Disclaimer: I do not own any parts of the Pottermore Universe, including but not limited to: settings, characters, the mechanics of magic, etc. All of this belongs to the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, and Warner Bros. respectively. Idol characters are purely fictional and have no affiliation with the actual person and/or group. Original characters are present in the plot.

Mina wasn’t sure how long she had been trapped in the underground corridor, there was no way for her to keep track of time down there. But judging by the weakness in her body, it felt more like days than hours.

She tried to busy herself with looking for ways to escape: she walked up and down the stone hallway dozens of times, but it was to no avail. No matter how far she went, everything looked the same. The same bland white walls, the same bland white floor, and the same bland white ceiling. Somehow she’d always end up back at the mysterious door. It was like she was walking in circles.

Sometimes Mina really hated being inside a magical castle.

Luckily, Mina had Chaeyoung’s wand. Obviously magic would not solve all of her problems, but it would help her survive until she found a way out. Although she couldn’t conjure up any food (due to one of the five principal exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration), she could generate water and drink that. She wouldn’t die of dehydration at least.

As Mina wandered in the endless corridor, she tried numerous of spells on the walls to see if she could break through the stone. None of them worked much to her dismay, and with the lack of proper rest and nourishment, her energy was quickly depleted. After the second day, Mina wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. She hoped that one of her friends – or maybe a teacher or even Headmaster Park – would come get her. At this point, she didn’t care. She just wanted to make it out of the tunnel alive.

But she couldn’t give up. Mina didn’t want to wait around and be rescued like a damsel in distress (though she was quite, quite distressed). If she was going to work in the Ministry someday, she couldn’t let this set her back. The Ministry sought witches with a strong will and fervor, not ones who bawled their eyes out in some creepy, dingy sub-basement of her school.

So, she got back to work.

On the third day, Mina felt like she was going to pass out for good. She barely had the energy to do anything. Her head hurt like some force of the universe was pounding a hammer on her brain. What started out as a small cough turned into a full-blown fit: her chest was constricted and a violent nausea bubbled in the pit of her stomach. (She may or may not have thrown up a few times which was extremely painful since there was no food in her belly.)

It got to the point where Mina began to hallucinate. She sat with her back against the wall, fatigued and hungry, watching as her wand light pitifully flickered in the dark. A silence permeated the air until she heard soft breathing. The walls were whispering. Unsettling murmurs prickled her skin as they begged her to come closer and closer. Closer? Closer to what?

Then Chaeyoung appeared, wearing her cheeky dimpled grin and her outfit from the Halloween Bash. Mina inhaled sharply as the third-year approached her. “Chaeyoung?” she whimpered. She realized just how much she missed her Housemate (and the others), yearning for someone else’s company to rid her of this loneliness. Mina wanted to reach for Chaeyoung’s hand and feel her warm soothing touch.

Mina’s heart ached when the younger girl’s fuzzy image shimmered in the fading light. It was only an illusion.

Chaeyoung’s presence – or lack of – caused a fresh wave of determination to surge through Mina’s weary body. This wasn’t how she was going to die, she decided. She’d keep trying. One more push.

“C’mon Mina, you’re going to get out of here and you’re going to treat this stupid injury, have a nice long bath, eat some delicious food with globs of ketchup, and then take the nap of the century,” she gritted through her teeth as she started pounding the walls with her fists. She was too tired to channel any magic so she resorted to the next best thing: physical force. Truthfully, Mina didn’t really have any hope that hitting the wall would actually work – in some aspects, it was more a cathartic way to release her caged frustration. “Let me out!” Her voice echoed.

An irritating sensation stung her wrist, soon becoming painful, as her right hand made contact with the stone. Mina gasped in astonishment. Eads’s mark raged a vibrant red. The wall yawned open and a magical tunnel appeared as if the castle had heard her cries for help. Maybe being inside of a magical castle wasn’t so terrible.

With Chaeyoung’s wand in hand, Mina plunged forward, the darkness swallowing her entire being.

A full week. That’s how long Mina was confined in the hospital wing. The Ravenclaw prefect was miserable – she was missing so much school! She had already been absent for three days and now she had to lie on a bumpy cot and wait even longer to return to her lessons. Ugh. It was the worst. Her dreams of achieving Outstanding on all of her O.W.L.s seemed to drift further and further out of reach. Oh, how it had been so long since she last thought of her exams! This dragon deal had been occupying all of her time, and academics had fallen to second-place. Not good. Not good at all.

At least Mina wasn’t alone in her recovery. Jeongyeon and Momo made sure to visit her every moment they could and occasionally Dahyun popped her head in when she was allowed. Chaeyoung, unfortunately, had been permanently banned from the infirmary since Madam Pomfrey thought that the third-year was responsible for the gruesome state of Mina’s ankle. The two older girls did their best to keep Mina in a good mood, playing games with her (she won every single time), bringing her snacks from Honey Dukes (she diligently kept them hidden from the school nurse), and after her frequent pestering, delivering homework from each of her classes.

Mina’s head still hurt, but not as much as when she was in the tunnels. The coughing stopped too. There were dizzy spells every now and then, though they were faint. Her energy levels were back up thanks to sufficient eating and dehydration. And, and, and! The other girls were able to get the fourth clue during her absence! Jeongyeon and Momo had shown her what was inside the cylindrical contraption: both a potion recipe and the next riddle.

“The girls and I have been talking, and I think it’s best if we continue to work in separate groups,” Jeongyeon said one day while she and Momo gathered around Mina’s bed. Jeongyeon passed a sheet of parchment that contained the new riddle. The prefect studied the new clue closely, her mind already trying to decipher its meaning. It was a habit now. “Momo, Dahyun, and I will work on the potion which leaves you and the kid to solve the riddle.”

Mina raised an eyebrow. “Just me and Chaeyoung?”

“Yeah – I mean, you two are the only ones who seem to have a knack at figuring them out. You’re fine with that, right?”

A couple of months ago Mina would’ve scowled and refused to work closely with Son Chaeyoung, but now she smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Perfect.” Jeongyeon had a sly grin on her face. “Momo and Dahyun are going to start the basis of the potion tonight and later this week, I’m going to sneak into Professor Lee’s office to get the rest of what we need. I'm sure she’ll have whatever is not available in the communal storage room. The potion is complex, but I am confident everything will go smoothly.”

“Jeongyeon’s best subject is potions,” Momo expanded. “There’s no need to worry.”

“My main concern is time. We’ll have the potion ready by December’s new moon, but what about the clues? How many are left? It is difficult to gauge how far along we are in this quest.”

Instinctively, Mina checked the mark on her wrist: it was a new moon today. That meant they had only one full cycle left until their deadline with Eads. Mina bit her lip. Would she and Chaeyoung find the heirloom on time?

“Hey, you and Chaeyoung can do this,” Jeongyeon said, noticing the worry on Mina’s face. She placed a hand on Mina’s shoulder. “You two made it this far – and now you have three extra brains and six hands to help out. The three of us are here to support you both whether it’s with ten clues or one hundred.”

“Jeongyeon’s right,” Momo agreed, “neither of you are alone in this.”

Mina’s chest swelled and she could feel tears welling in her eyes. She tried to hide her face, not wanting to cry into front of her new friends.

“Whoa, are you crying? Mina, don’t cry. It’ll be okay.” The Gryffindor Captain grabbed Mina’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. “We’re a team and teams stick together.”

“Group hug!” Momo shouted, flinging herself onto Mina whilst pulling Jeongyeon in as well. The three of them sat with their arms wrapped around each other for a long time. Mina giggled as Momo tickled her and Jeongyeon in a teasing manner. Soon all three girls were clutching their stomachs with boisterous laughter filling the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had to come over and scold them for being too loud.

The laughter died down, and Mina thanked Jeongyeon and Momo for visiting her daily. Although she did wish she could have more visitors, she understood that none of her other close friends could know she was in the hospital wing. It would just bring up unwanted questions.

“No problem, Mina. We’re happy that you’re back with us, safe and sound.” Jeongyeon raised her hand and the two high-fived. “Rest well.”

Mina waved as the older girls stepped out the door; she was now left alone in the barren infirmary. Sighing, she began to study the new clue.

She didn’t get very far.

“Miss Myoui.” Mina turned her head and saw Headmaster Park standing at the foot of her cot with Madam Pomfrey. The headmaster had his arms folded across his chest and his lips were pressed in a tight line. She gulped nervously, her frightened expression mirrored back in his classic aviator shades. “I am glad to see you have reappeared after days of being gone – I do hope you are feeling back to your normal self.”

Mina squirmed in her bed. “Uh, yes sir.”

Headmaster Park inhaled deeply. Mina imagined he closed his eyes for a brief moment behind those sunglasses and she wondered what was going through his mind.

She waited for him to ask her for an explanation. (She also waited for Madam Pomfrey to also pester her with nosy questions, but the school nurse remained mum.) Instead, Headmaster Park asked her to follow him.

“Pardon, sir?”

“Madam Pomfrey has deemed you healthy enough to leave this hospital wing for a few hours and come with me for a very important meeting.”

Mina’s heart dropped. Oh no. This is it.

“It will be good to let you move that ankle of yours around,” Madam Pomfrey added. “Some light walking here and there to get the blood flowing. You will still need to stay a few more days just so I can make sure that your injury remains free of infection and that horrid cough of yours is gone for good.” She gave Mina a pile of clothes: it was a clean set of the Ravenclaw school uniform, on top was her prefect badge. “Change into these and then you can follow Headmaster Park.”

Mina cautiously took the clothes and Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain as the nurse and Headmaster Park gave the girl privacy. Mina’s mind whirled with dozens of questions. What was this important meeting? Did Headmaster Park know where she actually was these past few days? Would she be in trouble? Expelled? Hold on . . . Was he aware that there had been a gigantic spider waiting to eat children in a secret room within the castle?

Every step Mina took as she left the hospital wing was filled with dread. She trailed behind Headmaster Park with her head bowed, trying to make herself as small as possible. She didn’t really know what good that would do for her, but maybe if she tried hard enough, she could shrink and disappear with a poof.

Headmaster Park did not give her any more information about the mysterious meeting nor did he say anything about her absences. In some ways, Mina was relieved she didn’t have to talk to him. She doubted she could lie straight to the headmaster’s face. The prefect simply prepared – or at least tried to prepare – herself for whatever was to come.

“Here we are, Miss Myoui.” The two stopped at the doorway. Mina raised both eyebrows. That’s strange. Why a classroom? She thought they would be going to the headmaster’s office. Headmaster Park curled his lips into a smile. “Ready?”

As the headmaster opened the door, Mina gasped. She was definitely not expecting this.

/ / / 

Jihyo tapped her forefinger on the wooden desk in excitement and also with slight impatience. She glimpsed over at the classroom clock and watched as the second hand ticked by at an agonizing pace. Tick. Tick. Tick. It had already been fifteen minutes. A quill was ready at hand in case she wanted to jot down some notes and a blank piece of parchment laid in front of her.

The students around Jihyo were acting the same way. There were about seven other students scattered across the classroom desks, whispering to each other about this and that. Many had notetaking materials out too.

“You only got called in by your professor? Ha!” a Ravenclaw girl scoffed loudly a few seats away from Jihyo; she was talking to a Slytherin boy who somewhat resembled a dinosaur. The boy kept glancing at the other empty seats as if he wanted to flee to the other side of the room. “I was personally invited by the headmaster himself – naturally so, of course.” The girl tossed her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder.

Jihyo rolled her eyes. She too was personally invited by Headmaster Park, but she didn’t think it was something to brag about. Technically, everyone in this room was handpicked by him for this meeting. Word was they were all here for a special presentation by some Ministry of Magic workers about the upcoming internship program. Jihyo’s eagerness grew even more. It’s just like what she had told Mina at the Bash!

Mina . . . Jihyo glanced at the entrance. She knew she shouldn’t expect her best friend to walk through the classroom door for Mina was back at home, ill. Supposedly. Jihyo didn’t really believe in Son Chaeyoung’s excuse for Mina’s absence, but she didn’t have any other explanation at the moment.

Thus, when Myoui Mina suddenly stepped foot into the classroom with Headmaster Park, Jihyo had to blink a few times to make sure that it was actually Mina.

“Mina!” Jihyo called out, waving over the Ravenclaw prefect. Mina looked up and waved back, a gummy smile on her face. The girl made her way over to Jihyo who noted that there was a faint limp in her step.

“Jihyo, it’s good to see you,” Mina greeted as she took the empty desk next to her friend.

“I should be saying that. How have you been? Are you feeling better? You got back to school fast – Son made it sound like you were seriously sick.”

There was confusion in Mina’s eyes as she hesitated. “Oh . . . yes, I am feeling much better now. I . . . It turned out to be nothing too critical.”

“But you went home, so it must’ve been pretty bad.” Mina opened , but then shut it. She clearly did not know what Jihyo was talking about.

I knew it! I knew Son was lying about Mina. Now, the main question is what are those two hiding?

“Oh look, Miss Perfect is back. What a surprise,” the loud Ravenclaw girl from before interrupted in a mocking tone. She directly faced Jihyo and Mina, her expression was nothing but distaste. “After all of the lessons you missed over the last few days, I would’ve thought that you wouldn’t qualify to be here.”

“Lovette,” Mina replied, coolly. “I think it’s a bigger surprise that you’re here, especially when I heard you received only A’s on your O.W.L.s. last year.”

The girl, Lovette, fumed. A on the Wizarding grade scale meant “acceptable,” as in your result was just average enough to pass. A lot of students were fine with receiving A’s on their O.W.L.s., but if one wanted to go to higher level classes for the N.E.W.T.s, the grade often wasn’t accepted by most professors. The Ministry of Magic also did not look highly on a grade report of straight A’s; they would recommend a different career path for the student, declaring that they should find something a bit less intense. 

“Be careful what you say to me, Myoui. My mother works at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement within the Ministry. I can make sure she gives you hell if you do anything to me. Don’t think I forgot what you did to Theon’s nose either!”

Mina was about to retort when Headmaster Park called for everyone’s attention. He stood at the front of the room with two mysterious men behind him; one of them had a briefcase at hand. As the students settled down, Headmaster Park nodded to the man on his right. “Take it away, please.”

“Greetings, students,” the first man said. He was tall with an olive complexion and a well-groomed beard defining his square jaw. His thick, dark hair was pushed back revealing sunken cognac eyes, staring at each child judgingly. The well-tailored burgundy Italian suit did not make him any less intimidating. “My name is Dominik Searle, and I am head of the Youth Internship Program and a member of the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic. This is the first time have we launched such a program, but we hope that it will set the groundwork for years to come. We strive to guide high-achieving students as leaders of tomorrow’s future and prepare to take on real-world problems that wizards and witches of this country face today. You all are –”

“Blah, blah, blah. Nicky, you’re so stiff,” a shorter man interjected. He playfully elbowed his colleague. “Say it with more pizazz, give it more oomph – oooooh! Make it spicy! You’re going to bore these children to death if you sound so formal.”

There was a muffled laughter amongst the Hogwarts students. Searle threw an incredulous look at the short man as if he would much rather eat a bowl full of flobberworms than make his speech “spicy.”

“This,” Searle said through gritted teeth, “is Roran Carbrey. He is the Educational Outreach Chair and oversees the applications for the program.”

The short man took a dramatic bow. He was the complete opposite of Searle: he wore a gray crew neck sweater and jeans, his sandy brown hair was curled behind his ears, and he had round metal-framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He looked much more relaxed. “Goooood day, students! Please call me Rory. By now, all of you must know that Headmaster Park has recommended you as strong applicants for the program. He sees the potential you all hold and believes that you are the future for your generation.”

Jihyo nudged Mina and grinned.

“Technically, we won’t start recruitment until after the winter holidays, but think of this as a sneak peek!” Rory said happily. “During this short meeting, we’ll go over the ins and outs of the program and how this internship can launch into a full blown career at the Ministry of Magic!”

Searle set down his briefcase on the classroom podium and opened it up, pulling out a handful of thick colorful booklets. With a flick of his wand, the handouts flew over to each student. As one landed in Jihyo’s hands, she immediately scanned it over with fervent interest.

The cover had a picture of the underground headquarters of the Ministry of Magic with the Minister of Magic and a few other department people smiling and waving. Jihyo detected Rory and Searle in the second line of workers; she didn’t think Searle had it in him to crack a smile, but there he was . . . well, trying to smile. In big, bold font the title read:

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC WANTS YOU!

Thinking of a bright future with Britain’​​​​​​​s Wizarding Government?

Find out if YOU have what it takes to lead our community into tomorrow!

As Jihyo leafed through the rest of the booklet, Searle began to explain the details of each guide section. So far there wasn’t any new information, it was just the regular spiel she had heard from Headmaster Park or through the student grapevine. When were they going to get to the good stuff? Like the application process. Did applicants get to choose which part of the Ministry they wanted to intern for? Or was it assigned? Would there be only one intern per department? Also, did the Office of the Minister of Magic take interns? If so, Jihyo really hoped she could shadow the Minister of Magic, Rosalind Glass. The woman may or may not be a personal hero of Jihyo’s.

Out of the corner of Jihyo’s eye, she noticed that Mina was unusually restless. The Ravenclaw prefect was nervously shaking her leg and biting her lip. Although Mina had a pamphlet of her own, it remained on the desk, untouched. Instead, the girl was staring intently on an old piece of parchment.

Jihyo’s brow puckered. She would’ve thought that Mina would be ecstatic about this information meeting. For the longest time, all Mina ever talked about was working at the Ministry of Magic; she dedicated every second of her day to practicing for the O.W.L.s., revising for her lessons, and even going as far to create pseudo resumes for her future applications.

“What do you have there?” Jihyo whispered, leaning in to get a better look.

Mina’s head snapped up quickly like she had been caught doing something illegal. Hastily, she crumpled up the paper and shoved it down her shirt. She gaped at Jihyo with large, frightened eyes. “N-nothing,” stuttered Mina.

“Really, Mina? You’re going to play this game? I literally just saw you put the paper down your school uniform – it’s bulging out like you have a third tit or something.” To make her point, Jihyo poked Mina in the chest.

Automatically the Ravenclaw prefect crossed her arms over her body to shield herself from Jihyo’s prodding. “It’s no big deal, Jihyo. It’s . . . private.”

“Right. It probably has nothing to do with a certain kid named Son Chaeyoung either.”

Mina’s cheeks flared red. “W-what makes you say that?”

Jihyo wanted to give a friendly smack to Mina’s head. It was so obvious that Mina was hiding something, but she kept playing dumb to deter from giving answers. “I’m your best friend, Mina. I know these things. You can tell me . . . you can trust me.”

Mina looked like a shy, scared kid. “I know.” Her voice could barely be heard. “But not with this. This is something that I have to deal with alone.”

“And with Son Chaeyoung.”

“Why do you keep bringing up Chaeyoung?”

“Why do you keep hanging around Son?” Jihyo tried not to sound too frustrated. Hello, she was Mina’s best friend. When did this small child suddenly become Mina’s most trusted confidante? Jihyo took a deep breath, determined to not let her annoyance get the better of her. “Mina, I know what I said about her at the Bash and . . . I still stand by it. Son isn’t someone who is going to get as far as you. Don’t let her drag you down.”

“You don’t know her, Jihyo. She’s not like that,” said Mina, a bit of ice seeping into her voice.

“But I do know you, and I know that at the end of the day, your heart wants to join the Ministry of Magic and you’ll do anything to achieve that.”

Mina was silent.

Bingo! Jihyo had hit the nail on the head. Even if Mina was running around with Son Chaeyoung for whatever reason, the Ravenclaw prefect still had her own dreams. Her own ambitions. She wasn’t going to let a rowdy third-year get in the way of that. Her silence confirmed everything for Jihyo.

“Why must I choose?” Mina asked after several heartbeats. A pang hit Jihyo’s chest when she saw a rare cloud of confusion cross Mina’s face. Was she asking Jihyo? Or was Mina asking herself?

“Because life is always about choice and sacrifice.”

Mina didn’t seem particularly happy with that answer and turned her attention to the presentation with Rory doing some odd jig.

Jihyo shook her head. Truthfully, Mina shouldn’t have to choose between Son Chaeyoung and the Ministry internship. Son Chaeyoung should not be an option in the first place! Since when did this become a dilemma for Mina?

Perhaps Mina was more attached to Chaeyoung than Jihyo originally thought. The Gryffindor prefect didn’t know what to make of that.

“All righty, everyone!” Rory clapped his hands together. “I hope this cleared up general questions! Remember these booklets are yours to keep so you can refer to the information whenever you need to. Hopefully everyone had a great time today, and I look forward to seeing an application from every single one of you!”

The meeting drew to a close and all of the students were dismissed. Jihyo was about to turn to Mina (who was still out of it) when she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Miss Park, if you could stay behind for a moment. I would like to discuss something with you.” It was Headmaster Park.

“Um, okay, sir . . .” She stood aside as the classroom emptied itself. Mina parted with a brief good-bye, avoiding Jihyo’s eyes, before waddling out of the room.

She’ll come around, Jihyo told herself. She wasn’t concerned that Mina would make the wrong decision because Myoui Mina never makes the wrong decision.

Once everyone was gone, Headmaster Park cleared his throat. “Let us talk in my office, it is private there.” Without another word, the headmaster led the way in silence.

Jihyo glanced around uneasily as the two walked deeper into the corridors. She had only been in Headmaster Park’s office once and that was for prefect orientation. It was uncommon that a student was ever called up to see the headmaster, and if you were, that usually meant trouble. Jihyo fidgeted as she rode up the spiraling staircase. Why did Headmaster Park want to talk? Was she in trouble? Did she forget something in her prefect duties? Her mind ran through her mental checklist: daily first-year tutoring session? Check. Christmas-planning committee scheduled? Check. Remind the house elves about certain dietary restrictions for some of her Housemates? Check. Curfew patrol? She was slated for tonight. It didn’t seem like Jihyo was missing anything . . . What could Headmaster Park possibly want?

“Please heave a seat, Miss Park.” The headmaster waved his hand and an armchair flew towards Jihyo as she entered the office. She hesitated for a moment before taking a seat. Headmaster Park also took a seat at his own desk. He sighed, reclining back in his chair and pressed his fingertips together. “What did you think about the presentation today?”

Small talk. Jihyo knew that the headmaster didn’t bring her all the way up to his office just to ask that. He was probably trying to make her feel comfortable before he got to his actual intentions. “It was good, though there wasn’t a whole lot of new information,” she answered candidly.

Headmaster Park nodded. “Yes, that is Dominik for you. He wanted to wait until after the winter holidays to visit as it was originally planned, but Rory was eager to meet my recommended students and those who were endorsed by the Ministry itself.”

The annoying blonde Ravenclaw girl, Lovette, popped into Jihyo’s mind. Ah, so that’s why she was there. Her mum must’ve slipped her daughter’s name to Rory.

“Dominik and Rory will be back though to shadow and scout selected students of their own. I think they are looking for roughly twenty students who will ultimately receive the internship.” Headmaster Park gave her a knowing smile. “It will be very exciting come spring to see who the recipients are.”

Jihyo returned the smile. “Yes, sir. I’m sure it will be.”

“Now, Miss Park . . .” Headmaster Park took off his sunglasses and his face darkened. “I sense that there is trouble approaching the school.”

“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” Jihyo was caught off guard by the abrupt shift.

Headmaster Park’s attention briefly flickered over to a picture on his desk and Jihyo’s gaze followed. It was a portrait of a young Headmaster Park standing with another man. The stranger was captivating, dressed in white satin and a purple scarf. He brushed his dark hair aside revealing luminous lavender eyes. Jihyo had never seen anyone with lavender eyes before. The headmaster noticed Jihyo staring and turned the frame away.

“The dangerous kind,” he replied. “One that I have been anticipating for years.”

Jihyo did not like the tone of his voice; it sent chills down her spine.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is one of the safest places in the world and I intend to keep it that way, no matter who or what we may be up against. It is vital that we stay on alert for threats both outside and within our castle walls.”

Headmaster Park stood up with his hands folded behind his back, drifting towards one of the tall glass windows. He towered over the stretches of Scottish Highlands below. “I do not want to cause panic amongst the student body so I am only asking the teachers to be attentive for anything out of the ordinary.”

“But sir, why are you telling me this? I am not a teacher.”

The headmaster’s lips twisted into a ghost of a smirk. “That is correct, Miss Park. You are indeed not. I have a special task for you – one I believe you are perfect for.”

The Gryffindor prefect tapped her forefinger against the armrest. This entire meeting had put Jihyo a little on edge; Headmaster Park was speaking cryptically and gave no elaborate explanations whatsoever. The ambiguity of his words brewed more and more questions inside Jihyo’s head.

“You are well-liked amongst everyone and a diligent leader that both pupil and instructor can depend on. The teachers only see what happens in the classroom and occasionally the hallways. You Miss Park, you are far more . . . ah, immersed with the student body.”

Jihyo guessed what the headmaster was going to ask her. “You want me to spy on my classmates,” she murmured.

“Not spy, observe,” Headmaster Park corrected. “I need someone on the inside to keep a watchful eye out for any suspicious behavior. Someone who is trusted amongst her peers.” Headmaster Park walked back to his desk, looking at Jihyo intently. “Do you want to protect your friends, Miss Park?”

Jihyo almost scoffed. Of course she wanted to protect her friends! What kind of question was that? But the prefect wasn’t sure if observing her mates was something she was comfortable with. It was so invasive.

However, the thought of Mina itched in the back of her mind. Mina had been abnormally unfocused as of late – not to mention her sudden disappearance these last few days. She didn’t even seem that interested in the Ministry of Magic internship meeting. And what was with Mina defending the school troublemaker?

Yup, there was definitely something off about her best friend.

“So, Miss Park? What do you say? Will you help me out?”

All of Jihyo’s prior doubts vanished the moment she looked Headmaster Park straight in the eye. She knew what she had to do. Her objective was clear: she had to look after Mina . . . which meant she had to get to the very bottom of the problem named Son Chaeyoung.

“I’ll do it, sir.”

/ / /

Mina was relieved to be discharged from the hospital wing a few days after Headmaster Park brought her to the internship meeting. She was fed up with eating tasteless food (with no ketchup), listening to Madam Pomfrey’s constant nagging, and missing her classes. Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, Momo, and Dahyun all met her at the infirmary’s door on the day of her liberation.

Chaeyoung engulfed her in a hug once she stepped foot into the corridor, almost knocking the prefect down. The other three rushed in with shouts of joy and congratulations, forming a dog pile around her. Mina was so overwhelmed with the warm reception she began to cry.

“I-I’m sorry,” she sniffled. Chaeyoung grabbed her hand and wiped away the stray tears streaking down her cheeks.

“Why are you apologizing?” Jeongyeon said, ruffling Mina’s hair. “You’re back and that’s all that matters.”

“We even got you flowers!” Dahyun jumped in. Mina finally noticed that the fourth-year held a bouquet of withering yellow roses wrapped in white tissue paper; they were brittle and dry like they had been deprived of water for days. “We wanted to give these to you earlier, but Chaeyoung kept forgetting about them in her dorm – apparently she forgot to water them as well!”

“Hey! There’s beauty in dried flowers!”

“They’re not just dried, Chaeng, they’re dead. What kind of message are you trying to send Mina by giving her dead flowers?”

The tips of Chaeyoung’s ears turned bright pink. “The roses were meant to cheer her up.”

Mina graciously took the bouquet from Dahyun’s hands though a few petals fell to the floor. “Well, I appreciate these nonetheless. Thank you.” She smiled and squeezed Chaeyoung’s hand.

“Now that you’re back to full strength, we can back to the quest and my dragon!” Chaeyoung said enthusiastically, switching gears. She was practically jumping up and down. “We’re almost there, Mina. I can feel it!”

Mina certainly hoped that was true. She really wanted the entire quest to be over.

“The good news is that Dahyun, Momo, and I are halfway done with the potion. There are only a handful of ingredients left, and I am planning to get them later this week,” said Jeongyeon.

“The ones in Professor Lee’s private cabinet?”

Jeongyeon smirked and pointed a thumb at herself. “The kid isn’t the only one who is good at sneaking around the castle; she had to learn from somewhere.”

Mina bit her lip. Although she had her fair share of curfew breaking and late-night expeditions around the castle hallways these past two months, she still didn’t like it. As a prefect, Mina was supposed to dissuade students from breaking the rules. But desperate times called for exemptions, and if Jeongyeon needed to break into a teacher’s office, then so be it. “Okay, but please be careful,” she said.

“No worries, Mina. I swiped Professor Lee’s extra set of office keys last year and kept them with my luggage; it’ll be an easy in and easy out. No one is gonna be there anyway.”

Mina wished she had a fraction of Jeongyeon’s confidence.

“How’s the riddle coming along?” asked Momo. The four girls started migrating away from the hospital wing after Madam Pomfrey poked her head out and reprimanded them for loitering in the hallway. Jeongyeon led the way with Dahyun whilst Momo and Chaeyoung stayed by Mina’s side, the latter still had her hand interlaced with the prefect’s.

“I think I was able to figure out some of it: there are mentions of the stars, Jupiter, and the moon which are all references to space. The first line in particular I’m pretty sure alludes to stargazing.”

“That makes sense,” Chaeyoung agreed. “The glass eye probably means a telescope too.”

Mina reflected on the rest of the clue. The next part talked about Jupiter flying – which at first sounded absurd. The biggest planet of the solar system didn’t have wings. Was it a metaphor? If so, what was it a metaphor of? Jupiter . . . space . . . the sky . . . stars . . . there was something obvious that Mina was missing.

Chaeyoung was also deep in concentration. Her nose was scrunched up, and her grip around Mina’s hand became tighter and tighter as if the more she contemplated the riddle, the tenser her body became. Mina thought it was a little cute with how seriously Chaeyoung was taking the riddle-solving now. Maybe it was because they were getting closer to her dragon egg, or maybe she was maturing and stepping up to her responsibilities. Either way, Mina liked that she no longer had to do all of the brain work. Chaeyoung was quite clever in actuality and had proven her worth. (Jeongyeon had told her that it was Chaeyoung who solved the last riddle all by herself which impressed Mina a lot.)

As Mina secretly stared at Chaeyoung, her eyes drifted to the third-year’s jacket. Chaeyoung was wearing a Ravenclaw fleece, the same one she wore the day she struck a deal with Eads. On the left was the blue and bronze Ravenclaw insignia.

And then it hit Mina. Duh. How could she not have recognized it?

“I got it! I got it! I got it!” she exclaimed, tapping her feet in a little dance excitedly. Chaeyoung and Momo stopped in their tracks, exchanging baffled looks. Even Dahyun and Jeongyeon turned around to see what the commotion was. “Eagle! The riddle is talking about an eagle!”

“Huh?”

“Come again?”

“You mean Dubs?”

“Me?”

Mina pointed to Chaeyoung’s jacket. “Jupiter is the Roman god of the sky whose symbol is an eagle! And what constellation is of an eagle?” Mina paused, encouraging her companions to respond like a teacher trying to milk out an answer, but she was met with only puzzled stares.

“You really think we know this, Mina?” whined Chaeyoung.

“Oh, c’mon. I know you learned this in year-one astronomy.”

“Funny you think I paid attention in that class.”

Jeongyeon snapped her fingers. “Aquila! Aquila is the constellation! It’s Latin for eagle!”

“Yes! Yes!” Mina was quite tickled with this riddle and its wittiness. Not only did it play a three-way pun with a Roman god, a star formation, and a raptor, but it was also a nod to Ravenclaw, the final Founder. The first clue led to Gryffindor’s common room, the second one touched on Hufflepuff’s love for the kitchens, the third signified Slytherin’s association with water, and now the last was a blatant allusion to Ravenclaw. Mina wanted to laugh, though she wasn’t sure if it was because she admired the quest’s ingenuity or if it was because she felt played all along.

“So, our next step is to search the sky for this Aquila?” asked Chaeyoung. “And then . . . ?”

“Chart the tail under the moon’s full face,” quoted Mina. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I guess we can start with the stargazing.”

The four girls stopped at the moving staircases. The corridors weren’t busy as they usually were.

“We’ll stick to our original groups. Dahyun, Momo, and I will continue to work on the potion,” proposed Jeongyeon, “and the two of you can do the stargazing since you don’t need a lot of people for it.” She indicated to both Mina and Chaeyoung.

It sounded like a good plan.

The friends bid farewell; Jeongyeon left toward Gryffindor Tower and Dahyun and Momo headed down to the Hufflepuff Basement. Only Mina and Chaeyoung remained. Chaeyoung hadn’t let go of Mina’s hand yet, not that the prefect minded. Lately being with Chaeyoung made Mina feel safe – something she had never imagined she would feel with the third-year. It was perhaps the consequence of being attacked by a giant spider, falling down a hole, and then spending days isolated in the dark. Chaeyoung was paradise compared to that.

“Stargazing, huh,” remarked Chaeyoung.

“Do you want to do it tonight?”

“Will you be okay enough to do it so soon?” She regarded Mina and her ankle with a frown of concern.

Mina smiled. “It’s just looking at the stars, I think I can handle that. Besides, the sooner we can finish the clue, the better.”

“I suppose so,” replied Chaeyoung thoughtfully. “This also means that I don’t have to do my essay for Potions either! Woohoo!” The younger girl pumped her free fist in the air.

“Excuse me, we aren’t going to stargaze until later tonight which gives you plenty of time to work on that essay. I need to make up my missed assignments as well so this is a wonderful opportunity for us to revise together.”

Chaeyoung paled. “W-wait, Mina. You can’t be serious. It’s Saturday! Tomorrow is homework day, today is a play day! Why can’t we do something fun like go for a broomstick ride or see how many chocolate frogs we can shove into our mouths? I want to beat Dahyun’s record of four frogs.”

“First of all: no. You would choke. Second, what do you mean? School is totally fun!” Mina crushed Chaeyoung’s hand in her own to make sure that the younger girl couldn’t escape. “C’mon, you’re going to write that essay of yours, it will be bloody brilliant, and we’ll have it completed by supper time – I guarantee it. You owe me this at the very least.” (Yes, Mina did indeed play that card.)

“Ugh, I hate this side of you, perfect Myoui,” groaned Chaeyoung, but she didn’t resist.

Mina laughed at her victory as she pulled her reluctant Housemate all the way back to Ravenclaw Tower.

It turned out there was one little thing Chaeyoung had forgotten that evening: she had detention with Filch. Chaeyoung confessed that she had been missing her clean-up obligations with the school caretaker, opting to focus her energy on finding Mina instead. The sentiment was really sweet, but Mina warned the third-year she still needed to follow through with her punishment.

“I know, I know,” said Chaeyoung. “I’ll work fast so you won’t have to wait long.”

The evening was quiet without Chaeyoung, but Mina kept herself busy with preparing for the night’s events and finishing her last bits of schoolwork. She had caught up with her readings and essays that the teachers had assigned, however she was behind on the practical parts of her lessons. Mina wondered if Jihyo would be willing to help her . . .

The prefect hesitated. She wasn’t sure if Jihyo was the best person to turn to at the moment. The Gryffindor prefect had been super suspicious of her and Chaeyoung, and it was only a matter of time before Jihyo sniffed out the truth. During the internship meeting, Mina knew she was in trouble when Jihyo caught her with the riddle. How could she have been so careless? It sounded like Chaeyoung had her own run-in with Jihyo too, lying her off – though Mina wasn’t able to corroborate the fib. That must’ve looked fishy.

Mina groaned. She already had to worry about finding a lost heirloom, not getting expelled, and not dying, now her best friend discovering her deep secret was on the list too. Mina was too young for this kind of stress!

But Mina understood where Jihyo’s concern stemmed from. The girl simply wanted the best for Mina. There was truth to Jihyo’s words when she said that the Ministry did not look too kindly on people like Chaeyoung; she was not worthy in their eyes. Mina knew this because she once had the exact same thoughts about the third-year.

She didn’t think that now though.

Life is all about choice and sacrifice. Jihyo’s frank advice echoed in her head. The Gryffindor believed that Mina had to make a choice: Chaeyoung or the Ministry?

However, Mina didn’t want to choose between the two. She definitely did not want to choose between her friendship with Chaeyoung and Jihyo either. It was stupid.

Mina huffed, pushing her predicament to the side. She’d deal with her Jihyo-problem later. Right now all that mattered was her forthcoming night with Chaeyoung.

The Astronomy Tower was the tallest tower of Hogwarts Castle and located just above the front doors of the school. The top of the tower was flat and open-faced surrounded by a parapet, perfect for viewing the night sky. Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, did not allow students to go up when she wasn’t giving a lesson, but she granted Mina permission after the prefect told her she wanted to catch up on the schoolwork she missed.

Mina intentionally did not tell Professor Sinistra that Son Chaeyoung would be tagging along. Her gut told her that the professor would not be pleased if Chaeyoung was let loose within the tower. It seemed like a perfect spot to launch illegal fireworks or oversized stink bombs. (Mina wouldn’t put it past Chaeyoung to attempt doing something like that.)

“This weather is kind of crummy,” mumbled Chaeyoung as they stepped foot into the night air. She shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms; the small girl had only her uniform on which was definitely not the best idea for stargazing on a November night.

“I told you it would be cold tonight, why didn’t you wear something warmer?” Mina was equipped for the outside temperatures. She had checked the weather beforehand and planned accordingly: dressed in thick woolen sweater with a fuzzy coat on top, Mina also had on a scarf, ear muffs, and gloves. She brought a few blankets with her too in case her outfit wasn’t enough.

“Because I refuse to accept that winter is coming,” whined Chaeyoung. “Now, can I pleeeeaaase have a blanket?”

Mina handed one of her gloriously fluffy blankets to Chaeyoung who immediately wrapped herself up like a burrito. Only her face poked out from her little cocoon. Mina couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. “You look ridiculous,” she said between giggles.

“Ah, but at least I’m warm now.” A gust of wind whistled by and Chaeyoung hugged the blanket closer to herself. “Er . . . warm-ish.”

Mina just shook her head, amused. She pulled out her equipment: telescope, tripod stand, and a few lanterns since the moon was not visible tonight (they were much stronger and had a longer life than wand light). The fifth-year attentively began to set up everything whilst Chaeyoung, unsurprisingly, stood to the side doing nothing, encased in her blanket. When Mina finished putting everything in place, she laid down a blanket and took a seat.

Aside from the chilly temperatures, the weather was the ideal for stargazing. The clear skies enveloped the Highlands in a sublime cover of indigo. Clusters of stars blinked awake as the castle below slept soundlessly. Since there was no light pollution within the vicinity, the night seemed more vibrant, more alive than Mina had ever seen before. The Ravenclaw prefect held her breath, taking in everything. A quietness saturated the air. Only the steady song of her heart could be heard with careful ears. The enormity of the open universe above rendered her lost and vulnerable, defining her place as a small fragment in something bigger.

“It’s lovely,” Chaeyoung commented, fixated on the sky as she sat beside Mina. “Do you ever wonder what lies beyond our own horizons?”

“Well, muggle astronomers have developed the technology to study the stars and planets – far better than what we have – and . . . wait, why are you laughing?” Mina frowned as the burrito-wrapped third-year snickered.

“Geez, Mina, I’m not looking for scientific answers; I want to know what you think. What do you imagine? What do you believe? What do you want to be out there?”

“What do you mean?”

Chaeyoung tilted her head pensively. “For me, I think it would be cool if there was an alternate universe where I don’t have go to school and I have a whole private island filled with dragons and we fly around all day. There would also be a large field of strawberries that would grow throughout the entire year.”

“That’s unrealistic.”

“Perhaps.” Chaeyoung shrugged. “But I think that’s the best part. You have the freedom to dream up the impossible.”

Mina didn’t understand how dreaming up the impossible was “the best part.” The impossible was impossible for a reason. Mina preferred sticking to the cold hard reality where everything was tangible and pragmatic. What good did it do Mina to dream of fantastical universes that didn’t exist? Essentially, they served no valuable purpose to her, rather they were a mere distraction from her future.

It was difficult for Mina to grasp how that vivacious brain of Chaeyoung’s worked. As cliché as it sounded, Chaeyoung was the type to color outside of the lines – waaay outside the lines. She probably used crayons whilst everyone else used colored pencils too.

But the more time Mina spent with Chaeyoung, the more she realized that maybe coloring outside of the lines wasn’t so bad.

Suddenly Mina felt a weight against her. Chaeyoung had nestled next to the prefect, resting her head on Mina’s shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m still cold. You don’t want me to freeze to death, do you?”

“You’re not going to freeze to death, Chaeyoung.”

“What if I get sick? If I fall ill, I’m going to cough all over you and make sure you get sick too.”

This child. “That’s not – ugh. Never mind.” Mina huffed in resignation and let Chaeyoung snuggle in closer.

Muffled laughter came from Chaeyoung’s blanket burrito. “You’re not so bad, Myoui.”

“Same to you, Chaeng.” As soon as it slipped out, Mina immediately gasped. Chaeyoung lifted her head, peering over at the prefect with a raised eyebrow.

“Chaeng?” she repeated with an amused smirk. “Only Dahyun ever calls me that.”

Mina reddened. “Oh, I-I’m sorry . . . I didn’t mean to . . . I shouldn’t have,” she stammered, “I won’t do it again.” She ducked her head in embarrassment, avoiding Chaeyoung’s gaze.

“No, it’s okay. I like it.” Mina looked up. “I like hearing you call me Chaeng. It sounds . . . nice,” the third-year said with a smile, her adorable dimple showing. “But if you get to call me by a nickname, I want to call you by one too.”

“Like what?”

“Minari.”

“Minari?”

Chaeyoung’s smile widened. “Yeah, it’s the nickname I came up for you just now. Pretty cute, isn’t it?”

Mina rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“You’re just jealous that I was able to come up with something so brilliant and you had to piggyback on something that Dubs has used since we were like six.”

“Fine, you know what? Here’s a new nickname for you: annoying – because that’s what you are.”

“I think you meant to say cool, but that’s okay, I’ll let it slide this one time,” teased Chaeyoung. She placed her head back on Mina’s shoulder and concentrated on the stars.

Mina knew that she too should’ve been studying the stars, searching for the constellation Aquila, however her attention was preoccupied. Chaeyoung was quite distracting. The younger girl wasn’t doing anything exactly – she was just sitting there – but for some reason, Mina was entranced with her Housemate. Mina’s gaze traced the contour of Chaeyoung’s face: the straight edges of her jaw and nose in contrast to the soft curves of her eyes, lips, and cheeks. She wondered how such opposing lines were able to converge and formulate an incredibly pretty face. Though the girl was only at the youthful age of thirteen, in the yellow lantern light, Mina thought that Chaeyoung appeared older – more mature – like there was a hidden duality she had kept under wraps this entire time.

Mina was so enamored with Chaeyoung, she didn’t hear the third-year calling her name. “Sorry?”

“I was asking if you spotted the constellation yet because I have absolutely no idea what it even looks like.”

“Well, the easiest way is if we first locate Cygnus, the Swan, which is a cross-shaped pattern that . . .” Mina trailed off.

“What? We find the swan and then what?”

Mina face-palmed. “I’m such an idiot. It’s the middle of November.”

“Yeah? So?”

“Aquila isn’t visible in the northern hemisphere during this time of year.”

Chaeyoung made a face. “Uhhh . . . Isn’t that kind of an important detail, Minari? We could’ve prevented ourselves from becoming popsicles in this weather!”

“Stop exaggerating how cold it is – you seem cozy enough with all of my blankets.” Somehow, somewhere along the way, Chaeyoung had accumulated several more blankets and shrouded herself in a sea of warmth. “And I was just . . . I was distracted . . . that’s why I forgot . . .”

“Distracted by what?”

Mina blushed furiously. You, she thought. You and your weird brain and pretty face. But Mina didn’t dare say that out loud.

“Uh, stuff,” she replied vaguely.

Chaeyoung side-eyed the prefect, skeptical at her answer. “Riiiiight . . . stuff.”

“Y-you know what? Maybe we should go over the riddle once again to see what we missed,” Mina suggested, steering Chaeyoung away before she could be nosy. They huddled together and examined the piece of parchment in Mina’s hand.

“Here,” Mina pointed at the first line, “Domed stars . . . I don’t think the riddle was referring to the outdoors, but . . .”

“Our common room,” Chaeyoung finished. The ceiling of Ravenclaw’s common room was covered in constellations reflecting the outside world, though unlike Mother Nature, one could magically manipulate these stars to show the sky at a specific time and date. “Should be easy enough to retrieve. Home turf.”

Yes, they would not have to sneak into another House. They would not have to break any rules this time. This lifted Mina’s spirits.

“Shall we head back then?” asked Mina.

“Yes. Finally. Warmth!” Chaeyoung threw her hands up melodramatically, but struggled since she had too many blankets around her. Mina burst into laughter once more at her Housemate’s theatrics, her gummy smile displayed at full strength.

The two girls packed up the astronomy equipment (Chaeyoung lending a hand this time) and walked back to Ravenclaw Tower. Their outdoor stargazing was short-lived, but admittedly, Mina had enjoyed her time with Chaeyoung. Regardless of the quest, Mina felt this recurring pull to accompany Chaeyoung. In some ways, the third-year was like an open book with annoyingly predictable behavior that often gave Mina a headache before it even happened. However, there were layers to Chaeyoung’s personality that were fertile and intriguing. This, Mina believed, was what drew her in. 

If Jihyo knew about Mina’s evolving affinity towards the third-year, she’d have a heart attack. Mina was aware that as December’s new moon approached, she would eventually have to make a decision.

And deep down inside, she was no longer sure of her answer. 

/ / / 

It had been fifteen minutes already, and Nayeon still hadn’t said anything.

“Miss Im, I can wait all evening long,” said Professor Lee as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs.

The month of October was up which meant that Nayeon had to make a decision about her career path. Although Professor Lee hadn’t been able to schedule the meeting right away due to various staff meetings, she made sure to see Nayeon nonetheless. It was two weeks after Halloween and she summoned the seventh-year that night; she stated that it was mandatory and that Nayeon’s graduation was on the line if she didn’t come. Nayeon didn’t necessarily care if she graduated or not, but she figured she should go to avoid the wrath of her teacher.

The Slytherin girl sunk further in the comfy armchair she was sitting on, her mind scrambled to come up with a lie. Nayeon straight up did not think about her post-graduation plans over the last month like she was supposed to.

“Why don’t we try going through classes you’ve been successful in?” Professor Lee suggested. She pulled out a folder with Nayeon’s name on it. “I’ve been looking at your transcripts recently, and you do brilliantly in Muggle Studies and Charms. Your marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts are excellent too. Plus you are also part of the school’s choir? Impressive.” Professor Lee looked Nayeon in the eye. “Do any of those spark interest for a potential career path?”

Nayeon shrugged. Not particularly. She didn’t say this out loud though. “Muggle Studies, I guess?”

“Oh, very nice.” Professor Lee scribbled something inside of Nayeon’s folder. “Perhaps you’re thinking about working at the Ministry? Or maybe even at the new Institute of Muggle Studies . . .” The Potions Master continued to babble on about a career plan for Nayeon, detailing the next steps (and possible summer classes) she would have to take, but the words just went in one ear and out the other. Nayeon was not listening.

Her attention was focused on Professor Lee’s office instead. The room was located in the gloomy castle dungeons, but it appeared that Professor Lee put in a lot of effort to brighten up the place. The walls were painted a pale robin egg and lined with mahogany shelves which were filled with mason jars, beakers, and books. At the opposite wall from the entrance was a soothing fire; dozens of pictures sat on top of the mantel and the Slytherin emblem hung right above. On the floor was a silken, handmade carpet crafted with a rich gradient of blue like a stream had trickled into the office. Nayeon wondered what it would feel like if her bare feet could touch the luscious fabric. In the far corner, trying its very best to be hidden from plain view, was a cabinet covered in padlocks.

Nayeon zeroed in on the cabinet.

A few days ago, Florian had asked a favor of Nayeon. It wasn’t a big one, but it did require her to break a few school rules.

“There are a couple of things I need you to retrieve for me,” Florian brought up after he and Nayeon talked into the early hours of the morning. Originally, Nayeon had found solace in the glittery man’s company because he listened to her rants, but over time Nayeon came to genuinely enjoy his presence. Craved it, almost. Florian did not talk about himself too often (and refused to do so whenever prompted), rather he always asked questions about Nayeon with curiosity. He inquired about topics beyond school, from family and friends to interests to opinions about this or that. Perhaps these topics were a bit too personal to tell a stranger, but in Nayeon’s mind, Florian was no longer a stranger to her. The conversation was natural, not an interrogation.

Florian wanted to know Nayeon for who she was with all of her perfections and flaws. He acknowledged her. He was there for her. He always put her first. Florian insisted that Nayeon should concentrate on herself and only herself. That she was the one who mattered. Those sweet words made Nayeon feel so special. 

So when Florian requested Nayeon’s help, she was eager to comply. She wanted to please him.

“I’ll do it,” she said without hesitation.

Florian gave her a charming smile. “I know you will, my dear. I have complete faith in you.” He went on to explain that he needed some potion ingredients that only resided in Hogwarts castle – finding them anywhere else would take months to acquire, be too expensive, or near impossible to get due to their scarcity. The list he gave Nayeon was filled with weird and unsettling items. She didn’t recognize a lot of them, and when she checked the storage room, she couldn’t find them at all.

This meant that the ingredients were part of Professor Lee’s private stash.

“Miss Im? Miss Im, have you been listening to a word I’ve been saying?” Professor Lee interrupted Nayeon’s thoughts.

“Er, yes, Professor. A career in Muggle Studies, right?” In her peripheral vision, Nayeon saw a master key ring hanging on the wall next to a tall grandfather clock. Dozens of skeletons keys dangled in place. Nayeon figured it was the professor’s extra set – the one she had to replace after Jeongyeon stole the first set last year. This was her ticket to breaking into Professor Lee’s office and cabinet.

Professor Lee sighed. “I know talking about the future isn’t something you enjoy, but it’s necessary to have a plan, Miss Im. Here, I wrote down the next steps you should take; I think you might find something promising with the institute. I’m afraid that it is too late to apply for the Ministry as you have not taken the necessary credits, but we can discuss what you could do at another time if this option interests you.” Professor Lee handed Nayeon a sheet of paper which the seventh-year reluctantly took.

How the heck am I going to get the keys without Professor Lee noticing?

“Now, let’s meet up next month and hopefully by then you will have some applications completed. We can review them before we send them out. How does that sound?”

Nayeon’s mind was racing. Her time was running out. “That sounds terrific!” she said enthusiastically, hoping her teacher would eat her fake elation up.

“Good. I’m so glad we found something for you, Miss Im. See, it isn’t that painful, is it?”

It was bloody hell.

Nayeon smiled.

Both Nayeon and Professor Lee rose; the teacher was about to usher the Slytherin to the door when Nayeon “accidentally” tripped over her own feet. She crashed into one of the wall shelves, and several jars and other precious equipment fell to the floor. Instantly, the glass shattered, making a huge mess.

“Ohmygosh, I am so sorry, Professor!” Nayeon said. She crouched on the floor and began to pick up the glass until Professor Lee nudged her aside.

“Miss Im, be careful of the glass! Let me handle this.” Professor Lee cursed as she whipped out her wand and started to the reverse the damage. Slowly the broken jars and all of their content started to come back together.

Whilst the Potions Master was busy with Nayeon’s mishap, the seventh-year immediately dashed for the keys on the wall. She swiped them effortlessly, shoving them in the inner pockets of her robes. Nayeon hoped that Professor Lee would not notice that they were missing.

“I sincerely apologize,” Nayeon said as she slowly made her way back to the shelf, “I’m usually not this clumsy.”

Professor Lee waved her hand dismissively. “It was an honest mistake. Thankfully I was able to put everything back together and you weren’t harmed – which is the most important thing.”

Right. An honest mistake.

“I am so happy that we were able to formulate a solid game plan for you today, Miss Im,” Professor Lee continued with a big smile. “I know your time at Hogwarts is soon coming to an end, but I think you have a very bright future ahead of you.”

Perhaps Nayeon should’ve felt guilty for tricking and stealing from her teacher, but she didn’t. Her mind was thinking about Eads’s request instead. “Y-yes, thank you for everything, Professor Lee. I appreciate all of the help you have given me.”

“Of course, Nayeon. Please stop by anytime if you have questions or if you just want to talk.”

Nayeon left Professor Lee’s office and let out a heavy sigh once the door closed. She patted her robe pocket ensuring that the key ring was safely secured. Step one was complete.

Nayeon didn’t sneak into Professor Lee’s office that night after her counseling session; it would’ve been too obvious who the culprit was. She waited a few days to make sure Professor Lee hadn’t noticed the missing keys. The extra time allowed for Nayeon to properly plan her theft; she wanted to be as quick and efficient as possible.

Re’em’s blood, fairy wings, venom of a Lolabug . . . Nayeon wrote down each item on a piece of paper and a short description beside it in case she had difficulty distinguishing the ingredients in the cabinet. She planned to go during the early hours of the morning, this way she would avoid Professor Lee staying up late in her office and Filch doing his midnight patrol. The castle was dead around two in the morning. No one would bother her.

The day of action finally came. Nayeon dressed in all black from head to toe: black cargo pants, black hoodie, black combat boots – everything. She’d seen enough muggle spy movies to know that in order to be stealthy, she had to dress stealthy. The seventh-year glanced at her reflection in her mirror as she tied her hair back in a low ponytail. Damn, she looked hot – even if she was about to go steal from the Head of her House. At least she would be the prettiest thief ever, right?

Quietly, Nayeon made her way to Professor Lee’s office with her wand in one hand and an empty sack in the other. The key ring was attached to her belt and touched with a silencing charm to make sure that Nayeon wouldn’t jingle her way into trouble. The dungeon corridors were colder and darker at night which made Nayeon shiver with each step. This castle was seriously creepy. During the day it was bearable, but after the sun went down, you never knew what was going to jump out and scare you.

With the keys handy, breaking into Professor Lee’s office was a cinch. Or . . . it should’ve been. The door was already ajar by the time Nayeon reached the office. She tilted her head, perplexed as to why the door would be open, but there were no signs of anyone inside and so she paid no mind to it. She strolled right in, humming happily as if she wasn’t currently committing a crime.

“Nabongs? Why the hell are you here?”

Nayeon halted in her tracks, taken aback at the sight of Yoo Jeongyeon before her. The Gryffindor Captain, like Nayeon, was wearing all black from top to bottom – except instead of a hoodie, Jeongyeon had on a black long-sleeved shirt.

They both gawked at the other’s unexpected presence.

“Jeongyeon,” Nayeon replied curtly. Her mood turned sour. Inside, she despised that Jeongyeon was here. Why her? Why Yoo Jeongyeon? Nayeon hadn’t let go of Jeongyeon ditching her at the Halloween Bash. The audacity! “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Based on the bag in your hand, I’m think we’re here for the exact same reason: grocery shopping.” Jeongyeon lifted up her own sack.

“Tch.” Nayeon brushed passed Jeongyeon and took out the keys to open up the cabinet. She questioned why Jeongyeon was stealing potion materials from Professor Lee, but she refrained from asking out loud because it would invite the latter to attack with her own inquiries. At any rate, she knew that Jeongyeon wouldn’t snitch on her; the Keeper was not the type to tattle-tell.

The two proceeded to collect their items with Jeongyeon trying to make small conversation.

“Good thing Professor Lee doesn’t put anti-Alohomora and other lock charms on her doors and cabinets, right? She must trust us students a lot.”

Oh my goodness . . .

“Kind of a naïve of her though. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I really like Professor Lee, but c’mon – you’re dealing with a bunch of teenagers. How can you not expect your office to be ransacked?”

Shut . . .

“The kid was bragging about she and Dahyun swiped some weird flask from the office once because they lost a bet; thankfully they haven’t tried to drink it yet. Who knows what’s in there. I’m worried that they might try to slip it into someone’s drink though.”

Up!

“Seriously – I’ve talked to the kid several times about this, but she doesn’t listen! You can’t go around and drink mysterious liquids. It’s common bloody sense! Maybe Mina can convince her – Wait . . . did you steal Professor Lee’s new extra set of keys? Nice!”

“JEONGYEON! STOP TALKING!” snapped Nayeon. The Gryffindor Captain was getting on her nerves and she could feel her veins popping in frustration. “Just. Shhhhh! Let’s get our stuff and then leave as quickly as possible.”

“Okay, sheesh. You don’t have to be rude about it.”

A silence fell between the two as they shoved item after item into their bags. Now that Nayeon didn’t have to listen to Jeongyeon’s rambling, her shoulders relaxed. She glanced at her friend every now and then, making a face at the absurd things Jeongyeon was grabbing. Really? A griffin’s tongue? Ew. (Not that troll hair was any better.)

Finally, Nayeon got to the last item on her list: liquid moonlight. She never heard of moonlight being liquified. It probably was extremely rare. Luckily Professor Lee had it; in the back of the cabinet sat a single tiny glass vial filled with a silvery substance. 

As Nayeon reached for it, Jeongyeon did the same. Their hands touched and Nayeon instantly recoiled, glowering at the Gryffindor.

“Excuse me. That’s my liquid moonlight,” Nayeon hissed.

“Bull. My hand was totally there first! See? I’m touching it,” retorted Jeongyeon.

“That’s because I just removed my hand, idiot.”

“Nuh-uh. My arm is longer so I got it first.” Jeongyeon swiftly grabbed the vial and held her arm up, keeping the ingredient out of Nayeon’s grasp. “Look Nabongs, I have no idea why you are after liquid moonlight but I really need this. It’s for something important!”

“And you don’t think that my thing is important?”

Had the vial been a bit bigger, perhaps the girls could’ve split the ingredient, but there was hardly enough for a swallow. Nayeon didn’t want to disappoint Florian – not after he’d shown her so much kindness. It would be devastating to let him down.

Nayeon lunged at Jeongyeon. The two crashed to the ground with the older girl on top. Both groaned in pain.

“What the hell, Im!” Jeongyeon shrieked. She protectively clutched the vial close to her chest whilst her free hand was pressed against Nayeon’s sternum, trying to keep as much distance between their bodies.

“Hand over the vial, Yoo!” Nayeon clawed at the sixth-year; her eager hands were ready to rip the moonlight from Jeongyeon’s grip. The two rolled around Professor Lee’s office, wrestling and shouting at each other like children in a scuffle.

Once again Nayeon successfully pinned Jeongyeon down, not noticing Jeongyeon wince as her shoulder hit the floor. Jeongyeon curled her body into a fetal position, using all of her might to prevent Nayeon from getting the ingredient.

“Give it up, Jeong,” Nayeon growled. She slowly began to pry away Jeongyeon’s fingers from the vial, one by one. As Jeongyeon’s final finger was peeled off, Nayeon wrenched the moonlight from the girl’s grip and held it to her face with a smirk. “I win.”

Nayeon expected for the Quidditch Keeper to surrender, but Jeongyeon cocked an eyebrow and flashed a smug grin. “Sorry Nabongs, not today.” The sixth-year’s foot made contact with Nayeon’s stomach and in one powerful motion, Jeongyeon kicked. Hard. Nayeon screamed as she flew backwards. Jeongyeon hastily got to her feet and pulled out her wand. “Petrificus Totalus!”

Before Nayeon could react, her body instantaneously snapped a bind, stiff and rigid. All of her limbs were glued to her sides and her jaw was locked in place. The vial fell from Nayeon’s grasp, but Jeongyeon quickly muttered a summoning spell, whisking the glass bottle straight to her ready hand. She looked at the motionless Nayeon glaring at her with hateful eyes. “I’m so, so sorry, Nayeon. I didn’t have a choice though. You wouldn’t understand.”

The clock tower chimed. The bells rang throughout the school calling for morning although sunrise was still hours away. Jeongyeon scurried to retrieve her bag of ingredients, taking one last apologetic look at her fallen friend.

Then, without another word, Jeongyeon bolted from Professor Lee’s office, leaving Nayeon alone, paralyzed, and absolutely furious.

A/n: Wow, two updates in a single month? A record. With more fluff? An astounding record. 

Anyway, we now have had POVs from seven of the nine girls. Jihyo is slowing making her way into the plot, hehehe. Just out of curiosity, is there a character's POV you enjoy? Or a character you like in general? Is this correlated to your actual Twice bias or no? For me, I really like [writing] Mina's POV if you couldn't tell already, although Chaeyoung is my ult lol. 

Thanks for reading the new very long chapter and all of the support! Next chapter is gonna be fun :) Cheers.