I Lived - Fred Weasley

The Boy Who Lived

After another horrific few months at Malfoy Manor, Celeste Malfoy is back at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. She is escorted by Dobby so that she is not seen with Draco, something about "not wanting to be associated with a filthy blood-traitor..."

Not finding any of her friends on the platform, Celeste enters the train where she almost immediately sees Lee Jordan surrounded by a crowd of students. The boy is holding a box, smirking at all the attention he's getting because of it.

"Oi! Celeste! You'll never guess what my mum let me get over the holiday!"

"Does it happen to be in that box?" The girl smirks at her friend as she makes her way through the crowd.

"Have I ever told you how smart you are, Celeste? Truly, the most observant of the lot of us!"

The blonde shakes her head and rolls her eyes, a real smile on her face for what feels like the first time in months. "Give us a look, Lee, go on."

The boy with dreadlocks opens the box, revealing a rather large tarantula. Celeste, among others, shrieks at the sight of it as it pokes out a hairy leg.

"I'm going to find the twins, I need to get away from that disgusting creature!" The Malfoy girl announces as she leaves a laughing Lee Jordan.

She searches for a pair of redheads until she hears a familiar voice.

"Want a hand?"

Celeste turns and sees one of the twins (probably George, she's getting better at telling the difference) talking to what looked like a first year boy. The boy had messy black hair, light brown skin, and wore glasses held together by tape. Lee had shown her and the twins what tape was last year. Muggles could be brilliant sometimes.

"Yes, please," the boy pants as Celeste approaches them.

"Mind if I join you?" The girl asks.

"Celeste! You can stand there, doubt you'll be much help with this particular activity, though," George greets his friend, recalling how they met. The poor girl had gotten knocked over trying to put up her trunk.

Celeste rolls her eyes, but doesn't argue.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" George shouts at his brother.

Fred joins them, happily greeting Celeste, and helps tuck the first year's trunk in the corner of his compartment. Celeste just watches them. She's usually able to do most things with ease. Putting up trunks is, however, not a skill of hers.

"Thanks," says the first year, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

Under his hair is what looks like a lightning scar. A well-known mark of Harry Potter...

"What's that?" Celeste asks the boy, pointing to his scar. She regrets asking the moment she says it, the poor boy must be so tired of all the attention he's bound to be getting.

Fred and George look at Celeste in shock and then back to the boy.

"Blimey," says George. "Are you–?"

"He is," says Fred. "Aren't you?" he adds to the skinny boy.

"What?" the boy asks, confusion on his face.

"Harry Potter," the twins chorus.

"Oh, him," says the boy. "I mean, yes, I am."

The twins gawk at Harry, who begins to turn red. Celeste can't help but feel sympathetic for the boy. She knows what it's like to have a well-known name. The Malfoys aren't as famous as Harry Potter, but it's the same concept. The boy's name has set his reputation before he even gets the chance to speak.

Luckily, Mrs. Weasley called her sons over.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mum," Fred calls.

He and George hop off the train, with one last look at Harry.

"Sorry about that," Celeste says to the boy.

"It's, er, fine."

"Is this all new to you?" The blonde girl asks. "You don't seem at all used to all the..." Celeste mimics her friends' faces from earlier and gasps.

"A month ago, I didn't know magic existed," Harry admits.

"Let alone that you're one of the most well-known celebrities in the magic community?"

"Yeah."

The girl laughs. "Must've come as a shock."

"No, not at all," the boy comments, sarcastically.

Celeste smirks back. "I like you, Potter."

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome."

The thirteen-year-old girl's about to leave when Harry speaks up. "Er– What was your name again?"

The blonde smiles at the boy. "Celeste. I'm afraid I can't tell you my surname quite yet. It always seems to do the introductions for me. I'm sure you're becoming familiar with that experience."

The boy chuckles a bit.

"It was nice meeting you, Harry."

"You too, Celeste," the boy replies as Celeste bounces off to the redheaded family.

—

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet," Fred smiles.

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum!" George jokes (kind of).

"It's not funny. And look after Ron," Mrs. Weasley instructs.

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," Ron glares at his two older brothers.

"Don't worry about Ron, Mrs. Weasley," Celeste joins the conversation. "I'll keep an eye on him! And embarrass him slightly less than George and Fred will," she smirks at the eleven-year-old, who glares at her now too.

"Oh, Celeste, how are you, dear? You look in desperate need of a good meal," the woman greets.

"Well, it's a good thing I'll be at the start-of-term feast, then," Celeste smiles. "Though I hear that even Hogwarts food cannot compare to your cooking."

"Oh, you're too kind, dearie. You must come over for the holidays!"

"Not yet, I fear. But, soon. Mother and Father seem to be warming up to the company I keep," the Malfoy girl lies. They most certainly are not.

Molly nods, understanding the Malfoy girl's situation. Well, not entirely, but she knows what the Malfoys think of the Weasleys.

The twins look at Celeste and suddenly remember their encounter from a few minutes ago.

"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" George asks.

Celeste winks at Harry through the window, though no one else seems to notice him watching.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" Fred asks.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!" The twins exclaim together.

Ginny, the youngest Weasley and only girl, gasps. "Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please..."

The conversation continues on until the Hogwarts students have to dash onto the train, George promising to send Ginny a Hogwarts toilet seat (which his mother scolds him for).

The twins formally introduce themselves to Harry before leaving to sit with Lee Jordan and his tarantula. Fred has to drag Celeste with them by keeping a firm grip on her hand. She does not want to see that thing again. The twins, however, really want to see her reaction to it, having missed it the first time.

They also help Celeste put up her trunk, as the girl had been carrying it with her the whole time, unable to put it up without help.

After enduring being near the tarantula, Celeste runs off to find Angelina, Alicia, and Katie, who do not have a spider in their compartment. The four girls spend the ride catching up and laughing.