Adrian Craddock and The Philosopher's Stone

Comfort and Quidditch

It was three days after Halloween, on the 3rd of November and Hermione woke up. She looked at her alarm clock and groaned when she saw it was four in the morning. Knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, Hermione got ready for the day. Wanting to wait for the other three, she got a book from her trunk and made her way to the Common Room. There she stopped in her tracks.

Aiden sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace with tears rolling down his cheeks. He was looking at a picture that Ethan gave him the day before. On it was him, his parents and Ethan. It was the day he was born and the day Ethan became his godfather. He was asleep and the adults were laughing, obviously from a joke. They were happy and he... he was sad. Sad because he can't meet them, talk to them, hug them. He was brought out of his musings when someone shook his shoulder.

He looked up and saw the brown eyes of the person he considered his best friend: Hermione. She looked at him questioningly and he handed her the picture. Her eyes widend, she looked at Aiden then back at the picture. She gave it back to him and wrapped him in a hug.

Aiden had told her about his parents the day after Halloween, so she knew they died today. She also knew he had nightmares about what happened and that he thought he was the reason they died because of what their killer said in said nightmares. She gave arguments to his point and said that they died for him, not because of him, that they wanted him to have a future and would gladly have gave their lives for him without hesitation. 

After her reassurances that he wasn't at fault, Aiden, still in tears, smiled at her and muttered a "Thank you." Hermione smiled back and offered Aiden to read her book with her. He accepted and the two waited for Ron and Harry to wake up, sitting in a comfortable silence.

oOo

A few days after and it was time for Harry's first Quidditch game. The quartet were in the Great Hall, trying to convince the nervous Boy-Who-Lived to at least eat.

"Take a bit of toast, mate, go on." said Ron, nudging Harry, who just played with his food.

"Harry, if you don't eat, it won't be Quidditch that kills you: it'll be starvation." Aiden put in his two knut's worth.

"They're right, Harry. You're going to need your strength today." Hermione says, looking at the boy.

"I'm not hungry."

The other three shared a look before noticing Snape, who stopped by Harry.

"Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you... even if it is against Slytherin." he taunted before walking away, limping.

"Sach ragfarnllyd cachu but still, that explains the blood." said Aiden, receiving questioning looks from everyone except Harry.

"You noticed?" he asked and got a nod in return.

"Blood?" Hermione questioned."

"Listen, on Halloween, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could get past the three-headed..."

"Cerberus." interrupted Aiden.

"... cerberus, but, he got himself bit. That's why he's limping." finished Harry.

"But why would anyone want to go near that dog?" asked Hermione.

Aiden thought for a bit before giving an answer. "Maybe it has something to do with the break-in at Gringotts?"

"Of course." said Harry, causing everyone to look at him. "The day I went to Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was 'Hogwarts business, very secret.'"