Prologue
Thirteen-year-old Ted Lupin sat at his house table, the Hufflepuff table. Exactly two years ago, he had been sorted into this house and up until now, he had always been happy with the Sorting Hat's decision.
Today a new school year began and while next to him sat his best friend Toby Hill flirting with a Gryffindor girl by sharing smitten glances, Ted waited excitedly for his other best friend Victoire Weasley.
She was the niece of his godfather Harry and they had known each other for almost all his life. Before Ted had come to Hogwarts two years ago, they had been inseparable and even still they hang out a lot, especially to avoid all the noisy little children whenever their huge family came together in the burrow.
Waiting for the door to open felt like an eternity, but finally the new first years arrived together and right after Professor Crouch. Ted had been following his fellow student's lively chatter which had fallen silent, and now all his attention was on Victoire who shortly glanced over to him and whom he gave a short encouraging smile when their looks met in the Great Hall. Victoire returned it and her deep blue eyes started to sparkle up. Proudly she walked up to the front. Her silver blond Veela hair waved right behind her.
Victoire was an eights Veela and Ted had to admit that once or twice she had spun him around her finger with her Charm. He was still trying to figure out how to become immune against it.
After the Sorting Hat had finished his song, Professor Crouch started to read a long list of names aloud, so that the hat could sort all the first years, but Victoire as a Weasley was the last one... the very last one:
"Weasley, Victoire", said Professor Crouch.
Proudly Victoire climbed up the steps. She sat down on the stool and put the dirty hat on her silver blond eights Veela hair. It slipped down immediately covering her eyes in a very deep blackness.
"A Weasley", squeaked a voice coming clearly from the inside of the hat and Victoire wondered if she was now going to end up put in Gryffindor.
"Well, do you want to go there?", asked the squeaky voice.
"I don't know", Victoire replied uncertain.
The hat was thinking.
"Well, you are brave indeed, but I don't think Gryffindor will be the right choice for you. Apart from that you are intelligent, you'd do well in Ravenclaw perhaps?"
Victoire wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer. Wasn't it the hat's job to sort her?
"I also see you are very humble", the squeaky voice showed up again, "and you are willing to help. What do you think about Hufflepuff?"
Again, Victoire didn't give an answer.
"You'll find true and loyal friends there", the hat squeaked.
Victoire thought about it for a minute. If the Sorting Hat thought Hufflepuff was best for her, then why not?
"So, it shall be HUFFLEPUFF", the hat shouted.
The Hufflepuff table started an ear-piercing noise. Victoire took off the hat, threw her eights Veela hair behind her shoulders and ran over to the Hufflepuffs who were still applauding for her.
"Congratulations", Ted said to her with a big smile on his face when she sat next to him immediately and Victoire too smiled at him.
"Now we both are Hufflepuffs", she said proudly.
Ted just smiled, but Victoire added: "I'm really excited what grandpa Arthur is going to say about it."