Jane wandered down the hallway. Lady wanted to see more of the castle, and so did Jane. It was sometime around two in the afternoon; the children were taking their classes. She peeked into a classroom, just to see what it was like. The children were changing animals into objects.
Their teacher was Professor McGonagall, and she invited Jane to come in and watch. Curious, Jane came in. The students were sixth year students from Houses Gryffindor, and Slytherin. McGonagall gave her a demonstration of what they were supposed to be doing on a small penguin. She tapped her wand on it three times, and right in fron of Jane's eyes the penguin became a- what was that?
"A toaster, dear," McGonagall said when Jane asked. Nodding to the class, McGonagall paused to add a threat, "And if I hear one explosion from your desk, Misters Weasley, you'll be doing detention with Filch tonight."
Jane wandered around the class, watching the students work. After a bit, she decided she liked the Gryffindor students better than the Slytherins. The two boys McGonagall had admonished were exactly the same. This confused her for a bit, and then she approached their desk.
"Why do you two look so much alike?"
"Blimey, we're twins. Didn't you know?" one asked. The other nodded his head in agreement.
"What's twins?" Jane asked curiously. She was certain it had something to do with their being the same.
"Two babies born together from the same mother," McGonagall told Jane as she passed by. After some consideration, Jane asked,
"What's your names?" The boys looked at each other, and then grinned.
"I'm Fred, and he's George," said the first boy. Jane smiled.
"I'm Jane. Are you good at this class?"
"Not too bad," George answered. "At least when she's watching us," he added with a wink. Jane giggled.
"So, what're you doing here?" Fred asked Jane.
"I live here now, with my guardian," Jane answered happily. She could not really remember a time when she had had much chance to speak to other kids.
"Guardian? Who is it? Not McGonagall?"
"No, but she is my friend. My guardian is Severus Snape." Jane wondered if she fed the boys worms, or lemons, would they look more surprised and disgusted than they did now?
"Not the. . . the Bat!" Fred sputtered, after a hasty glance to be sure that McGonagall was not near enough to hear.
"He's not a. . . bat?" Jane paused to think if she knew what a bat was.
"You're staying with the Greasy Git?" George asked. "Is it awful?"
"Not really," Jane said, taking awful to mean bad.
"Not really?" Fred asked, tapping on his bird, trying unsuccessfully to turn it into something. "What does that mean? Is he nice?"
"I don't know. I don't know what nice is," she admitted. The twins exchanged a look. After a moment of silent communication, Geroge asked,
"Does he yell at you? And hit you?" Jane looked down. They knew. Did he tell everyone about her? About how bad she was?
Again, the twins looked at each other, and then at Jane once more. They seemed to come to some sort of agreement, and George leaned down close to her face.
"Listen Jane, if you ever need help, you can come to us, understand?"
"Yes, thank you." Jane smoothly covered her surprise at their gesture. Years of listening to Lady had taught her how to handle things with grace. Even if it was not her own.
Their teacher was Professor McGonagall, and she invited Jane to come in and watch. Curious, Jane came in. The students were sixth year students from Houses Gryffindor, and Slytherin. McGonagall gave her a demonstration of what they were supposed to be doing on a small penguin. She tapped her wand on it three times, and right in fron of Jane's eyes the penguin became a- what was that?
"A toaster, dear," McGonagall said when Jane asked. Nodding to the class, McGonagall paused to add a threat, "And if I hear one explosion from your desk, Misters Weasley, you'll be doing detention with Filch tonight."
Jane wandered around the class, watching the students work. After a bit, she decided she liked the Gryffindor students better than the Slytherins. The two boys McGonagall had admonished were exactly the same. This confused her for a bit, and then she approached their desk.
"Why do you two look so much alike?"
"Blimey, we're twins. Didn't you know?" one asked. The other nodded his head in agreement.
"What's twins?" Jane asked curiously. She was certain it had something to do with their being the same.
"Two babies born together from the same mother," McGonagall told Jane as she passed by. After some consideration, Jane asked,
"What's your names?" The boys looked at each other, and then grinned.
"I'm Fred, and he's George," said the first boy. Jane smiled.
"I'm Jane. Are you good at this class?"
"Not too bad," George answered. "At least when she's watching us," he added with a wink. Jane giggled.
"So, what're you doing here?" Fred asked Jane.
"I live here now, with my guardian," Jane answered happily. She could not really remember a time when she had had much chance to speak to other kids.
"Guardian? Who is it? Not McGonagall?"
"No, but she is my friend. My guardian is Severus Snape." Jane wondered if she fed the boys worms, or lemons, would they look more surprised and disgusted than they did now?
"Not the. . . the Bat!" Fred sputtered, after a hasty glance to be sure that McGonagall was not near enough to hear.
"He's not a. . . bat?" Jane paused to think if she knew what a bat was.
"You're staying with the Greasy Git?" George asked. "Is it awful?"
"Not really," Jane said, taking awful to mean bad.
"Not really?" Fred asked, tapping on his bird, trying unsuccessfully to turn it into something. "What does that mean? Is he nice?"
"I don't know. I don't know what nice is," she admitted. The twins exchanged a look. After a moment of silent communication, Geroge asked,
"Does he yell at you? And hit you?" Jane looked down. They knew. Did he tell everyone about her? About how bad she was?
Again, the twins looked at each other, and then at Jane once more. They seemed to come to some sort of agreement, and George leaned down close to her face.
"Listen Jane, if you ever need help, you can come to us, understand?"
"Yes, thank you." Jane smoothly covered her surprise at their gesture. Years of listening to Lady had taught her how to handle things with grace. Even if it was not her own.