The little badgers were all outstanding

Beginner Transfiguration really could not be called an easy book to understand.

Compared with the Charms textbook, which clearly laid out casting methods and incantations, it was rather abstruse.

The entire book could be boiled down to two words-believe yourself.

Transfiguration was really just the genuine art of warping reality, wasn't it?

By the end of class, Su Er had only just managed to turn his match silver. Even so, he had come out on top among both houses-the other few students who did well had only managed to make slight changes to their matches.

Professor McGonagall gave Su Er a rare smile and awarded Hufflepuff fifteen points.

After class, on the way to the Great Hall for dinner...

"How did you do it, Su Er?" Justin asked miserably.

In their Transfiguration lesson just now, this little Hufflepuff badger had successfully unlocked the achievement of ruining seven matches in a row.

Su Er wanted to tell him how he had done it, but he did not know either. Transfiguration had only one basic incantation, which merely helped young wizards understand and successfully cast the spell. Accomplished wizards did not need to say an incantation at all.

"Believe in yourself," was all Su Er could say.

"Believe in yourself?" A question mark practically appeared over Justin's head.

Although he was disappointed not to get any specific tips from Su Er, Justin soon forgot about it.

Professor McGonagall had tasked them with completing this basic transformation within a month. According to her, no student had yet managed to turn a wooden match into a needle within a month.

The conversation at the Hufflepuff table was far more engaging, though.

Prefect Gabriel was speaking animatedly, surrounded by a group of first-year wizards.

"Someone asked me whether Hufflepuff was the least intelligent house because it accepts everyone, but I must address that rumor here."

"That is wrong!"

"You must all have noticed that our house emblem is a badger."

"What sort of animal is a badger? It's an animal that's often underestimated because it remains calm until attacked. But once it's angered, it dares to challenge creatures far larger than itself!"

"And the outstanding wizards we've produced are every bit as good as those from the other houses! Does anyone know Grogan Stump?" Gabriel asked with a smile.

"A former Minister for Magic," answered a first-year from a wizarding family.

"That's right. One of the Ministry of Magic's most popular ministers for many years-he was a Hufflepuff."

Some of the young wizards from Muggle families expressed their admiration.

"Besides him, Ministers Artemisia and Donald Macphail also came from Hufflepuff."

"There's a book on your first-year book list for a subject you won't be able to take as an elective until third year-magizoology. The author of that textbook, Newt Scamander, is also a Hufflepuff."

"But wasn't he expelled from Hogwarts?" one young wizard asked in confusion.

"That's true," Gabriel said, "but it doesn't change the fact that the Sorting Hat placed him in Hufflepuff!"

"I heard Mr. Newt Scamander once helped Headmaster Dumbledore in a wizarding war?" another young wizard spoke up.

"That's right." Gabriel nodded firmly. "If any of you have collected Headmaster Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card, it says that he defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald."

"Mr. Newt Scamander was Headmaster Dumbledore's assistant at the time! Why did the headmaster choose a Hufflepuff? Precisely because we are capable and trustworthy."

"Many, many other outstanding wizards have come from Hufflepuff. Hengist was one of the founders of Hogsmeade."

"You see, so many outstanding, brave, powerful witches and wizards have come from Hufflepuff. What reason do we have not to be proud of joining this house?" Gabriel concluded.

The young wizards burst into thunderous applause, drawing looks from the other three long tables.

Seeing the flushed faces and shining eyes of the Hufflepuff students, the others could not help wondering whether these little badgers had taken stimulants.

Su Er quietly applauded too. If their prefect did not go into recruiting for Hogwarts after graduation, it would be a great loss to the recruitment world. After all, Hogwarts had always competed for students on a worldwide scale.

Once their excitement subsided, the young wizards began chatting eagerly, while Su Er sat at the table with his mind elsewhere.

He wondered whether Angel, far away in London, had received his letter.

"Su Er... Su Er..." Suddenly, Justin furtively nudged Su Er's elbow, waggling his eyebrows to signal him.

Su Er turned his head and met a pair of large eyes, with bushy hair spilling over her shoulders.

It was Hermione.

Su Er waved at her, but the little girl glared at him and turned back to her food.

Clearly, she was still angry about Su Er failing to keep his promise.

Oh, well, no big deal. I'll just soothe her a little. Knowing Hermione's temperament, Su Er shrugged. A proper apology tomorrow morning, when the owls delivered their letters from home, would put everything right.

That evening, Su Er sank into a soft sofa in the common room and let out a contented sigh. For the first time, he understood why some little animals liked burrowing.

The Hufflepuff common room was indeed one floor underground, but through its windows they could see the grass swaying on the lawn outside the castle. When the sun rose over the horizon, the little badgers were always among the first to enjoy its light from their common room.

"You could say there's nowhere better than the Hufflepuff Common Room." Justin sank into a sofa in the same position as Su Er, his eyes narrowing blissfully.

"Justin, want to go check out the kitchen?" Morn asked, leaning forward with a book about Quidditch matches in his hand.

"The kitchen?" Su Er's interest was piqued.

"But wouldn't we be caught out after curfew if we went out now?" Justin clearly had some reservations.

Morn tilted his chin toward a nearby table, where several plates of treats that had not appeared at dinner were sitting.

Clearly, these had come from the Hogwarts Kitchens.

"Then... do you know how to get to the kitchen?" Justin thought of the delicious pudding they had each been served that evening and licked his lips. He was tempted.

"Su Er, are you coming?"

Su Er raised his eyebrows. His answer was obvious.

The three young wizards sneaked out from between the barrels. The corridor was silent, apart from the faint crackling of burning wood in the wall-mounted torches.

"All clear." Justin turned back and gave them a thumbs-up. Coming from a Muggle family, he had always thought that gesture looked especially cool in films.

The Hogwarts Kitchen was indeed very close to the Hufflepuff common room. Su Er and the others passed only four portraits and landscape paintings before coming upon a painting of a bowl of fruit.

"Next..." Morn raised his hand and tickled the pear in the fruit bowl. Under their watching eyes, the bright yellow pear wriggled as though dodging Morn's fingers, then hopped aside.

A doorway appeared.

Suddenly, faint footsteps sounded behind them.

"No way... Surely we aren't unlucky enough to get caught on our very first outing after curfew?"