The Hufflepuff Table 2025-2026

Denise was happy to hear that Zephyr had heard of Comrie, despite being a small and unknown village in the southern Highlands. Denise sipped her glass of water; well, pumpkin juice wasn't very appetizing, and the other options like orange juice were personally too much for her. Denise debated on Zephyr's comment on having a "nice childhood", while she did grow up poor without her parents, her childhood wasn't horrible, save for setting her bully's clothes on fire, losing all her friends at the local hospital, and getting expelled. But Denise chose not to comment, nodding along as she sipped slowly on her glass, the water now lukewarm and tasting somehow a bit old.

Hearing that Zephyr was excited about seeing the castle, exploring, and learning magic, Denise became curious about the beautiful castle. Were there a million rooms? Maybe a million books in the library? How about a million spells to learn? Denise felt overwhelmed, commenting, " I still feel a bit... It's a lot. I wonder if I'll belong."

Indeed, Denise always struggled with belonging and wondered if she would truly belong in Hogwarts, a place of magic and mystery, and if Denise was able to put herself out there and master and fit into this new world. Denise saw the chatter die down slowly as she asked Zephyr about the castle, “How many rooms are there? Are there magical creatures here?” She looked at the ghosts, terrified and scared while also fascinated and amazed at this new world. Dinner was a delicious feast, and it was soon time to wrap up. The stars twinkled brightly in the night sky as the dinner started to soon approach its end.

This will be my last roleplay post for the sorting ceremony so you can wrap it up. Thank you for roleplaying with me!

Zephyr noticed the girl's reaction when she took a sip of her drink, she didn't seem very impressed with whatever she's drinking. Seeing that, he almost smiled as he paid a brief look at the selection of drinks. It had an orange-y color, a little bit dark. What is it I wonder? He was drinking water a while ago and later on tried the lemonade. He had not tried the other unfamiliar drinks here.

The whole place was huge and magical, and he didn’t want to look and sound silly for being a newbie. “I agree with you there, this is all a lot to take in.” There’s a lot to learn but he knew they will all get used to it in no time. That's what he kept telling himself to calm himself down. Step by step, because behind that nervousness, there was also excitement and he wanted to experience everything.

Denise asked about the rooms and magical creatures and as much as he wanted to give her an idea even in the slightest, he was also blank in that regard. “I don’t know the exact number of rooms, there should be a lot. Probably more than we could ever count. For magical creatures, I'm not sure but I've love to see one someday!." Have you seen how many number of students were in that hall? "We’ll find out as we go.”

His smile froze seeing the ghosts floating nearby. "Uh...okay it's really weird seeing ghosts here like it's part of the staff." When he turned on his other side, he saw another newbie (Edward Bishop) like them. "Hi there, I'm Zephyr. Nice to meet you." Motioning toward the ghosts, he whispered to the boy, "Is it just me or seeing them floating there is a bit distracting it's uncomfortable to eat." Not that he hated them but this was definitely a new experience for him. They don't just eat at home with ghosts giggling and greeting students like normal people.

@Zephyr Deakin Edward smiles to Zephyr as he turns his attention to him finishing his current bite of food before replying, "Oh. Hello there! Nice to meet you too. I'm Edward." And with his next words, he looked up at the ghosts and gave a small shrug, "huh, you know, that's odd, I really hadn't noticed them til you pointed them out... I suppose I've been caught up too much in my own head and the moment of it all. I suppose those must be the House Ghosts; I read a bit about them in 'A History of Hogwarts' before I came and on the train ride over," he explained in a calm tone. For some reason, focusing his attention on the other boy was making him feel calmer, and not even ghosts could shake that feeling at least not with everything else he's been experienced with today, nearly overwhelming his senses to the point of overload.

Yet that calming presence also drew him in making him more curious about the other boy, perhaps they could be friends he thought, "Did you expect you would have been sorted into Hufflepuff?" he asked Zephyr, curiously, taking a sip of his butterbeer while awaiting a reply.

Zephyr was more at ease as the other boy spoke to him so casually. It eased some of his anxiousness that he would feel left out. So far, everyone had been very accommodating for newbies like them. It was strange how having these students who were sitting beside him could make all the weirdness of the Great Hall became easier to deal with.

He took finished up his bread and snatched a few fruits to try while listening to the boy. “It was weirdly different having them around. I didn’t know about them before coming here, and now they’re floating everywhere. I feel like I am part of a storybook coming to life, do you feel like that too?” He chuckled at himself for coming up with that ridiculous comparison. “Maybe I’ll get used to it eventually.”

The boy told him they were house ghost, "Someone's doing an advance reading, I see. I didn't even think of doing the same while on the train. I'm too overwhelmed to do anything other than talk to somebody there." It was his way to ease his worry, talk to someone rather than keep it all inside. On normal days, he would keep to himself but this kind of experience needs to be shared with someone or he'll lose his mind.

His question made him think, “I never really thought about it too much before the Sorting. I just knew I was going to get sorted somewhere, obviously. But with a particular house in mind, nope, not really.” He glanced at the ghosts floating around them again. “The Sorting Hat said I’m loyal and hardworking, so maybe Hufflepuff makes sense.”

He glanced at Edward again. “What about you, did you expect Hufflepuff or were you hoping for a different house?” His curiosity was genuine, and it helped to focus on the boy rather than the hundreds of moving and chattering students around them.

Edward smiles, nodding empathically at Zephyr's words,

"You are absolutely right about it feeling like something out of a storybook! Even though I'm from a Wizarding family - and my parents and grandparents all went to Hogwarts, cousins too - but actually coming and being here myself after growing up hearing stories - still feels like a dream, truly" his words are highly articulate for his age, his accent of the received-pronunciation variety, an unusual juxtaposition next to his warm, casual tone, which doesn't even break when he speaks with excitement, only varying in speed and intensity.

"I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one feeling overwhelmed," he says with sincerity. He too seems to be enjoying the opportunity to speak to someone in the same position as he now.

"I didn't really have a different hope per se though I had expected I might have been sorted into Ravenclaw like my mother, plus I'm a Gemini which is associated with the element of Air just like Ravenclaw. I actually love studying, going to pick up my books at Flourish & Blotts was like a candy shop for me, honestly. My father probably wanted me to be sorted into Slytherin like him, but unlike some Slytherin parents, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear I'm happy in Hufflepuff either way, he'll swallow his wounded pride for my sake, stiff-upper-lip and all that... well, my Grandfather was in Gryffindor and couldn't have been more different from me so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be sorted into Gryffindor, but my Grandmother was in Hufflepuff, and she's my favorite person, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised I landed here after all..."

He finally stops speaking a moment and gives a look of empathy to the other boy, "I'm sorry am I talking too much?" for the first time he seems nervous, worrying that he came on a bit strongly with his thorough answer to what otherwise was a fairly simple question.

- After the Sorting hat put her in the house, Victoria takes a sit on the Hufflepuff table, feeling excited about all, wanted to talk to her new house partners, but at the same time, feeling anxious and nervous, thinking, "Why if them doesn't like me?", "Why if I say something ridiculous?", "Why if I don't make friends?". Her thoughts dominate her mind, she tries to calm down, she looks around, searching for someone to talk.

The food arrives, she served herself some of the food and take a drink. She should have warned herself that she was feeling hungry. She takes a bite and started to analyse around the place, thinking about random things, but specially about her new life being a Hogwarts student, expecting how gonna be her student life.

She looks to the another student, looking them chat animatedly, she wanted be part of the conversation, but she keep herself, she didn't want to interrupt and be annoying, so, she take a sip of her drink.

She say to herself: "Calm down, is just the dinner, you can make friends in another moment, don't worry". She smiles to herself, waiting for the perfect moment to talk with someone. Maybe that "Perfect moment", never arrives, but hey!, let her be optimist.

Hearing someone from a wizarding family say that this still felt unreal for him helped loosened the tension in his chest. “The fact that you came from a magical household and still feel the same way I do, that’s a relief.” He had not realised how much he needed to hear that until now. Part of him was worried that kids like Edward - who grew up with magic - would feel completely at home instantly while he would feel behind. That didn’t seem to be the case with the boy. Alex was right, I’m not really the only one. Even people who grew up here feel strange about it. Maybe it’s the whole new place thing…

Edward’s way of speaking caught his attention too. He sounded very proper, more polished than most kids their age. What’s even better was that, he seemed to be friendly too! “That’s exactly how it feels like for me. I’ve only ever heard of magic for less than a year, and suddenly I’m sitting under a ceiling full of stars that aren’t even real.” He glanced up briefly, “It feels strange. I didn’t want to be the odd one out for feeling this way. Everyone else looks like they’ve got it together already.” He was looking around the hall as he told him that, the noise didn’t bother him as much anymore, even the ghosts that were hovering around them.

Edward spoke with confidence and with thoughtfulness while he was sharing about himself and his family. He didn’t know much about star signs or elements, and the way he shared it with him was amusing. “You believe in zodiac signs? I don’t even know what’s mine.” Hearing him describe his father’s reaction once he learned he was sorted to Hufflepuff was entertaining that Zephyr chuckled and choke on the food he’s eating which ended up with him coughing and grabbing a glass of lemonade. “That was… funny. Is it really that big a deal? What house you’ll be sorted into?” Looks like aside from blood status, there’s also the issue with houses.

There was a bit of deadair between them as the boy stopped talking and asked if he was being too much, to which he responded with a quick shake of his head, quicker than he normally would. “No, no, not at all, I liked listening to you.” Giving him a reassuring smile. “Talking like this feels normal to me. Besides, hearing other people share about their stories will always be interesting to me.” He hesitated for a bit and then decided to be more open. “I don’t talk much usually, so it’s nice when someone else does it. I need some time to warm up to people before I can be as talkative.” After taking another sip of the lemonade, he encourage him some more by saying, “Why don’t you explain further regarding that zodiac sign. I’m not familiar with that, do you believe in them?”

The moment he turned his head to opposite side of the table, he caught one girl (Victoria) looking their way. She seemed to be anxious too from the way her eyes kept darting. “Hi there!” He decided to greet her because he knew how it feels like to be in that situation. “I’m Zephyr and this is Edward, what’s yours?”

Edward gives a shy but friendly smile to the girl who joined them after him. He doesn’t mind that Zephyr introduced him for him- actually he’s glad, for the first time in his life he thinks he realizes a little bit what it must feel like to have brothers and sisters, Hufflepuff was now his family; maybe not literally, he probably has more blood relations at the Slytherin table, but in every way that truly mattered; they say blood is thicker than water but friends sticketh closer than a brother; or something like that anyway, he thinks he read somewhere but can’t quite place the sentiment but surely it must be right because he only just met these fellow Hufflepuffs and is already feeling closer to them and more a part of them than he ever did with his cousins…

Eventually after introductions, comforted that he isn’t talking too much, he continues, “Of course I believe in Astrology - not believing in Astrology is like not believing in Gravity: just because you don’t know about it or believe in it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a pull on you… just like gravity has a pull on our physical bodies, our astrology has a pull on our souls which correlates to our personalities,” he explains, he thinks, sounding a bit more like a Ravenclaw than a Hufflepuff in that moment, but perhaps not - perhaps that’s just his own stereotypical idea of what it means - or at the very least his mother’s who homeschooled him from birth and was herself a Ravenclaw;

“It’s also more complex than many people realize - for instance people actually have more than one sign though the sun sign is the most important, just like with gravity the sun sign has the biggest impact on us, followed by our moon signs… for me my sun sign is Gemini which is Air like Ravenclaw but my moon sign is Scorpio which is Water like Slytherin… Hufflepuff is Earth and Gryffindor is Fire… we will learn about it all next year more formally in depth in second year Astronomy but my mother taught me all the basics” he continues “when were you born? I can help with your astrology a little though I’m no expert I know more than most, my mother is really, really into it…”

Their conversation took an interesting turn from their worries as first-year students to Astrology. He was not really a total stranger to that topic, but what he knew probably didn't even come close to what Edward knew. He only ever heard of zodiac signs from his cousins when they gather together. The girls usually read their zodiac signs on a daily basis. Even as he listened to them, he never thought of it as something that could influence someone's personality. Is that even possible? "Can you elaborate more on that?" He wanted to understand what the boy was saying, “I know some people just say they're Gemini or Leo but it’s just a term, but you’re telling me it shapes who you are?”

There were more questions that popped into his head as they discussed further. “Do you read about it daily, check your chart or read the meaning? Or do you just know about it?” He realised he sounded like a total newbie, but he didn’t mind it. Surprisingly, he wanted to understand something completely. He was thinking that if it could explain something about someone’s personality or why people act a certain way, it could be more useful then. He was starting to think that learning more about this might make their conversation much more exciting. They would have something they could share.

The boy explained the signs of the sun and the moon. He expected astrology to be simple, a single sign for each person, but there was more to it. He thought about his own birthday and wondered what that meant for him. “My birthday’s July 8, 2014. Can you tell me more about it? Even the moon sign thing? How do you even know about that?”

He was feeling a little shy about asking, but his curiosity won over her embarrassment. “So...does it actually matter? Can it tell more about me? Or is it just for fun?” Who knows, this could help him understand himself better, or even other people. It might actually be really useful. He found it interesting that Edward knew all this stuff and could help him with his own signs. “I’d like to know more about it if you don’t mind telling me?” According to Edward, he learned it from his mother, who's really into it. "Is it her profession?"

Edward went back to eating a bite or two here, a drink of butterbeer there, enjoying the feast, nodding along as he listened to Zephyr's follow-up questions, smiling with pride at the other boy being impressed by his knowledge, but continued to listen to Zephyr's thoughts on the topic politely without interrupting until it was time to respond again in kind, he swallowed and began speaking again.

"I don't mind telling you more if you're curious - happy to, honestly" he smiled genuinely, "My mother doesn't really have a profession that I know of, she homeschooled me all my life so far. Though my father and grandparents helped with that some too. My father offered to hire a tutor for me but she insisted that they could all handle my primary education on their own, and who better than my own family; after all there's only one of me - I'm an only child." It wasn't obvious yet whether he was happy or not about that fact. "Now that I'm at Hogwarts, honestly, I don't know what she'll be doing while I'm away, maybe she'll start offering astrology services after all." He takes a moment to take a sip of butterbeer before continuing.

"July 8..." he pauses for a moment as if thinking, counting something on his fingers silently to himself, "that would make you a Cancer - the crab - that's a Water sign which makes sense as crabs live in water - that's how I remember it anyway from my lessons. She would quiz me on it. Wanted to know if I had 'the gift' as she called it. I don't know if I do or don't but at least I always did well on her quizzes" he said, matter-of-factly before continuing, "well that's your Sun sign anyway - your moon sign is the same as mine, Scorpio - also water like I said... I only know that because it's so close to my own birthdate, June 12, 2014, moon signs follow the literal cycle of the moon, and my mother always taught me that my birth was the first day of the Scorpio moon which means it lasted about 30 more days after that, which puts you also born under the same moon as me!" he gives a friendly smile at that before continuing,

"No, I don't read horoscopes, that's more divination, using astrology as a form of divination, but I do believe my mother is right about your astrology having an influence on your personality, but like gravity it's just a pull, you can always go against it to some extent - we can fly after all - my father said that was our 'free will' - but there will always be that influence pulling your personality in a certain direction, but it's up to us whether or not we want to just go along with it, like floating down a river on your back, or fight against the current like swimming upstream..." he pauses uncertainly, "if that makes sense" he hoped it did.