Adaptability was truly the greatest wonder that Hogwarts had to offer.

Adaptability meant that, in a year, even the stubbornest of first years could find their new House a home. Adaptability meant that many of the scorns and triumphs of new relationships and failed endeavors could be swept away in a summer's time. Adaptability meant facing anything-absolutely anything, from hidden treasures to a slew of petrifications-and coming out on the other side.

Adaptability meant that a media frenzy around another defense teacher gone murderous was no excuse for students missing exams. Especially if those exams were OWLs or NEWTs.

In other words, a week later, students were still whispering the name "Rezei" under their breaths but it was nothing to the current terror of class ranks.

In the Great Hall, Bokuto had his face buried in his hands.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Suga tried at comforting.

"No, it will! I definitely will! Even the Muggle magazines didn't help." Bokuto slumped down into his defected mode. "I don't think I gave one actual divination this year. No way Onikobe lets me take the class past OWLs."

"Welll….," Suga fought back a wince, "maybe that won't be so bad?"

Bokuto sighed loudly. "I don't get it. Everyone with magic's supposed to be able to manage at least one prediction. What if….," he looked up with wide eyes, "what if I'm not actually a wizard!"

"Bo," Kuroo said dryly, "as we sit here, both fellow wizards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where we've studied magic for the past five years, I sincerely doubt that's the case."

"What if I've been faking it!" Bokuto cried.

Iwaizumi hit him on the back of his head.

"Ow!" Bokuto looked at him betrayed. "Iwaizumi, you and Suga are supposed to be the nice ones!"

Oikawa snorted. "Iwa-chan? Nice? To whom?"

"Literally everyone except you," Kuroo replied breezily and Oikawa stuck out his tongue. Kuroo ignored him, focusing back on Bokuto. "Maybe you did give a prediction and you just forgot?"

"Ugh, that's even worse!" Bokuto pouted.

Oikawa rolled his eyes. "Maybe your magic's building up for something really big and when you're like a hundred, you'll give the biggest prophecy possible."

Bokuto immediately perked back up. "You really think so?"

The rest of the table exchanged a loaded look.

"...Yes?" Oikawa faked a smile.

"Awesome," Bokuto frowned in consideration. "Then, I better keep practicing."

"Nah, let the magic build," Kuroo advised and Bokuto nodded happily.

"And really, you should be worried about Arithmancy." Oikawa's face took on a haunted air. "We should all be worried about Arithmancy."

"That exam will haunt me in my nightmares," Kuroo said, utterly serious. "Are we still absolutely sure Professor Yamiji isn't trying to kill us?"

"It could be a long term plan," Oikawa reminded. "Bigger picture, yeah?"

Bokuto nodded. "Actually yeah, he keeps pulling me into his office to talk about my homework! For like hours, maybe it's a secret plan…"

Suga blinked. "I really don't think….."

"You guys are idiots," Iwaizumi said bluntly.

"We're idiots with a bet on the line." Oikawa grimaced. "No wait, we're geniuses with a bet on the line."

"Good save," Kuroo teased.

"Hush, I'm defending us!"

Iwaizumi snorted. "If that's your defense, I know why Daishou's shield saved us in the Dueling competition."

"Lies and betrayal!" Oikawa huffed. "That's it! Next year, I'm abandoning all of you and becoming a hermit! At least my cave walls will appreciate my utter and unspeakable brilliance."

Suga smiled innocently. "How's wandless magic coming?"

"Suga!" Oikawa sputtered. He twisted to Bokuto. "It's official, you're my only friend now."

"Awesome!" Bokuto gave him a fist bump. "I'll never desert you."

"See!" Oikawa shook his head at the rest of them. "Loyalty."

Kuroo rolled his eyes at Bokuto. "Hufflepuff."

Bokuto just beamed.

"Yeah, yeah," Iwaizumi hooked a thumb to the front of the Great Hall. "Looks like Takeda's about to make the announcement."

"...E-excuse me, oh," the thin traces of Takeda's voice were drowned out by the cacophony of the Dining Hall as the Deputy Headmaster stood at the front. The friends watched as held up his wand to his throat before muttering a quick Amplifying Charm. "EXCUSE ME!"

The Hall fell into an immediate hush.

"I always forget to cast that charm, every year," Takeda said cheerfully. "Right, well on to what I'm sure you're all waiting for-final grades. For the new students, you will find two sheets in your envelope, your own scores and the class ranks for top ten students in each subject plus overall. The year's class ranks will be posted in your Common Rooms later this afternoon so try to have a look before the Closing Feast, alright?"

The Hall looked at him with anticipatory expressions that wouldn't be out of place for hungry wolves.

"R-right," Takeda continued. "Let's see if there's anything else….Oh, yes, for fifth year students taking their OWLs, please remember you'll need an O or an E to continue onto NEWT level. And...and I think that's all…." He took another glance at the students to find them all staring at him. "O-Okay. So, this has been an exciting year for all of us; but, just like an ashwinder, Hogwarts has shown that the heat of fire is where we always shine the brightest. I look forward to seeing all of you next Fall."

With that, Takeda waved his wand and hundreds of letters unfurled from thin air before landing in front of the expectant students.

Kuroo and Oikawa exchanged a look before immediately tearing into their letters with a ferociousness that had Bokuto and Suga both leaning back. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes hard enough to hurt.

"Ha, O in Charms," Oikawa called out.

Kuroo smirked. "Also, an O. O in Potions, you?"

"Please, Irihata loves me. Also, an O." Oikawa grimaced. "E in Herbology."

"O in Herbology," Kuroo announced, smirk growing.

"Stupid plants," Oikawa muttered. "O in Transfiguration and O in History of Magic."

"O in Transfiguration….E in History of Magic."

"We're even! O in both Runes and Magical Creatures."

"Same." Kuroo frowned. "They're still re-grading everything from Rezei's class which means the only one left is…"

"Arithmancy." Oikawa held his sheet close to his chest. "On three. Iwaizumi, count us down."

"Don't drag me into this," Iwaizumi warned, casually looking over his grades like a normal person.

"Suga, count us down."

Suga glanced up from where he was looking sympathetically at Bokuto's P in Divination. "Hmm? Okay, fine, three...two….one-"

"E IN ARITHMANCY," they said together.

Then, they blinked.

"Wait….," Oikawa said slowly.

Kuroo scrambled to find the overall class ranks. "We tied."

Oikawa groaned, leaning over to find their names together at the top of the list. "Well, that isn't any fun! I want a retrial! What if we took the exams again?"

"You two are the worst people I know," Iwaizumi deadpanned.

"Says you, Mr. O in Herbology."

Kuroo sighed, propping his head in his hand. "Maybe it's for the best. We probably shouldn't risk getting arrested so close to the time-turner mess."

Oikawa cocked his head. "Who said we'd get arrested?"

"Oh, with my favor, we'd definitely get arrested."

"Only if we got caught." Oikawa hummed, straightening up his sheets. "I suppose we should just be happy we passed Arithmancy.

"You two aren't planning on taking NEWT level for that, right," Iwaizumi asked warily.

Oikawa snorted. "Please, Iwa-chan, I'm not a masochist."

"Besides, Yamiji's class is one of the exceptions." Kuroo dismissed. "He only lets O students take it."

"Probably because there isn't anyone that can get an O," Oikawa huffed. "No one's taken NEWT Arithmancy in a decade, it's practically a myth."

"I don't know, I think I might take it," Bokuto said, still poking sadly at his Divination grade. "I mean I've got an extra slot since I can't take Divination. Might as well make Yamiji happy. And it is pretty cool."

He looked up to find the rest of the table staring at him.

He blinked. "What?"

Kuroo and Oikawa ignored him, both frantically digging through their class ranks.

"Merlin," Oikawa breathed out, looking at their Arithmancy class ranks. "You're first in the class!"

"Bo….," Kuroo said slowly, "what did you get in Arithmancy?"

"An O," Bokuto tilted his head like a particularly confused bird. "I told you, guys, I'm good at math! Mom taught me!"

Suga frowned. "Then, why did Professor Yamiji keep calling you into his office?"

"Huh? Oh, he kept wanting to talk about my homework in more depth." Bokuto rubbed the back of his neck. "And to stop doodling Quidditch plays on my assignments."

Oikawa and Kuroo were both staring at him with wide gaping mouths.

Iwaizumi took one look at them and finally started laughing, a loud booming laugh that Suga joined in on, too, until they were both hunched over the table.

Bokuto watched them curiously.

Oikawa eventually snapped out of it.

"Kotaro Bokuto, my one and only true friend," Oikawa clasped a hand on his shoulder, "you are a genius among wizards."

Kuroo laughed. "All hail the King!"

"I'm the best!" Bokuto agreed before blushing. "But, guys, it's really not that much. I mean it's not like it's Divination or anything…."

Oikawa moaned, letting his head thump on the table while Suga and Iwaizumi kept laughing.

Kuroo smiled.

He really loved his friends.

ooooooo

"Ugh, can you believe after all of this, they still made us take exams," Lev complained. "I feel like we should've gotten like insta-O's-academic success through life threatening circumstances."

Kenma gave him a withering look.

"You didn't have to take the exams last week." Yachi smiled. "Takeda did say we could have some extra time if we needed."

"And take them in summer?" Lev looked horrified. "The only thing worse than exams is exams when you could be doing nothing!"

"Or playing Quidditch," Hinata piped in before sighing. "I can't believe we have to wait all summer to play again!"

"We can probably make it to the field before heading to the train," Kageyama offered.

Hinata glanced up at his partner with an expression of utter rapture that wouldn't look out of place on a mother hearing their child's first word. "You really think we'll have time? The summer's going to be sooooo long, Kageyama."

"We'll make time," Kageyama said decisively.

"Yeah, and hey, the Quidditch Cup is in England this summer so maybe we can all-" Lev went pale. "Oh troll dung, cover for me?"

Lev dove, hiding behind the nearest suit of armor a few seconds before Yaku spotted the group.

Yaku narrowed his eyes, looking at the group. "Where's Lev?"

Three people spoke at the same time.

"He said he needed to go pack," said Yachi quickly.

"AHHH, HE, UM, CHANGED SCHOOLS," Hinata yelled.

"Who's Lev," Kageyama blurted.

Kenma sighed in a way that said he absolutely could not care less.

"...Right." Yaku suspiciously eyed the suit of armor with silver protruding hair. "Well, when you see him, remind him he needs to meet with me to go over his summer assignments."

"Of course," Yachi piped in before Hinata or Kageyama could speak.

"Thanks," Yaku said, before glancing at the suit of armor again and rolling his eyes to the sky. He finally continued down the hall before disappearing behind the corner.

Lev slipped out from behind the armor with a loud bang! "Anyone else think Yaku is kinda cute when he gets angry? I think it might be because he's so short; but-"

"What did you do," Kenma accused.

"Nothing!" Lev held up his hands in innocence. "Actually nothing this time! I think he's still mad at me because he found out about the whole Rezei stuff from the paper; but, I mean come on-the news came out like that afternoon so I really didn't do anything this time!"

At the mention of their former Defense teacher, the group turned carefully to Yachi.

She gave a small smile. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

Hinata frowned. "But-"

He was stopped by a sudden hand on his shoulder.

Kenma looked at Yachi, expressionless face not wavering. "You don't have to be fine."

Yachi gave him a rueful look before sighing, turning her head up to look at the ceiling as she tried to find her words.

"Okay, I'm not fine," she said slowly. "I'm…..sad and confused and scared and I'm…..I'm really, really angry; but, I'm….."

She looked down, meeting her friends' eyes.

"But, I know I'm not fine," she said. "I don't want to be. Because fine would mean sitting back and waiting and I don't….that's not who I need to be anymore. That's now who I want to be."

"I think…," she breathed, "I think I'm just really sick of needing other people to tell me when things are okay. So…."

The light from the window shone down to chase away the shadows.

Yachi smiled. "I'm not okay; but, I'm better."

The rest of her friends watched her.

Yachi tilted her head. "Or something like that anyway. Does that make sense?"

Hinata practically flung himself at her, remembering his weight at the last second so as not to knock the smaller girl down. "Yachi's so cool!"

Behind him, the rest of them were smiling.

"No, I'm not!" Yachi laughed. "Don't be silly, you guys are the cool ones!"

"Nope!" Hinata grinned down at her. "Trust me, Yachi is the coolest!"

ooooooo

"Ta-da!" Noya brandished the announcement. "Aunt Yuka just owled me a copy!"

Yamaguchi smiled."So, that's actually it! The boggarts are safe?"

"Yep, the boggart colony has officially been granted Ministry approved sanctuary. They can't touch them," Tanaka said, victorious.

Ennoshita shook his head, amazed. "After all that, I can't believe it actually worked."

Noya practically glowed. "And just think, now we can use this precedent for all the boggarts! We can save boggarts everywhere!"

"As long as they have an Attorney General speak in their favor," Tsukishima observed dryly.

Tanaka scratched his nose. "Um, yeah, Yachi's mom's defense might have helped a bit, admittedly. Maybe possibly more than our arguments-"

"Which were great," Noya interjected, "and reasonable and would have totally worked if the Ministry weren't a bunch of giant f-"

"We did good," Daichi interrupted, casting a glance at Asahi. "All of us."

Asahi shuffled on his feet. "Well, I don't know how much I really….," Daichi gave him a look and Asahi cut himself off. Instead he looked down, fighting the urge to fiddle with his sleeves. "What I mean is, um….thank you. For-for everything."

There was a long moment of silence that followed, long enough that Asahi finally risked glancing up at his friends only to find….

They were looking back at him and none of them looked afraid.

"You don't need to thank us. Of course we weren't going to let the Ministry hurt you." Yamaguchi let out a shuddering breath. "I'm just glad everything turned out okay."

Tsukishima huffed. "Personally, I still can't believe you're a werewolf. If anything, with your personality, you should turn into like a bunny or a mouse or something else incredibly non-intimidating."

"I think what Tsukishima means to say is….," Ennoshita smiled, "we're your friends, Asahi. We're always going to have your back."

Asahi swallowed, feeling something thick and heavy and good bound up tight underneath his chest.

Daichi punched him in the shoulder. "Exactly, you're our cowardly werewolf."

"You don't have to say it like that," Asahi complained even as he was smiling.
"Bro, I still can't believe you actually know how to keep a secret?" Tanaka grinned. "It's always the quiet ones!"

"Of course, Asahi knows how to keep a secret," Daichi's grin widened. "After all, he didn't even tell himself he already had a boyfriend."

Asahi groaned, burying his face in his hands. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never," Daichi agreed.

Asahi groaned louder.

"Don't worry," Noya bounced up beside him, "I'll protect you from Daichi's mean bullying ways!"

Daichi laughed. "If you think I'm bad, wait until I tell Suga."

Asahi ignored him, smiling dopily at Noya. "My hero."

Noya beamed before tilting his head. "Though, I still can't believe you didn't realize-"

There was a knock on the door before Nao stuck his head in.

"Hey, Tanaka," Nao said, "there's this fancy, official looking owl for you."

"Huh?" Tanaka blinked before shrugging, heading off to the hall.

Nao stayed behind, arms crossed as he looked balefully over at the room's occupants.

Ennoshita sighed heavily. "Nao, I told you we are oh so very sorry that life threatening terror made us momentarily forget about Quidditch!"

"I waited on the pitch for two hours!

"Your sacrifice is duly noted."

"And that's not why I'm mad." Nao stamped his foot, looking every inch an irritated eleven year old. "I'm mad because there was 'life threatening terror' that you left me out of! What's even the point of being a Gryffindor if I don't get to do all the cool stuff!"

"Merlin help us." Ennoshita shook his head before grabbing onto Nao's shoulder and steering him out of the room. "Come on, I'll help you get packed for the train."

The door shut behind them and Tsukishima frowned, a thought just occurring to him.

"Right, the train." He raised an eyebrow at the assembled room. "At least, tell me someone finally managed to learn a good Expansion Charm?"

Looking down at Noya, Asahi just caught his wink and the hint of a smile before….

"Ah, geeze, Tsuki. No, we've just been so busy with the boggarts, you know? It's okay, though." Noya grinned. "I don't mind sharing."

ooooooo

With the points from the Quidditch World Cup and certain members of their House too preoccupied to get into point forfeiting trouble, there wasn't much surprise that Gryffindor won the House Cup.

That said, there was really nothing to stop the Great Hall from quickly descending into a madhouse the moment the announcement was made.

After nearly getting flattened by a group of sixth years celebrating by catapulting a Gryffindor second year into the air, Hinata managed to escape the commotion by diving under a table.

A restrained sigh made him look up.

Akaashi glanced down at him, helping him up onto a bench. "They really are the loudest House, aren't they?"

"Um, yeah," Hinata blinked. "Oh, shoot, I lost Yachi!"

"I believe she's fine." Akaashi smiled, gesturing over to Aone, where the larger Hufflepuff had stationed himself next to Yachi and frowned at the more exuberant Gryffindors whenever they managed to get too close.

Both Akaashi and Hinata ducked as someone managed to set off a Wheezing Rocket that whistled across the Great Hall.

"I swear Headmaster Ukai is going to ban them from winning the House Cup for the next decade at his rate." Akaashi paused. "Which might not be the worst…."

He cut off as the rocket made another pass.

Hinata winced, trying to find a subtle way to ask. "How's your….um 'headaches'?"

"Much better, actually." Akaashi said, checking to make sure there was no one close. "I'm not really sure why; but, ever since this weekend, my visions have been back to normal-not even a minor headache." He gave a small smile. "I hope whatever it was is actually fixed this time."

"Good!" Hinata sighed in relief. "I never want to go through another year without your visions helping again, too scary!"

Akaashi looked away, fingers tracing the whorls of the table. "My visions can't really do that much, honestly. Sometimes they can help; but, some things….some things I really can't seem to change, Hinata." The psychic cleared his throat, forcing back a smile. "Besides, from the sound of the news and what Bokuto's mentioned, it sounds like you handled things just fine."

"Yeah, I guess." Hinata laughed. "Good thing, Kuroo had the time-turner, right?"

Akaashi stared. "Kuroo had….he had…."

A mild stinging jinx hit the back of Hinata's hand and he looked back to find Oikawa waving him over.

"Ah, Akaashi, looks like I have to go." Hinata cocked his head. "Hey, you alright?"

"A time-turner," Akaashi muttered to himself, "Who gave them a Merlin begotten time-turner?! Oh those little….I'm going to kill them..."

Hinata decided it was probably fine. "...Okay, have a good summer!"

He set across the hall, dodging at least two sobbing Gryffindor seventh years, to finally end up behind Oikawa's carefully erected barrier.

Hinata poked at the slightly shimmering shield. "Isn't this a bit much?"

Oikawa took one look at the pandemonium of the Hall.

"No," he said succinctly.

Hinata huffed, hiding a smile as he looked up at the older muggleborn. "Well, alright, what do you want with me?"

"Oh, how gratitude is truly wasted on the youth." Oikawa arched an eyebrow. "I think you know what I want, my dear, destructive mentee."

"You're not my mentor."

"Superior, then."

"Equal," Hinata grinned..

"Yeah, yeah." Oikawa waved him on with his free hand. "I'm waiting…"

Hinata laughed. "Oikawa, you're a genius and a super, really great, awesome guy and I'm really, really happy you warned me about Rezei before I died."

"There, was that really so hard?" Oikawa smirked.

Hinata stuck out his tongue. "Bleh, I think my tongue's going to rot out."

"You were never this sarcastic when you were a cute first year." Oikawa sighed regretfully. "Suga's ruined you, such a tragedy."

"Did you really call me over here just so I could thank you," Hinata asked.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Oikawa's expression took on a light of considered nonchalance. "And maybe I wanted to check on you."

"Check on me?" Hinata blinked. "For what? Nekomata already cleared me for the Imperious stuff. I'm fine."

Oikawa gave him a serious look. "You had an Unforgivable Curse used on you, were nearly torn apart by a werewolf, and your best friend's aunt almost murdered you for being a muggleborn? How could you possibly be fine?"

"Yeah, but…," Hinata frowned, pushing down the darker fears that threatened to rise with the familiarity of ease. "But, it's not like I actually died, right? And everything kinda turned out alright so...I'm fine?"

Oikawa continued to stare at him and Hinata didn't like the way it made him squirm, uncomfortable as if there was something he was avoiding. Like he was hiding.

So, instead, he gave a small smile, glancing up shyly. "Besides, I had you, right? I mean you and Yachi and everyone else. You guys saved me so….I don't have to worry."

Oikawa stared at him for another second before finally, he sighed, his eyes caught among a strange mix of relief and regret and worry and possibly of wistfulness before it was all carefully tucked away.

"Yeah, Hinata." Oikawa smiled back. "You always have me. Just promise me one thing, alright?"

Hinata tilted his head. "What?"

Oikawa reached out, hand landing on Hinata's shoulder.

"Don't let them ruin you," Oikawa said quietly.

Hinata swallowed, not knowing the words to say.

It didn't matter because a second later, the seriousness had completely faded from Oikawa's expression, wiped away with a roll of eyes.

The hand on Hinata's shoulder moved to shove him away.

"Now, get your own shield. You're making me claustrophobic!"

Hinata spluttered. "You're the worst!"

Just then, there was a shuddering from the roof overhead and as one, the entire Hall fell into a silence, eyes glued to the giant Gryffindor banners that hung overhead.

Hinata squinted, trying to make out why they suddenly looked different. "What's happening?"

Oikawa glanced around the room, noting two highly suspicious absences.

"Oh, I think I have an idea," he muttered. "I was wondering what they were planning!"

In a boom of glitter and fireworks, the banners exploded into dozens and dozens of red birds, throwing the hall into a screeching exuberant panic.

From the overhang, Makki and Matsu flew their brooms over the chaos like kings overseeing their realm.

Hinata laughed, looking over the hall as the birds danced through the air, glitter weaving behind them and looking oddly elegant as they perched on student's arms and stole ribbons out of girls' hair.

Overhead, red and gold fireworks lit up across the Great Hall's night sky, forming giant faces of Makki and Matsu winking back at them.

"This is amazing," Hinata said in awe.

"Mhmm," Oikawa didn't even bother looking annoyed as one of the birds perched lightly on his fingers, "they have way too much time on their hands."

ooooooo

Noya futilely tried to shake the glitter and feathers out of his hair as he laughed his way back into the dorm room.

"There you are!" Noya called as he saw the room's other occupant. "Bro, you missed the End of the Year Feast-it was awesome!"

Tanaka didn't look up, holding a letter with shaking hands.

Noya frowned. "Bro...Ryuu, what's up?"

"...my parents died," Tanaka said, voice almost too quiet to hear.

Noya stopped moving. "What?"

Tanaka shoved forward the letter, pressed paper stamped officially with the Aurors seal. "Last week. They found their bodies in their cell, natural causes. They...they even examined the bodies and they couldn't find anything. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Ryuu…," Noya stepped forward. "Ryuu, I'm sorry, I know you didn't really-"

"Yu," Tanaka cut him off. "That's not it."

With a jerky movement, Tanaka pointed to the desk.

Feeling unease whispering against his skin, Noya's eyes drew down.

A newspaper article stared back at him with the title Hogwarts Professor Attempts to Murder Students; Ministry Officials on Scene Step In. Over the title was a symbol-two crossed wands, interwoven with a snake. And almost covering the rest of the page with thick red letters was one word….

Soon.

Noya looked up at Tanaka

"Noya," Tanaka's voice was unsteady, "how did they send me that the day after they died?"

ooooooo

"Ichiro...Master," Kirika Uragiri had collapsed to the floor in front of a man, pressing her face to the bottoms of his robes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it was a boggart! I was fooled by a boggart! I shouldn't even be allowed in your presence. Ichiro….Master, I will never fail you again! I'll find Hitoka again and kill that little mudblood-"

"Be quiet!"

The woman who had been a prisoner flinched back, hands still clawing onto his robes, and the man who was Ignathe restrained from kicking her away.

Kirika Uragiri-proud daughter of a once noble house, renowned dueler of a generation, and one of the Giant's top generals-looked pathetic. Tears streaming down a half mad face with matted hair that the woman had forgotten to care about now that she was no longer hiding behind the face of a dead man.

She barely looked human, more an animal held tightly on the leash of her master.

With a bitter twist of his stomach, Ignathe felt disgusted. Revulsion and bile mixed together only to be shoved down with a force of will.

His hand wrapped around his wand and it would be so, so easy-just one spell, two words and she almost killed him, him the one person that-

Ignathe closed his eyes and thought about the past.

He called up the pretense of a kinder man, a visionary with a golden dream of what the world should be, a man who was a leader, one who inspired people to reach for greatness. A man who would look down at the crying woman with pity, urging her back to greatness under his hand.

A man with friends and a brother that had once called him Ichiro.

But now, this man did not have that dream. The world around him was blackened and broken and no one else to see it but him. Ignathe did not have a best friend or a family, he only had memories.

And, for that, the world would burn.

But, what Ignathe did have was patience.

So, instead he painted on a smile that looked real and reached down to cup the woman's dirty face in his hands.

"Ichiro…," the woman breathed out, a benediction and a plea for forgiveness.

"Dry your tears, Kirika," he said softly. "Your face is one meant for laughter, is it not?"

Kirika hand reached up to wipe at her face, a relieved hiccuping laugh bubbling out. "Thank you, Ichiro, thank you!"

"Of course." He continued to smile. "You've always been one of my most loyal followers, Kirika, why else would you be the one I've saved from Azkaban?"

He let his smile fade. "Which is why I was so disappointed to find you disobeyed me."

"Ichiro?" Kirika blinked up. "Master, I would never-"

"But, you did, Kirika," he sighed tiredly. "Your job was to stay at Hogwarts and observe. And, instead, what have you done? You were selfish, you thought only of your own goals, and nearly ruined everything. We're lucky the Ministry is still inclined to sweeping things away. "

"It was Hitoka, Ichiro," Kirika pleaded. "My little Hitoka, being poisoned by that mudblood! How could I not act, how can I leave her with-"

"You will not touch the boy," Ignathe cut through her words, grip tightening against his wand.

Kirika recoiled. "M-Master?"

"You will not touch him, Kirika," Ignathe continued more softly. "This is your test of loyalty, the way for you to prove you'll still put our goals above your own selfish interests."

"But, Hitoka…."

"Do you not trust me," Ignathe said sadly. "After everything, you still don't trust our plan?"

"Of course," Kirika quickly answered. "Of course, Master!"

"Then, trust that I have everything handled-even one thirteen year old boy." Ignathe smiled, looking down at his desk and the confidential Ministry files spread on top of it. "And believe me when I say that my year's been far, far more successful."

ooooooo

From the window above, Minister Masaru Daishou sighed wistfully as he watched the students trail their way off to the Hogwarts Express.

"Ah, Ikkei, can you ever imagine that we were once that young?"

Headmaster Ikkei Ukai glared back. "I'm sure the Minister of Magic has better ways to spend his time than reminiscing, Masaru."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Masaru tapped along the window ledge before wandering back to the chair opposite the Headmaster. "There's a certain beautiful necessity in reminiscing, I think. Look too far forward and you forget what all you left behind."

Headmaster Ukai was still glaring at him; but, the Minister paid him no mind, his fingers trailing lackadaisical through the air as he continued.

"Besides there's so much you miss the first go around and, then, there's the rest that seems far, far too important at the time before suddenly," Masaru spread out his hands like a magician, "you realize you've been focusing on the wrong place the entire time."

"Masaru…," the Headmaster warned.

Masaru simply smiled. "Certainly you haven't moved too far ahead to forget your old secrets, Ikkei."

"I don't like secrets."

"Don't you?" Masaru sounded surprised. He leaned back to steeple his hands in front of him. "Then perhaps you could remind me how was it that Ichiro Ignathe died again? You were there, were you not? After all, you're the one who reported the Giant's death to the Ministry. Surely you won't mind refreshing me on the details."

"He died in a duel," Ukai said flatly.

"...Oh, right." Masaru feigned remembrance. "And who was it that finally killed him? Had to be a great wizard to have fallen a Giant."

Ukai met his eyes and gritted out, "I didn't recognize him."

Masaru smiled with false sympathy.

"Of course, you didn't," Masaru agreed. "And, of course, I believe you. After all, who could possibly doubt Ikkei Ukai, the Light's great leader, when he comes to tell us our enemy is dead."

"Of course, how can we ever doubt? Even if he can't tell us more-not even show us a body. " The Minister tilted his head. "Or maybe you forgot. Old age gets us all, I suppose. Pity. I guess we'll just have to keep relying on your word then. After all, what reason could you even have to keep secrets, Ikkei?"

Masaru trailed off back into a smile as Ukai glared.

"You've made your point, Masaru."

The good humor flashed out of the Minister's expression, leaving behind the cold calculating glint of a man that was able to claw his way to power in a broken county after a war.

"One day, I'll find out what you're hiding, Ikkei," Masaru said simply. "And then, I'll use it to destroy you."

And then, the smile was back and the moment evaporated like morning dew.

"Ah, reminiscing," Masaru sighed happily. "Truly the greatest boon that age can grant is the beauty of perspective. Youth get too caught up in their own personal battles that they forget the bigger picture." The Minister brightened. "Speaking of, you have some truly remarkable students here. That Tetsuro Kuroo has been remarkably helpful for me."

"He didn't know what he was doing," Ukai said.

Masaru laughed. "Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was saving a friend. He just didn't see the implications past the current battle-the butterfly effect." His smile grew. "The bigger picture, if you will."

Masaru waved the thought away. "Even if he didn't understand the true consequences, it doesn't matter much now. I'll even throw a deputy minister position at that father of his to keep him complacent." Masaru rolled his eyes. "Ozuro Kuroo, so very obsessed with gaining power and not a clue in the world what to do with it. Still it is so much simpler to have a media hound at my side than against me. And speaking about publicity…."

The Minister cut his eyes to the Headmaster.

"The people sure do seem to be out for your blood. Don't they, Ikkei?" Masaru tsked. "And here I even tried to help you out by expediting that Sora mess two years ago…"

Ukai snorted loudly. "Only so it wouldn't come out that you were the one who ordered the board to hire him, just like you did with Masao Rezei. Just like you did with forcing me to keep the school open last year."

The Minister pulled back with a practiced affronted expression. "Me? Headmaster, this is your school. Surely you can't be suggesting I-a highly respected Ministry official-could in any way control a private institution like Hogwarts? Why, without a proper reason, that would break centuries of tradition?"

"Only if you consider blackmail and bribery control." Ukai stood up. "You're right, Masaru, I'm old. I can read the situation just as well as you've led us to it. So stop meandering around my office with your gloating dressed up as condolences and tell me what you want!"

"Such harsh language. This is why you'd never make a politician, Ukai." Masaru looked up at him, smiling victoriously. "In three years, Hogwarts has had two homicidal professors in two years and six petrifications where you still can't name the cause. All on school grounds. That's more than the public can ignore, Ikkei. Especially now that students are pointing towards Hogwarts hiring practices. There's been talk about getting the Ministry involved, even if the public's not quite there yet."

Masaru sighed. "Anyway, the Board-with some slight suggestions from myself-have come to the decision that Hogwarts is in dire need of some good publicity."

"What kind of publicity," Ukai demanded.

The Minister's smile grew.

"I was thinking a tournament."

ooooooo

A/N:

1.) First and always, always, always THANK YOU to everyone who has supported this story and this series. I appreciate you guys so, so much!

2.) For those keeping up with Akaashi's dream in Chapter 11, this chapter's last scene is where "What kind of publicity?" comes from.

3.) So Bokuto's prediction and Kuroo's actions, I got a few comments about this one last chapter and now with the last scene of this chapter, I can give more context. The choice Kuroo made was to help the wolf. In other words, he chose to confront his father, go to the woods, confront the Ministry, and openly put the blame on Hogwarts' hiring practices. The other choice would have been to follow Madoka in her quest to save Yachi from Rezei/ Kirika. If he did this, there would have been one more person there and they would have caught Kirika-at the cost of the situation with Asahi being MUCH more perilous. With Kirika caught, a breakout from Azkaban would have been obvious and not easily covered up-as it is currently. With public blame on the Ministry instead of Hogwarts, the Minister would not have had the pull (or the time) to push Hogwarts into doing the tournament. What would have happened with no tournament next year and everyone knowing Kirika had broken out of Azkaban...who can say ;) That's the Butterfly Effect.

4.) Hey, look, third one's over-ahh, I can't believe I'm almost halfway through this series. With that, I'll be taking a brief break to catch up on my other stories (always feel free to check out my other Hakyuu fantasy series if you're interested or my comic book series). The fourth one of this is fully planned and I've already started writing it. I should start posting it June/ early July.

This one is going to be a big one, guys, and with a lot of things that I believe ya'll are going to be very excited about. For now, here's the details (I'll update the series on my author page soon):

Main Characters are, pretty unquestionably this time, Oikawa and Hinata. In other words, stuff's about to go down.

Other major character(s) plots (it's going to be a long book): Noya and Tanaka, Tsukishima, Kageyama, Kuroo and Kenma, and...Ushijima. You should have come to Durmstrang.

First line: "It was impossible to forget the first sight of Hogwarts."

Title: Tooru Oikawa and the Triwizard Tournament

Summary:

The Tri-Wizard tournament has come to Hogwarts!

Plus, Noya and Tanaka try their hands at something new, the rest of the Crows suffer, a minor Quidditch rebellion is staged, and the rest of the Wizarding World eagerly awaits a champion. Meanwhile, as Hogwarts welcomes her new visitors, some are still more worried about the Yule Ball.

Through everything, Oikawa and Hinata are reminded of the worth of pride.

ooooo
Wow, okay, this was a longer note than I planned. Again, thank you so much, everyone!