Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one in this story, sob sob, everything is Rowling's, boohoo, I make no profit from this, la di da.

Chapter 3: In The Badger's Tunnels

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil." -Sorting Hat, The Philosopher's Stone.

After dinner, Gee was taken aside by Hogwarts' Head Boy, a Hufflepuff named Ernie MacMillan. He guided her down to the lower levels of the castle, into a corridor Gee was told was close to the kitchens.

As Ernie, Gee and a group of gossiping fourth-years and fifth-years rounded a corner, the Head Boy whispered into Gee's ear, "This is our entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room."

Gee looked around. What on earth was the boy talking about? It was just an empty corridor- there was no door or entrance in sight. Ernie noticed Gee's confusion, laughed and led her to a shadowy stones recess, where a pile of large wooden barrels were stacked.

One of the fourth-years stepped forward and rapped his knuckles on the barrel second from the bottom, in the middle of the second row. She turned to Gee and giggled, "Be careful when you do that! You have to tap the right rhythm- tap in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff'. If you tap the wrong rhythm or the wrong barrel, another barrel will pop open and drench you in vinegar!" She shuddered. "It took me ages to get the smell out in my first-year..."

Gee and Ernie chuckled, but Gee made a resolution to only enter the Common Room with another Hufflepuff entering the code. She didn't fancy being showered in the sour-smelling, acidic condiment.

Gee ducked into the opening the barrel left her and found it widened into an earthy tunnel, about five foot high, making Gee and the other Hufflepuffs stoop to get through. As they passed through, Ernie kept up their one-sided conversation.

"A lot of people discredit Hufflepuff- everyone seems to think we're the house which produces all the lesser talented witches and wizards! But that's not true, just because we follow the same set of values our founder, Helga Hufflepuff laid down, of accepting any student, regardless of grades or sporting prowess.

"We just want our house members to be hard-working, patient, loyal and to always to play fairly. We are certainly the least boastful house, and the least competitive house, but to produce influential witches and wizard? Tollywobble.

"From our house, we've produced the most popular Minister of Magic – that's Grogan Stump, then there's the world's authority on magical creatures, Newt Scamander! Then there's the man who founded Hogsmeade itself, Hengist of Woodcroft! Not forgetting the inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth! So for others to say we are the worst house is... ridiculous!"

Ernie had worked himself into quite a state at this point. He seemed to have run a marathon, Gee thought, with his red, profusely sweating face. He looked to Gee, expecting her to be equally enraged at the perceptions of modern society. Gee nodded comfortingly, as she didn't know what else to do, not understanding any of the names of titles Ernie had just been talking about.

But thankfully, Gee was saved by their arrival at the end of the tunnel.

Gee instantly liked the look of this Common Room. It was a spacious, round room with rather low ceilings. It gave off a cosy vibe, enhanced by the polished wooden floors with the invitingly plush yellow and black patterned sofas and armchairs which were scattered through the pleasant room. Melodious singing emanated from one of the several intriguing plants decorating the many shelves and tables.

One of these plants was being tended by a pretty blonde who upon catching sight of their new arrivals, immediately rushed over and started chastising Ernie.

"You haven't been ranting to her, have you? You'll scare her right off!" She berated.

Ernie had the grace to flush further and murmur apologies.

The blonde turned to Gee. "Hi, I'm Hannah Abbot."

"Gee." The two girls smiled at each other. Hannah took Gee's hand and led her to the big, round door in one of the walls of the Common Room, muttering into Gee's ear, "I'm sorry about Ernie. He's become such a bore since he got his Head Boy badge. We're not all that bad!"

The two boys chuckled and Hannah pulled Gee into a right-hand side door marked by a sign which read, 'Seventh and Eighth Year Dormitory,

Boys Keep Out or Beware the Bubotuber Pus!'

Gee shook her head in amusement. She had no idea what bubotuber pus was, but it didn't sound nice.

"Now, you must be tired after all the excitement today, so here's your bed," Hannah clucked in a matronly manner. She guided Gee to a low wooden bed with quilted sheets and burnished copper adornments.

"Your trunk should be here... Perhaps the house elves didn't know where to put it. Winky!" Hannah called.

Gee was startled when a loud pop resonated through the room, and a rather peculiar creature appeared. It had large ears and bulbous eyes with a tomato-shaped nose. Its modesty was covered only by a grubby handkerchief.

"Yes Mistress Abbot?" it asked in a high squeaky voice.

"Hannah crouched down and asked in a soft, friendly voice, "Do you know where Mistress Wynters trunk is? She's staying here for a week."

"Oh, of course, Mistress Abbot! Winky will go get Mistress Wynters trunk right away!"

Hannah thanked the creature, and it disappeared, only to reappear a few seconds later holding Gee's suitcase above its head.

It placed it where Hannah directed, bowed subserviently, and vanished once more.

Gee closed her mouth after the shock had faded, dressed for bed and bade goodnight to her new roommates who had greeted her with a great deal of enthusiasm and curiosity.

Gee laid down on her comfortable bed and allowed her mind to drift as her body relaxed.

Her last thought was, 'I wonder how Helly's getting on with the Slytherins. If they're as nice as the Hufflepuffs then she in for a good year...'

Little did she know just how welcoming the Slytherins were being.