Disclaimer: JKR owns Hogwarts and everything that goes with it. Leo DeLacy, Kirsten Lawson, Joey Benninger, and ever-loyal Marty :::pets badger::: are mine J
Chapter 4: Everybody raise your…pear? (a.k.a The Thirty-one Pear Salute)
Leo DeLacy paced the Hufflepuff House Common room. His mission, if he chose to accept it, was to take 70 (I assume there to be that many in each House) uncoordinated, untalented, students, ages eleven through seventeen, who had barely mastered the subtle art of the handclap and lead them to Hufflepuff glory.
"Hufflepuff glory," Leo snorted, "that has to be the biggest oxymoron in the history of mankind. Well, I better get an early start if I'm gonna get this done by June."
He waited in the Common room as his housemates descended the one of the staircases. Leo asked them if they would stay in the Great Hall for a few minutes after breakfast. Being the naïve Hufflepuffs that they are, they all agrees, without even asking why.
Later that morning…
Only the Hufflepuffs remained in the Great Hall. They were gossiping away, swapping rumors and voicing their ideas about the meeting (their guesses weren't even close). Leo stood up, raised his hand for silence. No one paid any attention to him. He decided upon a slightly more drastic approach. Leo hopped onto the large, wooden table, and addressed his housemates in typical Leo DeLacy fashion.
"All right puffies, listen up! I gotta lot to say and you better listen. If anyone of you asks me to repeat myself, yer gonna I will personally hex you into little pieces, feed you to Mrs. Norris and after she regurgitates your various pieces of anatomy I will stick you in a cauldron and blow you to kingdom come! I gotta plan to make us the best House at Hogwarts. All we have to do is break-dance. We practice every Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon. You must come to practice at least one day."
"And what if we don't want to." came a voice.
"They'll never find your body," growled Leo, "am I understood?"
"Yes.", choused the Hufflepuffs.
"Does everyone agree to participate?"
"Yes."
"The time of the "Huffingstuff" House is over!" Leo raised his fist in a revolutionary gesture.
Everyone rose to his or her feet. They clapped and cheered loudly.
Joey Benninger, a sixth-year shouted, "All hail our leader! Everyone raise your glass to toast Leo DeLacy!"
The Hufflepuffs would have immediately complied, but there were no glasses to be found. Kirsten Lawson, another sixth-year brought this to Joey's attention.
"Hey Joey. We…umm…don't have any glasses."
"Well, what do we have?"
Kirsten searched around. "We have some pears. Only thirty-one though."
Joey rolled his eyes. "Okay everyone, double or triple up. Each group raise their pear. To Leo DeLacy, the chosen Hufflepuff!"
The cry echoed throughout the room. And thirty-one pears were raised in salute.