Kim Seokjin and God Save the Queen Teeth.
The school song rang through the corridors, sparking excitement and anxiety about the game that night. Nearly every student was decked in red or blue, walking quickly towards the pitch. Tonight was the last normal season game, the winner would go up against Hufflepuff for the house cup next month. All of Jin’s friends were already in the stands, excited to cheer Jungkook on.
Typically, Jin would be commentating the game, but he offered the position up to an underclassmen who occasionally took his place when he was sick. Jin was completely healthy, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. Specifically, an annoying house elf who had dropped off the face of the world.
Teeth had been true to her word, and stopped interfering in their lives. She never visited or was seen by them, and while that may seem like a blessing at times, Jin feared it was a curse. As much as he had heard about her, Jin knew she wasn’t the nicest elf to talk with. She could be rude, blunt, and honestly down-right uncooperative. But he could be stubborn too, and she hadn’t met him and his charm. Maybe they’d get along like she used to with Jimin.
He had debated asking Jimin to come with him, maybe if he apologized she’d tell them what she knew about the Resurrection Stone. It was a far-fetched idea, but Jin couldn’t bring himself to ask Jimin when he saw the Slytherin heading down to the pitch. He was completely in school spirit, covered in red and gold face paint and wearing a jersey that looked suspiciously like Jungkook’s practice one.
If they were getting along again, Jin wouldn’t get in the way. Besides, he could handle Teeth by himself.
Namjoon had offered, but Jin knew he wanted to see his house play. He refused all offers and left for the kitchens as soon as the others started towards the pitch. He had no problem getting into the kitchens, sometimes his Prefect duties took him there for inspections. The house elves were wandering about, chatting and washing dishes since supper had just finished. They barely glanced at Jin and probably expected him to just be there for another check up.
“Wooly?” Jin tapped the shoulder of an elf who had a clipboard.
“Hmm? Oh! Mr.Kim! What can Wooly do fors you? Do yous want the daily report and task sheet?”
“Actually, I’m not here for Prefect duties. I’m looking for-”
“Mr.Kim not here on work?!” Wooly screeched, his eyes wide. “How unexpecteds!”
“Yes, but-”
“GET MR.KIM TEA! STOP WASTING OURS TIME!” Wooly screamed, and all the small elves scurried about, gathering tea and cookies. Wooly sat on a chair, crossing his legs and smiling widely. “So, whats you looking for?”
“Um, I- oh, thank you-” A cup of tea was forced into his hands by a small elf in a pink sock. She blinked at him and didn’t move away, like she was hypnotized. “Uh. . . I’m looking for Teeth?”
*CRASH*
An elf nearby dropped a large pot she was cleaning. Jin glanced over expecting everyone to look at her, but instead they were all staring at him.
“Uh, what did I say?” Jin asked, looking back at Wooly. The manager elf was pale, eyes wide. He glanced at the others, and shook his head, putting on the fakest smile Jin had ever seen.
“Nothing, nothing. Come, lets us go to Wooly’s office-” He grabbed Jin’s hand and forcefully dragged him towards a small closet nearby. He opened the door and shoved Jin inside, the Gryffindor stumbling over pots and pans.
“Merlin’s beard Wooly, is this your office?”
“Wooly no have a office.”
“Oh-”
“Teeth is deads.”
“What?”
“Some elves found her outside the kitchens,” Wooly said quietly, glancing towards the door like someone was listening. “Wes are very scared sir. Headmistress saids not to be afraid, that killer is gone, but Teeth dead after Alvis man was taken. She no listen to us, or at least the letter we’s sent to hers office.”
Jin went pale. This was bad. Really bad.
“When do you think she died? How did it happen? Where?”
“I no know when. She was tortured. Lots of blood. Took many hours to clean the stone-” Wooly shook himself, a sick look on his face. “We’s very scared sir.”
Jin sat back for a minute. Someone tortured Teeth for answers. They could’ve gotten their answer and they’d have the stone by now, or Teeth managed to keep her secrets. He felt horrible for her, she didn’t deserve that fate. But for everyone’s sake, he hoped she kept her secret to her literal grave.
“I. . . I need to go. I’m sorry I can’t help-” Jin opened the door, and multiple elves ran away, clearly eavesdropping.
“Please sir, waits-”
“Really Wooly, I can’t be here I have to-”
“SIR!” Wooly yelled, stopping Jin from running out of the kitchen. “She. . . she had letters on her.” Wooly held a small stack of mail, and Jin took them against his better judgment. They were addressed to different people, one to Damon Ferguson, one to the Headmistress, and one to him. Quickly, Jin ripped it open, skimming the page.
It was a small letter from his brother, a long ramble about protective silence spells. Occasionally he received letters like this, but it’d been months since the last one. Jin shoved the letters in his jacket and thanked Wooly, jogging out of the kitchens. This was bad. Like, bad bad.
He nearly sprinted back to the Gryffindor common room, taking the corners too quickly. Teeth was protecting these letters for a reason, and Jin would be damned if she died for nothing. They were unopened, so her torturer hadn’t noticed them. He said the password to the fat lady and jumped through the painting, getting ready to go into his room and hide the letters. Just as he was running past the fireplace he heard a cough, and he stopped.
No one was in the room.
*cough cough*
Jin’s eyes darted around, not seeing anyone. He immediately pulled his wand out. No one should be in the Gryffindor tower. Everyone was at the game, so who was-
“Jin!” A small voice called, and Jin glanced down. Yoongi’s face was in the fire.
“Holy shit!” Jin gasped, throwing himself down to the floor. “Yoongi!”
“Are you alone?”
“I-wait,” Jin pulled Seok Jung’s letter from his pocket. He quickly skim read it, then performed a silence spell around him and the fire. Just in case. “We’re good now.”
“Okay, because I’ve got shit to share.”
“Me too.”
“Fuck, not good if stuff is happening on both sides. I don’t have long, but I want to hear what’s wrong. Share.”
“Teeth is dead,” Jin said, pulling out the letters in his jacket. “She had these on her when she was tortured. We didn’t know. I went to go find her and see what she knew about the Stone, and Wooly told me she was practically torn apart in the hallway.”
“Are the letters open? Who are they for?”
“One to Headmistress, one to Damon Ferguson even though he hasn’t been here in months, and one to me from my brother.”
“What do they say?”
Jin scrambled to open them, ripping the paper with shaky hands.
“Well, my brother’s was to tell me about secret listening spells and stuff. I’m using one now to keep this conversation silent. The Headmistress’s is. . . from the Ministry. They’re asking her to. . . put maximum security back because of. . . a security breach? And Damon’s. . .” Jin’s eyes widened. “It’s from Azkaban. It’s requesting his presence at his father’s hearing and-wait, no, that can’t make any sense. It’s about a hearing for his brother? I thought his brother died-”
“I know what that’s about,” Yoongi said. “I called for a specific reason, Hyung. You need to get out of there. Get everyone out. Namjoon, Jungkook, Jimin, Tae, Hoseok, all of them. Anyone you care about. Junki escaped last night.”
“What.”
“I know. I heard my parents whispering about it. He’s free. They think the Alexander boy had something to do with it. I don’t know, but I’m guessing he’s either coming home, or he’s going there. All I know is you aren’t safe. You’ve got mere hours to get out. He’ll show up and team up with the killer, and it’s over. You have to leave.”
Jin nodded.
“Teeth was trying to tell us. She was going to bring us the letters. . . I need to get the others. Where can we go? Namjoon’s parents?”
“No. . . err, you can’t.”
“Why not?” Jin asked.
“He didn’t tell you?” Yoongi asked.
“No?”
“Shit, well. You could die in a few hours so, sorry Joon. He was disowned.”
“What?”
“That’s why they haven’t written in months. Ever since he flew home to ask for help, he had to show his father his animagus form. They blamed him for meddling with things and sticking his nose where he shouldn’t, that’s why problems were surfacing. If word would’ve gotten out that his father had a son who did a very illegal thing, it would’ve ruined his image. That’s why he wouldn’t talk about it. I’m certain they wouldn’t accept you if you went there. Go home Jin. Take them to your mother. She’s the next best option.”
“Okay, I’ll-”
“Burn the letters. No proof. Run. Get them and get out. I’m trying to reach the Ministry as we speak. This is it.”