That night, Katsuki made a stop before bathing. A bag with his pajamas was slung over his left shoulder. The Goblet of Fire had been placed in the center of the entrance hall on the very four-legged stool used at the beginning of the school year. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor. It formed a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

He stepped across the Age Line and stood in front of the goblet. He raised his left hand and read the slip of parchment's black ink.

Katsuki Bakugo — Hogwarts

Without blinking, he dropped it into the blue-white flames. The fire turned red for a brief moment, emitting sparks.

It didn't matter that nobody saw him. Everybody would hear his name called tomorrow.

With the deed done, Katsuki turned and headed for the fifth floor of Hogwarts. The prefects' bathroom was only available to the school's prefects, Head Boy, Head Girl, and Quidditch captains. However, Katsuki had used this bathroom since his third year.

He approached the fourth door to the left of a statue of Boris the Bewildered. The lost-looking wizard wore his gloves on the wrong hands.

"Rubber duck," Katsuki said.

The door creaked open, and he walked inside, bolting the door behind him as a precaution.

A candle-filled chandelier lit the bathroom where everything was made of white marble. In the middle of the floor was an empty, rectangular swimming pool. Nearly a hundred golden taps stood around its edges, each one with a different colored jewel set into its handle. One of the short sides had a diving board, and a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner. The windows were covered by long, white linen curtains, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a mermaid fast asleep on a rock. Long blonde hair covered her face, and it fluttered every time she snored.

With each step that Katsuki took, his footsteps echoed off the walls. He grabbed one of the towels before turning on a few of the taps, creating a mixture of calming scents and different colors. Despite its size, it wouldn't take long for the deep pool to be filled with hot water, foam, and bubbles.

In the meantime, he set down his things by the edge of the pool. Since his tie was long gone, he slipped out of his slippers and took off his socks without looking at his feet. He removed his sweater and button-up next. His torso and arms were riddled with scars, much like the rest of him. Ugly cuts and gashes inflicted by spells had healed with time. An emblem was seared into his skin as if he was some branded animal. On the left side of his chest was a right-handed gauntlet with a closed fist. The unscathed parts of him were his head, neck, and hands.

This was the only place in Hogwarts where he didn't need to worry about somebody seeing his scars. Others who had access to the room were told it closed during certain hours of the night and morning. All staff, even Mr. Filch, knew Katsuki had special permission to bathe during that time frame, though. It gave him peace of mind.

He shed the rest of his clothes, placing his wand on top of the towel, and slipped into the water. It was deep, but he could touch the bottom. Clouds of different-colored steam wafted from the foamy water.

Eyes closed, a sigh slipped past his lips. It was all right for his guard to be down.

xXx

The following morning, the Great Hall had been decorated for Halloween. Up above, a cloud of bats flew around the enchanted ceiling. Hundreds of carved pumpkins were tucked in every corner.

Katsuki sat at the Gryffindor table. He started alone, but now all the guys from his dormitory were with him.

"Always up before us," Hanta commented.

"Things to do," Katsuki grunted.

Eijiro waggled his eyebrows. "Like entering the tournament?"

"I did that last night."

Shoto blinked. "But you were with us when we left the Hall last night."

"Mind your business, Half 'n' Half."

"Oh, you must have done it before your bath," Izuku reasoned. "Or maybe after."

Katsuki flexed his jaw. What a damn nosy nerd.

Mina and Ochako approached the table. "We just entered the tournament!" Mina said.

Eijiro smiled. "Now all of us here have!"

"I'm nervous and excited about it," Ochako admitted, a spark of determination in her eyes.

Mina patted her back as they sat down. "No sense in working yourself up now."

"Yeah, wait until you're picked," Hanta joked.

Izuku waved at the two students walking over to the group. "Hey, guys!"

Denki Kaminari, a Hufflepuff, was five foot six and had a slim build. Golden blond hair had a streak of black in the shape of a lightning bolt on the left side of his head. He had a bright shade of golden eyes.

The Slytherin was Kyoka Jiro. Every bit of the petite, fair-skinned girl was punk. Short, dark purple hair was styled in an asymmetrical fringe. Bangs fell above onyx eyes.

These two were part of the six-member Bakusquad.

"Denki!" Eijiro greeted.

Denki smiled. "Eijiro!"

"Squad's all here," Kyoka mused, glancing over the table.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for the idiots to be reunited."

"What idiots?" Eijiro, Mina, Hanta, and Denki asked.

Katsuki merely arched an eyebrow at Kyoka, and she shrugged in the form of a silent response.

"What brings you over here?" Shoto inquired.

Denki grinned. "Checking out the competition. You lot entered, right?"

Ochako nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"

"I'm sure almost everyone eligible to enter will enter," Izuku said.

"Won't matter since"—Eijiro threw an arm over Katsuki's shoulder—"Katsuki knows he'll be chosen. Feels it in his bones, he does."

"You have three seconds before I rip off your limb," Katsuki warned through gritted teeth.

"Remind me why you aren't in Slytherin with Kyoka," Shoto deadpanned as Eijiro removed his arm.

Katsuki didn't break eye contact with Shoto. Something stirred within his chest.

Izuku looked scared for Shoto suffering Katsuki's wrath. "Uh, I'm not sure—"

"You'll never fucking understand," Katsuki said coolly.

Silence fell over the table until Ochako spoke without thinking. "Did you just admit to being a Gryffindor?"

Crimson eyes flickered over to her. "What of it?"

"Ever since our first year, I've never heard you admit that. Well, in a sense."

"Yeah, what changed?" Hanta asked.

Me, Katsuki thought. Instead of answering, he pushed his finished plate forward and left the table. "Don't have time for you bloody extras right now."

xXx

A/N: Nothing like unlocking more of Katsuki's past.