"Ouch, ouch, ouch ouch!"
A small man with bright red hair looked up. "Penelope, what have I told you about running down the stairs?"
The small girl who was getting up and brushing the dust off of herself grinned. "Err... don't do it?"
"Exactly."
"Sorry Dad. You know I am just so excited. First year and all..."
The man smiled. "Yes well mind you behave yourself. Us Weasleys have had a high standard set. Except maybe by your Uncles..." the man scowled.
Just then a petite woman entered. "Percy darling are you ready to leave? The train leaves at 11..."
"Yes of course Penelope dear," Percy gave his wife Penelope a kiss on the nose before turning to the small girl. "Well Penny junior are you ready?"
"Why else was I running down the stairs?" Penny Molly Clearwater-Weasley grinned.
The ride to Kings Cross Station was not a long one. But what Penny was dreading the most was Platform nine and three quarters. Anyone with any wizarding background was going to recognise her father as the Minister for Magic.
She got it all the time in Diagon Alley, the last Quidditch match they had attended even sometimes in the Muggle street by passing by witches and wizards.
At least, she mused, her father was not an unpopular minister. Unlike Cornelius Fudge the previous minister for magic, who had been driven out of office, Percy Weasley was regarded as one of the best Ministers in British history.
"Well here we are Penny," her mother said unbuckling her seatbelt and thanking the ministry chauffer. "Got your trunk?"
Penny nodded, a wide grin on her face. She got out the car, grabbed her trunk and her owl (whose name was Aux). Her father - with a furtive look around - conjured up a trolley for her trunk and set off to the platform.
"Now remember," Penelope reminded her daughter, "You mustn't be scared of hitting the barrier or it won't work."
"I know," Penny said as she fell through the barrier.
The platform was hustling and bustling. Students hurrying to find their friends they hadn't seen all summer, first years trying to look cool and parents giving last minute reminders to their children. As Penny had suspected, whispers followed them around.
"Do you see the man with the red hair?"
"That's the minister!"
"I heard he had a daughter starting this year."
"Look at the hair!"
Penny looked around uncomfortably. How embarrassing!
"Now remember," Percy reminded her as Penelope chatted to the mother of another student, "The family honour..."
"Is everything," Penny finished wearily. "Don't worry I remember."
Percy ruffled her hair. "That's my girl."
The train gave a loud whistle and dozens of students dashed for the train. Penny included.
"Don't forget to owl us!" Penelope said wiping a tear from her eye.
"And to do well in your studies!" Percy added.
"I will!" Penny promised as the train sped away.
She sat down in an empty carriage and put down Aux. "Well it's just you and me Aux," she said to the owl.
Several minutes later a familiar face stumbled into the carriage.
"Georgina!" she cried. "I was wondering when I was going to see you!"
Georgina was the daughter of one of her father's friends. They had known each other since their days at Junior Quidditch League. Not that her father had approved of the League...
"She should be studying. She could be learning so much," Percy had said to Penelope in their late night conversations, that Penny wasn't have supposed to overheard.
"Oh calm down Percy. It will do her good to be around other youngsters like her," her mother had defended her.
It was Georgina's voice that brought her back to reality. "Well I just had to find my best Chaser buddy didn't I? I'm so excited! This will be so cool! I hope I'm a Gryffindor, don't you?"
Penny grinned. "Well personally yes. But my parents are a bit divided on this subject. My mother was a Ravenclaw and my father a Gryffindor! I threatened to be a Hufflepuff just to spite them!"
"You'll be a Gryffindor! Your study habits - no offence! - aren't the greatest. And you're too loud to be a Hufflepuff! So here's to Gryffindor! Oops!" Georgina had waved her wand around in celebration. Not having the hang of wand use she had accidentally sent purple sparks into the air.
Penny laughed. No, she wasn't scholarly enough to be a Ravenclaw. And way too loud for Hufflepuff. So long as she wasn't a...
"I don't care as long as I'm not a Slytherin," Penny announced sombrely.
"Here, here!" Georgina agreed. "Want a game of Chess?"
Penny nodded. She had never lost a game of Chess. Not even against her father. Her Uncle Ron had taught her and he was the master.
"Ha ah! Checkmate!" Twenty minutes later Penny had beaten Georgina three times. Georgina shook her head. "Damn it Penny, you never lose!"
"I know," she said gleefully. "Want to play again?"
"Nope," Georgina said, "Food!"
The food trolley was coming around. Georgina and Penny leapt to their feet, coins jingling in their pockets.
Five minutes later their pockets were bulging with chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries, Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans and Cauldron cakes.
"Let's start on the frogs," Georgina suggested.
Penny didn't even bother to reply as she had started to unwrap one already. Through a mouthful of frog she said, "I got Ron again. Damn it! I have about 17 of them. Do you want it?"
Georgina's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Do I ever? He's not only the best Auror ever! He's gorgeous!"
Penny shuddered. "Uncle Ron? Gorgeous? What have you been eating..."
Georgina ignored her and hugged the card to her chest. "I don't care he's your uncle, Penny but he is so cute. I wish I can meet him."
"Err... right. Well I'll let you know next time he's in the neighbourhood. Hey this is a new card!" Penny exclaimed.
"Who is it?" Georgina asked excitedly.
"It's Hermione Weasley. She never told me she was going on a card..."
"Hermione Weasley isn't she Ron's wife?" Georgina asked.
"Yeah. She teaches Transfigurations at Hogwarts now. Ever since McGonagall became headmaster. Better not let her hear you talking about Ron. She'll turn you into a ferret!"
The rest of the journey was mainly spent eating and swapping the frog cards. Penny gained Merlyn, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Hengist of Woodcroft by the end of the trip.
"Please leave your bags behind," a magically magnified voice told them as the train screeched to a halt, "as they will be taken off to the castle separately."
Georgina and Penny clambered off the train and headed to a voice, which was bellowing, "Firs' years over 'ere! All firs' years!"
Georgina gasped. She had just had her first glimpse of Hagrid. Hagrid being half-giant was twice the height of a normal man and three times as wide. Penny wasn't too worried though. She had come with her father on previous inspections of Hogwarts and had met the kindly groundkeeper. It seemed Hagrid remembered her too.
"All righ' Penny?" he asked when they got closer. Penny grinned and gave him the thumbs up.
Georgina and Penny got into a boat together and they were soon joined by a pale faced, blonde boy and a messy looking brown haired girl.
"Jay-Dee Henderson," she said introducing herself and offering her hand to Georgina, Penny and finally too pale-face who took it limply and dropped it quickly.
"Penny Clearwater-Weasley."
"Georgina Diane."
Penny and Georgina introduced themselves and shook the others hand in turn.
"Harrison Malfoy," pale face drawled. "And I can already guess Hendo over there is a mudblood."
Jay-Dee went red and put her head in her hands but Georgina had already pulled her wand out of her robes and was pointing at Harrison's head.
"I'm warning you," she said, "I know a few good hexes already!"
"Me too," Penny added and whipped her wand out of her robes.
"Don't have a heart attack," Harrison drawled, "We haven't even found out if she is yet. Are you Hendo?"
"My name is Jay-Dee," Jay-Dee mumbled.
"Oh you are?" Harrison grinned. "I was right after all."
Luckily the boats pulled onto shore at that moment or Georgina and Penny might have been facing a month's worth of detention. Harrison jumped out quickly and headed towards the castle.
"Why that little creep," Georgina muttered, "Slytherin material if I ever saw it."
"Slytherin?" Jay-Dee asked confused.
"Oh you are muggleborn?" Georgina asked going red. "I'm really sorry..."
Jay-Dee waved that comment aside, "What's Slytherin?"
"Oh it's a house," Georgina explained and she began to tell Jay-Dee about the houses.
The three of them walked up to the castle together, Georgina still chatting about the houses. "But me and Penny want to be in Gryffindor, don't we?"
"Yep."
They were now at the castle entrance. Hagrid knocked the large silver knocker and the door was answered almost at once by a familiar face. Professor Hermione Weasley.
"The first years?" she asked Hagrid. Then to the first years she said, "Follow me."
She took the first years into the entrance hall and then into a small chamber off the main hall.
"You're about to be sorted into your house," Professor Weasley said quietly. Everyone paid the closest attention. "The sorting ceremony will take part in front of the rest of the school. There are four houses at Hogwarts and each has its own noble history. I hope you will all be a credit to your house," she smiled at the first years. "Now follow me and wait quietly for your name to be called."
The first years marched into the Great Hall and got into a straggly looking line. Professor Weasley held a long roll of parchment in her hand. "When I call your name, please go sit on the stool," she instructed. On the stool was a very ragged hat. This was the Hogwarts sorting hat.
"Applebee, Martin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat screamed.
"Berone, Nicholas!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Berry, Thomas!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Clearwater-Weasley, Penelope!"
Penny walked up to the stool and placed the hat on her head. Gryffindor, please be Gryffindor, was her last thought before her head disappeared under the hat.
Gryffindor huh? The hat said. Yes you do have characteristics of a Gryffindor. It's in your bloodline too. But you've got Ravenclaw in your blood... are you sure? Not Ravenclaw? Well you explain it to your mother.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and Penny walked to the Gryffindor table. She sat down and looked at Georgina who gave her the thumbs up.
"Cummings, Susanne!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
Diane, Georgina!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Georgina practically ran to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Penny. "Great! We're together, now we have to wait for Jay-Dee..."
To be continued...
Will Jay-Dee Henderson be a Gryffindor? Will Harrison Malfoy live up to his family reputation? Who's the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher? Find out in the next part of "Uphold the Honour".
A small man with bright red hair looked up. "Penelope, what have I told you about running down the stairs?"
The small girl who was getting up and brushing the dust off of herself grinned. "Err... don't do it?"
"Exactly."
"Sorry Dad. You know I am just so excited. First year and all..."
The man smiled. "Yes well mind you behave yourself. Us Weasleys have had a high standard set. Except maybe by your Uncles..." the man scowled.
Just then a petite woman entered. "Percy darling are you ready to leave? The train leaves at 11..."
"Yes of course Penelope dear," Percy gave his wife Penelope a kiss on the nose before turning to the small girl. "Well Penny junior are you ready?"
"Why else was I running down the stairs?" Penny Molly Clearwater-Weasley grinned.
The ride to Kings Cross Station was not a long one. But what Penny was dreading the most was Platform nine and three quarters. Anyone with any wizarding background was going to recognise her father as the Minister for Magic.
She got it all the time in Diagon Alley, the last Quidditch match they had attended even sometimes in the Muggle street by passing by witches and wizards.
At least, she mused, her father was not an unpopular minister. Unlike Cornelius Fudge the previous minister for magic, who had been driven out of office, Percy Weasley was regarded as one of the best Ministers in British history.
"Well here we are Penny," her mother said unbuckling her seatbelt and thanking the ministry chauffer. "Got your trunk?"
Penny nodded, a wide grin on her face. She got out the car, grabbed her trunk and her owl (whose name was Aux). Her father - with a furtive look around - conjured up a trolley for her trunk and set off to the platform.
"Now remember," Penelope reminded her daughter, "You mustn't be scared of hitting the barrier or it won't work."
"I know," Penny said as she fell through the barrier.
The platform was hustling and bustling. Students hurrying to find their friends they hadn't seen all summer, first years trying to look cool and parents giving last minute reminders to their children. As Penny had suspected, whispers followed them around.
"Do you see the man with the red hair?"
"That's the minister!"
"I heard he had a daughter starting this year."
"Look at the hair!"
Penny looked around uncomfortably. How embarrassing!
"Now remember," Percy reminded her as Penelope chatted to the mother of another student, "The family honour..."
"Is everything," Penny finished wearily. "Don't worry I remember."
Percy ruffled her hair. "That's my girl."
The train gave a loud whistle and dozens of students dashed for the train. Penny included.
"Don't forget to owl us!" Penelope said wiping a tear from her eye.
"And to do well in your studies!" Percy added.
"I will!" Penny promised as the train sped away.
She sat down in an empty carriage and put down Aux. "Well it's just you and me Aux," she said to the owl.
Several minutes later a familiar face stumbled into the carriage.
"Georgina!" she cried. "I was wondering when I was going to see you!"
Georgina was the daughter of one of her father's friends. They had known each other since their days at Junior Quidditch League. Not that her father had approved of the League...
"She should be studying. She could be learning so much," Percy had said to Penelope in their late night conversations, that Penny wasn't have supposed to overheard.
"Oh calm down Percy. It will do her good to be around other youngsters like her," her mother had defended her.
It was Georgina's voice that brought her back to reality. "Well I just had to find my best Chaser buddy didn't I? I'm so excited! This will be so cool! I hope I'm a Gryffindor, don't you?"
Penny grinned. "Well personally yes. But my parents are a bit divided on this subject. My mother was a Ravenclaw and my father a Gryffindor! I threatened to be a Hufflepuff just to spite them!"
"You'll be a Gryffindor! Your study habits - no offence! - aren't the greatest. And you're too loud to be a Hufflepuff! So here's to Gryffindor! Oops!" Georgina had waved her wand around in celebration. Not having the hang of wand use she had accidentally sent purple sparks into the air.
Penny laughed. No, she wasn't scholarly enough to be a Ravenclaw. And way too loud for Hufflepuff. So long as she wasn't a...
"I don't care as long as I'm not a Slytherin," Penny announced sombrely.
"Here, here!" Georgina agreed. "Want a game of Chess?"
Penny nodded. She had never lost a game of Chess. Not even against her father. Her Uncle Ron had taught her and he was the master.
"Ha ah! Checkmate!" Twenty minutes later Penny had beaten Georgina three times. Georgina shook her head. "Damn it Penny, you never lose!"
"I know," she said gleefully. "Want to play again?"
"Nope," Georgina said, "Food!"
The food trolley was coming around. Georgina and Penny leapt to their feet, coins jingling in their pockets.
Five minutes later their pockets were bulging with chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries, Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans and Cauldron cakes.
"Let's start on the frogs," Georgina suggested.
Penny didn't even bother to reply as she had started to unwrap one already. Through a mouthful of frog she said, "I got Ron again. Damn it! I have about 17 of them. Do you want it?"
Georgina's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Do I ever? He's not only the best Auror ever! He's gorgeous!"
Penny shuddered. "Uncle Ron? Gorgeous? What have you been eating..."
Georgina ignored her and hugged the card to her chest. "I don't care he's your uncle, Penny but he is so cute. I wish I can meet him."
"Err... right. Well I'll let you know next time he's in the neighbourhood. Hey this is a new card!" Penny exclaimed.
"Who is it?" Georgina asked excitedly.
"It's Hermione Weasley. She never told me she was going on a card..."
"Hermione Weasley isn't she Ron's wife?" Georgina asked.
"Yeah. She teaches Transfigurations at Hogwarts now. Ever since McGonagall became headmaster. Better not let her hear you talking about Ron. She'll turn you into a ferret!"
The rest of the journey was mainly spent eating and swapping the frog cards. Penny gained Merlyn, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Hengist of Woodcroft by the end of the trip.
"Please leave your bags behind," a magically magnified voice told them as the train screeched to a halt, "as they will be taken off to the castle separately."
Georgina and Penny clambered off the train and headed to a voice, which was bellowing, "Firs' years over 'ere! All firs' years!"
Georgina gasped. She had just had her first glimpse of Hagrid. Hagrid being half-giant was twice the height of a normal man and three times as wide. Penny wasn't too worried though. She had come with her father on previous inspections of Hogwarts and had met the kindly groundkeeper. It seemed Hagrid remembered her too.
"All righ' Penny?" he asked when they got closer. Penny grinned and gave him the thumbs up.
Georgina and Penny got into a boat together and they were soon joined by a pale faced, blonde boy and a messy looking brown haired girl.
"Jay-Dee Henderson," she said introducing herself and offering her hand to Georgina, Penny and finally too pale-face who took it limply and dropped it quickly.
"Penny Clearwater-Weasley."
"Georgina Diane."
Penny and Georgina introduced themselves and shook the others hand in turn.
"Harrison Malfoy," pale face drawled. "And I can already guess Hendo over there is a mudblood."
Jay-Dee went red and put her head in her hands but Georgina had already pulled her wand out of her robes and was pointing at Harrison's head.
"I'm warning you," she said, "I know a few good hexes already!"
"Me too," Penny added and whipped her wand out of her robes.
"Don't have a heart attack," Harrison drawled, "We haven't even found out if she is yet. Are you Hendo?"
"My name is Jay-Dee," Jay-Dee mumbled.
"Oh you are?" Harrison grinned. "I was right after all."
Luckily the boats pulled onto shore at that moment or Georgina and Penny might have been facing a month's worth of detention. Harrison jumped out quickly and headed towards the castle.
"Why that little creep," Georgina muttered, "Slytherin material if I ever saw it."
"Slytherin?" Jay-Dee asked confused.
"Oh you are muggleborn?" Georgina asked going red. "I'm really sorry..."
Jay-Dee waved that comment aside, "What's Slytherin?"
"Oh it's a house," Georgina explained and she began to tell Jay-Dee about the houses.
The three of them walked up to the castle together, Georgina still chatting about the houses. "But me and Penny want to be in Gryffindor, don't we?"
"Yep."
They were now at the castle entrance. Hagrid knocked the large silver knocker and the door was answered almost at once by a familiar face. Professor Hermione Weasley.
"The first years?" she asked Hagrid. Then to the first years she said, "Follow me."
She took the first years into the entrance hall and then into a small chamber off the main hall.
"You're about to be sorted into your house," Professor Weasley said quietly. Everyone paid the closest attention. "The sorting ceremony will take part in front of the rest of the school. There are four houses at Hogwarts and each has its own noble history. I hope you will all be a credit to your house," she smiled at the first years. "Now follow me and wait quietly for your name to be called."
The first years marched into the Great Hall and got into a straggly looking line. Professor Weasley held a long roll of parchment in her hand. "When I call your name, please go sit on the stool," she instructed. On the stool was a very ragged hat. This was the Hogwarts sorting hat.
"Applebee, Martin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat screamed.
"Berone, Nicholas!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Berry, Thomas!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Clearwater-Weasley, Penelope!"
Penny walked up to the stool and placed the hat on her head. Gryffindor, please be Gryffindor, was her last thought before her head disappeared under the hat.
Gryffindor huh? The hat said. Yes you do have characteristics of a Gryffindor. It's in your bloodline too. But you've got Ravenclaw in your blood... are you sure? Not Ravenclaw? Well you explain it to your mother.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and Penny walked to the Gryffindor table. She sat down and looked at Georgina who gave her the thumbs up.
"Cummings, Susanne!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
Diane, Georgina!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Georgina practically ran to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Penny. "Great! We're together, now we have to wait for Jay-Dee..."
To be continued...
Will Jay-Dee Henderson be a Gryffindor? Will Harrison Malfoy live up to his family reputation? Who's the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher? Find out in the next part of "Uphold the Honour".