Hope - George Potter

15 - Er...okay

Frederic proved to be quite funny as he was entertaining the first years throughout lunch with various stories about the other pupils, first and foremost about Rebecca of course. George was positively surprised that he actually stayed with them instead of talking to his friends like he had done the night before. Rebecca had meanwhile left the Great Hall with a concerned looking Dumbledore.

When they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom later that day, George groaned, seeing as they had that class together with the Slytherins. He could see Ada already sitting on one side of the room, surrounded by her new friends. There was Percival Goyle, a realtively tall, dark haired boy who looked like he nearly reached Ada's level of arrogance, and Merlin Rookwood, who had an incredibly nasty facial expression. At the table right next to Ada sat Beatrice Barbeaux, with a pretty, but sadly also really arrogant face. George wondered whether he just saw them as arrogant and nasty because he already had his mind made up about Ada and they, as her friends, were also included in that impression.

"Oh look," she exclaimed in a mocking tone, waving at George, "If this isn't Harry Potter's brother. Also known as Mr 'Er... okay'." She laughed at him and her friends joined in. It seemed like she had already told them about their encounter on the train.

George gritted his teeth and tried to hold back any nasty comments in her direction, mostly because he just couldn't think of a creative and funny retort right now - he had nearly said 'Ehm ... okay' but thankfully stopped himself before he could -, but also partly because their teacher had just entered the classroom.

"Better Harry Potter's brother than some little spoiled princess like you," Henry called over to her. George looked at him surprised. Nobody had ever stood up for him in his entire life. It had never even crossed his mind that this was possible. It was just how things were. No need to wish for something that could never be true, you would just waste your time and be even more depressed than before when you came back to reality.

But now, in this last month, so much had happened that he had thought to be impossible. With a slightly unsettling feeling, George realized that out of all the seemingly impossible things that had happened, the fact that another person stood up for him was the one thing he was most amazed by.

He had always had to defend himself. Remus was never there when he needed him and Harry was his younger brother. George was supposed to take care of him, not the other way around, and he was nearly never around when George was being bullied. That was just how things were at the Dursleys'.

Now he was confronted with this strange alternative reality that seemed to be nearly perfect. Sure, there were people like Ada Green at this school, but at the same time, there were also people who actually seemed to care for him somehow or at least like him a little bit, and who weren't scared of showing it.

George just had to wonder how long this would last, this perfect world, and how soon the people at this school would also realize he was weird, strange, a freak. The first couple of days at his old school hadn't been too bad either. He had actually been quite hopeful. Sure, the other kids already thought he was strange because of his baggy old clothes, but it had been alright. Maybe he just hadn't noticed yet that the others were trying to avoid him or that they were making fun of him, but he had felt nearly at ease at that place which was quite a rarity for George. But soon enough, the other children chose to make him realize the truth.

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were delighted that George didn't have any friends. They were sure to mention it as often as possible in order to make Dudley happy. That was really Harry's and George's only purpose in life until that letter came: to make Dudley happy by seeing what a wonderful life he had in comparison to the Potter boys and to make him feel like he was so much more special and deserving than anyone else.

George was bought back to reality by Henry waving his hand in front of his face. "You still there?"

"Oh, y-yes, o-of course. I'm here," George stuttered and realized how stupid it sounded the moment the words left his mouth.

"Er... sorry. I-" He stopped talking. He just wasn't making things any better. 'Great,' he thought, 'I'm already making a fool of myself and it's only the first day of school.'