Cadence Scamander - Chapter 4

Instructions

Chapter 4 Well this was a pickle. With a sigh, I slump down cross-legged by the barrels and let Eddie onto the floor. He starts climbing around the barrels, poking and examining small cracks in the worn wood here and there. I start anxiously wondering if I should tell a professor or look around for a fellow Hufflepuff student that knew the password. After a few minutes, I hear footsteps coming down the hall. I hurriedly put out my arm for Eddie to clamber onto, and after he does, I quickly stand up, trying to act casual. Two other Hufflepuffs are chatting while walking towards the supposed entry to the common room. They looked quite similar, and if you squinted enough, they looked a lot like identical twins. Both of them had tall, athlectic builds, light brown skin, bright hazel eyes, and contagious grins. The only major difference was their hair, one of them having a long, chestnut-colored braid going down their back, and one having shockingly green hair that went just up to their shoulders in a bob. The one with the green hair notices me, and smiles. "Hi! Um, are you trying to get into the common room?" They ask. I grimace. "Yeah... Do you guys know the password?" I ask sheepishly. The one with the braid kneels down by the barrels, and does a pattern of knocks on the very bottom one, that has a small badger engraved in the wood. I hadn't seen that before. With a small 'Cachunk' the barrels start to slide themselves to the side to reveal a small door that even a first-year would have to crouch down to get through. "I'm Paz Gaudin. She/they." The one with the green hair says with a smile. "And I'm Thea. She/her." Says the one with a plait. I grin at Paz and Thea, saying, "Cadence. Cadence Scamander. She/her." The two siblings duck through and beckon for me to follow. I stand up, making sure Eddie is still with me, and duck through the door a few seconds before the barrels rearrange themselves to look like they had before. I had to admit it was very cool. I entered the room, taking in my surroundings. The Hufflepuff common room was a wide space, with circular windows dotted around a strip of wall by the ceiling, and it reminded me of portholes you would see on pirate ships. There were an assortment of different plump armchairs and couches for students to rest on, and - My favorite part - There were various plants around the room, vines dangling from the ceiling, Daffodils in small ceramic white plant pots on chestnut-colored tea tables, and bright flowers in hanging baskets. "You should head to the dorms, they're right up the stairs." says Thea, gesturing to the short flight of stairs that went to the girls dormitories. I nod, and walk over to the worn stairs, and climb up them, surprised that none of them were creaky. I smile when I reach my dorm, a cozy space with four bunk beds and heaps of pillows. I spot my case on a bottom bunk, Looking the exact same as when I saw it last. I go and sit down on the soft bed, letting Eddie explore his surroundings. I get a minute to breathe, before someone knocks on the door. It was Thea. "Would you like me to show you around?" She asks with a smile. I nod, picking Eddie back up, and head out the door.