"Merry meet. I am Cordelia of the Most Inbreded and Snobbish House of Rosier."
Contrary to popular belief, Sirius Black wasn't the biggest disgrace. No, that title rightfully belonged to Cordelia Rosier. (Secretly, of course).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the Ro...
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------------------> THE CLOSER CORDELIA GOT TO THE COMMON ROOM, the more she could smell a strong, burning scent.
She quickly tapped the barrels and entered the Common Room. James and Sirius were sitting on an armchair with their eyes closed tightly and Professor Mcgonagall had her wand pointed at a portrait that was set on fire.
"What-"
"Oh Miss Rosier!" Professor Sprout cried as she pulled her into a hug. "I am so glad you are safe! And saved your fellow badger's lives as well!" She looked at her proudly. "A true Hufflepuff!"
James and Sirius jumped and pulled her into a hug soon after she was released by Professor Sprout. The three of them just group-hugged for a while.
Everything was going to be alright.
------> 0o0 <------
Ten minutes later, the three of them were seated in the empty Great Hall, a mug on hot chocolate in their hand.
"-and so Headmaster Dumbledore left to help in the hospital wing." Sirius said, finishing his side of the story.
James nodded. "And then, Professor Mcgonagall told us to cover our eyes because she was going to set the portrait on fire. That was so cool!" He said with a starry expression before chuckling. "You know, when dad said that Hogwarts was going to be very exciting, I don't think he meant it this way."
Sirius and Cordelia laughed.
"And I hope it never again is," said Cordelia.
Sirius raised his mug. "Cheers to that."
All of them clicked their mugs together and drank.
"What I still don't understand," James started, after a minute. "How didn't it affect you? The curse, that is... It made seventh year muscular Quidditch players fall to it, so why not you?"
Cordelia smiled and made a show of taking out and playing with her necklace. "It's a family heirloom." She explained. "It's made of amber."
Realisation flashed through James' eyes. "Of course! Amber is un-reactive to magic! It's a natural resistor."
Cordelia nodded, still playing with her necklace with a soft smile on her lips. "It saved my life."
"It saved everybody's lives." Sirius corrected grinningly as he pulled her into a side hug. "We did pretty well, didn't we?"
"We were bloody brilliant!" James exclaimed.
"We were excellent." Cordelia agreed.
------> 0o0 <------
The reunion after every badger had woken up was a highly tearful one filled with loads of group hugs and kisses. James Potter and Sirius Black had been made honorary Hufflepuffs for their part in the Portrait Scandal, as it would be called in the future, and Cordelia couldn't count how many times she had been either thanked or pulled into a hug.
Professor Dumbledore cancelled all the exams, except the OWLS and the NEWTS, with the reason that the Hufflepuffs missed so many classes and they didn't have time to study and more importantly, that sometimes, there are much more important things than exams.
James, Sirius and Cordelia received fifty points each for their part and a proud smile from Professor Mcgonagall, which was worth more than any thing in the world.
Slytherin won the House Cup and Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, but the Hufflepuff's received a standing ovation the first time they walked back into the Great Hall after they woke up.
------> 0o0 <------
Her parents and brother were standing at the station when the Hogwarts Express arrived like they always did.
Cordelia wished all her friends goodbye with a hug before walking over to her family who apparatated back home soon after.
After more hugs and 'I missed you's', Hadrian Rosier spoke, "We were extremely worried, Cordelia, when we didn't receive any letter back from you the last two months. What happened?"
Cordelia chuckled nervously. "It's a long and complicated story father, one that couldn't be written down so easily."
"We have time now," Evan said, seating himself on an armchair. "Tell us."
"Finky! Bring us some tea and some biscuits. Oh, and put Cordelia's things back in her room," Adeline Rosier ordered. "If it's going to be a long story, might as well have some snacks while we hear it."
Hadrian Rosier gave his wife a fond look before looking at his daughter with an expectant, encouraging, soft smile.
Cordelia smirked. "Well, it all started the day I got sorted into Hufflepuff. The prefect, Amos Diggory, introduced us to a portrait of a woman named Harriet....."
