Gryffindor Tower - Year 2015

Luhan plops down on his bed, feeling exhausted after a grueling day of Quidditch. He never thought the sport would be this taxing. After all, he had played soccer all his lifeat least until he entered Hogwarts. He thought hed do as well as he did on the soccer field back in China. He was one of the most promising players in his primary school. He was even the team captain.

Ah, but Quidditch is different from soccer. He was expecting it to be just a little bit more difficult. It wasnt his first time flying; he had already practiced back at home. He thought it would be more complicated, as it involved more tools, and a few more balls. It was more of a challenge to him. Would he be able to do as well as he did in other sports? Would he be varsity material? This would be the first wizarding sport he wholeheartedly participated inhe tried wizards chess, but it was basically muggle chess with heightened brutalityand he wanted to excel in it. By the looks of it, though, Luhan is far from excelling. He was barely able to survive todays try-outs. That is, if being added to the shortlist counts as surviving.

Luhan shakes his head, remembering how awfully he did in the try-outs. He was able to fly around on his Yajirushi with ease, but neither with accuracy nor speed. All the other players were zooming past him, save for a few who could barely keep themselves from falling. Luhan was one of the middle candidates, which is not saying much since the ones who did well did really well, and the ones who did badly were miserably bad. Still, he made it to the shortlist, and thats already enough for him considering how mediocre his performance was.

The day takes its toll on him, as he starts to transition from exhausted to burnt out. He looks around the room, taking the sights in with a dreamy sigh. This is it. He's actually here. He lets his hands feel the soft scarlet fabric covering his canopy bed. The whole room is covered in scarlet and goldhis bed, the desks, the curtainsand it makes him feel even more elated. Hes finally at this school, and he can play Quidditch now. He takes a deep breath, as if hes inhaling this to be installed in his memory forever. His mind wanders to the past as he drifts off to a deep slumber.

Haidian District, Beijing, China - Year 2000

This was his home. Hed been an inhabitant of this city for as long as he can remember. For the past ten or so years he had been living on this Earth, he had unconsciously memorized the place he grew up in. He knew every town, every street, every nook and cranny. He had walked through the places as if he owned the whole city. He knew the places to avoid, and the places to frequent.

This was his home, and he knew it like the back of his hand.

At least he thought he did.

Luhan was no stranger to the wizarding world. Hes a pureblood. His parents are the Chinese equivalent to the Malfoysbloodline prejudice excluded. His father worked for the Ministry, and his mother was one of the best witches to ever graduate from Mahoutokoro, the Japanese wizarding school. Their family was one of the most respected ones in the Chinese Wizarding World.

Luhan practically grew up as a prince with all of his wishes granted, and all of his whims treated as if they were the most important requests. One thing, however, wasnt received well by his father. He couldnt play Quidditch. Its a waste of time, his father said. Focus on your studies if you want to become a minister like me. He begged and begged for a top-of-the-line broomstick, and he got one but that was the end of it. He was allowed to use it after school and before dinner, but he was never permitted to use it for Quidditch purposes.

Eventually, his desire to play the sport died down. He thought it best to just follow his fathers orders. He spent his free time playing Wizards Chess, but that was a fleeting hobby. It was too brutal, he decided, and he didnt want any of that. He still got on his broom from time to time, but in the end he opted for a bicycle instead. He pushed Quidditch at the bottom of his priorities just because his father told him to.

Quidditch wasnt ready to quit him, it seemed.

Luhan didnt know exactly how he got there. He made a few unfamiliar turns, perhaps. Maybe he took a few steps too many. These streets seem a little too bright for the Wizarding China of today. Some shops looked similar to the ones Luhan knows only theyre a bit more jovial and welcoming.

Strange things werent that strange to Luhan he was a wizard, after all. This place, however, wasnt what he was used to. It was too normal. Normalcy wasnt his thing, and it made him feel uncomfortable. He urgently ran through the streets, looking for something that would push him back to his side of the neighborhood. Some misplaced bricks on a wall, a petrified hand sculpture, a glowing portal he needed something, anything that would make this place feel more like home.