Disclaimer: I own nuthin'.
A/N: Ok, this takes place from the Sorting Ceremony onwards. I'm really having fun writing this! It's very easy when you have something to follow.
I also dedicate this chapter to myself. Yes, that's right…to me! I got a good report (highest- 84% in English and lowest 62% in IPT) so I won't get banned from the net, which is good for all my readers! Considering I hardly ever study I think that's a pretty good result!
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Chapter 16
The students were all seated in the Great Hall waiting for the Sorting Ceremony to begin. Alicia was sitting in between Angelina and Katie and across from the boys. She kept glaring at Lee and refusing to talk to him.
"I said I was sorry! What more do you want me to do?" Lee said in utter exasperation.
Alicia simply narrowed her eyes at him and scowled. She certainly didn't need to use words to express her feelings.
"Here they come," Angelina interrupted.
The frightened first years filed in behind Professor McGonagall. They all looked around the Hall in wonder.
"Did we look that nervous before our Ceremony?" Fred wondered.
"Personally, I looked wet," Angelina snapped.
"There's Ron!" George pointed.
"Harry's next to him," Fred announced excitedly.
Alicia craned her neck to see a chubby boy carrying a toad. "I thought you said he was scrawny?"
"Not him! On the other side!"
Alicia stood up to see better. She saw the messy haired boy with glasses looking around in awe. She had to admit that he didn't look like much of a hero.
"Your brother looks terrified, " Katie said.
"I told him he had to wrestle a troll," Fred said proudly.
"That's just plain mean," Angelina sniped.
"Well, it's his own fault for being so gullible."
The students were silenced as the Sorting Hat began to sing.
'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep you bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!'
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," McGonagall said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
"Hufflepuff I bet," Angelina said.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted.
The girls continued to predict the student's house. They'd got them all right so far. It was quite easy to tell actually.
"Potter, Harry!"
Everyone gasped and some students even stood up to get a better view of the young boy. Harry nervously walked up to Professor McGonagall. She placed the hat on his head and it fell over his eyes.
"What do you reckon?" George asked the girls.
"No idea," Alicia admitted.
"He's a difficult one," Angelina agreed.
"Well, his parents were in Gryffindor. His father James was Quidditch Captain and Chaser for Gryffindor when he was here and his mother, Lily, was top of the year. He'll probably be in Gryffindor, too. Or perhaps in Ravenclaw," Katie mused.
They all just stared at her oddly.
"A closet Harry Potter fan are you?" Fred grinned, extremely amused by Katie's sudden 'teen fan' attitude.
She blushed imperceptibly. "A little."
"How cute!" Alicia giggled.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat yelled.
The Gryffindor table erupted with cheering, whistling and clapping. Everyone jumped to his or her feet.
"We got Potter! We got Potter!" Fred and George yelled over and over again.
Katie jumped up and down excitedly and Harry joined the table. He sat beside Percy and everyone clambered to shake his hand and welcome him.
Alicia nudged Katie. "Go say hello to him then," she encouraged.
"I couldn't do that!" Katie became quite pale and her blue eyes widened dramatically.
"Katie loves Harry! Maybe you should ask for his autograph," Lee sang.
"You could ask him to sign your stomach," George suggested with a smirk.
"Bloody hell! I'm not an obsessive stalker or anything! I just remember my mum telling me bedtime stories about him. That's all! Honestly, you lot are the mental ones," Katie said, rolling her eyes at her friends.
"Do you think he plays Quidditch?"
"He's lived with Muggles since he was a baby, Fred, what do you reckon?"
"Weasley, Ronald!" Professor McGonagall called before Fred was able to say anything mean back to Katie.
"He's looking a little green," Alicia observed.
"Well at least he isn't wet." Angelina shot Fred a scathing sideward glare.
"Is this pick-on-Fred day or something?" he demanded.
"Everyday is pick-on-Fred day in my world," Angelina said simply.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
An extremely relieved looking Ron joined the table beside Harry. Then as soon as the last student was sorted, McGonagall took the hat and the stool away. Dumbledore stood up to begin his customary start of term speech.
"Welcome!" his voice bounced off the walls and immediately silenced all the students. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
"Thank you!"
He sat back down and Alicia clapped along with everyone else. She smiled; Dumbledore certainly was one of a kind.
The food appeared and everyone began to grab whatever they could reach. The students all began to happily discuss their holidays.
"So how was your summer, Alicia?" Lee asked pleasantly.
"Nice and spider free, " she answered airily.
"She spent everyday with George," Fred informed everyone as he shoveled chips onto his plate.
"So? Do you have a problem with that?" George questioned edgily.
"Not at all but I figured you'd want to spend a little time with me considering I'm your twin brother and all." Fred shrugged like it was something he'd just thought about.
The truth was he'd been thinking about it all the time. He was being shunned by his own twin, for a girl no less! George always had to consult Alicia before he agreed to do anything with Fred. The two boys hardly ever fought but their relationship was being stretched to breaking point.
"We live together, Fred! I think we spend plenty of time with each other. Maybe I just prefer the company of other people sometimes, there's no need to get so worked up," George said as he violently pierced a piece of roast beef.
Nobody spoke for a while. Angelina didn't even pick on Fred. She knew the comment had hurt him enough already. Alicia studied her salad tenaciously. The last thing she wanted to do was come between Fred and George.
George had regretted the comment immediately. He simply liked spending time with Alicia, which didn't mean he disliked spending time with Fred. George had spent all of his life with Fred and he merely thought it was time to branch out.
Fred shifted his food around his plate somberly. He didn't want to fight with George; he only wanted to make him think twice about spending so much time with Alicia.
Spinnet. All of this is her ruddy fault! Why can't she just back off? Fred thought bitterly.
Fred wasn't used to being on the outer. He'd always been George's best friend, his equal. There was Lee of course but the twins were both best friends with him so no one was left out. Besides, Lee was just like them, a fellow troublemaker.
Alicia wasn't like them anymore. She'd given up pranks for schoolbooks. Alicia and George couldn't possibly be best friends! It was irrational! Yet deep down, Fred knew George had a righteous side that was drawn to goody- goody Spinnet.
In fact, Fred and George weren't as perfectly matched as everyone always thought. George was always questioning whether they'd gone too far with their prank this time. This alarmed Fred. Really, whoever heard of a prankster with morals? George even went as far as to modify pranks to ensure no one was hurt.
Fred had noticed his brother doing this a lot more recently. It was Alicia's influence of course. Soon George would be talking about following in Percy's footsteps. Fred had a sudden vision of George polishing his Prefect badge.
I will not let that happen! he thought adamantly.
"So…what do you think is up with Quirrell's turban?" Lee said cautiously.
Everyone seemed relieved to change the subject. They began to happily hypothesise about the purpose of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's turban.
"It looks horrible, doesn't even go with his robes," Katie said, obviously appalled at his fashion sense.
"Perhaps he had a mishap while trying to colour his hair. Maybe underneath his hair is bright green or something," Angelina suggested.
"Nah, bet it's full of garlic," Fred and George said in unison.
They looked at each other cautiously. George gave a small smile then turned away.
"You're probably right," Alicia agreed. She smiled, simply glad that everything seemed to be back to normal between the twins.
At least for now, she thought. For she knew that it wasn't completely settled yet.
They all chatted with one another quite happily throughout dessert then their plates were cleared and Dumbledore stood up again.
"Ahem- just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well," Dumbledore let his eyes wander over to Fred and George.
They both flashed identical, innocent smiles that fooled nobody. They'd only ventured into the forest three or four times because they were curious.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."
"He's just mad about the time we transfigured Mrs. Norris into a cactus," George mumbled.
Fred grinned wickedly. "Little did he know that we meant to turn her into a pineapple so we could serve her to the Slytherins for lunch."
"Quidditch trials," Dumbledore continued, "will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
Alicia groaned slightly, she'd totally forgotten about Quidditch. She would be on the team this year. Of course she'd practiced non-stop and was really prepared to begin but she was still immensely nervous.
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
A few people laughed and Lee turned to Fred and George who both had a familiar gleam in their eyes.
"We going to check it out?" he asked.
"Definitely!" they both exclaimed.
They sang the school song, Fred and George to the tune of a funeral march as had become tradition, then they all headed up to Gryffindor Tower.
The third years took a few 'short cuts' and managed to arrive before everyone else. None of them knew the password though.
"Caput Draconis," a Prefect said as she bustled past the group.
"It's good to be back," Katie sighed as they entered the oh-so-familiar common room.
All happy to be back at Hogwarts, they headed up to bed. By the next morning, however, their moods had become slightly dampened. The realisation that they had to take additional classes had suddenly dawned on them. The six of them had selected their classes last year and not given them a second thought since.
Down at breakfast Percy handed them their timetables. Alicia studied hers morosely. Transfiguration, Ancient Runes then double Charms after lunch.
"You've got Ancient Runes with Lee and I!" George told Alicia brightly.
"At least that's something to look forward too," she sulked.
"Arithmancy!" Katie said excitedly. She'd always been good with numbers.
"Me, too," Angelina said.
"I picked Arithmancy, too."
"You're doing Arithmancy?" Angelina asked Fred incredulously.
"Well, numbers make more sense than old scribbles," he said, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Hi, girls!" Meenal waved from the Hufflepuff table. She came and joined them at the Gryffindor table with Meredith and Madeline.
"Which new subject are you starting today?" Katie asked them.
"Mere and I are doing Ancient Runes," Meenal answered.
"Arithmancy for me," Madeline said.
"We better go get our stuff, we'll see you later in class." Meredith stood up and the other two followed her out of the Great Hall.
"Look, there's your brother with Harry." Lee pointed as the tall red head and the shorter dark-haired boy entered the Hall.
"Don't point! It's rude!" Katie chided.
"Would you like me to call them over?" Lee grinned at Katie.
"Don't you dare," she snarled.
"Ron, mate! Over here!"
Ron looked around then spotted Lee waving furiously. He made his way over with Harry and Katie suddenly sat up a lot straighter.
"Hi, Harry! Remember us?" Fred greeted him like an old friend.
Harry nodded. How could he forget?
"Are you enjoying Hogwarts so far?" George asked Harry.
"Everything's still so new to me but I am having fun here."
"Fine, just totally ignore me," Ron sighed. "I am your brother but don't bother to ask me how I'm going."
"Ron, why don't you introduce us to your friend," Alicia suggested.
"All right," Ron groaned. "Harry, this is Alicia, Angelina and Katie. They're the Gryffindor Chasers."
"Chasers?" Harry questioned.
"You don't even know about Chasers yet?" Katie said, looking a little disappointed.
"Uh, no. Am I supposed to?"
"We play on the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Alicia explained.
Harry nodded. Of course, he should have known it had something to do with Quidditch.
"I'm Lee Jordan, widely regarded as the best Quidditch commentator Hogwarts has ever had." Lee puffed out his chest impressively.
"You're the only Quidditch commentator Hogwarts has ever had," Angelina pointed out.
"That's completely beside the point, Ms Johnson."
"A monkey could do a better job at commentating than you," Angelina retorted.
"You offering to commentate?"
"Are you calling me a monkey?"
While they were arguing Ron and Harry walked away quickly.
"Sorry about that. My brothers and their friends are weird," Ron said to Harry.
"Weird but nice," he agreed.
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A/N: I hope you liked that chapter. It went a little more in depth about the characters and their relationships. I thought it was time I did an explanatory chapter. I wasn't planning to make it like that but I was listening to the Robbie Williams album 'Swing When You're Winning' while I was writing. This particular song called 'Me And My Shadow' inspired me. It was originally sung by Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. I doubt anyone has heard it so I'll put the words in the next chapter. It really fits Fred and George quite well.
Oh! I have some recommendations for you all! Two of my loyal reviewers, Georgieana and Juvenus, have great stories and I really recommend that all G/A fans check them out. Even if you just like well-written stories they're worth a look. Please do me a favour and review my story then go review their stories too!