You're in Slytherin?
I found this in one of my notebooks unfinished and decided to complete and upload it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights go to J.K Rowling.
Warning: mentions slash.
Review!
Al waits in line nervously, tapping his foot against the wooden floor, glancing alongside at Scorpius Malfoy, the young boy who'd taken a place in his compartment on the train. The first years talk quietly, some excited, some anxious and scared. Others are nervous, but some are confident.
He looks down at the great hall. It seems so big, so unknown and wondrous. The four tables stretch from one side of the hall to the other - Al wonders how the tables had always seemed to fit everyone, no matter how many people came. An echantment, probably, he thinks. Al knows no magic yet, apart from the basic spells, like Lumos. One of the first defence spells I want you to learn, his father told him, kneeling down to stare him in the eye and take his hand, is Expelliarmus. It'll disarm and throw your opponent back ten feet. It saved my life many. Learn it. He'd first been told that when he was eight, young and naïve. Al had said yes, he would. But now, he felt like he wouldn't, not for a while. He focuses his gaze back upon the hall and the whispers surrounding him.
The four tables are occupied, Gryffindor closest to the doors he'd walked through. He could see James laughing at the Gryffindor table, where the hat had told him to go two years ago. Roxy talking to here of her friends. Fred was the same age as James and the two had started the next generation of marauders, Fred being placed in Gryffindor also. Teddy had already finished his years at Hogwarts, in Hufflepuff, leaving and taking up a job, and his girlfriend, Victoire Weasley, was in her last year at Hogwarts, in Ravenclaw. His sister, Lily, was yet to be sorted in a year's time with his other cousin, Hugo. His cousin, Dominique, had been placed in Gryffindor, while her brother, Louis had gone to Hufflepuff with Teddy. Percy's daughter, Molly, named after their Grandma, had also been placed in Gryffindor, and her sister, Lucy, was going to be sorted with him this year, as well as Rose. All of them had avoided Slytherin, and Albus shudders to think what would happen if he ended up there.
"Al," Rose whispered to him, shooting a look at Scorpius, whom she still didn't like. "They're about to start." She looks afraid, Al can tell, as Professor Mcgonagall walks up to the front and begins to speak, averting his attention.
"As I call your name," she says, Al's stomach twisting in fear, "You will come up here to be sorted. Sit, and place the sorting hat on your head."
She places an old, worn, hat down on the stool and stands back, a scroll of parchment in her hands. Al's breathing quickens and he tries to calm himself with no avail. What if I'm in Slytherin? He thinks. They'll hate me. They'll probably reject me.
A rip in the sorting hat opens and a voice comes from it - the mouth, Albus realises.
(Insert Sorting song here because I cannot write them and you're just going to have to make one up or imagine that it's already been sung.)
The hall breaks into claps, loud and echoing as Al jumps from one foot to another nervously in anticipation.
"Calm down, Al." Rose whispers, though he can see through her confident facade, Scorpius nodding behind her slightly. "It'll be fine. You'll go into Gryffindor."
"Yeah." He mumbles, though he doesn't believe her.
"I'm probably going to go into Slytherin," Scorpius says. "There hasn't been a Malfoy who hasn't. Imagine the horror if I'm placed in Gryffindor." He tries at a joke, tries to calm them.
Al laughs under his breath anxiously. "You could break tradition and not go to Slytherin."
The Malfoy sends him a dark look. "Doubt it, Al. Imagine Grandpa Lucius' reaction if I'm placed in Gryffindor. He'll wanna disown me, though I don't think Grandma Narcissa is like that anymore, nor Father. But still."
"Bailey, Hunter."
The hall falls silent, even the first years, apart from the few anxious whispers.
"Ravenclaw!"
"Clarke, Amara."
"Hufflepuff!"
The girl leaves, relief on her face and turns the hat in to Mcgonagall before jogging down and taking a seat at the Hufflepuff table.
"Clarke, Dean!" A brown haired boy gulps visibly and steps up from the messy line, walking up and placing the hat on his head, fear showing on his features.
A two minute pause and everyone is curious.
"What?" Albus hears Rose whisper from next to him. "Most of the time sorting a are quicker than that."
Nearly two minutes go by before the hat shouts, "Gryffindor!" And the table to the right explodes in cheers. Two more go to Hufflepuff, one to Ravenclaw, before "Gray, James." Becomes the first Slytherin and the house of Snakes explodes into cheers and invites him to take a seat across the hall at the silver and green table.
The sorting was quick, sifting through names, though it could've been three hours for the time it felt like as he waited in tense, worried anticipation.
"Malfoy, Scorpius."
Scorpius flashes him a hesitant smile.
"You got this." Al tells him, pushing him out of line.
He watches as Scorpius walks up to the stool and takes a hesitant seat on the stool, pushing back his silky blonde hair, grey eyes shining. He takes the hat from the headmistress' grip and places it on his head.
He sits there.
Al watches as a flurry of emotions flitter across his face; Anger, worry, annoyance, alarm, indignant, and then, finally, settling on a blank expression.
Two minutes pass.
"Slytherin!"
"No surprise there." Rose mutters.
The Slytherin table applauds, and one, a prefect, stands, calling him over. The hall watches as the first year walks over, seemingly confident, though Al can see he's not. He sits, the Prefect talking to him quietly, a smirk embracing his features.
"Thomas-Finnigan, Benjamin."
I know that guy, Al realises. It's Dean and Seamus, Dad's friends' kid.
And it was. They'd adopted him from a teenage couple and raised him since they couldn't have kids of their own. Dean and Seamus had come around and gotten together when Harry, Ron, and Hermione redid their seventh year.
"Gryffindor!"
"Weasley, Rose,"
The whole of Hogwarts watches as his cousin walks up with a confident air, and, much like her mother before her, nearly slams the hat on her head.
"Ravenclaw!"
Rose beams from the stool and tugs off the hat, handing it to Mcgonagall. Her lips move slightly, but Al is too far and can't tell what she's saying.
"Weasley, Lucy."
The daughter of Percy and Audrey jogs up with a half-smile.
"Gryffindor!" There's hardly any time before its yelled, like Al was sure it would.
Names are called, and, too soon, it's Al's turn.
"Potter, Albus."
The hall goes silent, and he can see his cousins leaning over in tense anticipation.
He gulps.
Someone touches him on the shoulder. "Go on. It'll be fine."
He steps out of line, and all of sudden, all stares are on him as he stalks up to the stool and places the hat on his head gingerly, all thought escaping his head in panic.
What if I'm in Slytherin?
What will my family do?
I can't!
Hmm, a voice in his head says, and Al resists the urge to jump at the sudden noise. A Potter. I had your brother two years ago.
I know.
Difficult, very difficult.
Yeah?
A little brave, a little bold, not much. Very ambitious, quite cunning, wilful. Loyal and kind to your friends, but not enough for Hufflepuff.
A pause, like the hats considering something.
Smart, wants good grades, eh? Not Ravenclaw.
Al starts to panic. Only Gryffindor and Slytherin left, what if . . .
Don't worry so much. Slytherin's not that bad, you know.
He fights a retort.
Hmm . . . Cunning, Ambitious, sly. Not reckless, no. I guess . . .
No! No! No!
"SLYTHERIN!"
Not a single noise in the great hall, deafening silence, and Al stares on horror. No, he thinks, feeling someone whisk the hat away from his head. I can't be . . .
Mcgonagall nods to him slightly, a bit shocked, though she tries to hide it. He scans the hall.
There's James, red and horrified, confused. Roxanne, supportive, yet shocked. No one applauds, and he just stands there, albeit a little awkwardly. From what he can see, all the Weasleys scattered around the hall are either shocked, horrified, or at least a little confused. He turns, attempting to ignore the nerve-racking silence and stares over at Rose. Her jaw is dropped, and she is completely shocked. No Weasley has ever been in placed in Slytherin, and I am, practically, a Weasley - I just took Dad's name, he thinks. Gods, they must be so disappointed.
The Slytherin table doesn't seem too inviting. Then again, neither does the Gryffindor anymore. And then, someone stands, and they stare him in the eye.
"Come on! So what if he's a Weasley, a Potter! So what if he's the Saviour's son! A father, a house, doesn't define who you are! Being in Slytherin doesn't make you evil, all of a sudden! Cut the crap! Imagine how he's feeling right now! What would you have done if you got sorted and no one claps, no one makes a noise and just stayed silent?! You probably would've cried. He's new, and right now, he's probably feeling the most unwelcome he's ever been! Okay?"
He extends an arm to Al as most of Slytherin house burst into applause, and so does a few scattered people around the hall.
"Come on, Potter. Sit."
Al nods to him appreciatively, and lifts his head, taking on a confident air. He stalks down the stairs and takes a seat.
The boy who'd made the speech speaks. "West. Will West." (That name came from The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost. If you haven't read it, you should.)
"Albus Potter."
"I know."
"That seemed like a very . . . Gryffindor thing to do."
His eyes flash. "No. It's true. So what? You're a Slytherin. I don't care about your heritage, your blood status, your whatever. You're a Slytherin, otherwise the hat wouldn't've put you here. And Slytherins . . ." He shrugs. "We're not all that bad. Yeah, sure, we've got some prejudiced, but some are fine. Some don't care. Don't judge us all on the actions of few."
"Yeah." A pause. "I guess."
"Al!" Scorpius calls from one end of the table. Will gives him a shove.
"Go sit with Malfoy."
Al settles in to Slytherin. Like Will had said, they weren't actually that bad. Him and Scorpius became good friends. The rest of the Weasleys had been shocked, but most were fine. On his request, none of them had told their father. He wanted to do that, even if it only was through letter.
Dear Dad, he writes, glancing up as someone enters the dormitory.
I'm settling in. They're really nice here, with the exception of some. Scorpius Malfoy and I are quite good friends. I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor like James, or Ravenclaw with Rose. I'm a Slytherin, Dad. Most people hate Slytherins, but they're not that bad, to be honest.
Al.
He calls for his owl, Athena. She lands, her pure black feathers silky and soft as he ties the letter to her leg. "Take this to my father, Athena." He whispers. She gives him a nip on the ear before taking off. Athena had been an eleventh birthday present from his father.
A tapping on the glass alerts Harry James Potter of Athena's arrival. He opens the window with a flick of his wand and she flies in, her feathers ruffled and wind blown.
"Hello, Athena." He says. He unties the letter gently with years of practice. The owl nips his hand and waits patiently for him to write a reply. He leads her over to the water bowl on the ledge of the window and she gulps the water thirstily.
"Al." He tugs open the envelope and unfolds the letter.
Dear Dad, he reads, and he smiles. His eyes skim through it, and then he reaches, I've been placed in Slytherin, and the letter falls onto his desk. Albus was in Slytherin? Yes, he had said not to worry at the train station, but he hadn't actually thought that Al would be placed in Slytherin. He'd thought Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Apparently not. Not that it mattered. He didn't care what house his son was in. Really. Slytherin didn't change anything. He dips his quill into the ink and writes, considering his words,
Dear Al,
I'm surprised. I honestly thought you would be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. But I want you to know that this doesn't change anything. Slytherin or Gryffindor, it doesn't matter. Know that. Remember that. I'm glad to hear you've made friends. But Scorpius Malfoy? I didn't expect him. I knew his father when I went to Hogwarts. We hated each other. But if he's a good guy, then that's fine. How are your classes so far? I hope you haven't got any detentions yet. But really, it's fine if you have. I got detentions all the time.
Love, Dad.
Athena has returned to where he is writing and sticks out her leg, head up, like a proud delivery owl. He collects a piece of string from the draw in his desk, and knots the letter around her leg. "Take this to Al, Athena." He tells her softly. She brushes her head against his hand and then takes off through the open window. He sighs. Slytherin, he thinks drily. I wonder how things would've turned out if I had been placed there.
Albus receives the letter the next day at breakfast while piling bacon onto his plate.
"Is that Athena?" Asks Scorpius, watching the pure black bird which stood out in the brighter colours.
"What?" He glances up. "Yeah."
She lands with a prideful look on her face and Al laughs, untying the letter from around her leg. He feeds her a piece of bacon and then she's gone, disappearing into the cloud of owls in the hall.
Al slips the letter from the envelope and reads it.
"What's it say?" Asks Scorpius from over his shoulder.
"He says he was surprised, but that house doesn't matter. He also says that he's shocked with my friend choice and that he and your father hated each other while they were at school."
Scorpius groaned. "Do you know how many times I've heard that from my father? The Chosen One. He thinks he's so great, so cool. Potter and his broomstick. He wears the scar like a badge of honour. (Malfoy's actually not cruel, just misunderstood, but I couldn't do it that way) Strutting around like he owns the place. Like he expects-"
Al laughs.
"He got better as time passed, though."
"Yeah, otherwise that'd have been a pain."
"It was."
He laughs again and turns back to continue his previous conversation with Emma Zabini. Slytherin House would have gained an excellent student, won't it? The words echo and he smiles.
Review, Please!
I don't actually know what that was.