dream_labyrinth | fanfiction

This came to my mind reading some stories of the last challenge on

30minutefics. Posted here because it doesn't really meet the challenge.

Slowly, very slowly he opened his eyes.
The room was still dark, but he knew it well enough to know how it looked.
There were the beds and the trunks of the other pupils, the door that led to the common room.
He also knew that on the trunks, in the heaps of robes - none of the boys was very tidy - lay the wands.
There were five beds in the room, five trunks. Five boys, four of them still sleeping. Five robes.
But there were only four wands, and this thought made a tear trickle down his sunburnt face.
Yesterday had been the day.
He could still hear the noise as his wand broke. But he had done nothing wrong! Or at least not that much. It hadn't been his fault!
His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and he could see the figures of the other boys in their beds.
They had not liked him before, but now even asleep they seemed to express their contempt and disgust, their hatred towards the overgrown, simple boy in their middle.
They had all turned their backs on him.
Suddenly restless, he got up and put on his robes.
He tried to be silent, but his clumsy feet and hands made much more noise than he would have liked them to.
One of the other kids stirred, but didn't wake up.
He held his breath until he had reached the stairs to the common room and closed the door behind him. He trodded down and flung himself onto a couch by the fireplace.
The house elves had not come to clean yet, and the ash in the fireplace seemed an appropriate reflection of his mood. He stared down at it and thought about the last evening.
All the grand wizards from the ministry, the headmaster, the sad and reproachful looks, the whispers of the students. And the noise when his wand broke.
A crackling noise woke him from his memories.
A fire was burning in the fireplace, warming his body. He breathed deeply and relaxed a little, but still was too weary to enquire about the reason for the fire. He had a suspicion, though, and when a hand was placed on his shoulder and a man's calm voice adresed him, he found he had been right.
"DOn't ponder about it, my boy. There is nothing that can be done now."
He sighed. Tears started falling and it felt as if the tension left his body, just because someone cared.
"I know, professor. But I can't forget it."
His teacher sat down beside him. "That is understandable. You will most likely never forget, but you might learn to live with it."
The boy jumped up. "But how, sir? Do you think anybody would want me after I was expelled from Hogwarts because of this?"
"`That is why I came, Hagrid." The man looked up at him with kind eyes. "The headmaster allows you to stay here, as gamekeeper. I'm sure that position will suit you."
Hagrid gaped at him. "You... you did that!" he stuttered when he found his voice again. "You talked them into it." He made a move to hug his professor, but realized that this was inappropriate and checked himself just in time. "Professor Dumbledore, Sir, I would do anything for you, isn't there something I can do for you?"
"You can tell me you did not do what you were expelled for." Dumbledore never took his eyes off the young boy's face and was relieved to see the shock and hurt dignity.
"I would never do that, sir! I just raised a spider."
"Spider, Hagrid? Wan't it a bit tall for a spider? Riddle said it was huge."
Hagrid frowned. "Riddle doesn't know a thhing about animals. Except those blasted snakes. Aragog is friendly enough, even if he's a bit on the large side."
From the rooms came noises now. While they had been talking the house elves had come and went, leaving the rooms tidy and clean, and now the students were slowly waking.
Dumbledore rose. "I better leave now. And you should, too. I am not sure whether it was a good idea to have you sleep in your tower tonight. You might not have want to meet your fellow students again.
Hagrid nodded slowly, and Dumbledore, with a wave of his wand and a short spell, moved the boy's possessions down from the bedroom. He let the trunk float in the air in front of him and motioned for Hagrid to follow him.
Together, they left the common room. Outside in the hallway, Dumbledore let the trunk land beside Hagrid. "You know the hut were the last gamekeeper used to live? It has been adjusted to your size."
Hagrid nodded and picked up his trunk. He wanted to thank Dumbledore, but he had already turned to leave.
Carefully avoiding the main stairs and corridors, Hagrid sneaked out of the castle, over the grounds and into his new home. On the huge bed lay a small box.
He opened it and stared at the pieces of wood that lay inside.
After a while he read the note that lay in the box.
I thought you might want those. - A.D.