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In a nook on the right-hand side of the basement corridor stands a large stack of barrels. To most students, such a sight might seem unimportant. However, to those who were sorted into Hufflepuff, these barrels are invaluable. Concealed behind one of these barrels is the entrance to their common room, which has not been seen by a student belonging to another house in over a thousand years.
Of course, anyone is welcome to attempt accessing the sanctum of Helga Hufflepuff. You only need to tap the barrel two from the bottom, in the middle of the second row, in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff.' Any member of the loyal lady's house will be able to do this with their eyes closed and get the lid to swing open and expose a crawl-way, but anyone else will find themselves in a sticky situation. If the wrong lid is tapped or the rhythm done incorrectly, you will instantly be doused with vinegar and barred from accessing the common room. With that said, tap carefully.
Is it just you, or has the Hufflepuff Common Room entrance seemed a little sluggish recently, perhaps taking a few seconds longer than usual to respond to the passcode it's been given?
No. Not just you. All at once, the barrels have become unquestionably unreliable. At times, it works fine, perfect working order, while at other times it will leave you stuck outside the common room for ten or fifteen minutes at a time before suddenly springing into action. Occasionally even the correct series of taps on the barrels by a Hufflepuff will soak an unsuspecting student with vinegar. Whatever enchantments maintain the entrance are undeniably on the blink.
If you're lucky, someone might just happen to force the barrels open from the inside, where a passcode isn't needed, otherwise you'll just have to be patient.
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
SPOILER!!: Malfunctioning barrels!
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Narrator
Is it just you, or has the Hufflepuff Common Room entrance seemed a little sluggish recently, perhaps taking a few seconds longer than usual to respond to the passcode it's been given?
No. Not just you. All at once, the barrels have become unquestionably unreliable. At times, it works fine, perfect working order, while at other times it will leave you stuck outside the common room for ten or fifteen minutes at a time before suddenly springing into action. Occasionally even the correct series of taps on the barrels by a Hufflepuff will soak an unsuspecting student with vinegar. Whatever enchantments maintain the entrance are undeniably on the blink.
If you're lucky, someone might just happen to force the barrels open from the inside, where a passcode isn't needed, otherwise you'll just have to be patient.
Jude crossed his arms over his chest, completely unimpressed with the barrels. This was the second time that day he had encountered this sluggish glitch with the objects. That time, he had assumed that the barrels would get over it, that it had been just a phase. Apparently not? Because it was now in the afternoon and the incident he’d been thinking about occurred earlier in the day. Jude really wished he wouldn’t be stuck out here for ten minutes AGAIN.
Well, he needn’t worry about it for now.
One second he was just eyeing the barrels and willing them to cooperate and the next he was soaked in smelly, icky vinegar. “Whh-aat??? I’m sure the taps were correct!’’ Feeling slightly indignant, Jude shoved back hair from his face where the soaked strands plastered easily to his head.
Bathes in Maple Syrup | Dancing Lobster | Mrs. Charlie Weasley | Seneca's Beard | That's So Fetch
Dafydd had been keeping to other parts of the castle, knowing that the barrels were being rather temperamental lately. But returning to the common room at some point in the day was inevitable. He just hoped his lucky streak continued. The barrels worked fine for him the few times he was on his own, otherwise he had managed to squeeze in with a group of other Hufflepuffs who managed to get the entrance open.
Carrying a package filled with goodies from his pa, he was rather delighted to see that his good friend and dormmate was there. "Hey, Jude!" he shouted at the other end of the corridor. "Look what pa sent me! Some Weasleys' products, tons of sweets, and..."
Despite his initial excitement, he quickly noticed that something was wrong the closer he got to the barrels. Why did his friend look so cross and wet? And what was that ... OH.
"You stink, mate," Daf informed Jude, his nose scrunching up a bit. "You forget the correct rhythm?" He knew the barrels only drenched you with vinegar if they weren't tapped just right.
Margaret was on her way out of the common room, dressed for a run in the cold. Quidditch cross-training didn't stop just because the weather was poor or the castle was on the fritz. Spotting the two fourth years as she emerged from the barrels, she eyed them.
Yes, she knew them. They were Hufflepuffs.
And Jude, it smelled like, was drenched in vinegar. Too bad for him. "Having trouble?" she asked politely, holding the lid of the barrel open behind her. Had they forgotten the tap combo? It really wasn't difficult to remember. After all, she could remember it.
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Jude just wished that someone would come out of the Common Room so that he could head IN. He couldn’t help but feel appalled at being covered in vinegar. His mind reminded him that it could have been a worse substance like acid. That was true but it didn’t stop him from being disgusted.
“Don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better,” the fourth year automatically muttered, saying the lyrics to the song ‘Hey, Jude’ upon hearing the greeting. He didn’t even have to look to know the voice belonged to Dafydd. “Thanks, Daf,’’ Jude replied somewhat sarcastically, which was quite unlike him. Daf would immediately know that since they were good friends. “I’ve been here for four years. I think I’d remember the rhythm.” Jude stepped aside. “But why don’t you give it a try? Then you can tell me all about your care package? Did you say Weasleys’ products?’’ Those could come in handy!
Oh, hey!
The entrance to the Common Room had opened! THANK MERLIN! Jude recognised fifth year Margaret though why she was looking sort of stuck up right then he didn’t know. Maybe he was imagining it. “A bit. The barrels.’’ He pointed unnecessarily to them. “Are malfunctioning. Processor Euka should be told about this.”
Percy sprinted down the corridor, running away from some Slytherins he had accidentally shoved on his way here ON ACCIDENT. Oh yeah, also because HE HAD TO USE THE LOO. He knew he should have gone earlier, but he'd been playing, catching the golden snitch outside, that he'd put it off. The Hufflepuff was filled with so much regret right now.
Nearing the Hufflepuff common room entrance, he wondered why there were other students just standing around. Just for a split second though, because his bladder occupied 98% of his focus right now.
That's how Percy ended up colliding with the entrance lid after he assumed it would swing open after the tapping of the barrels. "OW!" he yelped, stumbling backwards and holding a hand to his nose. "I REALLY HAVE TO PEE!"
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Okay, so Jude had FINALLY decided to put his indignation aside and deal with getting the vinegar out of his clothing. Tergeo went a long way to help siphoning up the liquid but the odor of vinegar still lingered, and it lingered heavily. Jude gingerly sniffed at his shirt. “Ugh! Yeah. Shower.” A long one too. The next time he needed to get into the Common Room, he’d throw up a Shield Charm to protect himself from vinegar.
His thoughts were distracted by hurried footsteps and the sound of someone running smack into the barrels. “Whoa! You okay there? Your nose okay too?” Jude asked Percy in concern. He couldn’t see any blood. Yet. It would be better if there wasn’t any, thank you very much. “You might want to keep your head on there, champ.” The last thing they needed was for Percy to pee all over the place. “Hey, Margaret. Mind if we have a pass? Please?”
Bathes in Maple Syrup | Dancing Lobster | Mrs. Charlie Weasley | Seneca's Beard | That's So Fetch
Daf simply shrugged his shoulders when one of his best pals said that he'd been at the school long enough to remember the rhythm that needed to be tapped to get into their common room. He couldn't argue with that. Or maybe he could. After all, Jude was the one covered in vinegar, soooooooo...
But no comments about the matter came out of his mouth. It wasn't in his nature to cause drama, especially for no reason. Instead Dafydd stepped toward the barrels to properly give it a go. "I sure did! I'll tell you more once we get inside." You know, where things could be discussed in private. And maybe after his friend showered.
The fourth year was just about the tap on the barrel when it opened up and Margaret made an appearance from the other side. "Trouble? Nah. Jude here is having loads of fun," he jested, side-eyeing his vinegar-doused dormmate. "But, yeah, lid's malfunctioning for whatever reason. Jude swears he --"
He stopped mid-sentence, his head jerking to the side to see the aftermath of a first year smack right into the lid. "Merlin! There's a door there, Percy!" Daf said no more, however, and instead gave a look to Margaret. A Hufflepuff drenched in vinegar was bad, but a first year about to wet his pants was not something he wanted to deal with.
Jude wasn't imagining it. Margaret did probably look stuck up. The smell of vinegar could do that to one's face. And the...first year who...wasn't looking where he was going? She sighed, still holding the lid of the barrel open.
"Hey, watch where you're going," she told the first year who'd just barreled into the barrels. In a hurry or not, it was rude to expect other students to just get out of the way. Still, she stepped aside so the other students could get by her into the common room. "You're lucky I was on my way out," she said simply.
As for telling Euka that the barrels were malfunctioning...she glanced at Jude and Daf. She didn't really know either of them enough to know if they were responsible enough to report to their head of house. Did that mean she had to? "One of you want to tell Professor Euka?" she asked hopefully. She wasn't opposed to the stairs. She just...hadn't witnessed the problem herself. That was it.
Puff by day, snake by night | Mj's bestie | Always UP to Something...
Had she heard her name?
Euka was just taking a stroll and wanted to check in on her badgers when she swore she heard her name as she came closer. Though she was startled to see so many badgers hanging out outside the common room.
"Usually meetings happen on soft sofas, not hard barrels. Is everything alright?"
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Jude eyed Dafydd with playful suspicion. Clearly his friend wanted to talk in private. Jude nodded his understanding. But yes, he needed to take a long bath first, unless Dafydd was quite comfortable with the prolonged stench of vinegar. Jude actually laughed as Dafydd’s spoke to Margaret. No disrespect, Margaret but his friend’s sarcasm was on point.
“Yes, we’re SO grateful that you were on your way out,’’ Jude remarked, growing quite impatient by the girl’s demeanour. He gestured to Percy. “Go ahead.” The youngest Hufflepuff was in far more need of entering the Common Room. He’d been about to answer that he and Dafydd would handle relating the incident to Euka since Margaret clearly didn’t want to do it but the woman of the subject arrived.
Perfect timing!
“Hi, professor! Boy, you showed up at the right time.” Jude gestured at the barrels. “They’re off… in the way that they wouldn’t open despite being tapped the right way. Not to mention that it doused me in vinegar.” He raised an eyebrow questioningly. Did this have something to do with the mysterious state of the Castle? The destruction in the Trophy Room recently, for example?
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Stack of Barrels 
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