Mark's first years in Hogwarts
Mark was a normal student. He had standard grades, not too good, not too bad. Acceptable as said the grade he obtained the most. However, he was really good at transfiguration. But he was in Ravenclaw so decent and good was never enough. He was often mocked for that and people nicknamed him as the failed Ravenclaw but paradoxically, every time he went to the library to study, there were always people who would ask for his help in transfiguration as he was one of the best students in this subject. People only talked to him for that reason or to make fun of him. It didn’t bother him that much, he was better on his own. He had no friends except for Seonghwa, a tall Ravenclaw 3 years younger than him. He had gorgeous blue eyes, dark short hair and liked to wear earrings. He was also an outcast, which was one of the things that united them. They were both really interested in muggle hobbies.
Mark’s father was a muggle so he introduced him early to muggle’s culture. As for Seonghwa, even if he was a ‘pure blood’, his parents were open minded and liked diversity so they decided to move in a small muggle town when their son was still a baby. He had grown up surrounded by magic but very familiar with the non wizard world. While Seonghwa liked to play with little colored bricks called ‘Legos’, Mark was what we can call a Gamer. From his early age his father introduced him to video games and it became a tradition forhim to offer Mark a console for each of his birthdays. The years passed by and his collection was getting bigger so for his 11th birthday, Mark’s father bought him a computer so that he could use it to work and he could save space by purchasing games online. He liked pretty much all kind of games but one of his favorites was the Sims. He liked to recreate people he encountered and make a whole new life for them. His eleventh year was also marked by his arrival at Hogwarts. His mother had given him some magical genes, and it was something they discovered pretty early as his consoles never went out of battery. His magical abilities automatically charged his electrical belongings and it was the thing he loved the most about magic: the ability to make something really cool into something even cooler. So when he was admitted in the famous wizarding school, he was amazed by all the possibilities that were offered to him. He was really proud when the house that was selected for him was Ravenclaw. But quickly what was like a dream for him soon became closer to a nightmare. He struggled to keep the rhythm and all those classes he had never attended before were pretty hard to understand. Everything seemed so easy for everyone, especially his house mates, so why couldn’t it be that easy for him? He worked as much as possible, trying to be better than average but all he could get were “acceptable” and maybe once every two month if he got lucky an “exceeds expectations”. All these hours spent at the library seemed so useless… He had no life apart from working. And he was still behind, whatever the efforts he put in. Even transfiguration which was his favorite subject was becoming painful to study. And the other students weren’t helping. “Nerd, uninteresting, failed Ravenclaw.” Those were the cute little nicknames his classmates used to call him. So one day he just decided to give up. To stop working so hard for nothing. Instead, he decided to use magic the way he wanted because even if his parents were both very supportive and always acknowledged the hard work he made, he knew that if he kept going that way he would end up hating school, not that he even liked it to begin with. But there was something he really liked at school. At the beginning of the year, during the first flying class, he discovered himself a great talent in riding brooms. Even the oldest ones that had been lend to them by the school obeyed him perfectly. And flying made him forget everything. He loved the feeling of the wind in his hair, the feeling of freedom it provided him, the dizziness he could sometimes feel when going too high or too fast. He loved this sport so much, but he knew he would never apply to the team, as it was a team sport. He better liked flying alone anyway.
During the summer holiday between his first and second year, he tried to think of a way to link magic and his games. He made theories, diagrams, read many books, but no one had ever had such a big project, as wizards interested in video games were pretty rare. After the holiday, he was very careful with his luggage as he had convinced his parents to let him bring his computer at school. He hadn’t really decided what to do with it but he knew that for whatever he wanted to do later, he would have to find a way to make his computer work even with all the magic used in the castle, as too much magic around it made it impossible to turn on. And even if he succeeded, Mark knew that it was only the first step among many before he would be able to use it as freely as at home.
He took a new rhythm, studying only to be able to be accepted in the upper year and spent all his free time working on his computer or riding his broom. His room mates were often annoyed as he worked late at night and had to use Lumos in order to be sure of what he was doing. It wasn’t rare for him to find a few pieces of paper on his computer the next morning, insulting him and telling him to stop. But he could deal with it. He could deal with it.
It was after the spring holiday that he finally achieved to turn his computer on. It took him months as he had never dealt with electronics before and had to learn by observing and noting down how his computer was set up. He had also asked his parents to send him books about the subject and it helped him a lot. He furthermore had to practice many spells that weren’t taught to him in class in order to create some kind of a magic free bubble around his computer to protect it from magical waves that impeached it to function.
He kept this lifestyle for the whole year and succeeded in his exams, obtaining good results for an average student but mediocre for a Ravenclaw. But it was sufficient for him as even if he stopped working as much as before, he still had pretty much the same results.
As he couldn’t work on his computer installation during the holiday, Mark decided to focus on Quidditch. Well, actually it was only on flying but that’s pretty much the same. He was progressing really fast and he soon was able to make very difficult moves that were also pretty dangerous. His parents who liked to watch him fly told him all summer that he should apply for the Quidditch team but Mark was stubborn, he was better on his own and didn’t like to draw attention on himself. He also didn’t want to disappoint his parents if he tried but ended up not being chosen or if he was but screwed up during a match… Everything was a good excuse not to apply and he would stick to his position. Most of all, the team’s captain was Kim Namjoon, a student a year older than him, also the youngest captain that the school had seen for decades. He was a very popular boy, loved by every student and teacher, had the best grades of his year and even maybe of the whole school and he was an excellent keeper. He was very charismatic and even the oldest members of the team always listen to him, even though they were the most experimented. He was also an excellent strategist which almost always led the team to victory. No need to say that Mark was just… Not enough to fit in the team. He would look ridiculous next to those popular and perfect students that were part of the team. He would seem even weirder than he was already. So even if he knew that his parents only wanted the best for him, he would not listen to them on this subject.
His third year started pretty standard, except for the new classes he had had to choose. He could choose two between the five that were taught to third year and older students. He didn’t need muggle studies as he was already familiar with their culture, his father being one. He couldn’t see himself picking arithmancy, it was a subject chosen by many Ravenclaw as it was very hard and intellectual and he didn’t want another subject on which his housemates would humiliate him. Ancient runes could have been interesting but it would be too much work to do in addition to his computer project that was his biggest priority. That left him only two subjects which was the minimum he had to choose. So this new year was a bit busier but much more interesting. Divination was pretty easy. He couldn’t really see anything special in the objects they used to try and see but It was fun to make up weird stories that would make the teacher think he knew. Care of magical creatures was fascinating. As he had grown up in a muggle neighborhood, he had never seen such creatures. He stayed at the back or on the sides of the group so that he could be away from the mass of student but always kept all his attention on the teacher and the animals. He was pretty good at taking care of them but was terrible with theory.
The year passed by as usual, he worked the minimum amount needed to keep his grades correct and kept working on his side projects. He had a few altercations with his housemates who once had fun stealing his schoolbag and hiding it in a room at the opposite of the common room where no one usually went. Another time, in potions class, one of his classmates threw something in his cauldron that provoked an explosion, the failed potion splashing all over his face. He had to go immediately to the nursery as the liquid had burnt his skin. He stayed there overnight and no one came to visit him. When the teachers asked him how this could have happened, he just answered that he must have put some dust or anything accidentally in it. McGonagall had asked him if he wanted to inform his parents but Mark categorically refused. He didn’t want to have more trouble and also didn’t want to worry his parents. She gave it up, glaring worriedly at him as she left the room. After this event, Mark tried to avoid as much as possible going to crowded places where people could bother him. He was very anxious each time he went to potions class and never took his eyes off his cauldron anymore. He walked looking at his feet, trying not to cross his classmates’ watch, hoping that if he was discreet enough they wouldn’t bother him. It worked pretty well in class and during the day but once he had to go back to the dorm he would often find his pyjamas drenched in water, waiting for him to take them back from the shower. In the morning it was all the same but with his bag or his notes. Life was becoming harder for him. Luckily, nobody had tried to break his computer. Yet. He knew that if they didn’t think about it yet, it would be soon before they do. So he started to practice protective spells, just in case. And he was right. One day as he was showering, the sound of an explosion was heard. He rushed out of the water, hurrying to dress up and ran to his computer. It was still safe but one of his classmate’s bed was freed from its sheets and a bit of smoke was coming from it. That was what he had planned to happen it someone other than him ever tried to get close to the computer. His roommate was shouting out of anger, yelling at Mark that he was a ‘fucking bastard’ and shouldn’t have done that to his bed. Mark discreetly cast another protection spell at his computer and ran away as he didn’t want to be in more trouble. He sneaked out of the common room and ran as fast as he could to the quidditch field. There, he lay down in the cold grass, fighting back the tears that wanted to show up. Breathing deeply, he stared at the sky and lost his gaze on the stars. He was sure that if he had been assigned to Hufflepuff, people would have been more understanding, less judgmental, simply more kind. He had always thought that Ravenclaws would only focus on their studies, not paying attention to other people and minding their own business but apparently he was wrong. He was even pretty sure that even Slytherins were a lot more sympathetic. Why had he been set to Ravenclaw, he would probably never understand. The blue on his uniform made him feel sick, he just wanted to get rid of it, to go back home. Maybe go to a muggle school where he would find other people interested in video games. Where he would be less of a failure. He took off his uniform, loosened his tie getting rid of his house’s color. He shivered slightly, the air being pretty cold at night but he didn’t care. The common room’s warmth felt suffocating and being outside felt like he could finally breathe. He took a broom in the cupboard where they were kept, opening it with a simple alohomora and spent the night outside.
The next day, he decided not to go to class, too afraid of his classmates. He was also incredibly scared for his computer that he had let in his dorm with the other students. The spells that he had cast to protect it were powerful and were not supposed to be taught in 3rd year but knowing his classmates… They could have tried to damage the device anyway. He wasn’t mentally able to go to class today, knowing that he would end up panicking and not being attentive anyway. Plus, he had potions and… No. He just couldn’t. It was too much. Mark wondered if it was a good idea to write something to his parents but quickly decided that it wasn’t. They would be worried for him and would want to talk to the headmaster. He didn’t want to disturb anyone. Instead, he just wandered around the school, far from any student. But he couldn’t do it eternally, he had to come back some day… The young man decided to go to the great hall at the end of the hour dedicated for the evening meal, when the majority of the students would have already eaten. He was right as there was almost no one sitting at the Ravenclaw table. He took a plate and ate a little bit, not feeling hungry even though the last time he had eaten was on the previous evening. His back burning as he felt someone was staring at him. He turned around and spotted McGonagall’s worried stare. He smiled weakly and faced back his food. He was aware that she must know something was wrong but he didn’t want to draw attention on him. He didn’t want to disturb.
The following days, he went back to class completely silent, as if he just wanted to be invisible which was actually pretty true. His transfiguration teacher would often look at him, noticing the silence of one of his best students. But no one would dare to break his quiet bubble. He had also stopped working on his computer. The young man had removed all the protective spells he had cast and instead just hid it in his trunk, under his clothes and other personal belongings. He just wanted to go back home.
When summer holiday arrived, he mostly stayed in his room, this place being the only one where he felt safe. His parents were obviously worried but decided not to ask him anything, thinking that maybe he just needed some calm and space. The only thing that cheered him up was the trip they all made in America to visit his grand parents. He felt amazing, far from the students, homework, Hogwarts in general. Just him and the people that cared the most.
His grandfather, who was passionate about informatics despite being really bad at it, asked him how his big project was growing. And Mark, in all his life, never felt so shameful. How could he admit that he had given up for the past few months? How could he be so deceptive? He had to make his family proud. No matter the difficulties, no matter what people said. Because the only ones who mattered was his family.
When he went back to Hogwarts, a new motivation was born in him. He put his computer back on his desk and cast all the protective spells he knew on it. And his first night there was spent on it, despite his classmates' complains. No need to say that he was exhausted the following day. But it was worth it. His huge break from his project had set his mind to zero and he could try new ways to work. And Mark could see the progress he was making, even if didn’t seem that much. He also tried to work harder on his classes, at least the ones he liked. He became an ace in transfiguration, stealing the first place to his Ravenclaw classmates who were so angry for that. But he didn’t care. Whatever he would do it would be the same, either was he not doing enough, either was he doing too much. There was no in between. He could also feel that McGonagall always had an eye on him, and he was also pretty sure that she smiled at him once. Everything was a bit better, even if his roommates’ teasing never really stopped. But he could handle it.
One evening as he was sick of working on his computer, Mark decided to go past the curfew and fly for a bit. The sky was already black, the only source of light being the moon. He was making some acrobatics, loops, just having fun in the cool air when someone yelled at him.
“Hey you! Get back down it’s past the curfew!”
“Hell no…” Whispered Mark.
Knowing he was already in trouble, he decided to take his time, making a few more complex figures before landing right next to the intruder. The latter stared at him, his face closed, hiding whatever he could think about. Mark looked at him with more attention and froze when he recognized Kim Namjoon. In addition to his role of captain of Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team, he had also been chosen as prefect. It must have been his turn to patrol around the school. Oh Mark was indeed in trouble.
“You’re Mark Tuan, aren’t you?”
Mark simply nodded.
“I should take points from Ravenclaw because you disobeyed the school rules.” He stayed silent for a moment, analyzing the youngster's face. His eyes went back to Mark’s and he smirked. “Did you know there is a vacant place in the Quidditch team? Ravenclaw students are to busy with their studies to even go to see the matches, they also don’t bother to go to the try outs.”
Oh God. Was he really asking this? “Yeah, I’ve heard about it. Why?”
“We could make a deal. I’ve never seen you here, in the middle of the night. But you get in the team. I’ve seen what you’re capable of on a broom. An old one in poor condition. You’d be an amazing seeker.”
Mark was perplex. Why would he ask him such a thing? Like, yes he liked to fly and make some tricks but he wasn’t that good at it.
“But why me? I wouldn’t bring anything to the team…”
Namjoon sighed deeply. “What did I just say? I saw you on this broom. And I want you in my team. And I need a seeker as the previous one graduated last year. So the choice is yours. You can join the team and be glorified and proud. Or I can take you to your head of house’s office to get the punishment you deserve. What do you think?”
Mark sighed too. In either way he would have to spend his evenings away from his computer. But it was way better to spend them on a broom than in detention.
“I’m in. When are the training sessions?”
“Every Tuesday and Thursday evening. I’ll see you there.” he told, smirking as he walked to the castle.
Well, at least Mark wouldn’t have to hide or go past the curfew to fly now. He just hoped that Namjoon’s teammates would accept him in the team.
The next morning, he woke up early and decided to get his breakfast as soon as the great hall would be opened. The common room was empty, except for one student, fast asleep on a couch near a fireplace. He looked pretty young and his black hair were hanging on top of his forehead. On the table just by his side were laying small colored bricks, all sorted by height and color. An empty box was let open next to the bricks, an image of a huge spaceship printed over it with a big ‘Lego’ at the top of it. Mark hesitated for a bit but decided to wake him up. He softly pushed his shoulder and asked him to wake up. The latter turned away from him, making Mark face his back. It was going to be difficult.
“Hey, time to wake up.”
“Hmmm not now…”
$“Well you have to. People will start waking up and they’ll disturb your sleep anyway. At least go back to your dorm?”
The younger boy sat sleepily, hiding a huge yawn behind his hand. “I can’t leave my legos here, they would steal them again…” He seemed to get suddenly luscious, his eyes getting big. “You’re not going to take them right?”
Mark smiled softly and sat by his side. “Nah, of course not don’t worry. Has it ever happened to you?”
The younger man stared down at his hands, looking nervous and staying silent. The 4th year easily understood it as a yes. He decided not to push it far, expecting the other one not wanting to talk about it.
“What’s your name? You seem young, you’re a first year aren’t you?”
“I’m Park Seonghwa. And yes, I am.”
“I’m Mark, Mark Tuan. I’m in 4th year. I’ve seen Legos before but never got any, I was too obsessed with video games to care about anything else but it seems really cool!”
“Oh really? I could show you some things I’ve built someday if you want.”
“It would be great! Do you want to have a breakfast now?”
“Now that you’re saying this I’m feeling quite hungry… I have to take my Legos back to my dorm but we can go right after if you want!”
“Okay, I’m waiting here for you.”
They ate together, talking all along, discovering many unexpected common points. And just like that, they took the habit of spending their free time together. Seonghwa was introduced to video games and Mark to Legos.
Soon, it was Mark’s first Quidditch training session. Seonghwa insisted on going with him as a support and Mark had no choice but to agree, it didn’t bother him anyway. When they arrived, Seonghwa smiled at him and directly went to the tribunes. Mark walked on the field, already changed in sports clothes, reaching the rest of the team. Namjoon saw him first and grinned, impatient to see him on the field, in ‘public’ this time. The other team members stared at him harshly, knowing Mark’s reputation. Why would such a failure be part of the team? They were already outsiders, they didn’t need another weight.
Namjoon saw their expression and his smile grew bigger. They hadn’t seen him in action.
“There you are! Here is Mark Tuan, our new seeker.” Whispers were heard among the team, probably protesting this decision. “He hasn’t made the tryouts but as you saw when they took place, no one was there anyway so he doesn’t need any. Well, why not start now? That way, everyone will see what everyone is capable of. I’ll release the balls. Are you all ready?” Everyone approved and got on their brooms as he released the balls, except for the golden snitch. “Don’t worry Mark, we’ll use it later. First, the chasers are going to throw the ball to Mark and he will have to catch it. Take it easy at first, we’ll make it harder if it’s too easy. During this time, the beaters will exercise their punch.”
The team did as he said and it was now obvious to everyone that Mark was indeed talented. He looked bored as he was always managing to catch the quaffle easily. Even when the difficulty increased, his teammates trying faints or throwing it far from him, he would always have a trick to save the situation. He would have made a great keeper, but this post was already occupied by Namjoon himself and he was also very good at it. But there was a difference between the two of them. Mark was incredibly fast. Everyone was amazed by his moves, even if they would never admit it. But his position in the team was obviously not questioned anymore. He was soon let alone the chasers having to practice their passes while he could finally practice with the real snitch. Needless to say, it was a lot harder that a motionless ball but it was also much more interesting. He was very fast to spot it and could always catch it almost nonchalantly. As if he had done it all his life.
Well, it seems like I’ll have to stay in the team. Maybe have I found something else I’m good at?
The training session went fast and it seemed it had only started a few minutes ago when it ended.
Namjoon went close to Mark and congratulated him.
“See? You’re great on a broom. I always make the best choices, that’s why I was chosen as the captain as such a young age. Anyway, welcome to the team. I feel like we might have a chance for this year’s tournament. See you on Tuesday.”
The older man went away, following the rest of the team who was already gone.
Mark went back to Seonghwa, a smile stuck on his lips.
“You were so good! Why didn’t you apply earlier? You could have been in the team from your second year!”
$“Well.. People don’t like me that much, I didn’t want to be a burden for the team. And I was doing great on my own.” His smile faded a bit but he tried to hide it. He didn’t want to bother his only friend with his problem. And it was going better this year anyway.
“You’re certainly not a burden, Mark. We don’t know each other that much but I know you enough to be sure of that. And, well, I have to admit that I’m not that popular either.”
“At least we’re here for each other!”
And indeed, they were. The year kept going as peaceful as it could. They often studied together and Mark had showed Seonghwa his computer and they liked to play Sims or building Legos together. They would often get yelled at as their roommates always found something something to complain about in what they were doing, whatever it was.
One evening, as Seonghwa and Mark were playing on the older one’s computer, they decided to reproduce some of the people they knew, such as their families. They were both taken aback when the characters started to act exactly as in real life when Seonghwa was near the computer. Mark observed their behavior when his friend was not around and it was not the same as when he was here. And someday, as Mark was in divination class, he understood. His teacher was Park Chanyeol, and no one ever doubted his talents in reading signs. Seonghwa’s name was also Park. When Mark went back to the common room after his class, he asked Seonghwa if they were somehow related and M. Park was indeed his uncle. From that, they deduced that the youngster also had a gift in divination that he hadn’t know about before. Needless to say, Seonghwa was really proud and happy to be able to carry this family gift. For once, he felt some sort of included.
Discovering that the game could be used as a medium for Seonghwa’s power amazed the two boys. They soon decided to recreate the castle they studied in, to see if they could learn about it and the people that lived in it. They failed several times but never gave up.
Everything went good with quidditch as well, the other ones in the team ended up being proud to have Mark with them and they did a pretty good job in this year’s tournament, tied for second with the Slytherin team, Gryffindor being the winners. It was a huge progression, as usually Ravenclaw were far behind every other teams.
The year ended successfully, both obtaining grades good enough to pass the exams, even while undergoing their classmates’ constant teasing. They liked to remind that Mark was so much of an outcast that the only friend he made was a first year as bad as him. But they didn’t mind it, even if they were worried that things could get worse. They both went home for the summer, promising to write to each other and maybe organize a sleepover or something like that. Mark’s parents were glad to see their son more cheerful, more excited to talk about his life at Hogwarts. They could easily see that his friendship with Seonghwa was something very important to him.
Mark decided to wait for his friend before continuing their common project to reproduce Hogwarts.
The next year started better than the previous ones, Mark was not alone or forced to share a carriage anymore as he was with his friend. Mark was getting better and better in transfiguration and some people often asked him for help when he studied in the library. Seonghwa was fascinated by stars and enjoyed astronomy very much, also helping some students when they asked for it. The other Ravenclaw students would stare coldly at them when it happened, bitter to be forced to admit that these students were better that them on these subjects. But as long as they were together, Mark and Seonghwa were happy. They were almost done with their Sims project, having only about twenty people to reproduce. They would soon be able to try it in game and were eager to do it.
But one evening, as Seonghwa had returned to his dorm because he was tired, a new problem came up to Mark. The latter was trying to replicate McGonagall when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around slowly, afraid as he knew that if his roommates ever tried to speak with him, it was never a good sign.
“Tuan. We’re sick of your muggle thing. You’re a fucking wizard, you shouldn’t even pay interest to these stupid things. This thing turns you into a dumb person, incapable of having any constructed point of view. And your grades prove it. I don’t even understand how you ended up in Ravenclaw. You’re such a shame for our house…” He sighed harshly, his eyes full of anger. “I thought that over the years you would understand it but apparently not and that’s enough. Maybe you need a little lesson.”
Mark tried to move back but was blocked by his desk where his computer was on. The other student raised his wand, followed by the other students who were in the room that Mark perceived only now. Now he was really afraid. Before he could even move a finger, one of them cast a spell on Mark’s bed, making the sheets and even the mattress go into the air before falling to the ground in a big mess. Another spell followed, sending the sheets and mattress into the bathroom where they were soaked with water, making them unusable. Mark’s school affairs soon followed, a bottle of ink unclogging on the way, dumping its content on everything that was there. Mark tried desperately to limit the damages but before he was able to do anything, the student who had spoken to him petrified him with a perfectly executed Petrificus Totalus.
Oh no. No no no… The 5th year was absolutely terrified. He couldn’t struggle or even ask for help as he couldn’t move anymore. He watched, powerless, his roommates casting spells on his computer, trying to turn down the protective spells Mark had used. Multicolored rays of lights were shoot from their wands in something that could be compared to an incredibly dangerous firework. The screen started to flash a bit and a few keys were ejected from the keyboard. Mark’s eyes went wet, the latter feeling so powerless and humiliated… He tried to fight against the spell that immobilized him and after an instant of pure focus, he succeeded and threw himself in front of his computer. A few spells hit him all at once and he fell to the ground, holding cries of pain. A few students stepped back a bit as they didn’t expect him to be hit by the curses.
“Stop! Stop… I’m going to go I promise but stop it… I’ll leave you alone and never come back… Just let me get my stuff back…”
The other students lift their eyes to the heavens and waited for him to go, telling him to be fast and threatening him with their wands. Mark gathered the little strength he had left to cast a spell making all his belongings levitate outside the room. He crawled to get out as fast as he could and got down the stairs, almost falling at each step. As soon as he got in the common room, he collapsed on one of the couches no one ever sat on and cried. He let go everything. The pressure. The pain from the spells that hit him. The shame. The guilt. From despair too. And somehow he fell asleep, his face drenched in salty water.
The next morning, Mark woke up as the sun was rising. His whole body hurt so much from the spells he had shielded his computer from. He looked at it, biting his lips to not let himself cry as he could the see the damages that had been done. How could he ever explain what happened to Seonghwa?.. He got up as he could, wincing for the pain and decided that no one should ever know about what happened that evening, meaning he would have to hide the fact that he now had to sleep in the common room. His talents in transfiguration would be very useful. He collected some objects he could find in the room, forgotten belongings that the other Ravenclaw must have forgot. Well, too bad for them. For the amount of time Mark’s stuff had been taken, lost, damaged or even destroyed, he could take a few things from them. He gathered them all and turned a few of them into fake walls, some king of huge wooden planks covered in the same tapestry as the rest of the room. He arranged them not to be visible from the outside and morphed another object into a chest as the ones they had in the dorms. After all, he needed somewhere to put his belongings as he would never come back to the dorm. He didn’t need a bed, the couches being pretty comfy, and it would be a nightmare to hide such a thing. The fake walls and chest were in a dark corner of the room where no one put their eyes on and he was pretty confident in its safety. Nevertheless he cast a few protective spells, just in case.
The following days were long and hard, he couldn’t focus on the classes, constantly feeling his former roommates’ eyes on him as he tried to hide his pain. He kept his head down, trying to be forgotten. A few teachers stared at him as if they knew something was going on. And Seonghwa was worried too. Each time he tried to talk to Mark about their Sims project, the latter answered vaguely and avoided the subject. It was really odd as they were both so excited to finally make it… Mark’s wincing didn’t got unnoticed either. But he was very stubborn and the youngster quickly understood that he would say nothing. He was actually pretty silent about anything, only answering with short answers and never starting a conversation. He looked very anxious when there was people around and Seonghwa noticed he started to make breathing exercises when they had to get to the great hall, the library and even their common room. Especially their common room. He was now sure of it, something had happened. Something bad. Mark was becoming a shadow of himself and the youngster couldn’t let it keep going like that. But he didn’t know what to do so he tried to be always by his side. Well, at least as much as possible.
Day by day the pain diminished and Mark was doing better, at least physically. He was still silent and always looked tired. It was becoming harder to hide the fact that he couldn’t go to his dorm and he found himself very bad at lying. He saw the look Seonghwa gave him each time he told him that they could not work on the game because the computer had stopped working by the night and he had to fix it first. He felt guilty about it but he couldn’t tell anyone… He didn’t want to worry anyone and was also too ashamed. If he was alone, Mark would have written to his parents and asked them to make him leave Hogwarts to go to a standard Muggle school. He didn’t have any professional project anyway so he didn’t really need to learn more about magic. But now he had Seonghwa. And he didn’t ant to leave him on his own. He was like a little brother to him, an outcast like him, and he wanted to be there for him. So, for Seonghwa, Mark wouldn’t give up.
One night, as Mark had returned from a Quidditch session Seonghwa didn’t go to because he had work to do, he just lay on the first couch he reached, one of the most visible, too tired to care where to sleep, when he usually went to the darkest corner of the room which no one paid attention to. But he hadn’t planned Seonghwa to go to the common room, as the latter couldn’t sleep and went out of his dorm to breathe some fresh air. The youngster, seeing something on the couch, approached quietly but froze when he recognized his friend. Why was he sleeping there? The beds in their dorms were much more comfortable. And he he could be woken up by anyone. Seonghwa first thought that his friend had fallen asleep while he was working or something like that but his bag was nowhere to be seen, same for his notes. He decided to wake him up, thinking that his friend would sleep better in his dorm. He lightly shook his shoulder and the older immediately woke up and rose his hands as to protect himself from something, his breathing fastening and his heart beating strong.
“Hey Mark it’s just me…” told Seonghwa in a worried tone. Mark relaxed a bit. “You fell asleep on the couch you should get back to your bed, it will be more confortable…”
The oldest’s head went down. “I can’t go back to my dorm…”
“Why? What happened?”
Mark thought about it for a few seconds. No lie would ever be credible. And now that Seonghwa had spotted him out of his dorm, he would not let it go that easily.
“They don’t want me to go back…”
“What?! But why? You’ve always been silent and you have never done anything to bother them !”
“What can I say, they don’t like me that’s all. The couches are pretty comfortable though so it’s okay.”
“Is that why you told me so much bad lies about why we couldn’t work on the game?”
Mark closed his eyes tight, wishing to disappear as he was felling so shameful… “Yeah…”
“How long?”
“What?”
“How long have you been sleeping here? How long did you keep it from me?”
“… A few weeks…”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped you find a solution…”
“I just… Didn’t want to worry or disturb you.”
“Of course I’m worried! You’re my friend Mark! The only person that cares for me here! I want what’s best for you. And these people are dumb, so fucking dumb and blind that they cannot see that you’re an amazing person.”
Seonghwa sat on the couch next to Mark’s.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to stay with you.”
“What? No, you still have your dorm, it’s more comfortable. Really, don’t worry about me.”
Seonghwa sighed as Mark forced himself to smile, pretty convincingly for once.
“Are you really sure?… It really doesn’t bother me to stay with you…”
“Yes don’t worry. It’s okay. Really.”
“Okay… But tell me if anything happens. I want to be there for you.”
“I’ll try to.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
They both went to sleep, Mark feeling guilty not having succeeded into not worrying his friend.
Nevertheless, there was something good in Seonghwa’s discovery. They could now work on the game again. It’s just that now they had to be sneaky, if somehow Mark’s ex roommates discovered they now used it in the common room. But Mark hadn’t precised that to Seonghwa. He didn’t need to know what happened in the dorm.
The year kept going, both of them starting to get overwhelmed with homework, especially Mark who would get his OWLs by the end of the year. They like to study at the library, there they were not bothered by the other Ravenclaw and their usual taunting, even if with the exams approaching, they decreased their amount of teasing. The bad thing about going to the library was that they had a pretty good reputation among other houses’ students. Well, at least a mush better one than among Ravenclaw. So students often asked for their help, Mark in transfiguration and Seonghwa in Astronomy, the latter almost already knowing by heart the map of the sky they were studying all along their school years.
Slowly, Mark saw Seonghwa becoming more silent, his smiles less honest, his notes less organized, even in the classes he liked to attend. He decided to observe more his surroundings, afraid that Seonghwa might live the same thing as he did. And as the big brother he liked to proclaim himself to be, he took it as his duty to protect him. He made his best to always stay with him – he had remarked that people tended to bother them less when they were together – but it didn’t seem enough as the youngster regularly changed his behavior, as if trying every way to avoid every trouble he might be in, even if Mark still hadn’t found any proof of what could be happening to his friend. He thought about asking him directly but thought it would be hypocritical of him, being the one who had not said anything when something similar had happened to him.
That was until one day, Seonghwa had gone to bed early, as he was usually doing it recently. When he took this habit, Mark wondered why he would do it, the youngster being more of a late sleeper. But he chose to stay silent, waiting for his friend to be ready to talk if he wanted to, not wanting to put pressure on him. But that evening, the older had heard some noises coming from the dorms. He couldn’t identify what they were but all exhaustiveness disappeared from himself, replaced by intense worry. Ravenclaw dorms were always silent. He waited, listening for any suspect noises that would decide him to come and see but he was so scared to draw attention on him since what happened when he was forced out of his dorm. His anxiousness grew up as nothing could be heard anymore. The silence after the chaos was always the worst part of everything. He tried to keep his breathing steady, memories intruding his mind. But every thought that could have been in his mind instantly disappeared when Seonghwa, followed by his belongings, ran out of the dorms and threw himself into Mark’s arms, bursting into tears. Mark held him tight, murmuring comforting words to the youngster.
“I can’t take it anymore Mark, I want it all to stop…”
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here, you’re safe here. Tell me what happened.”
And Mark discovered that he was right. But it was even worse than what he had anticipated. Seonghwa’s roommates liked to make fun of him in a harsh way. They would hit him whenever he came “too close to them”. The youngster showed him some bruises blooming on his upper arms and on his chest, some obviously older than a week. He told Mark how they liked to steal his belongings and throw them in the lake. How they would lock him up in the shower cabins, leaving him there all night resulting in him not being able to go to astronomical classes. Mark hugged him close, patting his back quietly, trying to comfort him.
“It’s going to be okay. I’ll never let them anything to you again. I’ll protect you. I promise I’ll do all in my power to keep you safe.”
The older kept going, helping his friend to clam down and make feel better and he cried on his shoulder and, at some point, Seonghwa fell asleep in his arms. Mark carefully positioned him on the most comfortable couch, morphing a cushion into a thick and comfortable blanket he covered the youngster with, being attentive not to wake him up. He pat his hair softly before putting his friend’s belongings into the place he had created behind the fake walls. He would show it all to Seonghwa the next day, when he would be a bit better after a good night of sleep. He cast a spell to make the place he put their belongings bigger and, after checking on his friend, decided to go to sleep as well. He woke up early, before even the sunrise in order not to be discovered by the students from other years who wouldn’t appreciate students staying in the common room during the night and he would rather wake up early by himself than being woken up by one of his classmates. After stretching up, he decided to wake Seonghwa up as well. Even if his friend certainly needed more sleep than that, it was better to make everything before their classmates would go out of the dorms.
He lightly shook the youngster’s shoulder.
“Seonghwa, time to wake up” said him softly.
The latter immediately woke up and sat quickly, looking lost and afraid, but his expression softened when he saw Mark’s face.
“Sorry I didn’t want to scare you, I just thought it would be better to prepare for class before everyone arrives…”
“Oh don’t worry, it’s nice of you it’s just… They would often wake me up at night for no reason so now I’m kind of… scared when I don’t wake up by myself. But it’s okay. Yeah it is.” He smiled, weakly but sincerely.
“Oh, if I have to wake you up again in the future I’ll try a better way so that you won’t feel in danger. We’ll figure it out okay?”
Seonghwa nodded and their smiles both increased.
“Thank you for helping me… I know it’s not easy for you either but whatever happens you’re always there for me.”
“I wish I helped you earlier… I knew something was happening but I wanted you to be ready to talk about it. I should have made something, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be! You were always by my side. Maybe you didn’t try to do something big but you’ve always been there. I’ve seen what you have done for me. And thank you so much for it. You can’t feel guilty when you’re the one that kept me a bit away from it. Really Mark, I mean it.”
Touched by these words and not knowing what to tell, Mark just hugged him tight. No words were needed, they both cared a lot about each other and they knew it.
Seonghwa’s expulsion was of course a bad thing, but what was amazing was that the two Ravenclaw outcasts were now roommates, even if it was in the common room which was pretty cool as they had and gigantic room just for them at night. They still had to take showers in the dorms but they knew their ex roommates’ habits and could easily avoid them, knowing when no one would be there. They quickly found a new routine and were both going a lot better, now that they weren’t constantly with their classmates. They were inseparable.
As the end of the year approached, they studied as much as usual, maybe just a bit more, too focused on the Sims project. They were almost done as there were only a few people missing. They were eager to see if all these months of work would be a success.
The exams went pretty well for both of them, and Ravenclaw was once again second in the Quidditch tournament, mostly thanks to Mark's fastness and Namjoon clever strategies.
After writing to their parents, Mark and Seonghwa decided to spend their holidays together. It was decided that they would go two weeks in Mark’s family, then two in Seonghwa’s and that for all summer. They were both really appreciated by the family of their friend, and were both considered as a family member on both sides. At the end of summer, the two families had decided to organized a big dinner together, so that the parents could meet each other. And as expected, they all went along very well, the parents having the same connection their children had. All of them were constantly beaming and the parents were even more glad that their sons had found each other.
They all went together to Kings Cross, a bit sappy to leave everyone behind. Their parents promised they could come back for the next holiday and that it would be a pleasure for both sides to have them home. They hugged and kissed and said goodbye and finally, Mark and Seonghwa entered the train. Luckily, they quickly found an empty compartment. On their way back to school, they finally managed to finish the first version of the game. They would have to add the first years that they didn’t know yet, but everyone that would be there for sure was in the game. They even went as far as recreating the ghosts. They were a bit less accurate but were still pretty well made.
Coming back to school was always a great time, except for the feast that took place every year. It could have been a very pleasant event if all students didn’t have to eat on crowded tables, making it impossible not to be surrounded by students. Mark and Seonghwa weren’t fast enough to get the places at the end of the table and were right in the middle of it. Their classmates had spotted them almost immediately, smirking and whispering things to their friends while pointing them. One of them asked another one some water but made it fall on the two outcasts.
“Oops, my bad! It was a bit slippery.”
Seonghwa and Mark stayed silent while the other Ravenclaw laughed at them.
“Wait guys I’m gonna help you dry!”
The one who said that brandished his wand and blew ice-cold air at them. Mark tried to keep his calm but when he saw that Seonghwa was starting to panic as well, he held his arm and forced him to stand up, pushing him out of the room, intimidated by the stares he could feel on them.
Instead of going to their common room, Mark decided to go the kitchens.
“What are we doing here?…” Seonghwa said when he stopped looking at his feet because of the shame.
“We didn’t have the time to eat so we’ll do it now.”
“What? But isn’t it forbidden?”
“Well yeah it is but when you have no choice… Anyway, I know the house elves, they will be happy to see me.”
He saw Seonghwa’s mouth open, as if to ask something but he quickly entered the room before he could speak any more. Mark didn’t want to talk about the time his classmates had replaced his regular nougat by some nosebleed nougat. He didn’t know how they did it but they had found a way to make the effects come afterwards. So he ate a good amount of it and once he was in his dorm, quietly working on some homework, his nose started bleeding and everything he tried couldn’t stop the flow. As a result, his school stuffs were all drenched in blood and some of them were damaged at a point even spells couldn’t reverse.
As soon as they entered the kitchen, the elves ran towards them to offer them some food, even though they were in a big rush, having to expedite the food to the great hall. To not take too much of their time, the students decided to take whatever they would give them and then live them alone. They thanked them profusely and went back to the common room. There, they were able to eat as they wanted, not being disturbed by anyone.
“You did say you knew the elves, earlier… I didn’t think you would break school rules.”
Mark sighed, hesitating rather to tell the truth or avoid the subject. “Yes I did… Sometimes I was so focused on my computer that I forgot to eat when it was time. So when I was really hungry, I just went to the kitchens.”
Seonghwa looked as if he suspected something but chose to let it go. “Well, at least you could eat. Food is important, very important. Never neglect feeding yourself.”
Mark laughed lightly, “yes, don’t worry.” He looked at the food the elves gave them, not feeling that hungry this evening. “You can have mine if you want, I’ve had enough.”
“What did I just say? Eating is important.”
“I’ve eaten enough, remember all the candies and all we ate in the train. And I see how you look at what I still have. You eat too fast and now you’re watching me sadly! Take it, you need it more than me.” he said smiling.
“Thanks!”
The year hadn’t started the best way but as long as they had each other, they knew they would have a great time here.