"Hmm yes, how interesting, I see it here in your mind. A Slytherin for sure!" The old threadbare hat muttered thoughtfully into Albus' ears.

"Not Slytherin! Not Slytherin!" Albus begged fervently wondering whether the hat could actually hear him or whether he would have to embarrass himself by saying it in front of the whole school.

"Not Slytherin?" It questioned.

"No. Not Slytherin! My family would hate me! Please!" He pleaded.

"Hmm, you are just like your father. He refused my input as well. If you're sure…?" The hat paused dramatically and as it did Albus recalled the conversation he had had with his father at king's cross station earlier that day.

"But what if I am put into Slytherin?" He recalled asking.

He remembered how his father had lowered himself to Albus' level and looked firmly but gently into his eyes and said:

"Albus Severus Potter you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

Perhaps his father wouldn't hate him… maybe he would be proud. And if he did go into Slytherin he could be with Scorpius the quiet boy he had met on the train. They had only known each other a few hours but Albus had a feeling they connected well and could become great friends. After all, didn't his father meet his best friends on that first train journey?

"Better be…" The hat called aloud pulling Albus sharply from his reverie.

Without a second longer to consider it he thought "Slytherin! Put me in Slytherin!"

"Kids today don't know what they want." The hat mumbled grumpily but then lightened, "At least you take my advice I suppose. So… SLYTHERIN!" Albus heard him shout the last word to the whole hall and felt it be pulled back of his head. With his vision no longer blocked by dark material he could clearly see the great hall and eagerly looked out for his brother knowing he would be laughing and waiting to gloat.

He spotted him at the Gryffindor table but to his surprise his brother's trademark smirk had slipped from his face to be replaced with a look of pure horror. His mouth was slightly agape and appeared to be mouthing the word "what" questioningly and repeatedly as if he thought he must have just been confounded. Albus, now feeling a bit disconcerted, looked to Rose Weasley for support. They had been friends from an early age and he knew that although she was a bit of a know it all and annoying, she was always supportive. But she too had somehow paled even more, her freckles standing out blatantly against her white skin.

It was only when the whole hall interrupted into shocked conversation that he realised it had up until then been completely silent.

"But isn't that Harry Potter's kid?"

"Poor kid imagine having to tell his father that?"

"That's his brother there isn't it? He looks awful. Don't blame him. The shame!"

"The sorting has saw something in him."

Albus sat on the stool remained as still as a muggle's portrait; growing up as Harry's son he was well used to people talking about him when he entered somewhere but this was different. That had been almost reverent, as if just by being the son of the hero harry potter he too was worthy of praise, but now everyone was looking at him with a mixture of horror and what looked like (though he hoped he was wrong) fear.

After a couple of minutes sat on the stool and just as he was beginning to consider seizing the hat back, ramming it on his head and demanding it to place him into Gryffindor instead, professor Flitwick spoke; his voice seeming slightly squeakier than usual, "Erm yes, off to your seat now young lad".

Albus made his way to the Slytherin table making a beeline to the one smiling face in the hall: Scorpius Malfoy.

"Hey Al! How great is this?" He greeted him excitedly.

"Err yeah definitely. . . I just wish people would stop staring."

But eyes kept flickering over to him and David Proston was called forward and placed into Hufflepuff almost without being noticed at all apart from a few handshakes and whispered well done's from those he sat closest to.

Albus, trying to ignore all the muttering, looked at those sat closest to him. Contrary to what his brother had told him, none of them looked particularly evil… whatever that looked like. In fact, most of them looked friendly, (except for a few particularly brutish looking fourth years who seemed more interested in laughing at the quivering first years than they were in Albus) and most even seemed sympathetic to Albus' plight.

A tall slender girl with wavy brunette hair sat on her shoulders, discreetly stood a few seats along and slipped into the seat next to him, "Hi Albus, I'm Daisy Robbins, I'm your head girl. Don't worry about those," she gestured at the rest of the hall, "they'll bore of the gossip soon. There's always something. Last year it was Circe Fletcher being placed into Hufflepuff. You will do well in Slytherin and we're glad to have you. If you need anything let me know." She smiled kindly before returning to her seat next to a similar aged dark girl that Albus had noticed smiling gently, almost motheringly, at him when he had first sat down.

"See Al," Scorpius grinned, "Nothing to worry about!"

Albus tried to believe him and made a renewed valiant effort to ignore the attention he still garnered even after the sorting hat disappeared and a magical feast had appeared before them.