(A/N: Thursday, January 22 is the date for the day this occurs on)
x
"Perhaps you ought to take a Dreamless Sleep Potion, Severus. I cannot always be awake to amuse you," Dumbledore said merrily, sipping his tea. "It is your turn, by the way."
Severus sighed. "You know I have never slept well. No Potion can fix that perman—"
But he was interrupted by a loud crackling of the hearth to their left. Both sets of eyes moved their focus from the chess board to the fire. In the flames was the head of Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Good, you're awake, Albus," Kingsley said in his deep voice, but he seemed unusually urgent.
"I am always awake for the Minister For Magic," Dumbledore said politely.
Kingsley continued, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but two Muggles were just killed in a car accident. A witch down the street from it thought it might've had something to do with one of her pets. I knew her in school and she was always into weird creatures, Imelda Warnbaum. It turns out the Muggles were just drunk; I only got back a minute ago, and it wasn't pretty."
His eyes glazed over for a second, then he shook his head to clear it. "Anyways, the Muggles were the parents of a student at Hogwarts. Matthew Green's the name, I think Imelda said."
All twinkle left his blue eyes as Dumbledore spoke, "Thank you, Kingsley. He will be informed."
Kingsley's head disappeared from the fire with a small pop. Dumbledore turned to Severus, suddenly serious. "Severus, I need you to collect Mr. Green from Ravenclaw Tower."
"At one in the morning? Can't it wait until a decent hour?"
"I feel it would be best to tell him immediately."
Severus did as he was told, and fifteen minutes later he reappeared in the doorway, Matthew looking confused in a long nightshirt behind him.
"Please sit, Matthew," Dumbledore gestured to a seat across from his desk, abnormally grim. Matthew sat down anxiously, and Severus hung back by the doorway.
"I am sorry to have to inform you, but there is no easy way to say it. Your parents were out tonight and were involved in a car crash that killed them both. They were under the influence of alcohol," Dumbledore finished in a quiet yet firm tone.
Matthew had gone sickeningly white in his chair.
"You will be permitted to miss classes for a few days if you wish," Dumbledore went on. He was about to continue when he noticed that Matthew looked like he was trying to say something, but could not.
"Do you need something, Matthew?"
Matthew's mouth continued to open slightly and then close again several times, and Dumbledore was about to ask again when he spoke. It was almost a whisper, but could be heard clearly through the room.
"Harry . . ."
If the Headmaster was surprised, he did not show it. "Dobby!"
With a crack Dobby appeared, wearing what looked like a small girl's nightgown. "What can Dobby do for Professor Dumbledore sir?" he asked excitedly, though a quickly covered yawn followed the question.
"Please wake up Harry and tell him to floo to my office immediately," Dumbledore spoke hurriedly as Matthew's hands began to visibly shiver.
Realising the urgency of the situation, Dobby nodded and disappeared with another loud crack.
x
Harry woke to Dobby shaking him.
"Dobby, I thought I told you to stop waking me up at weird hours," he groaned and rolled over irritably.
"Dobby must wake Harry Potter sir! Professor Dumbledore has instructed Dobby to tell Harry Potter that he is to floo to his office immediately!"
Harry froze, and crawled hastily out from in between the heavy sheets. He hopped off the bed, haphazardly shoved his glasses on his face, and glanced down at his clothes: a black T-shirt and navy pajama pants. They would have to do.
"Thanks, Dobby!" he called, sprinting from the room.
When he stumbled from out of the Headmaster's fireplace a moment later, Harry took one look at Matthew's shaking form and said, "What happened?"
"Matthew will be staying in your quarters for a while, Harry," Dumbledore said. "If that is okay with you?"
Harry recognised the underlying meaning: we will speak of it later. He rushed over to Matthew and encircled him in his arms, picking him up and readjusting their position so that Harry was seated with Matthew curled up in his lap as a trembling ball. Harry's arms surrounded him as Matthew buried his face in the black T-shirt.
"Of course that's fine," Harry said, in a tone that made it clear he was surprised at anyone who thought he would ever refuse to let the boy do so. He rubbed soothing circles in Matthew's back as he continued, "Is there any way another bedroom could be added? I don't think he'll want to be sleeping on a sofa."
"Already taken care of," Dumbledore replied gently. "I believe now would be a good time to put him to sleep."
Harry nodded with a look to say 'I will be back in a moment'. He rose with one arm under Matthew's knees and the other under his back; the boy held on around Harry's neck, silent tears now streaming down his face and leaving damp spots on Harry's T-shirt. He stepped over to the fireplace as Dumbledore threw in a handful of floo powder for him.
As soon as he reappeared in his quarters, Harry noticed a new door to the left of his own bedroom. He carried Matthew through it into the new bedroom within, a small room of entirely indigo decoration with large curtained windows, through which shone slivers of moonlight from the sky outside. He set Matthew down on the squishy, many soft-pillowed bed and pulled the covers up over him.
"Will you be okay until I get back? It will only be a moment," Harry whispered in the stillness of the room, pushing back tear-dampened strands of hair from Matthew's face. The boy nodded with a sniffle, and Harry quietly returned to the main room.
As he once again stumbled out of the Headmaster's fireplace, Harry rushed back over to Dumbledore's desk.
"What exactly happened to make him that upset? That's the worst I've ever seen him!" Harry exclaimed.
Dumbledore gave him a sad look. "Both of his parents just died in a car accident."
Harry froze, then fell into the chair he had vacated only a moment ago and ran his hands tiredly through his hair. "No wonder . . ."
"They were drunk," came a familiar voice from Harry's right, usually so stern but now as soft as he had ever heard it. Harry looked up in surprise.
"Sir? How long have you been here?"
Snape sat in the chair beside Harry, opposite Dumbledore. "Since about an hour before you were."
Harry couldn't find anything to say, going over in his mind what Snape had just witnessed of him. Finally he said, looking to Dumbledore, "You do know about Matthew's parents, Professor, don't you?"
Blue gazed somberly back into green. "Yes, Harry; I know they were not ideal parents. But no matter how many imperfections one may have, in the end they are still your family."
Harry wondered if anyone else was forcibly reminded of their own father.
"Matthew asked specifically for you, Harry," Dumbledore continued. "I am glad he has found a friend in you."
There was a strangely haunted look to Harry's eyes as he said, "No one should be alone."
They sat solemnly for a moment, until Dumbledore spoke again. "Matthew has been excused from classes tomorrow. You will need to help him as much as you can, Harry. I am not sure how he will cope with his loss."
Harry nodded and said, "Matthew will need Roger as well. In a day or so, could he have permission to visit Matthew in the evening?"
Dumbledore considered this and approved. "Very well. For now, let us all get some much-needed rest."
Harry returned to his quarters to find that Matthew had fallen asleep exactly where he had left him. He quietly tip-toed back out of the room, and opened his laptop.