Hufflepuff in the Marvel Universe

The midsummer sunlight streamed through the windows, flooding the classroom whose walls were mottled and peeling, making the already stifling space even hotter and more oppressive. The old ceiling fan groaned overhead, its burden almost too much to bear, and the monotonous, dreary voice of the Black female teacher at the podium combined to create a lullaby fit for the midnight hour, lulling everyone toward sleep.

Most of the students slumped in their seats, heads tilted and eyes dull, struggling to keep themselves alert. Some had already surrendered to the grip of slumber, their youthful faces lost to dreams. Amidst the crowd, the most striking figure was a Chinese boy, about sixteen or seventeen years old. Fragmented sunlight danced on his flaxen hair, and his nose was straight, his features sharp and handsome, though still tinged with youthful innocence; yet, a wild, maturing charm was beginning to emerge.

He stood in the corner, punished, trying to hold up a frame taller than most Chinese boys, yet fatigue clung to him like a shroud. Leaning against the wall, his eyelids drooped, as if he might doze off at any moment.

Ding ding ding...

At last, the clear sound of the bell broke the oppressive silence of the classroom. The listless boys and girls seemed to be doused with cold water, waking instantly, and the classroom transformed in a moment into the frenzy of a music festival, alive with noise and movement.

The Black female teacher, accustomed to such scenes, barely reacted. She uttered a terse "class dismissed," then, wobbling