Harry's discovery of the mirror was something that left a bad taste in Edmund's mouth, the boy enjoyed seeing himself with his parents in the mirror but the hard reality was that his mother is dead and that his father, a renowned serial killer in both muggle and the magical world is imprisoned in Azkaban.

He refused to join Harry for another trip to the mirror, he couldn't handle seeing his parents a second time. Especially when he was leaving to go to his Uncle Remus in a week. He felt guilt, when he saw himself in the mirror with his parents instead of his uncles, the ones who actually raised him ever since he was six and motherless. He was grateful for his uncles and wouldn't change a thing.

Edmund stepped out of the fire and saw the inside of his house, he had missed being home. Uncle Severus started walking around as if he had a million things to do, knowing him, he probably had a whole to-do list made up in his mind. Edmund clicked his tongue as he fondly looked around, the house had minimal Christmas decorations, but it was enough to make him feel the Christmas spirit.

A tree was set up in the living room with warm lights that reflected onto the stained wooden floor, the presents under the tree would make any kid excited, Edmund is no exception. He already knew that his uncles had gotten him a broom, an early present, but he wondered what else they would've gotten for him.

He looked over at the familiar fabric chair that his uncle always sits on. Uncle Moony sat there, smiling up at him. "What did I hear? You're a quidditch player now?" He asked, with an amused tone.

Edmund blushed and nodded, bashfully. "I'm a chaser for the Hufflepuff team." He told his Uncle and dropped his shoulder bag down to the ground to sit down on the couch. "Weren't you a bit disappointed when you found out that I wasn't a Gryffindor?" He asked, quietly. This insecurity had been eating at him for a while, he knew that his uncle Severus didn't have a problem, but his Uncle Remus was someone who he hadn't talked with in a while.

"Not at all," Remus frowned, looking a bit concerned about the thoughts his nephew was having, the very same little boy he had the pleasure of raising. "I still love you regardless of what house you were sorted into." He paused for a moment and looked away from the tree, "Your mother and I were nearly sorted into Hufflepuff, did you know?"

Edmund blinked at the new information and looked over at his uncle, "Really?"

Severus was standing by the door, watching his nephew and co-guardian interact. He regrets not having Edmund around as much as Remus had but it was for the best, especially with his standing reputation as a death-eater. The pureblood boy would have been an amazing addition to the Slytherin house, but he very well knew that the boy was, by heart, a Hufflepuff.

"The Malfoys have asked me if you would like to join them for dinner tomorrow." Snape announced, interrupting the moment between the two of them. A great deal of emotions swept over Edmund's expressions, the boy looked up and swallowed, shaking his head. "May I ask why?"

Grimacing, Edmund thought about his answer and looked up at his potions teacher. He had to remind himself that the potions teacher is his uncle first and teacher second. "Draco is a bit mean, and rude." Edmund said, "He had been teasing Neville regardless of me asking him to stop, he said something about Harry and Ron that were just, so unlike him."

"Were they said to you?" Severus countered.

"Well, no-" Edmund started but was quickly interrupted by his uncle.

"Indeed, I know that you care for your friends." His uncle hissed, he wasn't the biggest fan of having a Weasley or even Harry around him. "But Draco is your friend as well-"

"Don't be like that, Severus." Lupin said from his seat, frowning at the Potions Master. "If Edmund doesn't want to spend time with the Malfoy's then so be it. Besides, Edmund doesn't look very comfortable having dinner with a bully-"

"Bully?" Severus countered, a bit of bite in his voice. "That's rich coming from you, Lupin."

Their debates, or even normal conversations always return to the past, before either of his uncles could continue their pointless, repetitive argument, Edmund spoke up. "Draco keeps talking about Harry not having any parents." He took a hold of his necklace between his fingers and fidgeted with it. "I can't help but think that if Draco didn't know me before we went to Hogwarts, that if he'd treat me like that as well."

His Uncle Remus and Severus looked at their nephew with what Edmund could only describe as a soft look that is only reserved for him in their eyes. "I'll let Narcissa know of your decision." said Severus, quietly before disappearing into the kitchen again.

Edmund dropped the necklace from between his fingers and looked over at the remaining uncle in the room as the man cleared his throat. "You still have your father and I, and Severus, of course." Remus said, "I hope you know that, Edmund."

Edmund thought about the image that the mirror showed to him and he gave his Uncle Remus a mournful smile. "But I don't have him, I don't have my father." He said, quietly, "I barely know him, I only know him through mum's memories or when Professor McGonagall is reminiscing." He felt stubborn tears swell up in his eyes, "I'm going to my room." He excused himself and picked up his bag before retreating off into his room.

It hadn't changed, meaning his uncle didn't rummage through it looking for something. He wiped away the water in his eyes and pulled his wand out, waving it. A gust of wind went through the room and no more layer of dust decorated the office desk in his room.

He traced his fingers over the spines of his books that were carefully organised on the shelves. Pulling a book out he quickly walked over to his desk and propped it open. The fighting dummy unanimated in the corner of his room.

The defensive and offensive spells he had learned with his uncles came in handy when the trolls were in the room. He remembered the scream that Hermione had let out and he held his wand up, levelling it up to the dummy. "Glacius." Casted Edmund quietly and watched as the dummy froze, its face first and then down to the rest of its body. The knocking on his door brought him out of his stupor. With another wave of his wand, the ice disappeared and his uncle Snape walked it.

He looked over at the remaining bits of ice on the dummy, "The freezing spell." He said quietly, "A third year spell."

Edmund nodded quietly.

"Dinner is ready." Snape said and turned straight around.

Dinner had a tense atmosphere and his leg was shaking up and down. He was a kid, but he wasn't oblivious to the tension. It hung thickly in the air, Edmund wished he could just eat in his room.

Days like these are times where he wishes his mother had chosen people to take care of him who didn't hate each other. But something in him knew that his mother loved her friends and trusted them. He swallowed his water and looked at his uncles and back down at his empty plate, "Am I dismissed?" He asked, quietly.

"Yes." Snape said and kept staring daggers at Remus who avoided his eyes. "You are dismissed."

He stood up, grabbed his plate and cup and walked over to the sink. He drank one last cup of water in the kitchen and sighed, he thought of what his friends were doing and how they were enjoying their holiday.

—

He avoided talking with Harry as the tense atmosphere from home translated back to school. It was unwanted tension but tension nonetheless, they were going to be playing against each other in their Hufflepuff match. They had won from Ravenclaw and were going to be playing up against Gryffindor.

It didn't help that his uncle, Snape, was going to be refereeing the match. He could just imagine his usual staring but with some disappointment that he wasn't going to show, but most definitely felt if Edmund would lose.

There was a moment when he woke up in the middle of the night after having a dream about his mother again, where he went back down to the kitchen to drink some water and comfort his racing heart at the sight of her. His uncle Remus was quickly asleep in his room but his uncle Severus was sitting on the single leather sofa, reading a book about the dark arts. "Theseus." whispered Severus, calling his attention. "Do you know why your mother called you Theseus?"

"I don't." Edmund said.

"Your mother loved Greek mythology. She made quite a few spells in Greek as well. But your name, Theseus came from the hero." The conversation he had with Hermione repeated in his head. "Theseus is a strong and responsible leader who is fair and sensitive."

Edmund kept listening to his uncle. "Your mother saw what you were, the moment she laid her eyes on you. She thought of Orpheus, but she knew that you'd have faith." Severus said and closed his books. "Here." He said and held a book out.

Edmund had accepted the book with gentle hands, scared of ripping the delicate brown leather that encased the book. 'The odyssey.'

"It's about finding your way back home." Severus hummed, "She envisioned for you to have her book when you came home for Christmas. There is always a home here for you." He said.

Edmund felt the lump in his throat sink back into a pit in his stomach as he recounted the conversation he had with his uncle. "How was your Christmas?" asked Neville, interrupting his thoughts.

Edmund blinked and looked up at the Hufflepuff, it was the end of their first week. But they hadn't had the time to talk between all of the quidditch training he had and the subtle self-isolation of Edmund where he kept reading the book that had recently come into his possession.

"It was okay." He admitted, not wanting to lie to his friend by saying that it was the best time of his life, "You?"

"My holiday was quite nice." Neville said and put a package in front of Edmund. They sat in their common room, enjoying the quiet as everyone was fast asleep. Susan had bid them goodnight a few hours ago. "This is from my gran. She quite likes you."

Edmund let out an amused breath, "Been talking about me, Neville? Because I haven't met your grandmother."

Neville blushed and nodded, "She thinks it's admirable that you've already achieved the position of chaser in your first year. She said that they don't do Quidditch anymore like they did back in her day."

Edmund let out a laugh and gently opened the package. He raised his eyebrows, "Quidditch gloves?"

"She bought them for my birthday." He blushed, "But she forgot that I wasn't quidditch material." He then held up omnioculars, "That's why she bought me these instead, she knows I'll be watching your matches."

Edmund smiled at his friend and held his hand out, "Thank you, Neville." He shook his hand up and down once, a little thing that they had. "You're my best friend, Neville."

The boy smiled bashfully, "You're mine as well, Ed."

—

The first years had a free period at the same time and were all collectively studying in the great hall. Edmund can't imagine anyone getting their work done, between all the whispering and talking it echoed all over the room, its enchantments for all breakfast, lunch and dinner disappeared, making the whole room to be loud and distracting.

He sat with Harry, Ron and Hermione as Susan sat with the hufflepuff girls, happy to gossip together and talk about their crushes. Susan told him what they talked about when they were together, after he had seen a huge conversation full of hand gestures in their common room. It is natural to be curious.

He looked over at their table and waved back at a blushing Hannah Abbott who he had caught staring at him. He frowned and looked down at his watch, "Does anyone know where Neville is?" He asked quietly.

Ron shook his head and grimaced, the Weasley didn't really get along with the good-natured Hufflepuff. The boy seemed to cling onto Harry as a template for further friendships, unless they're a Gryffindor, of course. Harry shook his head as well and Edmund hopefully looked at Hermione.

Before he caught her eyes, his eyes caught something else. "Neville?" He gasped and stood up, walking over to the hopping Hufflepuff, "What happened?" He questioned and looked at his legs, he quickly recognized it as the leg-locker curse.

Edmund pulled his wand out and quickly casted a counter-curse , the hall was laughing now, except for the Hufflepuffs, they were fond of the boy who happily helped everyone on their herbology homework. "Who did this?" He asked and pulled the boy up. He led Neville over to a seat at the Hufflepuff table and frowned.

"Malfoy." Neville said, shakily. "I met him outside the library, said he was looking for someone to practise on."

Edmund frowned and felt a pit in his stomach. "I'll talk to him." He promised, "I got your back, Neville."

The boy smiled weakly at his best friend and Edmund moved to gather his stuff from the Gryffindor table. "You should report him." Hermione said as soon as he closed his book.

"I'm going to talk with him first." Edmund argued.

"Talking isn't going to change anything about him."

"Neither is Professor Sprout or Professor Snape going to." Edmund said and gathered everything in his hands, "I'm not saying that I can do anything about it as well, but I'm hoping that he'll listen to me."

"You're always defending that snake." Ron muttered.

Edmund looked at Ron, tired of the arguing with them. "Can you drop it?" asked Edmund and then walked over to the Hufflepuff table, dropping his stuff by Neville and sitting down with a huff.

"Them 'puffs." he heard Ron mutter.

"I don't want any more trouble, Edmund." Neville mumbled.

"Trouble is coming either way, Neville. It is better to get over it." Edmund replied and averted his eyes over to his book, his hand shooting up to fidget with his necklace again.

—

Edmund was flying by the stands and turned to the side to avoid a bludger shot from one of the Weasley twins. He threw the quaffle over to another one of the chasers and he sped between the two Gryffindors.

The quaffle returning into his hands he breathed out and looked at the keeper. With the new leather gloves, he shot a knuckleball. He cheered as the keeper just grazed it, leaving it to go through the goal.

"-Unexpected! The newest Hufflepuff chaser had actually gotten it into the goal! I'm sure that the Hufflepuffs are excited by the improvement of their previously gods awfu-"

"Lee!" The voice of McGonagall sounded.

"Sorry, Professor. Improved team!" The announcement continued and Edmund shook his head, going back to their starting places on their brooms. His uncle took the quaffle and stood at the top, dropping it down for every chaser to run after.

They were pulling through, they were actually winning. Even if Gryffindor catches the snitch, they'd win. Then he saw Harry dive and he tried to find Cedric, who was already chasing after the glimpse of gold.

—

"Hufflepuffs! Not mere puffs, but badgers in the fray. Loyal and just their virtues brighten every day!" They sang as the common room door was thrown open, Edmund was on someone's shoulder, he didn't know anymore the faces were all getting blurred in the speed of thanking everyone for their congratulations.

It was a new song that some of the older ones had made up. They were tired of being called puffs. They rather liked Badgers more, just like how the Slytherin's are snakes and Ravenclaws are ravens.

He dropped onto his feet and was pulled into an embrace by Susan, he looked around and searched for his best friend, "Where is Neville?" He questioned.

"He got into a fight with Crabbe and Goyle." Susan said, and Edmund's eyes widened. The boy scrambled over to take a bottle and hastily walked out, saying goodbye to Susan before running up to the hospital wing.