Chapter Text
Kihyun remembers them. He was about six or seven years old when the people in cloaks came to his house and spoke to his parents. One of them had a strange scar on the cheek, yellow eyes and grey hair. He had eyed Kihyun a little intensely and Kihyun remembers feeling a little wary. The other had a pointy small hat, the only prominent characteristic Kihyun recalls.
Today, probably four years later, the two strangers are back. Except they’re not really strangers anymore, and now Kihyun knows who they are, or rather, what they are; wizards.
There’s a letter in the yellow eyed Wizard’s hand. He slides it over the table, first slowly and then rapidly pushing it towards Kihyun. Kihyun’s mother and father stand on each side, right behind him. He assumes the one slowly squeezing at his shoulder is his father, what with the reassuring grip it’s giving him.
Kihyun swallows dry and blinks behind his wire framed glasses and hesitantly stretches out his hand to pick up the yellowish envelope, addressed in green to Mr. Yoo Kihyun, The Living Room, Yellow House, Cressex Rd, Nr. 24, High Wycombe, United Kingdom. He pulls out the letter and reads:
Questions erupt inside Kihyun’s head, exploding like fireworks in the night sky. He can’t decide which question he wants to ask first, he doesn’t even know if he can ask questions, but he looks up with expectant eyes and a loud little heart.
“I don’t have an owl,” he says, a little scared and a little excited, but mostly shyly. He flinches when the yellow eyed Wizard barks a laugh. It’s so out of character, so unexpected, that it overwhelms Kihyun to an unbelievable extent.
The man has been so serious all this time, after all. Before, too, all those years ago.
“You’ll have one soon,” he says, “Worry not, boy.”
Another hand reaches for Kihyun’s other shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze. His mother, he assumes, and then concludes when he hears her speak and say, “Will you return to help? We have no idea where to--” she pauses, reaching for the envelope over the table and bringing out an enormous list, “All of this…”
Kihyun straightens up to take a quick peek at the list but can’t see past the school emblem atop the piece of parchment. There’s a lion, a snake, a badger and a raven and, on the bottom, a quote in a strange language. It reads; ‘DRACO DORMIENS NUNQUAM TITILLANDUS’.
Titillandus? Titi… landus…?
Titty land!
Kihyun snorts a laugh and then shrinks when everyone looks at him. Especially, the yellow eyed wizard, who had apparently taken a deep breath to give mother an explanation.
Whoops.
“Yes, Mrs. Yoo,” the Witch speaks now, “We shall return within five days to take you and your son to Diagon Alley. It’s a high street hidden from Muggles, but you’ll be allowed access since you’ll need to accompany your muggle born magical child. As for now,” she reaches into her cloak and brings out a piece of parchment in blank that mother takes in her hand, “We simply ask you to reply to this letter.”
“Oh,” mother chirps, Kihyun recognizes the tone of surprise. Mother loves being part of things. Kihyun doesn’t really know why but it always manages to make him smile. “And what, how, what should I write?” Mother turns to father and Kihyun looks up to smile at them. “Dear, do you have a pen?”
“Ah, yes,” father lets go of Kihyun’s shoulder and touches his pockets before touching his chest, feeling the pen on the small pocket on the right. “Here you go, honey,” he says, carefully bringing it out and handing it over.
“Thank you,” mother says, leaning over the table so she can write. Kihyun curiously glances over, legs swing back and forward under the table. He can’t reach the floor quite yet but he’s getting there. He keeps his eyes on what his mother scribbles over the parchment. Once she’s done, he can read:
Mother hands the letter over and Kihyun looks between the Wizard, who takes it, and the Witch, who smiles small at him. It’s a fondness he can’t quite place, but it makes him smile back in the exact same way.
The wizards exchange a few more words with his parents, but Kihyun quickly zones out, reaching out for the forgotten list and giving it a read:
It starts to sink in, then, and Kihyun’s heart skips inside his chest. He beams excitedly at the piece of paper, can’t stop thinking about how surreal everything feels even though he’s known for a while that he wasn’t like the other kids, and was somehow a little special.
He reaches up for one of his auburn curls and twirls it in his finger, giving it a look over the rim of his wire framed glasses. He’s going to be a wizard. He’s going to be a wizard! He’s going to be a wizard?! No… he is a wizard. And he can’t wait for the school year to start.
Kihyun wakes up so early that the sun hasn’t risen yet. He doesn’t care, though. He’s so excited that he kicks at the covers and jumps off the bed to rush to the window. He pulls the curtain to the side and rubs his tiny fingers on the fogged up glass to be able to see outside. The smile that blooms on his face is nearly a grin when he spots the two familiar wizards by the sidewalk. It’s been nearly a week since their last visit, yet it feels like it’s been a month.
Slowly, Kihyun picks up his glasses and flicks them on as he makes his way to his parents’ room, tiptoeing near his brother’s door as not to wake him up (he’s a cranky one). Mother and father have the biggest bedroom and Kihyun waits by the foot of the bed until the clock on his father’s bedside table clicks those 7 o’clock.
Once it does, mayhem ensues; Kihyun gives a tiny screech and jumps over the bed while he says, “It’s today, it’s today, it’s today!”
His mother groans and his father seems to swallow a snore, sitting up with wide eyes like he’s under attack. He sees Kihyun and laughs, hand to his chest.
“Your father’s weak heart, Kiki,” his mother mumbles, hair up in curlers as she sits up, squinting at the world.
“Sorry,” Kihyun says, smiling a little sheepishly as he stops bouncing around. “The wizards are outside, though…”
“What?!” his mother almost screams, covers flying off of her as she rushes to the bathroom. “Let them in, Kihyun! Put on some coffee!”
“Yeeeeees!” Kihyun sing-songs as he hops off the bed, nearly thumbling on the sheets but managing a good landing.
“Your brother’s friend is coming over later, so don’t wake him,” Kihyun hears his father say as he rushes downstairs, hoping from stair to stair.
The temperature upstairs was a lot more welcoming, so Kihyun shivers as he makes his way down to the kitchen, grabbing his robe from the wall and pulling it over his shoulders. He turns on the kettle and then walks back into the corridor, makes his way to the door and starts undoing the locks.
The sky is a soft blue with yellows and pinks tinting the puffy clouds. But Kihyun’s eyes quickly drop to the two wizards, who turn to him the moment he opens the door well enough to let himself be seen.
“Hello…” Kihyun says softly, bowing his head a little. “Good morning. Would you like some coffee?”
They look different today, the one with the silver hair and yellow eyes dressed in black, flowing robes, and the one with the pointy hat has a particularly colorful one today, topped with a peacock’s feather. They both smile widely, though, nodding as they step inside.
“Thank you,” the Wizard says and the Witch smiles brightly. She always does that, Kihyun notes.
“You look excited,” the Witch chirps, looking around as they let themselves in.
Kihyun gives one last peek into the street before closing the door with a shiver. “Is that bad?” he asks. Everything is so new that he can’t help it, can’t help the loud heart and the colourful thoughts. He hopes, though, that it's alright, because he can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to live in a world where magic is really real and think it’s all normal.
“Of course not!” she smiles, reaches into her pocket and takes out a small, colorful box with what looks like sweets. “Come here, I got you something.”
Kihyun’s eyes widen and he gasps a little as he walks closer, brown eyes behind his glasses focusing on the box of Bertie Botts’ Every Flavoured Beans. It’s colourful, red striped with golden decorations and, on top, a cute looking drawing of a girl with a funny hat. Kihyun takes the box into his hands and smiles at it before beaming up at the Witch.
“Thank you so much!” he says, just taking the woman’s hand and pulling her along into the kitchen. Coffee, coffee, coffee!
“Don’t thank her yet,” the Wizard scoffs. “Never put more than one of those in your mouth, kid.”
“Don’t scare him, they’re just eccentric!”
“Eccentric? Why?” Kihyun asks, letting go of the woman’s hand and placing the box atop the table. He gives the other two a quick glance before rushing to get four mugs (he’s not allowed to drink coffee yet, mother says it makes him hyper), the coffee, and the sugar and cream.
“Every flavour means every flavour,” the Witch explains, keeps looking curiously around the house. “You never know what you’re gonna get!”
“Both good and bad,” the Wizard says, frowning at the blender over the counter. “A green bean can be either… grass, peppermint, booger, artichoke--” for some reason, he shivers.
Kihyun pauses, placing everything over the table and looking up to blink. “Bo--Booger? Like, the ones in my nose?”
“Yep,” the Witch says cheerfully. “They’re salty.”
Kihyun scrunches his nose and keeps on thinking about it as he prepares everyone’s coffee. Strangely enough, both wizards prefer theirs black, while mother and father like it with cream and a bit of sugar, too.
The Wizard pulls what looks like a newspaper out of his black cloak and flicks it up as he sits down at the table and pulls his mug closer to himself. He opens the paper and his yellow eyes scan the thing. Kihyun sways from side to side, watching the man, half of his brain still processing that there are beans that taste like boogers.
Suddenly, though, something moves and Kihyun freezes where he stands before shaking his head and squinting at the newspaper. The title reads, Daily Prophet. And, on the front page, there’s a picture of a house in shambles, half of it on fire, smaller letters on a column on the side announcing some sort of tragic disaster. Except… that picture… it’s not really a picture… and… it moves?!
“Uhm,” Kihyun blinks, eyes on the way the fire seems to keep on burning in the image on the newspaper. “Is that supposed to look like that?”
“Hm?” the Wizard blinks up at Kihyun, lowering the paper to level eyes with him, and then turns the paper closed. “Ah, the pictures? Yes, they move.”
All of them?!
“What is it?” the Witch asks, leaning closer with her mug of coffee in her hands. “Another attack? It’s the third this month…”
“Shhh,” the Wizard says, glancing up to give her a look and then smiling a little to Kihyun before looking down again. But the Witch looks a little stricken for a moment, before she smiles over at Kihyun and then to the door where Kihyun hears his mother approach. It has to be her, from the way her short heels click on the tiles.
“Good morning!” she greets, sees the newspaper and goes, “Goodness, those pictures are moving!” She clears her throat, smiling politely. “It’s good to see you again.”
Kihyun giggles a little to himself, pulling his robe a little tighter over his shoulders. He gives the newspaper another quick glance and then says, “I’ll go get ready,” and turns around to rush back upstairs, almost bumping into his father along the way.
“Hey, where are the car keys?” Kihyun hears his father ask the others.
“Oh, you won’t need them,” the Witch says. And when Kihyun peeks back she smiles, and it’s something a little wicked.
The Leaky Cauldron.
The Witch explains, when Kihyun’s parents look a bit dumbfounded, that this entrance to the Wizarding World, to any muggle, looks like a run down building. Meanwhile, Kihyun sees a pub. A pub where the metal sign outside moves. It's a witch stirring a cauldron. Kihyun’s parents look confused even as they’re led inside and, only then, do they seem to realise what’s going on.
It’s a homey, comfortable place, a pub, but they don’t stay there. The Wizard shows them to a brick walled courtyard, brandishing his wand. It’s a beautiful stick-- stick? Well, it’s made of wood, and it looks like two branches intertwining all along its length to the thin tip.
Kihyun’s heart is all the way up in his throat with excitement, but the air gets expelled from his lungs with a quick woosh when the Wizard taps one of the walls three times on totally different bricks and a small hole appears, growing wider and wider, bricks stacking upon bricks as a cobblestone alley full of people and shops stretches in front of them as far as the eye can see.
A secret wall? A secret passage!
It twists and turns out of sight, like a snake street in the middle of a city. And Kihyun’s eyes flicker from side to side, taking in the assortment of restaurants, shops and other sights.
“Welcome,” the Wizard says, “To Diagon Alley.”
As they step forward, the archway which they pass slowly seems to collapse in on itself, the entrance to this magical place they’re in becoming but a small hole and then turning back into a brick wall.
Kihyun’s head snaps forward again and he blindly reaches for his mother’s hand. Maybe it’s the sun shining in the way it does, maybe it’s the colourful shops and funky looking houses, maybe it’s the way some of these people’s cloaks glint under the sunlight, but suddenly everything is too much, and Kihyun feels a lump in his throat even as he keeps his eyes wide open to take everything in.
“Is there any sort of magic that helps you grow another pair of eyes or another head?” he asks in a whisper to the Witch next to him.
She smiles and ruffles at his hair lightly, making his curls bounce a little. “One day, you’ll know this place like the back of your own hand.”
Kihyun bites at his lower lip and reaches up to fix his glasses before lightly pulling at his mother, who seems to be the steady anchor for both Kihyun and his father, even though the oldest doesn’t seem as excited.
As they walk, Kihyun looks (or tries to) at everything. At the people, at the houses, at what’s outside the houses, at what’s inside the shops. Everything seems extraordinarily surreal, even the conversations Kihyun manages to catch between some of the people they pass by sound completely crazy.
“Did you read today’s Prophet ?” one of the random strangers asks another. “Betcha a Grindylow’s tit that the Minister won’t say anything about it. Again.”
“Wouldn’t wanna piss off them old Pureblood families, would ya? Biggest fans of his, those.”
“What’s that got to do with anythin’?”
The Witch clears her throat, smiling brightly at Kihyun as they keep walking. “Where would you like to get started? You have your list, yes?”
Kihyun jolts a little, quickly lets go of his mother’s hand to reach into his jeans and bring out the list of things he needs. “Uhm, maybe…” He runs his eyes down the list and pauses. “A wand?” he asks, blinking up, heart loud. He wants a wand. It’s what wizards do magic with, right?
“Ollivander’s it is, then,” she smiles, and the Wizard clears his throat.
“Mr. Yoo? Mrs. Yoo? I’m going to need one of you to come with me to Gringotts’. It’s our bank. Muggle money isn’t going to get you anywhere here, so there are some things to sort out in that regard.”
“You can pay me back for the wand, though,” the Witch says, tugging at Kihyun’s hand like she’s just as excited. “Come on, come on!”
“What’s Olivander’s?” Kihyun asks, trying to keep up as he smiles up at the woman. He barely notices his parents rushing after them and the Wizard huffing a sigh before he follows, too.
“Wand shop,” she says, and points to a shop at the end of the road. “Ollivander is one of the best wand makers this world has ever seen, you won’t find a finer wand anywhere. There’s nothing quite like getting your first--and only, if you’re good to it--wand.” It’s funny, Kihyun thinks, because this woman is most certainly almost fifty, and yet, her eyes scream childlike wonder. She looks just as excited about all this as Kihyun does. “I’ve had mine since I was your age, you know.”
“Really?” Kihyun beams. “Can I see it?”
She smiles, reaches into her robes and brings out a black, sleek wand, with a handle painted in intricate, flowery patterns. “Pretty, right?”
Kihyun nods excitedly. “Are all wands different?”
She nods, “Every single one of them. Even if two wands are made of the same stuff, it’ll always be from a different tree, a different dragon, unicorn, whatever it is. They all look different, too. Some even have personalities, you know.”
“Dragon?” Kihyun blinks. “Dragons are real?!” He barely has time to get more than a short laugh in reply before he’s shivering all the way down. Now, that’s something he’s not entirely sure he wants to see up close.
They enter the shop and everything goes quiet. The place looks slightly old, dusty, boxes stacked upon boxes on shelves that go all the way up to the ceiling, all of them equally filled. On the door, Kihyun had read: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
Kihyun’s father sticks to him now, hand squeezing a little at his shoulder. “Are these… Are all of these… wands?” he asks, and Kihyun just finds himself nodding without really knowing why. They have to be wands, right?
A noise comes from inside the shop. It’s a tiny place, somehow, despite the thousands of boxes stored in those shelves. They all startle, though, when a voice, as soft as a whisper, comes from a small hall of shelves for walls.
“Hello, good afternoon,” the man to whom the soft voice belongs says. His eyes are big, pale and shine like two moons in a dark sky, even though he looks equally pale.
“He--Hello,” Kihyun mumbles under his breath.
“Oh, you’re a new one,” the old man smiles, pale eyes flitting between Kihyun and his father. “You look like a man I once knew, but I don’t know you.” He smiles at Kihyun, wide. “A muggleborn! Charming. What’s your name, young man?”
Kihyun perks up and glances up at his father, who seems slightly paler than usual. “Uhm,” Kihyun gives the Witch by his side a quick peek and then looks to the old man again. “Kihyun. Yoo Kihyun!”
The old man walks around the counter, bending down a little to smile at Kihyun. “Kind eyes. Do you like sunsets or sunrises?”
“Uhm,” Kihyun frowns a little. “Both…? But sunsets are stronger.”
The man smiles even wider, somehow. His teeth are straight, but a little yellow. “I think I know. There is--” the man quickly moves to the shelves, scampering, almost, up a small ladder. “The wand chooses the wizard, Yoo Kihyun! But first we must give them the opportunity to say 'no', yes?”
Kihyun nods, only then realizing the old man can’t hear him. “Yes,” Kihyun says. He quickly frowns, though and tongues at the corner of his lips before he licks them. “So… Wands are intelligent?”
“Insightful, yes,” the man says, picking out a box. “Intuitive, adaptive. Like a soul, rather than what goes on in someone’s head. So yes, but no,” he smiles, coming down the ladder and walking closer, eyes curious on Kihyun as he holds out an open box. A wand, a little crooked but light, small, lies on red velvet. “Try it.”
Kihyun blinks, swallows and then slowly reaches for it. He picks it up and barely feels its weight in his hand, eyes stuck on it as if he expects something to happen. Nothing happens, though.
“Oh, no, no, no,” the man says, shaking his head and quickly snatching the wand away. “Definitely not.” He turns, disappearing between the shelves.
“He’s always like this,” the Witch smiles, amused. Kihyun is so busy frowning at her that he startles when where’s a crash and the man yells from the back of the shop.
“Left or right?!”
“Ri--Right!” Kihyun yells back.
“ Fascinating! ” he calls back, and there’s another small crash. “Goodness--Here, here, here,” the man mumbles to himself as he walks back to the counter with an old, slightly crushed, dusty box. “This is one of my favourites… Never felt the need to take it out of its comfortable little spot, though.” He leans in, doesn’t open the box, keeping his hand on it. “It’s four hundred years old, you know?”
The man opens the dusty box, but the inside is… impeccable. It’s a solid wood wand, finished in whatever gives it a natural auburn shine. It’s not very intricate, a simple handle with a few knots here and there. But the length of it turns in a spiral all the way to the tip. Simple, but warm and definitely, definitely pretty.
Kihyun doesn’t even realize there’s a soft smile threatening to come out when he reaches over for the wand. It’s soft to the touch, definitely heavier than the previous one, enough so that he can feel its presence, but it also conceals so well in his hand.
This time, he doesn’t expect anything to happen. But then firework-like sparkles pop all over the length of the wand, startling Kihyun and making his hair curl a little more. Even Kihyun’s father whimpers a little and the Witch jumps, too, though she giggles instead.
“It likes you,” the shopkeeper smiles. “Four hundred years, and it likes you very much.”
In all his life, Kihyun never thought he’d be so pleased to be accepted by a wand. But he holds it close to his chest and smiles up at the old man. “I promise I’ll take good care of it! Thank you…”
“I wouldn’t have given it to you otherwise.”
Gringotts.
It’s a snow-white building, a ghost in the middle of a cheery street. It towers over every nearby building, casting a slight shadow at the entrance. And, standing next to its bronze doors, wearing a strange looking uniform, there is--
“What is that…?” Kihyun whispers to the Witch. It’s short, like, shorter than Kihyun himself, with a clever old looking face, long fingers and big feet. When it walks a little, Kihyun can’t help but think it looks like a humanoid penguin.
“It’s a goblin,” the Witch whispers back. “Don’t stare, they’re notoriously grumpy little things.”
Kihyun nods and then bows a little to the Goblin as they walk inside. They face a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved on them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
“There’s thousands of tonnes of gold underneath this building,” the Witch says, smiling. “Countless treasure. And now, there will be a vault for you, as well.”
The hall is enormous and flanked with goblins. It’s a vast marble room with long counters stretching along its length. At the end, doors, presumably leading off to the vault passageways the Witch keeps telling Kihyun about as they walk.
Minutes pass and Kihyun occupies himself with reading about what’s on the back of his wand’s box: 12 ¾ Inch Hazel, Magic Core Of Dragon Heart String. A unique solid wand, hand turned, finished in natural shellac french polished for a smooth feel in the hand and a deep gloss shine.
Whatever that means, right?
His mother stands by the main counter, in what looks like a wordy discussion with a goblin. The goblin doesn’t look particularly happy, but then again, Kihyun has no idea what a happy goblin would look like. Eventually, his mother looks over and walks up to him, a small bag in her hands.
“They said this would be enough to get you everything you needed,” she says, smiling as she holds it out for him. “Nice things! So you can have something expensive, too, if you want. It’s a special day, after all.”
“How much is that…?” father asks, but mother gives him a look.
“Less than Kiyoung’s private school tuition,” she says. “So shush.”
“Then,” Kihyun says, smiling wide. “A uniform and then an owl?”
“You’ve decided on an owl, then?” the Wizard asks, before humming as if impressed. “Handy things to have around. We send messages using owls, you know.”
“I’m just happy we’re allowed to take something alive with us. Won’t feel as lonely when I have to say goodbye.”
“Oh, you’ll make tons of friends!” the Witch enthuses. “You’ll be put in a House with people I’m sure you’ll get along with just great.”
“A House?” Kihyun asks, blinking up at her. “Like… a team?”
“Sort of, yeah!” she laughs and ruffles at his curls, a hand on his back.
Kihyun beams. “Oh! I’ve never been part of a team before!”
“Come on, I’ll tell you about them as we walk.”
Apparently, Hogwarts has four Houses, each bearing the last name of its founder: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. There is a sorting for First Years at the beginning of the school year and, depending on the wizard’s qualities, he or she will be selected into a House.
Kihyun hears all about it on the way to pick up his uniform, and he is beyond delighted when he finally dresses it the way it is supposed to be dressed, everything fixed in place, and sees himself in the mirror.
The robes fall over his body in a perfect fit, the tie, colourless, tucked perfectly into his sleeveless sweater. His trousers are baggy enough to be comfortable but fit perfectly around his legs and his shoes are so new they shine. There’s not much colour to the entirety of uniform yet, but Kihyun has been told that will change upon arriving in Hogwarts.
It’s really real, he thinks to himself, ignoring the way his father cries in a corner and his mother smiles bright at him while patting her husband’s back.
“He really looks like a wizard now,” father cries.
“There there,” mother assures.
Kihyun dresses his normal clothes again and, on the way out, gets a beanie shoved over his head. He fixes it before looking up to see the Witch giving him a wink.
“A present,” she says, and Kihyun smiles bright at her.
They walk up the street again and Kihyun and his father share a glazed apple that Kihyun can’t quite bite into. He still tries, though, and he manages despite the sharp crack his jaw gives at some point.
The shop where they go next has a strange smell, but Kihyun doesn’t really mind. It’s filled with owls at the entrance, and there’s even more on the inside. It’s a dimly lit place, which, according to the sign, sells tawny, screech, barn, brown and snowy owls, among others.
“Welcome to Eeylops Owl Emporium,” a strange woman with a peculiar haircut says. She’s still waving at the wizards currently exiting her shop, but her eyes are stuck on Kihyun. “Here to buy your first owl, young man?”
Kihyun blinks, looks around at the hundreds of cages piled up upon each other, birds flying free or simply ogling them all up from where they’re perched on the various beams that go along the ceiling.
“Look around! Choose any one you like,” the woman continues, and Kihyun spots his mother just standing there, fingers pinching closed her nose.
“I’ve never even seen owls before now. What did they say they’re for, messages?”
Kihyun’s father nods. “Maybe magical owls talk?”
The Wizard snorts a laugh and stops when the Witch elbows him in the stomach.
Kihyun looks around, shoulders coming up when the ghostly chirps of the birds sound far too close to his ears. He sees beautiful white owls with black spots on them, owls with lighthouses for eyes, elegant owls with a light brown coat in contrast with a snow-white chest. He looks and looks and they’re all so beautiful, yet he feels his eyes a little lost, because they’re all so very different and yet most of them look the same.
That is until his eyes land on the tiniest of them all, sheltered between a few books, big yellow eyes on him like it expects him to hurt it. It’s different from the others, feathers a brown like Kihyun’s hair, mixed with white. It’s pretty, too, but so very small.
“What type of owl is this?” Kihyun asks, glancing back over his shoulder.
“Ah, that’s a Northern Saw-Whet,” the woman says. “That one is very, very cute, isn’t it? I should tell you, I haven’t seen him fly just yet.”
Kihyun frowns and pouts a little, looking back to the owl. He crouches a little and crosses his arms over his knees, eyes on the owl’s big ones. “That’s alright,” he says, smiling a little. “I’ve never really done proper magic before, either. So, I think I can relate.” He straightens up and points to the tiny owl as he looks to the Witch, who smiles. “I want this one!”
The owl opens its wings like it’s going to fly, but just walks closer, hooting, big eyes staring up at Kihyun.
“I’ll get you a cage, then,” the woman behind the counter smiles, and the owl just keeps hooting for attention.
Kihyun hesitantly reaches over to poke a finger against the owl’s tiny head, rubbing it and smiling when he sees it close its eyes as if it’s content. “You’ll need a name, little one…”
The owl jumps, as if excited, before climbing up Kihyun’s arm to his shoulder, making him shrink a little as he laughs. It pushes its beak against Kihyun’s ear, and Kihyun stresses for a moment, thinking it’s going to bite him, but it just nibbles on his ear with a small hoot.
“Alright, alright,” Kihyun giggles, bumping against his mother, who laughs a little, too. “What about Winky?”
The owl flaps its wings excitedly, hooting when the shopkeeper comes by with a small cage.
“This is your home now, Winky,” she says, and the owl hops into the cage, big eyes everywhere as it spins in a little circle as if to take it all in.
“Ah, I love it so much,” Kihyun giggles, bending a little to peek at the owl. “It’s adorable.” He glances up at the lady. “What do they eat? Can I buy any treats?”
“Of course,” she says, and the Witch quickly walks closer.
“Don’t worry too much, there’s a whole tower at Hogwarts for the owls where they go eat and--”
“Poop,” the Wizard adds.
“And poop!”
Kihyun slaps his hands over his mouth as he giggles. Poop.
They exit the shop with an owl in a cage and a bag full of treats that Kihyun keeps sneaking between the thin bars for Winky to nibble on. There’s still a full list of things to get, food to try and shops to see. But all in all, so far, it’s been the best day in Kihyun’s life.
The rest of the month of August ran smoothly despite Kihyun’s brother’s occasional, “Sheer-dumb-luck,” comments in regards to Kihyun’s abilities. Kiyoung was never a fan of magic or any such related matters, and he never wasted any opportunity to call everything a hoax, all the while using expensive words Kihyun didn’t know the meaning of.
Looking back, Kihyun thinks he could have been kinder. Not that he was ever mean to his brother, but maybe ignoring him and his unwanted side commentary all the time wasn’t the best course of action. Especially, Kihyun considers, because Kiyoung was probably just jealous.
Not much he can do about it now but push the heavy trolley full of bags through this gigantic train station they find themselves in. Kihyun keeps looking around, getting the occasional helpful push from his father to keep the trolley going at a decent pace--Kihyun is not exactly fit, compared to some other kids his age.
“Where are we going exactly?” he asks the Wizard, who’s walking rather fast, just a few paces ahead. Today, he’s wearing a purple cloak. Kihyun thinks he quite likes the colour, but feels a little self conscious whenever people give them a few looks and start whispering and snickering between each other.
“To catch the train to Hogwarts,” the man says, smiling kindly. He has a rough face, but when he smiles, it’s almost soft. “How do you feel about running into walls, kid?”
Kihyun blinks. Running… into walls? “I…” He looks to his father for a second and then clears his throat. “I’m not sure…?”
“Through them,” the Witch says, rolling her eyes as the Wizard laughs. “It’s like a doorway, really, but you can’t see it. Otherwise the Muggles might find it, you see.”
“Oh,” Kihyun huffs, smiling a little. Is he nervous? Saying he isn’t would be a great understatement. “Then… what happens if a Muggle leans against it by mistake? Do they fall?”
“That’s why you gotta run,” the Witch explains. “No Muggle in their right mind would run into a brick wall.”
“Hm,” Kihyun narrows his eyes and looks front. “Some of the kids at school could take you on that challenge,” he mutters to himself, huffing a small laugh when he imagines it; just a bunch of sillies running into a wall and then falling flat on the floor.
“I’m confused, though,” his mother says, “I’ve never heard of a platform nine and three-quarters…?”
“That’s where the door leads,” the Wizard explains. “The ‘door’ is the third wall from the 9th platform, therefore the name.”
“So let me get this straight,” Kihyun’s father says, clearing his throat. “We run into a wall and go through it… And then end up on this… platform?”
“Yes,” the Wizard nods. “It’s really simple, if you think about temporal displacement--”
“Gar,” the Witch says, shaking her head. “No. He’s eleven.”
“I’m thirty three, actually,” father grumbles, and Kihyun giggles.
“Right, uhm,” the Wizard clears his throat. “Magic portal to a magic station for a magic train.”
“Better.”
“Here we are!” the Witch exclaims, excited, and Kihyun slows down the trolley and squints around. “Follow my lead, okay?” She looks at the four of them and grins, turning around and running right into the brick pillar between the two platforms. Kihyun swears all he does is blink and she’s… Gone.
Heart hammering, Kihyun pushes the trolley just a little more and then stops. “Uhm… I… How--” He shakes his head and licks his lips before looking up to his father, who looks just as scared on the outside as Kihyun is on the inside. “Do you want to stay here…?” Kihyun asks him, smiling small.
His father swallows and puts a hand on Kihyun’s shoulder. “This is your world, son. I want to know,” he smiles down at Kihyun, other hand up to Kihyun’s other shoulder. “Together?”
Kihyun smiles a bit brighter and then turns to glance at his mother, who smiles back. He’s still scared, of course, when the three of them start walking towards the wall. People keep rushing between the platforms nine and ten but don’t even seem to notice all of this.
“Run!” the Wizard laughs, somewhere behind them. “You have to run!”
Kihyun scrunches his eyes shut when his father pushes him to run. We’re going to smash right into that wall, we’re going to smash right into that wall-- but now they’re running so fast that it’s nearly impossible to stop and not get hurt. Except… the crash never comes.
There’s a woosh in the air, something that makes Kihyun’s curls bounce a little around his head, and then a strange scent that fogs up his glasses as he slowly opens his eyes.
A red steam engine comes to view next to a platform packed with people. Right above, Kihyun sees a sign that reads, Hogwarts Express, Eleven O’clock. And not much further ahead, just like not much further behind, the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters swing a little where they hang.
Grey smoke from the engine floats over the heads of the crowd. Kihyun’s eyes snap left and right, catching on every pointy hat, every colour of cat, every owl and every bag, the oldest ones, the youngest ones who seem to be around his age.
The first few carriages following the red engine are packed, students pasted to the windows or bending over the ones that are open to wave at other people who smile and bounce around the platform. Some of the students already have their uniforms on, and Kihyun quickly regrets not dressing in his this morning.
“Oh, goodness…” his mother whispers by his side. “This is so… much better than what I had expected.”
“That’s because you always expect the worst, honey,” father mumbles.
Mother smacks his arm, even as she laughs. “Yet, you’re the one crying right now, honey.”
Crying? Kihyun blinks and then looks up to his father to see his hand covering his mouth and nose, eyes a little narrowed as he obviously tries not to let the tears drop from his lashes. It makes Kihyun pout a little and reach over for his father’s free hand. “Help me with these? I don’t know where to go…”
His father nods, a tear escaping that he quickly wipes off, picking up Kihyun’s bag, careful not to topple the smaller one and Winky’s cage, and looking to the Witch, who waves him over, brandishing her wand as the luggage jumps out of Kihyun’s father’s hand and makes its way over completely on its own.
“That’s mighty useful,” his mother hums, smiling over at Kihyun. “Learn that one for me, would you?”
Kihyun smiles, but this time his eyes float in water, too, so he throws himself into his mother’s arms and gives her a hug. “I’ll do my best, I promise…”
“I know you will, sweetheart,” she says, giving him a squeeze and fixing a curl when she leans back. “Still think these auburn curls of yours are magic… Definitely didn’t get them from me,” she chuckles, touching at her straight, black hair.
Kihyun giggles a little and sniffles, reaching up and behind his glasses to clean his eyes. “The straightener didn’t work on them either,” he reminds her.
“I love them,” she smiles, leaning forward to kiss his forehead and then stand up, turning to the Wizard. “If anything happens to him, I will burn that school to the ground with good old fashioned Muggle tech, understand?”
The Wizard gives her an astonished look before glancing to Kihyun, who looks back with wide eyes as well. “Of course,” the Wizard says, smiling up. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Fantastic,” mother smiles, scoffing as Kihyun’s father helps the Witch with the luggage despite obviously not needing to.
Kihyun gives a quick run to paste himself to Winky’s cage. “I’ll see you soon. Okay?” he says, quickly reaching into the pockets of his sweatpants and bringing out the last treat that he fits between the bars and Winky takes in its beak. “Good,” Kihyun says, smiling and waving as the Witch lifts the cage with her wand, as well.
“This smaller one has your uniform, right?” The Wizard asks, picking up the smaller bag from the trolley and carefully pushing the thing to the side. “Here, you’ll be able to change inside.”
“Oh, and tip,” the Witch says, walking closer. “Always keep your wand on your person. It’s a good habit to get into and the cloak comes with a little pocket on the inside.”
Kihyun nods and takes the bag between his arms. “Y--Yeah, okay. Thank you,” he smiles, “For everything.”
“You’re welcome!” the Witch chirps, smiling widely. “You’ll do great. And remember; there’s no wrong House to get into. No matter what anyone says. Okay?”
Kihyun nods, quickly turns to his father when he comes closer to headbutt him into a hug. It’s a quick one, mostly because Kihyun knows his father will start crying for real if Kihyun stays in that embrace for too long.
The carriages towards the back seem emptier than the ones at the front, so that’s where everyone goes. Kihyun sees a few people in uniforms, a strange ‘P’ stamped on it. And behind them, more people in uniforms. He pauses near the door, looking back over his shoulder and feeling his heart weight despite the excitement when he looks at his parents.
“I’ll write,” he mouths as he whispers to his mother even though she can’t hear him. He smiles when she makes the shape of a heart with her hands and sways a little. He then turns front again, with a deep breath, as he looks at the last kid making his way up to the train.
The kid, hair as black as the night sky with no stars and eyes a warm dark brown, blinks back when he notices, raising a hand and giving a little wave and a smile before walking into the train. It makes Kihyun smile to himself because… maybe he’ll be able to make friends, after all.
He climbs up the small stairs to the train and then follows a line of people who keep walking into smaller compartments and closing the windowed doors on his face.
Well, maybe ‘friends’ will take time.
Eventually, though, Kihyun finds a nearly empty compartment, with one of the window seats open for him to take. There’s a boy inside, chocolate brown hair clinging to his face that he keeps wiping at.
“Uhm,” Kihyun tries, as he takes a hesitant step in, “Mind if I sit…?”
The boy looks up, and he’s obviously crying, but smiles softly and nods, keeps wiping at his eyes. “S--Sure…”
Kihyun takes a small breath and walks in, sliding the door closed behind him. He quite likes the seats, they’re velvety and spacious enough for someone to take a nap on them if they so wish to do. The window is pretty big, too, and Kihyun can see his mother outside, looking into every window as if trying to spot him.
Quickly, Kihyun makes his way closer and sits down, bag over his lap, before he starts furiously waving at her, huffing a laugh when she spots him and nearly throws his father into the rails when she tries to show him where Kihyun is.
The Witch and the Wizard are still there, too. They’ll probably be taking Kihyun’s parents home, and Kihyun can’t help but wonder how lonely the journey back will be for them. Maybe that’s why he keeps looking at his mother and father, until a loud honk-like whistle makes everything shake and Kihyun’s curls kinda curl even more as he sits straighter.
The train begins to move. Kihyun sees his family and the wizards waving, his father crying like a complete baby, now, until they become smaller, more distant on the platform as the train slowly catches speed, a chuff-chuff sound that Kihyun can feel where he sits increasing in rhythm.
“Those were your parents?” the sniffling boy asks, voice soft. Not on purpose, maybe, it sounds like it might just be the his voice.
Kihyun’s eyes snap from the window to the boy. “Oh… Yes,” Kihyun says, smiling and quickly extending his hand. “I’m Kihyun, by the way. Yoo Kihyun!”
“Lee Hoseok,” the boy smiles, wiping his hand quite a few times before he shakes Kihyun’s. “Sorry about the, er, crying. I’m just… really going to miss my parents, you know? And some boys saw me crying and--” Hoseok sniffs. “Called me a crybaby. Which I am, but they didn’t have to say it…”
Kihyun blinks and pouts, leaning back on his seat. “My father was crying, too… And I get it. I’ll miss my parents, too, a lot… I’m just trying not to think too much about it, otherwise we’ll fill this cabin with tears,” he giggles.
Hoseok giggles, too, nods. He’s not dressed yet, either, wearing a pair of jeans and a fluffy light green cardigan. “We definitely don’t need that.”
“Front page, can you imagine?” Kihyun grins, leaning forward a little, “Two First Year students drown in their own aquarium of tears during the trip to Hogwarts!”
Hoseok laughs again. “Aish, you’re funny! I’ve already forgotten about crying.” The boy smiles brightly, and it fits his face so much more. His ears are a little big, pointed outwards, nose tipping forward just a little and smile completely taking over his face, eyes into crescents and gums showing.
“Are you a Wizard?” Kihyun asks, leaning back and swinging his legs a little. He can’t quite reach the floor, but it’s fine.
“Well, yes? So are you, if you’re here. Unless you’re just a really clever Muggle spy or something.”
“A Muggle spy,” Kihyun scoffs. “No, but I meant… Are your parents wizards, too?”
Hoseok nods enthusiastically. “Not Pureblood, but yeah! Wait--” Hoseok’s eyes go a little wide as he leans forward. “You’re a Muggleborn?”
“Y--Yes,” Kihyun says in a questioning tone.
“Oh! I’ve never met a fresh Muggleborn before!” Hoseok gapes. “That’s so cool. So, this is all really new for you, huh?”
Kihyun smiles a little incredulous. It’s strange to think the way this boy seems to, in a way, because the Muggle world was all Kihyun knew until now, not taking into account his own magical gifts. But now, he’s not a strange boy anymore, now the strangest thing about him is not his magic but that fact that he didn’t come from a magical family.
“I guess,” he says, looking down, “I still… don’t know much. I suppose I’ll have to work twice as hard to make up for that. But it’s fine, I don’t mind.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Hoseok says, waving a hand. “My mom’s a Muggleborn Witch, and she’s fantastic! It’s why I know so much about Muggle Culture, too, you know? Magic is magic, doesn’t matter what your blood is.”
Kihyun blinks up and down for a moment and then smiles. “I suppose. Do you… Is there any House you’d like to be part of? What are your parents’ Houses?”
“My mom is a Ravenclaw, but I’m more like my dad, really, so I wanna be in Hufflepuff,” Hoseok smiles wide. “He says he thinks I will be. And you? Do you know the Houses?”
Kihyun nods. “I do, but… I don’t know which one mine will be…”
“We can still be friends, though!” Hoseok enthuses, before shrinking a little. “If you want to be…? You seem nice...”
“Oh,” Kihyun beams. “Of course! Ah--” He puts his bag to the side and starts digging inside for the box of weird beans. “I have some of those… Bertie something beans? I haven’t tried them yet, I was a little scared. But I suppose you’ve had them before so… Ah-hah!” Kihyun pulls out the box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans and shows it to Hoseok, who gapes.
“Oh, I love those!” he enthuses, smiling wide. “Come on, we’ll try them! It’s not that bad, I promise.”
Kihyun makes a silly face even as he gives the box a look and then shrugs as he opens it. He takes a peek inside and picks up a white one. “You certain this won’t kill me?” he asks, playfully.
Hoseok giggles. “Nah. That’s either icing sugar, egg whites, ice or… Mm, I don’t know, but no, you won’t die! Oh, I can’t wait to show you all the sweets we have,” Hoseok bounces, clearly excited.
Kihyun smiles, heart light but jumpy inside his chest as he gives the small white bean a sniff and then a temptative lick with the tip of his tongue, and then throws it into his mouth. It only takes one bite to have the flavour of soap spread through his mouth. “Ew! It tastes like what our dishwasher smells like after a wash!” He shivers but giggles, hands wiggling.
“Groooooss,” Hoseok laughs, ends up eating a bean that tastes like caramel. Lucky!
When a lady calls out from the corridor, asking if people want to buy sweets, Hoseok seems to use his last few coins to buy them both a Chocolate Frog.
“What are these?” Kihyun asks him, eyes on the box he’s been handed over. “They’re not really frogs, are they?”
“That would be cruel,” Hoseok says, standing up to close the door and the window, “Just be careful, they might hop away.”
Kihyun frowns and slowly begins unwrapping it. He’s only halfway done when a card falls on his lap. It shows a boy’s face, ginger hair falling over his freckled cheeks, blue eyes and a half smile on his lips. Underneath the picture is the name ‘Young Ronald Weasley’.
“What is this?” Kihyun asks, picking up the card and showing it to Hoseok. “Who’s this boy?”
Hoseok gapes. “Oh my god, I forgot you didn’t know! Ah, you should collect those. Everyone has a Ron but it’s a good place to start!”
One of the corners of Kihyun’s lips tips up and he looks back down to his card. He likes it, and maybe he’ll collect them. “Is it from a movie or something? A book?”
“Fantasy books, yeah. About a whole War the Muggles didn’t know about, you know? He was one of the people who stopped it. There were a lot of people involved, obviously, but he was a big part of it. Look--” Hoseok leans forward, handing over his own card. “I have Hermione. They get married at some point, by the way.”
Kihyun looks over and smiles. “Oh, that’s cool!” he chirps, joining the cards side by side. The two pictures look at each other, and he swears they blush.
“You can keep that,” Hoseok smiles wide.
“Thank you, Seokie,” Kihyun smiles, putting the cards down and picking up the nearly forgotten Chocolate Frog box. The moment he pops the thing open, though, he nearly screams, having to hold his breath when the, well, frog seemingly made of chocolate starts moving around and then jumps to his chest. “Oh, wha--what?!”
Hoseok giggles. “You have to catch it!”
Kihyun tosses the box aside and trips to catch the frog but it jumps before he can put his hands on it. He frowns, though, tongue sticking out between his lips as a chase begins, Hoseok laughing in his seat and Kihyun trying to catch the jumpy frog.
When it lands on the window of the door that leads into the corridor, Kihyun takes a breath and lurches forward with both hands, slamming a little against the door but somehow managing to catch the frog. He startles, though, when he looks up through the glass and sees the boy from before, with dark hair and dark eyes, seemingly startled as well, on the other side.
Whoops.
Kihyun smiles small and bows his head a little in an apology, ignoring the strange look the boys behind the dark haired boy are giving him. “Caught it,” Kihyun mumbles to himself.
The boys say something Kihyun can’t catch, and laugh, the dark haired boy frowning before he pushes them forward to keep walking. Kihyun clears his throat and turns away to show to Chocolate Frog to Hoseok.
“Look, look,” he says, walking closer and plopping down right next to his new friend. “Caught it! Do I eat it now? How do you even eat these…?”
Hoseok looks up, enough for Kihyun to see the moment the frog stops moving, head bitten off. “Hmm?”
Kihyun feels a cold shiver climb up his spine. How cold blooded of you, Seokie… “You sure it’s not… alive?”
“It’s just an enchantment,” Hoseok shrugs. “I cried the first time I saw my dad eat one, so he explained it all.”
Kihyun pouts. “I see…” He gives the frog in his hands one look. It’s starting to melt a little. “Well, here goes nothing--” Kihyun says, voice a little strained as he takes a deep breath and bites at the frog. This must be what they call ‘having it beaten into you at camp’. But at least it tastes good. “Do you know any spells?” Kihyun asks, mouth full with chocolate.
Hoseok smiles sheepishly, shaking his head. “Not allowed to do magic outside of school so I couldn’t practise, and I’m honestly a bit scared of doing anything without a teacher watching over.”
“Hmm,” Kihyun blinks. “Can I see your wand?”
“Oh! Sure! We should--” Hoseok gets up, getting a backpack off the overhead that he throws down on the seat before he starts digging. “Get dressed, I have no idea how long it takes to get to Hogwarts. Here,” Hoseok smiles brightly, brandishing a wand that looks longer than Kihyun’s, and… chunky. It’s definitely thicker than Kihyun’s, too. “It’s rowan, and there’s unicorn hair in it! I love unicorns, so I’m really happy. My dad says they’re gentle but you shouldn’t mess with them.”
“Mine is--” Kihyun stuffs the rest of the frog into his mouth, slurping in a leg, having already completely forgotten that the thing had looked alive not even five minutes ago. He reaches for his bag and digs in for his wand, bringing it out and holding it close to Hoseok’s. “Hazel with a dragon heartstring. Not sure what it means, but I quite like it. It’s swishy and flexible.”
“I don’t know what that means either but it's great,” Hoseok giggles. “Ah, I’m glad you came in here. I have good feelings about things, sometimes, you know? About people, more than things, actually, but… You have good feelings,” Hoseok smiles. “It’s nice.”
Kihyun feels warmth inside his chest. He smiles, brings his legs over the seat and nods. “Thank you! I think I quite like you, too!”
“Good enough for me,” Hoseok giggles, and they spend the rest of the way to Hogwarts talking about Muggles and magic, about the Hogwarts Houses and all the Chocolate Frog Cards Hoseok already owns, the Quidditch--Whatever that is, Kihyun doesn’t interrupt his enthusiastic rant about whatever it is--team Hoseok likes, and it feels a lot like the beginning of something really, really great.