Hogwarts

Poppy Longbottom

I know that I shouldn't be scared, and I know that I've been waiting to go to Hogwarts all my life, and I know that I already have friends here, and I know that that's more than most people.

But, to be honest, I'm terrified.

I glance sideways to where Dom is looking laid back, shaking her short hair back from her face, and I wonder how she doesn't care that everyone's watching her. Then I look on my other side to Lucy, who's looking, for some reason, eager.

I blush, and shrink down a little, looking at the floor, my blonde hair shading my face.

When the hat has finished singing, the school claps, and the First Years huddle together even tighter.

"Right," says Dad, when the hall is quiet again. "Let the Sorting begin!"

I swallow, and try not to throw up all down myself.

"Abbott, Cherry!"

My cousin Cherry looks around helplessly, and then bravely strides up to the front of the hall, looking ready to face a dragon. She sits on the stool, and lowers the hat over her eyes, and there's a pause.

"Gryffindor!"

Cherry beams, and then marches over to the Gryffindor table, towards the applause.

"Allen, Rachel!"

The hat has barely toughed Rachel's head when it screams - "Slytherin!"

I sigh, and listen as many more names pass, practically unnoticed.

"Longbottom, Poppy!"

For some reason, everyone laughs a little at my name, and who my father is, and I can't help but blush.

When I stumble up to the stool, I finally meet my dad's eye, and he gives me a small smile, handing me the hat.

I carefully take it, and sit down with it over my head.

Hmm.

I jump a little, hearing an unfamiliar voice inside my head, but I soon calm myself.

A Longbottom. Well, that makes a nice change. I haven't had one since your Dad.

I scrunch up my face, and try not to panic.

You do know people can see you doing that.

I immediately unscrunch my face, and, somewhere far away, I hear some more giggling, and sigh.

Well, I don't think Ravenclaw would suit you, that's for sure. Too competitive. You don't really like competition, do you?

I resist the urge to shake my head.

And definitely not Slytherin. You're not sly at all, are you?

There's a pause.

Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, then, I suppose.

I swallow again.

I see that you don't have a preference. Hufflepuff like your mum, or Gryffindor like your dad.

I'm sure I've been under here too long, and I mentally tell the hat to hurry up.

Alright then.

And before I could say anything else, the hat shouted.

"Hufflepuff!"

Relieved that I can finally sit down, I pull the hat off of my head, and, avoiding the eyes of everyone in the school, I half-run over to where the First Year Hufflepuffs are sitting.

When I get there, I cautiously look up at my dad, and I can't help but feel guilty that he looks a little disappointed.

***

The next morning, First Years had no lessons, and instead were told to explore.

Feeling obligated to do so, I go down to the place where I know Dad's office was, and knock on the door.

He opens the door with a smile that, to my relief, doesn't droop at all when he sees who it is.

"Poppy," he says. "Not lost, are you?"

I shake my head, biting my lip.

"Are you OK?" he asks gently, and, once again, I shake my head.

Putting a gentle hand on my shoulder as I start to cry, Dad ushers me inside his office.

When the door is closed, he pulls me into a hug.

"What's the matter?" he asks soothingly. "Is someone saying something to you?"

I shake my head again, trying to choke back my tears.

"What is it?" repeats Dad.

There's a pause, while I try and fail to control myself.

"I'm not in Gryffindor!" I wail at last.

"What?" says Dad, laughing a little as he holds me at arms length to look at me closely. "Poppy, you said you didn't even care what house you were in!"

I shake my head again. "I don't! But… but you were, and… you killed Voldemort's snake… and…"

"Poppy, shh," says Dad kindly, cutting me off. "I promise you, it doesn't matter to me, if it doesn't matter to you."

I wipe my eyes on the back of my hand.

"Really, Poppy," he assures me.

"Then why did you look disappointed last night?" I demand, staring up at him.

Dad struggles for a minute.

"Poppy, to be quite honest," he says at last. "I think I had the same problem as you."

"What?" I ask, puzzled, and Dad sighs.

"Poppy, people will expect great things from you, because of your name," he tells me, and I feel my face crumple slightly. "And I just thought that maybe it would be easier for you if you were in Gryffindor…

"But," he says, smiling, "Poppy, you can do just as well in Hufflepuff, I know it. Look at your mum. Look at Uncle Ernie!"

I nod, feeling a bit better.

"Pops, I mean it," says Dad, more gently. "It honestly doesn't matter."

I nod again, and silently vow to be the best Hufflepuff Hogwarts has ever seen.