House Unity
Chapter 2
A.N. - Thank you for the review, the follows, and the favorites. Please feel free to follow, favorite, and review if you have not done so already. This fanfiction is, of course, my own work. Do not steal it. Credit for the idea goes to tumblr user hpnextgenuniverse. I have only just managed to find out that it was they who came up with the idea.
Savannah was not sure what her initial reaction was. It could've been anything from surprise, to embarrassment, to indignant, to ruffled. She certainly felt uncomfortable when the whole Hall's eyes, it seemed, turned to her. Here, selected to represent Slytherin house in a House Exchange program, was a girl who nobody really knew anything about. All they knew was that she was a Slytherin, and that she was reacting fairly well to the surprise. She gained rapt attention from the Hall as she made her way to the front and stood beside Randall, who was one of the many staring at her with curiosity.
"These four students will each spend two months in whatever house they are placed into. The house they shall be transferred to has already been decided, and they shall each get a certificate showing that they are allowed in their new house dormitory, if the fact ever comes in question. It also serves as a memento of their participatin in this program." said Greneda, and Savannah crossed her arms. If she got put into Gryffindor, she was going to make sure they regretted it.
"Joshua Stevie - You have been placed into Ravenclaw house. Please come and receive your certificate."
Stevie, with a sigh of relief, went up to Greneda, shook her hand, and took the certificate. He wore a smile on his face as he walked back to his original spot, and Savannah noticed that it had a blue and bronze border, ornate and beautiful. She was jealous - she had hoped that she could've been placed into Ravenclaw; Ravenclaw was the closest house to her own. She supposed, though, that the point was to try to get to understand those who are nothing like you. Ravenclaw was too close to her own house, so she wouldn't be put there.
"Andrea Stewart - You have been placed into Gryffindor house. Please come and receive your certificate."
With a groan, Stewart made her way to the headmistress to receive her certificate, gold and scarlet. From her experience, Savannah understood why Stewart seemed so displeased with her placement. Gryffindors had a tendency to be loud and obnoxious. She was grateful, at least, that she didn't have to sit in Slytherin. However, that only left two houses, one of them being her own.
"Alisha Randall - You have been placed into Slytherin house. Please come and receive your certificate."
Randall gave a shudder and then went to receive the green and silver certificate waiting for her. Savannah wanted to laugh - a Hufflepuff in Slytherin house was a comical as it could get, and it would be amusing to see how she would handle it - but she restrained herself to a simple smile.
"Savannah Jiles - You have been placed into Hufflepuff house. Come and receive your certificate."
Savannah sighed and made her way over to Greneda. She ignored the audible chuckles from the crowd, though she could understand why they were laughing - a Slytherin in Hufflepuff house was almost more comical than the other way around. She took the yellow and black certificate grudgingly, and then made her way back to where she was standing, beside Randall.
"Here are your four exchange student representatives, with their selected houses. In the next two months, here is what we would like to see - These students are being placed where they are so you can get to understand those who appear to have contrasting interests than yourself." Ah, Savannah thought. I was right. "Do not treat these students as though they are lesser than you when they appear in your house. You can learn a thing or two from each of them. I'll let you all learn yourself.
"Now that this is done, these four students will take their places at the tables of their new, temporary houses, and then the feast will begin."
On cue, the four students made their way to their new tables. The other three students sat with friends of theirs from other houses. Savannah, however, sat by herself at the end of her table. When they were all seated, the plates and goblets and trays in front of them filled with delectable food.
Savannah started taking food and putting it on her plate, ignoring the fact that it looked like several Hufflepuffs wanted to come closer to her. For the whole dinner, Savannah kept to herself, eating a large amount of food, but politely. The Hufflepuffs kept their distance for the time being, but she had the feeling she was going to be forced to interact with them when they went to their dormitories, which she didn't know the location of.
When the dinner was over, Greneda rose and cleared her throat. This itself was enough to quiet the Great Hall.
"If you are all finished, I would ask that this year's prefects show their houses to their dormitories. Again, welcome to, and back to, Hogwarts! Good luck to all of you, and have a nice night."
With that, people stood, and started filing out of the Great Hall, leaving Savannah to follow after the rest of the Hufflepuffs.