PARKER AND HOLLAND IMAGINES

CH 2 : HONEY LATTE

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self as they pooled in. Golden dinnerware shimmering under the light of a thousand candles floating in midair, illuminating over the long stretch of four wooden tables. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their students.
Oswin jumped to the side a little as a shoulder belonging to Penelope Hawkins suddenly knocked into her. The Slytherin didn't say anything, instead she shoved past and hurried up next to Harrison's side. She turned around and looked back, her chestnut hair flipping rather dramatically as she gestured 'over here' to someone past the Hufflepuff.
The scent of vetiver and musk suddenly hit her nostrils as a body started carefully sliding past her. When she saw a silver and green tie, and Tom's face getting awfully close, she immediately froze. Her shoulder was only slightly brushing him, but the distance (or very much lack thereof) made her heart race nonetheless. When she looked to the right she got a good look at just how sharp his jawline was and the light smattering of freckles he had on his nose and cheeks. Before she even had time to process it, she was looking at the backs of his and Penelope's heads, the two of them walking together alongside Harrison. The girl gripped the sleeve of her robe tight and gulped, trying hard to ignore the ache in her stomach and the burning in her cheeks. Instead, she reached over and grabbed Frankie's hand, pulling him along through the crowd.
She and Frankie walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Gryffindors, and sat down with the rest of the Hufflepuffs at the far side of the Hall. Hovering beside them was the Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff house ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, the Fat Friar was dressed in his usual monk's robes, and flailed around with a half empty cup of his favorite drink. He kept a beaming grin on his face as he welcomed back returning students and greeted the rather fearful looking first years. Oswin couldn't help but chuckle. She remembered her first year. She was scared of him too. Still, he kept the mood warm and light as he floated around, playing lighthearted tricks and telling jokes that made everyone giggle.
After the rather long (and in Frankie's opinion 'tedious') sorting-hat ceremony, a few of the Professors picked up the hat and stool and carried them away.
"About time," said Frankie, grabbing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate.
Oswin watched as Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.
"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."
"Hear, hear!" said Oz and Frankie loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.
The Fat Friar watched with a wide smile as his house students loaded their own plates. He himself indulged in the food and drink, although it left quite the mess on the floor.
"Aaah, 'at's be'er," said Frankie, with his mouth full of mashed sweet potato.
"I thought we'd never get to eat," said Toddy as he took only a couple pieces of chicken, "How many first years you think we got now?"
"'nough tuh triph'le up, 'd say," said Oswin, through a sizable chunk of bread.
One of the new students, freshly sorted, looked over at Oswin with wide eyes. "T...Triple up?"
Frankie and a few of the others blinked at them before perking. "Oh, that's right, you don't know."
A couple of the other students down the table chuckled softly. That made the new students turn pale.
"How adorable!" chirped one of the Hufflepuff girls.
"I-It's not anything bad, is it?" Another one of the newbies asked, "L-Like, wandering in the forbidden forest, or—diving for—"
"You'll see, fresh-meats, you'll see," Oswin chuckled, a couple of the others chuckling as well.
The minute the feast was over and the headmaster announced that they could leave, everyone bounded out of their seats and made a straight beeline for their respective common rooms. The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors to their respective towers. The Slytherins to the dungeons just under the Black Lake. The Hufflepuffs were the only ones who left laughing and smiling as a group. Swarms of students in yellow and black made their way towards the school basement where their common room awaited them.
The Hufflepuff common room was in the same corridor as the Hogwarts kitchens. The entrance was hidden amongst a pile of large barrels laid stacked in a shadowy spot on the right-hand side.
"Welcome back Hufflepuffs!" Professor Pomona Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff house held her arms out wide as a group of beaming youths came running up to her. The Professor was a squat little witch who always wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair, and an unusually large amount of dirt on her clothes. In all honesty, it just added to her warm, inviting nature. Returning students greeted her like an old friend. The newer ones simply waved shyly and kept quiet. That didn't stop her from smiling, nor did it stop the Fat Friar as he descended from the ceiling and hovered by the professor's side.
"Welcome! Welcome!" He greeted with as much fervor.
"Now before we get settled, I have only a couple of rules to go over," She unfurled a small bit of parchment and held it up to her face, "Afterwards, Gabriel, your house prefect here, will escort first years to the proper dorms where you can unpack."
She cleared her throat and started reading off the rules. Almost every returning student had it memorized. Do your best. Be kind. Stay passionate. Stand up for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Always seek new and exciting things to do with everyone.
"And most importantly?" She called out.
"Look out for one another!" The students recited in unison. The Professor was beaming with pride and gave them all a round of applause. As soon as she finished, she stepped aside to let the house prefect take over.
"Hello first years, I'm Prefect Gabriel Truman, and I'm delighted to welcome you to Hufflepuff House!" He waited for the applause to die down before speaking again, "Now, as some of you may already know, our emblem is the badger, an animal that is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked. But when provoked, the badger can fight off animals much larger than itself, including wolves."
"Or Lions," muttered a student in the group. Gabriel gave a solid nod and continued with his speech. As Oswin listened intently to what he was saying, Frankie leaned over to her ear.
"You thought about what you want to do, yet?"
She shook her head no. "You?"
"Hell yeah," He hissed with a smirk, "I've been practicing all summer. Trust me, when you see it, you're gonna freak out."
"Alright! First years stick close to me," said Gabriel, "The rest of you lot...well..."
He trailed off for only a second before flashing a knowing smile. "You know what to do. Go on and set up."
A bunch of students huddled around in excitement as Professor Sprout turned to face the large stack of barrels in front of her. She got out her wand and stared at them.
"Keep in mind, Hufflepuffs," She warned, "We are the only house at Hogwarts that also has a repelling device for would-be intruders. If the wrong lid is tapped, or if the rhythm of the tapping is wrong, the illegal entrant is doused in vinegar."
A couple of first years giggled and wrinkled their noses. Oswin only smirked. Like badgers, they knew exactly how to lie low – and how to defend themselves. She and the other students had the passcode memorized down flat. The barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row. It will open if tapped in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff'. After Professor Sprout tapped on the proper barrel, she took a step back and smiled as the large barrel lid swung wide open.
She held a hand out and ushered them along. "Alright, in you go. Hurry now."
The returning Hufflepuffs were the first to leap at the chance to go in. Getting on all fours, the students all crawled inside and started making their way through.
A sloping, earthy passage inside the barrel traveled upwards a little way until they emerged into the cosiest common room of them all. Oswin and Frankie snickered at the first-years and their jaws as they hung in disbelief. They had reached a cozy, round, low-ceilinged room, reminiscent of a badger's set.
There was a lot of burnished copper about the place, and many plants, which either hung from the ceiling or sat on the windowsills. Professor Sprout was Head of Herbology, and she often brought in the most interesting specimens (some of which danced and waved as you walked by) to decorate their room with. The living area was littered with overstuffed yellow sofas and black loveseats. Seeing them again brought on fond and funny memories that Oswin couldn't help but giggle at. The sofa by the fireplace was so plush that she actually sunk into it her first year.
"Our dormitories are reached through round doors in the walls of the common room," Grabriel explained to the wide-eyed first year boys, "We have copper lamps casting warm light over our four-poster beds, all of which are covered in patchwork quilts. Copper bed warmers hang on the walls too, should you have cold feet."
Oswin walked over to the fireplace. She briefly admired the jar of coconut ice waiting on the coffee table along with a note reading "Welcome Back!" from the Professor. Her eyes wandered up and over. A portrait over the wooden mantelpiece (carved all over with decorative dancing badgers) showed Helga Hufflepuff, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School, toasting her students with a tiny, two-handled golden cup.
As everyone around her hurried to grab their old beds and unpack, Oswin took a moment to soak in her surroundings. She loved her common room. It was the next best thing to her home, itself. It was round and earthy and radiated warmth and sunlight.
"Oz, you ready?" Toddy Wilkins chirped, ripping her from her thoughts. The girl turned around to see him and a few of their housemates with bags of supplies already at hand. Scissors, construction paper, dried macaroni, and balls of colorful yarn. The very sight of it made her smile even more.
"Here you are, Frankie," said Molly Grace as she held up her handiwork. It was a makeshift bowtie made with yarn and a single piece of dried bow-tie pasta. The boy's eyes all but sparkled as he took the accessory and put it on. It officially matched his macaroni bracelet and necklace. He made a regal looking pose and stuck his nose high in the air, mimicking a snooty king of some sort. Oswin chuckled lightly as she continued to cut out paper crowns for everyone. The rest of the house was busy chatting and lying around making macaroni necklaces and art. Oz herself was given a few bracelets along with a swooping necklace made with six different types of pasta. While they were crafting, Preston Plimpton, a 4th year, was on a makeshift stage composed of bedsheets and cardboard. They all eagerly watched and crafted at the same time as he displayed his talent. Reciting Shakespeare backwards was no easy feat, so when he finished, he received a standing ovation. Molly Grace went next and showed her knack for ribbon dancing. The first years tripled up and introduced themselves and their talents. Toddy went afterwards and blew everyone away with the fact that he could sing opera. Frankie went up next and bobbed in place, mentally prepping himself for what he was about to do.
"Okay," He said aloud to everyone, "Brace yourselves, guys. What I'm about to do may shock you."
Oswin stopped what she was doing and watched, the others in the room doing the same. All eyes were on him now, and it made him smirk. He held his hands out for a second, watching as his audience hung on and leaned in intently. Slowly, he reached down, and picked up one leg. Oswin frowned a little. What on earth was he doing?
With one hand, he picked up his leg, stood there for a second, before finally bobbing a little and jumping. Everyone watched as his other leg, quick as lightning, managed to jump over the one he was holding. As soon as he landed he let his leg go and held his arms out, letting out a resounding "Tadaaa!"
The whole room went silent for a second. They all stared, unsure of what to make of what just happened. It wasn't until Toddy stood up and cheered that everyone got up and gave him a big round of applause. Several students whooped and whistled and Frankie gave them all a gentleman's bow. Oswin couldn't help but shake her head and smile as she clapped. What a dweeb.
"Your turn, Oz!" Toddy chirped, bobbing up and down in his seat. A couple of her housemates cheered and ushered her onto the stage. The girl had no qualms or reservations about it. Her own talent she was sure everyone would get, and love as well. She stood on the makeshift stage and curtsied as a few of her friends whistled and chanted "Talent! Talent!" over and over. As she opened her mouth to speak, everyone quieted down.
"Okay, well, hi, I'm Oz," She chuckled awkwardly, "So uh...my talent, some of you already know. And before Frankie says anything, no, it's not my sarcastic wit or self-deprecating humor."
Frankie shouted, "Close enough!" and a rolling giggle erupted in the audience.
"I feel like my talent is the reason why I'm in Hufflepuff," She said honestly, "I-I like making people happy. I like listening, and supporting people I care about...I-I have trouble getting the words out sometimes, so...I cook."
As if right on cue, a slew of trays came floating in from the common room entrance. Mugs of some steaming liquid with an accompanying tray of biscuits came in and set themselves down on the main table.
"So uh," Oswin started fiddling with her braids a little, "As more of a welcome gift to you guys more than a display of talent, there's honey lattes and ginger biscuits for everyone...dig in!"
Everyone suddenly got up and hurried over to the main table. Each student grabbed a mug along with a couple biscuits and started digging in, the excited chatter only amplifying as they bit into the buttery tea cookies and sipped on the sweet, comforting taste of honey and espresso. Before everyone got lost in their conversations, Frankie stood on one of the chairs and called for a toast. It was one they had every year.
"Housemates, listen up," He said as he raised his mug high, "This year, just like every year, we have each other's backs, no matter what. We help each other out. We stand up for what and who is right. We take pride in our house. No matter what the other houses say, remember, we are worth our weight in gold...and black!"
Oswin held up her own mug and let out a cry, "One, two, three!"
And just like that, everyone raised their cups and touched them together, the sounds of their voices ringing through the common room as one.
"Hufflepuff are we,
The badger's claw
Beats the lion's Paw
The slithering snake
In a pie we'll bake
The Raven's feather
We will beat together
One, two, three
HUFFLEPUFF ARE WE!"