09. Dear Aunt Amelia
❝Dear Aunt Amelia,
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to share with you my experiences from my first week at Hogwarts. Finally, it’s Friday, so I can tell you everything now!
I’m quickly adapting to life at school and exploring the castle.
I've easily made friends in Gryffindor. You know well my love for Quidditch, so the letters in the coming weeks might narrate some of my house’s practices. I’m looking forward to watching the games and maybe participating in the future.
The Transfiguration classes have been the best, and I’m doing really well in that subject. I finally managed to turn a matchstick into metal, although it needs to be thinner to become a needle.
My honesty and intensity, for which you sometimes scold me, occasionally lead me into funny situations, but I’m becoming a beloved presence in the common room. The Weasley twins are hilarious, and their poor brother, Percy, the monitor, is always on the verge of going mad.
Today we have our first Potions class, and based on what I’ve heard about Professor Snape, I’m not particularly excited…
I hope this news brings you a bit more peace regarding my well-being at Hogwarts. I’m settling in well and making great memories.
P.S. I swear I’m behaving!
With affection,
Aidan
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The blonde smiled as he contemplated the letter, carefully putting the quill away in his bag while getting up from the bed where he had been sitting. He checked his materials and uniform, the Gryffindor red tie slightly loose around his neck, and the first two buttons of his shirt undone. He preferred it that way, and he had to enjoy it before Potions class because, as far as he knew, the Slytherin head was demanding, especially with the lion house students.
Bones sealed the envelope and threw his backpack over his shoulders, heading toward the Great Hall, where he could join his classmates at the Gryffindor table. He hadn’t lied in his letter to his aunt; his companions were wonderful, full of life and courage.
As he sat down at the table, he reached for pumpkin juice, his favorite, just seconds before the owls invaded the hall, and Aidan hid the drink under the table to prevent Eris from landing where it could spill. A smile formed as he looked at his owl, stroking her black feathered wings while retrieving his aunt's letter attached to her. The Daily Prophet had also arrived, and Aidan promptly picked it up. He decided to let the owl rest and send the letter to his aunt later.
“Very good, Eris!” he exclaimed, offering her a small piece of cake, promising to feed her better when he took her back to the owlery.
A nearby voice asked:
“Another letter from your aunt?” Aidan turned to see Atlas Jace Galanis-Black there, an owl perched on his arm, bringing two envelopes.
“Yes, it is. And those…?”
“Oh, one for me and another for Solaris,” Atlas replied, revealing the contents of the correspondence.
As Atlas opened his own letter, separating his cousin's to deliver later, Aidan felt a wave of warmth as he turned his gaze back to his aunt's letter.
The pumpkin juice went down refreshing, and Aidan dived into the rest of breakfast excitedly while reading the message. His aunt didn’t express any worries in her letter, but the blonde frowned at the way the letters appeared blurry; Amelia was definitely tired when she wrote it.
Reaching for the newspaper, he found the reason printed on the front page:
"THE GRINGOTTS CASE
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts, which occurred on July 31, believed to be the work of unknown dark wizards and witches.
The goblins of Gringotts insisted today that nothing was stolen. The vault opened had actually been emptied earlier that day.
“But we won’t say what was inside, so no one gets involved, if they have any sense,” a spokesperson said this afternoon."
Bones hummed thoughtfully. The case, which happened over a month ago, still echoed in his mind. While he was sure he had read about it before, he understood why the news affected his aunt, even though she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. A month had passed, and they were still nowhere near discovering who had dared to rob Gringotts.
“So, Atlas,” Aidan turned to his friend, trying not to let his mind drift to that topic. “It seems you and your cousin are getting along well?” he mentioned with a hint of questioning in his voice.
“Yeah, I was worried at first about how she would react, and I didn’t know how to handle the surprise myself. But Solaris is kind and fun. My mom would love to have her with us in the summers, and I think Sol liked the idea. It shouldn’t be a problem; my dad would be the legal guardian if he weren’t… if he weren’t in Azkaban.”
The two fell into a solemn silence. If anyone had told Aidan Bones, whose parents were brutally murdered by Death Eaters, that he would be there, sharing moments and becoming friends with Atlas Black, the son of Voldemort’s supposed right-hand man, he would have probably called them crazy.
But then, Aidan saw how the boy defended his father's innocence when Ernesto Macmillan from Hufflepuff accused him loudly. Bones saw sincerity in his words and decided to listen to him.
Although he wasn’t sure exactly what had convinced him, Aidan believed Atlas. And consequently, he believed in Sirius Black.
“Now, you only have one more person you need to talk to,” Aidan finally said, turning to gaze at another part of the table, where Shaia Potter was talking to Elowen Diggory and Arianna Hughes.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
The boys smiled at each other. They shared unhappy stories they preferred not to talk about, but a sense of understanding seemed to be blossoming there. They would continue to smile and protect those they loved, regardless of the pain of their loses.