Pov Evelyn,
It felt a bit strange to have to go to the front of the train to receive our instructions and the passwords for each common room.
By the time Cedric Diggory arrived — one of Hufflepuff's star students — the Head Boy was already present, proudly wearing his badge.
"Congratulations on your appointment, Cedric."
"Thanks — and the same to you. Though honestly, it was pretty obvious you'd become a prefect."
We exchanged a few formalities and talked briefly about the Death Eater attack.
"If I had been 17 before the attack, I would've helped out."
"Actually, in that kind of situation, you could've used magic without being punished. It was considered a case of force majeure. They had more important things to deal with than punishing a nearly-17-year-old for using magic in self-defense."
We kept talking casually until all the prefects had arrived.
"Alright, first of all — welcome, everyone. You are now the prefects of your respective Houses, and with that comes greater responsibility than the average student. We expect you to follow the rules diligently and attend your classes with seriousness and commitment."
It's quite logical to expect a prefect to behave properly, as they should be an example for the house they represent.
"For those who are new to the role," the Head Boy continued, "you'll need to sign up for a schedule of patrols through the castle corridors to ensure everyone is in their dormitories on time. Each patrol will last a minimum of three hours, and your assigned area will be communicated the day before."
Then, the Head Girl took the floor.
"I'd like to remind all prefects that you do have the authority to deduct points from other houses — but there must be a clear reason. Any deduction without proper justification will be revoked. Don't abuse the system just to help your house win the Cup."
"But Snape favors his own house!" protested Katie Bell, the Gryffindor prefect.
"That's true," the Head Girl admitted. "He's certainly not known for his fairness with the other houses. But remember — he holds a higher rank than you. There's nothing you can do about it."
She paused briefly before adding with a firm tone, "However, any prefect caught abusing their position will be stripped of their badge and assigned weekly detention."
"For the passwords," the Head Boy continued, "first, the one for the prefects' bathroom this year will be Pinefresh. As for the kitchens, head near the Hufflepuff common room and look for the painting of a fruit bowl. Just tickle the pear, and a handle will appear, letting you into the kitchens."
I already knew that trick — though I guessed most of the other prefects didn't.
"Now, we ask that each prefect move to the compartment reserved for their house. This way, the common room passwords don't accidentally get overheard."
I nodded and went to greet the other three prefects from my house — one boy in fifth year, and two sixth-years. Cedric joined us and shut the door behind him, casting a quick confidentiality charm over the compartment.
"First of all," he began, "for the two fifth-year prefects who will be helping guide the new students around the castle, just give them the riddle at the entrance and let them think about it for a bit."
I remember that he let us think for a bit, giving us a chance to find the answer ourselves.
"The riddle is: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"
It only took me a few seconds to figure it out, but I stayed quiet, letting my fellow prefects have a go first.
"Is it… footsteps?"
"Yes, that's the right answer," I said eventually. "It's the only one that really makes sense."
"Evelyn's right," Cedric nodded with a smile. "You got it. But don't expect to earn house points just for guessing a password."
We all laughed at Cedric's little joke, the tension lifting just a bit.