August 1st 1991
First of all, I want to say that this is not a diary, it's a journal. Fred and George gave it to as a joke. Sure the front of the cover says: Dear Diary and there is a lock on it with a small key (don't know what good that will do, anyone can just use a spell to get into it) to use. I think it must be a Muggle one. I'm not entirely sure where they got it from. They came in this morning and dropped it on my bed while I was still sleeping. Well, they actually dropped it on my face.
"Here you go dear little bro," Fred said. "You can write about your first year in this diary!"
Fred and George are twins. They are two years older than me. They are starting their third year at Hogwarts this year. Mum has told them and Percy who is starting his fifth year that they have to look after me. Ever since then, they have given me grief. I can take care of myself thanks. I don't need anyone to look after me. Anyway, the twin's idea of looking after me isn't the same as my mothers. I'm going to try and avoid them and Percy this year.
Percy is actually even worse than the twins. Sure they like to joke and pull annoying pranks but Percy is actually the opposite. He is too serious and doesn't know how to joke. He never used to be so bad, it wasn't until he started his first year at Hogwarts and then he changed. He came home and started talking as if he were forty instead of twelve.
I guess I should tell you a bit more about myself. I am Ronald Bilius Weasley, Ron for short. I am eleven years old and I am just about to start my first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Normally I don't write, but I figured maybe I could leave something for my future kids to read. Maybe it could help them out when they start their first year. Honestly, I have no idea why I am writing in this thing. Maybe I am just bored. I bet I will forget I have it once I get to Hogwarts and I won't write in it again.
Anyway, I come from a large family. I told you about Percy and the twins, but I have two more older brothers than them. Bill is the oldest, he moved out a while ago. He now lives in Egypt as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts. He's very smart, maybe even smarter than Percy. He was Head Boy in his seventh year, and he was also a prefect. He wasn't annoyingly perfect though, he knew how to have fun and he still does. He was the one who taught me how to play chess.
Charlie just moved out at the beginning of summer. He went out to Romania to work with dragons. He has always been a bit of a daredevil you could say but I can't imagine why he would want to work with dragons! He's very interested in them though. I know a lot about them now because he used to show me pictures from books or he'd give us all a lesson about them. He's also a really good Seeker; he was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Everyone thought that he would go on to be a star. Not many people expected that he would go off to hang around dragons!
Ginny is the last in the family. She is a year younger than me and the only girl besides mum. She is a chatterbox; we can never get her to be quiet. I think she is actually going to miss me this year. She is the last Weasley kid to be going to Hogwarts so she'll be all by herself this year. She hasn't said anything about it though.
Well, I hear my mother calling. I have to go. This is probably the last time I'll be writing in this thing.
August 7th 1991
I was right when I said that I would forget about this. We went to Diagon Alley yesterday to get our school supplies. I hate to admit it, but I felt really embarrassed. We had to go to a second hand shop to get all of my books. I was hoping that I was going to get a wand, but I was given Charlie's old one instead. He left it for me to use apparently and went out to buy a new one. I don't know what he did to it during the seven years he had it, but it's definitely seen better days. The unicorn tail is sticking out of the end a bit. He definitely didn't treat it the way Bill or Percy treat theirs. Bill always polished his and kept it up where we couldn't get it. Percy polishes his every night before he goes to bed. He does that now with the prefect badge.
I guess I might as well come out with it. My family is poor. With seven kids, my parents haven't always had a lot of money. Mum always says that as long as we are clothed and fed, than that's all that matters. I never really thought about it until Percy started his first year. Mum and dad were able to buy new stuff for both Charlie and Bill, but then once there were three kids at school, money became tight. Then the twins started school a couple years later and we were even worse off.
I was hoping that with Bill and Charlie gone, we wouldn't have as much money problems, but I think it's gotten worse. I'm just worried about what kids at school will think. Everyone will know who I am. I didn't tell you before, but I have red hair and freckles. Most people know that the Weasley's have red hair and freckles. And everyone knows that we are poor. My brothers were made fun of because of it. Although apparently it was just from the richer Slytherin's. I just hope there isn't going to be any rich kids in my year, from any of the houses.
That's another one of my fears. What if I don't get into Gryffindor? It wouldn't be bad if I am in Ravenclaw, but the twins keep saying I am Hufflepuff material. Dad says there is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff. I have to get into Gryffindor though; I don't want to be the odd one out. It's bad enough that I am the youngest son and I have a lot to live up to. I had a nightmare the other night that I ended up in Slytherin. I know my family wouldn't turn against me if that happened, but that's what I dreamed about. My parents both say that whatever house I am in is fine with them.
August 31st 1991
Well, tomorrow is the big day. Fred and George have told me all sorts of stuff about the sorting. I hope their lying. They said that I was going to have to wrestle a troll and that will determine how I get into Hogwarts. They also told me that the test really hurts, but they must be joking. They wouldn't hurt a student, would they?
I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. I am so worried, mainly about whether or not I will make any friends; if I will be in Gryffindor… of if I fail the whole first year! That would be even worse then if I ended up in Slytherin.
On the plus side, Percy gave me his rat, Scabbers. Mum and dad surprised him and gave him an owl for making prefect. I've wanted Scabbers since I was a little boy, so he gave him to me. I was kind of shocked. The rat is kind of pathetic though, all he does is sleep all day. He only wakes up long enough to eat, but at least he'll be company if I don't make any friends.
