Rose with a Bat

"Okay girls, don't panic, but James is coming this way!"

This little quip from someone sitting in front of Rose Weasley made her look up from the seat back. Certainly they weren't- but they were talking about James Potter, her cousin. Rose noted he had already changed into his robes, and suddenly she realized that the crowded train compartment she had opted to sit in contained no one her age, but instead a group of Gryffindors most likely all good friends. She had perked up at the idea of actually having someone to talk to while Albus was busy chasing down the snack cart. She half-waved as James's eyes caught sight of the goggle of Gryffindor girls, and wondered in the back of her mind if he would even admit to being her cousin. After all, she was just a first-year, and James (she heard from Albus) was always showing off to his friends ever since last year when he was the new student.

James sat down next to a boy a seat across from her and gave a dazzling grin to one girl with blond hair who had gotten to her feet clumsily to give James a comical bear hug that, Rose thought, was as comical as the eyelashes she was wearing. Rose scooted over to the aisle and stuck a long, twig-like leg out to kick her cousin's foot.

"Oh hi, Rose! This is my cousin, Scott," James explained to the boy sitting next to him, who wore an amused look on his face that Rose had missed completely. Rose was a bit odd-looking, like a toy that has been put together with different-sized pieces. She had long, bony legs and arms that were quite pale. Her hair was like copper wire, all gnarled in one puff-ball of a ponytail with tendrils easing their way out into her eyes. She just had that clumsy, odd-duck look about her that people noticed. "Where'd Albus go?"

"Chasing down the snack cart still. Is it true that Quidditch is open to first years this year?" It was the question Rose had wanted to ask since she arrived at the station; her father had encouraged Quidditch onto her and Hugo since she was young, and as much as her mom argued the importance of education at Hogwarts, Quidditch was what Rose was looking forward to. She was a natural on a broom, and even packed her Firebolt with high hopes of playing for a team.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'd try out your first year," Scott laughed, while James wore a look that suggested to Rose he thought her eagerness was only going to disappoint.

"Albus and I are going to try out! I've been practicing at home and I think I'll make it." Rose was being serious and gave a brief flash of annoyance towards Scott, who laughed harder at the dramatic glare. James began to laugh as well.

"Albus was the one who kept chasing around the Quaffle, thinking it was a snitch. Plus, he's pathetically un-athletic. Couldn't take a Bludger hit it was stuffed with feathers."

At that moment Albus had rushed in, holding two Chocolate Frogs. He plopped down next to Rose, his faced flushed in embarrassment. He had been careful since boarding the Hogwarts Express to avoid his brother, who wasted no time in intimidating him. Albus was short and stocky, carrying extra baby fat in his round face. His red hair and freckles made him look completely unrelated to James, who was a brown-eyed Harry Potter reincarnate; handsome, striking to look at, and very fit to boot. James clapped Albus on the back as he took a seat next to Rose.

"Where's my peppermint toad?" Rose exclaimed as Albus fervently ate a Frog. He shrugged, muttered what sounded like sorry, and then jerked to attention as the train began to slow down. James frowned, his head turning to Scott.

"That was fast." He rose from his seat, and flashed a smile at the two first years. "Well no worries, alright? See you in Gryffindor! If Albus makes it," he teased in an ominous voice, and Scott began pushing him into the throng of students clambering slowly through the aisle. Albus frowned, but did not get up. He looked oddly pale suddenly, and Rose grabbed his arm to urge him up.

"Don't freak, Al, how could we NOT be in Gryffindor, we're the poster-children of a bloody red and gold lion." Her head floated above the crowd, a perk of being exceptionally tall. Albus, who had smiled briefly at the crack, now wore a petrified look identical to the other first-years ushered aside into one group in front of the train. Rose tripped over her own feet in effort to see the castle, and then remembered stupidly she was, in fact, under the lake.

After getting off the train Rose spotted the largest man she'd ever seen, clad in a beard and a long shaggy coat. Albus had already met Hagrid before, and began to call his name, though he was hardly heard over Hagrid's voice booming "Firs' years follow me!" Rose let Albus try to steer ahead of the crowd to get to the half-giant.

"Firs' years- is that Albus?" Hagrid wrapped a huge arm around Albus, making Rose quickly jump out of the way and Albus's knees give out slightly. Albus smiled brightly, though. "How's yer mum and dad?"

"Good, they told me to let you know they're stopping by soon!"

"Great, I haven't seen 'em in ages. An' is this a Weasley?" Hagrid's hand extended out to Rose, and Rose allowed her hand to be engulfed in his.

"Rose Weasley." Rose's parents were not always as quick to talk about their Hogwarts years like Albus's, and Rose felt a bit let down she would not have that familiarity with some of Hogwarts alumni.

"Tha' hair migh' be red, but you look much more like yer mother, and I bet you have her brains too!" Hagrid stared off as if recalling just how smart she was when he caught sight of the carriages lined up ahead.
"Four to a cart, please! Don' be shov'n now!" Albus climbed onto the nearest carriage, and Rose clambered in behind them.

"My dad said that thestrals pull the carriages. Kind of creepy if you ask me." Rose glanced up expecting to see something hooked up to the carriage, but only saw students piling in ahead of them, their voices echoing off of the walls.

"You can't see thestrals unless you've witnessed a death. Besides, they're not that pleasant to look at."

Rose turned around to meet a pair of gray, fox-like eyes staring back at her. The boy who had joined their carriage was quite pale, though his cheeks were flushed red. He had a pointed face, very sharp and angular, with snowy blond hair in waves acting as a halo around his head. Rose saw a holier-than-thou build about him, and recalled what her dad had said earlier that day. Was her first day of school going to be a disaster?

"You're Scorpius Malfoy. My dad knows your dad."

"Not well, I'm sure. You two must be Weasleys. Twins?" Scorpius looked from Albus to Rose and back, a bemused look on his face at the similarities. Rose knew that the Weasley genetic make up predisposed her to being a brother/sister/whatever to every red-haired child at Hogwarts.

"We're cousins, actually. I'm Albus Potter." Albus made sure the Potter was clearly stated, as Albus tensed in preparation for backlash. Scorpius smiled frostily, turning to regard only Rose.

"You're the Weasley then. Do you have a first name?"

Rose fumed suddenly. "If you want to know, it's Rose. You'd do wise to keep my name out of your mouth, Malfoy." Albus had told her on the train how his dad had said to deal with a Malfoy, and Rose liked the eye roll Scorpius gave them as a result.

"Looking to get sorted into Gryffindor, I bet?" Scorpius leaned his head against the window, the same frown he had been wearing all day back on his face.

"Definitely. Slytherin for you, no doubt."

"That'd be nice, but I think I'm more Ravenclaw, personally. I accidently casted a Summoning spell at Ollivanders. My parents bet that I'm a natural."

"I bet you-" Albus cut her off as he jumped down from the carriage and telling her to follow. Rose leaped after him, but not before turning to give Scorpius one more antagonizing glance.

The Great Hall was silent when the first years entered, all of them watching in anticipation to see siblings and cousins sorted into each house, one by one. It was no secret of course that this generation included very famous names. James was sitting with the girls from the bus, his arm around the blond girl as he pointed out Albus, who was now placed many students down from Rose. Rose happened to be closest to the Slytherin table, and one girl closest to her began to criticize the tall, string-bean looks of the Weasley. Somewhere within her she fought an urge to turn around to defend herself, but upon seeing the Headmistress at the table of professors she clamped her teeth together and instead settled for a subtle hand gesture.

Hagrid, whom was standing in the background up until now brandished the Sorting Hat and a stool, placing the dusty, grimy hat on the stool, letting off a puff of dirt in a small cloud. A witty, dark skinned boy standing next to Rose joked, "Has that thing had its shots?"

A moment passed, and then Rose felt her stomach flip over as the Sorting Hat sprung to life, its "face" grinning as it began to sing a tune:

Attention all, and welcome too,

I'm the Hat, and have much to do!

But caution all, I do regret

Sorting I'm good at but not the best

So use your will, and I'll do the rest

And find which house might suite you yet.

Gryffindor, the house of fame

When the legend Potter bore the name

And Weasley, Granger, all thee brave

A trait Gryffindors carry to the grave.

Want a challenge, grade the brain?

Ravenclaw is a fan of mind games

Where those lovers of intellect will meet

And use their smarts to be unique.

Maybe ambition drives your core?

Slytherin will promise not to bore

Slytherin's have cunning and amazing grace

When trying it all to win the race.

And Hufflepuff, a friend you'll seek

If loyalty is a quality you'll greet.

Hufflepuffs are just and true

And will do anything to be loyal to you.

So come on up, and put me on.

And a new Hogwarts year will soon dawn!

The chill that coursed through Rose made her grin and clapped passionately with the other students. Hagrid, holding a long list, called out, "Abraham, Felicia!" A chubby brunette who was now sweating through her robes set gingerly on the stool, placing the oversized hat onto her head and letting the brim fall over her face. The hat barely moved before exclaiming, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The girl let out a small squeal as she stumbled over someone's foot into the direction of cheering Hufflepuffs.

Rose felt her pulse pound in her neck, her hands now moist. She was nervous, though confident in that she would be a Gryffindor. She had her mind made up, and it was her mother who had repeated over and over that it is her own choice as to where she wanted to be sorted. Rose leaned forward as "Ferguson, Matthew" was sorted into Slytherin. Albus was rocking on the balls of his feet, his skin blotched with worry. Rose felt sorry for him; it was name that everyone would pay attention to the most. Albus no doubt felt the same way.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" Scorpius looked only slightly off-put, his eyes avoiding the Slytherins' chant of "Malfoy" as he took his seat. One minute, two minutes...Rose heard several murmurs as Scorpius sat perfectly erect on the stool, his face changing from desperation to downright anger and the back to normal as the hat gave a booming "RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaws cheered, but not as loudly as some Slytherins booed. Many eyes fell on Scorpius as he took his seat, only greeted with words and not high-fives or handshakes. Rose felt a pang of guilt, thinking about what her parents had to say about Malfoys.

"Potter, Albus!" Hagrid said this name with more energy, and everyone got silent as Albus shuffled forward. The Gryffindors all smiled with knowing glances at each other, McGonagall lowered her glasses slightly and the Slytherins all had narrowed eyes.

Albus sat statuesque on the stool, the hat looking dead on his head. It was taking the longest time to sort him, and Albus was growing very pale. Rose felt her heart hit her ribs harder now. Why was the hat taking so long? Hagrid made a brief jerk as though ready to take the hat off, but just then one word cut through the hall.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"N-No! It's wrong, Hagrid, tell them it's wrong! Something's wrong!" Rose met Albus's eyes has he passed her towards the Slytherins, who had all leaped up in the greatest celebration yet. Some Gryffindors and teachers alike were whispering. Rose watched Albus get scooped up in a wave of green and chant loudly, "WE GOT POTTER!" Rose almost teared up for Albus; not once did she dare look over at James, afraid he would be sending eye daggers at his brother.

"Weasley, Rose!"

Rose almost forgot it was her that was being called, and marched up with a slightly wavering confidence. The hat fit over her, and began to whisper excitedly.

"Ah, my good girl, Ron and Hermione both will love to hear this! GRYFFINDOR!"

"That was fast," Rose murmured, and both James and Rose's dazzling cousin, Victoire both greeted her with open arms.

"Knew it all along, a true Gryffindor!" James wore an icy smile, and Rose knew he was very upset. Victoire was already making introductions for many of the seventh years that, Rose knew, were going to forget she was even there in a day.

The feast was fairly uneventful; a small speech followed by some much needed food, and Rose smiled and laughed at all of the right moments during conversation, unable to pin who was on the Quidditch team or not. Albus entered in and out of view, often crossing in front of her as though she could pull him to her table. Rose half-hoped Neville, a professor and good family friend, would get him re-sorted to stave off embarrassment that Albus no doubt would feel.

"Hey, you were standing next to me in line! Name's Jamal Jordan, though JJ works, too. Congrats on the Sorting!" The boy who was sorted before Rose tipped his mug towards her before chugging his drink. Rose tipped her glass as well, and for the first time since she arrived felt truly welcome. She would find Albus later and hopefully lift his spirits. For now though, it was time to make friends, friends that she would no doubt have for a long time.