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Chapter 6: Hufflepuffs and Hogwarts
1 September 1989
Summer hung tightly in the air that day at Kings Cross. Muggles past in an anxious rush to get to their destination. But scattered about were those obvious outsiders. Colorfully robed and odd conversations made the muggles pass by even faster. A tall and bulky black man, who was one of those obvious outsiders, strode confidently beside a trolly pushing young girl. They waited for another family to go through the magical brick wall and then ran together into Platform 9 3/4. The little girl stopped wide eyed. Her greenish brown glasses slid down her nose as she gazed at the massive red and black train.
"You'll do great Binti," assured the tall man beside her. He put his hand on her shoulder and walked her over to the trains loading area.
"It enormous. How big is Hogwarts?" Her wavy braids swung as she turned back to her guardian. He finished loading her trunk and leaned down to smile at her.
"Excited?" He asked, avoiding her question. She nodded enthusiastically. "Nervous?" Her nod was just as enthusiastic, making the wizard let out a booming laugh. "Don't be." The man led her to one of the train doors and pat her twice on the back with his massive hand. "Bahati njema Binti," he wished her luck. She twisted around quickly and embraced his torso in a hug.
"Love you Baba," the little one said before she gave him a nervous wave and ascended into the train.
1 September 1994
"Bahati njema Binti."
"Love you Baba."
That was the farewell the two had silently made a tradition for six full years. Kingsley crossed his arms and shook his head in amusement as his god daughter literally skipped up to the train, wearing the braids she always wore on the first day of school. Her glasses had been replaced by contacts for five years but for some reason he still did a double take on that platform. She was grown up now.
"Aria!" His goddaughter turned from him finally and waved happily to the Weasley girl. And he turned to leave as he had five times before. Not entirely sentimental enough to watch the train pull away.
"Where're double trouble?" Aria asked Ginny as she walked down the corridor of the train. Ginny pointed to one of the compartments.
"Be careful. They told Lee about the Weezes," said Ginny, making Aria cringe. "See you later." Ginny slid into the compartment with her friends leaving Aria to dash towards her own.
"Well obviously we'll need some sponsors."
"Yeah Lee it's not like we're gonna steal it or anything."
"Ta Da!" Aria screamed sliding the door open gleefully. The twins let out identical grins and stood to embrace her.
"Eh!" The three did a little hug slash hip bump and sat down, Aria in the middle as aways. Lee nodded upward in a failed hello.
"Hey Lee," Aria just kept grinning. "What'd I miss?" the twins smiled suspiciously.
"Oh nothing..." George lied peering out the window in false distraction.
"Just about how something huge is happening at Hogwarts this year." Fred cocked his brow. "You know"
"The usual," they said in unison.
"What?! You'll put yourselves in a corner because now I have to know-"
"Know what?" A chipper scottish accent asked. The four twisted in their seats to see a very bouncy Crystal McDuff. Aria jumped up, practically falling on top of Fred, to pull Crystal into a hug.
"Come sit down you," ordered Aria. Crystal gave a timid wave to the twins before Lee scooted over to the window seat and she sat beside him. "The twins were just telling me something juicy. Weren't you boys?"
"Oh yeah. About how Angelina and I are totally gonna shack up this year," Lee popped up, receiving a fiery glance from Fred.
"Keep dreaming dumb ass." The fiery twin snarled. Aria gave both a little snap on the knee.
"There's a line. Don't cross it on the first day you two." They composed themselves. "But anyway, you were saying?"
"About what?" They asked blankly
"About that huge awesome thing happening at Hogwarts this year," Aria insisted.
"Ooo!" Crystal clapped her hands together.
"Oh that. Yeah we have no idea what it is." Everyone stared at Fred. He shrugged and leaned his head on the seat.
"Well you have to give us something!" Lee said somewhat frustrated.
"Thats what we told Percy," George defended. "He knows what's going on."
"But no surprise he wouldn't tell us what it is," Fred finished sourly.
"That little shit." Aria let out a huff of air.
"I guess we'll just have to find out when we get there," Crystal said positively. Everyone groaned.
"Hey Crystal," Fred asked.
"What?"
"Aria said you had a surprise for us." Crystals face fell.
"I love surprises!" George grinned and leaned forward towards Crystal just like his brother. Crystal scowled at Aria.
"You'll pay for this." With a slight gasp of air, Crystal reached into her pocket and pulled out the dreaded object. "Don't destroy my pride." She unclenched her hand and waited in anticipation for the dreaded reaction.
"Its just so big!" It'd been hours. The train had pulled into Hogsmead, the carriages had come to take them to school, and yet the twins were still at it with that badge.
"Such an eye sore! That yellow!"
"Okay you two don't make her give you detention," Aria tried to save her embarrassed friend. The twins looked at each other biting their lips. But once their horseless carriage came to a stop they lost it.
"Hahaha! It's. Just. So. Big!"
"That's what she said!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"If you two don't shut up I'll give you detention." The group wizzed around. There stood Cedric Diggory in all is knight in shining armor glory. Crystal swooned obviously and leaned against her friend smiling at her savior. Cedric smiled to Aria and raised his brows, almost daring her to do something mischievous.
"Look at the badge Ced!" Fred couldnt help himself not noticing the identically stupid badge on his robes. Cedric glanced at Crystal for no more than a milasecond before looking back at Aria.
"Dont you two have to be in the hall in like, five minutes?" Aria nudged Crystal with a cheeky grin. Crystal was too focused on Cedric to answer. Aria gave Cedric a look and the boy sighed slightly.
"Want to come to the hall Cryst-"
"Yes!" The brown haired girl basically yelled at him, immediately regretting it. "I mean...I'd love to Cedric thats so nice of you." Cedric scowled slightly with a lopsided smile.
"We are the prefects," said an indifferent Cedric. Aria could feel Crystal deflate beside her. Crystal had been convinced that she and Cedric were destined to be together for about four years. She nodded to him and started to walk through the gates.
"I'll see you at the table Ari." She said keeping her positivity despite her Cedric let down. The mischievous trio watched the two C's leave with little smiles.
"You think Ced will ever realize how bad she's got it for him?" Fred asked leading the way into the castle.
"Maybe. At least I hope so." Their friend sighed. "Either that or she'll get over him."
"He acts so oblivious though," Fred said regretfully. The three walked in a little line down the stone corridor, their black shoes clicking on the cold castle tiles.
"Guys are like that though. Completely oblivious when a girl likes him." There was a moment of unexpected silence. George cleared his throat.
"Girls can be like too though can't they?" He asked innocently. Aria shook her head.
"Believe me, we could spot someone who likes us from a mile away." Aria let out a little laugh and kept striding down the hall, more and more young ones passing them in various colors.
"What about love?" Fred said to one side of his mouth.
"What?"
"Nothing." Fred took it back with a little glance to his thoroughly perturbed twin.
"Here." Aria said. The three didnt stop as most of the young ones did at the entrance to the great hall. The ceiling was the night sky as usual and twinkled with stars, the four tables were set up as usual as well. Hufflepuff sat between Slytherin and Gryfindor. The peace keepers of Hogwarts as it were. Aria nudged both of the twins in the gut before they parted ways, sitting basically across from one another. There were only a few events at Hogwarts that required the houses to be segregated. But the trio always found a way to sit nearly beside each other.
Aria grinned when she saw Cedric and Crystal sitting on the opposite side of the table together. Her little scottish friend gave Aria a little smirk before returning to her conversation with the handsome Diggory boy.
"Lennox!" Two hands grabbed Aria's arm and pulled her harshly to the wooden bench. A skinny Hufflepuff with enormous blue eyes and long straight brown hair clutched Aria awkwardly around the neck.
"Hey Maxine," chocked Aria as she sat down sideways onto the hard wooden bench. Maxine O'Flaherty was a bubbily girl from Dublin and behind her lovely disposition, she had a raging amount of athleticism. Which was only evident by her muscular arms and straight back.
"Where've you been all summer Aria?" The girl on the other side of Aria asked.
"Better question is where have you been Heidi? I got that postcard from Loch Levermine two months ago and then zip!" Aria teased her friend. The girl was much shorter and stockier than Maxine and her dark hair was pulled back in a very high pony tail. Heidi rolled her eyes and pointed to one of the Hufflepuff boys across from them.
"Will thought he'd woe me," Heidi said loud enough for the obnoxious 7th year heart throb across from them to hear. Aria cocked her head towards William Stebbins half curiously.
"Did you succeed?"
"You kidding?" The blonde boy smirked wickedly. "This one wouldn't let me out of her sight. I was a prisoner." Will placed his hand over heart and pretended to clench in pain, making his posy of boys laugh loudly.
"How romantic," a droll voice said. The three girls turned to see their other roommate arrive. Nicola put her hands on her hips and looked over towards her brother. "Please excuse mr. Overdramatic over here." Nicola sat beside Heidi without another word and let her bobbed blonde hair swing in front of her narrow features.
"How was your summer then Nicola?" A very enthusiastic Maxine asked, leaning on Aria's shoulder to look at the young Stebbins girl.
"Peachy." Nicola lay her head on her palm. "I spent the majority of my summer in company with the worst of all ruthlessness."
"Oh no!" Exclaimed Maxine."Who?" The Irish girl whispered to Aria a bit too loudly.
"Caitlin." Most of their table said somberly. A chill shivered up Nicola and William's spines.
"Oh." Maxine said shortly in understanding. Caitlin Stebbins had been the most notoriously ruthless Ravenclaw in the recent history. Always screamed at people who didnt study properly for tests. Neve made friends. Never smiled. Always in a pissy mood. Caitlin terrified Aria more than anyone she had ever known. A funny memory of a 4'9 Caitlin emerging as seven people's boggarts her third year popped into Arias head.
She couldn't really concentrate on the sorting hats song, though she usually listened diligently. She looked over her shoulder at the two gingers behind her. Both seemed as uninterested in the old hats song and the sorting ceremony as she was. She and the rest of her table cheered for every new Hufflepuff. The first years continued to look smaller and smaller each year. It seemed impossible that at one point she had been that small. Sixth years used to terrify her.
"Let the feast begin!" That was all the Hufflepuff table needed to hear. Notorious for being the best eaters at Hogwarts, Hufflepuffs lived up to their reputation. They dug straight into that feast without a second thought. Will and his best friend Herbert Fleet had started a tradition their third year to see who could drink the most butter beer at the feast. Sadly that personal tradition had turned into a house game. The black and yellow robed students downed that sweet substance like there was no tomorrow. Or in this case no consequences.
"Is that Crystal sitting with Cedric?" Heidi asked, her mouth full of roast beef. Aria glanced to her left and her heart fell. Crystal was indeed still sitting with Cedric. At least if one considers sitting beside someone with their back completely turned to you sitting with someone. Crystal twirled her food sadly and tilted her head towards Cedric every once and a while as he chatted away with his guy friends.
"Ugh," Aria groaned. "I don't want this year to be a repeat of last year."
"The ignoring game." Nicola said matter-a-factly. She was the least romantic of the five roommates, and had a particular distaste for Cedric.
"He's such a kind guy." Maxine said with a little hiccup. "I beat sometime this year he will look at Crystal and realize just how much she looooves him!" Her Irish accent elongated love humorously.
"No one does that Maxine," sighed Nicola. Maxine gasped.
"Oh no Maxine you shouldn't say that!" Maxine leaned in to whisper (or fail to whisper rather). "She could end up a bitter old maid if she continues not to believe in love."
"I think she'll take 'er chances Maxine," giggled Aria
"It was terrible," mused a very dreamy looking Crystal. Crystal, Aria, Nicola, Maxine, and Heidi all lay on their canary yellow beds exhausted and full.
"Did he talk to you at all?" Asked Heidi as she attempted to keep her heavy eye lids open. Crystal whimpered.
"At first he did."
"Well see thats good," Aria said positively. "He didn't just shun you the entire night."
"When I say at first, I mean in the first ten minutes."
"Ooo," the other four said in unison. Crystal picked up on of her pillows and hit herself in the face.
"He hates me," her muffled voice buzzed.
"Don't be ridiculous Crystal," soothed Aria.
"Yeah Crystal don't beat yourself up. Cedric's a prat anyway."
"NICOLA?!" Maxine gaped before jumping off of her bed and skipping to Crystals. "Can't you see that she is obviously hurting?" Crystal pulled the pillow off of her face.
"I'm fine Maxi-"
"No you're not." Maxine thrust the pillow back onto Crystals face with a thud. Aria bit her lip in attempt to hold her laughter. "I'm trying to console her in this time of need."
"Looks more like you're trying to suffocate her." Heidi said seriously. Crystal nodded furiously under the pillow and thrashed her arms about.
"Oh no!" Maxine took her hand off the pillow and held it against her chest. "I'm sorry Crystal!"
"What was that for exactly?" Crystal said pretending to be angry, which made Maxine panic.
"Oh! Please forgive me!"
"I'm just kidding Maxine I'm fine," but it was too late. Maxine had already embraced Crystal tightly.
"You can cry if you want to Crystal."
"Hahaha!" Aria let out her laughter and put her hands behind her head. She'd missed this. The five of them together. Such different personalities and yet they all meshed. It was on nights like those that she took in her surroundings, looked at the clock, and thought to herself that that very second could last a lifetime and she would be happy. Somewhere deep within her she felt like something was missing in this bliss. But at that second she didn't really feel she had time to think about that.
She was at Hogwarts, she was a Hufflepuff, and she was home.
Coming soon: Chapter 7: Silliness and Snape. Thanks for the support guys! Reviews are most welcome :)