September 1, London

King’s Cross train station was bustling with activity, as usual. Lone businessmen talked on their mobiles in suits, while couples embraced, only for one of them to board the train and wave goodbye through the window. Several families calmly walked to the platform and hugged their children tightly before sending them off on a train.

One family was frantic, though. A mother with her hair up in a bun jogged quickly, patting her left jean pocket every few meters or so. Her heels went click, click on the concrete. The woman’s daughter, with features as elegant as porcelain, jogged right behind her mother, pulling a metal cart. Inside the cart sat a large trunk, embellished with blue and bronze stickers. They might have said "Crow-talon" or something similar, but the bouncing of the cart made it difficult to read clearly. The cat resting on the trunk mewled in disapproval.

Trailing behind the daughter was a boy, pulling a cart along. Red and gold stars decorated the suitcase, as well as lion stickers. A second boy followed his mother and his older siblings, pouting. No luggage accompanied him, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

A pair of twins, the youngest of the bunch, whispered to each other and grinned. Their trunks had no decorations.

"I’m so sorry, kids," exclaimed the mother. "We’re late and your father can’t be here to see you off. I’ll make sure he sends a letter when you’re all settled in."

"Alistair, Alistair! What does Hogwarts look like?" exclaimed a twin. Alistair grinned, then shushed him.

"Not in front of the Muggles, Charlie," said Alistair, and Charlie nodded.

About three-quarters of the way between platforms nine and ten, the mother glanced at her surroundings cautiously. "Lucia and Alistair, go ahead," she said to her oldest daughter. Lucia nodded, and the two rushed into the wall, disappearing.

"Nathaniel, go with Charlie."

Nathaniel made his way to his younger brother. They charged into the wall.

The youngest daughter was frightened. She looked at her mother anxiously. "It’s okay, Callie. We’ll go together," the mother reassured and held onto the cart handle with her daughter. Callie braced herself for impact as they met the portal, but nothing happened.

Instead they appeared on a train station platform. It was nearly identical to the one on the other side of the wall, but instead there was a sign above the arch. Platform 9 3/4.

"Mother!" called Lucia, and she signaled to come. Once more the six Kwons were heading quickly to the platform, where all the other families were.

"Lucia, Alistair, Calliope, and Charles," said the mother, hugging each of them as she said their names. "Have fun, stay safe, and don’t go near the Forbidden Forest." Her children kissed her on the cheek and headed towards the train, waving goodbye to Nathaniel and their mother.

Alistair chuckled at Callie and Charlie, jumping up and down in excitement, then made his way to the Gryffindor compartment, where most of his friends were.

Lucia ruffled Charlie’s hair and hugged Callie. "Do you want me to stick with you guys?"

Charlie shook his head. "Nah. We’ll be okay, noona." He gripped Callie’s hand. "Come on, Callie! Let’s go find some other first years."

Lucia smiled affectionately and nodded. "Go have fun, okay?" She began to look for her friends, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Lucia turned around to a fourth year. "Hello. Can I help you?" she asked the fourth year.

"You’re Lucia Kwon, right?" asked the girl, to which Lucia nodded. "Professor Malfoy wants all prefects to report to the prefect compartment."

"Thanks for coming all this way to tell me," Lucia said, and headed to the prefect compartment, avoiding running first years and averting her eyes from two students snogging in the hallway, shaking her head inwardly.

Most of the prefects were already in the designated part of the train, chattering to each other. Someone bumped into Lucia’s back, and she was about to apologize when she saw the boy’s face.

He was much taller than her and already wearing his robes, with a green and silver tie slung around his neck. Kris glanced at her, then smirked. "Ah, sorry about that, Lucia," he drawled, leaning on the wall. "How was your summer? Did you spend time with your, ah, muggle friends again?" 

Lucia grit her teeth. "As a matter of fact, I did. Did you spend time with your, ah, Slytherin pureblood friends again?"

Kris narrowed his eyes, then took another nonchalant expression. "We went to Venice. Met some Italian girls."

"Well, that’s nice." Lucia turned back around, her back facing Kris, and he blinked.

"Slytherin’s going to win house cup this year," he tried.

"I doubt that. Gryffindor always wins," Lucia replied, and Kris could do nothing but keep his mouth shut.

/

Sunhwa had been pleasantly surprised when she received the prefect badge and a letter in the mail that summer. She had expected it to go to Naomi Farrow or Marvin Claflin or something. But her mother had squealed in joy at the badge labeled 'Prefect', while Sunhwa had stared in shock.

That was how she ended up here, standing in the doorway of the prefects' car.

It was clear that the wizarding world needed to keep up with the times, especially after the Great Wizarding War. Throughout the nineties and early 2000's, wizards and witches started to embrace muggle technology, while keeping their customs as magical people. More and more of the wizarding population used cars, had mobiles, and watched television. The Hogwarts Express looked less like a train from the nineteenth century, and more like an Amtrak. Gone were the old-fashioned, stuck-in-time trains.

The door to the prefects' car opened, and the prefects for the upcoming year filed in. They took their seats on the colorful beanbag chairs on the ground (to which Sunhwa raised an eyebrow) in their designated years, munching on the bowls of snacks at every spot. She spotted the other Slytherin prefect in her year, Zelo Choi, and took a seat next to him. He grinned and gave her a little wave, then went back to eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Glancing at the other prefects who had arrived, Sunhwa tried to name each of them. First was Marcus Jettwelling and Bertha Romero, both from Ravenclaw.

Then a girl with auburn hair and pale skin sat with the other fifth years, little lion earrings dangling from her ears. Sunhwa's eyes narrowed as her gaze locked on the newcomer. How is Dasom Bang prefect material?

It wasn't usual for Professor Malfoy to be late. He was all about deadlines and due dates in DADA. The prefects mumbled amongst themselves, growing impatient. Eventually Professor Malfoy did come strolling in, taking a seat on the stool in the front of the room. He took out a clipboard from his messenger bag and took roll. Upon seeing that every prefect was present, Professor Malfoy began the meeting.

"Okay everyone, first order of business. Welcome back to Hogwarts," Professor Malfoy began. A few kids clapped politely. "As you know, prefects are sort of like the police of Hogwarts. They patrol the hallways and make sure there isn't any trouble. You have the power to take away or grant house points. Abuse that power, however, and your prefect title is stripped from you."

Sunhwa nodded in understanding, suddenly overcome with the urge to take notes.

"Now, to our next topic—head boy and head girl. Head boy this year is... drumroll, please," Professor Malfoy began to drum on his thighs, while some students patted their hands on the ground. Professor Malfoy stopped drumming and raised his hands, and the room fell silent. "This year's head boy will be Kris Wu, from house of Slytherin."

Sunhwa glanced at her upperclassman and housemate, who had a triumphant smirk on his face. Most of the prefects politely clapped, while some Slytherins cheered and clapped Kris on the back.

"A Slytherin," Dasom whispered. Sunhwa suppressed the urge to glare.

"Now, for the head girl. . ." Professor Malfoy continued, a small smile plastered on his face. He asked for another drumroll, and again there was a chorus of pats. "This year's head girl is Lucia Kwon, from the Ravenclaw house."

Sunhwa moved her gaze from her professor to a grinning Lucia. Lucia could come off as rude, as shown by her aristocratic features. But, from other students, Sunhwa had learned that Lucia was also dubbed as "Mother Lucia" or "the Second Hermione Granger." Glancing once again at the head boy, she saw that Kris's face had fallen at the mention of head girl.

"Heads, please report to Headmistress Granger after the Start-of-Term feast. Other prefects, there will be a list of full instructions delivered to you tomorrow morning," Professor Malfoy told them, and the prefects were dismissed.

Sunhwa immediately dashed off to find Myungsoo, or maybe Jonghyun. She ran through the train, eventually finding the two boys discussing the most recent Quidditch match between the Toyohashi Tengu and the Chudley Cannons.

Myungsoo grinned at her. "So, you're a prefect now, eh?"

Sunhwa nodded. "I don't even know why, though. I'm not an exceptional student."

"Who are the Heads?" Jonghyun asked, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees.

Sunhwa opened to answer him, but Myungsoo beat her to it. "Kris Wu and Lucia Kwon," he told Jonghyun, and Sunhwa's eyebrows furrowed.

"How did you know that? I don't think Professor Malfoy told anyone else yet."

Myungsoo held up a prosthetic ear attached to a thin white string. "Extendable Ears," Myungsoo said. "Nicked it for a Sickle."

Sunhwa rolled her eyes. "You're dumb."

"Don't forget ugly, and air-headed," Jonghyun added, and Sunhwa couldn't help but giggle.

/

In another car of the Hogwarts Express, a fifth year boy sat sighing in frustration, while his seventh year best friend grew more and more annoyed.

Luhan threw his copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (one of his favorite Muggle works) down onto the seat next to him and glared at his friend. "Sehun, what do you want?"

The fifth year groaned. "Hyung, I don't understand this!" he exclaimed, pointing to a sheet of paper in front of him, sprawled on the table. Looking closer, Luhan noticed that it was a sheet of Ancient Runes homework. On the top of the sheet, it read: Sehun Oh / 5 / R / 18 February.

Luhan looked up at Sehun in astonishment. "Sehun, this is from last school year. Why do you still have this?"

"I forgot to turn it in. But when I told Professor Cecil, she said it was due the next time I saw her. And then she went on maternity leave, so I hadn't seen her since the end of last year!" Sehun exclaimed, his hands in his hair. "Now Professor Cecil is back from her maternity leave and I haven't finished the worksheet!"

"How do you still have this after months of forgetting?"

"I keep every assignment—"

"It was a rhetorical question." Luhan flicked Sehun's forehead and motioned for Sehun to give him the quill, and began straight to work. For a while it was quiet in their compartment as Luhan finished the Runes homework. Luhan heaved a sigh and slumped back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest.

"Thanks, hyung! I'll make it up to you, I promise," Sehun said affectionately. Luhan rolled his eyes and picked up his book again. It was quite between the two again, and Sehun pulled out a muggle iPod player from the front pocket of his suitcase.

Luhan heard the music blaring from Sehun's earphones. He groaned. "Sehun, turn that down!"

Sehun didn't hear him, however, and continued playing the music. He was granted another flick on the forehead from Luhan, pouted, and rubbed the spot. Sehun removed the headphones from his ears. "What was that for?"

"It was too loud. I couldn't concentrate."

Sehun looked down dejectedly and turned the volume of his iPod down. Luhan continued to read peacefully, until he was met with yet another obstacle.

Loud giggling was heard from the next compartment over. Luhan recognized the giggling immediately, and he straightened up suddenly in his seat. Sehun glanced at his best friend curiously, but shrugged and continued to listen to his music.

Luhan cast a whispered sonorus and turned his head slightly to the left, trying to hear the nearby conversation better.

"Okay, okay, here's another one—knock knock," a girl was saying.

"Who's there?"

"You know."

"Actually I don't know," a different girl retorted, and the boy laughed.

"Just answer the question."

"You know who?" the boy asked again, then gasped. "Oh my god, Yeonhee. I cannot believe you."

Yeonhee burst into more laughter. "That's good, right? I'm so good."

Luhan laughed as well, but from his own compartment. By this time he had completely turned around and pressed his ear to the wall, trying to hear better. Luhan turned back around, smiling.

Sehun stared at him with a knowing look. "Are you stalking that girl again?"

Luhan's eye's bulged, and he coughed. "No, what makes you think that?"

Sehun looked at his nails as if they were the most important things in the world. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you're eavesdropping on her private conversation. From the next compartment over."

Luhan coughed again, then fumbled with the lock on his trunk. He took out his Hogwarts robes and tie, stacked neatly on top of all his other clothes, most of which were shrunken with the reducio spell. 'I'm going to change," he stated, approaching the doorway. Luhan halted, then placed a non-verbal lock on his trunk.

Leaving Sehun alone, Luhan headed for the bathroom on the train. Luckily, there was no line and he was able to finish changing in optimal. After straightening his blue and bronze tie, he exited the bathroom, but ran into Yeonhee, also holding her own set of robes. Luhan gave her a cheeky smile. "Hey, Yeongie."

Yeonhee sighed and gave Luhan an intimidating gaze before speaking. "Out of the way, Luhan. Your huge ego is in my way." Not waiting for an answer, Yeonhee pushed past him and entered the bathroom, locking it behind her.

On the way back to his and Sehun's compartment, Luhan felt like he was floating.