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:
10/29/24 - it's been a long time since I last updated. Ateez are already having another comeback, too! November 15th, just in time for the full moon. Curiously, they're also starting to release the promotional materials on the New Moon (in Scorpio). New moons are a time where everything is hidden, and full moons illuminate everything. I wonder what's in store for us?
Chapter 14 - Old Enemies, New Friends?
**TW - this chapter gets a little intense - blood/close calls/chase scene*
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They shared a dark look with each other as the footsteps got closer. Whoever it was, they seemed to be heading in this direction, and slowly. They stopped here and there. Yunho and Mingi both got up and drew their wands. Hermione's face brightened, though, and she waved at them to stop. She stood with the book, and walked over to the wall behind the door, motioning for the others to join her.
Everyone did, and together they waited with wands drawn.
Step, step...step step step. Step. Whoever it was, they were being cautious. But finally they made it to the door. And then there was a soft tapping, as if they weren't sure that knocking outright was the best idea.
Jongho and his friends all exchanged looks, but said nothing and continued to wait in silence.
The doorknob turned, then, and the door creaked open. But as it got to about half way, a female house elf dressed in a small sundress materialized on the bed that Mingi and Yunho had been sitting on moments before. She shouted in a high pitched voice, "There you are!" at whoever was opening the door. And then there was a loud thump as someone hit the floor in the hallway.
"Ow! Don't do that!" a male voice exclaimed, and everyone knew exactly who it was.
Draco Malfoy was in the hallway.
With a look of pure rage on her face, Hermione shoved the book into Jongho's hands, whipped out her wand, and jumped out from behind the door. She pointed it at Draco, and screamed, "Why are you here?" The house elf looked scandalized and didn't say another word.
Yeosang and Yunho whipped around the door without another thought. It looked like they intended to be her backup, but Jongho didn't have long to think about it. The book was struggling in his arms, as if trying to open itself. Mingi and Hongjoong stepped away, too, and left Jongho alone with the book. He supported it in his arms and it flipped open to the page with the scribbles.
Except this time, the scribbles unwrapped themselves and turned into something that he could read.
"Bloodsworn of the Ravenclaw clan and their allies," it said, and a shiver walked itself down his spine. Whatever that meant, it didn't sound good. Hermione moved into the hallway and was shouting at Draco, and it sounded like Draco was struggling to stand. Jongho wasn't really sure. The book demanded his attention the more he read. "The prophecy left in this tomb should never be removed or shared with others, or else the entire wizarding world may be at stake. Should this come to pass, it will be your task to guard our secrets and..."
"Jongho? JONGHO?" Yunho shouted from somewhere far away. Jongho tore his eyes from the book with difficulty and found his friends staring at him with concerned expressions. Draco was behind them all with a few more bruises and scrapes than before. Even he looked slightly concerned, although with a hint of understanding in his eyes.
The book snapped shut and Jongho jumped. He looked down at it, and then back at his friends. The house elf from before had disappeared.
"What just happened?" Jongho asked. They were all in the hallway just a second ago, so how were they now gathered in front of him like this? It looked like time had passed without him.
Hongjoong glared at Yeosang, but Yeosang didn't look back.
"What's—" Yunho tried to say, but they heard hurried footsteps scrambling up the stairs. Whoever they were – and it sounded like a few of them - they weren't trying to disguise their approach and they were moving fast.
His friends drew their wands again and flew into the hallway, seemingly ready for battle after whatever happened with Draco. Jongho tried to go with them, but his legs felt like lead. Only then did he realise that he was drenched in sweat, and felt shaky. What the hell had just happened?
Draco looked at him with a mix of pity and sadness. He scanned the hallway and then took a step towards Jongho. "Something similar happened to me this summer," he said quietly so that only Jongho could hear. "I can't explain it. But it's related to the ancient bloodlines. If my guess is right, then that book," he angled his head towards it, "Is safe in the hands of others, but dangerous in yours."
Dangerous? But...why? Jongho didn't know what to think about this, and he didn't have any time. Hermione shouted, "STOP!" and San's reply came fast but strained. "It's us! But hurry, NOW. No time to explain. Yeosang, Hermione – invisibility."
Draco reached out a hand to Jongho, and he took it. The heaviness evaporated, and he felt a little less shaky. Draco led him out towards the other friends and they all linked hands. Hermione cast the partial invisibility over them, and together they started to run down the hall. Yeosang was already nearly at San and Seonghwa by the edge of the stairs.
As soon as Jongho caught sight of them, he did a double take. They were drenched in blood - a lot of it. Their robes were tattered and barely holding together.
What the hell?! A million thoughts raced through his mind. He wanted to get to them, and help, but he didn't know what to do for them with everything else going on. He clutched the book against him, and felt it pulsing. Draco's warning was heavy on his mind, but for some reason...he still couldn't ditch the book. It had to come with them, but he didn't know how he knew that.
Yeosang cast his own version of the partial invisibility spell, and their group vanished. Jongho would have to count on Yeosang to keep them safe, then. Yeosang took those things seriously. Somehow, it would be okay - it had to be. Jongho had already almost lost them once tonight, and it couldn't happen again. It couldn't. Shimmers of his friends' outline flickered here and there in front of them as they ran, but Jongho couldn't see any details anymore.
And where was Wooyoung? Oh, god – Wooyoung. What had happened that he wasn't with them?
Jongho wished he had listened to Yeosang back in the room of requirement after all. Maybe the ethics of the plan were something they should have taken more time to consider. Ravenclaw's often had a good reason for bringing up the concerns they had, even though it rarely became clear until much later.
Like now.
Jongho felt pain in his stomach, but he ran with the others as best as he could. The book was especially heavy in his arm.
Once back in the main part of the common room, they made it halfway towards the entrance when they bumped into Yeosang's group. Someone was opening the entrance in front of them. Immediately, San said in a breathy voice, "Shit."
San almost never swore. Whatever it was – whoever was after them – it had to be bad.
Judging from the shimmers in the air, their group moved towards the right wall, no doubt intending to hide there. But Hermione hissed, "No – left, go left. Pasture. We need to get in the water." There was no time for her to say anything more. The gap in the entrance wall was getting wider and wider.
The two groups ran towards the pasture hallway just as the entrance wall finished opening.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," someone sang from behind them. Jongho didn't recognize the voice. It had a thick accent. Whoever they were, they weren't from around here.
Once they reached the pasture room, Hermione angled herself towards the hallway and cast a bunch of spells in quick succession. Something for sound, and something to block people out. Jongho couldn't keep track of all the spells. Then she removed the invisibility, and gave them each an underwater breathing bubble.
"Water – now!" She hissed at them, and turned towards Yeosang's group just as they reappeared. She gave them all breathing bubbles, too, and motioned towards the water. Jongho stopped halfway there when he got a closer look at much blood that San and Seonghwa were covered in. San was paler than he'd ever been before, and Seonghwa looked like he was barely holding it together.
Jongho didn't want to move. He needed to help them. But how? And how could Hermione expect them to jump in the water like that? Draco tugged on his hand – for some reason, he hadn't let go in all this time. His other friends were already in the water. The pond began to expand, stretching the room with it.
Footsteps raced down the hallway towards them. Someone cursed as they hit Hermione's barrier. She swiveled to look and then gasped. "GO," she said to Jongho and Draco, and cast the breathing bubble on herself. Draco tugged at Jongho's arm, but even San and Seonghwa were quicker than he was. His friends reached the water the same time as Hermione, and the three of them splashed beneath the waves.
The strangers in the hallway broke through Hermione's barrier right after.
Draco turned around to defend, blocking the stunning spells sent their way. But Jongho had a hard time moving again as soon as Draco let go. He stood rooted to the spot, half twisted around to see the people coming at them, his legs like lead. And then in the middle of it all, a light pulsed through the hallway.
It was searching for Mingi's trace.
And Jongho was between it and the water, although it veered high as if to go over him. Without thinking, he held the book up as if it might act as a shield, and prevent it from reaching the water somehow. But at the same time, a spell hit him and lashed at his hands. Blood dripped freely from his hands onto the book.
The light changed course and headed straight for the book.
Draco screamed, "NO!" just as the light hit the book. Blinding light erupted all around them, followed by a loud boom.
Jongho was sent flying back, and landed hard on one of his knees. His entire body erupted in pain but he held in his scream. The castle around them shook as if it was about to crumble. He heard a small "pop" nearby, and then Draco shouted, "TAKE HER HAND."
Jongho wasn't sure if he could open his eyes to see, let alone take someone's hand. But he raised his right hand from the book and someone grabbed it. The world twisted and reformed around him. When it stopped, he felt a cool stone surface against his back and heard the crackling of a fire nearby. It was oddly comforting compared to the chaos they had just left behind.
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Jongho laid there in pain, unable to do much else. He was never one to pass out in such times, either, so he was acutely aware of everything. And someone else was with him – he could hear them breathing hard. Draco, maybe?
Nothing else indicated where they were, either. He wasn't sure what would happen if he opened his eyes, either. That flash of light had been pretty bright, and unexpected. Could he still see?
He gulped just as a fresh wave of pain ran through his body. Whatever had happened, he had never been through something this bad before.
Were the others okay? They had to be since they were already under the water. Right? Hermione must have had a plan, or seen something special about that room when they toured it earlier on.
He heard another 'pop' to his left. Water splashed against him. More pain erupted all over as if salt was being rubbed in multiple wounds. Had the blast scratched the hell out of his skin, too? He gripped the book harder and waited for the new wave of pain to lessen.
But someone else was here, now, too. He could hear more heavy breathing.
And then more popping sounds. More people were arriving, it seemed.
That's when it hit him. The house elf. House elves were the only ones able to disapparate inside the castle grounds this year. And she was probably bringing his friends here - wherever here was.
"Jongho," Hermione panted from somewhere nearby. "Oh. Oh, no! Draco, what happened to him?" The panic was evidence in her voice. It must be bad, then, whatever he looked like. Jongho certainly felt it.
Draco groaned from somewhere beside Jongho but only said, "Heal him – now. Whatever you can. Fast. I'll explain later."
Someone rummaged through a bag. Vials clinked together, and books jostled around. "Found it," Hermione muttered. And then something was being applied all over his skin. Dittany, probably. The pain from all over started to subside, but his knee still throbbed.
"Do you have more? Yeosang said from somewhere further away. She must have, because after a few moments he said, "Thanks" and retreated again.
"I've fortified your hideout," a high pitched voice said from somewhere near the fire. "And removed that pesky light. They won't be able to track you anymore. I've got to get back to the kitchens. Good night," they said, and a final popping sound was heard.
"Thank—" Draco was in the middle of saying, but the house elf was already gone.
Hermione worked hard, mumbling different spells over Jongho. And Jongho could hear Yeosang doing the same thing from somewhere in the distance. Someone was pacing not far away, and there were a few sniffles here and there. But more and more, the pain went away and Jongho was thankful for it.
"His eyes, too," Draco said and broke the semi-silence. He said it softly.
Hermione drew in a breath as if she guessed what it meant, but said nothing. Something cool and wet covered Jongho's eyes. And that was how he realised that he could probably still see: everything got a little bit darker as it was applied. Relief washed through him as Hermione recited some spells. He had never thought about what it would feel like to suddenly lose everything he depended on. And things had happened so fast so there wasn't much time to really process it. All he knew for sure was that he glad it wasn't worse, and that help wasn't far away when it happened.
"Jongho, can you hear me?" Draco said, and Jongho nodded as much as he could from his prone position. "I'm going to take the book. Let go as best you can."
Jongho realised that he had been clutching it tightly, and tried to relax his grip. And as the book slowly lifted away from his body, that made everything so much better. The heavy feeling evaporated entirely, and the pain in his stomach lifted, too. Had the book been causing those things the whole time? He took a deep breath, glad to feel more like himself. Draco sighed from beside him and got up. His footsteps retreated and then Jongho heard the sound of a book being put down on a table.
Good. Maybe that thing should stay far away from him from now on.
"Oh - you're awake!" Yeosang exclaimed from somewhere far away. San and Seonghwa both groaned simultaneously as if in response. The pacing stopped and turned into quick footsteps. Somewhere else, a few people scrambled to stand.
"And Wooyoung?" Mingi said. His voice was thick as if he had been crying. "What happened to Wooyoung?"
San groaned again. Yeosang said, "Oh, no - I don't think you should sit up right now..." but it sounded like San did anyways.
"Wooyoung is fine. Or at least, he should be - since he's their puppet, now," San said. His voice was laced with sadness.
Only the crackling of the fire could be heard for the next few moments.
"Draco," San called out, and his voice cracked slightly. "Did something similar happen to you this evening, by chance? Is that why you put a trace on Mingi?"
Draco cleared his throat. "As much as I'd love to deny it, it seems to be the case. I only snapped out of everything because I set up a ward against...well, anyways, I came back to my senses when Blackburn tried to wipe us. I hid and followed those two," he said, and Jongho thought he must have pointed at himself and Hermione. "And then I followed Blackburn when they didn't. The light kept changing directions, as if your friend was moving. He gave up and hid it behind a statue before taking off in another direction, which is how I got it back to find you. He probably wanted to check on Darcy. I think she's the one who cast everything on me." Draco said the last bits quietly.
"So what happened to Wooyoung, then," Yunho said, and Mingi mumbled a sound of agreement.
"We got there just in time to see him with the one who must have been Blackburn," San said quietly. "Looked like Dumbledore, but shorter. Lots of scars. And there were a bunch of others there, too. All dressed in black robes and masks. We were trying to think of a way to get Wooyoung out of there. But when he spotted us, he alerted them and they gave chase. We destroyed half the castle getting back here but I guess it still didn't stop them."
Seonghwa groaned. "No. You must have missed it, then," he corrected. "Wooyoung gave me a signal just before he alerted them. It was subtle, but it was there. He's acting."
"Well, his act seemed pretty convincing to me," San said, and it sounded like something within him was breaking to admit it. He was close to Wooyoung, although he usually only let it show in his gestures. Something like this was a big betrayal, and Jongho knew the feeling all too well. He wished he could reach out and hug San just then.
"I swear," Seonghwa said. "You know I never miss the small details. He's still himself. It was probably the only way to stay safe once he was surrounded."
San didn't reply.
"So what exactly are they after, then, if Blackburn was willing to give up the search for Mingi?" Hermione asked.
Jongho tensed as a thought immediately hit him, but it was Yunho who voiced it. "Maybe it's the same reason Jongho told us we should stop using the book? It really is a little convenient that the ghosts handed it over to us."
Jongho agreed internally. There had to be more to the story behind the book. Especially after what Draco had said to him before they all fled from Hawthorne. And then the explosion, too. The light had suddenly changed directions and headed straight for him. But Draco didn't open his mouth to explain, and Jongho wasn't sure about the details of everything either so he stayed quiet. From somewhere far away, Yeosang cleared his throat suspiciously. Did he know something, too?
Hermione said, "If they want us to use it, then we should make sure we don't. Let's leave it here, and pretend that we don't know anything. As far as Blackburn knows, he charmed Draco, Jongho, and I. But if he saw you with Jongho..."
"I don't think he did," Draco said. "It was just the masked people that were there, and spells were flying so fast. Plus, the breathing bubble was a little opaque, so I think it hid our features. The only thing they'll know for sure is that the book was there." And Jongho noticed, then, that Draco casually ignored mentioning the explosion. Draco continued. "But the ministry is supposed to come tomorrow to help setup the tri-wizard tournament. I can't imagine they're ready for that fight since they went to all this trouble before then."
"Then I agree with Hermione," Hongjoong said with determination. "Let's pretend we know nothing and see what happens. Since the trace is removed from Mingi, they won't be able to track him down. And without the book, they won't be able to attach anything to the rest of us, either. San and Seonghwa will have to be careful just in case. But if Blackburn and his people are scared of the ministry, then we should be in the clear."
"And Draco," Hermione said with hesitation in her voice. "You and I will have to..."
"I know," he said. And they left it at that.