Harry Potter Next Generation discussion

The Hufflepuff Basement serves as the Hufflepuff Common Room at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In general, it sports several motifs, such as circles, nature, copper and the colours yellow and black (all associated with the house). It also emphasises comfort, said to be "the coziest common room of them all". It is at one floor below the ground and is very sheltered from the elements, generally allowing students to sleep easier than those in the towers. The entrance to the common room is located "in a nook on the right hand side of the kitchen corridor", concealed behind a stack of barrels. In order to reveal the entrance, no password is required. Instead, one must tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’, which will make the lid swing open, exposing a passageway that will lead to the basement when crawled through. However, if the wrong lid is tapped or the wrong rhythm is used, the intruder will be doused in vinegar and barred access. The actual basement itself is round, earthy, low-ceilinged, welcoming, warm, and sunny. There are lots of yellow hangings, burnished copper, and overstuffed sofas and armchairs upholstered in yellow and black, and circular windows that provide a vista of "rippling grass and dandelions". The head of house, Pomona Sprout, also teaches Herbology and as such brings many interesting plants in to decorate the common room (some of which dance and talk), placing them on the windowsills or having them hang from the ceiling, encouraging interest in Herbology (and hence part of why Hufflepuffs tend to be good at it). There is also a large, honey coloured, wooden mantelpiece with carvings of badgers on it. This is located underneath a portrait of the house's founder, Helga Hufflepuff.

Malcolm was finishing up his homework when it happened.
He tripped on someone's backpack in the middle of the floor, and spilled ink all over it. "Sorry," he said, trying o remember what spell to use to clean it up. He bent down to pick up the bag, and bumped into someone, probably the bag's owner. They both fell backwards.
"Sorry," said Malcolm, "Again. I can be a bit klutzy."

Ava smiled as the boy tried to apologize, then knocked her to the ground. She started laughing and sat up, still on the floor. "It's fine. We all make mistakes, right?" Ava said calmly. She took the bottle that had spilled and placed it in her left hand. Taking her wand out, she murmured inaudibly. "Tergeo." Ava watched with a grin as she saw the ink returning to the bottle. "I'm Ava," she said with a huge smile. "Who are you?" she asked curiously.

"Malcolm Silver. Nice to meet you." He wondered how he hadn't noticed her before. She looked about his age, but he knew everyone in his year, in all the Houses. "I haven't seen you around before. What year are you in?"

"Nice to meet you too," she said with a warm smile. Ava listened to him and grinned. "I'm a sixth year. What year are you in?" She asked curiously. Ava zipped up her bag and stood up after realizing she was still on the ground. Her long blonde hair fell into her face, which she quickly brushed away with her fingers.

"Fifth," he said and noticed her smile. It was nice. He smiled back.

"Ah so that's why I haven't really seen you around. Ever tried a muggle pen?" she asked Malcolm, pulling a pen out of her bag. "It's not as messy and a bit more convenient." Ava smiled her normal infectious smile that extended to her blue eyes. "So which classes do you enjoy the most?" she asked, sitting back in her chair. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I'm okay at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, I guess," he said, "I play Quidditch, too, but I'm not that great."

"That's fun. Quidditch?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you play it just for fun or are you on the team? I've actually never gone to a game," Ava admitted, blushing. "I prefer being in the castle when no one is around. Gives you more of an opportunity to wander and explore," she said happily, thinking about how she would roller skate. Ava grinned at Malcolm.

"I'm on the team," he said, "Do you play?" He wondered what people not at the games did. If she explored, what had she found?

"Oh," Ava said, blushing deeply. "That's cool. Me? I don't play," she lied, which she didn't do often. Ava was an obvious liar. "So.. is your family muggles or magical?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

She played. She definitely played, and she played really well. Malcolm knew people. But what wasn't she saying? She'd give it up soon enough.
"Oh, my family?" he said, "Well, see, my dad's a muggle, and Mum was a witch, but, you know... What about your family?"

Ava looked at her hands, tracing the lines with her eyes. A soft smile formed on her lips. "My mum was a witch too. My parents loved each other very much. My dad wasn't very comfortable with magic, and my mother gave it all up for him," Ava's voice cracked and she closed her eyes, fighting off the tears. Her eyes fluttered opened and she looked at Malcolm. "Well that's in the past now," Ava said calmly, hinting that she didn't want to talk about her family any further. "So.. what position do you play?" she asked curiously, with a sparkle in her eye. It was ridiculously obvious to anyone that Ava had a fierce love of Quidditch.

"I'll tell you if you'll tell me," he said with a smile. Game, set and match.

"What do you mean?" Ava asked with fake puzzlement. "If you won't tell me I can just ask anyone else," she said with a smirk.

"True," he said. It was obvious she thought she'd trapped him. As if! "But then you know, you might have people wondering why it is you don't already know that. I mean, isn't being in the buildings during games considered out-of-bounds?"

Ava glared at Malcolm but quickly regained her composure. "I could always say I forgot your name," she said with a small smile, seeing that her plan had flaws. "Plus it's not like I break many rules if any when I'm in the castle," she told Malcolm.

"I suppose," he said, "I'm just curious. I mean, the team has a lot of openings, and I was hoping we could, er, help each other out?"

Ava raised an eyebrow. "What would you need my help with?" She asked, intrigued. "And vice versa?" She leaned forward, curious about his proposal.

"Well, you know," he said, "We can't play if we don't have all seven players. It would be nice to have other people willing to help out, and if one of them was as nice as you, it'd boost the whole team moral." Wait for it.

"I don't know what I could do.." She trailed off, thinking. "What positions are opened?" She asked with a small smile, wondering and hoping that the position she normally played was still opened. Ava played with the hair tie on her wrist while she listened, trying to show that she had no interest, but failing.

"What do you play? I mean I could tell you but," he said the next part in a whisper, " We're trying to keep it a secret until the game, so nobody panics and the other teams don't know what to expect. If I tell you, I have to tell everyone."
"On the other hand," he said in a normal voice, "If you were a potential member of the team, I'd be perfectly justified in telling who plays what."

Ava was torn. She wanted to know the positions, yet she didn't have the guts to try out or even think about it. "Okay, I understand. I won't tell anyone about your.. situation," Ava calmly told Malcolm, unzipping her backpack. She pulled out a muggle book, hoping to get some reading done if Malcolm didn't want to talk. "Anyways, what do you normally do in the summer?" Ava asked, trying to change the subject.

"So I guess you really don't play," he said, "Well you know, that's a shame. But if you're worried about not being so great? Trust me, I'm also not that good. Tell you what? Why don't we practice together? Then we can both improve, and the Quidditch team gets even better. Because if if you won't play, I still be better for me to get some practice in. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"I don't play with other people," she told truthfully, wanting the opportunity to play with him. Ava bit her lip. "I just.. it's just that.. well," she stuttered, "I get nervous and I just can't. That's why you probably don't see me at dinner often. I go to the kitchens afterwards, practicing while everybody eats. I don't do well with pressure.. You wouldn't want me on the team." Ava shrugged like it was no big deal, although it was. At least to her. She just didn't want to let them down if she made it. Ava feared not being good enough, not meeting expectations.

"You don't have to be on the team," he said, "I was telling the truth about needing extra practice. Please, just help a friend out."

Ava sighed. "Okay," she said, finally giving in. "I just might not do that well.." Ava smiled. "But sure. I'll help out," she added happily.

"But you still haven't told me what you play," he said, "Do you have a broom? Because I know a guy who knows a guy who could lend you one."

"I have a broom," she said with a grin. She gathered her belongings and walked over to the staircase leading to the girls rooms. "Tonight during dinner. Don't be late! I play seeker," she said with a grin, then she ran up the stairs.

Uh-oh. What had he just gotten himself into?
(Genius idea, Kaitlyn!)

((Thanks! I've had her play seeker before Malcolm, and thought it would be interesting. ^-^))

( We can do another one later.)
END OF ROLEPLAY