The flying Ford Anglia came to a shuddering stop outside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Its doors opened and out stood two men and one teenage girl. All Weasleys.
"Every time!" said a bemused Arthur Weasley "It's fun every time, isn't it Percy?" Percy readjusted his clothes and tried to flatten his flaming red hair that had flown up in the journey.
"Always" he grimaced, opening the back of the car and taking out the suitcases that filled it almost to the brim. "You know you could help me with this Lucy!" His daughter, quite possibly the only non-red head in the Weasley family, made no move to help.
"Lucy Catherine Weasley!" shouted Percy. "You are in no position to be indignant, young lady. Now help!" Lucy stared at her father, took a suitcase and walked towards the castle.
"Percy there's no need to be so hard on her" sighed Arthur.
"Father... Dad, you went with me to Beauxbatons. You saw what she did!" said Percy, giving his father two of Lucy's suitcases while he juggled three more. "What she could possibly need all these clothes for I have no idea"
They found Lucy standing, scorn evident on her face, next to Headmistress McGonagall at the castle's front doors.
"Mr Weasley. Percy. A pleasure to see you both. Its been too long, I'm ashamed to say" she greeted, shaking both men's hands.
"Minerva, please call me Arthur, and yes it has been to long" said Arthur cheerfully. Percy was more serious.
"Thank you for taking Lucy so late into the term. I know this must be an inconvenience" he said, glaring at his daughter, who was busily tapping away on her mobile phone.
"I'm sorry, Miss Weasley, but modern technology such as your mobile phone will not work on school premises" McGonagall said sternly. Lucy rolled her eyes, sighed loudly and walked into the school.
"I'm sorry about her, Headmistress" said Percy. "She's been in a foul mood since we left"
"Yes. She's going for the cold shoulder treatment today" Arthur piped in helpfully. McGonagall nodded thoughtfully.
"Don't worry Percy, we'll straighten her out" she said. "After a few days here she'll realise that we're not as tolerable as our French counterparts" Arthur laughed.
"Too right, Minerva" He looked towards the car longingly. "Do we need to accompany her in? I'm dying to get back in the air again" McGonagall shook her head.
"No you and Percy may leave, I'll take it from here" she said. They all shook hands once again and turned back to the car.
"Goodbye Percy. Goodbye Arthur. We'll make a model student of Lucy yet" McGonagall called. Percy and Arthur just laughed
Lucy was waiting by the staircase in the castle's entrance hall when McGonagall entered.
"Now, Miss Weasley, I understand that you caused a little trouble at your old school" she said. Lucy grinned.
"Yeah, a little" she laughed. McGonagall shook her head.
"Miss Weasley, our school has faced worse than your paltry tricks" she noted. "But, I must warn you, if you decide to play such tricks at Hogwarts I can assure you that you will face dire consequences"
"I've already been expelled. What worse could happen?" Lucy asked.
"With the amount of magic that this school houses, Miss Weasley, you'd be surprised what could happen to a student doing the wrong thing" McGonagall said gravelly. "Now, if you don't mind, I think it's time we stop this chatter and make our way to my office" and with that, McGonagall was off, barely waiting for Lucy to catch up as they made their way through the maze-like castle. She wasn't sure how she could possibly remember her way around here.
After more walking than Lucy felt she had done in her whole life, McGonagall stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary gargoyle statue.
"Bumblebee" said McGonagall and the gargoyle moved as a stair case turned towards them. "Come on, Miss Weasley" McGonagall took the steps two at a time and Lucy followed. Waiting at the top was McGonagall's office, a large spacious room littered with books. McGonagall motioned for Lucy to take a seat in one of the armchairs that stood in front of her desk while McGonagall sat in her own.
"Now, Miss Weasley, we must talk about your studies here" said McGonagall. She pulled a file from a draw and scanned it quickly. "It says here you naturally excelled in charms and potions but never really applied yourself to any subjects. Do you enjoy school, Miss Weasley?"
"Not particularly" answered Lucy.
"I expected as much" McGonagall said. "I believe that course-wise Beauxbatons runs the same as us so it shouldn't be that hard for you to fit into our curriculum. But now, the fun part" McGonagall actually smiled as she turned her back towards Lucy to take an old hat from a shelf.
"What is that?" asked Lucy, horrified. She'd never seen anything so old and tattered. Lucy was more than a little worried of what sorts of diseases she could get from it.
"This, Miss Weasley, is our Sorting Hat" McGonagall explained as the creases that Lucy guessed served as its eyes opened. "It will allocate you to a house" McGonagall delicately placed the hat on Lucy's head and almost immediately she heard a whispering voice in her head.
"Ahhh. A Weasley. Generally you all go to Gryfinndor don't you" said the hat. "Where do you want to go, girl?" Lucy sighed
"I don't really care" she said blankly. The Sorting Hat chuckled.
"I see. A casual indifference to others. You're self entitled. A penchant for trickery and deception. Well there's only one choice isn't there?"
"What?" asked Lucy.
"Slytherin!" boomed the hat.