Mixtures of Yellow

Yellow can be mixed many ways. The pure yellow, which is so bright that you can't imagine any other yellow. An orange-yellow, which is the boldest colour. A friendly green, as pure as fresh grass in the morning. And a yellow-green, a colour unlike anything else. But they all start from the same base.

Set during Deathly Hallows, but at different times and not in chronological order. Please review with constructive criticism. It almost feels like Christmas when I get a review.

At this exact point in time, Susan Bones sat it the Hufflepuff Basement. The squashy armchairs that surrounded her were familiar, but the scene was not. She was holding a tiny first year that could have been no taller than the bookshelves, which were about 4'5. Said first year was sobbing her heart out in agony, and despite Susan's best efforts she had not calmed down in the hour since Susan had come back to the common room after dinner. All this time she had sat on Susan's lap, curled up into a small ball, no bigger than a cushion. After some coaxing, Susan had found out that the poor child had been lost in the corridors when she ran into the Slytherin enforcement squad. Technically it was open to all houses, but Susan, like everybody who was eligible and not in Slytherin, refused to sign up. It would be abandoning all her morals, everything she stood for, and everything her aunt died for. She was prepared to give her life, like so many before, if it would ensure the safety of people like the little girl in her lap. The child had been dragged to the office of Alecto Carrow (Susan swore she would never use the term "Professor" when referring to those two) and cruciated. Cruciated for getting lost and being late to class. Even being late to Snape's classes, which used to be the knell of death, would have only cost you 50 points and a detention on his worst days.

It was terrifying these days to wander the corridors on your own, but it was easy to get separated from the pack of Hufflepuffs to whom you were assigned. First years were the worst, and this was not the first time Susan had been required to comfort a first year crying for their mummy or daddy when feeling the after affects of the cruciatus. The hardest ones to comfort were the ones who had no mummy or daddy to cry for, and when they did it just broke her heart because she knew that she couldn't grant them their most heartfelt wish. Even when they cried for their granny or granddad, aunty or uncle, sibling or cousin, it still hurt because she knew they had lost the ones who should be there for them. She was no replacement, and in her perfect world she shouldn't have to pretend to be one, because there would be no first years crying and screaming, only them smiling and enjoying Hogwarts as it was meant to be enjoyed. I will just have to work even harder next DA session. I will fight for freedom.

DotDotDot

Ernie Macmillan stood in front of the Carrows, who were looking like a cat that got the cream from the highest shelf possible. It was all Ernie could do to stop himself smiling that the Carrows thought they had got him that easy. There was no way he was going down without a fight. There was a small swish of movement from behind the column they were standing by, and Ernie knew from hours of drill just who was behind the yellow and black trim robes, and measured footsteps, quieter than a ballerina's, but awfully heavy at the same time.

"I am sorry sir, ma'am," Giving them each a short bow when he referred to them, "but I have forgotten to introduce my friend. He seems to take it quite personally anytime someone threatens a Hufflepuff."

The Carrows laughed and Amycus opened is mouth to say something that looked like it may become the word "crucio", but he never finished it because a millisecond later he was doubled up in agony, and Ernie knew straight away his comrade had gone for the kidneys. Alecto turned to face her unknown opponent, wand in hand, but was knocked down to the floor by Ernie's hand crashing into her face from behind. His suspicions were proved correct when the muscular build and sharp features of Wayne Hopkins came into view.

"Glad to see you, old chum, I needed that help. Care to assist in the clean up."

"I think, Macmillan, ya need ta pay mare attention ta ya 'ostages when talkin' ta ya mate!"

Before either Ernie or Wayne could answer they were thrashing around on the floor, cursing their stupidity, while doing their best not to scream, but failing stupendously. When it was over Amycus grabbed them both by their ears and started pulling them towards the dungeons.

"Let's see 'ow cocky ya are ina few days time, eh?"

"Wayne, my friend, I think he would have preferred a simple hello." Ernie was doing his best to wipe away the blood from his split lip, but there was nothing he could do to stop the swelling, and he was making a bit mess on his face from the blood being spread everywhere, though he didn't know because he was lacking a mirror.

"Well nah! Ouch you nutter, that hurt!" Wayne was trying to bat Amycus' hand away from his ear, mirror image to Ernie, who was attempting the same now he had given up on his lip.

"Shat up ya fools, yah in big trouble, ya are." And he tightened his grip on the boys, yanking them closer to their doom.

DotDotDot

Megan Jones was sitting quietly in the corner of her room working on some spells that she found in book during her most recent jaunt to the library. Being actively encouraged to break into the restricted section to learn spells was one of the few things about this year that could even be given the moniker good, though it would hardly classify as good in a past life. Good was something that was fun, enjoyable, and whilst she enjoyed learning, it could hardly be classed as fun preparing for what may be your death. She had learnt to break into the restricted section in her 4th year, along with her friends in Ravenclaw. Sometimes she wished she was a Ravenclaw. They all wanted to work, to learn, and Hufflepuffs just wanted you to try your best. She never felt pushed, and sometimes she regretted that. But then she remembered Luna, and how she was treated, and she realised at times how unusual it was to see a Ravenclaw without a book. She spent some time observing her common room, and she never saw nobody excluded for being different, she never only saw people working, she could hear laughter and friendship, and there was always someone to play Gobstones with when she had enough of losing at chess to Stephen Cornfoot. And she realised that Hogwarts, while it was an intuition of learning, was also a place to make friends. And if you didn't have friends, the world could be a bleak and lonely place. That was why it was better to be a Hufflepuff.

Megan grimaced at a particularly gruesome spell, but she was compelled to note it down, because she could use it, though she would be hard pushed to find a use for a spell that turned someone inside out. At times she regretted being chosen as spell researcher, but then she thought about that if she survived then she would have a hell of a CV. "Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil". I'm a Hufflepuff, a hard worker, just think about the aim.

The door burst open, and Sally-Anne came running in carrying 4th year Laura Madley. The younger girl was in a bad way, bleeding from about 20 cuts on her arms and face; she had a swollen lip, and a bruise that consumed her eye. It was probably for the best she was unconscious.

"What happened?" Megan asked, with a tone of urgency.

"I dunno," came a breathless Sally-Anne, "I was on my way back from the room when I found her in the corridor…She had left not 10 minutes before…All broken and bruised…Good job she is smaller than me…Ran all the way here…"

"Breath, Saz."

"Sorry, you try running down 7 stories!"

Megan grabbed a glass of water and thrust it into Sally-Anne's hand. "Drink, don't talk till you've finished." Sally-Anne downed it in one. "Much better, now slowly tell me what it was like when you found her."

"She was unconscious on the floor. Left right in the middle. I doubt someone else had been by, or they would have helped. Not 10 metres from the room, just round the corridor. Must have been there for at least 8 of those minutes if they did her over as long as I think they did"

"Thanks Saz, can you run and get someone good at healing for me. Her friend, Eleanor Branstone I think, she's not bad."

"Right-o Megs, Eleanor Branstone will be here ASAP."

"Shut the door on your way out!"

"Soz boss." The door slammed shut. Megan turned back to her latest patient. This wasn't the first she had treated, no, there had been many since they were bared from the Hospital Wing without a note from the Carrows or Snape. Not surprisingly they never got them unless they were literally dying on their feet, and sometimes not even then. Right then, fractures to the cranium, just above left eye socket causing swelling…

DotDotDot

Zacharias realised quite early on that he didn't want to risk his life. He wanted to have an easy year followed by a successful career as a journalist. He didn't care for the camaraderie of the DA, the hard work of the training, and he certainly care for the slightly worrying loss of life clause Neville added at the start of the year. At times he didn't care for Hufflepuff. He silently cursed the problematic fact he was a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff. The Sorting Hat itself said the only reason he wasn't a Slytherin was because of Distant Ancestor Helga. It did add that he hoped that Hufflepuff would bring out the best in him, but fat chance. He looked at the Slytherins with envy, thinking how close he was to them, but the fact that he was in ancestry a Hufflepuff landed him in his ancestor's namesake.

He wandered the corridor alone, not being able to go into the common room because they kicked him out when they had a meeting. He suspected at this very minute they were destroying his great great great however many times grandmas house that she had worked so hard to found. Kicking the wall, he tried to vent his anger. Normally, if he found a time he wanted to explode, he talked to granny's portrait that hung in the common room, but the DA, because he wasn't one of them, denied him even that. This whole year was madness. Even though he wasn't DA Zacharias found himself on the end of the Carrows' wands more times than he cared to count. Sometimes he did wonder if dropping out was the right thing to do, but he knew that he was doing as much as he could to lie low, and that was what he should do, because 18 was too young to die, and 17 was even younger.

He turned another corner in the Transfiguration courtyard when he heard some screams issuing from another corner. Checking the path, he ran as soon as it was clear. Crabbe and Goyle had a tiny Hufflepuff first year pinned up against the wall and they were teasing her, holding her wand above her head. There was no-one around, and the goons hadn't seen him. A quick stunner to each of them took care of the child's problem and it had cost him nothing. He lay down low, so nobody could pinpoint him at the scene of the crime. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the first year grabbed her wand, and he laughed when she thanked whatever force was there. It was the first nice thing a human being had said to him all year. A smile creped onto his face. He may have more of a Slytherin attitude, but he was, forever, a Hufflepuff. When the conditions suited him, of course.

DotDotDot

Hannah gathered everyone in the common room. Little first years perched on the laps of older students and everyone was acting as cheerful as they could under the circumstances.

"Welcome, Hufflepuff. I know this has been quite a bad few days and there is nothing I can say that will change that. You will be aware our new Professors are Death Eaters, as is our esteemed Headmaster. We aren't safe any more. I have been conferring with Neville and Terry and we have come to the conclusion you all should be warned. We are working on something more round the clock." Hannah was speaking clearly and confidently, having lost her childhood fear of crowds and stress. The young woman standing before them showed no sign of the red faced pig-tail girl she once was. "We are Hufflepuffs. That means we are loyal to our own. Older years are to escort the younger students everywhere. When I say that I mean everywhere. A timetable has been organised, and anyone lower than 3rd year must be with their group at all times outside the common room. Time has been allocated for trips to the library and other places. We don't want you running into the Carrows unprotected. Older students are advised to go places in pairs as a precaution, but we won't force you; you can protect yourself, though if you see a fellow Hufflepuff in need, you help. I know you will dislike these restrictions but they are for your own protection. This year will only get worse, and we need each other more than anything right now. So what do you say?"

"For loyalty, friendship and freedom!"