A/N: Thanks to TamaraHufflepuff for reviewing. I thought of Andromeda Black at first, too, but that went away with the change from Andromeda to Andi. :)

Disclaimer: Still not JKR. Still don't own HP. Sad panda bear.

The next morning, Andi opened her eyes as light streamed in through the window. The shower in the bathroom was running already, and several girls were up, brushing their hair and doing their makeup. Andi brushed her hair quickly, but didn't use any makeup.

"So, what's your name? I didn't see you last night," the girl on the bed next to her asked.

"I'm Andi Kirkwood. I fell into the lake after Fred Weasley and nearly drowned, so I missed the Sorting and all of yesterday's classes." Andi flinched as she realized what fell into the lake after Fred Weasley must sound like.

"Wow, lucky. Did the giant squid eat you?" Apparently Angelina didn't notice, didn't care, or knew that she hadn't thought about her wording.

"I would hope not, I'm still here, aren't I?"

"True. I'm Angelina Johnson. Half-blood."

"I'm a muggle-born. Shocked my parents half to death when they saw Professor McGonagall for the first time."

"Ha, that's hilarious. Is she really an Animagus?" Angelina asked.

"A what?" Andi blinked, confused.

"Animagus. It's a person that can turn into an animal at will."

"Yeah, I thought she was just a tabby cat when I first saw her. Boy, was I ever wrong."

"I bet she clawed you."

"Nah, just ignored me. I got the silent treatment, McGonagall style."

The girls continued to talk until it was time to go to breakfast. Then, they kept chatting as they walked down the spiral staircase into the common room. Fred was on the couch, feet propped up on a table, yawning. He had a bandage around his head. George was leaning against an armrest. Bill was scolding Fred half-heartedly.

"Hello Fred, George, Bill," Andi said brightly as she saw them. Three choruses of "Morning, Andi," followed. Andi and Angelina giggled at the sight of the three Weasleys. One tired, one scolding, one bored, all red-headed.

"Bill, lay off. It wasn't my fault I was staring off into space," Fred asserted at the table over orange juice, toast, and bacon.

"Oh, really? Whose fault was it then?" Bill said scathingly, eyebrows raised.

"Erm-The Giant Squid's?" Fred tried hopefully. He was met with a glare. "Fine, it was all Andi's fault."

"Hey!" Andi protested.

"Yes, Fred, blame the girl that nearly drowned saving your sorry life," George teased.

"Sorry, Andi. In that case, George did it," Fred said with a perfectly straight face.

George started sputtering. "What-how-Fred!"

Andi, Angelina, Fred, George, and even Bill dissolved into laughter.

"Andi, your schedule," said Professor McGonagall, appearing behind them. Probably from cat form. Andi took the schedule and looked at it. She had Charms first. After a minute, she realized that Fred and George were leaning over her shoulders to read it. She almost fell over backwards.

"Personal space?" she tried. They appeared not to hear her. Andi considered shoving them, then decided it would be useless.

"Good, you've got Charms first. We do, too," George said. "Wonder what kind of class it'll be."

"What kind of class?"

"You know, like snooze-through-lectures class, pay-attention-or-die class, breeze-through-it class, or interesting-enough class?" said Fred.

Angelina and Andi rolled their eyes, already the best of friends.

"We were being serious," said George, looking injured.

"Mm-hmm," said Andi. "Sure you were."

"Anywho, it's time to go to class. Coming, Andi?" Fred said brightly.

"Wonder what they've planned now," Andi whispered to Angelina, who shook her head. "Yep, let's go."

As it turned out, Professor Flitwick, a tiny man who stood atop a stack of books, didn't enjoy lectures. The first day, they learned about the theory of charming-which was boring-and wrist movements for levitating objects. Fred and George were relaxed but not really zoned out. Andi guessed that meant it was an interesting-enough class.

Andi looked at her schedule. Her next class was potions, a double class.

"Who teaches Potions?" she asked Fred and George.

"Snapey!" they said, grinning.

"Who would be our favorite Professor-"

"Of all time-"

"Except for the fact that-"

"He hates our guts," Fred finished.

"Hey, Fred, we had single Potions yesterday, so we have double Potions today, which means, Andi-" said George.

"That you're stuck with us again!" Fred said, looking far too delighted than the occasion called for.

Andi rolled her eyes and they made their way to the Potions classroom. They found seats. The room itself seemed dark and morbid. Andi ended up at a table by herself, while Fred and George occupied the one behind her.

Professor Snape entered the room, black cloak billowing behind him. Andi immediately thought that if there was one professor not to piss off, he was the one.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class," he said, glaring at them all. "I do not have high hopes for most of you, but a select few may become Potions Masters. The ability to put a stopper in death, brew bravery, and simmer deep sleep is rare. Perhaps one or two of you could."

From there, the Professor instructed them to make a simple potion that Andi didn't recognize. She followed the instructions precisely, making sure to not mix up counterclockwise and clockwise stirring instructions. Snape made his rounds around the room, criticizing students' handiwork.

"Misters Weasley, I would advise you to back away from your cauldrons before they explode," he said to the twins, who grinned identically and responded.

"No can do, Snapey. We're not done yet," they said.

Snape's face grew furious. A few snickers were heard around the room, mainly from the Slytherins. Andi fought back a giggle as she twisted around to watch the scene.

"What…did you…just….call me?" Snape said slowly. Fred and George shared a quick look, then dove to either side. At that moment, the cauldrons exploded in Snape's face. Fred and George looked at him hopefully as the smoke cleared. He was untouched, and more furious than ever.

Andi, however, saw none of this. The instant the cauldrons had exploded, she had felt a burning pain in her face and arms, which had been raised to shield her. Her eyes were swollen shut already, and the pain was getting worse by the second.

"Professor-" she managed to choke out. Snape turned and saw her. His face was impassively mad.

"Johnson!" he called out, returning his focus to the Weasley twins. "Take Miss Kirkwood to the Hospital Wing immediately." Andi felt a reassuring presence beside her. Angelina flawlessly guided her up the flights of stairs and mazes of corridors and into the Hospital Wing. Andi was trying not to cry.

"Oh, dear, what have you done to yourself now?" Madam Pomfrey gently chided, laying Andi down on a hospital bed.

"Professor, it was Potions class. The Weasley twins' cauldrons exploded, and she got hit badly," Angelina explained.

Madam Pomfrey immediately cast a quick spell on Andi which made the pain from her burns vanish. Then, Andi felt a potion in her mouth. The dreamless sleep potion again. Andi swallowed it and immediately drifted off to sleep.

Andi blinked open her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she could see again. The next thing she noticed were the identical redheads beside her bed, each staring at her with unblinking concern.

"A bit creepy, that is," she muttered, sitting up.

"Ah! George! She's awake at last!"

"That she is, Fred! I thought I would never see the day!"

"How long?" Andi asked resignedly.

"Day and a half. It's the third. By the way, we're sorry about that potion," George said, looking rather ashamed.

"It's okay, just don't ever do that again."

"We won't, we'll just have to find some other way to annoy Snapey!" Fred said.

"How much detention did you get?"

"A week's worth, 2 hours every day. 10 hours of cleaning cauldrons, it's great," George said sarcastically.

"He would've taken points away from Gryffindor, too, but he felt sorry for you and just scolded us."

"Ha, it was hilarious. Unfortunate it didn't hit him too."

"You do realize there's a better alternative?" Andi asked. They looked at her eagerly. "Don't. Annoy. Snape."

"Yeah, right, Kirkwood. Like that'd ever happen," snorted Fred.

"When do I get out of here?" she asked Madam Pomfrey, who was shooing the boys out.

"Now, I suppose, would be as good a time as any. On your way, then!" Andi hopped out of the bed, nearly fell over, and walked with Fred and George back to Gryffindor Tower, exchanging friendly banter the whole time.

The next day, Andi was woken up by a bang coming from the boys' dormitory. Angelina, Alicia, and the other girls were also looking around confusedly. Andi pulled on robes and walked up the staircase to the boys' dorm. She knocked on the door.

"Knock it off! We were sleeping!" she scolded, not bothering to open the door. Then, she went back to her dorm, slightly satisfied, and went back to sleep for another half hour.

When the half hour was up, Andi went through her morning routine: shower, brush her teeth, fix her hair, and get dressed. When she entered the common room, Fred, George, and Lee were sitting on the couch, discussing something.

"Andi! You know, we tried to go to your dorm to apologize-" Fred started. Andi raised her eyebrows.

"But the staircase turned into a slide!" George exclaimed.

"Any idea why you could come up our stairs but we can't get up yours?" Fred finished, looking disgruntled. Andi fought back a smile. She had heard that rumor before, but hadn't really believed it. Impressive: Hogwarts felt that girls were more trustworthy than boys. That , or McGonagall did. Or maybe Dumbledore. Or Godric Gryffindor. She made a mental note to look up more about the dorms the next time she read Hogwarts: A History.

"No idea. C'mon, I'm going to breakfast," Andi said, climbing out the portrait hole. Fred, George, and Lee followed, grumbling.

Over her breakfast, Andi heard a flapping sound. She looked around inquisitively.

"Ah, mail's here," said George. Soon after, hundreds of owls swooped into the hall, delivering messages to their students.

"George? Is that-Errol?" asked Fred, looking a bit apprehensive.

"I don't know, but if it is, he's coming right at us."

"Errol?"

"Family owl," George said. The gray, scruffy owl landed next to Fred and George, dropped a letter, and flew off. The letter was scarlet red and slightly smoking.

"George, I do believe that the worst has happened," said Fred calmly.

"I quite agree, Fred. Run?"

"Too late."

"What are you talking about?" Andi said.

"You'll see," said George grimly, staring at the letter, which was now shaking. It launched itself up and formed a face, which turned to Fred and George.

"FREDERICK GIDEON WEASLEY! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE IN TROUBLE ALREADY! TWICE, NO LESS, IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF SCHOOL! FIRST YOU NEARLY DROWN YOURSELF AND THAT POOR GIRL WHO WENT IN AFTER YOU, THEN YOU BLOW UP A POTION ON HER! AND YOU, GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY! HELPING HIM! LETTING HER GO IN AFTER YOUR BROTHER! YOU TWO SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES! BILL, CHARLIE, AND PERCY NEVER PULL THIS KIND OF STUNT! IF YOU DON'T SHAPE UP RIGHT AWAY YOU'LL BE EXPELLED! Oh, and Andi dear, thank you so much for helping Fred. I don't know what we would have done without you there. I am so sorry for their behavior and the potion incident."

As Andi, Fred, and George sat, the twins bright red and Andi simply stunned, the letter tore itself to pieces and drifted to the table. The whole hall was silent.

"What was that?" Andi asked, nearly shaking.

"That, Andi, was our dearest Mum, who has seen fit for some reason to send us a Howler," Fred said brightly. "I do believe that we're reached record heights for speed and severity of getting in this much trouble. Excellently done."

"I dunno Fred, I think we've gone a bit far for the first week of school. Reckon we should slow down in speed or severity?" George asked.

"Nah, she'll get used to it." The two went back to their breakfast. Andi was still staring at the charred scraps of paper.

"Never gotten a Howler before?" Fred asked after a while.

"I'm muggle-born, Fred, of course I haven't."

"Oh. Right, sorry. By the way, do you know how Ecklectricity works?"

"Electricity, you mean? I have no clue, it just does."

"Dang. What about fellytones?" George asked. He evidently had no clue that he was saying it completely wrong.

"Telephones? Well, they use electricity to make your voice go from one place to another. With air waves, some of them, or telephone lines."

The questions went on and on. Even rubber ducks. Earplugs. Computers. The Internet. Finally, Andi told them that she would be late to class and hurriedly walked to History of Magic.

Andi really tried to pay attention to Professor Binns, but even she was finding it hard to concentrate on taking notes about details of goblin rebellions of the late fourteenth century. Fred and George were snoozing in the back row. Many students were passing notes or just staring off into space. Andi finally decided that skipping one period of notes on goblin rebellions wouldn't hurt her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," proclaimed Fred quietly. "The amazing Minnie!"

Everyone sat up straight in their chairs and pretended to be taking notes. Except Fred and George, who seemed to find no reason to alter their behavior. Professor McGonagall strode into the classroom, glaring at the twins. Fred winked at her. George raised his eyebrows.

"Professor Binns, a moment?" she said, striding up to the front of the classroom. Andi didn't hear Binns's response, but the two of them discussed something quickly.

"Detention, Misters Weasley. See Mr. Filch Saturday evening at seven."

"But Minnie, why?" begged Fred.

"You are slacking and goofing off in class. This is prohibited behavior," she said, exiting the room.

Fred and George shared a look. "Excellent."

"What is excellent about detention with Filch?" Andi asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Well, we heard from our brother Charlie-" started George.

"That Filch has a drawer in his office-"

"Or several, for that matter-"

"Filled with items that have been-"

"Confiscated and are marked highly dangerous-"

"And therefore we are going to steal something from that drawer," finished Fred, grinning.

"Oh, and we have to miss a detention with Snape," George added. "No-wait-Snape's detention's only last till Friday. It's Wednesday, so only three more cauldron cleaning torture sessions."

Andi laughed. "How are you going to get into the drawer, anyways?"

"Quiet, please," said Professor Binns, glancing up for once. Andi turned around and got out her notes sheet and flipped it over.

Well? she wrote and passed it behind her to George. After a minute, she felt it back in her hand.

Tell you later, Andi, in the Common Room after Snape's detention, it read. Andi smiled and started to take notes again about the 1398 Rebellion of Moscow.

At dinner, Fred and George were a bit subdued. Percy had apparently lectured them severely after finding out that they had gotten 6 detentions in three days.

While they went to detention, Andi decided to write to her parents and Leo. She found some parchment and started to write.

Dear Mum, Dad, and Leo,

Hogwarts is great. I have three great friends already, Angelina Johnson and Fred and George Weasley. The last two are twins. No one can tell them apart!

You might not have heard, I went swimming before even getting to Hogwarts. Fred fell out of the boat and hit his head, so I dove after him. (Everyone else was frozen in fear. It wasn't that bad, actually.)

Some of my classes are Potions, Tranfiguration, History of Magic, Herbology, and Charms. They're really cool, even though a couple (History of Magic mostly) are just lectures and are quite boring most of the time.

I love it here. And, Leo, I was right, you can't use magic outside of school till you're seventeen. Sorry. I'll figure out something to show you the next holiday, though.

Write back soon (Nutmeg will carry it if you tell him to wait),

Andi

Andi neatly folded the letter into an envelope, sealed it, labeled it, and walked up to the Owlery.

"Nutmeg!" she called, looking at the hundreds of owls. He fluttered to her outstretched hand. "Good boy. Can you take this to Mum or Dad? Whichever is at home," she said.

Nutmeg happily hooted as she tied the letter to his leg. He hovered above her. Good, it isn't too heavy, she thought.

"And if they write back, can you bring that?" she checked. He hooted again. "Good, off you go now," she said, watching him fly out one of the many windows and disappear into the cloudy sky.

She reached the dormitory just as Fred and George returned from detention. They were groaning and rubbing their arms.

"Have fun cleaning cauldrons?" she asked lightly.

"Yeah. Tons," grumbled Fred.

"Snape made us clean with toothbrushes instead of sponges," groaned George. "Desdemondia."

"Yes, dear, that's the password," said the Fat Lady, swinging open.

"So, what's this plan to get into Filch's drawer of confiscated items?" Andi asked, sitting on the couch in the Common Room.

Please review? Again, one review and I will have the new chapter up within 24 hours. So, review people review!