"This is going to be my year" young Ronald, sixth son of Arthur and Molly of the old Weasley clan said to himself with uncommon self-assurance.

His favorite quidditch team had not lost a game by a margin of more than 100 points all season this year, something that had not happened in over fifty years (who knows, maybe the time would come when they would only lose by less than 50 points or if he dared to dream: a draw).

Charilie had given him a pendant that he had created himself with a dragon fang from his new job in Romania, of course, the fact that it had cavities made it visually unpleasant and gave off a smell that forced him to make the decision not to wear it, or even leave it in the house or somewhere closed, but the intention is what counts and it's still fucking cool.

At last he had his wand! Of course, it was Charlie's old wand, as the teeth marks on every part of it made it visible. Yes, Ron will be the only one of his brothers not to have a new wand, but he won't let that get him down (at least not too much and not in front of his family).

No, this will be his year and the first of many, today Ronald Bilius Weasley becomes a man, today he starts his first year at Hogwarts. And not a single one of his hand-me-downs, uniforms, and inherited rodents will make him feel otherwise, no matter how good an attempt they make at being faded, scribbled on, scuffed, ratty, or pathetic.

Unlike the other years today her parents' worries about being late for the train were her worries too, He couldn't start the best day of his young life missing the train to the best magic school in the universe so with a tone that would make her mother proud, he hurried his older brothers and younger sister to get their butts moving faster, which only got an annoyed face from Ginny and a promise of pain from the twins (at least Percy looked proud).

Finally arriving at King's cross station after delays that he swore were intentionally caused by the twins Ron contemplated his first step into what would no doubt be a lifetime of excitement and achievement, he could see the muggles moving from one side to the other in a routine dance, only interrupted to see wizarding families who were not very subtle in hiding their wizarding family status.

But not the Weasleys, Ron thought, they were experts in the art of going unnoticed among Muggles. Having Arthur Weasley as their patriarch, a self-proclaimed lover of Muggles and all things Muggle-related, it was his job precisely to keep Muggles from knowing about magic or being affected by it. They were like highly trained spies...

"Full of Muggles, of course" shouted his mother to the four winds.

Well maybe Ron exaggerated his family's abilities a bit, or the interest they had in his father's hobbies.

"Now, what was the number of the platform?" said Molly again, looking directly at Ron and Ginny but still talking loud enough for several Muggles to stare at her.

"Nine and three quarters mom" said the youngest of the clan animatedly, Ron knew that at least this question was so that they would never forget this information if they were to be separated, but come on, what could these questions be said without making his father's job more difficult?

With no more time to lose, each member of his family, starting with the older brothers, crossed that magical wall towards the Hogwarts Express, when it was Ron's turn he gave a big sigh and held his breath as he headed like a lion to his destination.

For as long as he could remember every year he had gone to this station, but unlike the other years this was THE trip, HIS trip (although Percy with his new badge and his new owl would argue that this was his year) Ron took a big breath and knew that this was the smell of success (a mixture of cigarettes, sweat and owl droppings) with hurried goodbyes to their mother, promises of toilets in the mail and Ginny's best attempts to sneak onto the train at last the four Weasley brothers had entered the train just before it closed its doors.

With a pontifical air Percy was the first to say goodbye, saying that he had to fulfill his new duties as prefect, doing his best to make sure that his medal was always in the center of his younger siblings' eyes who only rolled their eyes.

"You guys are going to dedicate yourselves to being a pain in Percy's ass all year right?

"Ronnie... Ronnie... the question offends" said Fred or maybe George.

"After seeing that now we're sure that's our purpose in life" finished George or maybe Fred.

"Anyway Ronnie we have pranks to run".

"Business to plan"

"Bets to collect"

"Tarantulas to meet"

"And we don't need a stinky ickle first year to stick it to us."

"So this is where we part ways Ronnie"

"But being the best brothers in the world we'll give you the juiciest gossip that runs the train."

They were both grinning from ear to ear as they approached either side of Ron.

"It looks like Harry Potter is among the first years" they said at the same time as Ron's eyes and mouth widened to the max.

This was definitely Ron's year.

Clearly the rumor was on everyone's lips, in every bagon that Harry Potter entered was the topic of conversation. He could see how many of the Hogwarts students were on the trail of the boy who lived and as he searched for a bagon that wasn't full or didn't have what was obviously the next generation of snake crawlers in it, Ron dreamed of meeting and befriending the most famous person in the wizarding world. Ron allowed himself to dream of meeting and befriending the most famous person in the wizarding world.

He could see it now, Ron and Harry on adventure after adventure, rescuing Queens and princesses, defeating dark wizards and discovering ancient magic riding the bilingual two-headed sphinx which is Harry Potter's trademark mascot (Ginny would say that Harry's mascot is a mix of Hippogriff, dragon and unicorn, but come on that's absurd).

He was sure he would get his chance if not on the train in the Griffindor rooms (Why do all the Weasleys go to Griffindor, it has to do with his ancestor being Godric Griffindor's inseparable friend and in Harry's case, Ron was sure that destroying the dark lord would get you a free pass to the house of valor).

Ron was starting to get tired of finding all the bagons occupied and as he was about to try one again he overheard some chatter on the other side of the door.

"Are you sure this is the bagon? What if it was someone else and he is already socializing with someone else right now" a girl's voice said with a worried tone.

"Of course I'm sure this is it Mione, you don't know your soul mate and you don't recreate their meeting over and over again" a child's voice now said with a tone like the one that says water is wet.

"Soul mate Harry?" said the child's voice again in a mocking tone "The real thing is a love that is cultivated seven years after teasing, bickering, arguing and subtle flirtations"

"Come on Mione if I had known what I was feeling , more than 7 years he and I would have been together in 7 days, we are like two drops of water destined for happiness."

"Of course you two are like 2 drops of water Harry he is your best friend and when he and I are saying our vows at the altar swearing eternal love, as his best friend you will be his side as man of honor"

"I still think we should take turns you know, in the previous life you had it and now it's my turn, if for some reason there is a third one I'd be yours again."

"Harry don't insult my intelligence..." she sounded a little annoyed but quickly returning to a neutral tone she started "Joking aside you know we should act naturally right? unlike us he has the mental age that looks like his physical age and you know he is something...

"'With the sentimental range of a teaspoon?" said this Harry (Harry Potter?!) in a mocking tone.

"Yes" he took a big sigh to say the following "You know I miss seeing him too but we have to keep calm, remember that at this point we will barely know him, he is not yet the person he became and we lost..." the sad tone in the last part reminded Ron of the rare times his mother talked about his older brothers who died in the war when he was just a baby

"I know Mione, you'll see we'll be an inseparable trio again and you're right, we shouldn't overwhelm him lest he find himself new best friends."

"You say that as if we were going to give him the choice" they both laughed "the incident with Lavender won't happen again" with a dark tone that made Ron shiver who was still listening to the conversation on the other side of the door, his instinct told him he shouldn't go in there but he really needed to find a bagon to stay in and with the possibility that this Harry was THE Harry Ron summoned all his Weasley courage and opened the door, after all he heard that only the person they were referring to would have to deal with it.

Ron didn't believe what most of the books Ginny liked so much were true, so he didn't expect Harry to be six feet tall, his hair to be long and blond and that he didn't need magic all the time since his muscles were like those of a giant, Let's say that the guy was just a kid his age, but he was still a little disappointed by what he saw, a very short boy with glasses, somewhat malnourished and with clearly inherited clothes, "Well I guess it's another Harry" thought Ron because that scrawny boy could not be the boy who lived.

Next to him was a witch who as Charlie would say has the image of a "girl nextdoor " one that although she was not at all bad looking you wouldn't look twice if it wasn't for her long and fluffy brown hair, honestly they both seemed very normal...

Except for their smiles.

their ear-to-ear smiles.

their smiles from ear to ear very similar to the one his father had when Aunt Muriel got stuck in the toilet.

their smiles that sent a shiver down her spine as it was undeniably directed at him.

"Well I can still get out of the bagon with the excuse that I was looking for my brothers" thought Ron, today is as good a day as any to try to overcome his fear of spiders.

But plans for a brave escape were scrapped when he heard the door close behind him, Ron knew it could be his mind playing tricks on him but he could have sworn he saw the witch point her wand at the door before that.

With no escape Ron resigned himself to the fact that his first acquaintance at Hogwarts would be that creepy couple. I can sit with you, all-all the bagons were busy... though if you don't want me to I'll understand and leave, bagons are very overrated anyway."

"No!" shouted louder than necessary the couple never taking their eyes off him "We have enough room for one more, just one more, the three of us, not one more, not one less" said the supposed Harry as the witch apparently named Mione gave him a "discimulated" bump with her elbow while "whispering" ("Harry you're scaring him, act normal").

"What Harry means is that you were MUCH MORE than welcome to sit with us" the brown-haired witch said as she patted the space between them.

Sensing that this was the last place he would ever want to sit, Ron quickly sat down in the empty seats across from them.

To which "Harry" and "Mione" responded by exchanging their seats for the ones on either side of him.

Stifling the scream that was running through his throat Ron remembered the basics of socializing and introduced himself.

his hand for a greeting if it weren't for the fact that both "Harry" and "Mione" didn't seem to know about personal space and found themselves both glued as close as possible to Ron's body with no way for Ron to move his arms.

"Hermione Jean Granger, nice to meet you... Ron" he had never heard someone say his name in that tone and Ron hoped he would never hear it again until he reached puberty.

"Harry James Potter" said the one who apparently was the most famous wizard in the world while with his hand he showed the scar on his forehead "Nice to meet a member of the famous Weasley clan" Ron could see how Hermione rolled her eyes at such an obvious attempt to kiss ass that Ron had seen.

Ron didn't know what to do both watched him as Percy saw his prefect badge when he thought no one saw it. He just hoped the poor sod they were talking about before they went in would come forward quickly.

"Better him than me."