Ron Weasley: The Boy who lived
Disclaimer: Not mine however much I beg and moan.
Summary: AU. Harry Potter isn't the boy who brought down the dark lord. His parents are alive, and Sirius is free. Instead, somebody else receives that lightening shaped scar that fateful Halloween…
The sorting
"Welcome to Hogwarts"
Ron stared at the witch, who had her grey hair held up in a bun, and was wearing a witches hat.
He then looked around at the other first years. Everyone looked exactly how he felt, pale and nervous.
Scanning around, he saw Hermione, who's hair had been turned back to normal again, and a bit further along Draco Malfoy standing in between two big, mean looking boys. Draco glared at Ron, so Ron glared back.
The witch started to speak again, so Ron turned back to listen.
"In a few moments I will be taking you into the great hall, where you will be sorted into your new house. These houses are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. If you will try and tidy yourselves up a bit, I will be back in a few minutes to collect you."
"Who was that?" Ron asked Harry who was standing beside him.
"I think it was Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house. Dad and Sirius told me about her. She's nice, but very strict!"
The first years stood quietly until the professor returned and they slowly followed her into the magnificent Great Hall.
Ron looked around in awe at his surroundings. Thousands of candles floated in mid air over four long tables with students sitting at them. Another table was at the front of the hall with the teachers sitting at them.
Ron looked up at the ceiling to see that it looked exactly like the sky outside.
"It's bewitched" Ron heard Hermione Granger say. "I read it in Hogwarts a History." Ron looked behind him at Harry, who was rolling his eyes.
At the front of the Hall, Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years. She then placed an old dirty looking hat on top, which everyone looked at expectantly.
A brim of the old hat suddenly opened wide, like a mouth and the hat began to sing.
A/n I can't be bothered to type out the whole song, but you get the idea of it :op
When the hat finished singing, the whole hall burst into applause and it bowed to each of the tables.
Professor McGonagall then stepped forward yet again, with a long roll of parchment.
"When I call out your name, step forward and place the hat on your head and sit on the stool and wait to be sorted. You will then proceed to your house table." She cleared her throat and began. "Abbott, Hannah."
A blonde girl with pigtails walked cautiously up to the hat and placed it on her head. After a few minutes, the hat shouted so the whole hall could hear "HUFFLEPUFF".
One after one the students went up.
"Granger, Hermione."
"GRYFFINDOR" Next to Ron, Harry gave a groan.
"Malfoy, Draco"
Before the hat even touched Draco's head, it screamed "SLYTHERIN!"
Soon it was Harry's turn and he went confidently up to the hat. Almost immediately after sitting on the stool the hat cried "GRYFFINDOR". Giving the thumbs up to Ron, Harry went and sat at his new house.
After Dawn Siwel (Gryffindor) and Lisa Turpin (Ravenclaw), Professor McGonagall called out Ron's name.
The hall went silent, then whispers began to spread around, and people even started standing up to see if it really was the famous Ron Weasley.
As Ron slowly walked towards the hat and sat on the stool, he could see hundreds and hundreds of eyes all peering at him.
Then the hat spoke to him.
"Hmm, interesting. But difficult. Yes very difficult. Plenty of Weasley courage I see, but also a need to prove yourself…but where to put you?"
"Not slytherin. Please anywhere but slytherin!" Ron pleaded silently.
"Oh but why not? You could be great in slytherin you know. Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness.."
"No! Not slytherin.."
"OK then, better be GRYFFINDOR!"
Sighing gratefully, Ron put the hat back on the stool and went to sit at the Gryffindor table next to Harry, ignoring the fact that he had gotten the loudest cheer.
*****
After the sorting, a tall man with a flowing white beard, sparkling blue eyes and half-mooned spectacles stood up beaming, and the hall fell silent.
"Welcome to another year of Hogwarts. I would like to say a few words before we being our feast. Here they are. Nitwick! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
Before Ron's eyes the plates before him filled with food and everyone began to pile it on their plates.
"Was that Professor Dumbledore Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yep. He's the best wizard in the world," Harry replied looking at Dumbledore with respect.
Then his face turned into a nasty snarl and Ron looked over to wear he was looking. A greasy haired, hook nosed wizard was glaring back at Harry.
"Watch out for him though," Harry spat. "That's slimy Snape and he just luuurves his Slytherins."
It happened quickly. Snape caught Ron's eye and a raging pain shot through his scar making him clutch his head in surprise.
"Ouch" he hissed.
"What?" asked Harry with a mouthful of potato.
"Nothing," the pain had gone again leaving Ron to wonder if that teacher had been the one to cause it.
****
After eating, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet again.
"I just have a few more things to announce to you before you all go up to bed. Can I remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students and no magic may be used in the corridors between classes.
"Quidditch trials will be held for second years and above next week and finally, this year the third year corridor is out of bounds to all, who do not wish to die a painful death. And now, to bed. Off you go!"
A prefect named Moe led all the first years up to the Gryffindor Dormitory, stopping outside a big portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.
"Password?" the lady in the portrait moved and asked.
"Caput Draconis." As the portrait swung open, revealing a round cosy looking room with a roaring fire in the grate, and many comfy looking armchairs, Moe explained to the group that passwords were changed every so often and would need to present it to the Fat Lady to gain access to the common room. They were not allowed to reveal the password to any of the other houses.
The girls were then led up one staircase, and the boys the other into their dormitories.
Ron walked up to his four-poster bed, which had his trunk and owl cage beside it and got ready for bed. Saying goodnight to Harry, he closed his curtains, and went to sleep, feeling happy that he was there.
I don't know what to think of this chapter. Plus its late because a lot of stuff has been happening in my life and none of it good! Hopefully it'll all be sorted out soon though and the next chapter will be out as soon as poss!
