Ron Weasley and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings - all rights to J.K.Rowling

Ron Weasley was a wizard. At the age of 11 he hadn't exactly learnt much magic yet, in fact the only spells he had carried out were accidental as it was for all young witches and wizards his age. His subconscious would take over when he really wanted something to happen and happen it would, without Ron really meaning to do it.

One of the more recent occasions was when his very own twin brothers, Fred and George Weasley had left a spider in his bed; Ron was terrified of spiders and was unable to be near them even for a second. The spider was as big as a tarantula, with long, spindly legs that moved faster than Ron had ever seen before. Its fat body was decorated with a pattern of red and black, making it look all the more menacing. Not to mention, its eyes. Three beady eyes started at Ron, seeking him out; watching as if he was the prey. The spider began to move ever closer towards Ron as he sat frozen in his place as if petrified. He wished more than every that the spider would just stay away and not come near him ever again. Closer and closer it crawled, its legs covering the space at an unimaginable rate. However, when the spider was only a few metres away, it suddenly stopped. As if by magic the spider was unable to come any closer – it was now the spiders turn to be petrified. It became frozen in mid step; its beady eyes looking in all directions full of panic and fear. Ron however, was quite pleased and proud of this new arrangement, on the other hand the twins were furious. It was only accidental magic so of course, they didn't allow Ron's achievements to hamper their spirits (or their ego for that matter) and instead promised that it would never happen again.

Mrs Weasley, the mother hen of the house, was most pleased for her youngest son but nevertheless made quick work of scolding the two boys for tormenting their brother. This was quite a common occurrence in this house given the mischievous nature of Fred and George, not to mention the fact that she had seven children! Ginny Weasley, the one and only daughter in the family was the youngest, often molly-coddled by her mother, but she had after all inherited her mother's fierce nature and was a match for her brothers anytime. The famous Weasley temper was not one to cross. The oldest two boys in the family, Bill and Charlie had already flown the nest, Charlie was off in Romania working with dragons and Bill worked in Egypt for the wizarding bank Gringotts, but that didn't change the fact that they were both as wild and well-loved as the rest of the Weasley clan. That just left, Percy. Percy was perhaps the tamest member of the family, a studious young boy who detested hating the rules but nonetheless loved his family neither. Together, with father Arthur Weasley they made up a pure-blooded wizarding family.

Today was an exciting day for all the young children of the family: they would be receiving their Hogwarts letters. Hogwarts was the school for young wizards like Ron, where they could learn how to control and use their magic for the greater good, and give them the chance to become fully qualified wizards. This was Ron's first year at Hogwarts as he joined the majority his brothers in the school. He had heard countless stories of the Forbidden Forest, Snape's Potion lectures and the multitude of ghosts. The brothers however liked to exaggerate and Ron truly didn't know what to believe. But, this year was a chance for him to find out for himself. Ginny however would be the only Weasley child left behind this year, something that she was very annoyed about.

"Please Mummy! I want to go!" she cried, "Please let me go."

The Weasleys were sat at the table of the Burrow – the Weasley family home. The Burrow was an interesting house to say the least. It was made up of three stories that, it's safe to say, would not be still be standing today had it not been home to a family of wizards. The kitchen, given how many people were currently sat in it, was quite full, no thanks to the clutter of pots and pans and herbs and spices lining the shelves. The counters and shelves were made of a worn, well-used wood that had obviously been installed many years ago and the table itself was quite rickety and seemed to be on its last legs, yet still this was a home not just a house and its busy and cluttered style only added to the comfort the room seemed to embody. The smell was also that unmistakable scent of a home cooked, full English breakfast, the table itself was decorated with an array of sizzling sausages, bacon, eggs and baked beans. Tucking into this vast set out were the six red heads: