I own nothing.

(A/N: This is it. A new story. A new beginning. Have fun.)

(P.S.: Anything in italics is from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. All rights to that excerpt belong to J.K. Rowling.)

Albus Severus Potter.

The name grew to be something more. The young boy with messy hair was shy and inward, never being one to speak out or yell. His brother, James, was the suave one, the charmer, the sports star. Making the ladies swoon at the age of eleven, as he teased his younger sibling to no end. The first Potter Slytherin. A disgrace to the family. At least, until Ginny yelled not to upset him.

Lily was the opposite. Sharing many traits with Albus, she was shy and quiet, speaking politely and in short sentences. She read books that challenged even her father, the great Boy Who Lived. She was the smart one, the gifted witch, the natural. She showed signs of magic at the low age of three, enchanting James' learner broom to make him fall on his face.

Albus, however... was the nutcase. The oddity. The one who had a short temper, but never seemed to exhibit any signs of magical power. 'The Squib', as James called him. The outcast. The weird one. Endless other adjectives clogged the young boy's mind, much darker thoughts than that of a typical ten year old. The boy worried about his Hogwarts letter, not knowing what would happen. He couldn't be the Squib, the outcast, no; he would prove to the world that he was... more. More than a label.

Curious citizens ogled at his father when he walked past, holding themselves highly to be in the presence of their savior. They heard stories of his talented son, and his wickedly smart daughter, told tales of his legendary wife, former Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. And, in a moment of confusion, wondered who was the dark haired boy who walked beside them, who looked questionably like Harry himself.

While his two siblings inherited the trademark brown Weasley eyes, Albus' were emerald green, like his father. His hair hung limp and messy, like his father's. But, unlike his father, nothing about him was special. Some might even call him sickly, with his thin appearance and slender figure. "How can he be underfed," a passing shopper joked, "when his father is head of Auror office?" His mother proceeded to stare at him sharply, shutting up the poor man immediately.

Inwardly, however, people wondered the same thing. His aunt was Minister for Magic, his uncle was a celebrated Auror, his namesake was arguably the greatest wizard to be born on this Earth. And yet, there was the question of his second name.

Severus.

That of a deserter, a spy, a fickle minded fool, a half-blood prince, a gaunt and oily shadow of the powerful Dumbledore. The servant of the Dark Lord, the shunner of hope, the coward, the terrible headmaster. But still, his name was there, engraved into the Potter family forever. A memory of a dark past, one the world had left behind eighteen years ago. And, in the eyes of a man who had seen many evil and cheated death, a great hero and wizard. Unlike Albus Potter.

Until June the Nineteenth of 2016, this all changed.

The boy's tenth birthday was a quiet affair, involving his immediate family, his aunt, uncle, and his cousins, Rose and Hugo, who had both shown magic capabilities. The cake, in the shape of a large ten, sparkled with multi-colored candles. His family softly sang 'Happy Birthday' as the less than happy boy cut his cake. James, smirking, chanted silently, and moved his hands, as if conducting an orchestra. Lily stood behind him silently. Hugo and Rose clapped along next to her. The adults, being much more jovial and animated, sang the loudest, as if to compensate for the others. The boy carefully cut a triangular slice, placing it onto a paper plate, and taking a small bite, savoring his mother's unparalleled cooking.

James took this silent moment to smash the cake into Albus' face. Him and the other children laughed at the icing dripping down his face, forming red patches on his cheeks. The cake plopped to the floor sadly. Lily stared at James horrified, as Albus seethed on the inside.

He was done with the teasing. Done with the ridicule. Done with being the odd one out. The parents, looking concerned led their children away carefully, omit Albus, who stood in the center of the room, fists clenched. He stepped on the cake angrily, and screamed. The laughter immediately stopped, turning to shrieks and gasps as the house shook.

A bright, blinding flash soon followed, as if the world were on fire. Soon after, all of the lights in the Potter household were extinguished. Lily screamed shrilly, causing the others to panic. Aunt Hermione whispered, "Lumos Maxima!", and light was restored to the room. Ron, wanting to one up her, retrieved a curious object from his pocket. As he clicked it, orbs of light flew from its inside, delving into lamps and lights. Hermione ceased the light, with the 'power' being restored. The children immediately stopped screaming, sending the house into silence. Ginny looked at her son in disbelief, staring at his now-clean face. The cake lay underneath his foot, pitifully crushed.

Harry was the only one who looked happy. Ecstatic, in fact. He beamed widely, and walked over to Albus, kneeling down to the boy, who's expression had softened. "My son," he whispered joyously. "You're a wizard."

One Year Later

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

"James, give it a rest!" said Ginny.

"I only said he might be..."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?"

The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was.

Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes. "Albus Severus," Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But just say —"

"—then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?"

"It did for me," said Harry.

The boy with blond hair smiled brightly. "Hey," he said

"Hi," Albus replied "Mind if I sit? All the other compartments are full."

"Sure," said the boy.

Albus sat, staring out the window at the ever shrinking Kings Cross station. "What's your name?" He asked.

The boy straightened his posture. "Scorpius Malfoy. You?"

He hesitated for a moment, vaguely recognizing the name, but shrugged off the feeling.

"Albus Severus Potter."