This story is dedicated to the wonderful Mirabelle456, who decided to leave me a wonderfully inspiring and encouraging review!
Big Boy Now
Bouncing with a mixture of nerves and excitement, Percy completed his daily ritual since the last 2 months of crossing off another day on the large calendar fixed to his bedroom wall; high enough so that Fred and George couldn't reach it, but still low enough so that he could.
Percy picked up the red marker next to the calendar, and reaching higher, crossed off the date, August 31st and peered excitedly at the next date; the last date on the whole calendar which had been coloured in bright green and circled numerous times with the red marker.
September the 1st.
Just thinking about that day made Percy quiver with excitement. He'd been waiting impatiently ever since his older brother Bill had gone to Hogwarts for the first time. Ever since he'd watched Bill get his letter and going to Diagon Alley to get his new supplies for the year. Even watching him going through the archway to Platform 9¾ made him get tingly all down his spine. Not to mention the lump in his throat when the train took Bill away in the distance.
Charlie's departure was a mix between sadness at him leaving, and a bit of pride when Molly took him to the side when they all got home.
"Percy, dear, all this time, Charlie and Bill were here to take care of things, but now, what with your father working, and Bill and Charlie gone, I'm thinking that you're the new Man of the House. Fred and George are only 7 years old. Ronnie is 5 and Ginny is 4 and I think I need an older person around to help me around the house. Someone responsible, someone who won't ever, ever let me down. I think that that someone is you, dear."
Never had Percy felt prouder. He would never forget that time when he, Percy, was given the responsibility to look after his brothers and sister.
"Make mummy proud, little Perce, live up to Bill and Charlie."
Suddenly, a weight seemed to settle down at the bottom of Percy's stomach. Live up to Bill and Charlie? As in, be as good as them?
That was impossible. Absolutely impossible.
His oldest brother Bill was too brilliant at everything. The teachers had owled his parents during the first two weeks of school informing them of the brilliance and aptitude Bill possessed in Defence Against The Dark Arts. Bill had made the Gryffindor Quidditch team in his fourth year, and he had been made prefect this year, his fifth year. His parents kept saying that Bill was sure to make Head Boy in a couple of years.
His other older brother Charlie had gone to Hogwarts in great spirits, ready to take care of Hippogriffs and such. Hagrid had owled his parents after the start of term informing them that Charlie often came down to look at and feed the animals that Hagrid rescued from the Forbidden Forest. While Percy didn't have a real obsession with Quidditch, he still loved watching it, and felt awed when Charlie made the house Quidditch teams in his second year itself!
Having to live up to all that made Percy feel suddenly cold, and nervous to go to Hogwarts. Of course, his nerves multiplied tenfold when he woke up the next morning; after nightmares of the troll chucking him out because he didn't belong in any house and getting zero in every test he did, if he stayed.
So of course, poor, young, naïve, panic-ridden Percy came up with the only solution; hide. An hour later, when Molly came up to check and see if Percy was awake, she came across an empty bed. Frowning, Molly searched the bathroom, Charlie and Bill's room, the kitchen and the scanned the orchard, but poor, young, naïve, panic-ridden Percy was no-where to be found.
Of course, Molly was sure about where he was now. He had pulled off the same disappearing act that Charlie and Bill both pulled off. She went up to the attic on the pretext of 'getting her lamp'.
"Oh dear, where on earth can Percy be? Are there any little boys up here?" asked Molly in an I-know-you're-up-here-and-you-know-that-I-am-pretending-to-not-know voice.
"No-one's here…" said Percy in a resigned voice. Molly counted to five in her head, before Percy came out. Molly patted the box next to her, and Percy sat down, his head hanging sadly. There was silence for a while, before Molly spoke.
"If it makes you feel better dear, Bill and Charlie did the same thing." Percy looked up at his mother wonderingly. "Yup, it's natural to feel nervous, honey. I think I remember climbing up a tree and refusing to come out the day before Hogwarts started." Percy smiled up at her. "What wrong, honey? Talking about your fear will make you feel better, you know." Percy stayed silent for a few seconds.
"It's just… Bill and Charlie are so good at everything. Charlie is so brilliant at Quidditch and loves animals and things, and Bill just is so good at everything, I mean, he's a prefect!" Percy's eyes were shining with adoration. Molly had always known that he was a stickler for rules. "What if I don't even get into a house? What if I'm not smart enough? W-what if the troll beats me up? I don't know any magic yet-" Only that he'd read all his books a thousand times, thought Molly. "-and what if I get chucked out cos I'm too dumb? And what if I don't get prefect?" Personally, Molly would be proud with Percy even if he'd gotten chucked out (though she'd probably be really mad for a while), but it was clear that Percy was beating himself up over this, so she adopted a calm, soothing tone.
"Percy honey, you are very, very clever. Of course you'll be sorted, and we will love you no matter what house you're sorted in." she added when Percy opened his mouth again. "You will grow up, and you will hopefully be made prefect, but if you aren't that's okay! We will love you anyway. And don't try and live up to Bill and Charlie honey, because you are your own person. Just go there and do your best, and make me proud, because you will, I know it." Percy looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled and hugged her, all (okay, most) nerves vanished.
Twenty years later, when Percy found Molly under the bed, hiding from him, he didn't stop himself smiling, as he called out, "Oh dear, where on earth can little Molly be? Are there any little girls in here?" in an I-know-you're-up-here-and-you-know-that-I-am-pretending-to-not-know voice.