Chapter two

Weasley

Lauren sat at the Gryffindor table. She couldn't believe she was already in her third year at Hogwarts! Oliver sat down next to her, still talking about quidditch. She had learned to ignore him. Across from her was Eric and Mickey. Eric smiled at her. Mickey rolled her eyes. Percy sat down on the other side of Lauren.

Then the sorting ceremony began.

It was boring like last year. She didn't know any of these kids! Why did she care what house they were in. Percy seemed in an even worse mood than her.

"What's wrong with you Percy?" she whispered to her friend.

"Well," Percy turned toward her, "my younger brothers are joining Hogwarts this year: Fred and George."

"The troublemakers?"

"Yep. Yippee!" he said with fake enthusiasm. He pointed toward two red-haired boys. They both had mischievous grins on their faces.

"They look like troublemakers," Lauren said, "But I'm sure they won't be a very big problem, right?"

"Wrong"

"Weasley, Fred!"

Fred walked up to the stool. The sorting hat was placed on his head. It deliberated...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Fred smirked and ran toward the Gryffindor table. Percy and I clapped halfheartedly.

"Weasley, George!"

George seemed much shyer than Fred, Lauren wasn't sure how but she could feel it. He sat on the stool. The hat seemed to think longer about George. Lauren glanced at Fred and she could see a little worry in his eyes that his brother would be in a different house, but then...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Fred grinned and clapped as his brother sat down beside him. Lauren could no longer tell the difference between them. They looked so much alike, and George didn't seem as shy when sitting next to his brother.

During the feast Lauren often glanced at the two young boys. She noticed they were now including another boy, who Lauren remembered as Lee Jordan, in their conversation. It looked like they were plotting.

Once, while Lauren was looking at them, Fred (she thought it was Fred anyway) looked up at her. Lauren smiled at him. Fred nudged George with his elbow and George turned too. He saw Lauren and waved. Percy seemed to notice this. He gave them a stern look as though to say 'don't you dare' and turned back to the meal.

This happened almost everyday at the meals. Lauren, Fred, and George would exchange smiles and Percy would glare at his brothers. Finally, a couple weeks after classes started, when Lauren was sitting alone at breakfast, Fred plopped down in front of her.

"Hi! I'm Fred Weasley"

George sat down next to him.

"And I'm George!"

They held out their hands at the same time in a business-like manner. Lauren laughed lightly then took their hands.

"And I'm Lauren Heltings. I'm Percy's friend."

"Ah," Fred said, "hope he hasn't turned you into a wannabe prefect yet. He's tried that on us but seems to have given up."

"Not that there was any point in trying harder" George added, "We'd never turn to the dark side"

"The dark side?" Lauren raised her eyebrows, "I didn't think being a prefect was a bad thing"

"Oh, it is" Fred said matter-of-factly.

"Well, I don't want to be a prefect," Lauren said, "So theres no reason to worry"

"Oh, good!" George said, "Because we were just starting to like you"

"We wouldn't want you becoming a prefect and ruining it for us," Fred added. Lauren laughed again.

From then on, the three were best friends. Lauren couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to them even after they had just met. She could tell them apart easier, too, once she got to know them better.

They spent almost all their time together. Once they were sitting around the fire laughing when Oliver walked over.

"Hey," he said, "did you forget about quidditch practice?"

"Oh!" Lauren jumped up, "Sorry! I was talking to Fred and George. Hey, could they come watch? They love quidditch!"

"Fine," Oliver said, "whatever" he stalked away.

"What's his problem?" Fred said.

"No clue," Lauren said. But she understood the look in Oliver's eyes. He was jealous that Lauren was spending all her time with Fred and George. Maybe she would have to cut back her time with them.

But that was more difficult than she thought. She had barely improved on spending more time with Oliver by the time her third year ended. Over the summer she wrote to Eric and Oliver. Mickey and her only wrote to each other every once in a while. It seemed they were growing apart. Fred and George wrote to her every day. Somehow their lives were more exciting than everyone else's.

On her fourteenth birthday Fred and George sent her a birthday card that sung very annoyingly and a box of chocolates. She nibbled on the chocolate frogs as she organized the wizard cards into her collection. Eric sent her a chocolate cake and a card that read:

Dearest Lauren,

Happy Birthday! I have missed you so much. Hope to see you soon. And remember to never forget your inner beauty.

your friend,

Eric Haller

Eric always knew the perfect thing to say. Oliver sent her a broom servicing kit to go with her new broomstick. Mickey and Anna each sent her candy of some sort. She set all her birthday presents on a shelf full of school books and her letter from Hogwarts. Well, she thought, might as well start packing now.