Chapter 76: Welcome to Hufflepuff
"If I may be blunt, you don't look like someone who bathes often." Leonard steadied his thoughts, shielding his mind from intrusion, and spoke casually.
"That may be true, but it's part of my charm," the Sorting Hat replied, its peak twitching. "Alright, enough chatter, let's see where you belong—"
"Hufflepuff." Leonard cut it off before it could finish.
"Uh… sorting is my job, not yours," the Sorting Hat faltered, suddenly unsure of itself.
Leonard's voice was too low for others to hear, but the Sorting Hat's wasn't. Students, both new and old, stared in shock. No one had ever seen someone try to pick their own house.
And if you got to choose your own house? That sounded pretty amazing—it would make you stand tall against the other three.
Instantly, all eyes locked on Leonard, eager to hear which lucky house this unusual first-year would claim.
"Hufflepuff," Leonard repeated firmly.
"Care to give me a reason?" the Sorting Hat asked, curious. "If it's convincing, I might make an exception."
"I heard Hufflepuff is close to the kitchen. That way, I can grab a midnight snack whenever I want," Leonard said with absolute seriousness.
Sorting Hat: ???
"Are you certain that's your real reason?" it pressed.
"What? Is there a Hogwarts rule against midnight snacks?" Leonard shot back.
"Well, no," the Sorting Hat admitted. "But it's a rather shallow reason. Normally, we sort based on traits."
"Oh? Then which house do you think suits me? Ravenclaw or Gryffindor?" Leonard asked indifferently.
"Er… why not guess Slytherin?"
"Don't joke with me," Leonard scoffed.
Why would a Squib's descendant go to Slytherin just to make life harder for himself?
"Well then, it seems you're a young wizard with a clear sense of who you are." The Sorting Hat tilted slightly. "As you wish… Hufflepuff!"
The Hufflepuff table erupted into cheers and applause. With a single choice, Leonard had won their respect even before stepping into the house.
Professor McGonagall waved her wand, transforming Leonard's plain uniform with Hufflepuff's black-and-yellow stripes and its badger crest.
"Welcome to Hufflepuff," said the house prefect at the front of the table as Leonard approached. "I'm Gabriel Truman. If you ever need help or have questions, just come to me."
"Glad to meet you, Truman." Leonard shook his hand warmly and sat down at the table.
"Hi, I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley," the boy beside him, also a new student, greeted with a smile.
"Hello, I'm Leonard William," Leonard replied politely.
"You were amazing just now, out in front of the Hall," Justin said excitedly. "You really put that awful Malfoy in his place."
"I didn't put him in his place. I only stood up for myself when he insulted me," Leonard answered.
"That's still incredible! You scared him to tears with just a look!" Justin said, his smile fading into a frown. "That Malfoy really went too far. I asked the prefect—'Mudblood' is an especially nasty insult. I don't fully get it, but it still makes me angry."
"Alright, Finch-Fletchley, stop hogging our hero. Let us talk to him too," came teasing laughter from across the table, a group of girls smiling at Leonard.
"Hello, William. I'm Susan Bones. I may come from a pure-blood family, but I've never thought muggle-borns were any different. We're all wizards, aren't we?" said a round-faced girl with a bright smile.
Susan Bones. Leonard recognized the name and nodded. "Thank you for saying that."
"Hi, I'm Hannah Abbott," said a timid blonde girl with freckles and two neat braids.
Hannah Abbott—always a familiar face in fanfics. Not necessarily central, but she always showed up.
After all, with a surname starting with A, she was the very first to step up for the Sorting.
"You're so brave. I thought you'd be sorted into Gryffindor," she whispered.
"Gryffindor represents bravery, but that doesn't mean being in another house makes you the opposite. Bravery is a fine quality, and everyone should have some, even outside Gryffindor—just in moderation." Leonard glanced at the Gryffindor table. "Too much bravery just turns into recklessness."
"Well said," a tall boy chimed in. "I'm Ernie Macmillan."
"Hello. I suppose I don't need to introduce myself—you already know who I am," Leonard replied.
"Of course. You're impressive." Ernie gave him a thumbs-up. "And I can't stand Malfoy either. He looked downright pathetic when he cried."
"Just a crybaby. Why even mention him?" Justin muttered.
"Yeah, forget him. Total buzzkill."
With that light exchange, the Hufflepuff first-years quickly began building the foundation of their friendship.
"Ding, ding, ding…" A clear sound cut through their chatter. They turned to the staff table, where Headmaster Dumbledore tapped a goblet with a silver spoon.
Once the hall had gone quiet, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Welcome, new students, to Hogwarts. And welcome back to our returning students. Before your heads get too clouded by good food and excitement, I must remind you of a few things."
Leonard watched Dumbledore, listening to the so-called reminders.
Warnings about staying out of the Forbidden Forest were expected, but the way he singled out "the corridor on the third floor, right-hand side" was practically begging people to go there.
And that line about "not wanting to suffer a painful death"? Ridiculous.
No student believed they'd actually die in the supposedly safe walls of Hogwarts. To them, it was nothing more than an empty threat.
And "stay away from the Forbidden Forest" yet again…
Leonard just treated it all as a bit of entertainment.
Then came Dumbledore's famously short welcome speech: "Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak!"
Leonard hated riddles—especially pointless ones. The only thing on his mind now was to get through the feast quickly so he could sneak into the Forbidden Forest later that night.
Of course, the food itself was still worth looking forward to.
Author's Note
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