𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟓𝟔

𝟐 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖

the portrait in front of the friends pushed open, revealing students that yunhee recognised as her classmates that she hadn't seen in almost half a year. a smile made its way onto her face but left as soon as it appeared when she got a better look at them. they all looked bruised and battered. it should have been expected. they were in a school ruled by death eaters. detentions must have not been just sorting files out like yunhee used to do in detention, but physical punishments.

"hey, listen up, you lot! i've bought you a surprise." neville called out, blocking the student's views of the group behind him. everyone groaned or ignored him, uninterested.

"no more aberforth's cook gonna help. we'll be surprised if we can digest that." seamus responded.

neville stepped to the side and everyone got onto their feet, cheering at the sight of mark. he climbed down the ladder and greeted their classmates, hugging them.

"yunhee!" a voice screeched, running towards her. yunhee smiled, knowing just who it was. 

"aerin!" she yelled back, engulfing the girl in a hug. she hugged her tight as the younger shook.

"don't ever leave me again." the younger sobbed, staining her clothes with tears. yunhee felt a stab in her heart and rubbed the back of the girl's head.

"i promise i won't." she told her, stepping back to hold her at arm's length. she gasped at the bruises littering her face. "what did they do to you?"

"it's nothing i can't handle. i'm fine. don't worry." she replied. "i've just missed you so much."

"are you going to greet your brother or what?" jeno scoffed at his sister failing to notice him behind her.

"jeno, my favourite brother, oh, how i've missed you." aerin teased, pulling him into a hug.

"hey, what the hell are these slytherins doing here?" seamus pointed threateningly at the trio who were stood, awkwardly, by the ladder. "scums!"

"back off." yunhee said. "they're our friends and have helped us more than you have sitting in hogwarts, so don't even try anything."

there was a loud click from behind them and everyone spun around to look at the portrait that opened again. they could barely make out the figures in the dark and only when they stepped forwards could people see them clearly. it was hyejin and chenle's father.

chenle quickly helped his father down the ladder, complaining about him being there instead of resting after everything he had been through.

"hyejin!" aerin yelled, tears appearing in her eyes again. the said girl climbed down the ladder and was immediately thrown to the floor by aerin jumping at her.

"nice to see you too, aerin." hyejin laughed.

"okay, okay. everyone relax." neville clapped his hands then turned to mark. "so what's the fun, mark?"

"there's something we need to find that's hidden in the castle. it may help us defeat you-know-who." mark said.

"alright, what is it?"

"we don't know."

"where is it?" dean asked.

"we don't know that either." jeno mumbled.

"i realise that's not much to go on, but i think it has something to do with ravenclaw. it'll be small, easily concealed. anyone, any ideas?"

"well, there's rowena ravneclaw's lost diadem. lost diadem of ravenclaw? hasn't anyone heard of it? it's quite famous." luna replied, uncomfortably, as everyone just stared at her.