Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by [72 Hour Speed Comp] Hufflepuff Appreciation Day - Hufflepuffs Only!, Pop Figure Collection, Herbology Hangout, and Sophie's Smut (Or Not, As It Were) on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For [72 Hour Speed Comp] Hufflepuff Appreciation Day - Hufflepuffs Only! I wrote for AU/Trope Different Hogwarts House (Write a character from a different house as a Hufflepuff). Pop Figure Collection I wrote for The Punisher Long Coat - (object) robes. For Herbology Hangout I wrote for Soulmate!AU. For Sophie's Smut (Or Not, As It Were) I wrote for word number 5. Climax. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Hufflepuffs.
Neville Longbottom doesn't believe in the tradition of Soulmates as much as his Gran and everyone else he's met during his short life has tried to convince him otherwise. He's heard conflicting stories on how to tell if someone is your soulmate. He's heard the matching symbol theory and all of the other ones. But he never in a million year would have thought he'd find his while standing in line waiting to be sorted his first year.
"Are you alright?" came a quite voice from behind him as he fidgeted with his robes.
"I'm fine," he assured her not bothering to turn around. With his luck he'd get chided before he had to go up and try on the hat. That was the last thing he needed.
"I'm Hannah," she says sticking her out for him to shake.
He takes her hand in his own feeling a tingle go down his arm. If he believed in soulmates at all he'd have had some hint at the fact that he'd found his at that moment. But he didn't so he figured he'd just be her friend for right now.
"I'm Neville," he tells her nervously. "What house do you think you'll be sorted into?"
"Hufflepuff. I've always wanted to be a Hufflepuff. What house do you think you'll be sorted into?"
"Probably Gryffindor. Hopefully. Gran says almost all our family have been Gryffindor's and nothing else. She says if I'm put anywhere else I'd be a disgrace to my...my family."
"That's horrible," Hannah says her voice breaking a little for what his Gran had said to Neville. How could someone be so horrible to their own family? "I'm sure it won't matter which house you're in. You're going to do wonderfully."
"Hannah Abbott," calls Professor McGonagall.
Hannah walks up to the stool with the hat on it with no hesitance in her steps. Like she knows she's going to get what she wants no matter what. Picking up the hat she places it on her head with a small smile. It isn't on her head long before it proclaims her a Hufflepuff in a loud voice. Watching her as she walked over to cheering table she seems happy which makes him happy. Plus the people at the table already seem very nice.
Neville doesn't know how long he's been lost in his own mind when the climax of his waiting is upon him. His name is called and everyone looks at him expectantly. He walks nervously up to the front of the crowd of first years and up the steps leading to the stool. He wishes he had as much confidence in getting his way as Hannah did. But he also knows that he doesn't have the qualities a true Gryffindor would. He picks up the hat and sits on the stool. The hat is then placed on his head.
"Gryffindor, huh?" the hat asked in his mind.
Neville jumped a bit not being one bit prepared to have someone or something speaking into his mind. "Yeah," he thought back at it. "All my family have been in Gryffindor."
"But I don't think that Gryffindor would suit you at all." The tone of voice the hat used brokered no arguments but Neville wasn't going to give up what he wanted that easily.
"Why not?" he asked angrily his fist balling up with the nails biting into his palms.
"You have more qualities that are a kin to that of the Hufflepuff. You're very loyal. You seem to have a hard working mind as your proving right now. You're friendly. Your Hufflepuff traits far out weigh the Gryffindor ones. So..."
"Please, I want to be a Gryffindor," he screamed mentally.
"Hufflepuff," the hat declared.
Neville feels numb as he walks over to his cheering compatriots at the Hufflepuff table. That is until he sees Hannah's smiling face as she motions him over to sit with her. Walking over he feels himself begin to smile for the first time since the hat called out Hufflepuff. Taking the seat next to Hannah he's congratulated on all sides by the Hufflepuffs around him.
"I'm glad you're a Hufflepuff," Hannah tells him giving him a hug.
He catches sight of it as she's pulling back. It's small and you wouldn't even notice it if you weren't looking for it. Staring up at him from her wrist was small heart. One that matched the one he'd found earlier that day on his shoulder. Neville Longbottom was beginning to believe in soulmates as he continued to Hannah Abbott about what the next day would bring.
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Hufflepuffs.