A Mysterious Ring

Part 1

Kibum fell on his bed. He let his eyes wander around. It felt good to come back here.Everything was so familiar, all was green and silver from the sheetsto the curtains. For now, the other beds were empty, he wanted to bealone for a bit so he went into Slytherin common room before the endof the feast, but he knew that soon his roommates would occupy it.Still, it was way better than his home. He thought for a second abouthis summer. Yeah, he would rather be at Hogwarts than at home. Wipingoff those memories, he took a look at his luggage, next to his bed.Maybe he could unpack. But at the same time ha had eaten so muchduring the feast and this bed was so comfortable, he just needed toclose his eyes and he would immediately fall asleep... A tinklingnoise made him push away that idea. He stood up, he already knew whatthis noise was about. He went to his owl's cage, above all hisluggage. The owl was biting the iron of the cage, probably cravingfor freedom.

"Here, calm down Chanel,I'm going to free you." he softly said as he opened the cage.

She let him pet her for abit and then fly to the window that he opened. She looked at him,just like she said goodbye, and then left. He watched her until shedisappeared and closed the window. Now that he was standing up, thebest would be to unpack. Too lazy to do it by himself, he used hismagic for most of his books, clothes and some random stuffs, but hedelicately took out his jewelry box with his own hands. Kibum alwayshad a thing for jewelry, and mostly for rings. He would buy any ringthat caught his eye. It was his most precious belonging. He openedthe box and naturally checked if everything was in there. When he wassure of it, he grabbed the last one he had bought, just a few weeksago while doing his shopping for furniture. It was a very thin ring.Very different from the others that he had, because he always tend tochoose massive ones. There was a beautiful green rock on the middle.The rock was not big either but was very shiny, probably worthnothing according to the price he paid for, still, the ring had likean aura, something that made Kibum directly fall for it. He put it onhis finger. Pretty. He looked for the best lightning and smiled. Verypretty. Hearing noises coming from the common room, he put hisjewelry box in its usual emplacement and then take off his Slytherinrobe and his uniform before pulling on his sleeping clothes. He onlyhad to close his eyes, after lying on his bed, and he fall asleep. Hehad not taken off his ring.

A week passed. It wasKibum sixth year at Hogwarts and even if he could feel the pressurealready coming and the classes getting harder, he was not stressed ora bit worried about it. He did not want to sound cocky but he was agood student without doing much. Plus, something else was botheringhim way more than classes. Like a little pinch on his finger. It wasnot constant. Just sometimes, when he was walking in the castle thatsensation was coming, either on the right side of his finger or theleft one. It took the Slytherin a few days before understanding thatit might be not only in his head but that the pain was caused by thering of his finger. It would be lying to say that he did not panickeda bit, especially, that day when he stopped in the middle of a stairbecause the ring was hurting him too much and when he discovered thatit was impossible for him to take it off. He tried with all hisforces, he even used magic but nothing, it did not move at all. Hetotally froze, realizing that magic objects could be very dangerousand that this ring might be one of these. However, among all hisfears and horrible scenarios of the ring eating his finger, hisinstinct was telling him that maybe, it was not dangerous. The youngman looked at the ring.

"Okay let's see what youwant." he said loudly.

He felt the pinch on theleft, like the object actually understood what he had say. Confusedbut trusting his instinct he climbed the last stairs and turned onthe left. He walked like that for about fifteen minutes. Followingthe pinch to direct himself on the caslte's corridors until the paintotally stopped, he was standing up in front of a giant painting, aportrait of a fat lay who was staring at him.

"What's that..." hemumbled, mostly to himself but also to the ring.

The fat lady was stilllooking at him, he started to feel very embarrassed. Where was he ?He felt like she was hiding something important and that was why shewas looking at him like that. The painting suddenly moved, cuttinghim out of his thoughts, and letting a way into the wall. A young mancame out of it, but stopped when he saw Kibum, looking extremelysurprised to find him there.

"What are you doinghere?" he asked.

The Slytherin opened hismouth, searching for a good reason. He hid his hand behind is backmechanically. He had no trouble to figure out who was in front ofhim, Gyrffindor's quidditch player Kim Jonghyun. A sixth year likehim but even if they had shared some classes, Kibum never talked tohim.

"I..." he started.

He saw Jonghyun rising oneof his eyebrow His stomach was tied and he was also feeling his legsshaking. The Gyrffindor was not really intimidating, he was evenshorter than him, and he did not look mean at all, mostly curious. Sowhy did he feel like his tongue was heavier than usual ? Why was itso hard to think correctly suddenly?

"I..." he said again"I got lost."

Jonghyun looked a bitconfused, of course a sixth year Slythering getting lost in thecastle was not really credible.

"You know the stairssometimes they just do whatever they want." Kibum added with astrange laugh.

He knew he was notconvincing at all.

"Oh, okay. But youshould leave, there is nothing for you here."

Thanks Merlin, Jonghyundid not seem to be too curious, or at least, he had the courtesy tokeep it to himself. Kibum nodded and articulated a little "goodbye"before leaving. Completely lost, he stared at the ring on his fingerwhile coming back at his common room. No matter how hard he wastrying he could not understand why this ring led him to what seemedto be Gryffindor's common room and it was really starting to freakhim out. He almost was in the Slytherin dungeon when an idea crossedhis head. He knew where he could find help. The young boy turnedaround, he needed to go to the library.