The Weasley Eight

First Year: The Sorting

Hermione;
"I'll take the Twins and Percy, you take Mione." Bill tells Charlie as the six of us depart for Diagon Alley. Dad had to work and Mum was driving all of us spare with her irrational fear of my going off to school- She'd been contemplating homeschooling me until Bill stepped in and said he and Charlie would take all of us to get our school supplies... and as soon as we left the house Bill pulled me to the side and told me to write him if Mum tried to keep me home and he'd come rescue me, he'd said, and I quote, "If she tries to keep you home- send a letter to me and I'll come take you to France with me and you can school at Beauxbatons while I do my curse breaker training." I hope it doesn't come to that, because I'd love to attend Hogwarts- but I do understand Mums fears. I was the first girl born to the Weasley family in a hundred years, and they'd kept me well hidden from the public. Hogwarts would be my first appearance in the Wizarding world, and I would have to face the looks of weakness that come with being a pure blood lady...

But I'm not a lady. I was raised with five older brothers, three of which are Gryffindors and two of which are Slytherins. I wasn't raised indoors schooling everyday and taking lessons on tradition and etiquette; I was raised pulling pranks with the twins, practicing advanced magical theory with Percy (most pure blood families didn't allow girls to learn anything more than Hogwarts offered to teach them), training to be a Quidditch prodigy with Charlie, and learning muggle selfie defense techniques with Bill... as much as Mum longed for the perfect daughter, she ended up with me; and I'm far from perfect. Charlie and Bill had overheard Mum and Dad talking and when they realized we didn't have enough money to buy me what I needed for school they'd both immediately gotten Summer jobs in Diagon Alley, saving up enough money between the two of them that I'd have everything I needed for school new, not used, and my own owl. They'd decided Bill would be better suited to handle the twins and Percy, and Charlie would be able to get me everything I needed quickly, without drawing any unwanted attention to us.

"Come, Dragonfly, Ill take you to Ollivanders first. Then we'll get your books and robes, and we can finish off the day by getting your owl and a little ice cream before we meet back up with Bill and the boys." Charlie leads me away from our brothers, my hand safely clasping his as I allow my older brother to pull me along the ally and into Ollivanders. "Mr. Ollivander?" Charlie calls into the shop, both of us jumping in surprise when an old man pops up from behind the counter. "Ah, Mr. Weasley! How may I be of assistance?" Mr Ollivanders voice sounds like he's been gargling gravel, and it sends a shiver up my spine. Charlie, taking notice of my discomfort, tells Mr Ollivander that he's here with his kid sister to get her first wand. "Young Miss Weasley! I've been expecting you! Follow me!" The man turns and heads deeper into the shop, and hesitantly I follow him, Charlie right behind me. The first wand Mr Ollivander hands me is  made of Rowan Wood, ten inches long, and had a Dragon Heartstring core... which we quickly determine is not my wand after I blow up a shelf of wand polish after giving it a wave.

Four wands later and I've finally got my wand in my hand; Yew Wood, Fifteen Inches, with a Unicorn Hair core. Charlie quickly pays for my wand and ushers me out of the shop, having been overly aware of my uncomfortableness around Mr Ollivander, leading me towards Madame Milkins to get my school robes. "Don't worry, Dragonfly, I thought he was creepy when I got my wand too." Charlie reassures me, as Madame Milkin takes my measurements and begins rushing around her shop and tossing articles of clothing into Charlie's waiting arms. We're out of her shop in no less than half an hour and then Charlie's dragging me into Flourish and Blotts and gathering my school books for me while I browse the isles and find a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages to entertain myself with until Charlie's done. "Let's go, Dragonfly! Time to get your birthday present!" He shouts a few minuets later and then the two of us are heading into Eeylops Owl Emporium and picking out my owl... I decide on a magical owl that the Shop Keep was contemplating having put down because of her Gemstone colorations. "What are you going to name her?"