Dorfen’s Magical Drink

For generations, they'd produced prefects, diplomats, and Ministers, not through fear or bloodline, but through trust and votes. They were the kind of family that built bridges, not walls. 

During Voldemort's rise, they'd suffered losses like everyone else, but unlike many pure-blood lines, they'd survived with their reputation polished rather than stained. These days, their name carried more weight than half the dusty old families clinging to crumbling manors and tarnished pride.

But Aldric wasn't impressed. He cracked his neck with an audible pop and turned, eyes sharp. "Well, well…," he said dryly. "look, it's the legendary Cedric Diggory. What brings Hogwarts' golden boy down to me?"

Cedric didn't take the bait. His tone remained calm, even, but there was steel beneath it. "I know who you are, Aldric Thistlewaite." 

He stepped forward, meeting Aldric's gaze without flinching. "My housemates said two big Ravenclaws were throwing their weight around in our common room. Figured it had to be you."

He folded his arms, his voice rising just enough to carry.

"But let me make something clear. You may think Hufflepuff's soft, but that's your first mistake."

Aldric's mouth curled into a sneer. "Touching. You really see yourself as some kind of saint, don't you, Cedric? But here's what I want to know, did your sainty eyes actually see us bullying anyone?" 

Aldric showed no fear. "That's not important. I trust my juniors. This is Hufflepuff's common room; people like you aren't welcome here. Now get lost!" Cedric raised his voice in response, and as the two faced off, more students gathered around to watch. 

"Watch your words. Isn't Hufflepuff's motto about accepting everyone?" Aldric's face darkened with anger. "And what do you mean by 'people like us'? Has Hufflepuff started judging others by their blood status now? You'd better explain yourself!"

Without a word, a black crabapple wood wand appeared in Aldric's hand. The nearby young wizards gasped when they saw him draw his wand, and some older Hufflepuffs quickly followed suit, ready to back him up. 

Cedric's expression darkened. He had expected the first-year to back down after his warning, but Aldric was standing his ground. 

If a fight broke out, neither of them would come out unscathed, especially now that Aldric had accused Cedric of blood discrimination. While some Hufflepuff students might side with Cedric, other houses, especially Ravenclaw, would surely support Aldric.

"I meant you bullies!" Cedric said, panic creeping into his voice. "Where's Dorfen? Bring him here so we can settle this face to face!"

Still just a boy at heart, Cedric lacked the experience to handle the situation calmly. He hurriedly ordered the nearby Hufflepuffs to find Dorfen, hoping to clear his name from the blood discrimination accusation. 

If that accusation stuck, it wouldn't just damage his reputation at Hogwarts, but also his family's standing in the wizarding world. But Dorfen was nowhere to be found. 

The timid little wizard had disappeared the moment Cedric arrived. Watching the others search every dormitory, Cedric's face grew darker by the minute. Without Dorfen, he couldn't explain himself properly.

Meanwhile, Aldric sheathed his wand, ready to end the pointless standoff. "Dorfen is a very important friend of mine. How could I possibly bully him?" Aldric said, fiddling with the paper listing potion recipes in his hand and smiling at Cedric. "Maybe you've misunderstood something, dear Cedric."

Cedric saw Aldric offering him a way out and forced a stiff smile. "Must be a misunderstanding."

"Since it's a misunderstanding, no harm done. But my poor little heart did take quite a hit from your accusation. How about an apology?" Aldric pressed. Cedric's smile faded. He realized Aldric was trapping him again. By admitting it was a misunderstanding, Aldric had become the victim. If Cedric didn't apologize, his reputation would be ruined.

"I, I'm sorry," Cedric said slowly, each word weighed carefully.

Aldric knew when to swallow his pride, though it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He let out a small, dry laugh. He got the apology he wanted and chuckled softly before turning to leave the Hufflepuff common room. Behind him, Cedric's face was as dark as a thunderstorm. 

On the way back, Aldric felt thrilled, not only had he secured the potion recipe he wanted, but he'd also put Cedric firmly in his place. He was sure the story would spread quickly through all four houses. 

What caught him off guard was Dorfen running off at such a crucial moment. Cedric had clearly come to back him up, maybe Dorfen was scared of what might come next? 

'What a foolish kid. After this, who would dare stand up for him? But that was just fine. sooner or later, he'd have to come back to me, the "friend."; 

With that thought, Aldric's mood lifted even more. Whistling, he and Franklin laughed all the way back to the Ravenclaw common room.

Time seemed to fly, and it had already been a week since Aldric got the potion recipe from Dorfen. The ingredients weren't expensive or rare, which made sense, if it had been a pricey magical brew, Dorfen wouldn't have treated it like just an ordinary drink. 

After confirming the recipe was legit, Aldric reached out to the Weasley twins without hesitation. He hadn't gone through all this trouble simply because he liked the drink; he was aiming to make some money. 

Their dream was to open a joke shop after graduation, and they'd already started testing and selling their own products to fellow students, Skiving Snackboxes, Canary Creams, and other borderline-dangerous inventions.

By now, they'd earned a reputation as the school's most enterprising troublemakers. If you needed something strange, loud, or technically against school policy, Fred and George usually had it stashed under a floorboard somewhere. 

While younger students might not have known much about them yet, the older students definitely did; their reputation was legendary. Aldric agreed to split the profits fifty-fifty and handed over the recipe. 

He was too busy with his spell studies and meditation to handle brewing himself. He trusted the twins completely, they wouldn't betray a friend just for a bit of profit. 

So, Dorfen's Magical Drink started circulating around Hogwarts. Aldric even named the drink Dorfen,"not hiding where it came from. 

After all, it was just a quick way to make some cash. With that settled, Aldric could finally focus on his magic studies.

One day, after a long time away, Aldric found himself back in the Hogwarts library, searching for a book that wasn't in Ravenclaw's collection. To his surprise, he spotted Hermione there, buried under towering piles of books stacked so high they almost hid her completely.

If it weren't for her unmistakable thick brown curls and furrowed brow, Aldric might not have recognized her at first glance. "Hey, Hermione. Long time no see," he said, sliding into the seat beside her. "Did you miss me?"