Back to Front.
The Hogwarts Headmistress reads the list of incoming first years back to front now.
Things were slow at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for once, so George and Angelina Weasley decided to take lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. Their twins Fred and Roxanne were spending the week with George's parents at the Burrow, along with their multitude of cousins. Upon entering the pub, the owner's husband looked up and laughed.
"Just to let you know, the school letters are coming tomorrow," Neville Longbottom informed the couple as they took seats at the bar.
"Yes!" Angelina cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
"That's not what McGonagall said," Neville chuckled. The couple raised quizzical eyebrows at him. "Since Teddy showed up, she reads the list of incoming first years back to front. Something about getting the bad news out of the way first," Neville explained. "Oh and she's very disappointed with you Angelina," he added with a chuckle.
"What did I do?" Angelina asked as two butterbeers were placed before her and her husband.
"Number one," interrupted Neville's wife, Hannah, "Shack up with him," she indicated George with a nod of her head. George nearly spat out the sip of butterbeer he'd taken.
"Number two, had kids with him," Neville added. "And number three, named one of those kids 'Fred'." All four of them laughed at that.
"They're not that bad…believe me, I know," Angelina stated, giving George a pointed look.
"They're not exactly saints either," George admitted with a mischievous grin. Angelina admitted that she had to concede that fact.
"Oh go on, tell them," Hannah teased after she'd taken George and Angelina's lunch orders.
Neville swatted her playfully. "The teachers all had our summer meeting and McGonagall ends it with the new first years list," he started. "She read the names aloud and after Fred, she paused, opened up her desk and got out a bottle of fire whiskey." George and Angelina howled in laughter. "She didn't even bother with a glass, she just took a swig straight from the bottle," Neville added.
"Hear that bro? You've driven her to drink," George laughed, raising his mug in toast to his late twin. Angelina raised her mug as well and clinked it with George's before they both took drinks.
"I'd say it was both of you that drove her to drink," Neville said. "After she finished the list, everyone spent about three hours regaling horror stories about all the crap you two pulled during your time at Hogwarts," he added.
"Hear that bro? We both drove to her drink!" George corrected, raising his mug again before taking a long draught from it. Angelina just folded her arms on the bar and laid her head on them, laughing.
"So how many are invading Hogwarts this year?" Hannah asked as she brought out lunch for the Weasleys, her, and Neville.
"Five," Angelina replied. "Our two, Percy's twins Molly and Lucy, and Bill's second daughter Dominique."
Neville winced and Hannah laughed. "Let me guess? They all live up to the family name too?" Hannah asked. George waggled his eyebrows at her while Angelina groaned and nodded.
"Ten galleons say that there will be a mass of retirements by the end of the year," George chuckled.
"Well this is McGonagall's last year…Filch's as well," Neville stated. George rose up a bit at the mention of his old nemesis.
"Please tell me that Teddy and Vic had something to do with it?" he gushed, Angelina elbowed him in ribs but it didn't dissuade his enthusiasm.
"Teddy has for sure," Neville laughed. "If Victoire's been up to no good, I haven't heard about it," he added. "Filch announced that he'd be retiring after he heard that there'll be five Weasleys descending on the school this term."
"Don't you da…" Angelina started but too late. George had jumped out of his seat, arms raised in the air and crowed triumphantly.
"If you plan on enabling them, please don't let me hear it," Neville asked, rubbing his brow. "I would like my conscious to remain clear."
"They don't need him to enable them, believe me," Angelina smirked.
"Oh God," Neville groaned.
"Remind me why I'm glad I took Tom's offer instead of the Arithmancy position again?" Hannah asked thoughtfully.
"Because you're smarter than me," Neville muttered. Hannah and Angelina both patted his arm in sympathy, while George grinned. A year later, Neville ended up having to pay George ten galleons, as the five cousins, who had all been sorted into Gryffindor hadn't failed to live up to their family name. Only six staff had survived the influx of Weasleys to Hogwarts.
Three years later, Headmistress Aurora Sinistra ended the teacher's summer meeting with the reading of the incoming first years list. As McGonagall had become accustomed to, Sinistra read it back to front. Flitwick sighed in relief when he heard only one Weasley mentioned. Hagrid cheered when he heard that the second Potter boy was on the list and they all paused when Sinistra read the name Malfoy. "One hopes we don't have a repeat performance," she stated after a moment before continuing with the list.
On the evening of September 1st, the first years were led into the Great Hall by Neville to be sorted into their houses. He had taken note that Rose Weasley and Albus Potter seemed to have befriended Scorpius Malfoy on the train as the students were gathered outside. Unlike in the summer meeting, Neville read the names in alphabetical order starting with Sheena Alberts, who was sorted into Hufflepuff.
"Malfoy, Scorpius," Neville announced. The teachers all leaned forward to see where the Sorting Hat would place the son of Draco Malfoy.
"Hmm, brave and chivalrous," the Hat murmured. "Are you sure you're a Malfoy?" it puzzled for a moment. "GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat called out after another second. Jaws dropped throughout the Great Hall as Scorpius made his way to the Gryffindor table somewhat warily.
"Welcome to the true Dark Side," Fred Weasley greeted the newest Gryffindor, which caused Neville to bite his lip to keep from laughing. The staff at the table that had been present when Draco Malfoy attended Hogwarts, all sighed in relief when they saw that Fred wasn't the only Weasley or Potter that made young Scorpius feel welcome.
"Potter, Albus," Neville announced and Albus stepped forward tentatively. The Sorting Hat remained silent as it studied Albus for a few moments.
"GRYFFINDOR!" suddenly erupted from the Hat and Albus ran over to join his cousins and new friend.
Then it was Rose Weasley's turn. "Just how many more of you are there?" the Hat asked. "GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted before Rose could answer. Rose cast a look at the Hat before joining the Gryffindor table with the others.
By the end of the feast, Scorpius had been made to feel welcome among the Gryffindors and especially among the Potter and Weasley cousins. His initial wariness of being placed with them had evaporated before long. After showing the first years where the Gryffindor dormitories were, Victoire Weasley went in search of Neville Longbottom to assure him that she would make sure Scorpius would be looked out for. The head of Gryffindor House thanked the head girl before bidding her a good night.
Two summer meetings later, Neville laughed when Sinistra finished the list of incoming first years. "Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley are the last ones for a while," he told her. "That is for another twelve years at least."
"Twelve?" the headmistress queried.
"Ted and Victoire Lupin just found out that they're expecting their firstborn last week," Neville informed her. Aurora Sinistra considered this afterwards as she began contemplating where would be an ideal place to retire to. Australia sounded nice.
FIN.