------------------> A LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT on the twelfth of October, Cordelia Rosier found herself levitating the sleeping body of Sophia Abbot slowly to the Common Room from their dorm.
Hufflepuff's took birthday's very seriously and she had already attended about four birthday party traditions until now at Hogwarts.
Amelia Bones helped her seat the still-sleeping Sophia Abbot on a chair while her older brother, Samuel Abbot lit the candles on the very large chocolate cake.
It was decided that Harriet should have the utmost pleasure of waking the birthday girl up, since she wouldn't be bodily injured in anyway upon doing so (considering she was a portrait and already dead)- a move that was vehemently pushed forward by Cordelia Rosier, Olivia Blake and Samuel Abbot, all three of them having experienced the dire consequences of waking Sophia Abbot personally.
Harriet looked very excited for being able to participate and screamed loudly into the ears of Sophia until she woke up angrily. The anger soon became surprised and fond embarrassment when every single one of her house-mates shouted "Happy birthday!"
The rest of the events were a bit of a blur. They made Sophia wear a paper-crown and a stash that said 'Birthday Princess' and they all sang the happy birthday song as she made a wish, blew out the candles and then cut the cake.
Troy had grinned and proceeded to dunk Sophia's face into the birthday cake, which in turn made the girl give him a honeyed smile before proceeding to chase him around the Common Room while throwing bits of cake on him, much to the great entertainment of everybody else.
After that, they brought more food and drinks from the kitchen -sort of like a very early breakfast or midnight dinner- and then they had a little dance party with some people singing and others trying making music using common items like qills and walls.
They slept again sometime between four to five in the morning, and that was only because Callum Withrome-Scott, the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain and resident star Chaser, had yelled loudly that they had better get in how much ever sleep they could, because he was still going to wake the Quidditch team players and the reserves up seven for practise, making the mentioned members curse and groan before heading off to bed. Amos Diggory, who was also the keeper of the team, had quickly ushered all the third years and below back into their dorms before falling asleep on one of the sofa's in the Common Room.
------> 0o0 <------
The days went on sadly uneventful. Classes went on as usual. The only highlighters were that they celebrated Olivia's birthday on the first of November grandly (it had somehow ended up as a food fight and not even Harriet was spared- having had a smear on her canvas) and later, they also celebrated Sirius's birthday with much enthusiasm.
James and Cordelia collaborated on a gift and gave him a dart-set that had a picture of a screaming Walburga Black in the middle. One hundred points if you get one of her nostrils, fifty points if you get one of her eyes and twenty five points if you get her gapping mouth. Sirius declared that it was the best present he had gotten with a grin on his face.
Soon enough, the much awaited Quidditch season was about to began; with the first match of the year being Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff.
"I can't believe he's not freaking out." Sophia said, subtly glancing at Callum.
Olivia nodded. "I know. I thought that he would have been revising all the plays or something."
"Doesn't that mean that he's already prepared, though?" Cordelia asked and upon seeing her friends' disbelieving looks, she added, "Actually he looks to be reading a book now. Maybe that's Quidditch Through The Ages?"
"Definitely not Quidditch Through The Ages," Samuel Abbot replied as he took a seat beside his sister in the Common Rooms. He smiled at them. "Hello. The two of you look beautiful as always."
"Don't you mean three?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow.
Samuel blinked before looking at Sophia with a shocked look. "Oh hello there, sister of mine. Sorry, I assumed you to be a baby troll until I looked closer."
Sophia gave him a honey-filled sarcastic smile. "Charming as always, aren't you, brother dearest?"
Samuel winked. "Only to you, dear sister."
Both of them very maturely blew a raspberry at each other simultaneously.
Sophia scowled. "Why are you here? Don't you have Quidditch to play? Newsflash, the Ravenclaw's team is good and you have a match to play in three days... Aren't you worried?"
Samuel opened his mouth to retort when somebody else beat him to it.
"And why should Hufflepuff be worried when they have me on their team?" Edward Marchbanks, the third oldest brother of Evelyn Marchbanks and the seeker of the Hufflepuff Quiddtich team asked casually as he took a seat beside Olivia, effectively sandwiching the three girls between the two fifth-year boys.
"Oh, not you too!" Sophia groaned. "I've had more than enough of you during summer when you came and visited my house every.single.day. Can't I get a break in school at least from the two of you?"
"I'm afraid you are stuck with us, princess Sophie." Samuel grinned as he ruffled her hair lightly.
Sophia stomped on his foot. "Oh, joy. Lucky me." She commented dryly.
Edward laughed.
"Uh guys," Olivia began. "Getting back to the topic on hand, what makes you think that Callum isn't reading Quidditch Through The Ages?" she asked curiously.
"Ah... Well you see, Olive-oil," Edward began, casually throwing an arm over her shoulders.
"-Don't call me that-"
"-the two of us happen to be dear Callum's roommates." he continued nonchalantly. "Now, if one would snatch the book from under him or see the cover of the book, it would read 'Fantastic Beasts and How To Find Them' by Newt Scamander."
"So?" Cordelia asked.
"Firstly, he doesn't take Care of Magical Creatures as one of his electives." Edward smirked.
"Again, so?" Cordelia asked. "Everybody reads books for fun. I've read a book about Ancient Rituals that involve the exchange of one's magic just because I was bored."
Edward raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything. Instead, Samuel continued speaking.
"And secondly, the two of us happen to be his roommates." Samuel said. "and he's always hiding and reading that book in the dark under the tip of his wand. He's even reading it during history of magic and all, and he always has this look of shocked-happiness whenever he reads it. Did I mention that he reads it a lot?"
"Plus, he never shows the book to anybody. Like if literally anybody asks him if they can read it, he makes up some lame excuses about why they can't." Edward carried on explaining.
"So, in conclusion, we believe," Samuel paused for effect, "that he is reading an adult-rated book."
"You're kidding." Cordelia said, eyebrows raised.
Edward sighed. "No. As hard as that it is to believe, coral-reef-"
"-Don't call me that-"
"-He is a teenager and as a fellow male teenager, I can tell you that we are very weird and hormone-ruled." Edward said, making Samuel nod in agreement and Sophia scrunch up her face in disgust.
"Ew." Cordelia said, as Olivia made a gagging motion.
"It's true." Samuel shrugged. "It isn't that hard to believe. You'll understand when you are older and all your male friends soon try their very best to become your boyfriends." He said before looking at Sophia. "Which you are not allowed to have, by the way. Not until you are forty at least. Scratch that. Fifty. Fifty sounds nice."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. Boys are dumb."
"You say that now." Edward grinned. "You'll change your mind in a few years."
"No she won't." Samuel said quickly. "We agreed on fifty."
"Right. Sorry, I forgot." Edward said, rolling his eyes.
"Anyway," Cordelia started after a few seconds, "Edward, I feel that since you so graciously bestowed a much beloved nickname upon me, it is only polite if I return the favour."
Edward laughed. "Go for it."
"Edweirdo." Cordelia stated proudly.
Edward looked thoughtful. "Similar to the actual name, snide insult, good job. My turn, Cora-nut. Get it? Like coconut?" he grinned.
Cordelia smirked. "I totally get it, Edinburg."
"Oh, do you really, Cord-board?"
"I completely do, Teddy."
"Oh you did not just call me that, Dilly."
"We both know I did, Eddy-bear."
"Why-"
"Okay," Sophia interrupted the nickname and starring contest. "As much as this is all very fascinating, we have a class to go to and you both have a Quidditch match to plan properly and win since apparently, your Captain is much rather interested in other... worldly things."
Samuel and Edward laughed while Cordelia and Olivia shared a smile.
"Okay, let's go. We'll see you all later." Cordelia stood up and waved at them before looping her arms through Sophia's and Olivia's and the three of them dramatically skipped out of the Common Room.
------> 0o0 <------
On the afternoon of the ninth of November, the first Quidditch match of the academic year at Hogwarts, the stands of the Quidditch pitch was easily divided by the colours of blue and yellow. There were a scant of students of other houses attending as well- either because they were Quidditch enthusiasts, they had been dragged to the game by a friend from the competing houses or because they were here to tactically analyse the game in order to figure out the weakness and strengths of the two teams.
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were present mostly due to the second reason.
James, Sirius and Peter were covered in what looked to be yellow paint and were holding up signs that said 'Hufflepuff All The Way' while Remus was wearing a yellow scarf. The three of them had been dragged to the Hufflepuff section as soon as they arrived and had been immediately surrounded by members of the house of badgers in order to 'show house spirit'.
The first year badgers were especially excited that their very first match at Hogwarts would be off their house. The only thing better than this would be a possible victory party after. Each of them went all out with their house pride and were decked in yellow and carrying large signs of encouragement.
"Welcome everybody to the very first match of the academic year of '76!" The announcer, a fellow Hufflepuff named Leo Carmichael said loudly, making everybody cheer. "Are you ready to see who is the winner between the houses of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff!"
More cheers, whistles and claps.
"Alright then! Introducing Team Ravenclaw. We have the Captain and Beater, Fredrick Montgomery! Chasers, Magnus Carter, Gregory Court, Johnathan Applebee! Beater, Roger Daniels! Seeker, Christy Dothworth! And keeper, Melissa Dunn!"
Cheers from the Ravenclaw section grew louder as the players flew in, while some members of the Hufflepuff section politely clapped. Olivia had just been about to boo when Cordelia blocked her with her hand on her mouth, making the dark-skinned girl glare at her.
"And now, introducing the best house in the whole freaking world, here comes the HUFFLEPFFS!" Cordelia removed her hand from Olivia's mouth to block her ears, before proceeding to scream as loudly as she could, even jumping up and down. Her own cheers joined her housemate's loud ones and Leo looked quite proud of that as he waited for all of them to calm down.
"We have the amazing Captain and Chaser of this most brilliant team, Callum Withrome-Scott! Our other absolutely brilliant chasers include the fabulous Lisa Hedgeflower and the totally awesome Matthew Styles! Our powerful beater duo contain the very awe-inspiring Samuel Abbot and the marvellous Mackenzie Cooper! Our seeker is the ever astounding, Edward Marchbanks and our keeper is the one and only, the sensational Amos Diggory! Can I hear a loud round of applause for this -and I say this in my completely unbiased opinion- the greatest, most extraordinary, remarkably wonderful -Oh alright, professor I'll stop it- Give it up for the phenomenal team of Hufflepuff's everybody!"
The cheer that was given was thundering.
"The two captains, that is Montgomery and the spectacular Withrome-Scott, if you didn't know already, are now shaking hands and our referee for this match, the lovely Madame Hootch who by the way, is looking even more beautiful than she always did, don't you think? -No, Professor Mcgonagall, I'm not complementing Madame Hootch just so she'll give us extra points. Why would you ever think that- Anyway, the Captains are shaking hands now..."
------> 0o0 <------
The victory party held at the Hufflepuff Common Room that evening would know no bounds with the resident woman in the portrait, Harriet cringing every time a couple snogged each other against the wall she was hung.