Chapter 1 Welcomed

Rose and Albus walked back to their compartment once they had rounded the corner. Rose sat close to the window, looking out hoping to fill the hole in her stomach, Albus sat her opposite. She continued to stare outside the window, Albus looked at his hands folded in his lap. After several moments of awkward moments of silence, Albus looked up at her.
"Rose, you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah," Rose paused. She fiddled with her fingers, before looking back into his eyes. "Its just, I don't know, I don't want to let my dad down Albus."

"How?"

"Well, how do I explain it? Every Weasley has been in Gryffindor. Even my mother was in it! I don't want to be the one person who lets them all down." Albus started to respond, but was interrupted by the compartment door opening.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full." A voice asked.
Rose looked up. The person who just walked in was smiling. Her black hair fell just past her shoulder, and her light brown Asian looking eyes seemed warm, comforting, and welcoming.

"Yeah, sure go ahead. We have plenty of room here," Rose said after a moments silence.
"OK, great thanks!" She exclaimed. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation, but did I hear that you are a Weasley?" She asked looking at Rose. She lifted her suitcase into the rack above them, and sat next to Albus, but couldn't help but blush.

"Um, yeah I am," Rose said answering her question. She looked at her red hair, which had a tint of brown to it. "Why?"

Oh no reason. I was just curious. I heard a lot about them lately. And I never would have guessed that you were part of them," she said. She looked over at Albus-who was being quiet since she entered. "And you, you look just like Harry Potter!"

"That's because I'm his son," Albus laughed, and they all joined in laughing.

"Well, I think that is a great honor to have him for a dad…and uncle," she paused. "I'm Ami by the way."

"I'm Rose."

"Albus."

"Ami- if you don't mind my asking- are you part Asian?" Rose asked. Albus looked over at her, now seeming interested in the conversation.

Ami giggled. "Yeah, I am ¼ Chinese. My mom is 1/2 , and my dad is 100% English, but I look just like my mum."

There was another long moment of silence, as each of them looked out of the window, looking at the blurry scenery, and they looked at each other. "ANYTHING FROM THE TROLLEY?!" A voice yelled. Rose jumped. She was tired of just sitting there, and this was an oppurnity to go and walk around. "Albus, you want anything?" Rose asked him. He shook his head, looking sleepy. She would get him something anyways, because she didn't want to deal with his complaining of his stomach later.

"Can I come Rose?" Ami asked, grabbing her stomach, I am starving. Rose nodded even though she was halfway out of the compartment already.

Rose reached the trolley, as Ami slowly walked towards her. Someone was already there. And that someone was going to be her biggest rival in her class. She looked at the boy, and he looked up at Rose. She stared into his grey eyes, and his bleach blonde hair. His eyes were comforting, warm. Ami had then caught up , and broke the two kid's attention. This was Scorpius Malfoy. She had to beat him. And then he was gone, walking back to his compartment. Rose stared after him.

"Scorpius Malfoy, heard a lot about him," Ami whispered in her ear. Rose looked back at Ami and nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Anything for you dears?" The trolley lady asked. They walked back to their compartment arms filled with chocolate Frog's and Bertie Bott's. As they entered, Rose threw some at Albus who jumped awake, her and Ami laughed.

"So what house do you want to be in?" Ami asked, between bites.

"Anything but Syltherin," Albus said quickly. "You?" He asked Ami.

"Personally, I like Ravenclaw, and my mum told me I have the brains for it. What about you Rose?"

Rose sat there in silence for about five minutes. "Well-"

"We arrive at Hogwarts station in two minutes. Please get ready to leave the train." A voice said. They all walked to the closest door, Rose's stomach turned.

When they arrived they stepped out of the train, and looked around in amazement. Their wide, beady eyes could see the brightly lit up castle in the distance. A voice called out for all first years to gather near, and Rose paid no attention to who said it, but walked with the crowd of first years instead. She was in the middle of Albus, and Ami, but looked back at the upperclassmen who were moving along elsewhere. She was looking for Victorie, but didn't see her. As she was turning around, she saught Socrpius, and found him. They stared again, but Ami dragged them along as they started walking to the boats.

She loaded a boat with Ami and Albus, and soon after they got in, another kid sat with them. They had no idea who the stranger was, but all they could make from him (for he was holding their light in the very front) was he was blonde, and quite chubby. Rose looked into the water hoping to see something down below. Alas, she saw nothing, and they were just inches away from the school. As she started to look up, she swore she saw something move in the water, but as she looked back down, nothing was there.

They walked up many steps, before they got to the waiting area. An older woman walked out holding a scroll. Ami whispered in Rose's ear, that it was Professor (now headmistress) McGonagal. She read them a quick general list of rules for the sorting ceremony. And soon after they were walking into the Great Hall. It felt as though someone grabbed Rose's stomach, and ripped it out. She looked around for Victorie, and found her, they smiled at each other, then Rose looked down at the ground as she walked. Albus, however, looked at James who couldn't help but laugh at his little brother. Albus' face flushed of all color.

They were now standing in front of a few steps were a stool with a hat sat in front of them. The hat moved a little, and all the first years jumped. The other students erupted with laughter.

The headmistress made them all silent down as if were nothing, and then looked at the first years. "Now, when I call your name you will come up here to be sorted. You will place the hat on your head, and will sit with the rest of your house," she said swiftly. "Abbot, John." She said. Rose looked up at the teacher's table, and couldn't help but notice Professor Longbottom who smiled as the boy's name was called.

The boy walked up, almost tripping up the stairs. Rose, Ami, and Albus all looked at eachother to realize that that was the boy who was in the boat with them. After a few seconds, the sorting hat yelled "HUFFLEPUFF!" And the Hufflepuff table cheered.

Many other names were called. "Chang, Ami," The headmistress said. Ami squeezed Rose's hand, and headed to the stool. The hat was too big for her, and she quickly took it off when she was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" The lady called out after thirty minutes of other names. There was a murmur over from the Slytherin table, all else was quiet. He stared into Rose's eyes, and Rose did the same. The hat was thinking out loud between Ravenclaw, and Slytherin for him. After two minutes, he was sorted into Slytherin.

Albus was soon after Scorpius, and the whole room feel silent when his name was called. James loudly said "OH COME ON!" and Albus was sent to Gryffindor in seconds.

Only four more students were left with Rose. When the headmistress called her name, she took in a large breath and slowly walked up. She looked at Ami, and all her family in Gryffindor. Then once again, she sought Scorpius. She smiled at him, and he didn't even respond. The head mistress smiled at her more kindly than any other, and patter her on the back when she sat on the stool.

"Very intelligent. But, brave and loyal too. But where should you go? Does your brain dominate you, or are you willing to look past smarts?" The Sorting Hat thought aloud. "RAVENCLAW!" it exclaimed loudly.

Rose looked at the Gryffindor table. All of her family member's mouths were gaped open. She saw Albus first, he shook his head in disbelief. James did the same. And then she saw Victoire. Her closest girl cousin. Her eyes were watering, and she put her face in her hands. Then she saw Ali. Her smile was radiant- grinning from ear to ear. She was clapping harder than any other Ravenclaw as she started to walk towards the table.

She sat next to Ali at her table. Scorpius was right behind her, he smiled at her, and something weird happened in her stomach. She looked over at her family again, she smiled over at them, and they understood that it was ok. She looked down her own table, no one paying attention to the last kid being sorted, who went to Gryffindor. They were all beaming at her. Did she have something in her teeth, or did they know that she had her mother's brains?

It didn't matter. She was welcomed here more than ever. I didn't matter what house she was in, her parents were going to be proud of her. She looked back at Scorpius, and he was paying attention to the headmistress who was giving rules. She finally looked up at the teachers, and started to pay attention, and before she could blink food was in front of them. She and Ali dug in.