Title: Revenge of the Hufflepuffs

Author: funkybuddah

Disclaimer: JKR owns all the characters you recognize. Helga's little prophecy, poem, thingy, yeah is a parody of one in Brian Jaques' "The Legend of Luke"

Summary: For hundreds of years Hufflepuff House has been considered the "loser" House. Its students are stereotyped as…well…a bit dense and are looked down on by the other students. (dramatic voice) But what happens when the Hufflepuffs say "no more."?

 By the way-   ~ = thoughts

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Scotland, 1000 years ago…

" I forbid the exception of Mudbloods to our school. They are not the same Godric. They CANNOT be trusted!" bellowed Salazar. He was in an exceptionally bad mood. The school term had just ended and it was the time of year that Salazar looked upon in dread. He and the other founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry met to choose which students would be attending come fall. During these meetings, Godric and Salazar would get into vicious arguments, which ended with no decisive winner or loser.

Godric beat his fist on his desk. "Salazar, how many times have we discussed this? It was decided long ago that anyone, regardless of parentage, who showed signs of magical aptitude should be educated here. The subject is closed!"

Salazar glowered, not accepting defeat. Helga saw beyond his cold, gray eyes. She could see a rebellion brewing, a resentment of his colleagues.  Helga sat quietly in the corner. When Salazar was "in one of his moods" (as Rowena called it), she avoided saying anything. From experience she knew that he would give up soon and everything would return to normal.

Helga wanted desperately to say something. She wanted to stand up to Salazar, just once. In the room she felt invisible, overshadowed by her braver friends. Helga stood up and left the arguing to those who knew how. Suddenly there was a high-pitched scream and a crash. ~Why must it always end in violence? ~

Her footsteps echoed through the empty corridors. The moving portraits offered no comfort; the glistening suits of armor, which lined the hall offered little companionship. She found herself in the Entrance Hall. Pushing with all her might, Helga opened the oak doors and exited the castle.

A small, black animal was waddling across the grounds, growing larger every minute. Helga recognized it as her pet badger, Marty. Well, badgers don't travel very fast, so it was quite some time before Marty reached his owner. He looked up at Helga with those big, brown, badger eyes that just melt your heart. She scooped up the badger. This was no mean feat. They're huge, with, nasty big, pointy teeth. (a/n Just for you Rachel!)

"Oh Marty, the whole world's gone to hell in a hand basket. Why can't we all just get along?" Helga cried into her badger's shoulder, or at least his shoulder blade. Marty just let out a grunt. The sun was peeking through the clouds. She set Marty on the ground, where he sat patiently. A ray of light fell upon Helga and heavenly voices began to sing (a/n. I know it's so cliché) Suddenly there came a voice from above. It said:

You stand here in this world alone

No friend you have, you're really bored.

Just the smelly badger you own

That's a pretty sad reward,

But Hufflepuff in a time of need,

Will bring forth one who's cool, like me

To that one, a good dancer indeed

I leave the Badger's Legacy.