Chapter Text
The carriage rattled along the twisting forest path, the sound of its wheels filling the silence of the night. Haechan sat stiffly on the soft seat, his fingers clutching the edge of it as he gazed out at the dark, unfamiliar landscape through a foggy window.
Across from him, Professor Song was deep in conversation with another Ministry official who had joined them for the journey. Haechan tuned out their voices, his thoughts elsewhere, specifically on the thing inside him he couldn’t explain and didn’t fully know about until just a little earlier in the day.
He clenched his fists, remembering the raw, strong energy that had surged through him during the earlier incident. It wasn’t a spell he’d cast or a charm he’d learned. It was something else, something deeper, something ancient.
No one had seen it. Not Song, not the Ministry officials, no one. And Haechan intended to keep it that way for now.
He didn’t even know spells and charms existed until a couple of minutes ago when Professor Song informed him that he had a gift, that he was a wizard of sorts. After seeing the Professors and Ministry officials magic cast by wands, he could instantly tell that what he did was different and he didn’t know what to do with that information.
Haechan had always known there was something different about him. Some small, odd things had happened around him as far back as he could remember. Things like candles flaring when he was scared, a broken vase mending itself after he touched it. But he never imagined it was magic, just thinking he was mentally unstable or something. Not until the day it saved his life, aka today.
It had been an ordinary afternoon in his home city, the streets were bustling with people, the air was thick with the smell of food from street vendors. Haechan had been weaving his way through the crowd when he felt something. A strange, cold dread that prickled along his skin and sent a shiver through him. He stopped in the middle of the road, his instincts screaming at him to run. He had never felt like that before.
Before he could move, the ground beneath him cracked slightly. A thunderous boom split through the air as a building nearby began to collapse, its supports giving way in a cloud of dust and rubble. He realized he had somehow predicted something awful… but he didn’t have time to ponder on that.
Haechan’s legs had locked in absolute terror, his eyes fixed on the wave of debris hurtling toward him. Time seemed to slow as his adrenaline surged through every vein. He threw his hands up, desperate for something, anything, to save him.
And then it happened.
A golden light burst from his hands, forming a barrier of shimmering energy that deflected the falling debris. The force of it knocked him backward, leaving him dazed and gasping for air on the street. The barrier flickered brightly for a moment longer before fading into nothingness, the road being eerily silent afterwards.
When Haechan had opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a man in dark robes kneeling beside him with a slightly worried expression on his face.
“You’re lucky to be alive,” the man said, his voice calm but firm. “That was no ordinary reaction. Magic that powerful, uncontrolled, can be dangerous for you and those around you.” Haechan had been quite shocked to hear the words magic in relation to himself. He always saw himself as ordinary, boring, even bland.
The man introduced himself as Professor Song, a wizard from a school called Hogwarts. Haechan had never heard of Hogwarts before of course. Song explained that Haechan was a wizard, though his abilities seemed to have awakened under extraordinary circumstances. Without training, his magic would remain volatile and unpredictable and it might even put his life at risk. What a great thing to hear.
That night, with the rubble of his old life still smoldering behind him, Haechan agreed to leave everything he knew behind and journey to a place he had only ever heard of in stories told by a man he just met. He didn’t feel he had anything to lose anyway, no one and nothing to leave behind. He was struggling to survive as his life was already, so changing things up wasn’t exactly an issue.
It was definitely the start of something he didn’t understand yet, a whole new world, a new destiny, and a power he would need to learn to control if he hoped to survive. But of course, he was willing to take the risk.
All of that happened just earlier today, and it was now late at night. Haechan leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling of the carriage. His chest felt tight, and it was probably because he was holding onto a secret he wasn’t sure if he should keep. The thought of stepping into Hogwarts with this invisible weight made his stomach churn. Everyone there would have magic too, but he could feel that his was a little different. He couldn’t explain how he knew, he just did.
“All good, Haechan?” Song’s voice broke through his overwhelming thoughts.
Haechan blinked and forced a small smile. “Yeah, I’m just tired.”
Song nodded lightly, though his sharp eyes lingered on Haechan a moment longer. “Understandable. Transferring to Hogwarts is a big step, especially so late as you’ll be starting in sixth year. But you’ll settle in. I found you at the perfect time as the new school year is just about to begin.” That’s right, Haechan isn’t starting as a first year… he’d already be joining into the sixth year at Hogwarts. He was such a late bloomer. He honestly felt a bit embarrassed that he was starting so late. All the students would already know each other really well, he’d probably be isolated, but he was used to that.
Haechan nodded absently to Song’s rambling, letting his words wash over him. He wasn’t as worried about settling in, he was worried about keeping his magic hidden. Obviously it was a magic school, but he was planning to keep that aspect of his magic hidden. The part of him that felt strange.
When the building collapsed and Song found Haechan, he said it was regular old magic. However, Haechan couldn’t explain why but he felt that his magic was a bit different than what he saw Song do. The essence of it felt strange… ancient. If that made any sense. Not like Haechan would know any details.
The carriage jolted suddenly, snapping Haechan out of his thoughts. He grabbed the edge of the seat to steady himself as the horses scurried in panic, their hooves pounding against the forest floor. They were currently making their way to London to go to the train station as well as to some place called Diagon Alley.
“What’s wrong?” Haechan asked, his voice tinted with a bit of fear.
Song’s hand darted to the wand at his hip. “Stay inside the carriage,” he said strictly, already opening the door to step outside with the Ministry official.
But Haechan didn’t listen. Curiosity and unease propelled him forward, and he scrambled out after Song silently.
The sight that greeted him sent a chill down his spine. He was both in a state of awe and pure horror. A dragon, its massive form illuminated by the moonlight, swooped low over the forest, its fiery breath lighting up the treetops.
“Stay back!” Song shouted, raising his wand to cast some sort of a shield charm.
Haechan ducked behind a tree, his heart pounding in his chest. He watched as Song and the Ministry official tried to fend off the dragon, their spells deflecting its flames but barely slowing its assault. It was scary.
Haechan’s mind raced. He wasn’t strong enough to help, not with regular magic and with his very minimal knowledge on magic as a whole. But the ancient magic he’d felt during the instance earlier… it could be powerful enough to do something.
He hesitated, fear gripping him. What if he couldn’t control it? What if someone else saw? He could not explain the need to keep his magic hidden, but he felt like it was the right thing to do for now.
As the dragon roared and flew toward the carriage, its flames engulfing the air, Haechan made his decision.
He stepped out from behind the tree, his hand raising instinctively as he didn’t have a wand yet. He didn’t speak, didn’t think. He simply felt.
The energy surged through him quite quickly, a crackling force that seemed to connect him to the world around him. It erupted from his palm in a blinding wave, clashing with the dragon’s breath and scattering it into harmless little embers. It wasn’t much but he hoped it could send the creature away.
The dragon roared in frustration, circling overhead before retreating into the darkness almost as if scared. It flew away.
Haechan collapsed to his knees, his body trembling a bit from the effort. He glanced around, his chest tight with panic, but Song and the official were too preoccupied to notice.
“Is everyone alright?” Song called, his eyes scanning the area and the retreating dragon.
Haechan forced himself to stand, wiping his sweaty palms on his robes. “I’m fine,” he said quickly, his voice slightly hoarse.
Song studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable, before nodding. “Good. Let’s get back in the carriage.”
Haechan followed silently, his mind racing. He had done it, he had used the ancient magic again. And no one had seen.
For now, his secret was safe.
—
The platform was a blur of chaos and wonder. Steam billowed from the gleaming red engine of the Hogwarts Express, and families were bidding hurried goodbyes to their magical children. Laughter, chatter, and the occasional sound of an owl or cat filled the air. Haechan clutched his ticket tightly, his heart pounding as he took his first cautious steps toward the train.
He was alone. No family to see him off, no friends to wave goodbye to. His only companion was the weight of the unknown and the battered trunk he dragged behind him. Professor Song had accompanied him as far as the station but had disappeared into the crowd with a quick word of encouragement. Now, it was just Haechan and the endless possibilities waiting on the other side of this train ride.
They had gone to Diagon Alley earlier, grabbing the essentials. He got some robes, some books, potions supplies, other things and of course his wand. The wand maker had a knowing look on his face the entire time Haechan was in the shop, but Haechan just ignored it. He went through about seven wands until a wand chose him, which was a little discouraging. Either way, he got what he went for.
He climbed aboard the red train, slipping through narrow corridors lined with countless compartments. The sounds of laughter and conversation spilled out from open doors, but he kept moving, searching for an empty space, not wanting to intrude on any friend groups. He finally found one near the back of the train, tucked away and quiet.
Sliding the door shut, Haechan let out a breath, more of a sigh. He hoisted his trunk into the overhead rack with some effort and sank into the seat by the window.
As the train began to move, the platform slipped away, and the bustling city faded into the rolling hills of the countryside. Haechan pressed his forehead against the cool glass, watching the scenery blur past. It felt surreal. Just days ago, he had been living a completely different life, not a drop of magic, without wizards, without dragons. Without anything out of the ordinary. Speaking of dragons, Haechan still had no idea why their carriage had gotten attacked. Well, Song had told him the dragon escaped from some kind of dragon breeder and attacked the first thing it saw, but the idea of that was just so crazy to Haechan that it was hard to believe. Then again, he’d witnessed magic and the dragon himself, so he knew it was real.
Now, here he was, on a train bound for Hogwarts, a magical school for young witches and wizards.
The door to his compartment suddenly slid open, pulling him from his thoughts. A girl with messy hair and a curious expression peeked in.
“Everywhere else is full,” she said, her voice bright but hesitant. “Mind if I sit here?”
Haechan shook his head, gesturing to the seat across from him. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” She lifted her bag onto the rack and plopped down. “I’m Charlotte, by the way. Fourth year, Hufflepuff.”
“Haechan,” he replied, offering a small smile.
“First year?” she asked, tilting her head. Though there was a bit of uncertainty since he certainly didn’t look as young as the first years.
“Sixth. Transferring.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “A transfer? That’s rare. Where are you from?”
“Uh…” He hesitated, glancing back out the window. “It’s complicated.”
Charlotte didn’t press, but her curiosity was evident. “Well, you’re in for a nice treat. Hogwarts is incredible. The castle, the classes, the magic… It’s like nowhere else.”
Haechan nodded, though he wasn’t sure he shared her enthusiasm. His mind was too tangled with questions and worries. Would he fit in? Could he keep his secret? What would happen if he couldn’t?
Charlotte seemed to sense his unease. She leaned forward, her tone softening. “You’ll be fine, you know. It’s scary at first, but Hogwarts has a way of making you feel at home, trust me.”
Haechan nodded again, grateful for her kindness but unable to shake the nerves coursing through him.
The train rattled through the Highlands, its rhythmic chugging soothing after the chaos of his crazy journey. Haechan sat in his compartment, staring out at the misty hills rolling by. The girl had pulled out a book and he was just minding his own business for the ride.
He thought back to when Song had left him at the station, entrusting him to the care of the train’s conductor. “You’ll do fine,” he had said, clapping a reassuring hand on Haechan’s shoulder. “Hogwarts is a place for discovery. You might even find some answers.”
Answers… The word lingered in Haechan’s mind as he watched the landscape shift. He wasn’t sure if Hogwarts held the answers he needed, or if it would just bring more questions.
As the sun dipped low on the horizon, the train rounded a bend, and Haechan’s breath caught in his throat.
Hogwarts.
The castle rose from the mist, its towers piercing the sky, its windows glowing with warm light. The sight of it filled Haechan with a strange mix of awe and apprehension. Song mentioned the beauty and size of the castle, but this was unreal.
This was the place where he would learn to harness his magic. But it was also the place where he would have to hide some of it.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Whatever this ancient magic was, it was his secret to keep. For now, at least.