An American at Hogwarts

Chapter Five

Once Professor Lupin left, the red-haired boy I'd fallen in front of in the compartment spoke up.

"You wouldn't happen to be Alexa Stark, would you?"

"That's me," I said, finally pushing myself up off the ground. I dusted off my jeans and took a deep breath. This was my world now. Time to adapt and keep moving forward.

"My name is Percy Weasley. I'm Head Boy, and I've been assigned to help you get a start this school year and make sure you stay on track," he explained, standing to face me and offering a handshake.

I accepted. "Nice to meet you. I assume you're Fred and George's brother? Also, what's a Head Boy?"

I heard a chorus of groans from Fred and George, who were still in the doorway to the compartment.

"Alexa, I wish you hadn't asked," moaned Fred.

"We're going back to the compartment. We'll see you at the feast," continued George.

"That is, if he's finished talking by the time we get there," Fred finished, turning and speed-walking back down the corridor with George and Lee.

"Please excuse them," Percy said with a scowl, before inviting me to sit next to him and another blonde girl who looked about his age. "This is my girlfriend, Penelope."

"Hey," I said, smiling and shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you," she responded.

"Now, for your question," started Percy. The way he settled in made me think this was gonna be a long explanation. "Hogwarts has Prefects, who lead and maintain a certain standard at school. There are two Prefects from each house, one girl and one boy. In our seventh year, we can be selected for Prefect leadership, as Head Girl and Head Boy."

"Okay, makes sense. Are you Head Girl, Penelope?"

"No, this year it went to a Hufflepuff, Lucy Green."

I nodded, and then Percy spoke up again.

"Do you have any other questions before we arrive?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. Where am I supposed to go to get Sorted?"

"If you don't mind being with the first years, you'll just follow them to the school and be sorted with them."

"That sounds fine. Are the first years like freshmen though?"

Percy gave me a strange look.

"What are fresh men?"

I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh, no. I'm sorry, but no," I said between laughs, trying to catch my breath. "That's a muggle thing in muggle school. They're the youngest class at our school called high school."

"Oh," said Percy, looking slightly confused.

"Yeah, they're notorious for being obnoxious because they're the youngest in the school."

"I supposed first years do have a bit of a similar reputation..." said Percy, and Penelope nodded her head briefly.

"Wonderful. Oh well, maybe they won't all be bad."

****************

I talked with Percy and Penelope for a few more minutes on the train, then went back to my compartment to get my laptop. We were supposed to just leave all our stuff in our trunks, and then it would be brought to the dorms for us, but I wanted to start debugging at dinner.

I got off the train with Fred, George, and Lee, among a sea of other students all trying to get to Hogwarts.

"Okay, where am I going?" I asked, thinking out loud. I looked around, but I didn't see anyone that immediately jumped out as a freshman - sorry, first year.