The adventures of Unassuming Hufflepuff continue. In an Unassuming fasion.
Summer at the manor was quiet except when Granddad insisted
on morning target practice in the range set up in the back garden. Doctors
argued with him about it, but Granddad insisted that shooting revolvers kept
the arthritis at bay.Doctors, Uh has noticed, really do not like it when a cure
that should never work actually does work.“ALEX!”
“MY NAME IS UH, GRANDDAD!” Uh shouts back, closing
their book with a sigh.“WHATEVER!” Graddad replies from the garden. “YOU HAVEN’T
BEEN ON THE RANGE YET THIS WEEK!”Uh puts their book aside, vacates the bench on the balcony,
and then climbs down the support column to land in the back garden with a
thump. “Granddad, I have a wand. I don’t need to shoot anyone when I can
hex them. Besides, guns don’t work at Hogwarts.”“No, modern
guns don’t work at Hogwarts,” Granddad corrects Uh cheerfully, clearing
the barrels of both revolvers before handing them over. “But if you go old
school…”“Fine.” Uh gives up, loads the revolvers,
obliterates the two remaining targets the manor staff have yet to replace, and
then hands the emptied weapons back to Granddad. “There you are. Can I
please read my book now?”Granddad is staring at the targets, a distant look in his
eyes. Uh would almost call it sadness.No, not feelings, not again! This is still not Uh’s job!
“Sometimes it amazes me how much you take after
me,” Granddad says, tilting his head at the targets. “Then it’s your
Gran, and the way you both bury your heads in books. Then it’s Lin with the
magic and the swords…and then there’s your dad.”“I don’t take after Dad at all,” Uh reminds
Granddad.Granddad reaches over and ruffles Uh’s long hair. “Alex
always wanted to fix things, too, sweetheart.”Fine. Uh will at least admit to that. But at least they
don’t go wandering off and get lost for three years and counting.Granddad knows what they’re thinking. “Sweetheart, I
still blame your Uncle Jonathan for that.”Uh nods. That is also likely. Uncle Jonathan is…like that.
Gran always says he took after their great-grandfather, who was a bit mad, and
then Jonathan’s service in World War I made everything worse.Uh is halfway back to the manor before they realize.
“Wait. Granddad! Old school? That was a terrible pun!”
Tag: Unassuming Hufflepuff
In Harry Potter’s third year of Hogwarts, Professor
Trelawney decides a mess of tea leaves in a teacup is not a mess, but a Grim,
the black dog of death. Everyone ignores this after the initial fuss dies down,
but it isn’t exactly forgotten.It’s reasoned in Houses that are Not Gryffindor that Potter
has actually tried to die for the previous two terms already. Trelawney might
be an incense-laden fraud, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Three
times, even, if you’re in possession of a Time-Turner.Thus, on Christmas Day, everyone staying over during the
hols awakens to find that the massive gaudy star on the Great Hall’s Christmas
tree has been replaced with an ornament painted up to eerily resemble the head
of the Grim.Harry thinks it’s hilarious. He waits until the holiday is
over to thank the twins for giving him a laugh.George and Fred glance at each other. While an excellent
idea, this was not their doing.This is unacceptable. Their status as the school pranksters is at risk.
The twins decide that they will find this obvious Kindred
Spirit and enlist them in the joys of terrorizing Hogwarts’ staff.What they don’t expect is how difficult this task will be.
They also don’t expect the result: a Hufflepuff so unassuming that they looked
over the blond kid’s hair at least twice before realizing they were overlooking
their culprit.“Oh, that’s just the curse,” the Hufflepuff says after
introductions are completed.“Aren’t you a Muggle-born?” George asks.
The Hufflepuff shrugs.
After a bit of conversation, George and Fred decide two
things:The Hufflepuff is a quiet, elusive, pranking genius.
They are adopting Unassuming Hufflepuff post-haste.
Well, three things, really. Unassuming Hufflepuff is so
unassuming that they could get away with murder, if they were so inclined.None of them realize that this new alliance means that they
will eventually save the school from Sirius Black.
Cheloneuniverse 