After the feast is over, the House Prefects led the first years to the House Towers. The Gryffindor Prefects were seventh-year seniors. They kindly explained the ins and outs of the castle and reminded them again and again of the changing stairs and restricted areas.

The portrait of the Fat Lady greeted them at the end of the staircase.

“The password changes frequently so make sure you know the password if you’re going back to the dorms after classes.”

The first years nodded in response. Jaemin had counted there were 36 of them in this year from which Donghyuck and he are the only ones of Asian ethnicity in the first year lot of Gryffindor.

“The password now is …Blubber Worm.”

The portrait of the fat lady opened to reveal a round hole in the wall. They scrambled in through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. It was not very different from what Jaemin had imagined it to be. It was a circular cozy room full of squashy armchairs, tables and he can make out a bulletin board at a corner.

“The bulletin board is where school notices, ads, and lost posters, etc can be posted, so keep a lookout for it.”

The room is decorated in several shades of red, which is associated with the house. There are many windows that look out onto the grounds of the school, and a large fireplace dominates one wall. The mantle of the fireplace is adorned with a portrait of a lion. The walls are decorated with scarlet tapestries that depicting witches and wizards, but also various animals. There are also bookcases located in the room, filled with various novels.  

There were a few students sitting here and there, their eyes following Jaemin as he entered the room. Jaemin recognizes someone from them, Byun Baekhyun a 4th year senior. He had met him during the feast. He was sociable, funny, and kind, like the life of a party. He immediately took a liking to Jaemin and Donghyuck and the feeling was mutual.

“Baekhyun Hyung.”

“Oh Jaemin-ah, Donghyuck-ah come to sit down after the tour. I brought some chocolate frogs.”

Yep, definitely his favorite Hyung.

“Look at you blatant favoritism on being bribed with chocolate frogs. Na Jaemin I never knew you are such a shallow person.”

Donghyuck nudged him.

Jaemin just smiled at him passively simultaneously gathering a few gasps from the crowd of students around him.

 Well, he is what he is. And what’s so bad about chocolate frogs anyway. They are pretty tasty.

 The Prefects led them up the spiral staircase into the dorms. Two separate staircases leading to the boys’ staircase on which the seven boys’ dormitories are located one for each year and the girls’ staircase of similar layout.

“By the way, be sure to remember that the staircase of girls’ dormitory is enchanted. If any of the guys sets foot on it and persists for a few steps, a wailing klaxon will go off and the staircase will turn into a stone slide sending them or anyone else on the stairs sailing to the bottom. So girls don’t bring your boyfriend in and guys don’t follow the girls to their dorm staircase. Keep the romantic goodbye short and sweet at the bottom of the stairs only. You don’t want to end up with a broken hip at Madam Pomfrey’s.”

Giggles arose among the crowd on the words of the male Prefect.

“So is there a similar mechanism in the boy’s one also?”

If Jaemin remembers his name is Kevin Trunks. A buff white guy but a little slow on the uptake.

“Nope, the founders believed that girls were more trustworthy than boys so that while the girls’ staircase is enchanted to prevent boys from getting in, the boys’ staircase does not carry a reciprocal enchantment.”

“That’s a bit of unfair,” Donghyuck added.

“Deal with it. Those are facts anyway.” It was Flore Rosella. A pretty girl with blonde hair with pink ends. A bit of a sassy and sarcastic type if you ask Jaemin but it’s too early to tell.

“Ugh! Teenagers.” Donghyuck sulked.

“Okay, guys! Here ends your tour. Tomorrow is Sunday. Though classes start from 2nd September Sundays are off so you’ll be starting from 3rd i.e. Monday. Tomorrow you’ll get your routines during breakfast. Good luck with your studies, you’ll need it!”

And the group broke up. Those who wanted to turn in for the day went ahead to sleep while those who wanted to stay remained in the common room to socialize.

Jaemin and Donghyuck sat across Baekhyun and another senior named Kim Jongdae as they enjoyed the chocolate frog that was offered to them.

Baekhyun told them funny stories about the students and professors of the school. Jaemin laughed so much his stomach started hurting. He told them there also two more guys from the third year Doyoung and Johnny.  Jaemin remembers meeting Doyoung vaguely but Johnny he can’t remember.

“Is Doyoung the senior who was talking very seriously about some Muggle band?”

“Yep, he is the one. He is in love with some Muggle band now and is trying to bring more people into the fandom. As for Johnny, I don’t think you’ve met him; he had too much Fire whiskey at the Three Broomsticks and got drunk. He is sleeping upstairs. ”

“You had your Hogsmeade trip today?”

“Yeah, you’ll also have them from 3rd year.”

Donghyuck looked excitedly at Jaemin. They can’t wait for their weekend trips.

Baekhyun tells them they have a circle of Asian students who hang out together.

“I am not being racist or something but sometimes having people from the same homeland, sharing the same taste in food or speaking the same language helps in de-stressing a lot. Also, people from different years make studying a bit easier, especially in later years as the seniors can help out the juniors in difficult subjects. Suho Hyung came up with the idea. He is a Ravenclaw 5th year; he became the Ravenclaw Prefect this year.”

“How many members do you have in this so-called group?”

“Not many, including you and Jaemin it would be 17ish something.”

“Are the Lees’ also in the group?”

Now, this got Jaemin interesting. He stopped munching on his chocolate frog head to look at Baekhyun. He hasn’t said much throughout the conversation. It was mainly Donghyuck keeping the conversation going.

“Yeah, unfortunately, they are. Ravenclaws are always fair type. But don’t worry you won’t be seeing them they rarely attend the group gatherings.”

Jaemin is a little bit disappointed. He shouldn’t be but he is a little bit. Just a little bit.

“That’s good news then.” Donghyuck had sighed in relief.

“Wait did you already get into strife with them? Its’ bad luck getting involved with them.” Jongdae finally sat up straight.

“No Hyung it’s nothing serious.” Jaemin had intervened before Donghyuck can cause some misunderstanding. He hasn’t told his best friend regarding the Dementors incident. He was embarrassed and Jeno wasn’t really interested in revealing it.

“Are you sure? We can help you out if you want.” Baekhyun had added helpfully. “I am known as the Beagle of Hogwarts for nothing. One word and I can make sure they’ll be embarrassed to death with the impossible number of tricks I have up my sleeve. I am the best buyer Zonko’s have.” Baekhyun visibly puffed his chest in pride. Jongdae just laughed at his friend’s antiques.

“It’s okay Hyung, it's nothing serious I promise.”  Jaemin had assured again and again.

They dropped the topic and moved on to the next one. A few more minutes into the conversation Baekhyun suddenly turned to Jaemin with a mischievous look in his eyes.

“So Jaemin, how do you feel about being the most popular first year?”

Jaemin had finished with the head and there was a moving leg of a chocolate frog hanging from his lips. He slurped it in.

“What?” he looked at them innocently munching on it.

“You know what never mind. I just saw something I shouldn’t have.” The rest of the three had a disgusted expression on their face.

He heard Donghyuck remark how his face just doesn’t go with chocolate frogs.

“We thought we should warn you regarding your popularity since love letter will come pouring in once you start school, but now that I see you I don’t think you need a warning. Its’ fine Jaem, be yourself.” Baekhyun patted him on the back.

“Let’s call it a night kids. Breakfast starts at 8 tomorrow.” The seniors patted them on the head and left for the dorms.

Jaemin and Donghyuck also got up and returned to their dorms. Half of them were already asleep.  The two best friends sorted their luggage and changed into their respective night suits.  Jaemin opened Coffee’s cage and let her fly off to hunt.

He looked down the window of the dorm to see it overlooking the Great Lake, its water placid, dark and looked lifeless but he knows there is a Giant Squid that lives there.

Sometimes things are not exactly what they seem like.

He went to sleep in the new bed, a new environment, with a smile on his face.

Morning hours have never been kind to Jaemin, who has always been a night owl.  So when he entered the Great hall 8:15 am in the morning his uniform askew and hair sticking out and barely functioning mind, Donghyuck for sure was not the one amused. He settled himself between his best friend and a friendly fellow Gryffindor brunette named Olivia Woods and slammed his head on the table to complete his missed out sleep barely missing the bowl of mushroom porridge placed before him.

He could hear Baekhyun come over from the other side of the table.

“Is he okay?” he asked Donghyuck.

“Is he okay? Yes.

Is he a functioning human? Unfortunately no but he will be in a few hours.

Is it a regular occurrence? Yes, ‘cause you don’t see me acting surprised. Now, every one the main question is

Is his brain alright after that hit? Yes, because he never had one, to begin with.”

Jaemin grunted showing his displeasure at Donghyuck’s questionnaire head still plastered to the table.

“Now, that my friends is a classical specimen of a grunt of a caveman. Jaemin tends to go back in the evolution when he wakes up.”

The Gryffindor table laughed merrily at his best friend's joke. Gone was Jaemin’s cool suave image in front of his admirers but Jaemin is somebody who rarely cares about his image so he paid to heed to it and continued to snooze.

The owls brought post in the morning and Jaemin got a post from his family asking about his dorms, food, etc. he read the letter half-awake, busy stuffing himself with porridge and bread as Donghyuck patted down his hair to make it somewhat presentable. The timetable of classes was also delivered at the breakfast table.

When Jaemin was finally awake the breakfast was over. He got up from the table and glanced at the Slytherin table at the far end and sure enough there sitting between his older brothers was Lee Jeno. He looked as impeccable as possible with his side-swept blonde hair styled in a way of falling over at a side of his forehead, his ironed uniform, buttoned-up shirt, and stifling green and silver striped tie. He was looking through what seems to be the schedule, his bowl of porridge untouched in front of him. As if sensing his stare he looked up his pretty grey eyes coming in contact with Jaemin’s blue ones as he held his stare. In the morning light, he looked paler as if he’s one of the House Ghost who is going to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Jaemin gave up; he averted his eyes and followed Donghyuck out the Great Hall. He didn’t look back.

After breakfast, they sat in the grassy courtyard beside the Whomping Willow overlooking the Forbidden Forest at a distance. Renjun joined in with them. The weather was a bit cloudy and it made the looming castle in the background look more solemn but the grassland looked even greener if it was possible. Jaemin thought that the gray-green combination looked nice. They talked about the dorms and the subjects when suddenly Jaemin remembered something.

“By the way Hyung I have been meaning to ask you. You don’t seem much affected by my Glamour.”

Jaemin couldn’t help but question Baekhyun.

“Is that so? I didn’t notice it much. Maybe because I already have a boyfriend you don’t have much effect on me.”

That’s a plausible reason. Wait! Does that mean Jeno also had someone that’s why he was unaffected? Nope, maybe it’s something else.

He didn’t get to contemplate more as the group of three was joined by two new Gryffindor.

“This is Johnny, you’ve already met Doyoung. Guys these are the first years I told you about.”

Jaemin smiled at them.

Few minutes in he can feel this Johnny guy checking him out unabashedly. Doyoung was also affected but he just blushed whenever Jaemin even glanced at him. Donghyuck shifted a little closer to Jaemin sensing his discomfort shielding him, but the move was carried out so naturally Jaemin cannot help but praise his friend’s smooth ways.

Finally, after sometime staring at him for a complete 10 minutes Johnny suddenly went ahead and said it.

“Jaemin would you mind if I say that you’re one of the most beautiful people I saw in my short life?”

A normal person would have blushed at his declaration coupled with his sincere expression and handsome looks. But who is Jaemin? Jaemin is a half Veela who has been through these situations throughout his life, not only that he has spent a lot of time with his maternal cousin Jungwoo who is known to capture hearts within a minute of meeting a person. So flirting is too easy for him, he doesn’t flirt that’s his preference that doesn’t mean he can’t.

Jaemin runs his hand through his strawberry blonde hair and tilts his head in an angle resting his head on his hand. He gives his most famous lazy charming (seductive) smile.

“I get that a lot. It’s difficult to resist my charm, after all. Why don't you up your game a bit, Hyung?". He added a wink for extra effects.

  It was a cringy line. But sometimes they work like magic combined with his glamour. It sends the group of people sitting down around him in a blushing frenzy, even Baekhyun looks flabbergasted. He can hear Donghyuck retching beside him in disgust while cringing like he is convulsing. Renjun is blushing but looking mildly horrified. Jaemin just giggles out loud.

In the afternoon they sit with their schedules in Gryffindor common room.

            1st          2nd                 3rd              4th     

Mon:  Potions DADA History ofMagic DADA

Tue: Charms HerbologyTransfiguration Flying

Wed: PotionsHerbologyAstronomy(midnight)

Thurs: Charms H of Magic Transfig Flying

Friday:  Potions Potions                                   

“We share History of Magic and Transfiguration with the Renjun and the rest of the Ravenclaw. Herbology and Charms with Hufflepuff. And finally Potions, DADA and Astronomy with Slytherin….what the hell is this? Are they trying to pitch us together and see whether we kill of each other by hexing or poison or just push each other off the Astronomy Tower? Is it some kind of survival game?”

“I don’t think it’s that se