Chapter Five

The next morning, Cedric and I are immediately called to Dumbledore's office. "You ready for this?" Cedric asks. I take a deep breath.

"Honestly, no." I say. "It's one thing to read those things, it's another to hear them said."

"Well, no matter how it goes, we have a surprise planned for the first years tonight, so let's just try to just get through this." Cedric says.

"Ooh what is it?" I ask eagerly.

"Now, if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise then would it?" Cedric grins.

"Fine." I sigh. "Oh well, we're here anyway."

Even Cedric seems nervous. "Ready, Rissy?"

"Ready, Ced." I reply, and give the password.

The door opens and Cedric and I walk up the set of stairs to Professor Dumbledore's office. Cedric puts an arm around my shoulder, and I do the same. We look like best friends. "Let's do this." He opens the door. "Just act like you're not nervous."

"Unaccepta-" My father starts to say before Dumbledore cuts him off, saying "Look at who has arrived."

My father looks disgusted. Cedric sees it and discreetly gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Dumbledore waves his hand andū conjures up two chairs for Cedric and I. "Please, sit." He says. Cedric and I do as he says. My father chooses to remain standing.

I'm not sure if I should say anything to him so I merely nod. Dumbledore slides the letter across his desk towards Cedric and I. "Mr. Malfoy here has informed me that several days ago he received this letter signed by all of Hufflepuff. Professor Sprout has unfortunately identified the main handwriting as yours, Mr. Diggory." Dumbledore explains. "Can you tell me any more about this letter?"

"Well," Cedric begins.

"Did you or did you not write this letter, boy?" My father cuts in.

"It was a group effort!" I exclaim. "All of us contributed!"

Cedric nods in agreement. "The Hufflepuff family sticks together."

"Hufflepuff family." Father sneers. "A family of Mudblood and Muggle lovers."

I jump up suddenly. Every bit of anger I've built up comes out all at once. "Just because you hate anyone less than Pureblood does not make them bad!" I hiss. "I'm sorry you can't change when the truth's staring you in the face! Pureblood views are outdated and lies! I'm sorry if you think they're all evil without even knowing them for more than a minute! I'm sor-"

Cedric cuts me off quickly before I go off to much. "Calm down." He mutters. In the meantime, my father looks furious.

"Come on." He says to me quietly, grabbing my wrist. "You're coming home. They've poisoned your mind."

I throw him off. "My mind is clearer than ever. It's yours that is poisoned."

Dumbledore coughs to interrupt. "Back to the matter at hand," He says. "Mr. Diggory, what prompted Hufflepuff to write this?"

"Charissa received an extremely cruel letter from Mr. Malfoy, and our family was not happy with the treatment of our little sister." Cedric explains calmly. I can hear the controlled anger in his voice.

"Little sister?" My father coldly directs his question at me.

I raise my chin and stare him directly in the eye. "Hufflepuff and proud." I respond.

"Mr. Malfoy, it seems to me this response was not unmerited as you told me. I believe Hufflepuff had a genuine cause to write such a letter in response." Dumbledore concludes. "Now, if that's all, I must ask you to leave. These two must get to their classes!"

Father looks absolutely furious but he doesn't say anything more on the subject. He merely turns around and heads towards the door, calling over his shoulder "I raised you better, Charissa."

"Tell Mum I chose Hufflepuff." I reply, and that's the last of Father.

It doesn't hit me until lunch what I've just done. I get up from the table I'm sitting at with Isabel, Amber, Taylor, and Lauren, and sprint off back to the common room.

Panic fills my lungs. I've caused myself a panic attack again. I sink myself into the fluffy chair and begin to sob, half from the panic, half because of my actions.

"What have I done, what have I done?" I murmur over and over until someone comes into the common room. It's Cedric and Isabel.

"Charissa!" Isabel exclaims. "What's wrong?" I barely hear her.

"I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have gotten mad, what have I done?" I murmur to myself. "I'm going to be in so much trouble."

"Rissy, you're ok." Cedric says. "You're safe here, I promise."

I look up at him, wide eyed with panic, my mind jumping from one thing to another. "I don't have a home anymore. Where will I go?" I sob hysterically.

"Stay at Hogwarts." Isabel says. "You're safe here, we promise."

"You're sure?" I ask worriedly. Cedric and Isabel both nod. "Absolutely."

I calm down quickly after that.

"Why did you panic?" Cedric asks quietly.

"I realized what I said earlier to my father." I answer. "And what it means for me."

"And what does it mean?" Isabel asks next.

"Well, first off, it means I have nowhere to go for winter or summer break this year. It basically means I'm kicked out forever." I take a deep breath. "And on the less important side of things, I just went from being one of the richest witches in the country to having nothing but what's in my trunk here. It just means the world's a lot smaller."

"Hey, here's something to cheer you up!" Isabel exclaims suddenly. "I just remembered that Amber said Hannah said that Draco had gotten slashed by a hippo something or another today!"

"A hippogriff?" Cedric and I laugh.

"Yeah, that." Isabel says. "Anyway, word has it he's being a complete drama queen over it."

"Isabel," I start. "I have never known my older brother to be anything but a drama queen." The three of us laugh for a while, then part ways when the bell rings to head back up to class.

That night, Cedric and the other prefects call what seems at first to be a typical Hufflepuff gathering in the common room. It clearly is not, however. The older students are way too excited.

"Tonight," A seventh year prefect begins. "We mark the beginning of this school year even if we're already a week into it. Now, most of you know this, but for our first years, we'll explain."

Hailey takes over for him. "Every year, right at the beginning of the year, all of Hufflepuff gathers for the 'Bonding Ceremony.' It's a very special ritual that only Hufflepuffs perform, connecting us as one family. You'll be able to feel what everyone else feels, to help us better understand each other."

"Now the way this works," Cedric says. "Sounds kinda cheesy. Everyone grab hands in a circle."

Five minutes and a jumble of arms and feet later, we've all managed a giant circle. I'm standing between Amber and Cedric. "Now repeat after me: Cognatio non finis in genus. It's the Hufflepuff motto, meaning 'Family doesn't end in blood'." Cedric says, and after we echo him back, he gives us the next instruction. "I'm going to keep repeating that over and over, and everyone will join in until everyone is saying it, and don't stop."

Within thirty seconds, the room is filled with quiet murmurs of "Cognatio non finis in genus." The older students begin to look even more excited then before as we continue to repeat the phrase. I find out why very fast.

Our hands begin to glow a soft yellow color, light weaving its way between every Hufflepuff, wrapping us all in light. "woah!" I hear a first year gasp, but I keep repeating our motto.

The light begins to seep into our skin until it disappears completely and we fall silent. Everyone's emotion is the same right now: calm. "It'll feel weird for a few days as you get used to it." Hailey says. "We've all been there, trust me."

"Weird how?" A boy in my year asks.

"Well, weird in that you know how everyone is feeling all at once." Hailey laughs. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."