Author's Note: This oneshot contains no Cursed Child Spoilers.

IV. The Tradition of Pranking

September 1, 2015

From the moment Fred Weasley was born, his entire family had expectations of the kind of person he would one day grow up to be. Being the son of George Weasley and named after his father's late twin, it was only to be expected. Fred didn't look much like his father's side of the family. Although his complexion was not as dark as his mother's and his sister's, Fred's skin was a light tan compared to George's pale complexion, and his eyes and hair were both dark brown like Angelina's.

Even before he could talk, Fred's family expected him to grow up to be a jokester. George had been bursting with pride at the arrival of his son. Although nothing would replace his twin, part of the gaping hole the first Fred had left behind. Angelina would later say that George began to smile and laugh more than he had in years after Fred was born in late September, 2003. As Fred grew up, hearing that made him smile. Laughter, especially coming from his father, made him swell with pride, and he would feel warm and fuzzy all over his body. Making people smile became Fred's goal from a young age.

By chance, or perhaps by fate, Fred had been born the first of a cluster of Weasley cousins. He wasn't even three months old when Bill and Fleur's youngest child, Louis, was born, and Ginny gave birth to her first son, James, on a chilly day in early March. Fred became a big brother when Roxanne was born in October, just twelve days after his first birthday. In just over a year, the number of Molly and Arthur's grandchildren grew from only two to six.

Being so close in age to James and Lou, Fred naturally grew up with the other boys by his side. From his earliest memories, they had been his best friends. Despite being the youngest of the three, James was the leader, brave and daring. James was proud to be a Potter, and loved hearing his dad's stories about Hogwarts. Lou was the clever one, the one who came up with the best plans. He could also wiggle and charm his way out of more situations than James could ever dream of. Fred wondered if it was the Veela genes that ran through his cousin's blood.

As for Fred, he never thought himself as anything special. He was just Fred Weasley, accomplice to James and Louis. Yes, he joined in on his cousins' pranks, but that was mostly because everyone expected him to do it. He looked up to James and Lou so much, James for his endless courage and leadership and Lou for his brains and charm. In truth, Fred liked making people smile, and wanted to be known for more than just being a prankster.

By the time the day Fred, James, and Lou were due to start their first year at Hogwarts, they were already inseparable. They, along with Lou's older sisters, lugged their suitcases onto the Hogwarts Express, said goodbye to their parents, and climbed aboard the train. Because fifth-year Vic and fourth-year Dom had their own friends to catch up with, they quickly disappeared from view before the train even pulled out of the station, with Victoire having to attend to her prefers duties. The boys didn't mind. They could sit in peace that way.

James, Fred, and Lou were in their own compartment, which worked out well considering how much James was bouncing around in excitement.

"I wonder who the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain is. I'd really like to meet him," the young Potter said.

"Or her," Fred replied. "My mum was Quidditch Captain, remember? So was yours, actually, in her last year after the war."

"True. I'm just saying. Maybe I'll even get on the team this year, like Dad did in his first year!"

"You don't even know you'll be in Gryffindor, Jamie," Lou teased.

James gave Lou a glare that could rival his mother's. "Don't call me Jamie, and of course I will. Besides, you know that it's really you that's debatable, with Vic being a Ravenclaw and Dom a Gryffindor. You definitely have the brains for Ravenclaw."

Lou shrugged. "Yeah, but also the courage for Gryffindor. I'd much prefer it there. From what Vic says, Ravenclaw sounds very dull."

Fred was quiet. In truth, he was a little nervous about which house he would end up, though he would have never admitted his concerns to his parents. George was so sure his son was going to be a Gryffindor, and while Fred wanted to be there with his whole heart, he wasn't sure if he was meant to be a lion. He wasn't like James, daring and reckless. At the same time, he knew he didn't have the ambition of a Slytherin, nor did he have the patience to study as much as was expected of a Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff was realistically the only other option for Fred, and while he knew the house was as worthy of pride as any of the others, he didn't want to be sorted there. No, Gryffindor was the only house that really called to Fred. Hopefully he would be lucky enough to be sorted there.

After what seemed like ages, Victoire finally appeared in the boys' compartment to advise them to put on their robes and gather their things, as the train was nearly at Hogsmeade. All three boys eagerly did so, and by the time they were ready, the Hogwarts Express was just coming to a stop. The first-years were called over to a fleet of small wooden boats by a half-giant Fred knew to be Hagrid, and of course, he, James, and Lou climbed into one together. Soon, the castle came into view, and Fred's eyes widened in awe. He knew Hogwarts was big, of course, but he didn't realize just how large it was until he saw it with his own eyes. Once in the castle, the first-years were greeted by the Deputy Headmaster before being paraded into the Great Hall.

"Is that him? Harry and Ginny Potter's son?" Fred heard students whisper as they walked by. James clearly heard the words as well, as a wide grin spread across his face. He held his head up high as he, Lou and Fred followed the other first years to the side of the Great Hall to await their sorting.

Fred watched as a ragged old was brought out and placed on a stool. The hat sang a short song about how it had been sorting students into their proper houses since the beginning of Hogwarts's existance, and then the sorting began. The first student was a Hufflepuff, then a Slytherin, then another Hufflepuff. Fred waiting anxious as one by one, his fellow students were sorted. He really wished that his last name started with a letter like "C" rather than the letter "W".

"Potter, James."

James practically bounded to the stool, not looking nervous in the least. Fred wasn't sure if the hat had even touched his head before it shouted "Gryffindor!"

Fred and Lou cheered above the applause as an estatic James took his place at Gryffindor's table. Fred saw his cousin Dominique give James a thumbs up from where she sat with her friends further down the table. He hoped he would join them soon.

Two Ravenclaws and a Gryffindor were sorted before Fred reached the front of the line. Only Lou and two other students stood behind him. The moment of truth was here.

"Weasley, Fred."

Fred tried to look as confident as James and he took a seat on the stool. Gently, the Deputy Headmaster placed the hat on his head.

Ah, another Weasley, the hat said in Fred's head. The boy gave a small nod.

Interesting. You're not as much like your father as many people would believe I see. I don't see much Slytherin or Ravenclaw in you. I do see much loyalty, especially to your family and friends. You seek to make people happy is that right? You could flourish in Hufflepuff.

Fred's eyes widened. Please! No, he thought frantically. Gryffindor! I want Gryffindor! With James.

Ah, said the hat. But perhaps being separated from your cousin would do you well. Are you sure you don't want to consider the possibility?

"Please," Fred whispered. I want Gryffindor more than anything.

Alright. If the house of the brave is what you most desire, then I can see you would do well there. Yes, very well. "Gryffindor!" shouted the hat.

Relieved, Fred slide off the stool and sat down next to James. "What took you so long?"

"What do you mean?" asked Fred.

"Your sorting lasted for probably two minutes! What did the hat say?"

Fred hadn't realized he had been on the stool for so long. To him, it had seemed like thirty seconds. "Oh. I'll tell you later. Lou's being sorted."

Both boys turned their attention to their cousin. The hat sat on Lou's head for longer than it had James's, but less than a minute passed before the hat exclaimed, "Gryffindor!"

"Awesome!" said James as Lou sat down. "All together and ready to cause mayhem."

"Absolutely," Lou said.

Fred nodded, but didn't contribute to the discussion. He was just proud to be in the house of his dreams. He hoped he could excel in Gryffindor and become the person he was meant to be.

September 1, 2016

No one ever saw Roxanne Weasley coming, and that was just the way she liked it.

Roxy was born just over a year after her brother. From an early age, anyone could see how much she was like her mother, Angelina. She inherited her mum's dark hair, though Roxy preferred to keep hers above her shoulders. Her skin was a shade or two lighter than Angie's, and her eyes were the same warm brown. Like Angie, Roxy had a strong love of quidditch and a fierce competitive streak.

However, Roxy also had plenty of George in here. Growing up, Roxy's favorite place to be was Weasley Wizard Wheezes. She loved exploring the store and watching excited customers pass through, eager to buy her dad's products. She would sit on George's lap or by his side, watching with awe as he invented something new. With strangers, Roxy could easily pull a prank and blame her brother Fred for it. Seeing Fred's look of confusion every time such as situation occurred was priceless. Roxy also had a never ending rivalry with the trio consisting of Fred, James, and Lou, though. Whenever the four of them got together, no one was safe. A prank war was always guaranteed to ensue, with both pranks aimed towards each other and other people. James may have had two accomplices, but Roxy was competitive and determined and therefore gave him a run for his money. Although she would never admitted, Roxy had felt so left out and lonely when her brother, James, and Lou went to Hogwarts without her. Life was just boring without them.

Finally, though, here she was. At Hogwarts! Fred's compartment on the train had been almost full, with himself, Lou, James, and their friends, twins Natalie and Noah, so there had been no room for Roxy and Molly, who was also starting her first year. Roxy wouldn't have sat with them anyway. She couldn't sit with the enemy! Instead, she and Molly found a compartment together, and were joined by two other first-year girls. The four of them stuck together as they boarded the boats, and now were patiently waiting their turns to be sorted.

"This is incredible," Molly whispered loudly to Roxy, who nodded eagerly in agreement. Molly had not stopped chattering since she had arrived on Platform nine and three-quarters. Actually, Molly didn't often stop chattering, but today words seemed to be flowing out of her even faster than usual. Roxy didn't mind. She was just as excited.

The first student was a Slytherin. A Gryffindor followed. Roxy watched in curiosity, wondering if it would be possible to bewitch the hat to sort students into the houses they'd be least likely to fit in. She was sure the results and reactions would be hilarious. Evelyn Henry, one of the girls who had sat with them on the train, was sorted into Slytherin. Roxy felt slightly disappointed, as she knew there was no way she would end up in the same house. Delilah Little, the other girl in their group, was placed in Hufflepuff.

"Weasley, Molly."

Roxy gave her cousin a thumbs up. She hoped Molly's sorting would go by quickly so that she could be sorted. While Roxy longed for Gryffindor, she knew Molly was torn between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Her father, Percy, had of course been a Gryffindor like all of his siblings, and Molly liked the idea of being with most of her cousins in the house. On the other hand, her mother's family had all been Hufflepuffs, despite Audrey herself being a squib. However, the hat didn't seem to be as indecisive as Molly, as it only took about half a minute to declare, "Hufflepuff!"

Molly beamed and took her seat at her new table. Roxy felt pleased for her cousin. Molly would fit in well in Hufflepuff house. When her name was called, though, she forgot all about Molly and proudly walked up to the stool.

Ah, definitely a Weasley, said the hat. So much like your parents, but also so unique. There is only on place for you. "Gryffindor!"

Roxy whooped and leapt off the stool, causing some students to laugh. She didn't mind, though. She was in Gryffindor, where she belonged. Her cousins and brother cheered for her as she sat down.

"Hey, Roxy! Don't give me too much trouble, yeah?" Dom called teasingly from further down the table. "I'm a prefect now, and I wouldn't give you any slack."

Roxy smiled sweetly. "You know me, Dom. I can't make promises."

Three days into the term, several students found themselves to be spewing out a string of bubbles whenever they opened their mouths. When students flocked to her and the other professors for a solution, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall jumped to the most reasonable conclusion. Her first suspects were, of course, second-year James Potter and his friends. McGonagall strolled purposedly though the Great Hall, coming to a stop near the group of Gryffindors.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Rielly, and Ms. Rielly, may I have a word?"

"If this is about the bubbling potion, I swear we didn't do it," James gurgled, bubbles pouring from his mouth. He grinned deviously. "Well, this time at least."

McGonagall frowned. With all the pranks James and his friends pulled, not once had they ever made themselves victims. "If you were not involved, then who was?"

"Try asking Roxanne," said Louis Weasley, his gaze drifting to his cousin. Roxanne was currently trying to hide giggles with her hand. Louis, meanwhile, was spouting as many bubbles as James.

Fred nodded. "Professor, I'm sorry to say that I think you'll find that my sister is even more of a prank enthusist as I am."

In that moment, it was proven that not even Professor McGonagall saw Roxanne Weasley coming. Perhaps, McGonall thought, it is time to start thinking of retirement.

Author's Note: I had planned to post this yesterday, as it was September 1, but I spontaneously went to my University's home opening (American) football game with a friend, and so it didn't get done. On another note, if you didn't notice the dates, it just so happens to be the year Roxanne starts Hogwarts in my headcannon, so that's pretty cool. :)

My apologies if Roxy's prank seems to advanced for a first year. I probably sat at my laptop for close to a half hour and couldn't come up with anything better.

Also, big shout out to my good fanfiction friend Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful, who has so kindly reviewed each oneshot so far! Thanks so much Kate!

Of course, I welcome all reviews, favorites, and follows, so thank you to all of you who choose to give them. :)