Title: Beginnings
Author: Zelda Ophelia (
zeldaophelia)
Fandom/Character: Harry Potter; Hufflepuffs
General info: Not mine; K
Words: 440
Notes: For the
help_haiti lightning round for
chanter_greenie. Prompt: gen, the new Hufflepuffs in Harry's year, on the first evening in their House common room and dormitory.
Summary: As their first day at Hogwarts comes to a close, the newest Hufflepuffs discuss their famous classmate.
Ernie Macmillan slowly made his way into the Hufflepuff common room, the last of the boys from his year to leave their dormitory. It looked, from the small group assembled by the fireplace, that all of the girls had beat him out as well. A pink-faced, blond girl, Hannah he believed her name was, scooted over on the cushion where she sat, making room for him to join them. He took a seat, looking at the others. On Hannah's other side was a small brown-haired girl with watery, brown eyes and a tear-streaked face. She sniffled softly, taking the handkerchief offered by the boy opposite her. Ernie didn't remember the girl's name, but he had sat with Justin Finch-Fletchley on the train.
"Did everyone get settled in okay?" Ernie asked, deciding someone had to get this quiet group going. They weren't going to get to know each other if everyone sat staring at the fire! He ignored the sour-faced blond across from him who rolled his eyes (Zach-something Smith, if he remembered correctly from the sorting).
The brown-haired girl's lower lip wobbled a bit and she (He really was going to need to learn all their names, especially if he was going to be Head Boy some day, like he planned.) nearly burst into tears, wiping at her eyes with Justin's handkerchief.
"How could you be so insensitive? Megan misses her family," the girl on Megan's other side said, shooting him a glare.
Ernie's jaw dropped. Before he could say anything, the blond boy shifted, shooting a look around their group before saying, "Did you see him? Harry Potter is here. At Hogwarts. In our year."
Megan stopped sobbing as the group of Hufflepuffs all looked at each other. Ernie had been raised on stories about the "Boy Who Lived", tales of how he defeated You-Know-Who even as a baby. Something even the best trained, full-grown Aurors hadn't been able to do. He saw the looks his new housemates were giving each other and decided that this needed to be quickly nipped in the bud. "He was a baby at the time," he said. "He probably doesn't remember any of it."
"D'you think he as powerful as everyone says?" Hannah asked softly.
Zach shrugged, "I doubt it. He lived with Muggles from what I heard. Doesn't know anything about being a Wizard."
Gasping, Megan said up straight and stared at him. "How could you not know how to be a Wizard? When it's who you are?"
"He knows now," Justin said quietly from his spot by the fireplace. "That's the important thing. He's here now. And he knows who he is."
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