"Ravenclaw!"
It was quiet. No one breathed and no one dare clap. Silence engulfed the hall, it tore at him like knifes. Each second that ticked by seemed to stretch on forever. Ashamed he took off the hat and handed it to the shell-shocked deputy headmistress. Still no one moved or breathed not even the muggleborns who had just been sorted clapped. His father's fame had already spread, the murderer, the Deatheater, the villain .So many names for the man he used to admire, for the man he called Dad.
He slipped off the stool his eyes glued to the floor. His mind started to race and his heart pounded viciously in his chest. He gulped and took his first step towards his housemates, his first step as a disgrace to his family's name. Slowly he made his way to the table; the hall seemed to emerge from its stupor and whispering broke out.
Still no one clapped.
His breathing started to grow ragged as he tried to find a seat to no avail. People took up as much space as possible not wanting to sit next to the son of a confirmed Deatheater. He started to panic; he strode quicker down the aisle as insults began to be hurled his way. His vision began to blur with unshed tears as he grew desperate for a seat. Faces contorted in outrage and disgust met him as he tried to sit anywhere.
The sorting ceremony had come to a halt as he searched for a sympathetic soul who'd let him sit with them. No more names were called as he continued on. He was nearing the end of the table and still no one budged up and made space for him. It was over, there was no more bench left and he had nowhere to go. Turning around and looking up at the head table he pleaded silently for help.
"Hem hem" The smallest of coughs reached his ears. Whipping around the boy scanned the area for the cougher. Finally his eyes landed on a prefect with strawberry blonde hair and the prettiest face he'd ever seen. She pointed next to her, a small smile on her face. He could feel his face explode into a grin as he rushed to sit next to her. He slammed himself into the seat and heard the deputy headmistress call the next name.
"McLaggen, Harold"
Turning to the girl he whispered 'thank you' in a very small voice. She said nothing just shrugged and continued watching the sorting. He clapped as "McLaggen, Harold" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and felt jealous as the 'puffs clapped the new boy on the back, praising him on being in their house. 'No one greeted me like that' he thought bitterly. Still he couldn't help but be excited as each person was sorted watching as their housemates clapped and cheered. The energy was getting to him and he knew that even though he hadn't been greeted the way he wanted; he could make it in Ravenclaw.
At last the sorting ended with "Zabini, Gwen" being sorted into his own house. The headmaster stood before the hall and welcomed them with open arms, and somehow the boy knew the welcoming didn't extend to him. How could it when his father and grandfather tortured the headmasters' own brother and sister-in law?
With the welcoming speech over the feast began to appear on the plates all around him, feeling slightly nauseous the boy only took a little bit of roast beef and roasted potatoes.
"You should eat something more filling, probably haven't eaten since breakfast this mornin'."The strawberry-blonde prefect whispered to him. The boy looked at her curiously wondering why she'd care. He was about to ask when she poked him in the ribs and muttered,
"You're nothing but skin and bones, we've got to fatten you up if you're going to make 'til Christmas."
Again he grinned at the prefect and he heaped a spoonful of spinach onto his plate. He snuck a glance at the prefect and noticed she was glancing at him and frowning. Self conscious the boy returned his eyes to his plate, wondering if she had only been doing her duty as a prefect. Supper passed slowly with people talking around him but never to him. Picking at his food he mulled over how he would phrase a letter to his father describing the shame of being placed in a house other than Slytherin.
Finally the desserts were cleared away and the prefects called for all the first years to follow them. The strawberry-blonde prefect sitting next to him stood up and yanked him up by his upper arm when he didn't move.
"Come on everyone this way. Watch your step" She called out to the group of stragglers.
She finally released his arm and the boy began to rub where her nails had dug into him. Trailing along behind the prefect he watched the glances – and glares-thrown back at him from the older students. He studied the faces of his housemates for features that his grandfather had claimed would help him identify the pure-bloods. Nothing jumped out at him. He wondered if this meant they weren't pure or that he hadn't paid enough attention in the "really important lessons" at home.
"Hurry up; we need to catch up with everyone else. Come on yes that means you too!" the prefect was calling over her shoulders as they mounted the fifth staircase. Turning to face them she calmly explained to everyone present that the staircases shifted when the sought fit. That they needed to try and recall which ones they can take if this happens.
The boy turned without even thinking and asked the tall boy next to him what the purpose of this was. The tall boy shoot him a look that said "shut it or I will" realizing he wasn't likely to make friends with this one he quickly stepped next to another student. He tried to memorize the location of each trip step and which passage ways were to be avoided. Every so often he heard one of the others remark on the plaques mounted on the walls each bearing at least one name, birth date and date of death. The boy lost his train of thought when they passed by a plaque bearing the words,
Frederic (Fred) Weasley
"Born a man, died a hero"
April 1st 1978- May 2nd 1998
He noticed the prefect leading them stiffening as they passed the plaque. He wondered for a second if she was of relation to him. The thought was banished from his head when they reached the entrance to the common room. He along with everyone else craned their necks to watch the riddle scrawl almost lazily across the wall,
"What is the debt that all men must pay?"
The prefect turned and grinning ear from ear asked if anyone knew the answer. People shifted uncomfortably as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes landed on the boy he was muttering to himself, she called out his name and asked if he knew the answer. A deer caught in headlights look appeared on his face. He gulped and croaked out
"Is it... death?" face flushing and throat closing up he was extremely shocked when the wall scrawled "correct" and moved to reveal a cozy common room. As the prefect ushered everyone into the room she whispered in his ear
"Good job. ".
As the last of the others filled in the boy took in his surroundings. He marvelled at the domed ceiling that he realised had stars magicked on and that they formed real constellations. With a grin he thought this would explain why in his father's years the Ravenclaws always got high marks in astronomy. He looked over at the closest wall to see the elegant silk curtains in house colours hanging over the windows. As he moved closer to the middle of the common room he saw a statue of what could only be Rowena Ravenclaw wearing the infamous diadem near the twin staircases.
"Welcome inside the inner sanctuary that is Ravenclaw tower. This will be your home for the next seven years. You will notice that we have a many of books. They are here for everyone's enjoyment so please be courteous and use a bookmark" the prefect pointed towards the towering bookcases and piles of novels and reference texts. "Now as you can see we have two staircases leading to the dormitories. The one to your left is for the lasses and the one to the right is for the lads. Up in your room which is the first door on your left, you will find you have a desk, a chair and bed each. Your trunks are up there so if you wish to go to bed go on up. Tomorrow we will talk to everyone about the ... expectations."
Everyone took that as a dismissal and started drifting upstairs, the boy- slowly following his roommates -cast a wistful look at the books. He had just put his foot on the first step when his name was called out. Turning to face not just the prefect that he had sat beside but a tall well built fellow with –to his surprise- a shock of midnight blue hair, he asked what they wanted.
"We've decided to talk to you personally about the expectations of our house;" the headboy said "Felt it would be best to address you separately."
The older boy pointed to the comfortable looking chairs near the fire, sitting in one himself the pretty prefect perched herself on the arm. As the boy sat down he studied the duo waiting for them to start belittling him and for them to hex him silly. As a minute passed he grew fidgety, finally he gathered his courage and managed to ask them what their expectations are. The girl stood up and walked until she towered over him,
"We expect you to treat everyone the same no matter what their lineage. In this house it only matters if you can perform magic properly. It only matters if you do well in your classes and most of all it only matters if you are all you can be." Plopping down on the couch next to the boy she asked if he could do that. A bit taken back by the girls' mood swings he nodded his head. The older boy remarked causally
"Because if you don't and we find out that you've done something inappropriate like calling a muggleborn a," pausing the headboy cleared his voice and then whispered "A mudblood-
"-We'll be forced to castrate you then feed you to the giant squid" the pretty perfect interjected sinisterly.
Shocked the younger boy moved his hands to cover himself up; quietly he asked what made them think he would do something like that. The strawberry blonde prefect grimaced and remarked,
"You're a Malfoy and a pureblood. Their traditions and blood purity crap would have been pounded into your head since you were a tyke. "
The younger boy stood up and glanced between the two of them. Finally after a minute had passed the boy stated calmly,
"So because of my surname you chose to judge me." Pausing the boy inhaled sharply and spat out the next words "I am nothing like my ancestors. "
Walking towards the stairs he heard his name called again
"Scorpius" turning to face the two he braced himself yet again.
"You've passed the test. Welcome to Ravenclaw." Scorpius stared at the duo as they walked over to him.
The headboy smiled and introduced himself as Teddy Lupin, he pointed to the witch and said "and that my friend is Victoire Weasley." Rather surprised Scorpius stuck out his hand and formally introduced himself,
"Scorpius Hyperion Vincent Malfoy, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Smiling Teddy clapped him on the back and ruffled his hair. Victorie leaned down and gave him a very brief hug. Straightening out she simply said
"Tell us if anyone gives you a hard time, we look out for our own." Glancing at Teddy when she spoke next she said "Especially those that have a surname that carries so much baggage."
Scorpius nodded and thanked them. Going up the stairs he mused that those two very well might be his first friends. Chuckling he opened the door to the dormitory and went to the only unoccupied bed. He told himself in the morning he'd figure out what to write his family.
Draco Malfoy sipped his coffee while reading the morning edition of the daily prophet, skimming the articles he wondered what house his son was placed in. Shaking the paper to get rid of the creases he heard a noise at the large French double doors leading to the gardens. Looking up he spotted an owl that could only be from Hogwarts. Walking over to them and unlatching the doors rather quickly he watched as the owl flew over to the cup of coffee and paper. Landing on the paper, on the business section no less the owl proceeded to stick out its leg. Draco walked quickly over to the owl and nimbly untied the scroll that was attached. Calling to Astoria, he announced that the letter had arrived he sat down at the kitchen table. His right hand gripped the letter and his left tried to banish the bird from his favourite section. The owl hooted indignantly and swooped off with his toast.
"Blasted birds are always stealing your toast aren't they?" Astoria said with a small smirk playing on her lips.
She closed the double doors and sat next to Draco. Draco broke the seal on the letter and without bothering to scan it began to read out loud.
"Dear Mother and Father,
I'm not quite sure how to tell you this so I'll just say it outright, I wasn't sorted into Slytherin."
Draco paused clearly shocked by the fact that his son had broken the tradition. After a second his wife whispered in his ear that it was okay and to finish the damn letter.
"I'm a Ravenclaw. Please don't be too disappointed I did try to convince the hat but the sorting ended too quickly. I'm sorry I've let you down, but think of it this way at least I'm not a Gryffindor.
On the ligther side of things I think I made two friends, one is a pureblood and the other I think is a Half blood. I know you wouldn't get along with their families (she's a Weasley and he is a Lupin taken in by Potter's clan.) but they were the only two that didn't judge me. They understand that surnames come with baggage that we all have to deal with. I think I'm gonna like Hogwarts and especially Ravenclaw Tower, instead of using passwords like Slytherin and Gryffindor we have to answer a riddle. I got the first one so you should be at least a tiny bit proud (or happy I didn't muck up).
You'll be happy to note that Ravenclaw tower has an arched ceiling that looks like the night sky, it has real constellations and everything!"
At this Draco smirked triumphantly and whispered 'I knew it' when Astoria cleared her throat Draco continued reading.
"I like the tower it has a great view of the forbidden forest and there is this neat little hut near a giant garden. According to one of the older students professor Hagrid lives there, is it true that he's half giant? And that his hut was set on fire by a dragon during the final battle? Is it true that centaurs live in the forest, and that one used to teach Divinitation?
Well I have to end this so I can get ready for my first lesson. It's Herbology with the Slytherins. Did you know Professor Longbottom is Gryffindor's head of house; didn't you go to school with him? Again I'm sorry that I didn't make it into Slytherin, the hat just wouldn't listen to reason. If you feel like sending a howler can you please not call me Scorpy, it's so childish. Again I'm sorry.
Your son
Scorpius
P.s. Mum can you send along my beginners potion kit I've seem to have forgotten it at home.
Draco stared at the letter as his wife rubbed his shoulders. Finally after five minutes Astoria said,
"My brother was a Ravenclaw he said it was rather nice. Maybe Scorpy will do well there."
Nodding Draco placed the letter on the table, he wouldn't admit it but he was glad that his son wasn't a Slytherin, he hoped that this could give him freedom from the expectations his own father had placed upon him. Maybe now a Malfoy would actually have a chance at life, one that didn't involve suspicion or insults. Smirking Draco thought to himself that if nothing else he could always lord it over his former friends that his son was smart enough to get into Ravenclaw home of the brightest, while theirs were sorted on blood alone.
Yes today was shaping up to be a good day.
Author's note:
So this is my first try at writing a Harry Potter fic, and I decided to go with the next generation of Malfoy, Weasley and even a Lupin. I'm fairly certain I spelt Astoria right I tried to read the chart on Jk Rowling's site but couldn't read her writing, so if anyone knows if it is spelt wrong please tell me and I'll fix it.
So any comments or critism would be much appreciated, thanks a ton for reading.
Vicki
ps. I think this will probably stand alone as a oneshot.