You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Hogwarts
An Enemy Worth Loving
“This is going to be the first time that I’ve had no children in the house for fifteen years,” their mother said, “the house is going to be so weird.”
“On the plus side,” beamed Gerard, “I’ll get to have my favourite little brother with me all the time!”
“I’m your only little brother, Gee,” Mikey said as he looked at the ground.
“And that makes you my favourite!”
“You’re going to be great,” their father said to Mikey, “just like the rest of us. After all, pure bloods are the greatest wizards.” Mikey faked a smile.
“Come on, Mikey, we have to go,” Gerard said as they both received hugs from their mother. They left to board the Hogwarts Express, with Mikey looking back a few times as Gerard pushed him along in a friendly fashion.
“What’s wrong, Mikes?” Gerard asked once the two had found themselves a compartment.
“I just feel... Don’t worry.”
“Mikey,” Gerard said seriously, looking his brother in the eyes, “I’m your brother, we promised we could trust each other. Now what’s wrong?”
“I feel as though... As though I’m not good enough for Slytherin.” Gerard laughed.
“Is that all? Mikey, our whole family has been placed in Slytherin. And you know why?” Mikey looked back into his brother’s eyes.
“Why?”
“Because our whole family is pure blood, Mikes. We’ve all been Slytherin, and I don’t think you’ll change that.” Mikey smiled.
“Thanks.”
And the two just continued to have endless conversations about pretty much anything that came to mind for the rest of the train ride.
Except, though, for the fact that Mikey still felt as though he wouldn’t be in Slytherin.
***
The first years had just been let into the great hall. It was just as Gerard had told Mikey; four tables lined up, one for each house. He tried to find his brother among all of the people, but found that he just blended in too well.
The Sorting Hat sang a song, which amused both students and teachers alike. The professor, who Mikey had newly known as Professor McGonagall, began to read names from a very long scroll.
“Abel, Tyson!” was the first name she read. Mikey knew that it was going to be a long while for him, standing there as he was. He wished for some chairs at least, but he would be able to sit soon.
Mikey was almost falling asleep when he finally heard, “Way, Michael!” called out. He headed down from where he and a girl had been standing, and sat on the stool on which he were to be sorted.
He was afraid of the choice, but he knew he shouldn’t be; he would be happy with whatever house he was sorted in, because he would get to be at Hogwarts with his big brother.
And, after just half a minute, the Sorting Hat bellowed out its choice.
“Hufflepuff!” and, although Mikey was happy to just be sorted, he could feel his brother’s disapproving glare boring into him like a drill.
“Woods, Avila!” was called as Mikey took a seat at the Hufflepuff table.
***
“You can’t be in Hufflepuff!” Gerard was almost shouting but, at the same time, Mikey could tell he was worried, “there has never been one person in our family’s history to not be in Slytherin!”
“I told you I wasn’t good enough for Slytherin,” Mikey said quietly, afraid of his brother’s wrath.
“What will mum and dad think?”
“I think mum will be okay with this,” and then Mikey hesitated, “but I think dad will be absolutely furious. What if we just don’t tell them which house I’m in?”
“They’ll want to know, Mikey! And-” Gerard stared at his brother, unblinking, for about ten seconds, “I love you as a brother, but I hate you as a schoolmate.”
“What?” Mikey was almost yelling now, “you hate me just because I’m not in Slytherin?”
“Well, yeah. I only get along with Slytherins, like most of us do anyway. I’m sorry, Mikey. If I have to talk to you, I will in a nice manner, but otherwise we just can’t be friends.”
And, as Mikey’s heart tore in two and a tear rolled down his cheek, Gerard walked away towards a group of Slytherins.
“On the plus side,” beamed Gerard, “I’ll get to have my favourite little brother with me all the time!”
“I’m your only little brother, Gee,” Mikey said as he looked at the ground.
“And that makes you my favourite!”
“You’re going to be great,” their father said to Mikey, “just like the rest of us. After all, pure bloods are the greatest wizards.” Mikey faked a smile.
“Come on, Mikey, we have to go,” Gerard said as they both received hugs from their mother. They left to board the Hogwarts Express, with Mikey looking back a few times as Gerard pushed him along in a friendly fashion.
“What’s wrong, Mikes?” Gerard asked once the two had found themselves a compartment.
“I just feel... Don’t worry.”
“Mikey,” Gerard said seriously, looking his brother in the eyes, “I’m your brother, we promised we could trust each other. Now what’s wrong?”
“I feel as though... As though I’m not good enough for Slytherin.” Gerard laughed.
“Is that all? Mikey, our whole family has been placed in Slytherin. And you know why?” Mikey looked back into his brother’s eyes.
“Why?”
“Because our whole family is pure blood, Mikes. We’ve all been Slytherin, and I don’t think you’ll change that.” Mikey smiled.
“Thanks.”
And the two just continued to have endless conversations about pretty much anything that came to mind for the rest of the train ride.
Except, though, for the fact that Mikey still felt as though he wouldn’t be in Slytherin.
***
The first years had just been let into the great hall. It was just as Gerard had told Mikey; four tables lined up, one for each house. He tried to find his brother among all of the people, but found that he just blended in too well.
The Sorting Hat sang a song, which amused both students and teachers alike. The professor, who Mikey had newly known as Professor McGonagall, began to read names from a very long scroll.
“Abel, Tyson!” was the first name she read. Mikey knew that it was going to be a long while for him, standing there as he was. He wished for some chairs at least, but he would be able to sit soon.
Mikey was almost falling asleep when he finally heard, “Way, Michael!” called out. He headed down from where he and a girl had been standing, and sat on the stool on which he were to be sorted.
He was afraid of the choice, but he knew he shouldn’t be; he would be happy with whatever house he was sorted in, because he would get to be at Hogwarts with his big brother.
And, after just half a minute, the Sorting Hat bellowed out its choice.
“Hufflepuff!” and, although Mikey was happy to just be sorted, he could feel his brother’s disapproving glare boring into him like a drill.
“Woods, Avila!” was called as Mikey took a seat at the Hufflepuff table.
***
“You can’t be in Hufflepuff!” Gerard was almost shouting but, at the same time, Mikey could tell he was worried, “there has never been one person in our family’s history to not be in Slytherin!”
“I told you I wasn’t good enough for Slytherin,” Mikey said quietly, afraid of his brother’s wrath.
“What will mum and dad think?”
“I think mum will be okay with this,” and then Mikey hesitated, “but I think dad will be absolutely furious. What if we just don’t tell them which house I’m in?”
“They’ll want to know, Mikey! And-” Gerard stared at his brother, unblinking, for about ten seconds, “I love you as a brother, but I hate you as a schoolmate.”
“What?” Mikey was almost yelling now, “you hate me just because I’m not in Slytherin?”
“Well, yeah. I only get along with Slytherins, like most of us do anyway. I’m sorry, Mikey. If I have to talk to you, I will in a nice manner, but otherwise we just can’t be friends.”
And, as Mikey’s heart tore in two and a tear rolled down his cheek, Gerard walked away towards a group of Slytherins.