ALBUS POTTER

and the Vampirical Rising

- CHAPTER ONE -

A New Journey

"So your father destroys the most evil wizard of all time

and saves the world and you know nothing about it?"

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Albus Potter sat down in the window seat of the Hogwarts Express so he could strain his eyes, trying to see his father still waving on the disappearing platform. Picking up speed, they rounded a corner and platform 9 ¾ was lost from view. He sat back, butterflies in his stomach.

"What's the matter?" asked his cousin Rose, who had stayed with him from the moment they had boarded the train.

"Nothing," Albus replied a little too quickly to appear nonchalant.

"You're not scared, are you?" she pressed.

"Of course not!"

The train smelt a little odd; a mixture of new robes and shoe polish mingled with the wafts emanating from the food trolley pushed up and down by the plump witch. Albus could hear some raucous cries a little further down the train from the older boys. His butterflies increased.

"I'm so excited," said Rose feverishly, her brown eyes gleaming in the lamp light from the cabin. "We will be in Gryffindor, won't we Al? James was only joking wasn't he? Your mum said."

"I expect so," said Albus, still trying to appear unconcerned.

"Daddy wouldn't be very pleased if I wasn't …" Rose muttered, her voice trailing off. Albus looked at her. She looked very much like his Auntie Hermione with slightly bushy hair, which was the colour of her father Ron's, and brown eyes.

"I think he was only messing around," Albus said, knowing that his Uncle Ron was always having a laugh about something or other.

There was a gentle knock at the door. Rose and Albus both looked up to see a rather short boy with dirty blonde hair, pushing at the sliding door hesitantly and clearing his throat.

"Sorry …" he said quietly. "But do you mind if I sit here?" He nodded to the seat opposite Albus and Rose, who were sitting on the same side of the cabin. "It's just – everywhere else is full."

Albus and Rose looked at each other and nodded, and the boy sat down slowly. He looked at them uncertainly as he put down a rather large bag that rattled.

"What's your name?" asked Rose politely.

The boy looked up from the watch he had been checking. "Edmond Hooper."

"I'm Rose Weasley, and this is Albus Potter," she ventured, pointing to Albus. "We're going to be in Gryffindor," she added proudly.

"Potter?" repeated Edmond. "As in …?"

Albus looked confused. "What?"

Edmond went very red and looked at his shoelaces, which had not been done up properly. "Nothing. I didn't … never mind."

He seemed an extremely shy boy who had a rather worn, untidy look about him either as a result of lack of care from his parents or an inability to look after himself. He pressed his hands together and blushed as though he had mentioned something shameful. Albus and Rose exchanged an 'I have no idea' kind of look.

"What wand do you have?" asked Rose abruptly. "Mine's oak and dragon heartstring, seven inches. My mum told me it would be very good for charms."

Edmond looked back up, his eyes wide as though surprised anyone wanted to speak to him. "Er … maple and unicorn hair. Nine inches. My dad said … my dad said it wasn't real …"

Albus pulled out his own wand; holly and phoenix feather, just like his father's. He hadn't really tried using it yet and he couldn't wait.

"Try that spell that Uncle George showed you," said Rose, watching him consider his wand.

"Here?" said Albus, looking around him. Edmond leaned forward slightly. Rose nodded.

"All right," said Albus bravely, pulling up his sleeves.

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daises, butter mellow,

Turn this window pane bright yellow."

He waved his wand at the window, but nothing happened. The window pane remained grimy grey.

Rose roared with laughter. "Uncle George said that would be funny!"

"Oh, ha, ha," Albus muttered, and stowed his wand back beneath his robes.

Edmond leant further forward and opened his mouth. "I've not tried any spells yet. I don't think I'll be able to and even if I can I won't be any good. Maybe this is all just a big mistake and they'll send me back home …" He said all this very fast, as though it were something he had wanted to get it off his chest for a while.

"I don't think that's true," said Albus kindly.

"Are you a Muggle?" asked Rose. She had the same knack of getting straight to the point as Ron, often possessing little tact but meaning well.

"A Muggle?" repeated Edmond.

"Blimey, we're going to have to have a long chat before we get to Hogwarts," said Rose. "You don't know what a Muggle is?"

Edmond didn't answer but looked embarrassed again.

"A Muggle is someone with non-magic parents who hasn't had any contact with wizards," supplied Albus. "But lots of Muggles go to Hogwarts and become great witches and wizards, my dad told me."

"So it doesn't matter then? Being a Muggle?" said Edmond.

"No," Albus and Rose both replied together. "My mum was born a Muggle," Rose went on. "And she turned out to be the spokeswomen for House Elves rights. SPEW. Ever heard of it?"

"No," said Edmond. "But I haven't … I mean –"

"That's alright," said Rose in a dignified voice. "You'll hear about her in our Wizarding Equality lessons."

There was a moment's silence whilst Rose considered the countryside passing them by and Albus and Edmond grinned at each other nervously.

"What's your Quidditch team?" said Rose suddenly.

"Rose, he won't know anything about Quidditch, will he?" said Albus. "Pay attention."

Edmond smiled but it was gone very quickly.

"You wait," Rose said excitedly. "It's the best game in the world. My dad and my uncles always play with me in our garden –" And she was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players and how George, Charlie, Percy, Harry and Bill would always make her the goalie. Albus joined in once or twice with a reference to having a go on his dad's Firebolt, still one of the best brooms in the world twenty years on.

Edmond listened to all this with rapt attention, drinking in every word. His face appeared much more animated as the conversation went on, and Albus found himself liking this new boy who shared his exasperated expressions at Rose's maddening enthusiasm and her inability to pause for breath.

"So do you think you'll try out for the team?" said Rose when she'd finished her explanation. "I will. My Uncle Harry got in the team in the first year."

"Yeah, but he's brilliant," said Albus proudly.

The compartment door slid open and three boys entered that Albus had seen before on the platform before the train had left. The tallest one with white-blonde hair, much lighter than Edmond's, was looking at Albus with more interest than he had shown on the platform.

"Is it true? They're saying that Harry Potter's son is in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," replied Albus, confused and a little intimidated. The other two boys on the speaker's side were much larger than any of them and looked like boulders.

"This is Mudd and Bulger," said the pale boy. "And my name's Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy."

Rose coughed a little to mask a laugh. Scorpius glanced carelessly at her.

"Something funny, Weasley? Yes, I know who you must be with that hair and those teeth. My father told me all about you and your parents."

"Really?" said Rose. "Well, I've heard all about your parents and your grandparents too, Malfoy. And they don't make you look too good so I'd keep that arrogant mouth closed if you don't want their past dragged back up."

Malfoy looked a little taken aback, as though he had not expected a girl to speak in such a way, or perhaps he did not know how much she knew about his relatives.

He turned back to Albus.

"So why's the famous Potter boy sitting with a nervous wreck and a bucktoothed beaver?"

Albus clenched his fists. "She's my cousin," he said through clenched teeth.

"Ahh, that explains it then," drawled Scorpius. "So you don't have your own private carriage then?"

"Why would I?" said Albus defensively, trying to not sound as confused as he felt.

Scorpius exchanged an incredulous glance with Mudd and Bulger, who guffawed sycophantically.

"Don't you know, Potter? His own son and you don't even know?"

"Know what rat boy?" spat Rose. Edmond remained silent, eying the two other boys with great apprehension.

"Ha!" Scorpius exclaimed with great enjoyment, happy now that the subject had moved off his parents. "Your father, Potter, is famous! Everyone knows about it! I thought you'd be wrapped up in pink cotton wool or something."

Albus said nothing, and neither did Rose. Now that Scorpius, dislikeable as he was, mentioned it, they had gotten a great deal of funny looks and odd pointing when they boarded the train. And also once or twice when they had visited Diagon Alley with both Harry and Ginny … and the first time they accompanied James on his first day at school; even then people had been staring.

"So your father destroys the most evil wizard of all time and saves the world and you know nothing about it?"

Again, Albus said nothing.

"You mean Voldemort?" said Rose candidly, trying to prove that she had no fear of the name. Scorpius started.

"Yes, of course I mean him. Well, your father, Potter, was the only one who managed to finish him off. So that's why I'm here, to see if you'd rather hang around with the big boys. But now that I see you're sitting here with this riff-raff I think I'd rather I hadn't bothered."

Albus stood up. "Why would I want to be friends with you? I might not have known about my dad, but he's told me all about you, and so has my Uncle Ron. Your father was a very dark wizard, Death Eater they called him. Wasn't he in Azkaban?"

"He did his time," spat Scorpius. "He paid for his mistakes. I bet he earns a lot more money than her father," he added, jerking his head towards Rose.

Rose stuck her finger up at Scorpius. Mudd and Bulger cracked their knuckles menacingly, but it was laughable to think that they would ever have the audacity to hit a girl. Edmond's head swivelled from one person to another.

"And anyway," Scorpius said, taking a step forward. "My dad told me that Harry Potter went a bit mad in his fifth year … had funny turns all over the place … had a bit of the Dark Lord inside his head. Maybe you'll go mad too, Potter … what do you think?"

"I think maybe you should say the same thing to his brother," said Rose matter-of-factly.

"His brother?" repeated Scorpius with a little less bravado.

"Oh yes, didn't you know Harry Potter had two sons? James is in his second year, and he's a lot bigger than you."

Scorpius smirked nervously, but it fell flatly on his face. He obviously had not acquired this information. Albus however did not want to be saved by his brother, and squared up to Malfoy.

"So I think you'd better be off, don't you Malfoy? And take your little body guards with you."

There was of course nothing little about either Mudd or Bulger, and they both scowled as Albus.

Scorpius scowled, but seemed to sense defeat.

"I'll be seeing you around, Potter," he said as menacingly as he could, and swooped out of the compartment, shutting the door with a bang.

Albus sat down and stared at Rose.

"Did you know?" he said bluntly.

She frowned. "No, but I knew there was something odd going on. People are always pointing when we go out … I thought maybe it was to do with our cousin Fred and his Quidditch team, but …"

"I knew," muttered Edmond quietly. They had almost forgotten he was there.

"You knew? But you're …"

"Yes, I know. I think it's about the only thing I did know about this whole world. I was waiting at the platform for ages because my dad … he didn't wait with me – so I just … waited by myself, and I heard these boys talking about it, about Harry Potter and how famous for killing a really evil wizard."

Albus felt dazed, as though a huge secret had been kept from him by his nearest and dearest, and also slightly foolish for not knowing.

"Why didn't they tell us?" said Rose.

"Do you think James knows?" Albus said. "I'll bet he does … he always knows things I don't."

"Well, don't you think it's a bit exciting? I mean I know Uncle Harry is Head of the Auror Division and catches Dark Wizards all the time but I never thought … I mean, Voldemort! We've grown up with that name."

"I've never heard of him," said Edmond.

"He was the most evil wizard in the whole wide world. Everyone's – well, everyone in our world –heard of him. He used to kill people and Muggles just for fun. He tried to turn the whole wizarding world dark and evil just like him, and he had followers called Death Eaters. That's what Malfoy's granddad was."

"A D-Death Eater?" said Edmond quietly. "That's horrible."

"I know. My mum's told me that they got a reprieve though, something to do with that big battle at Hogwarts nineteen years ago."

"He killed my grandparents too. I never knew them," said Albus.

Edmond's eyes were wide as saucers. "So your dad destroyed him? At this big battle?"

"Apparently," said Albus slowly.

"Wow," Rose muttered under her breath. "This is huge! We're going to be famous just for being related! You certainly will, Al. No wonder James's head is so fat."

Albus shook his head vehemently. "But I don't want to be famous! I just want to be normal, and keep out of trouble."

"Gosh, keep it down Albus, someone might think you're out to cause a fight or something," said Rose sarcastically. "Look! I can see Hogwarts!"

Albus quickly looked out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a clear, evening sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Albus and Rose took off their Muggle jackets and stuffed them in their trunks before pulling on their long black robes. Edmond's robes were too short for him; you could see his scuffed and dirty trainers poking out underneath them

A voice came suddenly through the train, into all the carriages.

"We will soon be at Hogsmead Station. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school."

Albus and Rose both had their own owls, Eccles and Pierre, who they had left in the luggage compartment at the back of the train. Edmond it seemed had nothing but his rattling rucksack with him.

Joining the thronging crowd out in the corridor, Albus saw James at the front, laughing loudly with his friends and the first to leave the train. Slowly, they made their way to the tiny, dark platform. Albus shivered in the cold evening air and pulled his cloak more tightly around his shoulders. Edmond stayed very close to the both of them, clutching his rucksack and shivering.

A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Albus heard a voice that had often been described to him.

"Firs'-years! Over here! Ah! You must be Albus! And little Rose Weasley!"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed down at Albus and Rose over the mass of student's heads, and Albus felt Edmond shaking next to him.

Albus had to crane his head to look properly at Hagrid. He was huge. His face was almost completely obscured by a long, shaggy mane of black bushy hair and a tangled beard, but his eyes were glinting from underneath it all, kind and enquiring. There wasn't much time for either Albus or Rose to take this in because they were being shunted towards the lake with all the other first years.

"C'mon! Follow me! Mind yer step, now! Firs' years this way!"

Edmond stumbled a little and Rose took his arm, leading the way with Albus bringing up the rear, following Hagrid down a steep path. Nearly all the light was gone from the sky now; it was almost completely black. Albus could just make out the outline of a dense patch of trees nearby. A hush came over the smaller crowd, now that the older students had gone another way.

"Yeh'll see Hogwarts in a mo," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "Won' be a minute."

There was a collective gasp from the first years as they rounded a bend.

The narrow path they had been descending opened up to reveal the banks of a great black lake. In the distance, atop one of the high mountains on the other side, was an enormous castle. The windows sparkled with tiny squares of light and the towers and turrets were dark against the moonlight.

"Four in a boat!" Hagrid called. Albus turned his head back to the lake and saw a large fleet of small boats sitting in the water by the shore. Albus, Rose and Edmond were followed into their boat by another boy with black hair.

"Everyone ready?" shouted Hagrid after a minute or so. "Right then – FORWARD!"

The boats started to move all at once, gliding across the still and silent lake. They seemed to be moving independently; no one was rowing. It was as if they knew their own way, having made the journey so often before. No one made a sound as they sailed nearer and nearer to the bottom of the cliff on which the great stone castle stood.

As they reached the wall, Hagrid yelled "Heads down!" and they all ducked as the little boats carried them through a curtain of thick ivy that hung down, hiding a large opening in the face of the cliff.

The air was very cold in here and Albus could hear Rose breathing as they were carried along a dark tunnel, possibly taking them beneath the castle itself as they seemed to have come a very long way in. Before long, they reached what appeared to be a small boat dock and a wall that housed many stone steps. One by one, everyone clambered out onto the bank.

"Alright are yeh?" Hagrid asked Edmond, whose face was now a delicate shade of green. He nodded.

They slowly followed Hagrid's lamp, bobbing in front of them as he ascended the stone steps before them. The passageway suddenly ended and Albus found himself onto the smooth, damp grass right in front of the castle.

"Is this it?" whispered Rose excitedly. "Are we here?" Albus didn't answer. His voice seemed to be stuck in his throat.

They walked up the stone steps and crowded around the large, oak front door to the castle.

"Everyone here? You're not gonna be sick, are yeh? No? Good."

And he raised a gigantic fist, and knocked twice on the great door.

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