CHAPTER TWO: Back to Hogwarts!
"I can't believe it's already your second year!" Aunt Hermione was saying to Jenny, with tears in her eyes. "Before I know it you'll be studying for your OWLS and your NEWTS and entering the real world and-"
"At least you know Jenny will get some OWLS and NEWTS." George Weasley said with a sigh. "I'm beginning to despair about Greg, I don't think I saw him even touch a book over the holidays!"
"He touched a book Dad!" Georgia spoke up with a grin. "We bewitched Paul's advanced dark arts book! When he opens it he'll-"
"Don't tell me." George interrupted her with a groan. "If you tell me I'm going to have to tell him off. I think I'm better off not knowing!"
"At least now you can feel sorry for Mum and Dad." Uncle Ron told his brother. "Honestly you and Fred were terrible!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Fred Weasley said haughtily. Even his wife Angelina had to laugh at that.
I grinned and moved over from the large crowd of Weasleys and Potters to check my luggage was all right. Sitting right on top in pride of place was my new broomstick. Second year students were allowed to take their brooms and I couldn't wait to show it off. Uncle Ron had been most impressed when he'd spotted it and so had Greg and Francine. But the person I most wanted to see it was Alforth of course!
"Oh I bet you don't!" Dad said with a laugh. "I seem to remember a time when I was in my fifth year that you let me eat the most gorgeous toffee I'd ever tasted. But you neglected to tell me it would make me sprout feathers!"
Everyone laughed, and Mum put her arm around Dad. "Don't worry Harry, I thought you looked cute with feathers!"
Dad's face went red, and of course everyone laughed even more.
"Well, well, well. Isn't this nice? A family reunion? But then I suppose you're house is far too small to hold you all!" Said a mocking voice.
There stood Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Alforth and a young girl with an equally pointy face. They were all sneering at us.
"Get lost Malfoy." Uncle Ron said evenly. "Do you honestly think we give a fig about what you think anymore?"
Mr. Malfoy smiled slightly. "You couldn't even afford a fig Weasley."
Alforth snorted and Greg glared at him. "Think that's funny do you rat face?" He snapped. "Well wait till we get back to school and if you're lucky I might show you something really funny!"
Alforth looked nonplussed. "You don't scare me Weasley."
"Who's the little miss rat face?" Greg asked, changing the subject.
The young girl who was standing with the Malfoy's looked shocked at the term and clutched tighter at her mother's hand. "Mum, did you hear what he called me?" She said softly.
"Alforth, Draco, let's go and make sure everything's organised for the journey." Mrs. Malfoy said coldly, and the Malfoy's walked off.
"Gregory that wasn't called for." George said frowning. "I don't like the Malfoy's any better than anyone, but that kind of childish bickering should be beneath you by now."
"But Dad Alforth is a little git, he-" Greg began, but now his mother, Alicia, interrupted him.
"Your father's right Greg. Don't stoop to the level of the Malfoys." She said.
Greg looked annoyed, but then Georgia leant over and whispered something to him and he looked up with a grin. Percy Weasley was walking across the platform towards us, Paul walking next to him with a smug expression on his face. I heard Uncle Ron groan slightly.
"Hello all, how are we?" Percy asked, pompously.
"Spiffing old man." Fred replied, and there were a few snorts and smiles.
Percy chose to ignore the jibe. "I'm so proud of Paul here, another head boy in the family!"
"Yeah we heard once." Greg muttered.
"Or twice." Georgia muttered.
"Now Samuel," Mum said drawing Dad and me over to her. "I want you to behave yourself again, and try and study a bit harder than last year."
"And try and make the house team!" Dad added. Mum glared at him, and he quickly added "But study comes first of course."
"Of course." I repeated dutifully.
"SAM! JENNY!" Someone yelled from across the platform, cutting across the whistle of the Hogwarts Express. "OI!"
"Martin!" I called back. "How are you? How was Japan?"
"Amazing. Did you know they have the largest wizard community in the world?" Martin said, coming closer.
"They do?" I repeated surprised.
"Had either of you actually listened in history of magic last year you'd know why that is!" Jenny said shaking her head. "The Japanese and the Americans had-"
"-You're going to have to skip the lecture for now." Greg said. "We have to get on the train now. Francine's gone on ahead to make sure we get our own compartment!""
"We're leaving already?" Jenny asked, glancing back over at her parents.
"Don't start the waterworks little cousin. You're 12 now!" Greg said.
Jenny glared at him. "I wasn't going to cry!" She said angrily. "I was actually thinking of something, but then you wouldn't know what it was to think would you Greg?"
"Enough kids," Uncle Ron said putting his hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Say goodbye and get on the train!"
I hugged my parents and then we all piled on the train just in time. Before we'd reached the compartment Francine was saving for us the train started to move. We all piled in and sat down as the train left the platform behind. I sighed and flopped into the chair. Back to Hogwarts! What adventures would it bring this year?
"Hey Georgia, it looks like you're going to be in the same year as little miss rat face!" Greg told his sister. "Watch out for her okay? The Malfoys are a bad lot!"
Georgia looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I seem to remember hearing Uncle Ron talking about the Malfoys on one occasion. They'd raided their house but they couldn't find anything really when it came to the dark arts."
"Well they're clever. They'll have it all very well hidden." Francine said. "Which reminds me- I wonder which house little miss rat face will get put into?"
Paul raised his face from his book. "Slytherin of course. It was only a mistake that Alforth got put in Gryffindoor last year." He said haughtily. "Surely you children realise this?"
Greg rolled his eyes. "Yes mister head boy we do." He said sarcastically.
"You know Greg don't think I wont take points off you just because your related to me and in my house!" Paul said sternly. "Any stupid tricks and behavior will go punished in my school!"
Greg opened his mouth to say something but Francine beat him to it. "So guys, are we all ready for some more school fun?" She asked, changing the subject deftly.
"I can't believe it's already your second year!" Aunt Hermione was saying to Jenny, with tears in her eyes. "Before I know it you'll be studying for your OWLS and your NEWTS and entering the real world and-"
"At least you know Jenny will get some OWLS and NEWTS." George Weasley said with a sigh. "I'm beginning to despair about Greg, I don't think I saw him even touch a book over the holidays!"
"He touched a book Dad!" Georgia spoke up with a grin. "We bewitched Paul's advanced dark arts book! When he opens it he'll-"
"Don't tell me." George interrupted her with a groan. "If you tell me I'm going to have to tell him off. I think I'm better off not knowing!"
"At least now you can feel sorry for Mum and Dad." Uncle Ron told his brother. "Honestly you and Fred were terrible!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Fred Weasley said haughtily. Even his wife Angelina had to laugh at that.
I grinned and moved over from the large crowd of Weasleys and Potters to check my luggage was all right. Sitting right on top in pride of place was my new broomstick. Second year students were allowed to take their brooms and I couldn't wait to show it off. Uncle Ron had been most impressed when he'd spotted it and so had Greg and Francine. But the person I most wanted to see it was Alforth of course!
"Oh I bet you don't!" Dad said with a laugh. "I seem to remember a time when I was in my fifth year that you let me eat the most gorgeous toffee I'd ever tasted. But you neglected to tell me it would make me sprout feathers!"
Everyone laughed, and Mum put her arm around Dad. "Don't worry Harry, I thought you looked cute with feathers!"
Dad's face went red, and of course everyone laughed even more.
"Well, well, well. Isn't this nice? A family reunion? But then I suppose you're house is far too small to hold you all!" Said a mocking voice.
There stood Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Alforth and a young girl with an equally pointy face. They were all sneering at us.
"Get lost Malfoy." Uncle Ron said evenly. "Do you honestly think we give a fig about what you think anymore?"
Mr. Malfoy smiled slightly. "You couldn't even afford a fig Weasley."
Alforth snorted and Greg glared at him. "Think that's funny do you rat face?" He snapped. "Well wait till we get back to school and if you're lucky I might show you something really funny!"
Alforth looked nonplussed. "You don't scare me Weasley."
"Who's the little miss rat face?" Greg asked, changing the subject.
The young girl who was standing with the Malfoy's looked shocked at the term and clutched tighter at her mother's hand. "Mum, did you hear what he called me?" She said softly.
"Alforth, Draco, let's go and make sure everything's organised for the journey." Mrs. Malfoy said coldly, and the Malfoy's walked off.
"Gregory that wasn't called for." George said frowning. "I don't like the Malfoy's any better than anyone, but that kind of childish bickering should be beneath you by now."
"But Dad Alforth is a little git, he-" Greg began, but now his mother, Alicia, interrupted him.
"Your father's right Greg. Don't stoop to the level of the Malfoys." She said.
Greg looked annoyed, but then Georgia leant over and whispered something to him and he looked up with a grin. Percy Weasley was walking across the platform towards us, Paul walking next to him with a smug expression on his face. I heard Uncle Ron groan slightly.
"Hello all, how are we?" Percy asked, pompously.
"Spiffing old man." Fred replied, and there were a few snorts and smiles.
Percy chose to ignore the jibe. "I'm so proud of Paul here, another head boy in the family!"
"Yeah we heard once." Greg muttered.
"Or twice." Georgia muttered.
"Now Samuel," Mum said drawing Dad and me over to her. "I want you to behave yourself again, and try and study a bit harder than last year."
"And try and make the house team!" Dad added. Mum glared at him, and he quickly added "But study comes first of course."
"Of course." I repeated dutifully.
"SAM! JENNY!" Someone yelled from across the platform, cutting across the whistle of the Hogwarts Express. "OI!"
"Martin!" I called back. "How are you? How was Japan?"
"Amazing. Did you know they have the largest wizard community in the world?" Martin said, coming closer.
"They do?" I repeated surprised.
"Had either of you actually listened in history of magic last year you'd know why that is!" Jenny said shaking her head. "The Japanese and the Americans had-"
"-You're going to have to skip the lecture for now." Greg said. "We have to get on the train now. Francine's gone on ahead to make sure we get our own compartment!""
"We're leaving already?" Jenny asked, glancing back over at her parents.
"Don't start the waterworks little cousin. You're 12 now!" Greg said.
Jenny glared at him. "I wasn't going to cry!" She said angrily. "I was actually thinking of something, but then you wouldn't know what it was to think would you Greg?"
"Enough kids," Uncle Ron said putting his hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Say goodbye and get on the train!"
I hugged my parents and then we all piled on the train just in time. Before we'd reached the compartment Francine was saving for us the train started to move. We all piled in and sat down as the train left the platform behind. I sighed and flopped into the chair. Back to Hogwarts! What adventures would it bring this year?
"Hey Georgia, it looks like you're going to be in the same year as little miss rat face!" Greg told his sister. "Watch out for her okay? The Malfoys are a bad lot!"
Georgia looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I seem to remember hearing Uncle Ron talking about the Malfoys on one occasion. They'd raided their house but they couldn't find anything really when it came to the dark arts."
"Well they're clever. They'll have it all very well hidden." Francine said. "Which reminds me- I wonder which house little miss rat face will get put into?"
Paul raised his face from his book. "Slytherin of course. It was only a mistake that Alforth got put in Gryffindoor last year." He said haughtily. "Surely you children realise this?"
Greg rolled his eyes. "Yes mister head boy we do." He said sarcastically.
"You know Greg don't think I wont take points off you just because your related to me and in my house!" Paul said sternly. "Any stupid tricks and behavior will go punished in my school!"
Greg opened his mouth to say something but Francine beat him to it. "So guys, are we all ready for some more school fun?" She asked, changing the subject deftly.
