Birds That Can't Fly

Disclaimer: Harry potter and all affiliated characters are owned by J.K. Rowling and her Publishers. To kill a Mockingbird is owned by Harper lee and warner books, please don't sue me, the only character I own in this story so far is Charlotte. That's it! Really I swear! *Begging on hands and knees* Please don't sue me!!!!!!!!!!

Fred Weasley looked around platform 9 3/4 with an unusual feeling of detachment. Crowds of people thronged everywhere, mass confusion seemed to have erupted around Neville Longbottom.

Hid little brother Ron was talking to his best friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Freds' twin brother George was animatedly relating a story to lee Jordan. It was obvious to Fred from Georges gestures that he was obviously sharing the now infamous Gas inducing Floo Powder incident. Fred chuckled to himself, the whole seemed rather funny now that his mother had stopped yelling at them.

"Fred?" he looked to his right and towards the ground somewhat to see his youngest sister and only sibling Ginny smiling up at him.

"Yeah Ginny?" He asked.

"Could you help me with my trunk? It's too heavy for me to lift." She asked reddening slightly. Fred knew his sister had an independent streak and was always slightly ashamed when she had to ask her brother for help.

Fred gave a huge dramatic sigh "Honestly Ginny, can't you do anything on your own?" Then he grinned at his little sister to assure he that he was only joking. "I've already put my things on the train, do you want me to put yours in our compartment?"

Ginny reddened even more "Uh..........no........er.......Neville has gotten us a compartment...............next to the one you usually sit in.................." she trailed off embarrassed.

Fred raised an eyebrow " Neville eh?" he said casting a dubious look in the direction of the befuddled fifth year near the front of the train.

Ginny blushed so much that it seemed she may transfigure herself into a tomato "It's not like that Fred. It's just he's always been so nice to me. I Really don't want us to be more than friends.....but ever since the Yule ball last year........."

Fred clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Tsk tsk Ginny, I was under the impression you had given your heart to another fifth year........one with a certain scar........" Ginny looked as if she might die of embarrassment. Fred grinned again lifted the truck and boarded the Hogwarts Express. By the time He had found Ginnys' compartment he was wondering why exactly she had felt the need to pack bowling balls, and if there wasn't a charm that would lift the trunk for him next time.

After depositing the trunk he stepped out into the corridor where he collided head on with someone. After taking a second to collect himself he found it was a girl he didn't recognize sprawled out on the floor looking slightly bewildered.

"Are you all right? You aren't hurt are you?" He asked offering the girl a hand which she accepted.

"Only my pride" she said apologetically through her thick American accent. "My fault, I should have been watching where I was going."

"Is this yours?" Asked Fred scooping up a copy of To kill a Mocking Bird and handing it to the girl.

"Yeah, thanks" she smiled slightly at him while taking the book from him.

"Fred dear!" His mothers voice floated into the train from the platform below. "Fred come and give me a kiss goodbye!"

Now It was Freds' turn to blush "Uh that's me, I gotta go I guess...........uh...........have a nice trip!" He stepped around her his eyes locked on her face.

"Yeah" she replied "You to!" she called as he hopped down onto the platform.

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Fred resisted the strong temptation to go looking for the girl during the train ride to Hogwarts. He knew what George would say if he knew Fred was going out looking for some girl. It had taken months before Fred was able to have a Conversation with Angelina Johnson without being accosted with snide remarks from his twin.

So he sat in the compartment while Lee and George planned several fiascos to undertake this year Fred talked quietly with Angelina. Actually Angelina was doing most of the talking. Fred was only keeping up the appearance of listening, throwing in a "oh really? Wow! Great!"{ every once in a while for her gratification. Really his mind was elsewhere.

It didn't make sense to him to be dwelling on the clumsy meeting, there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. But still Her grey-green eyes and pretty face were etched very vividly in his mind. She wasn't Beautiful like Angelina, definitely not as terribly skinny, but there was this interesting sort of beauty to her. He found her incredibly intriguing , even only after exchanging a few words, he wanted to speak to her again.

"Fred" he snapped back to attention to see Angelina staring at him expectantly .

"what?" he asked.

"what do you think?"

"about what?"

Looking exasperated Angelina was about to explain when George piped up. "looks like we are almost there! better hurry up and change."

Relieved not to have to discuss whatever matter Angelina was trying to press Fred Jumped up and began rifling through his trunk. Angelina left to go change in another compartment and the boys quickly donned their Hogwarts robes. When they were finished Fred turned to see George grinning slyly at him.

"What ?" Fred demanded.

"You sly dog you. " George chuckled." Going out with Angelina? Nice catch."

"I never said I was going out with Angelina." Fred said.

Lee smiled at him " Well you should be, how long has it been since the Yule ball? How long have we watched you two flirting in the corridors? Hmmmmm?"

"We don't flirt." Fred replied realising how lame it sounded. It was true , last year he had liked Angelina, but during the summer it seemed to have faded a bit.

"What ever you say!" Chuckled George.

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There she was. Sitting in the great hall. There was a new table. The girl was sitting there with some other young looking witches and wizards. Some of them he recognized as Hogwarts alumni, others he had never seen before. He sat down beside George and across from Harry. Ron who was sitting in between Harry and Hermione suddenly looked as though he may begin to drool. His eyes were locked on the knew table where the girl sat.

Fred turned to see the source of his youngest brothers sudden outburst of hormones, and watched as none other than Fleur Delacour sat down next to his mystery girl and promptly began speaking French to her as though they were old friends.

"What is she doing here?" asked Hermione regarding Fleur with a look of mild contempt.

"I dunno" said Ron still staring at fleur "but I'm glad she is back!"

Patiently they watched the sorting, cheering on the new Gryffindors who came to sit with them and offering condolences to the new slytherins. At long last Professor Dumbledore stood up. He looked more tiered than usual, as though this summer hadn't been very restful for him. Fred remembered with a slight shiver the events of the last year that had led to the rising of "he who must not be named". Surely Dumbledore has run himself ragged this summer placing spells over Hogwarts to protect the students from the dark lord. Still the headmaster of Hogwarts beamed down at him with that familiar twinkle in his eyes.

"Friends, I am so pleased to see you all here tonight as we begin another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It gives me great pleasure to know that we will be giving you the tools you need to arm yourself in life, and especially in the dark days that may lie ahead."

Dumbledore paused here as a visible shudder of fear swept through the crowded hall. "However, you need not worry, because here at Hogwarts we will always keep you safe and try to guide you along the right path.'

' To help us with that journey we have recruited some new members to our staff. These are student teachers who will be helping you with your lessons and offering your expertise. And as the regular teaching staff have many things that will keep them occupied this year it will fall to the student teachers to fill their shoes should the need arise."

Dumbledore introduced the occupants of the student teacher table one by one. For Arithmancy Harris Blake, Divination Anna Deirdre, Care of magical creatures Hannah Etwell, and so on and so forth until he reached Transfiguration

"Miss Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore announced. Fleur stood, smiling and waving at some people she remembered from last year. "and lastly but certainly not least for potions Miss Charlotte Wildsmith" The mystery girl stood smiling slight and bowed her head slightly to the crowd then to the professors. The action was so solemn and graceful that Fred wished he had a pair of omnioculars so he could watch her make the gesture over and over again.

All of a sudden the he realised the plates were filled with food. Dumbledore had finished speaking and the feast had begun. Reluctantly he turned away from the student teacher table and began to enjoy the feast with his friends.

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It was a good two hours later that Fred finally returned to the Gryffindor common room. He smiled at the warmth and coziness of the cheerful little room. He vaguely wondered where George and lee were, they had left the Great Hall earlier with the faintest glimmer of conspiracy in their eyes. Deciding that he didn't really want to be in trouble on his first day back Fred contented himself in not knowing.

He flopped down in a chair next to the fire, and looked beside him surprised to see Charlotte Wildsmith sitting in the chair next to him looking up from her book smiling at him.

"I would wave a white flag, but I left my napkin in the great hall." She said.

Fred chuckled " don't worry , I only knock people over the first time I meet them. You're lucky really , it's a compliment, I only hurt the people like."

"I'm glad. My Name's Charlotte.......I don't think we were properly introduced on the train.."

"I'm Fred, Fred Weasley."

For some reason the two of them found it really easy to talk to on each other. Fred was fascinated by Charlottes life, She had travelled all over the world attending over 6 different wizarding schools, including Beaxbatons.

"That's where I met Fleur" charlotte told him.

As it turned out Charlotte was the same age as him, but she had graduated early from a school in Salem a year ahead of her class. She had majored in potion studies and hoped to become a teacher at Hogwarts.

But as much as she talked Fred found That Charlotte listened twice as well. He told her all about his families, received uproarious laughter when he told her about his and Georges previous exploits. BY the time they parted to go to bed they felt as if they were old friends.

When Fred trudged up the stars of the boys dormitory after watching Charlotte disappear behind the door of the girls dorms he felt that his initial reaction to her had been right. She was amazing, he'd hung on her every word all evening and more amazingly she'd hung on his. he smiled to himself while wiping away the rubber maggots George and lee had deposited in his bed. That night he dreamed of her, and he woke up smiling.

Okay I know it kind of sucks right now but trust me I have this enormously complicated plot planned out in my head, it's gonna be really good, don't give up on me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please review, although I have every intention of continuing this story even if you all hate it , but this is my first try, so please cut me some slack! I love each and every one of you...........that was sorta weird............