An Ateez x Harry Potter Fanfiction
This fanfiction also appears on my wattpad (usually upload there first).
House Guide:
Gryffindor: Jongho, Wooyoung
Hufflepuff: Yunho, Seonghwa
Slytherin: Mingi, San
Ravenclaw: Yeosang, Hongjoong
Check here for other chapters:
Chapter One – Chapter Two – Chapter Three – Chapter Four – Chapter Five – Chapter Six – Chapter Seven – Chapter Eight – Chapter Nine – Chapter Ten
06/25/24 – Ateez just got back from Mawazine and they did so awesome!!!! I also want to draw attention to the fact that they performed Live, for an entire hour, with very little breaks.
Aka? These guys are AWESOME artists and really put a lot of heart and soul into what they’re doing. I also couldn’t help but notice how much more English they’ve learned – their flow and pronunciation is getting more and more natural. And I love it – they’re such respectful and considerate people!!
Chapter 11 – Feelings
Wooyoung backed away from the door and drew his wand. “That’s Darcy with him, I think. Nosey Slytherin. We can take them. Let’s rush it and then they won’t have time to see all of us,” he said. Seonghwa winced and picked at a spot on his robes. No one else seemed to like the idea either.
“What? C’mon. We’ve got to do something before he barges in here and sees us all anyways. Any better ideas?” He crossed his arms, tilted his head, and raised his eyebrows. Jongho would have giggled if the situation was any less serious. This was one of Wooyoung’s more playful expressions.
But he had seen Hermione’s reaction. And if this was serious enough that the blood drained from her face, then the rest of them would be wise to treat this situation with caution, too. The question was: what could they do since she couldn’t remove the trace from Mingi? What kind of magic couldn’t be undone by one of the most talented witches of the age?
Hongjoong and Yeosang both stepped up to Mingi. They each tried a few different ideas, but it didn’t go any different. They theorized back and forth, and Hermione gave suggestions here and there. But each time, the same light went up, pulsed, and then fizzled away. The trace wouldn’t go away.
San watched them try, but his eyes darted around the room a few times, too. He was also searching for another solution. While Hongjoong got another idea and tried that, Yeosang shot San a glare. This was so out of character for his friend that Jongho was stunned for a moment. What else were they hiding that was making Yeosang so annoyed?
“There’s an easy way to solve this,” Yeosang said and swivelled his gaze back to Mingi. Mingi bowed his head this time, and refused to look at any of them. Was it Mingi’s secret, then?
“You already know how he feels about that,” Wooyoung said and stepped closer. “It’s not our business to tell. So back off until he’s ready to tell it.” Yeosang glared at his friend, but the look was returned with equal ferocity.
Jongho just marvelled at the turn of events. What the hell had happened this summer? They’d gone on an adventure and found a rare dragon’s egg, but…how, and what else had gone on? It seemed like the answers to these questions might also explain whatever caused that reaction just now.
But it looked like Mingi wasn’t ready to share anything. He was staring down at his hands, and had defeat written all over his face. Just then, Jongho felt sorry for him, and felt a pang in the pit of his stomach. Whatever it was that Mingi was going through, it must be causing a lot of pressure. Which meant that the details didn’t matter anymore. There would be plenty of time later, and Mingi should have the space to tell it when he felt safe to do so.
They had to figure out a different way.
Jongho looked around the room hoping to think of something. His eyes landed on a portrait that looked oddly familiar. Rolling hills, and a cloudless sky. A few horses were grazing, but something spooked one of them and they ran out of frame. A person was working on a fence in the distance.
And then it hit him where he had seen it. This same painting was in the hallway beside the portrait of the fat lady. He had only glanced at it momentarily, but there was no mistaking it. Which meant….
“Hermione,” he said, and everyone looked at him. “Didn’t everyone use portraits to get into and out of the castle in the battle of Hogwarts?”
Her eyes went wide and sparkled before she scanned the room. Spotting the same painting, she said, “Yes. But we knew where they went, and we had help from the portrait occupant. This one…I’m not sure I’ve seen it before.” She squinted at it as if willing herself to remember every painting she’d ever seen.
“We know where this one goes, too,” Jongho said. “It has a double up near our common room. I saw it while we were waiting. If we can call that person over, they might be able to help us get through.”
She bit her lip and furrowed her brows. “It’s possible. But they’ll still wonder about the trace and how it appeared somewhere else suddenly.”
“So then Mingi and I will stay behind and leave together once everyone else is through the portraits,” Yunho said and approached them.
Hongjoong crossed his arms and frowned. “They’ll figure out what this room is, then, if we do it that way,” he said as Hermione opened her mouth. She closed it and nodded. Hongjoong gave her a gentle smile.
She looked like she was debating whether or not to say any more. After a quick moment of silence, she quietly said, “Yes. Up until tonight, this space was only known to Harry, Ron, and I. We were thinking about telling Ginny, too. But we had wanted it for…just us. McGonagall allowed us to create it.” Her face fell as she admitted this, but she continued. “But I couldn’t think of another place to go tonight, and, well…I felt it was important that we had a private place to talk. It’s our duty to keep this school safe since we know that something is going on. Harry and Ron would understand why I invited you. But for Draco to also find out…”
Everyone nodded in agreement. This wasn’t a place she wanted others to find out about, especially not former enemies. Leaving from the door tonight was not a solution unless Draco left, and it sounded like he had no intention of doing that. Mingi bit his lip, and looked deep in thought. Yeosang sighed.
“Is there a good reason that he would want to avoid you,” San asked and looked at Hermione. Jongho was already guessing what his friend was planning.
“That’s a decent idea,” Jongho said with a smile, and San flashed a dimpled one in return. The others looked back and forth between them until Hermione answered.
“He…tried to patch things up with Harry, Ron, and I after the battle. Things were strained because of everything that happened. But they got even worse when I volunteered to help Draco repair his family estate. Harry refused, and Ron naturally took his side, but…it’s the only place Draco had to go back to. No one else was willing to accept him anywhere, and he seemed serious about turning over a new leaf. So I wanted to help…”
“But?” San asked gently. Yeosang blushed and found an interesting spot on the floor to stare at.
“But Ron said that we should take a break if I was going to be so helpful to just anyone,” Hermione said in a rush. It looked like tears were threatening to fall but she was willing them to stay firmly in her eyes. Jongho knew then that he had been right to make sure she stayed with them. As far as he was concerned, she was now part of their circle, and for as long as she wanted to be part of it.
“Ouch,” Wooyoung said, and Yunho punched his shoulder.
“What!” he yelled playfully, and everyone loosed a breath. Seonghwa stifled a snicker. “That’s a dickhead move and we all know it,” Wooyoung clarified and smiled. Everyone nodded, and Hermione smiled weakly.
“Jongho,” San said, and Jongho already had a rough idea of what his friend was going to ask. “Do you know which room Harry and Ron are staying in?”
“Ours, in fact,” Jongho replied with amusement. Wooyoung looked between them and then understanding dawned on his face. “Ohhhhhhh,” he said. “I like it. Let’s do it.”
“Excellent,” San replied and put his hands behind his back. “The three of you head back through the portrait,” he motioned with his head towards Hermione, Jongho, and Wooyoung. “Hermione, run towards the entrance to the corridor outside – draw those two away a bit and stall for time. Wooyoung and Jongho, let Harry and Ron know that Hermione is in a bit of a…situation.” He said the last bit with a twinkle in his eye, and Jongho knew at once what he was suggesting.
“On it!” Jongho shouted, and ran over to the painting. Wooyoung and Hermione followed, and together they waved over the man that was repairing the fence. He was taking his sweet time, though.
“That’s not exactly ethical,” Yeosang said from behind them while they waited. Jongho turned around and saw his friend was quite pink, and looking down at his hands.
Jongho giggled. “They’re not going to get hurt, don’t worry. We’ll keep the situation from getting too bad.”
“Even so, it sounds a bit risky…and how is it going to help us keep this room a secret, while also getting Mingi out?” He asked.
“Well, of course some things could go wrong. Darcy is a wildcard,” San explained. “But that’s why we’re sending Wooyoung, too.”
“Wait – why Wooyoung instead of me,” Yunho asked, and it was a valid question. Yunho had already attracted quite a bit of attention this evening from almost everyone. He was the most visible member out of their group by a long shot. It seemed like everyone wanted to know him, and there were already people who had talked about love potions in whispers here and there. Jongho had heard a bit of it since they first appeared at the platform, although he had tried to ignore it.
“Because Darcy’s been making eyes at Wooyoung all night,” San said and stuck his tongue out. Yunho blinked in surprise. “Oh,” he said.
“Hey don’t let it get to you,” San chirped. “If it helps, I think you’re her backup once she finds out that Wooyoung is only interested in us, Quidditch and studying.”
“You wound me!” Wooyoung yelled, but smiled wide. He couldn’t exactly deny it. San winked at him, and reached out to pinch Mingi. Mingi let out a small smile, and Yunho watched the pair of them with a gentle expression.
“And anyways, you shouldn’t settle for being someone’s backup, Yunho. Make sure you’re their first choice. You’re worth so much more than that. All of you are,” San said more seriously, and Yunho smiled wide.
“That’s right!” Seonghwa yelled and raised his fists. He was already busy blasting dust out of existence, unbothered by the plan. Hongjoong had returned to the large book he had dropped earlier, which was conveniently where Seonghwa had been piling his dust. He blew on it and started a mini battle-of-wills with Seonghwa.
Yeosang, though, looked torn about something. Upon seeing it, Jongho shot San a warning look and angled his head towards their friend. San nodded and grabbed Yeosang’s arm. “We need you here. Didn’t you say you were working on some invisibility magic? We might need it to get out of the hallway if their distraction doesn’t go well.”
Yeosang eyed San suspiciously, but seemed to accept his role in the plan. He nodded, and pulled out a tiny bag from his robes. Reaching inside it, he pulled out a book that was much too big to fit, and started leafing through it. Hermione saw and said, “An expansion charm. Excellent work. That’s one of my favourites.”
Yeosang blushed. “Ah – thank you. It’s one of mine, too.”
The fence man in the painting arrived then, and everyone got to work on the plan. Jongho could have swore that he heard Seonghwa say, “Smooth, Yeosang. Smooth,” but walking through the painting warped the sounds too much to be sure.
*****************
“I’m better at being dramatic,” Wooyoung said as Hermione ran off to find Draco and Darcy.
“Yeah, but you also can’t hold in your smile. So I’ll do it,” Jongho said and clapped his friend on the shoulder.
“Fair, fair,” Wooyoung said and smiled. He sucked in his lips as he realised what he did, and Jongho let out a giggle. Point proven.
“Flexible!” Jongho said to the fat lady, and she swung her portrait open. With one last nod at each other, Jongho and Wooyoung ran into the common room and up to their dorm. Thankfully, Harry and Ron had both returned and were sitting together. Their gaze swivelled to Jongho and Wooyoung as soon as they came running in.
“Harry,” Jongho said, panting, and putting on his best expression of extreme concern. “Ron. There…you…are…” he said between pants, milking it as much as he could. He considered explaining the situation a little better, but realised that he only needed two words to get the desired effect. “Hermione…Draco…” He said, and Ron’s eyes filled with flames.
Perfect.
Harry and Ron bounded up from their beds and ran towards him. Jongho turned and ran with Wooyoung at his side. As expected, that had been the right thing to say.
The four of them raced down the path that Hermione had led them on earlier in the night. At one corner, Jongho happened to look back and see Ron and Harry exchange a worried glance. They must be thinking that Hermione had gone to their special room of requirement, alone, and been ambushed somehow. Jongho hadn’t even considered that aspect of it, but San probably had. Once again, his friend was a couple steps ahead on everything.
That usually meant it was a good plan, and was probably going to work.
As they got close to the corridor with all the statues, Hermione’s voice filled the air.
“I wanted to help you!” She shouted.
“Then why didn’t you!” Draco screamed back. “You’re so wrapped around that red-head’s thumb, just because of what? Loyalty? Friendship? What did he ever give you to make it equal! I heard what he said to you on the platform. Darcy told me–“
“Don’t drag me into this,” Darcy said, but it was barely audible. Jongho rounded a corner and stopped. Wooyoung pulled up beside him, placing a hand on Jongho’s shoulder. But Harry and Ron flew past, wands out, and flung themselves at Draco.
Draco stepped back and pulled out his wand. So did Darcy at his side. There wasn’t much time to react. Everything happened fast.
“Shit,” Wooyoung muttered, and Jongho secretly agreed.
“Stupify!” Ron shouted. Draco ducked, and a statue exploded behind him. Hermione screamed, “RON!” But Harry was already casting the same spell.
Darcy cast defensive spells to protect her and Draco. The four of them came to a standstill, attacking and deflecting.
“Darcy!” Wooyoung shouted, trying to keep the smile off his face. He managed, but Jongho found it a struggle to contain his own giggle. He knew that Wooyoung probably thought this was ridiculous.
It worked, though. Darcy looked at them and something strange flashed across her eyes. Jongho filed it away to think about later, because more was already happening. “Help us!” Darcy shouted, just before she lifted into the air and flopped upside down.
The work of Hermione – and no one except Jongho had seen her do it. Harry paused for a moment as if he was surprised by the turn of events. Draco let out a yelp and dropped the smooth stone that he was holding. He tried to mutter a spell to get Darcy down in between deflecting everything Harry and Ron sent at him.
Ron used the distraction to rush at Draco. Draco’s eyes bulged. He turned and ran, and Hermione released her spell on Darcy at the same time. Darcy crumpled to the floor.
Wooyoung ran over to Darcy, pretending to be the doting savior. But Ron and Harry both sprinted after Draco. Jongho was thankful that Draco led them away from the corridor where the room of requirement was. They were in the clear if they could just get Darcy out of the way.
“Ron, Harry, stop!” Jongho yelled, hoping that they were close enough for their friends in the room to hear. If they could, they’d know the coast was almost clear. He took a few steps past the corridor entrance for good measure and yelled again. “Hermione, we’ve got to stop them! Come on! Let’s GO – you’re the only one who can talk some sense into him!”
Hermione, who was putting on a convincing act of being shocked by the turn of events, nodded and ran after Jongho.
Wooyoung yelled, “I’ll get Darcy to the hospital wing – hurry! Stop them! I don’t want our dorm getting detention on the first night!”
And just like that, their friends were in the clear to leave the room of requirement without anyone noticing. Jongho marveled at how smooth everything went, and hoped he could catch up to Harry and Ron before they did something they’d regret. It was a positive sign that they were still willing to defend Hermione, without any explanation needed. But it was another thing to take it too far. This was school, and fighting like this was going against everything the wizarding world was trying to accomplish.
Maybe Yeosang had been right about the ethics of this after all. But it was too late, now.
Jongho sped up, but it wasn’t necessary. Everyone had come to a stop not far in front of him, inside a square hall with a large staircase. Draco had run into McGonagall and another man that Jongho didn’t recognize. Harry and Ron stood panting not far away, wilting form her furious gaze. The same gaze that turned towards Jongho and Hermione as they got closer.
“Why am I not surprised,” McGonagall snapped. “But as adults, now, I’ll give you options on how we handle this.”