The Arguement
THE ARGUMENT
When I returned to my dorm, I had a huge fight with Beulin Higgie, my suitemate.
I opened the door and noticed Beulin studying a book called, The Laws of Witchery.
As I began to dress for bed, I noticed Beulin staring at me.
“What are you staring at?" I asked.
Beulin just stared at me and said, “What are you doing?"
“What am I going to do about what?” I asked nonchalantly.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about!" Beulin insisted. “What is going on between you and that Pia girl?”
“Nothing really… we're just friends,” I replied as calmly as I could.
"I've heard that she's descended from one of the worst families that are pure evil."
"Don't believe everything that you've heard, Beulin!" I argued back.
o0o
I was telling the truth. Pia and I were only friends… but I was wanting something more. I didn't get to see Pia and speak with her as much as I wanted... even though I didn't completely understand the way I felt about her myself.
“Albus, you have to know that people are talking about you… spreading rumors that you’ve become a Hufflepuff. Hasn't anybody said anything to you about her? She's weird! I've heard that her magic is strange... that it doesn't work like ours.” Beulin finished.
I looked at Beulin with a rage of fury and said, “No. Nobody has said anything to me. They know if they said something like that to me… I’d kick their ass thru their teeth!”
“Pia and I are only friends… and that's all,” I managed to say to Beulin.
Beulin gave me a serious look and said, “Good, because I just sent Pia an owl and told her to stay away from you."
Something snapped inside my head. I was so angry I couldn’t control myself. Before I knew it Beulin was raised in midair, then he was flung against the wall.
Beulin was one tough old bird. He managed to collect himself fairly quickly and was able to stand up again.
“How did you just do that?” Beulin demanded. “Where’s your wand? You managed to fling me across the room without a wand!”
I could only stare at Beulin. I had no answer for him… I did not know how I did it. But I didn't care at that moment… what I cared about was getting to the Hufflepuff dorms before Beulin’s owl got there.
o0o
I sent Limeric after Beulin’s owl thinking he’d get to the Hufflepuff dorms before I could.
I ran up the Hogwarts stairs as fast as I could. Perhaps I’d get to the Hufflepuff entrance in time to send a message. Maybe there would be a Hufflepuff who was late for curfew who could help me.
Sometimes the stairways would move, but I was used to that. The problem was that it would take longer.
I knew around where the Hufflepuff dorms were. They were in the basements on the opposite side of Hogwarts, that much I knew.
I also recalled that during the Battle of Hogwarts the Hufflepuff common room and dormitories were completely destroyed. They were rebuilt, but I knew Hufflepuff House no longer used the original entrance through the kitchens.
I finally came to the entrance of the dorm. It was like a cellar doorway built onto the floor with steps that you walked down to get to the door.
I knew this had to be the Hufflepuff entrance because the raised part was a brilliant yellow. On the iron door there was an image of a badger made of copper.
Unfortunately nobody was around and the entrance looked locked up tight for the night.
Now that I was there – I had no idea what to do. Any rational mind would know that Slytherin House did not mix with the other Houses. Anyone from Slytherin House was not allowed to enter in a different House, common room or dormitory.
But I was not thinking with a rational mind at the moment.
There was a metal chain on the door with a large brass ring at the end. I took the ring and tried to pull the door open, but I already knew the door was locked – it wouldn’t budge.
I tried my wand. I used every spell I knew and the door still didn’t budge.
Suddenly a ghost appeared. He was short, fat and dressed like a monk or friar. He was also drinking a huge mug of beer.
“What do you want?” the ghost said with a smile.
“I need inside the dorms," I managed to say.
The ghost eyed me suspiciously and said, “I cannot let you inside… curfew has long passed.”
The ghost looked closer at me and spoke, “Besides, you are not a Hufflepuff!”
“Please, please do this for me… I need to talk to somebody inside the dorm… please,” I managed to beg. And I was truly begging at this point.
The ghost looked at me with sorrow. I could tell that he actually felt pity for me.
“I will allow you in,” the kind ghost said, “However, you have to give me the correct password.”
“But I don't know the Hufflepuff password,” I said dismally.
“Do you know the knock? Knock correctly and the door will open,” said the ghost.
“If I knew the damned knock… then I’d already be inside you imbecile!” I said with anger and resentment.
“I'm sorry," the ghost said as he disappeared. I knew I had lost, so I gave up and returned to my dorm.
o0o
As I opened the door to my room I saw Beulin’s owl fighting with Limeric. They were making grotesque sounds as they tried to nip and claw each other.
Beulin was trying to corral the two owls but wasn’t having much success.
When Beulin saw me he said desperately, “Would you please help me manage these two insane birds?”
I went forward and could see that Limeric was trying to take a piece of parchment from Beulin’s owl. Finally the owl dropped the parchment and I grabbed it quickly.
I looked over at Beulin, held up the parchment and said, “What’s this?”
“I assume it’s the response from that Hufflepuff,” Beulin snapped.
o0o
I picked up the pillow from my bed and said to Beulin, “I think I'm going to sleep in the common room.”
I began to walk away and Beulin said, “Hey… you don't need to do that. Stay here. I know I got all into your personal business and I’m sorry for that. Stay… you're still one of us you know.”
I continued to walk out the door and headed to the common room. Most of the candles were out – but the fireplace held a good fire. There was also a greenish glow from the underwater windows that held back the water from Black Lake.
I went over to the fireplace to read the parchment by the light of the fire.
It read:
‘I completely agree with you. I am not good for Albus. I don’t want to hurt him or damage his reputation. Tell Albus to stay away and not communicate further with me.’
I read the note again… then I reread it a final time before I threw it into the fire.
I walked over to one of the sofas in the common room. I lay down, I put my hands over my eyes… and then I sobbed into my pillow.