Notes: It's a mini chapter…I could have added more, but decided against it. I liked it as is. Expect more in a week or so…
Year One, Part Two: Deep Inside
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Percy chanced another look at his brothers, and yes they were still giving him the evil eye and yes he was going to be in trouble once he was sorted, but it was still funny and completely worth it. He didn't get to play tricks on his brothers often.
In fact, he didn't think he'd tricked them once. They were always playing jokes on him, and getting in trouble for it, but never the other way around. And he hadn't even gotten in trouble for it.
Oliver was hovering behind him and making faces at his brothers, but Percy didn't see it, nor did he know that was the reason Bill and Charlie looked upset.
"Weasely, Percy."
Percy swallowed, fear of being sorted finally catching up to him. He hadn't been able to sleep last night because of it. He'd been utterly terrified of ending up anywhere but Gryffindor, like everyone else in his family thus far, but he had forgotten about it until now. He wished it had stayed forgotten.
He sat down and the hat slid over his eyes, hiding everything in the Great Hall. Then a silky smooth voice in his ear, sounding thoughtful.
"You are a smart one aren't you? You could do well in Slytheirn, it's all in here. The raw intelligence, the drive, the need to show everyone around you up that you aren't just another Weasley brother… Ah, but you want to be loved as well don't you? You want friends. You won't find much of that in Slytherin."
GRYFFINDOR!
Percy almost sobbed with releif when the hat was taking off of his head and the entire Gryffindor table was cheering loudly. He had been terrified at the suggestion he could be in Slytherin. His parents would have a heart attack, his siblings would never speak to him again, his whole family would collectively disown him and
"Where were you?" Bill demanded when Percy had sat down next to him.
"The train." Percy said, blinking innocently. "Where were you two?"
"Looking for you." Charlie hissed; he was glad to see Percy but the whole train ride he had been more or less writing up his will. He didn't find the incident terribly amusing, that much was plain from the look on his face.
"Oh." Percy nodded. "That was nice of you."
Bill and Charlie exchanged looks. Sometimes Percy was a mystery to them. He was only eleven, but he already acted more mature than most of the kids they knew, and was probably smarter than a lot of them as well. No one was sure why, exactly, but Percy just caught on fast and, according to their mother, absorbed everything like a sponge.
Nothing got past him.
And, because of that, it was very hard to understand him at times. Like now, they couldn't tell if he was serious or making fun of them.
"Wood, Oliver."
Percy sat up straighter, straining to watch as Oliver sat down. The hat barely had a chance to sit on his head when it cried out.
GRYFFINDOR!
Oliver smiled broadly and ran over to sit next to him. Percy returned the smile, while all of the tables cheered. The Sorting Hat was to be taken away now, as Oliver had been the last in line.
"-Be great!" Oliver was saying. What he had said before had been lost amid the children. "We're the only two Gryffindor First Years, we'll have an entire room to ourselves."
Percy smiled. He could care less about that, though the prospect of being the only Gryffindor this year had been slightly frightening, he was just glad he and Oliver were in the same house. Being in different houses would make it hard to be friends, but now they wouldn't have any problems.
