Angry Birds At Hogwarts (Year 2)

Start Of Term Feast

"Chuck?" Bomb waved his hand in front of his friend's face, "Chuck! Earth to Chuck!"

"Huh-" Chuck looked up at his friend, coming out of his daze, "Did you say something, buddy?"

"You've been starring at the Gryffindor table since the Sorting was over. You've hardly even eaten." Bomb looked back at where Chuck was starring, "What's going on that you find so...oh..." Bomb suddenly saw how Red was actually talking to his fellow Gryffindors instead of burying his face in his sketchbook like usual.

"It's nice seeing him talking to people." Chuck said, though his face didn't show he truly felt what he said, "He's...getting out of his shell."

"Yeah, he never talked to anyone, except our little group last year."

"Yeah...that's good, right?"

"Of course."

"Maybe he'll even make some friends..." Chuck said, though he didn't seem to be talking to Bomb anymore, "Friends he can talk to about his art...who understand it...not like he needs a weak Hufflepuff for a friend anyway."

"Chuck," Bomb gently touched his friend's hand, "Chuck, are you worried Red won't wanna be friends with you anymore?"

"What!?" Chuck suddenly sat up, alert, "Uh- um- no- of course not."

"Then why do you look so sad?"

"...okay so maybe I'm a little worried."

"Red would never just up an leave, Chuck. You two are great friends." Bomb did his best to sound reassuring, but he was pretty sure he wasn't helping in the slightest. Chuck simply put on a smile, one that Bomb knew was fake almost immediately, but he didn't point out. He had never seen Chuck like this before, and had no idea how he was going to help.

"You're right, Bomb. I'm being stupid." Chuck turned back to his food and started eating, ignoring how his best friend was starring at him as if he was suffering some terrible sickness.

"Okay then..." Bomb turned away, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his gut.

———

"You're really good at that, Red." Said Sara, a Gryffindor second year who had taken a seat by Red when they had all sat at their respective house tables.

"Thanks." Red felt strangely happy, never having many people appreciate his drawings outside of his few friends. It felt nice to get some recognition from someone else for once.

"You should show us more of your art sometime." Said another second year Gryffindor, a boy named Rico, who sat on across from Red, "It's really cool how you managed to get the developing solution to make your drawings move.

"It's not much different from making the paintings here at Hogwarts move, just that you don't add it into paint."

"How do you add it in then?"

"I have a few different ways. If I'm using ink, I'll mix it in, or I'll dip my sketch pencils into it and let it dry on."

"That works?"

"It's magic, are you really that surprised?"

"Fair enough."

The trio laughed, and Red felt very good laughing with this group. It seemed his time with Chuck, Silver, Bomb, Terrance, and Matilda had finally paid off in terms of improving his social skills. Being able to talk to people and socialize with them was something still entirely new to Red, and it honestly terrified him to think about, but being able to do it made him feel triumphant, like he had conquered an enemy. He had no idea such a small feet could make him feel like he could take on anything.

"So what do you guys like to do?"

"Rico is on the Quidditch team, and I'm in the Magical Creatures Club! We get to have more on hand experience with the animals used in Care for Magical Creatures. It's a lot of fun." By the way Sara spoke of the club, she was very passionate about it, and absolutely loved to discuss it with others.

"Be careful, or she might force you to join it~" Rico teased, only for Sara to glare at him.

"I would not!"

Red laughed good heartedly at this, smiling at his two companions...he felt very hopeful for this year.