Scrimgeour's Hufflepuff Issues

His friends always praised him for being courageous, powerful, fierce, and lion-like.

Heck, he even looked like a lion, what with his longish tawny hair and peculiar yellow eyes.

So why then, when the answer was blatantly obvious - why had he been put into Hufflepuff? Hufflepuff was the House of losers. Hufflepuff was the House that was continually being treated as the lowest class. And Hufflepuffs, those unlucky souls, were simply kind dunderheads who sat in the shadows and never strove to be anything more than a useless piece of fluff.

Idiots.

He didn't want to be like them.

He wanted to be like Gryffindors. Now those were people to be reckoned with. Brave, loyal, strong. They never failed to do what was right, even if it meant sacrificing themselves for for others. They were noble, chivalrous, and everything he longed to be.

But he was just a loser Hufflepuff.

Determined to prove the world that he was not just another failure, he set his ambitions high. A bright student, it was easy for him to accomplish these ambitions, and with a raging fire burning in his heart, he soared to the top of every class.

After his seven years at Hogwarts were complete, he was snapped up by the Ministry of Magic, who hired him as a Trainee Auror, impressed by his dedication, hard work, and go-for-it attitude. Rung by rung, he climbed the ladder of success: he became a hardened Auror, defeated countless dark wizards, and in time, rose to become the Minister of Magic. For him, it was a personal triumph; a reason for celebration. At last, he could show the world that he was not just a measly Hufflepuff, but a great, strong leader.

But nothing went as planned.

Voldemort had conveniently happened to reappear, and an otherwise manageable job was turned into a stressful nightmare.

The hopes of the magical world were in a risky state; it was all he could do to keep the optimism of the public alive. The truth was hidden behind lies and false pretenses. If it were to get out that the Ministry had no control over Voldemort's new regime of terror, panic would ensue.

And then, one day, while he was alone in his office, Voldemort appeared. His proposition was a simple one: Give him all the information on he knew on Harry Potter, or die.

But he thought back. He thought back to the fateful day when the Sorting Hat had yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!" He thought back, and remembered all the shame he felt as he trudged over to the table of losers, his head down and his shoulders hunched. He thought back and he knew that if he could have, he would have chosen to be in Gryffindor. He would have changed that decision.

But now, as he stared at his ultimate foe, he realized that he could change it. His last act would be completely Gryffindoric: He would protect the magical world's only source of hope, Harry Potter, by sacrificing himself.

So, as he refused Voldemort's offer, he saw the wand find a position over his heart. He saw Voldemort's lips moving, then he saw the jet of green light bursting towards him.

But he was not afraid.

In this last second of his life, he was a Gryffindor.