Author's note: Sorry for the long wait. This chapter is way longer than the previous as to make somehow up to it. This is in multiple POV's as to catch up on other characters. The next chapter will therefor focus on Harry again. If you have any feedback be welcome to write a comment or just DM me.
Snakes follow the way of serpents
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Elowyn POV:
Elowyn sat down at the table besides her younger cousin Susan. The two cousins were soon joined by more friendly faces. A name was called, and the entire room erupted in whispers.
"Harry Potter is at Hogwarts."
"I can't believe it. He is HERE!"
Elowyn gazed up on the boy she had met on the train. He looked so small sitting next to McGonagall. Elowyn had at first glance noticed how skinny her new friend was. Yet she hadn't noticed before walking into the hall that Susan was nearly a head taller than him. Susan wasn't even a giant, sure, she was taller than Elowyn by a bit, but she didn't tower over her like others. The older witch placed the hat upon his head. The room went silent in anticipation. You could hear a hair pin drop. She saw the questioning looks Harry was receiving.
Their eyes seemed to scream questions at the boy with the broken glasses. Why is this taking so long? Why hasn't the sorting hat yelled Gryffindor? What if it's not Gryffindor? Where would the great boy-who-lived go? Easy to answer she thought to herself. Slytherin, she didn't need the hat to call it she had met the boy. He had the presence of a Slytherin. The questions he asked, the remarks he made, and the way he acted all screamed Slytherin. The fact he had tested her upon their first encounter only confirmed it for her. The hat remained quit on his head for a long time. The silence soon became almost unbearable.
"Slytherin!"
"SLYTHERIN?" "Has a Potter ever been in Slytherin?" "Surely something has to be wrong with him?" "The hat must have made a mistake!" "Did he defeat you-know-who because he is worse?" "It must be a joke." "Has the Weasley twins jinxed the hat." "The boy-who-lived in Slytherin." "Is he the next dark wizard?"
Elowyn tilted her head. Her eyes never left the small boy as he walked towards the Slytherin table. Her finger quickly found her hair and she started twirling it absentmindedly. She watched Harry sit down with the rest of the Slytherins. She didn't have to look long to find a child of a Death Eater. The table offered several. Some like Avery would be curious about his placement in the house. Some would without a doubt want to best the boy many blamed for their parents' imprisonment. She felt Susan taking her hand under the table. She gave her cousin' hand a squeeze.
It was her first day at Hogwarts. She had just been sorted into her favorite house with her cousin, more like sister, Susan. After dinner she would get to learn more about her housemates. And tomorrow she would get a chance to explore the castle. She turned her head towards the boy from the train a last time. Their eyes met. Emerald green locked with electric blue. Elowyn breathed in deeply. A smile spread across her face. She raised her goblet, and her smile grew wider seeing him do the same.
She turned her gaze away and focused on her own table instead. She took in her year mates; they were 20 of them including herself. 10 girls and 10 boys. 5 likely muggleborns, 7 half-bloods and 8 purebloods. Pretty balanced. Looking at the other tables Slytherin had the most purebloods, Ravenclaw contained many half-bloods and Gryffindor had a surprisingly high amount of muggleborn. They were 4 heirs in Hufflepuff which was more that she had expected. MacMillan and Abbot she had known from back then they were babes. Blishwick she had thought would go to Slytherin. He sent jealous looks to the green table. Clearly, he thought so too.
It was true though that Hufflepuff attracted a more vide selection of students. Not because of all the unwanted wixen going to Hufflepuff but because of the different values of the house. Hard workers were not always loyal. Loyal friends weren't always honest or impartial. No, a loyal friend was never honest or impartial. Honest wixen weren't always friendly. And so on. Slytherin had their ambitions and cunning. Ravenclaws valued knowledge. Gryffindors were brave and courageous. Those houses were in her experience more closeminded. She turned to the unknown girl on her left.
"Greetings. My name is Elowyn Bones."
"Hey, I am Irene. Or Irene Denholm if last name is necessary. Why does everyone say their full name anyway?"
Elowyn remembered her conversation with Harry. Denholm wasn't a known wizarding name, so she was likely muggleborn. That made her job a little harder.
"In magical society you refer to people by their last name and tittle. If there are multiple individuals with the same tittle and from the same family their full name is used. It is seen as polite and a sign of respect. If you know someone well, they will likely offer for you to call them by their first name. That way it shows status to be able to use their first name."
"Oh. So, it's about status. That seems silly."
"You are used to using first names think of it like we are used to people using last names. Like if you went to France the culture would be different. In the wizarding world the culture is majorly differ from the muggle world."
The girl looked thoughtful at her. She seemed to process this information.
"That makes sense. But why wasn't I told by the professor who delivered my letter? I could have studied the culture or something."
The girl was quick at understanding this. Elowyn had always heard some of friends complain about muggleborns being slow or valuing their traditions over their own world'. Denholm wanted to learn. Elowyn noted that information for later speculation. She thought quickly before she made the offer.
"I can teach you?"
"Yes, I would like you to teach me. It would be wonderful not to be a stranger to this world. But if you do you must call me Irene. I can deal with people calling me Denholm to seem more open to magical culture, but I don't think I will react to my last name."
"That is a deal, Irene. What are you looking most forward to?"
"I heard we have flying classes. I would love flying you know. My parents bought me a book on Quidditch with the rest of my books. It looked good. The game sounds amazing. Father said I couldn't play it though. Apparently, it's to dangerous for girls like me."
Like every conversation ever it turned to Quidditch. It wasn't like Elowyn had something against the sport. She really didn't. She just couldn't bring herself to care for it. Sure, she would see the matches Hufflepuff played in. She would not, however, use her time to follow up on the league. She did feel bad, however, for Irene who was making a quite accurate impression of a hurt puppy.
"Your parents can't prevent you from playing you know. I would wait until after you have been in the air before signing up. If you still want to play you should have the chance," she suggested.
"Really, I can? In the muggle world parents must agree to everything."
"You certainly can. I would wait until second year though. It can be dangerous, and you need special permission to play in first year. You have more time to practice this way. Other wixen have almost been born on a broom and flown their entire life. I am not telling you to stop you but because it is important to remember. Don't be bummed if you don't get a spot with enough practice everything is possible. Do you have a certain position in mind?"
"I want to be keeper."
"Keeper? There isn't a keeper on the team right now. The old one just left Hogwarts. The spot is free."
"If it is free, I have to try," Irene whined. Her face once more assembled a hurt puppy.
"You actually managed to get Elowyn Bones to talk about quidditch. I salute you, brave soldier, for your effort," Wayne Hopkins held a short pause. "May this day go down in legends."
Elowyn rolled her eyes at Wayne. "Before you ask, Irene, yes, he is always that dramatic." She shook her head at her friend. He really did have a flair for dramatics to a point it had become his entire personality.
Before Wayne could think about a comeback the meal ended and they started leaving the great hall. They followed Slytherin down the dungeon before they made a sharp turn. They reached a long corridor. The first years made a circle around a blue-haired girl and a smiling boy.
"My name is Gabrill Tate. And this lovely girl is Rhonda Fladbury. We are your prefects."
The girl moved her wand and send a stinging hex at him.
"As you can see lovely, indeed. This corridor houses the kitchen behind the painting of the fruit bawl. Just tickle the pear to get in if you have missed a meal. It happens to the best of us. Behind the barrels is where the magic happens."
The blue haired Fladbury rolled her eyes.
"Now you have to find the right barrel. Some try to remember it by its position. I find it easier to remember it by the scratches on it. The scratches form a H if you look at it from the right angle. Only tap on this one."
Fladbury pointed at the barrel in question. As she had said there were scratches which seemed to form a H. The prefects stepped out of the circle towards the barrel.
"Now listen closely. You need to tap it in a certain rhyme. Hel-ga Huff-le-puff. If you tap the wrong barrel or wrong rhythm you will be drenched in vinegar. It can't be cleaned by magic. Don't even try you will only make it worse." The girl directed at pointy look at them.
The male prefect chuckled and reached out to tap the barrel in the rhythm. The barrels moved and revealed a tunnel. They headed through to find the upper years there already. The room was large and circular. The room was covered in windows. Luscious plants hang from the ceiling. Flower-patterned couches could be found throughout the room next to comfy armchairs. Chess tables, gobstones and exploding snap cards were spread around the common room. Plants with colorful flowers in huge pots stood on bookcases and end tables. Lanterns gave the room a warm light. Wines hang as curtains around the windows.
"The windows are charmed." Tate explained. "Only Hufflepuffs can see through them. That means the other houses can't spy on us even though our common room is open. They will see another brick wall instead. We are under the astronomy tower." They gathered close to the window to take in the fields and lake. "I know quite the view," Tate declared with a smirk.
"Oh, shut up, Tate. As we said before we are your 5th year prefects which means we have three incredible years together ahead of us. Since we are taking our OWLs this year and the 6 and 7 years are working on their NEWTS…" the upper years groaned. "The sweet 4th years are going to be your buddies according to Hufflepuff tradition. You will be assigned an older student who will be your buddy. They will help you with getting to class, understanding homework – it can be hard, socializing. In Hufflepuff we have three laws, nothing to serious. The first one, every Saturday is game night. We will be playing gobstone, chess, exploding snap, muggle games and we might even sneak out to the Quidditch field for inhouse games!"
The students roared that seemed nice. "The next one is that every one of you will try your best. We all want to honor our house. If you put in the work great things will happen. And third we try to be as pen and honest with each other as possible. You may not like everyone but don't lie. Of course, that doesn't mean I will tell Tate he is dim, even though we all know it's true. There is a difference in not lying and saying everything that comes to mind."
"You know you love me, Fladbury."
"In your dreams. I will hex you."
"Those two will be together before the year ends," she whispered to Irene, who snorted.
"Well, let us show the feeble firsties their beds."
"Sometimes I wonder if your parents dropped you in stupid potion as a toddler it would explain a lot. You obviously don't refer to your new housemates as feeble, you Dorcus."
"No need for hard words, Fladbury."
"You two will never show first years around again," one of the older students complained.
"Girls with me. Let's get out of here before we become infected by their stupidity."
The girls followed the blue haired prefect. She led to a cream-colored door and down a long hallway. She stood between two doors. One door had the number 7 engraved, and the other door had the seal of the British ministry of magic.
"Okay there is two dorms. I thought it would be easier to assign them after who you got along with since we switch dorms every year. I find it easier to get used to new things in comfortable surroundings. The first dorm, the Wenlock dorm, named after famous Hufflepuff arithmancer Bridget Wenlock. In it is Dora Williams, Emma Vane, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and Zara Valli. The second dorm named after first female minister of magic Artemisia Lufkin, proud Hufflepuff. The dorm will belong to Sophie Roper, Megan Jones, Sally Smith, Elowyn Bones, and Irene Denholm. Before you go to bed let us talk a little. I will tomorrow come and wake you all up in an ungodly hour of the morning. I will bring your schedule, the name of your buddy and teach you a point-me spell. I will bring you a list of extra school activities I expect each one of you to join at least one. That being said you may all call me Rhonda. Come to me and I will hex whoever annoys you, especially if it's Tate, I am leader of the dueling club and always looking for an excuse to practice. And Professor Sprout is our head of house so you can always come to her too. If you are worried to go to her alone just get me and I will come with you. Good night little badgers, lights out before 9."
The blue haired witch danced out of the hallway. The girls laughed. Rhonda Fladbury was a vibe. Elowyn followed the girls into the room. The room was oddly shaped, so each girl had their own corner. In each corner was a queen-sized bed. The bedding had a soft orange shade like that of a sunrise. A handful pillows in warm tones were place up against the wall. Each of the girls' trunks were placed on their respective beds. Elowyn smiled upon noticing hers was the one closets to the entrance. Under the bed was several shelves for clothes.
She opened the trunk and started moving the clothes to its new place. One of the walls making up the corner was decorated by wines and butterfly-shaped fairy lights. The lights made the room bright despite there being no windows. A wooden dresser stood at the right side of the bed. Elowyn picked up her books and put them on one of the shelves. Above the dresser was a mirror surrounded by fairy lights. She dived into the trunk to find her magical gramophone and vinyls.
She had collected vinyls for a while, like some of her friends collected chocolate frog cards, quidditch merch, rare books (Padma had always been a Ravenclaw) or other stuff. The girls met after unpacking in the middle of the room. The middle was decorated by a yellow couch and two comfy armchairs placed around a coffee table. The girls had a short round of introductions and headed to bed.
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Dumbledore POV:
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore made his way to his office after the opening feast. The members of the order of Phoenix waited for him like they did every year. They stood up from their seats as Minerva, Severus and himself made their way into his office. Dumbledore walked towards his desk and sat in his chair. The chair was place higher than the others allowing him to look down on his members. Many believed he had disbanded his order at the end of the war, however, that couldn't be further from the truth. Albus valued himself as a strategic mind with close to no parallel. When you gained an advantage over your enemy you had to push it. After Tom's failed attack on the Potters Albus had pushed his advantage by handpicking the cleverest minds and most skilled wizards to his order. Tom wasn't dead he would be back for another war. Therefor Albus had prepared accordingly.
The order had more members than ever. The order wasn't only used to battle Tom. If you have a big platform, you have a duty to use it to better the world Albus justified. He couldn't just sit there twiddling thumps while Death Eaters and dark wizards proposed bill after bill. So, he had proposed his own bills. Most of them went through without a hitch for years. However, even someone as wise as Albus were doomed to make mistakes.
While he had been busy with his many responsibilities as Headmaster and Supreme Mugwump a problematic change had happened in the Winzegamot 3 years ago. He had as Chief Warlock and leader of the Phoenix party not noticed it at first. How could he had predicted it? The little neutral party, which was bleeding after the war, had picked up the slack. In a powerplay the once light Bones family allied with the usually dark Prince family and the grayest of all Greengrass family to create the demiguises. It would have been less devastating if it wasn't three of the most influential houses that had done that. The neutrals became gray and went from being small and easily overlooked to calling the shots in the span of two weeks. New houses, new name, new goals, newfound power. No one could have known, Albus liked to tell himself.
The only comfort was that the Basilisks had also lost supporters, not as many as Albus though. The Prince family would especially be missed. It had turned the whole winzegamot on its head. Now the light party was the smallest. How that angered him. Tom was to blame for this fiasco. Tom had killed every good light heir and lord he could. Most of them handpicked and personally trained by him. Many of them were members of the order. That left the seats to the less ethical relatives.
Now the gray party was thriving while he suffered great losses. He already knew he would lose the Warlock tittle to a gray wizard so he would have to focus on his other responsibilities. As headmaster he had a close connection and influence over the students and was well-informed on the youth. A position which made the order stronger. The order was his greatest tool to achieving the ideal world. The sorting ceremony was over, so their annual meeting began.
"Good evening to you all. I am happy everyone could make it. Let's all sit down and discuss."
"Ron said he didn't meet Harry on the train. We didn't even see him on the muggle platform. We even yelled loudly about the platform number," Molly complained. Albus had already received a letter with this information. Molly hadn't been satisfied with not being able to get a look at Harry. The group starting whispering.
"Where did the boy go then?" Mad Eye Moody yelled.
"He walked into the great hall next to the two Bones, Macmillan, Greengrass, Zabini and Nott," Minerva said.
"Nott as in the death eater."
"Zabini is the son of that vile woman, who murders her husband!"
"GREENGRASS! The neutrals can't keep the hands to themselves."
"The Bones? How did he manage to find the Bones?"
"It could have been worse. Just because the current head of the house of Bones is leader of the gray, they aren't dark or evil. You forget that the houses that lost the most was the McKinnons who all died and the Bones. Both girls lost their grandparents and an uncle, aunt, and cousins. One even lost her own parents. Many of them were even killed by the dark lord himself. Macmillan is one of the lightest families and very openly against the dark lord. Greengrass is as neutral as can be." Severus said. The headmaster nodded. The Bones' line had almost ended. Unlucky Amelia lived opposed to her light brothers.
"We have bigger and more grave matters at hand. Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin," he said instead. The room gasped.
"SLYTHERIN?"
"Lily and James' son in that house, impossible."
"Must be Nott and Zabini. They must have cursed him."
"As dark and evil as their parents."
"The Potters never go to Slytherin."
"That would be wrong. The Potters have many Slytherins in the family. Harry Potter' Grandmother Dorea Potter nee Black is the most recent example," Minerva sighed.
"I didn't know Dorea was in Slytherin," Remus Lupin said.
"What will happen to him there? The kids will be wannabe death eaters. What if it corrupts him? The Slytherins are always up to no good."
"Maybe something happened that night. You know how killing is dark. Harry did kill you-know-who. Maybe it made him as evil and twisted as the rest of them."
"There is nothing wrong with being in Slytherin. I won't sit here and allow you to insult my students over old house rivalry," Severus stood up and made his way to the door. That was sad he had hoped Severus would come around and see the right way of thinking. He seemed to be stuck in believing the best of his house.
"Severus, please sit down again so we can continue this conversation like adults."
"My presence is needed elsewhere. My "evil and dark" students are awaiting my arrival."
Albus shook his head. On the bright sight they could talk more freely now. The second Severus left the room the conversation started again.
"Most influential students went to Slytherin and surprisingly Hufflepuff. Even Ravenclaw secured more political power than us."
The members of the order shook their hands and complained over the unfairness of it all. The party was dying they could have used some heirs. The old headmaster couldn't help but smile at their reaction.
"What should we do?" Sturgis asked.
"Well, we need the light children to pull more political capital to our side. We need Ron, the rest of the Weasleys and other light children to befriend Harry Potter and remove him from the dark's influence. Molly, can you get Ron to reach out to Harry. We wouldn't want him dead because we didn't reach out."
Yes, the plans needed to be changed. Ron needed to befriend Harry. Ron had an excellent moral compass and was the perfect Gryffindor. He could help Harry see things the right way. Albus would introduce the duo to the muggleborn Hermione Granger. It would prove everything the light talked about having a trio including a pureblood, half-blood and muggleborn.
He had even prepped Hermione for the role. Not that she would ever learn that. She needed to be smart and guide the group to the right answers. She needed to believe in authority and rules as to contain Harry. She needed to be a powerful witch others would envy not only for her spot in the trio but her whole image. Albus needed her to be. He had therefor had McGonagall meet the young girl on multiple occasions and he had even allowed the girl to practice magic before Hogwarts. Surely, she was indebted to him. She would respect him and guide Harry and their classmates to follow her good example.
Now the plans had changed Ron would have to bond with the boy outside being in the same house and siting in the same compartment.
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Draco's POV:
Draco Malfoy, heir to one of the sacred twenty-eight families, proud pureblood. Since the family's arrival to Great Britain their name had become synonyms with power and prestige. A symbol of the good traditional pureblood line. You wouldn't be able to find a family more influential or invested in Great Britain. He was son to one of the most prominent figures in the Winzengamot, the leader of the Basilisks. With such great honor came responsibilities or more like expectations. His father had sat the bar so high Draco doubt he would be able to reach it. But a Malfoy never lost.
Many knew the meaning behind the Malfoy name was bad faith, nevertheless people used it to accuse them of being greedy, hostile, or manipulative. The last one was true to some extent, even so the real meaning was different. Malfoys always won. The name had been given his family due to their tendency to switch sides. They without fail ended on the winning side at last. Draco knew it was his time to shine. His time to prove himself. The first step had been meeting Potter.
His father had advised meeting the boy who lived sooner rather than later to figure out the boy. His father had told him the boy would be an important political figure, so he had to be watched. His father had not prepared him for how hard it would be to find Potter. It might have been easier if he had gone ahead and done it at the beginning. He had instead spent time with friends and acquittances the majority of the ride. Now he had very limited time to find the boy.
Draco walked ahead of Crabbe and Goyle who followed behind him. Their huge bodies casted shadows on the floor in front of him. Draco knew why they followed him. He was the like his father the leader of the dark aligned. It was his job to guide them. Crabbe and Goyle had been ordered by their fathers to protect Draco. That did not mean he had to enjoy it. They just followed behind him, never spoke, always watched. It thankfully didn't seem like they picked up on most of the things going on. That was something at least. Their presence coupled with the constant thought of his father made him rather anxious. It was his year, he started repeating in his head. This was the year. With newfound confidence he strode forward. Each step more self-assured. Oh, he was convinced it was the year he had waited for. Draco occasionally stopped on his walk down the train to greet some of the familiar faces that hadn't visited him earlier.
He walked past a compartment containing several first years from gray families. Patil, Greengrass, Cornfoot, MacDougal. No Bones. His relationship with Elowyn Bones was complicated. Many assumed the two were rivals, which was partially true, the two were friends. Not the "I trust you with everything and will always be by your side" friendship, no, their friendship was built on hard truths and shared experience. Elowyn Bones too had a parent, who led a political party. Elowyn too was heiress of a well-known and powerfull pureblood line. Elowyn too was dragged along to every ministry gathering, every social event, every festival.
Draco knew she would tell him if he was out of line. Draco knew she would not tell him what he wanted to hear but what he needed to hear. Draco knew Elowyn Bones would never lie to him. And for that he trusted her. Along time ago, at least for him, he had even been slightly in love with the girl. Now they were in this weird friendship with a hint of rivalry. So, he was intrigued by her lack of appearance in the compartment. As they walked pass a couple of compartments, he exchanged greetings with Elowyn' younger cousin Susan. Yet still no Elowyn. After a while he was finally met by the familiar face. The strawberry blonde sat across from raven-haired boy. He prepared himself for their next verbal sparring.
"Greeting Heiress Bones," he said politely since he wasn't familiar with her companion, although he recognized the face. Where from? He had met countless of children their age through his father or his friends so perhaps the boy was not memorable enough.
"Well met Heir Malfoy, Heir Crabbe and Heir Goyle," Bones responded. "How are you faring?" He couldn't help but smirk at that. Even though she did pretend otherwise she did care for him. At least just a little.
"I am faring very well, heiress Bones," he said. He was too curious to keep from adding; "I couldn't help but notice your absence in the other compartments. I would have thought you would be keeping you cousin, the Greengrass heiress or the Patil twins company."
"Don't be afraid, I have been in good company," she replied much to his amusement. Of course, she wouldn't respond to the indirect question. His looked at the small boy next to her. Their eyes met. A sudden memory pooped overtook him.
"We have met before, haven't we? In... Madame Malkin's?" he recalled.
"Yes, I recall. Greetings Heir Malfoy," yet Bones company had already influenced the boy.
Finally fed up with Bones' game he simply asked, "I can't recall receiving your name. What would it be?"
The boy' answer managed to shock him to his core. "My mistake. Harry Potter, pleasure to meet you." So this was where Harry Potter was. In an abandoned compartment with Elowyn Bones. Not surrounded by adoring fans. He quickly realized his jaw had dropped. Bones had truly outplayed him by befriending the boy first. His mannerism already subconsciously copying her. He guessed his best shot at information was asking Elowyn.
"Sorry heiress Bones for doubting your company. How did you make acquaintances with heir Potter?"
"There is no fun in telling you so," she infuriately answered. Shye was always testing his patience. He would have to pull it together. Bones and Potter weren't the people to lose face in front of. He decided on approaching the subject at a later date. He would have to keep an eye on the duo, that much was certain.
"We unfortunately have to get back to our compartment," he ended the conversation at that.
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Elowyn's POV:
Rhonda woke the girls early like promised. Elowyn was generally surprised how well she had managed to sleep despite sharing a room with four girls. She managed to squeeze in a short conversation Sally and Megan before meeting the others in the common room. Only the first years, fourth years and prefects were present. Sally was Zacharias Smith' younger sister but due to their being just under a year between them the two were in the same grade. Unlike her brother Sally was a nice and softspoken person. Elowyn had met her when they were five and the two had been joined on the hips since.
Megan was the third member of their trio. Megan was a half-blood witch and had therefor grown up in muggle London. However, since her dad worked in the ministry the three had met at a ministry fundraiser. Megan had started the girls's obsession with London. They would meet in the muggle side of the city and be introduced to some new concept by Megan. Afterwards they would walk Diagon Alley, grab an ice cream and inform Megan of the wizarding gossip. Gossip which had on more than one occasion surrounded Harry if she though about it. She walked over to Rhonda followed by the rest of the girls.
"Okay girls. Here are your schedules, have a look."
She nodded and received one of them. The days looked relatively short, however, with extracurricular activities, parties, and events the time was quickly spent.
"Once you have picked extracurricular activities, they will show up on the schedule too. Cool, right? Next on the list of things to do is the point me spell. You will say point me to followed by the location an example could be point me to charms. A golden line will show for you, and you only. Luckily the wand movement is very simple to this one. You raise your wand until it is pointed directly above you while saying the magic words. Try after me. Point me to the first-year girls' dorms."
The girls observed her wand movement.
"Point me to the first-year girls' dorms." A light shot out of her wand. It formed a golden line.
"All you must do is point your wand at the floor to end the spell. When you get older you can learn to do it wordlessly, so it isn't as awkward."
The girls pointed their wans at the floor and the line disappeared.
"Now to the most important part of this meeting, the buddies. Your buddy is a guide, a friend, someone who looks out for you. Many activities will occur where you are partnered up. I will read the name of the younger buddy first. When I call your name please step forward. Any questions."
Since no one spoke Rhonda picked up her paper and called the first pair, which so happened to be her.
"Elowyn Bones and Cedric Diggory."
An older boy walked to the front of the group of students. He offered his arm to Elowyn who took it. It was that second, she realized she didn't know what would happen now. He started leading her out of the room and away from her year mates. After they had walked out the common room, he quickly introduced himself.
"I am Cedric. I am a 4th year Hufflepuff. I play seeker of the Quidditch team, and I am also a member of the Nundu club, it's like a club for charms, transfiguration and arithmancy." It seemed like he had a lot going on.
"I am Elowyn," she simply stated. "So, I supposed I should ask where you are taking me."
He grinned at that. "That is the surprise." He took her hand and pulled her after him. They made their way up the dungeon. After escaping the dungeon, they started encountering students on their path. Most of them would approach them or yell across the corridors to catch Cedric' attention. He would then stop and introduce her to one of his many friends. He would have a quick chat about the new defense against the dark arts teacher, his schedule, Hufflepuff' chance at the Quidditch tournament. Cedric would even greet every person they passed somehow managing to say the correct name. How was that even possible. A lighthearted conversation began between them about their favorite subjects. Since her mother had insisted on private tutors before Hogwarts Elowyn had experience with all the core subjects and even some elective.
"My favorites are charms, herbology and arithmancy. Professor Flitwick is an amazing teacher who can make such a complicated and broad subject seem so understandable. Think about how many charms we use daily. Some of the most impressing magic is charms like the patronus. Every puff adores Professor Sprout and her herbology classes. She usually uses the class to catch up with her students if they aren't busy. Arithmancy is an experience unlike any other. It is a shame they only tech it as an elective," the boy ranted.
"I have had some teaching on arithmancy. It truly is something. I like potions, charms and herbology the most. You can do so much with potions it truly is an art. I think I will enjoy runes too. You said you are in the transfiguration club, yet it isn't one of your favorite subjects. Didn't it make the list?"
"The Nundu club is great, and I really enjoy the subject in general, Professor McGonagall just happen to be a very biased teacher. If you aren't in her house or the son of one of her favorites, she simply doesn't care about you. It's that simple. She only really pays attention to Gryffindor or Slytherin. The lions can do no wrong and gets awarded more points for the same effort, the snakes are both supervised to keep trouble away and to figure out which ones deserve redemption. The rest of us are not main characters. So we are ignored unless we somehow manage to seriously impress her. That is why I am a Nundu so I can learn with other likeminded individuals, who also find McGonagall biased. We have an entire community around it. The club holds gatherings, hosts parties, makes competitions. It is invited only since we want to be capable of regulating who attends and keep it a secret. The parties can be attended by everyone as long as a member vouch for them. Think of it as a secret society."
"Not so secret if you tell everyone your secrets."
"You aren't anyone, and you wouldn't tell on us, would you."
Elowyn rolled her eyes at the boy. Who would have thought Mr. Diggory was part of a secret society.
"Usually, members are scouted between their 2nd and 5th year, but there is some exceptions. I think I would be able to convince them to give you a spot if you want to. Just don't tell anyone. Might keep Fladbury from breathing down your neck."
"I would appreciate it, like really much," she smiled at him.
"Any other clubs you plan to join?"
"I was thinking about joining the Hufflepuff party committee. You know be in on all the action. I don't know if there is anything else."
"I could also recommend joining some of the extra-curricular subjects. Yes, there actually are extra subjects and people from all years can join. I personally attend magical theory, ghoul studies and art. Do you have your schedule."
"Yes," Elowyn pulled the schedule out of her right pocket. "Extracurricular activities." Seven new subjects appeared at the left side of the paper with the times on.
Extra curicular subjects:
Alchemy, art, ghoul studies, magical theory, mind arts, music, wand making.
Elowyn gaped at the paper.
"Just tap on the subject and you will be registered. Since it is voluntary attendance, you don't have to be present at every class, but if you want a certificate or OWL your attendance will have to be higher."
Elowyn looked over the schedule. She quickly decided against art and music class. She tapped on magical theory first since it sounded exiting, and Cedric would be there too. Next, she tapped on mind arts since they were notoriously difficult to master but held great power. The classes transferred to her schedule.
"Great choices. Now I think you will possibly have a busier year than me," Cedric commented.
She noticed the cold breeze on her bare legs. Elowyn hadn't noticed they had gone outside. The sun shone from a clear sky. It was so beautiful. Elowyn noticed their destination the moment she looked up.
"The Quidditch pitch, really?"
"Not exactly. We are here to pick up my broom and a friend of mines. The tour will happen from above."
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Daphne's POV:
The hall sat in silence. All conversations abruptly ended. Every head turned. The defeater of the dark lord had been sorted into Slytherin. Mouths hang open, eyes were widened, bodies were frozen. A single clap could be heard she looked up and noticed Malfoy was the one responsible. The rest of the table regained their cool and followed his lead. It wouldn't do to lose face so early in the year. Eyes followed Potter' movement across the hall. He strode towards the table with purpose in his eyes. Every movement spoke of certainty. Not a hint of shock was displayed on his face. He sat himself next to Malfoy with an unseen elegance.
As the feast progressed Daphne noticed many small things about the boy. He was vague to the point of misleading. He was social yet closed off. He wasn't angry at his sorting; he wasn't the golden Gryffindor boy she assumed. The evening continued they were taking to their common room then dorms. They met the prefects, their head of house, their roommates, and their housemates. At every moment eyes were directed at the small boy. Calculating, observing, testing him. Some gazed at him out of fear or nervousness, some out of hatred, others out of guilt and pity. Some eyes were admiring others distrustful. Daphne seemed to forget her own eyes were on the boy too. And opposite her house mates hers almost never left.
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Elowyn's POV:
Elowyn yanked her right foot off the moving staircase in last second. The staircase had begun moving without her realizing. Her thoughts were all occupied with Harry Potter. The boy was a living contradiction. He had known nothing about magic until around a month ago yet his grip on it was unparalleled. The boy preferred his own company but was keeping others, herself included, around. Harry Potter was simply different. She had just talked to him after transfiguration and her head was a mess. He had told her to keep their friendship secret like she had presumed. It seemed to be of different reasons though.
Elowyn had assumed he wouldn't want to advertise his friendship with the daughter of the leader of the gray party since most of Slytherin was dark aligned. Something about him made her thoughts spin. However, in a good way after all predictable was often boring. Elowyn quickly caught up to her housemates. Wayne, Irene, Megan, and Sally were all waiting at the end of the hallway. She smiled at them. The group started walking towards the library. They had agreed to get their astronomy and transfiguration out of the way and get some food afterwards since they had a free period. They quickly found they weren't the only ones. Upon entering the library Elowyn spotted Padma, Lisa Turpin, Anthony Goldstein, Sue Li, and Terry Boot occupying the largest table.
"How are you faring, Padma?" she asked right behind the girl making her jump in her chair.
"Merlin, Ellie, don't do that. I am doing completely fine. Wanted to get started on the homework since we have a free period. You do too, right?"
Elowyn looked at her housemates. "Yes, we had the exact same idea. Could we join you, the more the merrier?"
"Absolutely."
The badgers joined the ravens at the table. In the start the two groups sat in silence only interrupted by quills scribbling words upon parchment. When the silence became too much, Elowyn asked, "Padma, you know a lot about astronomy. We are writing a two feet essay about Mercury. Does Mercury have any moons?"
"No, like Venus Mercury doesn't have moons or rings for that matter. It's a bit funny since Mercury is about the same size as our moon, has an exosphere, and looks like it two with craters and all," Padma said with a smile on her face. The look she always had when talking about astronomy.
"Thanks, Padma. You are an absolute sweetheart."
"Does anyone know who created the levitation charm?" Sue Li asked with a deep frown upon her face.
"I believe it was Jareth Hobart in 1544. I think there is a statue of him here at Hogwarts," Megan answered.
"Wasn't he the guy who jumped from a roof, removed all his clothes and immediately fell down naked in front of a massive crowd?" Turpin asked.
"I heard that too," Wayne grinned.
"I thought wizards were meant to be smarter," Irene joked.
"Well, we get away with our stupidity. If a muggle had attempted the same, he would have died," said Sue Li. Padma shook her head.
"How do you reverse a levitation charm?" Boot asked.
"A finite incantatem should do the job," Elowyn contributed. Sally nodded her head in agreement; "It would remove all active spells including a levitation charm."
It only took them about half an hour to get the essays finished.
"This was an effective study session. We should do this again," Goldstein proposed.
"Yeah, we form something like a study group. Just the 11 of us," Wayne offered. They all found the idea nice and planned meeting again in the weekend. The Hufflepuffs made their way towards the great hall to get some lunch before it ended.
Harry Potter and the strange Hufflepuff
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Draco's POV:
It was amusing observing his godfather teaching Draco had quickly decided. Severus had been using the time to inform them of a few things. One of them being a personal conversation with him. That made Draco brighten up a bit. Even though he wouldn't want to admit it he missed his parents, especially his mother. Talking to Severus would help.
"Look at the person sitting next to you," Severus said.
Draco turned to look at Zabini. The Italians topaz eyes met his. The intensity in them shocked him. It was almost like they were sparkling in the sparse light. The other boy just winked at him. Zabini was a well-known wizarding name despite the family' Italian origin even British wizards knew of the prestigious family. They were considered one of Europe' revered 50. Similar to the British version called the sacred 28. However far more distinguished. The Zabini line consisted of a long line of masters of warding. Their manor was supposedly inaccessible to even the most powerful of wizards. Rumor had it that Gellert Grindelwald himself had failed.
Everyone with a newspaper or magazine subscription knew Zabini' mother. Odette Floquet had been a young French woman from a small and inconsequential pureblood line. She didn't have much money, status, or opportunities. What she did have was her good looks. It had come as a shock to polite society when heir Antonio Zabini married the 20-year-old Odette Floquet. The pair lived together for less than half a year before tragedy struck. Antonio Zabini had died at the young age of 18.
It caused quite the spectacle since the young man was healthy, active and hadn't been feeling off before his death. Every finger pointed at his wife Odette Zabini murdering him for the money. The woman was said to not even haven shown up for the funeral. Odette had of course denied all involvement and claimed she would never even think of killing the man she loved and the father of her unborn child. Antonio' parents had tried everything to get her on trial and every scan of their beloved son found nothing. No cause of death. The man seemed to have fallen dead out of nowhere.
Five months later Blaise Zabini was born. His grandparents reluctantly making him the heir due to their old age. Odette waited to the child was 1 month old to marry again making that the longest period she was unmarried. Odette had divorced two men and taken half of their estate. Presumed to have killed seven others getting the entirety of their estate. No trace was left connecting her to their deaths. Despite her many marriages she only had one child. He had been said to have only lived with her half the time and his grandparents the other. And that child was sitting next to him now. The topaz eyes he shared with his mother and the rest of the Floquet family stared back at him.
The Zabini heir spent most of his time with Theodor Nott, whose mother had been a distant cousin of his. He attended few events in Britain only showing if his mother was dating/engaged to/married to a British man for the time being. The few he did attend he seemed occupied with keeping Nott and occasionally Elowyn Bones company. Or else he would be in a discussion with some older kids or other foreigners. The boy had been one Draco had hoped to collect into his court. Ever since the sorting he had seemed more interested in Potter than him. Did he think Potter as better? Or perhaps he saw himself superior.
"That is your partner this term," the professor finished.
"Do you have your mother' talent for brewing? Heard she is quite accomplished with poison. Then again practice makes perfect." The topaz eyes narrowed. The mouth widened in a smile.
"Thank you for the faith in my abilities, heir Malfoy," the Italian purred in his honeyed voice.
"I wanted to warn you, Zabini," he started. The dark-skinned boy nodding at him. "You might think giving your loyalty to Potter is the smarter choice, there have been whispers among the members of the house that the boy needs to be taught a lesson. Tonight, after dinner some older years will conduct this plan."
Zabini' face displayed a strange emotion for a second before it disappeared. "May I ask where you came across this information?"
Draco grinned. That meant Zabini was listening. He wanted to know the source to calculate how reliable the information was. "Bulstrode' sister is in on it along with some other upper years," Draco answered truthfully.
"Isn't Maureen Bulstrode in her sixth year?" the disbelief in his voice obvious. He nodded. The information seemed to sink in.
"Since she is a member of the court will I be allowed to warn him? Does it mean I will have to stay silent since she has the rights to inflict justice of those, she views a deserving." He again nodded agreeing with Zabini. The boy couldn't tell without making an enemy with all members of the court for questioning their judgment.
"Don't get yourself dragged down with him. He will never truly be one of us after all he has done. Don't forget who the real enemy is. I know for a fact the Zabinis are traditionalists. Not just traditionalist but dark traditionalists. They wouldn't approve of rolling over for mudbloods. Don't turn you back on who you are Zabini he is not worth it." The topaz eyes once again met his.
"I would love to agree with you, but then we would both be wrong. Potter has potential. I can feel it. Theo can see it too he just doesn't want to admit it. I will not tell him but mark my words he will be worth following." The look on Zabini' face spoke of great confidence in his words.
The Gryffindors walked in putting a stop to their conversation. The lesson soon proved entertaining. Severus caught the bloodtraitor and some muglleborn chatting during his presentation of the subject. Draco might have snickered at their stupidity. Interrupting his godfather was never a good idea. That lead to the two being questioned. It proved the two had been incapable of picking up a book which honestly would have surprised him if it were any others. It annoyed him slightly that Severus picked Potter to answer the questions. He couldn't complain at house points it secured. Much could be said about Potter, but the boy had proved himself brilliant in transfiguration earlier.
A bucktoothed muggleborn girl with dull brown hair complained in a bossy voice: "15 points! That is so unfair. Those were easy questions."
That wouldn't end well. Severus made her pick between getting a harder question and insulting her housemates or backing down. Both terrible options. Backing down would be admitting defeat. Going ahead would be isolating herself from her peers. That was assuming she could answer the question. If she couldn't answer she not only lost her chances with the lions but the snakes too. Yet, the girl asked for the question.
Severus didn't disappoint and asked a harder question. It wasn't in the book but was featured in the recommended books for the subject. Books every Slytherin had likely read. The plan so obvious. The girl failed to answer. Though instead of taking it in good sport she started complaining at the unfairness like she hadn't been warned it would be harder. So Severus started picking some Slytherins to name an ingredient. Potter, Davies, Nott and Greengrass all succeeded in naming one. He was relieved then he was finally picked.
"One powdered horn of a Bicorn, sir," he had to force himself to add the sir as to not disrespect his godfather. It felt slightly unnatural. He would get used to it with time he told himself. The praise from Severus made him blush slightly. He caught Zabini' eyes after the boy had named the last one. Draco could hear echoes of their earlier conversation. "Mark my words he will be worth following." How those words annoyed him. How the assurance in them irritated him. Hopefully Zabini would see the error of his ways after Potter' defeat.
Maybe he would want a spot in Draco' upcoming court. Draco would naturally make the boy earn his way back in. Severus moved onto a detailed description of the future potion classes. He asked Potter to stay back. Draco noticed the confusion in Zabini' gaze as he gathered his belongings. It was a weird choice since Potter hadn't done anything wrong. As the two of them walked out of the room Zabini whispered too him.
"I would like to know more on the confrontation."
"What do you want to know?"
"Who is in on it? Where? And what do they plan on doing."
"It will be in the common room the second Potter walks in after dinner. They plan on sending him a night to the hospital wing. Dominic Warrington, Maureen Bulstrode, Wylan Wilkes, Harvey Pyrites, and Evangeline Lowe, all in their sixth year, are participating. But all the seventh years, sixth years and fifth years know along with various others."
"So, Warrington, Wilkes and Pyrites want revenge for their fathers. Especially Warrington and Pyrites since their parents died after the dark lord' defeat. Lowe is like her mother a pureblood supremist who believes Harry Potter deserves this because of his dirty blood. Bulstrode most likely want to show off her status as a member of the court. And what do you mean by a night at the hospital?"
"The goal is to teach Potter who his betters are. Show him the power they hold over him. There is an agreement that he should be able to attend classes tomorrow as to not alert certain teachers," Draco explained.
"That is heinous," the disgust in the tone clear. The two had made their way to the next class. Draco sat down first next to Bulstrode as to get more details.
Zabini took the spot directly behind Nott and Goldstein. Not long after they sat at the dinner table in complete silence. Everyone was top anxious to talk. The dinner was eaten quick, and the seats abandoned in a hurry. Potter was walking next to Zabini. The expression on the Italian' face was easy to read. Guilt. Everyone gathered in the common room. A circle formed trapping Potter with the five older students. The spells started flying. The unexpected happened. Potter was winning duel after duel. Until only he and Warrington remained standing in the circle. The duel that followed was somehow equal even though it should have been impossible. He managed to catch Zabini's eyes at the same time Warrington threw the unforgivable.
The ominous crimson spell hit his year mate in his chest. Horror was the prominent emotion in Zabini' eyes. The young raven-haired boy fell to the floor. His body writhing on the ground. His suffering evident. The wand left his hand not long after. His body in too much pain to concentrate on holding it. A muffled cry escaped the boy. The limbs seemed to continue cramping for a long second. Warrington finally stopped the curse. Potter' small formed looked so tiny on the ground. His eyes were closed, it didn't look like he was breathing. Limbs pointed in every direction. He looked like a doll someone had thrown across the room in anger. Suddenly, Draco felt something run through him. Warrington fell to the ground. Potter started moving. The boy slowly raised himself until he was standing over Warrington.
"Kneel for me," Potter demanded in a hard cold voice avoid from every bit of gentleness Draco had picked up on before.
"NnnnNo," Warrington said while trying to get up. He seemed to be held down by Potter' magic. The display of so powerful wandless magic made even the older years doubletake. Warrington started screaming in pain. The sixth year slowly pushed himself up and kneeled in front of Potter.
"Who is better?"
"You," Warrington cried out without the slightest hesitation. The older boy proceeded to swear a magical oath to the younger boy on his command. Magic confirmed the oath. Silence occupied the room.
"Mimble Wimble" Potter casted. Draco didn't recognize the spell though. Potter ordered Warrington to get the four sixth years to the infirmary. The older boy reversed the bubble spell and levitated the four students with him out of the room. The look of admiration on Zabini' face wasn't even partly concealed. "He will be worth following," echoed through his head once more. Had Zabini been in the right?