(Starting in the Hogwarts Express)
AS THE TRAIN began to move and Harry settled in, his compartment door opened. He looked up from tending to Hedwig to see a nervous-looking girl with loose red hair and a nervous expression standing in front of him, holding a rat in her somewhat-shaky hands. Before he had the chance to continue to just stare like a fool, two familiar faces walked in.
"Harry!" The twins exclaimed in unison grinning from ear to ear before the taller one, Fred asked, "You wouldn't mind sharing a compartment with our fickle Freya, would you?"
The girl, Freya's, face flushed slightly as she glared over at her brothers and Harry nodded, too caught up in the moment to hide his eagerness at the prospect of company. "O-Of course!"
"Brilliant!" George said happily as he tugged on Freya's ponytail. "Now that you're in good hands, Fred and I are going to see Jordan Lee. You'll be okay, Fickle?"
"Yes, as soon as you two leave," she whispered fiercely, yanking on a piece of her hair in both embarrassment and irritation. "I'm not five for goodness sakes."
"Well, of course not," Fred frowned seriously, "You were so much nicer at that age."
Waving at Harry one last time and ignoring their younger siblings whispered threats, the twins closed the compartment door, and it was suddenly silent between the two of them as the girl took a seat on the other side and looked out the window, tapping her hands on the sill.
Maybe...Maybe you should compliment her rat! Harry looked over at its sleeping figure next to her, frowning as he took in its shabby appearance and missing toe.Or perhaps not? It might seem like sarcasm speaking it is a tad...uh...
"Are you really Harry Potter?"
Freya hadturned to look at him with curiosity and he blushed as he stared back into her dark brown eyes for a second before looking away, "Oh, him...I mean, yes. Yes, I'm Harry Potter."
"Wow," Her eyebrows raised, and she smiled, pleased. "I thought Fred and George were messing with me, they're pranksters, you see...So you have the scar?"
He brushed his bangs aside to show her proof and she shook her head in amazement, "That's pretty amazing, the fact you actually exist."
Harry blinked at the wording. It had been...Well, there was no gap of time - he had never really heard anyone tell him so genuinely that it was good that he existed, much less amazing. Sure he had everyone thanking him for what he did and telling him that his scar was proof of his brilliance but hearing that the fact he himself was here rather then the fact Voldemort was gone was pleasant. With that hegained the courage to change the topic to one much more intriguing as he looked to her seriously, "I think it's much better to come from a Wizard family, I mean, having three older brothers?"
"Five." She corrected dejectedly, kicking the floor slightly. "And they'vealready done everything to be done, you know? Perfect, head boy, quidditch captain, class clown, or if you're Percy, you've managed to become altogether perfect...I'm just sort of lucky to be the only girl or I'd have nothing to show."
Harry frowned, wanting to say something like, that isn't true, for the girl in front of him was quickly becoming a lot of things such as the longest conversation he'd ever had-but her expression had already lightened to an expression of curiosity as she tilted her head at him. "Wait, so does this mean you haven't been living with a wizarding family yourself?"
"Um, no, actually," Harry replied, flushing slightly. "Actually, I haven't known about the whole Boy who Lived thing for long or about Voldermort-"
Freya startled as beside her, Scabbers let out a short shriek at the sudden movement, and she straightened up petting her rat gently to calm his nerves as she looked to Harry wide-eyed.
"Blimley, you said his name! Well, of course you said his name," she added as an afterthought, looking to Harry, impressed. "I mean, you must be the only wizarding kid in the world whoisn'tscared to say his name!"
"No, no, no." Harry insisted, shaking his head, feeling shamed by her praise. "This isn't me being, like,braveor anything I'm just clueless. See, even something likethisI'm messing up on, I..." Harry gulped, voicing his concern for the first time. "I think I'm going to be worst in the class."
"What? No, of course you won't be!" Freya exclaimed as Harry blinked at her confident tone and she smiled at him, looking amused. "There's a ton of wizards who come from muggle families, just like you, and the twins willalwaysbe the worst of any year, no matter how many years they attend."
Harry let out a surprised laugh, one that came with a breath of relief as she finally eased his nerves about that aspect completely as it had never occurred to him there were more students who had never known of their magic before.
"But I am curious, Harry, whathasyour life been like up till now?" Freya continued, looking to him questioningly. "I mean, for the boy who lived I would have thought the whole world would know about how you've been living by now."
"Oh," Harry said as he hesitated, considering. "Well, it's a long, mostly uninteresting story. It hasn't been very...nice."
Freya blinked, a look of understanding crossing her features as her brows furrowed, and Harry's breath caught as he thought maybe this was what convinced her to finally leave and find better company.
"Maybe telling me it would make it better though?"
Harry looked to her, surprised, and she frowned at him as though she wondered if he didn't get it.
"I mean, I have a bunch of things that happened to me that were bad when it happened but when I told somebody later, it was...better. The irritating things became funny. And complaining about the bad things made it less bad." Freya explained, shrugging slightly as she looked at him, smiling encouragingly. "You seem like...you don't get to complain often, or something. But I'm a pretty good listener after I shut up, I'm told."
There was a pause as they two of them waited, seeing what Harry would do.
And then, Harry nodded, relaxing as he began to tell her, in a sense, the start of his once upon a time.
Freya Weasley listened to Harry Potter talk, and she realized three things.
One, Harry Potter was a pretty sad boy, and it explained why his eyes seemed to light up when she did things she'd had thought were simple until he acted like they meant the world. Such as listening to him and talking back.
Two, she hated these strangers named the Dursley's.
And three, she knew as soon as he began laughing about a certain birthday where the Dursley's had given him a unicycle (just to give Dudley a tricycle to prove that they loved him three times more), was that Harry Potter was going to be her friend.
And she would make sure, as his friend, that caring actions no longer came as a surprise.
Just as Harry had finally finished telling his story and he was laughing at Freya's outraged outburst about the Dursley's letting him get frozen yogurt from the sample cup as a treat on one outing ("That's bloodyinsane,what are theyspawns of evil?!")there was a knock on the door and a trolley cart lady came to offer them food. As Harry had never seen most of the items of food before he decided to get two of everything, eager to try what the magical world had in store.
When the trolley lady looked to Freya, Freya shook her head.
"I have my own food," Freya insisted, down turning her gaze as she lifted a square-wrapped package to show Harry when the trolley left. "Corned beef."
"I'll trade you," Harry offered as he gestured to his pile, now feeling a tad embarrassed by the load. "Take more than one, even."
"What? No, you don't want this - it's dry." Freya noted before her face flushed and she added, "Because my mum's just always in a hurry, you know. Cuz there's five of us."
"No, please, I insist - I need someone who knows what these are supposed to taste like to let me know if they taste right is all." Harry stated as she looked at him, disbelieving, but Harry was eager to share his food - he never had someone to share with before. "I don't want to look like a fool if these are actually expired."
"Well, Iama bit of an expert when it comes to food," Freya replied, hesitating as she looked down at his pile before she finally smiled, happy. "So, I guess I can teach you a bit, out of the kindness of my heart."
"And the grumbling of your stomach, I'm sure," Harry joked and he was rewarded by her laugh as they began to dig in.
They had just finished going over Dumbledore, the shock of moving pictures, and the dangers of Bertie Bott Beans when the lemon flavor seemed to have suddenly reminded Freya of something as she beamed at Harry, excited. "You wanna see a spell?"
"You can already do spells?" asked Harry awe-struck as he straightened up.
"Well, hopefully. This one is supposed to turn Scabbers gold, I thought I'd spruce him up before school," Freya explained as she took out her wand, holding Scabbers in her palm who had opened his eyes to side-eye Freya's wand anxiously.
Harry was debating whether or not to suggest they not do that in fear for her rat (though he was scared for himself if he said anything because what if he hurt her feelings and she decided she hated him?) when there was a knock on the door and a moment later it opened and in came two boys, a round-faced one that looked overly anxious and a boy with a look of purpose. The latter looked at the two of them and said, "This boy, Neville, has lost his Toad. Have any of you seen a Toad?"
"He's lost his Toad? In the train? And you think it might behere?"Freya gasped, picking her feet up from the floor as she looked around, panicked. "I haven'theardanything. Bloody hell, what if it hops on me?"
"He-he's a good toad," the boy who was assumed to be Neville, sniffled, looking around.
"Yes, and I don't see whyyou'refreaking out, youdohave a rat in your hands." the pompous boy stated, looking to Scabbers with a look of slight distaste.
Freya blinked before she looked at him, irritated. "Yes, but I'mused toScabbers and he's furry, not slimy."
"Furry is generous, I mean, I didn't even know it was possible for a rat to look so close to balding," the boy mused before his gaze wandered to her other hand with her wand. "I see you also have a wand, were you perhaps going to magically fix the fur loss?"
"I'm going to change his furcolor,"Freya snapped, looking irked. "And he's justsleekfurred, he's not balding!"
"Hmm," the boy hummed in a way that suggested he did not believe that as he sat down next to Harry, guesturing for Freya to continue. "Well, let's see it then."
Freya looked as though she would argue but then looked back at her rat with a determined expression, as if deciding her success would be vengence. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turnthis stupid, fat rat yellow!"
Nothing spectacular happened nor did the rat turn yellow.
The bossy-toned boy shifted his eyes as if he was slightly embarrassed to be of witness.
"Come ON, Scabbers!" Freya complained as Harry gave it a once over and tried saying helpfully, "His fur looks a tad lighter, probably?"
"Are you sure that's even a spell?" The other boy sniffed as Freya glared at him. "I mean, the spells don't usually rhyme, do they?"
"I should have known, Fred and George gave me that one," Freya muttered to Harry before turning to the other boy, by this point infuriated. "Who are you anyway?"
"Will Francis Granger, I'm a muggle born, and I've already read all the books for our classes, I was planning to work my way to Harvard before I got my letter here and of course, I just had to come to Hogwarts, I mean it's a chance of a lifetime. I'm looking forward to actually learning the spells, but anyway, who are you?"
He said this all really fast and looking over at Freya he was glad that she wasn't agreeing with the fact that she had read all the books as well. Rather with the way she was looking at the other boy, stunned, Harry would have bet she hadn't picked up any of their course books for a look through yet.
"I'm Freya Jem Weasley and he's Harry Potter. "Freya said, jerking her head towards Harry.
"Are you?" Will asked interestingly as he held out his hand and Harry shook it while he continued, "You're in many of the books I've read, you should pick up a few, I mean if it were me, I would have known everything about the subject by now."
"Why am I not shocked?" Freya muttered as the boy glanced back at her sharply before turning back to Harry. "Well, I'm glad to have made one of your acquaintances but Neville and I really must be leaving if we're going to find his toad."
"Why don't you go find a reason why I shouldn'tdeck youwhile you're at it," Freya huffed, shaking a fist at him. "Cuz I'm wracking my brain searching for one, but I seem to be at a loss."
"That doesn't seem to be the only battle you're losing," Will noted as he was halfway out of the compartment before he turned to Freya with a look of slight distaste. "I mean, you really shouldtry taming that hair of yours before we get to the school. It's a prestigious place after all."
He shut the compartment door before her packaged sandwich could hit him, Neville's yelp of surprise being heard from behind it before their footsteps sounded - one's walk sounding seemingly faster than the others.
"Bloody hell," Freya snapped, leaning back in her seat with a somewhat stunned expression mixing in with her anger as she looked at Harry, raising a brow. "Have you ever met such a pompous brat in your life? He'd better not be in our house, Harry!"
It took him a moment before he realized what she said and he grinned, our house she had said, meaning she wanted him in her house. He looked up at her quickly and tuned in before she realized he had not been listening.
"...And the NERVE to tell me to fix my bloody hair, because we all should have that smarmy comb-over HE had."
"I like your hair." He said before he stopped himself and she looked back at him, "Even if it is a bit messy, it looks nice. My hairs always been like that too, is all."
She eyed him as if trying to figure he was telling her the truth and then she grinned over at him, "Thanks Harry, your hair is a brilliant mess as well."
He smiled back just as the compartment door opened and her face soured so quickly, he had thought Will had come back, but when he looked over it was instead the boy from Madam Malkin's followed by two rather tall and bulky boys.
"I heard Harry Potter was in this compartment?" he said looking at him up and down, "I assume you're him? If we met before I can't remember the meeting well, but you seem vaguely familiar."
Harry nodded, a bit put off, as the boy grinned at him and continued, "Well Harry, now that I'm here you can come with us! You don't need to continue hanging out with riffraff such as..."
Draco paused, looked over at Freya before his grin grew as his eyes widened.
"Why you've found the biggest riff of them all, but you can't be a Weasley, can you? They couldn't have produced a daughter after all those boys?" He snapped his fingers, giving a small gasp. "I remember distinctly my father coming home laughing with tears in his eyes! He must have heard the news about you."
"Oh, is that so?" Freya asked, her eyes widening as well as she gave a sardonic smile, tapping the side of her head. "Well, I remember the day my dad told me about the Malfoy's son. I'd remember feeling bad for the boy, being all alone in a house with a twisted man for a father, but now I realize why you're an only child! You ruined the idea of children for your mummy and daddy, did you?"
Dra-Malfoy's grin faded fast, and he glared right back at her as she added, "Besides, Harry wouldn't leave for spoiled brats like you all!"
She said it with confidence but when she glanced over at him her brows furrowed, giving a look of hesitation as if asking him if he would. It was that look that made him surer of his decision than he'd ever been as he looked over at Malfoy and replied coldly, "I can choose my own friends Malfoy, thank you."
He glanced over at Freya who was looking back at him with the same look he'd see little children give Santa Claus and he swelled with happiness.
"Then you'll go down just like your parents Potter." Malfoy spat as he looked down at the candy Harry had bought earlier, "Well, we might as well help ourselves to some of your things since we've finished here. Boys?"
And after a great brawl in the small compartment that ended in Goyle's girlish scream, a flying rat, and the three oafs running from their compartment, Freya and Harry looked over at each other over the mess of scattered candy and things and began to laugh that lasted for a while. And that, the happiness that built in his chest when he looked over at Freya who had collapsed onto the floor in giggles, was how Harry James Potter knew, that despite who had anything to say against the fact, Freya Jem Weasley was going to be his friend.