Chapter One

"Malfoy, Charissa!" Professor McGonagall calls my name. I stand up, confident, and walk up to the Sorting Hat. I search for my brother over at the Slytherin table, and find him. I see a spot open next to him, the spot Mum made him promise to save me at the table.

Professor McGonagall barely places the Sorting Hat on my head before it makes a decision. "HUFFLEPUFF!" It shouts. I can hear whispers of shock all around the Great Hall. Everyone knows all Malfoys belong in Slytherin. I see Draco looks extremely disappointed, and a bit shocked. That same look of shock seems to be on everyone's face.

Shame on my own face, I stand up and walk over to the Hufflepuff table. Only the Professors and Hufflepuff clap.

After the feast begins, all I can do is pick at my food. What will happen when my father finds out? I'll be disowned for sure.

"You should really eat something you know." One of the older prefect students tells me.

"I'm not hungry." I reply.

"It's really good, though!" Another first year girl exclaims.

"I said I'm not hungry!" I say.

"Hey, if she doesn't want to talk let's not bother her." The prefect says to the girl. She nods and turns back to the other first years.

When the prefects lead us off, I slip away with the Slytherins. The older Slytherins are welcoming, knowing that Slytherin is the house where I truly belong. I walk with them all the way to the outside of their common room before finding Draco. He isn't so welcoming.

"What are you doing here?" He hisses.

"I came where I belonged." I reply.

"You can't just join another house!" Draco says.

"I'm not joining another house. I'm joining my house." I say back.

Unfortunately, Snape has come up behind us and sees me. "I don't believe this is where you belong, Ms. Malfoy." He says. "Come with me."

"But Professor, there had to be a mistake! Everyone knows Malfoys belong in Slytherin. I belong in Slytherin!" I protest.

"The Sorting Hat has placed you in Hufflepuff, if you have a complaint, take it up with Dumbledore." Snape sneers. "In the meantime, return to your house."

"Bye Draco." I huff and storm off back to the Great Hall, as I don't know my way around at all.

Luckily, the prefect wanders into the Great Hall shortly after me. "I just was looking for you." He says, not asking any questions. "C'mon, I'll take you to the common room."

"What's your name?" I ask, deciding that if I have to be a Hufflepuff, I should at least try and be friendly. After all, I do have to spend the next seven years in the same class as them!

"Cedric. Cedric Diggory." He smiles.

"So, where is the common room?" I ask another question, taking in the long halls of Hogwarts as we walk along. There are so many portraits, many of which look highly grumpy.

"It's by the kitchen." Cedric says. "See that picture? Tickle the pear and you can get to the kitchen."

I laugh, imagining all of Hufflepuff sneaking to get food.

"Our entrance is right here." Cedric points to several rows of stacked barrels I assume are full of liquid, probably firewhiskey or water. He points to the barrel in the middle of the second row. "Just tap out 'Helga Hufflepuff' and it'll open."

"And what happens if I tap it wrong?" I ask nervously. This seems like it could go wrong too many ways.

"Well, you'll get sprayed with vinegar. Luckily it washes out really easily and the code is hard to mess up." Cedric says. "It's basically just five knocks. Go ahead, try it!"

I tentatively reach out and tap the barrel, attempting to knock "Helga Hufflepuff".

"Almost." Cedric says. "Duck!" He says as one of lids on the higher barrels comes flying off. I jump to the side and cover my head. Unfortunately, both of us still end up with vinegar all over.

"You were only off by a bit." Cedric laughs. I laugh with him. Yesterday, being covered in vinegar would have been disgusting. Now, being covered in vinegar, it's actually not that bad. "Here let me do it. You'll get the hang of it."

Cedric knocks, and I carefully memorize the rhythm he uses. The both of us walk into the common room, still laughing.

Even though it's probably close to midnight, the common room is full. It's a large room made of earth, round in shape. The ceilings are much lower than I'm used to. I start to feel claustrophobic and can feel a panic attack oncoming.

I grab the back of the nearest plush, black chair to support myself as my breath speeds up and my vision blurs. You'd think after a lifetime of these I'd be so used to panic attacks, but I'm not.

The Hufflepuffs in the room see. One of the prefects comes over to me and sets me down gently in the black chair. She helps me take deep breaths, and the panic quickly subsides. A boy behind her runs out of the common room. He returns a couple minutes later with a bar of chocolate.

"Here." He hands me the chocolate bar. "I got it from the kitchen. Chocolate's supposed to help you feel better." I smile gratefully and take a bite. The chocolate tastes creamy and sweet. By the time the bar is gone, I feel much better.

"What triggered it?" The prefect asks.

"The ceilings." I reply, slightly embarrassed. "They're much lower than I'm used to, and I started to get claustrophobic. Thanks." The last bit comes out awkwardly. I've never really said thank you to anyone before besides my parents, and even then. Growing up Pureblood, I guess.

"They are kind of low." The prefect agrees. "You're Charissa right?" I nod, noticing how she didn't mention my last name. I guess it doesn't matter to Hufflepuffs. "I'm Hailey, and that's Trent. He's a second year." She gestures to the boy who gave me chocolate. He smiles.

Calm now, I take the time to look around my home for the next seven years. Across the large round room is a brick fireplace, the fire blazing and providing most of the light in the room. On either side of the fireplace are numerous round windows which show the stars currently. Scattered around the room in between the various fluffy couches and study desks are various types of plants. Trent tells me that's because our Head of House is also the Herbology teacher.

"Come with me, I'll show you your dormitory." Hailey says. I follow her through a set of round doors which lead to a hall with seven door, one for each year. Hailey opens the first door. Inside are 4 other girls.

"This is where you'll sleep." Hailey says, starting to close the door. "Welcome to Hufflepuff!"

All four girls are staring at me. I tentatively walk over to a four poster bed in the corner. Each of the other girls sits on one too, all eyes peering at me. I see my trunk on top of my bed, and open it, pulling out a set of sleepwear. "Look away, would you?" I snap at the other girls, who quickly turn red in embarrassment and turn around. I change quickly, pulling my trunk onto the floor and draping my vinegar-soaked clothes over it.

"You can turn back now." I say in a calmer voice. I'm not used to sharing a room, but I'd imagine neither are they. This will take some getting used to.

"What's a Pureblood?" One girl asks. She's sitting on the bed next to me. I study her for a second. She has green eyes and tan skin. Her light brown hair is cut into a bob. She's smiling at me, causing her eyes to light up.

"Something you're clearly not!" I exclaim. The Pureblood ideals of my family may not nearly as hardwired into my brain as they are Draco's, but they still exist.

"Don't listen to her, Isabel." Another girl says. She's sitting all the way across the room. She has lighter skin than Isabel and dark blue eyes. Her hair is a dark brown color, and it stops at about her shoulders. "She just comes from a stuck up family."

"Don't you dare say that about my family!" I exclaim.

"It's the truth." A red haired girl sitting next to the second girl says, her green eyes remaining calm. Her face is covered in freckles.

"You haven't lived my life with my family, so don't say anything about them." I hiss.

"Hey, just relax, everyone." The last girl, a dark skinned girl with light brown eyes and frizzy hair says, looking up from a book. "Amber, you're Pureblood too, remember. It will just take some time for her to stop thinking like her parents." Amber sighs and nods. I nod too.

"You're a Pureblood?" I ask Amber incredulously.

"Yes, I am. I don't like to admit it though. Most Purebloods hate others for no reason then where they were born, so I'm not really a fan." She replies. "I'm a Fawley, though."

I nod and think over what she said for a second. I guess she's right. I mean, no one can help who their parents are. I guess it's not really their fault they weren't privileged enough to grow up among wizards. Maybe Pureblood ideals aren't right. Cedric wasn't Pureblood, and he was nicer than many of the Pureblood children I've grown up with, as were Hailey and Trent.

"I'm sorry." I say to Isabel. "I jumped to conclusions. To answer your question, a Pureblood is someone who has no Muggle blood in their lineage." Even though I don't want to listen to Pureblood ideals anymore, my heart still fills with pride when I say that.

"It's alright." Isabel smiles. "From what I've heard, Hufflepuff is about forgiveness and acceptance. Maybe that's why you're here with us, and not with the Slytherins. To learn."

"Maybe I am." I say. Then something occurs to me. "No one in my family will want me now." I try and say it as light hearted as possible, but everyone sense the sadness in my voice. All four girls walk from different corners of the room to sit on my bed.

"We'll be your family now." The red haired girl promises. "Sisters?"

"Sisters." The other girls say. "Charissa?"

I smile. "Sisters."

"So what's your wand made of?" Amber jumps off my bed and dashes back to hers to grab her wand. The other girls follow suit as I pull my wand out of my pocket. They return and we begin comparing wands.

"Cypress." I say. "Mine's cypress and phoenix feather, ten inches."

"Mine is ebony and unicorn hair, 9 and a half inches." Amber says.

"Aspen and dragon heartstring here!" says the redhead, whose name I come to learn is Taylor.

Lauren, the frizzy haired girl, pipes in next. "Beech and unicorn, 11 inches." She states proudly.

The only person left is Isabel. "Spruce and dragon heartstring, 9 and ¾ inches!" Isabel says. All of us laugh.

"I think you're getting your wand length mixed up with Platform 9 and ¾ !" Lauren laughs.

"No, I'm serious!" Isabel exclaims, smiling and laughing with us. "It's really 9 and ¾ inches!"

"Then I think that settles it. You're meant to be a witch." I say, still smiling. We remain awake and lauging until finally Hailey has to come in and tell us to go to bed. "You have a big day tomorrow!" She says. We all sigh and crawl into bed, not at all tired.

Hufflepuff is the house of loyalty and fairness, of forgiveness and patience, and of kindness and tolerance. It might not be what I thought I was, but it's what I am, so as I lay awake in bed, I make myself a promise.

I will not follow the ideals laid down by my parents. I won't jump to judge someone by their blood type before knowing them. I will be kinder, I will make up for the rest of my family being prejudice, because not every Muggleborn is an abomination. Sometimes they are the among the nicest you will meet.

And I swear to live by this forever.