Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Reassurance

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!"

He kept repeating the words in his head. There was no way he'd be in Slytherin. There was no way he could be in Slytherin…could he? No. No, he couldn't.

Albus Potter sat in the small train compartment with his brother and his cousin, looking out the window. They were almost at Hogwarts; he could see the great castle from beyond the lake, and Albus was without a doubt, more nervous than he had ever been before. He looked over to his brother, James, and felt himself becoming jealous.

It was no doubt that his brother got on his last nerve, but he had always admired his courage and his fearless attitude. He was, in fact, a Gryffindor. Why couldn't he be like James? Why would he be in Gryffindor?

Albus gave a small sigh and looked down at his lap. James looked up at him and almost rolled his eyes, knowing what was bothering his brother.

"Al, calm down. You know I was joking. There's no way you could be a Slytherin."

Albus looked over to him. "But what if I am? You can't possibly know what house I'll be sorted into."

This time, James did roll his eyes.

"You're right, I don't know what house you'll be sorted into, but I know you couldn't be a Slytherin."

Rose, who was buried in a large book, looked over to Albus. "He's right, you couldn't be a Slytherin."

"Aren't you worried about what house you'll be sorted into?" He asked her.

"Well, frankly," she said in her matter-of-fact tone, so similar to her mother's, "I would be happy in either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Just relax, Albus," she said, returning to her book.

"Yeah, just relax," said James, looking out the window. "We're almost there."

"Yeah, now I can relax," Albus mumbled.

"Al, you'll be okay in whatever house you're sorted into," James tried to reassure his brother.

Albus sighed once more. Hopefully what James said would be true. Still, he wanted to be in Gryffindor more than anything.

In no time, it seemed, he was walking to the Great Hall waiting to get sorted. As they entered the Great Hall, he felt his stomach clench. Here we go. He thought. Now is the time. He looked around the hall and felt all eyes on him and the fellow first years. He looked over to the Gryffindor table and saw James. He gave him a thumbs up and smiled. For some reason, this did little to comfort Albus.

In minutes, a professor came down and sat the sorting hat on a stool. It burst into a song and Albus did his best to listen, but he couldn't help the constant arguing in his head. Soon, the sorting hat stopped singing and the professor started calling out names.

"Robert Heyman."

Hufflepuff.

"Olivia Lance."

Ravenclaw.

"Rose Weasley."

He watched his cousin go up to the stool and put the hat on her head. Within seconds, the sorting hat shouted "Gryffindor!" and he watched her go over to the Gryffindor table with a huge smile on her face. On and on the names went and Albus grew more and more nervous. In what seemed like forever, his name was finally called.

"Albus Potter."

He took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the stool. He felt as if he would pass out; he had never been so nervous. He sat down on the stool and felt the sorting hat get placed on his head.

Nothing.

The hat seemed to be deciding which house he belonged in. Albus bit his lip and closed his eyes. Minutes seemed to pass and Albus was afraid he wouldn't be sorted into any house. Just as he was about to lose it from waiting so long, the sorting hat spoke.

"Hmm, you're quite a difficult one to place. This is a hard decision indeed…"

Albus gulped and felt he might as well get up now when the sorting hat shouted a word that made so many emotions run through him. Shock. Surprise. Awe. Relief. But most of all…happiness. He stood up from the stool and smiled as he walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to James who was cheering loudly along with the rest of the Gryffindors.

"See, I knew you'd be fine!" He shouted as he clapped him on the back.

Albus smiled wider and nodded, still speechless. He is fine. He wasn't in Slytherin, he had worried for nothing. He looked up and down the table at his housemates, loving the fact that he was one of them.

He was a Gryffindor.

There you go! Hoped you liked it :) don't forget to review xxx