I have been begged to write another HP story, so here is my crack at it. George just came into my head the other day so it is about him! I hope you enjoy! I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter One New Beginnings

"I got the job!" Ella exclaimed to her friends when she sat down at their usual table at their favorite restaurant.

"No!"

"You can't be serious," Giselle, one of her best friends said.

"Of course I'm serious," Ella replied.

"You can't move to England, it's so dirty," Marie said.

"And rainy," Giselle moaned.

"Girls, I'm English for goodness sake; you're insulting me!" Ella laughed.

"But you've lived in France more than you have in England. You have a French accent when you speak English," Giselle reminded her. "It doesn't get more French than that."

"And that job will be terribly boring," Marie intoned

"Perhaps it will, but I can't continue to live off my parents. I need to be independent."

Her friends looked at her, utterly confused and at a loss for words. The three of them came from very wealthy, pureblood families and had spent their days shopping and eating at high end restaurants, cavorting with their equally wealthy peers at the hippest parties.

"What?" Marie asked blankly.

Ella laughed. "I love you guys and I love spending so much time with you, but I need to do something for myself, live on my own for a while."

"What about Pierre?" Giselle asked. "He's become incredibly taken with you."

Ella sighed at the mention of recent ex-boyfriend.

"I already told him about the job."

"Are you going to try long distance?" Marie asked.

"He wanted to try," Ella said.

"But… you didn't?" Giselle said, more of a statement than a question.

"No," Ella replied softly.

"No? Why not?" Marie demanded. "He's perfect. He's gorgeous, filthy rich, and he's crazy about you! What's the problem there?"

Ella looked back and forth between her friends. She couldn't tell them that Pierre never said anything intelligent or that he could never make her laugh. "He's just not right for me."

Marie and Giselle sighed in exasperation.

"Well, Ella, we'll have to take your word for it."

Their food came out and the subject of Ella's leaving was dropped. When they finished eating they paid and left the restaurant, going their separate ways.

"So when do you leave?" Giselle asked.

"Their term starts this Monday so I'm hoping to be ready to leave by Friday," Ella responded.

"But that's only three days away! We'll never be able to get a going away party planned in time!" Marie exclaimed, looking panicked.

"Marie, I don't want a going away party. I want one last Parisian dinner and a few bottles of Fine French wine with my best friends."

So at half past midnight on Thursday, the same three women were at the same French restaurant laughing about all of the crazy times they had had together.

The evening came to a close and a somber mood set over their small party.

"So when I write should I begin with 'Dear Professor Hawthorne?'?" Giselle asked with a small smile.

Ella laughed softly. "No, Ella will be just fine."

Once again they were all outside the restaurant preparing to go their separate ways.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Marie wrapped her arms around Ella's neck.

"I'll miss you guys too." Ella hugged them both.

"Write as soon as you're settled," Giselle ordered.

"Of course I will," Ella promised.

They said their tearful goodbyes and went to their own apartments. When Ella walked into her apartment she found that all the boxes she had packed were gone. She found a note lying on her kitchen table that read:

Your boxes have been moved to your room at Hogwarts. I expect to see you at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.

M. McGonagall

The Headmistress of Hogwarts certainly meant business. Ella went to bed, but couldn't sleep, thinking too much about her new home and job.

The next morning she woke and went through the time consuming ritual of preparing herself for another day.

First, she brushed out her long, ebony hair and magically straightened it. Then, she put on ten different creams and lotions before putting her makeup on.

Living with a wealthy mother who was over-concerned with appearances had had a lasting effect on Ella. She picked out robes, plain black that her hair melted into. They were the most professional robes she had.

Gathering the trunk that had been left in the apartment, she looked around one last time to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She decided she had everything and in a second had disappeared from the apartment.

Ella had arrived early to the stunning castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry and had been to her new living quarters by an old, wheezing caretaker. She had gotten everything unpacked and just before 10 o'clock had left to speak to the headmistress.

She got lost beyond belief and wandered around the thousands corridors and hundreds of staircases (that moved!). Finally, she turned up in what seemed to be the Entrance Hall, but she had no idea where to go from there.

Standing alone and fearing the stern headmistress that she had met once for her interview, Ella ran her hands nervously through her hair.

The main door opened to her right and a tall, brown haired man walked in. He seemed a little startled to see her there.

"Oh…um hello," he said.

"I'm lost," Ella told him.

He chuckled and held out a hand to her. "I'm Professor Neville Longbottom, Herbology. You must be the new History of Magic professor." He looked at his dirty hand. "You might not want to touch that." He wiped the offending hand on his pants.

Ella smiled. "I'm Ella Hawthorne."

"And you're lost, so where can I take you?" Neville asked kindly.

"To Professor McGonagall's office, please," she responded gratefully.

The Herbology Professor expertly led Ella through corridor after corridor until they were standing in front of a gargoyle statue.

"Wulfric," Neville said and the statue sprang to the side, revealing a moving, spiral staircase.

"Thank you so much!" Ella stepped onto the staircase.

Once at the top of the staircase she knocked on the wooden door before her.

"Come in," A curt voice from inside said.

Ella pushed the door open and stepped inside the large office.

"You're late," Professor McGonagall said from her desk. She was a very stern looking woman with a tight, gray bun, and a very thin line of a mouth.

"I got lost," Ella replied timidly.

"Well I suggest you learn your way around the castle before term begins on Monday," the headmistress said.

"Of course." Ella looked at the floor.

"Also before Monday you need to prepare your classroom and get anything else you need for this term. I took the liberty of ordering your course book for you as this was such a late hire."

Ella nodded and looked at Professor McGonagall.

"Well what are you waiting for?" The older woman asked after a moment of uncertain silence. "You've got a lot to do."

Ella snapped to attention. "Oh, right. Thank you." She moved to the door.

"I recommend Diagon Alley for any extra items you might need."

Fifteen minutes later Ella had changed from her robes, which she hated, to something more comfortable and fashionable. After living in France she knew a thing or two about fashion.

Her first stop was the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts, where she picked up a few extra books for her classroom. Knowing how boring the subject was, Ella was going to try to make it more interesting for her students.

When she walked back into the sunlit street she was incredibly stressed about her new job and everything she needed to do. Ella looked up and down the street, a wild sign catching her eyes.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes turned out to be a huge joke shop with thousands of products to make a person laugh.

"You look like you desperately need a laugh," a voice behind Ella said.

Ella turned around to see a stocky man with shaggy red hair.

"Desperately," Ella agreed.

"Well my dear, you have come to the right place." He offered her an arm and led her through the shop. "We have everything you could imagine here; love potions, pimple antidotes, Pygmy Puffs, and my father's favorite." He pointed to a sign that read 'Muggle Jokes.'

The man put a fake wand in Ella's hand. "Go on then, give it a wave."

Ella did as she was told and a rubber chicken came of it. Ella looked at the man, who shrugged.

"The Muggles think it's amusing."

Ella laughed finally, at the expression on the man's face.

"Ah, there we go." The man smiled down at her. "Take that as a personally gift from me."

"Thank you," Ella said heading for the door.

"I'm George Weasley by the way! Come back when you need another laugh."

Ella smiled over her shoulder and made her way back up the cobbled street.

There you have it! I hope you liked it! I can't wait to see where it goes. I love reviews, just no hate comments or flames please!

Happy reading,

Avonmora