A/N This is the first entry of the HPFF challenge "The Four Houses" This one is Hufflepuff. =] My character was Ernie Mcmillan, Genre was Hurt/Comfort and my prompt was Twisting vines! Hope you guys like it. This will be a collection of four oneshots. One from each house. =] So I'm not putting a character seeing as there is not direct one. =] Enjoy.
As I walked up the long walk of the Great Hall. Approaching my fate seemed to hit me head on. It made me realize that this was going to determine what happened to me in the next seven years. What house I was in could make me a laughing stock, or popular. It was all up to this.
My hands because sweaty, and my breathing sped up. My eyes buldged as I felt my heart rate accelerate. I walked up to the old hat that was sat upon the stool. I was hoping for Gryffindor. From what I heard that was the best house. I took a deep breath as the hat was placed on my head.
"Hmmm. What do we have here. Some courage I see and a small strive to prove yourself. You value friends. You care what they think about you and you don't want to disprove them. I know exactly where you should go," The hat thought out loud to me shortly before it shouted out where I was going to be placed.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" It shouted in my ear. I'm sure if I looked in a mirror right now I would see myself looking almost like a ghost. I heard about Hufflepuff before, from my parents. They were both Ravenclaws. Hufflepuff was the house of left overs. The house that nobody fit in, I would rather be in Slytherin. Rather be evil than stupid. I put on a fake smile as I made my way towards my new home. I was on the verge of tears. I was supposed to be put in Ravenclaw! Like my parents! This was so unfair, I was stuck with people I didn't want to be stuck with!
"Welcome Ernie!" Someone greeted from down the table somewhere. I returned a warm smile back at him and quietly took my seat. I watched as more people were sorted. Several of them in Hufflepuff with me. Shortly after the feast began, at which I was forced to make conversation with my soon to be extended family.
"Hello," I murmured to the girl next to me. "I'm Ernie Macmillan, pure blood, yourself?" I asked.
"Hannah Abbott, half blood," She responded with a warm smile. "And this is Justin Finch-Fletchley, muggleborn," she introduced the dirty blonde boy next to her, I shook hands with the both of them before turning to my food. We made small conversation with each other through out the feast, and even more on the walk up to the common room. I was on the verge of a breakdown the whole way there. I was dreading writing the letter to my parents telling them what house I had been sorted into.
Once in the common room, it finally hit me. I would have to face them eventually and I couldn't do it. I dashed out of the common room, not even bothering to tell Justin what was wrong. I didn't exactly know where I was going but my parents had told me about the Forbidden Forest. It sounded interesting, and secure. As I was looking for a place to think quietly to myself. However I didn't get there before Justin had found me. I ended up by the lake. I looked on the ground by the water to see twisting vines circling us. I later see this as an omen for our soon to be forever friendship.
"We may not know each other very well, but we're going to be roommates for the next seven years. The least I can do is help you right now, as I'm sure you'll have to help me sometime," Justin offered to me.
"You're a muggleborn, you wouldn't understand. You don't have the pressure to be placed into the right house," I tried to explain. When Justin looked at me weird I decided to just give in and talk to him about it. I mean it couldn't hurt. "My mom and dad were both in Ravenclaw. I didn't think it was even an option for me to be placed somewhere else. Apparently it is. Not to mention the fact that they told me all kinds of stories about how Hufflepuff's never fit in. All I want to do is have fun, but how can I do that if I'm always getting picked on? It's just, not where I wanted to be sorted," I finsihed explaing to him.
"I can see your dilema. I sat with a pureblood on the train and he told me all about the four houses. Although he had a different view on Hufflepuff then you do. He saw them as being loyal, being good friends. That's why when I walked up to the hat. I was hoping I would get into this house, because out of every one of the houses. I want to have friendship more. I don't think that's a bad thing. I think it means that you value those who are close to you. As for your parents. I'm sure they will be proud wherever you were sorted. Hufflepuff included," Justin reasoned with himself, and with me. I started to think that maybe it was a bad thing. Maybe I was placed here for a reason. I'm sure he was right about my parents. They will still love me. They're not one of those sadistic pure bloods.
For the first time since I arrived at Hogwarts, a true smile broke across my face. I knew that me and Justin would become good friends because of this. We walked back to the common room together. Me thinking the whole way, that this may be a good thing afterall.
A/N Please Review! =] But no Flames! I've never written anything about Hufflepuff's before... =]