Down through the Dungeons to the left in the direction of the Hogwart's Kitchens, Gilderoy Lockhart scrambled through a brightly lit hallway into a nook on the right-hand side of the kitchens. He impatiently maneuvered around the stack of barrels to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room. He quickly pulled out his to tap the correct barrel to the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff."
The barrel lid swings open exposing the passageway that led to the Hufflepuff common room. Tucking his robes up, Lockhart quickly pockets his wand and crawls through, before emerging into the early, low-ceilinged common room. The Hufflepuff common always felt sunny with circular windows that showed a view of rippling grass, dandelions, and other similar warm images. Many of the decorations on the wall are burnished copper with hundreds of plants hanging from the ceiling and sitting on windowsills.
Various Hufflepuffs sit and chat on overstuffed sofas and chairs upholstered in their yellow and black House colors. Quite a few older students intently study near the wooden mantelpiece in the center of the room that has badger cravings and where the portrait of their house founder sits of Helga Hufflepuff. Occasionally the smiling portrait of Helga Hufflepuff will come awake and encourage the students or rare words of comfort, but most of the time the portrait remains still with a gentle smile on her face.
Lockhart quickly finds a comfortable corner on his favorite couch and begins to eagerly read the two novels switching back and forth between the two books every chapter. He read all through their homework study time and even through dinner. His friends had brought him a few leftover's which he had hungrily eaten as he read.
It was a quarter left until curfew for the first year's Lockhart throws down the two novels onto a nearby table in irritation. "What is this load of rubbish!" He exclaimed in frustration. "I don't get it! This plot can't possibly be interesting to anyone! Where's the grand adventure, the heroic tale of a hero rescuing the maiden?! This is utterly boring and a waste of my time!"
With an angry stomp, he stormed up the dormitory to vent to his friends, Jacob and Lorcan. Alas, his friends would be subjected to Lockhart's poetic rampage and be forced to listen to Lockhart's truly awful poetry until bedtime. It was a sacrifice worthy of their friendship.
Normally, Lockhart's dramatic rants would not have garnered any attention as the rest of the Hufflepuffs were already used to the first year's theatrics. Yet it cannot be denied that the Hufflepuffs are a nosey bunch and unlike the Gryffindors, Hufflepuff's don't go about doing so in such a grandiose manner. One of the house members remaining behind in the common room sets aside her Ancient Runes homework, a third-year girl by the name of Myraid Summers, (and relation to the yet unborn Mr. Summers). Myraid Summers possesses dark-colored hair, soft-looking features with natural caramel tanned skin. She had a pretty face with a natural curvy body that was still in the process of growing.
Naturally curious, Myraid rises and picks up the two books before returning to her group of friends, who had all been studying together. Weary from studying and wanting to take a break, she opens selects one of the books to read. The books that she selected had the most interesting title, "Pride & Prejudice," by Jane Austin.
Tired and just as curious her friends motion for Myraid to begin to read out loud. Seeing that none of the older students seem to be bothered by her friend's suggestion, she begins to read. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Myriad Summer's friends eagerly draw in closer as curious gazes go up around in the room. Slowly the females in the common room desist their activities as they gather closer to listen. Even the seventh-year girls studying for their N.E.W.T.'s take a much-earned rest to listen to the novel.
After a while, Myriad's Summers voice begins to crack. One of the older girls with a good speaking voice immediately volunteers to continue to be read. The book continues to be read out loud passed from one girl to another until Head Girl, Matilda Madley reluctantly interrupts the reading, "It is late and well past curfew, and I need not remind you all that tomorrow is still a school night!"
"What about poor Mr. Wickham?!" One of the girls earnestly cried out in protest.
"Yes, what about Elizabeth?! Will she have to marry Mr. Collins?!" Another cried out.
"And that vile Mr. Darcy, what about him! Will he finally get what's coming to him?!" Another girl cried out in exasperation.
"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to read one more page," Matilda Madley tried not to, too eagerly reply, before quickly sitting back down to listen to the rest of the tale. After all, one more page read couldn't possibly hurt them.
However, one more page turned into another then another until the early hours of the morning. Needless to say, Professor Sprout was far from pleased to find that the girls had spent the entire night up in the common room. Yes, Professor Sprout wanted her Hufflepuffs to spend time together, but not to this extent!
Still, under the pleading gaze of her badgers, Professor Sprout permitted for the ending to read. Most of the girls were in shock when they finally reached the ending with even a few bursting into tears. "We misjudged poor Mr. Darcy all along!" They wailed.
"Yes," Matilda Madley murmured in agreement as she and the rest of the girls rose under the pointed stare of Professor Sprout. "But I suppose it is just like Mr. Darcy said, 'And yours is wilfully to misunderstand them."
Myriad Summers nods her head and says, "I suppose that's why the Slytherin was judged so harshly in the past. Nowadays it isn't so bad, but one of my older cousins cried when he was first sorted in Slytherin. He said that suddenly everyone stared at him as if he was going to become a dark wizard. He said it was easier to pretend to be cold and ignore everyone than to try to be friends with those that judge you at every instance." Several Hufflepuffs have the grace to look ashamed at the third year's words.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Lockhart left another book behind as well, it's called, "Jane Eyre," Myriad Summers added causing all of the girls to whirl about and stare at her intently.
"Is it written by Miss Jane Austin?" One of the girls eagerly asked.
"Yes," Myriad Summers replied causing the girls to perk up only to feel a terrible, ominous glare from Professor Sprout.
The girls quickly hurried up to their dorms to sleep for an hour or two, before being forced to rise for the day. Still, they all firmly make Myriad Summers promise not to continue to read the novel without them. Needless to say, an odd number of female Hufflepuff's were exhausted that day and the following day to Professor Sprout's vast displeasure as her badgers stayed up two nights in a row to read the two novels! And all too soon, the two great novels spread word of mouth to friends, who immediately owled home for a copy of their own books. The request especially baffled the pureblood parents to no end.
Unknowingly, Lockhart's impatient error had caused a whirlwind of change in the literary circle of the Wizarding world. Tragically, he was unable to recover the two books to Rowan's vast chagrin. She truly did not mind the loss as the two books were considered more of being a classic read vs. being one of her favorite novels. Still, it was the principal of things! One does not simply borrow another's books without returning them! Really, what was the world coming too?!