It was summer before she entered third year when she was sunbathing near their pool when she heard loud laughter and boisterous barking from the house next door. Annoyed, she put on her headphones so she would not hear her noisy neighbors, when suddenly, a dog darted in front of her surprising her and made her shriek.

“Nanan? Come here boy!”

The dog just ran around their pool, not obeying her master. Nayeon regarded the dog angrily and tried to catch it.  Suddenly a girl on a broomstick landed on grass near her.

“Don’t hurt him!”

Nayeon raised an eyebrow to the trespasser. “Ohhh. Isn’t it the Half-blood Princess. You clearly trespassed with that mutt!  This is our manor, and you cannot tell me what I can and what I can’t do!”

The tall and blonde girl smirked. "It’s already 2030, Slytherine girl. It’s technology age and you still into social discrimination? You still up there in the Pureblood pedestal, princess?”

Nayeon’s face reddened with anger. This girl, Jeongyeon had been their neighbour ever since they were babies and there’s no love lost between them. Their parents are civil with each other since Nayeons’ parents think too lowly of their neighbors since Mr. Yoo decided to marry a Muggle from the village and didn’t force Nayeon to socialize with their Gryfindor neighbour. Both sees each other in Hogwarts and compete as the top students on their respective houses. She hated her guts, but what annoys her more is that Jeongyeon didn’t seem to be bothered by her and just keep on teasing her.

Jeongyeon jumped on her broom and scooped Nanan on her ams and saluted Nayeon.

Nayeon was left seethingly and muttered something under her breathe.

“You’ll pay for this, Yoo Jeongyeon.” 

 ----

“Are you sure about this, Nayeonie?”

Tzuyu was looking at Nayeon’s workbench, with all the ingredients in making a potions and spells.

“Yes, it’s very a simple spell actually. A Filipino witch taught me this.”

“Huh? So how does it work?”

“I just need a thing from that person, then utter the spell and what ever I want to happen to that person will befall her…”

“That’s dark stuff unnie. I’m afraid—“

“I’m the one who’s going to do it Tzuyu, why are you afraid?”

“Well, it’s black magic unnie. And you don’t hate her that much to curse her, right?”

“Well, I just want to hurt her.  I want to wipe that smile off her face. And I’m not going to kill her if that’s what you are afraid of.”

Tzuyu is still skeptical, but can’t do anything since when Nayeon decided to do something, there’s nothing that could stop her.

“I just wish you wouldn’t—“

“Tzuyu. Stop. Just watch and learn from your Unnie.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Tzuyu moved back and let Nyeon do her thing. She saw a small doll and then Nayeon was holding a small towel near the doll and whispered something. After a minute or two, she smiled smugly and show Tzuyu the doll.

“Starting today, the person that Yoo Jeongyeon likes will fall ill and no doctor nor wizard can identify what is causing the illness. In a week’s time, that person will die.”

“UNNIE! YOU SAID NO ONE WILL DIE!”

“Well, I said Yoo Jeongyeon will not die. I can’t promise the life of the person she likes.” Then she laughs evilly.

I have to find out who Yoo likes, Tzuyu thought. It’s the least she can do to ease her conscience. 

***

“Im residence. How can I help you?”

 “Hi Mrs. Wicket. Tzuyu here. Is Nayeonie around? I am going to ask her to accompany me to Diagon Alley.”

“Tzuyu, nows a bad time hun. Uhm—miss Nayeon has not been feeling very well this couple of days..”

“She’s sick? Can I visit her?”

“Uhm, I don’t think it’s a good idea, dear.”

At the background she can hear someone shouting for the nanny. It sounded very urgent so Tzuyu said goodbye. Maybe Tzuyu should really pay her a visit.

Im Manor is not really very far. It was five minutes away by bike. She parked her bike near the patio and went in. As she near the living room, she saw the whole household in frenzy. Mr and Mrs Im are talking with the wizard doctor and both of them are looked grim. So she went up to Nayeonie’s bedroom at the second floor and met Mrs. Wicket bringing a bucket of water.

“Tzuyu! I told you dear this is not a good time to pay a visit—“

Then she heard someone throwing up and she rushed inside to see Nayeon throwing up on a pail beside her bed. She laid down again after she’s done but she looked deathly pale. She went beside Nayeonie and sat down on her bed, clasping both her hands.

“Nayeonie…It’s me Tzuyu.”

Nayeon just groaned.

Mrs. Wicket went on the other side and dab a wet towel on Nayeon’s face. Nayeon’s face contorted and she sat up and throw up again. Tzuyu gasped, because Nayeon’s vomit has worms, snails, slugs and other kinds of insects on it!

Tzuyu looked at Mrs. Wicket. “Since when is she like this?”

“Since the last time you were here. As soon as you left, she was not feeling well and had a fever. The next morning, she was throwing up like that.”

That’s two days ago already, Tzuyu thought. “But we didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary!”

Just then the door opened and Mr and Mrs Im entered the room. “Oh, Tzuyu, you’re here.”

“Ma’am, what did the doctor say?”

The couple looked at each other. Tzuyu is like Nayeon’s little sister and young as she is, she is matured than her age.

“Well, dear, he said she was cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“Yes. It was a different kind of spell and the doctor is going to look at the spell books for the countercurse.” Mr. Im said.

Mrs. Im put her arms on Tzuyu’s shoulders. “Honey, do you anybody who would have put a curse on our dear Nayeonie? I mean she’s a very lovable girl, I can’t imagine somebody who would like to wish her ill!”

If not for the gravity of the situation, Tzuyu would have snorted. Mr. and Mrs Im thought their child is sweet and angelic? Far from it if you ask for her image in Hogwarts. But she looked worriedly at the sleeping profile of her unnie.  

 “But the doctor could make her well, right?”

“Well, they gave her broth to avoid further dehydrating her. But the doctor said that the person who cursed her is a strong one, and the feeling of hate towards her is strong too. He saw something like this before but not here, abroad. He said the person who need to make a counter curse should be stronger than the one who casted it or the wizard who will heal Nayeon will die.”

Tzuyu shivered. Mr and Mrs Im went outside to see the doctor out and heed the last minute instructions. Tzuyu leaned to her unnie and kissed her on the forehead. “Unnie, stay strong…okay?”

Tzuyu walked in dazed outside when someone called her. “Hey, Slytherine girl!”

Tzuyu heard the voice near the hedge and almost yelped when Jeongyeon flew over it and landed on front of her.

“I saw Dr. Kawolski just left. Is everybody okay? Why is the wizard doctor here?Is Nayeon sick?”

Tzuyu regarded the stranger suspiciously.   But like a tape, something rewinded on her mind.

I hate Yoo Jeongyeon. Whoever she likes will fell ill and die.

Wait, is she?

“Please don’t tell me you like her.”

“Who?”

“Nayeonie.”

“Huh? What made you say that?! Of course I don’t!” But the browned-hair girl blushed a bright shade of red.

This is not good.

“Hey!”

But Tzuyu had ran inside the house and looked for the nanny.

“Mrs. Wicket! Please, tell me. Where does that Filipino witch live? The one that Nayeon had talked to last week?”

Mrs. Wicket looked surprised. Well, I dunno who you referring to hun. But I know a Filipino house maid living with a wizarding family near the town. She lives in that brown thatched house with a fountain in front.”

Tzuyu ran outside and rode her bike to town.

She doesn’t have much time. She has to save Nayeon-uunie before it’s too late.

*****************************

She looked for the house that the nanny described and unfortunately, there was a row of houses with the same design in the suburb.  She checked the houses one by one and the farthest one has a fountain. She inhaled and knocked.

“Who is it?”

When the door opened, both Tzuyu and the owner of the house gasped.

“You!”

“What do you need?”

Tzuyu regarded the other person. A Hogwarts student, Gryffindor. 3^rd year and one of the top students.

“Can I come in? I need to speak to your housekeeper.”

Park Ji HYo’s eyebrows furrowed. What does this Slytherine freshman need with their maid?

“why?”

“It’s a matter of life and death. If it was not, I wouldn’t be here.”

Ji Hyo nodded and sense the urgency on the girl’s voice. “Wait here. I’ll call her.”  

***

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything.”

Tzuyu gaped at the old lady. She can’t be hearing these correctly.

“But, but—you’re the one who told Unnie how to do it!”

  “I warned that young lady, but she was too stubborn for her own good. In our country,there are a lot of like me, a witch, but not like the kind like you: wand-yielding. We are healers. But we could also do harm, like what that girl did. I told her the basic rule that we have: Use magic for good. For healing. To help people who were wronged. But if we do it for our selfish reasons, to harm, the curse will come back to us in three-folds.”

Tzuyu shivered. But she cannot let Nayeon die. She just can’t. She doesn't want to be alone again.

“Can’t you reverse the curse?”

“Only the person who casted it can reverse it.”

“But Nayeonie is unconscious! She’s already in the brink of death! Surely there’s something I could do!” With that Ji Hyo went to her and hugged the younger girl, despite being basically strangers.  She sensed her desperations, and if possible, her grief. She could sense how Nayeon is important to her that is why she turned to her nanny.

“Since it was casted to make Jeongyeon’s love to suffer, would it work if we make Jeongyeon unlike her?”

Aurora looked over at her young master, whom she had served for 15 years and nodded. “Maybe. I can’t assure you that would work, but since we don’t have a choice, we could just try it.  Try giving Jeongyeon the Hate Potion then show a picture of Nayeon. But that is only temporary. She should fall in love with a different person entirely. Because if she still love Nayeon, well, she might as well kill her.

Tzuyu wiped her tears and nodded. She knew she needed to do the Potion immediately. But how can she when she’s just 12?!

“I’ll help you. Let’s do it now. Then let’s give it to Jeongyeon later.” Ji HYo offered her hand and she took it. She never imagined asking for help from a Gryffindor, but she knows she will be eternal grateful.

“Just make sure Nayeon knows how we saved her or else.” Ji Hyo muttered under her breath.

***

Nayeon woke up after five long agonizing days. Tzuyu didn’t leave her side and Nayeon woke up to Tzuyu crying and hugging her tight to the point that she can’t breathe. When she asked what happened, she told Nayeon the truth—the edited one—that the curse backfired on her that’s why she almost died. Tzuyu made her promise not to curse anybody in the future, and with a shaky laugh, Nayeon agrees.

Tzuyu pushed the wheelchair where Nayeon is sitting to the garden so she can get fresh air and warmed by the sunlight. They heard some laughing and barking from the other side of the hedge. Nayeon’s breathing hitched when a dog went through the hedge and into their garden. Like dejavu, her neighboring witch flew over to their garden to retrieve the naughty pup,but stopped when she saw the pair. Jeongyeon nodded at Tzuyu at bowed apologetically at Nayeon. “Sorry, I’ll get Nanan.”

And then she’s gone.

Nayeon cannot understand why suddenly her heart hurts, and a tear escaped her eye. She cannot understand why that conversation lacked the usual banter, and that the eyes of girl from the other side of the hedge didn’t shine anymore. She realized that she didn’t know what she was missing and now it’s all gone.

She didn’t think it was possible, but it felt like her love story had ended before it even started.