Chapter Text
“Jungkook Jeon!” The boy startled, turning his head quickly to the side to gaze at the boy that had called his name. He automatically felt his shoulders curl in on themselves around his books, tilting his head down so that his gaze was set firmly on the ground.
“A-Albus.” He whispered. The other boy smirked, a hand coming up to rest on the younger’s shoulder.
“I don’t think that’s quite right.” Jungkook flinched at the feeling of the hand on his shoulder, biting his lower lip when the threatening tone came out. So soon into their conversation, too. Jungkook already knew that today wouldn’t hold to be anything promising.
And it was only the first day, too. They hadn’t even had the sorting ceremony for the first years, Jungkook was just carrying the rest of his books to his room in the Hufflepuff corridors. Just a few more books and then he could have safely settled down in a corner and never would have come across Albus, who he knew would be catching up with his friends and moving his own things into the Gryffindor corridors.
He had hoped that today he would be left alone, but the sixth year knew that he wouldn’t be that lucky. “Sorry.” He whispered. “Hello, hyung.” He finally tried again, his gut twisting and his stomach becoming unsettled at the honorific. It had been hell the day that Albus had looked into Jungkook’s culture and read up all about honorifics.
It wasn’t appropriate, and Jungkook only used it with his friends that spoke Korean with him, but even then most of the time they stuck to the causality of English. They were at Hogwarts after all, no longer in Korea, and the last time that Jungkook had really felt the need to use such formalities had been when he’d last visited his parents and older brother back home. But Jungkook had been in Romania all summer, studying dragons and training with them, after landing the opportunity for scoring an ‘outstanding’ in Care of Magical Creatures during his O.W.L.S.
Jungkook had aced almost every category in fact, the only score he hadn’t managed to get either an ‘exceeds expectations’ or ‘outstanding’ in was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but that was only because it was well known that Jungkook was for too soft hearted and kind to ever lift his wand in a way that could ever be threatening, even if it was to defend himself.
It was not that he was weak, Jungkook was considered one of the strongest wizards in his class, and he was at the top of his class as well (to the chagrin of several Ravenclaws, who felt like he was cheating in some way). Jungkook was simply too kind, and he had never found much practicality or interest in the class. Although his score had still been excellent for the exam.
Jungkook was hoping to pursue a career in caring for wild and magical creatures, he hoped to travel the world and maybe discover a new species, but he was also content to work in a rehabilitation center, where he would care for any and all kinds of creatures, nursing them back to health until they were either transferred to a new facility or were let back out into the wild.
“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Albus snapped, his hands clapping together harshly in front of the boy’s face, making him jump. His eyes widened and he stared at the seventh year, a shiver falling down his spine. A shiver of dread.
“I-I’m sorry.” He whispered. “S-sorry.” he repeated again.
Albus scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Pathetic.” He muttered. “You’d think that by now you’d have learned your lesson. Don’t you know who I am? I’m the son of Harry Potter, the greatest wizard who ever lived. And you’re just ignoring me? You--”
“Gentlemen.” Jungkook’s spine straightened and he turned, staring at the headmistress, who was walking towards them. “The sorting ceremony is about to start. Mr. Jeon, I would have thought that you would have been finished unpacking by now with how early you arrived.”
“I am sorry, Headmistress McGonagall. I’ll go and get these put away quickly.”
“Best.” She then turned to the other. “Potter, I would have thought that you would be with your friends. They were asking for you earlier.”
“Then I shouldn’t keep them waiting, should I? Thank you headmistress.” The boy turned his charm to the max, smiling brightly at the woman, who gave him a small smile back. Jungkook had come to hate how quickly the older could turn anyone his way. He would admit that the boy was attractive, objectively of course, and that if he had never come to know the other, perhaps he would be charmed as well by that smile, but spending six years at Hogwarts with him, he had come to know better than to fall for that stupid trick.
“Welcome back to Hogwarts, boys. I look forward to seeing how this year goes.”
“Yes…” The woman walked away, and Jungkook watched her go. He tried to take that chance to walk away, but a hand clamped around the back of his robes. He gasped and stumbled backwards.
“Don’t forget your place, little puffy.” He sneered. Jungkook whimpered, stumbling away as soon as he was released. He ran the rest of the way to his room, placing his books on his nightstand. He took a moment to just collect himself, allowed himself a few moments to let a few tears escape his eyes, before stepping in front of the mirror to adjust his robes and make sure that he was presentable. His eyes weren’t that red, and taking his wand from the arm of his sleeve, it was easy to spell all evidence away. Giving himself one more glance over, he deemed himself presentable and stepped out of the rooms, heading to the dining hall.
As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by Hoseok, who seemed to be waiting around for him. “Jesus, what took you so long, huh?” He teased, pushing Jungkook slightly. “Usually you’re the first one here, among us. You didn’t even help Yoongi unpack his things, and you do that every year.”
Jungkook shrugged, pushing back at the Slytherin. “I had too many books to bring up.” He admitted. “Took me a while to get them all to my room.”
“You’d think that someone as smart as you would just use magic.”
“That’s so useless, Hobi.” Jungkook whined. “I’m not that lazy. And besides, I like the burn that it gives my arms.”
The older rolled his eyes, shaking his head fondly. “You’re such a brat.” He strolled away, still shaking his head. Jungkook grinned as he walked to his house’s table, taking a seat next to Jimin, who waved at Jungkook as he headed towards his own table, taking a seat right next to Yoongi, who was arguing with the Fat Friar. They were always arguing about something or other, and this time it seemed to be Yoongi’s weight, which was a common one.
“...such a skinny thing. Look at those legs! I could snap them like a twig and I can’t even touch anything!”
“Oh bug off.” Yoongi rolled his eyes, but subconsciously adjusted his robed to cover his legs a little better. When he caught Jungkook’s gaze, he relaxed a little, looking quite relieved.
“Ah! Jungkook my boy!” The ghost exclaimed, smiling widely. “Now here’s a boy that knows how to eat! Although you’re still quite skinny in my opinion--”
“Friar, the first years are going to be coming in soon, and I think that the other ghosts are all disappearing off to wherever you hide to surprise them.” The ghost looked around and nodded, before flying away rather quickly. Yoongi shot Jungkook a grateful smile.
“I never thought I would rid myself of him.” he sighed dramatically.
“You’re still the skinniest kid in Hufflepuff.” Jungkook joked. “That’s why.” The older rolled his eyes.
“Then thank god it’s my last year.”
Jungkook laughed, shaking his head. “Are you excited?”
“Oh god, no. I just know that Namjoon’s gonna make us study all year this year.”
“He’s just worried about the N.E.W.T.’s.”
“God, can’t I have your brain? Didn’t you ace the O.W.L.’s?”
“I wouldn’t say that--”
“Don’t be so humble.” The boy snorted, rolling his eyes. “All of us know that you did stupidly amazing on those tests. And the only one you didn’t, you still did better than half your year.”
Jungkook blushed at the praise, simply shaking his head. He was glad when the attention was called to the front of the room, where all of their professors were sitting as McGonagall rose and announced that the first years were coming in.
And then it was like the magic happened. Jungkook loved this, it was arguably his favorite part of the year, when the first years walked through the doors for the first time. When they looked around with the wonder in their eyes and the curious glints in their gazes. Jungkook remembered that feeling, and he loved to see it in the other as well. Jungkook had wanted to become a prefect his fifth year, but had ultimately turned down the position, deciding that he had had enough on his plate as well.
Yoongi of all people was a prefect, and hadn’t decided to drop the position, taking it on throughout all of his years at Hogwarts.
Jungkook smiled and waved at some of the new years that look a bit more scared than the others. Jungkook remembered that feeling as well. Not knowing what was going to happen, worrying about the house that he was going to be sorted into, wondering if he’d be sorted into the wrong house.
Jungkook had often thought about that. He knew Namjoon had been given a perfect placement, so had Jimin and Jin. Yoongi and Hoseok had been the ones to make him hesitate. When he’d first met Yoongi, he had thought that the man was for sure a Slytherin, wearing yellow lined ties and pins, playing a prank on him, as he’d heard many did.
The man was quiet and stoic, oftentimes crude and blunt at the best of times. Jungkook had thought that the sorting hat had surely made a mistake, but as he’d grown to know Yoongi more and more, he’d discovered that the sorting hat hadn’t made a mistake at all, and anybody who said otherwise was the fool.
Hoseok had been much of the same. He had been so kind and quick to smile, quick to offer a helping hand to the then shy and unsure first year. He and Jimin had met on the train and had become quick friends, and when Jimin had been sorted into Slytherin, Hoseok had befriended him as well, and through him, Jungkook.
The boy had come to understand that Hoseok was a Slytherin through and through when he’d witnessed his first Quidditch game, and the boy had been ruthless not only on the field, but after the game. They’d won of course, but one of the other players had messed up quite badly, which had almost led to their defeat.
Hoseok, only a second year, but already regarded as one of the leaders on the team (too young to be captain, though, although they all knew that that was where he was heading one day) had dragged the fourth year off.
Jungkook hadn’t ever wanted to know what had gone down between the two to make the older wizard shake where he stood whenever Hoseok would even so much as look at him.
The next year he hadn’t even bothered to be a part of the team anymore.
Jungkook had met Namjoon in the library. The man had been searching for a book, Jungkook apparently having found the one that he was looking for, curled up in one of the hidden alcoves and reading it. The older had demanded it, thinking that Jungkook was just reading it to pass the time and didn’t actually have a need to learn from it.
They’d striken up a conversation not long after and became study partners. Jungkook had learned a lot from him, he would even give Namjoon part of the credit as to why he had been so far ahead of his studies in his third and fourth years.
Then there had been Jin. The man had been a sixth year in Jungkook’s first year and was now a professor at Hogwarts. He taught Charms, and Jungkook had to admit that he was looking forward to it this year.
Back then Jin had been someone that Jungkook had looked up to. He had been a prefect and had been someone that Jungkook had gone to for support and advice when he was struggling with something personal.
Jungkook felt blessed to have such a close circle of friends. He had other ones of course, several of them in his house and several others that he’d met through his closer ones, but those five were the ones that Jungkook would do anything for.
And then Jungkook had met Albus, in the middle of his first year.
He’d heard stories of course, and he’d been given his warnings to steer clear. He was merely a Hufflepuff, people didn’t think that it was as an important of a house as Gryffindor or Slytherin. Even Ravenclaw was above his house. In all honesty he thought it was bullshit (forgive his vulgar tongue). In all the stories, Hufflepuff was the house that was looked over, it was the house that hadn’t played a major role in any of history.
Jungkook had strong words for whoever had introduced that idea, and even stronger ones for those that had made the thought stick.
Albus Severus Potter. A powerful wizard, he had to be, the son of the legendary Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the boy who had killed Lord Voldemort. Notoriously cocky and a bit rude, if you asked him. But to the rest of the school, he was charming, kind, helpful, handsome. The prince charming in every girl’s dream.
He’d steered clear of the older, not wanting anything to do with him, but that wasn’t enough. Jungkook had caught his eye, and halfway through his first year, he’d been approached by the then second year.
He had thought that the older would ask him to perhaps help him study, maybe even do his homework for him. He had thought that maybe the older would berate him, call him names like he’d seen him do many times before. That Jungkook could handle.
What he hadn’t been expecting was for the older to ask him out. He’d stared at Albus for what felt like hours, before finally stuttering out a reply that he didn’t know if he was ready to be in any kind of relationship.
He had only been eleven!
But that hadn’t deterred the older. As Jungkook had gone through his years, eventually turning the older down, he had gotten more persistent and far more aggressive in his advances, until eventually he was just harassing and bullying Jungkook.
The younger didn’t want to cause much trouble, so he didn’t say much to anyone about it, and besides, Albus was the star of Hogwarts. The charming and sweet Gryffindor who was powerful, just like his father.
“If someone like Voldemort ever decided to come back, you best believe that I would be the one to kill him.” He’d heard the older claim many times before, puffing his chest out and boasting aloud, proclaiming it to the world.
Jungkook had doubted it. The one time that he’d seen the older duel it out with another wizard, he’d lost. But he’d been quick to blame it on fatigue and a loss of sleep due to studying all night the night before for some test or other, and everyone had merely just nodded their heads and assumed that Albus would have beaten his opponent under anything other circumstances.
Jungkook had known better though. Albus was nothing more than a coward, that hid behind the image of his father, and used his name to ensure that no one questioned him.
Jungkook sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t want to be thinking about Albus. It was the first day of his sixth year, and he had wanted it to be a happy one. This was Albus’ last year, so he wouldn’t have to worry about him after this. It was many of his closest friends as well, and he wanted to make the most of it with them, before they went off to go about their lives in the wizarding world.
“Welcome!” McGonagall called, silencing the room with her voice. She went through his introduction, welcoming the first years and explaining to them the rules of the castle and some other warning words. And then, the sorting hat was revealed and names were starting to be called.
Jungkook smiled and greeted every single first year that was sorted into their house, making sure that they knew that he was always available to help them, should they need anything. He let Yoongi do his thing as well, introducing himself as the head prefect, the oldest and the most experienced and offering his guidance.
He watched the rest of the sorting ceremony, always wondering which student would get placed where. Last year, Yoongi and he had made it a game, guessing which house a first year would get placed in before the sorting hat decided, and whoever got the most right would get to decide what hair color the other would have to have for the first week of school.
That was often the result of their group’s bets, and Jungkook had only lost once, resulting in a particularly red adventure. But otherwise, Jimin and Yoongi were perhaps the ones that had lost the most, although he couldn’t count how many times Namjoon and Hoseok had had to go to classes with bright and obnoxious colors, either.
Jin had been a big loser when he was still allowed to join in on their antics, but as a professor, he wasn’t allowed to do it as much, but judging by the yellowish blonde the man was sporting at the moment, Jungkook had an inkling that it had something to do with Namjoon and the smirk that he’d seen on his face earlier.
Jungkook was so engrossed in his thoughts once again, that he nearly missed McGonagall announcing that the feast could begin. Jungkook smiled at Yoongi, immediately reaching forward for the food resting on the table, not even flinching when all of the ghosts started descending on the room, scaring the first years and doing their usual mischief.
By now, Yoongi was noticing that something was up, but Jungkook shrugged him off when he started to ask what was bothering him and taking his thoughts into the deep recesses of his mind. He then felt bad and made sure to reassure the other that he was perfectly fine. Yoongi had looked uncertain, but had been pulled away by a first year’s question.
Everyone was settled and well into their meals when the doors were thrown open. The hall went silent, even more silent than when McGonagall had given her speech, and every pair of eyes in the room flew to the door.
Jungkook’s eyes widened when he saw one lone figure walking in.
It was a boy, he couldn’t have been much older than Jungkook, but when he got a look into the other’s eyes, he could only see old in them. The silence remained, until the boy came to stand in front of the podium, where the sorting hat had been placed, back onto the chair.
The headmistress stood, her face etched in concern. “I did not think that you would be arriving for another day or two.”
“Plans changed, and I am to start sooner than expected.” The boy simply said. His head turned, and he gazed around the room. “I had hoped to be a little earlier, but I suppose that this will do.”
“Right.” McGonagall looked flustered at that, and she took a moment to regain her composure, before turning to address the rest of the room. “Students, this is Kim Taehyung. He is new this year.”
“Impossible.” One of the Hufflepuffs muttered. “He’s old enough to be a fifth year, even a sixth year! We’ve never had an exchange student so late into their schooling.” He went on. “It’s unheard of.”
“Where do you think he transferred from?”
“Oh my god!” Jungkook snapped his head over to see one of the Slytherin girls exclaim, pointing her finger not so subtly at the boy at the front of the room. “I know who that is!” She hissed. Jungkook was close enough to hear her, and by how quiet it was in the room, a lot of people could hear her. “That’s Voldemort’s adopted son!”
The room erupted into both whispers and cries of outrage. Even more than twenty years later, his name still brought outrage to everyone that had a decent head on their shoulders and a beating heart in their chest.
“Shouldn’t he be much older then?” Yoongi demanded, turning to Jungkook.
“I heard that there was a spell cast on him when Voldemort first came to power.” Jungkook heard from across the room. No one was trying to be subtle now. “He’s older than even Harry Potter, but he’s been trapped in the body of a young boy.”
“I heard that when Voldemort died, all of his powers went straight to him.”
“You mean that he could be Voldemort?”
“I don’t know, but he probably has all of his powers.”
“We’re going to die.”
“He can’t be here, why is he here?”
“ SILENCE !” McGonagall practically screamed, and the room went silent once more. “It is disgraceful, your whispering and your false claims. We do not judge a student that is new, and we certainly do not greet them with the level of hostility and unwelcomeness that you have all displayed. Now, this is Taehyung Kim, he is in his sixth year this year.”
The room remained silent, and the headmistress looked satisfied by that.
“He will be attending Hogwarts this year and the year after. It is true, these circumstances are a little different, but I expect you all to treat Taehyung just as you would any other student, am I clear?”
Jungkook found himself nodding his head, one of the few to do so. “Excellent.” McGonagall turned to Taehyung once more. “Taehyung will now be sorted into his house, as he does not have one.”
When the boy took the seat, McGonagall raising the hat to his head, the room held its breath. Jungkook knew that everyone probably thought that he was going straight to Slytherin, but Jungkook could never be too sure. The sorting hat had chosen stranger outcomes before, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that nothing was ever uninteresting when it came to Hogwarts.
Jungkook also couldn’t help the feeling that was building in his chest, the feeling that something important was about to happen, in particular, something important that he would soon play a part in. He didn’t know what yet, but he had come to trust his instincts over the years.
This boy was important, and Jungkook found that he didn’t mind. That he couldn’t wait, in fact, to find out what new adventure awaited him.
He himself found himself holding his breath along with everyone in the room as McGonagall lowered the hat onto Taehyung’s head.
Jungkook stared at it, at the creases of its mouth and at the eyebrow shaped protrusions, waiting for him to announce the house, perhaps move around and deliberate on where to put the new student.
But as moments passed, and the hat didn’t even move, gave no indication that he was even reading a student and deciding where he would go, Jungkook knew.
He knew that this year…
This year would be more different than any other year before.