Title: A Summer at Hogwarts

Author/Artist: [REDACTED]

Your Giftee: ohmymyeolchi

Rating: PG

Wordcounts: 9,040

Warnings (if applicable): foul language, boy/boy

Author/Artist’s note: Magical Eunhae! This is a personalized gift, set in the wizarding world of Harry Potter (Hogwarts). This is set in a time well after the books ended. I did a lot of research to try and make this as close to accurate as possible since my knowledge of this world was limited. I did take some creative license, as it is well known that Eunhae are not common characters from this canon. I apologize to those who may not get every reference but the internet is a vast landscape filled with answers readily available at your fingertips…so in the words of my father “if you don’t know, look it up.”

                “Nasty little buggers, gnomes are. If you don’t watch yourself, you’ll get a troublesome bite or two…or three come to think of it,” Professor Brixby cautioned with a thick Scottish accent and a shake of her head, carrot colored tendrils falling about her face in a wild display that only a natural redhead could pull off. Her green eyes sparkled as they looked for their next victim amongst the overgrown lawn.

                Donghae marveled over his advisor and how well she seemed to fit into the landscape—a low, stone wall surrounding a sizeable cottage set against a backdrop of rolling, green hills speckled with whomping willows­—not the least bit ashamed of having a crush on her. She was beautiful in her wild ways. She had pale skin mottled with more freckles than the night’s sky and her waist length hair, full of tangled curls, was drawn back into a hair tie (or what little she could control of it).  He was one of many admirers who attended Hogwarts School of Wizarding, but one of the few lucky enough to have her for an advisor.

                Professor Brixby was the Muggle Studies Professor and very much dressed the part. She preferred to wear simple blue jeans and oversized sweaters, which seemed to fit her perfectly all the same, instead of the preferred formal attire of her colleagues. She was younger than most of the professors which automatically gave her a cool factor and her eagerness to learn more about the muggle world made Donghae a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge for her, seeing as he was muggle-born and all.

                “Ah, there’s one!” Brixby shouts, pointing in the direction of a gnome with an obscenely large noggin. Donghae still couldn’t get over how strangely human they looked, and at the same time, not. They looked like misshapen old men with more hair on their feet and chins than the top of their bulbous heads would ever dare hold, and most barely came up to the knee they were so little.  

                The gnome turned to Donghae with a smirk of a challenge before swiftly turning around to wiggle his round . “Naaa-na-na-naaa-na!” it teased from a shrub just a few meters off.

                “Doesn’t it just make you want to teach it some manners?” Brixby laughed, excitement tickling her words. “I just love de-gnoming gardens! It’s so therapeutic, but I think I’ll leave this one for you.”

                “Me?” Donghae choked out. He wasn’t ready. No matter how many gnomes he watched his professor chuck over the garden wall, he was pretty sure he’d never be ready. Out of all the strange things Donghae had seen over the last five years at Hogwarts, this was by far the strangest, and to a muggle-born wizard that was saying a lot.

                “Yes,” she answered. “You’re the one who wanted extra money this summer. I already have a job, remember? Now, make me proud,” she encouraged with a nod.

                Professor Brixby had spent the better part of the afternoon teaching Donghae the not-so-fine-art of chucking these foul-mouthed underground creatures over garden hedges, gates, walls and fences. “All one has to do is grab it by the legs and fling it over the wall, keeps them out for years. No magical wards needed. No one knows why. They just can’t seem to figure their way back over,” she explained with a shrug.

                Apparently gnomes weren’t the brightest creatures, often surfacing from their underground burrows to see what the all the fuss was about after hearing their brethren squeal as they flew over the wall. Most didn’t even run away when you approached them, so engrossed in their teasing, they couldn’t be bothered by it really. Catching one was simple, so his professor said, and so Donghae set off to do just that.

                He was no humanitarian, as gnomes were pests through and through, or so he was told—but it was one thing to watch as their little legs cleared a hedge wall and it was another thing, a different thing all together, to be the one causing it. She had already assured him that they didn’t feel a thing. To be honest, he was more worried over how their skin would feel, most pointedly, if they would feel like a lizard’s skin. Donghae didn’t like lizard’s skin. It felt soft and hard, slimy and dry, scaly and smooth all at the same time. It was a strange fear in the muggle world but in the wizarding world, a surprising amount of things felt like lizard’s skin. It was unsettling.

                He wanted to ask Professor Brixby before attempting anything but what did it really matter? He had a job to do and didn’t want to appear weak in front of her.

                Donghae headed toward the gnome slowly, much like Brixby instructed, but with more frequent looks over his shoulder to ensure that he was still doing it right. Brixby encouraged him as usual, a soft flick or two of her wrist, as though shooing a child off to play. It was all he needed…at least until the next few steps.

                 “Remember to spread your legs wide and squat low. It’s just like catching a knarl,” she explained again. Only problem was, Donghae had never caught a knarl. In fact, he had no idea what a knarl was, but he would be damned before he let Professor Brixby know that. “Then swiftly  grab his legs, swing him up and over your head like a one of those lovely helicopters muggles fly in all of the time—remember, the dizzier it is, the better—before letting him go to watch him sail over the wall.”

                Donghae wanted to remind his professor that people rarely flew in helicopters but before he could open his mouth, he was cut off with the rudest of noises. The gnome, whose lips were larger than Donghae previously recalled, cut him off by blowing raspberries to no one in particular. A motorboat of activity, the sight was odd and so childlike that he couldn’t help but smile. It was like watching a clown at the circus; strange, creepy and sometimes scary but silly enough to make even the most frightened child crack a smile.

                The effect wore thin after a while though and Donghae decided to use the gnome’s preoccupied state to his advantage. While the gnome’s eyes were squeezed shut in extreme raspberry concentration, Donghae seized the opportunity, plunging swiftly for the knobby little legs before carrying out his teacher’s instructions. With a last shout of protest from the gnome, Donghae watched as it flew over the wall like it had invisible wings.

                 It took about two seconds before he heard it land with a soft thud, immediately followed by an even softer “ouch.”

                “Are you sure it doesn’t hurt them?” he asked, feeling a pang of guilt at the sound.

                Brixby snorted, “Hurt a gnome? Nah. Their bones are harder than stone, their butts are like Quaffle balls­—and everyone knows that a gnome always lands on their —and their skin is tougher than leather. Only jarveys have sharp enough teeth to pierce a gnome’s skin but most wizards don’t use jarveys to de-gnome anymore; too brutal. Hurling them is much better, don’t you agree?”

                He didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure how to. Instead, he continued to stare over the garden wall, pondering the existence of things like gnomes and jarveys. Just how brutal were they that this was considered the more humane approach?

                Brixby walked up to Donghae, her longs legs closing the distance between them in seconds before patting him on his shoulder. She was much taller than him, but he didn’t mind. “So, how did it feel to toss your first gnome?”

                Donghae hated it. It felt just like a lizard.

                “It was great!” He beamed, not wanting to disappoint his advisor.

                “Good. I’ll leave the rest of the garden for you then. Shouldn’t be too many left. Once you toss one, they all come out of their holes, wondering what the bother is,” she said with a shake of her head. “I better get home. My husband will be expecting me. You know how muggles are, always wondering where their wives are off too,” she said with a wink.

                Donghae cringed at the reminder of Professor Brixby’s muggle husband. At 15 years, it’s not like he had much of a chance with her anyway. Still, a boy could dream…and even though he thought it was normal for someone to wonder what their wife or husband was up to, he decided to smile and nod politely. Apparently wizards didn’t care what their spouses did all day.

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

                Professor Brixby was right. It didn’t take him long to de-gnome that garden but it took another two hours to de-gnome the neighbor’s garden as there was twice as many gnomes now inhabiting their backyard. Donghae hadn’t realized that a few of the gnomes he chucked from one garden, mistakenly landed in the next. Despite his hiccups, he was getting better by the end of it.

                Donghae counted the galleons in his bite infested hand; 5 galleons total. That was roughly 50 pounds. He glanced up at the stone wall which inhabited his new friend, a shiny black cat with green eyes much like his advisor, so he named her Brixby. He noticed Brixby the cat at his last garden, when he almost knocked her off the wall by way of a gnome. Needless to say, although he couldn’t stop laughing about it for a long time after, he still felt bad—it was just that the cat had the funniest expression.  

                “Not bad Brixby, not bad at all. I’m probably the most successful self-employed muggle-born wizard still attending Hogwarts,” he joked to his new feline friend. The cat yawned, rising from her seated position before stretching and jumping out of sight. Donghae laughed it off, bidding farewell to his short lived friendship but deciding to follow the cat’s lead and call it a day.

                It was summer now at Hogwarts and Donghae was one of the few students still staying on the Hogwarts’ grounds. Every student had their reason to spend summer away from home and Donghae was no exception. It was expensive to fly back home to Korea and Donghae’s family did not have the means to send him home…and so he worked until he had enough to afford it. Hopefully he could make enough to visit them before the summer was out.

                The sun was fading and Donghae didn’t know his way around Ottery St. Catchpole well enough to navigate the windy streets in the dark. The small town was known for having more twists and turns in its geography than a snake had slithers. He knew his way back, or so he believed, but if he made one wrong turn it could take him hours to figure out his mistake. He knew it from experience in his third year at Hogwarts, sent on an errand for breakfast muffins by the former Dark Arts teacher. He used a locator spell to find his way back to school then but if it happened again this time, he wouldn’t be able to use his wand, seeing as school was no longer in session and underage wizards couldn’t use them without supervision.

                Grabbing his bike, he set off blindly towards Hogwarts, its castle walls obstructed by the hillside.

                It took him less than 30 minutes to realize he was lost and another 30 before he realized he was really, very lost. He didn’t have a mobile phone since electronics didn’t work well around magic and it wasn’t like he could afford the bill anyway. He had his wand but couldn’t use it. He didn’t have many options either, so he did the only thing he could do, took the least winding path with hopes of it leading him back to the main road.

                It was dark at this point. The sun had set and he had unknowingly taken the scenic route back to school. Hopping off his bike, he decided to hoof it, thinking the speed of his beach cruiser (a present from his father) caused him to miss a crucial turn. He hadn’t walked far before he caught the glint of something shiny in the distance. He paused, wary of what it could be and before his eyes could fully adjust, he heard the small meow of a cat.

                “Brixby, is that you?” Donhae asked, knowing that the chances of such a thing would be very small indeed but as he approached the small animal, he did believe it to be the same cat he had almost mowed down with a gnome, just hours before.

                “Brixby, it is you!” Once again there was the briefest of flashes, and he realized it was Brixby’s eyes catching what little light was left of the settling darkness.

                He clapped, excited to see a familiar face. He could already feel the anxiety ease up a little at the appearance of his green eyed friend. He reached down tentatively, letting the cat sniff his fingers, hoping it would let him pet it. The force of the cat’s head against his hand was almost bruising as the cat plowed into him, reaching for the contact.

                “Hey girl, it’s nice to see you too. You wouldn’t know how to get to Hogwarts from here by any chance, now would you?”

                The cat meowed and Donghae laughed, rewarding the cat with a good scratch behind her dark ears. As if on request, the cat stepped back and started walking up the hill. It ventured down a small little path to the left, covered with low hanging foliage but paused before it was completely out of sight, looking back at him, as if waiting for him.

                “You want me to follow you?” he asked Bixby, not serious about an answer but noting how good it felt to speak out loud, to anyone or anything, even a cat.

                The cat meowed, taking another step forward only to pause and look back at him once again. Donghae shrugged, figuring he couldn’t get more lost than he already was. “You lead and I shall follow. On to Hogwarts must trusty companion,” he bellowed, only half joking. He felt a little crazy but what other options did he have? He gripped his handle bars and walked his bike down the smaller path, following his new friend into the dark.

                Donghae had to admit that for a while there, he was actually scared. The path the cat was leading him down was darker than dark and what little light there was, formed monstrous shadows eager to swallow him whole. The sounds from the surrounding woodland area were alarming at best; ticks, hoots, grunts and howls filled the air with their haunting notes. Being a muggle-born wizard, he really didn’t know enough about magical creatures inhabiting the area and coming from a city, he knew absolutely nothing about normal forest creatures either. A bunny could hop out of the bushes at any moment and he would pee his pants.

                Were there magical bunnies here? He had no idea and had no intention of finding out.

                His fear dissipated when he saw the soft glow of light from up ahead and it wasn’t two minutes later when he could fully see the illuminated wooden bridge leading up to Hogwarts. The bridge never looked better, even after its debut (rebuilt after the second wizarding war), because for Donghae it meant that he was no longer lost and nothing was more beautiful than that. 

                “You did it Brixby! You’re the best,” Donghae praised as Brixby leaned into his hand for another petting session.

                “Well, I had better be getting back,” he declared, wanting to make it to the castle before curfew. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay sweetie? I have a few more gardens to de-gnome and I would like it if you were there too. How does that sound?”

                With one last of her ear, Donghae hopped back on his bike and across the bridge, headed straight toward Hogwarts. He was back at the castle in no time as relief overtook his exhaustion, fueling his legs for a speedy trip home. It only took him a moment to lock his bike up before heading toward the Gryffindor tower, and that’s when he noticed a familiar face at the castle steps.

                “Brixby,” Donghae chided, staring down at the black cat. “You can’t be here. I have to get inside so you have to go home, okay?” The cat responded by rubbing himself along Donghae’s shin, a deep purr emitting from .

                 “Fine, you can come with me but only because it’s just me in that tower and Nearly Headless Nick freaks me out,” he said, picking up the cat and cradling it in his arms as he entered the castle, he always had a soft spot for girls with pretty green eyes.

                “It’s not like we’re not allowed a pet anyway and it’s not like I’m breaking any rules…so why do I feel like I am?” Donghae pondered out loud, trying to explain away his sudden unease. It was true though, he did feel somewhat naughty for smuggling in his new friend. He hadn’t had anyone to talk to in so long, he almost felt guilty for having a friend at all.

                It was just a cat after all, so he tried to shake it off. It was more likely that the guilt was from not informing any staff member of his little guest.

                He walked in the stillness, his steps thundering in the halls before passing a few of the corridors and finding the set of staircases that would lead him to the Gryffindor tower. He stopped and whispered the password to the painting that guarded the door, making a mental note to inform a professor, first thing in the morning.

********************          

                Donghae woke up the next morning with a sharp pain to his temple. Cracking his eyes open, he spied a large barn owl perched on his nightstand with a letter in its beak. It was a red letter, more specifically, a howler.  Howlers were never good. He watched in horror as the bird poked him in the temple with the letter for old times’ sake before letting it drop onto his chest and flying out the open window of his chambers.

                Yawning into his morning stretch, he reached blindly for Brixby, whom he let sleep on his bed the night before, and ruffled her hair. The hair was soft and long as it weaved through his fingers. Satisfied with the calming ability the cat seemed to have for him, Donghae finally reached for the howler, bracing himself for its contents. The last thing he wanted was for it to explode if he didn’t open it quick enough.

                Letter in hand, he ripped the envelope open. Immediately, the voice of Professor McGonagall filled the bedroom chamber with fear and dread. “Mr. Donghae Lee, if I do not see you in my office within the next hour, I will personally see to it that you are never accepted into Auror training! Do you hear me, Mr. Lee? Get up! Get up this instant!”

                Donghae quickly threw the letter into the air and watched it burst into flames not a moment after it left his hand.

                He was late and he could not afford to be late. Professor McGonagall was doing him a favor, a favor she could retract at any second. Donghae wanted to become an Auror, just like his idle Harry Potter but unlike Harry Potter, he was never in a wizarding war. Not that he wanted to be, but his lack of combat experience meant he would have to go about Auror acceptance like everyone else, and that meant getting high marks in his N.E.W.T.s. and that meant regular lessons with Headmistress McGonagall for transfiguration classes, which he barely got an O.W.L. in.

                Donghae jumped from his bed as if the letter had burnt him, getting dressed as quickly as possible. He was almost out the door, wand in hand, when he noticed something rather peculiar dominating his peripheral and sitting in his bed. Taking a few steps back, he craned his neck for a better view of it.

                “Hey, friend,” a boy of his age waved to him. “Thanks for letting me sleep here. I’d always wanted to see what Hogwarts looked like from the inside. Never realized how big it really was. I mean, I have a big room at home, but do all students get their own chambers to sleep in? Are you the only student here? I mean, there are like six beds in here. Do you sleep in a different bed every night? Wow, must be nice.”

                Donghae stared at the boy who was in his bed, more than just a little confused. It was a prank. It had to be.

                There were only a handful of muggle-born students at Hogwarts and even fewer foreigners. Sometimes a few of the students liked to since he was both foreign and muggle-born, which made him very gullible and extremely easy to prank. He didn’t particularly liking being made fun of—he didn’t think anyone did, so he really couldn’t understand why it happened to him so often. He figured that someone must have heard him whisper the password last night and they switched Brixby with this boy.

                He was more than a little upset but he would be damned if he was going to let the boy see it. He had to remain calm. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” he asked.

                The boy just smiled, a wide display of teeth and gums and Donghae felt a little strange after seeing it. It wasn’t a bad strange, just a feeling he hadn’t really felt before. For some reason, he was reminded of Professor Brixby.

                “Listen, I’m late and I need to get to my lesson. You can laugh at me all you want once I get back,” Donghae announced with a curt nod, as though it was the best decision for both parties.

                “Wait! Donghae, it’s me…Brixby,” the boy said.

                Donghae turned back around, eyes narrowed in equal parts suspicion and confusion.

                “You brought me up here last night, remember? After I led you back to the castle,” he added while twiddling his thumbs.

                Donghae just continued to stare.

                “You almost hit me with a gnome? Ring any bells yet?”

                This time Donghae jumped back, his wand extended toward the boy in his bed in a defensive stance. It was the same stance he had learned in dueling exercises and one he intended on perfecting before he left Hogwarts to become an Auror. “Who are you? How do you know my name? Have you been following me?”

                “I’m Brixby,” the boy stated again, as if that explained it all. Donghae looked him over, sizing him up. He was thin, thinner than him and roughly the same age. He was East Asian like himself, maybe even Korean but spoke with a perfect English accent, unlike himself. He was certain he had never seen him before in his life.

                “Who are you…really?” he asked again.

                “My name is Hyukjae, really. Brixby is the name you gave me though, when I was a cat. I’m an animagus. I can change into a black cat, as you saw and well…I’m a wizard like you, but an animagus as well,” the boy explained. He looked as though he wanted to say something else but stopped himself.

                Donghae knew from his studies what an animagus was, and that it wasn’t something easy to do. It was a discipline that took skill, practice and patience since it wasn’t easy morphing oneself into an animal, and if you didn’t have the aptitude, it could go horribly wrong. The only animagus he knew of was Professor McGonagall. There weren’t many registered animagi in the wizarding world and it was nearly unheard of for a boy his age to be one, but he was more interested right now in what Hyukjae hadn’t said.

                 “What?” Donghae asked, prodding the boy to say what he didn’t.

                “I was watching you well before I made myself known to you,” he paused. “I’m curious…you named me after her, didn’t you, your professor with the red hair? Why? Last I checked I was a black cat, not an orange tabby.”

                “You both have green eyes,” Donghae spoke before he could stop himself. “At least you do in cat form. Your eyes are just a boring brown like mine now.”

                “You don’t like my eyes?” Hyukjae smirked.

                Donghae floundered, “No! I mean, yes—no. I mean, your eyes are fine, just not green anymore like when you were a cat. That’s all I meant. Your eyes are fine,” Donghae shrugged.

                “You think my eyes are fine?” the boy asked, and there was a twinkle in them that made Donghae think that they were more than just fine, but he would never say so.

                “You know what I mean,” he clarified.

                “Fine, fine, fine. I think I like your eyes though,” the boy teased, throwing back the blanket to better cross his jeaned legs, letting his fingers fold across his belly. He looked more at home than Donghae did.

                “No. You have to leave. You can’t get comfortable here. You’re not a Gryffindor, I would know and if anyone catches you up here, I’m the one getting in trouble,” he said, ignoring the compliment and pointing his wand at him again to drive the point home.

                “You have a crush on her, don’t you?” Hyukjae asked, ignoring his demands.

                Donghae found the question more than a little obtrusive and well beyond any boundaries one should dare cross before knowing them, but he found himself answering all the same. Almost as in defeat, he nodded and lowered his wand.

                “Muggle-born wizards are given advisors, so that we can adjust easier in the new environment. She’s my advisor here and a professor as well. She’s the reason I’m going to school here, really. She’s the one that informed my family that I was a wizard and what that would mean for the future. I could have gone to the nearest wizarding school in Japan, but if I was going to let anyone take me away from my family, it was going to be her. I think I fell for her even before I knew I fell for her. My little ten year old brain just didn’t know it at the time.”

                “That’s because love comes from the heart, you idiot.” Hyukjae smiled again and Donghae felt something ignite in his chest. It was the smile that reminded him of Professor Brixby, he surmised. It had the same wild abandon.

                “That also explains why you so badly at de-gnoming gardens then,” Hyukjae said, rising from the bed and straightening his tee-shirt and jeans that were spoiled with sleep. He was thankful that he wasn’t , as animagi could change with their clothes on. “You throw like a girl, by the way,” the boy teased, and yet Donghae felt no malice behind the words.

                “I thought you were a girl, by the way,” Donghae shot back.

                Hyukjae paused, staring Donghae down before breaking down in a fit of laughter, which in turn had Donghae joining in on the infectious sound. After a moment or two, the laughter settled and Donghae continued with his questioning. He was still cautious but there was a certain level of trust he felt with the other.

                “So, now that you know my story. What’s yours? You look like you’re my age but I’ve never seen you here before. Are you a transfer? Don’t tell me that you’re a Slytherin spy sent here to steal the password,” Donghae asked, really wanting to trust Hyukjae fully, hoping that he was a transfer student but not a Slytherin. Donghae didn’t have many friends at school and Hyukjae seemed like he had the potential to be one…just maybe…

                “Like I said, my name is Hyukjae and I’m an animagus. I’m not a student here, transfer or otherwise. I live nearby though, a few towns over. I’m homeschooled though…and you’re the first Hogwarts student that I’ve met in a long time that wasn’t a complete tool,” Hyukjae confessed.

                Donghae smiled at the veiled compliment but frowned when the rest of Hyukjae’s answer filtered through. Homeschooled? Is that a thing? Donghae wondered, but his thoughts were cut off when there was a loud knock on the chamber door.

                “Mr. Lee, why haven’t you left the sleeping chambers yet? Why are you not in my office for your transfiguration lesson? Do want to be an Auror, or not?”

                Donghae froze at the sound of Professor McGonagall’s voice carrying effortlessly through the door. She was definitely angry if she was using a spell to amplify her voice. Panic wasn’t a good enough word for how Donghae felt at that very moment.

                “Cat,” he hissed at Hyukjae, and thankfully he understood because within the next second, Hyukjae was back to being a green eyed cat sitting lazily across his comforter. The transformation was quick and miraculous. Donghae instantly wanted to watch it again.

                “Mr. Lee, I hope you’re dressed because I am coming in, like it or not,” she declared before the latch on the door gave way to his bugged eyed headmistress, grey hair swept up in a trademark bun.

                “Close your mouth, Mr. Lee or flies will get in,” she chided. Donghae promptly closed his mouth. “I see that you are dressed at least. Well, what are you doing just standing there gawking at your cat? Lessons are for learning, Mr. Lee. Now, no more dawdling and follow me,” she demanded. And just as quickly as she came, she was gone.

                Donghae tried to motion to the cat, to stay where he was, when he realized Hyukjae could understand him perfectly if he spoke. With a shake of his head he said, “Stay here Brixby. Do not leave that bed. I’ll be back, ok?”

                Brixby answered by way of yawn, lowering his head to his crossed paws and getting comfortable once again.

                “Mr. Lee! Hurry up now, I’m not getting any younger…and bring that cat of yours. I think he’ll fit into today’s lesson perfectly.”

                Donghae groaned as the cat’s ears perked up in response, showing his enthusiasm for said request. Having little to no choice at all, Donghae grabbed Hyukjae and tucked him carefully into his arms before descending the stairs to follow his professor.

********************          

                Donghae sat at the only desk in Professor Minerva McGonagall’s office. It was a privilege to have the headmistress tutoring him in transfigurations and he was very aware of this fact. She used to be the transfiguration professor back in Potter’s time but since becoming headmistress, she only taught N.E.W.T. level classes. It was saying a lot when she offered to tutor Donghae so that he could re-test into her class for the upcoming year. He was never very good at transfiguration and any amount of studying only led to mediocre grades at best. An Auror had to have the best marks in at least 5 subjects to even be considered; Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology (which he was also being tutored in by Professor Longbottom), Charms, and of course Transfiguration were the preferred subjects.

                “Now, Mr. Lee,” Professor McGonagall continued, concluding the lecture portion of her lesson. “What did we learn about the Homorphus charm?”

                Realizing he had no idea what a Homorphus charm was, too distracted by Hyukjae slinking around Professor McGonagall’s office like he had the right to poke into every little nook and cranny, he looked down to his notes but it was no use. He hadn’t written a thing about charms. It was too much for him, having Hyukjae there, and his anxiety was at an all time high. If the professor found out that Brixby was really a wizard and not just a cat, Donghae was very sure that he could kiss his Auror career goodbye and maybe Hogwarts as well.

                “Mr. Lee, if you so much as glance at that cat one more time, I just might turn you into one. Cats are curious by nature, dear boy, and I do not need you disrupting our lessons every five minutes to tell it to stay out of my boxes or to get down from the shelving. I am perfectly capable of handling a cat, Mr. Lee and it is my office he is curious about, after all.” She sighed, as if in defeat. “I think it’s time for the next part of our lesson anyhow. Mr. Lee, please grab your cat and take a seat.”

                Donghae felt a little ashamed and like the obedient boy he strived to be, he called out to Hyukjae. “Brixby, come here boy.” Within two bounds and a hearty plop, the cat was purring in Donghae’s lap.

                “Very obedient cat you have there Mr. Lee. Now, let’s continue, shall we?” Professor McGonagall asked, peering over her spectacles in question. Donghae nodded in apology.

                “Now, the Hormophus charm is actually a spell. It was incorrectly named by Gilderoy Lockhart, no surprise there, and is used to turn a person and only a person, back into his rightful form. It can only be used for its intended purpose. For instance, you cannot use a spell that is intended to turn a rock back into a man if the rock was never a man to begin with. It doesn’t work that way. Do you understand Donghae?” she asked, in a rare display of his given name.

                Donghae nodded, only half listening as he felt hypnotized by the rise of fall of Hyukjae’s body under his palm and the warmth spreading across his lap.

                “The more common name for this spell is the Animagus Reverse Spell,” Professor McGonagall continued.

                Broken from his trance, the words resonated within his ears and Donghae swallowed.

                “It isn’t the best way to turn a man back into his natural form, as it can be rather painful. It is only used when absolutely necessary and as an aspiring Auror, you will use this spell. There are many animagi out there who are not registered, which means that they are criminals because that is breaking the law. Now, point your wand at your cat and rotate your wrist in an anti-clockwise motion. Concentration is key, Mr. Lee.”

                 “You want me to perform the spell on my cat?”Donghae exclaimed.

                “Yes, Mr. Lee. Like I stated previously, it will not make a difference if your cat was never a person to begin with. Do not worry. No harm will come to the animal. We are only learning theory and technique here. Now, start with lifting your wand—“

                “How painful is it?” Donghae interrupted.

                The professor sighed. “It is very painful, Mr. Lee. It is basically forcing something from one form into another. It is much easier for an animagus to change of his own free will. Whenever something is forced, there is always tension and it is of the highest level when changing from animal to human. There is no feat more extreme or complicated. That is why it is very difficult to become an animagus in the first place and why many give up before accomplishing it. Now, raise your wand,” she instructed.

                He gulped. “Um…I don’t think I’m feeling very well, Professor. I think I need to lie down and rest. A gnome bit me yesterday…a few times…and I think it may have had rabies,” he lied. He didn’t want to subject Hyukjae to something so painful, not to mention they would be found out—all signs pointed to bad.

                “Nonsense, Lee. Gnomes cannot have rabies. Those little buggers are immune to everything. Mind you, that when the world ends, it’ll be just gnomes and cockroaches roaming the earth. Now, raise your wand.”

                Donghae could feel the beads of sweat dotting his brow. Even Hyukjae grew rigid in his lap, no doubt worried about the painful transformation. “No. I can’t. I’m sorry Professor.”

                Professor McGonagall paused, as if in thought, then gathered her long robes and sat across from him on a leather chaise. “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Mr. Lee? Like, who that cat is on your lap?”

                She knew! Donghae had no idea how but he had been found out. He wasn’t sure how he should proceed but his curiosity got the best of him and before he could stop the question, he had already asked it. “How did you know?”

                “Do you think that I am so old Mr. Lee that I cannot hear? Just before knocking on your door, I heard voices, two voices and once you opened the door I saw just one boy and one cat. The look on your face alone told me that you were hiding something, and it most likely had something to do with that cat in your lap, seeing as you couldn’t tear your eyes away from him.”

                She leaned forward a bit, now giving Hyukjae the brunt of her stare. “It’s time to come out now, boy. The jig is up. Show yourself or I’ll gladly perform the Homorphus charm. Mr. Lee could use a practical lesson or two.”

                Without pause, Hyukjae jumped from his lap and very swiftly morphed back into a young boy.  

                “Well, now that’s more like it,” Professor McGonagall commented, leaning back on her lounge. “Very impressive, but first things first, what’s your name child? Where are you from and why are you here? Answer quickly if you know what’s best for you.”

                Donghae felt nervous and he could tell that the cool exterior that Hyukjae projected earlier was clearly dissolving. He was just as scared as he was.

                “My name is Hyukjae Lee. I live in Darburry Circle with my parents, where I am homeschooled. I am here because I was curious and…” he paused to look at Donghae. “I thought I might make a friend?”

                Hyukjae smiled weakly and Donghae’s reply was a smile strong enough for the both of them, or so he hoped.

                Professor McGonagall quirked an eyebrow in interest. “Homeschooled?” she asked. “Who are your parents, child?”

                “Daniel Armand Lee and Stephanie Young Lee,” Hyukjae answered.

                Professor McGonagall paused to give it thought and then nodded. “Wandless, am I correct?”

                Hyukjae nodded.

                “You know very well that you cannot be here Hyukjae. Your parents would disapprove greatly. I can understand your curiosity but we must respect your parents’ wishes.”

                Hyukjae looked tired suddenly, as though this was something he had heard countless times before. “But why can’t they respect mine? I want to go here, just like every other wizard in Britain. Why can’t I get a wand and sit in classrooms with my peers and actually have a friend or two? Do you know how lonely it is being the only wizard out there without someone to relate too?

                “My parents keep telling me that it’s for my own good, that I can’t trust the ministry and that Hogwarts isn’t much better but even they had the chance to attend here. I just want the same chance!” By the end of his confession, Hyukjae was teary eyed and Donghae wished that he was a cat again, so that he could hold him in his arms and soothe the pain, maybe pet it away. He wasn’t sure what was going on or what exactly Hyukjae was talking about but he knew what it was like to be lonely, the only one, and an outsider.

                “If your wish is really to attend here, I can speak to your parents for you but it will not be easy Hyukjae. The times where hard during the last wizarding war, especially so for muggle-born wizards. Voldemort and his death eaters were cruel and controlled the ministry and tried to control Hogwarts as well. In many ways they succeeded and your parents were one of the many victims under their regime. The ministry today respects their wishes to leave you out of Hogwarts, because they understand their mistrust and no amount of promises will ever erase what was done to them.”

                McGonagall rose from her seat and crossed the space between her and Hyukjae, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Know, that even if they did say yes, that even if I did manage to convince them, it would not be easy for you here. You’ve been taught many things, haven’t you, and all without a wand?”

                Hyukjae nodded.

                “Yes, the wandless take great pride in their ability to practice magic without a wand. It is a great and powerful skill, but here you will need to learn how to use one. Wands are not a necessity but they are a powerful tool. A wizard like you could be great with one, I believe. You will need to work hard to catch up with other students your age, like Donghae here—he is entering his sixth year. Yes, there is much catching up to do…and maybe you could teach us a thing or two in return,” she added, trying to lighten Hyukjae’s spirits.

                “It is not impossible but do not get your hopes up. What will be, will be Hyukjae,” she said, removing her hand to usher Hyukjae out the door. “A muggle-born wizard does not have the same stigma it once did. Times have changed but I would be lying if I said that all wizarding families are as accepting and tolerant as they should be. I think that Donghae can attest to that.”

                Donghae averted his eyes, not wanting to admit to the bullying, especially if would could keep Hyukjae away from Hogwarts.

                “I will be back, Mr. Lee. I will need to see Hyukjae home now. You are dismissed for the day but do not think that you are off the hook. Read up on animagi in the meantime. Your lack of knowledge on the subject is alarming. Now that you’ve seen it, I think you could benefit from it.” And just like that, she was out the door.

                Donghae sat stunned. It had all happened so quickly that he hadn’t had proper time to think. All he knew was that he had made a friend and lost one in the same morning. He considered running after them, stopping them, but to what purpose? Hyukjae couldn’t stay, not only was he not allowed but apparently his parents didn’t want him going here either.

                All he could do was hope that he would see him again later, hopefully while he was de-gnoming gardens.

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

                He didn’t see him later that afternoon, or for the rest of the summer. Every day, Donghae hoped against hope that he would see Hyukjae’s mischievous face, his bright smile—so unlike Professor Brixby’s yet so similar that he couldn’t help but adore it—but never did. It felt like a dream now, a whirlwind of memories for a time that happened so fast, Donghae wasn’t even sure it had happened at all. When he had tried to bring it up to Professor McGonagall she had hushed him, stating that it was out of her hands.

                He found it hard to concentrate the rest of his summer and was sure that his professors were at the end of their ropes. They were more than exasperated with his lack of commitment. It was only a matter of time before one of his professors confronted him, and surprisingly it wasn’t Professor Brixby or Professor McGonagall.

                “There is something that everyone learns and it is a lesson that usually comes at a time we aren’t ready for, but need all the same,” Professor Longbottom explained. “I think it’s come a little early for you, just like it did for me. Loss is more than just the lack of something; it is the absence of what that something meant to you. You need to remember that something and you will find it will be enough to carry you through the rest of your life’s journey.”

                “If we wait for that sorrow we feel to pass, we’ll be waiting forever. Your father, Hyukjae and even your family—whom I’m sure you’ll have enough saved up for to visit next year—would not want you to miss out on life because you are stunted by them. In fact, I think it would make them quite sad. You are a talented wizard Donghae. I see it, McGonagall pointed it out to me and Brixby speaks of you like you were her own brother. We’re all rooting for you.”

                Having had no idea that Professor Longbottom cared to know that much about him, left Donghae leaving his herbology lesson feeling a little ashamed that he had caused any distress, but happy to have another person in his corner just the same.

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

                It was the sorting ceremony here at Hogwarts and he could hardly remember what it felt like to hear that dusty hat tell him that he was part of Gryffindor. The word meant nothing at the time to him, but through the looks on his housemates’ faces, he understood what it felt like to be part of something great, something bigger than him. That is still how he felt as his eyes washed over the Great Hall, still not believing that he was actually a real wizard who could cast real spells and make real potions.

                Looking at his housemates now, he realized how much a summer had changed them, or maybe it was he who had changed. Many of the boys grew taller and most, if not all, were taller than him now. But it wasn’t just that, they had matured; shoulders broadened, jaws hardened and brows shaded the once youthful eyes Donghae was so used to seeing just a few months before. The girls were different too. They weren’t necessarily taller but they looked fuller, especially in the bust. He caught a few looking at him as well while they whispered in each other’s ears with giggles.

                He never understood girls.

                Bringing his attention back to the ceremony ahead, Donghae had almost expected to see Hyukjae’s face in the first year’s crowd. It was a silly thought as Hyukjae was closer to his age and being the only teenager mixed in with ten year olds would have been rather embarrassing, but he really wanted to see him. About to start his sixth year, his only regret is that he hadn’t made that bond of friendship he had been longing for. His English was better than when he had first arrived at Hogwarts, and it allowed him to find a kid or two he could hang out with, but no one he could confide in, no one that he could entirely relate to.

                Not wanting to stick around for the feast after Headmistress McGonagall’s welcoming speech, Donghae headed back to the Gryffindor tower, hoping to get a little privacy before his roommates arrived or worst, the first years.

                The common room was quiet and so was his bedroom chamber as everyone else was still downstairs in the Great Hall. Annoyed for no real reason at all, he was less than happy to see a cat on his bed, especially when it wasn’t a black cat named Brixby. This cat was named Bilbo and belonged to a Lord of the Rings fanatic named Henry. He and Henry had very little in common, but he was one of the few kids he could hang out with and possibly call a friend.

                It didn’t stop him from hissing at the cat and finding great pleasure as he watched it high tail it off his bed and down the stairs.

                He plopped down on his bed, sprawled out like an angry child and huffed at how unfair his life had been up to this point. Sure, he was thankful for a lot and being a wizard was more than any boy could ask for but the loss of his father while he was away at school and not saving up enough to see his family during the summer—not to mention the ill-lived friendship he had with Hyukjae—was too much for him. All he could do was hope that this year would be better. He would make a real friend, even if it would kill him and become an Auror and fight bad guys, just like Harry Potter did.

                He wanted to be one of the elite, and that’s what an Auror was. It was one of the things he wanted when he first learned of it. Not only would he prove that he was an excellent wizard (muggle-born or not), he would help save the world from others like Voldemort. It was one of the most difficult things a wizard could become, and he had wanted to make his father proud, but his father was gone now. He honestly wasn’t even sure why he was still trying so hard. His mother would be proud of him, no matter what he ended up doing.

                All he knew was that he couldn’t give it up now, and his Herbology and Transfigurations scores were finally high enough so that he could take N.E.W.T. level classes. He should have been happy, but he wasn’t. There was only one thing now that could make him happy.

                “You know, you should treat cats better. You never know, it could be a relative of mine.”

                Donghae lifted his head from the comforter, disbelief registering across his face, before jumping off the bed like he had been stung by it.

                “Hyukjae?” he asked as he crashed against the other, causing Hyukjae to brace himself against the walls of the stairwell so that they didn’t go tumbling back, thwarting a tragic end to their reunion. “Is it actually you?”

                Hyukjae laughed and settled into the hug, now that their demise was prevented. It was a warm hug that lasted maybe just a beat too long before Donghae realized that this was the first time he had ever touched Hyukjae, as a person.

                “I’m sorry…I just,” Donghae explained sheepishly while pulling away. “I guess I just didn’t think you were real and had to make sure, you know.”

                Stepping back, Donghae finally got a good look at the boy in front of him. He was wearing black robes and had a Gryffindor scarf on. He looked like a proper student. It had been a little over a month since he had last seen him and even he had changed, for the better.

                “You’re a Gryffindor?” Donghae whispered, not sure he should say it too loud in fear he might scare the thought away.

                “Yep. Professor McGonagall thought it was better for me to do the sorting thing apart from the first years. She put that dusty ol’ hat on my head yesterday and it said something about me being brave, loyal, daring, stupid…and then said I’d fit right in as a Gryffindor. Weirdest thing to ever happen to me, hands down,” he laughed and Donghae melted in that smile.

                Donghae pulled him into the chamber before breaking away to rush over to the bed nearest his own, successfully shoving the contents onto the floor.

                Hyukjae looked down at the piles of bags and luggage lying on the ground and gave Donghae a quizzical look.

                “Don’t worry. They can find another bed, there’s plenty. It is a castle after all.”

                Hyukjae smirked, “But, what if I wanted to sleep there?”

                Donghae’s face turned bright red from embarrassment and immediately started placing the bags back onto the crimson comforter. “Sorry. The bed is all yours.”

                Hyukjae laughed again. “So, are you going to give me a tour or what?”

                Donghae smiled. “Sure, but first tell me how you convinced your parents to go here?”

                Hyukjae shrugged. “They couldn’t resist my charms?”

                “Well, that’s obviously not true, so what really happened?”

                Hyukjae feigned hurt but explained anyway. “Your Professor Brixby came by, after McGonagall spoke with them. She told them about you. She told them about what a great student you were and how well you were doing even though you had the cards stacked against you. I told them that they would like you, because you tried hard and never gave up—I think you must have had at least a hundred bites after you were done de-gnoming that day, but you never complained. I think it was the reason I decided to like you…that, and you weren’t the ugliest person I had ever seen.”

                Donghae could feel the heat rising again and quickly steered the subject back on course. “So, your parents gave-in, just like that?”

                “No,” Hyukjae said while shaking his head. “But it opened up the door for discussion I think. I think it helped them realize that I wouldn’t be alone, that being the kid of muggle-born parents wasn’t a handicap, but something one should wear like a badge of honor. I think that my parents felt ashamed in a way and hid behind their fears by renouncing all the things they thought represented the evil in wizardry. The hardest part was convincing them I had to get a wand. I think it hurt them to be reminded of how theirs was taken away…but look!”

                Donghae waited while Hyukjae pulled a wand out of his pocket. It was beautiful. “Aspen with Dragon Core, 12.5 inches, unbending,” he recited. “How cool does that sound? The guy at the shop said that a wand was much like its owner. Did you hear that? I’m unbending, which basically means that I’m stubborn. That’s really how I wore my parents down—who wants to spend years with a sullen teenager in their house? They had to let me go here, honestly. They didn’t really have a choice.”

                Donghae laughed. “So, what do you want to see first?” he asked, eager to see Hyukjae’s face light up at Hogwarts historic artifacts and other, more magical oddities.

                Hyukjae smiled. “You, for now. I just want to see you.”