"Are you sure?"
"We're sure!"
Cedric nodded firmly.
Shawn didn't believe anyone would willingly settle for less, so he asked outright.
"Can you tell me why? Points can be exchanged for advanced knowledge. This is a chance to go further in life."
Cedric smiled, his smile so open and genuine that it felt like a breath of fresh air.
"The reason is actually very simple. We Hufflepuffs know our own limits better than anyone. Ordinary knowledge is already enough to keep us studying for a lifetime."
"Most of us Hufflepuffs have average talent. We don't have the intelligence or energy to spread ourselves thin over other things. In that case, why not satisfy our appetites instead?"
"Everyone needs something to look forward to in life. Since those lofty goals are beyond our reach, good food really is the easiest desire to fulfill."
Listening to Cedric's seemingly self-deprecating words, Shawn was unexpectedly moved.
Wasn't this what it meant for still waters to run deep?
A thousand years ago, a massive wave of witch hunts had swept across Europe.
Back then, wizards passed on their knowledge through apprenticeships, and their spellcasting abilities varied wildly. Many wizards living in scattered settlements were tied to stakes by Muggles and burned alive.
It was against this backdrop that Hogwarts' four Founders established the first formal school of magic.
But the students who came to study varied in aptitude.
Rowena Ravenclaw accepted only intelligent, creative students.
Godric Gryffindor accepted only brave, daring students.
Salazar Slytherin accepted only shrewd, ambitious pure-blood students.
Helga Hufflepuff was the most inclusive of them all, kind and approachable.
Any student rejected by the other three houses would be generously welcomed into Hufflepuff.
As a result, Hufflepuff had the most students, but their abilities were also the most ordinary.
Yet that didn't