“You’re excused for the day,” Selen said to Sana. Then she turned to Dahyun. “You’d have the morning off if you wanted it.” 

“I’m alright,” Dahyun replied. She felt incredibly sore, but she’d survive. 

“And McGonagall knows,” the healer whispered, “they’re setting up counter-illusion spells everywhere. Wide enough for an invisibility cloak.” 

As well as any charms Dahyun would want to use for the things she didn’t want people seeing. Going down to get breakfast had already earned her a look or two, but they were mostly people not in her year. To them, she would, hopefully, only be the Hufflepuff who fell down the stairs. Maybe the one who got the cursed letter. 

“Thank you.” Dahyun nodded at her. She was happy to have actually slept in today. The Pepperup potion had also kicked in. While her stomach still felt like it was burning, her nose was clear and she didn’t feel absolutely terrible. 

Selen left. Someone was getting their things together. She wondered why they’d been in here. Another had already gone while they’d been having breakfast. 

She dug around in her bag, pulling out concealer. Just for the eyes. The scars were another thing, but they would just get stares. There wouldn’t be too many questions. 

“I’ll tell the others to come,” Dahyun asked as she blended in the makeup on her eyes. 

Sana didn’t respond immediately. When she looked over, she saw that the Slytherin was looking at her, a new seriousness in her eyes. 

“Can’t you stay?” Sana asked. “I know you’re tired.” 

Now the next person was leaving. Dahyun didn’t recognise them, but they looked like a fourth year. There wasn’t anyone else except for one bed that was still occupied. 

“Okay.” Dahyun put the bag down at the foot of her bed. 

She wanted to ask Sana about yesterday, but she knew it was much too soon. If they were going to talk about it at all, it would be when Sana was ready. 

“Want something to drink?” Dahyun asked instead. “Water, juice, coffee? Tea?”

The corner of tugged up. “Water, please.” 

She went over to the table, her muscles calling for her to stop. Just flying a broom had really done a number on her. “Want something?” She looked to the person still left on another bed. His eyes were still drooping. She was pretty sure he was a third year. 

He looked surprised. “Juice?”

Dahyun nodded. She poured the juice, the water, and hesitated when considering what her own drink. She was excused for the morning. Maybe it was better to save the coffee for later. 

She got another glass of water, gave the juice to the boy, and took the water back to where Sana was. 

“You look kind of proud,” Dahyun said. She handed one glass.

“I kind of am,” Sana replied. “You’re taking a break and you’re not drinking anything to keep you awake.” A wink was sent her way. “Maybe you’ll even take a nap.” 

She smiled. “Not likely.” She drew out a book from her bag. “Thanks to that charm of yours, I always have ample reading material wherever I go.” 

Sana just nodded. 

Then the book was lifted from her hands. Her bag also rose into the air. The two possessions floated over to the Slytherin. 

“Seriously,” Sana squinted at the book, “History of Magic over talking to me?” She pouted. “I see how it is.” 

“I can always tell you about the temporary ban on conjuration.” 

“That happened?” The book rose in the air. 

Dahyun laughed. “See? It’s interesting.” 

Sana rolled her eyes. “You caught me.” 

“So can I have my stuff back?” 

“I’m pretty sure you could take them back on your own.” The Slytherin gave her a look. 

“Maybe,” Dahyun smiled, “but I’m asking nicely.”

“I’ll need a little more effort than that then.” A small smirk. 

“Please, Sana unnie?” She clasped her hands together. “May I have my things back?”

Sana’s bottom lip jutted out. “Fine.” 

The floating objects settled on the foot of her bed. She didn’t reach for them. 

“Alright,” Dahyun said. “I’ll talk to you.” 

Sana’s pout disappeared. It was replaced by a smile. “How nice of you.” 

“I know.” She put the book back in her bag. 

“So,” Sana tilted her head, “how was it on a chaser’s broom?”

“I now know how you people can pull off those fancy moves.”

“Fancy moves,” she laughed, “a keeper’s broom can do a lot of the same.” 

Dahyun shook her had. “Not always.”

“You just never try,” Sana stuck out her tongue, “next time you’re on the pitch, try one of those moves out.”

“I don’t think I will.”

“It’s fun!” Sana said. “I swear it.” 

“We never have to fly upside down.” Unless they’d really overshot something. 

“We’ll try it together. You’ll like it, trust me.” 

Dahyun pretended to think it over. “We’ll try. One meter above the ground.” 

“Wimp.”

“I know.” 

A pause. Sana’s gaze turned thoughtful. Then something close to concern appeared. 

“Was it really bad on the broom?” 

That made Dahyun pause. “For me, no. I wasn’t the one with the broken leg.” She tried for a smile, but the lack of humour in Sana’s eyes stopped that. 

“I hate to say it like this, but I was fitter than you were,” said Sana. “You were exhausted. You still look it.” 

And she still felt like it. 

“It’s just,” Sana trailed off. “You’re not meant to do this stuff for a reason. And you still did it.” She looked somewhere else, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. 

Dahyun recognised that look. 

She stood up at sat down on Sana’s bed. Even though there were other people in the room, that didn't matter. She took Sana's hand in her own.

“Flying the broom was my idea. I could’ve thought up something else that didn’t involve a workout, but I stuck with it.” Dahyun gave her hand a squeeze. “Plus I’d been tempted to fly on my own for a little bit. To get you down in case you were still practicing.” 

“She wouldn’t have liked that,” she muttered, glancing in Selen’s direction. 

“Nope,” Dahyun laughed. “But Sana,” she said. When the girl looked her way, she continued. “Don’t turn this around on yourself. None of it was you. At all.” Then her own gaze fell. “It anything it’s on me.”

Sana sat up so fast Dahyun jumped. The other’s hand tightened around her own. Her hands were calloused. 

“Don’t say that,” she said, her eyes hard. “If you believe that, the next thing you’ll say is that the letter was your fault, or that the fall was your fault.” 

Which wouldn’t be wrong either. “Well,” Dahyun started. She couldn't explain why exactly it was her fault, but she had reasons she coudl tell. 

“No,” Sana snapped. “You won’t blame me for the same reasons. All of this was done by someone else.” The last part was whispered. “I know you won’t let people think something else, but you can’t change my mind.” 

Dahyun didn’t know what to say. The urge to deny everything rose, but the words wouldn’t come. 

“You said they wanted something from you,” she said instead. 

Sana nodded. “He wanted me to find out what you did in the Ministry.”

“He?” Dahyun had a small list of people who it could have been. Yet if they were in the school. If one of them was in the school.

Another nod. “I’m pretty sure it was a guy. Didn’t even sound like a student.” She paused, putting her other hand in her pocket. “I don’t know. I didn’t recognise his voice.” Then she held out a paper. “This is the same as those first notes, isn’t it?”

Next time, ask what she did in the Ministry.

It was. 

Again, Dahyun wanted to say no. She couldn’t. 

Someone could target them, discover that they know you’re an Unspeakable, and want to get the secrets out of you that way.

And it had happened. Someone realised that she’d talked to Sana. That she trusted her. 

Next time.

Her eyes were burning. She thought of the stairs, the letter, and a street. With each of those thoughts came pain. She remembered feeling weak. 

A hand cupped her face. It forced her to look into brown eyes that weren’t completely dark. 

Dahyun looked away again. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just give me a little time.” She turned her head away. 

“It’s okay,” Sana murmured. “You’re okay.” She squeezed Dahyun’s hand. “I’m not exactly in the best shape, but you’re safe with me.” 

She laughed, hoping it didn’t sound too forced. “You did say you were in better shape than me.” 

“Look at me.” Her voice sounded serious. She hadn’t bought the laugh. 

Dahyun did. 

“Right now, you don’t have to pretend,” Sana said. “It’ll be better than bottling it up.” She scooted closer then. “What if I hugged you? I won't see anything and you’ve got as much time as you want.” 

“In a hug?” Dahyun asked. Her heart was still racing. Even had tightened. 

Sana didn’t respond. She just put her arms around her shoulders. It was a slow movement. Dahyun could have pulled away if she wanted to. She didn’t.

There was the faint scent of Sana’s shampoo. It had a sweet floral scent to it. 

Dahyun found herself relaxing. She took one breath. Then another. Sana was rubbing circles gently along her back. 

There was still pain, but the fear wasn’t as strong. 

One more breath. Then she sighed. 

“Better. You can let go.” A part of her wished that Sana wouldn't. 

Sana didn’t, but her grip loosened. “So can you,” she said. “You don’t have to put up a front here.”

A part of Dahyun wondered if ‘here’ also meant Sana. 

She leaned back. Sana’s arms let her, but she still didn’t let go. 

The other girl’s eyes scanned her own. Dahyun felt exposed, but not in a way that made her feel panicked. Yet she still wanted to look away. Again.

She wanted to ask what Sana meant by that. She wanted to tell her to let go. Again. 

“I’m not,” Dahyun said. “I just don’t,” she stopped herself. "Sorry." 

“I’ve seen you cry once or twice,” Sana smiled slightly, “and I’ve never told anyone. You’re still dry-eyed in everyone else’s books.” 

Her smile was contagious. 

Sana’s arms then slid away. Her hands brushed the ones Dahyun had folded over her lap. 

“You know what you can do?” Dahyun asked. “If you go to McGonagall’s office, there’s a Pensieve there. I don’t know how to use it, but maybe she can teach you?” 

“Would it help?” A frown was starting to form. 

“You wouldn’t have to relive it,” Dahyun said quickly. “But maybe I’d recognise the voice.” The moment the words left , she wished she could take them right back. 

“Is it,” Sana trailed off. “Nevermind.” Yet her eyes flickered downwards. At Dahyun’s hands. 

Instinctively, Dahyun reached to cover it, but it was already hidden. Had she seen it when Dahyun was unconscious? But she wouldn’t have been able to guess how it happened, let alone that there was a connection. 

“How did you know?”

Sana wasn’t meeting her eyes. It was all the answer she needed. Chaeyoung had told her. 

There was a crack then. McGonagall appeared. 

“Girls,” she said. “There’s someone here to see you both. You’ll need your cloaks.”

They grabbed them. Sana checked that she had her wand.

Then McGonagall took them both by the hand. “Brace yourselves.” A few seconds passed, then a sharp turn, and a crack. The world closed in on her. She was thankful she wasn’t injured, or else this process would've been even more painful. 

____

After the initial disorientation of literally being apparated across school faded, Sana was floored by the person in front of her. She had dark hair and eyes, tan skin, and she was absolutely gorgeous. 

The next thing she realised was that they were in the middle of a forest. The Forbidden Forest. She put on her cloak. 

“Hey, Dubu.”

Sana watched as the beautiful woman wrapped her arms around Dahyun’s shoulders. 

“Doing okay?” She pulled away. 

“Did you get it?” Dahyun asked, all trace of vulnerability gone. 

The woman nodded. “Hey,” she smiled at Sana,” I’m Yuri.” 

Sana was able to stand, her leg felt numb, but it didn’t hurt. “Sana.” She shook the outstretched hand. Even her skin was perfectly smooth. This was the person Dahyun had worked with over the summer?

“We’re working on whoever attacked you.” Yuri’s eyes flickered to Dahyun. “The both of you.” There was a question then as she raised her eyebrows. 

The Hufflepuff in question looked at Sana. It was clear that she was weighing whether or not to tell her. 

Dahyun knew Sana knew something about whoever had attacked her in the first place. She’d looked trapped in that moment. Sana hated that she’d made her feel like that. 

Too much time passed. Dahyun was still looking at her, still deliberating. 

Then she looked away. She wasn’t going to tell her. She didn’t trust her yet. Not like that. It hurt, but Sana could understand. Almost. 

Then Yuri spoke. “What do you remember about yesterday?” 

“I—" Sana was going to explain it when she remembered what Dahyun had said. “Can you see what I saw? With Legilimency?” 

Yuri looked taken aback. “You’re okay with that?” 

She kind of had to be. “Yes.” 

“Alright,” she raised her wand, “Dahyun and Professor McGonagall are gonna see this. Maybe someone at the Ministry if we need to.” 

“Are you sure,” Dahyun asked. She’d come over to her, uncertainty creeping into her eyes. There was the guilt from earlier, but also concern. "You’ll go through yesterday again."

Sana nodded. “I’m sure.” In the back of her mind, she wondered how Dahyun knew what legilimency was like. 

There was a tugging sensation in her mind. She felt the memory pass through her mind. She could still see the others in front of her. Dahyun’s eyes were filled with worry, but she nodded. There was a small tug of her lip. 

Sana’s chest constricted and she felt a stab in her leg. She saw Yuri flinch. She heard the man’s voice by her ear. She saw Yuri frown.

Then it passed. She was relieved to be away from it again. Sana crossed her arms. It wasn’t freezing, but something close to it. 

There was silence as Yuri looked away from her and towards McGonagall and Dahyun. Would they see exactly that?

But maybe I’d recognise the voice. 

Would hearing the voice be another trigger? Could it be worse than the others? This person might have had something to do with the attack on Dahyun. 

Sana found herself leaning closer to Dahyun. The other girl’s brow was furrowed and her fists were clenched. 

She didn’t reach out, not here, but she wanted to be at least there for her. It had been painful to see Dahyun’s facade crumble as it had. 

Then Dahyun’s eyes flew open. “It’s Raven.” 

“You’ll stay here.” McGonagall’s voice trembled. She stepped back. “You’ll be safer out here than there.” 

“We’ll be back,” Yuri said. “Probably. But you’ll definitely hear from us once we catch that bastard.” She winked, but Sana didn’t buy the lightheartedness. She'd seen the concern in her eyes. 

Then McGonagall took hold of her arm. With a crack, both disappeared. 

Dahyun hugged her arms. “I don’t know how they think they’ll find him that fast.” 

“With spells we don’t know?” Sana suggested. “Like that map thing.” 

“Map thing?” Dahyun looked over at her. 

“You know the map that could show where everyone was in school?” With a shudder, she wondered if this Raven guy had managed to create one. How else would he have known where Sana and Dahyun had been? Or he’d just been following them. She didn’t know. 

“You don’t like the idea of it.”

Sana scoffed. “Nope.” It was a full on invasion of everyone’s privacy.

Dahyun nodded. “I get that.” A pause. “But the spell’s still really cool.”

She felt a laugh forming. “Please tell me you didn’t make your own.”

The Hufflepuff shook her head. “I was tempted, but since we can already be tracked in the muggle world, and that’s already weird, it’d be better not to encourage that here.”

“The muggles can do that too?” Sana was starting to be disappointed at how much wizards didn’t know about muggles. 

“If you have an electronic device or are seen by cameras,” Dahyun replied. “So most wizards are pretty much safe from that.”

“Unless there’s a map.”

“Unless that.” Then she pulled out her wand. “Conjure me up a jar?”

“You could do it,” Sana smiled, “it’s good practice.”

“I’ll try after.” She waved her wand and a ball of blue flames appeared. Sana felt its warmth from where she stood. 

So she conjured one up. Dahyun put the blue ball inside of it. It hovered in mid-air. 

“And?” Sana asked. 

Dahyun gave her a look. She murmured something and an ink pot appeared. “And that, dear Sana, is why you’re the conjurer.” She tried again and a thin glass vial appeared. 

“Hey,” she nudged her shoulder, “at least it’s made of the same stuff.”

“I guess.” Dahyun tapped the ink pot with her wand. It crumbled into sand. “And that’s an alchemy hack.” The grains all rose, forming a tight clump. Then it all turned clear. She made it all look easy. 

“Glass?”

“Water.” She smiled. It flowed into . “I think it’s got good minerals. Could probably help you against dehydration.” She twirled the wand around in her hands. “If you want, I can teach you that, you show me how to conjure a proper jar.” The corners of tilted up, but her eyes were already far away. 

They were quiet then. 

Sana had so many questions. Who exactly was Yuri? Who was Raven? What had Dahyun done at the Ministry? Why did that mean she was a target? 

Whatever it was, her connection to the Ministry was the reason why she’d gotten hurt. It was why she lied to everyone, including her friends. How could a job be worth that?

“Raven,” Dahyun began. Then she shook her head, her fists clenching. “I don't know how much you know, but I needed something for a potion,” she said. “And I went to Knockturn Alley to get it.” Her brow furrowed. “There were people following me. They knew that I’d been in the Ministry and they thought it was wrong,” she trailed off. “And they wanted to know what I knew.” Her arms folded. She didn’t look as afraid as she had, but more exhausted than anything else. 

It wasn’t the full truth. Sana knew that much. 

“See, none of this is your fault,” Dahyun muttered. “It really is all mine.” 

“It isn’t,” Sana said. “What you told me doesn’t change that.” 

“It should,” she shot back. “He thinks you know what I did in the Ministry. Just the fact that he’s seen us talking, maybe even heard a conversation,” she broke off. Then she ran a hand through her now dark hair. “All that’s made you a target. Maybe the others too.” Her lip trembled. 

“Don’t think like that,” Sana gripped her arm, hoping Dahyun would see how much she meant it, “you didn’t expect anything like this, right? They hired you too, right? You didn’t apply?”

Dahyun only shook her head. Worry had settled into her features. 

“And you didn’t ask for anyone to come after you.” 

“That’s not the point, Sana.” Her eyes closed. “To be self-centred, this is all happening because of me.” She sighed. “If I was anyone else, if I wasn’t a muggleborn, maybe they’d have just accepted this.”

Sana still wasn’t sure what ‘this’ was. 

But she still knew what she wanted to say. “That’s another thing you couldn’t control. Don’t you see that?”

“If you can’t do something, you have to find another way to get the same result.” Dahyun opened her eyes. There was that certainty from yesterday. “But I couldn’t even do that, except for the fact that I gave them exactly what they needed to get to me.” 

The potion. They’d managed to make something against only her. 

“But someone else spilled that secret too.” Sana moved so that she was directly in Dahyun’s line of sight. It tugged at her leg, but she ignored the pain. “For all of these things, there’s a reason it’s not your fault.”

She just shook her head again. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

Then there was a sound. A snap of a branch. Probably just a creature. Sana was ready to keep talking. 

That wasn’t Dahyun’s reaction. Her wand was in her hand in an instant and her body tensed, but her eyes didn’t show any fear. She muttered something. There was a rustling noise. 

A bright light came from between the trees. It was purple. The spell didn’t reach either of them. Dahyun had blocked it. 

Sana whipped out her own wand. The forest was dark. She saw the faint outline of someone. “Expulso,” she whispered. Blue light ripped from her wand. 

She heard something hit a tree, the branches cracking, as well as a hiss of pain. 

Then Dahyun left her side. She was going after him. 

“Don’t,” Sana started, but she was already gone. 

She heard spells being cast but it didn’t sound like either were hitting their marks. Then there was a cry of pain. It belonged to a man. Following it was a rushing sound, then that of a body hitting the ground. 

That was when a scream tore through the air. It belonged to Dahyun. It didn’t stop. 

Sana felt her chest tighten at the sound. 

“Confringo.” She threw the curse at a tree further away from where the scream came. She could only hope that Dahyun wasn’t too close. Then she ducked. 

The tree exploded with a series of cracks. She felt the splinters scrape her scalp. The screaming stopped. 

She stood, but something hit her in the side of the head. She stumbled, holding up her wand, trying to look for the other figure. The bluebell flames were still burning. She saw him, but it was too late. 

Some force pushed against her. It launched her off her feet. She hit a tree and pain lanced through her. She landed on the ground, her head spinning, while the breath had been knocked out of her. She coughed. She had to stand up. 

Something cut into her arm. She bit down on her lip to stop the cry. Her wand flew from her hand. 

“Stop defending her.” The voice was rough. “They only want me to deal with her. You’re no part of this.” In the blue light, she saw that he was built like a stick, but that didn’t match his face. He barely even looked threatening. There were also several cuts on his face. 

Another pressure settled over Sana’s body. It didn’t hurt, but she couldn’t move either. 

“Just walk away from this.” He didn’t move from where he stood. 

She heard a sharp intake of breath. It belonged to Dahyun. 

“Okay,” Sana said. 

“Okay?” 

She silently cast depulso. She watched him fly back. The pressure on her body lifted. Sana scrambled to her feet. Finding her wand would be useless among the branches. So she did what others would call a muggle move, she lunged to where Raven had landed. There was a tug in her leg, but she didn't feel the pain. 

He was disoriented. She only had a bit of time. 

Sana lunged for the hand that still held the wand, wrestling it away from him. The other hand clawed at her, but it was a weak blow. His grip also wasn’t strong. 

She got the wand. Then she cast the full-body-bind curse. It worked. 

His eyes were filled with a combination of surprise and rage. 

“Stupefy.” There was a wave of satisfaction when those eyes rolled back into their sockets. 

Sana searched him. She found a slip of paper in his pocket, a vial of a some kind, and money. There was no bag to hold any objects, not even an enchanted pocket. Where was he getting food? Where had he been sleeping? 

Then there was another crack. Yuri and McGonagall both had their wands ready, but those fell soon enough. Light came from both their wands. The first thing Sana saw was Dahyun.

She lay on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest. She was trembling. 

“Dahyun?” Sana went over. Her body was drained of all energy and so much of it hurt, but she reached her. She heard the questions of the headmistress and Yuri, but she didn’t answer them. “I’m here,” she said, tentatively putting her hand on her back. 

Dahyun jerked away. Her fists pressed into her eyes.

Sana lowered her voice. “It’s me, Sana.” She said it again. “You’re safe.” She reached out a hand and Dahyun’s head, as her mother did when Sana got overwhelmed. It had once been because she was homesick for Japan. Then it had been stress from school and quidditch. 

Dahyun didn’t move away from her. 

“Can I have his wand?” Yuri was beside her now. “I found yours here.”

Sana gave it to her and accept their ones. She wanted to tell Yuri that this shouldn’t have ever happened. That the Ministry hadn’t been doing its job. Yet that wasn’t something to say now. And she didn’t even know the full story. 

There were scrapes all across Dahyun’s skin. It was then that Sana realised she was also bleeding. Somewhere on the back of her head, as well as along her face, and her arm. 

Sana carefully tugged at one of Dahyun’s arms. It gave way a bit. She took that as encouragement to pull Dahyun half into her lap. The other girl’s legs relaxed slightly, but she was still shaking. 

“We should get you back to the Hospital Wing,” McGonagall knelt down by them, “are you ready?” It was the most gentle Sana had ever seen the headmistress. Not that she looked unkind, but just very stern. If you ever managed to get a twinkle in her eyes, you felt very validated. Momo had once been over the moon just because McGonagall had congratulated her on a great catch during a match. 

Sana looked down at Dahyun. She was trying to catch her breath, her eyes still squeezed shut. 

“Do you want to go back?” Sana whispered. 

There was a small nod. Then the faint blue light disappeared. Yuri had extinguished the bluebell flames. It was a wonder that the jar hadn’t broken during the fight.

“We’re ready,” Sana said. 

A hand closed around her shoulder. Another crack. Sana’s entire body constricted. Breathing felt impossible in that moment. Her arm felt like it was burning. All of her muscles screamed in protest. 

Then they were there. It was bright in the room. Sana squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust and the pain to fade. 

At some point, Dahyun’s arms had wrapped around her waist. It was like she was hanging on to her. 

The screams from the forest came back to Sana. 

She remembered the DADA class. The one about Unforgivable Curses. She remembered how Dahyun had closed herself off from class, stopped writing, while one hand shook with how tightly it was clenched. 

The trigger had been the Cruciatus curse. 

Sana felt her heart drop. 

“Come on,” Madame Selen said. “I’ll get you both to a bed, then we’ll take a look at those injuries.” There was no fear in her eyes, only a tenderness and focus. This wasn’t the time to be panicked or caught off guard. 

Sana stood, Dahyun also straightened her legs, but she didn’t let go. 

The curtains were already drawn around two beds. 

“Please,” Dahyun’s voice sounded thick, “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You won’t be.” Sana pushed past the curtains of the farthest bed. 

They sat down. 

“I’m sorry,” Dahyun said. “I’m so sorry.” Now she let go, her hands going instead to cover her face, one covered in scrapes. The backs of her hands were littered with small scratches. Were they from Sana’s curse?

Sana wanted to tell her she was wrong, but she didn’t know if those words would get through to her. Not right now. 

“It’s okay,” Sana said again. “Come here. No one can see you.” Except for me, she thought. Was that too much in and of itself?

Dahyun didn’t protest when Sana pulled her closer. She could feel her laboured breaths as she was torn between a sob and something else. She was trying to calm herself down. 

Sana didn’t say anything. 

Madame Selen came in, a tray in her hands. She set it down on the bedside table. “I’ve got something for the pain,” she said. “Here.” She picked up a dark purple vial. “And Dahyun, you’ll have to drink it all.” 

Dahyun opened her eyes. The whites had reddened. She reached out a hand to take it, but that shook. 

Sana took it instead. Wordlessly, she held it to Dahyun’s lips. 

The other girl drank. 

“A sleeping draught?” Dahyun asked, a small frown forming. 

Was she ready for that? 

When Sana looked to Madame Selen to ask, the healer only nodded. 

Then Dahyun hummed. "Will I dream?" Sana felt her body start to slump. 

"No." 

Then Dahyun had fully fallen asleep. 

“Now we just let her rest,” Selen said. “You should get some rest too.”

Sana made sure that Dahyun was lying down properly. Her arm stung. 

“When you said it was for the pain,” Sana started, “did you mean—” She didn’t want to finish the sentence. 

Selen only nodded. “Yes.” Then she handed Sana another vial. “Not a sleeping draught, just one to heal. Though you may feel tired.” She paused. “I’ll take a look at your arm. Out here.” 

Sana followed her out. The Hospital Wing was empty. “If my friends come, can they stay?” 

“Those were those four girls?” Selen asked.

“Seven,” Sana corrected. "The ones who came after Dahyun got the letter." Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung weren’t her friends, not really, but they were Dahyun’s friends. Dahyun needed them. 

“I’ll let them through,” she said. “And anyone else who needs to be in here.” A small smile appeared. 

Then they were both quiet. Sana’s arm was cleaned, the shirt was also cleaned up and repaired—the perks of magic. The cut on her head throbbed. She got a potion for that, as well as any other bruises or cuts she wasn’t aware of yet. All of these things could be remedied with potions and spells. What about the rest?

Sitting on her own bed, behind the curtain, Sana became aware of how heavy her body felt. Yet she couldn’t find it in herself to sleep. A part of her was about to go past her curtains and to Dahyun, but she’d be asleep for a long time. The other part wished her friends would come. She wanted someone to wrap their arms around her. 

But she was alone. Sana patted her pockets, making sure she still had their wands. She did, but there was more. What she’d gotten from Raven. 

She took the potion out first. In the light, she saw it was black. She didn’t dare open it. 

Then she unfolded the paper. It was blank. It had to be the map he’d been using, bewitched to only respond to him. Useless to her. She wondered who she’d give it to. Yuri, probably. Once she got back from ‘dealing’ with Raven. Or should she give it to Dahyun? A part of her thought that was the best option. 

The doors opened. In came many footsteps. 

“Second to last bed,” she heard Selen say. “Last is Dahyun’s.” 

In a matter of seconds, the curtains parted. In walked Mina, Nayeon, Tzuyu, and Momo. 

Momo just about tackled her in a hug. Nayeon came over on her other side, while Mina and Tzuyu waited, their eyebrows furrowed. 

“We didn’t hear much,” Nayeon said. “That was the worst part.” 

Sana found herself relaxing into both their arms. This was what she’d wanted. “What did you hear?” Had one of the students who were here told? Or had the news reached students another way?

“That you and Dahyun were in the Hospital Wing, but you were gone when we came at lunch,” Momo explained. 

“And now you’re here, looking like hell,” Tzuyu added. 

Sana smiled. “You should see the other guy.” She winced at the word choice. “Literally.”

She told them what had happened, starting from yesterday night to the last few hours—had they been hours? Or less. Sana didn’t know. 

Mina and Tzuyu had squeezed into Momo and Nayeon’s places. Sana leaned her head on Mina’s shoulder and held Tzuyu’s hands. She felt safe. 

“I don’t know what’ll happen now,” Sana said. “Yuri’s taking care of him or something, and then,” her breath caught,” her breath caught, “he’s not even working alone.”

Tzuyu’s hands tightened on hers. “But now they have one of the links to who he’s working with,” she said quietly. “That’s a start we didn’t have before.” 

“And no one’s going to be sneaking around the school like that,” Mina added. “I’m hoping they’ll put in measures for invisibility cloaks now. It’d be stupid if they didn’t.” 

Momo stood then, she passed the curtains. Sana didn’t have to wonder ask where she was going. It was about a minute until she came back. She was fighting tears. Chaeyoung, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon came in then. They had an equal tension in their eyes, though the tears had already fallen for Jihyo and Chaeyoung.  Jeongyeon’s eyes might have been dry, but it was clear how shaken she was. 

Sana gave them the rundown again, adding any new details she remembered. Being here with all of them, the words flowed easier than she’d have expected. 

“And this,” Jeongyeon pointed at the black vial, “this was on him?” 

Sana nodded. Then another connection formed in her mind. “Is Selen here?” she whispered. 

Jihyo gave her a questioning look, but went out of their curtained bubble. She came back with a shake of the head. 

“Wait,” Mina said, drawing out her wand. She went outside. Sana heard her mutter something, but she couldn’t make it out. “That should help.”

“Where’d you learn how to do that?” Chaeyoung asked. There wasn’t any suspicion in her voice. 

“Charms book,” she replied. “And Professor Boot helped me with the rest.”

“It’s a pretty cool spell,” Sana said. The others were oddly silent. “I didn’t mean it like that!” she exclaimed. She whacked Momo, the one with the most infuriating expression. The Gryffindor gave a light chuckle. 

“What did you want to tell us?” Jihyo’s voice wasn’t filled with indifference. Sana was oddly touched to hear it. 

“This wasn’t how I imagined saying this,” Sana sighed, “and I don’t think she’d want me saying this, but Dahyun was trying to find how why she fell.” She was careful when she explained the wakefulness draught. The words felt like a betrayal, but not saying anything felt equally like one. If she didn’t say anything, she’d be lying to her own friends, to Dahyun’s friends. Chaeyoung had recognised that there was a line, but she’d crossed it to tell them about the first attack on Dahyun. 

“We knew about the potion,” Chaeyoung said, her brow furrowed. “But I had no idea about the rest.”

“And she told you,” Jihyo began, “to make you feel less guilty?” 

“Yeah,” Sana nodded, “but she’d still sold it as if it was an accident.” Something she’d never believe for a second. Especially not now. 

“Keeps doing that with us too,” Chaeyoung replied. “Not a mention of anything else. Except for the fact that she’s allowed in potions again.” Her gaze fell. There was hurt there. 

“Excuse me?” Nayeon crossed her arms. “She nearly dies because of a potion, a mix of them, and they’re just going to let her back?”

Chaeyoung threw up her hands. “I wasn’t the one to decide that. Destin was.” Then she rolled her eyes, but wiped them again soon after. “So I guess we gotta trust his judgement.” 

“And you think this is related to that?” Momo held the vial up to the light. 

Jihyo plucked it from her fingers and conjured up a plastic bag. She dropped it in. “Then it can’t be opened. Ever.” At their looks, she continued, “Dahyun breathed it in and was out. It did all that and made her not tolerate healing potions.” She sealed the bag. “You’re gonna turn all this in, right?”

“Destin’s not getting that,” Chaeyoung said suddenly. “Dahyun figured out the letter’s potion way before he did. He’s useless.”

“I meant to the Ministry,” Jihyo replied. “Then they can try figuring out a way to work against this.” 

Sana nodded. 

“But maybe we should show it to her first,” Mina said. “Dahyun, I mean.” She looked at Sana. “If she’s thinking this was just the Draught of Living Death, that’s clearly not it.” A pause. “We have to tell her what it actually could’ve been.”

A part of Sana wondered if Dahyun already knew, but she didn’t voice that suspicion. Maybe she was wrong. She almost hoped that she was. 

“Girls,” Selen called. “I can only excuse you from one class in these circumstances. Seven bouts of dizziness and nausea at once is already a bit suspicious.” 

Mina gave her a tight hug. 

“We’re gonna bring up dinner,” Nayeon said. “What kind of dessert?” 

“Banana bread,” Sana replied. 

Her friends nodded, while the others looked slightly confused. 

Chaeyoung, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon lingered. 

The Hufflepuff prefect looked very uncertain then. “I’m sorry,” Jihyo said. “For ever thinking it was your fault.” 

“Me too,” Chaeyoung said, while Jeongyeon nodded. 

“You weren’t all wrong,” Sana replied. “I should’ve been there.”

“Actually,” the Ravenclaw shook her head, “that might’ve just been worse.” 

That made Sana frown. 

“Look at yourself,” Jeongyeon waved a hand at her leg, “look at what happened today. I don’t know what they want with Dahyun, but they don’t seem like they care about others getting into the mix.” 

“But he did tell me he’d let me go,” Sana said. “If I just didn’t defend her.” 

“And you did,” Jihyo finished. “You would have that day too, and I’m actually glad you didn’t.” 

She felt her eyes start to warm then. Was she going to cry? It must have been the fact that she was exhausted. 

“Anyway, thanks.” Chaeyoung gave her a small smile, but it meant so much more for Sana. “Thanks for being there when,” she trailed off. She blinked twice, looking to the ceiling. “When we couldn’t be.”

“We’ll also come by later,” Jihyo said.

“After dinner, though,” Jeongyeon added. 

Sana smiled. “See you then.”

They left. 

She didn’t believe their words as much as they’d probably intended her to, but the fact that they’d said them at all spoke volumes. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, yet it brought another thought to her mind. 

Dahyun would definitely agree with her friends. She hadn’t ever blamed Sana for what happened. Now she knew why. There were things Dahyun either didn’t want to say or couldn’t tell them. Yet for Dahyun that meant hiding everything that came with that information, even the way it affected her. Especially the way it affected her. Sana didn’t know how they would handle that. Only that they had to. Too much had happened for them not to do anything. 

_____

Author's Note

This chapter certainly had its plethora of downs, but there were a few ups as well. The way this part of the mystery has been resolved may not have been in line with your predictions, but it is only a part of it. Raven hasn't been working alone (not a spoiler, as he said it himself). However, as Tzuyu and Mina said, one part of the threat has been found. 

There's also been a shift in the group of Twice. They're not full on friends just yet, but the three girls have realised that the fall wasn't Sana's fault. 

Dahyun's not telling the full story yet. Do you think she will or is she just going keep what she can a secret? 

Would love to know your thoughts! The next chapters will focus more on coming back to reality (while also dealing with the issues still present in that reality), so I hope you'll be looking forward to that! 

See you then.