Albus Severus and the Pyramids of Furmat
Chapter one
A new Beginning
Albus Severus Potter was sitting on the Hogwarts Express, next to his brother James, who already started Hogwarts a year before. Albus had reddish-black hair in the same style as his father- messy, short, and very dark. He had his father's eyes, which had been his father's mother, Lily's eyes. Albus had a similar facial structure to his father, albeit without the famous lightning-bolt shaped scar that his father had. James was 12, and he already was known throughout the school as a little troublemaker, though he was excellent on the Quidditch field, and he was made the Gryffindor Keeper a few weeks before term started. James had the same ginger hair as his mother, Ginny. He had a very similar face, too. "Hey, Albi. I think I know which House you're going to be in." said James to Albus in an excited tone. "Which one?" asked Albus. "Hufflepuff! Ha-ha!" laughed James. "I AM NOT GOING TO BE IN HUFFLEPUFF, JAMES POTTER!" screamed Albus, as he drew his phoenix-elder wand and pointed it at his brother.
"It was just a joke, Albi. I'm sure you'll be in Gryffindor with me!" whimpered James, who was being pushed to the floor of the compartment by his brother. "Still, that was really MEAN of you, James! SECTUMSEMPRA ADAMA!" shrieked Albus, and a purplish glow erupted from his wand, hitting James' ribcage with a thud, and one of James' ribs was suddenly broken. "Oh no, what have I done?!" cried Albus, alarmed at his own stupidity. Now his 12-year old brother was lying sprawled on the compartment floor with a broken rib, crying loudly. "Episkey Maximus!" said Albus, and James was fully healed, with his rib back to normal. Rose and Hugo Weasley ran into the compartment, and they looked down to see the two brothers on the floor, James somewhat dazed. Rose looked very much like her mother, Hermione; Hugo, his father, Ron. "What happened? We watched the whole thing!" said Rose and Hugo simultaneously. "I can explain," said Albus quietly, and Rose, Hugo, and the somewhat-conscious James looked at Albus, ready to listen. "Well, it all started with the choice of spell, really. A few weeks ago I saw Scorpius-" "Scorpius? As in Scorpius Malfoy?" asked an incredulous Hugo. "Yes, that Scorpius, I saw him in an alley near our house, and he told me he knew a spell that I could use on James in case he ever hurt my feelings really badly. So, he taught it to me, and I practiced it on some squirrels with his wand- he got it for his 11th birthday three months ago. It looked like it worked, so when James hurt my feelings a few minutes ago, I used it on him. I never knew how bad that spell really was. I'm so sorry," finished Albus. "We all understand. Let's hope Scorpius never teaches you any more Dark magic anymore!" said Rose. James and Hugo both nodded in approval. Rose and Hugo left the compartment, leaving Albus and James alone. "I'm so sorry I got you into this mess," said James. "Let's forget this ever happened, OK?" Albus asked. "OK...Hey, Albi, we're almost there!" Albus rushed to the window and saw a huge castle, with towers, spires, and everything a castle should be. "That's Hogwarts?" asked Albus. "Yup," said James, and with a smile on his tear-streamed face, he got up and left the compartment, Albus following suit.
Chapter Two
The Hat's Decision
The Great Hall was exactly as Albus had imagined it: huge, and homey, with candles floating ghost-like above the tables where the four houses sat. James was already sitting at his table with his fellow Gryffindors.
Albus and his fellow first-years waited in a line, as Deputy Headmaster and head of Gryffindor Professor Leon Strellestin put a stool and a withered old hat resting on top of the stool on the floor in front of the first years. Albus was standing next to Scorpius, who was smirking, and Hugo and Lily, looking nervous. Professor Strellestin started to speak, his voice young and strong. He looked a lot like a lion, with a deep golden mane of hair, and a rugged, tough body. His wand appeared to be made of pinewood. "Hello, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I am Professor Strellestin, as most of you know, and I am proud to present the Sorting Hat!" Everybody cheered as the Hat began to sing:
I may look like I'm withered
I may look old and gray
But when you put me on your head
To a House you'll go to stay.
If you are brave and courageous
Gryffindor's your place,
If you prefer brains over brawns,
To Ravenclaw you'll race.
The quiet, loyal, sincere folk
Are due for Hufflepuff,
And if your wits and power prove,
Slytherin's got your kind of stuff.
So place me on your noggin
And I'll ponder for a bit,
And send you off to make new friends-
No wonder I'm a hit!
"Now, all the first years will be called up and be sorted. Bressley, Polly!" A blue-eyed, brunette girl walked up and put the hat on her head. "Hmmm...Gryffindor!" Polly walked off to the Gryffindor table and sat down. "Bunderbar, Samuel!" Samuel was sorted into Hufflepuff. A couple minutes passed and soon it was Scorpius's turn. "Hmm...I remember when your father was sorted," said the Sorting Hat. "Really? Wow!" whispered Scorpius. "You seem a bit... different from your father. Much nicer, not as vain and arrogant. You seem like you would make a great...Gryffindor!"
Albus, Rose, Hugo, and James' jaws dropped. "A Malfoy...in GRYFFINDOR?!" mouthed James to Albus. "I know...weird. What the heck?!" mouthed Albus back to his brother. "Potter, Albus!" It was his turn at last. He put the hat firmly on his head.
"Aahhh... another Potter. My fourth, to be exact. Your father was quite the remarkable student. He was in Gryffindor. You, however, are quite the same as your father. You share his looks and his smarts. Your father struck me as a Slytherin, but he ended up in Gryffindor. You seem to be a Gryffindor type. Yet...you also struck me as a Slytherin, just like your dad. What do you say?" said the Sorting Hat. "I want to be with my friends in Gryffindor, but why is Scorpius a Gryffindor?" asked Albus quietly. "He just struck me as a nice person, not one who fights for power, but fights for a good cause. So, my young lad, you are in... GRYFFINDOR!" Everybody cheered, even Scorpius. Maybe Scorpius could be nice after all. Rose and Hugo both got into Gryffindor, and then the whole school quieted down as the headmaster, Professor Pyraeus Byrndrom, stood up to speak. He looked like a younger Dumbledore, but with long, silvery-blond hair. He wore half-moon glasses and wore a robe with blue crystals embedded into the fabric. He had a kind voice that was loud and powerful. "I welcome all of you to a new term at our fine school. This year, I'd like to introduce our newest teacher. Her name is Celandine D'Oracle, and she will be teaching Astronomy. I welcome her." As Byrndrom said this, a sinister-looking woman stood up and waved. Her nails were sharp and painted a deep purple-maroon color. She had long black hair with green highlights and she wore deep maroon robes. She was wearing a green leaf-shaped amulet on her neck. Her eyes were a piercing brown-red color. "Hello, Hogwarts. It is very nice to meet you all," she snarled. Her voice was sinister as well, going very well with her looks. "Now, back to what I was saying. After our feast, we will go to our dormitories, where you will find all your things have been put away. Enjoy the feast! And I leave you with these words: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Tittilandus-never tickle a sleeping dragon!" said a smiling Byrndrom, and with that, the food appeared on all the tables. There was fish, chicken, basically any food you could eat. As Albus munched on a chicken leg and chatted with Rose and Hugo, a ghostly head popped up from a bowl of mashed potatoes. "Oh, hello, Bodiless Nick," said James, looking at the ghost. Once he was nearly headless, but his ghostly body fell off one day 7 years before. Now he was just a head with no neck or body. "It's Sir Nicholas De-Mimsy Porpington, my friends. I'm the ghost of Gryffindor!" and as he said this, he flew off to talk with the Grey Lady, still as pretty as she was 19 years ago, when Albus's dad, aunt and uncle went looking for Horcruxes.
Chapter Three
Astronomy
The next morning, Albus, Rose, Hugo, James and a new Gryffindor friend Albus made the night before named David Boot started classes. Unfortunately, the first class was double Astronomy with Professor D'Oracle, and it was at 3 in the morning. David's father was Terry Boot, a student who was acquainted with Albus's father 19 years ago. David had dark blond hair, a long nose, and big grey eyes. Once they got to class, Prof. D'Oracle seated them, and sitting right next to Albus was a smirking Scorpius Malfoy, combing his hair with his wand. On Albus' other side was Polly Bressley, hair still the same as the night before, but her eyes seemed different. Perhaps she was a Metamorphmagus...
"Sit, sit, sit!" screeched Prof. D'Oracle. Today she was wearing a silvery-green robe, and a ruby eye-shaped pendant. Her nails were still the deep maroon color from the feast, as was her green-tinged hair. "Now, when I call you up, take a telescope and climb up the staircase to the roof of the tower, and use the telescope to find Jupiter. It is surprisingly scarlet today, the color of blood..." she snapped, muttering the last bits under her breath. "David!" David scuttled up to grab a telescope, all of which were a deep brassy color. He climbed up the stair and was soon on the roof. "Polly!" Polly followed David to the top of the tower. A dozen more names were called, including Scorpius, then the remaining students, Albus, Rose, Hugo, James, and some myriad Ravenclaws were left, including James' Muggle-born friend Zane Walker. There were no telescopes left. "Oh, there's no more telescopes. That's too bloody bad. I guess next class we will call names backwards alphabetically. Now, what will you be doing for this class, seeing how there are no telescopes left?" asked D'Oracle, looking menacingly at the children. Albus looked at his watch. "Prof. D'Oracle, I think class is over already," said Albus meekly. Suddenly all the students rushed out of the room, from the roof, leaving Celandine trampled and tousled on the floor. "Crap! My plan didn't work! Ah, well, next class they'll see how the bite of death has been nibbling away at their mortal souls!" muttered D'Oracle, after everyone left the room to go to their next class.
James walked in front of his fellow Gryffindors on the way to Potions with Prof. Slughorn, who had been teaching merrily in the dungeons since his father's 6th year. "C'mon, guys, we don't want to be late." The students were talking amongst themselves, until a sudden halt from James right in front of the door to Potions had the students stand still. "Guys, I don't think you want to see this," said James, looking down at the ground, shocked.
Chapter Four
Dirty Little Secret
The body of Horace Slughorn lay bloodied and silent on the floor of the dungeon, eyes closed, mouth lolling open, and several deep, bleeding gashes the size of teacups were covering his large, roly-poly torso. "I guess this means we're not having Potions today...or tomorrow...or the day after," whispered Hugo Weasley, who was standing behind James with Albus and Rose. "You're right, Hugo. All of us should head up to the common room. Albi, go and tell Byrndrom what happened!" Albus nodded, and as his fellow classmates rushed away from the lifeless, walrus-like man, he stooped down and sniffed the air like a scenthound. He smelled something that vaguely reminded him of nail polish and metal. He got up, looked at the body of the kindly Slytherin teacher, and scurried away to tell the head of Hogwarts.
Albus wandered the halls until he found himself face-to-face with a statue of a gleeful-looking wizard with long hair and a beard tied with a hairtie. "So this is the Dumbledore my dad tells me about," thought Albus, and he pressed a button on the side of the statue, which was decorated with a symbol of two interlinked male symbols. Albus looked rather perplexed as he saw the markings, but he only had a brief moment for thought, when the statue sprung to life. "You wish to see the Headmaster?" asked the statue. Albus replied with a small "yes," and with that, the statue moved to the side to let Al pass. "You may proceed, as long as you fight for what is right, and your heart is as pure as phoenix song." Albus climbed the staircase up to the headmaster's office. When he walked in, the decorations surprised him. A Gay Pride banner was strung up, and he could see the Headmaster kneeling next to a picture of two men, one with a long auburn beard and half-moon spectacles, another with curly blond locks and a witty look about him.
"Professor Byrndrom?"
"Oh!" Pyraeus turned toward Albus, blushing.
"Who are those people?" asked Albus.
"Oh...these guys? OK...I'll tell you, but please, DON'T TELL ANYONE. Except your father. And maybe your brother."
Albus nodded, and they sat down.
"It all started back in 1899, when Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Gellert Thorlund Grindelwald were having their so-called "Summer of Love." They decided to have a child. That child was me, Pyraeus Grindeldore."
"So basically, you're the illicit love child of Dumbledore and Grindelwald?"
"Yes, Albus Severus. Exactly. So, when I was about 2, they abandoned me at a wizarding orphanage. I was eventually adopted by a rather wealthy family, the Byrndroms. They were told I was gay by the orphanage owner, so my room at our house was decorated with a Gay Pride theme. When I was finally sent to Hogwarts, me and my Shadow Yew/Thestral-Tail wand were sorted into Hufflepuff. Now look at me, the headmaster of the greatest wizarding school in the world! What a life story!"
Albus Severus nodded, and turned to leave, but remembered why he had came in the first place.
"Did you hear about the death downstairs?"
"Oh, yes. Poor Horace Ezekial Slughorn. He lived a good 92 years."
"Do you have any idea about who killed him, Professor?"
"I believe there may be one person."
"Who, Professor?"
"You know Dolores Umbridge?"
"Yeah, my dad tells me stories about her when I'm at home. She seems like the daughter of that old Moldy Voldy!"
"Yes, that old hag. She had a child with a descendant of Vlad the Impaler, you know who that is, right?"
"He was a vampire known as Dracul, right?"
"Yes. So I believe that their daughter, Celedra Dorick?... no... is it Celine Dion?...no... oh, what's her name? I keep forgetting! Alas, she's on the Ministry's Most Wanted list. That is all. Now go to class, Albus. You have Herbology with Professor Longbottom next!"
"Thanks, Professor!"
Albus ran as fast as his legs could take him, and he realized that he should definitely write to his dad about this.
Chapter Five
The Magus-Herbology Society of Great Britain
Neville Longbottom had been teaching Herbology ever since Professor Sprout, who had been teaching well over 20 years, had died. His passion for herbology showed: wherever he went, his favorite mimbulus mimbletonia plant came with him.
As Albus rushed into the greenhouse, he was greeted with enthusiasm by Professor Longbottom. "Albus Severus Potter! At last I have you in my class! Come in, come in!" Neville led Albus to his seat, which was next to Polly and Hugo. Each desk had a textbook on top, titled The Wizarding World Encyclopaedia of Magical Flora. Each book had a small yellow sticker with flashing red letters saying Approved by the Magus-Herbology Society of Great Britain on it. Neville turned off the lights in the room with a simple Nox, and projected an image onto a screen using his wand as a projector, "Now, class, can anyone tell me who this gentleman is?" A mustachioed man wearing Victorian-styled clothing was on the screen. He had a playful glint in his eyes, and he was holding a potted plant. Rose raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Weasley?" "That would be Miles Mimbleton, famous magus-herbologist and founder of the Magus-Herbological Society of Great Britain, Professor." "Correct. Miles Mimbleton was the most famous magus-herbologist of the 1800's. He was known for discovering two rare species of magical flora. Can anyone tell me what they are?" Neville paused and called on Polly. "They were the mimbulus mimbletonia, of course, and the Shadow Yew." Albus remembered something about the Shadow Yew from earlier that day, but he couldn't remember exactly.
"Now, class," said Neville, "this is my most prized possesion, aside from the head of the Dark Lord's snake that I stuffed and mounted on my wall. This is my mimbulus mimbletonia, or Assyrian Spitting Cactus. I've nicknamed him Miles, for obvious reasons." The class oohed and aahed. Scorpius, who had been silent the whole class finally piped up. "Who gives a shit about this dumb society, anyway?" Scorpius yawned and flipped the middle finger at Neville. "SHUT THE HELL UP, SCORPIUS MALFOY!!" shouted Polly, who usually was quiet during classes.
"SILENCE!" bellowed a hurt Neville. "CLASS DISMISSED. I've left your assignment inside your desks." Neville slumped in his chair and began stroking Miles. Albus, whose face was full of shock after seeing his friend swear like that, grabbed the piece of parchment out of his desk. It read:
YOUR HERBOLOGY HOMEWORK:
Read this and take notes.
A page from The Wizarding World Encyclopaedia of Magical Flora, Approved by the Magus-Herbological Society of Great Britain:
Mimbulus Mimbletonia, or Assyrian Spewing Cactus
MHSGB Rating: XX
This once rather rare plant was discovered in Assyria by Miles Mimbleton in 1820.
Known as the Assyrian Spewing Cactus in some parts of the world, it is a cross between the common cactus and another Mimbleton species, the incredibly powerful Shadow Yew.
It is a common house plant nowadays, especially in the London area.
It has a rating of XX because its stinksap is rather revolting.
Albus ran out of the classroom and caught up with Polly, whose face was full of tears. "You were really brave, Polly. I would NEVER have the courage to do that."
"You really think so? Well, thanks."
Albus and Polly looked at each other, and suddenly their lips met.
Scorpius was walking past them when he saw them snogging in the hallway. "Hey, everybody, Albus Potter's snogging Polly Bressley! And they're only FIRST YEARS! Aww...how cute!" announced Scorpius. The people in the hallway all turned to the snogging 11-year-olds. To Albus, this kiss was the most amazing thing he ever felt. To Polly, nothing mattered in the world but this boy, this son of a hero. To Scorpius, it was the most revolting thing he'd seen since his dad lost all his hair.