Chapter 1
I stared at the rows of cars driving past. They were on their way to their jobs. Their boring, Muggle lives were made up of nothing but eat, sleep, and work. How dull. I on the other hand, was going to a train station to go to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's one of the few schools for young warlocks and witches. Since age 11, my first year, I had gone to Buriptoids Magic Training center, which everyone knows is the ghetto, bootleg magic school. I was so happy when my parents said I could transfer into Hogwarts!
This is the school Harry Potter goes to! I thought dreamily.
Actually, I wasn't heading to the train station to go to Hogwarts. I was only going there to meet a family that is friends with mine. My parents had decided that since they had known the Weasleys for so long, I could stay at their place for the summer, and then go to Hogwarts in the fall with their children. Everything was going to turn out perfect!
It was Ron who I saw first. Oh yes, I remembered Ron. He was my age, and in my opinion, fairly obnoxious. He had been invited to my birthday party when I had turned five, and he and his older twin brothers had shot spitballs around my room. The twins, Fred and George, were there at the train station, as well as another boy, about 19, who was standing off to the side from the other three. And there was also a small girl who looked roughly around 13 or 14, probably a year or two younger than me and Ron. All the Weasleys had flaming red hair and freckles.
Taking a deep breath, I walked over.
"Hello!" called out the girl cheerfully. "You must be Rose! I'm Ginny."
"Hi. Yes, you're correct. I'm Rose." I smiled shyly.
"Really?" asked Fred. "I thought you were Albus Dumbledore."
"Stupid" said George, "Dumbledore doesn't wear pink lip gloss!"
"Oh," pondered Fred, "I always thought he did. Don't you agree Ron?"
"I never took the time to notice," muttered Ron, rolling his eyes. I laughed, and Ron smiled.
Well then, I thought, everyone but the older boy is smiling. Too bad.
"So," I said "I was told that I'm in Gryffindor."
"They're all in Gryffindor as well." said the older boy, finally speaking. "I have already graduated!"
Well aren't you smug. I thought. What a prat.
"All honors?" I asked out loud.
"Oh naturally! And it's brought me great success. I have a job! Indeed, I believe Hogwarts brings up very successful people." He smiled, obviously thinking about just how successful he was.
Happy that everyone was smiling, I turned to Ron. "Since we're going to be in the same classes, will you introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh sure, but you have all summer to meet them. Harry will be staying for the summer too."
"Harry?" I asked.
"You've heard of Harry Potter, haven't you?"
"Wh-what?!?" I stammered, totally disbelieving. "He's your friend?!"
"Yeah, my best friend."
I turned away, stunned. "Wow."
Ginny laughed at me. "You won't get his autograph or anything like that; he's too modest!" Then she said, "Come on! We have to find my parents and go home."
Actually, we only found their dad, standing by a really cool car. "Don't tell anyone, especially not your mother," he said to his children, "but I've fixed it up to fly again!"
So we climbed into the car and took off.
While we were in the car, I suddenly was aware of someone's hand holding mine. I looked over and saw that the older boy (who's name is Percy, by the way), was grasping my fingers so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.
"Afraid of heights?" I asked casually.
"Oh! Uh..no!" he spluttered, releasing my hand, embarrassed. Fred cracked up at this reaction. "Percy is scared!" he laughed, "that's funny!" Ron happened to be sitting on the other side of poor Percy and he quickly slid away from him. "Don't you dare turn to me for comfort!" he shrieked.
Everyone was laughing (except for Percy), and we didn't notice when the car landed on a Muggle side street. "OK Ron, go get Harry," said Mr. Weasley.
"Huh? We're there already? OK." He was about to jump out when he stopped and turned to me. "Want to come in and meet Harry?"
""Sure!" I cried
Oh my god I'm gonna meet Harry Potter! I thought.
We walked up to the house, and Ron rang the bell. A huge boy answered the door. He looked like a big disgusting wad of chewed up bubble gum, with straw-blonde hair clumped on top. When he saw us, he turned pale.
"Mum!" he squeaked, "They are here!"
A high pitched shrill voiced called out, "Get down here and out boy!" Bam bam bam BANG. "you're going to wreck the stairs!" the voice screamed.
"Hey Ron."
And he was there.
His jet black hair falling into his electric green eyes; his glassed perched precariously on the tip of his nose. And then, of course, there was the scar.
I knew I was staring. My eyes were practically popping out of my head!
"Uh, Ron?" the God spoke. "Is this your friend?"
"Oh her. Yeah, she's staying for the summer. Hey Rose, are you OK?"
I snapped out of my trance quickly. "Yes, I'm fine. Just fine." But my knees were knocking and my lip was trembling slightly.
"She looks possessed!" laughed Harry.
Ron glared at me. "Calm yourself, it's no big deal!"
I calmed myself, stopped shaking, and extended my hand.
"Harry Potter! Very pleased to meet you!" I said importantly. Ron burst out laughing.
"Hey," Harry said casually, "you calm yourself." And we headed to the car.
When we got there, it was obvious that Percy was fuming about something, and Fred and George were hysterical.
"What's funny?" grinned Harry
"P-Percy!" shrieked George. "Ha!"
Fred joined in, "he's soooo jeal-" but he was cut off by a slap in the face, courtesy of Percy.
"Oh! Don't fight, boys!" I cried as I slid in next to Ginny, who leaned over and whispered in my ear. "You were totally smitten by Harry," she hissed, "and Percy was jealous because, well, he likes you!"
"What?" I laughed, "you're kidding!" "Nope!" she giggled. I turned to Percy, putting on a straight face and trying to stay calm.
I asked, "are you single?"
"No," he said disappointedly and then, "Yes! I meant yes. I am totally available!" I smiled sadly at how pathetic he was. "Who's the girl?"
"What girl?" he asked innocently.
"you said you weren't single," I continued. "Unless you mean to tell me that your lover isn't female…" I trailed off. Percy turned crimson and I couldn't help adding, "But I don't think even a boy would be attracted to those red ears." George and Fred really cracked up at that one, and Ginny tittered weakly, if not guiltily. Percy didn't really find it funny though. He turned his back on everyone and looked out the window.
I felt a little guilty then. I'm not usually mean to people, especially not people four years older than me. I felt like I had sinned or something. I didn't talk for the rest of the car ride. No one seemed to notice.
When we got to the house, Mr. Weasley told us, "There will only be two persons per room, kids. That means Harry will be with Ron, Ginny will share her space with Hermione when she arrives, Fred and George share a room, Bill and Charlie share a room, and Rose, I suppose you'll be staying with Percy then." I opened my mouth to protest, shut it, turned towards Percy, stopped myself, and then sulked into the living room. I plopped down heavily in a chair and sat there staring at the wall. It was covered in photos of the Weasley family, all waving and grinning broadly. For some reason my eyes kept straying to the pictures of Percy. Percy as a prefect, Percy as Head Boy, Percy graduating, Percy sitting with his mum and dad in the park. Percy, Percy, Percy! My mind reeled and I clenched my fists and squeezed my eyes shut. No! I was not in love with Percy! It couldn't be. It was too weird to be happening. Oh well, I thought, I guess if I like him it can't be all that bad. I picked up my bags then found my way to his room, and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's the girl who you met today who was a total jerk and is sincerely sorry and will be sharing a room with you this summer and needs to put her bags in the room and Percy, can I please come in?" I said this rather fast and felt like kicking myself for fear that he wouldn't understand anything. Luckily, he must have made some sense of it because he opened the door and let me in.
"So," he said.
I said nothing.
"Are you really sorry?" he asked.
I nodded.
Satisfied, he flopped down on his bed. "There's a roll-out bed under mine. Pull it out and make up the bed sheets, or my mum will yell at me for not helping you. Oh, and I am single as of now. She was a girl, but she never liked my red ears anyway, so I dumped her."
"How?" I wondered aloud.
"By owl." He replied shortly and fell silent.
I thought about this for a while and then got up and left the room.
"Do you happen to have a phone?" I asked Ron. "Yes," he replied, "do you know how to use it?" "Sure I do." I said. He pointed the way to his dad's study. I was happy to see it was a portable phone, and I brought it out to the living room.
"Who are you going to call?" asked Harry.
"Oh, a friend of mine who will be going to Hogwarts this year. She and her 6th year friend are Ravenclaws." I dialed the number.
"Hello?" said a voice.
"Hey Deb, it's Rose. I'm at the Weasleys and I have a bit of a problem."
I launched into my problem with Percy, and she listened very patiently. Finally she said, "I'm going to put Cho on the line, OK? She's better with this romance business."
"OK," I said, waiting. I turned to the other people in the room and announced, "Her friend Cho is going to help me."
"Her friend who?!" cried Harry.
But Cho had come on the line and I couldn't answer.
She had me repeat the whole story, pondered over it a while, then said, "You have to follow your heart. If its telling you that you like Percy, god knows why, then trust your own feelings!"
"OK." I said. "I guess you're right."
"Good for you!" said Cho. "How's your summer going?"
"Well right now I'm staying with the Weasleys and Ron has some friends, well, one friend over. Hermione is coming later. We had to rescue Harry from his Muggle family." I explained.
"Harry's there?!" said Cho excitedly, "Can you tell him I said hi?"
"Uh, yeah, but why don't you talk to him right now?"
"I've got to go now!" said Cho hurriedly, "Bye!" And she hung up.
"Strange." I muttered to myself as I clicked off the phone.
"I know what to do!" I announced, "and Harry, Cho says hi."
Then I headed for Percy's room.
I stared at the rows of cars driving past. They were on their way to their jobs. Their boring, Muggle lives were made up of nothing but eat, sleep, and work. How dull. I on the other hand, was going to a train station to go to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's one of the few schools for young warlocks and witches. Since age 11, my first year, I had gone to Buriptoids Magic Training center, which everyone knows is the ghetto, bootleg magic school. I was so happy when my parents said I could transfer into Hogwarts!
This is the school Harry Potter goes to! I thought dreamily.
Actually, I wasn't heading to the train station to go to Hogwarts. I was only going there to meet a family that is friends with mine. My parents had decided that since they had known the Weasleys for so long, I could stay at their place for the summer, and then go to Hogwarts in the fall with their children. Everything was going to turn out perfect!
It was Ron who I saw first. Oh yes, I remembered Ron. He was my age, and in my opinion, fairly obnoxious. He had been invited to my birthday party when I had turned five, and he and his older twin brothers had shot spitballs around my room. The twins, Fred and George, were there at the train station, as well as another boy, about 19, who was standing off to the side from the other three. And there was also a small girl who looked roughly around 13 or 14, probably a year or two younger than me and Ron. All the Weasleys had flaming red hair and freckles.
Taking a deep breath, I walked over.
"Hello!" called out the girl cheerfully. "You must be Rose! I'm Ginny."
"Hi. Yes, you're correct. I'm Rose." I smiled shyly.
"Really?" asked Fred. "I thought you were Albus Dumbledore."
"Stupid" said George, "Dumbledore doesn't wear pink lip gloss!"
"Oh," pondered Fred, "I always thought he did. Don't you agree Ron?"
"I never took the time to notice," muttered Ron, rolling his eyes. I laughed, and Ron smiled.
Well then, I thought, everyone but the older boy is smiling. Too bad.
"So," I said "I was told that I'm in Gryffindor."
"They're all in Gryffindor as well." said the older boy, finally speaking. "I have already graduated!"
Well aren't you smug. I thought. What a prat.
"All honors?" I asked out loud.
"Oh naturally! And it's brought me great success. I have a job! Indeed, I believe Hogwarts brings up very successful people." He smiled, obviously thinking about just how successful he was.
Happy that everyone was smiling, I turned to Ron. "Since we're going to be in the same classes, will you introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh sure, but you have all summer to meet them. Harry will be staying for the summer too."
"Harry?" I asked.
"You've heard of Harry Potter, haven't you?"
"Wh-what?!?" I stammered, totally disbelieving. "He's your friend?!"
"Yeah, my best friend."
I turned away, stunned. "Wow."
Ginny laughed at me. "You won't get his autograph or anything like that; he's too modest!" Then she said, "Come on! We have to find my parents and go home."
Actually, we only found their dad, standing by a really cool car. "Don't tell anyone, especially not your mother," he said to his children, "but I've fixed it up to fly again!"
So we climbed into the car and took off.
While we were in the car, I suddenly was aware of someone's hand holding mine. I looked over and saw that the older boy (who's name is Percy, by the way), was grasping my fingers so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.
"Afraid of heights?" I asked casually.
"Oh! Uh..no!" he spluttered, releasing my hand, embarrassed. Fred cracked up at this reaction. "Percy is scared!" he laughed, "that's funny!" Ron happened to be sitting on the other side of poor Percy and he quickly slid away from him. "Don't you dare turn to me for comfort!" he shrieked.
Everyone was laughing (except for Percy), and we didn't notice when the car landed on a Muggle side street. "OK Ron, go get Harry," said Mr. Weasley.
"Huh? We're there already? OK." He was about to jump out when he stopped and turned to me. "Want to come in and meet Harry?"
""Sure!" I cried
Oh my god I'm gonna meet Harry Potter! I thought.
We walked up to the house, and Ron rang the bell. A huge boy answered the door. He looked like a big disgusting wad of chewed up bubble gum, with straw-blonde hair clumped on top. When he saw us, he turned pale.
"Mum!" he squeaked, "They are here!"
A high pitched shrill voiced called out, "Get down here and out boy!" Bam bam bam BANG. "you're going to wreck the stairs!" the voice screamed.
"Hey Ron."
And he was there.
His jet black hair falling into his electric green eyes; his glassed perched precariously on the tip of his nose. And then, of course, there was the scar.
I knew I was staring. My eyes were practically popping out of my head!
"Uh, Ron?" the God spoke. "Is this your friend?"
"Oh her. Yeah, she's staying for the summer. Hey Rose, are you OK?"
I snapped out of my trance quickly. "Yes, I'm fine. Just fine." But my knees were knocking and my lip was trembling slightly.
"She looks possessed!" laughed Harry.
Ron glared at me. "Calm yourself, it's no big deal!"
I calmed myself, stopped shaking, and extended my hand.
"Harry Potter! Very pleased to meet you!" I said importantly. Ron burst out laughing.
"Hey," Harry said casually, "you calm yourself." And we headed to the car.
When we got there, it was obvious that Percy was fuming about something, and Fred and George were hysterical.
"What's funny?" grinned Harry
"P-Percy!" shrieked George. "Ha!"
Fred joined in, "he's soooo jeal-" but he was cut off by a slap in the face, courtesy of Percy.
"Oh! Don't fight, boys!" I cried as I slid in next to Ginny, who leaned over and whispered in my ear. "You were totally smitten by Harry," she hissed, "and Percy was jealous because, well, he likes you!"
"What?" I laughed, "you're kidding!" "Nope!" she giggled. I turned to Percy, putting on a straight face and trying to stay calm.
I asked, "are you single?"
"No," he said disappointedly and then, "Yes! I meant yes. I am totally available!" I smiled sadly at how pathetic he was. "Who's the girl?"
"What girl?" he asked innocently.
"you said you weren't single," I continued. "Unless you mean to tell me that your lover isn't female…" I trailed off. Percy turned crimson and I couldn't help adding, "But I don't think even a boy would be attracted to those red ears." George and Fred really cracked up at that one, and Ginny tittered weakly, if not guiltily. Percy didn't really find it funny though. He turned his back on everyone and looked out the window.
I felt a little guilty then. I'm not usually mean to people, especially not people four years older than me. I felt like I had sinned or something. I didn't talk for the rest of the car ride. No one seemed to notice.
When we got to the house, Mr. Weasley told us, "There will only be two persons per room, kids. That means Harry will be with Ron, Ginny will share her space with Hermione when she arrives, Fred and George share a room, Bill and Charlie share a room, and Rose, I suppose you'll be staying with Percy then." I opened my mouth to protest, shut it, turned towards Percy, stopped myself, and then sulked into the living room. I plopped down heavily in a chair and sat there staring at the wall. It was covered in photos of the Weasley family, all waving and grinning broadly. For some reason my eyes kept straying to the pictures of Percy. Percy as a prefect, Percy as Head Boy, Percy graduating, Percy sitting with his mum and dad in the park. Percy, Percy, Percy! My mind reeled and I clenched my fists and squeezed my eyes shut. No! I was not in love with Percy! It couldn't be. It was too weird to be happening. Oh well, I thought, I guess if I like him it can't be all that bad. I picked up my bags then found my way to his room, and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's the girl who you met today who was a total jerk and is sincerely sorry and will be sharing a room with you this summer and needs to put her bags in the room and Percy, can I please come in?" I said this rather fast and felt like kicking myself for fear that he wouldn't understand anything. Luckily, he must have made some sense of it because he opened the door and let me in.
"So," he said.
I said nothing.
"Are you really sorry?" he asked.
I nodded.
Satisfied, he flopped down on his bed. "There's a roll-out bed under mine. Pull it out and make up the bed sheets, or my mum will yell at me for not helping you. Oh, and I am single as of now. She was a girl, but she never liked my red ears anyway, so I dumped her."
"How?" I wondered aloud.
"By owl." He replied shortly and fell silent.
I thought about this for a while and then got up and left the room.
"Do you happen to have a phone?" I asked Ron. "Yes," he replied, "do you know how to use it?" "Sure I do." I said. He pointed the way to his dad's study. I was happy to see it was a portable phone, and I brought it out to the living room.
"Who are you going to call?" asked Harry.
"Oh, a friend of mine who will be going to Hogwarts this year. She and her 6th year friend are Ravenclaws." I dialed the number.
"Hello?" said a voice.
"Hey Deb, it's Rose. I'm at the Weasleys and I have a bit of a problem."
I launched into my problem with Percy, and she listened very patiently. Finally she said, "I'm going to put Cho on the line, OK? She's better with this romance business."
"OK," I said, waiting. I turned to the other people in the room and announced, "Her friend Cho is going to help me."
"Her friend who?!" cried Harry.
But Cho had come on the line and I couldn't answer.
She had me repeat the whole story, pondered over it a while, then said, "You have to follow your heart. If its telling you that you like Percy, god knows why, then trust your own feelings!"
"OK." I said. "I guess you're right."
"Good for you!" said Cho. "How's your summer going?"
"Well right now I'm staying with the Weasleys and Ron has some friends, well, one friend over. Hermione is coming later. We had to rescue Harry from his Muggle family." I explained.
"Harry's there?!" said Cho excitedly, "Can you tell him I said hi?"
"Uh, yeah, but why don't you talk to him right now?"
"I've got to go now!" said Cho hurriedly, "Bye!" And she hung up.
"Strange." I muttered to myself as I clicked off the phone.
"I know what to do!" I announced, "and Harry, Cho says hi."
Then I headed for Percy's room.