Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Izuku looked away from his notebook to glance at the empty desks in front of him, deep in thought. He had arrived early to Defense Against the Dark Arts after being excused from his previous class. 

He had been requested by his potions professor, Midnight. Apparently, she took notice of his natural talent for potions and wanted him to participate in the yearly potions competition she hosted. Midnight said it was to gain experience and extra credit in her class, but everyone knew it was mainly for her own enjoyment.

Izuku hadn’t given her a definite answer. He already had a lot on his plate studying for classes, tutoring with Professor Toshinori, and attending quidditch practice. However, it was a hard invitation to pass up, he did have a passion for it after all. As a child, he had read many books on potions when his magic didn’t appear. He didn’t want to disappoint Midnight who clearly saw potential in him.

He’d decide once he found space in his schedule.

“Midoriya.”

The green haired boy turned, a little startled, as Todoroki approached him. 

“Hi, Todoroki.” He smiled at his fellow Slytherin classmate. “You’re here early, too?”

“Not on purpose. Professor Hizashi ended class once everyone finished their test.” He shrugged, taking the seat beside Izuku. “What about you?”

Izuku closed his notebook before the half-haired boy could take an inconspicuous peek.

“Oh, I got called out to talk to Midnight, and it ended pretty quickly. She wants me to join her potion competition this year.”

“The love potion contest?” Todoroki asked, recalling the contest held last year.

“Well, this year it’s a mind control slash brainwashing potion.” Izuku scratched his forehead timidly. “She mentioned some of the requirements and it sounds tough.”

“So you are participating.”

“I’m not sure yet. I might not have time for it.” He said, deflated.

“I think it’d be great if you could. You do have a knack for it.” Todoroki encouraged while pulling out his DADA book. “I heard Kirishima say something about potions in class. Maybe he’s participating.”

Izuku perked up at that. He knew Kirishima struggled with potions the last couple of years. Izuku had helped the Gryffindor quite a bit; that was until Bakugou took over and started tutoring him on his own, claiming he was better at potions than him.

If Kirishima participated, that meant he’d grown confident in his skills.

“I should ask him about it!”

As classes ended and the chatter in the corridors grew louder, students started to trickle inside. A brown haired Hufflepuff bounced towards the desk in front of Izuku and Todoroki.

“Hey boys!” Uraraka greeted.

“Hi, Midoriya. Hi, Todoroki.” Tsuyu said from beside her.

“Uraraka! Tsu! How are you guys doing?” Izuku asked as Todoroki slightly raised his hand in greeting.

“Same old, same old. I want to take a nap.” Uraraka sighed. “Oh! We saw Iida running up the halls because he forgot his DADA book in the dorms. It’s funny seeing him break the rules.” She snickered.

“Oh, I saw him, too.” Kaminari laughed, taking his seat a few desks ahead of them. “He ran into Professor Thirteen and got in trouble.”

“Good. Fucker needs to get off his high-horse.” Bakugou announced as he entered with Kirishima in tow.

“That’s ironic.” Tsu muttered, making Uraraka giggle.

Izuku looked nervously at the ash blonde passing by them. Even after four years of attending Hogwarts together, albeit in different houses, he still wasn’t used to people fearlessly making fun of Kacchan. 

The boy glared at Tsu, and was about to retort when Kirishima beat him to it.

“Hey, guys! Ready to see Aizawa’s hex deflection skills?” He asked excitedly.

Today, they would be learning advanced versions of the spells from last year. Aizawa had mentioned earlier this year that he expected a lot from his class. This must’ve been what he meant.

“Yes! You think he’ll make us try it out?” Uraraka wondered.

“I don’t think he would.” Izuku muttered, mostly to himself. “Not right away, at least.”

“Why?” Bakugou asked, his stare intimidating. “Don’t trust your skills, Deku?”

“That’s not it.” He replied a tad bit annoyed.

“Doesn’t matter.” The blonde growled, leaning over Izuku’s desk. “You better hope he doesn’t pit us against each other ‘cuz the second he does I’m beating your ass.”

Memories of their second year quidditch tournament resurfaced. Bakugou never held back when trying to win, especially not against Slytherin.

Todoroki suddenly lifted his book up high, almost hitting Bakugou’s face if the other hadn’t moved away.

“Oh, sorry. You were blocking the light. I couldn’t see.” The Slytherin explained, heterochromic eyes staring calmly at his book. Bakugou growled at him, but was pulled away by Kirishima.

“Alright, we’ll stop bothering ya.” Kirishima gave them a thumbs up.

“For now!” Ashido added from their friend group’s area in front of the class. The pink haired Slytherin exclaimed dramatically, “You can never separate two men from their manly power hungry duties.”

“Shut up, pinky.” Bakugou yelled as he joined them.

“Is Midoriya considered a power hungry man?” Tsu asked with a thoughtful finger to her lips.

Izuku melted into his desk, covering his head with his arms.

“I hope not.” He sighed. “Thanks for that, Todoroki.”

“Don’t mention it.” The half-haired boy continued looking down at his book. “One day, you should tell him you want to “beat his ass” as much as he does, and then proceed to do so. Unlike him.”

“Wh-what do you mean?!” Izuku asked, already terrified at the idea of doing something so ballsy.

“He always shouts about how much he wants to, but never does it.” Todoroki explained.

“Yeah, all bark and no bite.” Uraraka agreed.

“I think I’m thankful for that.” Izuku told them placatingly. “He used to do more when we were younger. After our second year, he changed.”

“Didn’t he beat you up last year during quidditch?” Tsu asked.

“Yeah, he did. But…” Izuku didn’t know how to say this without sounding like a loser to his friends. “He only did so to win. He sees me as an equal opponent now, I think.”

“I guess so.” Uraraka hummed, looking at Bakugou and then back at Midoriya. “Even so, I wouldn’t mind seeing you say some shit to him.”

“I don’t think I’m able to do that without consequences.” Izuku looked at Kacchan talking with his friends. No matter how civil they became with each other, he knew they wouldn't be able to exist like regular friends do. They’ve got too much history.

Also, Izuku wouldn’t be able to explain the new thoughts that surface when he thinks about becoming close friends again.

When Professor Aizawa started class, Iida had arrived just a second before. The students listened to him quietly, but with clear impatience for the demonstrations to begin. After giving them a rundown of the types of hexes they’ll be using, he introduced Professor Toshinori as an assistant for the day. Most of the students were familiar with him as he was the Head of the Gryffindor house.

Once given permission, the students quickly cleared an open space in the middle of the classroom by pushing their desks to the side.

“Professor Toshinori will be casting the verbal hexes my way and I’ll deflect them. Notice the placement of my wand in relation to his and the type of spells.” Aizawa muttered, taking position in the clearing. “You’ll be submitting an essay of your observations for next class.”

There was a collective groan in the student’s side of the room. Toshinori shook his head, preparing his wand.

“Now now, students,” he said with a wide smile. “I’ll make sure to show you everything I’ve got, nice and clear for your notes.”

“How about writing the essays for us?” Denki called out jokingly, standing beside an unamused Jirou. Aizawa gave the Hufflepuff a humourless stare.

“I’ll make it two essays for you, Mister Kaminari.”

Izuku felt a nudge on his back. He turned to see Todoroki talking with Iida.

The boy with glasses whispered. “He would have warned us by now if he expected us to try hex deflecting next class.”

“Yeah.” Izuku agreed. “I don’t think we’re doing this anytime soon.”

Momo, the ponytailed Ravenclaw, joined them hushly. 

“That seems likely, but don’t you think he’s the type to surprise us?” She asked curiously. “He may even tell us to do so today.”

“That’s true.” Todoroki nodded. “Either way, we have to watch carefully.”

Izuku gulped. He was confident that they wouldn’t, but the possibility of it happening made him jittery. Being hit by a hex, especially one as strong as Bakugou’s didn’t sound too appealing. Izuku was semi-confident in his own skills, the extra lessons with Toshinori, one of the wizarding world’s strongest aurors, had helped strengthen his power. However, he would have to heavily prepare to go against a naturally stong wizard who held the fire to win and the magic to prove it.

“Alright, let’s begin.” Aizawa hushed the class as the two professors held out their wands.

The mummers were silenced as they waited with bated breath for Toshinori to cast the first hex. The tension grew when none of them moved for a full 15 seconds.

“ Engorgio skullus .” The hex shot out of his wand before he could even finish the phrase. It reached Aizawa quicker than their eyes could follow, but with a flick of his wand it diverted and hit the wall. The students breathlessly showed their amazement at their speed.

“That would have definitely hit me.” Kirishima confessed. “That was so cool.”

“Bro, I would’ve been dead by the sheer force and speed of that thing.” Kaminari quietly added. Izuku recalled the feeling of getting hit by one of Toshinori’s non-damaging spells. He didn’t want to imagine the pain of getting hexed by one at full force.

Bakugou huffed, watching the professors intently.

The class continued like that, progressing from verbal hexes to non-verbal hexes, reminding the students exactly how strong and fast the two wizards truly were. Some of the hexes were purposefully deflected towards the students’ direction, showing the accuracy gained when training with wand positions. At the end of the class, they were gathered to ask questions before going on their way.

Bakugou was the first to raise his hand.

“So when are we trying this for ourselves?”

Of course, Izuku thought. Aizawa took a while to reply, although it seemed he already had an answer in mind.

“We’ll continue studying hexes, first. Then, I’ll decide who gets to participate based on your observations and exam results.” Most students were excited at the prospect, but others were clearly nervous. “If you don’t want to participate, just don’t do well on your scores. However, you’ll risk failing my class.”

When there were no more questions, with the looming threat over their heads, they were dismissed and free for the day. Izuku told his friends he’ll meet up with them for dinner as soon as he finished his extra lessons for the day.

“You work too hard, Deku.” Uraraka said worryingly. “Don’t forget to take breaks, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure. Thank you, Uraraka.” Izuku smiled comfortingly.

As he walked towards Professor Toshinori, he faced Bakugou heading towards the exit. He internally panicked, never sure how to interact with him, as the blonde made eye contact. Sometimes he was hostile, but sometimes he’s nonchalant, almost casual. Izuku couldn’t tell anymore.

“You better do well on your shit, Deku.” He threatened, not stopping in his steps. “I’m going to fight you, and win.”

He’s looking forward to fighting me, Izuku thought giddily.

“I’ll do my best, Kacchan.” He replied. No matter his intentions, Bakugou’s still encouraging him to do well. He marvelled at the insinuated motivation.

“I don’t care!” The bombshell angrily exclaimed, finally leaving the room.

He smiled tiredly. Well, there was still room for improvement.

“Young Midoriya!” Toshinori exclaimed once he was the only student left. “Aizawa kindly let us have this room for our lessons today.”

“Yeah, just don’t break anything.” The Head of the Slytherin house mumbled tiredly as he receded into his office room.

Izuku set his robe on top of one of the desks still pushed to the side. “Professor?”

“Yes, my boy?”

“Do you know about Professor Midnight’s potions competition?” He wanted to ask more details about it while he could, maybe get some advice on how to participate while keeping up with his tight schedule.

“Oh, yes, she’s been awfully excited about gathering her contestants. I heard she offered you a spot?”

“Yeah, she did. I’m still not sure I have time to join, though.” Izuku frowned. “I would have to study the topic while also studying for my other classes, as well…”

“Brainwashing, correct?” Toshinori rubbed his pointy chin in thought. “There are plenty of ways to go about it. Do you want to join?”

“I do want to, yes.” Izuku assured, scratching the back of his head.

“Hmm, are you okay with pausing our lessons in order for you to prepare?” His professor offered. “You already don’t have to take these extra lessons, and to be honest, my boy, I’ve been thinking that I’m working you down to the bone. Maybe doing this competition will do you well.”

The green haired boy shook his hands. “No, no! I’m doing just fine. I always look forward to your lessons.”

“Still, I think you should accept the offer. It’ll be a good experience working with potions on the fly.”

Izuku nodded, smiling thankfully at Toshinori for offering him a way to do it. “I think I will. Thank you, professor.”

“No problem, my boy. Your progress is my reward.” He smiled back.

“By the way,” Izuku took his chance, “do you have any information on mind control?”

The Great Hall was full of chattering students eating their dinners. Students from different houses were intermixed, it wasn’t uncommon to see them sitting at another house’s table. The Hogwarts staff had always encouraged civility and collaboration between houses, enforcing peace unlike times before them. There was still some bad blood, but usually they were reserved for competitions like quidditch.

Izuku joined his friends: Uraraka, Todoroki, Iida, and Tsuyu at the Ravenclaw table.

“Hey, guys.” He greeted, immediately filling his plate with food. He was starving after the lessons, he went all out for their last time. “Have any of you seen Kirishima?”

“Nope.”

“Not since class.”

“Isn’t he always at the Gryffindor table?” Iida asked, politely aiming his hand at it’s direction.

“Yeah,” Izuku mumbled through a mouth full of food. “I didn’t see him or Kacchan when I passed by.”

“That’s odd.” Tsu looked past the Hufflepuff table. “Mina and Denki are there, though.”

“Hm. I’ll go ask them, real quick.” He stood up.

“Why do you need Kirishima?”

“Oh, I have to ask him about the potions competition! I meant to do so earlier in class.”

“He’s joining?” Uraraka asked, slightly shocked.

“I heard him talking about it.” Todoroki told her.

“Yeah, I’m not sure if he is, but I’m going to ask. I’ll be quick.” With that, he headed towards the Gryffindor table at the other side of the hall. Before he could reach the boisterous crowd, Mina spotted him and waved her hand.

“What’s up, Midoriya!” The pink haired Slytherin greeted. Even though it wasn’t her house, like so many other students, Mina frequented the Gryffindor table because of her friends. She didn’t care much about the hostile history between the houses.

“Hohoho, Midoriya, what brings you to this neck of the woods?” Kaminari grinned, pausing his conversation with Sero.

“Hey, I wanted to see if any of you knew where Kirishima is?” He asked. “I have to ask him something.”

“Oh, he went to the dorms to work on something.” Mina answered, looking curious. “If you need him, I’d be wary of Bakuboy. He was the one who dragged him along.”

“Ah, I see.” The freckled boy sighed, wondering if he should wait until tomorrow.

“I can help you get in if you want.” Sero, the other Hufflepuff at their table, offered.

“Huh? How do you know-”

“I’ve got my ways.” He said cryptically.

“If you want to get in, Sero’s your best bet.” Kaminari boasted for his housemate.

“Let’s go, Midoriya.” The black haired boy stood up, already leading the way.

Izuku didn’t have much of a choice, did he?

“Isn’t this against the rules?” He questioned nervously as they made their way past the moving stairs. “Neither of us are Gryffindor.”

“Maybe, I don’t remember,” Sero joked. “Aren’t you a Slytherin? Breaking the rules is part of your bloodline or something.”

“No, that’s not how it works.” He replied abashedly. They silently made their way through the bare corridors.

“Anyway,” Sero reached The Fat Lady’s portrait first, turning around to give Izuku a mischievous thumbs up. “This counts as a favor, buddy.”

“Right…” The Slytherin agreed warily, wondering what kind of Hufflepuff did these kinds of things.

“ Dulce periculum .”

The Lady opened the door without much care for their houses, revealing the cozy red and gold interior. Sero pushed him inside, waving as the door closed behind him.

“Tell them I said hi.”

And just like that, he was inside the Gryffindor towers. It was completely silent by the doorway. Izuku figured most of them were still at the dining hall. He slowly walked further inside, paranoid of disturbing the silence, the feeling of being a criminal increasing by the second. A Slytherin entering the lion’s den without any Gryffindor knowing? Yeah, it didn’t sound good even to himself.

He continued to walk quietly through the common room. It was empty. He strained his ear, trying to catch any sounds of Kirishima or Bakugou in the stairways that lead to the rooms. He didn’t want to venture any further than this; he already felt like an intruder.

Everything was quiet as he roamed the walls. After passing one of the dark stairways, the hair above his neck rose. He paused in his steps and turned his ear towards the stairs entrance behind him. It was eerily quiet.

All of the sudden, a figure hurled themselves out of the stairway, pushing their entire weight against the smaller boy. The force threw his robe’s large hood over his head, making it hard for him to see. He instinctively initiated his training and switched their positions, countering their weight with his own momentum. Izuku secured the attacker’s limbs underneath him. He still couldn’t see, but removing his hood meant letting the other move and possibly hit him.

He was about to speak and announce his peace when the two muscular arms forced themselves out of his hold and pulled him into a tight headlock, effectively keeping the hood tight over his face while also covering his mouth. Unable to talk or see, Izuku decided to stop struggling to show that he wasn’t a threat.

“What’s a dirty Slytherin sneaking around here for?” Bakugou’s gravelly voice lowered, practically whispering into Izuku’s ear under his hold. He sarcastically thanked his luck. Of course he’d get into this damning situation.

He stayed still. If he listened hard enough, he swore could hear the adrenaline beating through Kacchan’s body. His face flushed under the painful hold. How was going to get out of this unscathed? Scratch that, how was he going to get out of here without the embarrassment?

“Oh, so now you’re scared, huh,” he asked menacingly. “I can feel you shaking. Here, let me help you out.”

Suddenly, Izuku felt pain on his cheek as he was slammed onto the ground, Bakugou’s grip now on the back of his neck, legs and arms pinning down his limbs.

Well, his mouth was free now, but throbbing. He’d never wished to disapparate from the school grounds as much as he did then.

“I’m going to pull that stupid thing off your head. If you move an inch, I’ll kill you.” The violent Gryffindor threatened.

“Bakugou? Did you find…” Kirishima’s voice appeared, coming down from the stairway. “What the heck? Who is that?!”

“We’re about to find out.” He growled pressing against the robed Slytherin tightly as he lifted his hand.

Something in Izuku snapped as he realized his options. He could let Bakugou reveal his identity as he is, subdued under him and clearly the current loser of their brawl. He’ll get shamed and probably lose any of the respect Bakugou holds for him as a rival. 

On the other hand, he could try to get the upper hand, then reveal his identity. Bakugou would get angry like usual, but Izuku could say it was all a misunderstanding, then Kirishima would agree to separate them. Then, Izuku could ask Kirishima about the potions competition, alone.

He wasn’t sure if that was any better, but their rivalry is one of the only things from Kacchan that Izuku could cherish. He’d be damned if he lost it like this. Maybe his priorities were a little skewered and selfish, but he wasn’t a Slytherin without reason.

With that in mind, he twisted his arm back to grab the hand that Bakugou had pulled away. Using all the force he could muster in less than a second, he pulled him to the side, making him lose his balance.

“Fucker!” The boy managed before Izuku turned to push him onto the ground. There was a loud clang before everything got quiet. Izuku felt Bakugou’s body go limp in his grasp. He quickly pulled back his hood in panic.

“Oh, shit.” He gasped, noticing the gash on Bakugou's forehead as he lay peacefully beside the iron fireplace grate on the ground.

“Bloody hell, Midoriya!” Kirishima exclaimed. Izuku quickly turned to see the red head holding a decorative vase in his arms, ready to hit him. “What are you doing?! You scared the shit out of me.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” Izuku uncharacteristically cursed, covering his mouth quickly. “I didn’t mean to knock him out. I just - I only wanted to stop him.”

Kirishima sighed, putting down his makeshift weapon. “I believe you, but damn.” He knelt beside the unconscious Bakugou, observing the bleeding wound. “We gotta take him to the infirmary.”

Izuku nodded, already picking him up carefully in his arms, “I’m so sorry.” He wasn’t sure if he was speaking Kirishima or the silent Bakugou.

“He attacked you first didn’t he?” The Gryffindor questioned, leading the way out of the towers.

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have continued fighting.” He confessed guiltily. These were the types of actions that brought on consequences, he should have thought more rationally.

They quickly made their way to the Hospital Wing. Kirishima walked beside him, checking on the unconscious boy from time to time.

“I didn’t know you were so strong, Midoriya.” He pointed out. “Bakugou’s a tough one to fight against. I still can’t beat him in any physical duel.”

“Ahh, that was only because he gave me an opening.” Izuku said, still ashamed. “Sero was the one who let me into the dorms.” He revealed.

“Oh yeah, he knows the code. Why?”

“I wanted to ask you a question, but now I feel very dumb.” He mumbled.

“Don’t worry, Midoriya. When he wakes up, I’ll make sure he’s calm before he sees you, okay?” 

“Thank you, Kirishima.” The green-haired boy gulped, still worried for his future’s well-being. “I wanted to ask if you were joining Midnight’s potion competition?”

Kirishima looked surprised, “Me?”

“Yeah, you… You aren’t?” Izuku questioned.

“I’m flattered you think so, but no. I’m not exactly good at it, remember.” He laughed. “Bakugou is though.  He wanted to try out some of his studies on me. Hence, ditching dinner. I’m not sure it was worth it, though.” He looked worriedly at his friend in Izuku’s arms.

“Fuck,” Izuku muttered under his breath, surprising Kirishima.

“Damn Midoriya, I haven’t heard you say this many cuss words in all the years I’ve known you.” He laughed.

The Slytherin blushed, trying to hide his face by lowering it, only to get a whiff full of Bakugou’s scent in his arms. Too close, he felt as if he were harassing him in his sleep. Izuku’s face got even warmer, opting to face away from Kirishima as they reached the infirmary.

“Midoriya, I’ll take it from here.” He extended his arms. “I know you didn’t mean any harm, and I’m sure Bakugou would rather eat shit than let everyone know you knocked him out. I’ll tell Madam Chiyo it was just an accident, okay?”

Izuku sighed, it felt wrong, but he knew that was for the better. He didn’t want to make Bakugou angrier than he already would be at him. “Kirishima, I don’t know how to thank you enough. I’m sorry for all this trouble.”

“No need, just do your best in the potions competition. I’m sure that’ll make up for all this in Bakugou’s manly bro code.” The red head smiled cheerfully as he entered the Hospital Wing. “Later, Midoriya.”

As Izuku walked back to the Slytherin dungeons, he wondered just how much he had screwed himself over.

-

The first class of the day was torture. He knew Bakugou was awake, everyone in their year was talking about his visit to the infirmary, and the unknown reason for the bandage on his head. It was the mystery of the day. Guilt and fear crawled up Izuku’s spine. Thankfully, none of his friend’s asked him if he ever found Kirishima last night during breakfast. He didn’t want to hide things from them.

He had his next class with Bakugou. Ironically, it was potions class. At least Kirishima would be there, too, the only other person besides Bakugou who knew the truth, but at least that Gryffindor didn't want to beat him to death. Izuku’s honestly surprised the fiery blonde didn’t stomp to him the moment he woke up to get his well deserved revenge.

Before potions, he met up with Todoroki and Tsu in the corridors. Only Slytherins and Gryffindors had this class together this period.

“Hey, guys!” Izuku smiled, trying to act as normal as possible to hide his fear.

“Hi, Midoriya.” Tsu poked his shoulder. “Why do you look so tense?”

Izuku startled. “Huh?”

“You’re pale, Midoriya.” Todoroki pointed out, worriedly adding, “Are you feeling sick?”

“No, guys.” He laughed it off, leading the way to potions class. “I guess I need some more sunlight or something.”

Behind him, Todoroki and Tsu shared a glance, both knowingly worried. Maybe it had to do with Bakugou’s injury.

When they arrived to class, Izuku entered as bravely as he could. He’d have to face the music sooner or later, and getting it over with now was much better than waiting in fear. He immediately spotted the redhead sitting on a stool beside the spiky blonde. Their backs were turned towards the entrance, Izuku wouldn’t be able to gage the situation beforehand.

He would have to make the first move. Ignoring Todoroki and Tsu’s stares, he walked up to the Gryffindors’ desk, making two pairs of ruby eyes look at him. The friendlier one was startled and slightly worried, the other pair were angry and vicious.

The bandage looked pearly white against Bakugou’s sun kissed forehead. Well, bandages never ruined an attractive face before, Izuku thought shamelessly to himself.

“What do you want, nerd.” He stated more than asked. “Gonna try to guess who shanked me, too?”

“N-no.” Izuku replied, not expecting that question. He thought Kirishima had explained to him what happened. Bakugou didn’t react as angry as he had mentally prepared for. “Uhm…”

“Go on. I lost to a fucking no-face.”

The green haired boy looked at Kirishima for visual help. He spoke, “Someone ganged up on us last night at our dorms. Sorry, I couldn’t get to you. I heard you were looking for me.”

Izuku’s eyes widened. Kirishima was lying. He was lying really well at that, too. Part of him was disappointed; he had already accepted to face the consequences of what he did. He didn’t expect to take the “pretend it never happened” route.

“Oh,” Izuku looked back at Bakugou who was grinding his teeth, waiting for him to say something. He panicked at his glowering red eyes. Unsure of what to say, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Good thing they didn’t hurt your eyes, Kacchan.”

Bakugou leaned back at that, eyes widening a bit through his glare. Izuku stiffened at his own slip up. 

Did he surprise him? Izuku felt a wave of euphoria at being able to do such a thing. Albeit slightly embarrassed and nervous of being caught, he kept his green eyes on Bakugou’s. When the other had gathered his glare again, Izuku parted from their desk with a cheerful statement.

“Good luck on the potion’s competition, Kacchan. May the best wizard win.” He challenged him.

With his heart in his throat, Izuku made his way towards the other side of the class. Sitting with his friends and a lie on his back, he comfortably spent the rest of Midnight’s class ignoring his rival across the room.

At the end of the first period, he spoke to the Professor, letting her know that he was indeed joining the competition. Ecstatic with his decision, the Professor gave him a list of mind related ingredients to start off his research. She lamented the limited time he had to prepare, while she had recruited others much earlier, Izuku now only had a week left before the competition next Friday.

“You also have a quidditch game next weekend, right?” Midnight asked. “I’m glad you decided to join before that. So many athletic kids are the intelligent ones!” She sang her praise.

“Thank you, Professor. I’ll do my best!”

With the list of potions in hand, Izuku left for his next class, already looking through his notebook for ideas on how to proceed with his research.

Lunch came quickly, and the Slytherin found himself surrounded by his friends. He nervously took a peek at the Gryffindor table. Everything looked normal, Bakugou had his arms crossed, looking as grumpy as ever, while his friends conversated loudly. Maybe everything would be fine if they never spoke about it, Izuku thought hopefully.

Kirishima noticed his stare, giving him a small apologetic smile. Beside him, Bakugou caught him staring as well. His glare wasn’t accusing, but it was deeper than usual.

The Slytherin looked away, feeling his face flush nervously. Don’t act suspicious, idiot.

“Midoriya, I asked Kirishima. He’s not participating in the competition.” Todoroki spoke to him. “Apparently he had been talking about Bakugou joining.”

“Oh, I see. I realized that might’ve been the case.” He said, pretending not to have known.

Uraraka twisted her mouth as she watched him, thinking about what to say, “Deku, are you worried for Bakugou?”

“W-what?”

“You keep looking over at him,” she exposed him. “No one knows who attacked them, but it must’ve been someone insane enough to fight Bakugou.”

“I heard it was a Slytherin.” Iida added. “Unsupervised duels are against Hogwarts policy. I hope they catch the fiend soon.”

Izuku felt guilt crawl up his spine as he started to cold sweat. What would his friends think if they found out it was him?

“Bakugou jumps at any opportunity to fight, though.” Todoroki pointed out while eating his noodles. “Maybe he started it.”

“We don’t know, guys.” Izuku finally spoke. “All I know is Kacchan doesn’t want to talk about it. So let’s just…” His voice faded away, unsure.

“You’re too respectful, Midoriya.” Tsu mumbled. “If that were you, I think Bakugou would be having a blast rubbing it in your face.”

“Maybe, but I can’t be like Kacchan.” He sighed, accepting it as the truth. He couldn’t be like Kacchan because he still wanted to be friends. No matter how much time passed by he still cared and respected him too much.

After attending all his classes for the day, Izuku headed towards the quidditch field, changing into his Beater gear. He had been assigned to beater position at the start of the school year, along with Shinso Hitoshi, since the previous ones graduated last year. Before that, he had been a chaser, whose main role was to score, but due to his fast reaction time in avoiding the bludgers, he was assigned to hit them to protect his teammates.

Izuku joined the rest of his Slytherin team at the quidditch pitch.

“Midoriya.” Shinso greeted him first.

“Hey, Shinso. Do you know who we’re practicing with?” The smaller boy asked, holding onto his broomstick.

“Coach Kuugo said we’re not going against any other teams until the games start, anymore.”

“Why’s that?” That didn’t seem like a good idea. They needed to practice the real thing with other teams.

The purple haired Slytherin shrugged, “Maybe it’s ‘cause the game schedule came out.”

“It did?” Izuku asked excitedly. “Who are we up against?”

“Take a look for yourself!” Mina, one of their chasers, pulled up the roster in front of him.

He read the list, immediately noticing the word Gryffindor beside their own team name.

“Gryffindor’s our first opponent?!”

“Yeah,” Jirou joined their little group, she wore her chaser uniform. “Seems like they wanted to start it off with a bang.”

“Everyone’s gonna go. I’m so excited!” Mina squealed.

Izuku felt the nervousness in him rise, but amongst it, he felt the welling of determination. Another chance to redeem and prove himself, not only to his Professors who were watching him, but to Kacchan. No more games like last year. He would win.

“We’ll make sure to give them a show.” Their keeper, Camie, celebrated.

Todoroki and Tokoyami finally reached the others on the ground.

“Coach told us to start practice.” Todoroki said, assuming his role as the captain. The half-haired boy joined Mina and Jirou as the chasers. “Tokoyami, you’ll be the enemy seeker. Midoriya and Shinso, as you hit the bludgers, aim for Tokoyami. Camie, you’ll be the enemy keeper, defend the hoops. We’ll try to score quaffles against you.”

“Yes, captain!” They yelled, flying separately into positions. Once ready, Coach Kuugo threw the quaffle up into the air just as the bludgers and the snitch were released, starting their practice.

Izuku focused on protecting his teammates, hitting the bludgers before it could reach them. He tried aiming the iron balls towards Tokoyami, but the raven like boy dodged them with ease, flying fast and smooth as he searched for the snitch.

“That guy’s way too good.” Shinso flew beside him, sweat on his brow. “I’m glad he’s on our team.”

“Yeah, Mirio isn’t any worse, though.” Izuku muttered, thinking about the Gryffindor team’s seeker. The boy was older and more experienced in quidditch, one could tell just by his skills and technique.

“That’s true.” He grunted as he rushed to beat the incoming bludger about to hit Jirou. Izuku joined him in protecting Todoroki from the other one.

“Thanks, Midoriya.” Todoroki shouted as he shot a quaffle into the left hoop. Camie’s outstretched broom missed it by just a hair.

“Damn.” She cursed.

“Hey, do you and Bakugou still have bad blood?” Shinso asked, appearing at Izuku’s side once again.

He frowned. “I don’t have bad blood with him.”

“I don’t think he can say the same, though, right?”

“He doesn’t exactly enjoy my presence.” Izuku said bitterly. He looked at Shinso, searching for his intentions. The boy looked full of mirth.

“Is it true he used to bully you?”

The freckled boy flew to the side, avoiding a bludger. His mouth was agape as he wondered what brought this up.

“He was more aggressive when we were children, but…” Izuku knew he had changed.

“So, you’re not happy that he got beat up by someone?” Shinso asked accusingly. He looked confused now.

“Of course not!” He would definitely never be happy about that, but the fact that it was done by himself on accident made it much worse.

“Hmm, I’m not sure I’m understanding this!” Shinso shouted as he separated himself from Izuku, leaving the other boy with many questions.

When practice ended, Izuku found himself in the changing room, putting his robes back on. He desperately needed a shower before going to dinner. However, before leaving, he found Shinso lounging outside the changing room, waiting for him.

“Midoriya, let’s talk.” The Slytherin said casually, tired eyes directing them towards a secluded area.

“Sure.” Izuku followed. He did need an explanation.

“Okay,” Shinso started, “I was under the impression you wanted revenge on Bakugou.”

“No, I don’t.” Izuku looked almost offended. “I don’t blame him for how he treated me in the past. He’s changed.” He defended his childhood friend without a care of said boy’s feelings towards him.

Shinso ran a hand through his purple hair, sighing.

“He doesn’t know it was you.”

“What?” Izuku's heart sank.

“I saw you.” The Slytherin said cryptically. “You took him to the Hospital Wing with that other Gryffindor.”

“Oh… Shinso,” Izuku tried before being interrupted.

“Now, imagine my surprise when the whole school started talking about Bakugou getting attacked by an unknown Slytherin.” Izuku swallowed heavily. “Not only that, but Kirishima said he and Bakugou were alone. Apparently, he never saw you last night.”

Shinso stepped towards Izuku, his height suddenly intimidating as he towered over the boy. Izuku took a hesitating step back.

“I may be sleep deprived, but I’m not crazy, Midoriya.”

Izuku squinted his green eyes at him, glaring at what seemed like a threat.

“You want me to tell them the truth?” Izuku’s voice was a nervous whisper.

Shinso laughed, backing away from the other. “No! Of course not, where’s the fun in that!”

Izuku watched him cautiously, suspicious as ever. Where’s he going with this?

“No,” he caught his breath, “I have a proposition for you.”

Izuku hesitated. “What is it?”

“Let me help you in the potions competition.” The Slytherin smirked.

“Wait, what?” Izuku asked dumbly. He didn’t expect that, “Why don’t you just join yourself?”

“Because, Midoriya, I happen to excel at brainwashing potions. I have researched this since forever. I’m sure I would win no matter what.” He shrugged. “But that’s no fun, Bakugou would get mad, sure, but you know what would rile him up way more?”

“Oh, no.”

“The boy he hates most winning.”

-

It was the day before the potions competition, his last day to study with Shinso. These past few days were filled with cramming all the information Shinso was dumping on him. Izuku was impressed at his vast knowledge of magical ingredients and their effect on the brain. He would have praised him a lot more if he weren’t concerned for how Shinso knew so much.

In any other situation, Izuku would have declined his proposition to help since it was only to make Bakugou angry. It felt like cheating, even though it really wasn’t. Shinso wouldn’t be there to help him make the potion on competition day. However, the proposition wasn’t just a proposition; it was also a threat. If he didn’t, everyone would find out what he did, right?

“A potion that makes one sing until they run out of breath.” Shinso stated, expecting the boy’s answer.

“Six wilting lilies, two bones of cannibal caterpillar, uhm…” Izuku wracked his brain for the combinations of ingredients. “One string of an enchanted harp, and… and a bubble full of air?”

“Yes, good job.” Shinso said proudly. “That would make someone faint from the lack of air.”

Izuku scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to think at knowing how to basically asphyxiate someone with a drink. He’s glad the ingredients were hard to come by in the real world. In the competition, magical storages would be prepared with ingredients collected by the school, ready to be used by the competitors at a moment’s notice.

“I think I’ve taught you everything I can.” Shinso sighed, kicking his legs up on the library table. “You’re ready to beat Bakugou’s ass.”

“Thank you, Shinso.” Izuku sighed, mentally drained. “You’ve helped me a lot. I would ask how I can repay you, but you’re already enjoying my pain as it is.”

“That’s right, Midoriya, so you better not lose. I’m here to see that Gryffindor lose to you again.” He said teasingly.

“I didn’t mean to fight him!” Izuku tried for the billionth time.

“Yeah, yeah, but this is still going to be great.” He laughed, gathering his things and heading for the exit as if he hadn’t just geared Izuku up with the knowledge to kill a man. “I’ll be cheering for you at the competition. Good luck.”

The green haired boy sighed once again in the lonely library. He might as well study for his DADA test tomorrow, even though hex deflection was the least of his worries right now.

“Yo, what time’s the competition tomorrow?” Hagakure asked, joining them at the Ravenclaw table for dinner.

“It starts at 5.” Momo answered her.

“Deku, you feel ready?” Uraraka asked him excitedly.

“Yeah, I’ve been studying a lot for it.” He nodded tightly. They knew he’d been learning from Shinso, but he hadn’t revealed any of the details. “I think I’m as ready as I can be.”

“That’s great!”

“Who else is doing it?” Hagakure wondered.

“I saw Professor Midnight creating the pamphlet,” Momo mentioned. “I don’t remember all the names, but I saw Bakugou, Sato, and Nejire, I think.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to see. I’m not used to being excited over potions,” Uraraka chuckled, “but I know almost everyone participating this year. I heard they decide on the winner by having volunteers take the potions.”

“That sounds dangerous.” Tsu thought aloud.

“They have Professors on stand by just in case something goes wrong.” Izuku told them. He had also been worried about that, but he trusted his Professors to keep everything under control.

Before the night ended, as he walked out of the Great Hall with Todoroki, he was pulled to the side by Kirishima.

“Sorry, I wanted to talk to you for a bit.” The Gryffindor smiled. “It’ll be quick.”

“Oh, okay.” Izuku turned back to Todoroki. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Alright. It’s almost curfew, so be careful. We’ve got the game on Saturday.” He warned, not wanting them to get in trouble. “Goodnight, Kirishima.”

“Later, Todobro.” He waved as he pulled Izuku further down the corridor. Once they reached a patio bench, he let down his smile, standing in front of the Izuku. “I wanted to apologize.”

“H-huh?” Izuku asked, surprised. “You… you’ve done nothing wrong, Kirishima.”

“No, I did. I lied to Bakugou about what happened last week.” He gulped, this can’t be good. “I feel terrible about it. I’ve been thinking and I don’t know why I did it. I really meant to tell him the truth, but I don’t know what came over me.” Kirishima sounded terrified. “Honestly, I felt a little out of control.”

Izuku stayed silent, suddenly worried for his friend’s well being.

“My mouth said things I didn’t mean to say.” It almost sounded like he had been enchanted.

“Didn’t you say Bakugou was testing his mind control research on you?” Izuku asked.

“Yeah, but he only tried one potion on me and nothing happened. I don’t think it was that, but,” he frowned, “that would imply it was something else. Once I realized what I did, it was too late to take it back. Bakugou would think you did something to me.”

Izuku’s eyes widened as he realized it was true. Bakugou would think he tried to hide his identity by tricking Kirishima, especially after lying about it for so long already.

“I’m sorry, Midoriya.” Kirishima looked frustrated. “I made this into an even bigger mess.”

“It’s not your fault. I was the one who messed up back there, remember? None of this would have even happened.” Izuku comforted the red head, placing a hand on his shoulder. “If there’s someone messing with your head, we’ll figure it out.”

Kirishima rubbed at his face, smile slowly coming back. “Right.”

“Oi! What are you two doing?” A familiar voice shouted from the open corridor. Bakugou walked across the patio towards their bench, looking menacing in the lanterns’ orange light.

“Oh! Bakugou!” Kirishima greeted cheerfully.

Izuku, caught off guard, stayed frozen in place. Maybe if he didn’t move, he’d be ignored. The blonde suspiciously eyed Deku’s hand, still on Kirishima's shoulder. He quickly pulled it back, hoping it didn’t look like he was threatening him.

Bakugou raised an eyebrow.

“I wanted to wish him good luck tomorrow and Saturday.” Kirishima said casually.

The boy huffed, “He’s gonna need it. You’re going to have two losses in a row this weekend, Deku.”

Izuku noticed the wound on his head had healed into a small scarred line, not that noticeable in the dark. He tried to ignore the guilt by biting his cheek. He wondered how far he dared to challenge Bakugou in this state.

“I may not win tomorrow, Kacchan, but I trust my team will win on Saturday.” He claimed, face wavering only slightly.

“We’ll see about that, shitty nerd.” Bakugou smirked, pleased with himself. “I’m killing the competition and the quidditch game.”

Deku met his red eyes with his own enthusiastic glare. Kacchan’s energy really was infectious.

“Guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong, then.”

Bakugou’s smirk widened.

-

Izuku had a hard time focusing on the hex deflection test as he mentally went over what Shinso had taught him. DADA was their last class for the day. The competition was in a few hours, and Izuku really didn’t want to lose. He wondered what Bakugou’s face would look like if he actually won.

Shinso would have a blast.

“Quills down. No more writing. Pass your papers to the front.” Aizawa declared monotonously.

There was a collective sigh in the class through the ruffling of papers. Izuku passed his own paper forward, quickly switching gears to list every ingredient that could force a person to move their body.

“He’s been at it since this morning.” Uraraka turned in her seat to talk to Todoroki sitting beside the mumbling Deku.

“I swore I heard him say troll’s earwax during the test.” Tsuyu giggled to herself.

Todoroki nodded in agreement, “I heard him say it, too.”

Izuku continued mumbling, eyes closed as he focused, unaware of his friends observing him.

“I think he’s ready as all hell.” Uraraka stated proudly.

“I agree. I’m very excited for the competition.” Iida joined them once Aizawa dismissed the class. “I can’t wait to see what everyone creates.”

“Hope you don’t cry when he loses.” Bakugou called out as his group passed their desk. His voice pulled Izuku out of his thoughts, green eyes quickly landing on the blonde. “ Good luck , Deku.” He said with intense sarcasm in his voice.

Still, Izuku’s skin jumped at the rude, but encouraging words, foreign coming from Bakugou’s mouth.

“Hey, let’s all sit together!” Mina offered Izuku’s friend group. “We’re all going to watch.”

As they planned their meetup, Bakugou stared at Deku. The freckled boy avoided his gaze as he honestly replied, “Good luck to you too, Kacchan.”

“Don’t need it.” The blonde said moving past the group to leave.

Five o'clock arrived faster than Izuku expected. Next thing he knew he was being lined up at the competition hall, waiting as the rest of the contestants and watchers arrived. Professor Midnight was directing the placement of the magic storage boxes on each contestants table, making sure each worked properly.

“Of course I’m the only Ravenclaw at this event.” Monoma, a blonde hair and blue eyed boy, cockily declared as he arrived. “Everyone in my house already knew I would win this.”

Midnight pointed at him, scolding loudly, “You’re late, Mister Monoma. I may have to deduct some points.”

“Ahaha. My apologies.” Monoma forced a laugh, taking his place beside Izuku at the end of the line. “So, Midoriya, seems like you’re the only Slytherin here, too. None of your ratty friends wanted to join?”

Izuku frowned immediately. Everyone knew how obnoxious Monoma was, so he wanted to ignore him for the competition, but he couldn’t let the boy talk smack about his friends. He was about to glare at the boy’s taunting face, before deciding he shouldn’t fall for his obvious tricks to mess him up.

“My friends aren’t ratty.” Izuku smiled instead.

Monoma laughed loudly beside him, trying to get the attention of the others down the line. “Oh, right! Bakugou isn’t your friend and he’s clearly a rat!”

“The fuck did you say?” Bakugou walked out of his spot, giving the blonde a deadly glare.

“Aw, he’s lost his hearing.” Monoma continued, stepping out to join Bakugou, somehow still not fearing for his life. “Midoriya and I were just calling you a rat!”

Their friends sitting on the bleachers gasped. Izuku’s panicked mind had no time to think as he grabbed the Ravenclaw by the collar and yanked him back in line beside him. The harsh pull surprised Monoma into silence, not used to Izuku being so physical.

“He’s just kidding, Kacchan.” Izuku laughed awkwardly at the seething Gryffindor. The ash blonde turned to him.

“Tell your friend to shut the fuck up or I’ll punch him in the throat.”

“Alright, settle down boys!” Midnight stated. “We’re starting soon. Headmaster Nezu will arrive at any moment.” Izuku let go of Monoma, slumping his shoulders as the tension disappeared.

They were assigned their work tables, each with its own magical storage contraption, a black cauldron, safety gloves, and several tools. Izuku looked at the rather large crowd, seeing many fellow classmates and faculty watching them from the sideline bleachers. He felt anxious at all the attention, unlike quidditch he couldn’t fly away from their constant staring. He noticed Shinso’s purple hair among the crowd. The Slytherin looked bored.

“Good evening, kind audience members!” Professor Midnight suddenly announced towards the crowd. “We’ll be starting my annual potions competition, now. Everyone, give a round of applause for our talented contestants.”

With an outstretched hand at the lined up tables, Midnight sauntered towards the first student. “We have Bakugou Katsuki from the Gryffindor house!” There was a round of applause, along with whoops and whistles from his friend group. He didn’t seem fazed at all. “Next, we have Nejire Hadou! Also, from Gryffindor!”

The periwinkle haired girl smiled brightly and waved at the crowd. Izuku swore he heard someone say, “That’s my friend!”

“Komori Kinoko from the Hufflepuff house! Sato Rikido from Hufflepuff! Monoma Neito from Ravenclaw!” The blonde bowed at the crowd, his face annoyingly smug.

Izuku fiddled with his fingers as his name was called next.

“And finally, Izuku Midoriya from the Slytherin house!” The applause made him look at the encouraging faces of his friends. He could do this, he studied long and hard with Shinso for this.

“As you all know, this year's theme is Brainwashing!” Midnight continued enthusiastically, captivating the crowd. “Let me explain how this is going to work. As I describe the requirements, the words will be written on a scroll placed at each table. Once I finish, the competition will begin and, only then, will they be allowed to get the ingredients they need from their storage box. They’ll have one hour to finish their final version of the potion.”

Alright, Izuku thought, that sounded fair enough. He tilted forward, trying to catch a final glimpse of his competitors. At the other end of the line, he saw Bakugou further roll up his white button up’s sleeve then take off his red tie, stretching his neck as he got ready. Izuku looked away quickly, cheeks pink. He was acting like a stalker. He followed suit, rolling up his own sleeves and loosening his green tie.

Midnight began her description: “Contestants, your potion must completely alter the consumer’s thoughts and actions. It must reverse what they actually think. It must force their thoughts to the opposite side of the spectrum. 

For example, if a person wants to give their friend a drink and say ‘you’re pretty’, the potion might make it so they throw the drink in their face and say ‘you’re ugly’.

Kind becomes cruel. Happy becomes sad. Pleasure becomes anger. Calm becomes aggressive. And vice versa. This should be a personality changing potion.

You may begin.”

The giant hourglass turned, starting the countdown. Izuku had a vague but settled idea on how to approach this. Actions came from thoughts which came from emotions. Shinso had shown him the ingredients that affect each emotion. He would probably have to gather and tamper with each one. He wasn’t sure how yet. The main struggle for Izuku would be the brewing process.

The crowd quietly muttered as the contestants worked, giving the hall an ambient white noise. Kirishima watched Bakugou work quietly but swiftly. He was always so loud about winning, it was almost scary how silent he became when focused.

“Who wants to bet on the winner?” Sero suddenly offered their mixed group of friends.

“Ooh ooh, me!” Mina agreed, shaking Uraraka’s shoulders who sat below her. “I bet Nejire’s going to win.”

“You’re not rooting for Bakugou?” Tsu questioned.

“Oh, I am.” The curly haired slytherin giggled. “But, I’ve had Nejire as a tutor before. She’s crazy smart!”

“Well, I’m betting on Bakugou.” Kirishima stated proudly, pounding his chest. “I was there during his studying, so I know he’s got this in the bag.”

“I know Deku will win this.” Uraraka said with a determined look. Iida beside her nodded fervently.

“I also think Midoriya will win.” Todoroki watched the boy work. “He already had a passion for it before this.”

Uraraka agreed. “If it weren’t for meals, I don’t think I would have been able to speak to him this whole week with how focused he was on studying.”

Kaminari was about to share his bet when someone sat beside him. “Hey, Shinso!” He greeted the Slytherin as the others turned to look at the newcomer.

“I’m betting on Midoriya, too.” He said.

“Of course. You were helping him out, right?” Iida asked.

“Yep.” He said simply. “Are we betting money?”

They looked at him warily. It would make it more exciting they supposed.

“I suddenly also want to bet on Midoriya.” Denki laughed nervously.

The group continued to conversate as the competition continued. Things got more rowdy as the contestants began their brewing. The colors and smells coming from the cauldrons made the crowd look on in interest.

Midnight narrated the scenes to keep the audience entertained.

“Looks like Bakugou is close to finishing! His viles are ready.” Bakugou’s cauldron was releasing a bright green smoke that looked pungent, but was actually releasing a sweet aroma.

“Hey, Shinso,” Todoroki looked at his housemate. “What made you want to help Midoriya?”

“Oh, nothing much really. Can’t I help a pal out without motive?” The boy asked, feigning innocence.

Todoroki eyed him suspiciously as he turned back to the contestants. He’s known Shinso since first year. His wild card demeanor was what made him a good quidditch teammate, but it also meant he was constantly acting sketchy.

“I like the color of Midoriya’s.” Tsu told them as she watched the boy mix his cauldron carefully while checking the temperature. It was a light baby blue and it contrasted from Monoma’s dark purple vile beside him.

“He’s done.” Shinso told them just before Izuku set down his wand, wiping the sweat and vapor off his brow. He began pouring the liquid into a glass vile.

“Wow, with 15 minutes to spare.”

“Wait, Bakugou’s done, too!” Mina shouted, getting the audience’s attention.

Bakugou sent a glare at his loud friends, “Tch.”

“You’re right, Miss Ashido!” Midnight exclaimed. “Both Midoriya and Bakugou have finished at the same time!”

Izuku held onto his glass closely, finally looking up and noticing the audience’s stares. He gulped, not feeling as confident as he was while making the potion.

The contestant beside him watched him carefully, fist clenched around his wand as he stirred his own cauldron.

“When you’re ready, please give your viles to Headmaster Nezu over there.” The Professor gestured towards the end of the hall.

Bakugou didn’t hesitate, immediately heading to submit his potion with confident strides. He caught up to Izuku, who was closer to Nezu. The Slytherin glanced nervously at Bakugou’s vile, wondering what ingredients he used. He wanted to ask, but didn’t think it was a good time to do it yet. The Gryffindor already seemed displeased at having finished at the same time. 

Neither of them noticed the small flick of Monoma’s wand behind them.

Suddenly, Izuku was falling forward, having just tripped on something on the ground. Bakugou, with his quick reaction speed, avoided the collision by stepping to the side. However, Izuku’s flailing hand knocked against Bakugou’s vile, sending it down with him. The green haired boy yelped as he fell, landing flat on his hands and knees, along with it was the sound of glass breaking and crunching underneath him.

Several gasps filled the room.

“What the fuck, Deku!?” Bakugou cursed, he sounded pissed.

“Damn.” Izuku winced, carefully lifting his hands off the ground to sit on his knees. There were pieces of glass lodged in both his palms, dripping with blood and colorful liquid. His left hand had Bakugou’s bright green potion while his right had his own blue one.

“Midoriya! Are you okay?” Professor Midnight rushed to his side as Headmaster Nezu approached them.

“Oh, dear.” Nezu spoke, “He needs to go to Chiyo.”

“He’s got two unknown potions in his blood. We need to be quick.” Midnight ushered. “Can you stand, Midoriya?”

The freckled boy nodded, bloody hands still stretched out in front of him.

“It doesn’t hurt that bad.” He tried convincing them as he stood up with only a small wince. “I think I tripped on my-” he looked down, noticing his shoes were still tied. “...shoelaces.”

“You clumsy, fucking idiot. You can’t fucking walk.” Bakugou told him angrily. 

Izuku didn’t know why he found his voice funny.

“Language, Bakugou.” Headmaster Nezu warned. The small wizard scanned the crowd. “Todoroki.” He called, getting the Slytherin to hurriedly join them at the end of the hall.

“Midoriya, are you okay?” He asked.

“Todoroki, would you please accompany him to the Hospital Wing?”

“Of course.”

“Based on the brewing I saw, there shouldn’t be any effect until a few minutes.” Midnight explained as Todoroki placed a hand on the small of Izuku’s back just in case. “But there are two in his system right now, who knows how they’ll react with each other.”

“Quickly, you two.” Nezu hurried them.

Both Slytherins nodded as they headed to the exit. Izuku turned to Bakugou, large green eyes showing his own disappointment.

“I’m sorry for ruining your potion, Kacchan.”

With that he left, blood dripping down his white button up. Bakugou frowned, glare hardening as he looked at the rest of the glass on the ground.

The Ravenclaw behind them finished pouring his vile with a smile on his face.