What's there to say about Mark?
He is 17 years old and in his sixth year at Hogwarts. He's a muggle born and a Hufflepuff. Except for his red hair, there is nothing much outstanding to him. Yet, that's what he is going change this year.

No more walking in the shadow of others, no more looking up to students from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. This year he's going to make about himself, for himself.

„Are you done staring into space or can we keep going?“

That's „It“. „It“ is also a Hufflepuff and Mark's best friend. Nobody really knows what It is. It uses the girls dormitory but even the Hufflepuff girls don't know. Word has it that It is actually half dwarf.

In fact, It is quite short, has a brown skin tone and some girls swear that there is very slight beard stubble on It's face. All in all, It is probably a more interesting character than Mark.

But it isn't about It (because that would be confusing. You already know It... -it, I mean). This story is about Mark who wants to show how exciting he is and about this other guy, Jackson, who wants to prove his nonchalance.

They will fail. We all know that much.

Our story begins where everything ever seems to begin in the wizard world; in Hogwarts, the school of wizardry and witchcraft.

It's the 20^th of September and Mark is still a fresh 17 year old when „it“ happens – that's a wordplay, you will figure it out.

Anyway, the Hufflepuffs are huddled together in their common. They are a motley crew, for Hufflepuff is place for everyone, for those who don't fit anywhere else. Just like Mark and It. Hufflepuffs don't make a big deal about how they are different, because they just all are. What happens tonight will still make its way through the whole of school talk, though. But again, isn't that what Mark wished for this year?

The Hogwarts students already noticed Mark these days. Girls whisper about how he's so tall and handsome now while boys eye him with recognition but also a bit of leeriness. Will Mark become the new popular guy?

I'm getting off topic.

So Mark is in the common room with his house mates. It's the late end of day of hard studying and the students are reading quietly or playing wizard's chess – although they make their own rules. The house of Hufflepuff sees chess as more of a storytelling than a competitive game. It and Mark are playing, too. Face to face they sit near the chimney, trying to outgo the other's creativity.
It began harmlessly but, like always, It goes overboard a little – literally.

It's side of the chess board already has a defense wall of stone, a castle and a magic dragon as the number one pawn.
Of course, Mark has no choice but to go with it, so he turned his part of the board into an ancient forest and put horns on his knights. His bishop uses a hammer to start breaking down It's wall.
„Dragon on 6 g“, It says and so the dragon rises from its patch and in fact flies over the whole board (in no distinct pattern) and burns Mark's bishop to the ground.

„Are you serious?“, Mark says loudly and angrily watches the ashes of his bishop be blown off the board. It just laughs.
„I'm winning again. I am unrivaled and impregnable!“

Mark glares at It over the board.

„Knight: shoot 6 g“, he whispers. The last bit of chess rules are lost completely. „Alive“ doesn't suffice to the describe the battle that takes place on the chess board. A dark castle full of spawns from hell against a whole bunch of legendary creatures. The exact process of the game can hardly be retold but I am certain that it is a mess and that Mark is not having as much fun as It is having.
Eventually, he is fed up with the chaos and, as a tiny dragon blasts a golden deer of his off the board, he loses it and slams his fist onto the setting. The tiny kingdoms quake and a fairy shouts angrily at Mark's hand.
The Hufflepuffs who are close enough to hear the rumpus are very quiet as Mark meets It's elfish eyes.

„Guess I'm outta here.“, It says with a grin and gets up from his seat.

„You're going nowhere, cheat.“, Mark replies through gritted teeth.

It's eyes glint with joy.

„Come and get me.“, It says and therewith it runs. Mark is right behind It. They make one round around the tables, annoying the more decent house mates, but Mark is faster than It. He's already laughing, sure of victory, and extents a hand to grab his friends collar. Suddenly, It makes an unexpected turn and dashes towards the stairs and up to the girls dormitory. Mark is close on It's heels and they hustle upstairs. Now every single Hufflepuff is watching. They are waiting for it to happen. As soon as It reaches the upper floor, the stairs will flatten to send Mark back down to land on his bottom.

Laughing breathlessly, It reaches the top of the stairs, steps into the corridor and turns around to Mark to watch, too.

But it doesn't happen. Mark comes running up the stairs and grabs It's collar, a big smile still on his face. He catches his breath and looks into It's confused eyes as he realizes what's wrong.
„How...?“, It asks breathlessly while Mark releases It's shirt. The red haired boy just shakes his head in disorientation.

The other Hufflepuffs listen from the corridor with bated breath.

„Are you a girl?“, It asks seriously. Why else would the stairs allow Mark to enter the girls' dorm?

„No!“, Mark replies honestly, but the right answer is already sinking in.

„I... I think I might be gay.“