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

Chapter Three

I walked through the big stone hallways and conversed with paintings. I wandered the library and scanned the assortments of books. I looked through the art room and the music room. Then I headed to the green house and had a long conversation with a very interesting plant named Derby. He had been at the school for one hundred years and had collected strange stories. When it began to get dim I headed to the dining hall. I stopped just outside the doors and took a deep breath. I walked straight to the Hufflepuff table without a glance at my old friends who I could feel watching me. I plopped down next to Pepper and grabbed at the food in the middle.
"We looked for you today. Where were you?" She asked.
"I needed to do some thinking. I got a letter from my father," I told her.
"I'm sorry Hufflepuff isn't what you wanted," she gave me sad eyes and I replied with a smile to make her feel better.

A few weeks later we were eating supper when pepper turned to me. "I'm going to go find Ash. Want to come?" She offered.
"Sure," I stood up with her. She turned around and bumped into an older Gryffindor. He pushed her away and she tripped on the back of her shawl and fell on her bottom. He sniggered and started to walk away.
"Hey!" I snapped, furious at how he had treated her. "Apologize to my friend!" He turned around and gave me a death glare. I replied with one of my own.
"Sorry," he spat at her on the ground next to me. Then he stormed away. I pulled her up by her elbow as she adjusted the shawl around her shoulders.
"You didn't have to do that, you know."
"But he pushed you over. He can't treat you like that!"
"If I'm being honest, I'm used to it," we started walking down the row scanning for her brother. "Hufflepuff doesn't exactly get the most respect from the other houses," she said nonchalantly.
"Not anymore," I said confidently. She stopped and looked at me. "It's time this house got some respect. If I'm going to be in Hufflepuff I'm not going to be a loser. Were gonna turn this house around. I started walking again. Pepper giggled behind me and skipped back up to me.

That night I told the other girls what I was thinking and they were in. The next day was the first day of our master plan. In history class Beth and I put a spell on Professor Kingsley's robe when he turned around. The Hufflepuff crest was stained in chalk across his back. Students began giggling and snorting. Kingsley being a Slytherin alumnus made this even funnier. Beth and I high fived. One Slytherin girl decided it wasn't funny and raised her hand. Beth, knowing what she was going to say, flicked her wand and the chalk disappeared. The girl stuttered when called on thus annoying Kingsley.

The next day at breakfast seven wild badgers, in Hufflepuff scarves, were released in the great hall. They began ravaging food and shiny jewelry and buckles.

Once at the beginning of charms class, Pepper and Taylor replaced Professor Pearl wand with a fake replica. When he went to demonstrate a spell nothing happened. His face turned all shades of purple as he struggled. Apparently it was quite a sight.

We mass created parchments that stated: DEMAND RESPECT! On a Hufflepuff crest. We each took a stack and stuck them to walls and pillars, doors and chairs, boards and notebooks. We slipped them in people's bags and stuck them to people's backs. They littered the halls.

McGonagall made threat after threat trying to catch the wrong doers but had no leads. Other Hufflepuffs started getting involved too. One morning we walked into the great hall and black and yellow streamers were draped over the chandeliers and tables. Professor Sprout started wearing a yellow and black apron. We were slowly getting more respect but not fast enough. Until, one morning Mindi Steward woke up with yellow and black hair. That was enchanted so she couldn't put a hat on it. After that we were so cool. Everyone wanted a Hufflepuff friend.

One night all the Hufflepuffs were called to the Great Hall for an unknown reason. When we were all seated the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff was brought in. Students suddenly became excited. We were going to get a congratulations from the Helga herself.
"My dear students," she began. "I am disappointed in you." All the students gasped and became distressed. "You have completely forgotten what being a Hufflepuff is about. Being in this house means never putting yourself first. We take care of those who can't take care of themselves. We don't demand respect because the other houses are so fragile that they would begin to feel undermined and unimportant. We are friends to everyone and we stand up for each other because it's the right thing to do. Not because it's going to make us feel better. I'm disappointed by the things you have done. The way you treated your peers and elders. We never act first. We aren't bullies and I will not stand to see my beautiful house full of beautiful people crumble into selfish chaos! I expect you to be better. Now off to bed with you," the portrait was carried away. We walked back to our common room in silence. When the five of us were back in the dorm we agreed to stop.
"She's right," Pepper sat on her bean bag chair in her messy nook covered in rugs and scarves and candles and books. "Were horrible people." She put her face in her knees.
"No, we just got carried away," Taylor put a blanket around her cousin. "We forgot that we're okay with being less important than the other houses."
"That's stupid!" I jumped up. "We should not have to just be okay with being bullied. If we don't bite back we're going to be walked all over!" I didn't like that we had to roll over.
"They need the attention more than we do," Beth put her arm around my shoulders. "It was fun for a bit but it's time to quit." She kissed my cheek then went back to her nook which was decked out with flowers and paintings and sketches of flowers. Avril sat in her nook which was covered in pictures of her and mysterious beasts she had met while tracking the world. I walked out of the dorm and went into the common room. I sat on the window seat, in my nightgown, looking at the illusion of a starry sky.
"Something on your mind?" Ash walked over to me. He sat next to me in the window seats.

"It was you wasn't it? You started that whole rebellion?" He crossed his legs and leaned his head back against the window. "This is really hard for you isn't it. You can't just except that your here because this is who you are?"
"This is not me. I can't do all this love and friendship, boho, hippie, bull! I enjoy getting into trouble every once in a while. What is so bad about not being perfect?" I poured.
"I'm not perfect."
"Yeah, okay," I scoffed.
"You think I'm perfect? Really?" He seemed amused by my presumption.
"Yes really," I snapped at him for laughing at me. "Name five bad things you've done." I crossed my arms and leans against my knees.
"Okay," he rolled his eyes. "One, I let Pepper's bird out when she was seven cause it was so loud," I laughed at his definition of bad boy. "Two, I hid the letters my moms boyfriend in Egypt sent her. Three, I told Susan Sunstone that Jonny Landed had a girlfriend so she'd go to the winter ball with me last year," at this I laughed out loud. "Four," he ignored my laughter. "I have an unconditional love for everything with a face."
"Wait hold on! How is that a bad thing?"
"If you knew I was a vegetarian would you go out with me?" He raised an eyebrow. I contemplated this for a moment.
"Okay, fair point," I concluded.
"And five, I have a crush on my sisters best friend."
"Wait, what? Who?" I bounced onto my knees.
"You'll know eventually," he winked at me causing another fit of giggles. "I'm gonna get some sleep," he kissed my cheek. "Until tomorrow," he left down his hallway. I starred at the moon for a bit before leaving myself.