The train shook with excitement for the new year. Thoughts drifting from heartfelt goodbyes to complex ideals with an anxious stomach shifting with butterflies; but with this passing transition came friends, but it's hard to feel support with all the change experienced as a first year.
"Albus!" The boy turned his head to the red haired girl, Rose, sitting adjacent. "Tell your brother!" Rose's big blue eyes filled excitement. She waited for a response then quickly winked turning her gaze back to Albus' older brother James who was trying his hardest to get Teddy's attention from Victoire, no one wanted to endure more of their snogging.
"Tell him what?" Albus said drowsily, still consumed by his thoughts.
"He's calling you out! Show him what you've got, we can take him." Rose points her wand at James, who reacts dramatically, "What are you going to do, hit me with it? He snorted, "Help Teddy she's going to hurt me!" He jumps and grabs onto Teddy, whose face is in a wide "o" shape with surprise.
"Why'd you bring me into this?! I was safe over here!" He laughs, James joins in a loud hooting and moves slowly back to his previous spot wiping tears and from his eyes and thrashing about.
"I know you aren't scared now," Rose states very precisely, putting her wand down "but just you wait, I'll be the best witch there ever was, and none of you," She eyeballs everyone slowly, especially Victoire, " will be able to take me on!"
Everyone laughs for a good few seconds before the candy cart comes knocking gently on the door.
"Ah yeah! Candy Cart! Five chocolate frogs here I come!" James exclaims pushing past Teddy and Victoire. Albus gathers his money and smiles quickly at Rose who nods in a way that Al knows as I don't really want anything so let's share nod. As he gets up he remembers the blow James gave him on the shoulder earlier, he pushes himself slowly through the small door space afraid to agitate it. He then gets a look at the large crowd now covering the cart, with at least three cabins worth of students. Once Albus gets to at least near the front he sees two boys standing on the other side one being quite ordinary, except for his Irish twill as he asks for licorice. Albus laughs to himself at this, but the other boy is different. He stands out with radiant short blonde hair, most likely slick back once but roughed up now. His eyes a grayish blue, and a smile that made Albus nervous. He didn't really know how to explain what kind of nervous he was feeling so he kept stealing looks to sort it out. Once he was at the front, the boys were still standing there, He almost didn't hear the candy cart woman ask him, what she could get him.
"Oh uh…" Why couldn't he talk? This stumbling had the boys now staring at him, which made it so much worse. "Have uhm… those…uhm" He was staring right at the beans, His most favorite candy of all, yet he'd forgotten the name.
"You mean Bertie Botts right?" The stark haired boy asked a smirk on his face as he handed him the beans.
Albus could only nod, his face hot as he traded the coins for his sweets. As the cart moved on he'd only moved maybe two inches towards his cabin when the boys asked.
"You're Potters kid aren't you? James is it?"
He turns, "I'm Albus … Albus Potter, my brother is the James… I mean his name is James…"
"Yeah alright great," He grin large, "My name is Scorpius Malfoy, This is Stubs."
"Oye!" grunted the boy next to him with licorice shoved in his gob. This made Albus laugh a little but then he realized he knew that last name. Wait; was that a good or bad last name? He couldn't remember.
"It was nice meeting you… and you" He said directly to Stubs who was paying no mind. "But I have to get back now, thanks so much for-
"Don't mention it." Scorpius said genuinely cutting him short, "You obviously have a hard enough time talking." Albus wasn't insulted as he usually would be from a statement like that. As Stubs started walking back Scorpius continued, "and don't worry about long winded apologies or thank yous', He sighed "We could very well end up in the same house ya know, friend." With that he popped a piece of Drooble's bubble gum and walked off. Albus smiled and got back to the cabin closing the door behind him, trying not to show a change in mood.
How would he know me? I know my dads famous and all but me directly?
"Whatdu get Al?" James said, knowing the answer to his question.
"Oh beans for me and Rosie," He said smiling and throwing the bag at his red haired cousin while taking his seat back near the window.
After much eating, catching of chocolate frogs, and disgust at vomit and boggie flavored beans, Victorie being stuck with two, Hogwarts was finally in site. This giving Al a reason to ask the question that's bugging him.
"Rosie, How do we know the name Malfoy?"
The room gets quiet, as Rose's eyes flash to James who's mouthing words with Teddy who's deciding he's out of this one.
"Final Stop! Everyone off!" the shuffling and excitement filled the narrow train cabin ways. Teddy gathered his things the quickest, putting on his hat and opened the cabin door, "Good luck kiddos, I'll be watching you all closely, especially you two," Albus and Rose smile, "See you from the big kid table!" he winks and disappears in the crowd quickly. The rest of the crew hopped off the train and headed to the mass congregations of students.
"All first years `ere! Everyone else, `ead to your coordinating sections!" A massive bearded man shouted waving his lantern about. Wearing worn leather and his hair brown and curly with silver streaks.
"Ill see you children later! IN GRYFFINDOR!" James shouted beating his chest and jumping off.
"Ravenclaw is good too ya know" Victorie says patting Rose on the back.
Rose and Albus gather with the rest of the lot of first years. The massive man had a very intimidating appearance but with his big cheeks and grin he seemed more like a jolly fellow as well. "An `ere we are! Come this way! You're all gunna like this, aye"
Rose and Albus sat on the boat together, Rose held onto the bar as Albus touched his fingers to the water. The sight of all the boats on the dark lake with illuminating lanterns was beautiful.
"Pssst, Psssst" Rose and Albus looked about, "What is that?" Rose requested.
That's when Albus saw, the boy whose hair was now a lantern glow, it was Scorpius' boat next to his. Scorpius waves and grinned. Albus nervously waved back avoiding eye contact with his cousin so he wouldn't have to answer any prying questions, but that wasn't going to happen.
"Who's that Al?" Rose said with a pout.
"Oh a guy at the candy cart I said hello too."
"He was smiling a whole lot for a hello, you sell him your ferret or something?" Rosie joked
"Eh What can I say, He smells." They both laughed. Albus watched as Scorpius' boat passed by. They could very well end up in the same house, he thought, I might not belong with James and his friends in Gryffindor… do I? Father said that my namesakes were brave and great wizards, and both were headmasters. There is so much riding on me to do my best in whatever house I get. I don't know if could-
It was the end of the lake and the first years gathered and entered the castle. Once led to a set of massive doors, McGonagall stood, wearing a large green frock, and a hat that lined her pointed chin and gentle smile. "Hello, new years," Her whistling o's howling all the way to the back of the line where Al and Rosie stood. "What you must know is you are about to enter the great hall, where all of you will be sorted into houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You will earn points for your houses, and you will lose points for bad behavior. All of you will be competing for the house cup at the end of the year. Now follow me and we'll get started."
Al held tight to Rosie's hand. "No matter what Al, we stick together." Rose whispers.
"Even if you get Ravenclaw," Al jokes but doesn't smile, with his heart starting to pound into his stomach.
"And even if you get Hufflepuff like Teddy did," Rose could feel the agitation in Teddy's voice if he were to hear that one.
"Listen Al, your parents will love you no matter what house you get. Didn't your father tell you that when you had that chat?" Al looked at Rose; His father did tell him that great people have come from both houses, so maybe it will be alright if he got Slytherin or Gryffindor.
I don't want to end up in the wrong house because I'm too afraid of the other.
Relief filled his heart as the doors opened to the Great Hall. Applause, hooting and hollering, and as the first years got closer the front, Albus could see Teddy sitting next to the massive man who had led them to the castle. "Good luck." Rose said patting Albus on the back. Al nodded back and he passed his brother sitting at the table with the rest of the Gryffindors, hooting louder just for him.
"If I call your name, please come up to the sorting, First we have . . ."
Names pass by faster than Albus can recognize, by the time Rose nudges him out of his daze,
"Next up is Scorpius Malfoy, please come forward." The boy skips up the step, confident of the answer, "Slytherin!" The boy smirks, making kissy faces at the cheering green table.
After a red haired girl with much longer hair than rose and small glasses pushes herself to the front. The dark hat sits atop her head and shouts, "Gryffindor!" A few more names are called, Nigel "Stubs", Emma, Genevieve, Aylah, Artemis, and then Albus Potter.
Albus' heart sinks, he nervously makes his way to the hat. He sits on the stool.
The sorting hat is placed.
His thoughts begin to fade as his eyes shut. I accept any fate, I accept any fate. I am strong.
The sorting hat exclaims, "SLYTHERIN!"
Albus opens his eyes but hears no sounds, eyes directed at Rose seated in the Gryffindor table next to James. Her eyes wide and a mix of emotions. A mixed smile that moves to his own face as well. His family and friends seem so far away now. He somehow, however, made his way to the emerald table and the sounds of cheering begin to fade back in. He doesn't even hear the rest of the names called.
"See I told you, we are going to be good friends." Albus looks up to see the face of the boy from the candy trolley. "Want a biscuit?" Albus smiled but he wasn't sure if it was genuine. In fact he wasn't sure of anything anymore.
Thanks for reading, I hope to install more stories off this one. Please comment or like, I love to hear feedback to improve.~