Harry Potter just knew it was going to be one of those years. It was always one of those years, and had been since he had started attending Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A long, boring, unexciting year, that would eventually end with him having to perform some stupid stunt to save someone, for which he would be mocked, ridiculed, and possibly exiled. It was getting kind of old.
Not that Harry didn't love magic, or Hogwarts, or his life, but really, every year it was something or the other. And he was always on the losing end.
In first year he had tried to save his very best friend, Hermione Granger, from a troll, and all he'd got in the bargain was a broken neck, a year's worth of detentions, and troll snot all over himself. Well, and Hermione was still alive, but she claimed he was an idiot, and that she was just about to hex the thing when he got there. She really was the smartest witch he knew, so maybe she was telling the truth.
He had gone on, after that delightful day, to, while once again trying to save Hermione, fall down a trap door guarded by a snarling three headed dog, and almost be strangled to death by Devils snare.
Hermione had gone to call the headmaster, who had returned from his mission post-haste, and battled Quirrel, eventually destroying the still living soul of Voldemort once and for all. And of course, untangle Harry, who was by that time, quite annoyed. At least, Hermione said, he hadn't gotten detention.
In second year, Hermione kept a journal detailing all sorts of girly things no one should ever know about, and seconds before Lavender read it out loud to the entire school, Hermione and he were forced to curse it to smithereens. Harry never did find out just what was in it, and Lavender never did quite recover from the memory charm they cast on her, and he swore he still smelt like polish from that detention.
In third year, his godfather Sirius Black finally got cleared for the murder of his parents, and he and Harry's other godfather, Remus Lupin, began working as professors at the school. That year Harry was forced to save a hippogriff from execution, and Hermione from a werewolf. He never got detention for either, and no longer had to live with the Dursley's, so Harry guessed the year hadn't been a total waste.
In fourth year, there was a huge tournament. It wasn't really very exciting to Harry, but Hermione did discover she was a girl, and Harry discovered that the men he had been living with for the last year were gay, and Remus and Sirius discovered each other. There was also the whole dance thing, and Cedric winning, and all the hoorahs, but Harry didn't dance, and Cedric had stolen Cho anyway.
In fifth year, he and Hermione had their first… and only… kiss, Remus and Sirius wed, and Harry discovered there was a such thing as male pregnancy, (when aforementioned werewolf got fat.) That year was the best since the only detention he received was for hexing Malfoy, and it wasn't very severe, since all the teachers hated the snobby boy anyway.
Now it was sixth year, and it had little to recommend it. Harry sat at the Gryffindoor table, far toward the end, fiddling with the prefects badge on his robe, and staunchly ignoring the hateful looks sent in his direction. It wasn't like he'd asked to be a prefect! He shifted a bit, urging the trembling children at the front of the room on. They really were taking an excruciatingly long time this year.
"Drone, Mathilda!" McGonagall called, and a tiny little girl came forward, her whole body shaking, her little blond pigtails rattling. She looked like a little mouse, and was about as small as one.
"They just keep getting tinier, don't they?" he asked Hermione, who, he noticed with a sigh, was doing extra credit already. She shushed him without looking up, and no one else was in the vicinity to hear anyway. He rolled his eyes toward the staff table.
Hagrid wasn't there, which was odd, but Sirius was, sitting beside Remus, their shoulders close, indicating that Sirius probably had his hand in Remus', or his mates growing belly. Harry smiled fondly, and Sirius grinned back, and tried to wave, but Remus caught his hand, and rolled his eyes at Harry. Harry gratefully smiled back. Sirius could be a bit much.
Harry was just turning to look at Dumbledoor, who it appeared was engaging Snape in a discussion on a candy that from his seat looked like lemon drops, when a thunderous knock sounded on the great double doors leading into the hall.
Nearly everyone jumped, even McGonagall, who dropped the sorting hat halfway through a name, and sped toward the doors, a faint blush in her cheeks. Before the door was even partially open, Harry could hear Hagrid mumbling apologies, and McGonagall's scolding.
By now everyone (except for Hermione) was staring intently, wondering just what the cause for such an interruption could be. Beyond the door was a sight that made Harry's eyes widen, and if he wasn't staring so intently, he might have noticed quite a few other boys' eyes widen too.
While Hagrid proceeded to his seat, giving Harry a kindly slap on the back and a knowing grin, McGonagall led the two witches toward the front of the hall.
Identical heads of red bobbed up the path between tables, identical looks of shyness and confusion in their bright blue eyes. The first one was calmer, and stood straighter, but she was biting her lip just a bit, and kept shooting looks to her sister.
It was the second that Harry was watching. There was something… different about the girl, beyond her striking good looks. She was obviously very nervous, keeping her head down, and tugging self-consciously at her skirt. She, like her sister, was biting her lips, but unlike her sisters pale face, hers was bright red, from the collar of her shirt to her messy red hair. As she passed Harry, she caught his eye through the vale of hair in front of hers, and he grinned bemusedly, causing the girl to flush even brighter. But he was sure he saw a hint of a returning smile.
Hermione had glanced from her books, and was now watching the two with interest as well, as McGonagall finally reached the front, and instructed them toward the back of the line. She had to call for silence, because the students were nearly in an uproar, wondering who the two girls were. "It must be some Weasley relative. No other family's got hair like that." Neville spoke from up the table, and Dean shook his head. "Fred and George certainly would have mentioned such pretty sisters."
He waited patiently as McGonagall continued, having to hush the crowd every few minutes, until all the students were gone except for the two girls. "Weasley, Ginerva!" she called, and the first sister stepped forward and sat on the stool, the whole hall erupting in chatter. Up in his seat at the staff table, Sirius was being shushed by Remus. And around Harry, similar phases were being uttered. "Told you!" Neville beamed, while audible groaning could be heard from the Slytherine table.
It didn't take long. Barely had the sorting hat hit her head before it yelled "Gryffindoor!" and to the sound of the loudest cheering since Harry Potter was sorted, the excited girl bounced off the chair, and scouted for a seat. Neville, ever the gentleman, immediately scooted to make room between him and Harry, and she smiled at both of them as she took her seat and turned to watch her sister being called.
Harry watched too, his breath tight in his chest as McGonagall called out the second twins name. "Weasley, Rhonwen!"
"That's a pretty name," Hermione spoke over him to Ginerva, and she rolled her eyes. "I know right? We've been arguing over it for years." Everyone laughed, but Harry's eyes were firmly locked on the girl sitting stiffly on the stool, a small smile playing across his lips. "Gryffindoor!"
"Wahoo!!!!" Ginerva yelled louder than anybody else as her sister clumsily sat down the hat and all but ran down the steps. Though Neville and Ginerva immediately scooted over, Rhonwen was halfway down the other side of the table before she looked up enough to see where her sister was. Seamus, who had scooted down the bench to sit opposite Ginerva, motioned for her to sit beside him, and blushing, if it was possible, more furiously, Rhonwen turned back and sat beside him, and directly in front of Harry.
Immediately, the girl tried to make herself as small as possible, scooting down on the bench so her feet were right beside Harry's.
"Ginerva, huh?" Seamus asked, and the girl snorted.
"Everyone calls me Ginny, and this is my sister Rhonwen, she's a bit…" and Harry saw her kick the stocking clad foot nearest her, making Rhonwen jump. "Shy," Ginny smiled. Forced to straighten, Rhonwen surveyed everyone else with what might have been dread. Harry smiled, and before anyone else could, extended his hand.
"Harry," he said gently, and she smiled a bit before sticking out her own slightly sweaty hand.
"Ron," she whispered, her voice a little hoarse, and her eyes glaring at her sister. "Everyone calls me Ron."
AN: Yeah, I'm ashamed of my review whoring ways, and as retribution, i shall never again ask for reviews. Not that it matters, since the review button is broken. Sucks doesn't it? Yep, completely broken... What, you don't believe me? Fine! Be that way! Mash it! What do i know, I'm just the author! You're so smart, obviously you've seen straight through my poorly disguised attempt to deceive you, and will mash that button and tell me what i fool i am. That would serve me right.