bowls of pho (dudley dursley) COMING SOON

1.

It had been particularly rainy that day. Not that Septembers in the Scottish highlands weren't already rainy, but on that particular day, it felt as if the entirety of Hogwarts was seconds away from drowning under Black Lake. A particularly homesick first-year Hufflepuff watched from the common room as the rain poured, hoping that the next downpour would wash her back to her home. As a first year, Su'o'ng hadn't quite adjusted to the throws and glamor of Hogwarts. The middle child of three perfect sisters, she already felt closed up. Her older sister Trinh also attended Hogwarts, but the rambunctious third-year Gryffindor didn't sign up to play babysitter. So, Su'o'ng decided she had to take matters into her own hands. That was why she was moping under the rainclouds in a much to large arm chair.

"Enjoying the rain?" a voice asked, pushing Su'o'ng out of her melodramatic scene. "That's Hogwarts for you."

She looked up to her surprise and there he was, standing in front of her. A teenage boy, talking to her. For only eleven and a half, Su'o'ng was surprised that any older Hufflepuff would address her at all. (Albeit, Cedric Diggory was only 14 and barely a teenager, but that didn't matter because Su'o'ng hadn't made any friends yet. Much less talked with a boy.) She wasn't sure how to respond at all and thus, chose not to.

"Shy? That's alright," Cedric continued despite the lack of response he got. She didn't have to say anything for him to understand what was happening. He paused before continuing, "My first month was hard too. I felt so homesick that Professor Sprout sent me back to the common room for the day after I started crying during a lesson." Su'o'ng let out a little giggle. "Right embarrassing that was. Although Hogwarts was much kinder to me after that." Cedric mused, rubbing his neck as he recalled the incident.

"Oh wait. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Cedric -but that's not important. Anyway, my point is that everyone gets homesick sometimes. It's normal, but you shouldn't have to mope about it. Let me take you somewhere," he said reaching out for her hand.

Despite only knowing the awkward and socially clumsy boy for a few minutes, Su'o'ng couldn't help but trust him. She reached for his hand and suddenly, was whisked away on an adventure. Well, not really an adventure. They only exited the common room and walked a few paces to the kitchens, but in her eleven year-old mind, it seemed like they had journeyed across the entire castle.

"Welcome to the kitchens!" Cedric said as he opened his arms wide to the room behind him. "Sometimes when I miss my mum and dad, I like to come here and ask the house elves to make me something special. The food always brings me home." He offered the small raven haired girl a smile. Having been in the same position years before, from one Hufflepuff to another, it was his sacred duty to show her this secret haven. "Now, don't get me wrong. Technically students aren't permitted to enter the kitchens, but I like you and I hope you grow to feel at home at Hogwarts too."

It may have been a particularly rainy day in a particularly average September, but this moment with the kind house mate and the many others like him (as she'd come to learn) and the smells that drew her home, was all Su'o'ng knew she'd need to feel she had a place.