Chapter 11: Halloween

Halloween came quickly. Kenna was able to keep busy with the work the teachers gave her in Mathematics, History, and Latin. She spent a lot of time doing small projects and trailing after the professors of Hogwarts. People were talking about the feast that would be held on Monday, Halloween. Apparently, in some muggle places, kids dressed up as scary creatures or animals and went to different houses for candy. Kenna didn't think that was something she really wanted to do, but she was excited to see what a feast entailed. Small changes in the castle were occurring already, decorations were being set up, and she'd noticed an increase in candles.

The Friday before the feast she walked the grounds with Hagrid and Fang as usual. It was just a casual loop to make sure everything was in order and as it should be. The half-giant and young girl had built up a good friendship since she'd helped him with the Thestrals at the beginning of the school year. He often took her on mini adventures into the forbidden forest. She always seemed to delight him when she found magical creatures. Dumbledore had told her that she wasn't allowed in the forest alone, and it sometimes felt so dark she didn't think she'd want to go in alone anyway. She could feel the creatures that hid deeper in the forest, and they didn't seem to be as kind as the deer and rabbits and unicorns that sometimes walked along the edge.

That morning after their loop Hagrid put gloves on her hands and placed a huge pair of shears in them. She almost tipped over holding them, obviously made for a person much larger than she. His first warning was that they were sharp. When they did chores, Hagrid often forgot that she was so small. Kenna was under the belief that he had never been small in his entire life. Today, they'd be finally cutting the massive pumpkins from their stems. The morning had been foggy and misty, so the ground was wet and squishy, especially in the garden. Dumbledore had made sure she wore big rubber boots for the mud, so they were easy to clean and she could take them off when she entered the castle rather than tracking the dirt through the castle and dealing with Filtch's mutterings.

Kenna trooped around the field a bit of a distance from Hagrid, finally finding a patch of smaller pumpkins that she could cut and carry herself. The big ones Hagrid could handle, and if they rolled over on her she would probably be squished, so her job was to collect as many small ones on this side of the garden as she could before lunch. She'd cut and then pile them by the edge of the garden. At the end of the day, Flitwick and she would come down and he would charm them to follow them up to the castle. If she was good, Hagrid said she might be able to take one or two to the castle herself and carve them with Dumbledore.

Hard at work, Kenna enjoyed having the dirt under her hands and untangling the pumpkins by hand. The morning remained a bit on the colder side, but because she was moving around so much it felt a lot warmer. She had to stand a distance and put most of her weight on the shears for them to cut, which included a bit of jumping. Once enthusiastic jump at an angle cause her to tip over headfirst into the mud. She was able to wipe most of it off with her shirt and she continued on.

As she carried a bigger pumpkin to her slowly growing pile. She passed a few grumpy gnomes that lived in that section of the patch and nodded hello to them. She'd known they were there, but they had been really good at trying to keep out of her sight. When they realized that she knew they were there she was met with a few grumbles. Pausing she watched them thump away. They knew their space was going to be disturbed for the next few hours, and it was likely that whatever nest they had created in between pumpkins would be destroyed. It happened every year. She thought about trying to teach the gnomes to talk. It was something you could do, she'd read. Maybe they would be her friends. If there were any scraps of clothing she could bring them down and help them make a bigger nest for their gnome families.

A few minutes later she heard a voice, "Hey, Hagrid!" It called out from up the hill near Hagrid's home. Kenna couldn't see who it was, but it didn't sound like an adult. She sheltered a little behind a huge pumpkin, peaking around it as one of the newcomers came into view.

"Bill! Emari! What are you two doing down here? Don't you have class?" Hagrid asked. He was across the field a bit further than she thought on the other side of the pumpkin she could see the tip of his head.

"Herbology ended early when five kids fainted as we were replanting the mandrakes. We think a Slytherin poked holes in the earmuffs during their last session." The darker-skinned boy had wild curly hair as she had never seen before and he came into view first. She could only see his profile, His small rounded nose reminded her of her own. He was wearing a Gryffindor scarf and aside from his robe she couldn't see any other school gear. Herbology was the one class that students could wear more outside clothes. "What're you doing?"

"We're getting the pumpkins ready. Gonna have some of them carved tonight." Hagrid easily lifted a huge pumpkin to show the two boys. She wondered if he dropped it how big of a thump it would make. Would it cause an earthquake? Would it crack open?

A second voice sounded puzzled, "We?"

Hagrid nodded, Kenna ducked into hiding once more. Spying was rude and she didn't want the newcomers to think that she was rude. She also knew she was very dirty. You should only meet people when you are clean.

"Yes! Kenna is-" she heard him pause. "Kenna?" He called over to her, this time his voice laced with a little worry. She could imagine him scanning across the patch. When he said her name again she poked her head up, climbing onto the pumpkin she was hiding behind. Hagrid took a step toward her and smiled, waving his hand to the two in front of him, both who were curiously staring at her. She couldn't wave because her hands were both holding her up.

"This is Bill Weasley and Emari Ongrison, they're second years."

The boys remained curious, but both smiled and waved to her. She returned a smile of her own showing her teeth. The second boy she recognized immediately. She'd made eye contact with the redheaded one multiple times over the past two months. There were three ginger-haired people at Hogwarts, but his hair was the brightest and it made Kenna want to touch it. She'd read a muggle book that talked about genetics, and how orange hair and light eyes and freckles were all very unique mutations. Dumbledore had told her that he knew William Weasley's family well, and that they had many children and that ALL of the children had bright orange hair.

After the introduction was made she slid off the pumpkin like a slide and moved back to the shears. Adjusting herself, she had to take a step out of the mud. Her boots were starting to sink more and more in this area whenever she stood for too long in the same place. Sometimes she sank because the shears added weight to her. It was like quicksand. She wasn't sure why Hagrid didn't constantly sink into the ground.

"Er- can we help Hagrid?" Bill Weasley asked he eyed the shears she was trying to maneuver and looked around the patch. There had to be at least two hundred pumpkins in the area they were standing. There was a second pumpkin patch down the hill a bit too. Extracting pumpkins sounded like an all weekend thing, or even a detention task.

"Of course you can! Kenna is getting the ones she can carry and moving them over there!" He pointed to her small row of eight pumpkins of varying sizes. "Maybe you can help her and get some bigger ones into that pile."

The boys both nodded and shrugged off their robes, placing them down near a log. William wore a short-sleeved shirt and jeans under his robe but he didn't seem to be affected as much by the cold, and Emari had on a long-sleeved Gryffindor Hogwarts sweater. They both walked closer to Kenna. Hagrid immediately went back to his work, lifting a pumpkin that was at least three Kennas put together. And walking it over to his pile. He had just as many as Kenna did, but his were, well, the size of small horses.

Bill motioned to the cutters. "Those heavy?" Kenna lifted them up and swayed a little, shaking her head. He immediately knew she was lying, but she reminded him a lot of his half a dozen siblings. They didn't like to be called out for being small or weak, especially not the twins who were five and insisted on doing everything with him and Charlie. "Man! You've got some real muscle" Bill chuckled.

She gave him a proud smile and nodded her head. She didn't seem partial to communicating using her voice. Bill had noticed that as well when he watched her sitting at the Hufflepuff table. She rarely seemed to open her mouth unless she was asked a direct question. Her eyes always held a manner of absorbing information, just as Ginny's did. He knew that she was much older, and he wondered if Ginny would be anything like her when she got older.

"Well. How about I do the cutting, and you can carry the pumpkins?" That was a deal she could agree with. Emari laughed, immediately realizing that Bill's firstborn affinity for manipulating his younger siblings was playing in his favor. Both of the boys were pretty aware that sharp items should be kept from children, but that didn't seem to stop Hagrid. For a brief moment, Kenna's eyes flickered between them. She wondered if he was tricking her, but he was much larger than her, and shears would probably be easier for him to use. Once they were handed over she wiped her hands on her pants, watching the dirt smeared across them.

Emari walked over and looked down at some of the pumpkins, shifting them around a little bit. "What's my job?"

"Leviosa and carry the big ones so they're easy to chop." Bill immediately took point as the leader and the three set to work. Kenna had to admit that with the extra help things moved a lot quicker. She would carry a pumpkin to the edge, and by the time she got back, the next one would already be cut. The two boys joked the entire time, occasionally yelling a question or two over their shoulder at Hagrid.

She liked them. They were very friendly. Emari barely let her carry any of the pumpkins, and he could sometimes take two at a time. Using magic made it a lot easier, and Kenna wondered if they left early if she could maybe do it on her own.

Bill was really good at asking her questions and making sure she was okay whenever her foot got stuck. Once her foot came completely out of the boot and she fell over, pumpkin in hand. He was next to her in minutes pulling her shoe out, lifting her up under her arms and placing her foot back in the shoe before she could get her sock dirty. He explained jokes to her when they laughed if she didn't understand them. They talked about a recent game of exploding snap they played in the courtyard the previous week and joked about another classmate burning half their eyebrow off when they went to check why their snap didn't explode- the delayed reaction causing them to laugh so hard they cried. Bill asked her if she'd play, and then told her he'd invite her to their next game. Kenna had seen the kids playing out the window, but aside from her two Hufflepuff friends she saw occasionally, and two sixth grade students that walked her to classes, she didn't spend much time with the students.

Most of the kids in the school treated her either like a little girl or like she was 11. Her Hufflepuff friends were usually pretty good, but they always forgot that she didn't know things, and she often had to ask Dumbledore hours later to understand what they were talking about. She didn't mind it, but she had to admit she couldn't wait until she had friends close to her age.

An hour passed and Emani was taking a short break on top of one of the giant pumpkins. "She's like the same age as your brother right?" Emari usually took his cue from Bill on how to interact with her.

"Which one?" Bill laughed jokingly. He smiled at Kenna as he cut another small pumpkin that floated down into her arms, "How old are you Kenna?"

Kenna softly spoke "Eight." The two hadn't said anything about how quiet she was, they just filled the space with their own noise.

"You're in between Charlie and Percy then. Do you like bowtruckles?"

Of course she did! Her head nodded vigorously. She'd even found one in the forest, but it was too high in a tree for her to get her fingers on.

"Charlie is all about them. Sent me a letter that he's hiding fifteen in his bedroom. My mom is going to be furious when she finds them," He increased his voice to mimic her "Charles Septimus Weasley you cannot keep creatures in your room. This is a home, not a zoo!" Hagrid's laugh echoed across the field at Bill's impersonation "I think you'd get along, he's always rolling around in the dirt or the forest by our house."

Kenna couldn't help but glance down. After the second week Dumbledore and Kenna had both agreed that dresses were probably not the best thing for her to wear when she was out with Hagrid. Instead, Dumbledore had invested in a few pairs of pants and fun colored shirts for her to wear when she was outside. She had a tendency to walk back into the great hall covered from head to toe in dirt. Today would be the same, her hands brown despite the oversized gloves and the bottom part of her shirt smeared with mud from when she carried the pumpkins. She knew that her hair probably had mud in it as well after falling down. They'd pulled it back into a long single French braid that morning, but strands were casually framing her face. Normally she'd have lunch in the great hall, and McGonagall would meet her when Hagrid walked her to the entryway of the castle. She wondered if the older woman would clean her with magic or have her go up to her and Dumbledore's quarters to take a bath.

"Charlie starts next year?" Hagrid asked from afar. He must have been listening.

"Yeah, Hagrid! He's super pumped to meet you. I told him you usually found the animals for Care of Magical Creatures."

"How'd you know that? You don't start that elective till next year?"

"Everyone knows Hagrid," Emani laughed. He was slightly out of breath from carrying a rather large pumpkin. "we've seen you walking Hippogriffs across the fields." Hagrid tutted.

"Well I only get the ones from the forest, I don't get to see the fun ones from abroad." He seemed to grumble. He perked up when he saw Kenna watching him though. "Y'know who's got a real thing for animals?"

"Who?" The boys asked at the same time.

"Little Miss Kenna. Just put her on the edge of the forest and, like a fish to a worm, you get a unicorn."

The boys turned to her and she smiled. It had only happened once, and Hagrid had been so over the moon that he'd almost frightened them away. Dumbledore had reminded him twice already that they needed to be careful and not to leave her unattended. Kenna thought that Dumbledore knew the caretaker well, as Hagrid got distracted or carried away easily with his excitement. Their conversation continued around the boy's ideal elective courses for their 3rd year. They both were interested in taking Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. Bill mentioned that he'd heard good things, which Kenna was able to confirm. The students for the few classes she sat in of Professor Vector's had been very interested in the topic. The Professor also was a great math teacher.

The boys stayed until lunchtime when Hagrid stood next to his pile and looked at the watch on the inside of his wrist. "Looks like it's mealtime!" He said, smiling at the pile of pumpkins the three had collected. "Kenna, why don't you pick a pumpkin to take with you. Boys, will you walk her up to the castle?"

Kenna nodded her head and looked at their pile, choosing a pumpkin that was nice and round. She had put it slightly off to the side just in case. This one, in particular, was a good size for her to carry on her own. The boys trudged out of the patch and both rinsed their shoes. Bill knew a few cleaning charms courtesy of his mother and tested them on his own clothes before doing so with Emani.

"Can I clean you off a little too Kenna?" He asked. Kenna set down her pumpkin and stood with her arms out, feeling the magic surround her and wipe her robes off. The water that sprayed her boots got the bottom of her pants a bit wet. Her skin remained pretty filthy, but it'd be easy to wash her hands when she reached the castle.

Saying their goodbyes to Hagrid, they made their way up the hill to the stairs of the castle. The boys were quiet, and Kenna knew they were walking a little bit slower so she could keep up with her much shorter legs.

"Do you reckon this year they'll have Dragon Roasted Nuts at the feast?" Bill asked Emani. Kenna enjoyed listening to their conversations. They laughed a lot, and it always made her smile, even though she didn't always understand what they were talking about.

"I'd be shocked if they didn't," Emani laughed. The castle was in sight at this point. "Hey Kenna, do you want to sit at Gryffindor table with us for the feast? I've seen you sitting at Hufflepuff sometimes."

Kenna debated his proposition. She had sat at the Hufflepuff table a total of four times during dinner because the first year Tonks (as she insisted on being called) always found her when she was in the library and walked her to dinner. The first year tended to talk nonstop, which Kenna didn't mind in the least, and it was really interesting hearing about how the first year's life was in Hufflepuff. Dumbledore didn't seem to mind when she sat with the Hufflepuffs, and it didn't seem like many people took notice. "If Dumbledore says I can, yes." She said aloud.

"Dumbledore." Emani considered. "Do you ever call him dad?"

Kenna also thought about it. In her mind, she called him her father, but she wasn't sure if he liked being called that. Was it weird that she never did? In response to Emani's question, she could only shrug. Maybe she'd try it. Then again, he very rarely called her daughter. Did people normally call their daughters 'daughter'?

"Is that McGonagall?" Bill asked as they reached the stairs.

It was. The old Transfiguration Professor was looking over the castle grounds. Her eyes fell upon the three of them and she gave a small smile. When Kenna reached the top she walked closer and lifted her pumpkin a little higher. "Did Hagrid let you take that?" McGonagall asked. Kenna grinned up at her. "Perhaps you will be able to carve it this weekend." She looked between the boys now, a sparkle in her eyes they hadn't really seen before. "You are all an absolute mess."

Bill and Emani looked at each other. They had tried to clean up, but like Kenna, their skin had a darker tone to it because of the mud, and Bill had run his hands through his hair a few too many times. They weren't nearly as caked in mud as Kenna was, but they were pretty close. The transfiguration professor flicked her wand at each of them, and the mud floated right off and then it was tossed over the side of the castle staircase. They could hear it land with a splat on the other side.

"Thank you for bringing Kenna up to the castle. Five points each to Gryffindor."

The boys both straightened up, suddenly feeling like their task was more important than it had felt in the first place. Their strict Head of house did not give out praise or points lightly. "It was no problem, we actually wanted to ask if she can sit at our table for the feast on Monday." Bill got straight to the point, glancing at Emani. He shifted his weight back and forth on both of his legs.

McGonagall looked between the two of them, and then she glanced down at Kenna who also bounced a little on her toes. "We will see." She nodded. Her hand reached down to usher Kenna inside, holding the door open for the boys as well. "Dumbledore is free for the rest of the afternoon and wanted to have lunch with you Miss Kenna. Why don't we go see him," They approached the staircase and the boys walked toward the great hall.

"See you later Kenna!" they said.

She waved at them, awkwardly trying to balance her pumpkin. "Bye!"

Kenna bounced up the stairs to the office, opening the door with her mind rather than with her pumpkin-filled hand. Her arms were starting to get tired, but she was determined not to drop it. She'd used a tiny bit of magic to make it lighter for her to carry but knew that if Minerva found out she would probably be lectured about using magic. Kenna had been exceptional at not using her talents, but it was harder than she thought it would be. Doing things without magic took a lot more effort and a lot more time.

Dumbledore's head lifted from his desk when the door opened. Kenna put the pumpkin down and sat down at the floor, taking off her boots, and then in her high pink socks picked her pumpkin up again and rushed to the desk. She set her pumpkin down only for it to hover a little above the desk. Her head dropped down to see the two inches. She wasn't using magic.

Her father chuckled. "Did you wash the pumpkin?" He asked.

Kenna looked closer at it. It was pretty muddy, but a lot of the dirt was dry. With her finger, she touched it and made the dirt evaporate off of it. The old man smiled and let it drop to the table. He'd grown used to her skills. She didn't seem to need the name of the spell for her to be able to use it, just the intent behind it. More than anything it made him curious about how she would interact with the wands at Ollivander's. Wands were used to channel magic, but Kenna seemed to be able to do that and regulate it on her own.

Adjusting his attention to the pumpkin itself, he put his hand on it, tapping it lightly.

He could hear the ripe echo.

"Hm. I suppose we will be carving it tomorrow night?"

Kenna moved around the table next to his chair. "Can we please, Dad?"

Her voice was getting stronger, but she didn't always seem comfortable using it. In this case, particularly she sounded tentative. He paused and looked down at her sensing her nervous energy. She hadn't called him Dad before. He picked her up and placed her on his lap, setting his quill aside. "Of course we can, sweetheart."

"Dad?" She asked, testing out the word again.

"Yes?" Dumbledore smiled.

She bit her lip trying to hide her own smile. "Can I sit with Emari Ongrison and Bill Weasley for the Halloween Feast?"

He adjusted her a little. "Where did you meet them?" She didn't chatter to him very often about Hogwarts students, and although he knew she had made a few friends in their younger years, and walked with a few older students in between classes, most of the student body was unsure with how to interact with her. Kenna didn't seem to mind, he found that she was able to keep her mind busy and preferred to stand on the sidelines and watch the students too rather than immersing herself in their activities.

"With Hagrid!" She showed him a little of them interacting earlier that morning, and their invitation, and their offer for showing her how to play exploding snap. Dumbledore considered what she'd shown him and what he knew of the two boys.

"Yes can sit with them at the feast." He concluded. Her eyes widened, surprised that he'd agreed and she wrapped her small arms around him. Dumbledore let his head rest on top of hers, savoring the hug. She didn't give them often, he could only hope that they would not become less frequent as she got older.

The following evening the table was set. Pieces of the Daily News were laid out across a table and the pumpkin was washed and set in the center. A bowl was put next to it along with a few small knives for carving. At dinner Kenna waited patiently for Dumbledore to finish his dinner, he was being purposefully slow she was sure. He took three helpings of potatoes and talked to Professor Quirrell on his left about a muggle event in the United States, a topic that was extremely dry and lasted for so long. Minerva on her left had to tell her to stop bouncing in her seat.

She tugged Dumbledore up the stairs and said the password before they were even in front of the Gryffin. Her eyes widened to find everything set up and ready for them to start. She climbed onto a stool near of the pumpkin, shifting it about. Then she looked at Dumbledore, not totally sure where she was supposed to start. He chuckled and picked up one of the knives. Putting it up toward the top and then backing his fingers up so she could help him saw through the pumpkin.

"We need to cut the top off and take everything out first." He told her. Her hand moved under his as they cut.

"What's inside? Eggs?" Kenna realized that she hadn't done much research on pumpkins. Dumbledore just chuckled.

"No, Seeds mostly. And strings." He paused with the knife sticking out and helped her roll her sleeves up past her elbows. They continued. "When we put them in the bowl, the elves will collect it all, wash it, and then add it to a pie. They'll roast the seeds to be eaten as well." Kenna looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yes." The Headmaster had noticed that plants did not hold much of her attention for very long. She enjoyed working on the grounds, planting and playing in the mud and dirt, but she didn't understand as much of the value that they could be.

The top popped off and once the knife was out, Kenna tilted the pumpkin to see inside. She crinkled her nose. Dumbledore took off his robe and rolled his sleeves up as well. He stuck his hand in, grabbed a handful and put it into the bucket. Kenna touched it with her finger and laughed. The old man couldn't help but also laugh at her reaction. He pulled the bowl a little closer and let the little one have a go at scooping the pumpkin out. They took turns until it was near empty, and then Dumbledore grabbed a spoon from their tools and helped her get the edges a little bit better.

In the end, he wordlessly cleansed their hands and then pulled a spare quill and ink over to them.

Kenna was insistent that they do a classic triangle jack-o-lantern. He let her trace out where the eyes would go, and then the nose, and then with his assistance, they decided on the best shape for the mouth. Cutting into it took a little more precision. Kenna's tongue stuck out between her teeth as they slowly made each line and then punched out the piece from the inside.

After another twenty minutes of careful cutting, they were finished. It was not perfect, the edges were more curved then they were straight, and the angle of the cuts didn't create the largest holes. Kenna occasionally frowned when they cut out a piece crooked. Dumbledore was quick to assure her that the more they tried the better they would get at it. With their final product, Dumbledore placed the top back on and charmed a small light on the inside, vanishing the other lights in the room.

He was delighted to see the bright smile illuminated on Kenna's face in the pumpkin glow.

The day of the feast Kenna could scarcely sit still anywhere. She had her normal Monday, morning with Hagrid, followed by sitting in on a Muggle Studies class and Mathematics. When Professor Vector's final class was walking in, she scooted out, meeting Dumbledore who was talking cordially with one of the third years about to enter the room. Normally she stayed, but since there was a feast, Dumbledore told her he would pick her up early to get changed.

They walked up to their quarters and Kenna ran to put on the pumpkin dress that he had bought her secretly. It'd come in a parcel with her name on it. Her first piece of mail, given to her by a lovely delivery owl Sunday morning at breakfast. Kenna slipped up the dress and let Dumbledore lace the backup. He also took her hair out of its braid. She touched the very calm curls that they made. Usually, her hair would frizz up a little bit, but after a few hours in a braid, it seemed to lay flat for longer.

Dumbledore didn't bother with changing, though he did take the pumpkin that she did and had it float down with them. He told her he was going to put it at the head of the table.

"But it's eye is funny," She told him, talking about the left eye that was larger than the right.

"There is perfection in imperfections. I'm sure any student who realizes it was yours will be impressed." He chuckled.

They both paused in the entryway, glancing around. Kenna really hoped that Bill would be on time. She stared out into the small groups of students making their way down the staircases and into the halls. When they saw Dumbledore and her, they seemed to walk straighter and nearly all of them offered a hello.

Tonks ran straight up to them. "Whochya doing" She asked Kenna. She gave Dumbledore hardly a glance, which made the man chuckle. The young girl had grown comfortable at Hogwarts and was very blunt and open with her emotions and thoughts. HE couldn't help that note she was almost Kenna's opposite. Despite Dumbledore being the authority figure, Tonks was quick to focus on the person in the pair she knew better. Kenna was unused to questions being directed at her first.

"Bill Weasley invited me to eat at Gryffindor table." She felt her words mash together a bit and wrung her wrist. She was suddenly nervous to sit with a whole new group of people, even though her father had insisted he was sure they would all be kind.

"Gryffindor boy?" Tonks clarified. Her hair turned red-orange and freckles speckled across her face. Dumbledore chuckled at her change in appearance, mimicking the boy she was talking about.

"Making fun of me Tonks?"

The girl's facial features and hair snapped back to her normal self. Kenna let a small smile stretch across her face but raised her hands to cover it.

"Course not!" Tonks winked at the two Dumbledores. "Later!" she hurled off as she slipped into the great hall, leaving the three. Students glanced at them.

"Hello, Mister Weasley." Dumbledore greeted.

"Professor Dumbledore. Kenna can still sit with us right?"

Kenna nodded her head.

"Yes. When you all finish your meal, could you drop her off at my office? I may leave the feast a tad bit early."

Bill eagerly nodded. He offered his hand for Kenna to take. Kenna gave her father another glance, and he nodded in encouragement. With her palm placed in the oldest Weasley's he gently tugged her behind him and they pushed their way into the hall. Leading the way to the long table with a red banner stretched above it. They took open seats near the middle of the table and greeted the other students already sitting there.

The Gryffindors at the table were a rowdy bunch and didn't seem phased by her presence. The vibe was very different compared to the one at the Hufflepuff table. As soon as the food appeared, two of the older boys lunched for the ham, in the process bashing their heads against one another. The rambunctious laughter of the rest of the house echoed across the hall. Kenna wanted to ask if they were okay, but no one else seemed to think twice about it.

During their meal, Bill had appointed himself as her guardian. He made sure her plate was full of a mix of foods, he'd whisper a question on and off, asking if she liked something or wanted more.

Much like the Hufflepuff table earlier in the year, the students were curious about her presence at her table. They asked if she enjoyed living in the castle, and about her hobbies. Some of the older kids she recognized from seeing in classes and greeted her with more familiarity, asking how her own studies were going and what she was learning. Discussions turned toward siblings and families as they tended to do when she was around. Two of the fifth years sitting at the table were twins, their younger brother was due to start school the following year.

Kenna loved the family she'd made at Hogwarts. Albus, Minerva, and even Severus had grown into being her parental figures. Remembering the times before that summer only brought back pain. She'd shut up those memories, organized them into a box where she refused to get any closer to them. The box occasionally shook or opened when she slept, but it was well kept otherwise.

She recognized the feelings of envy when they talked about siblings.

"You don't have any brothers or sisters, do you?" A third-year sitting down the row directed his question at her. A few people rolled their eyes, telling him it was a dumb question. However, Bill must have caught her expression. He bumped shoulders with her, gaining her attention.

"Don't worry. I'll share mine. I've got too many."

Kenna felt a warmth of affection but was too shy to ask if he would be her older brother himself.

They continued to chat about the Holiday, how they celebrated it at home. The table had all expressed that they were impressed by her pumpkin sitting at the head table, and Kenna couldn't help but notice Dumbledore seemed to pause his conversation with Minerva to wink at her, as though he knew what the topic of conversation at the Gryffindor table really was. Kenna wondered if he had been listening. Was he reading everyone's thoughts? Was the rule that she couldn't only for her to abide by? Would it be more okay when she became an adult? She didn't have time to ponder the thoughts before the topic changed into a story about a First year's family trip to the United States on Halloween.

Dinner finished late, most of the students procrastinating on their homework and enjoying the final crumbs from desert. Bill leaned back and wiped his hands on his cloak, recognizing Kenna's weary look. "Should probably get you back up to Dumbledore, yeah?"

Kenna held back a yawn. The day had been so busy and she couldn't help but wish she was more awake. It wasn't over yet.

They flipped their legs over the bench and moved out of the room. The excitement of the day was wearing off. When they reached the entrance of Dumbledore's office, Kenna gave the password and smiled at Bill.

"Thank you." She said.

"Any time. You're always welcome to hand out with me." He shrugged. Kenna smiled mat him and nodded her head shyly. "You're like my sister. " He started, turning his attention to the ground. "I miss her sometimes". Kenna wasn't sure what it was like to miss someone, but she knew how loneliness felt. She wrapped her arms around Bill in a hug. Bill's arms were skinny but they wrapped around her too. She pushed a little bit of the warmth she felt toward him, hoping that he wouldn't mind the extra feeling of emotion. She technically wasn't breaking any of Dumbledore's rules. When he pulled away he patted her head with a smile.

"Goodnight!" He said, motioning for her to walk on her own up the staircase.

"Goodnight big brother!" She said quickly before running up, not looking back to see his expression.

The redhead at the bottom of the stairs stood for a few seconds longer in surprise. There was something special about her that he couldn't put his finger on, but it also explained why Dumbledore had adopted her. It answered some of the questions that were whispered between students when she passed them. There was something about her that made him feel a little more protective than he had minutes before. Bill shook off the extra feelings and turned on his heel, tucking his hands into his pockets as he made his way back to the dorms.

A/N: Thanks for reading!

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