September 1
Colleen woke up with excitement going through her veins. She and Ron would be heading off to Hogwarts that morning to begin first year. Percy would be starting his fifth year, and Fred and George would be starting their third year. Ginny hadn't gotten her letter yet, so she couldn't come with them just yet.
It was quite early in the morning for Colleen to be up, but she just couldn't go back to sleep. She could smell breakfast from downstairs her mother always cooked, but Molly didn't wake her children until it was time to eat before getting ready for the day. Until then, Colleen decided to practice some spells with her wand.
Her very own wand. Not a hand-me-down like her brothers always ended up getting until their father could afford to get them their own wand. The Weasleys had always been frugal with money, even though they didn't have a lot. Arthur had a good job at the Ministry of Magic, but with eight children some things had to be made to last such as wands, robes, and school books all in order to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. All of the boys had been handed down each other's items in terms of school robes and supplies, but when it came to the girls Colleen would be given new things so she could pass them down to Ginny when it was her time to attend. Arthur and Molly had managed to save up just enough to purchase everything their children needed for the new school year. Well, almost everything. Ron would be given a few hand-me-downs from Bill, and the twins would be given some of Percy's old books; but Colleen would be given everything brand new.
Arthur had walked into Ollivander's with his eldest daughter for to find her wand.
"The wand chooses the witch or wizard," the wandmaker had told her. After two failed attempts at wands, Colleen had received her wand: cherry wood, a dragon heartstring core, 12 inches long, and a diamond was at the end of the handle. It was extremely rare for a witch or wizard to have gems in their wands, but Mr. Ollivander told her that she must have something very special about her to have such a wand.
Colleen wasn't one to boast or brag about anything; she just thought how pretty the sunlight bounced off the diamond's edges was.
To say the boys sometimes thought that their sisters were spoiled was an understatement. They loved them very much, but they did sometimes feel as if they were left out of the picture. Molly and Arthur loved their children equally, and they often had to remind them of that.
While Ginny was still asleep in her bed, Colleen did her best not to wake her up as she sneaked out of their shared bedroom and into the bathroom with her wand and Charms book in hand. In the cupboard above the sink, she pulled out her box of metal scraps and small pebbles to practice with. She had passed by a jeweler once in Diagon Alley, and the shopkeeper had made everything out of old metal parts using Transfiguration and Charms spells. She had made quite a wealthy living from it and was able to start making fashion and robes from scrap fabric or old robes no one wanted. This inspired Colleen to hatch an idea: she wanted to succeed at Hogwarts, but she wanted to use her magic to help her family and others around her. She decided she was going to collect whatever scrap or items in nature she could and practice making jewelry with them. Once she had mastered it, she would sell them, and some of the money would go to her parents.
She sat down on the floor, placed a few metal parts and her book in front of her and flipped to a page with the easiest spell: a ring making charm.
"Anulusum," she chanted as she pointed her wand at a piece of metal.
Immediately, it began to lengthen and weave around itself into a circular object until it looked identical to her mother's wedding ring without the diamond. Colleen picked it up and examined her new creation.
"Wicked," she whispered.
"Colleen," her mother's voice rang from the door. "Are you in there, darling?"
"Yes, mum," she replied as she quickly gathered her project.
"I just came up to tell you that breakfast was ready. Get dressed and join your siblings downstairs."
"I'm coming." Colleen placed the box back into the cupboard as she heard her mother's footsteps creak away.
Once she felt the hallway was clear, Colleen crept out of the bathroom and quickly tiptoed to her and Ginny's bedroom. Her sister was already out of bed putting on a light jacket.
"Why do you have your wand?" Ginny asked. "Were you doing magic again?"
"I was practicing," Colleen excused as she set her wand on her nightstand. She went to her dresser and pulled out a pink jumper and a brown skirt to wear for the train-ride to Hogwarts. "Besides, I want to do well at Hogwarts. Mum and Dad always encourage us to do our very best in whatever we do."
"But Mummy is always telling us not to use magic outside of school," Ginny replied as she slipped on her Mary Janes.
"I haven't even started school yet, Ginny," the older girl argued. "That rule only applies to Fred, George, and Percy."
Ginny just shrugged and made her downstairs as Colleen finished getting dressed.
"King's Cross is always packed with Muggles, of course," Molly grumbled as the six of her eight children followed briskly behind her, pushing their trunks as they strolled.
Colleen almost had to run as she pushed her trunk due to her small stature. She was taller than her baby sister, but she was shorter than her brothers. The twins would often make height jokes, but she got used to them over time.
The group stopped at platforms nine and ten, allowing Colleen to catch her breath.
"Now, what's the platform number?" Molly asked them as Ginny was clinging to her.
"Nine and three-quarters!" Ginny piped up. "Mum, can't I go…"
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
Percy turned his trunk towards the dividing barrier between the platforms and ran while pushing his trunk, disappearing to the other side of it.
"Fred, you next," Molly said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," one of the twins said. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our? Can't you tellI'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," he chuckled. Fred ran towards the divide, his twin following suit, and disappeared.
Ron and Colleen lined up take their turn, but were interrupted by another boy and girl their age. They both had trunks and owls with them. The boy had unkempt black hair, round glasses, and green eyes; and the girl was pale-skinned with grey eyes and wild, dark curls. She gave off a shy aura, but Colleen figured it was just first day nervousness.
"Excuse me," the boy said.
"Hello, dears," Molly smiled at them. "First time to Hogwarts? Ron and Colleen are new, too."
The siblings smiled at the other two children.
"Yes," the boy said. "The thing is-the thing is, I don't know how to-"
"How to get on the platform?" she asked, and the children nodded. "Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron and Colleen."
"Er-okay," the boy replied.
After he disappeared behind the divide, Ron and Colleen were last. Ron was first, and she was close behind him. She panicked for a little bit as she got closer to the wall, but the next time she blinked she had made it to the other side.
The platform was crowded with incoming first years swarming around to get their things on the train, and returning students doing the same thing but in a more routine fashion. Cats were weaving in and out of other people's legs, and owls in cages were hooting and screeching. Some children were already on the train and waving good-bye to their families.
Once Ron and Colleen had boarded the train, their trunks were tucked away in the compartment.
"Fred? George? Are you there?" their mother's voice called out.
"Coming, Mum," one of the twins replied.
The Weasley children hopped back onto the platform to tell their mum and sister goodbye before jumping back on again. Molly pulled out a handkerchief.
"Ron, you've got something on your nose," she pointed out as she tried to wipe her son's face.
Ron attempted to pull away. "Mum-geroff."
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" one of the twins teased.
"Shut up."
"Where's Percy?" Molly asked.
"He's coming now."
Percy walked towards them, already dressed in his new robes with letter P badge stuck on him. "Can't stay long, mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-"
"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" Fred asked sarcastically. "You should have said something, we had no idea,"
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said George. "Once-"
"Or twice-"
"A minute-"
"All summer-"
"Oh, shut up," the older brother rolled his eyes.
"How come Percy gets new robes anyway?" George asked. "I thought Colleen was the only one getting new things."
"Because he's a prefect," Molly stated firmly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term – send me an owl when you get there."
She pecked Percy's cheek before he left for the prefects' compartment, then she turned to her twins.
"Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've blown up a toilet or-"
"Blown up a toilet?" George repeated. "We've never blown up a toilet."
"Great idea though," Fred smiled, "thanks, Mum."
"It's not funny," their mother snapped. "And look after Ron and Colleen."
"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins and Colliewollie are safe with us."
"Shut up," Ron said.
Molly took Colleen's face in her hands and kissed her forehead. "You write everything that happens on your first night there. Promise?"
"Yes, Mum," Colleen nodded.
"That's my Colleen."
Colleen then hugged her sister and said, "Keep an eye on the thimblewacks for me?"
Ginny nodded.
"Hey, Mum, guess what?" Fred spoke again. "Guess who we just met on the train? You know that black-haired boy who near us in the station and the curly-haired girl that was with him? Know who he is?"
"Who?"
"Harry Potter!"
Ginny's eyes lit up. "Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum," she begged, "oh, please…"
"You've already seen him, Ginny," Molly replied, "and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"
"Asked him," Fred replied. "Saw his scar. It's really there – like lightening."
"Poor dear – no wonder he and that girl were alone, I wondered. He was ever o polite when they asked how to get onto the platform."
"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"
Molly then became stern. "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day on school."
"All right, keep your hair on."
The train whistle blew.
"Hurry up!" Molly shooed, and the siblings scrambled on the train with Colleen nearly tripping. Ginny began to cry.
"Don't cry, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls," Colleen promised.
"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat," George joked.
"George!" Molly screeched.
"Only joking, Mum."