One's first day of school is always unimaginably stressful. Add the pressure of familial expectations, and it's a recipe for disappointment and tension.
Fred Weasley II was always supposed to be a Gryffindor. Always. His father was a Gryffindor, his mother was a Gryffindor, and his older cousin Victoire was a Gryffindor.
He sat on the Hogwarts Express, staring out the window with immense concentration and an exceptionally furrowed brow. His cousin, James Potter sat beside him, equally nervous, although admittedly he did not appear to be. He was stretched out lazily across the compartment, lounging and letting his eleven-year-old legs rest on the seat beside him.
"Aren't you nervous?" Fred asked James dubiously.
"Nope. Not one bit," James' shoulders rose a few inches and he bit his lip. Fred knew how to read the signs that indicated if his cousin was lying, and shoulder-shrugging and lip-biting were definitely on the list
"Well I'm nervous," little Molly Weasley proclaimed from the corner of the compartment.
Fred and James rolled their eyes and sighed. They had been trying to ignore their other cousin for the duration of the trip, a task that was proving to be impossible. She sat, little legs also dangling, on the same bench as Fred, but she was closest to the door. She'd reserved that seat so that she could be the first off the train. Fred had always thought that she was slightly mental, but he'd never been able to say anything about it. Fred's mum had always told him to be nice to Uncle Percy and cousin Molly, but he'd heard his dad call Uncle Percy a nutter on several occasions.
Molly looked straight ahead of her resignedly, giving up on trying to converse with her cousins. James continued to lounge across from Fred and Molly, pretending she never spoke and opening Chocolate Frogs. Molly brushed her curly red-brown hair from her face and pushed her miniature horn-rimmed glasses further up her nose as she checked her watch. Fred wished he could see what time it was, but there was no way he was going to ask Molly.
And with familiar, distracted ease, Fred Filius Weasley II went right back to worrying about which house he would be sorted into.
When the trio finally arrived at Hogwarts, Molly bounded to her feet. Fred eased himself up, feeling like fainting, while James stayed seated and looked rather pale. His nervousness was finally showing. Fred offered James a hand to help him up, which his cousin seemed to accept grudgingly. The three exited the compartment, Molly in the lead, to pile out onto the platform. Once there, they saw the huge limping figure of Rubeus Hagrid approach out of the steam from the train.
Fred grinned briefly at the sight of a familiar face, as they started off towards the boats.
He and James caught up with fellow-first years Lorcan and Lysander Scamander. Little Molly lagged behind to walk with Adeline Hagrid, an exceptionally tall first year girl (not surprising, being born to two half-giants).
Fred and James kicked pebbles as they walked; trying desperately not to laugh at the Scamander boys' crazy notions of how to determine the outcome of a Quidditch match by studying the Nargles that live on the pitch. They sobered up instantly as they clambered into the self-rowing boats and saw the castle emerge from the fog.
None of the things Fred had ever heard of Hogwarts matched up to what he saw now, gliding across the black water in the moonlight. It was enormous and majestic, and the windows looked like millions of tiny candles under the blanket of the midnight sky. He stared in awe, and heard James exhale loudly beside him as Lorcan and Lysander continued to babble about Nargles.
When they finally reached the castle, Fred felt his stomach drop and his breathing hitch. What if he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor?
A tall woman with silvery hair and an emerald green cloak, who Fred recognized as Professor McGonagall, approached t he children as they climbed hastily and clumsily from the boats. She started speaking to them, addressing herself as the Headmistress of Hogwarts, but Fred couldn't seem to hear what she was saying after that point. He heard only the pounding of his heart inside his head. Fred scratched his palm nervously as he tried to make sense of his thoughts. His heart pounding inside his head? They'd sort him into Hufflepuff for sure. Which was better than Slytherin.
Suddenly, the crowd of first-years started to move around him, and he was pushed and prodded along into the Great Hall, past the inquiring, expectant eyes of the other students. He saw the reassuring face of Teddy Lupin among them, who winked at Fred and nodded in encouragement. Taking a deep breath, Fred pulled himself together and stood, waiting for the "W" names to finally be called for sorting.
Samantha Ackerly, a plump blonde girl, was sorted into Ravenclaw. Archie Aubrey, a gangly boy with many freckles, was sorted into Hufflepuff. Fred zoned in and out of the Sorting, focusing only on a few familiar names.
Cedric Corner was sorted into Gryffindor before the hat had time to touch his longer-than-average black hair. Caleb Creevey became a Gryffindor. Muggle-born Daphne Dursley became a Ravenclaw, much to Fred and James' apparent surprise. The first Slytherin was Miles Edgecombe, who had a terrible acne problem. Another Slytherin was sorted soon after; Galinda Goyle. Adeline Hagrid was sorted into Gryffindor, and Mr. Hagrid clapped happily as his daughter joined his old house. Lucas Jordan became a Gryffindor also, and grinned so widely Fred thought his face might split open. An audible gasp came from the audience when Lyra Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor, and even McGonagall's hand flew to her mouth in shock. When McGonagall finally called James up to be sorted, Fred patted him on the back half-jokingly and winked. James strolled confidently forward, but Fred noticed how his hands were balled into fists. Another sign. The hat fell over James' head of dark red hair and almost covered his eyes. The Hall was completely silent for a moment, then the hat roared "Gryffindor!". Fred clapped his numb hands, and felt a knot form in his stomach as James stumbled in relief over to join Teddy Lupin at the Gryffindor table.
Then, Lorcan Scamander was sorted into Ravenclaw, and Lysander became a Gryffindor. The two twins looked lost for words for the first time in their lives as they joined separate tables. Zacarias Shunpike became a Hufflepuff. Rita Tavers, who had brilliant green streaks in her black hair, became a Slytherin quite happily. Before Fred was ready, he heard his name called. He noticed a tear slide out of the corner of McGonagall's eye, and wondered at the cause as he sat on the stool and the Hat slid over his eyes. The Sorting Hat's voice invaded his mind unexpectedly.
Hmm... Fred Weasley. The second. I remember your uncle. He was a Gryffindor. Your mind is much like your father's, though. More logical, more rational. I wanted to sort him into Ravenclaw, but he refused. So…. Where to put you?
Fred thought with all his might; "Gryffindor. Gryffindor… it's all I have… please. Gryffindor. I can't be away from James. I'd never hear the end of it." In that instant, Fred realized how close he and James had become over the years. They were more like brothers than cousins. More like twin brothers.
And as the Sorting Hat roared out his house, Fred sighed with relief. As the Hat was pulled off his head, he could see James standing on the bench, high above everyone else, clapping and cheering.
Fred walked over and squeezed into the table where he belonged, to James' right and to Teddy's left. Teddy welcomed him with a clap on the back, and James discretely lifted his plate and showed Fred something that had been carved into the old wooden table.
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Sorted 1971
And underneath, seemingly unrelated and separate:
Fred and George Weasley, Sorted 1989
Fred stared in awe as he heard his cousin Molly be sorted into Gryffindor. He clapped absentmindedly as she walked over and took a seat across from them. "What are you boys staring at?" she asked.
"Nothing that concerns you." the boys chimed in unison.
"Fine. I'll have you know, then, that I'm not letting you copy off me."
James scoffed, and Fred snorted.
This was going to be a great year.