Archive of Our Own ^beta

Seventh year has proven to be horrible. From the moment he set foot in the wizarding world, everything has gone from bad to worse. Not that Minho hates the wizarding world but being a Slytherin with muggle parents is difficult. Yes, the chosen one changed many things, but the stigma of being Slytherin was still in force. There were still fools who believed in purity of blood. Luckily his first year at Hogwarts had been more than enough for his house and the rest of Hogwarts to know that messing with him was a bad idea.

There wasn't much to mention about the incident. He and Chan had kicked the butts of some fourth-year students. Yes, they had gotten hurt in the process. Minho ended up with a broken nose and Chan with a black eye, but hey, the other fourth-year students had ended worse. The incident had been horrible, but Minho won over his best friend in the process, so it was worthy. Minho was a Slytherin and Chan a Gryffindor who against all odds became best friends.

The herbology professor had sighed when he saw them. Chan had frowned in the direction of his head of house. “They started. We defended ourselves,” Minho had remained silent because he could not speak due to his broken nose which would not stop bleeding. Technically the other boys just had a problem with Minho, but Chan had intervened. Clearly the two fourth years did not expect some dumb kids in their first year being good with spells.

Minho was also surprised at his ability, but even more than his own he was surprised at Chan's. Minho had only been at Hogwarts for 2 weeks, but he was pretty sure that more than half the spells Chan had cast were from senior years. In commenting, Chan had only shrugged his shoulders saying that he had an older friend who taught him from time to time. For Minho that was not just practice. No, that had been the perfect mix of talent and practice.

Chan was a talented wizard. Not long after his punishment for getting into fights they had both received an invitation from the herbology teacher to join the dueling club. Chan had accepted, but Minho had declined. It seemed more interesting to him to spend his spare time exploring the castle.

Chris was loved at Hogwarts while Minho was just the weird Slytherin. It was always supposed to be like this, but of course seventh year had to happen.

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Quidditch is not a sport that Minho enjoys. His main problem is that this is played on brooms. Maybe it's because he's Muggle-born, but no matter how much time he spends at Hogwarts or how much magic he's exposed to, Minho fervently believes that humans should stay grounded. Literally. Flying sounds better in theory than in practice. His flying lessons had been hell.

There is also the fact that the sport is stupidly complicated and violent. Quidditch is not a sport that Minho enjoys, but his friends do not share the sentiment. Chan, Changbin, and Jisung have dragged him into the Quidditch World Cup. The place is full of tents and people. Besides, the trip had been horrible. How could wizards continue to use portkeys when airplanes existed?

Yes, Minho hated air travel, but it was so much better than the feeling of his insides struggling to leave his body. Oh yeah, that was another reason why he hated apparition. Useful yes, pleasant? Absolutely not.

"Hyung, come on. You have to watch the game!” Jisung was pulling on his arm as he dragged him along the place.

Changbin and Chan were next to him as well. They weren't being dragged  by Han. "Don't you have friends your age who can play along, Hannie?"

Jisung made a face. "I got them! You know it, hyung! But they came on their own. I think they have box seats,” the Gryffindor pouted. “I should have known that Chan-hyung and Changbin-hyung would not use their wealthy pureblood privileges before agreeing to come with them. Why are they like that?” The youngest complained.

Changbin slapped Jisung on the arm before speaking. “So, you're only interested in our money, Jisung. I thought you wanted to spend time with us. "

Han rubbed his arm. "Actually, I agreed because this is a trip without parents, I am finally proving to be an adult!"

"Hey, don't hit him, Binnie. I promised his mother that I would return her Han in one piece. I'm not going to lose my position as head boy before we start the year at Hogwarts,” Chan said with a laugh. Han seemed extremely insulted by his comment.

Quidditch was boring for him, but Han was right. This was the first time that he had gone so far to a place without adult supervision. Changbin, Minho, Han, and even Chan’s parents had extreme confidence in Chris himself. So, it hadn't been particularly difficult to get permission to attend the Quidditch World Cup, even if it wasn't in Scotland or England.

"Ah move! I don't want to miss the game; Song Minho is going to play! Did you know that he is the same age as the two of you and he already plays for a professional team?” Jisung commented excitedly as they finally reached the gates of the stadium.

The place was packed with people. Minho hoped none of his friends would get lost because he honestly would not know what to do if it happened. Wizards and witches were everywhere. The mix of languages and nationals was extraordinary. At Hogwarts there was also quite a bit of variety, but this was on another level. Their seats were good. They were able to clearly see each of the players.

The three Gryffindors kept screaming and Minho was screaming next to them. He didn't understand much, but it was always satisfying to yell with a crowd. Play along if you must. After two hours a team was finally able to catch the golden snitch. Chaos erupted around him. The witch next to him was screaming in Spanish as she hugged a blushing Jisung. Changbin and Chan were also hugging. The euphoria of the game accompanied them even until they left the stadium.

Chan kept talking about plays that Jisung was trying to imitate. It was a good night. Minho was smiling next to them. It was hard not to.

"Jisungie!" Someone in the distance yelled.

Han spun around excitedly when he recognized the voice. Felix had red and blue paint on his face. His red hair stood out intensely. "We won! This is the first time Australia has won! " Felix yelled before throwing himself at Jisung.

The Gryffindor hadn't expected the hug so they both staggered. Chan quickly put his hand on Jisung's back for support. Both Han and Felix exchanged glances and then both broke into giggles.

That was another reason why the four of them could attend the world cup unsupervised. The world cup took place in Australia. The same country that had won just now. Canadians, however, did not share the feeling of joy. Minho was not very aware, but apparently this was the second time they had lost in a final. They had high expectations because Australia was not one of the favorites to win.

"That game was fantastic!" Jisung yelled hugging Felix.

"Felix! Don't run like that, we can’t split up!” Hyunjin complained when he arrived at the scene. He also had paint on his face.

The rest of Felix's group arrived in a matter of seconds. Jeongin and Seungmin, unlike the other two, were wearing ordinary clothes without any makeup to reveal their passion for some team. In fact, Minho was pretty sure that Kim Seungmin wasn't a Quidditch fan either.

"I am sorry! I was thrilled to see them,” Felix replied with a smile on his face.

Hyunjin sighed. It was impossible to get mad at Felix.

"Hi, we didn't expect to find you here," Chris commented with a smile.

Almost instantly Felix's hair turned silver. Felix frowned and after a few seconds it returned to the reddish color that he had from the beginning. "Hey, hyung," Felix greeted sheepishly due to the laughs coming from Hyunjin, Jeongin and Seungmin.

“My dad got tickets, so I invited them. Jisung told me that you guys already had plans, so I decided not to bother you with an invitation,” Seungmin finally spoke.

Minho couldn't help but grimace, Seungmin imitated his action. They don’t hate each other. They just couldn't get along. Minho was pretty sure this was Kim Seungmin's fault. Seungmin was the opposite of Minho. The boy was a snob. He is a pure blood, but not only that, no. Kim Seungmin came from a pureblood family that is wealthy and has an important position in the ministry. He was basically everything Minho hated.

And if that wasn't enough, he spoke as if he were from the last century! It's 2016!

“You can hang out in our tent if you want. It's close and we can talk about our vacation,” Hyunjin offered.

"Perfect! I need to talk about the play the Australian team made against the Canadian team's maneuver!” Jisung accepted right away without waiting for any of the older ones to say something about it.

Felix took Jisung's arm and began to drag him in the opposite direction of the other four's tent. Those two together always seemed to overflow with energy.

Changbin sighed. "Apparently Jisung decided for everyone."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend you didn't want to go, hyung."

This caused a laugh from everyone.

The walk to Seungmin's family tent was extremely short. That meant they had rented a super expensive sector. Typical of a wealthy family from the wizarding world. Minho had been surprised to see Chan's tent because it was enormously spacious, but this was an exaggeration. It was like four times Chan's tent.

"I hope we're not intruding," was the first thing Chan said when Seungmin's older sister greeted them.

"Absolutely not! Any friend of our Seungminnie is our friend,” she said as she stroked the other's hair. Minho tried his best not to look flustered when the woman's eye fell on him. He was tight-lipped as she watched him, had Seungmin told her that they didn't get along? “You can eat whatever you want, don't set the place on fire while I'm gone. I'm going to meet some friends. "

Seungmin's sister said a short goodbye before leaving the camping tent.

“So, we are without adult supervision…” Jisung started as he rubbed his hands together.

Han jumped at the feel of Chan's hand on his shoulder. "That means we're going to behave like mature people, right Hannie?"

Jisung pouted. "God, you're worse than my mom, hyung."

The boys laughed.

When Seungmin's sister said that they could eat whatever they wanted, Minho didn't think her words were literal. The kitchen was filled with everything you could imagine, from Korean to Mexican food. They all ate until they were full. Jisung looked like he could die at any moment with everything he had eaten.

They all ended up sleeping in one of the rooms that was crammed with pillows and blankets, Minho included. His sleep was interrupted when Changbin kicked him while he was asleep. Minho analyzed whether it was worth going to Azkaban for a second. Being surrounded by Death Eaters and Dementors didn't sound particularly pleasant so he put aside his intentions to murder the younger boy.

Minho blinked a bit and decided to go to the bathroom. Right in the living room, Kim Seungmin was reading a book. Typical of a Ravenclaw.

"It's like 2 am," Minho broke the silence.

Seungmin didn't seem surprised so he had probably heard him come to the living room. "My sister has not returned."

Minho blinked. "Isn't your sister an auror?"

Seungmin nodded even with his gaze on the book. "She's my sister," Kim added after a few seconds.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes and simply continued on his way to the bathroom. When he got out of this, Kim Seungmin was still sitting on the couch reading. Minho sighed irritably and headed into the room. Not long after he returned with some pillows and some blankets.

"Move," Minho muttered irritably.

Seungmin rolled his eyes but followed his orders and stepped aside so that Minho could sit next to him. Neither exchanged words as Minho gave him a pillow and a blanket. The last thing he saw before falling asleep was the slight smile on Kim Seungmin's face as he read his stupid transfiguration book. Well, at least he wasn't scowling like he used to. It was ridiculous how much he had to do to be the responsible adult in the place. This was definitely Chan's fault.

When Kim Youngmi returned, the sight that greeted her was her younger brother sleeping next to Lee Minho. Their heads resting on the other’s. The woman whispered a soft, "Accio" and she didn't even blink at the camera that was flying in her direction at full speed. She nimbly caught it, then snapped a few pictures. She was tempted to let them sleep like this, but they would both wake up in pain. Better to wake them up, anyway, she already had pictures for the future.

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Minho's vacation had been pleasant. He had gone to Australia for the Quidditch World Cup and had spent time with his friends. Seventh year didn't seem so bad, but Minho had been stupid for believing so.

He must have known something bad was going on from the moment he saw Changbin and Seungmin arguing in whispers in the hallway of the Hogwarts train. Nothing good could come out of those two talking so hidden. Why did they even have to hide to speak? Minho ignored his irritation for not knowing all the information and access to the compartment that he shared with Chan, Felix and Jisung.

"Hey, are you okay, Minho?" Chan asked with a concerned face.

Minho blinked in confusion. "Why shouldn't I be okay?"

Chan looked at him puzzled. "You were frowning."

“You are imagining things, Chan. You are becoming senile. "

The appointee narrowed his eyes comically. "Minho, we are the same age."

Jisung and Felix made an "ohhhh" sound that ended the conversation. Upon reaching Hogsmeade, Changbin and Seungmin kept whispering things to each other. Minho's irritation only increased, so to avoid seeing the faces of those two he got into the carriage first. His fellow travelers on the train saw him without understanding, but they followed his example.

Just as most of the students were heading towards the castle, so they could go to their rooms to put on their uniforms, it happened. A carriage carried by winged horses landed on the castle's territory. Not long after a ship emerged from the Great Lake. The murmurs and screams of excitement were immediate.

Chan turned to search the crowd for someone. The boy strode towards the position of the people he was previously looking for. Minho followed him without thinking. Felix and Han followed his example.

"You!" Chan accused upon seeing Changbin and Seungmin who were being cornered by Hyunjin and Jeongin.

“I already told these two! We couldn't say anything, it was a secret!” Changbin defended himself with raised hands.

Minho frowned and turned to see Felix who looked just as confused as he did. It was true, even though Felix was a metamorphmagus, his parents were still Muggles. It was easy to forget because Felix was the personification of magic itself.

Jisung, Hyunjin, Jeongin, and even Chan kept complaining to Changbin and Seungmin for keeping quiet about the secret. They both had high-ranking ministry fathers so they couldn't feign ignorance.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Felix asked confused.

Chan stopped his accusation to see Felix. "Oh right," he said, remembering that not everyone knew how the wizarding world worked. “Those that just arrived are from two other schools of magic. That can only mean one thing, the Triwizard Tournament. "

"I can't believe I'll be able to witness it!" Jisung shouted excitedly.

Jeongin sighed in relief. “I heard that only fourth-year and up students are allowed to attend the Yule Ball. I can go! "

“The Triwizard Tournament is a competition between three magic schools. Each school chooses a representative, champion, and the one who wins gets fame and money. It has more details, but I'm sure the headmistress will explain it” Seungmin finished explaining.

Indeed during the banquet, the competition was formally announced. The entrances from both schools were interesting to see. Minho would even say he was enjoying it. Naively he thought it would be a year that he would enjoy.

There was a rumor that revolved around Chan, even Minho didn't know if it was true or not. Many said that he had some Godric blood. So unsurprisingly most thought he would be the Hogwarts champion.

Who better than Bang Christopher Chan to represent them? Chan was a great leader, and he was also the head boy of Gryffindor. The previous years he had been a prefect. He was captain of the Quidditch team and even an active participant in the dueling club. The club members wanted him to be the leader, but Chan was already captain of the Quidditch club. In short, he was perfect.

All of Hogwarts had watched expectantly as Chan had thrown the paper with his name on it. His face had a certain solemnity that was admirable to see. Instead, Minho had thrown a piece of napkin with his name written on it just because Jisung had told him that he would give him his sandwich if he did it.

They had both done it at the same time, but their procedure and reactions had been different. Chan wanted to win; Minho just wanted a sandwich.

One of the worst decisions in his life because Lee Minho is out of luck. It is important to establish this for future reference.

Kim Seungmin had frowned upon seeing Chan and Minho leaving the age circle. “I don't understand how the two of you can be so stupid. You are accepting to participate in an extremely dangerous game, you know. "

Felix stirred in his place. "I don't want you to get hurt."

“Don't worry, Lix. We are both capable, and besides, we are not the only ones participating,” Chan pointed in the direction of two Hufflepuffs who were putting their names in the goblet of fire.

"I would participate if I could!" Jisung yelled cheerfully.

“Ugh, they just had to do it this year. If it had been the next one, I could have participated,” Changbin complained.

Jeongin bit into the apple he brought with him. "This confirms that only fools want to participate."

Suddenly the doors to the living room opened. All the students present got quit. Song Minho, the perfect Durmstrang student and favorite candidate, entered. His red hair stood out from the sea of students as did the piercing on his lip. The guy smiled in his direction before dropping the paper into the chalice.

Other Durmstrang students followed his example. Just as the Durmstrang students were leaving the place, the Beauxbatons students entered. Minho wasn't that short, but the Beauxbatons were tall. Without a doubt they had to exceed 1.80 meters.

Minho frowned at the tension. He wasn't particularly competitive, so he didn't understand the problem as much, but his duty as his best friend was to support Chan anyway so he patted Chan on the back. Everything would be fine.

Chan returned a grateful smile.

Yes, surely, everything would be fine.

Nothing was fine. Absolutely nothing was fine. Minho had to be hearing bad. There was no way that the words that were coming out of the headmistress were correct.

“Lee Minho!” The headmistress yelled his name again.

The headmistress's face was serious. Minho had to admit that it was admirable that she kept her solemnity, even though she was reading a piece of napkin with a mustard stain on it.

Jeongin next to him nudged him to react. Minho got to his feet awkwardly. The Ravenclaw table was close to the Slytherin table, so making eye contact with Kim Seungmin hadn't been difficult. Seungmin was squeezing the table tightly. He looked with every intention of hitting Minho. For the first time in their lives the two of them agreed on something. Minho also wanted to hit himself.

He automatically headed for the door toward the entrance to the trophy room. Some hesitant applause followed him into the tunnel.

As he descended the stairs, the faces of the other champions greeted him. Song Minho from Durmstrang and Kim Inseong from Beauxbatons. Wow. That was going to be confusing, two Minho would participate in the competition. Maybe the headmistress got confused and read his name when reading Song Minho's?

He just wanted a sandwich. If this didn't turn out to be a mistake, Minho would hang Jisung to his death. Azkaban didn't even seem such a bad place after all.

"That means we are all here," the red-haired Minho said.

The Slytherin frowned. The headache seemed to be increasing with every second that passed. The whole ordeal was hell. They took a photo for the newspaper and interviewed them. Minho had no idea what he had said during the interview.

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His situation was a disaster. Minho had decided to enter the stupid tournament for a sandwich. A sandwich. Yes, it had been delicious, but it certainly hadn't been the best sandwich he'd ever had in his life.

"I told you it was a bad idea to put your names in the goblet!" Seungmin was scolding them loudly.

"Merlin, I think I'm going to throw up!" Hyunjin was leaning on Changbin. The blonde looked sick.

They were certainly causing a scene. The 8 were near the lake in the usual place where they went to sunbathe. Many students watched them from afar.

Jeongin frowned. The Slytherin looked worried, and Minho felt bad for causing that to the fourth year boy. "What are the chances that Minho-hyung will survive the first round?"

“Hey, you are being very negative. Minho-hyung is very good at magic! " Jisung encouraged.

Minho would have been grateful if it weren't that everything happened because of Jisung's sandwich. Although that wasn't fair, Minho was the idiot that had accepted.

“Jisung this is serious! In the last game someone died!” Seungmin yelled.

The Gryffindor flinched at the words. His face was filled with mortification. Minho forced himself to stand up. He also wanted to throw up just like Hyunjin, but they wouldn't go anywhere if they kept up like this. It wasn't fair for Seungmin to yell at Jisung either. Minho put a hand on the young Gryffindor's shoulder. "You don't have to yell at Han. I was the one who decided to participate."

Seungmin pursed his lips.

Chan clapped loudly, drawing everyone's attention. “The first test is in November. We have time to help Minho prepare for the test. Jisung has a point, Minho is a capable wizard. Also, due to what happened in the last game, the teachers will intervene if a student is in danger of death. "

Changbin sighed. “Chan-hyung is right. It's better to focus on how we can help Minho-hyung figure out what the first task is. "

Felix nodded slowly. "It's the only thing that we can do."

Seungmin denied. "You do that, but I'm not going to participate in this," he said with conviction. Kim spun on his feet and headed in the direction of the castle.

Hyunjin turned to look at them urgently. He still looked sick, but he still trotted in Seungmin's direction. Minho completely ignored the annoyance and disappointment of seeing Kim Seungmin walk away. He must have seen it coming. Not that the two of them were close friends after all.

"Well, do you have any clues?" Minho asked, completely ignoring Hyunjin and Seungmin's absence.

The remaining group of friends exchanged glances, but just carried on with the conversation. It was more important to do everything possible to ensure that Minho did not get hurt by the first task or the tournament.

The stress of not knowing what the task consisted of was not letting him concentrate on his classes, and Kim Seungmin kept ignoring him. The latter was not a big problem, but he was irritated to know that Jisung still felt guilty about the attitude the Ravenclaw was taking. Furthermore, no one at Hogwarts seemed to be happy with the result. Minho shared the sentiment.

Chan was still the perfect candidate from his point of view, hell, everyone at Hogwarts said so. Minho was just a weird Slytherin with Muggle parents. He had no particular talent other than dancing and that was not going to help him in a magic task. His best grades were in potions and creature care. What was he supposed to do with it?

He had the support of his friends at least. Well, almost everyone. Even Jeongin was putting effort into helping him find a clue for the first task. With their support it was easy to ignore what the other students whispered about him.

October was starting and Minho still didn't know what the hell to do. Minho was cooking with Felix when a house elf appeared in front of them. "Hello, do you need anything?" Felix had asked amiably.

The elf nodded shyly. "This is for Mister Lee Minho," the elf said as he placed a piece of parchment on the table alongside a piece of cloth.

Before anyone could ask anything, the elf disappeared. Minho and Felix frequented the kitchen, so they were familiar with the elves that worked there. This little guy was new. They both exchanged a look. Minho gingerly took the scroll. The handwriting was small and crisp. Clearly, it read. “Go to the Forbidden Forest at midnight today. Use the cape so they don't discover you. "

"It's an invisibility cloak!" Felix yelled ecstatically as he put it on. "Its production is supposed to have been banned since 2005."

Minho snapped out of his stupor. "Felix, it was risky putting it on without knowing whose it was."

The Hufflepuff looked embarrassed for a second. "Sorry, I didn't think about it, hyung."

Minho rolled his eyes. "Just be more careful, Chan will get mad at me if something happens to you."

Felix's face turned reddish as did his hair. The Hufflepuff pouted as his hair returned to its usual blonde shade. Minho laughed a little. It was clear that these two liked each other, but neither did anything. He couldn't deny that they were adorable, but someone had to get Felix out of his misery of being betrayed by his hair. The color of it always changed when someone mentioned Chan or someone hinted that Chris was interested in him.

Felix cleared his throat. "So, what is the plan?"

Minho blinked. “We will go to sleep. The curfew begins shortly. "

Felix threw up his arms in exasperation. “Hyung, someone gave you an invisibility cloak! Do you know how expensive that is? They must not have bad intentions. You have nothing to lose."

Yes, Minho does have the slightly clue about the task, but he didn't like to trust someone who hadn't even turned his face on him. But Felix had a point, he had nothing to lose. Leaving Hogwarts with an invisibility cloak turned out to be a lot easier than Minho could imagine. Felix was by his side, squeezing his arm tightly as they approached the forbidden forest. They both waited in silence until figures finally appeared. They were teachers! Minho and Felix followed stealthily.

The moonlight illuminated his path. The teachers stopped in a clearing. There were several wizards and witches in the area, plus a huge box filled with runes in the center.

"Wow, so there it is," the headmistress said.

One of the wizards guarding the box nodded. "I'm happy that the Israel Ministry of Magic allowed us to use it for the first task."

The headmistress spun around for a second and for an instant it felt like she was looking at them. Felix squeezed his arm even tighter. "It will be interesting to see the champions face Dracus Marinus," and just like that the woman continued talking with the other wizards and witches.

Felix and Minho left the clearing in silence, but as they got closer and closer to Hogwarts, they both started running. They both found themselves repeating the name that the headmistress had said so as not to forget it. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, they were completely out of breath. The name the woman had mentioned resounded in their heads.

"Do you know what that is?" Minho asked between gasps.

The blonde shook as he wiped sweat from his face. “I don't know, but there must be a book about it in the library. I'm sure Minnie should- "

"Kim Seungmin doesn't want to be involved," Minho interrupted Felix.

The Hufflepuff pursed his lips but nodded reluctantly. “Tomorrow morning we will start the search. I have to go hyung, Jinnie is surely worried because I haven't made it to the dorm yet. "

Minho nodded. They both avoided teachers patrolling the castle. Minho looked away when Felix began pounding the barrels that led him to the Hufflepuff common area. They both said goodbye. It wasn't worth thinking about it anymore, but he couldn't help but do it as he headed for the dungeons.

. . .

"Found it!" Jeongin yelled excitedly.

They were all at one of the many tables in the library. They each had at least 5 books while trying to search for the Dracus Marinus. “It is a stone colossus originally from Israel. It is used as a guardian. This one in particular is shaped like a giant sea serpent. "

"Does it say anything about weaknesses?" Chan asked with a frown.

Jeongin shook as he held up the book so everyone could see what he was saying. The description was small and there was not even a photo to allow you to see what it was like.

Jisung fidgeted in his seat. "I just remembered that Minho-hyung can't swim."

They all turned to see Minho who was frowning. His face was enough to denote the fact that Minho certainly still couldn't swim. "Maybe we can teach him," Hyunjin looked unsure, although he had been the one to come up with the idea.

“We only have two weeks. Isn't it better to focus on how to defeat the beast? Jeongin said that they are usually used as a protector, that means that Minho-hyung and the other champions have to take something that he is guarding,” Changbin opined.

Silence reigned for a few moments. None of those present had a good face. “Changbin has a point. We can't waste time teaching Minho to swim. Besides, I don't think it will be necessary, " Chan said.

. . .

The Ministry of Magic had made a huge mistake in deciding that a water activity in November was a good idea. The weather was unbearable. Minho couldn't stop shaking. A short and a T-shirt did not protect him from the horrible cold. Hogwarts had placed three huge booths on the lake. The students of each school were in different booths. Right in the middle was the manager of the Triwizard tournament.

“Welcome to the first task! Our three brave champions will face the feared Hydrus the Dracus Marinus of Israel!” Just at that moment the beast decided to show part of his body.

It was huge! Much more than they had anticipated. His body looked to be made of rock, plus his back seemed to be full of moss just like Chan had said. The creature was still deep in the lake, but its silhouette was unmistakable. It had to measure more than 50 meters.

Minho observed how neither of the other two contestants seemed concerned, so they too must have found out about the beast in some way. Minho could feel everyone's gaze on him. Minho was unable to look back. His body felt tense. It wasn't just having to face a creature created millennia ago, it was also about fighting one of his biggest fears, swimming. Chan and Hyunjin had helped him practice. Minho swallowed thick.

“Your mission is to take one of the black stones found on the beast's head! You only have 45 minutes, when the whistle blows you can start! " The magical security chief explained.

"Come on, Minho-hyung!" Jisung was yelling loudly.

The whistle sent the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons champion into the water immediately. His heads covered by the bubble spell. Minho took out the Gillyweed that Chan had collected for him from his wand holder. His trembling fingers brought the plant to his mouth. Minho knew they were looking at him the wrong way and that many were whispering about him being a basket case, but he focused on what they had been practicing. Each time breathing was much more difficult. When the sensation of breathing air turned into torture, Minho jumped into the lake.

Using Gillyweed was horrible, but it was his only option. Minho did not know how to swim properly, but the plant allowed him to breathe and see underwater, in addition to providing him with membranes between his fingers. He quickly caught up with the other two participants.

Minho pursed his lips. He kept moving his arms and legs to propel himself underwater. The beast's blue eyes continued to glow even in the dark waters of the Great Lake.

The three spines of the beast glowed showing that the information they had managed to collect from the forbidden section was true. Its spines gave electric blows. The three kept swimming, trying to reach the sea serpent, it was a battle of physical resistance. Just as they were about to catch up, Hydrus spun around sharply.

Minho tried to dodge it just like the other two, but the snake was around 80 meters or more large. It speed was greater than that of a human. The tail hit them hard. Still disoriented he forced himself to hold on to the grasses and moss that ran through Hydrus's body. The beast roared loudly. The snake jerked back and forth aggressively, but Minho didn't let go. The beast roared once more. The sea serpent promptly swam to the surface.

The pressure was horrible, his head felt horrible. Minho closed his eyes and when he least expected it there was no more water around him. His body was suspended in midair as the beast had leapt out of the water with a roar. His head slammed into the snake's body as they entered the water again. The Slytherin opened his eyes, his vision clouded. The blow had disoriented him. His head ached, but he was still attached to the stone colossus. Opening his eyes, he realized that the other champions were also clinging to the beast, but Song was in the lead. Even with the pressure of the water he was still holding on and advancing with a slow pace in the direction of the serpent's head. Minho bit his lip.

The forbidden section didn't have much useful information, but Changbin had come up with a theory that Minho was willing to test. The colossi are created of stone and therefore their energy sources come from the sun, so if it gave electric shocks that meant that it had to recharge if Minho damaged one of his energy sources. Minho held on with one hand and pulled the wand from him. Lightning left his wand and struck one of the beast's spines. Hydrus roared as he jerked back and forth trying to ward off intruders. Minho's wrist ached intensely, and his head hit the monster a couple of times.

Again, the sea serpent swam to the surface, but this time not as violently as the last time. The colossus stopped moving just as they reached the surface. Minho immediately got to his feet and started running in the direction of the snake's head. He kept running while with his wand he conjured water so he could breathe. Gillyweed were really useful underwater but running like this was difficult and painful. His entire body protested as he ran over the serpent's body. Song ran in front of him and Inseong beside him. Although he was trying to keep up with those two, he was quickly being left behind.

The sea serpent began to move, and Minho staggered onto his feet. He nearly fell off Hydrus's back, but he managed to remain standing. Minho pointed his wand at another of the spines and cast a spell. “Confringo!” The lightning struck the spine hard, causing the beast to roar, but to remain motionless.

Minho was grateful to know that the sea serpent was nothing more than rocks that were moved by a spell of ancient wizards and witches or else he would not have been able to do something of this kind. He could never have hurt it had it not been the case. Song had finally reached the head and had taken one of the black stones that seemed to grow on the head of the sea serpent. Inseong took the stone not long after. Both of them jumped into the water to swim at full speed in the direction of the booths where their school members were shouting their names.

His lungs ached, but Minho forced himself to keep going. Just when he was about to reach the head the snake moved again. He still had a chance to shoot his last spine, but he was afraid that the damage it could cause would be irreparable. He knew that the Dracus Marinus was nothing more than a large-scale spell, but it was easy to forget it if said sea serpent kept moving trying to ward off beings that were bothering it.

Minho took the black stone just as the serpent rose in all his glory. The animal jerked its head and Minho wasn't able to hold on. His body went flying through the air. The impact against the water was painful. The sunlight became more difficult to distinguish as he sank into the depths of the Black Lake. In his lethargic state he could see the bright eyes of the beast shining in the distance. Would he be eaten? ... His mind was scrambled and being conscious was painful, breathing was painful ... Oh. The Gillyweed had lost its effect. He was drowning.

His body continued to float to the bottom of the lake. The darkness began to consume him little by little. The figure of the serpent was getting closer and closer.

Minho squeezed his hands, and it was in that lucid moment that he noticed. His wand was still in his left hand and his right hand was still holding the black stone despite everything. He couldn't die like this.

He could not.

“Ascendio!” Minho raised his wand with all his remaining strength.

His body jerked upward. The friction was horrible, one moment he was in the water and the other his body had hit something hard.

"Minho!" Someone yelled.

Minho didn't know whose voice it was, his body hurt horribly, and he couldn't breathe properly. The Slytherin began to spit water in an ungraceful way.

"We need to take him to the infirmary, he's bleeding!" Minho narrowed his eyes as he saw Chan's blurred figure in front of him. So, Chan had been the one who had helped him get into the proper position to get all the water out of his lungs. Yes, Minho could count on Chan. Chan was his best friend, yeah, not like… like that Ravenclaw… the one with the pretty smile.

Minho passed out.

. . .

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that everything hurt horribly. Ugh. Had a truck hit him? Minho whimpered miserably.

"Oh! You finally woke up,” a cheerful voice said.

“Chan, hush. Everything hurts. Shit, what happened to me?” The Slytherin complained miserably as he opened his eyes. Had he fallen off his stupid broom again?

Chan smiled widely. "What happened was that you passed the first test, you didn't die, and you got second place."

Minho sat down abruptly on his bed. Error. His head spun, but Chan held him until the dizziness passed. "Careful, Minho."

The Slytherin ignored the comment. "Second place? I came last. "

“Yes, but you were given extra points for being the only one to discover Hydrus's weak points. There was no way his weaknesses would show up in a book, so you were rewarded because of your good thinking,” Chan explained proudly.

Minho let out an exasperated sound from his mouth. “Changbin must be unbearable. First he gave me the clue to know what the first task was about and then the idea of how to defeat him. "

The Gryffindor blinked in confusion and then sighed in understanding. "Minho, Changbin's father didn't know about the task if that's what you were thinking."

"But-"

Chan denied. “His father works in the department of mysteries. This is not the kind of rumor you get there. The tournament rumor is easier to spread out of control, but this… this is too secret. Only a few would know about the negotiations with the Israel Ministry of Magic,” the black-haired man concluded.

Minho frowned until he remembered an important detail. "Oh."

“Seungmin was furious when they told him they still couldn't get you out of the lake when the snake sent you through the air. I have never seen him talk to a teacher like that, ”Chan commented casually as he opened a chocolate frog.

His brow furrowed at the amount of flowers and chocolates that were surrounding him. "How long was I unconscious? Why is it only you here? "

The Gryffindor happily chewed on his chocolate frog. "Two days. It's night, technically I shouldn't be here, but advantages of being a head boy,” Chris winked in his direction.

Minho rolled his eyes but didn't tell him to go away. "Try that with Felix, not with me."

Almost instantly Chan's ears turned red. His face took on a shy and shocked look. Minho was finally able to feel calm since he woke up.

.

.

.

Seungmin didn't visit him once in the infirmary. Of course, the Ravenclaw refused to see him yet. Minho was inclined to play along because he clearly didn't need Kim Seungmin in any way, but no one knew what to do with the black stone that Minho had. For they the stone was only a stone.

"Ravenclaws are better at these things," Hyunjin had said after analyzing the rock for the tenth time.

Minho usually ignored the advice that came from Hwang Hyunjin, but this one had a point. The Ravenclaws were nerds who solved puzzles since their first year at Hogwarts.

Kim Seungmin, the nerd, was sitting in the library doing homework. Minho sat next to him, but Seungmin didn't say anything so Minho decided to be the better of the two. "Your father is secretary of the Minister for Magic."

Seungmin simply nodded as he continued writing his scroll. "I think I mentioned it before, hyung."

“Have you heard of Hydrus?” Minho asked as he stretched out in the chair.

The Ravenclaw smiled. "Oh yeah, the giant snake that flung you through the air like a puppet," Seungmin then went back to adopting the serious demeanor he had before. "That was the first time I saw it, who would have thought that golems of that type existed."

The Ravenclaw's words were laden with irony. Minho can't help but laugh at the other's cynicism.

The Slytherin removed from his robes the black stone that had almost cost him his life to obtain. Minho deposited it next to Seungmin's homework. "Do you know what it is?"

Seungmin cautiously observed the stone. "No," he said reluctantly.

Minho sighed. "Oh, my mistake. I thought you would be more capable than you actually are. "

Kim narrowed his eyes. "Give me two days."

The Slytherin smiled condescendingly. "If that's the amount of time you need, Seungminnie, that's fine."

The Ravenclaw waved his wand, and several books flew off in the direction of their respective shelves. The raven-haired man put his parchment away delicately and then took the stone tightly. "You are unbearable, Minho-hyung," he said with an annoyed expression before leaving the library.

Minho smiled sincerely when he was no longer looking at him.

A day later Seungmin appeared in front of Minho and abruptly laid the stone in front of him. Chan and Minho jumped at the unexpected intrusion. They were both studying for the N.E.W.Ts in the library. He had a satisfied smile on his face. “Its name is Ianam lunam gibbosam lapis. It has quite a few properties, but they were used especially in ancient Greece for secret messages. You must make the stone receive rays from the waxing gibbous moon and it will reflect a message. You must memorize it because the stone causes that the people who read the message aren’t be able to write it while they are within a range of 10 meters. Also, only the original bearer, that is whoever touched the rock first, can read the message,” Seungmin looked incredibly pleased with himself. "Oh, by the way, that last paragraph you wrote is wrong, hyung," he said pointing at something Minho was writing about Runes.

Seungmin stuck his tongue out at him and left as fast as he arrived. The Ravenclaw skipped away.

"Wow," Minho hypnotized watched Kim Seungmin's figure walk away.

Chan simply denied seeing the face of his best friend.

. . .

Anyone would think that the worst thing that could happen was to face that stupid sea serpent, but no. His head of house had come over after dinner to tell him that he should invite someone to the Christmas ball because his duty as champion was to open the ball.

Don't get Minho wrong, Minho loves to dance. In fact, he has no problem dancing in front of people, but having to find a partner sounded like too much. His head of house had said that the champions were the first to know to give him three days to find a partner before the rest of the students. Minho didn't think that was very helpful. The dance was a 'secret' that everyone knew.

"Chan, do you have a date for the dance?" Minho asked as soon as the Gryffindor sat next to him at one of the tables in the library.

The Gryffindor froze in place. His ears turned red. "Sorry, I already have a partner."

Minho rolled his eyes. “I wasn't going to invite you, I just wanted to test my theory. I forgot about the stupid dance and I don't think I'll get a partner at this point. "

Chan relaxed at his words. "I'm sure a lot of people don’t have a partner yet."

"Felix, Jeongin, Changbin, and Hyunjin already have a partner," Seungmin said as he continued to write on his parchment. At that moment Minho remembered that the Ravenclaw was next to them.

Chan stirred in his place. "Jisung is still available," the Gryffindor recalled.

"Not for long!" Han appeared just at the right time.

They had all agreed to meet in the library to discuss the next task. Minho still hadn't been able to read the message since the next waxing gibbous moon would occur until after New Year. Still, it was wise to discuss potential challenges.

"What about you, Kim Seungmin? It must be sad to be the son of an important official and not have a partner. Poor Seungminnie who only has his books,” Minho taunted.

Seungmin squeezed his quill tightly as he stood up. “Just so you know, I already have a partner. Someone invited me and I said yes!” The Ravenclaw took his things and left muttering things about stupid Slytherins.

"Merlin, hyung, you are so stupid," Jeongin said in greeting.

Chan and Han nodded. Minho was too distracted watching the Ravenclaw walk away to care.

. . .

Finally, the day of the Yule ball arrived. Minho had failed to find a partner just like Jisung. Poor Gryffindor had tried to invite a girl from Beauxbatons, but his voice had failed him and afterwards he had been so mortified that he had simply flopped onto Minho's lap. Jisung had muttered a miserable, "let's go together." Minho accepted.

Minho's suit was black just like Jisung's. The two had decided to wear ties from their respective houses. The wizarding world dress suit was not particularly liked by either of them, so they had decided to wear muggle suits. Jisung's father was muggle while his mother was a witch, so he had experimented both worlds. At least he would spend the night with someone he could have fun with.

Chan was wearing a formal attire from the wizarding world, but he looked good in it as expected. Felix next to him looked adorable in his white suit with gold details. Minho raised an eyebrow in the direction of his friend who could just blush. "Felix was the one who asked me," the Gryffindor admitted sheepishly.

Felix for the part of him had smiled immensely, his white teeth flashing. "I didn't want Channie-hyung to graduate without knowing how I feel."

The Gryffindor looked so adoringly at Felix that both Jisung and Minho turned to give them privacy. Right at that moment, Changbin and Hyunjin were walking in his direction, holding hands.

Minho turned to look at Jisung in alarm. “What?!” Han yelled, so he mustn't have known they were a thing, either.

Both the Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor had the decency to look embarrassed, but they still didn't stop holding each other's hand. "That's why you didn't want to tell me who was your partner, Changbin-hyung!" Han accused.

Hyunjin sighed. "That's because we knew you would make a fuss."

"Since when?" Asked Felix curiously.

Changbin shrugged. "We started seeing each other more often because of the Minho-hyung thing."

Minho fought down a shudder. Those two had gotten closer because of him. He didn't know how to feel. Chan and Felix had liked each other for years, but only now had they managed to clarify their feelings. The Hyunjin and Changbin thing was recent, but they had acted quickly on their feelings. People were so different.

"Ah guys, you look good," the herbology teacher greeted them amiably. They all returned the compliment to the teacher who laughed warmly. "Minho, I need you and your partner to wait over there," he pointed in one direction. "To make it easier to find you when you have to start the dance."

Minho and Jisung nodded. The other boys waved goodbye. The Slytherin scanned the ballroom. There was no sign of Kim Seungmin anywhere and he was pretty sure that all the students had already arrived. Minho waved to Jeongin who was arm in arm talking to a girl from Beauxbatons.

"I don't see Seungminnie," Jisung said worriedly.

Minho shook his head. "Ah, Kim Seungmin. He must have lied feeling ashamed of not having a partner,” the Slytherin completely ignored the pained sensation of knowing that Seungmin might be alone.

"You look good," said Inseong, the Beauxbatons champion, kindly. The boy was wearing a gala outfit from the wizarding world. The girl next to him was wearing a purple hued dress. She was quite pretty. Jisung was staring at her in awe.

"You too," Minho returned the compliment.

Suddenly it was as if the whole room was silent. "Wow, he's beautiful ..." Inseong murmured softly as the girl next to him nodded at his words.

Minho turned at the same time as Jisung to see what everyone seemed to be seeing. Kim Seungmin was at the top of the stairs. Jisung was telling him something, but he couldn't know what for sure. His mind was focused on the Ravenclaw. Minho was pretty sure that when he saw him at breakfast, he had black hair; however, his hair was now a light hue. Minho didn't even know what color it was, but it reminded him of the sun and honey, but also of the clouds.

Seungmin was a pure blood so his costume was one belonging to the magical world, even so, it was not like the others in the ball. His white shirt had bows and ruffles, while his waistcoat was a soft light blue. His fingernails matched his waistcoat since they wore the same color. It was the first time Minho had seen Kim Seungmin do it. Seungmin's hand reached out as he reached the bottom of the ladder. Someone took his hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. That was enough to pull Minho out of his astonishment.

"Wow, I didn't know that Seungmin knew Song Minho," Jisung said in amazement. "Do you think he can get me an autograph?" Han raised his hands apologetically at the look the Slytherin was giving him.

Seungmin and Minho, the redhead from Durmstrang, arrived at their position. "At last, my partner has arrived, it was really worth the wait though," Song said as he looked at Seungmin who let out a sheepish laugh. “That means we are all here so the dance can begin. "

Inseong sighed. “At least I know that Seungmin didn't lie to me when he told me that he already had a partner. I thought for a moment that my proposal had not been to his liking. "

The girl next to him rolled her eyes. “It was quite annoying, Inseong was complaining that his cute dongsaeng had rejected him, so I was sorry and agreed to come with him. Although I can understand it now, you are really cute,” the girl praised.

Seungmin nodded gently. "Thank you," his face was unflappable, but his ears were completely red.

Minho's lips are a straight line. Around him many are talking about Song Minho and Kim Seungmin. What's so special about Song Minho? Yes, he is a professional quidditch player despite his age, but other than that there is nothing else. A voice in his head that sounds suspiciously the same as Jisung's reminds him that the guy is much taller than him.

“Glad to see you together!” The Beauxbatons headmistress's voice is too cheerful for Minho's liking. What is good about a dance? A lot actually, but Minho is in a bad mood for an unknown reason.

“Please come to the dance floor. Remember your dance classes and enjoy yourself,” the herbology teacher said next to her.

Song Minho's hand was on Kim Seungmin's waist. Minho had to look away when he heard Jisung say his name. Yes. He had to do the same. The music started playing and Minho was forced to dance. It was fortunate that he was an excellent dancer because anyone would lose their balance or forget the steps due to the level of thoughts that Minho was experiencing.

Dancing is one of the things that Minho loves the most in the world. Not being able to enjoy dancing is one of the worst things he has ever experienced. Not knowing why, he was in a bad mood only made him more irritated. People around him began to join in the dance. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Chan and Felix dancing together. Happy smiles adorned their faces. Minho swallowed thickly.

The song ended and another soon began. Minho forced himself to enjoy the new dance. His eyes focused on Jisung's figure that had an uncertain expression. At least he should happily dance with his partner for a moment. It wasn't Hannie's fault that he was feeling angry. He will dance and laugh with him for a few more dances. Then he could sit in chairs and discuss why he was feeling sentimental.

Soon after, he saw a bit of Changbin and Hyunjin's dancing. It was comical seeing the difference in heights between them, but they looked good. They looked happy together.

"I hate to admit it, but they make a good match," Jisung turned next to Minho.

The Slytherin nodded slowly. "Chan and Felix too."

Jisung smiled softly. "Yes, they too."

The style of music changed from time to time and Minho was able to adapt quickly. He many times he had to guide Jisung, but it was still fun. Han was a good friend. So, the night was not as disastrous as he would have imagined. Still, seeing glimpses of Song and Seungmin dancing together annoy him.

After hours and hours, Minho decided to sit in one of the available chairs. Chan was next to him sipping a drink. Neither of them could sustain the energy of the fifth years. Muggle music was blaring. Jisung and Felix were dancing to the music.

"So, you are finally together," the Slytherin found himself taking off his jacket.

Chan nodded with a goofy smile on his face. "Yep."

“Felix had to take the first step. Aren't you supposed to be a Gryffindor?” Minho laughed.

Chan had the decency to look embarrassed. "He is much more sincere than I am," sadness reflected in the Gryffindor's eyes. "I just find it kind of sad that this is our only year together at Hogwarts."

"Don't be melodramatic. You live in the same country; you will see each other on vacation. Plus,” Minho added. “Knowing you there will not be a single day in which letters are not written. Also, now there are cell phones that work in the magical world, get one. You are not an old man. "

"Thanks, Minho." Chan's words were laden with gratitude.

The Slytherin shrugged. "It's not much. I like to tell you when you are being stupid. "

They both laughed at his words. Felix in the distance was raising his hand. Chan sighed in love. "I'll go with them, are you coming?" He asked.

Minho denied. He still didn't feel the excitement needed to get back on the dance floor. The music changed again. Many people started to stop dancing. It must have been quite late for more than half of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang to withdraw. Minho took another gulp of his drink. Jisung dropped down next to him. His face was red, and he looked tired.

"Did you have fun, Hannie?" Minho asked softly.

Jisung nodded with a smile. "I danced with some handsome boys from Durmstrang."

Minho laughed amusedly.

Someone sat next to him and Minho had to remind himself how to breathe. It was Kim Seungmin. That's how close he could see the gleams of his makeup. Details that he hadn't noticed when he saw him on Song Minho's arm.

"Do you want punch? Mino-hyung is looking for punch,” Seungmin's cheerful smile accentuated his makeup perfectly.

“Ah, so you have a nickname for him. I suppose it must be necessary so as not to confuse him with me,” Minho commented irritably.

Seungmin next to him tensed just like Jisung. The Gryffindor was wide-eyed and looked surprised by his scathing tone. Minho couldn't blame him; he hadn't expected his words either.

"What is that supposed to mean, hyung?" Seungmin more than returned the hostile tone.

“I don't know, Kim Seungmin. You tell me,” Minho stood up. The Slytherin began to walk away. Something inside him felt agitated and he didn't like it. He needed space.

Seungmin was upset. It was the only explanation for why he hadn't given him his space. He was following him. Minho walked fast, but Seungmin had long legs. "How am I supposed to know?!"

They were both walking up the stairs and away from the Yule Ball. Their voices were muffled by the sound of music and no one was paying attention to them for multiple reasons. The vast majority of the students continuing the dance were either drunk (someone altered one of the punches) or were busy kissing.

“Song Minho isn't even that handsome! He is somewhat tall and has a lip piercing! Are those your standards?!” Minho found himself saying. Bad idea to have drunk the punch with alcohol. His word filter wasn't working at all.

Seungmin stopped and Minho did too. The two were in a hallway. "If it bothers you so much that I’m here with him then the next time there’s a ball ask me before someone else does!" The Ravenclaw yelled in frustration.

Someone made a surprised sound. They both turned to see the newcomer who was nothing but Jisung. "Hey," he said uncertainly.

Seungmin took a deep breath. He seemed to regain his composure. "You should go to sleep, it’s pretty late."

Han opened his mouth to protest, but Seungmin's annoyed look silenced him. Jisung trotted over to Minho's side and started dragging him towards the dungeons. "Go fraternize with the enemy," the Slytherin muttered petulantly.

Jisung and Minho started running when hundreds of paper birds started chasing them. Of course, Kim Seungmin had brought his wand to a dance. Knowing that Seungmin had some way to protect himself reassured him.

.

.

.

Broad and rough as the union of Typhoon and Echidna

The seed that hides in the depths

Bring home its fruit!

Conquest and speed will be rewarded

Misfortune resides in defeat

That was the clue that was on the black stone. Minho had memorized it and later written it down on parchment. At least he already knew what the test message said. Caring for magical creatures was one of his favorite subjects so knowing what it was about had stumped him.

Typhoon and Echidna were the parents of the chimeras. At least from the original. According to what they had learned, the animal was extremely dangerous. What the hell did they expect them to do? They were just seventh-year students! Not even an experienced auror could face a chimera and get out alive. The idea of hurting an animal didn't thrill him, either.

The second test was undoubtedly related to chimeras, but something in those three sentences should give him a bigger clue. Thinking about it logically, it made no sense that they were being made to face a highly dangerous creature. Yes, they had fought Hydrus, but the colossus was a golem. They could turn it on and off whenever they wanted. A chimera was an extremely dangerous animal that required at least 8 trained aurors to handle the animal. Even with that amount of trained auror it was impossible to know if they could pull it off without any casualties.

“It also doesn't make sense for them to expose students to an uncontrolled environment,” Chan had commented.

Felix beside him had nodded. "A chimera is not just any magical creature."

Hyunjin sighed dramatically as he dropped all of his weight onto his boyfriend. “We must be interpreting something wrong about this. For example, where will it take place? "

Changbin rolled his eyes but made no effort to move Hyunjin. "So far we only know that it will involve chimeras."

"The task is going to take place in the Forbidden Forest," Jeongin said as he put drinks on the table.

Jisung nodded as he placed the other butter beers. "The description at the beginning is the same as a passage from the Hogwarts history book in which the forest is described."

They all blinked in Jisung's direction.

"Hey, I'm smart!" Han complained as he sat down on one of the chairs. "Plus, Seungminnie told me just now."

Oh. They all turned their heads in the direction of Seungmin who was chatting with Kim Inseong at the counter. Minho rolled his eyes. They had gone to the Three Broomsticks to relax as a group, but of course Kim Seungmin was interacting with other schools. Well, either way, the Ravenclaw was free to do whatever he wanted. Minho knew it, so it irritated him to be upset about something that did not concern him.

The interactions between the two were being weird because of the fight they had had at the dance. Neither of them had mentioned anything about it. There was an elephant in the room. Jisung had called him stupid the next day and he couldn't contradict him.

Seungmin took the cookies the owner offered him along with his drink. He waved goodbye to the Beauxbatons champion. The Ravenclaw sat next to Jeongin.

“Jisung told us that you thought the test would take place in the Forbidden forest,” Chan mentioned.

The Ravenclaw nodded. “It is a race and a treasure hunt. Bathilda Bagshot's book compares a chimera with the forbidden forest, so it's no coincidence. A seed is mentioned which is usually an allegory for egg and fruit for offspring. They're probably going to hide chimera eggs,” Seungmin sipped his drink. "Whoever gets his egg first and brings it to the Hogwarts grounds must be the winner," he finished.

Everyone was silent for a few seconds.

"Wow, that was sexy," Jisung said breathlessly.

Seungmin rolled his eyes, but his gaze showed the joy of being recognized.

"That puts Minho-hyung at a disadvantage," Changbin burst the bubble of happiness.

Chris frowned. "They probably will use brooms to cover the ground that is not so lush."

Minho let out a pitiful groan. Why couldn't they do a simple task?

Seungmin broke the silence again. "There may be another solution."

. . .

The third test took place in the middle of March. Having a mandrake leaf under his mouth for a month was horrible. Seungmin had glued it under his mouth with a spell that he renewed every day. Minho knew he was qualified to do it, but he still let him do it anyway.

A lot could go wrong, but again unless he took risks there was no way he would win the second task or get out of it alive. After the test at Black Lake Minho couldn't trust his teachers to save him. So, after having a leaf in his mouth and drinking a potion that tasted horrible everything was ready.

March came and with it the second test. Kim Seungmin had been correct. Minho was wearing a green sweatshirt with his name written on the back. The other champions were dressing similarly. Comfortable clothing that allowed them to move easily in the Forbidden Forest.

The three of them were waiting in a tent that was located near the forest. The happy shouts of students could be heard in the distance. Each of them were standing in a corner of the tent.

Both Song and Inseong were wearing Quidditch gloves so Chan was probably correct, and they were going to use brooms to cut ground.

"Hyung?" Someone said quietly.

"Kim Seungmin?" Minho said puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

Soon someone came through the entrance. Seungmin quickly deposited a bag in his hands. "Are you stupid, hyung? You forgot it with Chan-hyung,” the Ravenclaw muttered irritably.

Oh. Out of his nerves he had forgotten the magic bag that Hyunjin had lent him for the test. Ideal for storing fragile things, Hwang had said. Minho bit his tongue to keep from asking what he was doing there if clearly Chan could have brought him.

"Ah, Seungmin-ssi! It's good to see your face before a task!” The Durmstrang champion approached them with a joyous smile.

For some strange reason Minho was motivated to get first place.

The sound of a camera flash made them jump. "Young love! Did you get that?” The woman asked the man carrying a camera.

Seungmin pursed his lips. That was the reporter the Ravenclaw always complained about. Kim had said that everything that woman wrote was garbage.

"You are not allowed here," Inseong said as he positioned himself in front of Seungmin.

The woman waved her hand dismissively. "My readers have every right to know what happens with the young champions," the blonde said she. "And their love life ...," she murmured as she glanced at Seungmin.

The Quick-Quotes Quill of her wrote something instantly.

The three champions stood in front of Seungmin, and the woman smiled sweetly. Before she could say anything Seungmin pushed them away to face the three of them. He was furious, anyone could tell by his aura, even so, he was smiling friendly.

"Ah, miss. I haven't seen you for a long time. I think the last time I saw you was at a ministry banquet 2 years ago,” Seungmin frowned. “No, excuse me, 3 years ago. It is difficult to keep track of the time you will see. Now that you have been delegated to minor tasks, I am afraid. I am not surprised to see you here after such a long time. Would you like to know something about last year Ministry Christmas dinner that you were not invited to? " asked Kim politely.

The blonde's face was red. Seungmin had humiliated her with a few words. "You-!"

The entrance to the tent was opened and the headmistresses and headmaster entered through it. The Hogwarts headmistress didn't look happy to see the reporter. "You are not allowed here, miss."

The blonde let out a fake laugh. "Don't worry, I was just leaving."

Seungmin sighed. The headmistress gave the Ravenclaw a look. The message was clear, he wasn't allowed to be there either. "Don't die," he said quickly, then he left the tent.

All three received further instructions. The chimera eggs were hidden somewhere in the forest. Not all were in the same place so there were several signs. Some were real and some were only there to hinder the search. If they were giving the instructions in the tent, it meant that someone was telling the rules to the students.

The three were led to a podium in the middle of the grounds. "This is where the race begins and where you must bring your egg!"

The three of them got to the starting line. The students were yelling around him. Even though Minho had gotten a second place in the last test, many students still thought that Chan must have been the champion. He knew he didn't have to prove anything to them, but at least he wanted his friends to see that their help was paying off.

One of the managers announced the start and Minho started running. The other students summoned their brooms and flew away quickly. Minho kept running even despite the boos against him. His shoes got muddy when he finally entered the forest. The other two champions were at least 10 minutes ahead of him.

Minho kept running. When he was finally sure that no one could see him, he changed form. Both of his legs became 4 legs. His competitive instinct increased considerably as did his desire to hunt. He stopped when he noticed the three arrows pointed in different directions. Minho sniffed the air. Inseong and Song had chosen the right and the center respectively. Minho chose the left.

His ears were attentive to any noise. His legs slammed into the ground and sank over it. He wanted to win. He wanted to win. That was certainly his animal instinct. Still, the feeling of running through the woods freely was like pure adrenaline injected into his body. His body turned easily among the trees, even climbing them was easy. His claws were useful. Minho expected to be some kind of feline, but he didn't expect him to be such a big one.

Magical creatures either stepped aside or simply ignored him. That was one of the biggest advantages of moving through the forest like an animal. Minho let out a disgruntled sound when he realized that one of the signals had led him to the nest of Acromantula. He sped away before being detected by the huge spiders. Minho returned on his footsteps with speed and took the opposite direction. After running for a few minutes, he finally saw it. Right in the middle of a pedestal was a chimera egg. Minho changed form. He advanced with his wand raised. Surprisingly, nothing happened when he approached the egg.

The Slytherin opened his bag. Minho took the egg and just as he was about to put it in his bag, he felt the horrible sensation of a portkey. "Shit-!" He wasn't able to finish the sentence. One minute he was in a clearing and the next he was falling into mud. Minho stifled a groan at the impact. All of his clothes were dirty.

He got up with a scowl on his face. Minho looked around him. He definitely had no idea where he was. He put the egg in his bag and closed it. He with difficulty he was able to get out of the mud. No doubt the intention of making the egg a portkey was to confuse them. Minho sighed.

His body changed again. Everything around him became clear. His sight was not bad as a human, but as an animal it became superior. He sniffed the air. He could smell the vague scent of humans, probably the ones who had organized the test. Minho started running in that direction.

The weariness was starting to get more and more noticeable, but he forced himself to keep up. He quickened his pace when he noticed the limits of the forest in the distance. He didn't hear anything like victory chants so that was a good sign. The Slytherin kept running. Soon his body left the darkness of the forest.

"You can do it! You are almost here!” Jisung and Hyunjin found themselves yelling at the top of their lungs.

Students began to scream in shock when they saw a wild animal approaching. Minho kept running even despite seeing aurors getting in front of the students. "Get your wands down from him, that's a student," the headmistress had said smugly.

At times like this he was grateful for the hearing ability of his Animagus form. The confused aurors did not leave the front of the podium. Minho heard in the distance a sound like something flying through the skies. Probably a broom. He couldn't afford to lose! The Slytherin leapt on the aurors. His body landed perfectly on the podium.

"Yes!" Chan shouted excitedly.

Minho joined his friend's chant with a roar that caused many to walk away in fear. The huge black panther got on two legs. His roar soon turned into laughter. The paws were replaced by legs and arms. Lee Minho was in the middle of the podium. The Hogwarts students began to scream when they realized that the panther was their champion. Minho took the chimera egg out of his bag. The screams grew louder, if that was possible, as he held the egg in his hand.

Inseong came in second place while Song came in third. The screams from the headmistress and headmaster did not wait. “Trap!” The Beauxbatons yelled.

“It's illegal!” The Durmstrang yelled.

The dreaded Hogwarts headmistress pulled out the paper that it had arrived the day before. In this it was written that Lee Minho was a registered Animagus in the ministry. Everything was in order. With that the claims of the other two schools died.

. . .

Maybe it was because he had won the day before or because he was an Animagus, but surely many people he did not know were beginning to speak to him. He hated it. His friends were only 7 people. At least his discontent was notorious, so they didn't try to hold a conversation for long.

Minho, Jeongin and Seungmin were the ones who went to the Great Hall quite early because they didn't like to go when it was crowded. Strangely, despite being 7am, the place was quite busy. The Slytherin boys sat next to each other just like every day. Kim Seungmin was sitting at the Ravenclaw table. The correspondence arrived. Minho was not subscribed to the newspaper, but Jeongin was.

Anyone would think that the front page would be about Minho winning or an article that related something related to the second task. The newspaper however read:

Three champions who don't just fight for the cup

but also for love

 

Many of us know about the peculiar champions of the Triwizard Tournament. We have heard about the world famous Quidditch player, Song Minho; the celebrated son of the English community ambassador in France, Kim Inseong and the Muggle-born Slytherin with a perfect nose Lee Minho. The last one gave us a surprise yesterday with his Animagus form, grrr. Handsome, right? Probably the son of our respected secretary of the Minister of Magic, Kim Seungmin, must be delighted.

Oh. That is exactly what brings us to the most exciting point of yesterday! Apparently, it is not enough for the second son of the Kim family to be the possessor of an exemplary lineage. It is rumored that the Kim family carries the blood of Rowena Ravenclaw herself in their veins. I am not even surprised by such a clever move. A precocious young man if this humble writer can have an opinion! To have three important young people at his feet, how much intelligence must have the young boy to achieve such a task!

I have been told by reliable sources that the younger Kim was Song Minho's partner at the Yule Ball, but he also has been found to be exceptionally affectionate with Kim Inseong in Hogsmeade. Let's not leave out Lee Minho! Apparently these two have a deep relationship since Lee Minho befriended him during his first year at Hogwarts.

I am eager to know the outcome of this competition! We are not only talking about winning a trophy but about a future husband as well. A trophy husband can we say?

In May we will know the final result. Who is your favorite participant to win the tournament and the heart of the beautiful young man Kim Seungmin?

 

By Rit ...

"Wow, that's absolutely stupid," Jeongin expressed puzzled.

Minho nodded. There was no way he was interested in Kim Seungmin like that. That made no sense at all. His heart was beating wildly from the coffee.

“You guys would be Seungmin's trophy husband. His family has enough money to support another 100 generations and it's not a joke,” Jeongin added, glancing at the photo on the first page.

In the photograph, Seungmin was surrounded by the three champions as they chatted. That was the photo the woman had took when they caught them off guard. The murmurs around him had increased considerably which meant that the rest of the students had finished reading the article as well. Minho looked up and saw as Kim Seungmin started folding the newspaper. Delicately the Ravenclaw deposited the paper into his cup and with a non-verbal incantation set it on fire.

The paper turned to ashes. The Ravenclaw looked up. With his gaze he defied anyone to attempt to comment on what the newspaper said. His ears reddened. He looked away. Jeongin next to him just said something similar to "stupid hyung."

.

.

.

The last test was without a doubt the most difficult. The chimera egg was not a real one. They had discovered it a few days after the second test when they were trying to find clues for the third task. It was a good imitation, but the egg lacked heat. Even this one hadn't changed color after being put on the fireplace like it was supposed to.

After breaking it, they had discovered a constellation drawn inside the egg. The phrase 'fly and protect from fear' under the constellation. Everyone had turned to see Seungmin.

“The only thing I can think of is that it will be at night. That is the Ursa Minor,” the Ravenclaw said as he pointed at the constellation. "Brooms are probably going to be used to get to the target."

Felix bit his thumb. "I think dementors will be part of the task."

Hyunjin stirred. “I hate dementors. Even on the books they look horrible. "

"Minho knows how to use the Expecto Patronum," Chan assured.

Although they tried to find more useful clues, a hint as to what to protect they failed to find anything. Hyunjin, Chan, and Changbin helped him practice his flight, but it was a slow process. Plus, the N.E.W.Ts were right around the corner. Minho had his third task in May and his exams were scheduled for June. The days continued to advance and finally May arrived. Minho was dressed in warm clothes. He was wearing something similar to the Slytherin Quidditch uniform. It was horrible.

"Has anyone seen Channie-hyung and Seungminnie?" Asked Felix, looking around.

They were all on the Quidditch pitch. This was full of people. There was no trace of Bang Chan or Kim Seungmin.

Jeongin frowned. "I think I saw them talking to the herbology professor."

Felix seemed to relax at his words. "I hope they don't miss the start."

"Come on, Minho-hyung! You can go it!” Jisung was supporting the Slytherin.

Soon the champions were called to the center of the court. Minho sighed in resignation. He doubted he could win the task. He just hoped he didn't fall off his broom. Chan had told him not to think about falling. Easy for him to say. Minho was very fragile!

His head was a mess, plus he still didn't see Chan or Kim Seungmin. Aren't they supposed to be supporting him? Minho sighed irritably. He needed moral support. His legs wouldn't stop shaking which was stupid because he was still stepping on the ground. The instructions they were giving the, were vague as was the egg clue. They had to fly using the constellation drawn inside the egg to find what they had to protect.

The task started.

Both Kim Inseong and Song Minho quickly left the Quidditch pitch. Minho for his part rose slowly. The Slytherin was doing the breathing exercise that Chan had taught him to keep his composure. The other two champions were just figures in the distance, but Minho kept the same speed.

He would rather finish last than fall off his broom. Thank you very much.

Each time they were further away from the castle. It was just when he was flying over the Great Lake that he saw it. There was a platform suspended in midair. Several dementors were circling the platform. It seemed to have an enchantment that made the dementors unable to approach it.

Minho narrowed his eyes as he saw the champions throwing their Expecto Patronum. They were both trying separately, but it didn't seem to work. The Slytherin gulped when he saw what was on the platform. Undoubtedly those were Bang Chan, Kim Seungmin and the girl from Beauxbatons that he had danced with Kim Inseong. None of the three seemed very happy to be there.

"Ah, Minho-ssi!" Inseong yelled upon seeing him. "It seems to me that we should do it together!"

“We have to act fast. As soon as the gap opens, we have to get them out of there,” Song had a grimace on his face. “Apparently dementors can't move much. We are 10 meters away and they are not coming. "

Minho nodded as he pulled his wand from him. He felt sick just thinking that those three were there so close to the dementors. Hyunjin was right. They were horrible.

"On the count of three we cast the spell," Inseong said as he pointed his wand at the dementors. "1, 2, 3!"

“Expecto Patronum!” The three yelled.

The figure of a horse, an eagle and a rabbit headed towards the dementors. This caused the creatures to move away. Minho forgot his fear of heights for an instant and flew with the same speed as the others. Minho reached out his hand with the intention of pulling Bang Chan out of there. Song clearly intended to rescue Kim Seungmin. He was much better flying than Minho so that was fine.

Just as Song was about to take Seungmin’s hand, a dementor appeared. Seungmin tripped over his own feet and Minho acted without thinking. He took his arm and managed to get him onto the broom.

"I'm carrying the other one!" Song yelled. Chan swiftly climbed onto the Durmstrang champion's broom.

Seungmin's arms were around his stomach. At least they had managed to rescue everyone. The dementors began to pursue them. Apparently, the restriction that keep the dementors in place had disappeared when they rescued the victims. Minho pursed his lips and began to fly in the direction of the castle.

The Slytherin casted an Expecto Patronum in the direction of one of the pursuing Dementors. The other two champions were following followed by dementors, but not in as much abundance as Minho. "Why are they only chasing us?!"

“They can sense your fear of heights! Try to control yourself hyung!” Seungmin yelled. His voice was muffled by the wind.

"How am I supposed to do that ?!" Minho countered.

At least 7 dementors were following them. Minho was not Chan. He couldn't keep dodging dementors and casting spells. It happened what he feared so much. Minho lost control of his broom. His grip weakened.

Suddenly both Minho and Seungmin found themselves falling. Song noticed it instantly and began to fly at full speed in their direction. Chan was yelling their names. Seungmin would get hurt and it would be his fault. The two of them kept falling. Kim Inseong and Song Minho grew more and more distant. Momentum Arrest would only stop their fall for 3 seconds. It wasn't long enough for them to catch up. Besides, he was tired, he had no idea how many Expecto Patronum he had casted.

He had only one option left. The height from which they were falling was extremely high. Even if they fell into the water, Minho was sure that bones would break from the impact. Minho let go of Kim Seungmin. He removed his arms from around the Ravenclaw. His eyes connected for an instant with Seungmin's scared eyes before reciting the spell. "Ascendio ...," Minho muttered. Seungmin's body shot out in the opposite direction.

Song Minho was capable enough to catch him. Minho closed his eyes.

His body hit the water of the Great Lake painfully. The hand in which he held his wand bent into an extremely painful position. His vision blurred. He was sure that he had lost consciousness for a few moments. His body kept sinking into the water. He didn't even have the wand with himself to use another Ascendio spell to reach the surface.

Minho closed his eyes. If he was lucky the giant squid would be nearby, and it would take it out of the water. Just when he was about to lose consciousness, he heard a distant splashing sound.

Lee Minho passed out before he knew what caused the sound.

When he regained consciousness, the first thing he thought was that his entire body ached horribly and that he was very cold. Minho was sure that he had spit out water, but he couldn't find the strength in himself to move or open his eyes.

"I can hardly feel his pulse anymore!" Someone had screamed in fear.

“We already cast a flare spell! Help should be here soon!” Another voice said.

"I'm going to fly in the direction of the castle to be sure someone is coming!"

The voices were familiar. He was sure he knew them, but he couldn't remember from where. Someone had started crying and Minho felt bad. That sound should never leave that mouth.

"React, stupid hyung," hot liquid fell onto Minho's cold face. “I-I have to tell you; you have to l-listen to me. It doesn't matter if y-you can't… I-I have to-” the person who was crying couldn't continue speaking due to his tears.

Oh.

Minho knew that voice.

Kim Seungmin.

Certain. Kim Seungmin. The boy he had met on the train.

Minho was about to start his third year at Hogwarts. He had been looking for Chan, but he couldn't find him anywhere. Maybe it was fate, but Minho witnessed something he didn't expect. A boy with glasses was in front of the door of one of the train compartments. Perhaps it was curiosity that made him stop.

Inside the compartment were other children. Ugly, useless, snobbish, you are not welcome. They were insults by children who clearly did not know how to insult and used the first thing that occurred to them. Minho didn't know that boy, but just by looking at the way he was standing it was easy to deduce that he was a pureblood. Many purebloods were associated with dark times, so many parents taught their children to stay away from such people.

The boy with glasses had just sighed. The boy closed the door after apologizing for pestering them. Minho had been vaguely surprised to see how well the boy had handled the situation. The boy's composure was lost when he turned his body. His shoulders shook due to the tears. Minho sighed. He couldn't blame the boy. From his defeated posture it seemed that this was not the first time he had been denied sharing space.

Minho easily took the boy's suitcase and placed his bag in the kid’s hands. “Help me carry that. It's heavy."

Kim Seungmin glared at him. His eyes were red, and his nose was full of snot. Minho felt amused. What a petulant child.

Despite his dismissive look, Seungmin didn't complain and carried Minho's bag. Eventually Minho found Chan in a compartment sitting next to Changbin. Chan raised an eyebrow in his direction but didn't comment. The Gryffindor even helped him carry the suitcase. No one mentioned anything about Seungmin's tearful face. Surprisingly, the four of them were able to have a pleasant conversation.

Seungmin was smart. He had a quick tongue and a brain to match this one. Minho never thought it was a mistake to take him to their train compartment. Even when Seungmin laughed at him when Minho bumped into Jisung the next day. That was actually good because that's how they had met Jisung. Not long after Hyunjin and Felix arrived. Those two caused an explosion in Potions. The two of them completely ignored the unspoken Hogwarts rules and asked a Slytherin to tutor them.

The following year a first year Slytherin had threatened him saying that if he tried something funny with him then he would set his eyebrows on fire. Minho loved that boy from day one.

Minho opened his eyes. Right in front of him was Seungmin completely drenched. His face was full of tears. "I thought you were past your crying boy stage, Seungminnie," Minho murmured softly as he raised his hand to caress Kim's face.

“Hyung!” Seungmin exclaimed in relief as he tightly held his hand. "You have to keep your eyes open until they get here, okay?"

"Ok," Minho conceded weakly.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Chan was by his side as well. The Gryffindor was drenched too. Those two must have been the ones who pulled him out of the water. He probably would have said something funny if he could find the strength in him to speak.

Finally, the sound of people alerted them. Chan stood up and disappeared from his field of vision. As promised, Minho held out until he was sure that help arrived. The Slytherin fainted again.

.

.

.

No doubt he was in the infirmary. Minho groaned. His right arm ached horribly. The Slytherin cursed at the sight of the bandage. It was broken. In his first year, he had also broken his arm during flying lessons. The bone growth potion was hideous.

"Even if you don't want to drink the potion, you must, hyung," a familiar voice said.

Seungmin was sitting next to him. The Ravenclaw had messy hair and dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted. To Minho, however, he looked beautiful.

"Ah, Seungminnie. I didn't know you could read minds too,” Minho mumbled as he tried to sit up on the bed.

The Ravenclaw effectively helped him to obtain a more comfortable position. Minho didn't complain. The contact was welcome. Seungmin was fine. He could still remember the terrified expression on each other's faces as they were falling.

"Unfortunately, that is not, at the moment, one of my many talents," Seungmin said with amusement. “It was written on your face. That's all."

The two were silent for a few seconds.

"How many days was I unconscious?" Minho asked softly.

"4 days," Seungmin replied in a shaky voice.

That explained the deplorable state of the other. There were many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the right words. Seungmin was absolutely not to blame for anything. The Ravenclaw could be especially hard on himself. That was a conversation they needed to have, but this was not the time. Not while Minho still had broken bones that would make Seungmin feel guilty.

"Seungminnie," Minho softly called out to the mentioned one.

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember when we were waiting for help on the shores of the lake?" The Slytherin asked softly.

Seungmin's body tensed. "Yes, I can remember," he commented bitterly.

"I heard you had to tell me something."

Almost instantly the Ravenclaw's body language changed. His cheeks took on a healthy reddish hue. Minho smiled slightly. He was no longer so pale. Seungmin looked away.

"Oh, you heard that," Seungmin stretched out his hand to inspect his hand as if it were the most attractive thing in the world.

Minho laughed. They couldn't keep this anymore. The school year was about to end.

Lee Minho took one of Kim Seungmin's hands in his. He was hurt and it was painful. He must look horrible, but maybe that vulnerability was what he needed.

"Kim Seungmin," he began with determination. "There is still one last trip scheduled to Hogsmeade, do you want to go on a date with me?"

Seungmin let out air gently. His hand squeezed Minho's tightly. "Yeah, I'd like that."

There is much more to say. There are hundreds of words that are trapped in his mouth. Still, this is fine. They have time. Lee Minho looks at Kim Seungmin and can finally accept that his feelings are not platonic.

.

.

.

One of the advantages of the wizarding world is that broken bones can heal in a matter of days. As expected in the third task he had gotten the third place. Kim Inseong had got the first place and Song Minho the second. The funny thing about the situation is that their scores had ended up being the same. All three got 600 points in total. It has been 259 years since something like that happened.

The ministry wanted to do one more test to decide a winner, but none of the three champions were interested in it. The N.E.W.T would take place in the third week of June. They had to prepare. So, to the general public's pain the cup had not been given to anyone. The monetary award: however, it had been donated to magical creatures reserves in Oceania. Minho had been the one with the idea and the others had agreed.

"I don't need the money," all three of them had more or less said when asked their reasoning.

In the last week of May the foreign students had planned to return to their schools to give their students time to rest a little before the final exams. Minho was forcing himself not to look in the direction of Kim Seungmin who was saying goodbye to Kim Inseong and Song Minho.

"Ah, poor Lee Minho-hyng. To die of jealousy because his boyfriend is popular,” Hyunjin lamented aloud.

The Slytherin glared at the Hufflepuff. Hyunjin hid behind Changbin.

"We are not dating," Minho muttered.

Their date would be in a few days, but neither had mentioned anything about it. Although the actual words had not been spoken, the change in their relationship was noticeable to everyone. Seungmin would stroke Minho's hair from time to time. Minho would place his head on the Ravenclaw's shoulder. When they exchanged glances, it was impossible not to share a discreet smile between them.

"Yet," Jisung chimed in.

Yet. That was the key word. He hoped the signals he was receiving meant what he thought. Minho had a good concept of himself, but it was impossible not to hesitate a bit. Kim Seungmin was a perfect fit with those other two. They had money and fame. Lee Minho was just Lee Minho. A weird Slytherin with good friends.

Seungmin finally finished saying goodbye. He had a soft smile that accentuated all of his features. The Ravenclaw scanned the rest of his friends. They weren't paying attention to him. Minho's heart pounded as he saw Seungmin blowing kisses at him.

The uncertainty hadn't completely disappeared, but with Kim Seungmin seeing him like this it was impossible not to believe that they had a future beyond Hogwarts.

Beauxbatons' carriage soared through the skies and Durmstrang's ship sank in the Great Lake. With his departure, the Triwizard Tournament could finally be over.

Just as he was walking towards the great hall alone, since Innie hadn't wait for him, a house elf appeared in front of him. “Hello, Mr. Lee Minho sir. I am Mox. Today I will be your guide. "

Minho blinked in confusion. This was the same little elf who had given him the invisibility cloak at the beginning of the year. The elf was small and had big eyes. He also looked healthy which indicated that the family he worked for took care of him. His little arm took Minho's hand. The world around him changed.

"You look like you want to throw up, hyung," Kim Seungmin had a grin from ear to ear. He didn't look guilty about seeing Minho dizzy. "Thank you very much for helping me, Mox," he said in a sweet tone of voice to the house elf.

"Mox is happy to help Mr. Kim Seungmin!" The elf expressed cheerfully.

Seungmin nodded still with a sweet smile. "Go home and rest, okay?"

The elf nodded. His ears had a little reddish tinge to them, and he looked happy. The little elf disappeared with a 'zap'.

"This counts as kidnapping, Kim Seungmin," Minho muttered with one arm against the wall. He was trying to gain stability.

"Nonsense," Seungmin cheerfully refuted.

The Ravenclaw's hand took the Slytherin's. Minho didn't question anything; he just laced his fingers with Seungmin's. The two of them walked a few more steps and a door opened in front of them in the middle of the hall. The Room of Requirements.

"I was thinking," he began. "We don't need to wait for the Hogsmeade visit to have our date," Seungmin was unable to look at Minho. That was the only sign that he was embarrassed.

The Slytherin smiled.

"Impatient about dating me, Seungminnie?" Minho teased.

Seungmin sighed but didn't deny it. The Ravenclaw opened the door. Minho was nervous, even though he didn't want to admit it. What he was exploring with Seungmin was new territory. He didn't know what to expect on the other side of the door.

Minho snorted. "Have you been in love with me since your first year, nerd?"

The room looked identical to the Hogwarts compartment they had traveled in together several years ago. Seungmin let go of Minho's hand and he lost his warmth. The Ravenclaw moved a silver tray that was on one of the seats. He took a seat.

"Nope. My first crush was Chan-hyung. Can you blame me?” Asked Seungmin smugly.

It was silly to feel jealous over something like that. Minho knew it, yet he was aware that he could be possessive at times. The idea of a little Seungminnie with a crush on him was adorable. "You're rude, Seungminnie," Minho whimpered. The boy dropped down next to Seungmin.

Kim sighed. "Still, that was the moment I realized what kind of person you were, hyung."

Minho raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Absolutely sexy and handsome?"

"Easy to love," he corrected. "A good person," he added after a few seconds.

Minho gasped. Seungmin's eyes were blazing with sincerity. His eyes were one of his favorite parts of Seungmin. They always glowed when he was happy and darkened when he was sad. Those eyes looked at him with affection and something else. Something else that terrified him and gave him equal parts of joy.

Their faces were close. Minho vaguely wondered if he looked as in love as Kim Seungmin. "Can I kiss you?" He heard himself ask.

Seungmin nodded slightly. The kiss was slow and tentative. They were both still unsure about how to proceed. Seungmin's lips had a slight taste of tea and sugar. They were warm and soft. Kissing him was an experience he couldn't give up from now on. The two laughed softly as they parted, Seungmin had leaned his head against Minho's shoulder.

"I brought sandwiches," Kim murmured against his neck. Minho suppressed a shudder.

"Incredibly romantic food," the Slytherin joked. His fingers were stroking Seungmin's hair. It was fluffy and soft.

The Ravenclaw snorted. "Next time you cook."

Seungmin opened the tray that just as he had said it was full of sandwiches. They were ordinary sandwiches, but Minho had never enjoyed a piece of bread with some meat so much.

"You know," Seungmin started shyly after eating. “Inseong-hyung is a friend. I know him from my father's work. He probably thought it was a good idea to tease you,” Kim confessed.

Minho blinked. Oh.

"So, you knew Song Minho too?" The Slytherin asked in relief.

Seungmin was silent. He was inspecting his nails. "Something like that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Minho asked again.

"It's a secret," Seungmin teased as he laughed.

The Room of Requirements was filled with laughter and screams from both of them. Minho still didn't know if he would succeed in his tests. He also didn't know if Seungmin's family would approve of their relationship. They were both young and couldn't know for sure what would happen in the future, but they both wanted to find it out together.

For Lee Minho loving Kim Seungmin felt like magic itself.