Chapter 10: Chapter 10 - Friar
Alder walked under the applauses of Hufflepuff students and took a seat for himself.
The sorting continued.
"Max, Victoria."
"Slytherin!"
...
"Tonks, Nymphadora."
"Hufflepuff!"
"Turner, Thomas.
"Hufflepuff!"
...
Tonks looked around for a seat and found Alder looking at her, waving his hand.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you to be here." said Tonks smiling.
"Yeah and I feel the same, it seems you got your wish fulfilled." said Alder which made Tonks grin.
Alder watched the rest of the ceremony. It didn't take long since the first years were approximately seventy people this year. Alder looked at the long tables and could guess it was more than six hundred people in upper grades, maybe much more. It was not hard to see the aftereffects of the war.
After the sorting was completed, Dumbledore clapped his hands and his voice echoed in the hall.
"Before the banquet starts, I would like to say a few words. It's always pleasant to see new faces among us, but also seeing the familiar faces. All of you, welcome. Thank you." Dumbledore returned to his seat from Owl Lecturn.
"He sure said few words." said Tonks, questioning if this was it.
Before Alder could answer her, all kinds of foods and drinks appeared on the tables which made Tonks forget about the speech. Alder could also feel the hunger and dropped his curiosity.
While they were wolfing down the food; a pearly-white, slightly transparent man appeared above the table. His haircut and robes on him indicated that the man was a religious figure. The man had short hair and his fat and short appearance made Alder understand his nickname.
"Hello! Welcome to Hufflepuff. I'm Fat Friar, at least that's what they call me. Don't hesitate to ask me anything." said Fat Friar merrily.
Tonks almost dropped the fork in her hand. She looked at the ghost with wide eyes. She knew there were ghosts at Hogwarts since she saw Peeves and Bloody Baron, but she didn't know they would try to communicate with her.
Alder, on the other hand, was the most calm among the first years. "Nice to meet you, Sir. I'm Alder Gray. It's a little bit inappropriate to call you Fat Friar, right? What is your name?"
"No, you can call me that if you want. I dropped my name too long ago." said Fat Friar slowly.
"Then can I call you just Friar?"
This time Fat Friar nodded and said "That's very kind of you Alder. I like seeing people like you in my old house.".
"Then Friar, I heard you excel at healing magic. Can I consult you about it sometime?" asked Alder. He knew the tragic past of Friar. After studying under the Helga Hufflepuff herself, he joined the clergy and walked among the muggles. One could see an amazing man, almost miraculous, healing people who had pox with only prayer and a touch of his stick. He saved countless lives out of his kindness. And that kindness also became his own undoing; his fellow church members got suspected of him and made him executed.
Friar thought for some time and nodded. Then he drifted away slowly to welcome other students.
"I'm glad you didn't call him Fat Friar." said a young girl sitting on the other side of Alder. The girl had long blonde hair and green eyes; she was smiling, looked a little relieved. Then she continued "Friar is too kind to say it himself. He knows some people call him Fat Friar, although not many would say to his face. He didn't reprimand them once and even accepted their opinions.".
"I see, kids can be cruel so I'm not too surprised about that." said Alder as it is a matter of fact.
The girl raised her eyebrows and said "Well, alright old man, I'm Alisha Bell. I've started my third year; you can ask me if you need anything.".
"Alder Gray. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, I heard you when you were introducing yourself to Friar. Nice to meet you too, Alder." After finishing what she wanted to say, the girl focused on the steak on her plate.
"Alder, did you just make Friar run away? I wanted to speak with him too…" said Tonks sulking.
"Sorry…Well, you have a whole year before you, actually, seven years. Don't worry too much, you will probably see him in the common room, I will personally introduce you."
"So you really plan to ask him about healing spells. I don't know Alder, he didn't seem sure about that." said Tonks.
"He has some concerns. Do you know why there are ghosts at Hogwarts?" asked Alder, knowing not many would care about ghosts. Tonks shook her head as he had expected.
"I am also not completely sure about it but I can at least say this. Ghosts are here because they have regrets or similar lingering feelings. Fearing death itself is also a reason by itself. But their current state is a form of never ending suffering. Reliving their bitter end, not forgetting what has happened to them or their loved ones. I think they tend to forget many things but there is one thing they would remember forever, their regrets. Friar had his share of difficulties in his life, but I like to think he returned to Hogwarts specifically to guide and protect his fellow witches and wizards." said Alder slowly in a low voice. Tonks was about to question something but Alder interrupted her by saying one last sentence. "Also it is not my place to tell about Friar's life, you can ask him yourself if you want."
Tonks nodded slowly. Although it would be nice to learn about him, she wasn't sure about digging Friar's old scars. She decided to ask him in an appropriate time. But the conversation also made her realize something… Alder sure loved giving long speeches and explanations. It could come handy in the future.
After everyone's belts tightened, the tables got cleaned in an instant. Dumbledore got up from his seat and came to the Owl Lecturn. After waiting for a few seconds to get everyone's attention, he started his usual school warnings.
Alder listened Dumbledore's speech carefully. He knew these speeches often contain clues to what might happen in the year. But to his surprise nothing unusual was happening. It was even more ordinary than Harry Potter's first year, since there was no Philosopher's Stone to guard. After Dumbledore introduced a middle aged man as their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, his speech was concluded.
The said man gave a helpless look to Dumbledore, like he was here without his consent.
Dumbledore then conducted the school anthem, to which many joined by their own tune of choice. Teachers had smiles on their faces but Alder could see some teachers' mouths twitching. On the contrary, Dumbledore was in a complete different mood. At the end of the song, he even had some tears in his eyes. Although Alder saw that sight, he didn't judge him at all, just wondered what was in his mind.
After Dumbledore wished them good night, all the students have risen from their seats to go to their dormitories. The first years went on their way to tail their prefects.
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