Hogwarts: Through the Veil of Time

Hufflepuff was distinguished by a certain herd mentality, in a good sense, of course. It seemed as if the faculty was more united. These conclusions were suggested by various little things, be it looks, how they sit, how they smile, but that was if you looked closely. Otherwise, they were just familiar people with common topics of conversation, common interests.

Ravenclaw is a house of extraordinary people. They stood out, but in small ways. They even tried to individualize their school uniforms, to give them some uniqueness that didn't go beyond the dress code - something sewn in somewhere, unusual shoes, rolled up sleeves, some extra frill or at least a homemade bracelet. They are also obvious loners - keeping their distance and respecting their personal space are obvious, as is the fact that even at breakfast many of them watch some videos or seriously discuss what is clearly magic, if you believe the hand movements.

Gryffindor is an explosive mixture of everyone. Everyone. From those sitting primly and eating breakfast, haughtily watching everything that is going on, to some disheveled slobs with a crazy smile and an itch in one place. In this house you could find absolutely any type, but if you only watch a little longer, it becomes obvious that a common feature can be traced between all of them, despite the differences - an immediate and slightly aggressive reaction to an irritant. Well, at least that's what I would call it.

Slytherin is a breeding ground for kids with pretensions to aristocracy. No, this does not mean that they all pretend to be princes and princesses there. But in all the fragments of my memories I had to cross paths with the "upper caste" or those who consider themselves to be among it. And let's face it - the elf could also boast of a far from ordinary origin, as could a couple of wizards. In general, it is clear either the upbringing, or a scolding from the parents, saying: "Do as the elders from the faculty."

It all looks terribly funny together, and now I understand why Dumbledore smiles as he looks at everyone from behind the staff table. I'm sure he smiles like that all the time, except, of course, when a smile is inappropriate.

I also saw Hermione, who rushed like an unstoppable hurricane to her faculty table, quickly ate something without listening to anyone, and then quickly left - all that everyone saw was a shock of unruly chestnut hair.

- And you are Hector, right? - A blonde my age, obviously a classmate, sat down at the table opposite us, and she was accompanied by a slightly plump red-haired girl.

- Exactly. You?

"Oh, really," the redhead blushed. "Susan Bones."

- Hannah Abbott.

"It's very nice," although, to be honest, not very nice.

I just don't like redheads, and Hannah's smile is too... Toxic, or something? You seem to understand that it's sincere, but it feels like she drew something incredibly offensive on your forehead, and now she's waiting for the crowd's reaction. But everyone has their own characteristics, like this smile.

"Our classmates, and yours too," Justin nodded to them.

I involuntarily decided to pay attention to his features. The guy with his lush dark hair with a perfect parting, as well as his oval, but slightly elongated face, looked like some kind of movie rich villain. And the expression on his face, as if he suspected everyone of everything, only strengthened this feeling. An interesting company had gathered here, frankly speaking.

"Why didn't you study with us from your first year?" Hannah continued asking questions.

- I was sick. Since birth. But don't worry. Everything is fine now.

"Clear, clear," the girl nodded.

- You've eaten already, haven't you? - Ernie was clearly unhappy, but it was not yet clear why exactly. - Let's go, otherwise we'll be late for potions.

"Oh, by the way!" Susan joined the conversation as we were getting up from the table. "Have you noticed that everyone will have Potions at the same time now?"

We left the large hall and went in the same direction the guys knew. Justin pulled the parchment with the schedule out of his bag and checked it carefully.

- Indeed. So what, should we be present at the eternal squabble between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins? What a joy, - the irony in his words literally overflowed.

- Gnawing?

- Ah, Hector, you don't know, - Hannah, who was walking next to me, immediately decided to enlighten me, and we had already reached the main tower with moving stairs. - Here, the feud between these two faculties is something like a tradition.

Weaving through the crowd of students, we began to descend quite deftly, apparently into the dungeons, but the torches and bowls of fire gave magnificent diffused lighting. Unlike the evening on the day of arrival.

- As senior students say, it's usually a rather quiet conflict, - the blonde continued speaking. - But in our course there were several students who with all their efforts turned it into an open, and most importantly, active confrontation.

"Is it really true," I couldn't resist asking the pressing question, "that there weren't any magical skirmishes at school before them?"

- There were, of course, - Zakhariyya wedged himself between us. - And something is always happening. The hospital wing is not empty. But personal conflicts are one thing, a crowd will start a brawl somewhere until the professor gets a dressing down, and another thing - because of the color of a tie.

- Got it.

"That's why we should move as one group," Hannah said again. "Our faculty is not hostile to anyone, but you never know who will come up with a brilliant idea."

"Or a trap," Justin added.

"Or just to make fun of us," Ernie MacMillan, who had remained silent until now, shrugged.

- Has this ever happened? And to fight back?

- That's what we do, - Zachariah shrugged. - Well, not us personally, thank Merlin, we haven't had such problems. I hope we won't. But somehow it happens that if one person gets offended, the whole faculty gets upset, and in the end the seniors sort it out. But I'll say this...

Judging by the students my age and from all faculties crowding around one of the offices, we have reached our goal.

— …The most difficult to solve and offensive problems are from the Slytherins. The toughest, but easily solved in a similar style are from the Gryffindors, — Zachariah nodded at the two groups of guys with scarlet and green linings of their robes. — And there are no problems from the ravens — they don't give a damn about anyone.

We quietly approached the rest of the students, exchanging polite nods with some of them.

"Oh, my God, a Dementor!" the blond in green Slytherin colors screamed, recoiling from the bespectacled, disheveled brunette.

The bespectacled man immediately turned around and, of course, saw no Dementors there. But this maneuver of his caused unnatural laughter from the Slytherins and indignation from the Gryffindors.

"What was that scream you were shouting, Potter?" the blond grinned, and behind him stood two large guys, giggling obsequiously. "Mommy, mommy, no-o-o!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" some redhead, obviously a friend of this Potter, growled at the blond, which I immediately didn't like. I don't like redheads.

Justin nudged me lightly with his elbow, getting my attention, and I tilted my head slightly in his direction.

- Draco Malfoy, - the guy began to speak quietly. - The heir and only son of the Malfoy family, a very rich, influential pure-blood family of wizards. Self-confident, cowardly, impudent. They say, the unofficial leader of the faculty. Weasley, who is red-haired, from Gryffindor - the sixth son of a poor pure-blood family. Hot-tempered, stupid, impudent, lazy, envious. According to most, he is a parasite on Potter under the guise of friendship, but maybe they really are friends. Ernie already told you about Potter.

"Such detailed information? You're supposedly a Muggle-born," I said just as quietly, continuing to watch the squabble.

— My father taught me to analyze and collect brief summaries of people.

"Yeah," Zachariah interjected again, literally squeezing between us. "But you still haven't learned the first one."

- There is such a thing, what can I say? You are also an amateur in this.

"Hmm... Finch-Fletchley... Finch-Fletchley," I tried to remember where I had heard this name recently, and it seemed like the thought had come to mind, but it was mercilessly interrupted by the appearance of Hermione.

"Enough already," the sister pulled the lanky red-haired guy by the sleeve, who looked at Malfoy like a bull at a red rag.

"What, Potter," Malfoy continued to mock, "are you hiding behind a mudblood?"

There is nothing new under the sun. Whatever the world, whatever the magic, people remain people. Even elves have a very similar psychology, only with slightly shifted values. If there is a division into purebreds and others, there will be an emphasis on the similar. There is differentiation by another feature - there will be discrimination by it. But for an elf, a dwarf, or many other fragments, blood ties are always important. However, force is not our method.