Chapter 8 A Bad Start

Eric rode on the train watching the scenery. For some reason he could not get his mind off of Olivia. She walked in after a while in her full school robes.

Even with the robes on Eric still saw her with the shorts and the tank top.

"Getting ready for the Quidditch season." Olivia said pulling a scroll out of the bag. "Carr and me did some planning over the summer."

"You owled Carr." Eric said offensively.

"Yes," Olivia said with a raised eyebrow. "We just did some planning that was all. I got a couple of ideas from Dad."

"Let me see." Eric said looking over her shoulder at the scrolls.

Was she wearing perfume?

"We're not even in school yet. Enjoy what's left of the holiday." Shawn joked from where he was seated.

"Break it up you two." Michael had come back in from the car. "I was just down listening to the Prefects car."

"Spying on them?" Olivia accused.

"Not when their speaking loud enough that people outside can hear."

"That reminds me. You still have my Extendable Ears." Eric said.

"You need to listen." Michael said. "Hogwarts just sent a message down to all of the Prefects. Hogwarts security has been increased. They are even considering banning all trips into Hogsmeade."

"They can't do that." Shawn said. "Cruel and unusual punishment."

"They can if they feel that Hogwarts and its students were in danger." Olivia reasoned. "I wonder, what could have happened?"

"Don't look at me. Expendable Ears can only hear what is going on in a room. Not see the parchment that they were reading." Michael said

"They won't do anything that drastic. The teachers would want to get rid of us after all of the students set up a protest." Shawn stated. "Your uncle's an Auror. May be he can tell you what's going on."

"I don't think my Mum would let him." Eric said. "I don't think Aunt Ginny will either. She can get pretty vicious."

"I still wonder if we can find out what happened." Shawn said. "My Dad told me that when he was in his first year they had a break out of Azkaban and Hogwarts was filled with Dementors."

"Dementors." Michael asked squirming. "They give my Mum the creeps."

"The creeps. They down right scare me. My older brother told me when I was about five that they lived down in our basement. Turned out they were some Boggarts that moved in." Shawn said.

Eric started to laugh along with Olivia.

"It wasn't funny then." Shawn said.

"But we saw your Boggart last year." Michael said. "That wasn't a Dementor."

"Funny." Shawn said. "Yours wasn't much better."

"We never did see Eric's, but he could probably do the spell without thinking about it." Shawn said.

"I think I was sick that day." Eric lied. The truth was he had been there. He had just been at the back of the class. Earlier that year he had come across a Boggart and had stood and watched his mother saying that she was leaving his father and that they could not return to the Wizarding World.

Eric had managed to stall long enough that the class had ended. He did not understand why he was so scared about his Mum, a very powerful and resourceful witch would want to leave the Wizarding World.

The trolley cart came through and they bought some cauldron cakes for the way.

"You do know Professor McDarling resigned at the end of the year. Who do you think will be doing Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Hopefully Professor Warrensburg will. She was great." Olivia said.

"She was good." Eric agreed.

"Too bad that Mr. Lupin can't do it. I bet he would be a good teacher." Michael said. "Why don't you ask him Eric, he's your great uncle or something."

"Actually he did teach at Hogwarts for a year, back when my parents were in school." Eric knew that his Great Uncle was a werewolf, but never told anyone.

"He's still kicking. Why doesn't he come back after this one goes." Shawn said. "They only seem to last a couple of years at best."

"My Dad told me they had a new one every year since he went to school." Eric said. "My Uncles told him that the position was cursed."

"Probably by Professor Snape." Michael commented. "Did you see the look on his face last year when McDarling said that she wasn't going to stay?"

"I think that was the same look he had when Slytherin beat Ravenclaw."

"In what had to been the dirtiest game of Quidditch ever recorded." Olivia said. "But me and Carr worked out a few plans with them. We aren't fighting fire with fire, but we will give them a run for their money."

"Isn't she great?" Shawn said placing his arm over Olivia's shoulder.

Eric had to clench his fists.

After a few games of cards they arrived at the school.

Eric offered his hand to Olivia to help her out of the car. She took it and stepped out. The Carriages were just coming in to take the older students to the school.

Over at the other end they saw Hagrid calling for all of the first years.

Out of the next car came the twins with Christine Lily.

"Enjoy the trip across the lake." Eric said to her. "Good luck with the sorting." He then headed back to his friends.

Eric then saw the one person he really did not want to see, Warren Brocklehurst"

"Hi Weasley." Warren said in a manner that could not be taken as kind.

"Get out of here." Michael said.

"Well well. Olivia Wood." Warren said eyeing Olivia. "I saw your Dad a few weeks ago. It was really exciting watching him play."

"Back off." Eric said moving himself in front of Olivia.

"Such rude manners. You are looking very nice." He said to Olivia.

Eric got ready to charge.

Shawn held him back.

"If you are going to beat him do it on the Quidditch Pitch." Shawn said. "That way you can embarrass him and his entire team."

Eric stood down after Shawn used a little more force.

"We will see Rivers we will see." Warren said walking away.

"We will sack him this year, it will be such an embarrassment." Michael agreed.

"Right." Eric said getting into one of the horseless coaches.

His Uncle Harry had told him that Threasels actually drove the coaches. Eric could not see them. His Mum told him it was because something had to happen for him to see them.

Eric figured he better not ask what that was.

They made it up to the school and inside.

The first thing they saw was the ghosts playing a game of crochet. Peeves appeared to be the ball.

"Bout time." Olivia said. "I always wondered why they let him hang around.

"I would rather have him instead of Snape or Filch." Shawn said. "I'm starving let's go sit down.

Eric agreed and they headed into the hall. At the Gryffindor table their was a section that was considered the Weasley section. On the first day all of the Weasley's sat together.

Bill and Fluer's son Bill Junior, who was a third year. Charlie and Caroline's son Barry and Percy and Penny's son Arthur who were in their second year along with the twins.

Eric was considered the patriarch of the children since he was after all the oldest. All of his cousins listened to him.

After everyone was seated the first years were lead in by Professor Flitwick.

Eric spotted out Christine Lily and watched her stay towards the back, she knew the names would be in alphabetical order.

"Make sure we have room for Christine Lily." Eric said. Barry slid over a little further so Christine Lily could sit next to the twins.

Headmistress McGonagal stood. "I welcome you all to another year. Professor Flitwick you may begin the sorting."

Professor Flitwick used his wand to bring over the chair and the hat.

The hat's brim opened

"Do not look at me so.

I am wise and full of wit.

Though dangers also

May make it

To our place of learning

You will find safety

In your houses sitting

With a heafty

Amount of friends.

For that is what you

Will find around the bends

Of this hat. So you

Sit and let me look

Inside your head.

Eric clapped with everyone else and waited for the first years to be sorted.

The last one was Christine Lily. When she sat on the stool she looked tinier than usual.

The hat was lowered on to her head. It covered her entire head.

"Common just say Gryffindor."

"GRYFFINDOR" Christine Lily hopped off the stool and ran to join her cousins.

"Now to dinner." Professor McGonagall said raising her wand.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner. The Weasley's welcomed Christine Lily being an official Gryffindor. They all knew she would make it, but it was only the matter of the Sorting Hat deciding.

After everyone was pretty much finished Professor McGonagall rose. "Now that everyone is finished I will give the start of term announcements."

"Here it comes." Shawn said.

"I know how rumors fly around this school, even on a train with locked cars. An accuserary eye strayed over towards where Shawn and Michael were seated.

"I would like to set clear immediately that the security around Hogwarts have been increased. There for the following rules will be in effect immediately. No student is to roam around the corridors at night. Detention for deifiers will not deal with their respected heads of houses, but with me personally. Don't try it."

Several first years were nodding their heads up and down, getting their first experience of Professor McGonagall.

"Secondly no student will wonder around the school alone. Stay in groups of three or more when going to the library or the owlery. If there are any problems speak with the prefects. Now I already know that the third years and higher are worried about their Hogsmeade visits."

Michael was holding his breath. Bill Junior was crossing his fingers.

"The visits have not been cancelled."

The sigh of relief was probably heard in Hogsmeade.

"However you will stay in the limits of the city. No up close visits to the Shrieking Shack. None of the outer provinces at all. The carriages will be available to return you to school. When in Hogsmeade the staying in groups rule still applies. That is all"

"At least they didn't take the visits away." Shawn said over to Eric. "But it's going to make your date with Olivia a little harder."

Eric shot Shawn a dirty look before he started heading up towards the Gryffindor Tower.