the common room is too noisy for her comfort.

“What’s the commotion about? I can barely