6:48pm August 2, 2015

things about Hufflepuffs #468

thingsabouthufflepuffs:

Hufflepuffs with animal allergies are quite likely to have a “pet” plant. 

This Hufflepuff with a severe cat allergy (as determined any time in my life I’ve ever been tested, as well as by the amount of Benadryl I go through)… still has a cat.  And I suspect that may actually be a weirdly Hufflepuff thing as well. 

Although I found out that actually unless your allergy is so severe as to be life-threatening, it can be more beneficial to keep the cat around and treat the aI still couldn’t breathe through my nose for the first several months of living around dogs.  And I lived around cats all my life, but not indoor cats until I grew up.  We found out I was allergic because when we brought the cats indoors, I’d fall asleep, so my mom had me tested.  I was furious at the doctor because I loved cats so much and because I was a kid and didn’t know that the doctor not telling me wouldn’t have made it go away. 

I had actual reason to be furious at an allergist as an adult who pretty much refused to treat me unless I “got rid of” my pets – and it turned out that the symptoms I had gone to see him for, weren’t even the result of allergies to begin with, but of a really bad lung infection that was mistaken for an asthma exacerbation that was being blamed on my allergies because what else was there to blame?  But at any rate, I did some research and the allergist’s recommendation to “get rid of” the cat apparently is not even considered best practice for people with allergies, even severe allergies, as long as they’re not life-threateningly severe allergies. 

Which mine aren’t and never have been – both skin and blood tests have consistently shown an allergic response to cat saliva that’s technically well into the severe range, but my actual physiological response to that isn’t to keel over and die or stop breathing, so I’m not in the category of people where “getting rid of” a cat would even make sense.  My allergies have actually been improved somewhat by living with a cat, which is one reason it’s not considered good to just avoid the animal you’re allergic to (unless it’s some kind of obscure animal you’re never going to see) – it just means your response will be more severe when you do come into contact with that animal.

So that (and the fact that I love Fey and would probably not mind living with her even if it somehow did shorten my lifespan somewhat, which there’s no evidence that it does at all even a little, mind you) is why I’m a Hufflepuff with a severe cat allergy who lives with a cat.  And even sits here typing this with this 16-year-old cat sitting on my chest with her fur right in my face, blocking the fan, on a hot day.  She’s lived with me ever since I moved out on my own for the first time, and she’s going to go on living with me until one or both of us dies.  She’s one of the closest friends I have in the entire world, and she knows things about me that nobody else knows.  I sometimes have a sneaking suspicion, however, that she thinks of me as sort of like a big, none-too-bright kitten who’s never had the decency to move out in her old age, and doesn’t know enough to come in out of the rain and therefore has to be looked after all the time.  People always act like the cat is the “baby” in the relationship but I’m pretty sure the reverse is how Fey actually sees it (and I’m not arguing too hard, I call her Grandma Fey a lot of the time).

But I love the idea of pet plants.  Although I have plant allergies too, so that’s not necessarily going to work out any better.  I guess it depends on the plant – or the animal – and the person.

139 notes

10:09am July 23, 2014

madeofpatterns:

youneedacat:

ivorytowermind:

dominique-inique-inique:

everybody seems to think ravenclaw is a quiet place to read but i quite disagree

i mean maybe the fact that it’s so light and airy is because they need to be able to open the windows when jack blows something up while experimenting with charms in the corner

and the prefects always have their hands full because fights regularly break out over the fact that ‘post hoc ergo propter hoc is not a legitimate argument, diana!’ and ‘i can’t believe you think dorabella’s star maps are more accurate than mine! what kind of friend are you?’

and then of course there’s the divide between the ravenclaws that revere the old schools of learning and the brash new-world-new-rules ravenclaws that say ‘fuck you!’ to all magical conventions. and man, those prank wars are dangerous (especially when professor flitwick not only fails to stop them, but decides to join in on the fun)

i mean come on it’s a house of knowledge seekers that probably love to argue and theorize and experiment and have a certain amount of pride in their intelligence. things never go smoothly when you’ve got approximately 80 people all trying to be the smartest person in the room

#that’s not to say they don’t admire and respect each other #or enjoy working together because all ravenclaws are different #and some really really love being right #and some delight in being proved wrong because changing your worldview is ever so EXCITING #there is a certain amount of ego involved in considering yourself a genius #and there’s a certain amount of disdain for genius that exists in those that ‘humbly’ #proclaim themselves truthseekers #and then there are those that proclaim that there IS NO TRUTH #i mean come on ravenclaw is a mess let’s all face it

#and then there are the Ravenclaws that go through existential crises every other week because of things they’re reading#WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE POTIONS HOMEWORK#I’M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OTHER MEANS OF TORTURE ARE ACTUALLY MORE ETHICAL THAN THE CRUCIATUS#AND IF NOT THEN WHY ARE THEY LEGAL#or#I AM CALLING OFF QUIDDITCH PRACTICE TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHY QUIDDITCH IS DIVIDED BY HOUSES#or I CAN’T GO TO RUNES BECAUSE I AM TOO UPSET ABOUT WITCH HUNTS IN THE MIDDLE AGES#IMAGINE WHAT THAT WOULD BE LIKE JUST IMAGINE IT#or BUT WHY IS OUR CURRENCY SO ILLOGICAL CAN’T WE FIX IT#or HOW DOES MAGIC GET PASSED DOWN BUT THEN ALSO APPEAR AT RANDOM NOBODY CAN EXPLAIN IT#IS IT IN OUR BODIES OR IN OUR MINDS OR WHAT#(just calm down and come to transfiguration okay)#I WILL NOT CALM DOWN AND I WILL NOT COME TO TRANSFIGURATION#IF YOU VANISH A THING AND CONJURE IT AGAIN IS IT THE SAME MATTER#IS IT THE SAME ESSENCE#(it’s okay. just vanish the pincushion)#IT’S NOT OKAY

And the fact that when a Ravenclaw (or set of Ravenclaws) turns bully, they aren’t content to beat someone up, they will invent elaborate schemes to gaslight them or otherwise psychologically torture them, and may not stop until the person has been sent to St. Mungo’s (after which they’ll start nasty rumors about how they ended up there).  If asked, they were just helping the poor dear, it wasn’t their fault she went crazy.  And they can make it look like that’s exactly what happened.

Come to think of it, I should come up with a description of bullying strategies that bullies in each House would be more likely to use.  It’s just that I’ve been bullied by Ravenclaws and it looked exactly like what I described.  Gryffindor bullies would look a lot like James Potter, very straightforward sort of stuff, but done with a certain spellcasting flair.  Have to think about Hufflepuff, but I know it happens, however “nice” we’re supposed to be overall.  And we’ve already seen our share of Slytherin bullies because that’s practically all Rowling wrote about Slytherin.  I’m pretty sure Gryffindor and Slytherin bullies actually aren’t that different from each other, because Gryffindor and Slytherin are barely different in many ways anyway, and certainly not in how they act when they want to get nasty.

Hufflepuff bullying is imaginary friending, Nice Lady Therapisting, NVC aggression, claims to be triggered, being triggered on purpose in manipulative ways, and lectures on loyalty and friendship when someone asserts boundaries.

YES that’s exactly Hufflepuff bullying, holy crap yes.

22,636 notes

2:20pm July 12, 2014

This has been said, but it should be said again.

344 notes

3:14am June 29, 2014

things about Hufflepuffs #364

madeofpatterns:

thingsabouthufflepuffs:

Hufflepuffs tend to help their Slytherin friends be more comfortable with physical affection. They especially like to hug their Slythie friends for slightly longer than the snake would like. The Slytherins get used to it, but seeing them just a tad bit uncomfortable at first often makes the badgers smile.

This isn’t actually a good thing, at all. 

But it seems like the kind of mistake a lot of Hufflepuffs probably make.

Holy crap yeah it’s a little creepy, honestly.  But yes, it’s a very Hufflepuff mistake.  Especially that they’d think this was “helping”. Eurrgh.

On a side note…

For some reason… when the “things about Hufflepuffs” thing first came out, most of the submissions were things that even if they weren’t exactly me, I could relate to them.  And then somewhere along the way, they all became things about being a rampant extrovert who loves parties and hugs and doing things together all the time, and I stopped identifying with much about them at all.  I don’t know what’s changed exactly, other than that maybe everyone submitting stuff is following each other’s lead.

I miss stuff I could identify with, though.

I’m a highly introverted Hufflepuff.  And I’m still as Hufflepuff as it’s possible to get.  I still have all the same values and traits as any Hufflepuff out there (even the ones that can be bad, like excessive loyalty), I just really like my space and prefer to be alone a lot of the time.  I love people, I absolutely love people, but I don’t love socializing in large groups, and sometimes I don’t want to socialize at all.

I’m the sort of Hufflepuff who would go around the castle making clue hunts for other people to follow, and leaving little presents for random people to find in strange locations.  But who would hide in my dorm room if there was a party in the common room, which everyone lately seems to be saying would be happening all the time, which would be seriously unpleasant for me because I like our common room and would love to spend time there without lots of parties going on constantly.

I’d love to see more introverted Hufflepuff headcanons, autistic Hufflepuff headcanons, etc.

399 notes

8:05am June 18, 2014

theepicotaku:

I saw a post about Slytherins being friends with Hufflepuffs and i had to do a sketch :3

(My friend named the Slytherin Meredith and the Hufflepuff Lizzy) 

64 notes

3:26am June 2, 2014

theshoutingslytherin:

• Slytherins and Hufflepuffs having some of the closest and friendliest inter-House relationships
• Slytherins helping their Hufflepuff friends to get what they want without getting stepped on
• Hufflepuffs calming their Slytherin friends down when they get too angry or go too far
• Slytherins delighting in the confusion of the more biased Gryffindors who can’t believe that Hufflepuffs are friends with Slytherins
• Hufflepuffs fiercely defending their Slytherin friends when someone calls them a Death Eater
• Slytherins exacting terrible revenge on people who mess with their Hufflepuff buddies
• Slytherins aggressively protecting the younger Hufflepuff students from bullying and fights
• JUST
• SLYTHERIN/HUFFLEPUFF RELATIONSHIPS

3,965 notes

8:46pm May 24, 2014

things about Hufflepuffs #330

thingsabouthufflepuffs:

The patronus of a Hufflepuff tends to be an animal more closely related to protection than attack. While a Gryffindor may have a fox or a bear, a Hufflepuff is more likely to have a turtle or a hedgehog.

145 notes

8:34pm May 18, 2014

things about Hufflepuffs #324

thingsabouthufflepuffs:

Unbeknownst to even those friends from other Houses that are closest to ‘puffs, there is a second secret door that opens at the entrance to the common room.  If you tap out the rhythm of “Hufflepuffs in History” on the middle barrel of the second row, the door will instead open to reveal a well-lit reading nook that is lined with shelves, all containing biographies and autobiographies of famous Hufflepuffs.  Most aren’t even included in the main circulation library, because some ‘puffs prefer that their work go unattributed, as they have greater goals in mind than notoriety.

166 notes

3:32am March 14, 2014

things about Hufflepuffs #272

thingsabouthufflepuffs:

Much to the surprise of most of the Slytherin house, Hufflepuffs tend to excel at Potions due to their cooking-associated skills such as mixing and measuring with precision.

Interesting.

I suck at cooking, but I’m fairly good at baking.

174 notes

9:07pm February 8, 2014

theshriekingsisterhood:

Each house helping their disabled/mentally ill/neurodiverse housemates in their own special ways~!

• Gryffindors forming a group of volunteer students to walk students with PTSD to classes or through the castle at night, so they can always be in the presence of people they trust.
• Gryffindors hexing bullies who mock D/deaf students’ signed spells.
• Gryffindors petitioning to change old fashioned rules about taking OWLs and NEWTs that put ADHD students at an unfair disadvantage.
• Gryffindors who know that bravery comes in many forms, who are openly and unabashedly impressed when their depressed housemates summon the strength to get out of bed on bad days, and will punch anyone who thinks having a panic attack is indicative of cowardice.
• Gryffindors insisting that The Fat Lady give out signed passwords that D/deaf, mute, and nonverbal students can use, in addition to spoken passwords.

• Ravenclaws staying on top of all the newest advances in sensory spells and calming potions so if one of their autistic housemates has a meltdown they can be sure to help them in the best way possible.
• Ravenclaws helping learning disabled students come up with mnemonics to better remember information.
• Ravenclaws having a bookcase full of writing about famous disabled, mentally ill, and neurodiverse wixen, so they can give students the representation they don’t find in traditional history of magic courses.
• Ravenclaws getting really excited and enthusiastic when an autistic student infodumps on them, because knowledge.
• Ravenclaws being fascinated by the diverse ways students take in, process, and deliver information, and being deeply and personally offended by the idea that there is any “wrong way” to learn.

• Hufflepuffs always having a supply of treats and blankets when their depressed classmates feel overwhelmed, making sure they know their offer to form a cuddle pile is always open.
• Hufflepuffs spending their breaks sewing weights into quilts and robes for autistic wixen.
• Hufflepuffs understanding that “just and fair” doesn’t mean “treat everyone exactly the same no matter what” but “understand each individual’s needs, abilities and privileges, and make sure they have the resources they need to do their best”.
• Hufflepuffs who are amazing, patient listeners, and always down for a feelings jam, venting, infodumping, or all of that at once.
• Hufflepuffs who spend all of their free time learning how to sign so they can be better friends with their D/deaf housemates.

• Slytherins teaching autistic students to read subtle body language cues and project confidence.
• Slytherins helping to tailor dress robes of a wheelchair user so they look stunning but don’t get their skirts caught up in their wheels.
• Slytherins who come from rich families “forgetting” galleons in the rooms of friends who don’t have enough money to pay for the latest magic mobility devices.
• Slytherins letting the Bloody Baron know to make himself scarce when students who are triggered by the sight of blood are nearby.
• Slytherins making up nonverbal codes so that students can alert their housemates if they’re about to have a panic attack or breakdown and still look totally aloof and collected.

Hogwarts students of all houses coming together due to shared neurology and ability, forming mixed house cliques and not giving a crap~!

Also Ravenclaws (and inventive students and tinkerers of all Houses) inventing assistive technology for disabled students like…

• Spells that identify (through whispering, little letters in the air, or whatever else the person finds convenient) other people for faceblind wixen.
• A cross between a wheelchair and a broom, that can be used to get around Hogwarts despite the staircases.
• Better white canes, that give auditory cues to identify objects in the environment.
• AAC technology that links up directly to the thoughts of the user, rather than requiring typing.
• Lots of other assistive technology, some of which could only ever work through magic, some of which takes Muggle assistive tech and modifies it.

13,570 notes

2:30am December 19, 2013

Introverted Hufflepuffs

hawthornwild:

Lots of people, even Hufflepuffs, get the idea that all Hufflepuffs are extroverted.  However, this is not the case.  Every Hufflepuff has a different way of dealing with social situations, and all introverted Hufflepuffs are not alike.  Here are many different ways we can be.

Some of us don’t like to go out into the common room at all, if we have to.  We stay in our rooms, alone or with our roommates.

Some of us like to go out into the common room, but we don’t directly interact with our fellow Puffs.  Being there with them is all the company we need.

Some of us like to go out into the common room and choose to interact with small numbers of people at one time, different ones each time.

Some of us like to go out into the common room and choose to interact only with those known well to us.

Some of us go out into the common room, interact in the same general way that extroverted Puffs do, and become completely exhausted by it.

Pretty much all of us prefer to retire to our rooms after social interaction.  It’s not that we don’t like people.  It’s that even the best social interaction is exhausting to us.

Many people won’t readily see us as Hufflepuffs, because we do not always have the friendly personality that is the stereotype of our House.  However, we do have certain attributes that absolutely connect us to Hufflepuff House.

We strongly value doing what is fair, just, and right.

We are very loyal to the friends we have, and to our House, sometimes to a fault.

We not only value hard work, we also enjoy it!

We care strongly about people.  We don’t always show this by a bubbly, friendly attitude, or by socializing with twenty people at a time, but then extroverted Puffs don’t always do all those things either.

We value being inclusive to people who are frequently left out of the cool crowd.  We don’t do this out of pity, but because we honestly like people.  

The only exception we might make to our inclusiveness is when the person is hurting everyone else despite our best efforts to stop them, and even then we are reluctant and sad about the matter.  Our attempts to make that last situation work may get us, and others around us, in trouble if we are not careful.  We sometimes have to learn that the hard way.

We value people above all other things.  Not power, not glory, not something we happen to be interested in.  When it comes down to it, we love people and that love is the thing that matters most to us in the world.

We are honest, unless it will do more harm than good to tell the truth.

All of those things are things we have in common with other Hufflepuffs.  We just don’t always show them the same way.

But since we don’t always show it by socializing, you may notice that we find inventive ways to show our caring for others:  

If you find little presents left around in unexpected locations for people to find, you can bet it was an introverted Hufflepuff that left them.

We may put in long hours doing hard work that even most other Puffs don’t feel like doing, so that they don’t have to do it.

We may yarn bomb the common room and other assorted places around Hogwarts.

We may leave enchanted clue hunts for other people to follow all over the campus.

We love doing little things like that when others aren’t around to see us, and delight in watching other people’s responses to our efforts.

In other words, we can still find ways to do all the things Hufflepuffs value, without taxing ourselves by socializing more than we want to.  And we are still Hufflepuffs, even if we aren’t always as social, or as conventionally socially-skilled, as the House’s reputation.

(This is my first actually-interesting post on my character blog for Pottermore.)

83 notes

6:31pm December 11, 2013

things about Hufflepuffs #108

thingsabouthufflepuffs:

While many Hogwarts students bring a new animal to school, Hufflepuffs are likely to bring their lifelong beloved pet, even with the knowledge that the animal will be well into old age by the time they graduate.

50 notes