Chapter Text
Of course Adachi had been placed in Hufflepuff. Everyone in his family (except for that one aunt) had been placed in Hufflepuff since Hogwarts had first welcomed students into its halls. The other Hufflepuffs already sitting at their table shared a tentative smile with him and Adachi felt instantly at ease.
However, that ease was lost, as they walked down the darkened halls towards the common room. Adachi watched in fascination as the Hufflepuff prefect tapped the barrels in the specific order needed for the door to swing open. How am I ever going to remember that?!
Head swirling, Adachi collapsed onto his bed. Completely exhausted by the day’s events, he changed out of his robes and into his striped pajamas. The other first years around him chatted quietly but Adachi was happy that they were leaving him alone. They seemed to understand he needed time to think. Adachi knew he was going to feel right at home.
His family owl, Toyo gently pulled at his hair with her beak. Adachi smoothed back the old owl’s feathers and sighed into the familiar warmth. Closing his eyes, the new first year drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, Adachi adjusted his black and yellow tie in the mirror for the fifth time. He smoothed down his hair with his hands and looked at his reflection. He gently ran his fingers on the Hufflepuff badge on his robe. His whole body buzzed with nervous excitement as he made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
It was quiet as Adachi sat down and poured himself a mug of tea. He tried not to slouch, as he took a small portion of toast, beans and sausage. Adachi concentrated on not getting any beans on his new robes. The toast tasted like cardboard. Calm down, Adachi. No one is looking at you. No one cares. To prove his point, Adachi’s eyes scanned the Great Hall.
Except he was being watched by a Slytherin. As soon as their eyes met, Adachi ducked down his head and wished he had an invisibility cloak. Adachi forced one more gulp of toast down before standing up; getting ready to run.
Suddenly, a hand smacked the table in front of him. Adachi jerked his head to look up right into the face of the Slytherin that had been staring at him across the room only moments before.
“Welcome to Hogwarts, first year.” There was no mirth in his words. “I’m Urabe. Did you know all first year Hufflepuffs are supposed to do Herbology homework for Slytherins?”
“Eh?” Adachi’s eyebrows raised up in surprise. No one had told him that!
“It’s true,” The two Slytherins behind him giggled. Urabe shushed them. “Unless you don’t want to help out your fellow classmates?” Urabe frowned comically deep.
Adachi blinked in confusion. “Um…um…”
As Adachi searched for the right words, an arm swung in front of him. Adachi looked up and caught a hint of red. It was a Gryffindor. Adachi wished the ground would swallow him up. He had barely been at Hogwarts a day and he was already the center of attention.
“Leave him alone!” The Gryffindor’s tone was stern.
The two boys glared at each other. Adachi eyes flickered between the two of them. He could feel the toast he had just eaten threatening to come back up.
Urabe eventually snorted and crossed his arms. “Who do you think you are?”
“Someone who doesn’t like to see others being bullied.” The Gryffindor narrowed his eyes. Adachi wondered which one of them was going to pull out their wand first to attack. Adachi’s wand hand flinched, ready to help out if needed. Adachi tried to remember the name of any of the spells he had been practicing.
If all else fails, I can hit him over the head with my wand. His mom wouldn’t be happy if he broke his wand in half on the first day but if he had to, he would.
Urabe jerked his head forward, trying to scare the other boy shielding Adachi. Adachi flinched. The Gryffindor just tilted his head to the side. “Can we finish our breakfast now?” His tone was flat.
The three Slytherins glared at the two of them before turning around and sulking away. Right before they were out of earshot, Urabe turned around and hissed, “Don’t think we’ll let you forget this.”
Adachi put his head in his hands. Why does this always have to happen to me?
There was a hand on his shoulder and the Hufflepuff nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Oh, sorry,” The other boy stared down at him. Without warning, his whole face lit up with a smile. Adachi felt himself squinting against it. Was the other boy trying to put a charm on him?
“I don’t know if I ended up causing you more trouble but I just couldn’t let them do that to you.” The Gryffindor’s smile faded into a look of worry. “I”m sorry.”
It was after the second apology that Adachi realized he still hadn’t said anything. Adachi waved his arms and choked on his words. “No, no! Thank you. I really didn't know what to do.”
Taking that as an invitation, the other boy sat down. He extended out a hand. “I’m Kurosawa Yuiichi. I’m a first year like you.”
Adachi searched his memory for the other boy from the night before but it was all a blur. He had been too nervous to pay attention to those around him before he was sorted and he had been too excited after he knew he could tell his mother there was another Hufflepuff in the family, to memorize any faces.
Adachi took the hand extended to him. “I’m Adachi Kiyoshi.” In a rush, he added, “Thanks again.”
Kurosawa laughed. “Anytime, Adachi.”
After that, they ate their breakfast together. Kurosawa chatted pleasantly and Adachi found it easy to answer and follow along with the conversation. It left a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Gulping Gargoyles! Adachi wondered how the rest of his day was going to go if in the first two hours he had already been harassed by a Slytherin and (maybe) made a friend with a Gryffindor.
Adachi smiled into his mug of tea.