A/N: Thanks to all the lovely people out there you reviewed chapter 9. I appreciate it!

Knights of Ne – I'm glad you caught that. I'm setting the background for Charlie since we all know he's to become a seeker when he makes the quidditch team.

ender74361 – Yes. The fact that I didn't concentrate on one thing was partly due to your review. Thanks so much for the constructive criticism. I'm really grateful for it.

mambosnowchick – I think I might start a petition to get Charlie on the list of characters. I plan on having at least 4 sequels to this story so … that's 5 stories all devoted to Charlie right there.

beenlovespotter – I have an older sister too and I had the same problem. So I know how he and you feel. That's awesome that your last name is the same as one of my characters. If I'd known sooner I might have sorted him into Gryffindor. lol.

Googlehead Lover – Thanks for stopping by and reviewing. I appreciate it. I'm glad you liked chapter 9 and I hope you enjoy chapter 10.

Chapter 10: Potions

"Our patience will achieve more than our force." – Edmund Burke

That night Charlie cried himself to sleep – after he was sure everyone else was already out. It was the first night he'd pulled the hanging around his bed close in a very long time. He didn't want his dorm mates to know what a wimp he was. Truth be told he was scared out of his mind. All night he had strange dreams about his mother coming up to Hogwarts and just flailing him in front of everyone. He knew she would never do something like that but it didn't make his dreams any less scary.

He woke late the following morning and was certainly not cheerful at all. For a long while he debated just staying there and never coming out. But he couldn't do that. He was a Gryffindor after all. What kind of Gryffindor stayed cowered in his bed all day? So, in his empty dorm, he crawled out of bed and after dressing went down to breakfast.

"Bloody hell," said Alex when he sat down next to her at the table. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing," Charlie mumbled as he piled food on his plate.

"Something happened," she replied, "you look like you-"

He stopped mid scoop of eggs and glared at her. His icy gaze made her stop in mid-sentence. She certainly did not like that look at all. When he was satisfied that she wouldn't continue he scooped more food on his plate. The tension was so thick between them it was as though an entire person was squeezed into the mere inches of space.

He was almost finished with his rapid eating when a red envelope with his name on it landed in front of him. The entire Gryffindor table went silent and everyone stared at the envelope with open mouths.

She wouldn't!

Oh yes she would.

He snatched up the letter and flew from the Great Hall as fast as he could. It was beginning to smoke in his hands and he knew there was no way he could be able to make it back to Gryffindor tower in time. So instead he flew into an empty broom cupboard and slammed the door just before the letter exploded.

"CHARLES MARCUS WEASLEY, HOW COULD YOU? I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO ASHAMED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! HOW DARE YOU START FIGHTS AT THAT SCHOOL! HAVE I TAUGHT YOU NOTHING IN YOUR LFIE? BILL'S NEVER GOTTEN A LETTER SENT HOME! AND YOU GET ONE FROM PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE HIMSELF, ABOUT FIGHTING! I AM ABSOLUTELY REVOLTED BY YOUR ACTIONS. IF YOU SO MUCH AS APPROACH THAT BOY AGAIN - OTHER THAN TO APOLOGIZE - I WILL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME YOUNG MAN! AND DON'T YOU LET ME FIND OUT YOU'VE GOTTEN ANOTHER DETENTION! I CAN'T BELIEVE A SON OF MINE WOULD BE SO STUPID! YOU'RE LUCKY I DON'T COME UP THERE AND THROTTLE YOU! I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER WHEN I SEE YOU AGAIN MISTER! YOU'D BETTER BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR UNTIL THEN OR SO HELP ME MERLIN YOU WILL REGRET IT!"

Just as quickly as it had started it stopped and the voice faded from the cupboard despite its continued ringing in his ears.

Yep. He'd definitely messed up big time.

As quietly as he could Charlie pressed his ear up to the door. It didn't sound like anyone was out in the hall. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening the closet door.

The hall was empty – thank Merlin. Charlie stepped out and raced up stairs as fast as his feet would carry him to the History of Magic classroom.

The rest of the class was already seated when Charlie entered. Professor Binns hadn't arrived yet and Charlie sighed with relief. He took a seat in between Jade and Daniel. His bag was sitting on top of the table they shared.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he sat down.

"No problem," Jade replied with a smile.

"Did you hear it?" Charlie asked cautiously. He didn't really want to hear the answer to that.

"Just barely," Jade replied, "I don't think anyone else really could though."

"Good," Charlie surveyed the classroom to find Riley looking at him. He smiled and she returned the gesture. Then he waved and she waved back.

Some how just that much from her made his day seem a lot better.

After class Riley waited for him outside the door. He grinned when he saw her.

"Good morning," he grinned at her.

"Morning," she replied, "How are you?"

"I'm alright."

She looked at him quizzically, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Why?"

"Well I saw you run out of the Great Hall this morning and-"

"We're going to be late mate," said Colton while clapping Charlie on the shoulders.

"Yeah, I got a Howler from home," Charlie ignored Colton. He didn't care if he was late.

"Oh?" Riley replied with a smile, "For fighting with Warrington?" Charlie nodded while Colton grabbed onto his bag and tugged.

"Snape'll kill us if we're late Charlie," Colton persisted.

Snape?... Snape!

Snape would give him detention if he was late and then his mother would surely kill him!

"I've got to go," he said quickly to Riley who was grinning at him, "I'll see you later?"

"Of course," not a moment later the two first year boys tore down the corridor and toward the dungeons- knocking other students out of the way as they went.

No, he could not afford to be late.

Luckily enough they were not late – they were right on time. They sidled into their seats behind Graham and Elaine right as the bell rang. The Potions mater waved his wand at the door and it slammed shut. Then he glared at the class of first years assembled before him.

"Today," he said slowly in a tone that grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. "I'm going to break you up into groups." No one made a sound despite their inner grumbling. He glared at Charlie for a moment. It didn't seem to matter whom Charlie worked with out of the Gryffindors, his potions always turned out right. It seemed Professor Snape had noticed and decided to do something about it.

"When I call your name," he continued with a small sneer, "you and your new partner will find a new table. You will work together like this for the rest of term." He leisurely picked up a long sheet of parchment from the top of his desk.

"Bletchley and Williamson," Charlie's eyes flew to Elaine who was frowning and blatantly trying to hold back a look of disgust. She gathered her things and moved to a vacant table in the front of the room. Jamison Bletchley followed with an unmasked look of disgust.

"Bole and Whitehorn," Jade caught Charlie's eye before moving over to the seat vacated only moments ago by Bletchley. Anticipating his name to be next Charlie began to gather his things.

"Greengrass-" Charlie grinned. She may not have been the prettiest looking girl – by far – but she was excellent at potions, "and Smith." Charlie's face fell and he looked up sharply at the Potions master then to Colton who was seated next to him. Colton shrugged and moved to a vacant table.

"McDonald," continued Professor Snape, "and Regal." Charlie half smiled at Alex who made a disgusted face as her new partner stalked over and sat in the seat vacated by Jade.

"Montague," Charlie smirked. Whoever got her as their partner was in for it. He had noticed the first day that this slightly clumsy Slytherin always managed to mess up every potion, "and Weasley." Charlie stared at the potions master.

Of course. Really, what else was he supposed to expect?

He frowned as his new partner walked over without managing to trip over anything. Despite being in Slytherin she was fairly pretty. Her long, jet black hair flowed gracefully behind her as she walked. She slammed her books down on the table and glared at Professor Snape.

"Summers," the potions matter continued pretending that he hadn't noticed his angry student, "and Knight." Jasmina moved to the seat vacated by Charlie's partner.

"Warrington," Charlie glanced from Daniel to Graham. They were the only ones without partners. Warrington would simply bowl right over Daniel. He looked up at Snape, "and Isaacs." Of course he would do that. Snape was evil. It was as simple as that.

"Whitby," continued Snape after Daniel moved to his new seat next to Luis who was sneering at him, "and Davidson." The only other person without a partner got up and stalked over to Graham and sat in the seat vacated by Elaine with a scowl.

Snape glared at the silent classroom that seemed to rise in temperature from the anger coming from all the students, for a moment.

"Your instructions are on the board," he tapped his wand against the board and instructions appeared.

Charlie turned to his partner. She was looking him up and down with a scowl and narrowed eyes. Her arms were folded across her chest defiantly. He regarded her for a moment.

"Do you want to get the ingredients or fill the cauldron with water?" Charlie asked in as polite of a tone as he could manage. Her eyes narrowed further.

"I'm not doing anything," she said icily. "You can do it yourself."

Charlie stood from his seat to tower over her and enjoyed the brief look of fear that flashed through her eyes.

"Pick one or the other," he snarled, "because I'm not doing both." Scowling at him again she got up from her seat and walked to the supply cabinet. Charlie glared after her before picking up the cauldron and taking it over to the water tap. He returned a minute later just as she did with all of their ingredients.

"Can you light a fire, or is that too hard?" He asked after setting down the cauldron. She scowled before pulling out her wand. He pulled the caterpillars she got close to him and after picking up the knife began chopping them carefully.

Their potion probably would have turned out fine had Montague not put the shrivelfig in before putting out the fire like it was clearly written on the board. Charlie had been so distracted by fighting with her that he hadn't re-read the instructions like he usually did. Snape assigned them a three foot essay on what they'd done wrong. Charlie glared at his partner menacingly. This was the first time he'd messed up a potion and he had a feeling it wouldn't be his last.

That night at dinner Charlie nearly spit out his pumpkin juice when Professor McGonagall said his name from behind him. He turned to face the Head of his house. She was frowning down at him and had a letter clasped in her hand. He had hoped to avoid her until Transfiguration the next morning. She thrust the letter at him then turned and walked briskly away.

Your detention will be served tonight at 8 o'clock. Meet me in my office and do not be late.

Professor M. McGonagall.

Charlie frowned at the letter in his hands. He was in for it this time. Something in his gut told him he would not be cleaning the owlery with Hagrid again.

He was definitely right. Professor McGonagall looked very angry when Charlie showed up for his detention that night, five minutes early. She glared at him and as they traveled through the corridors he heard her mumbling to herself.

"Here you are," they were in front of the boy's bathroom on the third floor. Charlie was warned early on by Bill to stay away from this bathroom. It was revolting, according to Bill and not many people used it. Charlie had heeded his brother's advice. Out of thin air Professor McGonagall conjured a bunch of cleaning supplies.

"You won't finish tonight," she informed him briskly, "so you will be back here every night until it's clean." Charlie gulped. Oh how he hoped it wasn't a large bathroom. She opened the door and the most revolting smell filled his nose.

She smirked at the face he made while handing him the cleaning supplies.

"If I find out you used magic," she warned very sternly, "you can rest assured I'll find a much harsher punishment." He nodded and trying his best not to breathe stepped inside. She closed the door after him.

When he returned to the common room a little after mid-night Charlie was exhausted and revolted. Without speaking a word to Alex, whom was sitting by the fire - doing homework no doubt - he went upstairs and took a long hot shower.

How on earth could a bathroom get that disgusting? Wasn't that part of Filch's job or something?

It was one o'clock before Charlie got to bed that night. Unknown to him – this would be the earliest he went to bed all week.

It took him three more trips to that disgusting bathroom to finish cleaning it. It might have only taken two if the school's poltergeist not dumped the bucket of dirty mop water all over the bathroom floor and walls. He tried to get all of his homework done before his detentions at night but that didn't happen. So he found himself staying up until the wee hours of the morning finishing it. He would definitely be thinking twice before starting another fight any time soon.

By the time Saturday crawled around Charlie would not move from his bed. Despite the jeers he got from his dorm mates – he was not getting up. He slept all day and night.

Sunday morning he was woken rather rudely by something hitting his head. Opening his eyes slightly he tried to find out what exactly the offending object was. It was Alex, or more her pillow, and she stood with her pillow poised for another hit. He grabbed it just before she smacked him again.

"Good," she grinned, "you're not dead."

"What are you doing in here?" He looked around at the other beds in the room – all of them were empty.

"I'm getting you up," she replied, "You have a lot of homework to do today." He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach.

"Don't remind me," he mumbled into his pillow.

"Get up Charlie. I'm not about to let you sleep another day away."

"It's the weekend," he moaned, "Let me do what I want."

"You're going to fail," she countered. He was going to reply but his stomach let out a very loud grumble. He hadn't eaten the day before and a wave of hunger broke over him rather suddenly. It's easy not to eat when you're sleeping. "Sounds like you're hungry," said Alex with a smirk that Charlie was sure to be on her face though he couldn't see it.

He rolled back over and looked up at her for a moment. "I'll meet you down in the common room in ten minutes."

She smiled triumphantly before leaving.

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Chapter 11 Preview:

This was not the response Charlie was expecting to receive from the Headmaster but was very grateful for it none the less. He glanced at the staff table where McGonagall sat with a frown on her face and her arms folded across her chest. He was very glad she had not come down to remedy the situation.

"Sorry sir," said Colton softly.

Dumbledore smiled kindly at him, "There is nothing to apologize to me for Mr. Smith," and with that he swept out of the Great Hall.