Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Fred and George slipped out of the Gryffindor common room at the top of the castle tower.
They followed the corridor to the stairs, evaded the sharp eyes of the castle caretaker, and emerged beside a statue on the first floor after a maze of turns.
At the corner leading down toward the kitchens, they happened upon three equally furtive figures.
“Look, Fred,” George whispered.
“Fellow night wanderers,” Fred said. “First-years, by the look of them.”
“Exactly. I have an excellent idea.” George raised his eyebrows.
“So do I.”
Fred grinned wickedly, and the twins exchanged a silent high five.
…
Suer was about to enter the kitchens when footsteps sounded behind them, accompanied by a voice of great “authority.”
“I assume you know that wandering the castle at night is against school rules?”
“We’re sorry, Professor!”
Justin spun around, bowed his head, and apologised with astonishing speed. Suer and Morn followed.
They had not even looked to see who had arrived.
The footsteps approached. The corner of a black robe entered Suer’s vision, flashing red as it moved.
Wait. That was not…
Suer looked up.
Two identical, red-haired boys with freckles across their noses grinned down at them.
“Good evening,” one said. “I’m Fred, and he’s George.”
Justin and Morn looked up and breathed out in relief.
For a moment, they had truly believed they were about to be caught and lose points.
“I’m Suer. These are my roommates, Justin and Morn.”
“Hello. Actually, I’m Fred, and he’s George,” said the other twin.
“Fred is right,” George said with a giggle. “Are you here for the kitchens too?”
“Yes,” Justin replied. “We heard there was food. Morn learned how to open the entrance.”
“There is plenty, as long as you’re polite to the house-elves.”
Fred placed his palm against the door and pushed.
“They’ll be delighted to give you something good.”
“Get inside. We saw Filch on our way down.”
George slipped through the half-open door and beckoned.
Morn and Justin followed. Suer entered last. Just before the door closed, he thought he heard a cat meow.
The kitchen was enormous, far larger than any ordinary room. A long table occupied the centre, and a massive portrait hung behind the chair at its head.
Scores of house-elves bustled along one side among pots, ladles, bottles, and jars.
Fred was already speaking with one. Its clothes were ragged but clean. It resembled the goblins at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, with long arms and pointed ears.
“Who is Filch?” Morn asked George.
“The Hogwarts caretaker. He was standing at the Great Hall entrance during the feast. He owns a cat.”
“That cat has caught us several times.” George ground his teeth. “We planned to let the damned creature sample a Dungbomb, but we’ve never found the chance.”
Good thing too, Suer thought. Otherwise the old cat lady would probably give them seven years of detention.
Fred returned smiling.
“Only pudding is available at this hour. You don’t mind, do you?”
The three first-years shook their heads.
They leaned against the long table and talked, though Fred and George did most of the speaking. The twins had begun exploring the castle at night during their first year.
They told them which portrait held midnight concerts so dreadful that even ghosts kept their distance.
They described a secret passage leading directly to the Great Hall, allowing them to sleep until moments before class and still reach breakfast.
They also discussed tomorrow’s History of Magic lesson. Professor Binns was so old that he no longer recognised his students, and he did not care whether anyone listened. His classroom was excellent for catching up on sleep.
“Professor Binns dislikes questions. Aside from that, he won’t interfere with anything unless you practice magic during his lesson.”
The thousand-year-old castle was too vast. Like a beautiful woman hidden behind a veil, Hogwarts had revealed scarcely a corner of herself even after three years of the twins’ exploration.
“George and I intend to explore every part of Hogwarts before our seven years are over,” Fred declared.
“Sirs.”
A house-elf appeared suddenly.
“Your food is ready.”
“Thank you,” Fred said courteously.
The others copied his smile.
“It is our honor to serve wizards!”
Overwhelmed, the house-elf bowed so deeply that its head nearly struck the floor. Tears shone in its eyes.
Suer, Justin, and Morn parted from the twins outside the kitchens and returned safely to their dormitory.
After sharing the silky pudding, Suer closed his eyes beneath the badger canopy.
He did not visit the luminous white valley that night.
His first day at Hogwarts had ended.
It had not been bad at all.
Morning gradually brightened. Soft sunlight awakened the castle, and sweeping sounds from outside roused Suer.
The dormitory had no windows, yet sunlight and a gentle breeze had somehow entered. Suer stretched lazily, washed, and changed.
A cold gust made him shiver as he climbed from the basement. Through a corridor window, he saw leaves carpeting the stone road outside, glowing gold in the sun. A huge man swept them with an equally huge broom.
Suer was adding sugar to his porridge when nearly a hundred owls swept through the vents above the Great Hall doors.
He recognised his own immediately.
In addition to naming the owl Little Gray, Angel had tied a conspicuous pink bow around its leg. It was her favourite hair ribbon.
Thump.
A parcel landed in Suer’s lap.
“Good work, Gray.”
He fed the owl some bread before untying it.
Two sweaters lay inside, one black and one white.
Two letters had been tucked between them.
Mr. Ellison had written at length about everything that happened after Suer left. Except when eating or sleeping, Angel spent most of her time in Suer’s room. She missed her brother terribly.
The letter also reminded him that the weather was turning cold, that he should dress warmly, and that he must not catch a chill.
At the bottom, one crooked word had been added:
**Bwother**
There was no mistaking the writer.
Suer placed the letter close to his heart, smiling. The black wool sweater was wonderfully soft and still carried the scent of sunshine.
The white one was obviously for Hermione.
And speak of Hermione…
“Is there a letter for me?”
A bushy head appeared beside him.
“There is, and a white sweater. Mrs. Granger probably made it for you.”
Suer handed them over.
Instead of leaving, Hermione sat beside him to read. Suer fetched an empty plate and filled it with golden toast and a soft-yolked fried egg.
“I didn’t deliberately forget that you were waiting for me in the Great Hall,” he said when Hermione finished the letter and held the sweater against herself.
“Do you think I’m that petty?” she asked casually.
Suer relaxed and immediately showered her with compliments. Before long, Hermione was smiling brightly.
“What class do you have this morning?”
“History of Magic.”
Suer checked the timetable tucked inside his book.
They talked until Hermione finished breakfast.
“I need to put the sweater in my dormitory. We’ll meet in the library this weekend?”
“All right.”