Chapter 8 : Hufflepuff's Qualities

The learning atmosphere at Hogwarts was usually quite relaxed, especially during meal times. Amidst the laughter and chatter, the lively welcome feast finally came to an end.

After Macka finished devouring the second batch of desserts, the plates on the table were magically cleared, looking as pristine as they were at the beginning.

At this moment, Professor Dumbledore stood up again, and the hall immediately fell silent.

"Oh, now that everyone is fed and watered, I think I have a few more words to say," Dumbledore paused, his gaze sweeping over the Weasley twins at the Gryffindor table, "First-year students, take note, students are strictly prohibited from entering the forest on campus. This is something our older students should also remember."

"Furthermore, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind everyone not to perform magic in the corridors during breaks."

"The tryouts for Quidditch players will be held in the second week of this semester. Those interested in joining the house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

"Finally, I must inform you all, anyone who does not wish to encounter accidents or suffer a painful death, please refrain from entering the right corridor on the fourth floor."

Upon hearing this last sentence, a few people laughed heartily, apparently thinking it was Dumbledore's usual humor. But most people didn't laugh; Dumbledore never joked about danger.

Macka thought this was probably related to the Philosopher's Stone, but he couldn't remember the details of the arrangement. Besides, what did it have to do with him? Compared to those game levels, which seemed to be either guarding against Voldemort or testing Harry, he was obviously more interested in the Philosopher's Stone itself.

Of course, that thing was basically a lost cause. He didn't want Dumbledore to use his pinky to press him down and rub him on the ground.

Overall, Macka didn't want to get involved in the events of this school year. He felt there was too little time for studying, not enough at all! He'd be doing well if he didn't cause trouble for those three little lions.

"Now, before you all retire for the night, let's sing the school song together!" Dumbledore said loudly, and almost all the teachers' faces stiffened.

With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore conjured a long golden ribbon from it, which twisted and turned above the long tables like a snake, forming lines of text.

"Choose your favorite tune," Dumbledore said, "Ready, sing!"

The entire student body, well, most of them, started singing loudly. Macka opened his mouth, realizing he couldn't go through with such an embarrassing act, so he just moved his lips like a fool, blending in with everyone's messy singing.

When Dumbledore announced that it was bedtime, Macka finally breathed a sigh of relief. But as long as he thought he might have to do this six more times in the future, he felt his eyes moistening.

"All right, let's go! First-year students, follow me, I'll show you the way." Beside Macka, the senior he had been chatting with suddenly stood up, smiling warmly as he spoke.

Wasn't that Cedric? Macka only remembered his name; he couldn't even recall his last name, but he vaguely remembered him as a very outstanding, very just senior prefect.

"But he doesn't seem as handsome as I imagined." Macka muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear.

"What's wrong? Little Macka, what are you looking at?" Charlotte, the senior from earlier, walked up to him and whispered, "That's Darren Criss, a senior from last year. He's been the male prefect for Hufflepuff since last year."

"Uh..." Macka was taken aback, this seemed to be inconsistent with his memory, "I was just wondering, who is Cedric? I heard about him before I enrolled; he seemed like a really good person."

Charlotte nodded as if she suddenly understood, then smiled and said, "Cedric? Indeed, in a couple more years, he'll definitely be a top candidate for prefect."

Following Charlotte's direction, Macka looked over and immediately saw a handsome young man. Cedric had been sitting at the other end of the long table during dinner, which is why Macka hadn't noticed him earlier.

Oh, I see. So Cedric hasn't become the male prefect for Hufflepuff yet!

"And... what about the female prefect?" Macka couldn't help but ask, seeing Darren, the senior prefect, standing alone in front of them.

"Oh, that's me!" Charlotte smiled and patted Macka's shoulder, then whispered, "I'm not used to leading others, so I usually leave things to Darren. He seems quite willing to do these things."

Macka looked at the pretty senior next to him and shook his head helplessly.

The Hufflepuff first-year students followed the amiable Darren through a side corridor on the first floor, and then descended all the way down to the basement beneath Hogwarts.

"That's the Hogwarts kitchen back there. If you get hungry at night, you can go there to get something to eat. The house-elves will be very welcoming to your arrival." Passing by a still-life painting of fruits, Charlotte pointed with her chin and said, "Just scratch the pears on top, sometimes they smile back at you, it's adorable."

The entrance to the Hufflepuff common room was not far away, but looking at the wall almost entirely covered with iron-bound barrels, Macka was a little confused.

"As you can see, this is a pile of messy barrels," Darren chuckled, "and the entrance to our Hufflepuff common room is among these barrels."

"Of course, I'm not asking you to open the lids and climb in. Ernie, that barrel you picked is too small." Darren stopped Ernie from attempting to investigate a suspicious barrel, then continued, "Please pay attention, the entrance to our Hufflepuff common room is the only one in Hogwarts that has a repelling intruders charm."

"Activating it is simple, just take out your wand, then tap the bottom cover of the second row in the middle of the two large barrels, in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff,' and the lid will automatically rotate open."

As Darren spoke, he drew out his wand and tapped a few times on the bottom covers of certain barrels. Instantly, the two lids rotated open in different directions, and then the entire stack of barrels moved, creating an irregular doorway in front of the new students.

Darren watched the commotion and amazement with a somewhat proud smile on his face. He waited for a moment before continuing.

"However, there is one thing to pay attention to! The entrance to our Hufflepuff common room is the only one in Hogwarts that has a repelling intruders charm. If you knock on the wrong lid or tap the rhythm incorrectly, unauthorized intruders will be doused in magically enchanted vinegar from several barrels above."

"Believe me, you absolutely don't want to experience that feeling. The smell of that vinegar is hard to wash off, and you can smell it from 200 meters away, making your teeth go soft with its acidity."

At these words, Ernie shivered all over, feeling extremely grateful to Darren for preventing him from 'self-destructing' earlier.

"Charlotte, if someone else finds out about this method, wouldn't it be useless?" Macka asked with some confusion.

"This is one of the biggest secrets of our Hufflepuff, and no one would want to reveal it," Charlotte shrugged, "The Hufflepuff common room and dormitories have never been seen by outsiders in over a thousand years. We know how to hide—how to protect ourselves, just like our house emblem."

Macka looked up at the badge on the common room wall, where the badger was emitting a faint glow, appearing understated yet composed.

"Hufflepuff, honest and loyal, patient and fair, not afraid of hardships. Macka mumbled the words on the plaque under the badge, the puzzled look from the sorting still lingering on his face, "If it were me, would I reveal the method of entering here when necessary?"

On this issue, he himself felt uncertain.

The Hufflepuff common room was a round, low-ceilinged room with a faint earthy fragrance.

It was enchanted so that sunlight streamed in during the day and fireflies twinkled at night.

Through the round windows, you could see swaying grass and dandelions. Many places were adorned with shiny copper ornaments, and there were many plants hanging from the ceiling or placed on the windowsill. Professor Pomona Sprout, who taught Herbology, always brought the most interesting specimens to decorate this not-so-large yet very cozy room.

Everyone here sat or stood, relaxing as if they were at home. Hufflepuff was the largest house at Hogwarts, yet it was also the most united internally, with almost no changes over the millennia, which was quite surprising to students from other houses.

After a while, the new students began to retire to their dormitories. It had been a busy day, and these little badgers were exhausted.

At night, Macka leaned back on his bed, once again opening his textbooks to read. His roommates had all fallen asleep, but he wasn't feeling very tired.

In the two months since school started, he had basically adjusted to normal sleeping hours, but today he couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept replaying everything he had seen today. Although he appeared calm, it didn't mean his heart was also at peace.

Although he held the book and read every line, he hardly remembered any of it, and it wasn't until late at night that he quietly fell asleep in his cloak.