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Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and places from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by JK Rowling. However, all plots are my own and are in no way endorsed by JK Rowling or anyone affiliated with the Harry Potter universe.
Chapter 1: September 2016
Excitement. Fear. Elation. Terror. Anticipation. All these emotions and more were running through Lucy as she and her family made their way on September first to platform nine and three quarters. It would be her first time leaving home. Up until now, she'd never spent more than a night away from her house. Her mother had always tucked her into bed at night. Now she was going to have to fend for herself.
People said it would be easier for her, because her older sister was already attending Hogwarts. Students with older siblings don't tend to feel as homesick as eldest children and only children who show up to Hogwarts without any family to support them. Lucy wasn't so sure. Molly didn't have a nurturing bone in her body. In fact, it would probably be easier for Lucy if Molly didn't go to Hogwarts.
On the other hand, Lucy did have her cousins. Though Victoire and Dominique were significantly older than she, Lucy knew she could go to them if she had any problems. And of course, the fact that she would be entering first year with James was a huge reassurance. She could sit with him on the train, and in the Great Hall, and in classes. It would be nice to know at least one other person in her year.
When they arrived at the platform, Molly immediately said her goodbyes and hurried onto the train without so much as a second glance at her family. Lucy would have been put out, except that Molly wasn't saying goodbye to Lucy, just their parents. Lucy could talk to Molly at school any time she wanted. Not that she expected that to happen often.
Lucy's goodbye with her parents was significantly more emotional. While Molly and Percy had always had a very detached relationship, Lucy was her father's little girl. She was pretty sure she even saw tears in his eyes when she hugged him – a rare sight. As for Lucy's goodbye with Audrey, it was emotional and tear-filled and made Lucy consider not going. But of course, that wasn't a real consideration. Lucy knew she had to go to Hogwarts, and besides that she did want to. She'd heard great things about going to school. It was just new, and therefore it was a little scary.
After they'd said their goodbyes, Lucy declared that she was going to find James and get on the train. Her parents offered to come with her, but Lucy declined. She was eleven years old now and didn't need her parents chaperoning her all the time. As soon as the train left the station, Lucy would be on her own, so there was no reason not to start now.
Though they were reluctant, Lucy's parents agreed and let Lucy go, promising that they wouldn't leave until the train had departed.
On a whim, Lucy decided to head towards the top of the platform, searching the crowds for James as she walked. She finally spotted him trying to detach himself from his younger sister, and Lucy had to hide her laugh behind her hand as she headed over and then hung back to give James the chance to say his goodbyes before she butted in. She watched her Aunt Ginny pull Lily off of James, and then James and his father shared an awkward man-hug. When James turned and started heading towards the train, Lucy started walking again and cut him off.
"Hey cousin," Lucy greeted him.
"Luce, good to see you," James returned with a smile.
"I thought we could sit together," Lucy said, gesturing to the train. "Since we don't really know anyone else yet."
James nodded. "Good idea."
They climbed onto the train and James waved a final goodbye to his family before the two started to walk the length of the train in search of an empty compartment.
"So, are you excited? Nervous?" Lucy asked now that it was just the two of them.
"Excited? Yes. Nervous? Not a chance," James replied.
Lucy rolled her eyes. James exuded confidence, but she knew deep down he was nervous just like her and the rest of the first years. He'd never admit it, but Lucy knew him better than most.
"Well I'm nervous," Lucy declared, just so that he would know he wasn't the only one.
"There's no need," James assured her. "Now that we finally get to go to Hogwarts, we're going to have the best time of our lives."
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When they arrived at Hogwarts, the first years were escorted to the castle and then herded into a small room off the Entrance Hall to await their sorting. It was rather nerve-wracking, not knowing how long they would be in the small room, and Lucy felt herself starting to panic.
It was irrational panic of course. For one thing, it wasn't as though she could control what house she got sorted into, and for another, whatever the decision the sorting hat made, it would be a reflection of who Lucy was deep down, not a measure of her skill in any capacity. But Lucy still felt the pressure to be sorted into Gryffindor like the rest of her family, and just like most of the other eleven-year-olds in the room, the worry that she might not be didn't really sink in until the moment had arrived.
"Hey, where are my future Ravenclaws at?" one boy called out from the other side of the room. He put his hand up in the air and waved it around confidently, but he didn't get a very strong response.
Lucy saw a few people glance over at the boy with glimmers of hope in their eyes, as if they wanted to get sorted into Ravenclaw but weren't convinced yet that it would happen. Of course, nobody was going to commit to a house right now, moments before the sorting happened. If they were to claim one and then get sorted into another, they would look stupid.
The boy seemed to realize this and he quietly put his hand back down and sunk into the shadows. Not long after, it was time for the sorting to begin, and Hagrid led them to the doors of the Great Hall.
Most of the sorting seemed to go by in a blur for Lucy. It seemed like a lot of people were going to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw at first, but Lucy wasn't paying close enough attention to tell. The room was a little fuzzy around the edges of her vision and she was having a hard enough time just breathing and standing upright to worry about anything else.
When James' turn came, Lucy forced herself to pay attention and watched as her cousin sauntered up to the stool and sat down with a determined look on his face. It was not a long wait before the sorting hat declared him a Gryffindor and he gleefully made his way to the house table.
Being a Weasley meant that Lucy had to wait until almost the end of the sorting for her name to get called. It was a curse most of her cousins shared with her, and Lucy found herself hating James for having taken his father's last name instead of his mother's.
When her turn finally did come, Lucy took a deep breath and walked up to the stool at the front. Thankfully, she didn't have to do anything besides sit, which she was able to manage without much difficulty, and then the sorting hat was lowered onto her head and all she could do was wait.
"Oh, you're a nervous one I see," the hat said into her ear. "You shouldn't be. I'm only here to tell you who you really are." Strangely, Lucy was not at all calmed by the hat's words. "My decision won't change anything about who you are, only give you some insight as to that fact."
Just get on with it, Lucy thought angrily at the hat. Why was it wasting her time?
"Well alright," the hat muttered grumpily. "If you don't want to listen to my reasoning, then I'll just proclaim your house and be done with it. Your future is in… GRYFFINDOR!"
The first thing Lucy saw when the hat was lifted from her head was James standing and clapping for her. With a newfound bounce to her step, Lucy bounded down to the Gryffindor table and joined her cousin on the bench, happy to have the stressful part of the evening out of the way. Lucy was so happy she had been sorted into Gryffindor. Not only was it the house all her family was in, but Lucy really and truly felt like a Gryffindor.
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The first week of classes mostly consisted of Lucy getting her bearings. Somehow, James had managed to jump right in and get his first detention right out of the gate, but Lucy was keeping a much lower profile.
The girls in Lucy's dorm were nice. Two of the girls, Faith Lewis and Andrea Landon, had bonded with each other instantly from the start. While they still interacted with the other three girls, they tended to band together a lot and Lucy didn't get to know them all to well.
There was also Tina Sweeting. The girl's last name was entirely appropriate, because Lucy didn't think she'd ever met a sweeter person in her entire life. Tina was nice to everyone, was always smiling, and had a soft, innocent look about her that made you feel at ease around her. She also loved to sing, which of course after she'd revealed it was forced to perform for the girls in the dormitory. Her voice was soft and melodic and absolutely beautiful despite the lack of professional training.
The fourth of the girls in Lucy's dorm was named Ashley Kirke. Ashley was much more spunky than Tina, and much more dramatic. When she was in a room, she dominated it. You couldn't be in a room with Ashley and not know she was there. She had a big personality, and sometimes Lucy found it a little exhausting, but the girl was extremely nice and Lucy definitely considered her a budding friend.
Since Faith and Andrea tended to do their own thing, Lucy, Tina, and Ashley quickly became their own little threesome. Lucy still spend some of her time with James of course, but he had his own friends, and besides, it was nice to have friends who were girls.
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One day, about halfway through September, one of the prefects posted a list of clubs and activities that were offered at Hogwarts on the noticeboard. Out of curiosity, Lucy, Ashely, and Tina approached to see if there was anything interesting they could join.
"Oh my gosh, yes!" Ashley exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so signing up for drama club!"
"That would be so perfect for you," Tina noted. Lucy had to agree. Ashley was so outgoing and exuberant and dramatic. She was a born actress and would shine in the spotlight.
"You should join choir," Ashley suggested to Tina after writing her name on the parchment under 'drama club'. "Your voice is amazing, they could definitely use you."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Tina said, immediately becoming shy. "I mean, I like so sing, but there would be so many people watching and listening."
"You performed for us in the dorm the other day," Ashley pointed out. "What's the difference?"
"That was just for the four of you," Tina insisted. "It would be different if it was the whole school. I couldn't do it."
"Sure you can," Lucy encouraged the girl. "Go on. If it's horrible, you can always quit. You should give it a try though. You might really enjoy it."
"I do like to sing," Tina agreed, visibly becoming more enthusiastic about the idea. "Alright, I'll sign up. What could it hurt?"
"Great!" Ashley grinned, handing Tina her quill so that she could write her name down under 'choir'.
"Alright Lucy, what about you?" Tina asked when she had finished writing.
"What about me?" Lucy frowned.
"What are you going to sign up for? Me and Ashley already picked our activities," Tina explained.
"Oh," Lucy said in surprise. She hadn't realized that they would be expecting her to sign up for something too. She quickly glanced over the list of clubs and teams. "I don't know. I don't really have a talent like you and Ashley do," she said. "I don't sing or dance, and I don't have a special proficiency for any particular subject yet. Maybe I'll wait and join something next year."
"No way," Ashley shook her head. "If we're both doing activities, then you need to do one too. You can't just sit around the common room studying all day."
Lucy realized that Ashley had a point. Her older sister Molly had never signed up for any activities, instead choosing to study constantly to the point that she was quite possibly going to drive herself insane any day now. Her socialization was minimal, even with the three girls she deemed 'friends'. Lucy didn't want that to become her too.
"Okay, but what do I sign up for?" Lucy frowned at the list with renewed interest. "I still don't have any special talents."
"What do you enjoy doing?" Tina prompted. "What sort of thing did you used to do before you came to Hogwarts?"
Lucy thought about it. "I played with my cousins. My parents taught me things when they had time. Reading, writing, basic maths, that sort of thing."
"What about when you were on your own?" Tina asked. "Like, if your mom was cooking dinner and your dad was still at work and none of your cousins were around?"
Lucy thought hard. "Sometimes I would see what kinds of magical things I could make happen… Sometimes I would write stories... Sometimes I would play in my room…"
"Go back," Ashley said suddenly. "You like to write stories?"
Lucy shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so," she confirmed.
"Alright, so what about joining the newspaper?" Ashley suggested, pointing it out on the list. "That involves writing."
Lucy shrugged again. "I don't know…" she muttered. "Newspaper would be kind of different that the sort of stuff I used to write about. Most of that was fictional and involved princesses in far-off lands."
"You can always quit if you don't like it," Ashley said, echoing Lucy's words to Tina from earlier. "But isn't it worth a shot?"
Lucy considered for a moment and then decided to give it a try. "Why not?" she declared, grabbing the quill from Tina and adding her name to the sign-up sheet. "Maybe I'll surprise myself."
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The first meeting of the newspaper club was that Friday, immediately following class. As soon as Professor Derlid released them from Defence class, Lucy headed to the newspaper club room on the first floor, her stomach a bundle of nerves. Ashley and Tina had already had their first club meetings the previous day, and both had returned extremely excited and glad to have signed up. Lucy could only hope that newspaper was the right fit for her, and that she didn't feel completely out of place.
When Lucy walked into the room, she was immediately greeted by a seventh year Slytherin who introduced herself as Kate Weston, editor in chief of the Hogwarts Herald.
"We are so excited to have you joining us," Kate practically gushed. "We lost a few strong writers at the end of last year, and of course, this will be the last year for a couple of us, so I'm really excited to get the chance to nurture a new writer."
"Thanks?" Lucy said, a little unsure. She wasn't prepared for how intense it was going to be right from the start. She also wasn't prepared for what she quickly found out next – that she was the only new member of the group.
"Well now that Lucy is here, let's get started, shall we?" Kate declared, calling the room to order.
Lucy hurried to take a seat, and took a minute to glance around the room. The room was set up much like a classroom, with one desk at the front, facing towards the room, and then a series of desks in rows facing front. The desks were significantly larger than those in the classrooms though, and the majority of them were littered with all sorts of random bits of parchment, giving the room a feeling of chaos despite the fact that it was only the beginning of the year.
They started by going around the room and introducing themselves, for Lucy's sake. Everyone else knew each other, and since she was the only new person there, everybody could assume who Lucy was. Lucy tried to pay attention to all the names, but there were too many of them, and it went by so fast that all she was able to retain was that Kate was in charge, and that there were a great deal of fifth years in the group compared to the other years.
Two of the older students named themselves as Kate's senior editors. In addition to writing articles of their own, they assisted Kate in the production of the final product of the newspaper. Most everyone else was a writer, all with their specific fields that they were responsible for. One of the fifth years, the Ravenclaw, was the group's photographer and was in charge of taking all the pictures for the newspaper. He also worked closely with the school's photography club and was the only member of the club apart from Kate who was allowed to use the club camera or even be in the developing room, which Lucy learned was located right next to the news room, alone without supervision.
The two youngest members of the group besides Lucy – a couple of second years, both Ravenclaws – were the club's fact-checkers. Kate explained that all first and second year students started out as fact-checkers in order to learn about newspaper and article writing so that come third year, they would be ready to start writing articles of their own.
Lucy was a little put out that she was going to be starting off as a fact-checker and not writing her own pieces, but she was willing to stick it out to see how things went. It seemed like a nice group of people, and they were extremely welcoming. Maybe Lucy really could fit in here.
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That evening at dinner, Lucy met up with Tina and Ashley for dinner to discuss her first experience with the newspaper club.
"So, how was it?" Ashley asked almost as soon as they sat down at the table. "Did you love it?"
"It was good," Lucy replied, filling her plate with food from the middle of the table. "It wasn't exactly what I imagined, but I think it could be fun."
"Not exactly the enthusiasm I was going for, but alright," Ashley said. "As long as you're having fun."
Lucy nodded. "It seemed cool," she said. "And since I start out as just a fact-checker, if I decide to quit, I won't really be putting them out. It won't be like I had my own column or anything."
"Wait, you're starting out as a fact-checker?" Ashley frowned. "That's it?"
"Everyone starts out that way," Lucy explained. "It's fine, I don't mind. It'll give me a chance to see how things work, get used to the pace and everything else."
"I guess," Ashley agreed. "But they'd better promote you quick. You're worth way more than being a simple fact-checker."
"How would you know?" Lucy asked. "You've never read anything I've ever written."
"I can tell," Ashley said, matter-of-factly. "And I can tell you one thing for certain. You're going to be editor in chief of the Hogwarts Herald one day."
Lucy laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah right," she said. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here."
As the evening wore on, Lucy enjoyed her time with her friends, talking to them about newspaper, and letting them talk about drama and choir. They talked about school, and their various classes, gossiped about some of their classmates, and even some of the teachers.
By the time Lucy went to bed, she was feeling pretty good about her start to school. She had made some good friends, she was participating in school, even her grades were pretty good, which she was willing to be proud of even though it was only the first month of school and they weren't doing anything difficult yet.
All in all, Lucy was happy, and she went to sleep happy and content that night.
