Albus leaned out the window of the Hogwarts Express and waved to his parents. The train began to move and picked up speed; Albus noticed that his father's hand was still raised even as they rounded the corner.
He sat back on the seat he had found. There was no one else in the compartment; he hoped it would stay that way. However, after only a mile or two into the countryside, the compartment door slid open and three people entered: A girl with jet black hair, accompanied by Albus's cousin Rose, and another girl with light brown hair.
"Hi," Rose greeted him. "This is Victoria Finnigan and Meredith Thomas."
Albus nodded to the girls, then turned back to the window.
"Mind if we sit here?"
Albus shook his head. Despite his father's words to him on the platform, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Victoria Finnigan began a discussion with Meredith, while Rose decided to take out her wand and create designs in midair.
"So do you know what house you'll be in?" Rose asked him.
Albus shrugged. "I hope Gryffindor, but I suppose Slytherin wouldn't be that bad."
"Wouldn't be that bad?" said a drawling voice. They had not heard the compartment door slide open over the girls' talking. Scorpius Malfoy entered the compartment, followed by a tall boy with a solemn expression. "Wouldn't be that bad, he says."
Rose's eyes narrowed. "I suppose you're hoping to be in Slytherin?"
Scorpius laughed. "I'm heading for Ravenclaw. Slytherin? It's a house of freaks!"
"But your parents were in Slytherin!" Rose protested. "I would have thought you would like Slytherin!"
"I'm different," said Scorpius in a tone that clearly implied that differences were to be exalted. When no one said anything, Scorpius's eyes caught Victoria's, and the tiniest flicker of a smile played on his lips. Then he was gone with a swish of his robes.
Rose watched him until he was out of sight down the corridor, then grinned at Victoria. "He likes you."
"Who was that kid with him?" asked Victoria in a desperate attempt to change the subject.
"Jefferson Goyle. I hear his mum was a Squib and she never told his dad, and then he got really mad."
"I think I'll just go," Albus announced. He felt as though he were reading a girl's diary. He got up and left the compartment.
As he made his way down the corridor, he checked for an empty compartment. At the end of the corridor were his twin cousins, Xenobia and Fredericka. They were selecting treats off the trolley cart.
"Do you have any Crumple-Horned Snorkack Sundaes?" asked one of the girls.
The trolley lady shook her head, so the girls settled for two Cauldron Cakes each. Albus followed them into their compartment and sat down.
"Hello Albus," said the taller of the two girls. Xenobia had white blond hair, which was pulled back into a high ponytail, and frog-shaped glasses. Her twin wore her bright red hair in a similar style, complete with carrots for earrings.
"I didn't see your dad on the platform," Albus told them.
"Oh yes, well, he's been very busy at the joke shop recently. Orders have been coming in like mad!" Xenobia replied.
Fredericka pulled a bag out of her trunk. It read Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. "Dad gave me a few things from the shop before we left this morning."
This is more like it, Albus thought to himself. Fredericka revealed a small box of Puking Pastilles, followed by Fever Fudge and Ton-Tongue Toffee.
"Dad said to use them on Scorpius if he bothered us," Xenobia announced , flashing a devilish smile.
It's amazing how they can be so much like their mother, and yet so much like their father, Albus thought.
Fredericka extracted yet another item from her trunk; this time it was a book: Dirigible Plums, Plimpies, and Quibbling Whizbees by Luna Weasley.
"Mum's having a book signing this afternoon," Xenobia explained.
Albus smiled to himself and leaned back against the seat. He remembered the last time he had visited his aunt and uncle. His aunt had strung Crumple-Horned Snorkack horns from the ceiling in celebration of their visit, and his uncle had placed a Dungbomb under his grandmother's chair, sending her flying out of the dining room gasping for breath.
It would definitely be an interesting year at Hogwarts, especially with his twin cousins.
As they continued into the countryside, Xenobia removed her glasses and asked, "So have you heard anything about out professors?"
Fredericka smiled serenely. "Rose told me about Professor Sharddy Fitzz."
"What does he teach?" asked Albus.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Fredericka replied. "Mum says one of his hobbies is catching Freshwater Plimpies! I must remember to ask him for some tips..." She got up and went out into the corridor.
The sky darkened as more hills filled the landscape. Xenobia left the compartment after her sister, allowing Albus to change into his school robes. Finally, the train slowed to a halt, and for once Albus actually wanted to find James, to ask him what to do once they were off the train.
I'm supposed to be brave. Gryffindors are brave, thought Albus wildly as he joined the thronging crowd moving towards the doors.
"Firs' years! Firs' years! All righ' there, Albus? Rose?"
Albus grinned up at Hagrid. " Yes."
"Firs' class tomorrow, got a real treat fer yeh!"
Albus followed his cousins up the walkway towards the boats that would lead them straight to the castle.
James and Rose joined some other second years who were climbing into one of the horseless carriages. I wish I could see those things, Albus thought to himself.
"No, you don't," said a boy to Albus's right.
Had Albus voiced this opinion aloud? "Can you see them?"
"Yes," the boy answered.
Albus blinked. "I'm Albus Potter."
"Warburton Finch-Fletchley." The boys shook hands.
"So...who did you see die?" asked Albus.
"My sister."
Realizing that this revelation was obviously causing the boy pain, Albus didn't ask any more questions. But the boy continued. "Her name was Amalia. She was a brilliant witch, although she was only thirteen years old.
"One evening of summer vacation, she went out into the garden to pick some lilies. You know, to put on the kitchen table. It was one of her favorite things to do. Well, anyway, a Death Eater--"
"Death Eater?" asked Albus fearfully. "I thought they were all in Azkaban!"
Warburton gave him a dark look. "There are a few still out there, going after families that had close ties to Harry Potter.
"Amalia had nothing to do with him. I mean, You-Know-Who was before her time! But the Death Eater killed her. My father ran out and sent a curse at him that killed him, but the damage was done. Amalia was dead."
"Albus? Warburton? Come on, yer laggin' behind!" bellowed Hagrid from a boat. The boys climbed into the closest boat, and they all began to move.
When the boats stopped at the edge of a hill leading up to the castle, everyone clambered out. The school loomed overhead, scary and threatening to anyone who had never been there.
They stepped into the entrance hall just beyond the great oak front doors. No one was there, but the Great Hall buzzed with excitement. Albus thought he might be sick.
Professor McGonagall led them into the Great Hall, right up in front of the teachers' table. In front of them she placed a wooden stool and a tattered old hat.
As its mouth began to move, Albus barely noticed what it was saying. He was taking in all his surroundings: The ceiling that reflected the night sky (which was mostly cloudy), the other students already seated and grinning supportively at their siblings who were about to be sorted. The empty plates and platters, which, Albus knew, would soon fill up with delicious chicken legs, lamb chops, steak-and-kidney pie, mashed potatoes, and for dessert, his father's favorite: treacle tart.
The hat abruptly stopped speaking, and McGonagall began to call out names.
"Abbott, Letisha!"
The hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
McGonagall continued down the long list of names, nodding with sympathy to Warburton as he came up to the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Albus cheered.
"Finnigan, Victoria!"
Scorpius clapped before she was even on the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Malfoy, Scorpius!"
Scorpius marched to the stool and plopped down, apparently thinking that he was leaving the impression that he did this often.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Scorpius grinned as he made his way down to the Ravenclaw table. Okay, thought Albus. The Sorting Hat let Scorpius choose, so it will probably let me choose...
Finally....
"Potter, Albus!"
The entire hall went quiet. There might not have been any people there at all. Albus felt hundreds of pairs of eyes on him as he slowly dragged his feet along the floor toward the stool. It all felt surreal; he was quite surprised to find himself seated on the stool.
The Sorting Hat was placed on Albus's head. He was sweating now, he could feel droplets on his forehead. "Hmmmm," said the Sorting Hat thoughtfully. "Another Potter. Hmmm, you're just like your father...he would have done well in Slytherin, perhaps you would too? Of course, he preferred Gryffindor...but you, you're not picky, are you? Oh, I see you are....not Slytherin? Hmmm...I wonder why you have such dislike for Slytherin? Hmmm....you are very much aware that I allowed Scorpius Malfoy to choose the house he wished to be in....very curious....hmmm, I wonder....I think we'll go with...
"GRYFFINDOR!!"
The loudest cheer yet erupted from the Gryffindor table; a wave of relief rushed over Albus as he floated over to join his cousins and brother.
More names, more names...
"Smith, Zechariah!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Thomas, Meredith!
"GRYFFINDOR!"
More names, and then finally...
"Weasley, Fredericka!"
Fredericka was just as eager to be sorted as Albus had been nervous.
The hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Fredericka nearly fell off the stool in excitement and ran to join the other students at the Ravenclaw table.
"Weasley, Xenobia!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Fredericka made a grunt of disappointment that her twin did not share her house. Xenobia laughed as she was practically pulled into the bench beside Rose.
Then, the last name.
"Zabini, Samuel!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
After Kingsley ended the night by singing the school song, the House prefects led the first years to the school common rooms. The castle was just as Albus had imagined it: moving staircases, hundreds of doors and secret passageways, and, as always, the Hogwarts ghosts. This time, however, a new member had been added.
"Carol Madrette. A pleasure to meet you," said the young ghost to the Gryffindors clambering toward the portait hole. "I was in Gryffindor as well."
A boy from the back of the group called out, "How did you die?"
"I was among the students who stayed behind to fight Lord Voldemort," she said quietly. "I was killed during the battle."
A hush fell over the group. The ghost sniffed, turned to the Fat Lady, and said, "Milano Melon."
The portait swung forward to reveal a large hole through which the students were beginning to climb. Albus smiled to himself as he imagined relaxing in one of the common room chairs until the early morning hours. I can stay up as late as I want, he thought.
"If you're smart, you won't," Warburton murmured in his ear.
Albus was stunned. This time he was positive he hadn't said anything out loud. Before he could do more than turn to look at Warburton, Carol the ghost snapped her silvery fingers at him. "You're holding up the line!" she cried.
The boys climbed through the portait hole and found yet another line; or rather, two lines: each one was assembled at a different set of stairs.
"Boys' dormitories to the left, girls' to the right," shouted a prefect.
The students raced up the stairs. When Albus and Warburton reached the top of the staircase, they noticed signs on the dormitory doors: 1st years, 2nd years, and so on.
Inside the first-year dormitory were four beds: each of them wrapped inside a curtain of red velvet. Albus sat down on the bed closest to the window, while Warburton took the bed next to Albus's.
"Alexander Waterbroth," said the boy nearest the door. "My whole family's been in Hufflepuff for centuries. Thought for sure I'd be there too. Mum told me all about the common room and how to get to the dormitories....Well, I guess I won't be needing them!"
"I'm Albus."
"Are you? Like Albus Dumbledore, right? Dad told me about him. Best headmaster Hogwarts ever saw, the way Dad tells it."
All three of them were quiet, staring at the empty bed near the western wall.
The bed remained vacant into the night, and was still empty in the morning. Around seven o'clock, when the students were getting out of bed, the door of the dormitory opened. A boy with brown hair that hung into his eyes shoved a trunk through the doorway and under the empty bed.
"Alexander Waterbroth," Alexander introduced himself, extending his hand to the new boy. The boy shook Alexander's hand, but didn't say a word. His eyes were jet black, and the glare on his face might have indicated a hard life.
Albus shook the boy's hand. "Albus Potter." The boy's grip on Albus's hand tightened significantly, but there was no change in his facial expressions. Finally letting go of Albus's hand, he told them his name.
"Vladimir Crabbe."