Chapter Thirty-Four

The Hogwarts Christmas feast was very wonderful indeed. The students all sat together around a large round table. Lucy was sitting in between Myrtle and Albus Dumbledore. Tom sitting on the far end besides Horace Slughorn and Randolph Burke. The feast consisted of turkey, roasted potatoes and mashed potatoes smothered with thick gravy. Carrots, sprouts and turnips added on the side to make it even more mouth-watering. Crackers were all placed around the table and made loud bangs when opened. Lucy pulled one with Myrtle, the Ravenclaw girl gasped at the noise. A paper hat and a small pair of spectacles fell out. Lucy picked them up in confusion.

"Ah. You have lightospecs. I heard if you put them on, you can see in the dark" Albus informed her.

"I will have to see later" Lucy replied with a smile.

She placed her paper hat on before eating more of her meal. Slughorn was seen trying to pull a cracker with Tom but he just politely declined. Making the potions master shrug as he pulled it with himself. Another paper hat fell out as did a game of wizard's chess. Slughorn placing his own paper hat on before passing Tom the game of wizard's chess. The boy placing it in his pocket to shut the older man up but he had no intention of playing it.

"Can we all agree to sing happy birthday to Tom on Sunday for his 13th birthday?" Slughorn suddenly asked.

"Absolutely" Dumbledore replied.

Tom placing his eyes firmly down. Lucy giggled to herself but soon regretted it as she felt Tom's eyes on her. That boy had no sense of humour she thought, she wondered if anything excited him. The food on the table became less and less as everyone had their fair share. A lot of the students were saying they were so full up that they couldn't eat another thing.

"Not even pudding?" Slughorn asked them all with a glint in his eye.

"Well of cause pudding doesn't count. We can eat pudding" a Ravenclaw third-year boy declared.

Soon enough, pudding appeared on brand new clean plates. Christmas puddings came into view and the eating carried on. Pumpkin juice, mead and butterbeer was being consumed as well. Nearly everyone felt like a big pumpkin themselves by the time it was over. The sound of fluttering wings made people suddenly look towards the open window as an owl came into view. Dropping a letter on a surprised Lucy's lap. She took one look at the handwriting and muttered...

"Argus"

"Oh a letter...how lovely" a slightly tipsy Charity spoke up.

Lucy opened the letter up and read it to herself but it wasn't exactly happy.

Dear Lucy,

I never want to stay home again! It's dreadful here. I managed to send my brother's owl to you. Great-aunt Eleanor tried to steal my bedroom but thankfully Archie gave up his own. Mother doesn't even look at me much anymore, I don't understand why she hates me so much. Well I do actually, I'm a squib. I feel like running away, maybe I will. It would serve them all right. I must go and pack, so don't expect my return in the new year.

From Argus

This made the girl pause before running off. Making the table confused indeed as she left her pudding half-eaten. She rushed down the hallways and down towards her common room to write a reply. The girl got out a bit of parchment, an ink pen and the ink pot. She began writing...

Dear Argus,

Don't run away. I will miss you and so will your brother. You have a kitten waiting for you here too. You can't just go, so many are relying on you. It's so cold, you will almost nearly catch your death. I'm making it short in hope of it catching you in time.

From your witchy friend, Lucy

She closed the small letter and placed it in the nearest envelope. Once again, she began to rush out as she made her way out of the common room and past the busy kitchens. Making her way to the owlery as she opened the door, rushing up the stairs and stopping at the nearest school owl. Telling it where to go as she tied the letter to it's foot. The owl doing as it was told as it flew out the window. Now all she could do was wait.

...

The school owl flew through the snowy winds and dropped the letter in the Filch fireplace, it was one and a half hour later. So nobody was there to collect it as the household had fell asleep by this point as it was nearly midnight. The family members outside the household were fast asleep in their tents with the tents firmly closed. A twelve year old boy in a shabby old coat, hat and gloves could be seen walking across the miles of moors on this night. He was feeling the cold very much by this point. The winter storm being the only thing heard as the squib made his way on for a mile or two. His nearest town (and the one in which he buys his muggle books) was a market town called Guisborough. He entered the deserted town well past midnight. Hardly a soul in sight as the town was sleeping after the Christmas celebrations. He stood outside the second-hand muggle bookshop and nervously began to knock on the owner's front door. He felt like he knew him as he spoke to him when he brought his books. Though the knocking went unheard as the bookshop owner was fast asleep. The boy gave a small shiver as he put his hand back in his pocket. His only other option he felt was the church and so he went on. Walking through the town centre, he got startled as he heard two loud voices suddenly...

"No! Don't go home! Janet will give me a bollocking!" a man who looked in his early fifties shouted.

"Shut up you little yellow-belly!" the second man (who also looked in his early fifties) yelled back.

Argus quickly hid behind the town's cross as he watched the two drunken men walk past. The child breathed in, it was two drunken muggles he thought. Nothing to worry about. The two men barely looked like they could see each other, let alone him. So Argus began walking again towards the church which had the name of 'St Nicholas'. He placed his hand against the door but it was also closed much to his regret. For even the local vicar was fast asleep. The child retreated back into the town centre. He did the last thing he could think to do and made his way to the empty railway station. He let himself into the deserted waiting room and closed the door behind himself. Shaking as he went to the far end, sitting down with his arms around himself. He crawled towards the fireplace but there was nothing for him to light it. So he retreated back to his corner, shaking and regretting his actions.

...

"Argus!"

This was the sound heard this morning from his mother. Her husband rushing to the hallway with his fist clenched. Expecting to find his wife scolding him over something he did. Bard suddenly relaxed his hand as he looked into the empty bedroom, the bed had barely been slept in. Bard retreated downstairs, his oldest son awake on the couch as he rubbed his eyes.

"What's he gone and done?" Archibald asked his father; still half-asleep.

Bard looked around for clues which is when he saw the letter in the fireplace. He quickly opened it up. Lucy's unread letter was the only clue but it let him know everything. Argus had ran away from home but where was he now? The father suddenly looked guilty.

"He's ran away" Bard simply replied in disbelief.

"Ran away?"

"He's just gone...I found this letter from his friend. Lucy Norris her name is" Bard answered as he passed his son the letter.

Archibald looked as gutted as his father felt. The snow was still falling and the storm was as as loud as ever. Bard began putting in his clothes over his nightgown, including his coat, hat and heavy boots. He opened the door which instantly reminded everyone how cold it was. It was around 6 in the morning and so it was still dark, Bard looked behind himself. He felt hopeless as he looked around at the empty moors. Argus' footsteps long covered by thicker snow...

"What are you doing to do?" Archibald questioned from the doorway.

"Where does he go? You must have an idea...Where does he buy those silly books from?"

"Guisborough. He buys them from Guisborough"

Without a second thought, Bard apparated to the town. He felt safe he wouldn't be seen as it was still dark out. Candles were lit in some of the windows now as the town was not in complete darkness. Bard looked around but could see no sign of him. He went past all the shops but none were open, he almost forgot; muggles celebrate 'Boxing Day'. The older man made a brisk walk through the town, calling out...

"Argus!"

Though he could no response as he was too far away from the train station. He shouted his name every few minutes. An elderly muggle woman had came out of her house as she asked...

"Anything wrong?"

"My son...Have you seen a boy? He's twelve years old. He's ran away" Bard admitted to her.

"No I'm afraid not. Perhaps he's on an adventure or looking for work. That's what boys who went missing did when I was a girl"

"I don't know. Thank you" Bard replied.

That wasn't helpful he thought, nor did it sound like his son. He carried on walking, shouting his name again. The train station came into view around twenty minutes later. Bard knew what this muggle transport was as he approached it and once again shouted...

"Argus!"

The boy in question was still in the corner of the waiting room. He heard his name being called. Argus nervously crawled towards the window and could see the figure of his father in the near distance. He forced himself up, he was so drowsy and hungry that he stumbled towards the door and opened it again. His father pausing as he looked at the small figure.

"Father...I'm sorry. Please forgive me" Argus meekly spoke as his father came marching towards him.

Bard gave him a small slap around the head. Before pulling him in for a tight hug as he breathed in. Argus clung onto him though he didn't cry, he didn't want to look even more pathetic. His father pulled apart...

"Why did you run away? You know you got nowhere to go" Bard questioned.

"I thought...I thought you wouldn't care"

"I know we made you think that. Your mother and I never wanted a squib for a son but we never wanted you gone either. Your friend Lucy sent you a message, saying you shouldn't go. Do you really want her to visit us?"

Argus giving a weak nod.

"You can invite her then for Easter. By the beard of Merlin...We would gladly allow you that. Your mother was sick with worry"

"Oh"

"Come back home. Get some rest, have something to eat later...Hold onto me" Bard instructed.

Argus grabbed onto his father's coat. He felt sick but happy as his home came into view. His father still holding onto him as he led him towards the house and back inside. His brother giving the biggest sigh of relief as he hugged his brother, telling him what a daft bugger he's been. Though the biggest test came when his mother came back down.

"A-Argus...I'll bring you a hot cup of tea up" Lilac managed to say.

This might not mean much to some people but to Argus, it meant everything. She's barely talked to him for nearly three years. This was her way of saying 'I love you'. He smiled to himself as he told her thank you. The boy went back upstairs and towards his bedroom, removing his shoes, coat and gloves. Getting into his bed and feeling like he was finally heard.

"We are going to invite his friend Lucy Norris over for Easter. I promised the lad" Bard told his wife and son.

"Yes. We should" Lilac agreed.

...

TBC