Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plotline. Everything you recognize, including characters, plot developments, settings, and certain scenes and lines from the Harry Potter series, belong to JK Rowling.

- CHAPTER ONE -

Welcome to Hogwarts

Katie's first day of school brought with it a sense of fear for the young brunette. She hated to admit that she was nervous about starting classes, but the anxiety in her expression could still be seen despite her putting on her bravest face.

Katie was so edgy that she awoke hours before the other girls in her dormitory. She was dressed and had her bag packed with ages to spare before her first class, and she was downstairs in the Gryffindor common room before anyone else had made it down from bed… or so she thought.

George Weasley was already awake, sitting by the fire with his duplicate Fred by his side. When Katie made it to the bottom of the girls' staircase the two of them looked up in what could only be described as excitement.

"Ah, we've got an early riser amongst the first years, Fred," George commented.

"What was your name, again?" Fred asked, looking up at Katie from his spot in a squashy armchair.

"Bell," George answered before Katie could open her mouth to respond.

"Katie," she said, glancing around the common room in interest. It was the first time she had seen it in daylight, and the details distracted her from the butterflies in her stomach.

"Well, Katie," Fred said, getting up from his spot by the fire and gesturing to the chair, "take a seat. Tell us about yourself."

Katie thought the request was strange, but it was her first day of school and she couldn't really turn down any potential friendly interaction that came her way. She didn't know anyone at Hogwarts yet. She sat down in Fred's vacated seat and gazed at the two of them. They were perfectly identical to Katie's eleven-year-old eyes. Both had short but shaggy bright red hair and light freckles dotted across their arms and faces. The blue of Fred's eyes matched George's exactly. They even held themselves the same way. In fact, if George hadn't referred to his brother by name she was certain she wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.

"Well," George said expectantly, staring at her from his seat on the sofa across from her, "let's hear it. Who are you?"

"Er… I'm Katie Bell," she said with uncertainty.

Fred let out a sudden laugh.

"I'll leave you with this one, George," he said. "I'm going to get Lee. Let me know if you find out anything useful."

Fred bounded up the boys' staircase and Katie turned to George with a bemused expression.

"Find out anything useful?" she repeated.

George waved it off. "Market research," he said simply. "Not important. Now, you were going to tell me about yourself. If you'd like I can go first."

"Uh… sure," Katie said, feeling foolish. She had never met such a bizarrely talkative bloke in her life. She found herself curious to know more about him.

"Well I'm a second year," he started, leaning back casually on the sofa with his arm draped over the back. "I've got five brothers—Fred you already know—and one sister. I live in Devon, England just outside of Ottery St. Catchpole, I play Quidditch. Alright? Your turn."

Katie was taken aback by the sudden wave of information, but showed no hesitation when it was her turn to share.

"I support the Holyhead Harpies, but have never played Quidditch myself before. I live in Birmingham with my Mum and Dad—I've got one older brother but he's moved out already," she said. "I don't know anyone at Hogwarts."

"That's not true," George corrected. "Now you know me."

"Right," she agreed. "Well, I still won't know anyone in any of my classes. I don't even know what to expect."

Something in George's demeanour changed, and he leaned forward in his seat, his arms resting on his knees.

"You mean you haven't heard?" he asked conspiratorially.

"Heard what?" Katie asked, perplexed by the sudden change in the light conversation.

"I hadn't realized you hadn't been told," he muttered, shaking his head in a shocked manner, "otherwise I would have told you the moment you arrived. You would have had more time."

"More time?" Katie said, her voice inadvertently going up an octave. "More time for what?"

George frowned and shook his head. He looked distressed.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but try not to panic," he said.

Katie looked very much like she was already beginning to panic, but she nodded and listened quietly anyway… whatever George Weasley had to tell her sounded vitally important.

"As you saw yesterday the Sorting Hat places all of the students in Hogwarts into houses. Well, our house was founded by Godric Gryffindor."

Katie wasn't sure what a history lesson had to do with anything, but she listened nonetheless as George continued.

"Godric Gryffindor valued bravery, see," George said to her, leaning in as though he were sharing highly privileged information. "So, as part of honouring his contribution to the castle all Gryffindor students have to face a battle on the first day of classes."

Katie's eyes widened in horror and her mouth dropped open.

"A what, excuse me?" she said loudly.

"Now, now," George said quickly to reassure her, "don't be alarmed."

"Alarmed?" she repeated. "Of course I'm alarmed! Why didn't I already know this?"

"Alright, alright, calm down," he said. "They always start you off with something easy… Doxys or gnomes. I'd be careful, though. You'll probably want to wear the proper equipment—just to be safe."

"Wh-what kind of equipment?" Katie stammered, suddenly looking quite frazzled. "I haven't got anything that could help in a fight."

George placed his finger on his chin in thought. "Hmm… no protective equipment, you say? That could cause a problem."

"Oh no," Katie said. She was wringing her hands and her breathing was becoming frantic. "What am I supposed to do? I've barely gotten comfortable holding my wand properly!"

She gripped her wand feebly at her side and tried to steady herself. Her anxious eyes were on George as he surveyed her.

George snapped his fingers.

"I can help," he said. "Fred and I are trying out for the Quidditch team this year, so we've got ourselves some stuff—gloves, bats and the like. I can lend you some. I reckon you'll need it more than I will, anyway."

Katie looked a slight bit relieved at the news. Although the thought of facing an attack from an unknown magical creature was unnerving, she was at least glad to hear she wouldn't be doing it totally unprepared. She was just lucky she had met George on her first day at Hogwarts. She may never have found out about the Gryffindor student battle otherwise.

"Sit tight," George said. "I'll be right back."

He rushed upstairs to his dormitory, leaving Katie alone with her terrifying thoughts. How had she never heard of such a task? In all the times her parents had told her stories about Hogwarts, they had never once mentioned that the Gryffindors had to face a scuffle with a magical creature on their first day. Then again, perhaps Katie's parents hadn't had to go through the same orientation. It was possible that it was a fairly new Gryffindor policy. Plus, her mother hadn't even been a Gryffindor student. She had been in Hufflepuff, so she wouldn't have had to fight off any Doxys anyhow. Maybe her parents had thought it best not to worry her. If Katie had known in advance she certainly would have been fussing about it far ahead of time. But, wouldn't her mother and father have guessed that it might be a good idea to give their only daughter some preparation time before sending her off to her doom?

Before Katie had any more time to dwell on the level of parental failings by her parents, George came hurrying back down the stairs with both Fred and Lee in tow. Fred was sporting a wicked grin that Katie hardly noticed in her panic. They were carrying an array of Quidditch gear including a helmet, a tattered pair of gloves, shoulder pads and a Beater's bat.

"It won't all fit quite right," George said, handing the equipment over to her, "but it's the best we can do on such short notice."

"Oh," Katie said, her tone flooding with a bit of relief, "thanks. Er—I was wondering, do the other first years know about this?"

Fred and Lee exchanged a look with George.

"Well," Fred said, "truth be told, George really shouldn't have told you about that."

George looked sheepish and Lee piped up.

"Yeah, first years aren't supposed to know about it until they get to class on their first day. Its part of the test," Lee explained shooting George a look and shaking his head.

George shrugged. "I reckon she could use the extra help. So go on, Katie, go put this on and get ready for class. You'll be more prepared than any of the others."

Katie smiled at the blokes appreciatively and took the heavy equipment from George's arms.

"Thanks," she said. "I'll see you later."

As Katie hurried back up the girls' staircase George, Fred and Lee exchanged a hearty laugh.

"On her first day, George?" Fred said. "She'll hate you forever."

Katie was so worried over the looming task that she ended up missing breakfast. She spent her time locked in the bathroom trying on George's equipment. The shoulder pads were far too big, and the Beater's Bat was much heavier than she would have thought, but she felt more confident about facing class. She didn't know many jinxes or defensive spells… and she certainly hadn't had much practice using magic since she purchased her brand new wand in Diagon Alley mere weeks beforehand.

Katie lingered in her empty dormitory for as long as she dared before taking off to grab her timetable at the Gryffindor table. Hardly anyone was left in the Great Hall, as students were already flooding to their first class. Katie's fellow first year girls were just leaving the table as she hurried forward to grab her timesheet.

"Katie!" a girl called Leanne said, sounding surprised. "What are you wearing?" The girls eyed her with an expression mixed between amusement and worry. They took in her outfit from the helmet perched on top of her head to the dragon skin gloves and wooden bat hanging at her side.

"It's for the battle," Katie replied offhandedly. She scanned her timetable and noticed that her first class was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. She wondered whether this Professor would be the type to pin the first years against a particularly dangerous creature. She hoped not.

The group of four first year girls headed out of the Great Hall towards class, led by the ridiculously dressed Katie.

"I'm sorry, but what battle?" another girl sneered. Katie couldn't remember her name and looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression for being spoken to so rudely by someone she didn't know.

"The one that all Gryffindor first years have to face on their first day of class," she explained, readjusting the heavy padding on her shoulders.

"What?" Leanne asked, looking startled.

"Yeah, right," said one of the others sceptically. "Where did you hear this?"

Katie felt a rush of pity come to her as she remembered what Fred had said. The first years usually went into the fight unprepared as they weren't supposed to know about it ahead of time.

"George Weasley told me," Katie answered, watching the reactions of the other girls. "He's a second year."

The girls eyed her with extreme uncertainty.

"I don't know, Katie. I don't think he was being honest with you," Leanne said as the group reached Professor McGonagall's classroom.

Katie shot her a sarcastic look.

"Why would anyone want to lie to me about something like that?" she said, pushing her way through the classroom door. "What would be the point?"

The girls exchanged glances and followed behind her into the room. They were met by the very same stern witch who had directed them to the Sorting ceremony the night previously. The classroom was already littered with students, all whose eyes turned immediately to Katie as she entered. There were hushed mutters and some laughter as she made her way into an empty seat at the far left-hand side of the room.

"Katie," Leanne hissed, taking a seat down next to her, "if we've got to battle today, how come nobody else is dressed like you are?"

Katie made to answer, but was stopped when Professor McGonagall addressed the class.

"Good morning," she greeted, "I'm Professor McGonagall and this is Transfiguration. This year we will be—"

McGonagall ceased talking as her eyes fell on Katie Bell in her peculiar outfit.

"Excuse me, Miss… Bell, is it?" she said, her piercing stare eyeing her sternly.

"Ah… yes, Professor," Katie said meekly. She wondered if she was going to get in trouble for managing to find out about the task ahead of time. She would just have to explain that it wasn't her fault. She hadn't asked George Weasley to tell her about it.

"May I ask why you have come to my class dressed for a Quidditch match?" she questioned, giving her a hard look.

"Er…" Katie stammered. "I—I was told we have to face a battle on our first day—as Gryffindors… Godric's honour…" she said, blushing red as every student in the room gaped at her.

She knew without looking around at her classmates that laughter was bubbling on their lips.

"And who gave you this idea, Miss Bell?" Professor McGonagall asked curtly. Katie felt certain that even she was suppressing amusement.

"… George Weasley did, Professor," she answered. Her face was now a deep crimson, and Katie had a sinking suspicion that the girls were right—she had been lied to.

"I should have known," Professor McGonagall said, pursing her lips into a firm line. "I will be having a word with Mr. Weasley about influencing younger students. Let this be a lesson to all of you in the importance of fact-checking."

Katie's classmates couldn't hold their laughter any longer. Soon the room was filled with howling amusement. Katie was flushed with utter embarrassment as she looked down at her glove-clad hands in her lap.

"All right, that's quite enough," Professor McGonagall announced. "Now, Miss Bell, please take off that ridiculous outfit and take out your book. You can return the equipment to Mr. Weasley after class."

Katie exited the classroom an hour later feeling angry and embarrassed. She had slung her rucksack over her shoulder and was dragging behind her a jumbled mess of Quidditch equipment that she hadn't needed after all. Her pride was severely stung by the unabashed satisfaction her classmates had enjoyed from seeing her make a fool of herself, and her face was flushed.

"Watch out, Bell," one of the first year blokes called to her as she sped off down the corridors, "I hear in our next class the professor has got us wrestling werewolves!"

Katie grumbled to herself but ignored the comment as laughter erupted around her once more. She was racing up a staircase without any real sense of where she was going when she smacked right into the culprit of the horrible prank.

"You!" she said angrily, meeting George's cheeky grin with a scowl. She chucked his Quidditch gear at his feet and looked at him irritably, waiting for an explanation.

George Weasley merely winked at the impatient look on her face.

"Your first class went well, then?" he asked.

She glared at him and let out a derisive sound, but, unable to come up with anything clever to say, she spun on her heel and headed in the opposite direction.

She heard George's booming laughter behind her before he called out to her retreating figure:

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Katie Bell!"