Chapter Text
"You two better behave or so help me I will drag you back to the Burrow, never to see Hogwarts again!"
Passersby stared at the group, particularly eyeing the red-haired woman that was shrilly scolding identical twin boys. Well the screaming was just an excuse to gawk at them, they were already an odd bunch without all the racket.
The huge group consisted of eight people, all gingers except one brown-haired girl who was wearing a loose graphic tee with ripped jeans and red sneakers. She was snickering at the twins' predicament. The children were all also pushing huge trolleys that had bulky trunks on them and an assortment of weird objects. Some even had owls while the girl had a gray shorthair cat curled around her neck.
It was just this perfect amount of oddness that attracted a certain boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes towards them. Harry Potter. He was lost, you see, and he didn't know who else to approach aside from the people that were obviously going to the same place he was. However, he couldn't be too sure. He didn't think it polite to ask them should he be wrong so he followed them at a distance as they headed to the middle of platforms 9 and 10.
"But mum! I swear we didn't do it!" one of the twin boys whined.
"Yeah! We really were just in our rooms, honest!" the other exclaimed.
Their mother scoffed, "Oh and the bread just happened to make your father's tongue purple did it!? You should be ashamed of yourselves! He can barely talk!"
"Well we can't deny it was brilliant-"
"-but it wasn't us!"
"Um, Mrs. Weasley." the brown-haired girl said quietly. "We really shouldn't be screaming like this about purple tongues. The muggles are all staring at us."
"Muggles..?" Harry murmured to himself. The word confirmed his suspicion that these people were indeed magic and he followed more closely.
As if only noticing the crowd whispering around them, the woman flushed and waved her arms to the group. "Well go on then! Best we go now. Percy you go first and Arthur you go with him."
Harry watched, unblinking, as the eldest boy and his father casually walked through the wall between 9 and 10. He thought he must have blinked because they just disappeared without doing anything.
"Fred, George you next. And head straight for the train! No funny business."
The twins rolled their eyes but stepped up anyway.
"Right." Fred said.
"No funny business." George repeated dully. They narrowed their eyes at the brown-haired girl who simply smiled at them.
The twins walked to the wall and disappeared in a blink of an eye, just like Percy.
This time, Harry felt nervous. He wasn't exactly sure about what they were doing to disappear but he knew he needed to be able to do the same.
Apparently he wandered too close to the group that the girl turned to him. She had dark eyes, twinkling with mischief and curiosity as she looked at him. He didn't know what expression he was making but it must have been awful because she suddenly scrunched up her eyebrows in concern.
"Are you alright? Do you need help?" she asked. Her cat opened its eye, regarding him lazily.
Mrs. Weasley turned to him too, gaining the attention of the remaining red-head children, a boy his age and a little girl.
Harry felt his face burn in embarrassment. "Oh. Er... I just-I was wondering how you..um.." he stammered, gesturing to the wall.
Mrs. Weasley smiled in understanding. "You wanna know how to get to the platform?"
Harry nodded gratefully.
"Well all you really have to do is head straight for the wall between platforms 9 and 10." the woman said.
"Best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Otherwise you'll bounce right off." the brunette added, smirking slightly at the end.
"An!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. She turned back to Harry, and saw that his face had gone pale. "Don't worry dear, it's Ron's first time as well. An is right though, you should give a running start."
Harry nodded in thanks as Ron gave him a grin. He took a deep breath and jogged towards the wall. Unsure about whether he was at the right speed, he broke into a sprint. Afraid that he'll collide with the wall like An said, he couldn't help but close his eyes and brace for impact.
However, no crash came. He opened his eyes and gasped as a scarlet steam engine greeted him. A sign overhead said 'Hogwarts Express' and 'Platform 9 3/4'.
"Wotcher."
Harry jumped at the voice behind him, only to see An grinning at him. "Fair warning, if you're just gonna stand there then someone, meaning Ron, is bound to sprint right at you from the other side of the wall. You're lucky I went in after you."
"Sorry." he said, immediately getting out of the way.
"No worries. I was pretty awe-struck my first time too. C'mon."
An led the way, expertly weaving through the crowd of witches and wizards. He followed her loosely, drinking in his surroundings as the two walked past multiple full carriages.
It was like sensory overload for Harry. There was just so much going on: a boy was complaining to his grandmother about his lost toad, another boy in dreadlocks was showing off something in a box, students were milling about with their assortment of pets.
He didn't notice that An had stopped and he bumped into her with his cart roughly.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed as she fell. Her cat yowled and hissed upon being dislodged from its perch around her neck.
Harry paled considerably. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking and-sorry!" he apologized hastily. He helped her up, his heart hammering against his chest as he waited for her to yell at him.
To his surprise she gave him a smile, though it looked painful. "Well, goes to show that I was right. Just stand there and you're bound to get run over."
Laughter erupted from behind them and they turned to see the twins shaking with mirth and clapping.
"Good one mate!" Fred said to Harry.
"Yeah! We were looking for a way to get her back." George said, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Spectacular fall An."
"Serves you right for putting the blame on us for the purple bread."
"Oh shove off you two. Besides, that purple bread was payback for when you exploded my face with powder that was dyed pink! It took weeks to get that off." An grumbled, rubbing her sore hip.
However, neither of the twins were paying attention anymore as they openly stared at Harry. Specifically at his forehead.
Harry felt uncomfortable under their gaze. "Er.."
"Blimey!" Fred said.
"You're Harry Potter!" George exclaimed.
At that, the people nearby swivelled their heads to look at them. Hushed voices soon spread throughout the station like wildfire.
An rolled her eyes, "Great job. Now you've gone and done it."
Realizing they'd practically yelled, the twins flushed. They each muttered a sorry to Harry for garnering what was clearly unwanted attention for the boy.
"Come on. Let's just help you get on." Fred said, taking Harry's heavy trunk from him.
"Yeah and find you a compartment."
An gently pushed Harry inside the carriage after Fred and George before getting on herself. After they'd tucked away their things in a compartment, an awkward air settled between them all.
Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley's voice rang from outside the train. "Fred? George? An?"
The three excused themselves to Harry and he released the breath he was holding as he sat down. He made himself comfortable as he listened to the family outside.
"Ron, dear, you've got something on your nose." Mrs. Weasley said as she rubbed it with her handkerchief.
Ron grumbled, swatting her hand away when the twins started making fun of him.
Ignoring their banter, Mrs. Weasley looked around, "Where's Percy?"
"He's coming now Mrs. Weasley. Prefects have their own separate carriage." An said.
"Percy? A prefect?" Fred said mockingly.
"I wouldn't have known! He didn't say anything once!" George feigned surprise.
"Or twice." added An.
"For every minute."
"Of everyday."
"The entire summer."
Percy scowled at them, "Oh shut up you three."
Mrs. Weasley ignored them again as she kissed them each.
"Now you two." she said, suddenly stern. "I don't want another owl telling me you've gone and blown up a toilet or something. You hear me?"
Fred grinned, "We hear you."
"Great idea mum!" said George.
"I'm not joking! And look after Ron."
"Oh don't worry."
"Ronniekins is safe with us.
"Shut up." Ron scowled.
"By the way mum, guess who we met on the train!" Fred said excitedly.
"Harry Potter!" George finished.
Harry felt embarrassed all over again and he sunk into his seat further, trying to make himself small so they wouldn't notice him though he was alone in the compartment.
"Harry Potter? Oh mum can I see him? Please?" the little red-haired girl begged.
"Hush Ginny. You've already seen him outside haven't you? Poor dear. No wonder he was alone." Mrs. Weasley cooed.
"Nevermind that. I think it's best if we go about it casually with him. I mean, he's just another person isn't he? He's not some animal at a zoo." An said reasonably.
Harry felt grateful to her after hearing murmurs of agreement among the Weasleys.
"As expected of a Ravenclaw. Now if only you didn't involve yourself in those pranks Fred and George get up to." Mrs. Weasley beamed.
An gave out a fake gasp, "But-but Mrs. Weasley! I'm an angel!"
Suddenly, a whistle sounded and all the children were being ushered on the train. "Be safe! Have fun!" Mrs. Weasley called out to them.
"Don't cry, Gin." An said through the train entrance.
"Yeah. We'll send you loads of owls." Fred consoled.
"Maybe even a toilet seat!"
"George!" Mrs. Weasley cried out as Ginny laughed.
They all gave a chorus of goodbyes as the train departed.
Before long, An entered the room with what Harry assumed was Ron in tow. "Heya Har. Mind if we join you? It's pretty full up." she asked.
He nodded, not minding her nickname for him.
"I'm An by the way. An Tonks." she said, offering her hand out to shake.
He took it, smiling, "Harry. Harry Potter."
A scoff came from the door and they saw the twins leaning against it.
"Right. 'I'm An' she says. If that's the case then I'm Gred."
"And I'm Feorge."
"We'll be off to Lee Jordan's. He's got a tarantula or something."
"See you later Harry, Ron. And you 'An'."
An glared at their retreating backs, the tips of her hair flashing red for a moment. Harry looked at her in confusion but it was gone in an instant. Ron was snickering beside her.
"Er. Sorry, what did they mean?" Harry asked.
She huffed irritably at the remaining ginger, "Oh shut it Ronald Bilius Weasley."
"Hey!" he cried indignantly.
Harry caught on, "Oh. Well I have a second name too. Harry James Potter."
An rolled her eyes. "Well yours is nice! Even Ron's is nice. Kind of. I'm Anesidora Ceres Tonks! It's a nightmare, really. Who names their kids in Greek anymore?"
"I think it's great. It's the perfect name for a witch." Harry blurted out without thinking. The two looked at him and he flushed after realizing what he said.
The brunette laughed. "Well that's awfully sweet of you, Har. But if you call me anything else other than An, I will smack you."
"Deal." he grinned. He looked towards Ron who had an odd look on his face. "And I'm guessing you want me to call you Ron and not Bilius?" he teased.
"Do you really have the scar?" Ron exploded.
An slapped her palm against her forehead and Harry was taken slightly aback.
"Er.. Well yeah." he said, pulling back his fringe.
The two looked at the lightning shaped scar with unabashed interest. "Wicked." they breathed.
"I suppose, yeah. I don't remember much about it. I never really knew until my Hogwarts letter came. Are you both from wizard families?" he asked, intrigue written all over his face.
"Yeah. My mum and dad are wizards. So are all six of my siblings." Ron said glumly.
"My mom, dad, and sister are magic too. Though dad's a muggle-born so we sort of live double lives. We're as well acquainted with the muggle world as we are with the wizarding world."
"That's amazing! I was only raised by muggles. They're horrible too. Never told me anything about my parents or Voldemort-"
At that, Ron gasped. Even An seemed to tense as she pursed her lips.
Realizing what he's said, he apologized immediately. "Sorry. I forgot we shouldn't say his name. I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I thought it was just Hagrid."
Suddenly, the compartment door opened revealing a pale boy with with slick platinum hair. "So it's true then. Harry Potter is here. Is it you?" he drawled.
"Yes." Harry said, glancing at the two heavy-set boys behind the pale boy.
"The name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And this is Crabbe and Goyle." Draco paused, glancing at Ron and An with disgust. Harry didn't miss the look he gave them. "You'll see that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." he said pompously, offering his hand out.
Harry stared at it, then turned back to Draco with a hard look in his eyes. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." he said coolly.
An laughed as Draco flushed pink. He turned to her angrily. "I've heard about you Tonks. You could've been good, if your mother didn't become a blood traitor. You and the Weasleys associating with filth-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence. Faster than they could react, An had already stood up, her wand pointed right at Malfoy's throat. Her cat jumped off her shoulder and hissed at the three intruders, it's claws bared, as if it understood that its master has been insulted. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles threateningly behind him but she paid them no mind.
"Get out." An said, rage flowing off of her in waves. Her hair now turned a bright red. Harry stared.
"Y-you wouldn't dare. My father will hear about this." Draco whimpered, his threat falling flat.
"You have no idea what I would and wouldn't dare, Malfoy. Besides, how will your father hear what you have to say once I turn you into a toad? I hear a boy from your year has lost one. I could just hand you over. You'd make the perfectly disgusting pet." she sneered.
Draco gave out a shaky laugh, "You're lying! You don't know how!"
"I'm a year above you. Test me." she glared at him.
"What's this?"
They all turned to see Fred and George approaching them, wands at the ready. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Malfoy backed off. He shouldered the twins as he stalked towards the other end of the carriage, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.
"What was that about? You alright An?" George asked.
"Fine."
"You sure? Your hair's as bright as our quidditch robes." Fred asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
An scowled but she gave a deep breath to calm herself and soon her hair returned to its normal brown color.
"Woah." Harry murmured, unable to help himself.
An turned to him, causing him to flush. "You think my hair is wicked? Wait til you see what happens to Malfoy." she grinned wolfishly.
Fred and George whooped. "That's our An! What do we do?"
"Come. I happen to have some more of that bread. We'll see you later Ron, Harry. Merlin, stay." she waved before leaving with the twins. Her cat, Merlin, gave a soft mew before jumping on Harry's lap and, with a soft purr, he was soon asleep.
Ron shook his head. "It's a wonder An is in Ravenclaw. She's as bad as Fred and George. Though she is pretty brilliant. Never really got caught, that one."
"Whatever they're gonna do, Malfoy deserves it. What did he mean, by the way? What he called An's mom?" Harry asked.
Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Well you remember she said her dad is muggle-born? That means her dad is a wizard born into non-magic parents. There are families like the Malfoys that value their wizard blood. Pure blood. So for them, pure bloods that associate with muggles or muggle-borns are blood traitors."
"That's terrible!"
"Yeah. No wonder her hair turned red. That's only the second time I've seen it color all the way through." Ron shuddered.
"How come she can do that? She said she's a year above us, but is she still like us? Where we burst with magic out of the blue?" Harry asked.
Ron laughed, "Oh! I forgot you were raised by muggles. You see, An's a metamorphmagus, like her sister."
Harry looked more confused. "Meta-what?"
Before Ron could explain, the door slid open again and they were disturbed by a girl with wild bushy hair and large front teeth. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. Have you two seen a toad? A boy called Neville has lost one."
"Yeah, I think our friend An is taking care of that." Harry said, making Ron burst into laughter.
The two boys continued laughing, much to Hermione's confusion. They continued laughing and talking the entire ride, even when Hermione left to get her things. Harry bought some sweets off the trolley and shared it with Ron as the ginger told him everything about the wizarding world like quidditch.
Just a half hour before reaching Hogwarts, An and the twins came back. The three were breathless but they were laughing so hard.
"What? What did you do?" Ron asked excitedly.
Unable to speak, George pointed down the aisle where more laughter was coming from.
Harry and Ron scrambled to the door, much to Merlin's annoyance, and guffawed as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were hanging out of their compartment, their whole mouth purple as they puked pink goo. It seems they tried to make a run for the bathroom but never made it.
They saw the Head Boy coming to check what the commotion was about and everyone watching, including the five of them, immediately retreated to their compartments, shutting the doors to muffle their laughter.
"That really was wicked, An!" Ron said.
An gave them an exaggerated bow.
"Hey! It was our idea to mix the pink powder with the bread." the twins said, though they weren't really angry as they were still chuckling.
"Yes well I was the one that charmed the bread so that they puke and transfigured them into pastilles." the brunette said haughtily.
They all laughed again.