The Neglected House and its Champions

by Cherry Blossom Angel 18

What if Cedric Diggory wasn't the only champion to come from Hufflepuff house? What if Harry had someone looking out for him since before his first day at Hogwarts? I bring you the story of two Hufflepuffs who stick to the shadows and try not to get themselves noticed. Some eventual exploration of Cursed Child. Now Complete.

116. Hogwarts Year 7 Chapter 5

Thorn

September 4th 1995
Seventh Year
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The day before Herbology classes started again at Hogwarts, Jo and Leili were summoned to Professor Sprout's desk in the Hufflepuff common room. Silently, the girls were handed a small cloth bag that wiggled in Jo's hands.

"No one, save your dorm mates and Dumbledore can know you have her. Think of it as an early Graduation present," Professor Sprout said. "Also for your bravery in the cemetery last year."

Leili pulled on the drawstring top gently and guided the bag down to reveal a miniature dragon, all sleek black scales and orange spikes: the Hungarian Horntail. "What happened to the other little dragons?" she asked.

"The champions decide what they want to do with them. Miss Delacour gave hers to her little sister, Mr. Krum asked his go to Miss Granger as a memento to remember him by, Mr. and Mrs. Diggory gave Cedric's to the Weasley twins for their new joke shop, what they're going to do with it, I am afraid to ask."

"So then..." Jo started.

"Harry asked his dragon be given to you two, as thanks."

"Looks like our dirty little secret cat is out of the bag on that one," Leili mused.

"Let's name her Spike," Jo said in all seriousness.

"You already have a Spike, Jocelyn…" Professor Sprout told her.

"How about Thorn instead?" Leili suggested as she ran her finger along the little dragon's belly.

Jo considered the name and then agreed, "Thorn it is."

When the girls went home after graduation this year, Thorn often made herself at home in the oven at Jo's mom's house. This had the only somewhat unintentional side-effect of scaring the daylights out of Jo's mother who would ask, "Why is there a tiny dragon in my oven?!"

Jo would shrug, "She was cold."

"So you put her in the oven? Isn't that dangerous?"

Jo would shrug again, her mom didn't quite understand the quirks that came with being a witch in a muggle family. She'd tried to reheat a potion in the microwave once, thought her mom was going to have a heart attack. Of course Diana was happy to have the little fire-breather when the pilot lights in the stove went out, otherwise she treated the reptile as she would an untrained fire-breathing puppy.