Albus Severus Potter and the Tracks They Left Behind
By Emily Green
Chapter 1
Albus Severus Potter said his last goodbyes and climbed onto the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾. He slowly walked down the isle as he peered into the compartments searching for someone to sit with. As he reached the end of the train, he finally spotted his brother, James Sirius, sitting across from Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione's Daughter, Rose, who had the same red hair as her father and the intelligence of her mother. It was Rose's first year at Hogwarts too. Both of them had been nervously awaiting this day for years.
James had dark wavy hair that always seemed to be an inch too long. He was entering his second year at Hogwarts. Just one year before, he had been in Albus' position and walked through the huge wooden doors leading to the Great Hall. He had anxiously waited his turn to be sorted into his house.
Headmaster Percy Weasley, Prefect and Head Boy during his time at Hogwarts, had called his name, "Potter, James."
As he made his way to the front of the Great Hall and climbed on to the stool overlooking the crowd, he heard Gasps and whispers,
"Potter?"
"Did he say Potter?"
"Is it him?"
"Harry's son has finally come to Hogwarts!"
That was the least of his worries. James remembered his father, Harry Potter, had told him many times the story about how the Sorting Hat almost sorted him into Slytherin. Only after Harry had secretly wished, "Not Slytherin," did the Sorting Hat reluctantly sort him into Gryffindor.
Now, as James looked over the sea of students dressed in black robes, he worried the hat might place him in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat tried to sort Harry in Slytherin. If the Sorting Hat was presented with another chance to sort a Potter, would it sort according to its original instinct?
Just then, a roar erupted above the crowd. It was the Sorting Hat who exclaimed, "Gryffindor!"
James sighed with relief as he climbed down from the stool and took his seat at the Gryffindor table. Every single head in the room turned as he walked by.
Albus stepped into the compartment and took a seat next to his brother who was already halfway through eating his third Chocolate Frog.
"Hey James, hey Rose!" Albus said.
"Hey," said Rose, smiling.
"Chocolate Frog?" asked James.
"Nah, I'm good," replied Albus.
"Look who I got!" exclaimed James, as he held out his wizard trading Card that came with chocolate frogs.
Albus read the writing at the top of the card, "Harry Potter."
"I still find it weird seeing our dad's name on a trading card!" James said, jokingly.
"Me too," said Albus, who was not really paying attention to the conversation. He was thinking about what his dad had just said, "If it really means that much to you, you can choose Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."
Albus was a quiet boy, unlike his brother, who was very outgoing and seemed to find pleasure in teasing Albus. Albus had messy brown hair that never seemed to lay flat on his head. It was always sticking up at odd angles. He also had bright green, almond-shaped eyes. He was the only one of his brother and sister who resembled their father, Harry Potter. James looked similar to Harry's godfather, Sirius, while their sister, Lily Luna, was the spitting image of their mother, Ginny.
Just then, two of the people they least wanted to run into came to the doorway of the compartment. One of them was Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, the son of Draco Malfoy. Scorpius was a Slytherin who came to Hogwarts the same year as Sirius. According to James, Scorpius was just as devious as his father.
The other boy Albus did not recognize. He had light brown hair that came down to the top of his glasses. He was already dressed in his robes. Albus stared intently at the patch sewn onto the left side. It was the emblem of Slytherin. Albus was not surprised.
"Look who it is. It's the Potters and their little Weasley friend," Scorpius said, as he gave a disapproving look at Rose, who looked shyly down at her shoes. "My father told me to watch out for you," he said, as he glanced over to Albus. "He doesn't want me becoming friends with the wrong type."
The boy next to Scorpious gave a stifled laugh.
James was about to say something back when Fred pushed Scorpius out of the way and made his way over to take a seat next to James, glancing back to give Scorpius a dirty look.
"Hey, man," he said, giving James a high five.
Fred and James were best friends and they were also cousins. Fred was Uncle George and Aunt Aupelina's son. They had named their son after George's twin brother and best friend, who had died nineteen years earlier during the Battle of Hogwarts. Uncle George and Aunt Aupelina also had a daughter they named Roxanne.
Scorpius, who had lost interest in annoying them, left with his friend following behind.
"Who was that boy Scorpius was with?" Albus asked James.
"Oh him," James replied, acting disgusted. "That's Andrew Flynn, Scorpius' best friend. They are always together. He'll do anything that Scorpius tells him."
Just then, Rose's friend stepped into the compartment and took a seat next to her.
Albus had never met Rose's friend but he had heard many stories about her. He had seen her in pictures but he never knew how beautiful she actually was. As she entered the compartment, the sun that was setting in the distance illuminated her face and highlighted her long, curly, brown hair that bounced when she walked. Albus felt his face turn red as she turned toward him and smiled.
"Hey guys! Did you hear what just happened?"
"Hi Grace! What happened?" Rose Replied.
"Scorpius just tried to cast a spell on Teddy Lupin, but Teddy ended up using a transfiguration charm and turned him into a ferret. The Ministry could expel Scorpius because first term hasn't started and we are not allowed to use magic yet."
"I hope he is expelled!" James exclaimed. "That would be great for us! Then, we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore!"
Teddy Lupin was the son of Remus and Nymphadora Tonks, who had died respectively in the Battle of Hogwarts, nineteen years ago. Before they died, they declared Harry to be Teddy's godfather. Teddy was very good looking and had straight dirty blonde hair that always seemed to stay flat on his head, unlike Albus'. Teddy had graduated from Hogwarts two years before and never had trouble finding a girlfriend. When he was at Hogwarts, all the girls in his year seemed to love him. His current love interest was Bill and Fleur's oldest daughter, Victoire.
The engines on the Hogwarts Express started up and they began to depart from King's Cross Station at Platform 9 ¾. Albus took one more look out the window and spotted Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione with their son, Hugo. Next to them were his Mum and Dad. His mum had her hand on Lily's shoulder. She saw Albus looking out the window and she waved at him. He waved back and looked at his Dad. He gave him a reassuring smile just before the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station. Albus was off to Hogwarts to begin his wizarding journey, hopefully, as a Gryffindor.