I am really proud of how the Hufflepuff Quidditch team are coming along. They've all been working really hard. In particular Zacharias Smith is a great flier and Chris is shaping up to be a pretty good seeker. Thing is, I've been so busy with training and with making Valentine's Day presents I'm a bit behind on schoolwork. At least I don't have remedial DADA, that sounds really very pointless as well as time-consuming. I'll catch up everything after next weekend anyway.

I really need to stop falling for the old 'hey, Barney! Come over here!' trick. I mean, not that I'm complaining about the kissing. It is surprising how many girls will kindly oblige once I'm afflicted. But people are going to start thinking I'm doing it deliberately. I'm really not, I'm just stupid enough to walk where people tell me to without looking first.

Good luck everyone!

( Private )

I don't think I really need to say much about Saturday's game and its consequences eek I didn't mean those consequences. Were those even consequences of the game? Have they been going at it for a while? Ohhhhhhhh Merlin don't think about it.. If you know me, you probably know how I feel about injustice. And about people doing IT in the Hufflepuff Changing Rooms... ok so you wouldn't actually know how I feel about that but I'm sure you could guess. I don't think it would really occur to you to wonder how I would feel about that. Well, it wouldn't have occurred to ME either. It wouldn't have occurred to me that the captains of Gryffindor and Slytherin might be all naked in the Hufflepuff changing rooms on a Sunday morning. Or I wouldn't have gone down there, would I? So I'll stay silent. About everything. In fact, I might take to walking around with my eyes shut as well. Hope you're all in relative good health.

Almost Halloween! Is anyone doing anything? Except for the feast, obviously.

Woah, journals. So much writing. I've kind of been wanting to read stuff people write, but I've also had a couple of tough essays to do recently (probably not so tough for other people, but I'm not very good at essays) and when I'm spending lots of time bent over parchment trying to make sense of the books I've also been poring over, when I get free time I just want to do something that doesn't involve reading. More deadlines this week, yurk. Hopefully they'll be a bit easier than the last couple and I'll get some more practical, or at least less analytical, homework soon. So what have I been doing with my spare time? Well, Quidditch and flying when I can, but the pitch is booked up a lot recently, what with the Gryffindor-Slytherin game coming up soon, so I've not been doing as much as I'd like. Not that I'm complaining, you know, I mean when our first match comes up I'll be wanting to organise lots of practises too. So anyway, I've been going running. I still prefer walking, really, but I sort of feel like I need the exercise and it's harder to think when you're running, which can be a blessing sometimes if I'm missing Cedric particularly. I've been very glad for the prefect's bathroom when I come back all sweaty and disgusting! I can't get over that place. It's huge! I'm not so keen on all the funny smelling bubble baths, though. I've been working my way round the different types and I've found a couple that are quite nice but sometimes I forget which tap they come from and accidentally get some weird bubble-gum scented foam or something. But mostly I get distracted anyway and start swimming in it and jumping off the diving board. I think I might come down sometime in my trunks and not even bother with the bathing bit, instead of going running, you know? I'm still up for company on walks or runs if anyone wants to come, by the way. It's been quite mild the last few days so you won't even get cold.

Hufflepuff Quidditch team has been allowed to reform. When I asked Professor Umbridge this morning she took down the names of everyone on the team and told me she needed to think about it, but I went again after class and she gave us permission. I think she must have checked our records with Filch or something for good behaviour? I'm relieved of course, but I'm waiting anxiously to hear about Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. A cup between two teams seems a bit pointless. We'd only need to play one match. And that's not to mention unfair. I mean, even if they had problems with some of the players on the teams, surely they should just be looking to ban those players, not the whole house from playing. I can't help thinking how outraged Cedric would have been by all this.

It's a shame really, I had a nice weekend with Hogsmeade and everything so I'd rather be writing about that but I can't really be bothered now. We made Chris have birthday drinks and I bought some stuff and it was all good fun, basically.

Hands up whose head hurts when they talk to me.

( Private )

Anyone want to come out for a walk? The leaves are looking nice. I reckon in a few weeks they'll fall off and we'll be able to have leaf-fights, which will be fun.

Women of a certain age should not wear pink, frilly underwear. Or at least, for the sake of my eyes I should never have to look it. Oh my eyes! Oh my head! Actually, scrap that, I think I could cope with seeing pretty much any other teacher in pink underwear, with the possible exception of Professor Snape, but Professor Umbridge... no.

I'm trying to like and respect her, I really am, because she's a teacher, but it is difficult when she... is like she is. I mean, all teachers have favourites, it's kind of inevitable because they are human beings as well as authority figures, and some of them discriminate based on this, but not even Professor Snape none of the others are so blatant about it, so unfair. And then there's all this Inquisition malarky, which is not only a bad way of putting it, but is also kind of mean. I think the teachers are really good. And all of this is aside from her own classes, which are boring. I mean, sometimes it's difficult to make a subject interesting, like History, but DADA? I don't know. Maybe I'm being unduly harsh.

But really, what I mean to say is: I don't want to see her in her underwear! I don't know if she saw who did it - I suppose not because said person is still alive - but I did and I think it was rotten trick to pull. I'm also quite surprised. I never really had Bletchley down as a prankster. One of the third years was physically sick and I don't blame them!

There are few things that can't be improved by a good Quidditch practice. Cedric would be proud of how the team came together today.

Thank Helga Tryouts went well.

"High Inquisitor: um what?" Discuss.

Hufflepuffs:
Was that alright? The notice I put on the board? I can't think of anything I forgot.[/Puffs]

Miserable day today, isn't it? I mean, I like rain, but this is horrid rain. Doesn't help the teachers are trying to scare us with all this talk about NEWT year being the most important year we will ever do or whatever. We know, you don't have to go on about it.
Oh, I think I'll go for a walk anyway. I want to smell the leaves.

( Private )

Good to be back, yeah? I always like the opening feast, it's a good way to catch up after the holidays and the food is great. I admit I zoned out a bit during one of the speeches - there wasn't anything important in there, was there? DADA classes are in the same place and everything? No new places off limits? And now we've got a new round of tiny Hufflepuffs timidly shuffling about the common room. The first few weeks are always a bit quiet though not usually this quiet as although we're all busy catching up, the new kids tend to be a bit shy and quiet until they settle in. In a couple of weeks we'll be pining for the days you could hear yourself think in here, just watch.

Name: Barney Jacob Dunstan
Gender: male
Date of birth: 16th April, 1978
Year: 7th
House: Hufflepuff
Blood status: pure-ish. Some muggle blood a few generations back
Physical characteristics: Barney is of tallish-medium-height with well-developed muscles. He has floppy 'sunkissed' brown hair and blue eyes. He is fairly good-looking but in a slightly drippy way that is more likely to attract girls in the younger years than those his own age. When not in uniform, he tends to wear comfortable rather than stylish clothes - jeans and t-shirts or even tracksuits. Walking past, you'd be more likely to hear his voice than to see him.
PB/Avatar: Zac Efron

( Background information )