Hate Is A Really Strong Word

Author Note:
First things first, this is my first ever published fanfiction so I'm kind of nervous about the reaction it's going to get. So, yeah, I hope it's a good reaction
Now for some quick notes on the story. This fic is based on a character, created by myself, and what happens during her school year. It is written from her point of view and deals mainly with her interactions with the Weasley twins and her first year friend (another character created by me) Eric Zanders. I felt I needed to let people know all of this before they started reading so they didn't come in expecting one thing and then finding out it's something different. Anyway, for those of you who choose to read on, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Five In The Morning

It was early.

It was so early that the sun hadn't even made its first appearance of the day and yet my alarm clock was buzzing persistently on my bedside table. With a groan I rolled over so I could reach the off button, hitting it harder than was probably necessary, and stop the noise before it woke my parents. My half open eyes lingered on the glowing red numbers as my brain tried to decipher what I was looking at. 5:01 flashed almost mockingly at me on the clocks display and I began wondering why my alarm had been set so early. It wasn't like I had any siblings who would get a kick out of changing my alarm time so I must have done it myself. Why I set that time was completely beyond my range of thought this soon after waking up.

Okay, lets take this one step at a time. I, Joanna Winters, am a fairly lazy person so why one earth would I set my alarm for five in the morning when...

Oh shit.

I sat up as suddenly as if I had been electrocuted, rubbing at my green eyes in an attempt to shake off my drowsiness. I'd finally remembered why I needed to be up so early and as I looked around my room I wondered why I didn't figure it out earlier, considering the evidence was scattered all across my floor. Today was the first day of Hogwarts for the year. Well, I don't know if you can really call it the first day considering you don't actually make it to school until nightfall but oh well. Anyway, back to why I was awakened so early.

As mentioned before I can be rather lazy and last night I had been to tired to pack my trunk and reasoned that I could just set my alarm a bit earlier and pack in the morning. It seemed like a good plan last night but just looking at all the school stuff left to pack and I wish I'd done some of it before now. I turned on the lamp that was sitting next to my alarm clock, the numbers now reading 5:05, and had to blink rapidly as the bright light flooded my room. Right, might as well start with finding all my books and then working from there…

--

A couple of hours later and I was finally finished. My books, parchment, ink, quills, Gryffindor robes, potion ingredients and all my other bits and pieces were packed away neatly. Well, it started off neat but towards the end I was just shoving things in wherever they would fit. Watching my silently through the whole thing, perched on the windowsill, was my owl Aquarius. Aquarius had been a present from my parents when I first started at Hogwarts and I had instantly fallen in love with the tan and white owl. Over the years we had grown pretty close and I could swear she'd adopted my sarcastic attitude. I closed the lid on my trunk and walked over to where the owl sat. From the way she was looking at me I could just tell she thought it was pretty stupid that I left things to the last minute, again.

"At least its done now," I told her while stroking her feathers. Aquarius just hooted softly before turning and scratching at the window with her talons. I frowned and glanced at the clock. There was still a while before I had to leave so I guess it wouldn't hurt to let her out for a bit. I opened the window so she could get outside. 


"Make sure you get back in an hour or so, I don't want to have to leave you behind," I told her. Another short hoot and she was gone, flying off into the early morning.


"Joanna!" my mum called suddenly from the kitchen. "Joanna, come down and have some breakfast. You are awake arent you?"


"I'm coming mum!" I called back. I propped my window open so Aquarius could get back in and walked down the hall into the kitchen. My mum had just finished serving up pancakes and strawberries and was now tidying up the kitchen. 


"Morning mum," I said as I sat down at the table, "This looks delicious!"


"Thankyou sweetheart," she smiled, kissing my head as she walked past my seat. "Both your father and I have to go in early for work so make sure you don't dawdle while you're getting ready," she informed me as she placed the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. 


"Does that mean dad's taking me to the station?" I asked, already half way through my food. "That would be right because I need to be gone in," she checked her watch, "ten minutes. Gosh, I need to go get ready." As my mum was leaving the kitchen my dad made his first appearance of the day, walking into the kitchen already dressed in his Ministry robes.


"Morning Cassandra," he said, giving my mother a kiss on the cheek as he passed her. "Joanna," he stated, nodding in my direction as he sat down in the seat across from mine.


"Morning dad," I replied. I quickly ate the last of my breakfast and stood up, walking towards the dishwasher with my dirty plate in hand.


"Jo, can you make sure you're ready in an hour? I need to be leaving then if I'm going to have time to drop you off and then get to work on time," My dad said, picking up a copy of the Daily Prophet that had been delivered earlier in the morning.


"Sure thing dad," I said. I put my plate away and hurried down the hall, bumping into to my mum just as she was leaving for work.


"Oh, I'm going to miss you sweetheart!" she said as she pulled me into a hug. "Make sure you try your best in class and stay out of trouble. I want you to write to us as much as possible, you know your father and I love to hear from you."


I hugged my mum back and made sure to stop her rambling goodbye before she got to emotional.

"I promise I'll write, keep out of trouble and try my best in class," I assured her, "Now hurry up or you're going to be late."


"Oh, you're right," she exclaimed as I pushed her towards the door.


"The coffee shop isn't going to open itself," I laughed.


She pulled me in for another hug and kissed my cheek before rushing out the door.


"Bye Jo!"


"Bye mum!" I called back as she hopped in the car and drove off out of sight. A smile was still lingering on my face when I glanced at the clock on a nearby wall and realized I would have to hurry up if I was going to meet my dad's schedule. As I began heading back to my bedroom I caught sight of myself I the bathroom mirror. God, my hair was a mess but I shouldn't have been surprised, my hair was always a mess when I woke up.


Deciding I might as well get my grooming for the day out of the way I stepped into the bathroom and picked up a brush off the counter. I ran it through my short, brown hair a couple of times until I was happy with how it was sitting. I then washed my face, brushed my teeth and put in my silver hoop earrings. I was ready to go, well, almost. First I was going to have to change out of my pajamas.

--

There was about an hour and ten minutes left before the Hogwarts Express was due to depart when my dad and I apparated into a concealed alleyway near Kings Cross Station. I let go of my trunks handle and it thumped loudly on the concrete as my dad disappeared into the station to find a trolley for all of my luggage. I carefully placed Aquarius, now locked up securely in her cage, on the ground along with my broom, a Nimbus 2000. The broom had been another present from my parents last year when they found out I had been filling in for the Gryffindor Quidditch team when they were short a player. I guess that's one of the benefits of being an only child, your parents tend to spoil you a bit.


While I waited for my dad to return I opened my trunk and began fishing through it in search of my wand. By the time I found it the contents of my trunk had been severely messed up. So much for my half neat packing, that will teach me for putting my wand at the bottom. I placed the piece of wood in my back pocket, 11 inches long, made from oak with a dragon heartstring. It had only taken me five minutes in Ollivander's before I found my wand, a feat I was rather proud of.


I was just closing my trunk back up when my dad walked up with one of the stations trolleys and helped lift all my belongings onto it. Then, being the nice guy that he is, pushed the trolley all the way to the station for me. This left me to count how many people stopped and openly stared at the funnily dressed man with a teenage girl and an owl walking along the platform. I got to twenty-six before we reached the brick wall that separated the wizarding world from the muggles and followed my dad as he walked straight through it.


I sighed happily as the large steam train came into view. There were hardly any other students around so early before the train departed so I pretty much had a pick of any compartment I wanted on the train. I chose a one towards the end of the train and loaded my luggage into the overhead racks. After everything was secured I headed back to the platform where my dad was waiting to wish me off.


"Goodbye Jo," he said pulling me into a hug just like my mum had before she left. "Fourth year already, I can't believe it. Look after yourself and make sure to write. I don't think I've ever seen a muggle more happy to see an owl fly through the kitchen window than your mother."


I laughed as he ruffled my hair fondly and told him I had already promised mum I would write. He smiled, "That's my girl. Oh, another thing before you leave. I want you to be very careful this year, especially if you decide to go down to Hogsmeade. You've read about Sirius Black's escape and I just want you to be safe," he said seriously, "But on a lighter note, have fun and enjoy the year. You're coming back for Christmas are you not?"


"I should be," I said, "It really depends but I promise to let you know well in advance if I'm coming home or not."


"Michael Winters?" someone yelled across the platform, "I haven't seen you in ages! How's everything going?"


"Fantastic Conner," my dad yelled back before turning to me again. "Have fun, take care and write often." Then with a kiss on the forehead and another quick hug he was gone, off to talk to the wizard Conner. 
By now the platform had become quite crowded with parents and students alike rushing about the place. Not wanting to linger on the platform with the growing crowd of people I started walking back to the train, passing a number of 'Sirius Black: Wanted' posters as I went.


I took my time and made it back to my compartment with about twenty minutes left until the train was due to leave. The compartments around me were filling up with excited students and I reasoned it was only a matter of time before someone asked if they could sit down. I sat quietly for about five minutes tapping my fingers on my knee to pass the time but that got boring very quickly. With nothing better to do I stood up on my seat so I could reach one had into my trunk and feel around blindly for the book I had brought along. I finally found it and pulled the novel out of my trunk before sitting back down.


I opened the book to the page where I had left off and began reading. I picked up my love of reading from my mother who was an avid reader herself. The book I was currently reading was a horror story that she had particularly liked and recommended I read it. She was right, so far it had been fantastic but also one of the scariest things I had ever read.


It was almost time to leave. I could tell because out of the corner of my eye I could see parents saying their last goodbyes before the train left, shooing their children into the carriages. I wasn't paying much attention though, instead I was caught up in my book and the sudden scary turn of events the main character was facing.


"Hey."

The voice nearly made me jump a foot in the air and I snapped my head around to face the sound so fast that I think I gave myself whiplash. At least I didn't scream, that would have been embarrassing. Standing in the doorway of my compartment were two identical read haired boys. Fred and George Weasley if I recalled correctly, they were in my house but a year level above me.


"Good god!" I half screeched, my heart pounding so fast from my scare I was surprised it didn't just die on me there. Serves me right for reading a horror novel around people.


"Fred Weasley actually, but I can see how you would get us mixed up," chuckled the twin closer to me. The other twin, George, burst out laughing along with another dreadlock haired boy who I hadn't noticed at first because he was hidden behind Fred. I scowled slightly. I hated being the butt of a joke.


"So anyway," Fred said once George and the other boy, who I now recalled as Lee Jordan the Quidditch announcer, had stopped laughing, "I'm Fred, this is George, that's Lee and we were wondering if you mind us sitting in here." He pointed to each person respectively as he named him.


"Sure, whatever," I muttered as the train lurched to a start. 
"Thanks," George said as the three of them dragged their trunks in and began placing them up in the luggage racks. 
I turned back to my book as the three boys sat down. George, at least I think it was George, sat next to me leaving Fred and Lee to sit across from us. The trio began talking animatedly about what they did on the break from Hogwarts and what kind of tricks they had been planning for the new school year. I tuned the noise out as best I could and continued reading, praying the trip would go fast.