Half-breeds at Hogwarts: PART 1 [COMPLETED]

4: A Blue Harvest Moon

"Miss Lila, wake up," whispered a soft, squeaky voice.

Lila pulled a blanket from over her head and squinted sleepily. There stood Pippy dressed in her purple toga and lilac earrings at Lila's bed side in the dormitory. The other Hufflepuff girls were immobile heaps in their beds, still fast asleep.

"Pippy, what are you doing here?" Lila asked, alarmed.

"Me is coming to see if Miss is well and needs anything," Pippy said softly.

"I don't think students are supposed to have house elves, Pippy," Lila whispered. "It's really nice to see you though."

"Me is happy to see Miss is still alive. Pippy will go, but Miss bath is ready."

Pippy held out a fluffy gown for Lila - Lila's wand was sticking out of one of the pockets. Grinning, Lila donned the gown and followed Pippy out of the dormitory, out through the common room entrance and along the corridor into the girls' bathroom.

It was a large, empty room filled with private booths, their wooden doors standing open, containing baths and toilets; a huge claw-foot mirror stood against one wall.

Pippy led Lila to a stall at the end of the room. It look larger than the others with scented candles floating high in the air. Pippy had already filled the tub with hot water and bubble bath. Lila's clothes were hanging behind the door. The house colours of yellow and black had appeared on a crest on her robes and in her scarf. The counter top was filled with Lila's toiletries. Pippy had even brought Lila a big bottle ofbubble bath from home.

"Thank you Pippy," Lila said squatting down and hugging the tiny elf.

"The tubs is old and spotted and they give you no mats here Miss," Pippy said with disapproval.

"It's dorm life for me now, Pippy."

"Sun is coming up now, Pippy must go," said the elf glancing at the high windows tinged in orange. "The other girls is waking up now."

Lila didn't tell Pippy that it would be at least another hour or so before the other students rose for breakfast. Instead she said, "Tell Mother I'm ok and not to worry."

Pippy nodded and disappeared with an echoing pop. Feeling at home, Lila took her time. When she returned to her dormitory, she found her bed was neatly made and her roommates were still soundly asleep. 

***

Lila sat at the Great Hall discussing her subject options with her fellow girl Puffs. The boys were huddled further down the table, talking furtively and glancing over at Lila often.

"Don't mind them, they're idiots," said a passing Slytherin girl with long blonde hair, gesturing at the gawking boys. "I'm offended that they act like they've never seen a good-looking girl before."

Lila burst out laughing and looked over the girl's pale heart-shaped face, icy blue eyes and golden straight hair. "You should be offended. You're beautiful."

"I know," the Slytherin girl said with a chuckle. "You know, you're not so bad. Watch out for Tom."

At first Lila wasn't sure who she was talking about, and then reality came crashing down on her. Lila spun in her seat and her eyes scanned the Slytherin table for sight of him.

Lila saw Tom amidst his growing fan club. He had a knife in one hand and was toying with it in a showy-off manner. The girls were staring at him with their mouths open. Lila's hand flew to her thigh and with a relief she felt her dagger there.

The head of Hufflepuff house was a well-known, tall, scruffy-bearded wizard named Professor Longbottom. He had inherited the position along with the Herbology teaching post, even though he was not a Puff. The Hufflepuffs stood at attention when he came over to set their timetables. When he smiled at Lila, his brown eyes creased in the corners.