Part One: Bill's Year
The scarlet trained pulled into the Hogwarts station, bearing red-faced children wearing new robes they received over the Christmas holiday. Bill beamed, showing off HIS new robes also. They weren't as nice as the ones he got last year, but that was always the way. Whenever more children came, less money came with it. Still, he was at Hogwarts again, so nothing else could bother him. Well, nothing except-
"Out of the way, Gryfinndor."
Before Bill even had a chance to retort, he lay flat on his face, sitting up to see he receding figures of Lucius Malfoy and his band of cronies.
"Wankers," He mumbled.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," said a warm, cheerful voice. A hand extended and Bill gladly took it, feeling the strength of years of Quidditch games behind it. He guessed who it was. James Potter was he only person who made Bill wish he were older.
"'Lo James," Bill couldn't help but smile. He was the only one of his year on first-name speaking terms with the famous Marauder. "How was your break?"
"Great," He grinned, nodding at Lily.
"Awwww, James. Insinuating such things to a second year? You should be ashamed. OY, LILY! You know James just did?"
"SIRIUS!"
Bill shook his head while James raced after his best friend, Sirius Black. They would be awhile and the Weasley felt like a nap before dinner began. It was the Marauders and Lily's last year. Bill couldn't imagine Hogwarts life without those five, but he expected to be busy with Charlie next year, at any rate.
"HEY, BILL! HOW'RE YA?"
A large hand fwapped him on the back, nearly sending him sprawling to the ground for the second time that day.
"Hello, Hagrid." He replied, trying to gasp some air back into his lungs. Though he was tall for his age, Bill almost had to stare straight up to look Hagrid in the eye. The Hogwarts groundkeeper had to have been half-giant, in height and strength.
"How's yer little brother?"
"Charlie, Percy, or the ones that haven't been born yet?"
At that point, it became apparent that Hagrid had forgotten about Percy and the fact that Molly Weasley was pregnant again. "Er, um... Well, I'd..."
"It's alright, Hagrid, my family's doing just fine."
"Good, good. Well, I've got work ter do, Bill, so I'll be seein' ya." Hagrid shuffled, trying not to appear embarrassed as he was.
Bill nodded and let the big man go on his way. He didn't expect anyone to keep track of all his family members. Not even HE could do that.
*!*!*!*!*
Bill was pleased to find his dormitory exactly as he'd left it. Unable to resist the urge, he leapt onto his four poster bed and started jumping, something he would've been killed for at home. After a good while, nap all but forgotten, he finally tired and lay back down, staring at the familiar ceiling.
"Tsk, tsk, William. What would your mother say?"
A rush of excitement ran through the red-haired boy and he jumped up from the bed. A glowing, ebony-haired girl with rosy cheeks and a glint of mischief in her eyes stood in the door way of dormitory. It was Kathy Johnson, one of Bill's two best friends. He'd met her in his first year and they clicked immediately. She had a sibling, also, and was usually the first person he ran to when he needed to grow his hair out overnight. At the moment, she was shaking her own loose, long hair, hair that wouldn't behave it you attacked it with every brush and comb in the world.
"Well, my mother's not here, is she?" Bill grinned. "You better get out, Kathy, someone'll catch you."
"Ooh, catch me! I'm shaking in my Quidditch robes." She was indeed wearing Quidditch robes, James was probably running her into the ground with practice. Although she had just gotten onto the team this year, Kathy was good. However, to beat Slytherin, she had to avoid their often blatant cheating. That took practice. A lot of practice. "You'd better get out, or you'll miss dinner."
The gangly boy got the hint and leapt up from bed and followed her to the common room. "How was your break?"
"Gee, I don't know. If you asked my parents, they wouldn't even notice I came home, they're so caught up with that damned baby." She snarled, pulling off her robes to reveal muggle clothing underneath.
Bill looked at her, jealously. Secretly, he thought muggles dressed a lot better than wizards. "You're not wearing that to the Hall, are you?"
"'Course not. Wait here." She dashed back down moments later, wearing her Gryfinndor robes, but fighting a frown. "There. I still like my Aerosmith shirt better."
"You're what?"
"Aerosmith. It's a muggle band that... Nevermind."
Confused, Bill simply changed the subject. Unfortunately, he changed it to the wrong thing. "What's the baby's name?"
"What do you care?" She snapped back, angrily. Realizing Bill was just making conversation, she mumbled a reply rather than apologize for barking at him. "Angelina, okay? Can we not talk about her? She hasn't been here three months and already I'm starting to plot her sudden disappearance."
*!*!*!*!*
The Great Hall was full of students by the time the two Gryfinndors arrived. The golden plates were comfortingly clean and everyone was looking around anxiously for the feast to start.
Headmaster Dumbledore sat at the front of the professor's table, gray eyes glittering behind crescent spectacles. The teacher's around him tried to match his calm demeanor, but were obviously filled with worry and apprehension. "Before we begin, I have a few announcements I would like to make. Our last caretaker, Mr. Tiplan, made a very strong decision to leave his job at Hogwarts and return to his family over this Christmas holiday."
Kathy gave an involuntary shudder as she and Bill sat down. "His family was attacked by... You-Know-Who," She whispered. "I met up with him just before he left. Was pale as death." She fell quiet as Dumbledore spoke again.
"We were lucky enough to find his replacement before the holidays were over. Please welcome Mr. Argus Filch and treat him with the same respect you treat the rest of the staff."
A torn, tattered-looking man arose from his chair at the end of the table. He was relatively young, clean-shaved, but with the meanest eyes. There was a fair amount of appluase, but at a glare from the new caretaker, it died down quickly. In his arms was cat, a gray tabby with scruffy fur and powerful yellow eyes that seemed to match Filch's.
"Looks like Mynx and Jynx are gonna have a new playmate," Bill muttered to Kathy. Her cats, Mynx, the orange tabby, and Jynx, the calico, were some of the only cats in the school. Dark times had come upon the wizarding world and owls were vital. Kathy'd brought back a Great Horned owl her second year, naming it Quinn. Though she spoiled her cats, she spoiled Quinn more for some reason that Bill couldn't figure out.
"Best keep Mynx away from her. I don't suspect he's the sort that likes kittens. Rather not have him after my cats."
"Oh, that's grand, i'n't it?" A new voice smiled. "Let the caretaker get tormented all he likes, but woe betide us if anything happens to your precious cats."'
"Shove it, Benji," said Kathy politely, sipping her pumpkin juice that had appeared after Dumbledore let the feast begin.
Benji nodded. "Aye, ma'am." He saluted her, sending his short, sandy hair into disarray, before plopping down next to Bill. "How was your Christmas, mate?"
"Could've been better without my brother smashing everything," Bill replied.
"Ah, well, that's always the way. At least You-Know-Who's not after ya."
"BENJI!" Kathy choked on her chicken, then whacked Benji straight across the mouth.
"OW! What was that for?"
"For joking about something like that! It's not funny, Benj!"
Bill shuddered. It really wasn't funny. Despite the cheerfulness of the students, there was an obvious undertone of fear and uncertainty. Voldemort was on the rise and no one knew who was next.
Benji rubbed his jaw where she slapped him. "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood."
"Oh and you did SUCH a nice job of it." Kathy snapped. Anything having to do with Voldemort made her nervous. Truth be told, Voldemort made everyone else more than nervous. Kathy was one of the souls who got antsy when he was mentioned. Some others might fly off the handle into full-blown panic.
"Oh, lay off, Kath. I'm just jokin', you know me."
She looked like she wanted to say "Unfortunately,", but let it go. "Yeah, I know. Sorry."
Bill smiled and swallowed a bite of sweet potato. "Come guys, it's our first day back from holiday. Let's celebrate."
Kathy brightened. "With what? A food fight? Stink pellets in the library?"
Benji jumped in. "Let Jynx loose in the owlery?"
"Umm..." Bill scratched at his short hair. "I was thinking something a bit less destructive. You up for a game of Quidditch?"
"Isn't that cute? The weasel thinks he can play Quidditch," hissed an amused voice. It belonged to a pale-faced boy, a face consisting of cunning and venom, with thin, pink lips and dark hair. "And how would you afford the broom, Weasel? Your father hardly makes enough to to buy a twig off a Nimbus."
Kathy immediately dug her nails into her palms. "Eat rat dung, you sewer-dwelling slug." Bill stopped her. She had been in more fists fights that year than Sirius Black, which was a feat not easily done.
The boy, Nickolas Nosferatu, showed no signs of letting up. "What's the matter, Weasel? Why not let me mop the floor with your little-"
"Petrificus Totalus." murmured Benji, rather lazily. "For shame, Vampy," The term was actually their NICE name for Nick. "Ya'd think by now he'd of realized there was three of us, eh?"
Kathy snickered and tapped Nick on the shoulder, sending him face first, onto the floor. The three slunk out just as a nearby Slytherin noticed his petrified comrade on the floor.