Uncle Carl had been right. Hufflepuffs had the best parties.

Fern had been watching the party for a long time; with the round door leading to the girl's dormitories open just a crack, she had seen everything from Minnie setting up the signs and cakes, to their head of house arriving, to everyone giving Toby presents and chatting happily among themselves. Anytime one of the other girls had appeared in the hallway, heading out to join the celebration, Fern had scuttled back into the first year's room until they were gone. Thus she had managed to go undetected (or she thought she had, at least).

It wasn't that she didn't want to attend the party and wish Toby and the others born in September happy birthday. Because she did. It was that Tallulah wasn't there with her and going to an awesome party without her cousin felt wrong.

Finally opening the door all the way, Fern took a tentative step into the common room. Maybe if she was quiet enough, no one would notice her, and she could slip out and go down to the dungeons. She was worried about Tallulah; she was worried that evil Cuthbert boy was being mean to her cousin. And she meant to give him a good talking to.