Hey guys! So this is my first fanfic I've written, and I really liked it so I decided to share. I have no one but me editing/writing this so I'm not sure how good it is/going to be but please, no flames, though constructive criticism is allowed . Also updates may be spotty for the first few week because I currently don't have the use of my own laptop, but I do plan to update every weekend, probably on Sunday. Please enjoy the story and review! Thanks guys!
Chapter 1-
Hope Potter hated her name. Who would want to be named after something like that? It was like being named 'Love' or 'Peace'. Not to mention all the jokes about her name. Or at least, the ones that would have been said if there was anyone to say them to her.
Because unlike many kids her age, Hope Potter wasn't one to be around many people. Her cousin had made sure that no one wanted to be friends with strange, orphan Hope Potter. Not that Hope minded. She much rather be left to her own devices, perhaps with her sketchpad or her book.
And if there was one place Hope could always be sure she was never bothered, it was the Surrey Zoo.
So that's where the young girl sat, in front of the empty boa constrictor exhibit, a book in one hand, and her wand tucked behind her ear, very much like a pencil, poking into her dark red hair.
Her hair was always a matter of dismay to her guardians. Petunia and Vernon Dursley wanted everything to always be normal. And that was exactly what Hope wasn't. The Dursley's often got calls home from the school, exclaiming about how their niece managed to change her hair color to pink or blue in the middle of maths, much to the teacher's confusion.
That was one of Hope's favorite things to do, however. Hope wasn't one to follow rules or respect authority, making her once again, abnormal.
But the thing that made the Dursley's hate her the most, the thing that made her most abnormal, had to be the fact that Hope Potter was a witch.
The Weasley family never really went on family outings. It was way to hard to get seven children organized and out of the house. Even with Bill and Charlie gone, when it came to controlling the twins, it was impossible to be in public. Which is why Ron Weasley found it so strange to be at a zoo in the surrey, especially the day before the he and his siblings would be off to school. But he wasn't one to complain. Most certainly not when he got to be free of his brothers pranks for a day.
The youngest Weasley boy stopped short in front of an empty glass display, his eyes caught on a small girl seated on a bench in front of it. Her sharp, green eyes were focused on a leather bound book sitting on her folded up knees. But Ron's eyes were caught instead on the wand tucked behind her ear. A witch, he thought, in the surrey. What a coincidence. Shaking his head, Ron caught back up with his family and continued walking.
Ron's brother Fred also caught his eye on the same girl, but for an entirely different reason. Fred wasn't one to be attracted to girls. He had never found interest in one, much unlike his twin who had his eyes set on their best friend, Angelina Johnson. But this girl was different. Her dark red hair fell in waves that Fred was sure Ginny would die for, ending just above her shoulder blades. She had a slightly sickly figure, one that suggested she didn't have enough to eat on a daily basis, but she wasn't to slim either. She had on a emerald green shirt that complimented her eyes almost perfectly, causing them to sparkle in the midday August sun.
"Can I help you?" the girl said, her voice slightly irritated. Fred hadn't even realized that he was walking forward towards her.
"Um… I… um… what are you… reading?" Fred asked, at a loss for words.
Hope hated being interrupted from her book, especially at a good part like the one she was currently on. "And you care because?" she asked, not even holding back on her usual sarcasm.
"Just… um… just wondering," the boy responded. He looked older than Hope, maybe by a few years, and had a lighter orange hair, very different than Hope's own.
"Alright then, if that's all I would very much enjoy getting back to my book," Hope intoned.
"Oh, um, alright," Fred said, silently cursing himself for his lack of words.
George Weasley laughed as his twin came back to their family, his face red. "Real smooth, Freddie. Real smooth."
Hope tried not to let the faint red blush reach her cheeks. Se didn't even know why it was there. The boy was only slightly cute, for pete's sake, not that Hope would ever admit to thinking that. She didn't even know him and would probably never see him again in her life. So, heaving a sigh, he turned back to her book on Ancient Magical History and blocked out the other sounds around her.
X
Hours later, Hope climbed back through the window that led to her small room at number four privet drive. In all honesty, the room was only given to her because Vernon and Petunia didn't want Hope snooping around in the business of the random letters (not that that did much seeing as Hope would be leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow). Either way, Hope now had the room to herself.
Hope landed lightly on her feet, wincing slightly as the wooden flooring squeaked. It was well past midnight now, and if Hope woke the Dursleys, the chances that they would actually drive her to King's Cross tomorrow would be slim to none.
She moved quietly across the room, slipping her bag off her shoulders and placing it into one of the compartments in her trunk. She let her hair out of the ponytail that it had slowly made it's way into through the day, and changed it into a short bob so it wouldn't tangle while she slept.
Reaching to the paper on her desk, she crossed off the last day on her hand made calendar. She couldn't help but let the slight giddy feeling rise up in her stomach at the thought of Hogwarts. She had emptied many books from her vaults at Gringotts on the castle. The idea that she was going to a school, without her cousin, where she would learn magic was amazing. Not to mention that her parents also went to the school.
She had also gotten many books on her parents and had read them multiple times, intent on knowing as much about her ast as she could. They were in almost every book on modern history, as was she. That was one thing she wasn't excited for. If the books were anything to go by, almost everyone knew who she was, but she didn't know anything about them.
Needless to say, Hope didn't get much sleep that night, her thoughts clouded by magical castles and mystery boys.
X
On second thought, it would have probably been smart to ask Hagrid how to get onto the platform. But Hope was never one to think ahead like that. She was more of an act-then-think kind of person.
She knew something had to be off when the Dursleys all too happily dropped her off at the station, but she passed it off as excitement of getting rid of her.
"Those pricks," Hope muttered. They had to have known that she wouldn't be able to find the platform.
And that's how Fred Weasley found the same girl sitting on yet another bench on his way to platform 9 ¾.
"Percy, you first," his mum said, and his prickly older brother went importantly through the barrier.
"George, you next!"
"I'm not George," His twin said, feigning a look of hurt, "I'm Fred! Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother.
"Sorry Fred," Mrs. Weasley said, and Fred had to hide his laugh.
"Only joking," George said, "I am George." With one last look at his twin, George ran towards the barrier. Fred hung back a second, casting a glance towards the mysterious red head.
"Fred, c'mon," Mrs. Weasley said. The girl caught his eye and smirked. "Fred!"
Breaking eye contact, Fred ran through the barrier, silently wishing he had the nerve to talk to the girl.
"Excuse me," Hope said, standing up and making her way towards the familiar family. "Can you tell me how to… um…"
"Get onto the platform," Ron supplied, recognizing the girl as the one he saw yesterday. At least he could talk to her better than his brother.
"Not to worry, dear," Mrs. Weasley said kindly. "All you have to do is walk straight through the barrier between platform 9 and 10. Don't stop, and don't be worried that you might crash. Best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on now, before Ron."
Hope nodded, surprised by the mother like tone the woman used. "Thank you," Hope said, turning her cart around and setting up to run at the wall. It looked fairly solid, but Hope was prepared to believe anything since she was told she was a witch.
Taking a deep breath, Hope ran towards the barrier, internally tensing on instinct. But her muscles relaxed as she came to a stop amid a barrier filled with students. If she thought the regular platforms were a sight, this was even more so.
Parents clad in both muggle and magical clothes were everywhere as were kids Hope's age and older. Deciding to move out of the way for when the other boy came through, Hope made her way towards the scarlet train and opened a door where she started to push her trunk onto the train.
"Need some help?" A familiar voice said. Hope turned and found the same boy, Fred was his name, and an identical looking boy behind him.
"So you can actually form coherent sentences, then?" Hope said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The identical boy, George, tried to smother a chuckle.
"I'll have you know, I am very good at forming sentences" Fred said, throwing a hand over his heart and feigning a look of hurt.
"If I remember clearly, 'um' seemed to be your favorite word last time we met," Hope said, quirking an eyebrow.
"I think you may want to stop while you're ahead, Freddie," George said, hiding his laughter. His brother adopted a look that clearly said traitor.
"Do you need help, mouthy?" Fred said, obviously giving up on the eleven year old.
"Mouthy? That's a new one," Hope said, but she allowed the twins to help push her trunk into an empty compartment. Hope pushed her red bangs out of her sweaty face, debating whether she wanted to get rid of them or not.
"What's that?" Fred asked, stopping in his tracks.
"Blimey," George said, "Are you-"
"She is!" Fred continued. "Aren't you," he said, turning his attention back to Hope.
"What?" Hope said, dreading their answer.
"Hope Potter!" both boys said at the same time.
Internally sighing, Hope quirked a single eyebrow and said, "So?"
The twins gawked at her, but Hope just rolled her eyes, entered the compartment and shut the door behind her. She knew this was going to happen, but she was hoping she could put off being stared at for at least a bit.
Scowling, Hope sat down on one of the benches and cast a glance out the window, just to find the twins walking towards their mother.
"Ron, you've got something on your nose," Mrs. Weasley said, reaching towards Ron's face.
The boy in question jerked away, already tired of being babied by his mother.
"Mum!" He protested when his mother grabbed him, "Geroff!"
"Aaaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nose?" said one of the twins (even though he's lived with them for 11 years, he could still not tell them apart).
"Shut up," Ron grumbled.
"Where's Percy?"
"He's coming now," George said. Unlike Ron, Hope for some reason was able to pick out who was Fred and who was George without a problem.
An older red head boy came towards the family, his chest puffed out. Hope resisted the urge to laugh at how ridiculous he looked.
"Can't stay long mother. I'm up front with the prefects."
"Oh, are you a prefect Percy?" George asked, a look of fake surprise coming over his face. "You should've said something."
"Hang on," Fred said, "I think I remember him saying something. Once-"
"Or twice-"
"A minute-"
"All summer-"
"Oh shut up," Percy said, and Hope got the distinct impression that Fred and George greatly enjoyed his reaction.
"How come Percy get's new robes anyways?" Fred asked.
"Because he's a prefect," his mother said proudly. "All right, dear. Have a good erm- send me an owl when you get there." She kissed Percy fondly on the cheek and watched as he made his way towards the train.
"Now you two," Mrs. Weasley continued, turning a glare onto the twins. "You better behave yourselves this year. If I get one more owl saying that you've- you've blown up a toilet or something-"
"Blown up a toilette? We've never blown up a toilet!"
"Great idea though, thanks mum!" Hope hid her sniggers. She was going to get along well with the two twins, she could just tell.
"It's not funny!" Mrs. Weasley said, exasperated. "And look after Ron."
"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."
"Shut up," Ron said again, turning red.
"Hey mum, guess what?" George started. "Guess who we saw on the train?" Hope scowled, guessing as to what was coming next. "You know that red headed girl we saw on the platform? Know who she is?"
"Who?" said an unfamiliar voice, probably belonging to the only girl Weasley of the bunch.
"Hope Potter!" George said, sounding excited. All heads turned towards her and Hope scowled, leaning back in her seat.
"Blimey, she doesn't look happy," George said, while Fred sent his brother an annoyed look.
"Oh, mum, can I go se her?" the youngest girl whined. "Oh please!"
"You've already seen her, Ginny, and the poor girl isn't something for you to goggle at!"
"D'you think she remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"
"I forbid you to ask her, George. No, don't you dare. The poor girls already gone through enough as it is. No wonder she was all alone at the station."
A whistle sounded, blocking the rest of the families conversation from Hope's ears. When she looked back out again, the family was gone, probably to their own compartments.
Ron Weasley's greatest fear about going to Hogwarts was that no one would like him. Percy had all of his Prefect friends and Fred and George had Lee, Alicia, Angelina, and the rest of the year, but the youngest Weasley just knew everyone would compare him to his brothers and not like him.
Similarly, Hope had the same fear that, since she was famous, that would be the only reason people liked her. But when Ron came to her compartment, she perked up, having already met the red head.
"D'you mind? Everywhere else is full," Ron said, gesturing to the bench across from Hope.
"Not at all," Hope said. Looking happy Ron took a seat and stowed his trunk up above.
"Alright there, Hope?" came a voice from the doorway. Fred Weasley was standing there, twin at his side.
"Are you this nice to every girl you meet, Weasley?" Hope asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Only the pretty ones," Fred said, with a wink, and Hope could feel the blush rising.
"Lee's got a giant spider up the train, Ron," George said, addressing his younger brother. "You good here?"
"Fine," Ron mumbled, his face paling.
"Then we're off," Fred said, tipping an imaginary hat. "Madame." Hope rolled her eyes as she watched the two boys go before turning her attention back to Ron.
"Are they always like this?" Hope asked.
"Normally worse," Ron grumbled. "Though Fred normally isn't this keen on a girl." Hope's flush worsened.
The two sat in silence or a minute before, unable to control himself, Ron blurted out, "Are you really Hope Potter?"
"Yes," Hope said, quirking an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"
"Of course not," Ron said quickly. "It's just… well... Fred and George could have been lying."
"Mmhmm," Hope said, obviously not believing the cover story. Deciding to drop the topic, Hope said, "Are you excited for Hogwarts?"
"Oh… yes," Ron said, composing himself. "Bill and Charlie always told me stories about it when I was younger, they've already graduated, and then Percy and Fred and George went and always told me about it. Now I get to go."
"Are all your family wizards?" Hope asked, interested in Ron as much as he was interested in her.
"I think so," Ron said, looking thoughtful. "I think mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we've never met him. I heard you were raised by muggles. What's that like?"
"Well," Hope began, a dark look flashing over her face, "they made me do all the chores, kept me under the stairs, and barely fed me. Oh, and my cousin pretty much beat me up every day."
If the bruises on Hope were anything to go by, he was fairly successful. "I'm sorry," Ron said, at a loss of how to comfort her.
"I've come to terms with it a while ago," Hope said. "I kind of like to think of it as a Cinderella story. And, it made me very fast."
"What's a Cinderella?" Ron asked.
"Nevermind," Hope said, momentarily forgetting that he was a wizard. "Just remind me to show you some muggle movies every once and awhile. Anyway, what's it like growing up with siblings?"
"Well, it's a lot to live up to," Ron admitted. "Bill was head boy and Charlie was quidditch captain. Now they've both graduated and have job. Percy's a prefect and pretty much top of his class. Fred and George pretty much goof off all the time, but they still get good grades, and everyone thinks their pranks are hilarious. And, not to mention, they still get fairly good marks. Everyone expects me to be as good as them, but if I am, it's no big deal, because they did it first!"
"Well then," Hope said, leaning back in her seat, "I guess we'll just have to figure out a way to top them."
Ron's face lit up at the use of 'we'. "Yeah, I guess we will."
And so, the two first years spent the train ride talking about all the adventures they were going to have with quidditch and classes and everything in between. And they both let out silent sighs of relief because both of them had found a friend in each other.
