First Day
"I can't find them!"
"Arthur, I can't believe it! You LOST the tickets?!?"
Fred rolled his eyes and stepped ever so slightly sideways from his exhuberant family. That's right, Mum, he thought. Announce it to the whole station that Dad lost our Hogwarts tickets.
It was eleven-year-old Fred Weasley's first day at Hogwarts, accompanied by his twin brother, George. Now there would just be two kids at the Burrow. Ron and Ginny.
Ron was looking noticeably subdued. Poor bugger, thought Fred. Probably contemplating whether he'll be sane after spending two years alone in a house with Dad, Mum and Ginny.
Ginny had burst as quietly as possible into tears. Fred wondered what she was thinking. Girls' thoughts, in Fred's opinion, just couldn't be predicted as easliy as boys'.
Fred looked up and into a pair of eyes that were exact replicas of his own. George smirked. Then he looked serious. "Did you bring the Dungbombs?" he mouthed.
"Will three bags be enough?" hissed Fred.
"Yeah."
"Father, I believe that the tickets are in your back pocket," said third year Percy. Fred scowled and scuffed a foot. Up until about four years ago Percy had called his father 'Dad' like everyone else in the universe. Nowadays it was Father this, Father that. Sad.
George gave him a punch on the arm. He looked up.
"Enough of this rot," said George. "Let's nick off and DO something, eh? We only have seven years to make our mark on Hogwarts. No time like the present to start, huh?"
Fred grinned evilly. "Yeah, let's go and have some fun!"
***
George Weasley crouched beside his brother Fred behind the luggage cart. He slipped his fingers into his pocket and shifted a Dungbomb. He knew it was dodgy to carry Dungbombs in one's clothes, but he hadn't been able to cram any more tricks into the linings of his trunk.
His brother's voice brought him back to earth. "Got a Dungbomb?"
"Here." Without thinking, he dislodged one and handed it to his brother. Then he frowned. "Wait."
"What?" Fred was aiming it at a throng of Japanese tourists, his face raught with concentration.
"Why should you get to throw it?"
"'Cause I'm older."
"No, you're not. I'm twenty minutes older."
Fred snickered and turned to him. "Yeah, that would make sense, as you're the levelheaded older brother."
George gave him a shove and hissed, "I am NOT levelheaded!"
"Yes, you are." He imitated George's voice. "Oh, Fred, I'm not sure that's a good idea... Fred, we should've planned this... don't you think this is a bit dangerous, Fred?"
"Ah, bite me!"
"Bite yourself!"
The cart was suddenly moved away by a Muggle railway guard and both twins nearly fell over. Fred lobbed the Dungbomb away, but his aim was off and so it sailed over the tourists and landed at the feet of-
***
Lee Jordan grimaced at his mum. "Mum, I don't believe it! You FORGOT Killer?" How could she? His beloved tarantula, left at home?
"Well, what would you have used it for? Scaring the living daylights out of some defenceless teacher?"
Ignoring the question, Lee answered, "Mum, Killer is a HE, not an IT."
"I don't see how YOU could've forgot him," countered Mrs Jordan. "He is YOUR pet."
"Mum, I'm sick and priveliged," Lee replied.
His mum raised her eyebrows. "Sure. Sick and priveliged. Tell me, Mister I-Have-An-Answer-For-Everything, since when does getting over a cough count as sick and priveliged?"
"Since me, Mum." Lee pushed at his trunk on it's trolley.
Mrs Jordan rolled her eyes. "You're more like your old dad every day, Lee Jordan."
Lee gave his mother an evil look. He hated it when his parents badmouthed each other.The words 'deteriorating marriage' flashed through his mind. "Damn, woman, is that s'posed to be a compliment or an insult?"
"Don't swear, Lee, it's rude. Stay here while I check out this ticket with the guard over there."
Lee parked his trolley and stood beside it. He suddenly felt something thump slightly against his trainer. He looked down. A Dungbomb.
He stared around and his eyes fell on two red-headed boys standing a short distance away, looking guilty. Lee grinned, gave the Dungbomb a nifty little kick up onto the top of his trainer, then another harder kick that sent it straight back over to the twins. It exploded and people started coughing and stumbling away remarking about disgraceful public cleaning services. The twins sprinted for it. He hadn't seen their faces when he'd returned their Dungbomb, but he wished he had. You're cool, Lee Jordan, he thought. Life was good.
***
Angelina Johnson wasn't sure why, but as soon as her family stepped through the enchanted barrier to Platform 9 3/4, she suddenly had a terrific urge to sprint back to the Muggle street, hail a taxi and get away. She had no idea why she was feeling so clingy. After all, at her Muggle school she'd been known as 'that girl who everyone liked'. She'd been one of the most popular people in her class.
Her parents had insisted that before she and her sister Davina went to Hogwarts they had to go to Muggle school. A witch had to have basic intelligence, and they believed that if Muggle school was good enough for the countless Muggle children across the globe, then it was good enough for the two Johnson girls. In the past, Angelina had sometimes felt a little sad that she couldn't tell ANYONE her various secrets. She had actually been incredibly excited about Hogwarts. She'd talked of nothing else for weeks. But I'm more Muggle than witch, she thought unhapppily.
Davina, a sixth year, had spotted a crowd of her ditsy friends and had rushed over to them to giggle like she always did. Her dad, slightly overprotective when it came to the girls, grabbed Angelina by the hand and dragged her over to Davina's friends. "Hello, girls," he said. "Have you met Angelina?" Angelina wrenched herself free. Davina looked thouroughly embarrassed.
"Da-ad!" both girls yelled.
Angelina wandered off by herself. She extracted her wand from her pocket. Holly with unicorn tail hair. She wondered idly when she would be allowed to use it.
A short and rather harrassed lookimg woman with red hair walked past. "FRED!" she yelled. "GEORGE! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" A small girl, also red-headed, sprinted over to her mother.
"They aren't in the toilets, Mum. Ron checked. D'you think they could already be on the train? I could check, if you'd like-"
"No, Ginny, Percy's checking the train. I don't trust you to get on that train, Ginny. You'll be trying to stow away before you can say, 'Hogwarts'."
"Hogwarts," said the little girl sulkily.
The woman turned to Angelina. "'Scuse me, dear, but have you seen two boys with red hair? They're identical and probably in mischief."
"Er- no." said Angelina. "But if I see them I'll tell them you're looking for them." No need to ask their names, she thought privately. Half the platform knows by now.
She turned away, thinking. Fred and George. Very English names, she thought.
"ANGELINA! Angelina, where are you?"
Angelina looked embarrassed and turned around, but the red-headed woman was smiling. "Better go, dear, it sounds like someone's looking for you."
"Yeah," answered Angelina. "Er... bye."
Angelina had barely gone two steps before her mum collared her. "Angelina! Come on, it's time to get on the train."
Here I go, thought Angelina. It'll be OK. This is where I belong.
***
Fred was lucky. When his mother caught him, she didn't have time to yell at him because the Hogwarts Express was pulling out of the station.
"Expect a Howler," she'd whispered into his ear as she hugged him goodbye.
Charlie and Percy had stowed away his and George's trunks. "Thanks, you guys." he had said.
Grinning wickedly, Charlie had said, "That's OK. It'll be your turn next year, Fred."
Charlie had spotted a bunch of Quidditch-playing friends and had gone with them. Percy didn't want anyone to know he was related to the twins so he nicked off sharpish. The twins were alone. Well, alone except for a sea of chattering students in their compartment.
"Fancy mingling?" Fred asked George.
"Yeah, let's," replied George.
George was staring around. "What?" said Fred.
"I don't think I've ever seen this many kids in one place before."
Fred gave him a punch on the arm. "For God's sakes, George! Don't SAY it like that, d'you want everyone to think we're the hillbillies from Hicksville?"
George looked somewhat hurt. "We're not hillbillies."
"I never said we were. C'mon, let's find people to annoy. By the time this train trip is over, every kid on this train has to know the names Fred and George Weasley- they have to know we're SOMEBODIES!"
"Yeah!" said George enthusiastically.
The twins stood up and walked down the aisle. Fred knew suddenly that George was right- they'd never actually seen this many kids- let alone magical kids- in one place.
George suddenly whacked Fred on the back of the head. "Geez, what was that for?" said Fred angrily.
"It's Dungbomb Boy," he told Fred, pointing into a huge clump of seats.
"Who?"
"The smartarse with the dreadlocks in the station, Fred, where've you BEEN?"
Fred's eyes suddenly fell on a skinny boy with dreadlocks sitting in a window seat on his own. He was staring broodingly out of the window. A mischievious spark glittered in each twin's eyes.
"What shall we use? Another Dungbomb?"
"Nah," said Fred. "He'll be expecting that. How about- a good, old-fashioned Filibuster?" He yanked one out of a pocket.
"I get to throw it this time."
Fred rolled his eyes. "I hear you." He handed it to George, who spat on the wick.
"Yuk, George! I wouldn't blame anyone who thought we were hillbillies."
"Well, where else am I going to get something wet to start it? You tell me. What, shall we ask that girl over there if we can borrow her pumpkin juice?"
"Hurry up and throw it, it's sparking!"
A spiral of brilliantly couloured sparks were emanating from the wick. George threw it. His aim was true, it landed straight in the empty seat beside Lee. He jumped and looked down at it. "What the hell-"
The Filibuster firework exploded with a terrific BANG! and Lee swore loudly. Everyone around him cracked up. He looked up angrily and saw the Weasley twins laughing harder than anyone.
The Weasleys stumbled back to their seats, still sniggering.
"Dungbomb Boy isn't so tough," chortled George.
"Yeah," agreed Fred. "We Weasleys can beat anyone!"
***
George was breathing hard. "Remember his face?" he snickered. "God, was that priceless or what?"
"Yeah," said Fred. "Let's go and annoy someone else. How about Percy?"
"Fred, he'll kill us, I don't think we should-"
"Levelheaded." said Fred, grinning.
"I am NOT levelheaded!" answered George hotly.
"Well, come on then," Fred said impatiently. "Let's go bug Percy."
They got up and moved off again. George tried not to catch Lee's eye as they passed him. It was plain that Percy wasn't in this part of the train. They walked through three more compartments before they finally spotted him, chatting with a bunch of would-be prefects.
George and Fred bounced over. "Hi, Perce!" they both yelled. They beamed adorably at the wannabe prefects, some of whom looked shocked, a couple rather amused.
"Get LOST!" hissed Percy, looking mortified.
A girl with lots of curly hair said in a voice that suggested she was trying not to laugh, "Are these your, erm, brothers, Percy?"
"Yes," said Percy stiffly. "What of it, Penelope?"
"Oh, I just thought you looked- alike," she answered, smiling.
George sent Fred a look that plainly said, 'Act immature.'.
Fred nodded and said sweetly to Percy's friends, "D'you know what the most embarrassing photo we have of Percy is of?"
"Shut UP, Fred!" snapped Percy, but the other third-years were grinning.
"Tell us," said a boy with dark hair. "What's it of?"
George began, "It's of-" but Percy clapped a hand over his mouth and said in a dangerous voice, "Perhaps you two IMMATURE LITTLE BRATS had better be running along now."
Fred looked indignant but George winked at him. "OK, Perce, whatever you say."
"Yeah," said Fred, cottoning on. "Your wish is our command, O Great Brother."
They turned to go but just as Percy relaxed George whipped around and yelled, "It's of Percy when he was two, in his bunny rabbit pyjamas with a TEDDY BEAR!" They sprinted for it, the third years' laughter and Percy's outraged yell ringing in their ears.
***
Lee was still smouldering about the Filibuster firework so he bought himself lots of sweets to cheer himself up. He wondered what he was going to do. He didn't want to write a letter home- that just screamed 'loser'. He had put his things inside his trunk so he couldn't graffiti his poster of his least favourite Quidditch team.
He pulled out his wand, aimed it at a group of sixth year girls and muttered, "Arachnius.". Little did he know that was the very same spell the Weasley twins had used to instate Ron's fear of spiders. A tall girl's bracelet turned into a huge tarantula.
A shorter girl noticed it. "SPIDER!" she shrieked, pointing.
"Omigod!" screamed the tall girl. "Look at the size of it!"
"Don't move, it might be poisonous!"
"Get rid of it!"
"I'm not touching it!"
Looks like Killer, thought Lee. He settled back to watch the ensuing confusion.
"EEK! Whatever you do, Davina, don't move!"
"Easy for you to say! What if it bites me?"
Other people were looking and gasping, others chuckling at the sight of the panicking girls.
"How do we get rid of it?"
"Er- go on, Lisa, you're a duelling champion, finish it!"
The girl called Lisa paled. "What d'you mean, finish it? I'm used to duelling boys twice my size, not tarantulas!"
Pathetic, thought Lee.
"THE STUPID THING'S GOING TO KILL ME AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOURSELF?" squealed Davina Johnson.
"Um- expelliarmus!"
The tarantula whirled helplessly in the air and flew out of a window. An unpleasant quiet had settled over the compartment. Davina was breathing hard.
A smaller girl, who had been watching the scene with interest picked that moment to say, "Tarantulas aren't poisonous, you know."
The sixth years glared at her. Davina was the first to speak. "TARANTULAS AREN'T POISONOUS? Angelina, d'you have any IDEA how frightened I was? Why the hell couldn't you have just SAID?"
The girl called Angelina shrugged and said, "Well, you lot were yelling so much I couldn't get a word in edgeways. And besides," she smirked, "It WAS kind of funny."
Lee grinned. What a perfect end to his prank. He hadn't even planned that part. Angelina, he thought, I salute you.
***
It was dark as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. Angelina shivered. The wind whipped at her cloak. Older kids whose faces, tall as she was, she couldn't see shoved past her. Where am I s'posed to GO, she though anxiously.
She had thought too soon. "Firs' years!" yelled a voice at the other end of the platform. "Any more firs' years?" She gaped as the biggest man she had ever seen in her life beckoned the first years over to him. A boy with red hair almost ran into her as he chased after his twin, who he seemed to have lost.
"Watch it!" she said angrily.
"Sorry," he said distractedly. "Oi, Fred! Wait for me!"
Must be the famous George of the red-headed Fred and George team, mused Angelina. No use telling him about his mum.
Angelina fought her way through the endless crowd until she was standing in Hagrid's shadow. The other first years stood around looking either cold, frightened or excited. The majority looked cold. "Any more firs' years?" bellowed Hagrid.
"Yeah, me," yelled a boy with dreadlocks as he arrived. She noticed that one of the twins punched the other on the arm. "Dungbomb Boy," he hissed. The other twin nodded vociferously.
"C'mon, you lot," called Hagrid. The first years followed him down a steep slope. The wind whistled through the trees. Angelina felt sort of spooked out. She had a weird feeling that she was going to fall into some sort of huge hole because the path seemed to keep dipping under her.
"You'll see Hogwarts fer the first time in a bit," yelled Hagrid. Angelina barely had time to wonder how long 'a bit' was when a loud, "Ohhhhhh," reberverated around.
They were standing on the side of a lake facing a castle... bigger than any castle Angelina had ever seen, in her dreams or out. It was silhouetted against a starry purple sky and Angelina felt a peculiar sort of uplifting sensation. She had never seen a more wonderful place.
***
"...when I call your name, put on the Hat and sit on the stool to be Sorted." Professor McGonagall barked to the first years. "Atkins, Rory!"
A boy with dark curly hair walked to the stool, put on the Hat and sat there trembling. He reminded all four- Fred, Lee, George and Angelina- of a scared rabbit.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Antor, Roslyn!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Bell, Kathryn!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Boston, Rhiannon!"
Rhiannon Boston strutted over to the stool, put on the Hat and waited.
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Brenson, Tara!"
A silence. Then-
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Boo!" yelled Fred and George.
Slowly, the line became shorter.
"Johnson, Angelina!"
Fred noticed that quite a few boys were looking at Angelina Johnson with a little more interest than was necessary. She gave the Hall and the tables an embarrassed grin and sat, putting on the Hat.
Not that Fred blamed the boys. He himself thought Angelina was very pretty. He contemplated whacking George on the shoulder and whispering, "Hey George- cute girl, eh?" He decided not. George would probably go, "Ooh, Fred's gotta girlfriend.". Not that I like her or anything, Fred thought. I just- appreciate her. There's a difference.
Meanwhile, Angelina was listening to the Hat whispering in her ear. "Hmm... I sense brains. You're a clever girl, Angelina Johnson. Compassion, a good degree of humility, and- aha! Bravery. Guess it comes with being sporty, eh, Angelina? Says here you broke your wrist when you were on a broomstick once and didn't make a sound."
"Where am I going to go?" thought Angelina, trembling slightly. She hoped to God she didn't look like Rory Atkins, the boy who resembled a scared rabbit.
"We-ell," the Hat muttered slyly. "You'd make a very good Ravenclaw."
Angelina remembered that Davina had a long-standing feud going on with one of the Ravenclaw girls. Heaven knows what Davina would do to her if she were made a Ravenclaw.
"I don't think so," she thought hopefully.
"Sure, are you? Well, if you're absoulutely sure, better be GRYFFINDOR!"
Angelina stood up gratefully, pulled off the Hat and scuttled off to Gryffindor.
George watched as 'Jordan, Lee' jumped up from his place. Dungbomb Boy. The Hall laughed as Lee gave them a double peace signal.
"JORDAN!" yelled McGonagall.
"Sorry, Professor." said Lee, sitting down. George thought that what he'd done was very clever- doing something other than quaking so the houses would remember who he was. Then he remembered he didn't like him. Well, didn't he? Was it so bad that he and Fred had found a match? Perhaps Lee didn't have to be their rival.
"Well, aren't we a rising star," the Hat hissed in Lee's ear.
"Right on!" thought Lee happily.
"You certainly aren't afraid to be a bit of a rebel, Lee Jordan. That's important."
"Hellyeah!" Lee told the Hat.
"Yep, you're a GRYFFINDOR through and through. Have a nice life."
Lee put down the Hat, waved to the Hall and took his place with the Gryffindors. He got a pretty loud cheer.
"Kingley, Robert!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Lombardo, Larissa!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Moon, Thomas!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Angelina watched with interest as the redheads booed the latest Slytherin. She giggled. They were sort of funny. A third year with glasses and similar colouring scowled at them.
"Weasley, Frederick!"
Fred bounded to the stool and flopped onto it. "Hello, Fred Weasley." the Hat murmured.
"Hey there. What's it gonna be, huh?"
"Slow down! Let's see... another rebel, hmm?"
"What d'you mean?"
"That Lee Jordan boy... friend of yours?"
"I guess." Fred was impatient to join Gryffindor. "So? Where am I going?"
"To a house table."
"Which one?"
"Well, you're certainly bold- a definite GRYFFINDOR!"
"Finally," muttered Fred. He pulled off the Hat, set it down on the stool, bowed exaggaratedly to the Gryffindor table and strutted over to a place near Charlie and his fifth year pals.
"Weasley, George!"
The Hat fell over George's eyes. He blinked into the darkness. "Not as bold as Fred, are you?"
George was outraged. "Huh?"
"Well, you're a bit more levelheaded."
What was with everyone? "I am NOT bleeding levelheaded!"
"Hmmph. Certainly opinionated, aren't you?"
That was more like it! "Yeah, that's me. Opinionated George Weasley."
"Not afraid to stand up for yourself, that's good. It's a cinch, well- I'm sorry, but you're going in GRYFFINDOR!"
George ripped off the Hat with gusto, pumped a fist into the air and yelled "YES!". He heard a few boos from the Slytherins but he couldn't have cared less. He was a Gryffindor!
He sat down next to Fred, who clapped him on the back. "Nice work, Georgie."
"Zabor, Michelle!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The houses watched as Dumbledore got to his feet. He beamed around at them. "I have a few words to say to you before we eat-"
The student population groaned collectively.
"Dig in!"
A cheer unlike any the twins, Lee and Angelina had yet heard swept the Hall. Food appeared on the plates before them and everyone, as Dumbledore had put it, dug in.
George looked up. He hadn't noticed that Lee was sitting across the table from them. He poked Fred, who looked insolently at Lee. "Hey there, Dungbomb Boy."
"Still remembering the station, I see."
Fred and George exchanged the merest of glances. They knew that they didn't need an enemy. Especially one with such a good kick. They already had half the Slytherin table plotting their doom.
"Already forgotten." said George smoothly.
Lee looked slightly suprised and a tad suspicious. Then he saw that the twins' offer of friendship was genuine. "You've got a good throw," he told George. "How'd you light that Filibuster?"
Fred smirked. "He spat on it."
"Foul!" yelled Lee. "Where are you guys from?"
"Where are you?"
"London. I'm a Cockney, huh?"
"D'you play football or something? That was a good kick in the station," George said with a scowl at Fred.
"Nah, Quidditch all the way, man! Too bad they don't let first years play, although I do a mean commentary..."
Fred had spotted Angelina. She was talking animatedly with a girl he recognised as Kathryn Bell.
"So, erm, Kathryn, d'you like Quidditch?" Angelina was saying.
"I love it! I'm going to be a Chaser when I leave school. And call me Katie, everyone does."
"Didja get a load of those twins? You know, the ones with red hair who kept booing the Slytherins?"
"Yeah! They were so FUNNY. Those Slytherins- they looked ready to kill!"
"What's their last name? Weston, Warsey-"
"Wodey?"
"Weasley, yeah, that was it. Fred and George Weasley."
Angelina smiled in spite of herself. She liked the Weasley twins.
Lee and the twins were discussing the food. "I already love this place," said Lee with a smile. "What kind of incredible school would have mint humbugs on the table?" He took a handful and shoved them into his pocket.
"A good school, that's for sure. A good school full of teachers for annoying." answered Fred.
Lee listened to the twins talking about their family. "I'm an only child," he told them. "Sometimes I sorta wish I had a brother."
"Want mine?" said both twins.
Lee sniggered. "You guys are off the wall, I tell ya. Did you bring any other tricks besides Dungbombs and Filibuster fireworks?"
The twins grinned at each other. "Ever hear of a little something called-"
A few places away, Percy spluttered and spat out a humbug.
"-a Soap Humbug?" finished George.
"Brilliant." hissed Lee. The Great Hall became hushed as Dumbledore stood up again.
"Now that we are all fed and watered," he called into the expectant quiet. "Let us join all years in the communal singing of the school song!"
George felt confused. He didn't know the words or the tune, how was he-
"Everyone pick their favourite tune, and off we go!"
A flick of Dumbledore's wand and the words flickered above their heads.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts," yelled George. Weird, he mused.
"Teach us something please," bellowed Lee, across the table. No thanks, he thought.
"Whether we be old and bald or young with scabby knees," roared Fred. What the hell does that mean? he thought.
"Our heads could do with filling, with some interesting stuff," Angelina belted out. Excuse me? she wondered.
Their thoughts continued in this fashion until the end of the song. Dumbledore smiled around at the Hall.
"Truly beautiful. Bedtime, students!"
As the first years left the Hall, Fred chanced a glance at Angelina. She was giggling with Katie about something- presumably the song. She looked up and saw him. Angelina and Fred looked at each other for a second. She smiled at him.
How about that, he thought. Out of all the boys who were looking at her, she smiles at me. Not that I was looking at her.
Lee studied the two of them. He poked George and pointed. "Make a good couple, don't they?"
"What- Fred and that Angelina girl?" George grinned. "Yeah. Should make for an interesting seven years at Hogwarts, eh?"
Lee didn't have a chance to answer because Fred caught up with them. "Cripes, guys, don't leave me like that. Where's this Gryffindor common room, then? I'm beat, I gotta sleep."
"Too much excitement for poor Fred? Awwww." George teased.
"Unlikely! When you've spent eleven straight years being hyper, you just sleep sometimes. Although I reckon that I could short sheet every bed in the castle before midnight."
"Now THAT'S unlikely," put in Lee. "Yo, girls." he yelled to a pair of Ravenclaw second year girls. "Peace!". He gave them another of his double peace signals.
Fred and George gave him a shove.
"Hippie," said George.
"Don Wannabe," said Fred.
"Get a load of Lee Jordan," Angelina said to Katie. " Weirdo or what?"
"Ah, I dunno. He's cool, in a weirdo sort of way. I wonder if he plays Quidditch?"
"Maybe." Angelina felt very at home. This IS where I belong, she told herself.
All in all, it had been an interesting first day for all four Gryffindors.