The learning atmosphere at Hogwarts was, for the most part, quite relaxed. This was especially evident during mealtimes. Amidst the cheerful laughter of the students, the lively welcome banquet finally came to an end.
After Marcel had polished off a few selections from the second round of desserts, the plates on the table were magically cleared, looking as clean and new as they had at the start.
At that moment, Professor Dumbledore stood up again, and the hall immediately fell silent.
"Ahem. Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you." Dumbledore paused, his eyes sweeping over the Weasley twins at the Gryffindor table. "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Hearing this, a few people laughed, seeming to think it was another one of Dumbledore's jokes. But the vast majority did not laugh. Professor Dumbledore never joked about danger.
This must be about the Philosopher's Stone, Marcel thought. As for the specific enchantments, he couldn't remember them clearly. Besides, what did it have to do with him? Compared to those game-like trials, which seemed designed more to train Harry than to stop Voldemort, he was obviously more interested in the Philosopher's Stone itself.
Of course, that was something he couldn't even dream of touching. He had no desire to be pinned to the ground and crushed by Dumbledore's little finger.
All in all, Marcel had no intention of getting involved in this year's events. He already felt that his study time was far too short and simply not enough. It would be a wonder if he didn't cause a little trouble for the three little lions.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. The faces of nearly all the other teachers froze.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
The entire school, well, most of them, belted out the song. Marcel opened his mouth to follow along but found he simply couldn't bring himself to do something so embarrassing. He could only move his lips like a fool, blending his silence into the chaotic mess of everyone's singing.
When Dumbledore finally announced that it was bedtime, Marcel breathed a sigh of relief. But when he thought about having to go through this six more times, he felt his eyes grow a little moist.
"Alright, let's go! First-years, follow me. I'll show you the way," the senior student who had been chatting with Marcel earlier suddenly stood up and said with a warm, loud voice and a gentle smile.
Is that Cedric? Marcel only remembered his first name, not his last, but he had a vague impression of a handsome, outstanding, and righteous prefect.
"Though he doesn't seem as handsome as I imagined," Marcel muttered in a voice only he could hear.
"What's wrong, little Marcel? What are you looking at?" The senior girl from before, Charlotte, walked over to him and whispered. "That's Darren Chris, a sixth-year. He's been the Hufflepuff male prefect since last year."
"Uh," Marcel was taken aback. This seemed to conflict with his memory. "...I was just wondering who Cedric is? I heard about him before I came to school. He seems like a great person."
Charlotte nodded in understanding, then smiled. "Cedric? It's true. In another two years, he'll definitely be a top candidate for prefect."
Marcel followed Charlotte's pointing finger and his eyes immediately fell upon a handsome boy. Cedric had been sitting at the other end of the long table during the feast, which was why Marcel hadn't noticed him.
Oh, so that was it. There were grade restrictions for prefect selection. Cedric had not yet become the Hufflepuff male prefect.
"Then... who's the female prefect?" Marcel couldn't help but ask, looking at Prefect Darren's solitary figure up ahead.
"Oh, that's me!" Charlotte patted Marcel's shoulder with a grin, then whispered, "I'm not used to leading people, so I usually leave things to Darren. He seems to enjoy it."
Marcel looked at the carefree, beautiful senior student next to him and shook his head helplessly.
The Hufflepuff first-years followed the easy-going Prefect Darren down a side corridor on the first floor, then all the way down to the basement level, directly beneath the Great Hall.
"That's the Hogwarts kitchens back there. If you get hungry at night, you can go there for a snack. The house-elves will be happy to see you," Charlotte said, pointing with her chin as they passed a still-life painting of a fruit bowl. "Just tickle the pear. Sometimes it giggles along with you. It's very cute."
The entrance to the Hufflepuff common room was not far away, but Marcel felt a little dazed looking at the stack of wood-and-iron-bound barrels that took up almost an entire wall.
"As you can all see, this is a messy pile of barrels," Darren said with a smile. "And the entrance to our Hufflepuff common room is among them."
"Of course, I'm not asking you to open a lid and climb in. Ernie, the barrel you've picked is too small," Darren said, stopping Ernie's attempt on a suspicious-looking barrel. He continued, "Please pay attention, everyone. The entrance to the Hufflepuff common room is the only one at Hogwarts that has a magical defense to repel intruders."
"The way to open it is simple. You just need to take out your wand and tap the bottom of the two large barrels in the middle of the second row to the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff.' The lids will then automatically swing open."
As Darren spoke, he drew his own wand and tapped the bottoms of two specific barrels a few times. Instantly, the two lids spun open in opposite directions. The entire pile of barrels then shifted, and an irregularly shaped doorway appeared before the new students' eyes.
Darren watched the commotion and awe from the students with a proud smile on his face. He waited a moment before continuing.
"However, there is one thing you must all be very careful about! If you tap the wrong barrel, or tap the wrong rhythm, the illegal intruder will be doused in enchanted vinegar from several of the barrels above."
At this, Darren shrugged. "Trust me, you will never want to experience that feeling. The smell of that vinegar is very difficult to wash off, and you can smell that tooth-softening sourness from two hundred meters away."
Ernie shivered, suddenly feeling immense gratitude toward Prefect Darren for stopping his "self-destructive" attempt earlier.
"Senior Charlotte, if other people find out about this method, won't it be useless?" Marcel asked, a little confused.
"This is one of Hufflepuff's greatest secrets. No one would ever want to tell," Charlotte said with a shrug. "The Hufflepuff common room and dormitories have never been seen by an outsider in over a thousand years. We know how to hide, how to protect ourselves. Just like our house crest."
Marcel looked up at the house crest on the common room wall. The badger on it glowed with a dim light, looking low-key and composed.
"Hufflepuff: just and loyal, patient and true, and unafraid of toil." Marcel mulled over the words on the plaque beneath the crest, the bewildered look from his sorting returning to his face. "If it were me, would I reveal the way in here if necessary?"
He wasn't sure of the answer to that question himself.
The Hufflepuff common room was a round, low-ceilinged room that smelled faintly of earth.
It was enchanted so that it was always sunny during the day and filled with glowing fireflies at night.
Through the round windows, one could see waving grass and dandelions. There were many burnished copper decorations, and numerous plants either hanging from the ceiling or placed on the windowsills. The Head of House, Professor Pomona Sprout, who taught Herbology, always brought the most interesting specimens to decorate this cozy, though not overly large, room.
Everyone sat or stood around, as relaxed and at ease as if they were in their own homes. Hufflepuff was the largest house at Hogwarts, but also the most united internally. This had barely changed in a thousand years, a fact that greatly surprised the other houses.
After a while, the new students gradually went off to their dormitories to rest. After such a long day, these little badgers were exhausted.
That night, Marcel leaned against his bed and opened a textbook again. His roommates were already asleep, but he wasn't very tired.
Over the past two months, he had mostly adjusted to a normal sleep schedule, but tonight he couldn't seem to fall asleep. His mind kept replaying everything he had seen that day. Although he had appeared calm, it didn't mean his heart was just as settled.
He held the book and read line by line, but he barely absorbed any of it. It wasn't until late at night that he finally drifted off, still wrapped in his outer robe.