Chapter Text
Park Jimin released a heavy sigh of relief as he tumbled onto Platform 9¾. His two trunks clanged against his legs and his backpack sat heavy against his body.
He was late, as per usual.
Jimin could give dozens of excuses as to why he was late: he woke up late; his toast took too long to crisp; his belongings were not fully packed; there was Muggle traffic.
In reality, Jimin was always punctual in everything but time. He hadn’t woken up late, but had risen bright and early in excitement for heading to Hogwarts for his final year. His toast took less than two minutes to make. His things had been packed for days. He’d apparated to King’s Cross Station.
Jimin just somehow ended up being late anyway.
His eyes gazed upon the red-painted Hogwarts Express, still parked in place as the last stragglers hurried in through the doors. Jimin rushed to the luggage cart, dropping off his belongings with a polite apology to the exasperated employee who had thought he’d finished packing away the last of the students’ things. As the train blew its few final whistles and steam began to whirl out of the top, Jimin hopped through the nearest entrance. The train lurched forward the moment he shut the doors.
Jimin grappled for a pole beside the doors to steady himself. He took a breath. Then, he turned down the main hall, and as if it was destiny, found himself face to face with Taehyung.
Taehyung stood straight and tall with his arms dangling at his sides. A frown marked his face as he stared quizzically at Jimin. He wore square metal glasses and a barrette, matched with baggy pants and an equally baggy dress shirt. It was a curious combination of both wizard and Muggle wear. Should he find himself in Diagon Alley or London's SoHo, he'd just barely fit in with either crowd.
Jimin instantly broke out into a smile. "I was just about to find you."
But Taehyung only frowned more. “You almost missed the train,” he said. “Again.”
Jimin wrapped his arm around Taehyung’s shoulders and started leading them down the train. Rambunctious students flittered past the cramped hall as students still piled into compartments. Something sparkling zoomed over their heads like a snitch. Jimin and Taehyung had to crouch. Up ahead, the sound of laugher exploded from one compartment. They passed another in which the three occupants had already begun their six hour nap.
Jimin told Taehyung, “Almost is the key word there, my friend.”
“Again is the key word.”
Kim Taehyung was Jimin’s best friend. The two of them were only two months apart, Jimin being the eldest, and Jimin made sure Taehyung was reminded of that fact whenever he could. Despite being in different Houses, the two had somehow found each other and connected like magnets. They were hardly ever pulled apart. Even though Taehyung’s House of Hufflepuff was arguably the complete opposite of Slytherin, that had rather allowed for Jimin and Taehyung to connect even more. Where each one was lacking, the other would fit in like a missing puzzle piece.
Jimin found everything that Taehyung did so innocently pure. Jimin often found himself beaming at Taehyung in affection for the most mundane actions. Taehyung found beauty in life in the simplest of things. If Jimin was ever envious of one thing, it was Taehyung’s ability to go about life carefree. He was emotive, but didn't linger on them. He surely still confided serious matters with Jimin. They had gone through hard times together. Yet, through it all, Taehyung managed to so effortlessly be an optimist. Jimin envied it, but he admired it just as well.
Taehyung suddenly halted.
“Why’d you stop walking?” Jimin asked.
Taehyung motioned with a nod of his head to the compartment directly beside them. “I was sitting in here.”
Jimin glanced at the compartment and cheekily cocked his eyebrows, reaching for the door handles. Before he could enter, two girls brushed past and called, "Hi, Jimin."
He glanced at them, finding two sixth year Gryffindors giggling behind shy hands as his eyes met theirs. He smirked. It caused their faces to redden like cherries. They scurried off as Taehyung stepped in front of Jimin to block him from the girls' gazes. Jimin's smug smile dropped off of his lips, his mouth forming into a defeated pout instead.
Leave it to Taehyung to claim Jimin as his own. Of course, Jimin didn't mind. He needed a best friend like Taehyung to keep his head out of the gutter.
Taehyung grinned in satisfaction and opened the compartment doors, plopping himself down on one of the seats. Jimin followed and sat right beside him. Taehyung gave him a playfully annoyed look at the lack of space between them.
“What?” Jimin said, twisting and lying down, resting his head on Taehyung’s lap in response to his disapproving glance. “This is more comfortable.”
Taehyung rolled his eyes, but a soft smile bloomed its way onto his face. He made himself more comfortable, and the two remained in that position for most of the train ride. Jimin dozed off, only stirring for the sweet trolley, and when he came to, they had arrived at Hogwarts.
—
The Great Hall's ceiling sparkled with its galaxy mirage and floating candles. Normally, Jimin would be gazing up longingly at a shower of shooting stars as Headmaster Han welcomed the student body to the new school year. Instead, Jimin stared curiously at the line of six aurors assembled against the Hall walls. There were three on each side. It was their stoic stances and recognizable uniforms that gave their professions away.
In fact, these weren’t the first aurors Jimin had noticed upon his return to Hogwarts. As the Hogwarts Express had docked itself in Hogsmeade, Jimin had noticed a few notable aurors dotted among the crowds of students. Two had also been standing at the school gates. Like the ones outside, the ones in the Great Hall were decked in dark robes and boots, the men with slicked back hair and the women in tight buns. They stood tall, but they weren’t rigid soldiers. They were casual yet watchful. Their presence filled Jimin with a sense of trust, but also a sense of fear.
Why were they here? And why were there so many?
“This is a very special year,” Headmaster Han began after the usual announcements. His voice sounded oddly stiff in comparison to its usual softness, which was the first red flag. His expression was firm, his crinkly eyes set hard among the sea of students. “I am sure you have noticed our guests.” He gestured nonspecifically to the aurors. “It would benefit no one if I were to lessen the truth for you all. Many of you are nearing the age of adulthood, and many of you have already crossed over that long-awaited threshold. I think, perhaps, that you would see through any alleviated explanation I could come up with. Therefore, let you hear the truth from my lips rather than from the gossiping murmurs of others. These aurors are here for your protection. They are here because of the connected string of seemingly unconnected killings that have been occurring across Britain.”
Of course, Jimin thought.
The first connected killing had been a year ago, but the original murder and the others hadn’t been made public until very recently. In late July, The Daily Prophet had published a blurred moving photo of the most recent victim, announcing that there had been six connected murders in less than a year. The victims were either very wealthy, notable figures, or both. That seemed to be the only connection. They were all different in gender, age, profession, and background. Jimin figured that the only reason the murders were made public was because of public safety. Otherwise, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would have kept these killings classified—publicizing them only cast a shameful light on their lack of a successful investigation.
But why did these killings require this many aurors to be present at Hogwarts? Beside the events of the Second Wizarding War twenty-something years ago, Hogwarts has always been considered the safest possible place for magical folk. In fact, it had become even more protected after the War with newly added protective enchantments. Every old passageway had been sealed, and no one came in or out unless thoroughly searched. The need for aurors now made things seem far more serious than they must have seemed to the general public. Aurors were specifically dark wizard officers. If these killings had been more normal in nature, then they would have been handled by the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. The presence of aurors made it clear how serious this must have been.
Beside Headmaster Han stood Andrew Carolus, the Head Auror. He'd only been appointed this year, and rightfully so. He had a respectable career of thirty years that had built up to his current position. He stood a bit stocky, with light brown skin that looked like it had been in the sun for too long, and gray streaks in his cropped dark hair. He wore a navy blue robe suit, dark enough to match the other aurors’ black outfits but different enough to separate him as the Head.
Han introduced him before stepping to the side to allow for Carolus to speak.
“Good evening,” he greeted, his voice deep yet warm. It was the type of voice that elicited trust. He sounded like a respected grandfather. “Thank you, Professor Han, for allowing me and my aurors to take up precious space inside this esteemed school. I can imagine that many of you may feel nervous with our presence, and just as Professor Han was candid with you, I also wish to show candor.
“Two months ago," he shared, "it was made public that there is a string of serial killings that we believe to be connected. We at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement have been working tirelessly to bring an end to these atrocities. It is not just Hogwarts where we have aurors stationed; they are present at other major landmarks and locations across Britain. Locally and geographically, law enforcement patrol is protecting its citizens. We also have Hit Wizards thoroughly searching for the criminal.
“While our comrades of the department do their duties, our duty is to station a few of our best at Hogwarts as a precaution. I do not believe the one who is guilty to be among all of you, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Rather than wondering if the guilty is inside the school, I am concerned with protecting you from what’s outside.
“Be assured that I personally do not expect anything to happen while my aurors are here. Think of them as babysitters. In fact, the aurors stationed here at Hogwarts were quite disappointed when I gave them this assignment.” He chuckled briefly, and Jimin felt a bit less worried when he saw a few of the aurors crack a smile. He noticed that they were all fairly young, perhaps only a few years older than Jimin on average.
“They will remain here for as long as deemed necessary,” Carolus continued, “but you will most likely not even notice them. Do not spend precious time fretting. Hogwarts truly is a very safe place. Focus on your studies. Your time at Hogwarts is a very exciting period of your life, and I wouldn't desire any of you to trade another thrilling school year for concern. Thank you for your time, and have a wonderful school year.”
Carolus turned the podium back to Professor Han, who restated a bit of what Carolus had mentioned, then everyone was dismissed.
Benches screeched across the floor as everyone stood up to head to their common rooms, but Jimin lingered.
It still didn’t make complete sense to Jimin why an auror presence was needed at Hogwarts. True, it could be simply that Carolus wanted to take unnecessary precautions. He had just been appointed Head Auror, and perhaps he was being extra safe to garner good merit and work ethic. On the extremely slim chance that anything did threaten Hogwarts, he wanted to be prepared.
As Jimin sat with this thought, it settled within him and made things clearer. Jimin respected Carolus’ career, and he trusted the man. Carolus had cleanly avoided giving out too much information about the actual killings, leaving it to Jimin’s imagination, yet he was more curious that fearful. He not only trusted Carolus, but Hogwarts as well.
Jimin’s lack of fear was also connected to his own desire to become an auror.
He had always wanted to become one. After growing up hearing stories of the Wizarding Wars, he’d idolized the aurors of that time as heroes. He had an abundance of admiration for those who’d fought for good. Jimin wanted to be a hero for those who needed one.
Jimin stood up from Slytherin's table and found an awaiting Taehyung near the hall's massive double doors. He looked tiny at the end of the hall, even though he was a good six centimeters taller than Jimin.
“Ah, you waited for me?” Jimin cooed, nudging Taehyung as he fell in step beside him.
“I’m always waiting for you,” Taehyung answered half-jokingly.
The two trekked down the moving staircases as they made their way deeper into the castle. Taehyung waved goodbye as he exited into the basement towards the Hufflepuff Common Room. Jimin went one floor lower into the dungeons, making his way to the Slytherin Common Room.
Slytherin reminded him of going underwater. The common room's ceilings were thirty feet tall and arched above its residents with glowing emerald light that moved and glistened like the surface of the sea. The centerpiece of the common room was a sunken carpeted floor marked by four corners of towering white marble columns. Despite the overwhelmingly grand size, there was no echos. Students could lounge on the tufted couches or sprint across the geometric rugs without worry of any noise lifting above their heads.
In two corners, fire crackled from massive stone fireplaces. Portraits as large as houses donned the walls while woven tapestries of famous former Slytherins hung the entire thirty-foot length of others. Jimin greeted familiar faces as he climbed the towering stone staircases to the bed chambers. He'd lingered in the Great Hall, so he was the last to arrive to his room.
The room arched like a tower despite being in the dungeons. Five four-posted beds of elmwood and dark green hangings sat evenly spaced apart the large rounded room while a cage of burning embers warmed the chambers from the center. The decor was reminiscent of the common room—floral tapestries, woven rugs, haunting green light.
Jimin's trunks were already neatly laid out around his bed. He'd sat with his roommates during the welcome feast, so there was no need for additionally greetings. Jimin spent the next hour unpacking his belongings. Right as he was folding away the last of his clothes, one of his four roommates, Rei, suddenly mentioned to no one in particular about wanting to go to a party that he'd heard about.
Jimin’s ears perked up, all thoughts of sleep vanishing from his head. “Party? I love parties. Where and why and whom?”
Rei rolled his eyes. “We all know you love parties.”
Jimin frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Rei ignored his second question and said, “The Room of Requirement. A birthday party. Jeon Jungkook.”
Jungkook.
Jeon Jungkook was an enigma to Jimin.
Jimin had never even known of Jungkook’s existence until a few years ago, back when Jungkook had scrawny bones and a mop of black hair. Back when he would hardly been seen outside of the safety of Ravenclaw Tower and when he blushed when someone looked him in the eyes for more than five seconds.
Jimin had only found out who Jungkook was when the boy of two years younger joined the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, a team that had lost the Quidditch House Cup for a record of eleven continuous years.
And Jungkook was the reason why they’d had a winning streak for the past three.
Jungkook was a chaser, and a fucking good one at that.
Jimin had always liked Quidditch, though he hadn’t ever been as obsessive as others. He was very loyal to his own House, but that was expected. Outside of Hogwarts, he didn’t follow national teams. For most of Jimin’s life, he would watch Quidditch without recognizing much of the technicality behind it.
Until Jungkook.
One was blind not to recognize the outstanding skill of Ravenclaw's star chaser.
Other students seemed to have a similar experience. Jungkook was hailed as the most brilliant Quidditch player Hogwarts had ever seen in its history. Whether one knew the detailed bits of the sport, it was clear that Jungkook was a different breed. His skills were not comparable with anyone. His playing was effortless.
With being good at a sport came a definite popularity.
As a twenty-year-old fifth year, Jungkook was inarguably the most popular student at Hogwarts. He had gone from invisible to immediate star status the moment he revealed his talents through Quidditch. The original fame was solely focused on his sport skills, but as he grew older, more and more students somehow found themselves enamored with Jungkook.
He was incredibly talented at everything he did, yet he always strove to do better, which he’d say during Quidditch match interviews. That gave him an alluring humility. He also could apparently sing, draw, and even play Muggle sports extremely well, as revealed through journalistic profiles he’d done with prying media outlets that had come with the deception of wanting to talk only Quidditch.
And he was handsome. Oh, Merlin, was he handsome.
When he first began Quidditch (and thus began his status) at seventeen, he’d been as thin as a twig, with a big nose and a horribly shaggy hair cut that fell at awkward angles along his face.
Now, his hair was a soft wave of rich brown. His face had grown into his nose. His jaw was made of hard lines. His body had filled out.
Despite all these things, the biggest reason why everyone was enamored with Jeon Jungkook was because he remained adorably oblivious to the fact that he was a star.
And Jimin was particularly enamored.
“It’s his birthday?” Jimin wondered casually.
Jimin knew today was his birthday, but he had truthfully forgotten during dinner in the Great Hall with Andrew Carolus and what not.
Jimin and Jungkook weren’t friends, but more like acquaintances. Because of the age difference, they’ve had no classes together. The only reason they were even acquaintances was because Jimin wasn’t afraid to go up to people and say hello, and Jungkook was just too easy to say hello to. Jungkook still was shy, but with growing up, he could at least now hold a conversation.
“Yep,” Rei said, “and because the bloke is a fucking celebrity, of course there’s a birthday party being thrown for him by his bloody fan club. They passed out flyers after dinner. You didn’t get one?” Rei reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a piece of paper, throwing it in Jimin’s direction. Because it was paper, it hardly went two feet.
Jimin sighed and grabbed his wand from his robes pocket. “Accio.” The paper zipped into Jimin’s grasp. A photo of Jungkook smiling brightly with sparkling eyes graced the front. Bubbly font spelled Jungkook Birthday Bash! and crowned his head with animated flashes. Jungkook flapped his arm in a wave, and Jimin felt a smile tug at his lips. Below his photo was the party details:
Come celebrate Jeon Jungkook’s 20th Birthday!
Where: Room of Requirement
When: September 1st at 10PM until whenever you’re shitfaced
Dress code: rich
Brought to you by the Kookie Club (◕‿◕✿)
Note: A KC member will be stationed outside for RoR entrance. Please adhere to the dress code or you will be (un)kindly turned away.
Jimin amusedly levitated the invite back to Rei. "The dress code is rich?"
Rei shrugged. “It's probably an excuse to force Jeon to show up all sexy for his creepy little fans. You lot coming?” he asked the other three men in the dorm.
Like everyone at Hogwarts, Jimin's roommates had been the same group of five since his first year. There was Rei Nader, who sported wildly curly hair and tended to curse more than any of them. He was sort of Jimin’s closest friend in Slytherin.
Sort of, because while Jimin had plenty of casual friends, his only true friend was Taehyung.
Next was the quiet and studious Joji Ando, who was noticeably shorter than all of them at a whopping 168 centimeters tall (which thus boosted Jimin’s confidence).
Noah Hayes was one of the beaters on the Slytherin Quidditch team. While he was a quick sports player, he was otherwise a little slower than everyone else in all other aspects of life. However, ignorance was bliss, making him someone fun to have a good time with.
Last but not least was Marcus Castel. Marcus and Noah were best friends, making him also quite the partier, though he was leagues sharper than Noah. It evened the duo out.
As such, Noah answered Rei's question with an, "Obviously," and high-fived Marcus in agreement.
Unsurprisingly, Joji passed.
Noah threw a jellybean at him. "Live a little, Ando."
Joji held back whatever irritancy had bubbled to the surface and replied with forced calm, “It is currently past nine at night, and the first day of classes start tomorrow. We haven’t even been back for four hours and you all are already discussing some stupid party, which I know for a fact will end with you stumbling in here at Merlin knows when, all slobbered and loud, waking me up from my precious sleep.”
Jimin bit back a laugh at Joji's immensely defeated demeanor. "Joji," he said, "I love you, but I'm known to be proficient in holding my liquor. I'll be responsible for these three dimwits and put a silencing charm on them if they so much as tiptoe too loud."
Three heads snapped towards Jimin in offense.
“I trust you,” Joji told Jimin with a pointed look, “but not the others." He scanned all of them for a moment but knew that he would never be able to convince them not to go. Joji sighed and turned back towards his desk where he'd been arranging scrolls and quills. "Merlin," he muttered, then he waved a hand. "Whatever. You’re all going to go anyway. Just be quiet when you come back.”
Jimin saluted Joji's back before giggling alongside his other roommates. "All right, then," he said, a cheeky grin filling his face. “Dress code: rich. Here we go.”