After the Match — The Dorm of the Uncrowned Emperor
That night, Hufflepuff House was shaking.
Literally.
Someone had enchanted the ceiling to rain golden confetti every time someone shouted:
"HUFFLEPUFF!!!"
So far, they had shouted it 162 times.
Cedric was hoisted on shoulders.
Helena was given an honorary flower crown.
Vulpix was being chased by excited first-years who wanted to pet her.
And Keith—
Keith was sitting calmly on the couch, Vulpix asleep in his lap, sipping pumpkin juice like an idle monarch while the room lost its sanity around him.
◆ Chaos, thy name is Vulpix
A group of excited Hufflepuffs tried to pet Vulpix.
She woke up.
She yawned.
And then—
FOOF!!
She puffed out a gentle snow mist that covered the entire common room in soft, glittery frost.
Students gasped.
The entire room now looked like a winter fairy palace.
Instead of being angry…
They cheered even louder.
Student 1:
"THE SNOW IS WARM??"
Student 2:
"SHE'S SO CUTE I'M GONNA DIE—"
Student 3:
"HAIL THE HOLY FOX!"
Vulpix chirped proudly and sat on Keith's head like a fluffy crown.
Keith sighed.
"Of course."
◆ Katie & Angelina Arrive
A knock came at the barrel entrance.
Tonks opened the door—and froze.
Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson stood there, still in Gryffindor robes, still slightly blushing.
The entire Hufflepuff common room fell silent.
Two beautiful Gryffindor chasers…
walking into Hufflepuff…
at night…
Everyone:
"…Keith."
Keith raised an eyebrow.
Katie stepped forward, fiddling with her gloves.
Katie:
"H-Hi… um… We came to see Keith. If that's okay?"
Helena and Rias, who were sitting nearby, looked over but didn't react aggressively—just amused.
Susan was sipping cocoa with a smug "of course, another one" smile.
Katie and Angelina walked to Keith.
Angelina looked down at her shoes, then up at him.
Her cheeks tinted crimson.
Angelina:
"I wanted to… thank you. For catching me. I could've been seriously hurt."
Keith shrugged lightly.
"It's fine. I wasn't going to let you fall."
Katie clutched her broom nervously and blurted out:
Katie:
"And… um… you were amazing today! Completely terrifying—but in a cool way!"
Hufflepuffs nearby nodded rapidly as if this were an official court statement.
Angelina offered a small wrapped package.
Angelina:
"It's chocolate. From the twins. Well—mostly from me."
Keith accepted it with a gentle smile.
The two girls practically melted.
◆ "Uncrowned Emperor of Hufflepuff"
Suddenly, the Weasley twins burst into the room through the entrance.
Fred:
"WE FOUND HIM!"
George:
"HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS—THE UNCROWNED EMPEROR OF HUFFLEPUFF!"
The entire common room erupted into laughter and cheers.
They crowded around Keith like he was a celebrity.
Cedric:
"He scored 12 goals in 20 minutes."
Helena:
"And saved a Gryffindor chaser in a princess carry."
Tonks:
"And he has a magical snow fox that literally controls the weather."
Random Hufflepuff:
"IS HE EVEN HUMAN?!"
Fred threw an arm around Keith dramatically.
Fred:
"From today onward, we shall protect your imperial dignity."
George:
"And collect taxes. Preferably chocolate."
Keith stared at them.
"…Return my Vulpix's tail before you talk about taxes."
Because Vulpix was hanging from Fred's shoulder, nibbling on his ear.
◆ Katie & Angelina's Final Words
As the party got louder, the two girls stood to leave.
Before going, Katie leaned toward Keith and whispered:
Katie:
"If you ever want to practice together… or just talk… you can always find me."
Angelina followed, whispering just as softly:
Angelina:
"And… thank you again. For catching me. I won't forget it."
Both left, red-faced.
Half the common room stared at Keith.
Tonks whistled.
Rias smirked.
Helena rolled her eyes but smiled warmly.
Cedric elbowed him.
Cedric:
"You are officially the most popular person in the castle."
◆ The Emperor Sleeps
Later that night, as the celebrations calmed, Keith stretched out on the couch.
Vulpix curled up on his chest.
Rias and Helena quietly sat beside him.
The fire crackled softly.
Hufflepuffs whispered around the room:
"Is he asleep?"
"He sleeps like a cat…"
"No, like a dragon."
"The sleeping emperor…"
Keith dozed off peacefully.
Vulpix flicked her tails, sending a small snowflake drifting down.
It sparkled in the firelight.
And thus, the legend of—
"The Uncrowned Emperor of Hufflepuff"
—was born.