George Weasley and the Marauders Map
Chapter I: The Hogwarts Express
"Fred and George, wake up!" The voice of Mrs. Weasley rang through the hallway as she passed the boys' room.
"S'matter? Why'd we have to get up so early?" George mumbled getting up slowly from his bed. His identical twin was lying in a heap on the floor, still fast asleep.
"Get up boys! We have to get to Kings Cross Station!" She said as she opened their door. "And don't forget anything."
George slowly got dressed and crossed over to his trunk as his brother untangled himself and stood up, stretching and yawning. "Why'd we have to get up so early? It's still dark outside." He grumbled, pulling on his pants.
They pulled their trunks out of their closet and traveled, with much difficulty, down the winding stairs, every so often bumping into the walls. Finally they reached the bottom to find their mother, father, Charlie and Percy waiting for them. Bill, the eldest Weasley brother, was there too, but he had just been assigned a job for Gringotts, the wizarding bank, and couldn't take time off just yet to join them to Platform 9 ¾.
Chatting merrily, the group loaded the turquoise Ford Anglia with their trunks and said their goodbyes to Bill. They piled into the car, George sitting comfortably in the back with his twin, Fred, and his older brother, Percy.
George stared out the window at the grey sky and thought of his younger brother Ron and sister Ginny who were still fast asleep in their beds. Their mother's friend, Daisy Almus, was looking after them for the day.
After a while of driving George poked his twin in the arm to get his attention.
"Ouch! What?" Fred said, massaging the spot where he had been poked.
George pulled something round out of his pocket.
"Dungbombs!" Fred whispered excitedly, but low enough so his mother wouldn't hear. "How'd you get those!"
"I bought them while mum was looking for our school books" He said barely louder than Fred.
With an evil grin, George stuffed the Dungbombs back into his pocket. For the rest of the trip the boys talked to Percy about what Hogwarts was like.
They had only just turned eleven on the first of April. Letters addressed to them had come almost a week before the first, and for about a week the boys couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts. However, the novelty soon wore off as reality set in and they realized they still had about five months left before they would get to go.
Soon the boys had tired of Percy's dull explanation of classes and George's mind drifted. Remembering how he and Fred had played tricks on people all summer, he wondered vaguely if they'd ever have that much fun again.
The car slowed to a stop and they piled out. Percy grabbed his rat, Scabbers and Charlie took out his owl Errol's cage. They loaded all their trunks and the cage onto trolleys and wheeled them towards Platform 9 ¾.
The twins went through the barrier first, running headlong into it. It didn't alarm them in the slightest that they had just walked through what seemed to be a solid brick wall; they had seen their brothers do it several times before.
A scarlet steam engine train was waiting for them, the name Hogwarts Express on the front. They had never seen it, but they had heard of it many times from their brothers. George smiled as he looked at all the kids scattered around, thinking of how many different pranks he could pull. They dragged their trunks to an empty compartment and leaned out the window.
"Now behave yourselves!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as Mr. Weasley smiled and waved to them. The train started moving and the twins just grinned and waved to them. The boys closed the window again as the train rounded a bend and their parents vanished from sight.
Percy left the compartment to go find his friends, leaving the twins alone. They were in the middle of discussing some practical jokes they could play on students. They stopped after a while, having thought of everything they could. They decided to go and check out the other compartments.
Many of them were filled with terrified looking first years. They walked into one just as one of the boys, who looked about their age, set off some Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Waterproof No-Heat Fireworks. George laughed and Fred clapped appreciatively as the rest of the students in the compartment ducked, trying to avoid the sparks.
"Hey. I'm George, and this is my brother Fred" George said, sticking out his hand.
"Lee Jordan." The boy said, taking his and Fred's hands in turn. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice trick, that." George said as Fred nodded.
The boys sat down as the smoke cleared and got acquainted. As the rain pounded on the windows they talked. The whole train ride they discussed their pasts and their hobbies (including their love for pulling pranks) and they were surprised at how fast the time flew.
The train slowed to a halt and the three pulled their robes on. George was suddenly a bit nervous, so he set off a Dungbomb to disguise his increasing worry. They clambered off the train and were ushered over to a giant holding a lantern.
"Firs' years over 'ere" cried the giant.
The first years all followed him to a lake and climbed into one of the many boats scattered along the shore. George climbed into a boat with Fred and Lee Jordan.
The giant roared FORWARD! And the boats started moving, gliding onward. They winded around a bend and finally the first years could see Hogwarts in the distance. There was a ripple of excited whispers between themselves.
The group drifted up the lake, ever so slowly, inching nearer and nearer to the castle. They reached the shore and climbed out, all trembling slightly from nerves.
They walked up the stairs to the front doors and waited. The giant man raised his fist to the door and knocked on it three times.
