She's A Hufflepuff ~Book One of the Hufflepuff Chronicles

Chapter Two

We were lead down many cases of stairs. We reached the kitchen side of the basement. Hannah ushered us into a storage room full of crates and boxes. We came to a stack of barrels. She tapped a combination into the barrel that was directly in the middle. The barrel on top and below and the one she tapped all swung open like a door. We all entered a dimly lit hallway. We came to a circular door with the knob in the middle. She pushed it open revealing the splendor of Hufflepuff.

The common room was set up in three circles each more elevated and smaller than the last. There were depictions of a field with dandelions in circle frames all around. The ground was grass with stone paths. Four stone fireplaces stood with portraits above them. There was a hallway that led to the dormitories. Pepper and I walked down the hall to the right the doors on either side where round like the front door. Pepper looked at the scrolls on each of the doors. Finally she came to one and stopped. The scroll read:

Taylor Roderick
Avril Dawson
Bethany St. Mark
Pepper Cantilever
Guinevere Malfoy

"This is it. A new chapter of our stories begins now," she gave me a ready smile. And pushed the door open.

The room was round a made of grey stone with ivy covering major portions. There were five nooks around the circle with a full sized bed tucked halfway into it. The foot of the bed stuck out and a yellow curtain reached out to cover it. Lining the inside of the book was bookshelves and a window against the headboard. A wood dresser and desk was set up against each other like walls for each bed. Another door to a powder room was on the wall to my right.

At the foot of each bed was a trunk. The one directly across from the door had my trunks and the cage with my owl, Selena.

Pepper squeezed and ran to a bed with a pink trunk covered in tags and stickers. She jumped on the bed and laughed. Taylor grinned with her whole face and began inspecting the potted plants that hung from the stone ceiling. Two other girls entered the room. One was a slender girl with black hair and green eyes and the other had chocolate skin and long, dark dreadlocks. "Hey, I'm Beth and this is Avril," the dark girl shook out hands.
"Hi! I'm Pepper! That's my cousin, Taylor and new friend Guinevere!" Pepper bounced.
"Yeah, we know Guinevere. It's such an honor to meet you," Beth bowed her head like she was afraid of me.

We spent the rest of the night unpacking our trunks Andrew girls talked and got acquainted with each other. After I had unpacked I sat down and wrote my father a letter.

Dearest Father,

I hope this letter finds you well. I'm genuinely grieved to report that I have been placed in the Hufflepuff House. I understand that Slytherin was my future and I myself am very confused and am having trouble understanding this. I hope you understand this is not what I wanted and I promise I will try hard to make you proud of me.

Your daughter,
Guinevere

I sealed the envelope with my ring engraved with our family crest. I gave it to Selena and sent her into the night.

I sat on my bed very late that night looking at my wand. It was twelve and one half inches of Alderwood with a Phoenix feather core. It was perfectly straight with wood thorns wrapping around it and little diamonds imbedded in it. It was the most beautiful thing in the world. I set it on the shelf next to me and laid down on my new bed. And a tear slipped that I was in a Hufflepuff bed. I really wasn't supposed to be here.

The next morning I awoke to loud pop music. I thrust open my bed curtains to see Avril dancing on top of her trunk, in a night shirt and clunky unicorn slippers, using a hair brush as a microphone. The other girls were laughing and bouncing around the room. All this laughing and noise was starting to get old.
"Oh! Good morning!" Pepper ran up to my bed.
"Isn't this music great! Avril brought it!"

Groggily I slid out of my bed and made for the powder room. I pulled on a grey sweater, short black skirt and tall black boots. I pushed my blond hair into a messy ponytail. I walked out of the bathroom and the girls, one by one, replaced me. When we were all dressed I grabbed my brown leather satchel and we headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. After a few minutes the hall was full.
"Good morning students," Professor McGonagall began. "Today will be a free day for you to become familiar with the castle and your fellow students. Please remember to stay out of the Forbidden Forrest and if a door is locked... Leave. It. Alone." She said this like it had been a problem in the past. She went on with more rules and then snapped her fingers to provide our meal.

When students started to leave I watched for my friends. I saw Danny, Mindi and Cheryl along with an assortment of other Slytherins head for the exit. I grabbed my satchel and raced to catch up.
"Danny, Mindi!" They turned as I caught up. I put an arm around Danny's waist.
"Um, what are you doing?" Mindi asked disgustingly.
"What do you mean?" I started to panic.
"Look Gweny," Danny pulled me away from the others. "We decided that it's for the best that we don't speak anymore."
"What are you saying?" A tear slipped from the corner of my eye. "Are you breaking up with me? But we're to be married when we're of age!" I reminded him of the marriage our parents planned when we were born.
"Not anymore. If your not a Slytherin then we're not. I got the letter from my father this morning. You can't be with any of us," he gestured to the waiting gang behind him. "I'm to be married to Mindi now," he looked down. After a few moments of shock he leaned in for a goodbye hug. I slapped his face and he swung away. I ran like hell away from the hall.

I ran to the end of the stone hallway until my feet met grass. I raced down a hill and found a small wood and creek at the bottom. I skipped across the shallow water into the light woods. I found a huge fallen tree I climbed over it and found the opposite side of it was open and the tree was hallow. I easily fit inside it and collapsed onto the leafy ground. I sat with my back against the wood and my knees pulled up to my chest. I sobbed. I sobbed and sobbed for what seemed like hours. In a matter of hours my whole world had managed to change. I didn't want it to change. I liked the life I had planned out for me.

After some time I heard a screech and I peeked my head out of the tree. Selena circled then dropped down to me with a letter in her beak. I retreated it and saw it was addressed from my father. My hands started shaking in angst to see his response. I ripped open the envelope and pulled out the parchment.

Guinevere,

I am very distressed by this news. I'm disappointed that you have wrecked all the plans we made. Daniel Delucca is betrothed to Mindi Steward as of last night. I do not think it would be wise for you to return home for a while. I have no desire to see you.

Sincerely,
Marcus Malfoy

A tear fell onto the letter and smeared the ink. I thrust it down and put my face in my knees. After a few hours when all my crying was done I decided to head back to the castle and explore a little.