They followed the pair down a set of wide stairs into the dungeons of the castle, following the group of Slytherin first years. Teddy shivered a bit. He didn't expect their common room to be down here. But at the bottom of the stairs, Tonya and Tyson turned them to the left, away from the Slytherins, and down a wide corridor. They followed down a few narrower hallways until they came upon a large painting of a pear at the spot where the corridor took a sharp right. They walked past it, but Teddy kept glancing back. Something about that painting. He remembered reading something about a painting of a giant pear. He couldn't remember where, but he knew it wasn't a text book. No, it was something in his father's journals. Teddy had come across a huge chest filled with journals when he was nine. They were his father's. He had written down almost his entire childhood after the encounter with Greyback when he was little. A set of them were devoted to his years at Hogwarts, and Teddy was certain this painting was mentioned. He'd have to owl his grandmother to have her send those so he could find out. They walked a little farther down the hallway and stopped in front of a stack of barrels. Tonya and Tyson turned to the first years, wands out and grinning.
"This," Tonya began, "is the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. While Gryffindor and Slytherin entrances require passwords and Ravenclaws have to answer a riddle, we" She indicated the group of them, "have to tap on the correct barrel the correct number of times and viola! We enter." Tyson turned and tapped the barrel in the far left stack three time and the center four swung out, revealing a tunnel-like entrance. He motioned for the first years to go in, and they all scurried into the common room. The room was big. Really big. Teddy looked around and it appeared they were in an entrance level, like a foyer. He climbed the short set of four steps and stood in the main common room. There were plants everywhere! On shelves, on the wall, even in giant pots on the floor. A huge, golden sphere hung from the ceiling, looking exactly like a big sun. He could see there was another level above this one where chairs and beanbags sat amongst squat bookcases. Teddy's mouth hung open in amazement. This place was incredible.
"Welcome first years!" Teddy jumped at the voice. He glance down to the entrance and there stood Professor Sprout, grinning at them "quite the group we got this year, eh Tonya dear?" She put a hand on the girls shoulder and she grinned at the Professor.
"Alright, you lot. Off to bed. Boys dormitories are on the the left, up the stairs. Girls' on the right. Look for the door with the first year sign on it. Your belongings were brought up earlier. Off you go" Tyson shooed them out of the common room towards the stairs. Teddy drug Matthew along the corridor until they came to the door marked "First Years". He pushed open the door and was astounded, yet again, at the magnificence of the dormitory. There were three beds situated around the half circle room, a trunk at the end of each of them. The head of the bed was set back into the stone wall, and heavy yellow curtains hung around the ends to close off at night. Teddy glance around and saw his trunk at the foot of the center bed. He ran and leaped onto the bed. Sprawling out with his legs hanging over the footboard.
"This is incredible!" He breathed as he rolled onto his back.
"Sure is" another voice caused Teddy to shoot up from the pillow. Matt jumped at the sound of someone talking behind him and spun around to see a tall boy with chestnut hair smiling at him.
"Zachary Finch-Fletchy. But you can call me Zach." He held his hand out to Matt, who hesitantly shook it. Zach then glanced around, located his trunk, and mimicked Teddy's running leap onto his bed on the left. Matt carefully walked to his bed on the right and sat down, crossing his legs Indian-style in front of him. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself at dinner. My older sister, Gretchen, is a third year and I sat with her when I was sorted. I was too nervous to sit by strangers just yet, but you guys seem to be mates already, so I guess you're the friendly sort, eh?" He asked, blushing a little. He seemed a bit shy to Teddy, but he wasn't going to push him out just because him and Matt had met on the train. On the contrary, his dad was best friends with the boys in his dorm. The Marauders were famous around the school for both their antics and their unwavering friendship to one another, and he intended to live up to his father's legacy in that aspect. He stood on his bed and hurled himself across the gap and landed on the end of Zach's, who grinned wildly at him.
YOU ARE READING
The Halfwolf (Year 1)
FanfictionTeddy Lupin is left in the care of his grandmother after the death of both his parents during the Battle of Hogwarts. He's finally starting his first year at Hogwarts. What sort of surprises await him as he starts his own marauding adventures?
