𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒. | 𝐒. 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰.

𝟎𝟏.

Now facing the four tables that I have just passed by, I waited for the piece of cloth to be placed on my head, yet the last thing that I expected was the fact that it started talking to me. I didn't even know if it was communicating through my head or just like a human being would do.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me. Now now, you're a bit older than the others aren't you?"
I kept myself not to show the shy expression that was trying to crept over my face and stayed put where I was. I looked around the room to observe the curios faces that were watching the scene happen before their own very eyes. Fig told me something about the fact that it was unusual for someone to attends Hogwarts this late..
"I see.. I see.. Where to put you? Where to put you?.. Hm.. Your loyalty to a dear friend delayed your arrival here this evening.. Indeed.. you have the sweetest soul I have ever seen.. You might belong in.. HUFFLEPUFF!"
Cheers was all i could hear after the magic hat made its decision, screams of euphoria that came mostly from one of the tables that I guessed belonged to my respective house.

Afterwards, the kind professor whose name I had learned to be was Matilda Weasley, the one who would teach me transfiguration, changed my neutral robes just like Professor Fig did just minutes ago, into a pretty school uniform adorned with yellow details to fit it properly into the house I was selected for. She quietly rushed me to sit so the headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, could continue with his determined speech I interrupted with my late arrival. "Due to the unfortunate injury on the pitch in last spring's final, this year's Quidditch season has been cancelled" hums of disapproval came from the students in the whole hall but what really caught my attention were the words of a girl sitting next to me. "Oh c'mon, this old man hasn't anything better to do??" her hands closed in two fits as she sighed in dissatisfaction, her short brown hair was tucked slightly behind her ears.

The unknown teenager shifted in her seat while I observed her the whole time, and as if she could feel the gaze full of curiosity I was reserving for her she wasted no time to return the stare, finally acknowledging me, "oh sorry, i didn't mean to unsettle you! I'm Poppy Sweeting! It's such a pleasure to meet you!" she kindly offered me a smile "don't worry, I'm Vivienne Chantelle and it's a pleasure to meet you too, Poppy" I smiled back to her, as a way to let her know that I was absolutely not uncomfortable in her presence. She took the signal so when the beginning of the year banquet started, we continued to talk while we ate. It was nice to speak to someone about normal well not exactly that normal.. things, in fact Poppy did nothing but talk to me about her passion for fantastic beasts, especially those that lived outside the castle and how she shared this passion with her grandmother. I found it really amusing and to say the least she managed to arouse me so much with her words that we decided that one day after classes we would go together to see the magical animals up close and study them. Eventually, the headmaster dismissed everyone so Poppy guided me happily to the Hufflepuff's common room that was located below ground level behind a stack of barrels near the kitchens. We discovered once arrived at the dorms that me and Poppy would share a room for the rest of the year together with her friends who she introduced me to in no time.

"Girls! This is Vivienne she'll be our new roommate from now on" she puts an arm around my shoulders in some type of side hug while we both faced the two girls that were busy until now to unpack their things "You're so pretty oh my god! I'm Lenora Everleigh but you can call me Len!" she approached me in the blink of an eye "Thank you so much! And it's so lovely to meet you" I felt my cheeks turn a little red from the sudden attentions I was receiving "Oh and my name is Adelaide Oakes, it's nice to see new faces every now and then" the last girl chuckled at me "what are you implying?? That our faces bore you now?" Len glanced sharply at Adelaide "Oh yes absolutely!"