Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Hufflepuff Common room entrance slides open and a slender looking woman strides into the room. She was a slender woman with red wispy hair pulled into a loose bun and blue eyes looking through her horn-rimed glasses. She normally had a kind freckled face but now it was very grave, purposeful, almost ill-looking. This expression might have even helped her pass off as a Slytherin if it weren't for her clothing. She wore a black velvet dress lined with lovely yellow silk. Over this dress was cloak of a deeper yellow thick cotton and a very small but very fine badger was embroidered into the left corner of the hood. Mafalda Prewett was not wearing her usual flowing robes and bangles; there was no twinkle in her eye nor was there her usual air of friendliness. Only cold disdain emanated from her. The thing that seemed the most out of place was the walking stick in her right hand; it looked like it must have been made around the same time the very room she was standing in was. It was engraved with images of centaurs and stars, the symbols of the thirteenth and the eighth tarot cards "Death" and "Justice", and at the top there was a brass animal that could only be a thestral with its great leathery wings extended as if in flight. She leaned on this and surveyed the room. She made a deep cough as though she had just gotten over a bad cold and then spoke.

Hello everyone. I'm back. Despite her entirely Alastor Moody-like air, her voice was very frail and almost wheezy, as if she had, indeed been sick. I hope you all had pleasurable holidays. I haven't really had a chance to catch up yet and I shall give you all a better hello at a later date. Right now, I have an important announcement to make.

Speaking as your Deputy Headmistress right now, I'd like you all to take your attention to the poll on your common room bulletin board. She indicates the said bulletin and, as though they appeared at her word, there was an antique black velvet ballot box on the table below the board. On this box is an intricate imbroidered design, very much like the one on her cloak; it glistened in the candle light and the noble badger's eyes seemed to dance for a moment. Next to the box was a pile of canary yellow ballot slips. I'd like for you all to take a moment to place your vote on who you would like to be your next Head of House. You may keep your current one or decide to pick a new one. If you actually have a nomination in mind for a new Head, please PM it to the Head Master and he will reset the poll to include your nominations. I'd like you all to know that your votes and nominations will be kept completely confidential. Also, no Head of House will be offended if the House decides to appoint a new Head.

She took a deep breath and grasped her walking stick with her other hand. Her face seemed to soften a bit and she made a brave attemt at a smile.

Also, speaking as your Hufflepuff Head now, I will be in no way shape or form offended or hurt if you think it's time for someone else to take the position. After all, I'm the only Head of Hufflepuff that Hogwarts has seen since Headmistress Pinkie was appointed. I also would never dream of leaving Hogwarts and certainly not Hufflepuff if I'm demoted. I also think it is only fair to admit that my activity will be extremely limited compared to how it has been in the past. ((Since I have agreed to baby sit my cousin's kids five days a week, it will be very difficult to get online during the work week.)) If you do, however, decide to keep me as your head of house, I will do my best to keep you from regretting your decision. I just know that there are many many members of this house who deserve the position just as much, if not more, than I do myself.

((Finally, if any of you are worried that demoting me from Hufflepuff head might somehow prevent me from doing the work I do on the rest of the guild, you need not worry about it. I will still be a co-captain of the guild and I will still be the actual owner of the Guild, even if I have basically given it to the members at large through Adonis, and I will still put my very best efforts into making the guild as wonderful a place to congregate as I can. This is actually one of my efforts to make the guild better...I think the best person for the job should be the head of house and I think that only the members of the house can really know which person would be the best at leading them. Sorry, my darn American ideology coming out again...))

Thank you.

She said all this with an air of assertiveness but it did not quite come across as such because of how frail her voice was. She seemed like a broken woman and her frail manner actually soften a few of even the surlier Slytherin's hearts. She turned to leave with what seemed a great deal of effort, took a few steps toward the entrance, stopped and said without turning back.

Also, please do not attempt to cast a ballot into any other houses' ballot boxes. They were charmed by the founders themselves and anyone caught casting a vote in any other common room will have 50 points taken from their house when the new term begins. Not to mention the points they will loose for being in another common room in the first place. So, it would be wise to mind your own business in this matter.

She made another deep cough and then left the common room in complete silence, besides the sound of her walking stick clicking as she walked down the stone hallway outside the common room.