TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Chapter Eighteen

The seasons flew by at an alarming rate. Months and months passed Tom by filled with mostly meaningless 'lessons' and slightly less meaningless Quidditch matches. Just like the year before, Gryffindor were on a perfect streak and were set to win the house cup. Tom didn't really care, he wasn't invested in any of that stuff. Unlike the year before though, Tom did not feel the ever-present void of depression engulf him whole. While it wasn't much he did have one friend. And that did make a surprising amount of difference. He didn't talk much but knowing that they were there helped. Being honest with himself Tom didn't think he spoke enough. Tom hated that about himself. There seemed to be some sort of invisible barrier stopping him from going and reaching out; socialising. On the surface, he didn't look anxious or scared or anything much (besides disinterested) but inside he felt all of those things a lot.

Tom walked through the Hogwarts grounds like he found himself every day. Like always he had no goal in doing so, no destination he was meaning to get to. He simply just let his legs take him wherever they were going to go. It gave him solace because it was the only time he found where he could just switch his brain off completely. He didn't care if it was sunny, raining, hailing or snowing, he just enjoyed doing nothing as he casually walked around. Right now though it was sunny. And hot. Small beads of sweat sat on Tom's brow as he continued forward through the grounds. It was the afternoon- Tom knew that- maybe around 5 o'clock. The creamy orange sun was beginning to start its descent through the sky. Tom paid little attention as he continued onward, his eyes focused more on the floor than directly in front of him. Then, suddenly, he suddenly wished he had been paying a little bit more attention.

"Oof!" Tom collided directly into something. At first he'd mistaken it for a tree but on second glance, as he looked upward to more accurately identify it, he recognised it as something more human.

"Oh! Sorry there! Didn't see yer!" It was Hagrid: the groundskeeper of Hogwarts. Tom looked back down and continued walking on.

"It's fine," he murmured and tried to go back on his way. Hagrid was about to go his separate way as well when he suddenly realised something. He turned back around.

"Wait!" he called out. Tom heard him but decided not to look back. Hagrid called out again, "Wait!" he caught up with Tom and stopped him, "Don't I recognise yer?"

Tom turned around and looked back at him, "Yeah," he said after a moment's silence. He still didn't know if he wanted to talk to him. Hagrid's words from their last 'conversation' still rung in his head to this day, "We met last year. At Christmas."

Hagrid had a look that showed to Tom that he clearly recognised him, "I do know yer," his voice was slightly more solemn, "Do yer think yer would mind coming back to the cabin?"

"Why?" Tom looked up at the half-giant. Hagrid scratched the back of his head and laughed lamely.

"Just wanna see how yer doin."

The two sat facing each other in Hagrid's messy hut. It only took a few months after it was rebuilt for it to fall back into disarray. But that was years ago at this point. It might as well have been the original hut. Fang lay on his stool in the corner of the room. He was the son of Hagrid's previous dog but at this point, even he was getting old.

"So how's this year working out for yer? Don't have much left of it now, eh?" Hagrid put the kettle on as he tried to make conversation. Tom didn't reply but instead preferred to stare blankly out of the window.

"Yer feeling better since... Christmas?" asked Hagrid, still trying to get Tom to reply. Finally Tom tore his eyes away from the window and breathed in and out.

"Yeah," it sounded more like an exhale than a word, "Thank you... for then," he said awkwardly, "You helped a lot."
"Didn't feel like I did," mumbled Hagrid. He got two mugs and prepared them before carrying them over to where he and Tom were sitting, "Do yer..." he made sure to be careful with his wording, "Have a friend now?"