A good night's rest was a luxury that had been missing from Percy's life for far too long. For as long he could remember, sleep was never something Percy took solace in, it was never an escape from the world around him. He always had bad dreams plague him, and often woke up coated in sweat, with bags under his eyes.

Gabe no doubt had a part in this. Whether from the fact he terrorised Percy for years or because he refused to allow Sally to replace the uncomfortable broken mattress Percy slept on, is not clear (yet probably a bit of both), but he certainly affected his stepsons sleeping.

When they moved to England, Percy still never found himself having a restful night, only this time for different reasons. Since the first night after his birthday, strange dreams entered his conscience, never giving his mind a moments rest. They weren't exactly bad dreams, it's that they just felt real, like he was actually living them, and when he woke up, it was like he hadn't slept at all, he was always that tired. Of course jet lag would be a factor in this, not being able to sleep until well into the early morning, due to the time difference, and being woken up at the same time he would have been back in America, meant he only would have gotten a few hours at most.

The moment he stepped foot into the wizarding world, however, he noticed a distinct change. First his dreams stopped, and when he woke up, it actually felt like he'd slept some. He still wasn't used to the time zone, but it had gotten better, and he found himself with more energy throughout the day. It had been a pleasant feeling for Percy, almost like his body was telling him that he was now amongst people he belonged with, and could finally settle.

Yet his first night at Hogwarts was actually another step up, he pondered. After following Percy Weasley to the common room, and entering through an almost-sentient portrait, he had felt an aura of calm descend over him. Glancing around the room, he took note of the squashy armchairs that filled the room, looking beautifully comfy, compelling Percy to just relax into one, and let his mind shut down for a bit.

He'd let out a deep sigh and shifted his attention back to his prefect, and payed a modicum of attention as he directed the girls through one doorway that apparently led to their dorms, and the boys through another.

Trudging with the rest of the male first years, he glanced around for Hermione before he saw her already going through her door. Ah nevermind, I'll catch her tomorrow, he thought to himself, see how she's fitting in.

Tagging on with the group that had just gotten away from him, he caught up with Ron and Harry and followed them up to the top of a spiral staircase, no doubt inside of one of the towers this castle had.

When Percy entered his new home, he noted six very fancy beds, the like he'd only ever seen associated with royalty, and for as egotistical as many of his teachers thought he was, as well as the air of mystery around his father and the birthday letter, he didn't think his dad was a ruler of any kingdom.

Four large pillows were placed at the top of the bed, with expensive silk woven casings covering the thick and plush looking stuffing. Similar expensive sheets were covering a thick and warm looking duvet. With every flicker of the torchlight, it looked as though waves of lava were rippling over the sheets.

That's when he noticed the trunks beside the beds, and figured all their stuff must have already been brought up. He looked around for his things, before spying them next to the third bed along on the left. Heading forwards, he took a glance around the room.

The dorm room was a marvel in and of itself. The stone brick wall was covered in sweeping maroon cloth dripping down the wall, almost shimmering in the amber candlelight, illuminating the room in an ethereal glow of red and orange. Ashen grey stone peeked out from behind them.

Pale moonlight filtered through the room, catching a speckle of dust floating here and there, from the towering and grand arched bay windows, overlooking Hogwarts moon bathed grounds. Large windowsills lay just before the glass, a perch within the towers walls, overhanging the grounds far below.

Laying on the circular patterned stone floor, was an ornate rug. Percy felt scared to step onto it, for its craftsmanship was nothing short of a delicate masterpiece. Each dark maroon fibre was hand woven together, using immaculate material that looked soft to the touch. Intricate rich golden designs were inlayed in the rug, creating an almost glowing effect with the torchlight.

The ceiling above was far out of reach, with deep brown wooden beams curving along the coned roof, with another one appearing every other metre, joing together at the very top. Just below these, were four other beams going straight across into the room remaining level, connected through a circular beam in the dead centre, sitting just above the beds.

Percy had never seen a room that looked as comfy, or as expensive as this. He was almost afraid to touch what would be his new bed for the coming months, thinking one tiny touch, no matter how soft, could crumble the material, it looked to be that delicate.

On some level Gabe had gotten to him. He was always denied a new bed, even though his old mattresses springs would often poke and prod his back, because Gabe thought he didn't deserve one. And Percy had started thinking that was maybe true, but looking at how inviting the bed was, and how soft and and comfy it seemed, he couldn't help but think Gabe might have been wrong.

Feeling a yawn coming on, he decided he'd better stop checking out his new bed, and actually get ready to sleep in it.

Pulling off his once worn school robes, he made sure to fish his new toad out of his pocket, before he then stripped out of his school uniform, and then into his green and blue stripy pyjamas.

Stifling another yawn, he went and spoke to Ron and Harry for a little bit before he went to sleep, deciding to properly introduce his new pet to them, and maybe set up a play date with Scabbers, the rat currently chewing on Ron's sheets.

It was obviously difficult to introduce his toad, of course, because when asked, "What's its name?" by Ron, he had no answer.

"I-er-I've not given him one yet. Nothing's clicked."

Their idle chit chat was cut short, for Harry decided to lie back on his bed and fell asleep with the closing of his eyes.

Ron and Percy spoke for a bit longer, but both boys were feeling the days events weighing on them, and it wasn't long before Percy had to leave.

Standing up and walking to the more centre of the room, he spoke, yawning as he did so, and said, "Imma have to go to bed bro, night."

Ron had been staring into the spot Percy had previously been sat in, nodding his head repeatedly and blinking far too much. When Percy spoke, Ron's eyes latched onto Percy from the corner of his eye socket, before looking back to where Percy had been sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, where Ron had previously been staring.

Shaking his head to clear his mind a little, Ron breathed out, "Ugggh-think I am as well."

A slight chuckle accompanied Percy's walk to the other side of Harry's bed, the side his bed was on. Heading to his bed, he reached his fingers out to peel his duvet back, and was pleased to find he was right about how soft the sheets were.

One last yawn had racked his body before he clambered into bed, eyelids already drooping shut. He succumbed to the alluring sleep before he could even pull the covers over him. Which would finish off his first night at Hogwarts.

His next few days were fairly similar to each other. He'd wake up feeling amazing, and head down for some breakfast.

He'd stop and chat with some of the people he'd made acquaintances with, as well as new people who looked a little lonely, before carrying on to his breakfast.

Each of his classes were very interesting, to say the least. All of his teachers had been fine up to yet, and he hadn't immediately got off on the wrong foot with any of them so far. He even felt like he was actually once of the better students in his classes.

Though he must admit Hermione held the best title, but it almost seemed like his teacher liked him, as well as the effort he showed. He still wasn't able to do the spell multiple times often, and never to the proficiency he did the first time he tried it, but he managed to wow the teachers with how he could perform each spell with no practice originally.

When thinking about the last days events, he couldn't believe how easily he'd managed to fall asleep which was probably the thing that shocked him the most of his opening few days at Hogwarts, and how much more energised he felt now. He had never been this refreshed at all in his life.

He always assumed that the weird stretching that people did in movies when waking up, was just something used to emphasise how good their sleep was, and wasn't actually something people did when having had a good nights sleep, but when he woke up in the morning, he felt the need to emulate them.

Wednesday was something else though, compared to the relative almost normalcy of his first few days.

He woke up just like any other day, kicking the covers off of his foot, he looked around the room.

Whilst still being a sight to behold, the room didn't have quite the same charm in the morning as it did at night. The pale sunlight shining through the large windows didn't have the same fantastical effect that the moon and torch had. There were no shimmering walls, or glowing carpets.

Yet it was still pretty. The interior designer made sure of that. Sure the effects weren't taking place, but the carpets, and sheets, and cloth draping the walls were still works of art, and were actually perhaps better during the day as you could actually see how much effort and love was put into them, not just senseing it like during the night.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, dangling them onto the cold stone floor. He had gotten used to just stepping out of bed in his and his mom's new house, the carpeted floors protecting from the nights cold. One luxury that wasn't added to his new dorm.

Taking a sharp intake of breath, he quickly tapped the soles of his feet onto the floor, letting them get used to the absence of heat.

He heard a faint chuckle from the bed next to him, startling him, after forgetting that he was now sharing a room with 5 other boys. Looking up, he met the eyes of a bespectacled boy, who had a sleepy smile on his face.

It wasn't long after this before Percy was on his way, and enjoying his first day.

He never really considered himself to be a sociable person, afterall, he had been bullied pretty much daily for as long as he could remember, because who doesn't like to pick on the kid who can't read? It never bothered him, as he knew his dyslexia didn't make him stupid and didn't define him, and how it was just an unfortunate part of his life, so all the cruel jabs he could just shake off. Or he'd like to think so, even though maybe the bullying did bother him, it did make school something he hated afterall, but his teachers, dyslexia, and ADHD also helped that loathing.

But here, at Hogwarts, it was different. It was a fresh start. He felt comfortable here, and with the people around him. There was a side to him that had never been let out since preschool, since the kids he knew lost their childlike innocence and ability to make friends with anything, and became judgemental and clique-y.

It was a side that almost craved friendship, as well created it. It allowed him to talk to just anyone, no matter who, and instantly strike up a friendship with them.

Back in America, before he started his expulsion streak, he had gone to the same school, with the same people, over and over. He saw his friends slowly slip away, and his bullies grow. He closed himself off, not affording himself the chance to even try and get new friends. It only got worse when he had to start going to a new school every year. Afterall, a new kid, who can't read, and would always tap his pen on the desk was a recipe for disaster.

He didn't know what had changed, but he instantly found himself slipping into his older personality, one he didn't know he had lost as a young boy. It's probably why he'd made great friends with Hermione so quickly. It was simple enough with Ron and Harry, they were in the same boat, at one point literally, and they were each new, and different, so they didn't judge him.

But with Hermione, he recognised something within her, that he saw inside himself. She was someone who had never really had a friend, just like him, and was reaching out for someone, just like him. And they just connected. They both wanted to succeed in the wizarding world, and both had an undying fascination with magic.

They also liked the same kinds of things, although most importantly for Percy was both of their like for all things Ancient Greece. His mom would always tell him stories, the myths as well as the history, and it engaged him on a personal and deeply philosophical level. He felt a familiarity with what she told him, and he fell in love with that period of history. And it seemed like Hermione had a similar fascination if her talking a mile a minute about Sparta and Athens was anything to go off.

He bared no ill feelings towards Ron and Harry, both had been good friends in the short time he'd known them, but he just truly connected with Hermione, and spent more of his time with her. He still spoke to Harry and Ron, especially up in their dorm room when they'd chat to each other for hours before they went to sleep, probably driving Neville, Dean and Seamus insane, although they joined in a fair few times as well.

He felt his life was going well. He got on with most of his Gryffindor year, and the ones he hadn't were through not meeting them yet. It had only been three days after all, including the day they arrived.

That's why he was so surprised and reason one of why Wednesday was weird, because in such a short span of time, he'd had more meaningful conversations with his classmates here than he had ever done with classmates back in America.

Granted he didn't quite click with anyone other than Hermione, Harry and Ron, but most other people he had met in his year would let on to him. Well, those from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff anyway. Those were the ones he'd interacted with most, only having had a 2 class with Slytherin and 3 with Ravenclaw, but 7 with Hufflepuff, by the morning of the 4th day, otherwise known as Wednesday.

That day carries on like most others, he made his way to the Great Hall to pick up an early breakfast. He'd made his way to his table, and took a seat before pouring himself a bowl of cereal. It was this delicious cereal with these crunchy chunks and chocolate flakes in them.

It was after his breakfast that it started growing really weird. Normally, he'd finish up and kill the spare bit of time he had by wandering the castle, trying to work his way around and uncover its secrets, as he found himself waking up fairly early as of late so he had the time.

It's when he had just gotten out of his seat and walked past a witch sitting a few seats up from him, when he saw her drop something and heard her curse under her breath.

Heading to help her, he bent down and picked up the book for her. It read The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6, or at least Percy thought that's what it read, his dyslexia doing nothing to help him. Although he'd read the cover of his own Standard Book of Spells to know what it looked like, and was sure he could make out a 6.

Standing upright again, he turned to the witch and smiled at her. She was pink in the face, a little embarrassed that a first year had caught her fretting about over a dropped book, although once she saw him with a beaming smile, she smiled back as she accepted the book back.

"Aw, ain't you a little cutie." She said, ruffling his hair a little.

Percy must have blushed from his cheeks, to his ears, and then down to his neck. He wasn't used to any kind of girl calling him cute.

The girl just giggled a little at him before thanking him, and turning back to her own food as he prepared to head out the room.

After that, he'd attempted to leave the Great Hall once again, only this time he saw Harry and Ron come in and figured he might as well hang with them for a bit and walk to class together.

It took longer than it should have, Ron's larger portion size helping that, but they were soon on their way again. They left the Great Hall, but not before Percy caught the eye of the girl he helped, who smiled as he walked passed, to which he returned.

He didn't feel guilty about spending his time with Hermione more than Harry and Ron, even if that meant he'd usually be walking to classes with her, but today he was glad that he had normally walked with Hermione.

It was an almost surreal experience for him. The three of them were just chatting away, lost in their own world, talking about the day ahead and how they were finally having potions and how they should watch out for Snape, so much so that Percy almost missed what was going on around them.

Almost.

He first noticed something as they walked out of the room, the tone of passing conversations seemed to change around them. Eyes seemed to follow where they went. Seemed to follow Harry.

Then, when there was a talking point he didn't have much to say on, he let his friends talk it out and focused on those around. That's when he heard them. That's when he realised why they were staring.

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall boy and that nice kid."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers had followed Harry from the moment he stepped foot out of the Great Hall. The moment he'd first been mentioned at the Sorting.

Percy didn't even have time to focus on the fact that people he didn't know thought he was nice, he turned to Harry the instant he realised what was going on.

He saw Harry, although trying his best to block it out and focus on their conversation, constantly looking at the people they were walking past, and the tight strain on his voice as he talked about Quidditch with Ron. Ron didn't seem to pick up on it, probably because he was also one to gush over Harry at one point and knows where the gawkers are coming from. Hell, Percy did as well when he found out who Harry was.

It's just that it wasn't fair to Harry. But he didn't know what he could say. Anywhere he went in the wizarding world, he'd have people act like this around him. He was going to just have to manage it. Although the people doubling back to look at him wouldn't help him cope.

Their conversation slowly moved back to something Percy could relate to, as he was never really one for flying anyway.

Although their new topic never really made any headway, however, as it was by then that they ran into Hermione, who joined them on their trek down to the dungeons and the conversation between the three closed up, despite Percy's best efforts, and Harry kind of attempting to make polite conversation.

That's how it normally was when they'd talk with Hermione. He'd been getting the impression that his other two friends didn't really like her that much, or at least that Ron didn't, as Harry seemed to try to make an effort.

He didn't really mind too much, sure he'd love his friends to also be friends with each other but you can't force someone to like someone else. His friends were always civil as well, even if they didn't like her, but he just hoped Hermione didn't notice their attitudes towards her. After she revealed the thing she wants most in life was friends, it would be hard for him (due to how quickly he grew to care about her) to see her potentially crushed when people she probably considered friends didn't like her.

Anyway, neither his friends not liking Hermione, or everyone staring at Harry were the weirdest things to happen that day.

For the past two days he'd heard nothing but bad news about their potions master. He was apparently a real bad guy, who didn't like anyone.

And boy was that right.