—CHAPTER FOUR—

The Daily Wizarding Book Club

The Hufflepuff common room could be described in one word: sunshine. Yellow banners beamed down from the spherical top of the room, intertwined with rays of magic sunlight. In the centre of the room there were chairs, plush and furry. Fluffy blankets and soft pillows were strewed about the floor. Spineless cacti bounced along the walls in earthen-brown pots. At the back of the room was a squat table covered with books.

Maria was woken up early the next morning by the other first-year girls decorating their bedspaces. Susan was putting pictures up on her desk, and Hannah was hanging up a poster with slots for all her chocolate frog cards.

Maria stood up and began to do the same. She hung streamers with paper flowers and snowflakes from the ceiling. She pulled out a lightless-candle, used purely for its scent, that her mother had always set out to help her sleep and set it by her bedside. Finally, she unpacked her stuffies from her trunk and organised them on her bed.

Maria yawned. 'What time is it? It feels early.'

'Seven or so, I think,' Susan replied. 'We're decorating now since we don't know when we'll get back to our room today.'

'We'll get our schedules at breakfast,' Hannah said, while inspecting two of her chocolate frog cards: Agrippa and Ptolemy. She slid them back into their slots on the poster. 'Let's get ready and see what's going on in the common room.'

After taking care of morning necessities and donning their robes, Maria and her friends crept out of the dormitory through a tunnel. She had to unlatch the round door to the common room first before climbing out onto a balcony above a warm, earthy room. By the sound of the chattering below, most of the Hufflepuff students were already up.

Maria descended the stairs to the common room. She saw why the common room was so full. Older students stood in corners of the room, handing out flyers for various clubs. They had also painted signs whose words continually rearranged themselves into different advertisement phrases.

'Wow,' Maria exclaimed. 'I never thought I'd see something like this at Hogwarts! How many can I join?'

'As many as you can make it to, I guess,' Megan said quietly, taking in the awe of the room. 'I'm going to check out the wizard chess club.'

The various groups made the room feel larger, as Maria had to wander through swarms of students to look at the advertisements. She saw an 'Artisan's Guild' for people to discuss crafts, a club for a game called 'Labyrinths and Leviathans,' which involved rolling dice with a special spell, and a Hufflepuff-only club named the 'Cutesy Crafters' who made creations inspired by adorable magical beasts. Maria took interest, and a pamphlet, in that one.

Next to the 'Cutsey Crafters', Maria recognized the prefect, Volaris, chatting with another club owner holding a sign. The owner was a boy with curly light brown hair and deep brown eyes. He held a mildly interested expression while Volaris shoved a map in his face, pointing excitedly.

'That's very nice,' the boy said. 'Now, I have to get back to advertising, Volaris, or no one will be at the meeting tonight.'

'I know, Elijah, but this is amazing, isn't it?' Volaris asked, holding up the map so he could inspect it. 'Authentic muggle mapwork from the 1100s! I wish my uncle would have told me he had something like this sooner.'

'Mhh-hmm,' Elijah said, nodding and holding up a sign again. It had vines painted onto it that wound themselves into the words 'Daily Wizarding Book Club' and then sprouted mushrooms. The words mesmerizingly changed shape and hue to gilded lettering, reading, 'This semester we're reading A Brotherhood Divided: The Novelization of the Tale of the Three Brothers by Tralvior Dustcover!'

Maria tentatively stepped up to Elijah. 'May I have a pamphlet?'

'Of course,' Elijah said with a smile, handing her a small brochure with moving pictures of a fluttering cloak, sparking wand, glistening gem, and three men standing back-to-back.

Maria had barely scanned it over when she asked another question. "When does the book club meet?"

'5:20 in the evenings from Monday to Friday at the back of the library," Elijah said. 'Are you going to join?'

'Yeah,' Maria said, excitedly nodding her head. She had always enjoyed reading. Being able to discuss books with other people opened up so many more possibilities.

'Well, then, here's a copy,' Elijah said, handing her a book. 'We're just discussing the original tale today, but tomorrow we're talking about the first chapter.'

Maria nodded.

A loud voice boomed through the Hufflepuff common room. 'Attention, first-years! The Hufflepuff First-Year Advisor Committee is holding a meeting in five minutes at the back of the common room. If you are a first-year and are interested in our services or would like to learn more, please attend. Also attend if you are a third-year or older and would like to help first-years this year. Thank you!'

'Oh,' Maria said. 'I suppose first-years includes me. See you tonight.'

'See you later,' Elijah said.

Maria strode to the back of the room where the squat table stood. Both first-years and third-years had crowded around it. Maria stood near the back on her tiptoes to try to see between the heads of two boys.

'Welcome, first-years,' an older boy said. 'First, let's talk about how to manage your schedules.'

David hadn't really thought much about what he was going to learn at Hogwarts. He'd opened a book or two, of course, and asked his siblings for any advice on homework (Murie said to get it done early, but Cormag said to not worry about it until the day before), but he hadn't considered much concerning the contents of his classes. However, eagerness bubbled in his stomach when he headed off to his first class.

The sapphire sky and emerald grounds of Hogwarts stretched out before him as he marched to Herbology. Eh beautiful day ta start school, David remarked to himself. When he arrived, the attentive Ravenclaw students and silent Slytherin students were starting to pour into the room.

He waved to Orthosi when he noticed her sitting at a table alone. She blushed, looking back at the group of first-year Slytherins, then gave a short wave. One of the Slytherin girls, the one with the scar over her eye, sat down at Orthosi's table.

David picked his own seat at a table of Ravenclaw boys. He had barely noticed who else was sitting at the table when Revem started talking.

'Oh, hello, David. Nice to meet you again here!' he said. 'Wasn't expecting to see much of you today after breakfast.'

'But we're both in Ravenclaw,' David pointed out. 'All th' Ravenclaws take classes together, don't they?'

'Ohhh,' Revem said. 'So, is that how it works? Makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. Oh, I was reading our Herbology book, you know, Twenty-Hundred Thousand Magical Plants and Mushrooms or something like that, and I was fascinated by the human fly trapper plant. Do you think we'll be looking at that today? I heard its tentacles are inescapable and its poison is deadlier than…than…death!'

I wonder how one would go aboot writing eh Herbology book, David thought. I could never da it. If I ever wrote eh book, it wouldn't be aboot boring plants an' such. But I probably couldn't da 'at either. Ma handwriting is too poor.

The other boy at the table, Jothon, let out an agonised sigh, planting his palms on his forehead. 'The book is One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Also, Revem, the plant you are referring to is the Flos Amat Homines Devorans. It is firstly, not in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Secondly, it is extinct. Thirdly, even if it was alive, it only eats Muggles, so you wouldn't be in any danger.'

'But I'm muggle-born, so that's close enough, right?' Revem asked. 'I think it would be real fun to try to escape a man-eating plant!'

A few of the Slytherins glanced over to their table.

'Revem,' David quickly interjected. 'Ye might no' want ta say 'at so loudly around th' Slytherins. Most o' their families don't lek wizards who ur muggle-born.'

'Why?' Revem asked, his eyes studying the Slytherins quizzically.

'I don't know, really,' David said. 'Some people jus' hate for no reason.'

The table was remarkably quiet for a few seconds as Revem continued to stare at the groups of Slytherins. He shortly resumed talking, just as cheery as before.

Professor Sprout entered the room and began to lecture about Herbology and its importance to wizard society. Then, she explained how the class would be run. Finally, she moved on to their brief lesson in care for the Cacti Mollis Nutamen. Several of the students exchanged glances when she noted their need to be patted.

The lesson ended before they could do more than give their cacti a few hesitant pats.

'We'll learn how to feed them on Wednesday,' Professor Sprout announced. 'Class is dismissed.'

'I'm hungry,' Revem said, standing up. 'Time for lunch.'

'Ye two go on ahead,' David said. 'I've got someone ta talk ta first.' He glanced over to Orthosi, still present at her table.

'Okay, see you at lunch,' Revem said. Jothon simply nodded to David.

David strolled over to Orthosi, who was gathering her books back into a black bag. The other Slytherins had already left the table. 'How ur ye doing? Sorry aboot…ye know.' He tilted his head over to a group of Slytherins lingering over a display of potted plants.

'That's alright,' Orthosi said quietly. 'They haven't been rude to me. In fact, well…'

David nodded, urging her to go on.

'Some of the things they say I agree with,' Orthosi said. 'I know it sounds absurd, but they're really not as bad as people say.'

''At's good t'hear,' David said. Orthosi stood up and they strode side by side through the flourishing outsides of Hogwarts. They pushed through a set of massive doors, entering the ancient castle once more.

'I guess we won't be seeing much of each other after all,' Orhtosi said. 'You being in Ravenclaw.'

'I suppose not,' Daivd said.

They passed what looked to be a worn-out fifth-year Hufflepuff. He had a stack of books beside him and was waving a magic sign over his head.

'A book club,' Orthosi said. 'Interesting. I've heard of A Brotherhood Divided. It was the bestselling book last month, I think.' She strode over to the boy.

'May I have a copy? I wish to join your book club.' Orthosi held out her hand.

'I'd be interested too,' David said.

'Wonderful!' the boy said. He gratefully handed each one of them a book. 'I was afraid the book club wasn't going to make. So many members graduated last year. We're meeting at 5:20 tonight at the back of the library. I hope that works with both your schedules. Tonight is an introduction and discussion of the original tale, but tomorrow you'll have to read the first chapter.'

'I should be thir,' David said.

'Me as well,' Orthosi added.

'Great,' the boy said. He began to gather up his signs and book copies. 'I'm Elijah, by the way. Elijah Osborn. Thanks again for joining. I'll see you two tonight.' He finished scooping up the last of the book copies into what seemed to be a bottomless suitcase. As he walked off, the suitcase rolled by itself behind him.

'Weel,' David said to Orthosi. 'Guess we will be seeing eh bit more o' each other.'

'Yeah,' she responded. 'Now let's get some lunch—'

The two turned to see a whole crowd of students, seventh-years to first-years, gathered together in the hallway. All their eyes were staring after a small boy with messy black hair and glasses who was walking next to a tall, red-headed boy.

''At's Harry Potter!' David exclaimed softly, looking to Orthosi and pointing.

The girl shrugged. 'I don't see why he's such a big deal. All he did was stay alive. We've both stayed alive just as long as him.' She turned and began to walk towards the Great Hall.

David didn't see how Orthosi could just shrug and move on. 'He survived th' killing curse, though,' David argued, following her.

'He was also unlucky enough to be targeted by one,' Orthosi said. 'Who knows? Maybe You-Know-Who just wasn't as powerful as everyone thought. Maybe his wand had a crack and it backfired. No one really knows what happened when You-Know-Who attacked the Potters. Maybe he was defeated and then Potter's parents died of wounds from the fight.'

'How can ye say 'at?' David asked. 'They found his parents' bodies, ye know. They both were clearly murdered by th' killing curse.'

'Well, fine,' Orthosi admitted. 'All I'm saying is that a baby defeating a powerful dark wizard is just…illogical.'

'Weel, th' world doesn't always have ta be logical, does it? Some things jus' ur.'

Orthosi said nothing. She simply walked faster.

'An' if all things were logical,' David asked, 'then how would thir be any magic?'

'Then I suppose, perhaps, there can be exceptions,' Orthosi admitted softly, turning to David after they entered the Great Hall.

David felt a burst of glee at his intellectual victory.

'But that doesn't mean there isn't another explanation,' Orthosi said, hurrying over to the Slytherin table. 'See you tonight.'

David sighed. Why is she so keen to jus' deny th' defeat of You-Know-Who? I think I'm starting ta see why the hat put her in Slytherin, David thought, ambling over to the Ravenclaw table where Revem was eagerly reading One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.

The sky outside Hogwarts was beginning to darken with evening chill as Orthosi strode through the corridors. She carried A Brotherhood Divided under her arm as she tried to find her way to the library. Why does this castle have to have so many hallways? Orthosi thought as she finally entered the library.

Shelves upon shelves of books towered above her, lining the library walls. She wandered to the back of the room where a group of students were seated at a circular table.

Orthosi's first day at Hogwarts had been…fine. Orthosi had had History of Magic in the morning, a very dry class that none of the Slytherins seemed to like. Next, she had seen David in Herbology with Ravenclaw. The Slytherins had been a bit more talkative then, but they hadn't said anything interesting. Finally, her last class of the day had been Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Slytherins, rightly in Orthosi's opinion, called Professor Quirrell a coward behind his back.

Orthosi sat down at the table next to David, with that other student from the train, Maria, on her other side. Maria opened her mouth to say something, but Elijah spoke first from the across the table.

'Welcome, everyone! This is my first time leading the book club, so I'm sorry if it doesn't seem organised. But I'm glad you came.' Elijah was reading off a notecard in front of him. 'Let's start with introductions. How about your name, year, house, and favourite book? I'll start. My name is Elijah Osborn. I'm a fifth-year in Hufflepuff. My favourite book is probably The Dragon Portal Renewed.'

He then looked to the boy at his right. 'My name is Cedric Diggory,' the boy said. 'I'm a third-year in Hufflepuff. I can't choose a favourite book; there are too many.'

Next was Volaris, a Hufflepuff prefect dressed in eccentric pieces of Muggle armour. Then Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw.

'Ma name is David Steward,' David said. 'I'm eh first-year from Ravenclaw. Ma favorite book is eh compilation o' tales ma mum used ta read me at bedtime called, The Beast Who Jumped Over the Mountain. We actually named our pet highland cow, Grant, after th' main character in 'at book.'

The other book club students nodded.

Everyone looked to Orthosi. 'My name is Orthosi Ygeia. I'm a first-year in Slytherin—' When she said her house, several of the once friendly eyes flickered to concern for a moment. 'My favourite book is By Death into Death.'

For some reason, Maria took on a scornful look momentarily. Vampire books are probably too scary for her, Orthosi thought, looking to the bat plushie the girl was holding in her lap.

'My name is Maria Radu,' the small girl announced. 'I'm a first-year in Hufflepuff. My favourite book is The Golden Foal.'

Of course it is, Orthosi thought. Only such an immature person would read a book about a baby unicorn who's only mission in life is to make people happy.

After Maria had gone, next there was a girl named Cho Chang, and then a boy named Jothon Great, whom David knew.

'First, I think we should talk about the original tale,' Elijah announced once they were done introducing themselves. 'Afterall, that's what A Brotherhood Divided is about. With some liberties taken, of course.

'So, three brothers were walking in the night. They crossed a river using their magic and Death was annoyed because he had wanted them to die. Death pretended to reward them. The first brother chose the Elder Wand—'

'He didn't choose,' Jothon noted. 'He described the wand and Death made it for him. There were no "choices."'

'I'm simply explaining the overall story,' Elijah said, a look of annoyance on his face. 'The second brother asked for the Resurrection stone. The third brother asked for the Cloak of Invisibility. They all went their own separate ways. The first brother killed a bloke with the Elder Wand, and went to an inn to boast. Then he got drunk and while he was asleep another bloke killed him and took the wand.

'The second brother went back home and summoned up his dead girlfriend, but that didn't work out too well and he committed suicide.

'Finally, the third brother was smart and continually wore the Cloak of Invisibility so Death couldn't find him. When he grew really old, he handed it to his son. Finally, Death took the third brother yet they departed this life as equals. The end.'

A few people clapped politely. Orthosi was not one of them.

'So, how about we discuss which of the objects we'd like to have,' Elijah said brightly.

'All of them,' Orthosi said with a laugh. Maybe if she had been in a different house, she wouldn't have received terrified looks from the rest of the table.

'I mean,' Cho said. 'Are we supposed to really want any of them? All of them lead to death anyway. The first two even seem to speed it up.'

'I don't think there's any foundation for that argument,' Jothon said. 'Only the brothers' own actions led to them dying in the end. The objects obviously are meant to encourage handling power responsibly.'

'My mum always said they were meant to represent how wizards try to overcome death,' Volaris said.

'I think they have their own individual meanings,' Daivd said. 'Th' Elder Wand is ta represent how wizards bring death t'each other.'

'That's also what I was always taught,' Orthosi said, looking over to David.

'I always thought the objects were supposed to represent sin,' Roger said.

'The Resurrection Stone to represent the finality of death, and how it is a natural occurrence,' Orthosi continued, speaking to David.

'That's what I was told too!' Maria said.

The other two sides of the table were soon involved deep in discussion. Cho and Roger maintained that the objects were evil, while Jothon and Volaris said that the objects weren't evil but simply misused.

'I was also told that the Cloak of Invisibility is meant to represent caution,' Maria said.

'And how it's the only thing that works against death,' Orthosi said.

'Exactly!' Maria said.

''At's whit I was told too,' David said.

The argument on the other side of the table was growing louder.

'It's not wrong to use a magical artefact,' Jothon argued. 'Why would the author of the tale say that? He's a wizard, not a terrified, superstitious Muggle.'

'That doesn't mean the objects can't represent evil things,' Cho debated back.

'I think the objects are just supposed to be objects…' Cedric said quietly. 'Maybe we're all thinking about this too much.'

'All objects throughout history that have represented evil have a reason they were chosen,' Jothon said. 'Like how snakes are directly related to the Dark Arts.'

'Excuse me?' Orthosi asked.

Jothon narrowed his eyes at her.

'Okay!' Elijah said, standing up and holding his hands out. 'I think we've discussed enough for tonight. Thank you all for coming and for your opinions. It's time for dinner, and I will see you all tomorrow.' Their club leader surveyed the cross students with wide eyes. He shook his head as he picked up a notebook and left the library. As he was leaving, the librarian stopped him and began pointing furiously toward the table at the back of the room.

Orthosi's blood boiled as Jothon stood up and left the room without a second glance.

'He's stuck up eh bit,' Daivd said. 'I think it has t'do something wi' his father being eh magic theorist.'

'That doesn't give him the right to go around insulting people for no reason,' Orthosi said. 'I mean, who says stuff like that to people they hardly know?'

'It was very mean,' Maria agreed, turning to Orthosi. The members of the book club were trickling out of the library. 'I think snakes are fine. Especially the one with the big nose; that one is really cute.'

Orthosi simply nodded. Funny, Orthosi thought. Yesterday I would've had no problem with what Jothon said.

'Same opinions on all three objects,' Daivd noted as they stood up. 'How is 'at?'

'A big coincidence,' Orthosi admitted. I never thought I'd meet anyone who had been taught the same about those. I always thought mum was just eccentric to label stuff with morals and meanings.

Orthosi, David, and Maria left the hall, absorbed in discussing the unexpected argument that had prematurely ended the first book club meeting of the school year.