"That is possibly the most attractive face I have ever seen on a girl," Fred remarked as Rook descended the dormitory staircase, a huge yawn dominating her features.

"Who the butts asked you, huh?" Rook retorted, adjusting her school robes as she dragged her feet over to the portrait hole.

"No need to be tetchy, Rook. I was just trying to give you a compliment."

Rook all but tumbled out of the portrait hole, Fred and George following suit. She paused as she regained her footing, commenting idly, "If you're going to keep using that word, you should probably look it up."

Fred opened his mouth to reply, but George cut him off. "You can ease up a bit. Her work last night was impressive, even you must admit."

"I have no such obligation."

The trio made their way downstairs toward the Great Hall, Rook seeming only half-aware of the conversation. Fred continued his bantering with George, but eyed Rook curiously as they walked. Her preoccupation seemed only partly due to lack of sleep. Something else was on her mind, Fred was certain of it.

"Are you nervous?" he asked her curiously.

"What?" Rook replied distractedly.

"About your first day," George clarified. "You nervous?"

"Oh, uh... Yes, I guess I am. Thanks for reminding me."

"We just figured that's why you were so quiet," Fred explained, adding, "Right, Freddy?"

"Nah, I'm just sort of spacey sometimes. Doesn't mean I can't tell you're trying to mess with me again, 'Freddy.'"

Fred frowned. "How do you do that?"

"Easy. George is the cute one."

"No, but really."

"You heard her. I'm the cute one."

Fred, George, and Rook were among the first students in the Great Hall, save for a few irritable Slytherins and a studious seventh year Ravenclaw poring over one of the largest textbooks Fred had ever seen.

"Good God, I'm glad I don't take school that seriously," Fred remarked, taking a seat across from Rook at the end of the Gryffindor table.

"I'm beginning to suspect you don't take anything seriously," Rook smirked.

"Except Sirius Black, of course," George commented. "He's as serious as a heart attack."

Fred groaned. "You are not my brother anymore."

"I guess that slight couldn't go un-pun-ished," Rook added.

George and Rook high-fived as Fred buried his face in his hands. "It's way too early for this sh—"

Just then, Professor McGonagall arrived to deliver the Gryffindor course schedules. She bid them a good morning, but eyed the three of them with a suspicious expression Fred had become very familiar with over the years. Fred rifled through the course schedules, discarding his own disinterestedly in favor of Rook's.

"Blimey, your schedule's all over the place! They have you mixed up with all years and houses!"

"Yeah. Professor McGonagall is keeping track of my skill level and trying to keep me on an accelerated learning plan. I probably don't have any classes with you guys," she added dismally.

"You're mostly taking second and third-year courses," confirmed Fred disappointedly before passing the schedule to Rook.

"Wait a minute-," George spoke, examining the parchment over Rook's shoulder, "You're already in fourth-year Herbology? How did you manage that?"

"Well, it turns out that muggles, some of them, anyway, know more about Herbology than you'd think. My mother, Olida, keeps an herb garden and she knows all about plants and their magical properties. I suppose we just thought of it as herbalism rather than Herbology. Because of that, I'm already in third-year potions as well. Of course, I have no real experience with any of it. McGonagall just gives me tests to assess my progress. I'll probably still be way behind once I'm in the actual class."

"It looks like you actually have some classes with our other brother and our sister," George spoke, "Including Potions with the Slytherins."

"Well, color me jealous!" Fred quipped.

Quite suddenly, a jarring shriek rang out across the Hall, "Hey, Potter! Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooo!"

"Speak of the Devil," George spoke as Ron, Harry, and Hermione made their way over to the Gryffindor table. Harry sank dejectedly into a seat beside George. "New third-year course schedules," said George, passing them over. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy," said Ron, sitting down on Harry's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table.

Fred looked over at the Slytherins in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror, his fellow Slytherins roaring with laughter.

"That little git," George said calmly.

"Hey," Rook spoke, staring at Malfoy intently, "isn't he that boy who—"

"—came running into our compartment—"

"—crying for his mum—"

"—nearly wetting himself?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Fred nodded, smirking. "By the way, Harry, this is Rook. Exchange student, kind of... I think you missed her sorting."

"Hermione and this miscreant are friends of our brother Ron," George grinned, indicating each in turn.

"Ron's not the brightest wand in Olivanders, among other euphemisms, but he's also not the worst of our kin."

"Sod off," Ron muttered irritably.

Harry looked over at Rook curiously and Rook nodded back at him. "You know," she spoke, "I saw him doing this same routine last night. I really thought he was making fun of himself, seeing how he ran right into me on the train."

"No Slytherin is brave enough to laugh at himself," Fred spoke contemptuously. "We'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match, won't we, Harry? Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

Harry looked decidedly more cheerful at this and helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked amongst themselves and Rook tapped George on the shoulder lightly. "Uh... What is Quidditch?"

"Quidditch is—"

"A back-alley dueling and gambling ring that meets in the Forbidden Forest on the weekends," Fred cut George off.

George nodded. "Right… We get the quid, or they get the ditch. That's the motto."

"Last night was your initiation Rook, and I hope you're ready for Saturday night."

"That's right. You're going up against McGonagall."

"Yup, the teachers are in on it. This goes all the way up to the top, Rook."

"And once you're in, you can't just leave whenever you feel like it."

"Ah…" said Rook, trying not to smile. "You know, I'm pretty sure you're joking, but I get the feeling I ought to learn to expect anything from the two of you."

"Smart girl," said Fred.

"You'll do just fine here," George spoke, his eyes twinkling.

As the twins and Rook talked amongst themselves, Harry, Ron and Hermione got up to leave for their first class to raucous noise from the Slytherin table.

"My first class is first year charms. Where is that room?"

As George gave Rook directions, Rook took a sip of her coffee and gagged. "What the Niflheim is this slumgullion?!" she exclaimed.

"What did you just call me?"

"This... this..." Rook stuck her tongue out distastefully.

"Coffee?" Fred offered.

"Ha!" Rook scoffed. "That's a bold assertion! Certainly bolder than this."

"What's wrong with it?"

Fred eyed Rook warily. She was disproportionately upset over the coffee, and her eyes continued to dart back to Malfoy at the Slyhterin table.

"It's weak," she said at last, setting the cup down forcefully before standing and striding over to the Slytherin table.

Fred and George watched her, dumbstruck. "Do you think she's—" George started, but stopped short.

"Why is that so funny?" Rook snapped at Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins. "He's done it at least three times since you sat down and you all still laugh hysterically when he does it, as if he's the greatest comedian since Grindelwald. Are you even vaguely aware of just how ridiculous that makes you look? Laughing at the same sub-par joke over and over? Everyone knows you don't actually find it funny. You're just trying to be mean, because you don't have any real laughter to fill that void in your lackluster lives that drives you to inflict misery on others." Rook took a deep breath and smiled pleasantly before adding, "You should get a hobby." Before anyone could reply, Rook had turned on her heel and strode out of the Great Hall.

George stood immediately, his every intention to go after her, but Fred held him back. "Her class is in the opposite direction of ours. We'll meet up with her at lunch."

"That was—"

"Brilliant, I know."

"Unexpected. She seems upset."

"She is," a voice interrupted from behind Fred. Fred turned and saw Angelina and Alicia standing behind them. "The Selwyn girl over there, she's the girl Rook was sitting with on the train."

"We tried to warn her," Alicia said miserably.

Fred looked back toward the entrance of the Great Hall, frowning. So far, Rook's time at Hogwarts had not gone very smoothly, and he knew well enough that he had contributed to that. He only hoped that her first few lessons would pass without any further stumbling blocks. Still, if there was one thing he had learned about Rook by now, it was that she was capable of standing up for herself.