Scorpius Malfoy Goes To Hogwarts
Author's Note: I hope you enjoy the story, please Read & Review! Constructive criticism is welcome and asked for, however all flames will be ignored since I quit smoking cigarettes and no longer need them. Enjoy!
Scorpius Malfoy Goes To Hogwarts
Year One:
Chapter One
Expected and Unexpected
Eleven year old Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was headed to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the first of September. Standing in Kings Cross beside his parents, he was not looking forward to Hogwarts as he knew most prospective first years were doing at that very moment. The reason he was not looking forward to his first year at Hogwarts had to do with his family and two generations of wizarding history.
His grandfather, Lucius, had been a supporter of the Dark Lord Voldemort and an infamous Death Eater, sent to Azkaban for nearly a year before the Dark Lord took control of the wizarding world the second time. His grandmother had essentially been a Death Eater as well. Draco Malfoy had been a Death Eater, too. It mattered to few that showings of remorse in the Battle of Hogwarts had got them all pardoned from terms in Azkaban. The Malfoy name now carried a blacker mark than ever before, even though Harry Potter himself had testified before the Wizengamot asking for leniency.
The Wizengamot had instilled hefty fines, but the Malfoy Family remained as rich, and apparently dignified as ever. But no one trusted them, and Scorpius doubted they ever would again.
"Where has your mind wandered to?" his mother, formerly known as Astoria Greengrass, had married his father five years after the Battle of Hogwarts.
Scorpius looked up into his mother's dark blue eyes that were a match of his; he had not inherited the cold grey eyes of his father. "No where, really," Scorpius said calmly. He had become accustomed to lying as the first of September quickly approached.
"Do not let anyone intimidate you, Scorpius. You are a Malfoy," Draco said in a cool tone as he looked at his son.
"Yes, Father," Scorpius said calmly.
"Draco, why do you insist on acting as if you are impervious to opinion?" Astoria said as she looked at her husband.
"Astoria, I do not want to have this conversation with you now," Draco said coolly.
"Do not take that tone with me, Draco. I know just as well as you do what our son is going to experience the moment he sets foot on that train, that he will be lucky to make a single friend because of your family's past history," Astoria said coolly as she glared at him. "Do not force him to make the same choices your father forced upon you, Draco. You are not nearly as much your father's son as you are your mother's, and you know it," she said calmly and then she took Scorpius's hand. "We love you, no matter what," she said and she kissed his forehead and then made sure the catch on Scorpius's owl, Magus's cage was still locked.
Before he knew it he was standing on the platform, the Hogwarts Express before him and a distinctly sick feeling in his stomach. He did not want to bear the burden of the Malfoy Family Reputation but he knew he already was by the stares aimed at him and his father. Those who knew his family skirted around them or glowered, those that didn't… well, he was fairly sure they would by the end of the night and they'd do the same. It was inevitable. Just as it was a foregone conclusion they would hate him even though he hadn't even been born when Voldemort had lived, either time.
"You'll be fine dear, don't worry," Astoria said and she touched his cheek, the barest hint of a smile on her face.
Scorpius just nodded. If he said anything he thought he'd vomit, and his father would definitely not like that. He glanced along the platform, people and cats, owls and frogs were hidden behind steam issuing from the train and then it cleared. Not fifty feet away stood the famous Harry Potter, Head of the Auror Department, and he was looking directly at his family.
Scorpius looked up at his father to see whether he had seen the Auror and childhood nemesis and knew he had. There was a slight tightness in his jaw, but he inclined his head in Harry Potter's direction and put a hand on his, Scorpius's, shoulder before turning away. When Scorpius looked back to see the Auror's reaction, the steam had blocked the view again.
"You had better get on the train," Draco said coolly.
"Yes, Father. Goodbye Mum, I promise to write," Scorpius said quietly as he looked at her. She crouched down before him, touched his cheek, and then pulled him close for a hug. He knew his father was ignoring the show of affection and he wished that he didn't act like Grandfather so much more in public than at home.
Scorpius dragged his trunk up into the train after putting Magus inside the entry. "Have a wonderful year, dear," Astoria Malfoy said with a smile to her son and he waved his understanding before he picked up his owl's cage and started to look for a compartment.
He was avoided, jostled, glowered at and pointedly ignored as he looked into windows and hoped to find an empty space. A much older boy with teal hair nearly ran him down as the train started to move, a very beautiful girl, about as old as the boy, with silvery blonde hair looked out the compartment door after him wistfully. "Come to Hogsmeade!" she called after the boy, a slightly French accent accompanying her words. Then she looked at him and a haughty look appeared on her features and she disappeared into her compartment. The door closed sharply behind her.
He walked up and then back along the train before he found an empty compartment in the very last carriage and was enormously relieved. At least he would not have to suffer the combined glares of the Voldemort haters and the remnants of pureblood families who had lost members to Azkaban. He was not welcomed by anyone, not that he had expected to be, and although he tried not to care, he found that he cared too much.
Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was not his father's son. He did not want to be hated. He wanted to have friends, learn to fly a broomstick properly, play Quidditch, and tell jokes. He wanted to enjoy his time at school rather than find himself as miserable as the world felt he should be, just because he was a Malfoy. "I'm not my Father," he said aloud to the empty compartment, annoyed that he felt his eyes water because he did not want to be alone.
As a distraction, he pulled out his copy of Transfiguration for Beginners from his trunk and began to read where he had left off the previous day. He had read all his course books twice, hoping that maybe he would be able to develop a reputation for something other than being a Malfoy, but he wasn't sure whether he would even be any good at magic. A few times in the last two weeks he thought that it would have been better if he'd ended up a Squib, then he wouldn't have had to worry about what kids at school would think about him when he got there.
Scorpius was surprised when the compartment door opened and a boy his age stood there looking in. He had brown hair, grey eyes and he smiled a little anxiously. "Hi, um, do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full," the boy said sounding a little anxious.
Scorpius shrugged. "No. I don't mind," he said calmly but he kept his book out as he suspiciously wondered if the boy was playing a trick.
"Great!" the boy said excitedly and he dragged his trunk into the compartment and closed the door. "I'm Blake Carter," he said, giving a smile and holding out his hand.
"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," he said and held out his hand calmly. When the boy took it, shook briefly and looked a little oddly at him, he knew that he was Muggleborn.
"Scorpius?" Blake said curiously.
He shrugged. "My Father's name is Draco," he said and wondered if he was going to walk back out.
"I take it there's a tradition in your family about naming you after animals, or constellations," Blake said as if it were simply an interesting factoid. "What's your middle name?" he asked.
"Hyperion," Scorpius replied wondering where this was going.
"I like that better than Scorpius, but both of them are wordy," Blake said and he looked thoughtful for a moment. "How do you feel about nicknames?" he asked.
Scorpius felt a skeptical look cross over his face. "That would entirely depend on what you had in mind," Scorpius said.
"Well, I was thinking Sam," Blake said calmly.
"Sam," Scorpius said, frowning.
"Your initials don't spell out Sam, but they almost sound the same. If you don't like it I can call you Scorpius," Blake said nonchalantly although 'Scorpius' did not fall as easily out of his mouth.
Scorpius felt rather elated all of a sudden and he smiled. "Sam is fine, great actually," he said.
"Wonderful. Now, did you know you were a wizard before you got your letter?"
"Yes."
"You don't sound too enthusiastic," Blake said calmly.
"He's got reason not to be, don't you Malfoy?" a cruel sounding voice came from the compartment door that neither boy had heard open.
Scorpius's head whipped toward the door and he saw Walden Macnair's grandson, Thaddeus, standing at the door, glowering at him.
"What do you got against him?" Blake said irritably, frowning at the boy who was probably a year or two older than them.
"He shouldn't be alive. His father should be in Azkaban with my Granddad, shouldn't he, Malfoy?" Thaddeus said coldly.
"I don't know what the hell Azkaban is, but I doubt Scorpius had anything to do with your Granddad being there," Blake said looking at Thaddeus as if he were an idiot.
"I didn't, but Voldemort did," Scorpius said looking at Thaddeus who blanched.
Blake had read the name in his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, but hadn't paid much attention while reading it. "And why are you taking this out on him?" he said looking at Thaddeus.
"Mind your own business, Mudblood," Thaddeus said.
"Don't call him that, Macnair!" Scorpius said and he stood up, holding the wand he didn't yet know how to use, and glared at him. "Get the hell out," he said angrily.
Macnair glared. "Better watch yourself, Malfoy," he said and he walked away just as footsteps came hurrying along the corridor.
A second later the very pretty girl with silvery blonde hair appeared. "What is going on here?" the French accent rather pronounced as she looked down her nose at Malfoy, a gold badge gleamed on her robes that read: Head Girl.
Scorpius looked away from her. He knew who she was now. Victoire Weasley. He said nothing.
Blake was surprised at the way the pretty girl was looking at Scorpius with some amount of disgust. "That bloke that just left came in here, seemed like he was threatening Scorpius and then called me something, um… Mudblood and Scorpius told him to get lost," Blake said calmly looking between the older girl and the boy his age sitting across from looking like he expected to be hit.
"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" Victoire Weasley said coolly.
"Yes, but I don't really expect you to believe me," Scorpius said quietly, still looking away from her. She huffed and then she closed the compartment door and left without another word.
Blake looked at Scorpius. "Mate, what the heck is going on here?" Blake said curiously.
"I'm a Malfoy," Scorpius said, but as he said it, he spat it out as if it were an insult.
"Er… I really haven't got a clue what you're talking about. And who was that Voldemort guy you were talking about?" Blake asked frowning.
"Voldemort was the last Dark Wizard to try and seize control of the wizarding world. He was… evil. He was defeated nineteen years ago by Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, twice," Scorpius said in a rather monotone voice. He may as well get it over with. "He wanted to get rid of Muggleborns, witches and wizards with non-magic parents, people he considered… unclean and anyone to defy him was killed. When Harry Potter was a baby he tried to kill him, the curse rebounded and Voldemort disappeared for a while. He came back though, determined to kill Harry Potter, determined to regain power and destroy the obstacles in his way," he said quietly, dully. Blake would surely walk out when he'd finished, and Scorpius wouldn't blame him.
"Albus Dumbledore was Headmaster of Hogwarts then, and my Grandfather was one of his supporters, Voldemort's that is. He was a Death Eater and he had been captured at the Ministry of Magic trying to get a prophecy from Harry Potter and his friends who had been tricked into going. He was arrested and sent to Azkaban. And because of the mistakes that my Grandfather made, Voldemort tasked my Father with killing Dumbledore," Scorpius said glumly.
"My father wasn't the one to kill Albus Dumbledore, but he made it possible for Death Eaters to enter the school. Harry Potter's friends, the Order of the Phoenix and some Aurors were in the school when the attack started and did their best to fight. Bill Weasley was maimed by Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf whose bloodlust had extended beyond the full moon. Bill Weasley is the Head Girl's father," Scorpius said quietly and he gestured toward the door.
"My father fled the school with the Death Eaters after Albus Dumbledore was killed. Before the end of the summer Voldemort killed the Minister of Magic, planted a puppet to sit and do his bidding and took complete control of the wizarding community. His supporters were let out of Azkaban; my Grandfather was one of them. He spent several months getting Muggleborns tossed out of Hogwarts, and anyone who had "muddied" the wizarding community was arrested. By this time, my Grandparents and my Father were members of his inner circle, but they didn't want to be there, not anymore, but it was a lifetime of service or death," Scorpius said quietly.
"The last battle of the war came to Hogwarts. Giants and Death Eaters laid siege to the school while Harry Potter and the older students and teachers defended it. Harry Potter was looking for something in the school, no one knows what, except his friends, and so… the Battle of Hogwarts began. My Grandparents didn't have wands by then, my Grandfather's destroyed when Voldemort used it against Harry Potter; my Grandmother's was in my father's hands, his wand having been taken by Harry Potter not long before that. My father tried to prevent Harry Potter from finding what he was looking for, one of his friends started a cursed fire that nearly killed them all, and Harry Potter saved his life for the first time that night," Scorpius said very quietly, he wasn't sure what Blake must think.
"The second time, my father had been pleading with a Death Eater, telling him he was on their side, and Harry Potter stunned the Death Eater, my father was spared again. Then… no one really knows what happened. Voldemort called back his defenders, Harry Potter disappeared, and sometime later Voldemort and his supporters came out of the forest carrying the apparently dead body of Harry Potter. My Grandmother… witnessed what happened and all she will tell me is that she told Voldemort Harry Potter was dead so she could enter the castle and look for my father. He wasn't dead. And the battle started again when Neville Longbottom pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat and cut the head off of Voldemort's pet snake and companion, Nagini," he paused and took a breath before he continued.
"His followers were put down in the ensuing battle, either killed or captured, and my grandparents only looked for my father. Bellatrix Lestrange, technically my great aunt, and one of Voldemort's staunchest supporters was killed by Molly Weasley when Lestrange barely missed killing her daughter Ginny, who later married Harry Potter. Voldemort tried to kill Molly Weasley but Harry Potter appeared from under his Invisibility Cloak in the middle of the crowded Great Hall, offered Voldemort one last chance to repent his actions, change his ways. Voldemort declined. He tried to kill Harry again, Harry tried to disarm him. The Killing Curse hit the Disarming Charm in midair, and then rebounded, killed Voldemort once and for all and his wand flew up into the air and Harry Potter caught it," he said quickly, not stopping at all.
"My Father and Grandparents were tried at the Wizengamot and Harry Potter asked the court to give them leniency. There was a large fine. That was it. So, the families of those who were sent to Azkaban hate us, and so does everyone else," Scorpius said quietly.
Blake had listened intently to Scorpius's rather lengthy explanation. Silence fell in the compartment as Scorpius finished and he said, "Seems to me that you are not your father, Sam."
Scorpius looked up, hardly daring to hope as he looked at Blake who had a vaguely crooked smile on his face. "So you aren't going to try and find another compartment?" he asked.
"Nope. I don't see a point," Blake said and he grinned.
Scorpius was stunned. "You mean it?" he said.
"Sam, shut up, and tell me more about Hogwarts, eh? I only heard so much when Professor McGonagall came with my letter," Blake said smiling. "And you were rambling so fast I think I only heard half of what you said," he said and his smile was more of a highly amused smirk.
Scorpius grinned and it wasn't menacing or creepy. It was a completely happy smile that changed his expression so much that most who had known his father might not have thought of Scorpius as a Malfoy. He launched into explanations of what he knew about the school, the subjects and everything.
Blake interrupted to ask questions about specific things that interested him and the two boys spent their journey to Hogwarts talking and getting to know each other only being interrupted around midday by the woman pushing the sweets cart. Scorpius taught Blake Exploding Snap and told him about wizard's chess.
Before either one of them knew it darkness had fallen and an announcement came over the train telling them that they were five minutes from Hogwarts. Scorpius and Blake quickly put on their robes and when the train came to a stop made their way off, leaving their baggage in their compartment. They both heard the call of Rubeus Hagrid summoning the first years to him for their journey across the lake. Blake and Scorpius ended up in a boat with two twin girls neither one of whom looked at Scorpius as if they knew who he was.
Hagrid led the new first years into the castle and they were met by the Head of Gryffindor House and Deputy Headmaster, Professor Neville Longbottom.
"Here yeh are Professor," Hagrid said gesturing widely with his hands.
"Thanks Hagrid," Longbottom said with a pleasant smile and he waited for the first years to fall silent. "Come with me please," he said and led them to an antechamber outside the Great Hall. "Gather round, please," he said and smiled at the first years.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor Longbottom. We will be joining the rest of the school in the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast momentarily, but first you lot have to be Sorted into your Houses. Your House here at Hogwarts will be a bit like your family. You'll take classes with them and spend your time in your House common room. The Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin and in a few minutes you'll be joining one of them. Excuse me for a moment, please wait quietly," Longbottom said still smiling and then he left the room for a moment.
Scorpius stood beside Blake and the two of them looked around the room. Scorpius saw Harry Potter's youngest son Albus standing to one side of the room, looking nervous, and beside him, his cousin Rose Weasley who looked a bit pale. He looked away before either one of them could take notice of him.
"This is cool," Blake said as he looked up and turned around in place.
Scorpius grinned. "Wait, you haven't seen anything yet," he said in a low voice being careful not to draw attention to him or Blake. He was already aware that Vincent Goyle and Lester Warrington were glowering at him from the "Slytherin" block on one side of the room.
Professor Longbottom rejoined them shortly. "Follow me," he said, smiling and he led them into the Great Hall.
Scorpius heard Blake gasp as he caught sight of the enchanted ceiling above the tables that showed a perfect image of the sky outside. "Brilliant!" Blake said grinning as Professor Longbottom led them up in front of the High Table where the teachers and Headmistress sat.
The Sorting Hat was placed on a stool in front of the hall and a rip opened along the brim like a mouth and it began to sing about the qualities each House desired. The students and teachers clapped when the Hat finished its song and Professor Longbottom stepped forward again.
"When I call your name, please come forward and take a seat on the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head," Professor Longbottom said calmly and he pulled a roll of parchment from the pocket of his robes, smiled, and began. "Abbott, Daisy," he said calmly.
A small girl with a long plait of blonde hair and a pink face hurried up to the stool and put the patched, frayed and slightly charred Sorting Hat on her head. Within a moment the Hat had called, "Hufflepuff," and the table the second from the left started clapping loudly to welcome her.
"Berkeley, Amelia," Longbottom said and a brunette girl went up to the stool and it was nearly a minute after the Hat was on her head that it called, "Gryffindor!" The table beside Hufflepuff erupted into cheers and she hurried off to join them.
Silence fell again and Longbottom called, "Carter, Blake." Blake grinned at Scorpius and went up to the stool. The Hat had barely touched his brown hair when it called out, "Gryffindor!" again and again Gryffindor House erupted into cheers. Blake rushed off to join them grinning.
Scorpius immediately felt ill. The only person that likely wouldn't hate him on sight had been sent to the House of his family's enemies. He looked down at the floor, absorbed in his own thoughts, wondering whether he could even get near Gryffindor or whether Blake would stay his friend if he went to Slytherin. He didn't want to think about it, but it was all he could do and he barely paid attention as Professor Longbottom read names. "Kincaid, Devin," was sent to Ravenclaw and then Longbottom called out in a calmly detached voice, "Malfoy, Scorpius."
Scorpius thought he would be faint as the Hall fell silent at his name and watched him with a thousand pairs of eyes as he walked up to the stool, his eyes cast down at the floor to keep from seeing everyone staring at him again. He sat on the stool, the Sorting Hat fell over his head, over his eyes and blocked out the sight of those before him.
"Well, well, well, another Malfoy," a tiny voice said in Scorpius's ear. "Where should I put you?" it asked.
Scorpius frowned and thought, I thought it was your choice.
"It could be, but I want to know where you want to go," the hat said.
I don't know. Just pick already. I know you're going to put me in Slytherin so get it over with already.
"Do you want to go to Slytherin?" it asked. "You'd do well there, I suppose."
No. I don't want to be there. I don't want to be my father. I don't want to be a Malfoy!
"Very well then," the hat said quietly. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted to the Hall at large.
Scorpius felt the hat being lifted from his head, but there was no applause, just a ringing silence that seemed to last forever as he looked out at the House tables. He really thought he was going to be sick. His father was going to murder him.
A hand fell on his shoulder and Scorpius nearly toppled off the stool as he looked up into the calmly pleasant face of Professor Longbottom. "Go on, Mr. Malfoy," he said calmly and then he smiled a bit and began to clap in time with Professor McGonagall.
More applause started at the Gryffindor table, with Blake being the loudest of the lot, and Scorpius got down from the stool and hurried over to sit at the Gryffindor table beside Blake Carter. It was probably the quietest applause in Gryffindor history.
"You looked like you were going to faint, Sam," Blake said with a grin as Scorpius sat beside him.
He looked cautiously along the table at the other Gryffindors. "I thought I would too," he said in a low voice. "They don't look too happy having me here," he said quietly.
"Gah! Ignore 'em, you belong here just as much as I do, maybe more," Blake said and nudged Scorpius with his elbow still grinning.
Scorpius looked skeptical and then Professor Longbottom's voice called out, "Potter, Albus." His attention was drawn immediately to the small boy with black hair that was making his way up to the stool. The hat wasn't on his head long before it called, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The whole of the Gryffindor table broke into applause led by Albus's older brother James, a second year, and Albus Potter hurried over to the Gryffindor table and sat down across from Blake and Scorpius grinning. Albus looked at Scorpius cautiously while he was clapped on the back by the few older Gryffindors who could reach. Scorpius met the look that Albus sent him but neither said anything as the Sorting continued.
The pair of twins that Scorpius and Blake sat in their little boat with, "Sinclair, Ella," and "Sinclair, Erica," both went to Hufflepuff with applause and cheers for the two of them. "Thomas, Althea," was sent to Ravenclaw and Scorpius recognized her as the daughter of Dean Thomas. After "Warrington, Lester," who was sent to Slytherin almost before the Hat touched his head, Professor Longbottom called, "Weasley, Rose."
Scorpius saw her walk calmly up to the stool, but he knew she couldn't be feeling perfectly calm. After all, maybe the Sorting Hat had lost its marbles; it had sent him to Gryffindor, hadn't it?
But Rose Weasley had little reason to fear as the hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!" and she smiled broadly and walked proudly over to join the table, sitting beside her cousin Albus smiling and then she looked across the table at Scorpius.
Scorpius simply raised a brow as she looked at him and then he looked back at the two remaining students, a boy and girl. The boy, "Winston, Linus," was sent to Ravenclaw without a very long wait and the girl, "Zabini, Alexis," was sent to Slytherin very shortly after.
The Headmistress, Professor Minerva McGonagall got to her feet as Professor Longbottom carried the stool and Sorting Hat away. She had aged, grey hair threaded through most of the formerly dark knot tied tightly at the back of her head. "Welcome to Hogwarts students new and old," McGonagall said in her stern and rather clipped tone of voice. "I know you are hungry, so let the feast begin," she said calmly and she sat down.
The golden plates on all the tables were filled with food in a moment. Blake's eyes widened in surprise and his jaw dropped open. "Wicked! Sam, you didn't tell me that was gonna happen!" Blake said and he elbowed Scorpius again.
"Sorry, forgot," he said as he started to put food onto his plate. He was absolutely famished but as he looked up both Rose and Albus were looking at him.
Blake noticed and decided to be a distraction. "Hi! I'm Blake Carter, Muggleborn and aspiring troublemaker; do you think I've come to the right house?" Blake said and he grinned at the two.
Albus looked at Blake first and grinned a little. "Albus Potter," he said with a hesitant smile.
"Right, Sam told me about your Dad. Nice to meet you!" Blake said and reached across the table, offering his hand to shake.
"Why are you calling him Sam?" Rose said in a rather prim voice as she looked at Scorpius through narrowed eyes.
"It's what his initials sound like if you say them aloud. Scorpius is a bit much, don't you think? No offense, mate, but really, what were your parents thinking?" Blake said with a grin before he ripped chicken off a drumstick in his hand.
Scorpius grinned a little and laughed. "I don't know, I wasn't able to protest," he said smiling.
Albus laughed. "I understand that feeling. My friends call me Al," Albus said and he stuck his hand across the table, offering it to Scorpius.
"Al," Rose said tartly.
"What?" Albus said as he looked at his cousin.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Never mind," she said and turned away to a blonde first year sitting beside her who was called Connie Creevey pointedly ignoring her cousin.
Albus shrugged a little and offered his hand to Scorpius yet again. "Nice to meet you," he said calmly.
Scorpius cautiously shook Albus's hand, wondering if one of Albus's uncles' joke products was going to explode in front of him. "You too," he said smiling a little.
Albus grinned and talk was interrupted more often than not by the boys jamming food into their mouths. The delicious dinner gave way to scrumptious desserts and the boys groaned, but all of them took something. Scorpius and Albus both took treacle tart and grinned a little at their having something in common. Scorpius began to forget that he had been worried about which House he was going to end up in, that his father wouldn't be happy, and simply got on well with Blake and Albus and another first year boy named Halim Griffin who sounded both Welsh and Middle Eastern all at once.
Dessert finished and the golden plates returned to their original sparkling state. Professor McGonagall got to her feet yet again and gave start of term notices. There was the usual warning about the Forbidden Forest being in fact forbidden, that Mr. Filch the caretaker had a posted notice of all banned items on his office door numbering some seven hundred and six items to be consulted at one's leisure if they were curious and that Quidditch trials would be held the next week. "You are dismissed," McGonagall said shortly and all at once the Great Hall was filled with the scrape of benches and the murmur of a thousand footsteps.
Scorpius was a little surprised by the suddenness with which everyone stood up. He heard a loud voice call, "Gryffindor first years this way, please! First years over here!" Scorpius looked around and saw a boy of about fifth or sixth year with a prefect badge pinned on his robes. He had longer dark brown hair that was tied into a tail at the back of his neck.
Scorpius, Blake, Albus and Halim quickly made their way over to the much taller boy and the Gryffindor girls, Rose, Connie, Amelia and Breana Donnelly arrived shortly.
"Is this all the first years?" the prefect asked and then he nodded. "Follow me please," he said and began leading them out of the Great Hall. "My name is Bernard Griswold, I am your sixth year prefect and if you have any questions or any difficulties feel free to ask me, or any other prefect for assistance," he said calmly and gave a smile.
They had reached the doors into the entrance hall when a voice called from the crowded area, "Malfoy's a Blood Traitor!"
Scorpius was suddenly brought back to his distinctly unusual situation and the smile he'd been wearing in response to a joke told by Blake dropped away.
"Move along," Griswold said coolly to the older students that had stopped to stare at Scorpius.
"Don't listen to those prats, Sam," Blake said insistently.
"He's right. The Sorting Hat must've had a reason for putting you in Gryffindor, don't worry about it," Albus said encouragingly.
A snort of derision came from behind the boys. Scorpius turned to look and saw Rose Weasley glowering at him and Albus.
"You know, Rose, I think you're spending too much time with your father and Uncle George," Albus said quietly.
"And I don't think you spent nearly enough time with your father, Albus Potter," Rose said with her nose in the air.
"Just because my Dad and his Dad didn't like each other doesn't mean we have to carry on with it like it's a tradition! And my Dad wouldn't want me judging him simply because of the history between them!" Albus said hotly, his cheeks pink.
"Enough," Griswold said from above them. He looked at Rose. "Miss Weasley, if you are unhappy with the Sorting Hat's choice to put Mr. Malfoy into Gryffindor House rather than the apparently expected Slytherin perhaps you should take it up with the Hat. Until such a time as you do, I suggest you discontinue this argument," his voice was calm and showed no sign of approval or disapproval.
Rose flushed and looked away from Griswold. Albus crossed his arms, still feeling annoyed. Blake looked as if he wanted to laugh at both of them. Halim and the other girls were silent and appeared to just be waiting to be led to Gryffindor Tower. Scorpius felt… uncomfortable and he wasn't sure how to feel otherwise. He didn't want Albus being at odds with his family simply because of him.
"Now that that's over with, please follow me," Griswold said and he led the group up the marble staircase and along their winding path up to the seventh floor and the portrait of the Fat Lady he pointed out where classrooms and things like the Trophy Room and Library were located.
At the end of the last corridor where a large woman in a pink dress was seated in a picture frame Griswold said, "Avis." The portrait swung open to reveal a circular opening in the wall and a large round room bedecked in scarlet and gold, the Gryffindor colors. Only a few students remained in the room, everyone else it appeared had already gone to bed.
Scorpius looked around feeling a little awed. He had got a description of the Slytherin common room from his father when he had got his Hogwarts letter. He'd never been particularly inspired by the green and silver and the dimness that he had imagined as his father described it. In turn, the Gryffindor common room was bright, cheerful, and he longed to go flop down on the sofa before the fire that was bound to be squashy and comfortable. All of the armchairs looked comfortable and inviting, the fire lit in the grate of the fireplace just the same.
Griswold had led them across the room to a wall with two doors set in it. "Girls, up the stairs to the top, you will find your dormitory. Boys, you're also at the top. I would suggest you get to sleep, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow," Griswold said and he let the boys go up the stairs ahead of him.
When Blake, Albus, Scorpius and Halim reached the top of the stairs there was a door with a plaque on it that read: First Years. "Wicked!" Blake said and he pushed open the door to reveal the room.
Albus was grinning. "It's just like Dad and James described," he said and he and Blake rushed in to find that their trunks had been placed at the end of the beds that were hung with maroon hangings.
"Very cool," Halim said as he crossed the room, smiling a little.
Scorpius had faltered a little at the door but he'd finally entered and closed the door behind him as he started to look around.
Albus noticed Scorpius looking far too pensive for so late at night. "Sam, don't think about it, all right? There's nothing anyone can do anyway. The Sorting Hat put you here, as far as I'm concerned, as far as we're all concerned," he said and gestured around at Blake and Halim and paused. "You belong here, no matter what my dumb cousin says," he said quickly.
"Al, don't call Rose dumb," a calm voice said from the door and all of the first year boys jumped and looked around. Standing just inside was a boy with hair just as messy as Albus's but it looked more red than black but wasn't actually either, but somewhere in between.
"James, what are you doing here?" Albus said feeling a little anxious as he shifted absently from foot to foot as if preparing to run.
James Potter gave a grave sort of smile to his brother and then he looked at Scorpius. "Scorpius Malfoy," he said calmly.
"That's me," Scorpius said calmly as he looked at the boy who did and didn't look like his new friend Albus.
"Why did the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor?" James asked a little seriously.
"I don't know," Scorpius said.
"The Sorting Hat almost put Dad in Slytherin, James! He told me before we got on the train," Albus said quickly before James could say anything else.
James gave his brother another smallish smile. "Al, don't worry all right? I'm not going to judge him on who his Dad was, but there's going to be others that will. People a lot bigger than me or Rose, you have to be prepared for it, that's all. Just a warning, you'll all probably end up in detention at some point, it's not nearly as scary as the teachers make it seem," he said and he grinned. "Goodnight," he said and he turned and left the dormitory closing the door behind him as he went.
Albus let out a sigh of relief and then at the curious look that Blake sent him he shifted a little and said, "He was teasing me that I'd end up in Slytherin, has been since he came home at the end of last year."
Blake grinned. "Yeah, well, he's your brother, isn't he? He's got that right," Blake said and then he yawned. "Hell, I'm tired. I suggest you lot get to sleep, we don't want to be late for class," he said and grinned as he dug into his trunk for his pajamas.
Halim had gone to his trunk when James had left and was half dressed in his pajamas. "Sam, what's it that's really bugging you about being put in Gryffindor?" he asked calmly.
Scorpius frowned. "That my Father won't like it," he said quietly.
"Sirius Black was put in Gryffindor when the whole lot of his family had been in Slytherin, even my Dad's godson's Mum, and she's all right. A bit scary sometimes when you get her hacked off, but… I think that's just her," Albus said as he too was digging into his trunk for his pajamas, pulling them out of a mess of books and cauldron and robes. He tugged on them and fell back on his butt. "Whoops! Anyway, Sirius didn't care what his family thought, although, since I never met him I can't say for sure, but he was probably nervous about being put in Gryffindor too. He survived, I'm sure you will," he said as he looked up at Scorpius from the floor smiling a little.
Scorpius had forgot how really connected he was with the Potters and it was odd to be reminded of it. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. If Sirius Black survived his family, I can survive mine," he said firmly. He was determined that he would too, even if his father came to the school to yell at him.
"That's the spirit!" Blake said with a grin. "Now get out your pajamas and go to sleep! We have class bright and early tomorrow!" he said still grinning as he climbed on his bed.
Scorpius smiled again and he went to his trunk and dug out his pajamas which had been folded neatly by his Mum the night before. He looked at them and started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Blake asked.
Albus looked at Scorpius's pajamas and he too began to grin and then to laugh. "Let's hope your Dad sees the irony as well as we do," Albus said as he smirked at the green and silver striped pajamas that Scorpius held.
"Confused here, what's going on?" Blake asked.
"Didn't you see the banner above the Slytherin table, Blake?" Halim asked as he too was smiling.
"I wasn't really paying attention. Why?" he asked.
"Slytherin colors are green and silver," Scorpius said and shook his pajamas at Blake.
Blake grinned. "I dare you to wear those to class tomorrow," he said.
"Let's not push it too early, wait and see how people take to this," Albus said but he was smiling. "But when a while has gone by, you seriously should wear them," he said grinning.
Scorpius snorted. "I'll take it under advisement," he said and he changed and climbed into his bed. "Goodnight!" he called.
A chorus of three voices said, "Goodnight!" in return and Scorpius closed his eyes and for the first time in months felt okay with himself. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.
Author's Note: Please Review! Your input gets you more story - it's outright bribery, but hopefully it works! Thank you for reading! - Frankie