September first. For wizarding parents, it was one of the best days of the year. It meant that they would for once get some peace and quiet. For wizarding children, it was either the beginning of the rest of their life, or the beginning of the end. For Fred Weasley, it was the beginning of him and his brother's reign of terror. At least, that's what he thought of the first day of school. He didn't want to think about the school part of school, but he knew that it was the beginning of his era.
Apparently, though, an era begins with a tarantula.
He and George had found a compartment on the train, when another first year came in. He said something about wanting to sit there that George answered. Fred, however, was to in awe of the arachnid on the boy's hand.
"Cool spider," Fred said. He didn't realize he was interrupting his brother, but he didn't really care either. He couldn't let a second go by without addressing the fact that this kid had a spider on his hand.
"I know, right?" The boy said, grinning at Fred. "She's called Tracy. Just got her for scaring kids here. Pretty cool, I say." Fred and George both nodded in agreement.
"Can I hold it?" Fred asked. The boy shrugged.
"Why not. Here, palms up, flat fingers," the boy said, instructing Fred how to hold it. Once Fred had a spider on his hand, he knew it was official. This school was going to be so awesome.
"Don't you think that thing's going to bite you?" The three turned to look at the girl who was standing in the doorway. She was staring, terrified, at the creature in Fred's hands.
"Her name is Tracy. And why should I be? It's not like I'm trying to squish her," Fred said, looking back down to his hands. "I'm Fred, by the way."
"Lee," the boy said, raising his hand for her to shake.
"And I'm George. You are?" George ended. The girl looked at the three weirdly for a moment, then looked back at Tracy.
"Angelina. Can I sit here?" She said.
"Yeah sure," George said. Fred gave Tracy back to Lee, then.
"I want a spider, now.," Fred said, grinning. Lee chortled.
"I'm sure you do. Either of you two want to hold her?"
"I'll touch it but I'm not holding that thing," Angelina said.
"What, are you scared?" George challenged. Angelina rolled her eyes.
"Of course not. I just don't want to accidentally kill a tarantula," she said. George nodded, accepting her answer.
"What, you trying to brag about your impulse control, now?" Fred said jokingly. Angelina snickered. She petted the spider for a moment, then backed away from it.
"Anyway. What house do you guys think you'll be in?" Lee said, putting his spider away once George refused to pet it.
"We're going to be Gryffindors!" Fred said, gesturing to himself and George. George nodded.
"Definitely. We're way braver than everyone in our family and they've all been Gryffindor," George said.
"Nice," Lee said. "I think I'll be a lion, too. Although, it wouldn't be to bad being a Hufflepuff. Their common room is right beside the kitchen, after all. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I were a Slytherin, though. Can you imagine?" All four of them shuddered at the prospect.
"The only good choice is Gryffindor, really." Angelina said. The other three agreed with grins. "The real question is whether or not you would be on the Quidditch team."
"I'd be a Beater," Fred said after a moment spent thinking.
"Yeah, me too. I think mum would agree," George said, smirking. Fred's eyes widened and he nodded.
"I think I'd be something lame, like the announcer," Lee said, shrugging.
"Yeah, I can see that. You don't seem very cool," Angelina said to Lee. Lee made a fake-annoyed face at her as she continued talking. "And I'm going to be the best Chaser this school has ever seen." She puffed out her chest proudly as she said it. Fred nodded.
"Definitely. It's fact now." George nodded in agreement as well.
"We'll be Beaters, Angelina here is going to be the best Chaser of Hogwarts ever, and Lee can cheer us on," George said. The four nodded, grinning madly throughout the rest of the train ride. Fred wasn't aware that the 'new era' that he had so desperately wanted and had just created was not going to go over well with some of the teachers. But, to be honest, he didn't particularly care.