None of the headcanons are mine, I'm getting them all off of
Headcanon: Hogwarts has a student exchange.
Characters: Mentions of Headmistress McGonagall, Professor Longbottom, Slughorn, Flikwit, Bones, and Caretaker Argus Filch.
It's the year 2015 and Hogwarts isn't the same as it once was. There's more house unity, both willingly and sometime unwillingly, within the student body that resides at Hogwarts. One of the more unwilling steps for total inner house unity is when four students of any year, from each house, is for one week, taken from their normal house and plopped into another one.
This year the participants for the House-Switch are: second year Gryffindor Zara Blue, sixth year Slytherin Nora Haggle, first year Hufflepuff Gregory Warren, and third year Ravenclaw Luke Morris.
Each would be placed accordingly: Hufflepuff in Slytherin, Ravenclaw in Gryffindor, Slytherin in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor in Ravenclaw.
"Students," Headmistress McGonagall spoke in front of the Hogwarts staff and student body she governed over. "It is that time of year again-It is the time for the House-Switch" The aging woman was almost giddy. The event was her idea ten years ago.
"Now I will bring up each head of house and they will call out the participating students!"
With that the Herbology professor and head of the Gryffindor house Neville Longbottom, in his mundane brown robes and messy hair and constantly dirt-covered face stood up. Horace Slughorn, Potions master and head of the Slytherin house, in his sparkling robes and equally shiny head stood up, and while walking to the front waved his hand as if he were the queen of England.
Susan Bones, the head of Hufflepuff and Defense teacher, walked next to Neville, holding her find, round freckled face high, and showing off her red hair that put nicely into braids; while the charms teacher and head of Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick waddled next to her, his round body and long white beard hid his robes.
"The Gryffindor participant," Neville spoke, "will be Zara Blue! Zara," she now told the dark skinned second year who looked up at him with large 'are-you-kidding-me' eyes, "you'll be in Ravenclaw." She nodded as her friends whispered around her.
"Nora Haggle? Where are you girl?" Horace spoke into the crowd. A sixth year girl with golden blonde hair and a rather chubby stature stood up with her head held high. "Yes, Nora, you'll be in Hufflepuff." Nora nodded and smiled at that news.
"Now our Hufflepuff participant is Gregory- is he here? I heard he was rather sick-ah there you are. Our Hufflepuff participant will be Gregory Warren. You'll be in Slytherin love," Susan Bones told a young first year boy. The boy was extremely skinny, his high cheek bones were hollow.
"Okay!" He waved to the professor, grinning. Susan Bones grinned and waved back.
"Yes, well now onto Ravenclaw," Flitwick smiled. His rosy red cheeks and high pitched voice made all the students smile at him.
"Third year Luke Morris will be staying in Gryffindor," The boy in question looked up at his head of house and nodded. He was a Hispanic looking lad, with sun kissed skin and dark hair.
"Can I still go to Quidditch practice with my team?" he called out to his teachers. He probably should have known by now and all but in all honesty he never cared about the House-Switch.
"Yes!"
"Awesome!"
"Now students, after dinner I wish for each of the four to gather one full week's worth of clothing, their books and whatever else they may need. And then go straight to your new designated common room, there you will speak to that houses head of house and they will instruct you on what to do," the Headmistress spoke. Each of the four student nodded.
"Very well than, dig in." And platters upon platters of food appeared in front of the students, and so their chatter began.
Nora Huggles stood outside of her common room with her four closest friends. Cal Heart, June Dung, Rubus Saltz, and Alana Thomas.
"Now make sure that boy is cared for, don't let any assholes near him okay?" Nora instructed. She tied her curly blonde hair back with a bright pink scrunchy.
"Sir yes sir!" Cal, the only muggle-born in their small group saluted. Nora rolled her grey eyes but smiled anyway.
"Alana?" she asked, and the tan witch nodded.
"We'll keep the 'Puff safe. Slytherins honor," she swore with a smirk and June giggled.
"What honor? Us snake have none!" Rubus, whom much rather be called Ruby laughed. Though Ruby was not the only non-cis gendered student at Hogwarts, they were the only non-binary student.
"Yes, yes," Nora rolled her eyes, "I must be going so please make sure the firsty doesn't die." Nora told her friends before picking up the messenger bag that had been magically enchanted to hold one weeks worth of clothing, pads and tampons, her school books, books to read for fun, extra shoes, two hats and extra gloves incase her new roommates happened to forget theirs at home after recently coming back from Christmas break.
"Bye!" They each called out as the heavy snake walked through the halls of the dungeon and to the Hufflepuff common room.
Line break
She made it to outside of the common room with in a half hour-due to getting lost accidently because a portrait thought it funny to steer her in the wrong direction.
"Professor Bones!" Nora greeted.
"Hello Nora!" The young professor welcomed.
"Now Nora most think Huffelpuffs are duffers. But we aren't. And the first way you find that out is through our common room."
"Whatdda you mean?" Nora asked with her head tilted.
"Well you see that barrel-the middle row, two from the bottom? Tap that to the tune of helga Huffelpuff."
"And if I mess up?" Nora asked curiously.
"Vinegar gets poured on you!" The Professor sounded almost giddy.
'Excuse me?"
"Yeah! I saw it happen to two boys when I went here. The Weasley twins. They smelt like salads for weeks!" Are all Hufflepuffs so… Slytherin?
"Cool?" Nora didn't think that sounded cool but only because she hated salads.
"Uh, professor?"
"Yes Nora?"
"Could you, maybe, just let me in this once? Just so I don't get doused in vinegar," Nora asked meekly. The defence teacher nodded. With her wand she tapped 'Hel-ga-Huff-le-puff' on the barrel, thus causing each to move and reveal a walk away into a tunnel.
Nora's hand tightened around the strap of her bag.
"Well come on!" The Professor beckoned as she started down the path of the tunnel.
Five minutes. It had taken five minutes to walk to the end of the stone tunnel and into a brightly lit room. Nora blinked rapidly. Singing plants hung from the walls, and as did pictures of students and teachers and Daily Prophet clippings. And near the hearth there were a bundle of students in warm sweaters and shirts with funny sayings on them.
"Sweet common room," Nora complemented.
"Thanks!" Each 'Puff chorused in unison. Nora blinked in surprise. She went to say welcome when instead of that, a large sneeze came out.
"Bless you!"
"Gazoontight."
"Bless you!"
'Salut."
"Bless you."
"May the force be with you."
"Bless you!"
"Thanks," Nora waved, slightly unsettled with the overwhelming amount of 'bless yous' and such.
"Welcome!" A tiny hufflepuff skipped up the professor and Nora.
'Hi?" The tiny person did not hesitate to ask Nora if it'd be okay, and instead went for wrapping her in a hug.
"Awe!" Susan Bones cooed as her tiny second year wrapped the sixth year slytherin in a tight embrace.
"Now Nora," she told the blonde who was still being hugged, "let me-or any other Hufflepuff know if you want to talk about anything!"
Oh lord, oh Merlin and Morgana, Nora would not survive without hexing a student in yellow and black.
Zara Blue was rather popular among her year. Though it was because she wasn't afraid to hex anyone despite being twelve and her brain had no filter when it let word escape her mouth, not because of her non-extant quidditch skills.
"Poor Za," Cassie, her roommate cooed in their common room, "You have to live in the birds nest for a week." Zara rolled her dark eyes.
"Yeah-yeah," Zara waved off.
"Just promise us Zara, those ruddy birds won't change you!" Justin Kelley, yelled over dramatically, throwing himself over the red couch, causing students of all years to laugh at his antics.
'I'm leaving. Love you all, see you breakfast," Zara told them all, picking up her two bags- a rainbow backpack and a bright neon green suitcase with wheels.
She walked out the portrait hole with a self-gratifying smirk on, thinking about how she'll be away from the hectic randomness of her housemates and be with the nerds who'll be down with doing her homework.
Line break
After walking to the other side of the castle, taking two minute breaks every twenty Zara got to the Ravenclaw common room within an hour and a half of leaving her original.
"Hey Professor!" Zara greeted smiling at the tiny professor.
"Finally!" he squeaked and Zara giggled.
"What do I need to know sir?" Zara questioned.
"Once you leave you will place a book you love on the community bookshelf, the Gray Lady likes to fly through the dorms randomly so please do not be alarmed…. and to enter you must answer a question," the part-gobblin listed off his fingers. Zara nodded.
"How do I answer the question? Like does a large eagle descend from the sky and ask me?" Zara joked, though Flitwick didn't get it because his reply was: "No, the knocker does."
Zara turned to the handleless door and looked at the knocker blankly.
"Go on," the Professor shooed. Zara picked up the bronze eagle head and knocked upon the door once.
"Young student, where do vanished things go?" It asked and Zara just blinked.
"Can I have another question?"
"NO," both her charms teacher and the knocker replied simultaneously.
"Can people on the other side of the door hear me?" She inquired.
"Yes, if they're in the common room."
Zara bit her lip and grabbed the knocker tightly before rapidly bringing it down on the door.
"I don't care where vanished things go I want to be let in!" She cried loudly.
"Stop it!" The knocker command but Zara did not, instead she brought it down harsher, and in horror Professor Flitwick looked at the prepubescent female.
Gregory Warran hugged each of the many housemates that saw him off.
"Here's some brownies,"
"-And mittens-"
"-And a scarf just in case it gets chilly." Older students whom had been through the House-Switch before told him. The blonde muggle-born boy smiled politely at them.
"Thanks!" He chirped. He took the brownies in the kitten shaped container and put them under his arm, and he put the bright yellow mittens, and an equally bright yellow hat into his duffel bag.
"I should get going..." Gregory trailed off, looking towards the tunnel that lead to the common room entrance.
Each of the housemates seeing him off gave the young boy a tight hug before sending him off to the dungeons.
Line break
Gregory had had to ask three portraits and a suit of armor to find his way to the Slytherin common room. The dungeons air was moist and the corridor was dimly light.
When Gregory approached the portrait of Salazar Slytherin he saw the potions master and four older Slytherin students waiting outside for him.
"Hi," the thin boy waved, his pale cheeks puffed outwards awkwardly and his slightly crooked teeth bit his thin lip.
"Hey," the students greeted while the man in glittery robes lody said: "Hello, hello!"
"So, professor, I'm going to stay in the Slytherin dorms and common room for a week?" Gregory asked, just to make sure he understood.
"And eat with them, and go to class with them!"
"Okay."
"Yes well the password is Merlin-" the portrait swung open and Gregory's breathing got caught in his throat as he saw many student in the common room. And the common room itself was magnificent. It was elegant green and silver fixtures and many candles and fireplaces light, and the far wall was clear-giving those who resided in Slytherin an excellent view of inside the Black Lake.
"Come on," a boy with sun kissed skin and dark hair smiled, taking the Hufflepuff by this arm and leading him into the common room.
"I'm Cal," he introduced.
"She June, she's Alana and they're Ruby."
"They're?" Gregory asked with his head tilted to the side as he looked at the non-binary student.
"Ruby's not cisgendered so please use they, their and such," Alana explained and Gregory nodded.
"O-please get that snake away from me!" Gregory squeaked as another student approached them in a welcoming manner with a boa constrictor hanging around their shoulders.
Luke Morris wasted no time, he packed his belonging; and though he was cool-popular amongst his house, Luke didn't have any friends to bid a goodbye to, so told his quidditch captain Freya Hufferman, to update him on when the practices were.
Line break
He made his way to the Gryffindor common room. Once he got to the portrait of the fat lady-or Glenda as she much rather be called, he saw his Herbology teacher, professor Longbottom.
"Luke, nice to see you," the coolest professor grinned.
"Nice to see you professor!" Luke replied. He smiled at the pale war hero, showing off the half dimple on his left cheek.
"Well the password is Lupin, and font try to go up the girls staircase," Neville told the boy. Luke looked at professor with a raised eyebrow.
"It turns into a slide and sounds and alarm and the girl get mad at you," he explained.
"You'd know a lot about that professor?" Neville's ears turned pink.
"No I wouldnt-"
"Professor Longbottom here was a wonderful student; always polite and quite. Unlike his friends," the fat lady explained with a sweet smile.
"Who were your friend?" Luke had to know now, professor Longbottom, war hero, her probably hung out with big scary Gryffindors and got babes left and right!
"Seamus and Dean Finnegan-Thomas, and Ginny Potter," Neville muttered bashfully. Lukes dark eyes widen in pride.
"Wow!"
"Yes, well it time to tuck in-Lupin," Neville said to the fat lady who swung open, to reveal a loud, brightly light common room.
Luke looked to his professor and asked:
"Are Gryffindor's always this loud?"
"This is them being quite!" Neville replied over the nose.
Bloody hell.