Hogwarts: Past the Dark Age

Chapter I

Albus and Rose walked around the Hogwarts Express until they found a compartment, which they did at the end of the train. Albus started mentioning his nervousness when our story begins.

"Don't be" called Rose in a soothing voice. "You just worry too much, Albus Severus." She thought she heard Albus mumble something like "tell me something I don't know." Finally, thought Albus as the

train began to move. "And we are on our way" said Rose absolutely beaming. That was one thing Albus adored of Rose: In the most nervous and scary situations, she always makes the best of it.

They were showing each other the spell books and objects that they were bringing when a tall, fragile looking boy came in looking as if he just cried. "May I join you?" he mumbled and before Albus or

Rose could reply, he sat down. "So what is your name" asked Rose trying to suppress a giggle as Albus tried and failed in a summoning charm. "R-r-ryan p-pelsly" stuttered the boy. "Hullo Ryan" piped

Albus and Rose. An awkward silence followed this, only to be broken by the supportive comments of Albus and Rose.

"Um so Ryan…" and of course Rose saves the day again "what house do you want to be in."

"Well I come from muggles so I don't know too much about Hogwarts, or anything magic.

Both Albus and Rose smiled and mentioned how one of their parents had been raised by muggles.

This seemed to brighten Ryan's mood and they talked about magic and Hogwarts for another few hours or so.

All of a sudden out of nowhere comes an announcement:

"Attention students, we will be arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 20 minutes, please be sure to have your robes on and be ready to disembark, thank you"

" 'Bout time " says Albus I'm starving, what happened to the lady with the cart dad used to talk about?"

"I don't know" Rose replies "but I was really hoping to have a chocolate frog, they don't sell too many of them anymore."

They went into the changing compartments to get into their robes and out of their muggle attire. When Albus and Ryan, who were still talking about the four houses, finally put on their robes, the train

slowed down. In a matter of minutes the train stopped completely and the students started leaving the train.

Albus and Ryan walked out to the street in Hogsmeade when he heard a familiar voice: "firs' years over here!" It was coming from the great, tall man named Hagrid. Albus ran up to him and gave him a

great hug which hagrid returned. "How are you doin' Al?" asked Hagrid. "Im doing fine but its so great to see you again! Its been over a year." Hagrid turned a light shade of magenta and Albus

introduced him to Ryan. Hagrid collected all the first years and they all got on boats. Albus expected magic but the boats were normal and needed to be rowed.

Albus and Ryan got onto a boat, soon followed by Rose and a friend she made named Alex. "Hey, my name is Alexa but please call me alex, alexa is too formal" the girl with her brown hair straight and

her face beaming except that Albus could detect some nervousness. They all said hi and introduced themselves and they started rowing the boat. They caught sight of the amazing castle of Hogwarts

school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They all gaped at it, and stared. Alex then brought them back to earth by mentioning that her whole family has been placed in Gryffindor and that she hoped she

would too. Albus couldn't help but recognize the worried look on Ryan's face. Rose noticed too and gave him some comforting words. They joined the rest of the first years (most of them were shivering

because they obviously fell) at the front doors of Hogwarts. A stern looking woman Albus recognized as Madame Bones (Minerva McGonagall's adopted daughter) greeted them and led them to the

fabulous Great Hall. She requested that they line up in a single file line and the students obeyed.

And the next sight drew all the nervous first year's attention to its fullest. Professor Bones, who was the deputy headmistress, brought out the extremely old, moldy, but still able, sorting hat. "When I

read your name you will put the sorting hat on and await your pride and glory for the next 7 years at Hogwarts." After this speech, Albus felt as if he had just lost all his senses. There was a rip around

the brim of the hat that opened and sang:

" For many years people have put me on,

Throughout the rising sun,

Don't worry about putting me on for I am lighter than a bun

I may declare you a Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

I may put you in Ravenclaw, Where knowledge will give you smarts,

Or you may be placed in Hufflepuff, Where the few but loyal stand

But what about great Slytherin, Where they may give you a helping hand

So try me on, I won't make you flat

For I am the Hogwarts sorting hat"

The 4 tables burst into applause as the hat finished its song. He bowed a few times but then stood still. Professor Bones then unrolled a large piece of parchment and before the first years realized

what was happening, professor Bones said " Aldridge, Amelia" and a very nervous and startled looking girl walked up to the chair. Professor Bones put the Sorting Hat on her head and the girl looked

utterly terrified. It took what seemed like 5 minutes before the hat bellowed "Hufflepuff" and the girl looked somewhat relieved. Rose whispered to Albus that she wouldn't mind being sorted in

Hufflepuff next to Gryffindor, but Albus barely heard her. He was shaking and sweating all over. The list went on and on while Albus stood there, hoping it would be over soon. He then heard a familiar

name "Calora, Alexa" and the girl they met earlier went up to the stool, looking confident but a bit nervous. She put on the hat and it took at least 5 minutes before it shouted "Hufflepuff!" The girl

looked stunned and horrified and had to have been asked by Professor Bones to move, before she got up. This only got Albus more frightened. Then Madame Bones eventually called "Pelsey, Ryan" the

kind and extremely nervous boy who shared Albus's and Rose's compartment. The hat surprisingly took a very short time before declaring him a Gryffindor. Albus was surprised and, by the look on

Ryan's face, so was he. The next name on the parchment was the one Albus feared the most: his own. "Potter, Albus Severus" and he lost the bit of color in his face. What if he was put in Slytherin he

thought as he slowly moved to the stool. He recognized the stares from the people, as his dad was so famous for defeating the darkest wizard the world had ever known, Lord Voldemort.

And he got to the stool, with energy he did not feel, and put on the hat. It slipped over his face and Albus started as the hat spoke to him. "aaaahh, another Potter, now what to do with you? Albus

summoned up all his remaining courage and answered the hat most respectively "That is for you to decide sir." He thought he heard the hat sob and apologized. "don't appoligize, for you are only the

second one to refer to me as sir and not thing" the hat choked. "who was the other one?" asked Albus. "it was actually that Malfoy boy, whom I sorted into Gryffindor" the hat explained. Albus then

froze in the stool. How could a Malfoy not get sorted into Slytherin, but getting sorted in Gryffindor was the most unlikely of them all. "Not so sure about my sorting skills, are you Mr. Potter?" the hat

asked. Albus regained his senses, realizing he is been on the stool for at least 3 minutes. "I'm sorry, its just all those stories my uncle Ron told me about the Malfoy's…" Albus said, drifting off at the end

of the apology. "Well, Albus, it seems that you are not fit to be a Hufflepuff, you must be optimistic about people, no matter what you hear of them." Albus turned a paler white, as he wished to be a

Hufflepuff if he wouldn't be a Gryffindor. "I better mention how there is also no chance of you becoming a Slytherin too" exclaimed the hat. Albus realized now that he had let it slip on his fear of being

sorted in Slytherin and the hat had sensed it. "but you are definitely fit for Ravenclaw and maybe even for Gryffindor!" said the hat and Albus got a little color back in his face. "well, will you be fine in

Ravenclaw?" asked the hat. Albus thought for a bit and replied "you know what sir, I think I would be fine in Ravenclaw. I'll still try my hardest and make whatever house I'm part of proud!" The hat

gave one final response before the big announcement. "if you replied no to that answer, you would have been place in Ravenclaw for the lack of courage needed for Gryffindor." Albus then heard the

hat shout the one word he would treasure most dearly for the rest of his life. "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Albus smiled, took of the hat, gave his final thank you and left to the crazily cheering

Gryffindor table at the end of the Hall. He was congratulated from the Prefects and Head Boy John McMillan and Head Girl Nora Carpacchio. He took a seat next to Ryan who was grinning broadly. He

then caught eye with the Malfoy he saw at the station named Scorpio. He took a deep breath and extended his hand to the brown haired kid. The kid hesitated, but then took Albus's hand, a grin on his

face. They introduced themselves to each other and Albus introduced Ryan. This was the moment of a great friendship between these three.

Albus then focused back to the sorting ceremony. His brother had came up and congradulated him, but not without the joke of the hat making a mistake which Albus gladly hit him for.