Twins in the End
By Kukaburry
Chapter 2 - Sorting Through Twins
"I've never met another twin before," Avry gasped, excited and scared at the prospect of people like her and Mandy.
Fred's brother grinned. "Yep, you're freaks just like us. Be careful, they like to run experiments on twins. You better hope they don't choose you two. You'll never be heard from again."
Mandy yelped in shock, and tears began flowing down her cheeks. "No, I don't want to get experimented on," she wept loudly.
Fred rolled his eyes. "He was just kidding." Wiping her runny nose, Mandy looked up hopefully.
"Children! Children! You must return to the house immediately," a sweaty, overweight butler huffed. The pairs of twins had been spotted by an eagle-eyed nanny from the sitting room. "We can't have you getting lost in the gardens."
Still in shock from running into another set of twins, Avry followed the butler stoically. "They always ruin our fun," she heard the other twin grumble.
The butler led them back to the sitting parlor where children were being reunited with their parents. "Ah, Mandy, Avry we were wondering where you went." Their mother's polite tone held a note of anger. "Off exploring were we, Avry?" Avry knew that she was in for big trouble when she got home. "Thank you sir for bringing them back safely." She turned to look at the boys standing next to her daughters and recognized them immediately. "Come girls, we can't let you be around these boys. They might start begging us for money."
Fred and his twin scowled darkly. "See ya," Fred growled, stalking away with his brother at his side.
"You girls know better than to talk to peasants. It's not comely."
"They were nice mama," Mandy said in her sweetest voice.
Their mother made a skeptical noise in the back of her throat. "You girls have a better future than they do. You'll do best to never speak to them again."
Avry and Mandy were pulled towards the front door to return home. Avry looked over her shoulder one last time and saw both Fred and his brother standing next to their mother. She patted them tenderly on the head and gave each one a tight hug.
(6 years later)
Avry and Mandy, now eleven, stepped onto the scarlet Hogwarts Express with all of the possessions they owned. Mandy held a cage containing a handsome eagle owl while Avry dragged along an old, slinky, gray cat.
"We have to write to mum and dad as soon as we get to Hogwarts!" Mandy squealed.
"Really? We just got on the train," Avry said, exasperated with her sister already. After age seven, Avry demanded that she have her own room separate from her sister who felt the need to be overly energetic about everything.
Mandy looked back at her sister. "But they'll worry about us. You know mum, she'll send a Howler the first day if we don't let her know we got there safe."
"Whatever, it's your owl," Avry grumbled, not caring if she ever talked to her parents again. The sisters still looked identical save for their haircuts. Mandy had a short bob while Avry sported chest-length locks. "Fucking hell, is there a seat anywhere on this train?" She growled, annoyed by the low capacity train.
Ahead of her Mandy raised her arms in triumph, announcing that she had finally found a good compartment. "It's about time," she snapped as she entered the room. A small boy with black hair and thick glasses sat with his face pressed against the glass.
Most of the children she and Mandy played with were a year younger than them, and wouldn't be attending Hogwarts until the following year. They knew one girl with curly blond hair, Suzanna, who was supposed to be going to Hogwarts this year, but through the rush of parents and children they hadn't found her yet.
"I'm so excited, we're finally starting Hogwarts! Just like mom and dad said. I wonder which house we'll get sorted into. I hope I don't end up in Hufflepuff like our cousin who no one talks to anymore. Aren't you excited too, Avry?" Mandy's wistful eyes looked south towards their destination. Avry was just as excited about Hogwarts, but decided to keep it to herself so she shrugged instead.
"Oh, h-hello," the boy finally stammered after taking his face away from the glass. "I'm Tom Lader."
"Hi! I'm Mandy and this is my sister, Avry." Mandy took off at a mile a minute chatting with the stuttering boy across from her. Avry decided to close her eyes and imagine what Hogwarts looked like. She expected it to look imposing, but welcoming at the same time; the perfect place to get away from her family.
After a long, chatty ride, the train pulled up to the station and deposited everyone. All of the first years were corralled towards boats while the rest were carted off in horseless carriages. Halfway across the enormous, pitch black lake, Avry caught her first glimpse of the high spirals and glittering windows of Hogwarts.
"I didn't know it was so big," she heard Mandy whisper in awe. The rest of her boat companions gaped openly at the grandness of Hogwarts. Something stirred beneath the boat and several students gasped as a long tentacle erupted from the surface momentarily before being pulled back under to the black depths.
"Nutin' ter worry 'bout. Jus' th' giant squid." Hagrid assured through his bushy beard.
Everyone arrived safely at the shore and began walking up the back steps to enter into the great hall. Mandy fell back in line while continuing to chatter with Tom and Avry stomped ahead to get away from the incessant talking. Someone behind Avry stumbled and bumped into her. "Sorry, these new shoes are killing me," a boy's voice spoke up.
She turned to find a boy with fiery red hair staring down at her. "Whatever," she mumbled back quickly.
Taking her snide comment as a sign to continue talking, the boy pulled up next to her and began chatting away. "What house do you want to get sorted into?"
"I don't care."
"I hope I get sorted into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. My entire family is from Gryffindor so it'd make them mad if I wasn't in Gryffindor."
Avry had to look up at that announcement. She rarely met families with house legacies. Her mother had come from Ravenclaw and her father had come from Gryffindor. Two of her uncles came from Slytherin, two aunts and uncle were from Gryffindor and three of her cousins had been in Ravenclaw. "You don't want to disobey your parents," she warned.
Her mother had lectured both of them about being sorted into Hufflepuff. "If either of you girls ruins our good reputation by being sorted into Hufflepuff, you will be disinherited immediately."
The boy shook his head, confused by her comment. "It's not like they'll be angry. They'll just have a reason to make fun of us."
The line of students had reached the entrance hall and everyone gathered around a tall, imposing woman with horn-rimmed glasses and a tight grey bun. "Welcome everyone, in a few moments we will sort you into your houses. My name is Professor McGonagall and I am head of Gryffindor house. Please be patient while I check inside." The woman disappeared through the large doors.
"Wait, what do you mean 'us'?" Avry asked suddenly.
Another tall, red-haired boy appeared beside her. "Fred, are you ready to wrestle with the troll?" He looked at his mirrored brother standing across from him.
"We have to wrestle with a troll?" Mandy popped up next to the other red-haired boy and Avry found herself in a very familiar situation.
"Wait, you're a Weasley," she breathed. "A twin."
"I remember you two," Fred's twin said, taking in the view of the two twins standing side-by-side. "Your mum was real nice."
Avry knew the other twin wasn't saying it in a friendly way. "Our mum might not always be nice, but she can afford to buy us new clothes," Avry replied snidely.
"Like mother, like daughters," Fred bit back, turning a dark shade of red.
"Come on Mandy, they might start begging us for money," Avry snarled, dragging her confused sister away.
"What happened?"
"It was those poor kids again. They're no good," Avry unknowingly mimicked her mother.
Mandy looked back through the crowd, surveying the boys they had just run away from. "I forgot about them. They were the first twins we met!" Leave it to Mandy to put a positive spin on everything.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Just because they're twins doesn't mean they're anything like us. We're from a better family."
Professor McGonagall returned shortly with a large parchment in her hands. "Follow me. You will be sorted one by one." Hundreds of faces turned towards the first years as the doors slid apart with a groan. The line of first years stopped and surrounded a stool supporting an old and beat up hat. It burst into song, startling nearly half of the younger kids, and praised the four Hogwarts founders. "When I call your name, put the hat on and let it select to which house you belong." Avry waited impatiently for her name to be called, being forced to watch everyone else get sorted before her. "Avry Saunders!"
She stepped forward confidently and picked up the floppy, worn leather and placed it gently on her head. Scanning the crowd, she found Mandy looking at her expectantly. Just behind Mandy, Fred and George looked on stoically. She glared back defiantly as the hat began talking in her ear. "There is fire in your heart. A thirst for acceptance. A need for excitement. You wish to never return home." Avry swore that everyone around her could hear the loud thumping of her heart. 'Not Hufflepuff. Anything but Hufflepuff.' She took one last look at Mandy. 'Take me away from my sister.' "You would do well in.. SLYTHERIN!" Green-clad students cheered enthusiastically.
"Mandy Saunders," Professor McGonagall called before Avry even had a chance to sit down. Several people whispered the word 'twins' as Mandy stepped forward to determine her fate. Avry crossed her fingers that the hat would put Mandy in another house.
Mandy looked at Avry with large, hopeful eyes. "GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled and a table of red and gold erupted into cheers. Several students sitting next to Avry turned to look at her with curiosity. She wondered if they would ostracize her for having a twin sister in a rival house.
"So new girl, what's with your sister?" A third year boy with slick black hair and dazzlingly blue eyes, sitting two seats down, asked while leaning around several other curious Slytherins. "Are we going to have a problem?"
Avry looked over her shoulder as Mandy walked cautiously towards her new house that welcomed her with open arms. "She's my sister. I was stuck with her; it doesn't mean I love her."
Several girls sniggered and smirks appeared on many of the boys faces. The third year boy's smile blew Avry away. "Welcome to Slytherin, new girl. I'm Blake." A couple of fifth year girls sitting across from her introduced themselves as well as a fourth and fifth year boy. Suddenly, Avry felt at ease - something she hadn't felt in several years.
She barely even prickled when she heard the name 'Weasley' being called by professor McGonagall. Most of the upper classmen laughed and jeered when they heard who was being called to the stool. "Oh look, another red-head Weasley. I can't believe they haven't died from starvation yet." A burly sixth year boy laughed near the end of the table. Avry snuck a smile.
More jeers erupted from the Slytherins when both Weasleys were sorted into Gryffindor. "We didn't see that coming," Blake said with a sarcastic lilt. "It's not like all of their brothers are in Gryffindor too. What a pathetic house." Avry looked on as George and Fred were pulled into proud embraces by their older brothers. Mandy, sitting near the edge of the table, looked up at Avry and smiled. Avry turned away quickly and laughed along while her new housemates made jokes about Fred and George.
After dinner, everyone stood up together and exited the great hall. Crowding through the door, Avry found herself smashed between a brunette Ravenclaw and Fred. The look on his face made it obvious that he had heard the jeers her house had yelled at him. "Looks like you found a house where you fit right in." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
"You're right, Weasley. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll always have one thing in common." She turned her back on him in silent triumph and followed her new friends to a new life of freedom.
I hope you guys are enjoying Friday and/or Saturday depending on where you are. Let me know how you're liking the new story. I cannot wait to write the next couple of chapters. Avry is a new type of character that I've never written before, so we'll see how it turns out :D. Later ~ Kukaburry