"Freddie as a Head Girl I've been instructed to go sit in my own compartment to instruct the Prefects, I can't sit with you." I frowned, placing my suitcase into the baggage compartment.
"Fine." Fred looked upset.
"Freddie, don't be mad at me." I peppered little kisses on his cheeks. "It's not my fault they chose me to be Head Girl."
"It's your fault for being such a good student." Fred continued to pout.
"How about you sneak into our compartment 30 minutes after we take off? I reckon we'll be done instructing prefects by then."
"What about George?" Fred looked torn.
"Well he has Lee, but it's up to you where you want to be." I place another quick kiss on his lips. "I've got to go, bye Freddie."
~~~~
Fred, George, and I climbed into a horseless carriage together, followed by Lee. Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road. When we passed between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds. Hogwarts Castle loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet-black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above them.
The carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors, and I was the first to step out, tightly clutching Honey's cage.
"Are you ready for our last year?" Fred asked, putting and arm around my shoulders.
"Ready as I'll ever be." I smiled weakly, and began walking towards the castle entrance.
The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.
The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.
I made my way over to the Slytherin table, a little sad that Fred and I couldn't sit with each other. I looked at the staff table. There was a woman sitting next to Dumbledore, who I assumed was the new DADA teacher. She looked like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. She turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet and he saw, with a shock of recognition, a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.
A few seconds later, the doors from the entrance hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim. The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.
The first years' faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling. I assessed that he was probably a muggle born, and was just anxious about all this new magic in his life. I remembered how anxious I was at my sorting, and how scared at first I was to be in Slytherin, and how nice it was to have friends like the Weasley twins.
The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name."
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether Sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within.
I have told you, I have warned you. . . .
Let the Sorting now begin.
My eyebrows darted up at the song. The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts Houses and its own role in sorting them; I could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before. Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. With a last frowning look that swept the four House tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out,
"Abercrombie, Euan."
The terrified-looking boy I had noticed earlier stumbled forward and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" I smiled and clapped.
~~~~
"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice. I looked over at Fred. He was engaged in carefree banter with Lee and George. I didn't really have friends in Slytherin, so I was eating alone, with Draco and his cult sitting next to me. I looked over at them. Pansy was doing everything in her power to make Draco pay attention to her, almost making me feel bad for him. Almost.
When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
I looked over the pink loving woman again. She definitely stroke me as odd.
Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the -"
He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said,
"Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as I had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish and again, I felt a powerful rush of dislike that I could not explain to myself. All I knew was that I loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan.
She gave another little throat-clearing cough ("Hem, hem" ) and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
I curiously glanced around the hall to find that no one looked particularly happy about her arrival, and if anything most people looks rather agitated at being addressed like five year olds.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("Hem, hem" ), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and I could distinctly see her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation . . ."
I looked back over at Fred, who was now looking at me as well. He winked at me, and I blew him a little kiss. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. I had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and looking over at Hermione, she seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.
". . . because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
I didn't like her speech either. There were a few red flags, like "progress for the sake of progress should be discouraged" and "pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited", seemed to authoritarian for my liking.
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though I couldn't help but notice that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now - as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."
I dozed off until it was time to head off. I walked along side the Slytherin crowd, next to Draco, who was beaming at his new position. Fred ran up next to me.
"Mind giving me a room tour, you do have your own room now!" He beamed.
"Oh alright." I giggled, taking his hand. "Where's George?"
"He ate too much, and decided to just go straight to bed." Fred shrugged.
"This has happened almost every year now." I snorted.
My dorm room was one door over from the Slytherin house entrance, and had its own password. My dorm was guarded by a beautiful woman combing her hair next to a river.
"Hullo, what's your name?" I asked, as she looked up at me with her soft eyes.
"I'm Adelaide." She smiled. "Password?"
"Peonies."
The door flung open and Fred and I walk into a room no smaller than the usual five bed dorm, but rather than having five beds, there was just one large bed, amidst a nicely furnished room. There was a door on the side of the room that led to a small dimly bathroom. Honey's cage stood on a perch in the corner of the room, and she was comfortably seated inside.
"Whoa, no wonder Percy was so happy about this position!" Fred exclaimed, looking around. "You're basically royalty!"
I see Fred's eyes give an evil little gleam.
"What are you-"
My sentence is cut short by his arms lifting me up and flinging me over his shoulder.
"Put me down this instant!" I thrashed around on his shoulder.
"Your wish is my command." Fred shrugged and proceeded to throw me down on the bed, flinging himself on next to me, panting.
"Am I that heavy?" I grinned.
"Yeah, you're like ten tons!" Fred snickered, rolling over to face me.
He cupped my cheek with his hand, gently caressing my skin with his thumb, sending shivers down my skin.
"You're beautiful, you know that?" He whispered, his warm hazel eyes reaching into my soul.
Fred leaned forward, softly pressing his lips into mine. This wasn't a passionate or lustful kiss, just a kiss that let me know that I was loved, and that he would never leave me.
"I think you better get back to your dorm." I sat up. "It's a long walk to the Gryffindor Towers."
I walked over to my suitcase, and pulled out the invisibility cloak, handing it to Fred. He took it from me, but grabbed my hands before I could pull away.
"I love you." Said Fred, a soft smile playing on his lips.
"I love you too." I leaned in and kissed him again. "But you really need to head back."
"Alright." He playfully pouted, standing up. "See you tomorrow my dear Head Girl." He quickly got up, and left the room, not before giving me another small little peck.
As soon as he left, I felt a wave of tiredness wash over me. I took a quick shower and got dressed for bed, setting my new Head Girl badge carefully on my nightstand. Right as I was about to climb into my bed I heard light knocking on my door. Quickly throwing on my robe, I paced over to the door and opened it. No one there. I shrugged and closed it again. As soon as it closed Fred threw off his cloak, making me give a small jolt of shock.
"Fred Gideon Weasley what in the ever loving hell are you doing in my dormitory at 11 pm?" I inquired, placing a hand on my hip.
"I got locked out of my own dorm." He gave me an apologetic look.
"Ugh fine. You can stay. Go take a shower, I'll get you something to wear to bed. The towels are in the top drawer." I tutted, starting to look through my drawers.
"Thanks y/n!" Fred grinned, practically waltzing into the bathroom.
In my drawers I found a pair of fuzzy oversized pants with hearts on them and a large shirt.
~~~~
I sat in bed, casually flipping through the pages of a book, as I heard the bathroom door creak open. There stood Fred, small water droplets on his toned body, and a towel wrapped carelessly around his waist. I couldn't help but notice the small freckles peppered around his lean torso. I felt my jaw drop, and a sudden rush of heat flowing to my cheeks.
"Are you ok?" Fred asked, unaware how attractive he looked in the moment.
"Yeah, you're just..." I trailed off. "Your clothes are in the chair." I pointed to the chair next to my writing desk.
"Thanks!" He said, walking over to the clothes.
Suddenly his towel slipped off while he was picking up the clothing I had laid out for him.
"FRED!" I gasped, and he quickly picked up the towel, covering up his privates, awkwardly running back to the bathroom with the clothes.
I pinched my nose bridge and began to laugh. Fred meekly stepped out of the bathroom, the fuzzy heart pants really embellishing the comical aspect of everything.
"Did you see..." Fred blushed.
"Pfffft hahahaha no." I laughed harder.
Fred walked over to the bed and got under the covers.
"I will say, you did look rather scrumptious when you first stepped out." I blushed.
"Oh you like these bad boys?" Fred dramatically flexing his muscles, kissing his biceps.
"Definitely," I chuckled, putting my book away and turning the light off, scooting closer to Fred.
His arms wrap around me in the dark, and I feel his skin on my own. No dirty thoughts Y/n. You have school tomorrow. I thought as I felt his face burrow into the crook of my neck.