The Potter Children

As Albus Severus and James Potter waved goodbye to their parents, James continued to taunt Albus.

"If you're in Slytherin, We're not related," he sneered rather coldly.As nervous as he was, along with James's cruelty, he began to quiver as he walked up the train looking for a compartment. He finally found a nearly empty compartment, with just one girl in there. She was quite a sight.

She had shoulder-length dirty blonde hair and dreamy looking green eyes, which seemed to protrude outwards, giving her an eternally wondering air. As Al knocked, she started and looked up.

"Can I sit here with you?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course, of course…" she said so dreamily that she may have been talking to herself. Albus sat down and shifted uncomfortably as her protuberant eyes scanned him. After five minutes of silence, he calmy said:

"I'm Albus Potter, but most people call me Al for short."

"Hello…you're related to one of my mother's friends, aren't you? That Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, he's my dad. Who's you're mother?"

"Luna Thomas," she said rather proudly. "Editor in chief of the Wizardwatch paper."

"What's your name?"

"My name?" she seemed to contemplate it for a minute before answering: "Rulna Xenophilia Lovegood Thomas."

While Albus took in her entire name, she resumed her scanning of seemingly every part of his body. As he was about to speak again, there was a knock at the door. Rose Weasley and two people he didn't know came and sat down with him. Rose said hello to Rulna and was consequently subjected to the full body scan being given to Albus just moments earlier. The other two introduced themselves.

"Hello, I'm Erin Finnigan," said the girl with sandy brown hair almost down to her knees. She had a prominent Irish accent, and a very round face with a rather small nose and a grin from ear to ear.

"I'm Adrian Bones," said the boy, who had mousy golden hair, sparkly blue eyes and a rather bemused expression.

"Hello," said Albus back, and introduced himself to the two. They spent the next hour discussing which house they were going to be in and what classes they were looking forward to most.

"My dad, Erin's and Al's here were all Gryffindors. " said Rose, rather haughtily.

"My mom was in Ravenclaw," said Rulna in her light voice.

"So was mine," said Adrian. He grimaced as Rulna turned her misty eyes upon him and began to scan him. After she finished X-Raying him, she replied:

"But I think I'd rather be in Gryffindor." She said.

"Long as I'm not a Slytherin," said Erin, "I'm happy."

"Who're the heads of houses?" asked Albus.

Rose said: "Hmm, I think Longbottom's head of Gryffindor, but I don't know about the others."

As the train rolled on and so did the day, discussion died out as they slowly changed into their school robes. Getting off of the train in hogsmeade, they all heard a call of "Firs' years, over here…" Hearing this, they ran towards the giant figure calling the first years to him.

"Hagrid!" called Albus in delight, running up and clinging to the large man before him. Hagrid's grey-black hair swished around as he looked kindly at Albus and Rose.

"All righ' there, Rose? Al?" he asked with delight in his voice.

Both nodded as he gathered the first years around him. He gave a speech about Hogwarts, all though excitement seemed to have deadened Albus's sense of hearing. After Hagrid was finished talking, he herded the first years onto a boat and rode them up to the school. Upon reaching the front doors, a tall man with a very round face stepped outside.

"Thanks Hagrid, I'll take them now," he said to the giant. As Hagrid walked away, he continued: "You are all about to be sorted. There are no bad places to be sorted into, so if I catch anyone making fun of a student because of their house, it will be detention. Got me?" he said colloquially. Everyone nodded in agreement and he led them inside. "My name is Professor Longbottom, and I will be handling the sorting," he said firmly. They walked through double doors into an enormous room, it did not seem to have a ceiling but rather seemed to open out to the night sky. There were five tables, four of them lined up side by side and the fifth was instead horizontal, which seemed to be the staff table. Professor Longbottom led them to a three legged stool with a raggety old hat sitting on top of it. As they drew closer, several people jumped. The hat began to sing.

"A thousand years or more ago when I was newly sewn, there lived four wizards of renown, whose names are still well known: bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, fair Ravenclaw, from glen, sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, shrewd Slytherin, from fen. They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,they hatched a daring plan to educate young sorcerers thus Hogwarts School began. Now each of these four founders formed their own house, for each did value different virtues in the ones they had to teach. By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherinloved those of great ambition. While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? 'Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead! Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong! "

As the hat finished, the hall broke into applause. The first students were called.

"Arzanta, Luke!" A small boy with brown hair slicked back stepped up to the hat.

"Hufflepuff!" said the hat, barely touching his head.

"Bones, Adrian!" Adrian stepped up to the hat, closing his bright blue eyes as it touched his head.

"Gryffindor!" said the hat.

Students continued to get sorted as Albus got very very nervous.

"Slytherin!" yelled the hat as Parkison, Petunia stepped off the stool.

"Finnigan, Erin!" Erin stepped up to the hat and sat down, waving at Albus. He waved back shyly.

"Gryffindor!" yelled the hat. The red and gold side of the room erupted into applause.

3 more hufflepuffs and 6 more ravenclaws later,

"Potter, Albus!" He stepped up to the hat shaking so violently that the hat fell off twice to enormous laughter from the hall. When the hat remained stable on his head, it whispered:

"Curious…very curious…you are Harry Potter's son, are you not? He was a wonderful choice for Slytherin. But no, he wanted Gryffindor. I suppose you do too?"

Yes, Albus thought frantically. Yes, anything but Slytherin…

"Oh very well then…anywhere but Slytherin I guess the only other choice is…Gryffindor!" The hat shouted. Albus felt relieved and went to sit down with Erin and Adrian.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

"Slytherin!"

"Thomas, Rulna!" Rulna's dreamy gaze swept over the room as she stepped up to the stool. As the hat barely touched her head, Albus could see her mouthing "Gryffindor…Gryffindor…" and as though it had resigned to her choice, the hat sighed:

"Gryffindor…" She let out a loud "YES!!" and joined Albus, Erin and Adrian, looking rather pleased with herself.

Several slytherins later:

"Weasley, Rose!"

The sorting hat groaned. "Another Weasley?!?! That of course means Gryffindor for you."

Albus breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone he wanted to be in Gryffindor was. Last, he recognized a Widdershin going up and being sorted to Ravenclaw.

The headmaster stood up.

"To our new students, welcome. To our old students, welcome back. For those of you who don't know me, I am Minerva McGonnagal."