Ug Ⅳ….

Madam Pomfrey the matron of the infirmary had cooed and clicked her tongue over the sight of Lorcan D'Eath. Thankfully, nothing had been found broken nor fractured beyond a pulled muscle and plenty of bruises, and a badly swollen, bleeding lip. With a grimace, Lorcan was forced to drink several vile potions, before being released with a jar of numbing cream to aid with the bruising that would be gone by the next morning. Not that the matron wouldn't have kept Lorcan overnight, but Lorcan was stubborn and a very determined Hufflepuff. In the end, Madam Pomfrey released him knowing that the child would be fine, before tending to her next patient.

Feeling much better, Lorcan chewed on a sweet he'd placed in his pocket from the sweet box in the infirmary. Lost in thought in he wandered down into the dungeons, but unlike the Slytherins who always turned to the right, he went left in the direction of the Hogwarts Kitchen. In a brightly lit hallway in a nook on the right-hand side of the kitchen corridor carefully concealed behind a stack of barrels is the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. Unlike the rest of the three houses, no passwords were required. Instead, the Hufflepuff had to tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row in the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff." (Helga Hufflepuff must have liked music or at least the drums….)

If the barrel was tapped correctly the lid would swing open exposing a passageway that led to into a basement to crawl through. However, if the wrong lid was tapped incorrectly or at the wrong rhythm, intruder or not, they would be doused with vinegar and barred access. More than a few Hufflepuff's had been forcibly taught to be patient in such a manner.

Tucking his robes up carefully, Lorcan crawled into the passageway. He knew that a lot of the girls like Glenda didn't like to do so because some of the more perverted boys in their house took the opportunity to stick fare too closely to them, try to peek up their skirt or flip it up, or worse fondle their backside without their permission. As such girls only tended to go out in groups and if not accompanied by a male housemate that they trusted not to flip their skirt nor attempt to touch their rump.

After crawling for a bit, Lorcan emerged into a round, earthly, low-ceilinged chamber. The Hufflepuff common room always felt sunny, and its circular windows gave a view of rippling grass, dandelions, and other warm images. Many of the decorations are made of burnished copper, and hundreds of plants hang from the ceiling or sit on the windowsills. Occasionally even, their head of house, Professor Sprout would bring out interesting plant specimens to decorate the common room; (and which could dance and even talk! And one of the reasons as to why Hufflepuffs were so often very good at Herbology.)

The common room has overstuffed sofas and chairs that are upholstered in yellow and black as Hufflepuffs chat and play games. In the center of the common room is a large, honey-colored, wooden mantelpiece with a carving of badgers on it. Hanging overhead of the mantelpiece is a portrait of the house's founder, Helga Hufflepuff. (And interesting enough, the Hufflepuff's were the only house where a portrait of their founder hung in their common room).

Not feeling very chatty, Lorcan heads towards the dormitories that can only be reached through round doors in the walls of the common room. (Naturally, each round door is solely for one gender.) He quickly heads to his shared dorm room with Jacob, Lockhart, and their other roommate. Inside their dormitory are cooper lamps hang overhead casing a warm light over the four-poster beds covered in warm, thick patchwork quilts. (Best of all are the cooper bed warmth pots that hang on the walls, should anyone get cold or have cold feet.)

Crawling into bed for a bit, Lorcan lays there for a bit before the door to the dorm room is slammed open. "I say, old chap, what are you doing in bed when it's not even lunch yet!" The golden-haired Lockhart loftily complained. He is closely followed by the loud sighing figure of the honey-haired Jacob Clayton.

Jacob instantly senses something is wrong as his light-colored eyes narrow and his nose flares. Having been a former werewolf still left him with a certain heightened sense of smell. And he smelled dried blood on Lorcan's clothes and the scent of bruise balm.

Ignoring the chattering Lockhart, Jacob goes over and sits at the edge of Lorcan's bed. "You alright, mate?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Lorcan somewhat truthfully replied. Because he was feeling much better, but tired from the potion and sore.

Lockhart does not notice the interaction as he continues to rant out loud. "I can't believe that Gilbert Wimble said that I was a toe rag! Do I appear insipid without a single kilogram of creativity in my bones! Well, I'll show him! I'll write the greatest novel that the world has ever read!"

Not hearing an ounce of pity from his friends, Lockhart whirls around to see Jacob quietly sitting on the side of Lorcan's bed. Seeing a large lump under the patchwork quilt, Lockhart snorts as he puts his hands on his hips. "Now see here, Lorcan. It's much too early to go to bed. I know that there are vampire stereotypes and all, but that can least wait until after lunch!"

"I'm not hungry," Lorcan replied rather muffled from underneath the quilt. However, his stomach loudly rumbled and promised otherwise.

Lockhart lets out a triumphant cry and points avidly at the mound on Lorcan's bed. "There you have it! I clearly heard your stomach rumbled, didn't we, Jacob!"

Before Lockhart can continue the door, slams open to reveal the pretty, golden-haired figure of Glenda Chittock. Glenda's eyes instantly zero in on the huddled form of her best friend, Lorcan. Her blue-green eyes narrow dangerously as they fix themselves onto Lockhart. "What did you do, Gilderoy?" She only called Lockhart by his first given name, whenever she was angry.

"It's Lockhart," Lockhart weakly protested. "And I didn't do anything to him, in fact, I'm trying to get him out of bed!"

"Fine," Glenda dismissively said. "The Prefect's are gathering everyone in the common room. Apparently, Professor Sprout is calling a house meeting before lunch."

"Right, I'll save us some seats!" Lockhart piped up, before scrambling away lest he bears the brunt of Glenda's wrath.

Glenda shares a glance with Jacob, who tiredly climbs off the bed and goes after Lockhart. Left alone, Glenda climbs onto the bed to sit next to Lorcan. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Unable to lie to his best friend, Lorcan mumbles, "I'm just tired."

"Really?" Glenda said with disbelief.

"Really," Lorcan mumbled, but to his shock Glenda forcefully tugs the covers off him in a surprising turn of events.

"Lorcan, who did this!" Glenda gasped as she saw his swollen lip with a healing cut.

"I fell," Lorcan sheepishly answered with his head ducking down.

"That's a lie and we both know it, Lorcan!" Glenda huffed as she folded her arms over her chest. "This isn't over, but I don't want to get into trouble. Prefect Branstone is scary."

The two of them shudder as they recall the female Hufflepuff Prefect, before Lorcan scrambles out of bed and follows her back to the noisy common room. What can be said, Hufflepuffs are nosey things. Their house representation is that of a badger...