Chapter 1
"Scorpius! Get your trunk! We're leaving!" Draco called at his son. Scorpius ran down the stairs, with his mother following behind, lifting his trunk with her wand. She placed in it the boot of the car before turning to Scorpius. "Darling, I'm going to miss you so much!" she choked, tears in her eyes. At the train station, Scorpius hurried towards platform nine and three quarters, before pushing his trunk through. His father quickly followed. On the platform, saying their final goodbyes, was the Weasleys and the Potters. "Ginny, Harry!" Scorpius ran up to them, grinning. Draco followed behind. Ginny shuddered a little and grew tense, but she looked at him as Scorpius headed over to see Albus. "Nice to see you, Ginny" Draco smiled. It wasn't the snake-like smile she always dreaded, but the smile of somebody kind. Ginny looked up at him at gave him a genuine smile back. "You too!" she said politely, before heading off to see her brother. Harry grinned as he saw Malfoy. "Snake!" he teased, his voice laughing. "Scarhead!" Draco laughed back. "Good to see you looking happy today!" Draco grinned. Lily's high pitched voice could be heard anywhere. Ron turned around, his face the same colour as his hair. "I'll never get used to being called that!" he chuckled. "Good to see you Harry!" Rose and Hugo came running over. "Uncle Harry!" they yelled together. "It's Hugo's first day at school" Harry grinned. "Same with Albus here!" he said, ruffling Albus's hair. Albus looked up and said "I named my Owl Hermione!" Hagrid was waiting with the boats, as per usual. He was rather old, in fact, his beard was beginning to go grey. Of course, giants lived five times as long as wizards, and clearly Hagrid had enough giant in his genetics, as he was a hundred and seven, and still able to train hippogriffs. "First years!" he boomed. "Malfoy, Scorpius" Professor Longbottom called. Scorpius stepped forward, before jamming the hat on his head. A strange little voice in his ear began to speak. "Hmm... it said, for just a second, before calling out "Gryffindor!" James stood up and clapped, as Scorpius headed, slightly reluctantly towards him. "Potter, Albus!" Longbottom called, his round face showing a smile. Albus walked up, and placed the hat delicately on his head. "I can see that Potter spirit in you, boy!" it said cheerily, before also putting him in Gryffindor. Scorpius looked up as a beautiful young girl stood up. "Lovegood, Sapphire" Longbottom said, as the girl wandered up dreamily. "Hey, that must be Luna's girl." James said. "Isn't she a stunner! Although, she does have that Lovegood look in her eyes..." He ate his feast in silence. Sapphire looked worriedly at him, but he didn't notice because he was too worried. After he had finished eating the little that he had, and Percy Weasley, school headmaster, had sent them all trotting off to bed, Sapphire pulled him aside. "What's up with you?" she asked. Scorpius didn't know how to reply, and he was thankful that Arthur Jones, Gryffindor Prefect, told them to hurry up or Peeves would jump out at them. He went off to see Albus, who was wandering along, very full and very sleepy. "Elderflower" Arthur said to the Fat Lady, before leading them through. The fat lady grinned. "New 'uns? Keep your eyes at for that Peeves!" Scorpius didn't sleep that night. Albus's soft, and strange snore that sounded like a cat purring kept him reassured that his father won't burst into the room with his wand at the ready. Anyway, Scorpius kept his wand on his bedside table, 9 inches, willow and unicorn hair. It was probably not the best way to start school, exhausted from worry, but at least his father didn't know... yet. Breakfast was an exciting, and very noisy affair. Despite that, Scorpius somehow fell asleep with his face in his porridge, which Albus and James cracked up at. Sapphire looked at Scorpius. Suddenly he was in some kind of dreamland. Sapphire was in it. "I can enter many minds, but yours is the most interesting. Talk to me." Scorpius tried to run, but he seemed to be stuck. "I know why you're worried. You're fathers entire family were Slytherin. You're Gryffindor. He won't freak out. He used to be evil, until Harry and Ron saved him. He feels in debt to them, and somehow to you. I've entered his mind. Please, Scorpius..." "Scorpius? Scorpius!" Albus was waving his hand in front of Scorpius's face. "Your eyes did a weird thing. Like, they went all starry and you were off in your own mind. D'ya think you should go to someone about it? Anyway, posts arrived!" Hedwig was sitting there, looking slightly miffed that her new owner didn't feel she was important enough. Scorpius looked wearily at the letter attached to her leg, before gently slipping it off. He fed her some watermelon, and then she stole a bit of bacon. Looking happier, Hedwig nibbled at his hair before swooping away. "Crazy bird" Scorpius muttered. "Open it, Scorpius!" Albus said. In his mind he heard a faint "Open it..."? He opened the letter. Sighing gratefully, he realised it was from his mother. It read: Hello darling! How was the train trip? I hope it went really well! Your father and I couldn't be more proud of you! I'm guessing you met Hagrid! He's quite a character! Have you made many friends from your new house yet? You're father and I are having a guessing contest! He keeps telling me "It's Slytherin! All the Malfoys have been in Slytherin!" But I think you'd be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. You're the smartest, bravest child I know! But your fathers promised not to be disappointed in you if you didn't get into Slytherin. If he is, I'll be the one to sort him out! But what house DID you get in to? You should try out for the Quidditch team anyway. You could beat your father, zooming around and around like that! You guys make me dizzy! I've got to go now sweety. Miss you heaps! xoxoxox Scorpius smiled a little. He heard a voice inside his head again "Tell them. Tell them" He picked up his quill and wrote: Dear mother. The train ride was excellent, apart from when I got a dog food flavoured bean! I sat with James and Albus, and James promised to look out for me. He's a year three! And Albus and I are in the same dormitory, and we're already good friends! He snores like a cat! So, I take it you guessed I'm in Gryffindor. I don't want Dad to be angry at me. Please don't let him be angry at me. But Hedwig is really cool, and she's a bit cheeky. This morning she stole some of my bacon! I better go, I don't want to be late for Herbology with Professor Longbottom. Did you know he helped save Hogwarts in a really big way! I can't wait! Bye Mum xx Scorpius called Hedwig, who swooped down to have the parchment tied to her leg, before stealing his last hash brown and flapping away, hooting like she was laughing. Sapphire smiled at Scorpius, and offered to walk to Herbology with him. Scorpius gratefully accepted. He wanted to know more about this girl. They left breakfast quickly, while Albus was still eating. "So, what's with this weird mind thingy?" he asked. "Well, its a Lovegood thing. Luna could do it, but she didn't do it that much. It's passed down our gene line." Sapphire looked him in the eyes. Her grey eyes exploded into rainbows, and then he was in wackyland again. She was there, barefoot, in a long, fern green dress. He was dressed in a shirt and shorts, also barefoot. "You can tell me anything" she murmured. Scorpius looked around. They were outside the greenhouse, just the two of them. Sapphire leant forward to embrace him, but Albus came wandering up the hill. "SCORPIUS!" he bellowed, in a voice quite similar to Ginny's. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN... oh" he muttered. "Where did you go?" "Why hello there Potter!" Professor Longbottom smiled, his teeth showing. "Say hi to your dad from me, I haven't seen him for ages!" Albus nodded, but fell as he was nodding and landed on the hard ground. Scorpius and Sapphire helped him up. "Is that you, Malfoy?" Longbottom asked curiously. Scorpius nodded. "You're father and I used to fight a lot. But I think we've made up." he said. Scorpius turned white as he realised people at school were thinking of him as the 'evil kid whose father killed many. Longbottom began to stutter. "Of-of course, I didn't mean that in a b-bad way. I mean, you're in Gryffindor!" The greenhouse filled up quickly. Quite a few people eyed Sapphires gloves, but said nothing. Or maybe it was the way their faces went blank... anyway, Professor Longbottom addressed his class. "First years, eh? Hope you've enjoyed it so far, and I hope I'm going to make it funnier!" "What did you think of herbology?" Albus asked Scorpius. The next morning, Scorpius was eating his toast when Hedwig swooped down, holding a red envelope. "Oh no" he and Albus exclaimed at the same time. Sapphire placed a pair of butterfly earmuffs on. The envelope began to smoke, as Scorpius slowly began to open it. The letter unfolded, and his father's voice could be heard throughout the hall. SCORPIUS MALFOY! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS! ALL MALFOYS ARE IN SLYTHERIN! HOW DARE YOU TURN TO GRYFFINDOR? IT'S ALL YOU'RE RUDDY FAULT! "Scorpius?" Albus asked quietly when he discovered him lying on the bed. Scorpius tried to make it look like he hadn't been sobbing into his pillow, and failed miserably. "Your dads like a burnt marshmallow. He's all hard on the outside, but soft and gooey in the middle. And your mom's really nice!" Scorpius knew where the entrance to Percy's office was, but didn't know the password. "I'm just another student... family is important. Two gargoyles suddenly moved, and a spiral staircase opened up. Scorpius stepped through and watched them close behind him, before trudging up the steps to the office. It was kind of exciting, but Scorpius's heart was heavy. Scorpius knocked on the door nervously. "Come in" a deep voice said. Percy smiled. "Call me Percy" he said, patting the tatty, once lime green chair. Scorpius sat down, right on the edge of the seat, and nibbled at his fingers nervously. Percy came and pulled up another, once-maroon chair beside him, concern in his deep black eyes. Too ashamed to speak, Scorpius buried his bright red face into his hands. Leaning over, Percy patted Scorpius on the back. "I thought Dr... he would understand a bit more after the events. You understand what happened, don't you?" It was a couple of months after this discussion that the Christmas mood spread over the entire school. When he didn't need to wear robes, Albus would wear a reindeer sweater. Scorpius found a passion in potions with Professor Green of Slytherin. Professor Green was a young, passionate, enthusiastic woman, unlike the typical dark, moody Slytherin professors. Having a similar father to Scorpius, she understood what he was going through, and one day she talked to him about how she ran away from home to live with her aunt on her mother's side. This gave Scorpius courage, and he owled his mother, explaining to her why he wasn't going to be coming home for a while. She was clearly upset, but promised to visit him. His father refused to speak to him, or his mother, for that matter. Albus and James owled their parents to let them know they would stay at Hogwarts to support Scorpius, and Harry promised to talk to Draco. Scorpius spent a lot of time in the land Sapphire took him too. They didn't talk as such, but Sapphire would take Scorpius on a journey. They went sailing over the rough seas too an island that look safe but really wasn't, and ended up back in the ocean. Together they scaled a mountain, only for it to shrink and they had to start again. They went to the forbidden forest, riding unicorns, but the unicorns became evil, and the monsters saved them. Things to challenge the mind and spirit. Christmas day arrived. Albus jumped on Scorpius's bed. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" he yelled. James sauntered in, holding an armful of presents. "I thought we could open them together" he laughed. Scorpius had a pile of gifts. His father had not sent anything, but his mother had left an assorted pile of parcels. The Potters had left a green box, and the Weasleys had sent two packages- one clearly a jumper, as well as Albus's gift of a box of chocolate frogs. Suddenly Hedwig flapped in, a letter attached to her leg. "It's from dad" Scorpius murmured, as he fed Hedwig the pack of Hooting Owl Crackers he got her.
"Oh, Mum!" Scorpius smiled, tears in his own eyes. I'll miss you too!
"Owl me every day, son!" she said proudly.
"But I don't have... oh!" he turned around at a hoot. In a cage, was a tawny young owl.
"What are you going to name her?" Draco asked.
Scorpius took a second. "Hedwig. That's what Harry Potter's owl was named, right?"
Draco smiled strangely. "He misses his owl very much. I apparated to him last night, and that was the anniversary of the death of his owl."
"Oh." Scorpius said. "Well, Dad, we better go! Bye Mum!"
Cho waved them off down the drive, tears freely running down her face.
"Well, I'm glad I'm happy too!" Harry chuckled, his glasses almost falling off his nose. He pushed them back up with one finger, and laughed as he saw about four other kids copy him. "Well, I better go chat to Ron! See you!" Harry said. "Come on Albus, James, Lily!" Ginny called. "Lets go see Uncle Ron!" Lily bounced up and down. "Yay! Uncle Ron! And cousin Hugo!"
At hearing her name, Hermione turned around from chatting to Luna. "Harry!" she said, giving him a bear hug. "Sending James and Albus off, I suppose! James going to keep out of trouble this year?"
"I doubt it!" Harry grinned. "His ancestors say otherwise!"
"True, true. Same with Hugo here! He seems to be acting just like George!"
Hugo laughed, his pockets stuffed with sweets. The train whistle gave a toot, and the kids began to climb on. "Bye Rose, Hugo!"
"Bye Dad and Mum! Bye Harry! Bye Ginny!" they called in unison.
"See you Albus! James will look after you! And don't you worry about the sorting ceremony! I'll be proud wherever you get in!" Scorpius climbed onto the train. "Bye Dad!" he called. Draco ran beside the train, along with about thirty other parents and siblings, as it picked up speed.
"Bye Albus!" James said. Scorpius looked around, lost. "Hey, Scorpius!" James called. Scorpius turned around. "Why don't you share a boat with Albus?"
Scorpius nodded nervously. "Hey, I'll look out for you!" James told him. Scorpius smiled.
"'Hurry up, you Potter boy!" Hagrid called, laughing. Scorpius followed Albus to a boat.
Scorpius couldn't say anything. The long, glossy black hair, her silver eyes that shone like glass, her gracefulness. "Gryffindor" the sorting hat screamed. She floated over. Suddenly Scorpius realised something. His face went pale, much more pale than usual, and his hand began shaking. Nobody seemed to notice. His father was going to murder him for not being in Slytherin. At least his mother would save him.
"Is that the poltergwist?" Albus mumbled to Scorpius. Scorpius half smiled. That Albus kid could probably keep him fairly entertained. James led the two boys through the hole, into the common room, and led them to the dormitories.
"But why did you choose me?" he asked.
"Well, you're brought up by an ex-villain type guy, and got put in Gryffindor, befriended his ex-enemies children, and then freaked out. And... I think you're kinda cute."
"Anything" Scorpius replied.
"To come here, look into my eyes and open the doors to your mind"
"Open the doors to my mind..." Scorpius said softly.
The world began to spin, and all he could hear were the words "Anything... anything..."
"We were both full, and I needed to get my colour changing ink, and Sapphire..."
"I needed to grab my special gardening gloves. Look, they're just like frogs!" Sapphire smiled, stroking her gloves lovingly. Looking at Sapphire strangely, Albus dragged Scorpius into the greenhouse.
Scorpius began shaking.
Some of the kids smirked.
"Well, I enjoyed planting the Sedina seeds. Sedina is used in potions as a painkiller, you know?"
Albus smiled. "Yeah, when I was eight, Dad gave me some potion of Sedina after I fell off my broomstick and broke my leg in six places."
Scorpius laughed a little. There was so much he wanted to tell Albus, but Albus was just... immature.
People began to turn round to look at Scorpius, whose head was buried in his arms. Sapphire looked at him worriedly.
ITS THE FAMILY TRADITION TO BE IN SLYTHERIN! YOUR MOTHER SAYS IT'S HER FAULT, DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON YOU, BUT I AM! YOU'RE TOO KIND HEARTED FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!
The red envelope burst into flames, and Scorpius ran from the room, with several Professors, including Longbottom, along with Arthur and Albus chasing after him. For a first year, Scorpius could run particularly fast, and was extremely good with hexes, throwing hex after hex at the six people chasing in. He eventually shook them off, before heading into the Room of Requirement. He asked the room to block all visitors, and spent about ten minutes throwing things at the wall before sneaking into his dormitory.
Scorpius gave a half smile. "Mmm" he said.
"Anyway," Albus continued, "Percy wants to see you, and says that family is important to him"
A tall man with red-brown hair was sitting at the desk. "Sir?" Scorpius asked nervously, one of his hands rubbing his eyes to true and make it look like he hadn't been crying. He also failed.
Scorpius looked up and nodded a little.
"Don't be scared of me" Percy gave a kind of half smile.
"I d-don't want to go home anymore" Scorpius stuttered. "He m-might hurt me. Mother won't, she's nicer, and likes Gryffindor, but if I get left alone with him..."
Percy looked deep in thought, his face beginning to look sad. "You do know that over Christmas that you can stay here, don't you?"
Scorpius nodded nervously.
"And during the summer... you can stay with my family. You know, Audrey, Lucy, Molly"
Scorpius smiled a little.