The Badger and the Lion (Chapter 1)

Hufflepuff. The house with the stigma of those who are loyal and well not so smart. Which wasn’t always true, we weren’t all clones and all the same, we were like any other house. We just happened to not fit the acquirements of the other houses. It was just my luck I was sorted in the Badger house. My two older brothers were both Gryffindors, so when I first started at Hogwarts they immediately didn’t want to hang round with their Hufflepuff sister. Their friends don’t even know they have a sister, that’s how it was. I was on the lower end of the scale, most denied it was true but when it came to friendships you mainly stayed with those from the same house.

Ever since my second year I have been trying to focus on my studies but there’s something that always distracted me. His name was Gregory Hilson. I have had a crush on him for the last two years, the worst part is that is has only grown stronger with age. He was always in my class, but he never spoke to me unless we had to partner up, which was rare. I’d watch him come and go with his friends in the grand hall, yet I gave up on him now. Ever since I saw him at the Yule ball with a much prettier Gryffindor girl.

Now I was stood at platform 5 ¾ , it was going to my fifth year at Hogwarts. I stared at the wall as people passed through the busy station, I hated this part. Going through that wall, as if it was normal, without anybody noticing. I hadn’t done it alone before, I always had someone with me. I pulled my cat Apollo close to me, “We can do this, Ap. Just need to brave, I’m nearly fifteen for god sake!”
Suddenly a group of Slyverin girls pushed past with their trolleys, they laughed collectively at the sight of me.
“Oh be careful the puffball doesn’t give you bad luck. Oh and the black cat as well.”
I rolled my eyes as they disappeared into the wall, Apollo squeaked, I peered down to him.
“Don’t listen to them, that’s just a myth…Oh wait puffball? That was one time! Like in first year when I accidently had a allergic reaction.”
“Excuse are you going to stand there talking to yourself or are you actually going to move?” A voice said in a rude tone.
I spun round to see him, it was him. He was actually looking at me and moving his lips at the same time. My heart throbbed in my chest, my face brightened.
“Oh you were talking to the cat, that’s even more abnormal.”
He carried towards the wall; I blinked out of my trance before quickly following behind.  I opened my eyes to find the Hogwarts express pulled up at the station, I suddenly jerked forward and accidently bumped into Gregory.
“Oh sorry.” I uttered.
He quietly rolled his eyes before walking ahead, I sighed deeply as I tried to find a carriage to sit in to wait for my friends. He must have thought I was an idiot.




“Hollie!” A voice called.
I sat near the window as I stroked Apollo, I peered my head up to my friend Anthony. He was always the comedic, he thought it was a good idea to cast a slug slime spell on our Poisons professor Snape, he was far from amused. He always does things that cause us to lose house points, it was funny at first but now we knew the reason why we never won the house cup.
“How was your summer?” I asked.
“Well you know the usual, planning what mayhem I’m going to cause at Hogwarts this year. I am thinking of indivials..”
“Not me is it?”
“No of course not, I’m thinking of getting revenge on those Gryffindors.”
“Why?”
“They get everything and act like the heros of the school. Well I’m gonna do the Hufflepuffs proud!”
“But how are we meant to get points if you could get us all in trouble?”
He stared at me confusedly, “What do you mean?”
“House points, when you pull pranks we lose them!”
“Ah well it doesn’t matter.”
I had to restrain myself from going into a full rant, I sighed, “If you say so.”
The door opened, there stood my best friend, Laylabell, “Hey guys.”
She was the most popular Hufflepuff in our year and she hung out with me out of all people, she had brunette curls and bright blue eyes. She shown me up, but I didn’t mind, anybody would.
I hugged her before she sat opposite me, “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I tried to keep in touch by owl, but we all know how your owl can be like.” She said awkwardly.
My owl couldn’t even fly to the other end of the street without getting lost; it made me wonder where my letters ended up. I wanted an replacement owl, but it was expensive.
A bunch of voices passed the train ale, it was Greg with his friends, I couldn’t help but stare. Laylabell nudged me.
“Hey are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry I-“
“She was checking out Greg again, seriously he’s out of your league.”
Laylabell gasped, “Anthony how could you be so rude! You didn’t have to tell her that way.”
“Wait you agree with him?” I asked feeling insulted.
She kept quiet and changed the subject as the train travelled through the country and onwards to Hogwarts.

I woke up to find myself alone in the carriage, we were at Hogsmeade Station. Did Anthony and Laylabell leave me? I rose to my feet carried my bags, I picked up Apollo, “Do you know what happened, Apollo?”
He was half asleep and put him back in his carrier bag, I stepped off the train wearily, I didn’t want to walk up alone in the dark. Maybe this was one of Anthony’s pranks; he must have got annoyed with what I said to him. I had to walk through the forbidden forest to get to the school Apollo began hissing like crazy, I looked down at him confusingly, “What’s wrong?”
Suddenly, a 15 foot spider luring over me, I shrieked as I began sprinting towards the castle grounds. This had to be a nightmare, I must have still been asleep on train and I was soon going to awake to see that Laylabell and Anthony hadn’t left me after all. So much for Hufflepuffs being loyal.
I tripped up causing Apollo to fall out his bag; I turned back a round running towards the creature to save Apollo. It leapt on top of me, it’s fangs ready to feed on my flesh.
“Arania Exumai!” A voice cried as a bolt of light shone before me, sending the spider flying away from me.
I panted heavily, as I looked round for the voice, “Run stupid!” The voice cried.
I stood in a state of shock; suddenly someone took my hand as we sprinted towards the castle.
Before I had time for it all to sink in, I saw Gregory. He held his hand firmly in his hand as the spider had vanished behind us.
“W…What was that?” I asked him.
“Acromantula.” He called back, “Didn’t you pay attention during Ancient runes?”
I forgot that I event taken that as a subject, but it was back in my third year so I couldn’t remember much from it. I didn’t carry on studying it as my grades weren’t so good.
He let go off my hand as we arrived to the main entrance, he glanced down to me, “Why didn’t you get off the train with everyone else.”
“I fell asleep.”
He laughed faintly, I raised an eyebrow, “What were you doing?”
“I was… Bored.”
“Going in the Forbidden forest this late?”
“I was trying to get venom from the Acromantula. But it was co-operating and it ran off, so it’s my fault that it crossed your path.”
“It’s okay, luckily you decided to back blast it. You could have easily allowed it to eat me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know.” I uttered feeling awkward, “Thank you anyway, Gregeory. y name is Hollie if you’re wondering.”
“I already know that, you’ve been in my class for nearly three years.”
I blushed, “Oh yeah of course you did.”
I swiftly retrieved to the Hufflepuff common room, my heart was racing, I smiled to myself. Gregory Hilson knew who I was.