Bill Weasley was the first of his seven siblings to get Sorted and the last to go with a clear mind.
Poor Charlie doesn't even make it with two years to spare.
Of course Bill didn't mean to. He was eleven, needed friends, and wanted something to rub in Charlie's face because he was still bitter about the fact that Charlie would have the family broom all to himself for a whole year. That, combined with a dare, was all it took to send a letter back to the Burrow using the "secret code."
Dear Charlie, it started of pompously, basically oozing self-congratulation.
It then ended with:
WhadW WtoW WbattleW WdragonsW WtoW WgetW WsortedW. WgotW WaW WscarW WfromW WaW WHungarianW WHorntailW, WbutW WwasW WbraveW WenoughW WtoW WgetW WinW WGryffindorW! Ha!
And I didn't even need a broom either!
Charlie would spend the next two years reading up on dragons, and when he found out the truth, he would collaborate with Bill's Brazilian pen pal to put a Shriveling Ear hex on a hat. It was one of the most enjoyable moments of his life.
Well, almost.
That particular honor stood with secretly telling Percy that the Sorting required a test on the facts and history of Hogwarts (the ones who failed weren't admitted). With only a year left, Percy had a panic attack. Charlie explained to Molly that it was because he couldn't wait to do the dishes.
Half an hour before his Sorting, Percy reportedly started rattling off facts while his fellow first years waited at the Entrance Gates. McGonagall was very amused, (and also slightly impressed).
Percy, however, was not, and for the rest of the year, Charlie would brag that the reason his quill always bucked when he used it was because of a spell he had practiced on it that was strong enough to take on a dragon. It was one of his favorite stories and was always told a little too loudly and eagerly.
It was one of perfect Percy's first wrongdoings but definitely not his last.
Fred and George definitely shouldn't have put flobberworms in his pajamas on the day they received their Hogwarts letters.
The only thing he could say was, "I told you so."
And Fred and George had a good laugh at Ron's expense. They really hadn't expected him to believe it.
Trolls. Really? It wasn't one of their finest works.
Ron wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, and he may or may not have forgotten to continue the tradition with Ginny.
He wouldn't have been able to view her Sorting anyway.
Ginny will just have to continue the tradition with her son, James, when he plays one prank too many.
She's rather looking forward to it.
A/N:
Word Count: 436
Written for Hogwarts School of Challenges and Assignments:
Assignment 2: Geography
Task 6: Write about a story that gets exaggerated over time. Alt: Write about a con.