DISCLAIMER: Everything you recognise is not mine… that's pretty much everything. It's JK's.
This is my first fanfic so bear with me. I'll try to update as much as possible but I can only do it as often as the ink spills on the pad.
Many thanks to my Beta aimz666, Check out her stuff ;)
-New Footprints on Old Parchment-
Chapter 1 – Sleeping Beauty and Brilliant Company
Two sandy-haired boys tugged their trunks across the platform until they were between Platform 9 and Platform 10. One of the boys was clearly struggling with his trunk; the other was managing just fine. Lookers-on would assume the two to be twins due to their identical features and the lack of two sets of parents. The boys' mother was recognised by a couple of other parents, that she'd attended Hogwarts with, as Luna Lovegood. Her letters were now addressed to a Luna Scamander since she'd married Rolf Scamander many years ago.
"Sandy, do you want a hand with your trunk?" their father asked, noticing his one son struggling with his trunk. The boy, whose Christian name was Lysander (Sandy being his family name), politely declined the offer, not wanting to appear weak next to his brother. Nevertheless he did seem visibly relieved when they came to a halt at the barrier between the two platforms. They passed through the barrier and onto to Platform 9¾ where the Hogwarts Express waited. Lorcan, which was the other boy's name, and Lysander had never asked about the scarlet train but they were taken aback when they set their sights on it. It stood majestically in the station and some might have found it quite intimidating in truth. Both of the boys' mouths gaped open in awe of the steam-engine before them.
"Wow." Lorcan thought aloud. Realising he'd said this, he blushed slightly. His mother smiled remembering when she first stepped onto this platform. They pressed onwards towards the train, their father helping them both lift their trunks on board before their prolonged goodbyes.
"Look after each other! Make sure to beware, it's Nargle breeding season" Luna reminded them both. Lysander and Lorcan chorused an agreement as they had so many times since they received their letters.
"And, don't forget to write. Once-a-week?" their father told them rather than asked them. They agreed. Lysander was being more enthusiastic than Lorcan. A few more people got onto the platform and the twins realised they were blocking an entrance to the train. They weren't going to keep them waiting because they looked like seventh years and they were, mostly, Slytherins. This was the house neither boy wanted to end up in. They'd both decided that they wanted to end up in either Ravenclaw, which was their mother's house, or Gryffindor. They didn't loathe Hufflepuff and wouldn't really mind being in that house. It's just that everyone made it out to be a house for nobodies.
"We've got to go now, we're blocking the entrance." Lorcan spoke for both of them awkwardly. Before they got on the train, they said their final goodbyes and shared concluding hugs.
Now on the train, they held a short hunt for an empty compartment. Thankfully, due to them being there so early, they found one pretty quickly. It was near the back of the train because a lot of the older students were at the front and lots of Slytherins were in the middle. They helped each other store their trunks in the overhead compartment and sat down. Lorcan found the seat to be more comfortable than he'd expected it to be. He could make himself at home here for the next few hours. His brother had obviously made himself too at home because he was already in dreamland. Lorcan sighed and thought to himself; Brilliant Company. Perhaps this journey would be longer than he'd anticipated.
The platform was getting more crowded now. Lorcan tried to pick out any new first years. He saw girl he guessed might be a first year. She had very short brown hair and what he thought were hazel eyes. The window above was open and he caught the girls' mother telling her to write home as often as possible and to behave herself. The girl, who Lorcan learnt was called Kate, mumbled something in reply that Lorcan didn't quite catch. He watched her climb aboard and scanned the platform for another first year. This was becoming a more difficult task as the platform was filling up now. He looked at his watch; 10:45am. Fifteen minutes until he'd be on his way. He looked back out to the platform just in time to see a boy with dark short hair step onto the platform followed by his father. Lorcan looked on as the boys' father was greeted by many people. On a second look, Lorcan realised that the boy's father was in fact Oliver Wood, the Keeper at Puddlesmere United and previous captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He wanted to go and see him but thought better of leaving his brother alone. Wood's son seemed to want his father to hurry and so he tugged at his father's hand persistently. This boy, Lorcan felt sure, was a first year.
Sean was used to this. His father was often spotted in the Wizarding World. He just wished that when there was only fifteen minutes until the train was leaving that he could hurry up. He managed to get his father to make haste. They got near to the train before saying goodbyes.
"Don't fret about the Sorting." Wood began, "I'll be proud of whichever house you're in and you'll do great in any house." Sean nodded along seemingly not digesting much of what his father was saying. He was listening though.
"And you'll remember to write?" Sean's father reminded him.
"Every week" Sean grinned.
"And remember, first years very rarely make the Quidditch team. So, don't expect it!" Oliver Wood thought he should mention this knowing his sons love for the sport. Sean had been playing it properly since he was six. He'd had with first broom when he was only one! It was only a toy broom but it still counts, right? He used to zoom around on it about a foot from the floor or so his father told him. Personally, he couldn't remember, as most people can't, much about being one year old.
"And, behave yourself?"
"Of course – when do I ever misbehave?"
"Okay" Oliver paused, "Come and give your father a hug?"
Sean found himself wrapped up in his father's arms not remembering agreeing to it. He would have agreed though. He would miss his father while he was away he thought. People told him that no one really got homesick because Hogwarts felt like home. Sean still thought he would miss home. The hug had now become awkwardly long. Finally, his father released him and told him to run along. He helped him get his trunk on the train and then moved away to the back out of the platform. Sean pulled his trunk along the corridor, trying to find a relatively empty compartment with first years inside. He also didn't fancy sitting in with a group of Slytherins-to-be. After a long and awkward walk down the train corridor, he stumbled across a compartment with two sandy-haired boys inside. Peering in, he realised that one was asleep and one looked incredibly bored but most importantly; they were first years. He couldn't believe his luck so he slid open the compartment door.
"Is this seat taken?" Sean asked cautiously.
"Not at all" the boy replied. Sean put his trunk in the overhead storage and sat down next to the sleeping boy and opposite the other.
"I'm Sean by the way. Sean Wood." he started a conversation and stuck his hand out for the boy to shake.
"I'm Lorcan Scamander" the boy said as he shook Sean's hand.
"And who's sleeping beauty?" Sean asked with a cheeky grin.
Lorcan grinned too, "He's my brother; Lysander."
"You both have awesome names." Sean said, "So, I assume you're both first years like me?"
"Yeah, we are."
A boy with messy black hair stepped onto the platform. He was followed immediately by a younger boy with straight and tame black hair, who had bright green eyes and was pretty pale. He was struggling slightly his trunk but wasn't about to give up. The two boys were followed by their parents and younger sister. They re-grouped quickly and shuffled away from the wall they'd just come through so they didn't hinder anybody's entrance.
"You're gonna be a Slytherin. I just know it." The older boy teased his brother. This seemed to make the younger boy worry. Their mother started talking to their oldest son to put a stop to the teasing. Meanwhile, their father spoke to the younger one.
"What if I'm a Slytherin?" the younger boy cut in before he father could say a word.
"Albus Severus Potter." Harry started, "You were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I ever knew."
"But say I'm-"
"Then Slytherin will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."
"Really?"
"It did for me." Harry finished.
Albus' worries appeared to subside as his curiosity about the Sorting crept in. Would the Sorting Hat really take his decision into account? Albus noticed that his brother had already got on the train. He would have to hurry up.
"Will you write?" Albus returned to his parents.
"Of course, every week" Ginny (his mother) said. Harry nodded too. Albus looked around, searching for first years. He heard his mother ranting about James getting on the train without saying goodbye properly. She'd wanted to give him something for Neville. It had been his birthday over the summer and they hadn't been able to see him. Albus was about to get on the train.
"Albus, Wait!" Ginny called. She gave him a small box wrapped perfectly. "Give this to Neville when you see him and send him our love."
Albus reluctantly agreed. What would his housemates think of him sending a professor love? Brilliant. This would be an exciting year for him.
"Come on, Al" Harry said, seizing his trunk and lifting it onto the train. Ginny gave him a kiss goodbye and his father gave him a hug.
"Tell your brother not to blow up the Slytherin Common Room?" Harry whispered during their hug. Albus grinned and nodded and he climbed on the train not to return until the Christmas break.
He scurried through the corridor with his trunk lagging behind him. He wanted to find a compartment with as few people in as possible. He passed compartments full of seventh years or Slytherins or girls but not a single compartment he could sit in. Just as he was about to lose all hope and return to a compartment with first year-looking girls in, he found a compartment with three people in. There was a boy with short dark hair, a sandy-haired boy and another sandy-haired boy, who was asleep. This was it. He slid open the compartment door.
"Umm, do you mind?" Albus asked gingerly. He was greeted with smiles.
"Sure" one boy responded. The other boy nodded enthusiastically. Albus put his trunk away and sat down.
"Hello. I'm Lorcan Scamander." Lorcan thrust out his hand for Albus to shake.
"I'm Albus Potter." He said as he took the boys hand, "What's your name?"
"Sean Wood." Sean responded and they shook hands too.
"Sleepy is called Lysander" Lorcan added. Albus gestured a sort of thank you for not making him ask and turned the topic to his relief at finding this compartment.
"I feel the same." Sean added. Then Lorcan explained that he was here almost forty minutes early and that he'd been bored out of his mind before Sean came along because his brother had fallen asleep.
Albus decided that these boys were friendly enough and he felt his worries about the Sorting and everything else slipping away. He sensed Sean was agitated. Sean wanted to see what the others thought about Quidditch. It was his favourite sport after all. He decided he would wait until the train left. They wouldn't want to be stuck for conversation half way through the journey. Although he doubted they would be, what with the excitement of going to Hogwarts.
The next Malfoy instalment stepped onto the platform followed by his parents; Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass. Scorpius had the same white blonde hair that his father had at eleven and the same sharp features of other Malfoys. These similarities lead people to believe he had a similar attitude to a young Draco Malfoy and his grandfather; Lucius. Scorpius loathed this judgement. From a young age, his grandfather has vented to him about how Slytherin is the only house for a Malfoy and how he would disown him if he was sorted as a Gryffindor. This actually made him despise the house. He actually thought he wanted to be a Gryffindor.
"Remember that I don't care what house you're sorted into. That's just your old-fashioned grandfather. If you're a Gryffindor then Gryffindor have acquired a brilliant student." Draco knelt down to inform Scorpius.
"Promise to write to us?" Astoria said. Scorpius nodded. He'd promised so many times now. He said he would write every week and right after the Sorting. Scorpius noticed his father speaking to another parent. He assumed that they must've gone to school together. The man had jet black hair and bright green eyes. He had a few grey hairs here and there in truth and he was pale. He looked around and noticed another family. They were a family of three and it appeared to be the girls first year too. The girl had long red hair like her father and, from a distance, what appeared to be blue eyes. However, he couldn't be sure. The girls' father knelt down and spoke to her. Scorpius noticed that they both looked over at him before the girls' mother appeared to tell her husband off. Scorpius started to feel a bit awkward and just wanted to get onto the train now.
"You'll behave yourself too?" Draco asked, "I don't want you to wind on our doorstep tomorrow because you blew up a Common Room or something stupid."
"Of course" Scorpius replied quickly.
"Ok, let's get you on the train." Draco hurried them now knowing it was 10:55am. Astoria gave Scorpius a kiss goodbye while Draco heaved Scorpius' trunk onto the train. Scorpius walked over to the train and gave his father a hug.
"You'll do great" his father told him. With that, Scorpius escaped with his trunk onto the Hogwarts Express. He was looking for a suitable compartment. He wanted to find a not-too-full compartment with boys that look friendly enough. He struck gold when he was nearing the back of the train and when it was about to leave. It was a compartment with only four boys in it; one of them was asleep too. They were laughing together so they seemed like good company therfore he slid open the compartment door.
"Mind?" Scorpius started, "Everywhere else is full."
"No, come in."
"Yeah, the more the merrier"
Scorpius smiled and put his trunk away. He sat down next to a black haired boy by the compartment door and opposite a sandy-haired boy, who was currently catching some zzz's.
"I'm Albus, Albus Potter." The black haired boy told him. Scorpius and the boy shook hands.
"I'm Scorpius Malfoy. What are you guys called?"
"I'm Sean Wood."
"Lorcan Scamander"
Scorpius shook hands with the two boys in turn and then gestured towards the sleeping boy.
"He's Lysander." Lorcan said as the train hissed with steam escaping the engines informing them that they'd be departing now. Scorpius and Albus waved to their parents out of the window as many students did. Sean and Lorcan's parents appeared to have left. Once the drama of their departure was over, Albus decided to start a conversation to eat up the silence. Soon the boys were all laughing away together as if they'd known each other for years.
Thanks for reading. Please review, hope you enjoyed!