Chapter 5 is out! My boy Ron is finally at Hogwarts!
Scala ad Caelum
Chapter 5: Hogwarts
Ronald Weasley POV
Sunday 1st September, 1991 (Hogwarts Express) - After breakfast
The twins had done it once again. Like the past years, all the Weasley brothers had almost been late to catch the Hogwarts Express thanks to George and Fred. Luckily, Ron was able to hop on the train while his mother was scolding them; because of that, he wasn't caught in the incredible scolding.
He was very tired thanks to a sleepless night because of the nerves and the anticipation; this was his first year, and he couldn't wait to see the famous and incredible castle. But there were also other questions on his mind. How was the infamous sorting ceremony? Will he be in Gryffindor? How were going to be his classmates?
This cabin is empty. Ron had been looking for an empty cabin for some time, so when he found one, he got inside without a second thought to sit on one of the seats. Then, he brought out his wand from one of his robes' pockets.
As Gerard promised, the wand came a week after their visit to the wandmaker's house. It was way past noon when a grey owl woke Ron up with some soft pecks on his head. The bird scared the hell out of him, but as soon as she did her delivery, the animal went flying through the window without waiting to see what Ron was going to do with the gift.
The wand was very simple, and yet, incredibly beautiful. There was nothing bad Ron could say about it. It was of a dark brownish tone, but it started to fade around the last third of the wand, where the handgrip was also defined by some sort of thickening; very similar to a little and coarse ring. If looked closely, anyone could see said roughness actually was some kind of pattern that resembled a lot to the feathers of the Thunderbird which had been used in the making of his wand.
Truly a masterpiece.
He had been so focused on admiring his wand, that he completely ignored an older boy looking at him with curiosity from the cabin's door; until he dropped himself in the seat in front of him, that's it. "I don't think you should be sitting here, boy," he just said.
Ron almost jumped out of his seat because of the surprise as the older boy looked at him with an amused smile. He had short, black hair which was combed backwards in a rather stylish way. He was wearing a silver and green tie, which meant he was from Slytherin; he also had the prefect badge on his chest. Shit, I must be in the Slytherin area of the train. It was something his brothers had warned him about; Ron needed to be careful to no sit in certain cabins. Well, it seemed that was an advice he would follow next year.
The boy must have seen Ron's face because he laughed. "Don't worry, kid. You are lucky I was the one to find you here. Other Slytherins wouldn't have been so kind with a Weasley."
"Wait, how do you...?" Ron started. "Never mind, you must know one of my brothers; probably Percy since he has been named a prefect this year, just like you."
"Yes, I know the good ol' Percy. Between you and me, I don't know why he is in Gryffindor; he would be a very fine Slytherin."
"Eh, don't say that," Ron protested. "Percy wouldn't be a good Slytherin. He is not like... well, most of you. Besides, he is as Gryffindor as every other Weasley is."
The boy raised his brow and looked at his nails with a lack of interest; as if the conversation was boring him. "I should have expected you to be like most of the Gryffindors," the prefect sighed. "Like your other brothers, those twins. My name is Daniel Williams, does that name sound familiar to you?"
"Ehmm... No, it doesn't. Should I know you or something?"
"No, you shouldn't," the older boy explained. "That is precisely the point I want to make. I'm a nobody. My name doesn't carry any importance or power; you know why? Because I'm a muggle-born. And yes, before you ask it, I'm the Slytherin fifth-year prefect despite being a son of muggles."
"What? You are a muggleborn? But I thought that Slytherin was pretty... selective with its members."
"That is both a truth and a stupid prejudice," he admitted. "You are right that Slytherin is very selective; it only accepts those with enough ambition, cunning, fraternity and intelligence; that was me before the sorting. Like you and many more, I was told about Slytherin House and how bigots they could be. Well, they are partly right, not gonna lie about that, but even most of those cunts respect effort and merits."
Ron realised that Daniel's words were very similar to those Gerard used a month ago to tell him how much he disliked the Houses and the many prejudices that came with them. "Why are you telling me this?" The redhead asked with confusion.
"Because I don't like when others look at us like we were the worst shit to ever walk this planet," Daniel answered. "It was hard at the beginning; I'm not going to pretend those pureblood kids who came from the same train as I had it tougher. No, they had it much easier. But I'm telling you this so you don't look at us with the same disdain as many others do. I don't care what House you'll end up in, the only thing I want is the others to respect us, or at least, to try to know us a little so they can judge us fairly."
Wow... where did that come from? The boy's rambling had left Ron completely speechless, and he must have shown it on his face because the Slytherin boy relaxed his posture before talking again. "Sorry about that. I can get pretty... passionate about things I don't consider fair. Besides that, your brother Percy has told me very good things about you, and since I consider him a friend of mine, I wanted to see what you thought about all of this; that, and to see if my words could somehow change your opinion about us for the better."
"Percy told you about me?" Ron asked. "What did he tell you?"
"Well, he told me about you being eager to start your magical formation," Williams answered. "He was pretty happy about you starting to read his notes before your first year. When he told me about you, I thought you were going to be like a mini-Percy; I wanted to believe you would also be as open-minded as he is with all the House rivalries bullshit. That is why we are having this talk right now. I wanted to measure you a little. As I said before, even after four years, I still think Percy should have been sorted in Slytherin; the fact there was a little brother of his who was pretty similar to him made you someone interesting… I was wondering if this would be the year in which a Weasley could grace Slytherin with his presence."
By Merlin's beard... this boy sure likes to talk... But what he said about Percy definitely caught his attention "What do you mean with that? I can't imagine Percy in Slytherin."
Daniel raised his brow as if Ron's question was some type of challenge. "Are you sure about that? I would say that brother Percy is very ambitious; hell, maybe even more than most Slytherin students. He may don't have many friends, but he is very loyal to those few he has. Is he intelligent? I think I don't need to answer that question. On top of that, he has always had a silver tongue for all the professors and adults, so I would say that he pretty much has all those traits that Slytherin values."
Well, Ron couldn't say that Daniel was wrong. All those things he just said from Percy were definitely very true, and that confused him. Why was Percy placed in Gryffindor then? He was about to ask something about the sorting ceremony to the older boy, but Daniel interrupted him before he could talk. "This conversation has been pretty interesting, Ronald Weasley," the prefect smirked. "But you have to go now. My friends must be about to finish their pureblood socialization, and I don't think that they would find it very amusing to have a Weasley in their cabin. Besides that, you should find some other first years."
That was clearly not a suggestion, because as soon as he finished talking, he practically kicked Ron out of the cabin with an amused smile on his face. Ha, ha... how funny... Well, since the boy seemed to know what he was talking about, Ron decided to follow his advice and find another cabin; preferably, with some other first years.
Now that the train was moving and everyone was inside of the cabins, it was way easier to move between the different carriages, but the train was still packed. Ron looked to his right and to his left, but there wasn't any empty cabin, and he didn't want to get in one of the packed ones, so he kept looking. Finally, after some minutes of searching, he found one which was almost empty. There was only one other boy inside, who was very skinny and probably shorter than Ron. He should definitely try to eat a bit more; I'm pretty sure that Ginny weighs more than him.
Ron decided to finally get into the cabin, so he sliced the door of the compartment, catching the boy's attention. "Hey, anyone sitting there?" Ron asked, pointing to the empty seats. "Everywhere else is full."
The black-haired boy with glasses didn't even answer his question, he just nodded his head, so Ron took a seat. Isn't he the one who asked us how to get onto the platform? Ron had been eager to escape from his mother's wrath, so he just hugged Ginny before practically running towards the safety of the train. He decided to look at him discreetly to make himself sure. Well, that wasn't what discreetly means, Ron. Come on, look at the window to pretend that you didn't just glance at him.
The redhead didn't have any time to pretend at all, because the twins suddenly stormed into the cabin. "Hey, Ron," George started. "We've been looking for you. We were starting to think that you may have ended up in the Slytherin area. By the way, we're going down the middle of the train; Lee Jordan says he has a giant tarantula and we want to see if it is true."
"Hey, Harry!" Fred greeted, his head appearing over George's shoulder. "We haven't introduced ourselves, how can we be so discourteous? I'm Fred, and this is George; or maybe I'm George, and this is Fred. You'll maybe find out someday. See you later, then."
Harry? Like Harry Potter? Is that why I listened to Ginny shouting? Well, there is only one way to check it. So Ron did the most obvious thing in the world and blurted: "Are you really Harry Potter?"
Harry nodded his head, and he must have seen Ron's septic face because he pulled back his fringe to show the most famous scar in the world. There he was; the Boy-Who-Lived was sharing a cabin with him!
Woow... It is really him... Ron was stupid enough to ask him some questions about You-Know-Who, but as soon as Harry asked about his family, he realized that asking about that may not have been his cleverest decision. But from that point, the conversation went great. Ron was very curious about what would be living with muggles, so he asked about it. Harry, in exchange, asked him about his family and brothers.
Everything was going great until he talked too much like he always did. There was nothing that embarrassed Ron as much as talking about the money—or the lack of it—the Weasleys had. But Harry told him that until someone named Hagrid found him, he didn't know he was a wizard. Bloody hell, how can you live eleven years without knowing you are a wizard?
Around ten minutes later, a smiling and dimpled woman slid back their door and asked. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"
Harry quickly leapt to his feet, and much to Ron's surprise, he got a bit of everything. Well, at least I still have my sandwich. I hope it is not corned beef... It was corned beef.
Harry must have seen his disgusted face because he said: "Swap you for one of these," showing him a bunch of delicious sweets.
Ron's ears turned pinker if it was even possible. "You don't want this, trust me," he refused the offer. "It's all dry, she hasn't got much time, you know, with five of us."
"Go on," Harry insisted, almost placing the sweets on his hands. "Have a pasty, I got here more than enough to knock us out."
Well, if he insists so much... Besides that, it would be ill-mannered to refuse it; there was nothing better to make friends than sharing some sweets. Ron found himself smiling after eating some chocolate frogs. Well, I guess it was easier to make friends than I thought.
Harry Potter POV
Sunday 1st September, 1991 (Hogwarts) - Before lunch
Harry had been way more than eager to finally see how incredible the Great Hall was. He had incredible expectations, but he would never have imagined it to be as amazing as it really was.
It was the perfect way to end his little introduction to the Wizarding World. Today's had been incredible since he stepped onto the train. It was true that he and Ron had a little row with the same Malfoy guy who Harry met at Diagon Alley, but on the other hand, he finally had the opportunity to see some magic thanks to Ron, who repaired his glasses after Harry and that bossy girl asked him to do some magic.
The boat ride had been nice, but it was nothing compared to the Great Hall.
Never in his life had Harry imagined such a strange and splendid place could even be real. There were thousands of candles lighting the whole place, some of them were over the tables where all the students were waiting, and others were just floating in the middle of the air. There were four large tables with hundreds of students, and at the end of the Great Hall was a smaller one, where all the professors were waiting.
But what really caught Harry's attention while Professor McGonagall led them forward, was the little stool placed just in front of the professor's table, which had a very old and patched hat. Harry stared at it with confusion. I don't think we are getting a rabbit out of it... right? He was very nervous. The boy didn't have a clue about what could be the sorting ceremony about, but he already knew he wasn't prepared for it.
Harry didn't have more time to stress because the hat suddenly twitched and started to sing. Woah. He didn't understand many things about the song, but he was able to catch some fragments about the different Houses thanks to what Hagrid told him a month ago. The whole Hall burst into loud applause as soon as the song ended, and he could hear Ron cursing. "So we've just got to try on the hat! I'm going to kill Fred; he was going on about fighting a troll!"
Harry allowed himself to finally sigh in relief. A hat was something he could manage. Professor McGonagall called the first student, who was a pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails. Her name was Hannah Abbot, and she stumbled forward so McGonagall could place the hat on her head. It only took a moment for the hat to shout. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Susan Bones was also placed into Hufflepuff, while Terry Boot was the first one to get sorted into Ravenclaw. Names and more names were called; that Malfoy boy was sorted into Slytherin at the moment the hat touched his head; just as the bossy girl they met back at the train was sorted into Gryffindor.
And then, Professor McGonagall exclaimed: "Potter Harry!"
Ronald Weasley POV
Harry stepped forward while everyone started whispering, but Ron really couldn't think about his friend right now. He had never been more nervous in his life and he didn't know why.
This was supposed to be very easy. He was a Weasley; they were Gryffindors; plain and simple. But in the last month, he had some conversations which changed, even if he didn't want to admit it, the way he saw the different Houses. Gerard's words didn't really make an impression on him, but those from that boy, Daniel Williams, sure did.
The way he had described his brother Percy shocked Ron. All the things he said about him were right, and much to Ron's surprise, they coincided with Slytherin's traits. Ron started to respect Percy after he helped him a lot in his introduction to the studies. It took almost a day for him to understand how the most simple of the hexes could work, but with the help of his brother, he understood it much easier.
He started to like reading Percy's notes and studying magic after the first months. It was incredible to understand how the things at home that his mother did with magic worked. But the most incredible thing ever was what happened on the train today. Thanks to Percy and his notes, he had impressed Harry Potter himself and some bossy girl; just with a simple Repairing charm, the redhead had fixed Harry's glasses and left him totally speechless! Ha! I can still see their amazed faces!
Gerd's presence suddenly stopped his thoughts. The Essentia had been out of sight since they came out of the train; as soon as they saw the castle, she left to explore it with a very excited face. "So that is how they do it," Gerd commented, taking a seat on his shoulder. "I guess I'm not going to be able to see you wrestling a troll; shame."
"Oh, come on, shut up," Ron groaned, talking in the lower voice he could manage. "Can't you see that I'm in the middle of an existential crisis?" He didn't really know what those words meant, but he heard Percy saying them once when he was very stressed.
"Why? Everything looks pretty simple to me. You just go there, sit, and put the hat on your head. I don't see any problems."
"It is not about that," Ron whispered. Some dark-skinned guy was sending him weird looks, so he must have heard him talking to the air. He sure missed The Burrow's calm atmosphere. "Since forever, I've always wanted to be a Gryffindor. But now... I just don't know what I want. Can I keep disliking Slytherin so much after realizing my brother could have been one of them?"
"That's what I meant about it being pretty easy, silly," the Essentia said. "Since we met, you've always talked to me about how you wanted to be different from your brothers; to do something that they didn't. Well, here you have the perfect chance. Do the unthinkable; do what they didn't."
The hat, which was still on Harry's head, shouted: "GRYFFINDOR!" The table on the far left exploded with cheers and shouts. Ron swore that he heard George and Fred the most.
"It is not that easy," Ron whispered back. "I don't really know what to do. I've never thought about being sorted into other houses. I don't want to be a Hufflepuff because the twins would never let me hear the end of their jokes about it. Then, it is true that I do like studying and learning, but the Ravenclaws are possessed by the books, and that's not me."
"Well, looking at it like that, there is only one option left," Gerd reasoned. "I don't see the problem. From what I've heard about Slytherin, it would be my first choice without a doubt. Ambition, cunning, fraternity... those are pretty good traits. If you are worried about its fame... that is nonsense. Every man or woman can give up to the darkness which resides inside of them... it is our decisions what defines us... not some stupid fame..."
Ron turned his head to look at Gerd, but she refused to meet his eyes. Where did that come from? Gerd did that every once in a while. She just dropped something deep like that and then refused to tell him about it. The first time it happened, Ron was left perplexed, but now, he was starting to worry about her. She has been doing it more frequently than when we met...
He didn't have time to keep thinking about it because his name was called. Ron gulped before taking the first step forward. Gerd wished him good luck before flying upwards. Well... here we go... Come on, Ron, grow a pair. With that thought, he started to walk forward with more determination. Until he sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head; that was the moment when his determination left him alone. Come on... don't do this to me you little shit...
"What do we have here..." a voice resounded in his head. "Another Weasley! Every single year, I keep telling myself this will be the last one in which I have to get into your minds. So far, I've been proven wrong a few times, don't you think? In fact, those words have become like a motto to me."
"Woah, you can talk!" Ron said to himself, wondering if that was the way to talk with the Hat. "Well, at least I can hear you now, so you must know how to talk inside other's heads."
"Don't try to avoid the real conversation, boy!" The Hat exclaimed. "Hmm, yeah, you are very interesting indeed. You remind me a lot of your brother Percival. Hmm, yeah, you could be as ambitious as him, but you don't like books as much as he does... How interesting!"
"Can you stop talking like I wasn't here? It is making me nervous," Ron pleaded.
"Oh, you sure have more temper than him," the Hat muttered. "Yeah, you would do great in Gryffindor. But there is that ambition of yours, eh? You want to be more than another Weasley. You don't want to be shadowed by your brothers... and for that, Slytherin would be perfect; but you have many doubts, don't you, boy?"
Ron gulped before mentally answering the hat. "Well, yeah. I mean, everyone knows Slytherin's fame. I don't want to be in a house surrounded by future dark wizards..."
"Yeah, everyone worries about that. Fortunately, that is something from the past," the Hat told him. "Those times are over, boy. Now, most of the students sorted in Slytherin know nothing about those times. Most of them still believe in the Blood Supremacy, of course! Just like they have been taught since they had memory. Despite that, a child should not be judged by their father's acts, don't you think so, Ronald Weasley?"
"O-Of course," Ron muttered. "My parents educated me to be fair to everyone, no matter what their blood status is or whatever other thing it is. But... I've heard many stories about the war, even if you are right... I don't want to be in that snake's pit... I-I just can't."
"You can't because you really think all those kids who just got sorted are fated to be dark wizards, or because you fear what your family would think of you?" The hat asked; it wasn't mean to feel like that, but for the redhead, it was the same as a punch in the guts. "Maybe some months ago, it would have been the first scenario without doubts and we wouldn't even be having this conversation. But I've looked into your mind, Ronald; you've met two wizards who made you think that maybe people's lives are not defined by the House they belong to. That is something very valuable, my boy."
"I-I don't know what to think anymore," Ron groaned. "That prefect, Daniel, said he was a muggle-born and that he had managed to be respected in Slytherin. All the things he said about Percy... if he had taken the choice of joining Slytherin... would have I hated him? He is just as good a person as we all are... but he fits perfectly in what has always been 'the house of the dark wizards'... I just don't know..."
"Then, I will ask you the same questions I asked your brother Percival when he sat in the stool," the Hat's voice echoed in Ron's mind. "Will you be able to judge fairly some pureblood kids even when they don't do the same to you? Will you be able to step up and change the way things have been done for years? Will you be able to gather enough courage to do the best thing for yourself? Even if that thing is something others wouldn't consider as a good decision?"
Ron was left totally speechless. He didn't know what to say. He also didn't know how much time he had spent sitting there, because now that the Hat wasn't talking, the redhead could hear the whole Great Hall whispering.
Then, he felt something similar to a pull, which made him look upwards, to the incredible ceiling of the Great Hall. There was Gerd, looking at him intensely, but she wasn't wearing that cute and childish dress she used to wear. The Essentia was wearing some full-length dress that reached to her feet and whose sleeves covered her arms; said dress had a parting which started at the hips and showed some leather-like pants. Gerd definitely looked bigger and more real; maybe, it was because she also looked more regal and serious, but somehow, Ron still knew she was the same person.
The Essentia looked at him and then nodded her head like she was encouraging him to do something. Ron swore he could hear her voice in his head "Do it," she encouraged. Then, he saw himself, but older, stronger, and with a happy smile on his face. He had the Head-Boy badge on his chest, and his whole posture showed self-confidence. Was this who he wanted to be?
"You could be way more than that, Ron," Gerd whispered in his head. "Don't allow your insecurities to stop you. Trust me, you can be better than your brothers... you can be better than us... Do it."
Fueled by that, Ron did it ."Do it," he told to the hat. "Do it before I can change my opinion."
Ron swore he felt the hat smiling. "The tougher decisions are those which shape us the most, Ronald. Today, you took the hardest path, and only those who do it are the ones to find the greatest rewards. You may not like your future housemates right now, but you'll find out soon that they can be wonderful people. You, Ronald Weasley, might be the chosen one to prove things can be different at Hogwarts; they can be better." Then, the sorting hat shouted: "SLYTHERIN!"
The whole Great Hall was silenced.
What have you done, you bloody idiot... Those were Ron's thoughts as he finished his dinner. It was incredible, but he just wasn't hungry, and that would have been something unthinkable; if it wasn't for the many and different looks he was receiving, of course.
On the one hand, Malfoy and his two gorillas were sending him pretty condescending glares, while the two other first-year boys had completely ignored him since he first sat at the side of one of them; the dark-skinned boy who heard him talking to Gerd before his little talk with that damned hat.
On the other hand, the group of girls seemed to have different opinions of him. There was a blonde girl who didn't even look in his direction; as if he was not worthy of her time. Then, a pug-faced girl who seemed to be Malfoy's biggest fan in the world was just sneering at him; rambling aloud about how it was possible for a 'blood traitor' like him to trick the Hat.
Despite that, what Ron would never forget were Fred and George's looks after the Hat doomed him. They were just completely shocked; no other emotion was displayed on their faces. Ron had felt their eyes on his back during his whole way to the Slytherin table, but he hadn't been brave enough to look back at them.
On top of everything, Gerd was nowhere to be seen.
The Essentia had done something to him, he was sure of it. The boy had seen an older version of him, and he... felt things when she talked in his mind; a thing Gerd herself had said to be impossible when they first met. Ron was sure he wouldn't have taken that damned choice if it wasn't for whatever shit she did to him. But he could not fool himself. Whatever the spirit had done just helped him to take the final decision; the seeds of doubt had been planted in his mind for the last month. His was the final call on whether he would become more than just another Weasley; on whether he wouldn't be shadowed by them anymore.
Gerd, Gerard, Daniel, the Hat... they all are just a band of arseholes... But how he was going to explain his choice to his family was a matter for another time, because the Headmaster decided that it was time to finish the dinner. The old sorcerer was a legend, and thanks to the tales his parents told Ron about him, he grew up worshipping the man. Despite that, during his closing speech, he looked like he was a bit... barmy to say the least. What the bloody hell was that thing about finding the most horrible death?
He didn't have time to ponder about those words because the whole Slytherin table suddenly stood up, so he did the same. Then, the same boy he met on the train came to meet them. "Okay, the first year brats, my name is Daniel Williams; I'm one of the two fifth-year prefects. I lost the raffle, so I will have the pleasure to be your guide for today. Follow me and try to not ask many questions," Daniel said from the other side of the table.
The blonde girl and some weedy boy took the lead and started to walk towards the prefect, while Ron did his best to stay at the back of the group so no one could pay attention to him. But of course, he wasn't so lucky. "Hello, Ronald! My name is Tracey Davis," a brunette girl introduced herself once they got out of the Great Hall. She had shoulder-length and curly hair, also, her eyes were a mix between brown and green. She was cute and she didn't have that silly voice the other first-year girls had.
Ron decided to ignore her.
He didn't have the energy to argue right now; the only thing he wanted was to sleep. So obviously, the girl kept talking. "Hey, didn't your parents teach you how to treat a lady?" She asked with humour in her voice, but as soon as the girl realised Ron wasn't answering her, something changed. "Hey, I'm not trying to pick a fight or something like that. It is just that... well, I don't really know many people here... and I thought that we could at least talk a bit so we don't feel alone."
That definitely caught the redhead's attention, so he looked at her eyes, which were now looking to the floor. "Really? Oh... I'm sorry... It is just that, well, you heard how they were talking about me back at the Hall, and since I didn't hear them talking like that about others, I thought that you all were from the same group," Ron tried to explain himself.
"Sorry about that," the girl apologised, even though she had done nothing. In fact, he didn't even notice her during the feast. "I'm not really part of that group. I'm a half-blood, so they can stand me, but they don't consider me part of their exclusive group."
"Oh, I see," Ron said, a bit more cheerful now that he had someone to talk to. "You said that you didn't know many people here, so you must know some of them. I already know that Malfoy git, but what can you tell me about the others?"
"Well, the only one that I can say that I know a bit is the blonde girl. Her name is Daphne Greengrass, and she is... a bit difficult... but not the way you are thinking. She isn't like Malfoy, Parkinson or Nott. Daphne doesn't really believe in... those things they believe about the blood supremacy."
"Really?" Ron asked, raising a brow.
"Ehm... More or less, I guess?" The girl answered. "I mean, she doesn't really think like them because she also believes herself to be better than other purebloods. Her father is one of the richest in the whole of Europe, so she has always been kind of spoiled. The thing is, even though Daphne still believes for purebloods to be superior to half-bloods and muggle-borns, she doesn't treat them with disdain; it is just… indifference?"
"Is that supposed to be a good thing?" Ron asked with sarcasm.
"Not even close," Tracey sighed in defeat. "But at least she isn't as bad as people like Malfoy and others are. They really think that muggle-borns, and even Half-bloods like me, are beneath them and need to be taught a lesson for even looking in their direction. Daphne just thinks she is better than you and most of the people, but she would never treat you like scum, as others would do. Her parents, or mostly her mother should I say, educated her better than most of the pureblood kids."
"You do seem to know a lot about her," Ron pointed out. He was starting to trust that this girl didn't want to mock him or something like that, but if she knew that much about her 'friend", why wasn't she talking to her right now?
"You could say that," she replied with a low voice. "I've been on her family's manor a few times. My father and hers are... business partners or something like that."
Yeah, that was the reason why she wasn't talking to the blonde girl right now. Tracey knew her a bit, but they weren't precisely friends; that was when Ron realized she was telling him all of that because she really wanted to have someone to talk with. Tracey didn't keep talking, and Ron didn't ask her anything more either, so they just kept walking in comfortable silence while following the others. At least, the corridors were an incredible sight to behold; let it be because of the many armours which were everywhere, or because of the many painted wizards following by jumping from one painting to the next one.
"Hey! Stop right there you lot!" Daniel exclaimed at them. "This is the infamous Moving Staircase! We are taking a long way down because the Head-Boy asked me to show you as much of the castle as I could. We don't want any of you being late on your first day of classes." Daniel kept talking about how the castle was organized, but Ron already knew most of the things the prefect was saying; living with many brothers who had already attended Hogwarts had its advantages.
They kept walking downwards, towards the Slytherin's common room, which was located in the dungeons. It was a place Ron thought he would never live to see, but many things had changed in the last hours.
After some minutes of walking through the castle, they finally reached a very big, wooden, and polished door embedded into the stone wall. "Well, this is the entrance to our common room," the prefect said, tapping the door with his finger. "It is very important for you to remember the secret password, otherwise, you won't be able to come inside. This year's first password is 'Lineage', if the passwords changes, we will tell you about the new one as soon as we know it."
With that being said, they finally got into the common room. Bloody hell, it was true we are going to live just under the lake... He had never believed all the stories the twins told him about the Slytherin common room, but it was now when Ron realized they weren't joking. The many green lamps gave the room a very shady and cold look, but even Ron had to agree that it suited very well with the furniture, which was composed with dark tones mostly; like the dark-green leather couches.
"Well, this is our common room," Daniel commented while guiding them. "Now we have to wait for him to come before I can resume the tour and show you the bedrooms."
"Who is he?" The blonde girl asked.
"I have a better question," Malfoy interrupted. "Why is this blood traitor still here and why are we doing nothing about it? He must be here to spy on us or something like that!"
"Listen to me, boy," Daniel said, rather aggressively. "The Hat itself sorted him in our noble House, are you trying to tell me you are wiser than a hat which is everything that remains of the Four Founders? Because if that is what you are trying to say, I have bad news for you; delusional people don't do well in Slytherin."
Malfoy wasn't clearly expecting to be insulted like that on his first day, because his face turned all red with rage and embarrassment. "Of course you would defend him; I know who you are. You may have tricked most of this House, but whatever nonsense you've told them, it won't work with me. Now, this blood traitor wants to trick us just like you did in the past!"
Daniel was about to answer him, but Ron had had enough of that presumptuous git; he wasn't going to stand still in his place and let others defend him. "Shut up, you git!" Ron exclaimed at the blond. "I'm not here to spy on anyone. After a long talk with the Hat, he convinced me to end up here. He said I got every trait that Slytherin himself valued. You saw during how much time I was talking with it! I could have chosen another House, but I chose Slytherin because... I wanted to make a name for myself!"
"He is lying!" Malfoy exclaimed, now redder than ever.
"Silence!" A voice ordered from behind. The man they were waiting for was no other than Severus Snape himself. The young professor already had a scowl on his face. Bloody hell... he is as scary and grim as the twins said. He walked towards them with his hands behind his back, and he looked ready to curse them all.
"This is the first year that I have people fighting within the house on the first night," the professor grunted. "I won't tolerate it. We, Slytherins, must stand by one another because I assure you the other Houses won't judge you fairly. I also expect nothing but excellence from all of you; Slytherin doesn't allow incompetence and I will make sure of it," he paused for a moment to look at Ron and Malfoy before continuing. "As I just told you, I don't want any fighting here, so... special measures will be taken this year. Draco, you'll share a room with Crabbe and Goyle. Weasley, you'll do the same with Nott and Zabini."
Malfoy was about to open his mouth, but he closed it instantly after some sour look from Professor Snape. Ha! Look at him now, he isn't so brave now. The young man then turned his head to look at Daniel, who was just watching the spectacle with a smile on his face. "Daniel, you seem to be enjoying this situation a bit too much. Do me a favour and show them where their rooms are."
"Sorry, Professor, I couldn't help myself. Come on you kiddos, follow me."
The whole group of first years started to follow the prefect, but Ron could still feel Malfoy's eyes piercing a hole through the back of his head. Snape may have prevented a fight today, but I can feel this git won't stop anytime soon. They got through the bedroom's hallway where the girls left the group to go with the female prefect, who was waiting for them at the intersection. Meanwhile, the rest of the group made their way towards the boy's section, which was the right corridor that advanced diagonally towards a deeper part of the Lake.
"Well, here we are," Daniel stated, opening his arm in a dramatic gesture. "The one on the right is for Lord Malfoy and his two friends, and the one on the left is for you three. If I were you, I would try to sleep as much as I can; you are going to need it, trust me. First days can be a bit... overwhelming."
With that, the fifth year prefect started to walk towards a deeper part of the corridor, where his room was supposed to be. He is a good bloke. I never thought I would say this about a Slytherin... but I like him. Now that he was gone, Ron didn't want to start another row with Malfoy, so he just got into his room before that prick could even look in his direction.
Damn, my things are already here. There were three big beds with very green and silver blankets—maybe a bit too much for Ron's liking—but he couldn't deny they looked very comfy and warm. Before his two new roommates even came into the room, he sat in the bed which was farthest from the door; the one which had a little, circular window that would allow him to see the lake while trying to sleep.
"I see you have already taken the best bed, Weasley," the dark-skinned boy commented as he stepped into the room. "Eh, you don't need to look at me like that. I don't want to fight with you. Whatever you got with Malfoy is between you and him," the boy took a moment when he saw Ron wasn't going to answer him. "My name is Blaise Zabini, by the way. You shouldn't be so rude towards others; in the end, it is you the one who is alone here. I'm just trying to show you some kindness, but if that is what you want..."
"I'm sorry," Ron apologised, realizing how much of a git he was being. "It's just that... lots of things have happened today... and I'm just a bit overwhelmed, to be honest."
Then, the other boy, the weedy one, came into the room. "Among all the things I could have expected for today," he started. "Sharing a room with a Weasley wasn't one of them. That makes you something interesting, and I like interesting things."
"Come on, Theodore," Zabini said. "You don't have to act like Malfoy now that he is not here. I would love to have some calm and peace in this room, at least for this year."
"Shut up, Blaise," the weedy boy replied with a roll of his eyes. "But now that we are in a more... quiet situation, you can tell us the truth, Weasley; how did you end up here?"
"I've already told you," Ron answered with tiredness in his voice. "The Hat considered it was good for me. I wasn't really sure at the beginning, but that bloody thing convinced me that Slytherin would be the best option for my 'ambition'."
Zabini raised a brow after hearing his words. "So you were really telling the truth? I didn't know you Weasleys could have ambition, but... eh, don't look at me like that, just let me finish. As I was about to say, ambition is a really good trait, and we, purebloods, value it very highly. The name of your family might not have a very good... fame, but if you were really sorted here because of that, I don't have any problems with it. I might even consider being your ally if you do really well."
"Talk for yourself, Blaise," the other boy, Theodore, said with a funny voice. "I might not be as self-centred as Draco is, but I don't trust him. I don't have a soft spot in me for blood traitors."
Ron was really getting angrier with each moment those two presumptuous gits talked, acting like he wasn't even in the same room as them; but just when he was about to call them out, he remembered Zabini's words. He was right, I'm the one who is alone here; for once in my life I should shut up and see how things go... That would have been what both Percy and Gerd told me if they were here.
"Look, I don't really care if you don't trust me," the redhead stated, trying to end the argument. "And I don't really know what you are talking about with all those things about being my ally and ambition. The only thing I want right now is to sleep and rest for tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the classes, and I want to be on point for them, so goodnight."
Just after finishing talking, Ron closed the curtains of his bed. He was very tired because of the long day, and he was also scared because he had somehow ended up in a very unfamiliar place. But even with all of that, nothing could compare with the excitement he was feeling. I still don't know what the hell was I thinking when I told the hat to place me here... But you've made your own bed, Ron, now it is time to sleep on it.
At least, tomorrow would be the first day of his new life. The first day of his magical journey.
Gerdnyaram POV
Monday 2nd September, 1991 (Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts) – Past Noon
It was finally happening, even though Gerdnyaram didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
After more than two thousand years of slumber, her powers were coming back at her. In the past days, she had been seeing things once again. Memories from the past; things that were happening in the present; the Future...
It was the blessing that got her killed many centuries ago.
Why was it happening? That was a thing even Gerd herself didn't know. It could be because she had recovered enough thanks to her slumber, and now, her powers were trying to finish what she tried to stop many years ago. Maybe, it was the link with the boy which was helping her. That, or it could be thanks to the other reason; the one she feared so much.
Since she first met Ronald, the Essentia started to have visions about His wizard in the present had not only discovered 'the secret', but he even performed the atrocious act; the abomination that should have never been discovered.
From what she had heard and observed, almost everyone believed that wizard, by the name of Lord Voldemort, to be dead.
How wrong they were...
Gerd had already seen it; all the chaos and death he would bring to the world. As of the present, he was nothing but a shadow that wasn't even worthy to be called a living being, but Gerd lost his trace a few months ago when another presence just like her came into the field.
Why was Kadir helping a new Dark Lord? He had been the first to confront Him after Gerd's death, and he was the first to die after her when everything went to hell. Gerdnyaram, Kadir, Kassandra, Niklos, and... Were there more of them? She couldn't remember more from her past life, but she did feel Kadir and Niklos out there. While she had spent so much time trying to make a connexion with the boy, Ronald, those two were also trying to fulfil their destiny.
What Kadir had done—whatever it was—blinded her. Because of that, Gerd needed to prepare the boy for the future while she couldn't see what was happening around His heir. It wasn't adequate, but it might be the best option for everyone to survive. It would scar the boy for life, but it was necessary. Even if that had never been her intention, the Essentia had ended up caring about Ronald; it didn't matter if the one to link with him wasn't her real self. Gerdnyaram would not let the boy be unprepared for what was coming; she would not repeat the same mistakes once again.
The Essentia kept flying through the forest, to a deeper part where no one would disturb her as she gathered all the energy needed for her to prepare for the Future. Among all of her comrades, she was the weakest without any doubts, but she also was the most special one; that turned her into the most dangerous threat for Him and for anyone that tried to follow His legacy.
How many were we...? Maybe five...? Or were we more...? Has Kadir any idea of what he's done? Does he even know that I am still roaming this world? There were many blank spaces in her head; many important ones. Maybe, in some days, she would find out the answers to all her questions about the past, but now...
Now it was time for the true Gerdnyaram to come back. It was time for the Great Seer to come back once again.
Ronald Weasley POV
Monday 2nd September, 1991 (Hogwarts) – Early Morning
Ron was suddenly woken up by some light shaking. Let me sleep for five more minutes, mom... But when he tried to go back to his slumber, the shaking suddenly turned more aggressive. Okayyy, I'm waking up now, mom. When he opened his eyes, Ron realized that he wasn't in his room and his mother wasn't the one shaking him.
"Eh! Why the bloody hell is my bed shaking!" Ron exclaimed to the air.
"That is the Alarm charm, Weasley," a voice answered his question; Zabini was the boy's name if Ron remembered correctly "It is set on every bed from every bedroom. You heard Professor Snape yesterday: Slytherin values punctuality."
Oh, of course, another trait Slytherin values dearly… Now that Ron was more awake, he could remember the events from the past day. It had been a rough night with very little sleep, but classes were starting today, so he stretched out his body a bit before opening the curtains. The dark-skinned boy, Blaise Zabini, was already sitting on his bed wearing his full brand new uniform, but the other boy was nowhere to be seen.
"You should wake up sooner," Zabini advised him. "The alarm charm has been up for more than five minutes. Theodore is already waiting outside and I was about to wake you up."
"Oh, sorry," Ron apologised as he scratched the back of his neck. "It was a rough night."
Zabini raised a brow but said nothing, so Ron started to get dressed. The truth was he didn't eat a lot the last night and he was feeling quite hungry right now. I hope they have bacon for breakfast. As soon as he finished, Ron got up from his bed and walked out of the room with Zabini.
"Theodore must be waiting for us in the common room," Zabini pointed out. So they both started to walk towards the common room, where not only was Nott waiting for them; Malfoy and the pug-faced girl who sat by his side in the Great Hall were sitting in two of the couches near the exit.
As soon as the blond boy spotted them he started to laugh. "Where are you going wearing that, Weasley? Did your father lend you those robes?" That comment made the girl and Malfoy himself laugh even harder; even Nott had an amused smile on his face.
Ron's ears turned red with fury, but as soon as he tried to walk in Malfoy's direction Zabini stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Don't fall into his games," the boy whispered. "The only thing he wants is to put you in a situation in which you do something stupid. Are you going to hand him the win in a silver plate?"
It is easy to say that when you are not the one getting insulted... But Ron, much to his surprise, listened to the Zabini's advice; making his way towards the exit rather than lunging himself at the blond boy. It had been hard, mainly because he could still hear the laughs. Luckily for him, as soon as he got out of the common room he spotted some older students who were already going up. He didn't know the best way to reach the Great Hall, so he just followed them; trying to forget the smirk on Malfoy's face.
Most of the seats from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables were empty, but there were some students already eating at the tables of Slytherin and Ravenclaw. The redhead was able to spot Tracey Davis and the blonde girl—Daphne Greengrass if he remembered correctly—who were already eating near the end of the table. He went there to meet them. "Good morning," he greeted, taking a seat by Tracey's side. "Did you have a good night?"
"Not really," Tracey answered with a light smile on her face. "I was so nervous because of the classes that I couldn't sleep much. What about you?"
"Same as you, but I woke up very hungry," and just after finishing his sentence, some dishes appeared in front of Ron. Bacon, eggs, and sausages? By Merlin's beard, this place is fantastic. So he just dived into paradise in the form of food that he had in front of him.
His feast was stopped by some high pitched voice. "Didn't your parents teach you how to eat properly?" The blonde girl asked, glancing at him with quite the horrified look "You look like a proper savage eating like that. You must have some etiquette, at least when eating in the middle of the Slytherin table."
"What is wrong with how I eat?" Ron asked, after chewing as much as he could. "I'm absolutely famished! I haven't eaten anything since yesterday's lunch!"
"It's... disgusting," the girl grimaced. "Use your knife and fork properly when eating, they aren't part of the table's decoration."
Ron was about to answer when he spotted the twins walking towards the Gryffindor table. As soon as George saw him, he mouthed something that Ron understood like 'we'll talk tonight', or something like that.
Then, the other's first year came and Zabini sat at his other side. Here I am... surrounded by snakes… Ron just sat there in silence, trying to eat in a less enthusiastic way. Some minutes after it, Professor Snape came to their group just to hand them out the first-year class schedules. Today we have History of Magic with the Ravenclaws and then Transfiguration with the Gryffindors. Well, it could have been worse.
As soon as they were finished eating, the people started to leave the Great Hall; probably, to collect their things before classes. So when Zabini and Nott got up, Ron did the same, following the other two boys to the bedroom they shared to get the books. If it wasn't for some older students, Ron was sure they would have been late for their first class. The castle was such a bloody labyrinth! But in the ned, they managed to get in time for Professor Binn's class.
History of Magic was, by far, Ron's least favourite subject; despite that, he still rode Percy's notes about it, so he was a bit prepared for the first year. But he wasn't prepared for how boring the subject was going to be. At first, it was kind of interesting because Professor Binn was a ghost, but after ten minutes or so, Ron and the others had to fight to not get asleep.
Either way, Ron managed to answer some of the few questions the professor did, earning some points for Slytherin, and surprising his year mates. Merlin blesses Percy and Gerd for making me read those notes... It definitely felt very good to be the centre of attention for once.
After three dreadful hours of class, they were finally free and on their way to their common room; they had some free time before launch and nothing better to do. On the way, Ron found himself suddenly surrounded by both Zabini and Nott, and the dark-skinned boy was the one to talk first. "That was pretty impressive, Weasley, not going to lie here. You managed to earn twenty points in the first Binn's class, who is famous for not giving many points."
Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I just answered some easy questions about the Goblin's revolution, that's all."
"You were really saying the truth about your 'ambition', weren't you?" Nott asked with a smirk on his face. "I might have to reconsider my opinion about you; who knows, you may even end up being some really valuable ally. Only very crazy people are mad enough to pay attention in the ghost's class."
On that, he agreed. In fact, that had been possible thanks to the Professor's compliment. Had the ghost not congratulated him aloud so everyone could hear, the redhead would have probably fallen asleep; as many others did. He was about to answer Nott, but then, he remembered something. Ally, he says... The very same guy who laughed at Malfoy's joke about my robes a few hours ago... a bloody snake. These boys really were opportunists, just as Ron thought. Would I ever be able to call someone a friend here?
He had left the class very happy, but right now, he just wanted to be alone for some time. "You know?" Ron started. "I think I'll go to the Great Hall. I'm quite hungry after that class." Ron left the two boys, in a hurry, before they could say anything.
There was almost no one in the Great Hall since it was a bit early to eat, so he ended up having his lunch alone at the Slytherin table. Having in mind he had some free hours before Transfiguration and nothing to do, the redhead decided that exploring the castle could definitely be a great and entertaining idea.
Hogwarts just was... actually, Ron didn't have any words to describe the magnificence of the ancient castle. In just a few hours of exploring, he lost count of how many times he got lost; but in the end, he managed to get a bit familiar with it. He even got in time for the Transfiguration class, even though most of the students were already inside of the classroom.
"Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous branches of Magic you will ever learn," Professor McGonagall explained with a stern voice. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You've all been warned."
Ron had already heard about the fame of the stern, but fair, professor; just as he had also heard about her first class: transforming a match into a needle, the class that Percy told Ron about some years ago. His older brother did warn him about the difficulty of that class, but Ron didn't believe him until he failed many times.
With only a few minutes left for the end of the class, only the bossy girl he met at the train—Hermione Granger was her name—him and surprisingly Daphne Greengrass had made a bit of progress. Come on, Ron! You've been preparing for two years for this moment, you can do it! But it was impossible. The redhead just couldn't understand what was missing. He had a good-enough wand movement and he had read the theory ten times already.
He was starting to give up when he felt some voice talking into his mind: "Emotions... they fuel magic... think how you would feel... how others would see you…" Ron was left completely paralyzed since he wasn't expecting anything like that. Gerd? Is it you? He didn't get any answers, but he decided to listen to the advice. That had been the Essentia's voice, after all.
Ron thought about how he felt when he earned those House points, back during the History of Magic class; how everyone looked at him impressed; how he had been the centre of attention for the first time… Then, he put all those feelings into the wand motion; into the match that had to be a needle.
He had done it with his eyes closed, so he knew he was successful after an amazed gasp from Tracey, who was sitting to his right. "You've done it, Ron!" The girl exclaimed, and soon enough, the whole class was looking at him.
Even Professor McGonagall came to his table with an impressed face. She examined the needle closely before saying: "This is very good, Weasley. There have been very few students who were able to do this transfiguration in the very first class. Fifteen points for Slytherin!"
Ron could feel how everyone glared at his back.
Hermione Granger, who had been competing against him for the whole class, was looking at him in a way that made Ron a bit uneasy. His year mates from Slytherin were doing it with amazement and eyes sparkling with interest. Still, from his spot, the redhead could spot Harry, who was looking at him with awe; when their eyes met, the Boy-Who-Lived himself smiled at him happily.
Thank Merlin... He doesn't hate me for my sorting. Ron had tried to not think much about it, but he had really been afraid that the only person he had considered a friend could despise him just because of his sorting. Now that he knew Harry wasn't angry with him, Ron felt a lot better. I should talk to him tomorrow or this week, we could do something after classes.
"How did you do it, Ron?" Tracey asked. "I can't even change the match's colour!"
"Try to picture the match turning into a needle in your mind," Ron explained. "It is very important that you focus really hard on it; and then, try to do the wand movement slowly but cleanly."
Tracey closed her eyes and did the wand movement slower this time, despite that, the match didn't change at all. "I did as you told me, but this isn't working... Maybe I'm not good enough," she almost whispered the last part.
Ron felt sorry for the girl; he really knew that feeling. Come on, Ron, share what you know with her. She is the only one who has shown you some kindness after all. He really wanted for the class to end with him as the only student capable of doing it; that wasn't the way his parents raised him."That isn't all," the redhead confessed. "After you do what I've just told you... well, I don't really know how to explain it, but... try to put some emotion into the spell... You want the match to change because you'd feel good about it; because you'd succeed at something thanks to your effort. Try again with those thoughts on your mind, and under any circumstances, don't stop thinking about the needle turning into a match."
Tracey closed her eyes once again, and then, she took a bit more time to try the spell. This time, the match's colour changed to a metallic-cloured on, just as the end sharpened a bit; the match had turned into a not so pointy needle-lick stick. Tracey let out a cry of joy "It worked!" It wasn't perfect, but it still was way better than most of the class.
By the end of the classroom, Tracey's match got even a bit better. It wasn't as good as Granger's one, but it was similar to Greengrass' and other students. Ha! I was the only one to do it perfectly! I could kiss Percy and Gerd right now.
Ron was the first one to leave the classroom; the lecture had been fantastic, but he still had to talk with his brothers. I just hope they can listen to me... Ron saw how the other Slytherin first-years were coming at him; probably, to offer him some of that ally nonsense they liked that much. But thankfully or not, he was suddenly surrounded by two pairs of arms.
"Hello there, little brother," George greeted. "It was about time that we talked, wasn't it, Fred?"
"Yes, it was," Fred pipped in. "Come on, Percy is already waiting for us. I wouldn't dare to make our dearest brother wait."
They don't seem to be very angry... Thank Merlin. The twins led him to some abandoned classroom on that same floor, and when they opened the door, Percy was already sitting there reading a book. "Come on, Perce," George groaned as soon as he stepped inside. "Can't you stop reading for just a minute? It's only the first day of school."
"I wish you knew what maximizing time is," Percy replied, and then, he turned to Ron. "Hello, Ron, was everything okay the first day? Did the classes go well?"
Ron didn't have time to answer because the twins practically made him sit in one of the chairs that were in front of Percy; and then, they both take a seat at Ron's left and right. He suddenly felt really nervous, this was like some kind of interrogation or something like that. "I-I don't know what to say..." Ron slurred. "I-I'm sorry..."
"Sorry for what?" Percy asked with confusion in his voice. A second after it, probably after realizing something, he turned to look at the twins. "What have you said to him?"
They both talked at the same time. "Eh, we said nothing! We just brought him here after his last class!"
"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Ron," Percy reassured the youngest brother. "We just wanted to ask you how you were doing. Your sorting was a shock to all of us, especially for Fred and George; they were a bit... distressed and unhappy with it. But after some late-night thinking and some words from me, they are kind of okay now... More or less."
"Oh..." Ron muttered. "I'm okay, I guess. Some of the Slytherins aren't so bad, while others are just some spoiled brats. Even so, there are few of them who are giving me problems, just people like Malfoy and his buffoons; nothing too worrisome."
"We see..." George said with a sombre voice. "Do you want us to... send him our regards? We wouldn't mind testing some of our new products on them. I bet they are very good test subjects."
"No, this is something I need to handle by myself," Ron replied with determination. "I'm old enough to deal with my problems, and it isn't like I can't deal with people like Malfoy."
"That's what I wanted to hear, little brother," Fred said as he ruffled his hair. "I was afraid that you've... changed. I'm still shocked you ended up in that viper's nest... but maybe George and Percy were right. I should have more faith in you; those spoiled brats don't stand a chance against a Weasley!"
Words couldn't express the relief Ron felt with his brother's words; they didn't despise him because of his sorting. Ron had supposed that Percy wouldn't have any problems with it after what the Hat told Ron. Hell, he could even hope to convince George that he hadn't changed by talking to him; but hearing those words from Fred's mouth... it meant everything.
"Just don't let them put some of their ideas in your head," George said, tapping his own head with his finer. "I have faith in you, Ronnie, but you are all by yourself there. If you need it... I'm sure we could talk with the Headmaster to help you."
"No, I-I don't want to be resorted," Ron almost whispered. "It was my choice to end up in Slytherin, the Hat just helped me to take the last step."
"Why?" Fred asked, with a scowl on his face. "Why did you decide to go into that snake's pit? I just can't understand it. Don't get me wrong, I trust you; but why would you ever want to get sorted in Slytherin?"
"Because I didn't want to be in your shadow," Ron confessed; it was time to let everything out. "All my life, I've been wondering what I could do to be considered more than just another Weasley. Bill and Percy are literally some of the best students this school has ever had, and Charlie could have been one of the best Quidditch players in the country. You two are known by everyone; lots of people like you. What was left for me? Can you tell me?"
Ron's explosion of sincerity had completely shut down the twins, while Percy was looking at him with understanding in his eyes. But Ron still had more things to say. "That was why I started studying some years ago; that's why I asked Charlie and Bill about many things whenever they come home to visit us; that's why I spent so many afternoons with Percy, trying to learn from him. I'd say that I did a pretty good job; bloody hell, I even won a lot of House points on my first day. The looks my year mates were giving me today… they felt good as hell. For once, I was the centre of attention, and no sibling was there to shadow me!"
Now, the twins were completely speechless, but Percy was smiling at him lightly. Yeah, he is the only one who can fully understand me… He is the only one I ever told some of this to.
"I can understand you, Ron," Percy said. "I know some Slytherins who aren't bad persons, and most of them were sorted in that House because they felt just like you. But I have to tell you one thing that you probably don't want to hear; you have to tell mum and dad about your sorting."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that since I was sorted," Ron sighed. "I'll send them a letter this week, but... I need some time first."
Percy looked at his watch and said: "Wow, it's later than I thought. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have prefect duties to carry out this evening, and since it is my first day, it would be incredibly rude to report late. I'll see you three around, I guess."
After Percy left the room, the twins and Ron were left in uncomfortable silence, so Ron decided to break it. "Well... I guess this is all for today-"
His sentence was interrupted by Fred. "All those things you said," he muttered. "Have you always felt like that?"
"Well... yeah..." Ron answered, truthfully. "One of the main reasons why I decided to be sorted in Slytherin was because I wanted to be... different from what everyone thinks a Weasley is. But I'm still a true and proud Weasley. The Hat asked me if I could be the one to change how Slytherin thinks and does things; they won't change me."
"That is what I wanted to hear, Ronnie," George smiled, patting his shoulder with energy. "If you ever need some help with those pricks, you'll know where to find us. But right now, all I want is to eat, so let's go."
Just like that, the three of them walked out of the classroom. Maybe things are not going to be that bad, Ron allowed himself to truly smile for the first time in Hogwarts.
Daphne Greengrass POV
Monday 2nd September, 1991 (Slytherin Common Room) – After Classes
How did he do it? Daphne Greengrass was considered by many as a very confident and regal heiress; the perfect one for such an important family like the Great House of Greengrass was. She was ice and perfection, or at least, that was what her facade said of her; what everyone believed and expected her to be.
But in the end, it was just a facade.
She couldn't deny that her life had been very easy; after all, she had everything she asked for. Money was definitely not a problem, and reputation among the pureblood families wasn't either. Daphne also knew she had a problem with looking down at others, but she was a Greengrass; she was better than almost all the people.
That didn't change the fact of her name being a double edge sword; a very sharp one indeed. Nothing but excellence was expected from her, and her lord father had been very clear about it. That was why she came so prepared for the first year. Appearances were very important for purebloods, even more than what someone really was.
Then, out of nowhere, some boy from a non-important and poor family came into the picture to completely crush her plans. While she wasn't able to perform a simple transfiguration on the first day, that boy, Ronald Weasley, not only won a lot of House points, but he even impressed Professor McGonagall herself.
Daphne was so pissed about it that when the redhead appeared in the common room—wearing such a big smile on his face—the only thing she could do was to not look at him while he sat at Blaise's side. How pathetic...
"Hello, Ron!" Tracey greeted, cheerfully. "You look way happier now than you were this morning."
"Well, what can I say," he answered in a giddy way. "It has been a pretty good day, don't you think so?"
I preferred him when he was with his head down, to be honest. Despite that, Daphne knew very well that those were very hypocritical thoughts. If she had performed half as good as he did today, she would be way smuggler about it. But right now, she couldn't stand his face. Where's Malfoy when you need him...
Daphne knew the dynamics between the two boys could generate a lot of problems for them and would split the group for sure. Against all odds, Weasley had proven himself to be a very valuable ally to have; that, along with the fact that Malfoy wasn't very... appreciated by some of them, like herself or Blaise, could mean very bad things were coming at Daphne's way. She really hated stupid and unnecessary drama.
"... I didn't take you for a person who liked chess, Weasley," Blaise commented. Daphne had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realise that a conversation was still going on.
"Well, I do," Weasley said. "I started when I was like five years old or something. I have been playing since then."
"Do you know that chess is one of the favourite activities for almost all the pureblood families? I bet that at least three-quarters of Slytherin can play," Blaise explained.
This could be my chance... "So, you play chess," Daphne piped in. "Wouldn't you mind having a game with me, Weasley?" She used her most charming smile—even though some people would call it arrogant rather than the first—to make the boy fall in her trap. This could be the perfect way to finish her day with a good thing.
The redhead just smiled at her with confidence. "Sure, Greengrass."
"Good," Daphne smiled back. "I'll look for some board, there has to be some of them around here." She was right, there was some board in one of the closest tables, so Daphne grabbed it and came back. "Got it, do you want to play blacks or whites?"
"I don't care, you can choose."
"I'm taking whites, then."
Daphne made the first move, going for her best opening; she wanted to crush the arrogant redhead as quickly as possible. But it turned out he really knew how to play, in fact, he was able to see through all her moves. "You are good," Weasley pointed out, his eyes not leaving the board for a single second.
"I play a lot with my family," Daphne told him. "My father is better, but my uncle is the best."
They didn't talk any more during the whole game. Shit, he is really good. Well, it turned out he was more than good. The game didn't last more than ten minutes; Daphne had been completely crushed once again. "You should surrender, and you know it," Weasley said; he was smiling arrogantly at her, almost laughing.
"Shut up, this is not over yet."
"Yes, it is; checkmate."
Just as easy as the game had been, his knight destroyed her king. She, Daphne Greengrass, had lost to a Weasley; to a Weasley...
Ronald Weasley POV
In the end, it turned out this day could be even better.
The girl who didn't even look at him yesterday had challenged him to a game of chess. Greengrass had clearly thought that she was better than him; little did she know that Ron had been playing for six years against good players like his grandfather or his two brothers were, and he was even able to defeat them most of the time. "You thought you were better than me and that you would easily crush me," he smirked, arrogantly. "You shouldn't take others for granted, Greengrass."
"What?" Greengrass tried to defend herself. "I-I didn't take you for granted. Stop imagining things."
"Ha!" Ron laughed. "You aren't tricking anyone with that crap. You are honestly better than I thought, not going to lie to you. I even think that you are on my level, but you were so overconfident with your skill, or rather, with my lack of skill, that you played too aggressively. You wanted to crush me, but you can't always have everything you want, right?"
That clearly made her upset, because her face turned completely red and she glared at him. "You know what?" She exclaimed furiously while getting up. "Gryffindors always accuse us of thinking that we are better than everyone else, and now, I realize the Hat made the right choice with your sorting; you are the perfect Slytherin. Since you were sorted here, you've done nothing but think you are much better than all of us, just because of a House's fame. How do you feel up there looking down onto us all? You are just as stupid and mean as Malfoy!"
After that rambling, she left with tears in her eyes; trying to walk away as regal as possible. Bloody girl... These pureblood kids can't even take some truths... spoiled brat... Just as Ron finished gathering all the pieces, he found that Zabini was looking at him with his brow furrowed. "That was just mean and unnecessary, Weasley," Zabini told him.
"What are you talking about?" Ron defended himself. "I just told her the truth! She didn't even look at me until now; when she thought she could humiliate me at my game."
"If you want to be like that...'' Zabini continued. "Daphne was right about you. Since you came here, you've done nothing but look down at us for what you heard we were. Look around you, Weasley; we are not all like Malfoy, Parkinson or Nott. I've done nothing but trying to help you since you were sorted and almost crying the first night; yet, you still look at me like I'm some little Death Eater in disguise."
After that explosion, Zabini just got up from the couch and made his way towards the bedrooms, leaving a completely speechless Ron behind him. What the hell was that?
"You know, he is kinda right," Tracey started. "You've been very nice to me, and I really appreciate it, but... from what I've heard of Zabini, he isn't like Malfoy, Nott and the rest; and you ... well, I think you crossed the limit with Daphne. You didn't have to say all those things..."
"What?" Ron asked, getting more perplexed as the conversation went on. "Okay, maybe... I've been too harsh on Zabini. He's been nothing but a good bloke to me, and I may have... put him in the same group as the others; but, Greengrass? She was looking to humiliate me. She did deserve that and more."
"But she never talked to you like that," Tracey argued back. "Even if she had won, she wouldn't have talked to you like that; trust me, I know her better than you do. Besides, I think that you have the wrong idea of how she is."
"Really? Enlighten me, then."
"First of all, you don't have to be like that with me," the brunette scowled. "I'm on your side, and I want the best for you; that is why I want you to have the right idea about how Daphne really is. Look, it is true that she is very... vain and self-centred, but she won't bully or mock you. She just wants to do her things, and she wants others to let her do her things. Daphne ignores everyone she doesn't like and wants them to ignore her; that simple. What I want to say is that you don't have to be so hard on Daphne, she isn't like Parkinson even if you see hanging out with her."
"Okay..." Ron admitted. "Now that Zabini and you say it... what I said might have been a bit... too much. But come on! She needs to learn how to take some harsh truths; you can't just have everything given to you. It was about time that someone told her some truths."
Tracey sighed with resignation. "Okay, as I said before, it is true she is very spoiled and... 'proud' of her name. It is also true she always gets what she wants just by asking her parents. But even if you don't believe it, not everything is easy about being her. Okay, having stupid amounts of money and power helps; I also have a lot of money, so I know what I'm talking about. But unlike her, I have zero pressure on my shoulders. Trust me, that gets to her a lot, even if she would never admit it."
"Pressure?" Ron asked, confusedly. "What are you talking about?"
"Agh... This is gonna be harder than I expected," she groaned. "Listen to me, Ron, Professor Davis is going to teach you some things about pureblood culture. Don't roll your eyes at me, this is very important if you want to do good in Slytherin."
"Okayyy... You can continue, Professor Davis."
"First of all, not everyone here is a little Death Eater in disguise, okay? Well, maybe some of them are, not gonna lie about that. Despite that, most of them are just heirs or heiresses from Noble and Ancient Houses, and Daphne happens to be the heiress of one of the most important families; both in England and even in Europe. That puts a lot of weight on someone's shoulder, especially if you knew how her father is."
Tracey took a moment to breathe before continuing. "I know about it because her mother told me before coming here that Daphne had been stressing about the first days of class; because of that, she was spending a serious amount of time studying and preparing herself. Then, you came out of nowhere and outshone her, well you kinda outshone everyone today, but we are talking about Daphne. She only wanted to crush you in chess to finish the day with a good tone, but you didn't just crush her, you humiliated her in front of Zabini and me, and I think that that was bad from your side."
"Bloody hell..." Ron muttered. "You sure had something you wanted to say, my mind is about to explode."
But now that I think about it... I may have crossed a line, Ron admitted, even if he wouldn't say it aloud; at least, no yet. I was so happy about my day and after knowing the twins believed in me to show Slytherin that we were better than them... I kinda got overexcited. He didn't really felt sorry for Greengrass, but the redhead now realized he had acted like the kind of person he hated; just the way Malfoy had done with him.
"Yep," the girl let out a very satisfied sigh after her 'lesson'. "I've already told you, though. I'm on your side, which means I will do everything in my hand to stop you from committing mistakes. It was something you needed to know. Now, don't think we are finished here; there is something else you need to do. You have to apologize to both Zabini and Daphne."
"What?" The redhead exclaimed. It had to be a joke; there was no way she was asking that from him. "Sure, I know that I need to apologise to Zabini, after all, he has treated me way better from what I've done to him. But apologizing to Greengrass? Nope, no way."
"Listen," Tracey tried to explain. "To be honest, I agree with you that she doesn't deserve the apology, but I think you should do it regardless of that. If you do it, you can try being on good terms with her like today didn't happen at all. Trust me that she isn't that bad once you know her. You two are very alike, in fact; the both of you are as stubborn as a mule."
Why is it always me the one who has to apologize for everything? I don't want to do it, she doesn't deserve it. Still, his brain was recalling a certain memory right now; a certain promise he made to the Hat. It looked like even his brain wasn't on his side for this argument. I kinda told the Hat that I would at least try to do things better than others... Ahg, whatever… If Tracey thought it was the better for him, he would do it.
"Okay, you win," Ron sighed in defeat. "I'll do it."
"That is what I wanted to hear!"
Ron said goodbye to Tracey when they both split at the bedroom's hallways intersection. When he came into his room, Zabini was lying on his bed reading some book about potion's brewing. "Hi," Ron greeted, and since the boy didn't answer him, the redhead decided to continue "You were right about what you said. I was a... complete idiot. I shouldn't have treated you like I did, and... I'm sorry for it."
Zabini's eyes finally left the book to look at Ron. "It wasn't so hard, was it? I got to say that your apology was one of the worst I've ever seen, but at least, it was sincere; that is something I'm not very used to. Apologies accepted, Weasley."
"You know?" Ron said. "You could use my name instead of my surname."
"If that is what you want... What would I receive on exchange?"
"Are you barmy or what? It is just a name."
"This is how things are done in Slytherin, Weasley," Zabini smirked. "If you want something from someone, you have to give another thing, as valuable as the one you asked for, in exchange."
Bloody hell... they are definitely all barmy. "I don't know what I could give you... wait, if you use my name and keep teaching me how to survive in this madhouse, I'll teach you how to transfigure the match into the needle so you can earn some House points, deal?"
"Eh, we were just talking about names here-"
"You take it, or you leave it," Ron interrupted him; now it was his time to smirk.
"Whatever, you better make sure that I know how to do it properly by the end of this week... Ron."
That night, sleep was so much better for Ron. In fact, by the time his bed started to shake that morning, the boy practically jumped out of it; surprising his two roommates, who were still yawning. "Isn't it a bit early for you, Weasley?" Nott asked.
"Just a bit, but there is something I need to do before classes," Ron tried to get dressed as fast as he could. He didn't know how early Greengrass used to be ready, but he wanted to meet her before she got out of the common room.
When Ron made it to the common room, there was no one there, so he decided to wait for the girls to come out of their corridor by standing—with his hand on his pockets—in the wall which formed a corner with the girl's hallway. They all came together, so Ron had no choice but to clear his throat to announce his presence. "Greengrass, can I talk to you for a moment?" The redhead asked. None of the girls made a move, so Ron added. "In private, please."
Greengrass raised a brow, but she ended up nodding her head, so Ron beckoned her to follow him. When they came to a more private section of the common room, Ron stopped her and started to rub the back of his head. "Ehh... well, I... just wanted to apologise... for what I said yesterday... yeah, that's it."
Greengrass raised her brow even more. Bloody hell, how much can this girl raise her brow? Still, the girl didn't answer him. She just stood there, with her arms crossed under her chest.
"Well, don't you have anything to say?" Ron asked.
"That has to be the worst apology I've ever heard. I'm sure you can do something better, Weasley." Well, it seemed she still was a bit crossed with him. To be honest, it amazed him how little time Greengrass needed to wake up and be ready to display such levels of bad temper; unlike her, he could barely keep his eyes open!
Yeah, those snakes were going to be his death. "I'm sorry... about... being an awful winner... and... for the things I said. You were just worried about your things... and I kinda treated you like you were Malfoy or Parkinson."
That made the girl smirk. "Okay, that was definitely better," she said. "But you are still missing one thing if you want me to accept your apology."
"What is it?" Ron asked.
She just extended her arm forward, presenting Ron the back of her hand. "You have to kiss my knuckles," her smirk got even bigger if that was even possible. "That is the proper way of apologising to a Lady like me."
What the hell... she's doing it on purpose... whatever; just do it, Ron. You promised it to Tracey. Ron just grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles as fast as he could. Even if the boy knew it was pointless, he could do nothing but praying for his ears to not be as red as he thought they were.
"Apologies accepted," she laughed. "I thought you were not going to do it. I can see that you really wanted us to make peace. In that case, I also want to... apologise. You were right, I wanted to crush you yesterday and I thought you had no idea of playing... and that means that I really disrespected you... so yeah... I'm sorry too."
Greengrass must have not been very used to apologising, because she was directly looking at the floor between them and her cheeks were a bit pink. But in the end, she looked at Ron's eyes to say "Listen, let's just forget this has just happened, okay? I was... wrong about you, you certainly were far more capable from what I first thought. So... what do you say, Ronald Weasley, allies?"
Well, maybe things certainly were not going to be as bad as he thought.
