October 1987
No one was in the Gryffindor common room when Aaron arrived at Hogwarts, tripping out of the fireplace and landing hard on the hearth. He had never traveled by floo powder before and he was not prepared for the abrasive end to his journey. He pushed himself off the floor, wiped the soot off his face, and headed for the stone steps. When he was upstairs, he walked through the empty dormitory and opened the trunk by his bed. He grabbed the first clean shirt he found and took off the one that was covered in soot and smelled like whatever detergent or cleaning spells they used at St. Mungo's. He pulled the clean shirt on over his head.
Aaron walked back downstairs. He was starving. He hadn't been able to stomach the lunch they had at St. Mungo's that afternoon and he had missed dinner when Dumbledore showed up without warning and sent him back to Hogwarts. He thought about just going to the kitchen and avoiding everyone until tomorrow, but then he'd just have to see them all at breakfast or walk into a full classroom. Better to just get it over with. And at least he would see his friends.
He headed to The Great Hall. His stomach made so much noise he was worried one of the people in the portraits would say something.
The Great Hall went quiet as he walked inside. Students turned to look and watched him walk to the Gryffindor table, the noise ascending as they whispered and pointed. He saw Charlie and walked towards him. Charlie grabbed Aaron's shoulder as soon as he was close enough to reach and pulled him between him and Bill.
"Bloody hell," Charlie said, "I didn't know you were coming back tonight."
"I didn't either," Aaron said, "until Dumbledore showed up at St. Mungo's an hour ago."
"Dumbledore got you out?"
Aaron nodded. "He told the healers it was a waste of time to keep me there. It's not like my condition has improved. He told me I could go back to school if I kept the shackle on. Then he signed me out and gave me a handful of floo powder."
Charlie still held Aaron's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"I'm glad I'm not stuck in that fucking hospital anymore."
Aaron jumped as someone threw their arms around his neck. He turned to see Eni.
"I didn't think they'd ever let you out," she said.
"They didn't want to. They still can't figure out what's wrong with me."
Eni broke protocol and sat down between Bill and Aaron at the Gryffindor table.
"You alright?"
"I don't know yet," Aaron said. "Thanks for the cupcakes you sent."
"Of course."
"I saw you got your stuff back."
"Yeah," Eni said, "Charlie got it to me. How did you get out?"
"Dumbledore showed up and told them I was missing too much of the school year."
"He should have done that weeks ago," Charlie said. "Mum and Dad wanted to check you out of there, but they wouldn't let them. They told them it had to be your legal guardian or some rubbish like that. Dad almost altered some papers he said he still had for you."
"I really appreciate that they tried," Aaron said. He'd have to send Arthur and Molly another letter.
Aaron reached for a platter of roast beef. Bill handed it to him, along with a bowl of potatoes. Aaron loaded up his plate. He took large bites while he grabbed a piece of bread from a basket.
"Aaron!" Tonks hugged him while he shoveled food into his mouth. Aaron tried not to pull away from her. He'd tell them about his new hatred of people touching him later, though it seemed fine as long as he couldn't apparate.
The healers had filed down the hook on the shackle until it was just a large, heavy bracelet. They were having something more practical cast, or so they kept telling him.
He reached for his mug too fast and the damn thing clanged against his plate. If his friends noticed, they didn't say anything, and he was grateful.
Tonks pushed her way between Charlie and Aaron and sat down. "Did you tell off that healer assistant again after me and Dad left?"
"Only when she kept trying to keep me in that fucking bed," Aaron said.
They laughed. It felt good to be back.
The noise in the hall went back to normal levels as the other students went back to their food and lives and ignored the Gryffindor who had missed the first two months of term. He saw Maddison at the Slytherin table. She waved at him, but didn't come over.
"So, if Dumbledore broke you out, does that mean he's back?"
"He hasn't been here?"
"No," Charlie said.
"He didn't come back with me," Aaron said, his mouth half full. "He literally just handed me floo powder and pushed me toward a fireplace."
"He's been acting strange for a while now," Tonks said.
"That's an understatement," Aaron said. He had never told them about what had happened last year when he had encountered Dumbledore drunk in the kitchen. He hadn't wanted the old man anywhere near him at the hospital either, but Dumbledore seemed to have forgotten what he had done. When the old man walked up to him in the halls at St. Mungo's, Aaron had almost ripped off the shackle and taken his chances with uncontrolled apparition to get away from him.
A rat ran across the table. A young Gryffindor girl screamed. Charlie grabbed the rat, let out a long sigh, and tucked it into his robes.
Aaron stared at him. "Did you just stuff a rat into your robes, or have I actually gone mental?"
"It's Percy's," Charlie said. "I told Mum and Dad not to get him a pet, especially not a rat. Percy has never been good with animals. He's not taking care of it."
Percy was at the far end of the table, checking beneath the benches. Charlie waved him over. He took the rat out of his pocket and held it in his hands, careful not to squeeze it too hard.
"Give me Scabbers," Percy said.
"You named him Scabbers?"
"What of it?"
"I just can't believe you cared enough to name him," Charlie said. "This is the third time I've grabbed him for you. You have to be more careful."
"You're not Dad, Charlie. Stop telling me what to do."
"Stop losing your rat."
Scabbers went limp. Charlie softened his grip. "What in the name of Merlin-"
"He's always doing that," Percy said.
"Randomly falling asleep?"
"Yeah," Percy said.
Charlie looked at the rat. Its little stomach moved up and down in a slow rhythm. Either it was asleep or about to die. "I'm going to keep him for a few days and make sure you haven't jinxed or cursed him. Or that he's not sick."
"I didn't curse him! He just keeps falling asleep."
Charlie tucked Scabbers back into his robes. "Sure, because that's normal."
Charlie turned away from Percy.
"I'm writing Mum about this," Percy said.
"Go ahead," Charlie said.
Percy walked off, heading back to the far end of the table.
Charlie turned to Bill. "Was I that bad as a First Year?"
"No," Bill said. "Percy's always been a right dolt. Makes you wish the twins were here instead."
"Let's not get crazy," Charlie said.
Aaron reached over him and took more roast beef.
