Chapter 747 - Ug Ⅴ…. (1/2)
The warm, low-ceiling common room is nearly full to the brim with chattering Hufflepuffs. Lockhart and Jacob had saved their two friends a seat in a corner of the common room. The chatter quickly dies off as the somber figure of Prefect Branstone and the round-faced Prefect Abbott shush them. The chatter dies down to whispers as a group of rather pale-faced Hufflepuffs enter the common room that last to arrive. They hurriedly sit on the ground with their heads ducked down low.
Closely following right after them is their head of house, Professor Pomona Sprout. The squat witch with wry hair has a most unusual expression on her face. The older students immediately quiet down at the sight of their somber Head of House. (Professor Winfrey would have liked to accompany Professor Sprout, but she was the Head of House of Hufflepuff, while he was only a former Hufflepuff and Assistant Herbology Professor. It was not his place to openly chide the Hufflepuffs, but he would certainly do so in the privacy of his classroom.)
”Silence,” Professor Sprout only said once causing the younger years to openly gawk at the unexpected stern command from their head of house, but still, they obediently fall silent.
There are amounts of earth on Professor Sprout's clothes and fingernails that shake a bit loose as she places her hands sternly on her h.i.p.s. ”It has come to my attention that there are among those in our house who do not seem to understand several of our house traits chiefly among them Fairness, Patience, Kindness, and TOLERANCE, above all things!”
”In all my years of Head of House, I have never witnessed such a repugnant, violent act against another fellow house member,” Professor Sprout crisply said. At her words, everyone's head reflexively turns to the group of boys, who entered the common room last. The group of boys flushed with mortification and they pointedly stare at their l.a.p.s.
”Now, I shan't go into detail, but suffice to say that they targeted a younger member of our house,” Pomona Sprout said with a resolute expression.
The nosey Hufflepuffs quickly peak at each other until one of their house members spots the still healing torn bottom lip of Lorcan. Hearing their house members cry, they all in unison turn their heads until they too come to rest upon the now shrinking form of Lorcan. Glenda fearlessly glares back as Lockhart proudly folds his arms over his c.h.e.s.t, and Jacob pointedly stares at the back.
”Enough,” Professor Sprout said causing the Hufflepuffs to return their attention to their head of House. ”As I said before I shan't continue in detail, but I am most displeased to learn that it took Miss Prince, the Slytherin Prefect to f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y intervene and come to the defense of one of our house members!”
There is a shocked murmur among those listening except for that of Prefect Andrew Abbott. Rowan and he had been friends ever since their first year. And though Rowan had a stern face at times, she was rather kind and abhorred bullying of any kind.
Professor Sprout whirled about and said, ”All those that are transfer students this year stand up!” The transfer students glance up at each other warily as a third of the house rises to their feet.
”Look at those standing before you,” Professor Sprout a bit flatly said. ”They are all former werewolves, who transformed into vicious beasts at night. How can any of you sleep at night with such beings?!”