There is a book, found in the dustiest corner of the darkest bookshelf at Flourish and Blotts - and as everyone knows, no one does dark and dusty quite like Flourish and Blotts - called Hufflepuffs who Hit it Big, a slim little collection of inspirational stories by Martina Hedge.  Ironically, Martina was a Ravenclaw.

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"It doesn't get any smaller, does it?"  Alfie cricked her neck to stare up at the massive towers of Hogwarts, lit a faint reddish colour in the sunset.  Strange shadows slowly crept across its walls in the fading light, like a Potions experiment gone terribly wrong.  A low moaning sound greeted them from high above; the ivy trembled nervously in the wind.  Far, far away, the Willow whomped uneasily.

If anything, the place seemed larger than ever, Alfie thought miserably, glancing over her shoulder at Elly, who was struggling to tame her luggage and didn't bother to reply.  Elly wouldn't see the change anyway - she was one of those witches who could have met the Dark Lord himself in a dark alley and notice only, in the last few final fleeting moments of her cruelly shortened life, that he was going slightly bald on top.  An uncomfortable feeling gnawed at her toes.  Running.  Running away somewhere sunny and sandy and surfy and hot.  A palm tree dropping bananas and coconuts and colourful little drinks with umbrellas into her hand.  White beach surrounded by blue ocean as far as the eye could see.  Unfortunately, palm trees were unlikely to be paying the bills any time soon.  There really was no hope.  Her stomach churned.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" a high, squeaky voice exclaimed from somewhere directly behind Alfie, causing her to jump in terror.  "Or, I should say," it added reflectively, "Welcome back to Hogwarts.  I've been waiting for you."

Alfie whipped her head around to stare.  There was no one there.  She felt her throat tighten in terror.

Look down," the voice prompted her patiently.  A smiling, bouncing gnomish little creature met her eyes.

"Oh, Professor Flitwick!" she exclaimed in relief.  "It's so wonderful to see you again!"

"It's a pleasure to see you too, Miss Rockbank," he nodded.  "But come in, come in," he urged, waving her on towards the massive door.  "You must have had a terribly long exhausting trip to get here and you'll be starving by now.  No sense standing out here chattering in the cold until I start looking like a large roast turkey.  The big banquet's starting soon and it'll be a feast to end all feasts, this one.  It's been in the preparation for weeks.  And, of course it'll be your big Hogwarts debut.  Wouldn't want to miss it for anything, I suspect, eh?  Three new teachers in one year - this hasn't happened in, well, since You-Know-Who died.  Practically a record, I'd say."  He paused to breathe.

Too.. many.. pumpkin.. pasties... thought Alfie weakly as she followed him.  Sugar.. is.. evil.. must die...

"A little help with the luggage?" Elly called out faintly from the bottom of the hill.