Orange Trees | Fred Weasley

Chapter Fourteen

Midnight of September 1st, 1994

~

It was the first night of Jericho's first year, a few hours after the traditional ceremony of the Sorting Hat. Hufflepuff. The name of the house had echoed in the Great Hall, and Jericho had felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. It wasn't as though his parents would have disowned him for being in Gryffindor, or even Ravenclaw, but being in Hufflepuff felt like a safe haven, a continuity of a family legacy he wasn't quite ready to break.

Eleven year old Jericho smiled as he reached out to the portrait in front of him, a human sized painting of a bowl of fruit. He traced his finger around the art piece, looking for the specific fruit he was meant to touch. Finally he found it - the pear. As he moved his finger up and down, tickling the pear as if it were a baby, he giggled, the sound echoing softly against the empty corridor.

Cedric had been right, the entryway to the kitchens was accessible through the tickling of a painted fruit. Stepping through the portrait, his wide, fawn-like eyes took in the large room before him. It mirrored the Great Hall, with five long tables similar to the ones upstairs. Instead of walls, the outer edges of the room were filled with cooking stations and cabinets, most likely for the elves that made the food.

The room was alive with the quiet hum of a burning fire, no other souls occupying the space. Jericho closed his eyes, imagining house-elves scurrying about, preparing food for the next day, their tiny bodies darting between counters and cupboards. The aroma of their day's work still filled the air, fresh baked bread and slow cooked meats, making the boy's stomach growl in hunger. He turned to express his joy to the being beside him, to share his excitement over the hidden discovery. But alas, he was alone, with most of his friends being back in Devon. And by friends, he meant the beastly inhabitants of his family's land.

Cedric was supposed to be with him on this adventure. It had been his idea, after all, suggesting a brotherly bonding night to celebrate Jericho's first evening at school. But Cedric, eager to catch up with his own friends whom he hadn't seen all summer, had rain-checked their plan. But patience wasn't a skill Jericho possessed, and the idea of an elf-ran kitchen was far too exciting to keep him in bed. So, he decided he would trek the journey alone.

As he walked through the room, he felt like a young fawn, venturing out into the forest for the first time. The world was vast and new, filled with wonders and dangers alike. As he wandered deeper into the kitchen, his curiosity grew with every step. He once again imagined the elves hard at work, their nimble hands moving with practiced ease, and felt a sense of admiration for their craft and dedication.

Despite the exciting newness of his surroundings, a pang of loneliness tugged at his heart. He missed the familiarity of home, the comfort of having his fairies around. The feeling of being an outsider, which he often felt at home, seemed to follow him even here. The kitchens, though bustling with character, felt empty without someone to share them with.

Jericho's thoughts wandered back to the summer days spent in Devon, playing with the animals that roamed his family's land. He thought of one day, in which a doe in particular, had given birth to twin fawns. He watched in the brush from afar, the graceful and enchanting deer had been a source of endless fascination for the boy. He watched as the babies grew, the fawn tentatively exploring its surroundings as the days went by, still staying close to each other for safety. Jericho had felt a sense of kinship with the fawn, understanding their hesitations but also their curiosity.

Now, as he stood alone in the Hogwarts kitchens, he felt much like that fawn, stepping cautiously into a new world, eager to explore. However, unlike the pair of deer, he did not have the safety and comfort of a familiar companion.