Know-it-alls and Reckless Idiots
Harry was sat at the breakfast table, singing the alphabet song over and over again. Ophelia was joining in, as she loved singing, and she was trying to learn how to read.
‘Can you two please learn a new song?’ asked Lyall desperately. They had been singing their alphabet for nearly an hour, as Harry had woken up early, and even more excited than usual. Harry was starting school today!
‘No,’ laughed Harry.
‘N-O,’ spelt out Ophelia.
‘There’s a good girl,’ chuckled Remus.
‘Legolas!’ said Ophelia pointing out the window.
Legolas came flying in through the window and dropped off a letter. He was still carrying a significantly larger letter for Percy, which he was going to deliver in a minute.
‘Good birdy,’ said Harry patting Legolas.
Legolas preened, and Harry gave Legolas his toast crusts when he thought that nobody was watching.
When Legolas felt he had received enough attention, he flew away to The Burrow to deliver Percy his letter.
Remus opened the letter, and Ophelia read it over his shoulder.
‘That’s my name!’ said Ophelia pointing to the first line.
‘Yes princess,’ said Remus kissing her on the forehead.
‘Dear, Uncle Lyall, Aunty Hope, Remus, Harry and Ophelia,
I’m a Ravenclaw!!
The hat gave me the choice between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Apparently, I could have fit quite well into the house apart from Slytherin. According to Charlie when I talked to him later, I had a hatstall, which means I’m a very powerful wizard.
The hat said that I had the bravery to be a Gryffindor, but he didn’t think I was reckless enough. As for Hufflepuff, the hat could tell that I was hardworking, and a loyal friend, so I would have fit in there too.
But in the end, the hat and I both agreed that I’m a Ravenclaw. I may not be the most creative, but I’m quick-witted and an avid reader.
No Uncle Lyall, I’m not just a Ravenclaw because you wanted me to be, but because it’s the right fit for me. I nearly got sorted into Hufflepuff!
The Ravenclaw common room is so cool, you have to answer a riddle to get in, which is just awesome obviously.
The first thing they did when we arrived in the Common Room is to tell us about all the different extra clubs. There’s Quidditch obviously, but there are also various study groups like Charms Club and the Potioneers.
There’s also some creative clubs like the music groups, and the drama club but I don’t think I’ll enjoy those, and of course there are the games groups like the Gobstones Club and the Exploding Snap League.
I don’t think I’ll be joining most of those, but I and my friend Chris Turpin who I met on the train are thinking about joining the Charms Club, and the Potioneers as well as forming a study group.
Chris is really cool, he’s Welsh, so I think you guys will really like him. He also has a little sister who will be in Harry’s year. We met on the train, and we talked all the way up, he loves the Merlin and Morgana books, and we talked about how even though the books are getting worse, and we’re getting a bit old for them, we’re still buying them as we want to find out what happens at the end.
He’s got the biggest collection of chocolate frog cards I’ve ever seen. He thinks that Legolas is very cool, and our owls have already made friends too.
I wish I could stay and write a bit longer, but we’re trying to figure out where to fit all our books, there’s ten of us between two rooms, but somehow the five of us with more books are in the same dorm.
Barney Zelda is going to try expanding the bookcases with a spell that his brother taught him, but Chris and I standing ready with buckets of water, in case Barney causes an explosion.
Good luck with school today Harry,
Love and miss you all loads, Stefan Michael McKinnon.
‘That’s my boy!’ beamed Lyall throwing his fist in the air like a six-year-old.
‘Now you’ve got your Ravenclaw, can you please stop pestering the others Lyall?’ asked Hope.
Hope was starting to worry that Lyall wasn’t going to be happy until every child in the village, including the Muggles, were sorted into Ravenclaw.
‘Alright Cariad,’ chuckled Lyall kissing Hope.
‘If our letter was that long how long was Percy’s?’ asked Harry.
‘That’s a good question young Harry,’ said Lyall.
‘I’ll see you all tonight then,’ said Lyall, ‘just wait until the lads at work hear about this!’
‘Do you think you want to be a Ravenclaw Harry?’ asked Remus half-jokingly.
‘It sounds like a lot of fun.’
‘No,’ said Harry stubbornly.
‘Harry Gryffindor like Daddy, Mummy and Uncle Remus.’
‘And Uncle Sirius and Peter,’ agreed Ophelia.
‘And what about you Cariad?’ laughed Hope knowing that Ophelia wouldn’t be going to Hogwarts for another eight years.
‘Ravenpuff,’ said Ophelia.
‘There is no Ravenpuff,’ laughed Harry, ‘there’s Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.’
‘I can’t choose,’ said Ophelia, ‘so I’m a Ravenpuff.’
‘Or a Huffleclaw,’ giggled Harry.
‘I don’t mind which house you’re in princess,’ chuckled Remus, ‘you’ll be perfect.’
‘Apart from Slytherin,’ interjected Harry.
‘Even Slytherin,’ corrected Remus.
Hope raised her eyebrows impressed as she helped Remus clear up the breakfast things.
Harry and Ophelia went to play in the garden, pretending that they were actually at Hogwarts. Harry was riding his broomstick, and Ophelia was waving a stick she’d picked off the ground and trying to cast spells. There were even some sparks coming out of her stick, but Ophelia didn’t notice them.
Cedric and Felicity arrived first, and they both joined in with playing Hogwarts. Playing Hogwarts was a very common game at the Ottery St Catchpole School because they all couldn’t wait for the day when they were old enough to go.
Sometimes, the children pretended to be the professors and teach lessons but sometimes they’d just run around firing pretend spells at each other out of sticks. Some of them did have toy wands, but they didn’t use them as Remus and Molly didn’t want anyone to get hurt even unintentionally so they used fallen twigs and sticks.
Neville arrived not long after and was pretending to be Professor Sprout that Bill had told him about. He was going around and telling Ophelia about all the plants in the garden, trying to remember what he had learnt from their nature walks with Pandora, but he kept on getting the names mixed up. Ophelia didn’t mind though, as they were having fun.
Luna came too, as Luna had started coming to nursery so she could spend more time with Ophelia and Ginny.
The last to arrive was the Weasley’s. Fred and George came charging up the garden path, yelling at the top of their lungs as they ran. Fred and George were six now and a right handful!
‘He got in! He got in!’
‘Got in where?’ asked Cedric.
‘Who got in?’ asked Felicity.
‘Charlie!’ beamed Fred.
‘He’s a Gryffindor,’ said George.
‘No surprises there,’ said Percy who was still reading his letter from Stefan which seemed to be a mile long. Stefan had clearly written home to Percy about every single tiny little minute detail, on everything he had already seen at Hogwarts.
‘Not everyone can be a know-it-all swat and a Ravenclaw,’ said Fred.
‘Yeah Gryffindors are cool,’ said George.
‘I’d rather be a Ravenclaw, and have the sense to stay out of an unnecessary fight, unlike reckless Gryffindor’s!’ said Percy glaring at the twins clenching his fists.
‘Say that again!’ said Fred and George walking up to Percy menacingly, and get ready to hit him.
‘My point exactly,’ smirked Percy, ‘reckless!’
‘Boys!’ said Mrs Weasley pulling Percy and the twins apart.
The twins and Percy had started fighting an hour ago, when Stefan and Charlie’s letters had arrived, and Percy had started to say how cool he thought Ravenclaw sounded. Up until today, Percy had always wanted to be a Gryffindor like the rest of his family, but now he was starting to change his mind. Fred and George thought Percy had gone mad though.
‘Will you three please stop fighting,’ she said glaring between Percy, Fred and George.
Mrs Weasley shook her head at the boys, before going into the school to set up with Remus and Hope
‘Well Percy wants to be a Ravenclaw, and they’re all prats!’ said Fred.
‘Know it all stuck up prats!’ said George.
‘Stefan’s a Ravenclaw!’ said Percy.
‘He’s a know it all,’ said Fred.
‘Teacher’s pet,’ nodded George.
‘And the Lovegoods,’ said Felicity.
‘Well, they’re just crackers,’ said Fred.
‘No, they’re not!’ said Luna angrily.
‘Mr and Mrs Lovegood have brilliant minds!’ said Cedric.
‘Even if they do believe in the Nargles,’ laughed Felicity.
‘Look Gryffindors are the best!’ said Fred triumphantly.
‘Yeah! And Ravenclaws are stupid!’ said George.
There was a proper fight in the playground. Percy and Cedric had had enough and threw themselves on Fred and George. The four of them were rolling in the grass fighting, and the smaller children were watching in astonishment. Felicity would have joined in the fight and helped Cedric and Percy, but she knew her Mummy would be angry if she ruined her clothes, so instead cheered from the side-lines.
‘Get him Ced!’ cheered Felicity.
‘Hit him with your book Percy!’
Remus had come running outside to find out what all the chaos was.
‘Enough!’ he yelled separating the twins from Percy and Cedric.
Percy and Cedric stood back up, looking disgruntled and their clothes a bit grass-stained but not hurt at all. Fred and George were still trying to attack them, and Remus had to hold them back.
‘What in the world is going on out here?’ asked Mrs Weasley, her face nearly as red as her hair.
Percy muttered something about, Ravenclaws being know it all’s, and Mrs Weasley looked exasperated.
‘Fred, George,’ she sighed, ‘leave Percy alone. Gryffindor is only a house, it hardly fixes your personality.’
‘But if Percy’s a Ravenclaw he won’t be a Weasley,’ interjected Fred.
‘All Weasley’s are Gryffindors,’ said George.
‘Say’s who?’ asked Hope.
‘Bill and Charlie,’ said Fred and George together.
‘If I get put in Ravenclaw I’ll still be your brother,’ said Percy trying not to laugh.
‘It’s not for three years anyway.’
‘Alright,’ muttered Fred.
‘Sorry we called you a prat,’ said George.
‘It’s ok,’ shrugged Percy smiling.
‘I’m sorry I called you two reckless idiots.’
‘You didn’t!’ said Fred and George.
‘I know,’ shrugged Percy, ‘but I thought it.’
‘Get inside,’ said Remus shaking his head.
‘Right,’ said Remus once all the children had filed in, leaving Ginny, Luna and Ophelia playing with Hope outside.
‘We need to re-do the seating arrangements.’
There had used to be two rows of desks, and now there was three.
‘Ron, Harry and Neville,’ said Mrs Weasley, ‘you’re at the front so we can keep an eye on you.’
‘Fred, George,’ she continued, ‘you’re in the middle row. But keep the desk between you free so you’re not chatting to each other all day.’
‘Why?’ asked Fred and George.
‘Because’ said Remus, ‘if you two sit next to each other, you’ll spend the whole day chatting, and not learn a single thing.’
Fred and George grinned at each other maniacally knowing how true what Remus had just said actually was. If they had been sat next to each other, they probably would have spent the whole lesson trying to plot how to boobytrap Percy’s room rather than actually doing their maths problems.
Molly helped Felicity and the older boys with their reading and Remus talked to Harry, Neville and Ron.
Harry was sat between Ron and Neville in the front row, and they all looked eager to get started.
‘So, this is your first day of school,’ started Remus, ‘does anyone know why we’re here?’
Ron shoved his hand in the air as Percy and Charlie had taught him. They had told him when he had a question in school he had to put his hand up.
‘Yes, Ron?’
‘To get ready for Hogwarts?’
Neville and Harry nodded their heads in agreement.
‘In essence yes,’ said Remus, ‘my job is to prepare you for Hogwarts, but that’s not for seven years, and we’re going to have a lot of fun along the way.’
‘Fun?’ asked Harry confused.
‘Yes fun,’ chuckled Remus.
‘I’m going to teach you all how to read and write and do maths of course but once you can do all that, there’s so much more.’
‘Like what?’ gasped Neville.
‘I’m going to introduce to a whole new world, not of magic, but of learning. Tales of brave knights and beautiful princess in History. How the world works in Biology, what makes the plants grow. I’ll even teach you all how to fly your broomsticks properly.’
‘Woah!’ exclaimed Ron and Harry their mouths had dropped open.
‘When can we start?’ gasped Neville.
‘You already have,’ beamed Remus.