Tuesday September 1st 1987
I sit on the smooth, stone steps at the front of the house, anxiously waiting to leave. I check my watch for about the tenth time in the last five minutes and my tummy jumps when I see that it’s quarter past ten already. Dad said we were leaving a good fifteen minutes ago. I don’t know what he’s doing now, but he needs to hurry up. The car isn’t even loaded yet - my battered, quadruple-checked trunk is waiting beside me. I bet that Bill and Charlie aren’t ready and that’s what’s keeping us. They don’t mind being late for things, but I do. I mean, how are you supposed to get to Hogwarts if you miss the train? It’s only going to be my first year there; I want to go on the train like everyone else.
I peer back into the open door, craning my neck in a desperate attempt to spot Mum or Dad. There’s a lot of noise coming from inside - I bet Mum’s getting cross with Charlie for not waking up earlier. Dad doesn’t really yell, so he’s probably just trying to keep the others quiet. I wish they’d hurry up. I want to go! It’s not fair - why is that on my first day we’re nearly late? I angrily scuff my feet in the grassy, earthy ground. I stop when I notice my shoes getting steadily muddier and dirtier and I wipe them hurriedly against the blades of grass. Last night, I spotted Mum feverishly flicking through Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Household Pests, searching for a spell that would buff my shoes up a bit. They’re still kind of scruffy, but you can tell that they’re shinier. They’re not even my shoes; they’re Bill’s old ones that he outgrew years ago. They would have passed onto Charlie, but he has smaller feet.
I hear a little squeak from my right and I realise I’ve forgotten about Scabbers. I lift up the small, copper cage and place it on my lap. Inside is a rather forlorn looking rat, staring up at me with his beady little eyes. I absent-mindedly poke my finger through the cage and he sniffs it hesitantly before having a little nibble. I didn’t want a rat. I wanted an owl - a nice, big Screech owl to bring me my post at Hogwarts. But Mum and Dad couldn’t afford one, so I got Scabbers instead. He’s all right - nothing special, really. He doesn’t do much except eat and sleep. It could be worse, though - I could have a toad.
There’s a noise from behind me and I almost drop the cage to the ground. I turn around to see Bill, all ready to go and lugging his trunk outside.
“Give me a hand, would you, Perce?” he asks.
I scrabble up and grab one of the handles, and together we shuffle towards the car. Bill opens the boot with Dad’s keys and puts the trunk in. He gestures for me to get mine, and I obediently hurry back to where I left it. I drag my trunk most of the way, but then Bill heaves it up and places it next to his. I check my watch again. Half past ten. Bill sees my worried face. “Don’t worry, Perce, we’ll be fine. Charlie’s nearly ready - last I saw him, he was firing books into his trunk while stuffing his face with toast. It’ll be any minute now.” He gives my shoulder a little reassuring shake.
I love Bill. I know you’re not really supposed to have favourites when it comes to your siblings, but if I had to pick one, it’d be Bill. I guess he’s sort of my role model, in a way. He got the Prefect badge last year, along with twelve O.W.L.S. Next year, he says, he’ll get the Head Boy one. Then he wants to work in Gringotts, but he’s not sure exactly what he wants to do there. Sometimes I think he’s even Mum and Dad’s favourite. I want to be like Bill when I’m older - get good results in my exams and become Prefect and Head Boy. I’d like to work in the Ministry of Magic, though, I think, like Dad. Only, not in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. I’d like to maybe work in Magical Law Enforcement, or even become Minister for Magic!
Bill and I glance back towards the house, as you can clearly hear Mum having a fit.
“CHARLIE WEASLEY! YOU GET DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT NOW OR YOU CAN STAY WITH ME FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
Bill lets out a low chuckle. “I’d say Charlie’s almost ready, Perce. Go on, you sit in the car and I’ll get Dad.”
I nod and slide into the car; a blue Ford Anglia. Dad’s enchanted it so it fits all of us, but Mum doesn’t know that. She just thinks that Muggles really know how to build cars. It doesn’t look that big from the outside, but it easily fits ten people. I heard Mum say that he should stop fiddling around Muggle objects and maybe then he’d get a promotion, but if he didn’t fiddle around with Muggle stuff, then we’d all have a serious problem getting to places. So I don’t really know what to make of that.
The car door that I was leaning against suddenly opens and I nearly topple out onto Charlie.
“Budge over, Percy! Stop hogging the whole seat,” Charlie says, grinning easily as he shoves his way into the car. I find myself hastily being jostled towards the other side of the seat as Charlie’s followed by Bill, Fred, George and Ron. Mum sits at the front of the car with Ginny beside her, while Dad puts Charlie’s trunk in the boot. Mum turns around to look at us boys in the back.
“Are you all ready, Percy?” she asks fondly. “Third one in the family! Oh, I can’t believe it. Maybe you’ll become a Prefect, like Bill? Or do you think you’d like Quidditch, Perce? Charlie could show you the ropes, or put a good word in for you!” Mum trails off happily, thinking of all the possibilities. She doesn’t notice Fred and George laughing at the thought of me playing Quidditch.
“Sure, Mum, maybe.”
She smiles, satisfied, and turns back to face the front. I hear Ginny whine, “But Mum, I want to go to Hogwarts!” Mum shushes her as Dad hops into the driving seat.
“Ready to go, Weasleys?” he asks, putting the car into gear. We roll out of the front yard and I strain in my seat, trying to get a last look at The Burrow. I’m finally going to Hogwarts! I’ll be able to make Mum and Dad proud at last. I’ll be a proper Weasley - a Gryffindor! I’ll get Outstandings in all of my exams, and who knows, I may even be half-way decent at Quidditch! I’ll prove that us Weasleys are more than just poor blood-traitors - you’ll see.
Perfect Percy by Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak x
Story Notes:
This story is basically just my interpretation of the character and the reason he is why he is. Thanks Gen for being my Beta (:
Chapter Notes: This chapter begins on Tuesday September 1st 1987 - the day Percy leaves for Hogwarts to become a first year.
Chapter Endnotes: Your opinions are always greatly appreciated, so leaving me a comment in the lovely box down there would make me super happy (: