Chapter 6
George lay in his bed, staring at the calender on his wall. This was it. In five hours he would be leaving this house for the last time to catch the train to London, where he would be travelling at full speed towards his new life.
It was strange to think that he could be a completely different person in one years time. He could have friends, he could be practising spells deep into the early hours of the night. Perhaps he could find out more about why he was abandoned as a child. Did his parents have a reason, or did they simply not want him?
Whatever the reason, this prospect of a new life made him smile.
Fred opened his eyes and looked at the clock again. Ugh. Still only two o'clock. It had been three minutes to two what had seemed hours ago. Couldn't it just be time to go, now?
What would the future hold, he wondered. He wished he could take Sam with him, so much. What if witches and wizards were completely different to him? He knew he had always been different at his school before, but that never mattered, because he didn't care. But now, this was a different story. These people really mattered to him. They were like him.
Would he make friends? Who would he share his dormitory with? He closed his eyes and imagined what they could possibly be like. Funny, kind. He hoped they would be like him, even if they only had small similarities.
Two minutes past two. Only eight hours and fifty eight minute to go.
It was half past ten and George Weasley stood between platforms nine and ten, staring at the wall in confusion. Where did he go now? He was about to ask someone when a black boy with dreadlocks and an infectious smile appeared behind him.
"Going to Hogwarts?" he said, with the widest smile George had ever seen. "It's my first year, exciting times, right?"
"Yeah, very. It's my first year too."
"Where are your parents? Mine are just with the security guards, I don't think they appreciated the car being parked right in the middle of the entrance."
"I don't have any parents," George replied with an awkward grin.
The boy's face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry about that, are you here alone then?"
"No, they aren't dead, I just won't be seeing them again; don't be sorry, I'm glad to see the back of them! And yeah, I'm alone. A bit lost actually, no idea where platform nine and three quarters is."
"Don't worry, I'll show you. You just walk through that barrier there- here, I'll show you. I'd run it if I were you."
And with that, the boy ran at the 'solid' brick wall and disappeared. George blinked a few times. What just happened?
He shook his head in bewilderment and stood directly in front of the barrier. He took a deep breath and ran.
Seconds later, he had appeared on a platform, standing in front of the brick wall he had just ran through. The boy stood nearby, and laughed as George approached him. "Mad, right? Trust me, life is going to be like this daily at Hogwarts. I'm Lee by the way."
He held out his hand and George shook it. "I'm George."
"Nice to meet you George. I'd better go find my parents anyway, but I'll see you later yeah?"
"Yeah, sure, bye." George smiled at the retreating figure of his first friend. There was the train, in front of him. He couldn't believe it. In twenty minutes he would be flying away and leaving his old life behind.
Fred stood in front of the barrier with Mr and Mrs Johnson, Sam and Helena.
"I guess this is the one Professor McGonagall told us about. We just run at it, right?"
"I guess so," Mrs Johnson said, biting her lip uncertainly.
"I'll go first then," Fred told them, giving them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it will be fine. Just follow right behind me."
And off he went, disappearing from the view of his family and into his new world. Sam appeared first, and laughed in the madness of it all. "Brilliant, just brilliant," he said.
Moment later, Mr Johnson, Helena, and finally Mrs Johnson appeared. It was ten minutes to eleven.
There was silence before Mr Johnson said, "so, I suppose it's time to say goodbye. You need to get a good seat Fred, it's a long journey."
Fred swallowed. "Yeah, I know. I just... don't know what to say. Just, thank you. I really appreciate your support, however crazy all this is."
Mrs Johnson stepped forward and gave him a long hug. Tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Don't cry, I'll write to you regularly, I promise! At least you won't have to put up with my awful table manners now." He patted her on the back and pulled away. "It's not even a real goodbye, I'll be back at Christmas and then think of all the amazing things I'll have to tell you!" She smiled weakly and dried her eyes.
"Your table manners never mattered that much to me," she said, stepping back as Mr Johnson pulled Fred into a hug.
"I'll miss you, you know," he said quietly in Fred's ear. "She's going to send me mad now." He gave Fred a wink as he stepped back to her side, putting his arm around her.
Helena's eyes were red, but she wasn't crying.
"I suppose I have to believe you now," she said. "What more proof can I have?"
"Not much, I assure you." Fred hugged her too. "Just, give me that smile, I don't want to go without seeing it again." She did as he asked and he smiled too. "I'll miss you too, of course I will."
She nodded silently. Her face said everything she needed to say.
And then it was Sam. Fred felt a stab in his heart at Sam's face. "I will write to you, you know I will."
"Yeah, course. Not going to be the same without you though."
"It won't be the same without you either. I really wish you could come with me."
"I wish I could too. I don't want to go back to that place."
"When I'm back, Sam, I'll show you how to teach them a lesson. Promise."
A bell rang and Fred looked at the clock. One minute to eleven. He looked back at Sam's large, sad eyes and stepped away. After one last, long look at his family, he stepped onto the train and didn't look back.
He took a deep breath and felt a new kind of freedom. Here he was. The train began to move and he dragged his trunk down the train, looking into compartments. They were all full. He frowned, wondering what to do, when a black boy with dreadlocks appeared in front of him, and smiled widely.
"There you are George, I've got us a compartment down here."
"Er, I'm not George. My name's Fred. But thanks, I'll sit with you if you don't mind."
The boy frowned. "I swear you said you were called George. I'm Lee, remember?"
Fred shook his head, grinning. "Nope. I know who you are now though. I'm definitely Fred."
Lee shrugged his shoulders. "Ah well, I'm getting confused no doubt. Maybe I met another ginger person earlier. Let's face it-"
"-all ginger people look the same," finished Fred. Lee laughed loudly.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right! I haven't met many ginger people before, maybe you have a distinct look. Come on, let's go sit down."
George was sat in a compartment, alone, when a tall, thuggish looking boy with black hair and crooked teeth entered. Behind him were two others, a boy and a girl, both with blonde hair, and none of them looked too friendly.
"Haven't I just seen you? Why have you moved compartments? This is ours," said the boy with dark hair.
George feigned a look of confusion. "Oh, really? I didn't get that idea, you know, since I've been sat here for about fifteen minutes."
"No, you haven't. Better get out then, hadn't you."
"Aw, that's a shame. I was hoping to stay and make friends with you, you really look like the type of person that I'd really get on with. No, really."
The boy looked furious and took out his wand. "Go on, unless you want me to stop that funny talk of yours permanently."
"I don't know if I really want to go, sorry. Might have to go somewhere else, won't you?"
"That's it," said the boy. He raised his wand and sparks flew in his direction, but died away before they reached him.
George looked sympathetic. "I can tell you've definitely got some natural talent there. Don't worry, I'm going."
George pushed past the three vile students and slid the door shut behind them. He continued on down the train, looking for Lee. Eventually, he saw Lee's face through the door, talking to someone else in there with him. He opened the door of the compartment and walked in.
"Mind if I sit with you Lee?" Without answering he sat next to Lee and looked up at the other boy sat with him.
"What the-"
"-hell?"
A/N: So there we go! I had so much fun writing this! The excitement has finally started. I hope you liked this as much as I like writing it. Please review, I'll love you forever? Thanks so much for reading! Special thanks to SkyeElf, GeorgieForever, Spiralling-Down, and SolelyReader.
PS. Updates may be slower in the next week or so, sorry, but I'll try my best.
