The Houses Competition
House: Hufflepuff
Position: Head of House
Drabble/Standard: Drabble
Prompt: (animal) badger
Word Count: 1,025 (twenty-five over the word count)
Warning for extreme fluff and a slight bit of crackiness. I would like to take this time to thank everyone who beta read this story for me. It truly means a lot to me that you'd help me out like this. So, thank you all very much. I hope you all enjoy Badger Badgersworth Mascot of Hufflepuff.
Once upon a time, in the land of Hogsmeade, there lived a badger. He was your average run-of-the-mill badger with trademark dark fur, except for the white markings on his snout. That badger, my dear young reader, was me. I am Badger Badgersworth of Hogsmeade, and this the story of how I became the mascot of Hufflepuff.
My day started as it usually did, with Mrs. Badger waking me up and telling me that I had to go out and forage for food. I knew it was coming, seeing as it was getting closer to our winter hibernation. But it was still a little way off, and I had wanted to sleep in.
"Mr. Badger, did you hear me?" Badgerette Badgersworth asked, shaking me awake once more, exasperation clear on her face. "We have two more months before we have to have all the food we can eat for winter stored up."
Badgerette had been the prettiest of her ilk. Her dark fur shone with a silkiness that made all of the other female badgers jealous of her and all the male badgers jealous of me. She was a no-nonsense sort of badger, and right now, she had her sights trained on me, her helpless husband.
"I heard the first time, Badgerette," I said, rolling my way out of bed, still not quite awake yet. "I'm getting up now."
"Good," Badgerette said, walking out of the room and towards the kitchen, probably to prepare the morning repast.
We had the usual chatter about the weather and what was in the Badgerton news gazette. Badgerette was going to go out and spend the day with her sister while I gathered food for the winter. Now that I think of it, it's not fair that Badgerette doesn't go out and forage as much as I do. She's just as capable as I am. But in order to keep the peace of the day, I held my tongue. We don't need any more arguments like the last time.
We soon finish breakfast, and I head out into the world, leaving Badgerette to wash the dishes. I didn't know where to go, seeing as the last time I was out foraging for food, I had gotten all the good bits from the most frequented spots.
"Going foraging again, are you, Badger Badgersworth?" asked a voice in front of me.
I looked up to find my old friend Ollie Owl flying overhead. He was what I had heard the humans refer to as a Snowy Owl. His feathers were white as the driven snow. His eyes were huge and orange. But I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing out during the daytime. Ollie was usually a night owl, no pun intended. But then I noticed something strange attached to Ollie's leg. Something I hadn't seen before.
"What is that, Ollie?" I asked, cocking my head to the side and giving it a better look.
"It's called a letter," Ollie said, voice sounding truly important. "I am to take the letter to my mistress's friend who lives far off and then wait for her reply back."
"Oh," I said, not understanding that humans used owls like Ollie to send messages back and forth to each other. A thing that Ollie would explain to me later on. "Well, in answer to your question, yes, I am going foraging again. Badgerette wants to leave nothing to chance."
"The mistress keeps a fine garden up at that castle over there," Ollie said, looking at the glimmering peaks and spires of the castle in question. "I don't think that she would begrudge you a bit of her food."
"Thank you, Ollie," I said, starting to walk towards the castle. "Good luck with your letter delivery."
The trek up to the castle was a long one. I had to stop at least twice on my way to take a breather. But when I finally got to the garden that Ollie spoke of, I knew it was all worth it. It was a well-stocked garden. With everything a badger or any other being could think of to eat in it. But it also held a great danger, which in my excitement I hadn't seen.
I raced over to the first row of green vegetables and started to sniff around them. All the while I feel the eyes of some unseen being watching me.
"Helga, dear, there is some sort of animal digging around your garden," a male voice called out. He pointed a wooden stick at me, which was rather confusing. What would the wooden stick do to me? "You won't be taking our food."
He was about to say something else when a rather nice-looking young woman came over to us. She stepped forward and picked me up as though I was a child and not a badger who was trying to steal her food so he wouldn't starve over the winter.
"Godric, he's only trying to eat," she said, stroking my head gently. "Aren't you?"
There was one rule all animals had: the humans weren't to know that we could speak. It would probably make them suspicious of how we came about this trait and cause them to study us further. But this woman seemed so kind that I couldn't help but trust her.
"I am, my lady," I said, looking up at her with pleading eyes. "My wife and I are trying to store away food for the winter."
"How would you like to stay here and be given the highest quality of care, Mr. Badger?" she asked, sounding sincere enough.
"Helga…."
"I would love that but only if my wife can come too, please," I said, looking up at her.
She nodded. Some time later I found out that 'Helga' had made me the mascot of Hufflepuff. I didn't know what a mascot was, but I was more than happy to be it.
I hope you all enjoyed Badger Badgersworth Mascot of Hufflepuff as much as I enjoyed writing it.