Chapter Text
ARC I: THE SEA IN STORM
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
First year:
Our story begins on a clear, cloudless night in fall.
It was September first, and a line of first years arrived at Hogwarts that would change the wizarding world forever. Outside the warm Great Hall, there were crickets chirping and un unseasonably chilly breeze was on the air, gently disrupting the surface of the Great Lake that cut a smooth swath through the English countryside. Its surface gently swayed, only slightly distorting the image of the huge castle reflected in it. There was a storm coming, laying prescient in the dark clouds approaching on the horizon. It was going to be a big one.
Some would say, years later, that this chilly fall evening and the storm that would hit later that night was at least partially prophetic. That they had known right from the beginning that the Generation of Miracles would become something special, that they would do amazing – terrible – things.
But that wasn’t true.
The truth is that they were children. Just children, excited and nervous and eager to fit in just like every other child who walked into that hall, and not one person sitting in the room thought otherwise.
The truth is that when “Akashi Seijuro!” was called forward to be sorted first, he walked with even steps, but when he sat down his knees shook and he prayed with every part of his soul that the hat would place him where he needed to be. His family expected nothing less than the instantaneous bellow from the hat that he was destined for the greatness of "SLYTHERIN!"
The truth is that “Aomine Daiki” jumped up and pounded a fist in the air, cheering when the Sorting hat barely had to be placed on his head to pronounce that he belonged in “GRYFFINDOR!”
The truth is that Kise’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears when he joined Aomine in the same house after nearly two and a half full minutes sitting there just hoping that he was something more than a squib. He hadn't even really believed until then that he truly belonged here.
The truth is that Midorima Shintarou was immediately drawn into a quiet, intense conversation about the virtues of Astronomy and Divination with the Ravenclaw house prefect for the fifth years, and that Murasakibara Atsushi looked to the Slytherin table with a lost expression on his face until Akashi moved over, creating an extra place for the extremely tall eleven year old.
There was nothing extraordinary about them on that particular day, nothing aside from the astonishingly bright colors of their hair to distinguish them as the Miracles they would one day become.
But this isn’t their story.
This story belongs to the tiny slip of boy who was sorted quietly between these minor events, while Kise Ryouta ran to the Gryffindor table. It belongs to someone who, years later, when the dust was settled and this story is over, few if any would even remember.
Kuroko Tetsuya walked cautiously up to the stool and sat, wondering how on earth this hat was meant to know who he was at his core when so many people never bothered to look at him twice. But when the hat fell down over his eyes and enclosed Kuroko in darkness, he finally had his answer.
My my, the Sorting Hat whispered inside his head. An invisible boy.
Uncomfortable as he felt the stares of the entire crowd upon him, Kuroko pursed his lips together and prayed that this would be over soon.
Ooh, there’s loyalty in spades, that will serve you well in several houses. And quite a temper too, there’s a Slytherin sense of justice and revenge if I’ve ever seen one. You can certainly keep a cool head… And you keep your secrets like a Snake. But… no, perhaps not there, not with your lack of drive and ambition. You work hard, want to help others, remain in the shadows…
Kuroko breathed out a sigh of relief. The hat understood. He was invisible, and had no desire to do anything to attract undue attention to himself here.
Very well, the hat said at last. Make your home in the house of those that will work hard and never give up no matter the odds, among those who will never betray you. I believe you will find your clearest path lays ahead in “HUFFLEPUFF!”
Just as quickly as Kuroko slid away into the crowd of black and yellow, he was forgotten, and “Murasakibara Atsushi!” was being sorted into Slytherin and Akashi Seijuro was introducing himself to the eleven year old that already stood almost a full head taller than his peers.
The blue haired boy sat back in contentment.
It seemed he was due for seven quiet years here at Hogwarts.
The Sorting hat had not been wrong when it had called him an invisible boy. All his life, even before arriving at Hogwarts, Kuroko had been hard to find, hard to remember, and hard to keep track of. There were only a small number of people for whom that had not been true.
Kuroko was invisible. This was due to two incredibly lucky factors. First and foremost was Kuroko’s weak presence; He didn’t stand out, and people rarely noticed him until he tried to bring himself to their attention.
The second was that five students at Hogwarts quickly set themselves upon a pedestal so far above the reach of their yea rmates so as to become almost untouchable. Their influence on the Hogwarts student body obscured almost all of the first years from notice – even those who would ordinarily have stood out due to their own talents.
It was whispered throughout the school that Akashi Seijuro, a first year Slytherin, had managed to complete the transfiguration assignment on his first try. There were also rumors that he’d managed to, without so much as the use of his wand, cause a matchstick to turn into a giant eagle that flew repeatedly around the room.
Kuroko didn’t believe those rumors, but word was beginning to spread, and Akashi wasn’t the only one.
Three weeks into the school year, they were already calling the five boys the “Generation of Miracles.”
Everyone knew that their presence at Hogwarts overshadowed everyone, but with those five in any room, nobody was looking for Kuroko Tetsuya. He liked it that way. He could work hard in the shadows without the intense scrutiny of his peers and professors.
Kuroko truly was an invisible boy.
And for quite some time – just a little over three years – that continued to be true. Until one day, it wasn’t.
….
“Kuroko Tetsuya?”
Kuroko looked up, shock outweighing the irritation at the sudden interruption.
Not once in four years had anyone ever come up to him of their own initiative and disrupted his studies. Even those that could notice him knew better by now, and most could barely even see him to begin with.
His dorm mates had mastered the art of finding him during classes or in the Great Hall. Like most of the Hogwarts population, however, they never found him unless they were looking for him, and none of them were overly fond of the library.
Even Ogiwara never came and found him on his own when Kuroko was studying. He spotted Kuroko about one time in three, which was significantly higher than anyone Kuroko had ever known before.
However, when he made eye contact with the interloper into his bubble of studying space, whatever verbal reaction he had died on his lips.
“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,” the figure said politely, his hair the color of blood in the auburn light of the library lamps. “I am Akashi Seijuro.”
I know, Kuroko thought, but didn’t say. Of course the boy in front of him was Akashi Seijuro– Slytherin fourth year, top of their year by all objective measure, and one of the most powerful students at Hogwarts. In four years, Kuroko didn’t think Akashi had ever said one word to him. They were in the same year, but the difference in their power and ability put them in completely different circles.
“May I sit down?” Akashi asked. Kuroko nodded, and Akashi took the chair across from him, leaning forward to sit with his chin resting on one hand. His elbow was less than an inch away from the end of Kuroko’s parchment and the Hufflepuff fought the sudden urge to yank it away.
“How can I help you?” Kuroko asked, closing his textbook after marking his place. He resigned himself to dealing with this interruption as soon as possible.
Akashi smiled approvingly as Kuroko pushed the book away, giving the Slytherin his undivided attention.
“You may have seen the class rankings from this past spring,” Akashi said casually, and Kuroko blinked. Why would he look at class rankings? They weren’t a secret, but why would he care about anyone else’s position? Kuroko had enough on his plate just keeping up with the curriculum without turning it into a competition, especially when he knew that his low levels of magical power guaranteed he would lose.
“For the last four years, I have not only maintained the top rank for students in our year, I have maintained the top rank in every class of our year. Now imagine my surprise when I found out that the top student of our year in both Potions and Charms is not Akashi Seijuro, as anticipated, but rather a student named Kuroko Tetsuya.”
Kuroko’s brain stuttered over that information.
He’d… outperformed… everyone in his class… in two classes.
That was unexpected. Shocking really, almost unreal.
Sure, Kuroko had studied hard, mostly out of a need to prove to himself that he still belonged here. There was also a desire to not fail, as he had almost done every year previously (due not to any lack of effort on his part, just a lack of power and ability). Now that he thought about it, he had found the practical examinations even easier than usual this year, especially Charms. It had been the first year he was certain that he hadn’t flunked any of the exams. He’d only spared enough time to be grateful that his hard work might be paying off before putting even more effort into the new term.
He had known his marks were good, but to have beaten even the best student in his class –
“Did you want me to apologize?” Kuroko asked. He wondered if he had somehow offended the Slytherin. Exams aside, he knew Akashi could flatten him in mere seconds if he chose to. It was one of the many reasons Kuroko preferred the anonymity his invisibility provided him.
Akashi laughed, a high, genuine sound that made Kuroko lower his guard a little, assuring him that the other boy wasn’t here to beat him up for stealing his class ranking.
“Oh no, not at all!” He told the Hufflepuff gently. “If anything, I should congratulate you for such excellent work. Of course, you are in no danger of threatening my position at the top of our year in general.”
He said this so casually, as though it was a fact. Kuroko was sure that the boy was certain of his spot at the top of their year, if only because of his sheer amount of magical power. Combined with a deadly intelligence, Akashi must coast to the top of all his classes without a problem.
“I see,” Kuroko said, though he still didn’t understand why the most popular and well known student at Hogwarts had felt the need to seek him out to brag about his grades. “Is that all?”
Akashi’s smile faltered a little as Kuroko’s hand twitched towards his textbook.
“I originally sought you out because it was so curious,” he said, his voice serious now. Kuroko blinked.
“What was curious?”
“Hufflepuff and Slytherin have Charms together,” Akashi said. “As well as Astronomy. And I checked – you took Ancient Runes and Arithmancy with me too.”
Kuroko shrugged. None of this was new. It had been the same way all four years they’d been at Hogwarts, hadn’t it? Though it was bordering on creepy that the other boy had apparently all but stalked him.
“I’m sorry, I still don’t understand.”
“We’ve been taking the same classes together for years and despite your clear excellence in many of them, I’ve never seen or heard of you before,” Akashi said. He sounded triumphant, like he’d finally said what he had come here to say.
“I’m easy to ignore,” Kuroko said, uncomfortable under the discerning gaze of his powerful classmate. “I’m not powerful, but I study very hard to do well. You aren’t the first person to see right through me, and likely will not be the last.”
“I am absolute,” Akashi bit back and Kuroko fought the urge to roll his eyes. Seriously? Akashi was powerful, but he was Kuroko’s age. He was fourteen, where did he get off talking about being “absolute?”
“I do not make mistakes, and yet I have overlooked you. I don’t think that is mere coincidence.”
Too late for the warning to be of any use, Kuroko felt unease curl in his stomach. His disdain evaporated in an instant of terror, because the look Akashi was giving him was… possessive.
Frightening.
Kuroko needed to get out of there right now. He should have realized he was in danger long before Akashi had made his declaration He should have known the second the boy had actively sought him out that there would be trouble. Akashi was looking at him like he was a mystery, something to be solved. The other boy would drag him out of the shadows, lay Kuroko bare until he was satisfied, and Kuroko had to cut that line of inquiry off before it went too far.
“I need to go,” he said, shoving his textbook in his bag, followed by a mess of notes. He practically swept it up, hurrying as fast as he dared.
Akashi caught his wrist and Kuroko froze, looking up into bright red eyes.
“You have a talent I’ve never encountered before,” Akashi said. “Your gift for misdirection is one that could be extremely useful. You are incredibly powerful in your own right.”
He was wrong, so wrong.
“Please let go of me,” Kuroko all but begged. “Akashi-kun, I’m invisible. I like being invisible. I’m good at it. I have no desire to be anything but invisible.”
If he wasn’t invisible, he was nothing. He might be able to fool his professors in a classroom, but Kuroko’s magic was as weak as it came. He made up for it by practicing himself to technical perfection and studying so hard that his written grades offset his practical ones. But at the end of the day he was just an invisible weakling, not worth the notice it took to acknowledge him.
He had to make sure that Akashi understood that he was no threat to him. If Akashi thought, even for a second, that Kuroko was a challenger of sorts, his life could become miserable very quickly. He had no desire to start a feud with the Slytherin, when the cold hard truth was that there was nothing there to interest Akashi to begin with. He wasn’t powerful, he was just invisible, and his pride wasn’t sure it could take that revelation being thrown in his face in full view of the entire school. And with his true weakness revealed, Kuroko would spend the next three years at Hogwarts with a target on his back for anyone who cared to look.
Akashi didn’t say anything but he did release Kuroko’s wrist. Kuroko pulled it back as fast as he dared. His wrist felt like it had burned where Akashi had touched it.
“It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable,” the Slytherin said at last. “I apologize if I have offended or frightened you. I allowed my curiosity to get the better of my manners. Permit me one more minute of your time.”
Kuroko nodded again. That was about how long it would take to get his things in order anyway. His heart was beating rabbit fast in his chest and he scrambled to separate his books from those belonging in the library.
“This year, there is going to be an interschool tournament,” Askashi said. “It will be announced tonight. They will have two divisions, one for second through fourth years, and one for fifth through seventh years. Hogwarts is hosting many other schools from around the world. It will be a display of magical skill and power.”
Kuroko stayed silent, shoving a thick wad of parchment – his notes from Herbology – into one of his textbooks and in turn placing the book in his bag.
“The teams themselves will be decided by a dueling tournament,” Akashi continued. “The six top students in each section of the tournament will be the representatives of our school.”
This was the first Kuroko had heard anything about such a competition, but he already knew who would hold those first five spots among the younger years. They would go to Akashi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles, five of the most magically talented students to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts School. But with six spots… the battle for that last position would be a bloodbath. So many people would kill or die to be considered able to stand among that cadre of talented individuals. Kuroko swept his quills and inkwells indiscriminately into his bag, trying to ignore the pang of hope – and what might have been jealousy– that went through him.
“I would like you to enter, Kuroko-kun,” Akashi said softly. “And I would like you to take that sixth spot. You have a unique talent that will assure our school victory.”
Kuroko zipped his bag shut, a feeling of relief coming over him as he realized this discussion would soon be over, and swung his bag over his shoulder.
“Is that all?”
Akashi stood up as well, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Yes, I’ve said what I’ve come to say,” he replied.
“Then good night.”
Kuroko all but sprinted out of the library, ignoring the way Akashi’s red eyes followed him every step of the way.
“What do you think, Shintarou?” Akashi asked.
Shintarou Midorima, the ace chaser of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and member of the Generation of Miracles, stepped out from behind a set of shelves.
“He’s rough around the edges,” Midorima said.
“He has so much potential.”
Midorima tsked dismissively.
“Did you notice the trick?” Akashi asked, with genuine excitement. “It’s fascinating. He maintains a strong magical field around him at all times, shielding him from notice. But as I expected, when I touched him -“
The redhead smiled viciously.
“-Just for a moment, I felt it,” he added. “Kuroko Tetsuya is more powerful than he appears to be. More powerful than he should be, what with that weak presence of his, but now I understand.”
“He is likely unaware of his true power,” Midorima said thoughtfully, though his tone quickly changed as we went on. “He may have never even considered the possibility he was stronger than he appeared, if he has been subconsciously shielding himself his entire life. Hufflepuffs. They never want to question things or look deeper.”
“Then I’ll just have to show him myself,” Akashi smirked.
“If you want my actual advice-” Here, Midorima glanced, somewhat cautiously, at his fellow student. “I would send someone else to do your convincing. You’ve obviously spooked him, and the stars advise Sagittarius to avoid aggressive courtship this month. Even just watching the two of you, I could tell he isn’t swayed by your intensity.”
Akashi frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I told you, he’s a Hufflepuff,” Midorima shrugged. “They don’t go about winning the same way we do. The means is as important as the end for them, sometimes more so. And Kuroko in particular has more honor than a Gryffindor in that regard.”
“Shintarou, by all means just tell me what it is you wish to say in plain terms.”
“You scare him,” Midorima said dismissively. “He wants his comfy life of obscurity, because he’s scared of the attention your association will bring him.”
“Then how would you court him?” Akashi sounded genuinely interested in what Midorima had to say on the subject.
“You need someone who can force him to do what they want - without appearing to be forceful. At this point, it can’t be you.”
Akashi mulled that thought over for a few seconds. Shintarou was correct in his assessment that Akashi’s particular brand of exercising power tended to be heavy handed. While that was fine for keeping the rest of the Generation of Miracles in line – each of them were powerful, tough, and difficult to control. Like Akashi, they responded to the only one thing: Power.
But Kuroko was far too delicate to handle in that manner.
“Ryouta perhaps?” He wondered out loud. Kise could be sweet when he wanted, and could befriend the boy easily. “Perhaps Atsushi?”
“Ryouta will scare him off with his volume before he even gets close,” Midorima disagreed. “And Atsushi… that’s not a bad idea. His friendship would appeal to Kuroko. I only worry that he would lack the… capacity… to coerce Kuroko without letting anything on.”
Akashi nodded thoughtfully.
“I assume then that you had someone else in mind?”
“Of course. Satsuki.”
Midorima adjusted his glasses and started walking in the same direction as the subject of their conversation. Akashi watched him go as well, and considered that parting shot.
It wasn’t an idea without merit, which is of course why he’d asked the Ravenclaw to join him on this escapade. Midorima had an analytical mind that – while not in danger of surpassing Akashi’s – was razor sharp and a frightening beast in its own right.
Akashi stood there for a moment longer, thinking about the plans he was getting ready to unfold.
This was going to be an exciting year.
…
Kuroko found Ogiwara exactly where he thought he would – arguing with Momoi by the kitchens. Ogiwara had an unpleasant looking purple stain over the front of his shirt that Kuroko assumed was from some kind of failed potions experiment.
“You added the elm root too early!” Momoi was yelling.
“Maybe, but I’m not the one who decided to explode the damn cauldron!”
“The recipe clearly says to heat the potion at a temperature of one hundred degrees!”
“I KNOW FIRST YEARS who know that you’re not supposed to heat potions that contain Jobberknoll feathers and Neem oil without elm root BECAUSE THEY EXPLODE WHEN THEY REACH seventy damn degrees!”
“What are you doing with Jabberknoll feathers?” Kuroko asked, curiosity momentarily overcoming his urgency about his run in with Akashi.
Ogiwara yelped and jumped into the air while Momoi simply turned towards him, rolling her eyes at Ogiwara.
“Tetsu-kun!” she grinned widely, all traces of ire disappearing in an instant. “Thank god, this idiot came up with a prank that’s smarter than his brain!”
“Tetsu, tell your snake that you don’t heat Jabberknoll feathers and Neem oil without-”
“Can we table this?” Kuroko asked. “Please, we need to talk.”
Momoi and Ogiwara exchanged concerned glances, but followed Kuroko into the unused storeroom that served as their base of operations.
“What happened?” Momoi asked.
“So I just had an interesting conversation with Akashi Seijuro,” Kuroko began, and Ogiwara let out a strangled noise.
“What did Sei-chan want?” Momoi asked, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully.
“Sei- oh right, I keep forgetting you’re his friend too,” Ogiwara said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Does he know how much of a delinquent you actually are?”
The smile Momoi sent Ogiwara was positively angelic, up until her fist made contact with his side.
“Please shut up,” Kuroko said, ducking into an empty classroom and turning to face the other two fourth years. “We need a plan.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Momoi, did you know?” Kuroko asked. He was staring her right in the eyes. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, mouth turned down at the idea that there was something going on she had no ability to predict.
Kuroko felt himself relax a little at that. Momoi would have told him if she had known about what Akashi had planned to do. Kuroko anticipated that if she had known what Akashi wanted out of that conversation, she would have tried to convince him Kuroko should enter, as Akashi had.
“Akashi told me that Hogwarts is hosting an interschool tournament,” Kuroko said. “Dozens of schools dueling each other for the top position. We’ll have two teams of six students representing us, one team from the younger years, one from the upper ones.”
Momoi blushed bright red.
“Uh,” she murmured. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” Ogiwara snapped, turning to her. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I knew,” she said. “I helped design the bracket system they’re going to use to choose which Hogwarts students will represent us. The Headmaster had strenuous objections to the use of a magical artifact that could form binding magical contracts with students.”
“You knew and didn’t tell us?” Ogiwara yelled.
“Hey, this isn’t some stupid prank, that’s classified school business and ministry intelligence-”
“Akashi wants me to compete.”
Kuroko silenced his feuding friends by jumping straight to the point.
“He said he thinks my invisibility is interesting.”
There was a world of bitterness in the fourth year’s voice. His eyes gleamed too bright in the torchlight with tears that had not yet fallen.
“He’s going to expose how weak I am in front of the entire school, and when he’s seen what he currently refusing to see, he’ll abandon me to the wolves,” Kuroko finished, voice rough with frustration.
Momoi and Ogiwara exchanged glances.
“I need you to help me run interference,” Kuroko cut off whatever either of them intended to say. He didn’t want their assurances that he was a perfectly adequate wizard. He was a realist. He would never compete on the same field as someone like Akashi, and he didn't need false compliments to dull the pain of that knowledge.
“We need a prank. Something big. Something that will distract him enough that he won’t even remember me until after the entire thing is done, and by then it will be too late.”
Momoi’s lips twitched in agitation, holding back whatever it was she wanted to say. Ogiwara leaned back against the wall, resigned to not having this fight with his friend all over again.
“Something big, huh?” he asked. “Well, we can shelve the Jaberknoll feathers for another day then. Were you thinking of something disruptive enough to cancel classes?”
“I was thinking that the day before sign ups for the tournament close, we should implement Operation Ice Princess.”
“But they’re only giving us a week, and the spell work alone-”
“We’ll do it in a week,” Ogiwara said. “We’ve got your back Kuroko. We can make it work.”
Kuroko nodded. He felt tired, coming down off the adrenaline of his encounter with the Slytherin. But he felt better, having a plan.
“Okay then, let’s do it,” Momoi agreed. “Now, if we’re going to be plotting mayhem and destruction for the next week, we should get to dinner now. We don’t want to miss the Headmaster’s grand announcement of this tournament you don’t want any part in.”
She sounded annoyed. Her voice was too sharp and too quick. As she turned around, bright pink hair flouncing in Kuroko’s face, he held back a sigh.
She had it all backwards. He wanted nothing more than to compete in this tournament, to have more than a snowball’s chance in hell. But one on one, facing an opponent with all their attention on him, his only true power was useless.
Momoi would get over her disappointment, just as he had, Kuroko thought firmly, and followed his friends to the Great Hall.
…
The Headmaster’s announcement was greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm and cheering from the students. From the hum of excitement that followed every group of students leaving dinner that night, there wasn’t a single student in the castle who didn’t intend to compete. It was the only thing anyone talked about.
Who would fight who, who had the best chance of winning, what kind of spells they would see - it was a veritable racket of noise coming from every single quarter of the school.
That excitement bled into the next several days, and Kuroko found himself actively avoiding his peers even more than he ordinarily did (not that it took all that much work). More than once, he had looked up during meals with the uncomfortable feeling he was being watched, only to look over at the Slytherin table to see that Akashi had his red eyes trained on Kuroko.
Without fail, whenever this happened, Akashi would smile pleasantly, nod, and look away.
It boiled Kuroko’s blood.
By Friday, he was ready to jump off the astronomy tower just to avoid hearing one more word about the stupid, blasted, ridiculous tournament.
At least this whole thing would be over and done with soon.
In the meantime, he was going to spend his time working on the prank they had kept in reserve since Momoi had come up with it last spring, and sequestered himself in the library.
The latter turned out to be a tactic that was less than effective.
For the second time that week, Kuroko found his studies distracted by a shadow falling over his textbook.
This time, he did not react. He turned to the next page and continued to process the text’s information on the various reactions of ingredients in the potion they would be working on tomorrow.
“Tetsu-kun, why are you ignoring me?”
The whining voice was accompanied by an adorable pout, and Kuroko sighed, snapping his book shut. There was no point trying to get any work done with Satsuki vying for his attention.
“Momoi,” he acknowledged. “I would like to remain ahead of the curve in potions. If there’s anything you need for the prank, please talk to Shige.”
The pink haired girl smiled beautifully as Kuroko’s attention focused on her.
“I can’t just come find my friend in the library to talk?”
“Momoi, you never just want to talk.”
Momoi hummed in appreciation, tilting her head to the side innocently and folding her hands behind her back. Kuroko didn’t have the heart to tell her that her already impressive burgeoning cleavage didn’t do anything whatsoever to convince him of what she wanted.
“So about this tournament.”
Ah.
That was a different tone than she’d had when she was talking about the tournament yesterday, and there was something strained in it that Kuroko recognized.
He’d known that Momoi was friends with the Generation of Miracles. She had entered Hogwarts as Aomine Daiki’s best friend. But somewhere along the way, Kuroko had forgotten all that. And now it seemed that they were going to use his friend to try to make him do what they wanted.
And that pissed him the fuck off. He immediately reopened the book, shuffling towards the page he’d been on previously.
“No.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot-”
“Absolutely not.”
“I think we should call off the prank. And I think you should enter.”
“No.”
“Tetsu-“
“Momoi, I am not entering the tournament,” Kuroko said. He didn’t think he’d ever been this angry talking to his friend, but he could feel the burn of pure rage racing through his veins. Momoi at least knew why he wanted to stay in the shadows, so why was she trying to convince him otherwise?
“You’re not even a little curious too see if you can use your talents to your advantage?” Momoi asked. “You don’t want to see what you could do if you pushed yourself to your limits? Akashi can help you develop powers-”
“I’m not interested in power,” Kuroko said lightly, gesturing at the black and yellow sigil on his chest. “It isn’t my way of doing magic. And I don’t care about what Akashi can or can’t teach me, because it’s never going to be enough! I’ll never be what he wants me to be and I don’t want-“
“What? To get your hopes up? To be proven right, that all this time you really were just so weak that you’re invisible?”
The words weren’t meant to be cruel, but they cut deep. Kuroko didn’t need to respond, because Momoi already knew she’d hit on exactly what his problem was. He grit his teeth together.
“Even if you’re right,” Momoi said, after a long silence. “Even if you lose, you could still have fun with it, you know?”
“I don’t - what?” Kuroko asked slowly.
Momoi grinned, seeing the perfect chance to bring Kuroko out of whatever funk he’d been in since speaking to Akashi.
“Yes!” she squealed. “The speed, the strength, the creativity of the spells, it’s all an art in and of itself!”
She clasped her hands together and swirled around in a complete circle, her pink hair swinging out around her. Kuroko ducked just in time to avoid being hit with it, thankfully dropping down on top of his notes so that nothing else was swept away in the rush of hair.
Straightening his things, Kuroko considered what Momoi had said.
His curiosity was piqued.
He hadn’t considered the idea of doing this purely for fun, as something he might enjoy. It was worth exploring, maybe? If it really was something like what his friend was describing. After all, he knew Momoi religiously read dueling magazines and kept abreast of the competitive circuit.
“I see.”
“Besides, if you don’t enter the tournament and compete to the best of your ability, I’ll tell on you.”
Kuroko tilted his head to the side.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Oh, Tetsu-kun, where would I even begin?” Momoi let out a put upon sigh that Kuroko was reasonably sure was 100% contrived. “I know that our adorable, darling Tetsu-kun is quite a rebel in disguise and has been all over the castle causing all sorts of chaos and destruction in this sacred learning environment. It would only be in the best interests of the students and the school that I inform the professors. I do want to make prefect next year, after all.”
The Slytherin said this with a straight face that rivaled even Kuroko’s deadpan. Kuroko remembered her issuing pretty much the exact same threat to him and Ogiwara at the age of eleven. He was impressed - it was even better the second time around. Momoi’s place in Slytherin was well deserved.
“You’re blackmailing me. Again.”
Momoi beamed.
“Exactly!” she said, and Kuroko shuddered.
“Fine, fine,” he said. “I’ll compete in the stupid tournament.”
It wasn’t like he had any chance of winning that sixth spot, even if he did try as hard as he could to take it. Kuroko knew that his powers were inclined to different strengths than most other witches and wizards. He had accepted that and begun to change his style of casting in response. In the end, however, his style of magic was a mere curiosity. It wasn’t powerful, or even useful, really.
He would show Momoi and Akashi that he really was nothing special, and then he’d go back to his quiet life of obscurity. The sooner he got this over with the better, but in the meantime, maybe Momoi was right.
Maybe, regardless of power, regardless of strength, this could still be fun.
Momoi seemed satisfied by his answer, because she hummed and skipped away, her hair flouncing impressively behind her.
Kuroko rubbed at a budding headache in his temples.
That girl was a danger to society.
And he’d been kind of looking forward to that prank too.
…
Akashi couldn’t ever remember a time when Hogwarts was this… entertaining. The tournament itself promised to be a welcome distraction (even if its results were entirely inevitable). But more than that, the discovery of an invisible boy, hiding among them and using his magic so subtly that even Akashi had failed to catch on for three entire years –
He was impressed. He was intrigued.
Shintarou had been absolutely right about the best way to get his attention, too. Akashi had been very pleased with the way the fourth year Ravenclaw was applying his quick wit.
“He hasn’t put his name down yet.”
Ah, speaking of his favorite Ravenclaw.
“He still has until tomorrow afternoon. I have faith that Tetsuya will not disappoint us.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“He’s hungry,” Akashi murmured, turning to face his friend. “I did a little digging. Until last year, his grades were barely above failing. Satsuki tells me he’s done little but study and aid his friend in causing some minor accidents around the castle for his first three years. He’s frustrated with his lack of progress. Once he is convinced that there is progress to be had, he will accept my tutelage.”
“He’s very stubborn,” Midorima observed.
“Without a strong will, there can be no victory,” Akashi replied. “He might have made an excellent Slytherin.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
Akashi laughed.
“You have developed quite the inner eye, especially as of late. Why don’t you tell me what you think our dear Tetsuya will do?”
Midorima scowled.
Akashi stood. He didn’t even bother smirking at the truth he saw in his friend’s face.
“I should get back to the common room,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
…
Kuroko didn’t know what he was waiting for.
It was past midnight, well after curfew. The only light in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts was the moonlight that was drifting through the high, arched windows above him.
Should he, or shouldn’t he.
He’d promised Momoi, but he was quite certain that prank or not, Kuroko could avoid Momoi for half a day, if it came to it. He could even fake an illness. Even if Akashi suspected something, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
He had an out.
He could fall back into oblivion. He could stay invisible.
Kuroko clenched his right fist. The thought didn’t bring him the comfort it once might have.
What if Momoi and Akashi were right?
He didn’t want to hope, but the thought made something inside his heart soar at the words. Perhaps there was something more to his invisibility, something worthwhile and useful.
“Are you going to stand there all night?”
Kuroko whirled around in alarm.
Leaning against the wall a few yards down from him was the Head Boy, Nijimura Shuzo. He was scowling, drawn up to every inch of his intimidating height, power crackling around him like static.
Kuroko swallowed, excuses falling through his brain like sand in a sieve.
“A little bird told me that one of our fourth years was out and about after curfew,” the Head Boy said casually.
“I was curious, and I came to see what kind of trouble he might be getting into.”
“No trouble tonight,” Kuroko defended reflexively, and the scowl lifted a little as Nijimura processed that.
“Not tonight, huh?” he asked. “Then what are you doing?”
“Contemplating the nature of my existence.”
“Sounds productive.”
“Not really.”
Nijimura chuckled, but his face sobered fairly quickly.
“The way I see it,” he said, holding up his hands to forestall any objections, “not that you asked of course, but the way I see it, you either gotta put your name down or walk away. Dithering doesn’t help anyone. If you’re gonna try, you need to commit. And if you can’t do that, you have no business cluttering the field.”
And didn’t Kuroko know that.
“Maybe I’m trying to decide if I can do that or not.”
Nijimura reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s two in the morning, so I’m going to give you some advice, and then you are going to go to bed, so that I can go to bed.”
Kuroko leaned forward, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“It’s a fucking dueling tournament. Enter or don’t, but there is absolutely nothing existential about it. Win, lose, it doesn’t matter because in the end you will always be whoever you decide you are, because dueling is a game that is supposed to be challenging but still fun. You should be more concerned about the fact that you are keeping your Head Boy from his sleep when he has N.E.W.T.S to study for along with the rest of this nonsense. And I’m graciously giving you thirty seconds to make a decision before I wake up a professor to give you detention.”
Kuroko looked back over to the sheet.
Damn his own fears, his own insecurities. If he was as weak as he believed, nothing would change. If he found a strength he didn’t know existed, he could only stand to gain.
Did he want this?
Kuroko reached out and picked up the quill lying on top of the sign up sheet for the underclassmen. It was almost entirely filled, but Kuroko penned his name at the bottom of the parchment.
“There we go,” Nijimura said encouragingly. “Now my little wayward badger, it’s off to bed. Now.”
He shooed Kuroko down the steps towards the Hufflepuff common room, waiting until he watched Kuroko vanish behind the set of barrels guarding their common room.
It wasn’t until he was almost asleep in his bed that Kuroko realized that something was incredibly off about his encounter with the Head Boy. He hadn’t noticed it right away but Nijimura had had absolutely no trouble locating him standing perfectly still in the darkness.
...