double, double, toil and trouble

Chapter 31

"Leave"

In the space between them, it felt as though every single light in the world had been snubbed out. There was a chilling tide that kept the three figured rooted where they stood- holding them in place, enjoying all too eagerly the confrontation.

Leave... It was just another warning, one that Doyoung would simply ignore.

"I can't do that. I'm not leaving without Donghyuck."

At such outright defiance, Mrs Lee rises to her feet. She doesn't raise her voice, but Doyoung could feel the chill in the air around them seep deep into his skin, taking root in his bones, "You have no power over him."

"I'm afraid, mother, that is where you are wrong" And with a calculated smirk, Doyoung waves his hands, a piece of parchment materialising beside him. He draws his parents' attention to the signature at the bottom- the signature of the Minister of Magic, "I am now Donghyuck's legal guardian."

"Impossible!" His father spits, but Doyoung only smiles, all too happy to torture them with what information he has.

"You have been right about one thing, that it is important to ally yourself with powerful people", He admits, his dark smile never leaving his face, "As soon as you took Donghyuck from Hogwarts, Headmaster Lee came to me. You might remember Taeyong from when we went to school together. Anyhow, we took a trip to the Ministry of Magic to speak to the Minister about Donghyuck's care and wellbeing-"

"You had no right-!"

"I have every right!" Doyoung bellows, cutting off the man he used to call 'father', "That is my brother, that is my family, and he deserves more than this, he's always deserved more-!"

Mr Lee raises his wand, and no objection is heard from the woman next to him, "You can't just waltz in here with some piece of paper and demand to take away our child."

"But you've never treated him like a child, like a son. You didn't treat either of us like a child of yours" He all but growls, years of repressed rage and abuse suddenly coming to a boiling point, "So by order of the Minister of Magic and the laws of which we live by, I am Donghyuck's legal guardian until we set a court date. Then we can go to the Ministry and debate custody, and when they finally deem you unsuitable to care for him, because they will deem you unsuitable, then I will become his full-time guardian and you'll have no claim over him."

The unfiltered rage that dawned on Mr Lee's face was something that Doyoung preened at.

They didn't care about Donghyuck, not in that way. They were angry and humiliated that Doyoung had dared challenge them. It was the attack on their power and influence that they feared- not the loss of Donghyuck's guardianship.

"Incendio!" Mr Lee bellows, a stream of sparks shooting from the tip of his wand, causing the piece of paper by Doyoung's side to go up in flames- burning violently as the ink bled from the parchment.

Before any sort of smugness or relief could cross either one of his parents' faces, Doyoung merely waves his hand, the flames dimming in a controlled manner till they vanish entirely and the words rearrange themselves back to how they were.

He wasn't stupid. Of course he charmed the declaration so that no harm could come to it. He also had a copy locked up within the Ministry in case his parents knew how to break such a spell.

As his father's face turns red, his mother merely casts a glance his way, his breathing still controlled as her eyes stay trained on the parchment floating between them, "If you think that we still do not have friends in the Ministry, people to persuade in our favour, then you are mistaken"

However, Doyoung doesn't give them the satisfaction of continuing such a conversation. He simply nods his head before he slowly turns on his heel, "I look forward to seeing you before the Minister", he calls back softly, padding towards the door on his way to Donghyuck's room.

But before he could get far, there's a shout and a powerful blast is sent in Doyoung's direction.

~

He's heard enough. He's heard enough, and he's made up his mind.

He has to go. Now.

Donghyuck tugs the Extendable Ear back up harshly, throwing it down onto his bed before he grabs his Hogwarts trunk, lifting it with a grunt onto his bed.

He crosses the room swiftly to his cauldron. Was it ready? Perhaps, Donghyuck's not entirely sure- but he's run out of time.

He grabs his potions textbook, one of his most prized possessions, with all of his extra notes and hacks and he throws it into his open trunk before closing it again, the latch clicking shut. He tugs on it just to make sure, and when he's satisfied, he lunges for his cauldron.

Doubt crosses his mind once again as he stares down at the bubbling liquid. What if the spell on his door still holds and this has been for nothing? What if the spell acts as some sort of shield and the potion is unleashed on him?

With the commotion going on downstairs- rattling and smashing, the walls of the house practically shaking at every spell fired, a battle ensuing between his brother and his parents, Donghyuck pushes such thoughts out of his head.

There wasn't time for him to question his methods any further.

As he gritted his teeth, leaving everything up to fate, Donghyuck grabs the handle of his cauldron with one hand and his wand with the other before he launches the black pot towards the door.

As his potion goes hurdling through the air, Donghyuck flings himself to the far end of his room and falls to his knees, his arms coming up to protect his head and as a deafening crash resonates through the room.

And then, for a moment, he swears that the world falls silent.

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Notes-

Since there's not many chapters left I might see if I can update every day but thank you all for being so patient with this ☺️