As the saying goes, a full belly sparks other thoughts.
Riding the train, especially a long-distance one, was exhausting, and combined with a full meal, Su Er just wanted to collapse onto a warm bed and sleep soundly.
Yet the opening banquet still had a routine program.
Headmaster Dumbledore seemed to have said something, apparently about the fourth-floor corridor being out of bounds, and something about not performing magic in the corridors.
Then came the singing of the school song, "...until we're turned to dust..."
Followed by another round of sparse applause, and Su Er finally heard that line-
"Now, off to bed!"
Thank goodness! Su Er snapped wide awake.
"First-years, follow me." A boy with a yellow-bordered emblem pinned to his chest stood up and said loudly.
The Hufflepuff first-years followed the prefect, weaving through the noisy crowd and out of the Great Hall. Amid the chaos, Su Er quietly slipped over to the Gryffindor formation and patted Hermione on the shoulder.
"What brings you over here?"
"Just came to say good night to you." Su Er said with a grin.
"See you tomorrow." A small smile touched Hermione's face; the disappointment of Su Er being sorted into Hufflepuff instantly vanished. "Good night." She said softly.
Neville, who had seen Su Er getting ready to say hello: ??? Hiccup~
"Hello, Neville, congrats on getting into Gryffindor." Su Er only had time to raise a hand and pat Neville on the shoulder before hurrying off to catch up with the Hufflepuff queue.
Neville: ???
The Hufflepuff House queue and the Slytherin queue headed in the same direction, both located in the dungeons of the castle.
The two queues separated at a corner.
"Welcome to Hufflepuff, my name is Gabriel Truman, and I'm this year's prefect." Gabriel was a rugged-looking boy with a bright smile on his face. He led the young wizards past a painting of a bowl of fruit and into a corner on the right side of the corridor.
A messy pile of barrels was stacked there.
"Young wizards, remember this." Gabriel drew his wand and said in a clear voice, "Tap the second barrel down in the second row to the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff."
Everyone immediately cast their gaze toward the barrels in the second row, but there were two of roughly the same size.
"These two barrels are about the same size, but, pay attention, if you look closely, there is still a difference." Gabriel tapped one of the barrels with his wand. "This is the second largest one, and there's a badger on its third-to-last stave."
Everyone nodded hurriedly, crowding close to carefully memorize this subtle distinction.
After waiting in place with his wand for a moment, Gabriel spoke up, "Alright, remember that rhythm." He tapped the bottom lid of the barrel a few times with his wand, and the magic happened: the lid rotated open, revealing a large opening.
"Alright, that's how you open it, and I feel obliged to give a warning." Gabriel said proudly, "Only the Hufflepuff entrance has magic set up to repel intruders."
"If you accidentally remember the entrance-opening method wrong, then-a barrel of vinegar will be poured all over you. Trust me, you really won't want to experience that feeling." A lingering look of fright crossed Gabriel's face.
"Now, one by one, go on through the opening." He said.
When Su Er crawled into the opening, he discovered that a whole other world existed inside. It turned out to be a small passageway large enough to walk upright through, the ground beneath his feet as soft as soil, and try as he might, Su Er couldn't spot any light sources like candles.
"Those are lumos moss, a plant that absorbs light sources on its own and then glows at night." A little girl following behind Su Er said.
Su Er turned his head to look at her; it was Hannah. Um... and she seemed to be little brother Neville's wife, too.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." Hannah smiled. "Susan told me about it; her whole family are Hufflepuffs. Oh, right, I remember you, you're a Bones, too."
Susan poked her head out from behind Hannah, looking curiously at Su Er.
"My name is Su Er."
Su Er smiled and continued moving forward along the passageway.
Coming out of the passageway led straight into the Hufflepuff common room. The temperature difference between day and night in the Scottish Highlands was huge, and even though it was only late August, there was already a hint of chill in the night air, but the Hufflepuff common room was exceptionally warm.
This was a circular, low-ceilinged room with a faint fragrance. Though low, it didn't feel cramped at all, and patchwork cushions were scattered across a large multicolored rug, their bright glow making the copper ornaments embedded in the walls and beside the fireplace shine brilliantly.
"This is the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff." Gabriel, who came in last, said. "Some young wizards might not know, but Lady Helga Hufflepuff is one of the founders of Hogwarts."
"Why is it blank, though?" A young wizard asked.
"Perhaps she's off visiting another portrait." Gabriel shrugged. "In fact, the times I've seen Lady Hufflepuff here are few and far between."
"All right, young wizards." He said. "Now, girls to the right, boys to the left. The dormitories have already been assigned, and your luggage has long since been delivered."
"You mustn't be late for your first class tomorrow. If anyone gets lost, you can ask the portraits; they're all old-timers who have lived at Hogwarts for hundreds of years. Remember, be humble and polite, otherwise..." Gabriel didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning had already been fully conveyed.
"Oh, right, if you're lucky, when you need help and run into the Hufflepuff ghost-that's the Fat Friar-ask him politely, and he'll be very happy to help you."
"Lastly, my sincerest congratulations. Welcome to Hogwarts, and welcome to being a member of the friendliest, kindest, and most steadfast of the four houses."
Gabriel's words won a round of enthusiastic applause from the gathered young wizards. Many had bright, sparkling eyes filled with yearning for the future.
The door to the Hufflepuff dormitory was a circular wooden door very similar to a barrel lid. Su Er quickly found his own dormitory. Stepping inside, there were four four-poster beds, their signature yellow-and-black hangings neatly tied to the copper posts on either side of the beds. The copper lamps held no flames, yet they emitted a warm, dim, yellow glow.
"Ah-choo-" Su Er let out a long yawn.
After exchanging introductions with his roommates, with whom he would share a room for the next seven years, Su Er collapsed onto the soft bed, which was full of the scent of sunshine, without even changing into his pajamas.
He gazed at the lifelike badgers on the yellow-and-black patchwork hangings and closed his eyes.
In his sleep, Su Er wandered dazedly into a glowing white valley, where rows of white wooden houses loomed faintly in its depths.
Though eleven years had already passed, he recognized it at a single glance as the place he had reached right at the beginning of his transmigration.
"Long time no see." A ethereal voice drifted down from overhead.
Su Er looked up to see a young girl sitting on a branch right above his head, her legs dangling and swinging back and forth.
It was the girl named Ariana.
"Did you die again?" Ariana asked curiously.
Su Er also harbored some doubt as to whether he had died once more.
"I don't know. I came here as soon as I reached Hogwarts, so I should... not be dead. Right?"
Upon hearing Hogwarts, Ariana's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hogwarts? Is that the school up in the Scottish Highlands?"
She fluttered down lightly from the tree, walked up to Su Er, and tilted her head in curiosity.
"You know about it?" Su Er asked.
The girl nodded gently. "I know. My brother is a student at Hogwarts. That's the place I've always wanted to go to school."
A flicker of yearning crossed Ariana's eyes, followed by a dejected sigh.
"That's a real shame." Su Er comforted.
"What house were you sorted into?" Ariana quickly adjusted her mood and pressed on.
"Hufflepuff."
"How nice... My brother is a Gryffindor." Ariana said with envy.
The two of them traded remarks, though mostly it was Ariana doing the talking; since Su Er had only just arrived at Hogwarts, he found it hard to answer most of her questions.
Ariana invited Su Er to visit her home, a tall three-story cottage with a lawn, though the grass-originally green-was glowing white here.
Su Er did not know how long he stayed here, but he never caught sight of a single other figure.
Another call drifted over... "Su Er..."
"It looks like I'm still alive." Su Er looked at Ariana, whose mood had suddenly turned downcast, and said, "The next time I come here, I'll definitely tell you all about Hogwarts."
Before you continue