It had been a busy week at Hogwarts castle. Not that Twonk had any particular part in it, but the first days after summer break always came with joyous scuttles and loud voices across the hallways. Norvel Twonk had been excited for weeks to watch the chaos from his safe spot within the golden frame. Students trundling past to get to their classes, happy reunions, and gossipy catch-ups finally filled the recently so quiet castle with life again.
It was the first time that Twonk didn’t just get to enjoy the sound but be in the midst of it all, as his portrait had recently been upgraded from a meager side room location to front row Entrance Hall. Since the war, Hogwarts and the general magical world has been taking every opportunity to showcase muggle-welcoming narratives. Back when his human form still walked this earth, Twonk had saved a Muggle kid from a wild creature. An act he paid for with his life, but not one he would ever regret. He didn’t particularly mind being the newest poster boy for protecting Muggles from magical monsters as long as it inspired others. And who would ever complain about this new view it got him? Yes, this was the perfect spot for making some friends after years in the side room.
A week into the new school year and Twonk had picked up on most of the students’ names, listened in on the latest developments – apparently the Hufflepuff common room had grown a side wing with external entrance for interhouse bake-offs - and now he made it a game to guess each year’s schedules. He didn’t care much about wandering the portraits as this new spot really offered it all. Even the occasional view out onto the grounds when the giant wooden doors opened and students hurried in and out, adding to the muddy trails on the floor, much to Filch’s dismay.
One night, Twonk startled out of his sleep with a jerk when he heard a sudden noise. Squinting he tried to locate the source, but the dark hall seemed empty. A quiet sniff echoed softly through the space as he noticed a little kid sitting at his feet with the back against the wall. Twonk bent down and whispered: “Hey, what’s wrong with you?” He wasn’t always the smoothest conversationalist, more a man of action than words, but when you are reduced to paint in a frame, there isn’t much more you can do than talk, so he’d give it a try. The kid turned around in shock and scrambled up, giving Twonk a quick glance before turning their face back down to their kneading hands.
“I…I think I got lost,” the child stammered. “I was just out at the greenhouse to look at this new Ali-…Alihotsy tree. And now everyone is in bed…and I don’t remember the way up to the dormitory…I tried, but the…the stairs just keep…”
Twonk stretched his back and sat down on his painted wooden floor as the child’s arms made a swirling motion to imitate the moving staircases at the end of the hall. “Guessing you didn’t find the Alihotsy or you’d be laughing rather than crying, huh? Who even told you to look for it? Those laughing fits it causes are a serious matter. Can be deathly, you know,” Twonk said, stroking his chin and smoothing down his moustache.
“I was just so curious. About it all. Never been around magic. It’s just all really…really cool, you know?” the child continued, now with a little gleam in their eyes.
“Wait, are you the Dursley kid? Related to Potter, right?” Twonk had heard some rumors of Harry Potter’s Muggle relative having been accepted to Hogwarts this year and seen the kid run around in a panic to find the next classroom.
“He is my dad’s cousin. Name’s Polly,” came the quiet response.
“Right, right…you know, Potter also had quite the reputation, sneaking around these halls at night. Rumors are that he knew all the secret passageways around here. Passed me quite a few times on his escapades. Don’t know what kept dragging him out of Gryffindor tower, for me it always was the coziest place I’ve ever called home. Wouldn’t have wanted to miss one minute in front of that fireplace.” Twonk’s gaze drifted off into the distance, a little smile on his face.
“Uhm…I wouldn’t know…I’m Ravencl-“
“Oh, kid, I know.” Twonk’s head swiveled back with a grin. “Why else would you wear that blue tie? Not quite witty enough to outsmart those stairs though, are you?” Twonk said, jovially bumping his elbow against the canvas with a wink. He quickly realised, however, that banter was not the way to become friends with this particular human. Polly had gone back to kneading their hands and staring at the floor. Followed by a sniffle, Twonk heard a quiet “I know..”
What a sad little kid, lost during their first week at Hogwarts. Twonk remembered his first year, convinced the hat had made a mistake. Brave and chivalrous? Definitely not how he would have described himself back then. But maybe that’s what it was all about, to bring out the sides of yourself you hadn’t discovered yet. Twonk might not be in the three-dimensional world any more, but he would still do what he could to help this child find their way.
“Hey, have you heard the story of how I died?” he said in an overly cheery voice, clapping his hands on his upper thighs. With furrowed brows, Polly looked back up and gave an insecure nod. “Oh, you have? The entire story? How I threw myself in front of that child like a human shield? Sacrificed myself to save a young life? The whole spiel?"
“Uhm yeah…you’ve got a giant plaque next to your portrait,” Polly said, still confused, and pointed at a shiny golden sign next to Twonk’s frame.
“Oh, neat. What does it say?” he said, scrambling up and moving to the edge of the frame, attempting to look at whatever hung right next to him.
Polly shuffled closer with a cautious look at Twonk as if afraid he might fall out of the frame any second. “Norvel Twonk, Order of Merlin (First Class) (1888 - 1957), was a brave wizard, who died saving a Muggle child from a vicious Manticore.” On that last word, Twonk gave Polly a little wink and the portrait swung open to reveal a hidden passageway with steep stairs up into a dark corridor. “Manticore. Don’t you forget it. It’ll lead you right up to the 5th floor, just around the corner from your new home,” Twonk said, now facing the grey stone wall he had swung towards. “Good night, Polly.” Quiet footsteps shuffled up the stairs behind him and a muffled “Good night, Norvel” put a smile on his face as he swung back into position.