The Ravenclaw Nine || BTS Harry Potter AU

Chapter 20

Yoongi's Point of View

The paintings on the walls gaped down at Yoongi as he ran through Hogwarts' halls. "Whatever is going on?" a man wearing a frilly burgundy blouse complained. "First, Professor Dumbledore runs to the dungeons with half the staff and an unconscious girl, and then you come along – the troublemaker of Hogwarts."

"She was attacked," Yoongi explained. "He went to the dungeons, you say?"

"Yes – although I can't imagine why. If a girl has been rendered unconscious, wouldn't she be better suited in the infirmary–?"

"Thank you, Emeric." Cold fear was chilling Yoongi's chest, but he didn't dare stop running. It wasn't the incident itself that terrified him, per se – it was the hollow ringing in his ears and the static tension of magic-filled air. It had felt just like before.

Hushed voices became louder as he strode through an empty corridor to the dungeons. When his figure appeared in the doorway to the Potions classroom, Professor Kettleburn whipped around and leveled his wand at Yoongi's chest, a threatening sneer plastered to his face.

"There is no need for that, Silvanus," Professor Dumbledore sighed. "It is only Yoongi Min."

The professor coughed awkwardly and lowered his weapon. "My apologies, Mr. Min. You can't be too careful after what happened."

"Speaking of, what did happen?" Yoongi strode forward and stepped around Professor Kettleburn. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the girl laid upon the table. Her body was frozen, her mouth and pale blue eyes wide open, mid-scream. Her fingers stretched out in front of her, grasping at air. The memory of her accursed wailing rang through his ears, and he shuddered. "I-is she..."

"Dead?" Professor Dumbledore finished, looking down on the girl with a somber expression. "No, fortunately, although I can't say how much longer she would have lasted had we not intervened."

"Pardon me, Albus–" Professor Slughorn cleared his throat and straightened his spine to retain a sense of authority "–but a student is present, if you have not noticed."

"I have noticed." Professor Dumbledore finally met Yoongi's gaze. Yoongi was startled to notice that raw fear plagued the professor's blue eyes. "Hogwarts is no longer a haven for the treasure you carry. You must protect it at all times, Yoongi. Not once may it leave your person."

Yoongi lifted his chin, acknowledging the weight of Professor Dumbledore's command with a grim countenance. "I understand, Professor."

"What treasure are you talking about? Really, Albus – I think you have finally gone off your rocker," Professor Kettleburn scoffed, unaware of the incredulous look Professor Slughorn cast at him – indeed, if any of them were to be mad, it would be him.

"What are you going to do about the girl?" Her frightened gaze still stared blankly at the curved ceiling.

"Assuming a Body-Binding Spell caused her condition, it should wear away in a short time."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Albus," Professor Slughorn hissed. "Do you truly think it wise to reveal this information to a student?"

"If it doesn't, Yoongi, then we are dealing with something far graver than a petty attack. Do you feel that is the case?"

Yoongi swallowed hard, his gut twisting. "When that girl's broomstick began malfunctioning, it started to feel just like last time. That alone worries me."

"Last time? What happened last time?"

Professor Slughorn's inquiry went unnoticed as Professor Dumbledore nodded sharply. "Ensure the youngest Ravenclaw students have made it back to their dormitories safely. As of right now, you are their protector."

"Hold it right there, young man." Yoongi stilled at Professor Slughorn's tone, which was similar to the one he used when disciplining a student. "Professor Dumbledore, why are you placing so much trust in Hogwarts' trouble-making student?"

"I would trust Yoongi with my life." Yoongi bit back a proud smile at Professor Slughorn's gaping mouth.

"Why? His mother was a Squib and his father a traitor to the Ministry. Both were put to death for association with Grindelwald, a crime against the magic world and Hogwarts itself. The boy carries the same blood, don't you?" He turned to Yoongi, and his eyes filled with a menacing suspicion. "We can't trust you any more than we trusted your parents, can we?"

Yoongi shrugged, unconcerned. "I wouldn't advise it."

"You see, Albus? Straight from the boy's mouth! Whatever this treasure is, you cannot entrust it to him."

"I will explain in due time, Horace, but not with the boy in the room, considering you seem adamant against revealing information in his presence. Do as I have instructed, Yoongi."

Yoongi turned on his heel and exited the room even as Professor Slughorn's frustrated protests carried after him. Both the recollection of his ancestry and the events that occurred haunted him, and he found it difficult to displace the last incident from his mind. Upon exiting the corridor, he flattened his back against the wall and breathed deeply, blinking tears from his eyes.

"There, there, son," the Bloody Baron said as he floated through a wall, his gaunt, emotionless face contradicting his almost sympathetic tone. "You needn't cry over spilled milk."

"Spilled milk?" Yoongi hissed, walking away with shaky steps. "Was his death nothing more than spilled milk to the rest of you?"

The ghost raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "I thought the victim was a girl, and she isn't dead, anyway."

"It's – never mind." Professor Dumbledore's words lingered in his mind: Hogwarts is no longer a haven for the treasure you carry... you must protect it at all times, Yoongi... not once may it leave your person. No matter how many ghosts haunted his past, he would need to face the emergent situation with fortitude. If his intuition was correct – and it nearly always was – the preservation of the magic world depended on him.