Wesley sat down next to the girl, happy to be in the warm, inviting, familiar Great Hall.

Happy at least until the older girl started sobbing. That wasn't right. Wesley was the one who always cried, not other people. In fact, the first year didn't think she had ever seen anyone cry ever before except for maybe Mother after one of her arguments with Father. That had been scary. Wesley hadn't known what to do. Just like now.

"It-it's ok-kay. N-no o-one i-is g-going to g-get h-hurt. A-and I-i'll help-p d-dry y-your b-books a-af-t-ter the-the f-flood's s-stopped." Wesley stuttered anxiously, patting the girl's back softly. She would have given her a hug, but she really didn't know the girl. And people didn't always react well to hugs. Sometimes they got angry. Angry people were scary.

Rhea looked up at the little first year that she left the common room with. She was embarrassed about breaking down in public like she had, especially in front of the sweet first year who for all she knew had basically saved her life.

She smiled gently at the girl and nodded.
"Thank you, I'm alright," she said kindly. For a few seconds she mused on being in hufflepuff. Now she knew why it was the best house. It was the best because, the students in that house were the best and sweetest. She dried her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name..I'm Rhea." At least the little one helped to take her mind off her problems.

Sarah walked into the Great Hall and towards the Hufflepuff table. "My shoes." She cried. "And looked at my hair." She said. "This is totaly unfair." she cried. "My shoes and socks are dead." she cried out loud. she looked around to see if there was a Professor she could talk to who could help her sort herself out, she looked like she had been for a swim well she hadn't been for a swim but she had pludge into some water so she was total soaked. "What should I do"

"That's good. It's no fun to be sad."Wesley said, smiling back.

"Ooops!" It had never occurred to Wesley that while she had no clue who the older girl was, the girl didn't know her either. "My name's Wesley, and I'm a first-year." she said proudly, pointing at herself. "And I think that Rhea is a very pretty name," the eleven-year-old added sincerely. She wished her name was more feminine; Wesley was a boy's name.

Her brow furrowed for a moment in detest at her first-name, but the tiny girl quickly became happy again, swinging her legs under the table, unable to reach the floor even if she tried. Wesley opened her mouth, about to ask what kind of books Rhea liked to read, but then decided it would only make her sad again. "What year are you in?" she finally asked. Rhea had to be at least a fifth year- she was SO TALL!! But then again, maybe that's because Wesley was so short.

Rhea smiled down at the little girl when she said she thought her name was pretty. She noticed how small the girl was and couldn't help chuckling. She wasn't that small when she was a first year.

"Wesley? Well that's an interesting name," she added. She was glad to talk to the first year,she was slowing forgetting how distressed she was.
"So what subjects do you like and dislike Wesley? Have you gone flying yet?"

"Oh! I really like Arithmancy; I like doing math. But the future is kinda scary, only so far everything has been nice. Defense Against the Dark Arts is okay too. I really like my new holster!" Wesley pulled back her heavy wet robes to show Rhea the hip holster laying safely over her skirt, "I don't like fighting though, and I think Transfiguration is REALLY scary! All of that stuff disappearing! And the professor said that when we make stuff disappear it is everywhere! Like in you." she shuddered, "Muggle studies is nice though. And Astronomy. That is so confusing! My head was hurting all day after class!" Wesley stopped, taking a breath. She had been talking really fast. Woah. No one had ever asked her about her favorite classes before.

"Flying?" Wesley repeated, softer, "N-not r-really. I-i th-think i-it's s-sc-cary." Being up there, in the sky with nothing to catch you? Wesley was afraid of heights just standing up on top of her house (Which was really stupid. She should never have done it-especially when no one was home. Broken arms hurt. And St. Mungos is frightening!!!). And that was with something under her feet. She just knew she would fall and kill herself, "I-i'm s-scared of-of h-heights," the first-year confided, nervously.

But she wasn't flying, was she? No. She was in the Great Hall, talking to Rhea. There's nothing to be afraid of. "How about you? What's your favorite classes? Are you on the Quidditch team?" Rhea seemed so brave- not afraid of anything! Wesley bet she was on the Hufflepuff team. Watching people fly was scary, but seeing them doing something they liked to do-seeing them happy- Wesley loved that.

Why was no one going to help her, she was soaked with water and she was sure that she needed a towel. "look at my hair and my shoes." She cried. "My shoes are dead I think" She cried looking down at her badly damaged shoes. "Oh and my hair is going to take at least six months to get back to where in belongs." She looked around the great hall but there still wasn't any professors. "Oh what are we suppost to do?" She hoped they would find out soon enough.

Rhea listened as Wesley talked about her favourite subject. Boy did she talk fast but she tried her best to keep up and listen, nodding at the appropriate moments.

She was quite taken with the little first year, she seemed much smarter than the other little ones that were running about all over the place.
Rhea made an exaggerated gasp when she said she was scared of flying.

"You can't be scared of flying though!" she said sitting up straight now.
"Flying is so exhilarating. The wind on your face, the broom that rush when you're playing quidditch..." Her eyes took on that dreamy look they always got when she talked about quidditch, then she sighed when Wesley asked f she was on the team.
"Well, this year, I'm not so sure about. I had some err...technical difficulties with my broom," she explained.
"But who knows..I might have made reserves, which isn't too bad i suppose."

Rhea started noticing how cold it was now that she wasn't wallowing in self pity. She pulled out her wand and did the complicated little swish used to produce the drying charm and tapped her robes, then she did the same to the first year.
"There, much better," she said smiling at her.
"If you want Wes, we could go down to the lake whenever u don't have class, and I'll help you with your fear of heights and I'll even help you with flying," she said giving her a little wink.

Tammy walked into the Great Hall scowling. She and her best friend didnt need this to add to anything that was already going on. WOAHH. The sixth year hadnt even thought about her clothes and wait wait wait.

Wait for it...


"MY MAKE UPPPP." She squealed as the sudden realisation that her whole bag had been left on the floor in the common room. That was so not fair. If that flood water got into the dorm and her backup make up and clothes got ruined. Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes. Nope, she had one pair of heels left. Grrr-eat. Underwear was the main thing she wasnt too worried about. They had the lake. But ohmegosh... SHOEEEEES AND MAKEUPP WITHDRAWAL ALREADY!!

Tammy slumped into a seat and slammed her cheek down onto her palm and scowled further.

Lyra dragged herself into the Great Hall with an arm load of clothes, shoes and letters. This was so absurd, so crazy, so...whatever the word was, she couldn't believe it. She glided over to the Hufflepuff table and placed her things down as neatly as she could. It was a good thing her PJs were cute and a pantsuit. She loved being fashionable.

Oh dear! Wesley was making Rhea sad again. She really hadn't meant to hurt her feelings about saying how frightened she was of Quidditch. She had been trying to make Rhea happy- not sad! I'm so stupid! Now Rhea's going to hate me! Why couldn't I have just lied!? But then maybe Rhea would have hated Quidditch and hated me for saying I liked it! And I can't lie! Lying is bad! Mother would be absolutely disappointed if I had lied. But making Rhea sad is bad too! What if she starts crying again? And then it will be all my fault! I'm such a bad girl; I alw-

And then Rhea started talking about her tryouts and how her broom had malfunctioned. Wesley knew what it was like to have things malfunction. It happened to her all the time. And she was positive Rhea had tried her absolute hardest! "That's okay! You tried your best! I'm sure you made the reinforcements! And if you play on the team I'll come and cheer you on! I'll go to all your games! And if you don't -whichwon'thappen- then you can sit next to me in the stands, and we can cheer together, or if you don't want to watch then we can do something else! W-we could start our own team!" Wesley said, trying to cheer her up. She wasn't sure about starting a new team. But if it would make Rhea happy, then Wesley would do it. Anyday!

Wesley had been so focused on cheering Rhea up, she hadn't even noticed the cold (which was good seeing how Wesley didn't like being wet) "Oh thank you!" Wesley exclaimed happily when Rhea dried them both off. She couldn't help but think how cool it must be to know all these nifty spells. Someday -when she was older- she might be able do neat stuff too!

"Okay!" Wesley said excitedly when Rhea offered helping her with heights and flying. It sounded scary, but it felt so good to be invited to do something... It felt so good to have a friend. Wesley had never had a friend before, so she wasn't really sure how one knew if they really had one; Mother had always kept her inside and away from other children. The tiny girl wasn't exactly sure why, just that it had something to do with "being delicate", "getting sick", and "bullies". And Rhea was so nice. She was talking to Wesley and offering to help and do stuff. So she's my friend. Right? Right.

Wesley practically beamed at her new name. No one had ever called her Wes before. Wes sounded very...grown up.

Other students seemed to be slowly coming in to the Great Hall, all cold and wet and dripping. "Do you think there is something we can do to help them? Like, maybe we could do that cool drying spell or something? Or, well, I'm not sure how to do that- but maybe I could I don't know help with something?" Wesley tilted her head, worried about all the other Hufflepuffs.

Rhea shook her head when Wes said she tried her best. The younger girl was right. She did try her best and that was all that really mattered. Wes was really helping to lift her spirits, she wondered if she knew that.

So this was what they meant by house mates being like family, now she understood and appreciated it. Now, she loved her house even more.

She smiled at Wes when she said they could watch the game together if she didn't make the team.
"That sounds like a good idea Wes. I would like that."

She was quiet for a moment until, she younger girl suggested wanting to help the other huffies who might be making their way to the great hall just as wet and cold as they had been minutes before.
"That is a good idea, but we'll offer our help when they ask for it," she said looking around.
"Unless of course you want to offer your services before they ask of it. I'm sure they would greatly appreciate it." She said placing a reassuring hand on the young hufflepuff's shoulder. Wes was like the little sister she never had.

*Gabben walked in covered in water and sat down. He was still rubbing his head as he sat down waiting.*

Julie walked in covered in water and muck. Boys had been trying to get into the kitchen. She said aloud, Now doesn't this just suck. All of her stuff was being flooded and she would have to be with the Ravenclaws. She picked at her wet clothes.

It was late.

It was late, Caitlin was tired, but she couldn't sleep. So why not head down to the Great Hall for a late-night snack and cup of cocoa. The nice thing about this time of night, was that most of the school was empty.

She sauntered over to the Hufflepuff Table and sat down, rather defeatedly, resting her elbow on the table, and her chin in her hand. After a moment passed, she drew out her wand and with a quick swish and flick, a mug of cocoa appeared before her; along with a warm chocolate chip muffin.

Granted the sugar might keep her from sleeping tonight, but she didn't really feel like sleeping at this point in time.

Cy was mad again, well, he still DID have that chip on his shoulder. The Aussie was going down to the common room when those ‘hot shot prefects’ told him and everyone else to high tail it back to the Great Hall. Flooding and stuff like that… he didn’t really give a wallaby’s butt about some bloody water? Whats the whole big deal?

Cyrus just didn’t understand the danger.

So he sat at the Hufflepuff table with his little pocket knife in hand, trying to subtly carve his name in the bench inbetween his legs.

Dominic entered the Great Hall, where his gaze instantly flickered to the Hufflepuff House Table which would hopefully hold majority -if not all- of his housemates. Assuming that no one was hiding in any cupboards or something to evade leaving the flooding common room. But that would be foolish of them to do so since Lawson was searching . . .

What in the name of canaries though was this little boy doing with his head bent down like that? Whatever it was, he looked really focused on . . . OH HELL NO!!! Did that boy seriously think he could VANDALIZE Hogwarts property and get away with it!?

"You there, young lad!" Dom called sharply, eyes widening and blood pulsating quicker with every step closer to the mischievous first year. Placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, he pulled him gently though to look him in the eye...

... wasn't he trying out for a spot on the quidditch team? Actually, if Dominic recalled correctly, the boy had been pretty good on the broomstick. Oh nevermind though.

"What do you think you're doing?"

After Dominc's heroic motion of saving her shoes, Vanessa walked into the great hall, her legs feeling very wet. At least that was all that was wet though, she really wouldn't have wanted to get any wetter. She didn't really the water, especially considering it was all icky and stuff.
Pulling the bag that she had shoved her shoes in, which was quite heavy, on her shoulder, Vannie squealched along the hufflepuff table, dumping the bag of designer shoes on the table, smiling at Lyra.
"Can you make sure nobody steals these Lyra?" She asked quietly. That was the last thing she wanted.

After she had done that, she glanced around, noticing that Dominic was scolding someone. She raised a curious eyebrow at him, before turning to look at the other hufflepuffs.
"Is everyone okay?"

Flood, flood, flood. Why everyone was just get panicked instead of having fun with paper boats?! She shrugged as she made her way to the Great Hall. Goodthing she had saved her things very safely even before the water touched her shoes. She wiped off her hair from the face and spotted, Sarah. Oh..right. Yes it was her. What she was doing with her wet shoes?!

She walked over to her, "Hey Sarah! Watcha doing here still?" she asked her, wondered.

Sarah looked at her sister and smiled, she was still wet though. "Alice." She smiled as she looked at her and then wet and hugged her. "The Hufflepuff Common Room has started to flood." She cried as she clung to her, and then looked at her shoes. "Look at my shoes, there dead." she cried still clinging to her older sister.

There she was. Running to her and hugged. Aww. Alice had not seen her for the whole week. And now crying over and all. She hugged her naughty lil sister caringly and wiped off her tears gently, "Shhh..Sarah. Stop crying," she said softly, "I know there is flooding and all. You need to get out of here first." she looked down at her, nodded. She needed to get dry first. Just ignore the shoes baby!

Sarah looked at Alice and smiled. "I've missed you so much." She cried as she looked straight into her older sister face and allowed her sister to wiped her tears of her face. "I'll try." Replied Sarah as she looked at her and tried to stop the tears. "but my shoes and socks are dead." she looked into her sisters eyes. "And just look at my hair, it's a mess." She was sure Brant wouldn't like how it was. When her sister said she needed to get out of there she looked at her. "Where can we go?"

She had this cute face. Her lil evilcute face. Hehe. "Me too Sarah. But it seems you're so busy..." she raised her brow, frowned, before consoling her, "Aho. Dont worry about the shoes and socks. We can go and buy a new one. And I can fix your hair. Better?" she gently patted on her back. This lil one was upto something. Surely. Alice knew that. Knew her mischievous sister very well. Glad she forgot George. Alice smiled to herself at that thought. "Anywhere. Just out of this mess first." she cringed her nose as dragged Sarah. She liked tobe wet usually but not this way. Yuck!

Ryder wanted to take his shoes off, but he wasn't really sure whether or not he should. But they were soaked. He was trying to concentrate on what she was saying, but it was hard when the water and cold were distracting him. While she was talking, he bent down, still looking up at her and slipped his shoes off. Socks too. "It would definitley be a good thing to know," he said, almost jokingly. Though, he really wanted to know where. "Maybe either Vanessa or Dom knows, we could always ask them," he suggested.

Ryder looked towards Vanessa when she asked how they were all doing and nodded. He hoped Sarah was okay too, but he'd let her answer. He turned and smiled softly at Sarah before he asked Vanessa, "Do you know where we're going to stay till our common room isn't flooded? And what about our stuff?"

Tammy slumped back at her hosue table and looked around at the other annoyed hufflepuffs. Where in gods name was she going to get shoes, make up and more uniform. And then where on earth was she going to sleep? Anywhere but the floor. She was dreading a floor sleep. Not ehr favourite thing in the world.

She noticed someone ask the question that was on everyones minds, where were they going to sleep? And by the look on everyones faces they ahd heard too and wanted to know badly.