One

 

They think they know me. They think they have me all figured out. But they haven't a clue. They probably don't even care that I am gone. I have slipped through their memories like sand through an hourglass. If they could only see me now. But soon they will remember me. They will see me for what I really am.

 

I live a solitary life, and that is the way I like it. No one's expectations to live up to. No one to answer to. No one to tell me how wrong I was or how right Harry Potter is. How wonderful he is.

 

You are wondering who I am, I suppose? Well, my name is Percy Weasley and this is my story.

 

III

 

I suppose I should start at the beginning; that's where most people start their stories. Well, I was born August 22, 1976, the third son of Arthur and Molly Weasley. My oldest brother, Bill, was six when I was born, and Charlie was four.

 

I really guess that life was kind of humdrum up until the time Bill went to Hogwarts. We were taught from the beginning about the magical world, since Mum was a witch and Dad was a wizard. Unfortunately, we were also taught that we were not allowed to do magic until we were eleven and time came for us to go to Hogwarts.

 

The day Bill's letter came, you'd have thought Mum and Dad's hearts were going to burst right out of their chests with pride. You'd have thought they weren't expecting it. They knew that he was going to Hogwarts. How could they not? Most everyone in our family is a witch or a wizard.  I think there's a second cousin somewhere who is an accountant but other than that our whole family tree is full of witches and wizards, all known for their magic. Now that's not to say that there aren't dark wizards in our family tree. We are related to both the Malfoys and the Blacks, both pureblood families and both of them known for their contributions to Voldemort's cause.

 

But I digress. I can still remember Mum's voice that day:

 

"Bill, Bill! Come quick!"

 

Hearing her voice, I stood on my tiptoes and looked out my bedroom window to see what all the fuss was about. I knew that he would be up on the hill, watching Charlie fly on the small broomstick that Dad had gotten him. I'd had a couple of goes on it myself, but quite honestly I didn't care much for it. I was more the studious type and much preferred to be in my room reading or drawing.

 

"What is it, Mum?" Bill yelled. I could see him running down the hill, nearly tripping over himself in his hurry to get there.

 

As Mum came into view I could see the envelope in her hand, which she was waving like a war banner. Fred and George, who were not even three yet, were clinging to the skirt of her robes. "Your Hogwarts letter, it came! My baby's going to Hogwarts!"

 

"Howarz, howarz!"

 

I could hear Fred and George shouting as they tried to say Hogwarts. Babies!

 

Coming away from the window, I rolled my eyes and went back to my drawing. Big deal, thought to myself. They'd been talking about it forever! 'I wonder when Bill's going to get his letter. I know that he will be going to Hogwarts.'

 

Mum sent Dad an owl at work to tell him the good news and he got special permission to come home early to celebrate.

 

"Another Gryffindor in the family, that's wonderful news!" Dad said as soon as he came home.

 

"But what if I'm not in Gryffindor, Dad?" Bill said and I could see the worried look on his face.

 

"A son of mine, not in Gryffindor?" Dad said, nearly laughing, "Why there's no way that you could be in any other house."

 

"But...I mean...there are members of our family that were in Slytherin. It could happen."

 

"No son of mine will ever be in that house." Dad didn't raise his voice very often but when he did we knew that he meant it. Charlie looked up, wide-eyed, at him and the two twins both started crying. What babies!

 

That was the end of the talk about the houses. Since Bill's birthday was in November, they didn't go to get his school things yet. But they couldn't stop talking about how exciting it was for Bill to be going to Hogwarts.

 

At last August came and Mum took us all to Diagon Alley to get his school things. I was really bored with watching him get his robes and potion supplies, but when we got to the bookstore I was in heaven.

 

I was very smart for my age and I loved to look at books and such. I wasn't happy when Mum said that she couldn't buy me any books right then, that they didn't have enough money. But she did take us all to get ice creams. But honestly, I would rather have had a book.

 

I was almost glad when it came time for him to go. I was so tired of hearing Bill this and Bill that. Big deal, he’s going to Hogwarts. Did Mum and Dad forget they still had me, Charlie, and the twins?

 

Here, I must pause in my story. Dad's reaction to the possibility of Bill being in Slytherin, that was something that was a problem for me down the line. I can't explain it now, but you will see.

 

Months passed and Mum would get owls from Bill saying how much he loved Hogwarts and from his teachers letting her and Daddy know how well he was doing. He wrote about the fabulous Halloween feast and about the ghosts that were in the castle. He liked all his teachers except for someone named Professor Slughorn. Apparently he played favourites to those who had famous parents.

 

Christmastime came and Bill came home for the holidays, with many more stories to tell about Hogwarts. I was looking forward to going there myself because it sounded exciting and besides, I would get books too!

 

Bill had brought books home with him to study over break and I had sneaked a couple of peeks in them, till Mum caught me and made me stop. I just wanted to look! Why did she stop me?

 

After New Years, Bill went back to Hogwarts and life returned as normal, for the most part. He said he'd be back for Easter break and then in June he'd be home for the summer.

 

Years seemed to go by fast, and soon Charlie was in Hogwarts too. This made me excited because soon it would be my turn and I could learn all the things that they were learning. I still enjoyed reading a lot, and it was kind of cool to have it just be the five of us for once. Like a lot of kids like us, our parents taught us all until we were old enough to go to Hogwarts.

 

Watching my twin brothers, though, I wondered if maybe they weren't doomed to be put in Slytherin. They were always playing pranks on me and doing stuff that I didn't like. I had to shut the door to my room because otherwise they would go in there and mess things up. If there were ever two Dark Wizards in the making it would be Fred and George. But of course I'd never say that.

 

Now that Bill was in his third year at Hogwarts, he was allowed to go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends. This was actually great, because when he would have a trip to Hogsmeade he would always send me something that he bought with the money that Mum and Dad had given him. As older brothers go, he was pretty cool. I mean it was nothing huge but sometimes it was a quill, or some candy. I always marked the Hogsmeade trips on my calendar.

 

Okay, I'm going to stop my reminiscing for now. I have plans that I have to take care of and things that need to be done. The person for whom I work is not a patient man and he doesn't take kindly to excuses. So, for now I leave you and when I return I will tell you about my Hogwarts experience.