Isn't He Lovely • A Fred Weasley Story

a g i f t f o r e l o i s e

The first day of classes arrives in a flash after a relaxing weekend of re-connecting with all the wonderful people in school.

I wake up early that morning with the girls and we get ready quickly, rapidly pulling on skirts, sweaters, and robes before stumbling out the door with our wands and books. Hermione and I enter the common room and, to our surprise, already see Harry and Ron ready at the portrait hole.

"You two are ready before us?" I say with a sarcastic gasp. "How could that be?"

"I was already up too early anyways. I never seem to remember how loud of a snorer Ron is," Harry says, rubbing his eyes. Ron shrugs innocently and we grin before joining them in stepping out the door.

We head down to the Great Hall, kids already bustling about and chatting with each other as they settle down to munch on various breakfast options laid out on the tables. We stroll over to the Gryffindor table and I see Fred, George, and Lee already there, wide awake and discussing something excitedly.

We slide into the benches, my seat being the one next to Fred's, and he turns to look at me.

"There you are," he says, grinning. "We were just talking about a new line of Skiving Snackboxes we're going to put into motion here soon."

I sigh and laugh softly. "I thought I told you two to stay out of trouble."

"Oh Eloise, you realize I'm always going to be in trouble?" Fred sighs dramatically, resting his chin on his hand and staring at me as I serve myself some eggs.

"Well, are you really going to start getting kids sick with those trick boxes already? It's only the first day!" I point out.

"Yeah, but that's what's so brilliant about it," George says quickly, "We've got to establish our presence before the school year really get's going, especially to the innocent first years."

"I pity the first years," Lee mumbles. George shoves him, grinning.

We continue to fill up on breakfast foods as the twins excitedly ramble to me about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and Dumbledore makes a short speech before sending us off to our classes. I link arms with a smiling Hermione as Harry and Ron join the two of us down the hall, off to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Our first period of the day.

We approach the entrance of the classroom, Harry and Ron strolling in casually as kids nervously file in and take seats. Hermione takes a breath and leans into my ear before we enter.

"Here we go," she whispers, and I nudge her with a grin.

We walk into the classroom, settling down in two seats at a shared desk next to Harry and Ron. We're towards the middle back, and I look up to see Snape seated at his desk. He's holding a book in front of his face silently as students enter and once and a while lowers it slowly to scan his eyes across the room. I'm on the outside desk next to Hermione, nearest to the boys.

I glance over and see Ron looking at me with an exaggerated frightened look, mouthing, help me. I stifle a laugh and look back towards the front.

Once everyone is seated, the class grows quieter as Snape stands from his desk and approaches the center of the room. We watch as he walks slowly to the center with his hands folded behind his back.

"Welcome... to Defense Against the Dark Arts," he slowly mutters out as he paces down the center aisle. "Your sixth year is upon you, thus I expect you all to know by now when to be quiet during my lessons-"

The whole class remains silent.

"-when to ask questions... and where to put your gum after it has been thoroughly... chewed." Snape emphasizes the last word slowly as he stops walking in a spot just past Seamus' desk. I see Seamus's hand freeze under his table before Snape slaps his wand quickly on the boy's desk, then continues to quietly walk down the aisles.