A/N: HI! *frantically waves excitedly* I updated! How exciting! My goal is to post a chapter every week, but I can't promise that sort of consistency... Just know that if I plan on abandoning this, I'll give you a warning or something. (Also, I respond to reviews at the end, if there are any.)
Also, I'm a Hufflepuff. So, as we're getting into descriptions of common rooms this chapter, please keep in mind I know next to nothing about what the other house common rooms look like. I'm putting in as far as Google Images and friends from said houses could push my imagination.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters or material from the wizarding world. Or else I would have more merchandise. Of more than just this fandom. (For a more in-depth Disclaimer, see Chapter 1)
Enjoy!
Pomona Sprout was miffed. The outrage was painted all over her face as she sat in her chair, back stubbornly straight, lips tightened into a thin line, and arms crossed. She glared at the Headmaster with such irritation that it nearly rivaled Severus, who normally looked equally put out, if less openly. That night he was giving his signature frown to the floor, almost as if ignoring the conversation about to happen would stop it from happening. McGonagall and Flitwick sat back and watched carefully, trading knowing looks.
No one spoke. Not for a long time. So Dumbledore opened his mouth to initiate the conversation. "I understand that you—"
"Don't give me that, Albus." Pomona interrupted him instantly. "You know full well that putting Amelia Ross into Slytherin will cause an uproar. A dangerous one."
"Now, just because she's born of muggles doesn't mean—"
"It certainly does mean it!" She interrupted once more. "That house is known for their prejudices against muggle-borns. In fact, it's one of the few stereotypes that aren't incorrect. Salazar Slytherin didn't want them in his house. Ever."
"But we know for a fact that there are muggle-borns in Slytherin. And so far they have gotten along well with the other students." Albus reminded her.
"Only because none of the students know who is and who isn't." Pomona snapped. "They never say. It's not a thing of open discussion unless a pure-blood is inserting dominance. So don't give me any of this rubbish about how maybe the Slytherin house isn't what it appears to be." She seemed a bit breathless at the end of her little rant, and allowed her anger to show plainly.
"Pomona does have a point, Albus." Minerva interceded. "It is dangerous. Who knows what the poor girl will be subjected to? There were so many other way to go about this."
"Such as?" Dumbledore asked.
"You can't possibly mean to swap the Slytherins and Gryffindors instead." Flitwick implored of the two older women. "That would be worse, on both sides. At least this way, Mr. Wilf will be in safe and welcoming hands."
"You could've switched Slytherin with Ravenclaw." Pomona huffed. "Or even something like Hufflepuff in Gryffindor, Gryffindor in Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw in Slytherin, and Slytherin in Hufflepuff. There were so many choices. Why would you choose that?"
"Perhaps to quell this very prejudice we speak of." Dumbledore answered. "I thought of switching Mr. Wilf and Mr. Johnson, but decided that, when it came to that particular rivalry, a slower route was best acknowledged."
"But this isn't just the matter of a mere house rivalry!" Pomona was on her feet. "This is ancestry, and a prejudice that's older than even you. And it's not something that can be wished away because we put a badger with snakes."
Albus looked taken aback. "Now, Pomona—"
"This. Is. Different." She insisted before turning to Snape. "And what about you? Do you honestly think that this will go over well?"
The professor in question hesitated, his dark eyes staring as if he'd just woken up and was trying to comprehend his surroundings. "I do believe that this is an opportunity… for what, I'm not sure. But I trust the Headmaster's judgement."
Professor Sprout stared at him in shock for a moment. Groaning in frustration, she turned back to the headmaster with a flourish, and stomped right up to his desk. "I will let this go. For now. If I find out that my Puff has been harmed in any way- emotionally, physically, or mentally- I will personally see to it that someone suffers the consequences. Whether or not that is a student, Professor Snape, or you is of no object. Have I made myself clear?"
Never having been on the receiving end of her angry-teacher persona, Albus Dumbledore hesitated for the first time in a long time. "Yes, you have."
"Perfect." She turned on her heel and walked straight out the door, only pausing to say goodnight to the other Heads over her shoulder. And as she left, Dumbledore thought about the anger she'd just shown. Was it right? He frowned. Perhaps it was more her protecting her student to the most possible. But as seen in previous years, the students of Hogwarts tend to shine when put into potentially dangerous situations. He just hoped things didn't veer too far out of control.
Gryffindor. Out of all of the houses she ended up with Gryffindor. Elisabeth wanted to slam her head into the wall simply at the idea. Everyone knew how horribly rowdy and loud Gryffindors could be. Trouble makers. Too brave for their own good. Dauntless to the point of extremes on more than one occasion. Though maybe these were stereotypes observed only because they were the loudest. The twins of the Weasley family certainly lived up to the title, but Percy Weasley did not. He was very professional. Almost business-like during her tour. Maybe it was over exaggerated? Though, it would be an interesting change from Ravenclaw.
But Elisabeth looked at Percy Weasley with a new-found respect as the portrait swung open to reveal a bustling Gryffindor common room. At one side, many people were playing games like exploding snap, shouting and seemingly trying to make as much noise as absolutely possible.
Suddenly there was a loud cheer, and then an annoyed huff from her right. Elisa looked that direction to find a puffy-haired girl furiously reading a text book and scribbling away with her quill. It looked like an essay. Probably for History of Magic. Those are always long, and a pain.
"The password changes every two weeks, and the new one will be hanging up on the board. The girls' dormitories are on the left, up that staircase. You're the second door, if I remember correctly." The ginger instructed. "Your stuff should already be there. If there's anything missing, or if you have any questions, just let one of the prefects, or Professor McGonagall know."
"Thank you." She said.
"Not a problem. And… good luck." And with that, Percy Weasley went around trying to calm and corral the craziness that was Gryffindor. It was probably a pointless endeavor, but Elisa found herself thankful nonetheless.
She went to her dorm first, finding everything in order, and her robes changed to the deep red of her new house. She sat on her bed a moment, reaching over to the small box that contained her ancient, grey cat. Peter was actually a muggle house cat. One her mother had adopted a year before Elisa's birth. Poor thing barely wanted to move, but Elisa still brought him with her every year, and kept good care of him because she wanted him to see everything. Not that she would tell the rough-looking, spike-eared, old-as-dust cat snoozing on the blanket in the box. Peter would probably die of shock if he thought she actually loved him that much.
Elisa took a deep breath and stroked Peter's fur, trying to get used to the overtaking color that certainly wasn't blue. The room was warmer than her old one. It also looked smaller, but she decided that its size was probably what made it so warm. And she had to remind herself that this was a learning experience. It wasn't permanent. She didn't have to like everything. But she did. So far, at least.
A small smile rooted itself on her face as she looked around once more. This might not be so bad. In fact… It might be fun.
Maxwell was surprised. The Ravenclaw common room was…. Quiet. Library quiet. The students who were actually in it were sitting in corners, or spread across couches, or curled up in chairs, reading. That was it. Reading. No exploding snap, and no rough housing or shouting. Max shook his head. He never thought he would really miss the Weasley twins.
"The riddle normally refreshes to a new one every time you try to open the door, but it seems to be stuck in its ways, and the riddle has been staying the same all day. We're not entirely sure why, and we've brought it up with Professor Flitwick. I'm sure it will be fixed soon." Said the prefect, and Max tried to pay attention. "Now, don't feel like you have to whisper when you're in here and it's quiet like this, but be considerate of everyone who is trying to study or do research. Beyond that, the boys' dorms are on the right. Up those stairs. You, I think, are five doors down." And with that, Max was led through the common room, up the stairs, and five doors, just like he said.
Sure enough, the door opened to reveal a large bedroom with four beds. The enlargement charm was exceedingly popular in Hogwarts, he supposed, because the room couldn't possibly be this large on the outside. And the blue wasn't overwhelming, as he'd always pictured it to be, but varied in shade exponentially, giving the room a fresh, open look. It was pretty easy to find his trunk, as it was plastered with Gryffindor and Quidditch memorabilia. There was also the small cage setting on the nightstand containing his technically-illegal-to-bring pet. Noting that everything was where it was supposed to be, he thanked the prefect, who left, and sat down on his bed.
This could be fun, or it could be horrible. But, either way, it would be pretty entertaining.
Jasper Wilf frowned as the prefect led him to… the kitchens. There was a stack of barrels against the far wall that look perfectly harmless, but apparently had the prefect's attention, because they went straight for them. Then Jasper watched as the prefect promptly tapped her wand on the surface of one in a distinct pattern he couldn't place. It swung open to reveal a small tunnel. He followed her through.
And into a vast, open, warm space that was flooded with golden afternoon light through round circular windows. The room itself was round, peppered with rugs and tables with chairs around them. And, much to Jasper's surprise, plants. Everywhere. Hanging from walls, windows, the backs of chairs, even just sitting against the walls were distinct leaves and pots of all different shapes and sizes.
He took one step into what was the Hufflepuff common room and sneezed loudly, as it had been unexpected. A chorus of "bless you"s could be heard, and Jasper resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he felt another sneeze coming on. He promptly pinched his nose, and listened to what the prefect was saying. "—no password, and the beat stays the same all of the time. But if you're having trouble, please tell anyone in yellow. Right there, next to where we came in, is the announcement board, and the boys' dormitories are just over there, and we normally have cookies over by the fireplace. In the event that we win a Quidditch match, or something of the like, there will also be tea or hot chocolate. Again, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask." That was all said with a wide flourish of pointing in so many different directions, Jasper's head was spinning. Or maybe that was his overwhelming urge to sneeze once more. But it didn't surprise him to have the prefect observing him in a concerned way. "Are you alright?"
"I think so." He said, carefully removing his fingers from his nose. And promptly shoving it into his elbow to cover another sneeze. More "bless you"s.
"Are you allergic to anything?"
The motherly concern in her voice caught him off guard, so he stuttered his answer. "N-not that I'm aware of."
She nodded slowly. "Well, if it gets worse, let me know. Alright? Promise?"
He quickly nodded in affirmation. That seemed enough to satisfy her, because the warm smile reappeared on her face, replacing the mother-hen stare. "Go ahead and make sure you have everything that way you don't have to worry over it later. Let me know how it goes. Oh!" She snapped her fingers. "Yours is the seventh door on your left. Sorry for the distance. We couldn't get you a closer one."
"That's perfectly fine." He told her. "Thank you for your help."
"Anytime." And with that, the prefect strolled over to the nearest chair and sat.
Jasper frowned thoughtfully, and counted doors as he walked. This was very different from Slytherin. Almost scarily different. In fact… he looked back from where he came just in time to see a fifth-year stuff his third cookie in his mouth, and shook his head. Maybe it really was scary. But, if this is what Hufflepuffs were used to, he was beginning to worry about Amelia Ross.
Amelia was sure that the dungeons were a horrible place to put children. And to make them sleep there? She constantly worried about Salazar's sanity. But all of those feelings were wiped away as the wall parted to reveal a warm and homey atmosphere. In an oddly regal way. The walls and floor were still the same cold, hard stone. But they were dry, and had a picture or rug to interrupt them. But out of everything, she was sure that the fire was the reason why the room was so welcoming. It sat there, burning hot and joyful, with bits of green occasionally making its way in. And the furniture was plush. Expensive-looking even after what could only be centuries of use. Green was present but, Amy was happy to see, not as overwhelming as she'd imagined. Green could be such a suffocating color if used in excess, she knew. And it was nice to see that even though the lighting in the room took on a greenish tint (due to what she further observed to see as part of Hogwarts' lake through a window) it was still very light.
"Your dorm is that way." The girl pointed down a hall to the left. "First door on your right. The password changes every two weeks, so make sure to check the board because we won't tell you what it is if you didn't. In fact, it's an established rule that no one outside of here is allowed to know the passwords we chose. Not even the Head of House."
Amy frowned at the implications of such a rule. "But what if he needs to get in?"
"He can read the board. And there's an override. Professor Snape just says it, and he can get in any time he wants. He doesn't need our passwords." The prefect tossed her raven hair over her shoulder so it dropped behind her back. "If you have any questions, ask." And with those final words, the older girl just walked away, back out into the hall. The common room was pretty empty at that moment, and Amelia wasn't certain as to why, but there were a few people scattered across the room. She wondered if it would be a good idea to approach them.
"Oh, if it isn't the Hufflepuff." Came a snobbish voice. Knowing before she even turned around, Amelia wasn't surprised to see Draco Malfoy standing in the entryway. "Are you giving away cookies?" There was a snicker from one of his friends, and Amelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the pathetic joke.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"I want to know what you're doing in our common room."
"I'm an exchange student." She said patiently. "Did you miss that announcement?"
He snarled. "I know that."
"Then why ask?"
Draco lifted his hand to stop Crabbe from stepping forward. "I want to know why Dumbledore thought you were Slytherin material. You obviously don't share any of our ideals."
"Obviously?" She asked. "How would you know? We've barely been talking for five minutes."
"You're a Hufflepuff. If you belonged here, the Sorting Hat would've put you here."
"Who's to say it didn't consider it?"
Draco huffed, and crossed his arms. "You? A Slytherin? Yeah, right. I bet you're not even a pure-blood, what with a name like Ross."
"You're right. I'm not." She agreed carefully.
"What are you then?" Amelia could hear the hostility in his tone. This really wasn't good. You'd have to be blind and deaf to not know of the Slytherin's hatred for muggle-borns.
"Does it really matter?" She tried.
"Of course it does." He leaned in, his voice dangerously low.
She took a deep breath. This is where things got messy. But if she hid it, if she acted like she wasn't proud of it, they would win because that meant that they got to her. So Amelia tipped her chin up with confidence as she confirmed his thoughts. "I'm muggle-born."
There was a gasp heard across the room. "A muggle-born? In the Slytherin common?" Whispers broke out among the few present, and Amelia forced herself to stay exactly where she was.
"You have no right to be in here." Draco said. "Tainting these floors with your filth. What was that old buffoon thinking? Dumbledore is really off his rocker now."
"Now wait just a minute." Amelia said, her irritation showing her voice. "The Headmaster—"
"You." Draco cut her off. "Are not allowed to speak here."
"Of course I am! This is my common room too, now!"
"It is not! And it never will be! You aren't welcome here."
"And you don't really have a choice, do you?" Amelia planted her feet, her voice calm and steady. "You're stuck with me until the end of the term."
"This is ludicrous! My father will be hearing about this!" He glared at her.
Amelia felt her anger rise at the words. "Yes, and tell him about the ridiculous amount of schoolwork you have, too. Maybe he can pay someone else to do it for you."
There was a ringing silence, and Amelia forced herself to not feel guilty for saying it. She bit the apology on her tongue, refusing to let it escape. This was not the time for apologies. This was no time to be nice. She needed to show that she couldn't be cowed under any circumstance. But the force of her rude words stuck in her mind; this wasn't how she'd wanted this to go.
Draco narrowed his eyes, and stepped closer to her. She refused to look away, or take a step back, no matter how much she wanted to. Even at his short height, he was still a couple of inches taller than her. "You dare mock me? You?" His voice was more of a hiss.
"Afraid so."
"Malfoy, I think it might be best if—"
"Stay out of this, Fortis!" Draco snapped, interrupting the other second year who was trying to talk him down. "This is between me… and the mudblood."
Amelia forced all expression off of her face, refusing to let the name affect her no matter how much it stung. She'd learned the meaning of it the previous year after a fifth year Hufflepuff had made a Gryffindor grow antlers because the lion had said the name to a Ravenclaw (who was a good friend of the Hufflepuff). Because she knew, Amy had expected it to come up sometime while she was at Hogwarts. So instead of showing her offence, she smiled slightly as her eyes caught a movement from behind the blond in front of her. "Maybe you should listen to him."
Draco blinked, surprised. "And why would I do that?"
"I do believe that this is not entirely school appropriate behavior." Draco jumped around at the sound of Professor Snape's slow voice. "Another argument like this, and I will have to remove house points." He added.
Draco looked like someone had just slapped him. "But she started it!"
Amelia glared at him, but didn't add or accuse him of lying. It would result in another fight, and that's not what she wanted.
Snape turned his dark gaze to her. "Is this true?"
"No, sir." She responded with a simple shake of her head.
The professor narrowed his eyes at her, carefully considering. "Then I expect this not to happen in the future." He droned, his words hesitant but his tone final. And then, after an intense moment where Professor Snape stared at her, he simply turned around and walked away.
Malfoy stood gawking after his Head of House before turning a hateful eye on Amelia. "You're not welcome here, Ross. Don't forget it. Watch your back." And with that, Draco Malfoy left in a similar fashion, simply turning around and walking away with his goons following behind.
A/N: Uh oh... tension. Anyway, review responses!
Golden Bearded Dragon: Indeed, the precious is in progress. My dear Moriarty, I must admit it was rather pleasant to see your review as my first. As for genius... that's quite the compliment coming from you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Catch... You... Later. Yours truly, Sherlock.
Jahaha27: I'm so happy for your support in this. Honestly, it tickles me. Thank you so much, again, for your help with these OCs! And being an ear for my ideas through the development of this... no matter how late at night...
Messenger777: I'm not entirely sure if you actually read this story... probably not. But, in case you are, I would like you to know that your opinion was considered, and I believe that the ideas for these stories, and other popular books/tv shows/games/other can be used to reach out to the community in a positive way. You just have to use it correctly.
Thank you for the reviews!
Until next time
