Hufflepunk Chic
Chapter III
"Hufflpuff!"
It felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. The room went silent, apart from the few cheers from the unknowing Hufflepuffs, who were quickly silenced. I suddenly heard laughter and scoffing from some Slytherin. Some looked disappointed, but most looked amused, like this was some kind of plot twist. I couldn't breath, and I started to tear up. The professor quickly removed the hat and pushed may towards the Hufflepuff table, but I fell to my knees What would my mother think? I hurried to my feet and rushed to the house table. My house table. I let out a sob as I sat. I couldn't see the people around me through my tears, but I could feel them staring. I felt a hand on my shoulder that startled me. When whoever touched me felt my jumpy reaction their hand flew off me. I quickly looked at who had tried to comfort me, and almost snapped at her, purely by instinct. After wiping the tears at my eyes to save what little dignity I had left, I saw a little girl, my age, with short red hair and brown eyes. She looked sympathetic; though, now that I had looked around, most of them did. The reality that I was in Hufflepuff slowly sank in, and I thought about my family. I'd never be allowed back in the house. I felt the girl gently place her hand back on me, rubbing her thumb on my expensive robe. I recognize her from Ollivander's in Diagon Alley; we had gotten our wands at the same time, and I remember thinking about how beautiful the wand she had settled on was. She looked kind, but fragile. I felt the urge to protect her. We sat like that in silence, her arm wrapping around me in comfort. I cried silently, thinking of what would come, now that I was in Hufflepuff. I looked around the table, and I didn't see any familiar faces, like I had with Slytherin. I leaned into the other Hufflepuff's arms for comfort, without realizing it. She squeezed me tighter, as I listened to the other students be sorted. Dumbledore gave a long speech about what to and not to do, then the food came. The Great Hall became loud, and the Hufflepuff unwrapped herself from me to fill her plate with more mashed potatoes than I've seen anyone eat in one sitting, but nothing else.
"I'm Heidi," She said suddenly, "Heidi Macavoy, but you can call me whatever you want!" She sounded cheery and she said it with a smile. I decided to smile back, because of how kind she'd been.
"Im…" I thought for a moment. Why did I have to go by Jade? I was different now. I quickly thought back to when I was small, wishing I had a different name. I remembered my mother telling me stories about the first witch of Ireland, and how I had looked up to her. "Alice. My name is Alice"
"What a beautiful name," Heidi said, like how long I had paused before I told her my name was normal, and spooned some potatoes in her mouth. She was quite beautiful. She had a petite, but strong frame, pale skin, and a tiny button nose. She reminded me of how muggles drew fairies. Even they way she ate seemed dainty, yet purposeful. I realized I'd been staring and put a roll on my plate, but didn't eat it. I just stared at it until I heard someone speak to me.
"You gonna eat that?" I looked up and saw another girl, much different to Heidi, pointing at my roll. I pointed at the pile of rolls at the table.
"Why not just take one from here?" She laughed, as if I said the funniest thing she's heard since she got off the train.
"No silly, I meant are you going to eat it, or stare at it?" I blushed, but she quickly corrected, "I'm not trying to be rude! Sorry, I'm a little abrupt sometimes. My names Tamsin Applebee, but you can call me Tam," She held her hand out and I shook it skeptically.
"I'm Alice. Nice to meet you Tamsin," She scrunched her nose when I said that.
"You sound like my mom. Really you can call me Tam." I apologized, but she just shook her head and grabbed a roll and started to butter it. I took in the sight of her. She had a buzzed head, but it looks like someone put a spell on it so it grew in blue. She was quite curvy, but she pulled it off. She was pear shaped, and I thought that maybe if she wasn't in a robe, she would look even better than she did now. Her face was rounder than Heidi's, and she had bright blue eyes. Her nose was wider, and her skin was almost as dark as mine, but not quite. Her features all put together looked very nice, though I thought everyone was attractive. I looked back down at my roll and took a bite, just so I didn't look strange, but it was a bit cold now, and I already felt sick from crying and what had happened. Though I though the roll would make me feel worse, having some food made me feel better. I smiled at myself. A true stereotypical Hufflepuff.
"Whacha smiling about, Curly?" Tam joked. My smile faded at the nickname, but I knew most Hufflepuffs were far too friendly to strangers.
"Just thinking. When does the feast end?" She shrugged at my eating and I looked at Heidi questioningly. She shrugged, and I sighed. I liked having a schedule and not knowing what we were doing next bothered me. I put a little ham on my plate and started to eat, getting lost in thought. After the feast we got led to our rooms. I was prepared for the Slytherin common room, and I knew everything about it, because of what I had been told, but I knew nothing about the Hufflepuff common room. It was right across from the kitchen, so it wasn't a far walk. We stopped at some barrels and stones at the end of the corridor. The prefect who was giving us the grand tour told us to remember what he was about to do,or we wouldn't be able to get in. He then tapped on the barrel second from the bottom, in the middle of the second row, in a tune I recognized as "Helga Hufflepuff." The doorway opened slowly and we all stepped in. The ground was unpaved, and only dirt. We walked up a steep incline until we reached a small room decorated in the Hufflepuff colors. All the tables and doors were made of honey-colored wood. We were then told to go to our rooms and unpack. There were only four beds per room, and I got a room with Heidi, Tam, and an averaged hight girl with black hair and green eyes named Maxine O'Flaherty. The beds were simple honey-colored wood with quilted bedspreads. I plopped down on my bed and lay flat on the quilt. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The spell of cinnamon and something along the lines of sourdough bread filled my nose. I could spell the dusty bedspread and all the wood and dirt. I decided to pack tomorrow, I needed a rest. I heard the voices become more hushed as they realized I was falling asleep. I still listened to them talking, packing, and getting ready for bed. The last thing I remember hearing before falling asleep was Tam saying, "I hear she's an Avery, but I'm glad she got sorted into Hufflepuff. It'll be good for her." I tried to believe them, but I was to tired to think about anything.