Ronald Weasley and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Two:
Heading for Hogwarts

The rest of the summer holidays were spent in a blissful excitement for Ron Weasley. He quickly adjusted to Scabbers being his pet. It wasn't as though the rat needed a lot of upkeep; as long as he kept him fed and watered and cleaned up his droppings, Ron reckoned that they made quite good roommates. He and Percy had also reconciled their differences, especially when Percy promised Ron on their visit to Diagon Alley that he could use his new owl Hermes when he wanted to (as long as Percy wasn't using him, that was).

However, the closer they got to the first day of September, the more nervous Ron became. What if someone at Hogwarts had made a mistake? What if he got to school and was told to go home, that they had intended the letter for someone else? Had that ever happened to anyone before? And if it hadn't, wouldn't it be absolutely dreadful if Ron were the first student to ever arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and be told that he just didn't make the cut?

It didn't help that Fred and George had changed their attitudes toward him the moment they saw that he had calmed down about the whole Percy-owl thing. For the last month of summer, they had been sharing with him the most horrifying stories imaginable about the school.

"You know, there's a pack of werewolves in the forest there. They've been known to sneak in the castle and steal students out of their beds," Fred had said with a look of pure terror on his face.

"Yeah! There's also an evil ghost...he's the ghost of Slytherin House, of course. He's been known to possess people," George had commented gravely.

Of course, Ron wasn't sure how much weight he should put on their assertions. Surely Bill, Charlie, and Percy would have said something about werewolves and evil ghosts at the school? Plus, Fred and George had been known to act like complete gits to him, so Ron had long since learned not to trust them completely.

What really did scare him, though, happened a week before they left. The Weasley children were all assembled at the table for breakfast one morning eating eggs on muffins, when Percy suddenly began informing Ron of all the Hogwarts Houses. Ron knew a little about Gryffindors, of course, because his entire family had been in that particular House. Still, he was keen to hear what was to be said about the rest.

"Well, Gryffindors are those who are brave, of course," Percy had said, puffing out his chest importantly, as though he embodied the spirit of all Gryffindors. "Ravenclaws are the highly intelligent-"

"Intelligent?" George had asked with his mouth agape as if this news surprised him. "Why aren't you a Ravenclaw, Perce?"

"No, no, George," Fred said in a condescending imitation of Percy. "I believe you are confusing intelligence with being an arrogant prat." Percy scowled and rolled his eyes. Ron had to fight to keep from smirking.

"As I was saying," Percy said, stressing every word in an annoyed tone. "Ravenclaws are intelligent and hard-working. And while I am both-"

"You're the perfect Gryffindor?" George asked, looking Percy up and down as if surveying him for signs of his perfection.

"Mum!" Percy whined. Mrs. Weasley, who was at the sink supervising her dishes as they cleaned themselves, looked up at George through narrowed eyes.

"For heaven's sake, George Hubert Weasley, you leave your brother alone!" George scowled at the use of his full name, and Fred grinned excitedly; both twins had terrible middle names (actually, all Weasleys did, it seemed), and they loved to hear the other twin referred to by it. "And the same goes for you Fred Duncan!" Fred's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"ANYWAY!" Percy said loudly. "I'm in Gryffindor, because I suppose it was assumed that I wanted to be there, since that's where Mum, Dad, Bill, and Charlie were placed. There's also Hufflepuff, Ron...they're a good House. Mainly loyal people go there. And finally, there's Slytherin."

"What are they like?" Ron asked. Of course, he'd heard a bit about them, but never anything in detail. All he knew was that they were the rivals of Gryffindor House and that when Lord Voldemort (whose name Ron didn't even like to think, as he was raised with a natural fear against him) was in power, a lot of his followers were Slytherins.

"They're not all bad," Percy said fairly, though he frowned as he thought about it.

"Don't kid yourself, Perce," interjected Fred. "They're evil, the lot of them."

"Yeah! There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who weren't from Slytherin," George said matter-of-factly.

"Now, George, that's not true. Sirius Black was a Gryffindor," their mum commented from the sink.

"Well...MOST of them are Slytherin," he corrected. Ron looked over at his mum and was rather disheartened to see her nod. How would his family react if he somehow got sorted into Slytherin? No doubt they'd chuck him in a mental hospital!

As if he read his mind, a suddenly wicked grin came to Fred's face. "You know, Ron...if you get into Slytherin we'll have to disown you. Nobody can love a Slytherin, you know. And it's not like you're that loveable to begin with."

"FRED DUNCAN!" Ron's mum exclaimed. For the second time, Fred wrinkled his nose distastefully. "What did I tell you earlier?!"

"That I couldn't bother Percy," Fred replied with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, you knew what I meant! Leave your poor brother alone! You're scaring him to death!"

"No he's not..." Ron mumbled feebly. The truth was the thought of what Fred had just said made Ron's stomach tie itself into dreadful knots. Would they really hate him? Could he help being put into whatever house he was in? How did the selection for your Hogwarts House happen anyway? "Erm...how do they choose your House?" he asked in the most nonchalant voice he could muster.

"You're not allowed to know," Percy said haughtily. Ron looked at him indignantly.

"Come on, you guys can tell us!" Ginny suddenly said. She'd been oddly silent for the whole discussion, but now seemed keen to know what was in store for her. She was, after all, only a year younger than Ron.

"Let's just say it's a test," said George in a mysterious sort of voice.

"Yeah, and it hurts a lot," Fred said. "There's always a couple of students who pass out every year, but they always come around once they've had their blood replenished."

"Ugh! FRED!!" Mrs. Weasley was livid.

"I'm just giving him a fair warning."

Ron gulped. Knowing Fred, he was just having him on, but there was always the possibility that what had just been said was true. His mother didn't correct Fred, and Percy and George remained silent (though George seemed to be smiling as he went to sip from his glass of orange juice. Did that mean it wasn't true? Ron couldn't be sure). What if he got to Hogwarts and ended up losing all of his blood while being sorted?

Already, Ron could tell that he was going to hate school.

* * *

The night before school started, Mrs. Weasley made Ron's favorite dish (a new sort of tradition - Ron assumed it was a way to make up for the whole owl-incident). Tonight, they were eating shepherd's pie for dinner with pumpkin juice and some treacle tart for desert. Nobody complained about the choice in food; if there was one thing everyone could agree on about Ron, it was that he had a superb sense of taste. So, naturally, everyone ate steadily, smiling at each other and their food. Every now again, an occasional, "Mmmm," and, "Oh, Merlin this is good!" would come from someone around the table.

As he was about to dig into his desert, their father suddenly commanded the attention of the entire table by saying six simple words.

"I heard some interesting news today," he said conversationally. Everyone looked up. Usually when Mr. Weasley had interesting news, it genuinely was interesting. Ron shoveled the piece of tart that was on his fork into his mouth and then looked at his dad expectantly.

"Go on, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Well, I was talking to old Doris Crockford today at her home in Somersetshire; some neighbor of hers decided to charm their Muggle neighbor's mailbox into dancing around. It was actually quite remarkable, to tell you the truth-"

"What about Doris Crockford, Dad?" Percy said impatiently.

"Oh yes! Well, she said that a month ago, she was at the Leaky Cauldron when she ran into Rubeus Hagrid." Fred and George smiled. Hagrid, Ron knew, was the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, and a big hit with the twins. "You'll never guess who he had with him."

"Let's see...was it...Albus Dumbledore?" Molly guessed.

"Nope."

"Professor McGonagall?" chanced Percy.

"No."

"Professor Binns?" Fred said with a smirk. Ron had heard that Professor Binns was actually a ghost who never really left the castle. That would have been shocking indeed for Doris Crockford.

"No, don't be silly," Mr. Weasley chided. George opened his mouth to say something, but their father waved his hand impatiently. "You'll never get it, so I'll tell you. Harry Potter."

The table went silent. Everyone gaped at Mr. Weasley in shock. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, the kid Ron had heard about all his life; the one who had stopped You-Know-Who when he had been at full power. His dad now looked at Ron's shocked face, a kindly smile on his own.

"He's going to be a first year at Hogwarts this coming term. You may even meet him tomorrow." Ron couldn't say anything. He simply sat stunned. He had known about Harry Potter ever since he could remember. Bill had once told him about Harry after Fred and George had made him cry (they had somehow turned his teddy bear into a spider, an ongoing joke of theirs which resulted in Ron being terrified of them now). Bill had said that even though Ron was small, he could be mighty, just like Harry Potter.

And now he had the chance to meet him.

"Blimey," said George once the shock settled on everyone. "Did she get to talk to him? What's he like?"

"She said she met him briefly, and that he seemed like a very kind boy, though a little thin," their dad said with a smile. He was still looking pointedly at Ron. He really wished he wouldn't; it was almost like his dad was begging him to try to become friends with the famous Harry Potter. Ron didn't think he needed that kind of pressure right now.

"What House do you think he'll be in?" Ron asked, more to take the focus off of the question that was probably plaguing everyone's mind more at the moment than anything.

"Gryffindor, of course!" said the twins, both looking at him incredulously.

"He's bound to be brave," Ginny said with a weird sort of glint in her eye that Ron couldn't quite decipher.

"He'll be smart too, no doubt. Just like-"

"You?" Fred asked Percy, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"No...just like Professor Dumbledore." Percy sat up higher in his chair and shoved a piece of tart in his mouth with as much dignity as he could muster.

Out of nowhere, Ginny suddenly turned toward Ron and said, "So, do you think you'll be friends with him?" Ron, who had finally got up the will to eat another piece of his own treacle tart (inspired by Percy), suddenly dropped his fork on his plate, looking at Ginny nervously. All eyes seemed to swivel in his direction again, and he could feel his ears burn hot.

"I...I dunno," he said. "It's too early to tell isn't it? I haven't met him. He could be a tosser for all I know." He immediately knew it had been the wrong thing to say. The twins looked at him in fury; Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips; Percy sat higher; Ginny frowned. The only person to not react was Mr. Weasley; at least not in a bad way.

"Well, I very much doubt it, but you never know," Ron's dad said. "Don't worry too much about it, Ron. You make friends with whoever you like."

But as they all worked to clear the table, Fred and George both found time to hiss that if he didn't become friends with Harry Potter, if he was a prat to him, they'd pepper his breakfast with bat droppings.

That night, Ron lay in bed unable to get any rest. There was so much to worry about, now that he was on the eve of going to Hogwarts. His trunk was already packed, of course, but that wasn't what was bothering him. Harry Potter would be in his year. He would be likely to get into Gryffindor. Undoubtedly, he was brave. But was Ron brave enough for that particular House? The knot tightened in his stomach. Chances were, this time tomorrow night everyone would be disappointed in him.

* * *

Eventually, Ron did fall asleep, because he woke up to a sudden sensation of blankets being ripped off of him, and the sound of his hysterical sister snapping at him.

"GET UP! You're going to be late! Dad's Muggle clock didn't go off this morning and you all have an hour to get to the station!" Ron sprang out of bed alarmed and began rushing about the room. To his surprise, Ginny was fully dressed, as though she too were heading for King's Cross this morning.

"Are you going?" he asked while pulling off his pajama pants. He didn't care if she saw him in his underwear at all; they were brother and sister, and these things simply happened.

"Well, of course I am! I want to say goodbye to you!" Ginny snapped again. Ron looked at her, suspicious. Something told him that she also wanted to get a glimpse of Harry Potter if she could; Ginny had always had a bit of a fascination with his story. Still, Ron wasn't about to make her mad at him, especially since it would be several months until they saw each other again. The thought saddened him, and he surveyed her with concern as he slipped a pair of jeans on and she sat on his bed, looking up at his posters that lined his room.

"Are you going to be alright?" he felt compelled to ask. "You know...with me going to school and all?"

Ginny sighed. "Well...I am going to miss you. It's going to be lonely here all by myself." Her shoulders slumped, and when she turned her eyes to him, he saw tears.

"Oh, Ginny, don't!" he begged, alarmed. "It's going to be alright. I'll...I'll write you all the time, I promise. We'll be able to stay in touch really easy. And I'll tell you what it's like...the school, Quidditch matches, lessons...everything. Just, please don't cry."

"I'm sorry, it's just...I don't fancy my best friend leaving me, is all," Ginny managed. Ron had always known that she had regarded him that way, but she had never actually said it. He felt touched in a way he never had before.

"Well, you think I fancy leaving my best friend behind?" he asked, pulling on a fresh shirt. "Look...next year, you'll be at Hogwarts, and we'll get to hang out again."

Ginny scoffed. "No we won't, Ron. It'll never be the same. You're going to find proper friends and you won't have time for me. I just know it." Ron frowned. He really hadn't anticipated this. What was he to do? How could he possibly make this situation better?

"You know, Ginny, I would never choose a friend who didn't like you. I promise...whoever I become friends with will have to accept you...they'll have to want you around." His words had done the trick. Ginny suddenly got off the bed, walked across the room, and hugged him.

"I'm going to miss my stupid big brother," she said in a strange sort of affectionate voice.

"Well, I'm going to miss my weird little sister."

"RONALD!! GINEVRA!! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT! WE'RE ALL WAITING IN THE CAR!!!" Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice shrieked. Ron jumped, grabbed Scabbers, stuffed him in his pocket, grabbed the handle of the trunk, and proceeded to noisily drag it down the stairs, Ginny following him with a smile while she wiped her tears from her cheeks.

* * *

"You can practice magic on the train, you know," George said as they all loaded their school supplies and trunks into their own individual trolleys.

"You can?" Ron asked.

"Oh yeah, everyone does it," Fred said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't suggest it," Percy butted in. "It becomes quite annoying...especially when people who haven't had proper lessons try it. Plus, it will give us Prefects extra work to do. I'm sure the Head Boy and Girl wouldn't want you to do it."

"If it annoys Percy, you should do it on principle," George whispered with a wink.

"So what kind of spells should I practice?" Ron asked, wheeling his trolley around and following their mother, Ginny, and Percy. Fred and George walked so that Ron was in the middle of them and kept their pace so that it matched their shorter younger brother's.

"Well, did you try that Color-Changing Charm I told you about?" George asked, his face deadpan.

"Yeah, but nothing happened." Ron had been seriously disheartened when yesterday afternoon, he had not been able to change Scabbers yellow as George had told him he could. The usual fears that he was not magic after all had invaded his thoughts, and had stayed with him all day until dinner, when his dad had told him all about Harry Potter going to Hogwarts and a new fear entered his mind.

"You have to really mean it," said Fred. "And have loads of confidence about it." He nodded emphatically, and Ron nodded back. Perhaps he'd give it another go on the train?

The closer they got to their destination, the more flustered Molly Weasley seemed to become. This was predictable, of course. Every year she behaved the same way; as if she would absolutely die if she did not get her boys to the platform with at least fifteen minutes to spare. Her nerves ended up leaving her so addled, that she would always begin to forget vital things, like the fact that calling non-wizarding folk, "Muggles" whilst around them was something that you shouldn't do.

"Packed with Muggles, of course!" she suddenly said rather loudly. Ron groaned and the twins sniggered. They continued to amble toward the barrier of platform nine and ten, when she suddenly said, "Now, what's the platform number?"

Ron looked at her as if she had lost her mind; how could she forget it? Hadn't it been the very same platform it had always been? Ron was certain that it was where his parents had even left when they first went to school.

As if she was sharing his thoughts, Ginny suddenly said, "Nine and three-quarters!" in a voice that clearly stated that their mother was an idiot. Then, in a moment of her own stupidity, Ginny begged, "Mum, can't I go..." It wasn't as stupid as their mum's question, of course, but Ron felt compelled to roll his eyes. Ginny knew she couldn't go. Why would she even bother to ask?

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. Alright, Percy, you go first," Mrs. Weasley indicated with her head toward the barrier. Holding himself proudly, his badge on his chest glinting in the light coming through the windows of the platform, Percy marched forward purposefully, slipping smoothly through the brick wall and out of sight. Fred and George went next, and Ron was just about to run toward the barrier himself when a voice suddenly rang out toward the remaining Weasleys.

"Excuse me," said the small voice. Ron turned around and looked at a boy nearby who was pushing a trolley in their direction. He was a rather small sort of kid, with large baggy clothes that made him look even smaller than he probably was. His hair was jet-black and messy, and his large, green eyes were partially hidden behind round-framed glasses. Ron knew he had to be a Hogwarts student; no Muggles walked around with snowy owls in their trolleys.

His mum was thinking the same thing. "Hello, dear. First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too." Ron nodded his head in a weird way of saying hi, a lopsided, awkward smile stretching across his face.

"Yes. The thing is--the thing is, I don't know how to-" he looked at the barrier, and Ron instantly felt pity. This had to be a Muggle-born. Where were his parents? Why hadn't they been told how to get to the train?

"How to get onto the platform?" Ron's mum asked. "Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

The boy looked uncertainly from Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and then to Ron. He looked utterly petrified, but he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he nodded resolutely and said, "Er...okay," and turned his trolley toward the barrier, taking off at a jog, and disappearing expertly into it.

"What a sweet boy," his mum commented. Ron shrugged; he really hadn't been around the boy for very long. How was he to know if he was sweet or not? "Alright, Ronnie, your turn!"

Ron's ears went pink from the embarrassment of having been called, "Ronnie" in public, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned toward the barrier and began walking quickly. He knew he wouldn't crash into it; he'd accompanied his mother, father, and brothers here many times. The seemingly solid brick wall was growing closer, and Ron knew that at any moment, he'd be on the other side, and would officially be a student.

He emerged on the other side and struggled to bring his trolley to a stop (it really was heavy). Ron looked around, but couldn't spot Fred, George, or Percy anywhere. They must already be on the train, he thought sadly. He had rather hoped at least one of them would offer a seat to him, but it seemed they didn't care.

Mrs. Weasley and Ginny erupted from the Muggle side of the train station, and instantly came to him.

"Where are your brothers?" Molly asked.

"I don't know," Ron said. They all began to walk down the platform, Ron's and Ginny's mother craning her neck to try to see within the windows of the train.

"Nervous?" asked Ginny. Ron was thankful that now that they were here, Ginny wasn't crying.

"A bit," he confessed. "I think it will get better once we leave, you know?" Ginny nodded, but Ron knew that she really didn't know; like him, she had never left her family for more than a weekend. Unlike him, she wasn't about to leave for school for the first time.

"Fred, George! Are you there?" Mrs. Weasley called, coming to an abrupt stop. Ron almost collided with her, but thankfully Ginny had been there to help him maintain what little control he had of the trolley.

"Coming Mum!" George called. The twins alighted from the train, both looking oddly excited. Ron briefly wondered if they were planning some sort of prank, but the thought was only brief, as his mum suddenly reached down and attempted to rub dirt from his nose.

"Mum! Geroff!" Glaring at her mutinously, Ron ducked out of her way, and stood on the other side of his trolley.

Once Percy had joined them (he had been up at the front of the train with all the other Prefects, something he proudly made sure to point out the moment he strolled up), and Mrs. Weasley said goodbye to all but Ron, the twins finally decided to announce what had them so happy.

"Hey, Mum! Guess what? Guess who we met on the train?" George suddenly said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" Fred said excitedly.

"Who?" asked Mrs. Weasley, staring absent-mindedly at the dirt on Ron's nose.

"Harry Potter!" they both announced. Ron's eyes widened. That had been Harry Potter? But he looked so...normal!

"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him? Mum, oh please!" Ginny begged suddenly. Fred and George looked at each other with expressions of amusement, and Ron certainly would have laughed had he not been so surprised at the fact that he had already met the most famous wizard alive.

Thankfully, their mum seemed to have regained her sense and looked down disapprovingly at Ginny. "You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo." Then, quite eagerly, she added, "Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there...like lightning."

Ron didn't hear the rest of the conversation. He was too busy glancing up into the windows of the train, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of the boy he had seen in Muggle King's Cross. He thought he could see a bit of messy black hair in the corner of one window, but he couldn't be sure.

Their mother ushered them onto the train, turning Ron around at one point and planting a kiss on his cheek. Ron wiped it off in disgust, but managed a quick, "Love you, Mum," before clambering up the steps, helping George carry his trunk onto the train. A whistle blew, and suddenly they were moving. Ginny was waving and running to keep up and Ron, who was still standing at the door, waved back. He was certainly going to miss her.

"Bye, Gin!!" he shouted toward her. She screamed something back, but Ron couldn't hear her.

Then, she and his mother were out of sight. Ron continued to stare for a moment, suddenly wishing he was still with them on the platform. He was going to Hogwarts. He had no idea what was in store for him. Ron hated uncertainty; it made him feel so powerless.

Still, he couldn't stand in the corridor all day. Heaving his trunk toward the back of the train, Ron knew immediately what he was going to do. Not only was he currently riding a train with The Boy Who Lived, but he had also met him. At this point, Ron figured, perhaps they could be friends? It was worth a try, wasn't it?

He found his compartment a little way down the carriage, and spent a moment or two dawdling outside of it. Harry was alone in there; did that mean he didn't want to be bothered? What if he was one of those celebrities that hated people butting into their business? What if he hated Ron from the start? Certainly, that would be a bad way to spend the trip up to Hogwarts.

But he didn't seem to be the type to hate someone for no reason. When Ron had first met him, he'd seemed nice, just as his mum had said. He was polite, nervous, and well...absolutely ordinary. Perhaps he would actually be glad for Ron's company?

There was only one way to find out.

Ron poked his head into the compartment, indicating with his index finger toward the empty seat across from Harry.

"Anyone sitting there? Everywhere else is full."