The Line

Viktor stood at the Grand Central station platform 9 3/4 a few feet from Jayce. Steam billowed from the engine and young witches and wizards crowded the platform and peeked out from the windows of the train to talk to their loved ones as they got ready to depart.

Gods. What was Viktor doing here? When they offered him a foreign exchange program he accepted only because Jayce had, unthinking and stupidly, might he add. He didn't actually think this one through. For once the care and precaution that had guided his every step since birth had been thrown to the wind, and now he was stuck on a platform miles away from home next to Jayce.

Viktor glanced to the side.

Speaking of Jayce, the boy was busy chatting with a group of other 5th years, consisting of a girl with bushy brown hair, a boy with round glasses with the hint of a scar underneath his fringe, and another boy with flaming red hair. Jayce being...himself, had already loaded his and Viktor's luggage onto the train and was busying himself with making friends. Something in Viktor was lacking due to his reserved nature stemming from 15 years worth of isolation and suspicion that came from living in the deepest fissure of Zaun.

He let out a breath and glanced over at the group again.

The red-haired one was staring at Viktor's cane and leg brace. It was getting annoying.

The redhead's eyes widened when he noticed Viktor noticing. He tried to look away and seem nonchalant but was failing miserably. Viktor let out yet another sigh.

Oh well, might as well speak to him.

Viktor made his way to Jayce's side, ignoring the choking sounds that came from the red-head, and grabbed Jayce's elbow, gently shaking it to get the other boy's attention (not that Viktor needed to touch him to get that attention. For some reason, it always seemed as if Jayce's eyes were on him).

"Would you mind introducing your new friends?" Viktor asked, trying to ignore the staring off all three of Jayce's acquaintances.

Jayce turned, a bright smile lighting up his face as he registered Viktor’s presence. “Oh! This is Hermione, Harry, and Ron,” he said, gesturing to each in turn. Viktor gave each of them a curt nod. "And, uh, this is my friend and partner, Viktor," Jayce said to the others, putting a warm hand on Viktor's shoulder. Viktor tried his best to restrain himself from leaning into the touch. He was in front of polite company, he wasn't about to abandon all of his inhibitions and tackle Jayce in a kiss because of a mere hand on his shoulder.

Not at all.

A gap of silence then followed the introduction, with all of them shifting uncomfortably as the introductions finished and the attention on Viktor's leg was further saturated.

Hermione’s gaze flickered to his leg brace, her expression a blend of curiosity and empathy. Harry looked between Viktor and his cane, seeming to process the unspoken story that came with it. Ron, on the other hand, tried to recover from his earlier staring but was clearly struggling. “So, uh, do you play Quidditch?” Ron blurted out, perhaps attempting to steer the conversation away from disaster. But the question hung awkwardly in the air, and Viktor could sense a hint of embarrassment in the redhead’s voice.

"Eh, uh, occasionally, though I am not very good on account of not being able to kick the ball. Though I do like watching Jayce play. He is, eh, very talented when it comes to those sorts of things."

Jayce reddened. "I- I'm not that good-"

"Nonsense, I have watched you play many times, you-" Viktor was cut off by Jayce slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Anyways, like I was saying earlier, we should all probably find a seat on the train before all of the compartments fill up." Jayce rushed as Viktor smacked his hand.

"Right!" Hemione pipped up, seemingly anxious to get rid of the stagnant air between them. "I know a good spot for you lot to sit."

"'You lot'"? Harry repeated. "What- are you not sitting with us?"

Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance, several emotions seeming to flit through their faces in the span of a second, the most notable being a mix of pity and regret. Ron fiddled a bit with his sleeves."Well, um, you see mate, me and Hermione have to do some perfect duties first, but- but once we're done I promise we'll sit with you. Or, at least, we’ll try to."

Harry seemed to deflate a bit, and Viktor couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him "Oh. I forgot." He muttered.

Hermione wrung her hands. "Oh, Harry, you'll be quite alright without us. You'll have Jayce and Viktor with you, and I'm sure that if you ask, Ginny will be happy to sit next to you."

Harry shrugged, not looking too convinced as he looked at Viktor. "Yeah, I suppose."

Viktor frowned. He wasn't too sure why that stung as much as it did. He had spent his whole life being viewed as inferior by Piltover and even the other 'dirty freaks' in Zaun. Whether it be because he was from the undercity, or because he was poor, or because he was a cripple, or because his mother was a muggle and his father was a wizard who could not use magic because he was never allowed to learn. He had to fight his way through to make a name and a life for himself, pull himself up by his torn boot straps, and just 'roll with the punches' as his mother would say.

And in the end, he did it. Sure he lied his way through it. But he had no choice. Those Piltover elites had barred wizards and witches from the undercity from joining the academy. They were deemed 'too unstable' to learn magic. So when Viktor's magic sprung up, his parents did what they had to for Viktor to succeed.

They saved up money to buy him a uniform for him to pretend to be one of the enrolled students, his father broke into a wand shop and brought him a selection of wands to choose from, selling the rest illegally in order to buy Viktor the needed books for his classes. His mother, for the first few weeks, would help smuggle him across the bridge in order to get to school without being stopped by the enforcers until Viktor caught the attention of the dean of the academy. And because of his exceptional talents in both machinery and the arcane alike, he was allowed special access, despite being a Zaunite.

Viktor shook his head as if clearing the memories from his brain.

It wasn't a big deal that Harry didn't seem to like him all that much. It was fine. Viktor would be fine. He was only going to be at Hogwarts for the duration of the foreign exchange program. However long it would last.

He wasn't exactly paying attention when the Dean was telling him the details of the stay. But to be fair it wasn't exactly Viktor's fault. The Dean made the mistake of informing them while Jayce was doing his laundry. The boy hadn't been wearing a shirt at the time because he had been washing it and Viktor had spent the majority of the meeting trying to rip away his eyes from Jayce's back and pay attention to what Dean Heimerdinger was saying.

"-iktor? Viktor!"

Viktor blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Huh? Yes, Jayce? What is it?"

"Are you going to get on the train?" Jayce teased, his smile inciting yet another fire in Viktor's chest.

"Yes- I..." Viktor trailed off. He spared a glance at Harry's pitying face.

His heart dropped.

"Yes, I'm coming." He said before grabbing the handle of the train door. With the practiced ease of someone who had to navigate flights of stairs in peculiar ways for years, Viktor put his cane under his arm and swung himself up.

Jayce put his hand on Viktor's shoulder once again as Harry climbed up the steps to the train.  

Viktor tried not to shiver.

Harry led them through several cars, every compartment full to the brim with students. The hallways weren't much better as Viktor found himself being shoved and shoulder-checked at every turn. One particular shove from a blond girl with an upturned nose sent him stumbling into Harry.

Harry let out a yelp as Viktor slammed into him, causing Harry's head to hit the glass of a compartment. The poor boy let out a yowl and clutched his forehead as he pushed Viktor away, nearly causing him to fall backward if it weren't for Jayce standing so close to catch him.

"Harry- are you- are you okay?" Jayce asked.

Harry let out small pants, his hand clutched over his scar. His green eyes were wide and trained on Viktor. "My- my scar- he- when he bumped into me it-"

A girl with red hair like Ron's peeked her head out of a compartment. "Harry was that you screaming your bloody head off, or was it just Ron losing to Lee again in wizards chess?"

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, his cheeks going a shade of red. "No- I- it was..." He glanced at Viktor, several emotions passing by in tandem through his face before washing away like the tide. "...nothing"

Ginny quirked a brow and seemed as if she wanted to say something, but one glance at Jayce holding onto Viktor and both her brows shot into her fringe, new emotions replacing the old ones.

"I see.." She started, not so subtly staring at the entwined boys. "Well, I reckon that you and your...friends haven't found a compartment yet. So you lot can sit in this one. It's only me, Neville, and Loony- uh, I mean Luna, so we have plenty of room for three more. Plus Hedwig."

Harry smiled, his earlier grump and panic disappearing with his frown. "Thanks, Ginny."

Jayce glanced at Viktor, still holding him in his arms. He lowered his head whispering in his ear, "You okay?"

Viktorś's breath caught when he felt the faintest brush of Jayce´s lips against his ear. He nodded and fought to hold in a sigh as Jayce´s arms released him, slowly traveling down his arms leaving a wake of goosebumps in its trail.

"Viktor?"

He snapped out of it. "Hm? Oh yes, I am alright." Viktor said as he made it into the compartment.

Once all six of them were settled a comfortable conversation began to form.

"So Viktor, Jayce, why'd you decide to come to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked amiably, her index finger twirling a strand of hair.

Viktor shifted in his seat. "Eh, I don't really have a reason. I just joined because Jayce was going and I didn't want to endure owls constantly bombarding my dorn because he decided to write me a letter about every interesting thing he found. It- It, eh, It was going to be too much hassle, better to go with Jayce so he can talk to me directly every two seconds. Less owl droppings that way."

Beside Viktor, Jayce let out a sound in the back of his throat. "You only joined because you thought I would annoy you?"

"Yes, precisely because of that."

"Owch."

A blond girl holding an upside-down magazine, who Viktor could only assume was Luna, let out a giggle. "You two are very funny. It's almost as if I'm watching a wizard comedy show."

"It's not that funny." Jayce argued half-heartedly.

The group let out a laugh. Viktorś chest warmed. Jayce always had a way of putting people at ease. He was the "golden boy of Piltover Academy" for a reason.

Viktor laid his head against the glass of the windows, his eyes drooping as he fought off a yawn. He was still tired from waking up so early. Perhaps he should sleep. Jayce would wake him once they got there, anyway.

Viktor yawned.

Yes, sleep is the answer.

He closed his eyes and drifted off to dreamland against the background noise of the chatter of his new friends. 

----------------------

Viktor was woken up some hours later by Jayce. The other boy frantically told him that Viktor needed to change into his robes because they were almost there. With a groggy sigh, he stretched, his joints popping loudly, and made his way to a crowded bathroom, waving away Harry's suggestion to change in the compartment. Viktor was skinny to an alarming degree due to not getting sufficient food in the undercity. Every time someone (except Jayce, of course. He knew not to poke Viktor's past.) would see just how skinny Viktor was, they would shower him with even more pity, and Viktor didn't need that right now especially not from them.

On his way there, he passed by a group of girls sliding out of a compartment. Or, at least he tried to. As soon as they saw him one of the girls from the group let out a shocked gasp. "You're one of the exchange students!" She squealed. "Oh I've heard all about you, but I didn't think you would be so cute!"

What.

"What?" Viktor deadpanned.

The group of girls let out a collective giggle. "Your accent is so adorable!" A girl with dark hair and high cheekbones said. "Where are you from? Russia?"

Viktor made the mistake of stepping back, because as soon as he did their eyes shot to his leg and his cane.

Several declarations of pity followed.

"Oh, you poor thing! How did that happen?"

"My mother could fix your leg for you. It would only take a quick spell."

"Does it hurt? I can help you carry some of your things if it does."

Viktor's grip on his cane tightened. "Eh, no- no I am fine. Thank you. I- eh, I must be going now. I need to change."

And with that, Viktor turned on his heel and hobbled as quickly as he could to the bathroom.

"fix my leg." He muttered angrily and he tugged on his robes. "Don't they think that I would have done that by now if I could? 'Oh, you poor thing! How did that happen?' Was she serious?" He let out a huff and opened the door. This time taking the precaution of looking around to see if the coast was clear before making his way back to the compartment.

Harry looked up from where he was trading Wizard Cards with Ginny. Jayce and Neville had been looking over their shoulders. Luna was busy reading her magazine, now right-side up.

Jayce opened his mouth. Viktor held up a hand. "I don't want to talk about it." He huffed, sitting down next to Jayce, plucking the half-eaten chocolate frog out of the other boy's hand and eating it.

"What happened?" Nevile asked.

Viktor slumped down. "I don't want to talk about it."

"They asked you about your leg, didn't they?" Jayce said.

"I said I didn't want to talk about it!" Viktor snapped.

Jayce held up his chocolate-covered hands. "Okay, okay. We'll drop it." He turned his attention to the others. "So what's the deal about the Hogwarts houses? You guys don't segregate the school into four different groups, do you?"

"Well, er, segregate is a strong word, but we do put everyone in different houses. " Harry said.

"You'll see, right now," Ginny exclaimed, pointing out the window. "We're almost there."

Viktor and Jayce rushed to the window and Viktor's breath caught in his throat.

Spires jutted into the skyline like the points of the crown. The lights of the windows tinkled and reflected on the lake that stretched under the hill that the castle rested on. It was beautiful.

"Almost looks nicer than the Academy," Jayce mumbled.

"It is better," Viktor mumbled back, the words almost feeling like sacrilege on his tongue.

The train chugged to a stop with a loud screech.

"Come on, let's go," Harry said, excitement coating his face for the first time all night. The others followed him, leaving Jayce and Viktor behind.

The two boys looked at each other, Viktor's heart beating in tandem like a drum. The silence between them stretched on, but it wasn't unpleasant. They knew each other well enough to be comfortable in silence. It was another thing Viktor loved so much about Jayce.

"It's nice, isn't it," Jayce said softly.

"Yes. I suppose it is."

Jayce looked out the window again at the crowd of students still pouring out of the train. His breath fogged the glass, creating blurry silhouettes. "We should get going." He said after a while.

"Yeah." That was all Viktor said.

With that, the two boys walked out of the train. Jayce waited patiently for Viktor to hobble down the steps, and they made their way to a parade of carriages that, by all accounts, would carry the students to the castle.

The carriages themselves were nothing to look at, just sleek, plain black boxes with seats. They were abnormally normal, in all actuality. No, it was the creatures pulling the carriages that sparked Viktor's curiosity. Those were interesting.

They looked like horses, in size and shape, but their skin was gravestone grey and seemed to be stretched taut against the bones of the creatures. Their eyes were completely white and seemed to stare into your very soul. On their backs, great leathery wings sprouted out, the skin stretched between the bones like a bat's.

Viktor took a step forward, his hand outstretched. "Marvelous," he whispered. "They have Thestrals here."

"They have what?"Harry asked, his eyes trained on the thestrals and his mouth slightly agape.

They are the horse-looking things pulling the carriages. They are, eh, gentle creatures."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny said, her eyes staring at the thestral. "There is nothing there."

"Don't worry, I can see them too." Came a dreamy voice to the left of them.

Viktor turned his head to find Luna standing there, one hand clutching her magazine and the other her wand.

"See what?" Jayce asked. "Nothing's pulling the carriage."

"They are thestrals, "Viktor explained to Harry, ignoring everyone else. "People say they are omens of death since you can only see them once you have witnessed death. But, eh, they are incorrect. You cannot receive an omen once the event has already happened. But, eh, superstition makes people believe the worst of others."

"I saw my mother die when I was nine. She used the wrong spell. it was quite horrible." Luna added, unbothered by the strange looks she was getting from the rest of the group. Viktor's heart softened a bit while looking at her. Another misfit among the sea of those who don't understand. She turned to Harry. "It must have been Cedric. That's why you can see them."

Harry glanced between Viktor and Luna. he nodded. "And you?" He said to Viktor.

Viktor looked back at the winged beast, his mind relaying that horrible event that had happened three days after his birthday. One that was all too common in Zaun and took his beloved mother away from him. And despite the flashes of dead bodies with gaping holes in their skulls and chests on a bridge covered in tear gas while armored enforcers walked about, finishing off people in street clothes armed with pots and pans and bricks and shards of glass and whatever guns they could manage to find or steal...that was his worst memory by far, and the only one he could put into words without catching the horrified glances of the others. "My mother." He said slowly, trying to keep the tears down. "She died two years ago in an...accident."

Harry nodded, not looking too convinced. "I'm sorry," He said, genuinely.

Viktor said nothing and continued to watch the thestrals. Jayce placed a hand on Viktor's shoulder. He cleared his throat and said "Well let go find out where we're housed"

----------------------------------

The Grand Hall was not deceptive in its name in the slightest. It was a magnificent space, with large oak tables to seat the students, sparkling cutlery and dishware that shined in the light of a thousand floating candles, a ceiling that was bewitched to look like the night sky, and right in the center of it all was an old lumpy hat sitting on a tripod stool.

An old wizard with a long white beard and half-moon spectacles rose from the table set for the teachers. Several hours' worth of listening to Jayce talking about his Wizard cards gave Viktor the wizard's name: Dumbledor. The overlap of thousands of voices of the other children ceased almost immediately.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" He said cheerfully. "Now, I know that I usually place my speech after the first years have been sorted, but today will be a bit different. So apologies to those who love a good schedule and a well-worn tradition." A mummer went through the hall, quieting as soon as the wizard opened his mouth. "As some of you may know, this year we will be having a set of exchange students from Piltover. They will be attending Hogwarts for the year. They are both exceptional students with even sharper minds. Please welcome them as one of your own."

Applause followed Dumbledor's speech as he looked at the two boys. "Please give a hand to Jayce Tallis and, uh Viktor..." He trailed off looking at Viktor in slight confusion. "I'm sorry there seems to have been a mistake. It doesn't list your last name."

Viktor shifted, his cane leaning along with him. He wasn't used to standing for so long, his disability usually required that he sit more than he stood, so the past hour of waiting had been quite uncomfortable. "I do not have one, sir. The people from the undercity, eh, uh, people like me, we, eh do not have last names."

A beat of silence crossed the hall before a smile spread across Dumbledor's face once again. "Ah well, a unique situation, it seems I-"

"Eh-hem."

Viktor turned to the teachers' table where the weird, fake little cough was produced by a short, plump witch dressed in an eye-bleeding amount of pink. All the others at the table stared at her with wide eyes and pursed mouths, as if interrupting the headmaster was a crime.

Dumbledore paid her no mind and continued. "-it is time to begin with the sorting, now Mr. Talis if you could-"

"Eh-hem" The witch faked again, this time a little louder.

"-Just grab the hat on the stool and place it on your head-"

"Eh-hem"

Dumbledor turned around suddenly to face the witch, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. "Could I interest you in a cough drop Miss Umbridge?"

"Oh, no Professor Dumbledor, I was just going to point out how it would be improper to continue without Viktor having a last name." She said, her lips pulled into a wide smile that reminded Viktor of the underground toads he would often watch when he was little.

"I don't see how the lack of a surname could be a problem," Dumbledore said amiably.

"But Professor Dumbledor," Umbridge continued, her voice thick with feigned sweetness, "it’s quite standard procedure! How can we ensure proper records for our esteemed students if one of them lacks even a basic designation like a last name?" Her eyes glimmered with a mixture of delight and disdain as if she thrived on the moment.

Viktor shifted uncomfortably, the pressure on his brace becoming nearly unbearable with how long he'd been standing there. It felt even heavier with the weight of hundreds of eyes trained on him. He’d faced worse scrutiny in Piltover, but the judgment in this enchanted hall felt more pronounced. More...real.

"Surely," she added, her voice rising with a sort of condescending cheerful authority, "we can’t just allow any student from Piltover to walk in without proper records and expect things to run smoothly."  

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, his smile wavering ever so slightly. “Miss Umbridge, I assure you, Hogwarts has a long tradition of embracing diversity. Viktor’s background contributes to the rich tapestry of our school.”

"A rich tapestry that mustn't be soiled by any loose threads." Umbridge countered, her smile growing wider. Viktor suddenly remembered a time when his father killed one of those toads with a rock, declaring that they would have it for dinner.

Dumbledor's gaze hardened and he opened his mouth to argue, but Viktor cut him off. "Then I will adopt a surname," he said simply.

It seemed as if the whole school's eyes were on him.

They probably were.

"What was that?" Umbridge squeaked, her smile wavering.

"I will adopt a surname if that is what I need to continue my studies," Viktor explained slowly, but not slow enough to seem insulting. He knew elites like Umbridge, and they did not take insults lightly.

Umbridge blinked and then regained her wide grin. "Well, then. It seems as if order has been restored Mr...?"

"Svoboda," Viktor said, using the first Czech name that popped into his mind. "Viktor Svoboda."

With a flicker of surprise, the Great Hall grew quiet, tepid emotions stirring in the great sea of faces and within Viktor's stomach, making him feel sick. Dumbledore, momentarily taken aback, managed to nod approvingly, his twinkle returning to his eye. “Viktor Svoboda—an excellent choice! Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Svoboda!”

The applause that followed was mixed; some students clapped enthusiastically, while others exchanged whispers, intrigued by the new exchange student with the peculiar background. Suddenly, the world began to spin, and the pain in his leg flared like never before. He wanted to sit down. He wanted to rest. He wanted to hide away from this crowd. He wasn’t used to this, he wasn’t used to being the center of attention--if you could even call it that. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as every instinct screamed at him to run. 

He started to think-- fully think, for the first time that day, that this might have been a mistake. That he should have put a lot more thought into this than he did.

"Now, Mr. Talis, if you’d be so kind,” Dumbledore gestured toward the old hat perched on the stool. “Let’s proceed with the sorting.”

Jayce offered a glance at Viktor. 'We'll talk about this later, when everything has calmed down'  His eyes seemed to say. Viktor suddenly realized how beautiful Jayce's eyes were. A deep brown. Like soil.

Jayce made his way to the stool and sat on it. With trembling hands, he picked up the hat and placed it on his head.

Seconds passed, then the hat quivered, a seam above the brim opened like a mouth. "GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted.

Screams and cheers came from the table adorned with red and gold, ecstatic that  they were getting one of the new exchange students--and a rather handsome one at that.

Jayce let out a choked laugh and stood up from the stool, setting down the hat as he did so, and as if in a daze, shuffled to the table full of bellowing Gryffindors.

Next, it was Viktor’s turn. He could feel the anticipation as he approached the stool, heart pounding. The gaze of the students felt sharper now, more intense. He took a deep breath and settled the hat atop his head, the wooly fabric almost overwhelming him with its warmth and smell of age.

"Ah, a clever mind, and a heart full of empathy. Just what Hogwarts needs." the hat spoke directly into his thoughts, startling Viktor. "A cripple from the undercity, desperate to prove himself and others. A heart full of ambition and drive.... you'll do anything to achieve your goals, won't you?"

Viktor was too terrified to move.

The hat seemed to know his answer anyway. "Well, I guess we better put you in ...SLYTHERIN!" The last word was shouted, its syllables reverberating around the hall.

A smattering of polite applause followed, and a murmur spread among the students. A couple of girls in Gryffindor--the same ones Viktor encountered on the train earlier that day, he realized-- began to complain that it wasn't fair to sort him there. Some began to cry.

Jayce stood staring at Viktor from across the hall, his mouth downturned into a frown, and the way that he looked at him... the way he looked at Viktor was almost the same as the way the people in Piltover would look down at Zaun, with mistrust, with disdain. Jayce's head was tilted in confusion and his eyes were filled with sorrow, as if he couldn't believe that Viktor was with them.

Viktor's heart seemed to break a little. 

He pushed it down as he began to make his way to the Slytherin table, where the crowd of faces was blank with apprehension.

None of them moved, nor offered him a seat as he neared, so he chose a spot near the very end of the table next to a blond boy with his hair slicked back and bright green eyes.

Viktor didn't make eye contact, even though he should've. In Zaun making eye contact could cost you your life since it could be seen as a sign of challenge. Topsiders, however, saw it as a sign of weakness, or disrespect. "Hullo," The blond boy said.

"Eh, hello," Viktor said.

"So you're the new exchange student from Piltover? You and that Tallis, bloke?" The kid asked.

Viktor adjusted his cane. "Um, yes. that is what the Professor said."

The boy held out his hand. "Draco Malfoy, it's...nice to meet you."

Viktor grabbed the other boy's hand, firmly like his father taught him to do with top-siders. Although he never fully got the hang of it until he started going to the Academy. The people in Piltover were strangely particular about their manners. "It is nice to meet you too."

Draco smiled, though it seemed less than genuine. Viktor didn't mind. He'd seen worse in Piltover. "A word of advice, you should probably stop being friends with Tallis. Gryffindors are a bit block-headed and I wouldn't want you to be brought down because you decided to associate yourself with the wrong sort."

Viktor pursed his lips, and he gripped Draco's hand harder. "I appreciate your concern, Draco, but I have no qualms about associating myself with, what is it? 'the wrong sort'. And the house one joins is not indicative of their character, it is based on what a hat believes are your most telling qualities. Not all of your qualities."

Draco tilted his head, his eyes hardening with a resolve that Viktor knew would tear him limb from limb if given the chance. The blond’s hand gripped his even tighter and Vikter knew he messed up. He had to save this. 

“Although, it would serve to place myself among my peers. After all, it would not hurt to spend more time with like-minded people.” Viktor said with a carefully curated shrug. Not too casual, not too staged. 

Draco’s smile returned and his grip on Viktor’s hand lessened. “Of course,” he said, his teeth glinting a bit in the candlelight. 

Draco turned his attention to the first years, whose names were already beginning to be read. “Look at them. They’re all oblivious to what’s really going on.”

Oblivious? Oblivious to what?

Viktor tilted his head slightly as he watched a perky boy with freckles get sorted into Hufflepuff. “What do you mean?”

Draco scoffed, his eyes trailing back to the Gryffindor table. Specifically to where Harry was sitting. “Don’t tell me you don’t know. It was all over the papers last year. The minister of magic and the daily prophet are still talking about it.”

“We’re not British.” Viktor pointed out. “Piltover doesn’t get the daily prophet.” 

Draco seemed to short-circuit as he realized that other countries beside Britain existed. His eyes grew to the size of galleons and his index finger twitched as if he wanted to grab something. “Oh. I see.”

“Yes, we eh, we have a couple bigger problems over there,” Viktor said awkwardly. 

They sat in thick silence for a while until it was interrupted by Dumbledor standing up for yet another speech. “Once again, I welcome you to Hogwarts-”

“Eh-hem.”

“musíš si dělat srandu.” viktor muttered. 

“What?” Draco asked. 

“Nothing. Just, eh, uh, talking to myself. In my mother tongue.”

“Oh, er, alright.” The boy turned back to the head table, where Dumbledor had promptly, and rather politely let Umbridge speak.

“Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!” She smiled revealing very pointed teeth, akin to what some of the people in the undercity had. “And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!” Viktor glanced around. No one seemed to be smiling. He craned his neck to look at Jayce. The boy was looking back at Viktor, his eyes seeming to ask ‘Is she serious?’

Viktor gave him a half-hearted shrug. He gave a little smile and rolled his eyes. 

Jayce snorted. He leaned forward, his lips split into a grin. 

“I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I’m sure we'll be very good friends!”

Students exchanged looks at this; some were barely concealing grins. Jayce seemed to be on the verge of laughter. 

“She seems to be… enthusiastic,” Viktor whispered to Draco. 

The blond snorted. “Yeah, she really seems to be kissing our arses.”

The two boys snickered, and across the hall, Jayce’s smile melted away. 

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, but when she continued, her eyes were trained on Viktor and Draco. When she spoke, her voice seemed to resemble the hiss of toxic fumes leaking from the pipes of the fissure Viktor lived in.

“The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gift with which you were born may come to be nothing if not neutered and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.”

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back.Viktor had to choke back a laugh because it seemed like a gesture straight out of the gilded gates of Piltover. Bowing seemed like something bird-like to Viktor. No one else in Zaun did it because it seemed overly exuberant and ridiculous. A hug, or a nod, or a wave of the hand would do the same job with less extersion. Beside him Draco raised an eyebrow.

Professor Umbridge continued. “Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress’s sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance then, between new and old, between permanence and change, between and innovation…”

“What is she going on about? “ Draco sneered. “What load of rubbish is she yapping on about?”

The cogs in Viktor’s head clicked in sinc as he processed what Umbridge was saying. “Well, I suppose she is saying that the Ministry will be interfering at Hogwarts.. Maybe they are not happy with the way Hogwarts is being run…”

“Of course she doesn’t like the way this loony bin of a school is run! Every year we have Potter running around causing problems and that absolute loon Dumbledore believes him! In fact, I think it's a good thing that the Ministry is interfering.”

Viktor shook his head. Images of riots and houses burning to the ground flashed in his head. People dead on the bridge between Piltover and Zaun, children from the undercity screaming for their parents who no longer moved, no longer spoke, no longer lived. His own mother and father dragging themselves away from the carnage with Viktor in tow. The cacophony of horrible images were burned into his memory. Viktor shook his head. “No, the government inserting itself in private institutions is never a good sign. It means they intend to control us.”

Draco’s face morphed into something that wasn’t quite apprehension, nor wasn’t quite understanding, settling on the middle ground of curiosity. “How do you know what they intend to do? Hm, Su- sv-, er, Sv-ah-”

“Svoboda.” 

“Er, yeah, Suh-v-boda,”

Viktor shrugged. Close enough. In hindsight, he probably should’ve chosen a name that was easier for English speakers to pronounce. But the opportunity to  ‘throw shade’ as Jayce would say, was too great to pass up. He turned to gaze at the other students in the hall who had abandoned all premise of pretending to pay attention and where talking among themselves. All save for Hermione, who was sat in between Harry and Ron and paying rapt attention to Umbridge’s speech. Viktor chuckled. She was smart, by all accounts, to pay attention to what the witch was saying. “There are many instances of government insertion becoming a problem. It is not uncommon.” He said vaguely. 

Draco didn’t seem to fully buy it, but he didn’t poke further, his attention returning to Umbridge’s speech. 

“...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile , some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected and pruning whatever we find practices that ought to be prohibited.”

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Viktor noticed that several of them brought their hands together once or twice before stopping. Dumbledor offered a glance to Umbridge as if he was afraid that she would interrupt him again. “Well that was a…illuminating speech. Thank you, Professor Umbridge. As our time is short and our stomachs empty, I will post usual announcements in front of the Great Hall.” he clapped his hands together and a grand feast appeared on the tables. “Now, by all accounts: tuck in!”

It was more food than Viktor had ever seen in his life. Glistening piles of turkey, chicken, ham, loaves of bread that were still steaming, huge bowls of greens and piles upon piles of mashed potatoes and chickpeas and other vegetables Viktor couldn’t even begin to name. His mouth salivated and his stomach twisted with ravenous hunger. 

He had to physically stop himself  from immediately grabbing everything within a five foot radius and shoving it into his mouth. 

Beside him Draco and the other students were grabbing respectable portions and putting it onto their plates. They cut up their food with utensils and put the positively minuscule bite into their mouths with a grace that only comes from having no worries about where your next meal will come from. People in the undercity wouldn’t trouble themselves with manners when it came to food, they would instantly attack whatever ended up on their plate, whether it be the rats that scuttled across the cavern floor, or scraps of half-eaten chicken that people in Piltover so foolishly and wastefully threw away. Viktor was no stranger to rat poisoning and would be absolutely appalled whenever he saw good food left in the trash. So seeing everyone here eat with grace and purity left a bad taste in his mouth. 

He forced himself to slowly grab two legs of chicken, a spoonful of mash, two scoops of salad, and only four biscuits. 

“That's a lot of food there, Suh-v-boda,” Draco said, eyeing the rather sparsely filled plate (at least in Viktor’s opinion.) Viktor had set in front of himself. 

“What do you mean?” Viktor asked as he very calmly picked up a spoon and began to dip it into the mash. He saw that Draco had only one chicken leg, a little bit of mash and a little bit of salad. “Is this not the usual amount of food for a person to consume?” 

Draco’s eyes flicked to the two legs of chicken. “It’s a bit much, and you seem rather scrawny, do you usually eat this much?” 

I usually don’t eat anything at all Viktor thought to himself. “No, eh, not usually.” He admitted, noticing Draco’s eyebrow lifting ever so slightly. Viktor hoped he wasn't a classist, but just to be safe… “But I have not eaten since I arrived in the UK. I, eh, only had a bun with cheese to eat today.”

Draco seemed to physically relax. He let out a short laugh. “Alright then, Suh-v-boda eat up.”

Viktor let out an internal sigh of relief. Bullet. Dodged. 

They spent the rest of the meal talking about classes and Draco’s family in between bites of food. Occasionally Draco would look at Viktor weird whenever the boy forgot he was in front of polite company and began to eat like a born and true Zaunite, in which Viktor would pretend not to notice the looks and force himself to eat neatly and slowly. Within the conversation, Viktor learned that Draco had a lot of fondness for his parents, and lived quite grandly, in a mansion with several acres of land and a pet albino peacock. The blond seemed to assume that Viktor was just as rich as him, and judging by the state of the other Slytherins’ new, neatly pressed clothes and perfectly groomed hair and nails, it was probably because everyone else was just as or if not slightly less rich than Draco. 

“My mother and I shopped for a new broom for my birthday last year, so I think that this year I’d want to get a new set of silk robes,” Draco prattled on, almost unthinking in the way he displayed his wealth. “I’ll get them in green, but I think I’d like some other colors too. What do you think, Viktor?”

Viktor swallowed a bite of cucumber. His attention waned a bit as he watched Jayce laugh at something Ron said.  “I think that variation is good. You can get the green robes, but it would do to add other colors so you do not seem too repetitive.” Viktor replied a bit distractedly. 

Draco didn’t seem to notice as he finished his plate, leaving a couple scraps that pained Viktor to see because he knew they'd end up in the garbage. “I suppose you’re right.” He stood up and dusted invisible dirt from his robes. “We should get going.”

Viktor looked up from his plate that still had a couple bites of biscuit left. “What? Already? I have not finished yet.” 

Draco scoffed. “There’s only crumbs left, Suh-v-boda. You’ll live.” 

Doubtful. 

“Yes, but-”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Come on, everyone else is leaving.” 

That was true, everyone else had left or was leaving the Great Hall. Only a couple students were left, including Jyace, Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Jayce stared directly at Viktor. His lips moved to ask a question. 

Viktor mouthed a response, his heart tender and filled to the brim with longing. 

The feeling must have been conveyed in his eyes because Jayce offered a gaze so tender it turned Viktor’s heart to mush and his throat to close up with raw emotion. 

He stood up, grabbing his cane as he did so, his leg brace released a creak that only came from sitting for too long. Draco’s eyes flicked down to the device and once again, curiosity crossed his face like a dark shadow. “So how did that happen?” He asked bluntly. 

Viktor tried not to sigh. This should have been a win. He had avoided the conversation for the length of a distasteful speech and a hearty meal. If anything, this was long overdue on Draco’s part. 

“I was born like this,” Viktor answered simply, because in all honesty, he was too damn tired for a real conversation. The avalanche of a meal made him sleepy and he didn’t feel like answering intrusive questions through the haze of drowsiness. 

“Then why don’t you fix it with magic? It would-”

“Don’t you think I would have done that already if I could?” Viktor snapped, his patience worn thin as all he wanted to do was talk to Jayce and then go to sleep. 

Shock painted Draco’s face at the sudden outburst. He sneered and turned his nose up in the air. Viktor’s heart skipped a beat and his feast began to make its way up his throat. No, no, no, this wasn’t supposed to happen. He should have been civil. He swallowed it back down and turned his eyes to the floor. “I am sorry. I, eh, I am tired.” 

Draco narrowed his eyes, but his shoulders relaxed. He opened his mouth to speak, but the movement of Harry leaving the table caught his attention. His face immediately morphed into sadistic glee, and in a loud voice he said to Viktor, “Well it's a good thing someone is going against that crackpot fool, Dumbledore.”

Viktor just stared back at him blankly, confusion warping his mind. What the hell was Draco going on about? He thought that Viktor made it extremely clear on his stance in all of this. Why was Draco publicly proclaiming his acceptance of Umbridge? 

Across the Hall Harry scowled. “Shut your mouth Draco!” He growled. His eyes flickered in surprise when he noticed Viktor beside Draco. 

Jayce looked angry. 

Fuck. 

Draco didn’t seem to notice Viktor’s warring emotions and continued on his senseless parade. “You see, me and Sah-v-boda here have been talking about Professor Umbridge,” Draco put a cold hand on Viktor’s shoulder. “And we both agree that she’ll be a great influence on this school, don’t we Viktor?”

Red-hot anger flared in Viktor’s chest. He slapped away Draco’s hand, and as quickly and loudly as he could, stomped away from the blond wizard, his rage so great he could barely keep his cane centered. 

He had no idea where he was going, but he didn’t care. Behind him he could hear the rapid steps of someone running to catch up. 

Viktor hobbled faster. 

“Viktor!” Jayce’s voice called out, only a few feet away. “Viktor wait, come back-” He put a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. Viktor stopped.

The warmth of Jayce’s hand grounded him. An emotional anchor. 

Jayce’s hand trailed down Viktor’s arm until it locked on Viktor’s elbow. He let himself get spun around to face the other boy. 

“Do you even know where the Slytherin common rooms are?” Jayce asked. 

No, Viktor did not. In fact, he knew next to nothing about this school, or what its layout was. But because he was petty and wanted to spark another fight. He said yes. 

“Liar.” Jacye teased, his face glowing with warmth that spread through Viktor’s bones.

“Fine, I do not know where it is. But you- did you see how he-” He growled as the words failed to form on his tongue. He grabbed fistfuls of his own hair and started tugging at it. “I explicitly told him my distaste for- for what she stands for! I- and he does this to me? I thought- I actually thought I was going to make a friend without-” He took a deep breath, his hand trailing to cover Jayce’s. “I thought this time was going to be…different.”

Jayce’s smile waned. He brought up his hand to caress Viktor’s cheek. It was as warm and comforting as it ever was.  He swiped his thumb over Viktor's protruding cheekbone, then over his lips. “Vik-”

“Suh-v-boda!” 

Jayce dropped his hands just in time for Draco to round the corner.

The blond stopped in his tracks and stared at the two of them, who were just standing there in a close vicinity, but close enough to raise the slightest of suspicion. Draco’s eyes flickered between the two of him, his teeth were ever so slightly bared, just a hint of white among the pink of his mouth. “What is he doing here?” he asked, venom dripping from his tone like vile acid that threatened to burn Viktor. “I thought you weren’t going to associate yourself with him anymore.”

Viktor nearly scoffed at the absurdity of his statement. But he swallowed it down. He already pushed his luck as it was. “I never said I would stop being, um, friends, with Jayce. I just said "It would do me some good to be among like-minded people.”

“But-”

“But,” Viktor continued, “I have been friends with Jayce for years and have been sharing a dormitory with him for the past two. A hat telling us that we belong in different houses does not dictate, nor eradicate a long-withstanding friendship.” He paused, letting all of that sink in and properly marinate before continuing. “And we also have a project due December 17 at eleven fifty-nine p.m that is quite important, and I do not think that we can work on it while being mortal enemies.”

Draco seemed to process the validity of the statement, his nose was less upturned and the sourness on his face was less…sour. “Alright,” he said apprehensively. “I suppose that is… a valid statement.” 

Viktor let out an inward sigh of relief. Thank the gods that Viktor got to keep Jayce. 

“Well come on, we’ve got to go to the dorms. I’m prefect,” Draco said, enunciating the ‘prefect’ with a ridiculous amount of flourish. “So I know the password.” 

Jayce and Viktor looked at each other. Jayce shrugged. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” he said, his tone soft enough to melt Viktor, but firm enough to be passed off as the product of being sleepy. Viktor brought up his index and middle fingers to his temple and gave a mock salute. “See you later, Jayce Talis.”

And with that Viktor turned away as slowly as he could and followed Draco through the twists and turns of the various hallways and passages of the castle, and down the steps to the dungeons where the Slytherin common rooms were.