The warm, low-ceiling common room is nearly full to the brim with chattering Hufflepuffs. Lockhart and Jacob had saved their two friends a seat in a corner of the common room. The chatter quickly dies off as the somber figure of Prefect Branstone and the round-faced Prefect Abbott shush them. The chatter dies down to whispers as a group of rather pale-faced Hufflepuffs enter the common room that last to arrive. They hurriedly sit on the ground with their heads ducked down low.
Closely following right after them is their head of house, Professor Pomona Sprout. The squat witch with wry hair has a most unusual expression on her face. The older students immediately quiet down at the sight of their somber Head of House. (Professor Winfrey would have liked to accompany Professor Sprout, but she was the Head of House of Hufflepuff, while he was only a former Hufflepuff and Assistant Herbology Professor. It was not his place to openly chide the Hufflepuffs, but he would certainly do so in the privacy of his classroom.)
"Silence," Professor Sprout only said once causing the younger years to openly gawk at the unexpected stern command from their head of house, but still, they obediently fall silent.
There are amounts of earth on Professor Sprout's clothes and fingernails that shake a bit loose as she places her hands sternly on her hips. "It has come to my attention that there are among those in our house who do not seem to understand several of our house traits chiefly among them Fairness, Patience, Kindness, and TOLERANCE, above all things!"
"In all my years of Head of House, I have never witnessed such a repugnant, violent act against another fellow house member," Professor Sprout crisply said. At her words, everyone's head reflexively turns to the group of boys, who entered the common room last. The group of boys flushed with mortification and they pointedly stare at their laps.
"Now, I shan't go into detail, but suffice to say that they targeted a younger member of our house," Pomona Sprout said with a resolute expression.
The nosey Hufflepuffs quickly peak at each other until one of their house members spots the still healing torn bottom lip of Lorcan. Hearing their house members cry, they all in unison turn their heads until they too come to rest upon the now shrinking form of Lorcan. Glenda fearlessly glares back as Lockhart proudly folds his arms over his chest, and Jacob pointedly stares at the back.
"Enough," Professor Sprout said causing the Hufflepuffs to return their attention to their head of House. "As I said before I shan't continue in detail, but I am most displeased to learn that it took Miss Prince, the Slytherin Prefect to forcibly intervene and come to the defense of one of our house members!"
There is a shocked murmur among those listening except for that of Prefect Andrew Abbott. Rowan and he had been friends ever since their first year. And though Rowan had a stern face at times, she was rather kind and abhorred bullying of any kind.
Professor Sprout whirled about and said, "All those that are transfer students this year stand up!" The transfer students glance up at each other warily as a third of the house rises to their feet.
"Look at those standing before you," Professor Sprout a bit flatly said. "They are all former werewolves, who transformed into vicious beasts at night. How can any of you sleep at night with such beings?!"
"Now wait just a moment, Professor," protested the outspoken, but the beautiful, hour curved Head Girl, Matilda Madley. Her glossy russet hair sways as her big doe eyes are aghast. "Being a werewolf is a curse, a curable disease at that now! That is no reason to speak nor judge our classmates as that!" A rare murmur of rebellious agreement sweeps the common room at the Head Girl's argument.
"I am glad you say so," Professor Sprout much more softly said with a proud glint of approval visibly seen in her eyes. "Then please tell me, why one of our first year's, Lorcan D'Eath was beaten for his mere existence of being a half-vampire?"
A deep silence falls over the Hufflepuffs as guiltily glances are shared all around. There was not a single member of Hufflepuff, who was not aware that Lorcan D'Eath was half-vampire. Hufflepuffs are notorious chatter mouths and all it had taken was a single transfer student to tell one of their friends before the entire house knew. The only reason as to why the news hadn't spread to the other houses was due to the fact was it was classified as only inner Hufflepuff gossip.
A sixth year with short, bristle-like hair and a wide forehead sheepishly folds his arms over his chest, Mason Cauldwell, (a parent or close relation to Owen Cauldwell). A bit of a prick, in a cocky voice he says, "He's still a vampire, Professor! Merlin knows if he's been sneaking around the dorm rooms to suck our bloods! Why do you think there are so many garlic wreaths hanging around as of late!" A concerned rumble of agreement is heard around the common room as various Hufflepuffs pale and check their necks as if ensuring there aren't any bite marks there.
"Bullocks!" Glenda loudly said jumping to her feet. "I've been Lorcan's best friend ever since we were little and he's never drunken anyone's blood! His Dad was a vampire, but Lorcan's mum is a witch. Sure, Lorcan's a bit pale, and he might like to eat his steak mostly raw, but that's it! He's still one of us, and he shouldn't be treated any differently than anyone else!"
"Well then why does he always skive the garlic wreaths!" Accused, Mason Cauldwell refusing to give up the point causing several individuals to chime in agreement.
Gilbert Wimple, a curious second year with thick, wry hair, large ears blink his sleepy eyes that hid a clever mind, (and was also a future member of Committee Experimental Charms). Stifling a snort, he interjects, "That is because Lorcan D'Eath inherited a sharper scent of smell much like our fellow transfer students, Caudwell. In case, you haven't noticed but they've also been avoiding the wreaths of garlic hanging all over in the dormitories." The other Hufflepuffs glance over towards the transfer students, who slowly nod their heads in confirmation of the accurate statement.
Not one for taking things down, Lockhart leaps to his feet and says, "So what if Lorcan was even a full vampire. I don't mind and neither do any of his friends especially Jacob. And if Jacob, who was a former werewolf doesn't mind then why should any of you?! I don't see how it's any of your business anyway!"
Lockhart basks in his triumph proudly flashing them a cocky, tooth glistening smile, while the Hufflepuffs blink in surprise and are unable to really think of anything to say to counter that. Lockhart was always a conniving weasel when it counted…...
Standing up as well, Jacob places one hand on Lorcan's shoulder to comfort, before turning to face the gazing crowd. "I've always heard stories how vampires and werewolves can't get along, but I don't really know why that is? If anything, else we're more alike than anything else." Jacob a bit clumsily said. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is it shouldn't matter what Lorcan or anyone else is. I mean, we all remember what it felt like to be judged for being werewolves. So, are we any better by doing the exact same thing to another?"
A contemplative air fills the Hufflepuff common room as Professor Sprout nods her head in approval. She'd purposefully been harsh to commence the conversation. She had allowed them to speak to air out their differences without any interruptions on her part to allow them to voice their opinions.