Chapter Text
The orphanage was a miserable place. Cold, damp, dingy, much like the dark sewer chamber the Twenty-Fifth Baam used to herald as his residence. Well, without the stench of dead rats and feces of course. However the dreary orphanage came with its own host of challenges, namely other kids.
Despite being a somewhat out-going person, to his knowledge at least, Baam had never liked the kids at the orphanage. Many of them were sad, chained down to their beds with bone deep sorrows and constantly wallowing in their own self pity.
Baam had brief memories of his early childhood up until he was five, but it was mostly a few episodic memories like running in a field and a pale haired child around his age. Strangely, in all his memories, figures he had always assumed were his parents appeared as a mosaic of colours.
The caretakers were not any better. Many were mean and sour faced old women and men. The only relatively tolerable one was a man named Ha Jin Sung, a tall dark-haired man. He was strict, but he respected Baam and taught him to defend himself against the few bullies who pranced down the dilapidated corridors of the orphanage.
Last but not least, there was Rachel. Rachel was an average looking blonde haired girl, though she appeared all but outstanding, to Baam she was the nicest person he had ever met. Unlike Jin Sung who took some time to warm up to, Rachel welcomed him with open arms. As far as Baam could remember Rachel had always tended to him, she was his first real friend and to Baam, Rachel was like the sun, casting warm golden rays of happiness upon him. Whenever Rachel was around, Baam always felt at ease, like he had someone he could put his trust in. Frankly, Baam would not know what he would do without Rachel.
“Baam! Wake up, Jin Sung’s looking for you in the mess hall!” Rachel’s voice, roused Baam from his sleep.
A sliver of sunlight peeked through the slits in Baam’s eyelids. Groaning, Baam rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up in the thin, stiff futon. Baam stood up, getting dressed, before he scurried down the deserted corridors towards the mess hall.
As he entered the empty hall, Baam approached the silhouette of a tall relatively lean man.
“Mr Jin Sung?” Bam meekly tapped the figure on the shoulder.
The tall dark-haired man turned around, facing Baam with a grave expression. For a second Baam thought that he had done something to offend Jin Sung and was ready to drop into a deep bow of apology, when a goofy looking grin enveloped Jin Sung's stern features. He slipped a manilla envelope from the waistband of his trousers, leisurely tossing it to Baam.
“Ha! Gotcha’. You looked like you were about to shit yourself.” Ha Jin Sung cackled like a hyena.
Baam had fumbled barely managing to get a grip on the envelope before it fluttered to the ground. He scratched the back in embarrassment as he looked up towards Jinsung.
“What’s this for?” Bam inquired, his thumb lightly tracing the haphazardly stamped ruby-coloured seal.
“That’s exactly what I called you here to tell you.” Jin Sung took Baam by the shoulders, guiding him towards a nearby bench, sitting him down.
“This here young Baam is your invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Frankly, I think it’s a great opportunity for you to unleash your true potential. Besides, with how the orphanage treats the kids here, you should be jumping for joy at the thought of being able to escape from this miserable shithole.”
“Witchcraft and Wizardry?” Bam tilted his head to the side, much like a puzzled puppy. Which Jin Sung found rather endearing.
“Oh… Right! I forgot.” Jin Sung facepalmed at his own negligence, before clearing his throat theatrically.
“You’re a wizard Baam.”