A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm rather sorry for making you see the Sorting Hat song I made, haha. I'm not the best songwriter!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling, and some parts and dialogue (Hagrid's and McGonagall's) is from HPSS.
"Ugh..." Freddie scrambled off of James.
"What have you been eating?" James sat up, his hair looking more ruffled than usual, as if great gusts of wind had blown at his head from all sides. He rubbed his back and shot a sore look at Freddie.
Freddie whipped his head from side to side, trying to spot any differences in their surroundings. "That was strange, you have to admit."
James nodded, his gaze darting around the red and purple compartment in suspicion. "What was that about, d'you think? Nothing happened..." He tried to find anything off as he scouted the room in caution.
Their items were still in the same places they had left them in, nothing was abnormally colored, and their various sweet wrappers had remained unmoved. Alma and James' owl, Jannes, were still there, their wide, intelligent eyes searching the room as well.
Freddie stood up slowly and tried to look if he had sprouted any extra limbs. Nope. He looked at James, but he seemed pretty normal. Well, Freddie thought wryly, as normal as James could get, anyway. "What was that light for, I wonder?"
James shrugged and picked up the locket. Then, he pointed accusingly at Freddie. "If anything happens because you were stupid enough to read a spell out loud, so help me..."
"That's unfair, you know! I wasn't even holding my wand, so how could've—"
"It could have been enchanted!" James dangled it between his fingers as he held it up near his face and inspected it closely. "That flash of light did something. I know it."
"Maybe the locket was enchanted to make a flash of light?"
"Wow, that isn't useless or anything."
Freddie thumped him on the back of his head.
"Ow! Bloody—"
"I think we should look around the Express," Freddie said suddenly, rubbing his hand. "See if anything is off."
"Well," James said sourly. He started to say something, but then he caught sight of his reflection as the train passed by a particularly dark spot of forest. He looked slightly alarmed, and started patting his hair. "You could have told me!"
"I didn't notice anything different," Freddie said haughtily, keeping a straight face for a whole two seconds before snorting.
James made a loud, disbelieving noise and glared at the grinning boy. "Why don't you look like a tornado blew through your hair?"
"Maybe this is your true form!"
"What? Maybe you should shut it!"
"Embrace it, James," Freddie snickered. "The mop hair is you!"
He laughed harder as James chased him out the door of their compartment, wailing, "That doesn't even make sense, Freddie, stop it!"
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." A commanding voice echoing through the train made them both speed up by habit, but then they skidded to a halt.
Freddie and James looked at each other. Compartment doors opened and other students came out, talking amongst each other. Nervous-looking first years whispered to each other, while the upperclassmen talked and laughed loudly, relaxed and waiting to get off. The train slowed down, and then stopped.
The students made their way through the door and onto a small platform. The night was oddly cold. Freddie shivered and rubbed his hands on his robes to warm himself.
James made a strangled sort of noise when he started to do the same thing.
"What is it?" Fred whispered.
"Is it just me, or are my robes different?" James hissed in confusion.
Freddie eyed him, and said doubtfully, "Am I supposed to say yes?"
"Your robes are different too!" James squawked.
Freddie looked down, and blinked. Alright, they didn't look much different, but... He raised an arm and it rubbed strangely on his skin. He ran his fingers on the area of his collar bone and realized that, yes, the design was changed and the sleeves were longer.
Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and they heard a deep, accented voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years c'mover here!" A man's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads, and Freddie perked up, and James temporarily stopped with directing suspicious glances at everyone in sight. It was Hagrid! The man visited their houses all the time, occasionally with Madame Maxime. "C'mon, follow me ― any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
They followed the half-giant down a path so steep many of them slipped once or twice. The students could hardly see in front of them, as trees surrounded all of them thickly on both sides, blocking the moonlight. It was quiet, save for some older students whispering in the back. James was giving everyone's robes wary stares and Freddie was wondering if the locket did something to people's sanity. Maybe he should pickpocket it off of James and see if it made any difference.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
Even James seemed to snap out of his crazy, joining with an amazed "Ooh!" of his own.
Freddie gazed in the direction of the school and stood there, stunned. Hogwarts was just as marvelous as the stories his mum and dad had told him, if not even better. The towers and turrets stood high and proud, looking incredibly close to the moon above. The lake ahead twinkled and glittered, reflecting the lights in the windows and the glimmering starlight sprinkled overhead.
The gentle lapping of the lake and the excited murmurs of the other kids made Freddie anxious to get into a boat and get to the other side of the lake already. He could imagine the Quidditch games, the feasts. He could already taste all of the meals of creamy delicious goodness his older cousins had spoken about. Freddie didn't know if they were exaggerating, but his mouth still watered.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.
Freddie pulled James along, who still looked dumbfounded. Sitting down in the boat Freddie chose, James swayed a little before plunking himself down. "Freddie... It's incredible! Amazing!"
"It is, isn't it?" The corners of Freddie's mouth tugged upward. "Imagine actually living in there."
"Pranking there," James said dreamily.
Freddie widened his eyes. "Yes, I forgot!" He slapped his forehead. "I forgot!"
James' glazed, dark brown eyes suddenly cleared and he slapped Freddie's forehead too, albeit lightly. "Forgot? Never forget, you nutter!"
Two other boys settled themselves in their boat, and they all smiled quickly at each other before returning to their own conversations.
"Nutter?" Freddie shot back. "I wasn't the one who turned crazy because of robes!"
James suddenly turned very solemn, which nearly made Freddie laugh. Seriously, James said, "The robes are odd, I swear! They look different!"
Freddie shrugged, "I guess they're itchy now and fit weirdly, James, but maybe that's something the," he lowered his voice, regarding the other boys in the boat, "something the locket did."
James looked dubious. "Everyone's robes are different too."
"Well..." Freddie struggled for an explanation. "Maybe it changed everyone's robes on the train," he said slowly.
James snorted, but didn't say anything else.
The boats lurched forward at Hagrid's yell. Freddie and James sat in silence, relishing the fact that they were really on their way to Hogwarts, the place that they had been hearing about their entire lives. Freddie looked down into the dark, navy water and slid his fingers under the surface. It felt silky and cool, and the small ripples he made caused the reflections of the stars to stir.
James suddenly gave a giddy laugh that wasn't too far from maniacal. "Hope we get the same dorm. I'll die if we won't."
"There's a huge chance we won't," Freddie said, frowning. "Aunt Hermione says our year's got a whole lot more students." He pulled his hand from the water, wiping it on his robe.
"Well, you can count on being in the same house."
"Obviously," Freddie mumbled. He shivered, although from the feeling of impending doom or the cold breeze that had gently blown through, he wasn't quite sure.
Soon the first years were all in an empty chamber in Hogwarts, being lectured by a tall, prim-looking witch whom Hagrid had called Professor McGonagall. James and Freddie tried their best not to act like trouble-makers in front of her; their parents had told them that McGonagall was the Headmistress.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses..." She went on about how the houses of Hogwarts and how the points system worked. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
James ran a hand through his hair, which wasn't the best thing to do, because it made him look messier. Freddie tugged at his robes a bit, then gave up and just watched the door.
When McGonagall came back, she led them to the Great Hall.
When the first years entered, many of them gawked. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and at the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.
The lights of the candles flickered eerily on the faces of the students watching them and Fred gulped, because older students are always pretty scary. He tried to find Louis, Dominique, Victoire, and Molly for moral support, but he couldn't find them anywhere.
Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty, and some girls looked at it with pursed lips.
There was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth ― and the hat began to sing, which made incredulous smiles find their ways onto James and Freddie's faces.
First things first-
I am the Sorting Hat!
I'm here to find your perks
And where you'll fit best at
/
Will Gryffindor suit you well?
Are you daring, loyal, brave?
Oh the stories you'll get to tell
If it's adventures you crave!
/
You'll find that your thirst of knowledge
Will match those of your friends
Creative and witty you'll all be
If you to Ravenclaw we send!
/
Slytherin calls for those
Who are cunning, bright, ambitious!
If you are pure that's where you'll go
Be proud of green and silver!
/
Loyalty, patience, justice too,
Hufflepuff welcomes all!
You'll find the friends in there true
Fair're those whom they call!
/
This year will be
Oh, you will see
Eventful and amazing
You'll meet friends, new and old
Some with stories so surprising!
/
Now we must go on
To sort all of you
Just come up here and fit me on
Don't worry, I don't bite
(I have no teeth, but if I had-
/
I might.)
James and Freddie glanced at each other, grinning at the last part.
The Sorting started.
Freddie watched nervously for a few seconds, and looked at James. He patted him on the back. James was nervous, he could tell, from his fidgeting and tapping fingers. James jumped every time somebody's name was called.
Freddie knew how he felt, thinking that he probably wasn't any better off himself. He was feeling jumpy too, cringing every time the Sorting Hat shouted out houses. Freddie thought James noticed, because his cousin returned the favor and patted his back as well.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Each new housemate was received by cheers. No matter which house, the hollers, whoops, and cheers were deafening. Freddie got more and more aggravated as time passed. After a few minutes which seemed like hours, the roll call was strangely interrupted by the Sorting Hat. "Jorda-"
"Potter, James Sirius!" It barked out. James jumped up.
A number of heads whipped around sharply. Murmurs erupted around the room, and Freddie could see even a few teachers stare at his cousin in alarm and confusion.
"Potter?"
"As in, Harry Potter?"
"No, the hat said James.."
"But, it still said Potter!"
A bearded man looked calmly at James, though a twinkle of curiosity was present in his eyes.
"What in the world..." McGonagall looked mystified.
Freddie looked at everyone in bewilderment. James' dad was Harry Potter, he knew, but did they have to stare at him so... alarmingly? James looked uncomfortable, and even stared at Freddie for a few seconds, but when Freddie shook his head in equal bemusement, he kept walking to the stool. James sat down and put on the hat.
Immediately, it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
A smile grew on James' face as he took it off. He sat down at the edge of a bench at the loud, cheering (but still confused) Gryffindor table. Freddie noticed that James made sure to save extra space for him. A few more people were called, but Freddie didn't listen. He kept staring at the spot James had saved for him with all his might, hoping that, for sure, he would be there, right there, soon.
Freddie shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He couldn't be scared, because that isn't what Gryffindors do. He should be brave, daring... "Cheese and crackers," Fred mumbled.
"Wea-" McGonagall started.
"Weasley, Fred!" The Sorting Hat cut her off again. McGonagall stared at the hat like it had gone loopy.
Freddie almost stood up, but to his bewilderment, someone else jumped up with a huge smile on his face. His hair was a fiery red, like Freddie's. He also had freckles, again like Freddie. Freddie wondered if he was related to him, because he sure looked like it. Maybe he was a cousin he had never met?
The other Fred settled on the stool, looking like he was trying with all his willpower to stop from bouncing in excitement. But as soon as he touched the Hat, it snapped at him, "No, not this Fred! The other one!"
The boy's (well, Freddie supposed he should say Fred's) smile vanished, and he cocked his head in confusion. "Excuse me, sir.. err.. Hat. I don't think-"
"Weasley, Fred!" The Sorting Hat called again. "Come on now, don't be shy! I know you're out there, lad!"
The teachers were starting to stare at the hat in worry and suspicion.
Freddie saw James jerking his head crazily. He took that as a sign that he should speak up. Freddie shakily stood up and walked over to the stool. The boy looked at him, his mouth slightly open.
A boy who looked exactly like the other Fred spoke up. "Blimey, Fred! He looks just like a Weasley!"
"Weren't you listening, I am one!" Freddie cut in.
The other Fred laughed and got off the chair. He bowed with a flourish and held the Sorting Hat out to the other. "To you, my dear lady."
Freddie took it, curtsying jokingly with a grin. "Thank you, milord."
Fred laughed and went back to his seat.
Freddie then sat on the stool, no longer apprehensive. Joking with the other Fred had been rather nice, no matter how short it had been. Perhaps they could be friends, and maybe Freddie could ask if they were related in some way. It sure seemed like it. He placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
"Hmm," a voice whispered. Freddie jerked back and looked around. The Sorting Hat was speaking? Was he the only one who could hear it? Was it telepathic? If that were the case...
GRYFFINDOR GRYFFINDOR GRYFFINDOR GRYFFINDOR-
"Yes, that. No need to demand, it's written in your genes, boy."
Freddie felt a smile creep onto his face.
"Gryffindor!" The Sorting Hat called out. His new housemates cheered in warm welcome, James being the most enthusiastic. Freddie could hear him shouting over to him as he came, "Told you, told you! Same house!" When Freddie sat down, though, he instantly felt uncomfortable, the breathless excitement leaving in one swoop. James was wearing that familiar grin of his, one that told Freddie that everything was great.
But his eyes told a different story, really.
