Harry sat next to Ron at a desk in the common room. He had been working on his Arithmancy until the twins came in complaining about Auror Proudfoot's Defense class. The man was still advising everyone to forget most, if not all, of what Madam Spurl taught them the year before. "Illegal the worst of it. Highly regulated most of the rest. Did she want all of you to get arrested?" George asked, doing the Professor's particular style of speech.
The twins were thinking of pranks for the Professor/Auror.
Ron suggested cursing him to belch slugs.
Harry suggested something a bit more clever. Perhaps the man who dressed in browns and blacks should dress like their former professor of wizard culture. In pinks.
Fred and George laughed, but looked like they were considering it.
"Next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend," Fred said. Well, Harry was fairly sure it was Fred.
"Are you excited?" George asked.
"I am," Ron said.
Neville, who was at the next desk, shrugged.
"I've been," Harry said.
"How?"
"When" Which twin said which word, Harry wasn't sure.
"It's a secret." Harry had wandered there many a summer day after his first year at Hogwarts.
"Prove it."
So Harry explained a few of his favorite stores. "Hogsmeade's a fun place, but not worth dreaming about for a week."
"Well, I guess you should invite a girl to make it interesting," Fred (maybe) said.
Those two needed different haircuts or something. They kept moving around, switching places. They also needed non-matching clothes. They did all this on purpose.
"A pretty girl," George said.
"Maybe even our sister."
They were trying to make Harry blush or stammer or flee.
"Okay," Harry said. "I'll invite a girl."
"What?" Ron asked.
"What?" Fred asked.
"What?" George asked.
"I'll invite a girl to go to Hogsmeade with me," Harry said. He hoped this story didn't make it back to Padfoot. No, better Harry reveal this himself sometime.
"Well, who?" Fred (maybe) asked. "You have a thing for Lavender? Or Parvati?"
"I think I'll invite a Hufflepuff," Harry said.
"Why?" Ron asked, aghast.
Harry thought some of them were nice. He also remembered what Mr. Weasley had said the year before. Hufflepuffs usually kept to themselves. The world might be a different, or better, place if Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs (and perhaps even others) mixed more.
No one else seemed to be making the effort. Everyone in Gryffindor had heard his suggestion, but no one was making an effort.
"Why not?" Harry asked. He returned to his arithmancy and ignored the twins, which made for a mild, but effective prank. Harry suspected he would pay for it later, the way his luck ran.
.....
If a Gryffindor asking a Hufflepuff to go to Hogsmeade was hard, and it was, then actually taking a Hufflepuff to Hogsmeade was close to impossible. All of Hufflepuff, save for the first and second years, had invited themselves along when Harry and Susan Bones left Hogwarts. None had gone early. None were waiting until later.
It was awkward to say the least. "So are you enjoying Professor Babbling's class?" Harry asked.
They didn't share the same period, but she was taking it with the Slytherins.
"Yes," Susan said.
Then a fourth year girl Harry thought was called Carmen waxed on about Runes and her project the prior year, which was the design for a set of magical fenceposts to keep her crups from leaving her family's property. A useful thing that. Still, Harry would rather hear from Susan.
This wasn't the first time this had happened on the walk, which now seemed to stretch forever. He had heard from a boy called Cedric, a Quidditch player. He'd heard from the Head Boy, Rufus Summerwell, the one who beat out Ron's older brother. He'd heard from a girl who might have been called Alice or Elise or something. He really didn't know many of these students, but they all seemed interested in Harry. Even the Hufflepuff boys in Harry's year were playing along with this game. Until today, Harry had thought that Justin wasn't a bad bloke. Now, though...
"I thought the meal last night was particularly nice. I love roast chicken," Harry said, grasping for a topic of mutual interest.
"I liked it, too," Susan said.
Then a boy Harry didn't know at all launched into a story about his favorite chicken dish which involved oranges, tomatoes, and olives. Such a thing would never have graced the table at Number Four Privet Drive.
Harry just smiled.
What was the magic question Harry had to ask to get Susan to talk? Most questions he asked got someone else talking. Was he taking one girl to Hogsmeade or about seventy older boys and nearly as many older girls? This had to be illegal somehow.
He tried not to get frustrated. Maybe the way to making friends with one Puff was making friends with them all.
"Did you do anything nice for the summer?" Harry asked. Maybe this topic would work.
"Oh, yes. I visited my friend Hannah several times and we went to London."
There were three others who chimed in after. A story about the Isle of Skye (interesting, but not somewhere Harry planned to go), another about Rue Magique in Paris (nice, and a place Harry might like to go), and a final story about climbing various sets of mountains in Ireland and Wales looking for augurey shell (nope).
Harry kept his fake smile firmly in place. This was a disaster. It was the biggest house at Hogwarts and they worked in lock-step. No wonder no one outside Hufflepuff dated a Puff.
"So, have you read any good books?" It was a pitiful question. Susan wasn't Hermione, after all.
"Not recently."
Harry did receive a few recommendations from the others. Then they arrived in Hogsmeade, finally. Some of the people veered off to do other things. Or perhaps chaperone other people. Or drive others to madness while smiling and being friendly.
They didn't all leave, though. Harry and Susan had about eight other Puffs walking with them even when they went into small stores for new quills or a few potions ingredients. Harry steered clear of that tea shop with all of the lace. Harry looked for, but couldn't find, a new watch he liked. Maybe he'd give Sirius the idea - or buy one himself during Yule break.
.....
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