Hi, this is my first chapter of my first story, so I am sorry if it is not very good. My story continues on from the 'Nineteen Years Later' in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and I know it is a very popular storyline but I decided to try it for my first story. I would love as many reviews as possible, even to tell me that my story is rubbish, I would love to get some feedback from people.
I would also like a Beta, as I do not yet have one. Please PM me if you like my story and would like to help me out. Thanks guys, and I hope you like it!
I do not own anything, only my own characters.
The Ride to Hogwarts
Albus smiled and waved at his father as the train pulled away from Kings Cross station. Soon he could no longer see his parents and sister through the steam and he turned towards his cousin Rose. "Are you nervous?" he asked, "Because if there was some kind of instrument to measure nervousness, I would probably break it".
Rose looked at him with shock, "You're nervous? Didn't you read the brochure? Headmaster McGonagall said, 'Hogwarts is nothing to be afraid of. It is a school for young witches and wizards to harness their magical powers in a comfortable environment.' This is going to be so fun. I have already memorised most of the spells in our textbooks and I can't wait until we make our first potion and I hope we don't have flying lessons on the first day because I really don't want to embarrass myself on a broom when we just arrive and oh this is so exciting don't you think Al!" She took a huge breath, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Before she could continue and undoubtedly start referencing her mother's favourite book, Hogwarts: A History, a tall yet slightly scrawny looking boy opened the cabin door, and from the evil looking grin underneath his white-blonde hair, Albus knew immediately that what his uncle had said about this boy on the platform was correct. He didn't look like a good person to befriend.
"Ah, there you are Potter. I've been looking all over the train for you, wanting to talk to you about your father. I'm Scorpius by the way." The boy looked Albus over critically while he just sat stunned and confused for a few moments. How did Scorpius know his name? And how was his father important in this? Scorpius then turned to Rose. "My father said you would be getting full marks on every test, so I never anticipated you not being able to ride a broom!" Rose turned bright red at this and Albus suddenly jumped up and stood in front of her.
"You leave her alone! She has memorised all the textbooks, she knows most of the stuff we won't learn until after Christmas, and I bet you can't say the same!" he suddenly burst out, filled with rage. He wouldn't let this boy insult his cousin like that, and he certainly wasn't going to allow Rose to be embarrassed by her only flaw.
Albus was about to say more when suddenly, Scorpius turned around and was offered a stick of red nougat. The blonde boy snatched the sweet and gave a warning look to whoever was giving out the candy. Suddenly a look of surprise crossed Rose's face, then confusion, followed by shocked understanding. Finally she settled for her best poker face that was barely covering a smirk of satisfaction. If you had not known Rose, you would not have noticed the slight grin, but Albus had known her since the day he was born and noticed something different immediately. While all this was happening, Scorpius was hurriedly stuffing the treat into his mouth and was obviously enjoying his candy until all of a sudden there was blood all over his face and clothes. Rose burst out laughing and Albus was confused for a second until he saw his big brother, James in the hallway holding a piece of blue nougat trying to cover up a snigger as the blonde haired boy pushed past him as blood gushed from his nose.
Albus grinned wildly as the realisation came to him that James had given Scorpius some of Uncle George's Nosebleed Nougat. James walked into the compartment and gave Albus a hi-five, then turned and gave one to Rose as well. Albus looked up at the third year, "Will it stop without the antidote?"
James smiled at his younger sibling, "Maybe he'll stop before we reach Hogwarts, who knows. George said the longest it has ever taken without the other half of the Nougat is about an hour. Do you first years want to see if he can break the record?"
Albus was greatly enjoying the company of his cousin to distract him. The worry of being sorted into Slytherin was just beginning to wash over him again when he felt the train beginning to slow. He looked out of the window with Rose as James called his friends Liam and Michael over. "Hey, we're nearly at Hogsmead! Come look at this."
That was when Albus caught first sight of the famous village. "Hogsmead is the largest wizarding settlement in Britain. That's what it says in 'A History of Magic'" Rose was being her usual intelligent self. It was probably her way of getting over nerves, but Albus was too busy trying to calm himself down to take any real notice of what she was saying.
Slowly the train came to a stop and the doors opened to allow the hundreds of tired and excited students out onto the platform. Rose picked up her trunk and owl Lucy and was about to walk out of the apartment when Liam stopped her. "Leave you luggage there," he said "It will be collected and taken to your dorm later." Rose looked up at him, then at James as if to make sure this wasn't a prank. After hesitating for a moment, she put her trunk back on the ground and carefully placed Lucy's cage on top of it.
They all slowly filed out of the train and took deep breaths of the cool night air. Everyone was taking in the sight of the beautiful old station when a voice called out through the steam. "Firs' years over here please, Firs' years with me!" Albus looked around until he saw the speaker, a mountain of a man who was evidently the 'Hagrid' his father had told him about. He and Rose started to make their way towards the giant with all the other kids who were obviously First years as well.
After a few minutes, most of the older students had left the platform and all the new students like Albus and Rose were gathering around Hagrid as he did a headcount "41, 42, 43, hang on I already counted you. Stop moving around so much. 44, 45 ah, close enough!" Hagrid glared at Scorpius and his gang before turning to the rest of us. "C'mon you lot, follow me. The rest of the students get to school by horse and cart, well, actually they are invisible horses called threstles but anyway, we will be arriving at Hogwarts the way all first years do. C'mon down this hill just a sec and you will get your first glimpse of Hogwarts!" Hagrid held up the large lamp he was holding to make sure that everyone was still there. A moment later he turned back around and led all the new first years down the path and around a tree. All of a sudden there was a collective gasp of awe as everyone turned the corner at once to behold the marvellous sight of the tall beautiful towers and large rooms that took their breath away. Around the magnificent castle that was Hogwarts lay a huge sparkling body of water that Hagrid called the Black Lake. Albus was beside himself with amazement at what lay before him. Seven years he would get to spend living in those warm looking towers. Seven years of wandering those lively corridors. Seven years of eating in that giant hall, studying in the grounds outside and learning magic in this wondrous school.
Albus put his hand in his cloak to feel his wand. He could still remember the voice of Mr. Ollivander, the wand maker, as he passed him this wand to try. "Here, Maple and Phoenix feather, twelve and a quarter inches, supple. Just wave it Mr. Potter, that's all you need to do." Albus had waved the wand around and instead of feeling all warm inside like his father had said it would when he found the right wand, an image of a skull had appeared at the tip of his wand. A snake had poked out of its mouth before the whole image had been engulfed in flame. "Your child is special Mr. Potter." the old wizard said quietly while looking at Albus' worried and confused looking father. "He will either bring everything back from twenty years ago, or be the one to prevent it. Whatever happens, it will happen at the school." After that, his father had bought him the wand and hurried him out of the shop and taken him home before buying the promised bag of sweets.
Albus now looked across the lake and stared at the school, "What happened twenty years ago, and why does it involve me?" He thought. Whatever it was, he knew it would start at this school and it would possibly not end well.
Rose shook his shoulder and Albus looked around, worried. "What? What happened?" Rose stared at him.
"Come on, we have to get in the boats! We get to cross the lake to reach the school." Albus stared at the ancient looking pieces of wood floating in the water.
"Are you sure they won't fall apart?"
"Positive, they may look old but they are probably just charmed to look like that to make the boats fit in more with the school. They probably used a disguise charm, or maybe even some sort of transfiguration or – hey!" Albus looked at her from his boat, slightly amused.
"Are you getting in or not?"
Thanks for reading and please review! =)
