"Hadrian Potter!"
Harry sat in the Forbidden Forest with Hedwig for hours. He didn’t carry a watch around like Ron and Hermione did, but he was sure he had missed dinner, with how dark it had gotten.
On two separate occasions, Hedwig had flown into the air and circled above him. She didn’t fly away to where she wanted him to follow like she had the first time she’d led him, for that Harry was grateful, and though she grew more nervous as they were bathed in less light as the sun set, she had given up quickly each time and opted to land again and just stay with him.
“I’ll leave in a bit, Hedwig,” he promised after the second time. He’d heard people shouting his name at the pitch not too long ago, and assumed Ron, who’d Harry had cheered with during the first match of the school year so their friend group was split evenly, had told one of the teachers how much he’d enjoyed the game and listed it as a place he might have gone to. It was close, but not that close to where he was hiding, so the people calling for him must have used magic to amplify their voices.
“I’ll leave in a bit.” He repeated, and gently leaned his cheek against Hedwig’s breast, seeking more comfort than petting her could give him. She let him, and wrapped a wing around the back of his neck, shielding it.
When the stars were about to become their only source of light, Hedwig stretched her wings out, and cooed to him. Harry breathed in the smell of her feathers twice more, and lifted his face back into the air. “Okay,” he said, taking his arm off his knees in front of him where he had rested it, and clumsily pushed himself up.
His legs were numb from sitting in the same position for so long, and his back would probably ache on and off all the next day because of the unnatural sideways-angle it had been in because of the uneven ground. Harry’s stomach growled, and Hedwig cooed again.
:I’ll find you something, like before.
Hedwig pulled herself into the air to lead Harry out of the Forbidden Forest. She was sure he remembered the direction he’d entered the forest from, but didn’t want to test that theory and subsequently have to stay there for any amount longer in case he hadn’t.
When they were back on the grounds, Hedwig perched on his arm again, and her boy walked them back into sight of the castle.
They were intercepted by Professor Sprout outside a set of doors leading back inside. She was slightly out of breath and red in the face, and Hedwig likened her tired footsteps to the faint ones she had heard a couple times outside of the Forbidden Forest. The yellow’s head had probably been rushing around the grounds looking for her boy, and Hedwig hooted happily at her appearance.
“Oh, Mr. Potter,” she panted. “Where have you been?” Harry looked down and scuffed his shoe into the dirt.
“Nowhere,” he didn’t want to give away his hiding spot, even to his kind, frazzled looking head of house.
“Nowhere we could find you, that’s for sure.” Professor Sprout nodded decisively and held out a hand for Harry to take if he pleased. She didn’t drop it completely when he shook his head and turned the left side of his body away from it, but she did lower it so it wasn’t so close to Hedwig.
“Come on now, lad, off to Madam Pomfrey,” she said.
“But I’m not injured,” Harry protested, even knowing there was no convincing Professor Sprout otherwise.
Sure enough, he let himself be guided to the infirmary, his Professor’s hand never any more than a foot away from his right arm the whole way there. He wasn’t going to run away again tonight, but Harry didn’t try to dissuade her from keeping it there.
Madam Pomfrey cast a couple detection spells after making him sit on a bed, paying special attention to his head since Professor Flitwick had apparently informed her he had seen Harry on the ground and unresponsive to his footsteps until Hedwig had called out to him. But as he was fine, Harry was released to sleep in his own bed for the night.
Professor Sprout escorted him much the same way down to the Hufflepuff common room, and tapped the password at the door for him with her wand. “Ten points from Hufflepuff for missing class, Mr. Potter,” she informed him. Harry ducked his head in a nod. “If you are ever ready to tell me what happened, please come find me in my office, and I will do my absolute best to make sure whatever led to you running off will not happen again.”
“Okay,” Harry wouldn’t be telling her. “Sorry for worrying you, Ma’am.” Professor Sprout tutted.
“Show me I can trust you not to run off again, and all will be forgiven. Now, will your owl be staying with you tonight?” Harry looked questioningly at Hedwig. When she cooed in agreement and tapped her foot on the glove, Harry nodded. “Let me transfigure her a perch then.”
Professor Sprout followed him into the first year’s dorms, of which the hallway connecting it to the common room had a bit of an incline, just steep enough to slide down, no matter if you were entering the room or leaving it. She had to lower her head to fit through the barrel-top door that separated the hallway from the common room.
Ernie and Justin were still awake when they stepped into the dorm, but Professor Sprout had them quiet and sitting back down on their beds with a couple words. Harry was thankful; he didn’t think he had it in him to talk anymore.
Professor Sprout took off her hat and transfigured it into a wooden perch for Hedwig in under a minute. It was pressed right up against Harry’s bed, and she told him she’d come to get her hat back the next day.
Hedwig opened her wings once she was gone, and Harry about to sit on top of his sheets, and Harry brought her to the perch, thinking to help her to it so she didn’t have to expend any more energy. Instead, Hedwig huffed and launched off his arm to fly to the door and back. Harry blinked, “Okay.” He walked over to open it for her.
He sat on his bed, head in his hands, and kicked his feet while he waited for her to come back. He hoped she hadn’t changed her mind about staying with him for the night, but she hadn’t flown off like that during the night since before Hogwarts. He figured she was just making a trip to the kitchens; she’s made a habit of bringing him a snack every day after the fifth year prefects had shown the first years where they were, though never this late at night.
When Harry heard a crinkle of quick-dissolving plastic, he knew he had been right. Hedwig dropped the wrapped sweet treat in his lap as she flew toward him to land on his glove. “Thank you, girl.” She hooted, and stayed perched on his arm while he opened and ate it awkwardly with one hand.
His stomach calmed, and Hedwig was satisfied her boy had been fed for the night. Meager as the snack was, she was glad Harry had at least eaten something. She hadn’t always gotten the chance to swoop down and gather something to eat the nights they slept on the streets, and she would make sure he didn’t have to sleep hungry in a castle with too much food.
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“Hadrian Potter!” Harry flinched at Hermione’s shrill voice. He turned around in his seat, where he had been exchanging faces with Ron who was over at the Slytherin table that morning– “Snape gets pissy if I’m with you too often.”– to see the girl storming over to him.
Harry jumped out of his seat and stuffed the rest of the scone he was eating into his mouth. A couple of his classmates shot him weird looks.
“Hermione,” he greeted her when she stopped in front of him. She was fuming, but Harry had to ask. “Hadrian?” Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.
“I can call Ron “Ronald” when he’s in trouble, and Neville is an angel,” Harry nodded. “But you don’t go by a nickname, most of the time, so I thought I’d give you one for when I need a longer name for you.” Harry shifted his feet around so he was angled away from both her and the Hufflepuff table.
“I was going to ask Professor Flitwick about what I missed before class,” he suggested. Hermione’s eyes narrowed further for a split second, before she huffed again and backed away.
“We’re not done, Hadrian.” Harry kept his eyes on her feet as he speed walked away, heart feeling dull at the address. He heard Hedwig noisily finish the bacon she’d plucked from the table and held out his arm for her to land on while he walked to the front table.