A/N: Well, here's my first story, hope you like it. Since I originally intended chapters 1 and 2 to be only one chapter I'm posting them both at the same time.
Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling, I own nothing. No money is being made off of this in any way, I'm just having fun.
Chapter 1: Expected
Albus Potter woke up to sunlight streaming into his room. Excitement surged through him and he leaped out of bed and hastily started dressing. Now, Albus was not normally a morning person, it usually took three separate attempts by his mother to get him out of bed in the morning. However, Albus could not get the thought that today might be the day out of his mind. Just as he had been doing every morning for the past week and a half, Albus ran down stairs and headed straight for the pile of mail on the counter.
'Today, he thought, it has to be here today!'
"Albus, it's only July 17th." His mother called from the kitchen. "It could be another couple of days before you get your letter."
Albus ignored her as he set aside the Daily Prophet and started flipping through the mail. He had been waiting his whole life for his acceptance letter to Hogwarts and didn't want to hear that it might take longer to get to him. Suddenly he spotted it, sticking out from underneath a fancy envelope addressed to his father (probably yet another request for an interview) and he let out a shout of joy as he ripped it open.
Dear Mister Albus Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all
necessary books and equipment.
Term begins September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom, Deputy Headmaster
"I GOT ACCEPTED!" Albus shouted as he jumped around excitedly waving his letter in the air.
Ginny rolled her eyes as she set a plate of bacon on the table.
"Were you expecting not to be accepted?" She teasingly asked even though she knew Albus was too excited to be listening.
"Sounds like Albus's letter is here." Harry remarked as he entered the kitchen followed by Albus's little sister Lily. Lily was rubbing her eyes tiredly and hadn't quite processed that she should be jealous of Albus right now since she would have to wait two more years for her letter. Albus's older brother James, a second year Gryffindor, was nowhere to be seen. Likely he was still asleep despite the commotion.
"Look Dad, it's my letter!" Albus shouted and shoved his letter proudly into his father's face.
"I see that," Harry replied without even reading the letter. "Go set it on the counter with your list of supplies so they don't get lost."
Albus did as he was told and then took a seat next to Lily at the table. Just as soon as he sat down it hit him that if he got his letter today then Rose, his favorite cousin and best friend, probably got hers as well.
"I'm gonna go to the Weasley's and see if Rose has her letter as well!" Albus said as he jumped up and started for the door.
"Not until after you finish breakfast you're not!" Ginny yelled after him. "I'm certain if you have your letter today, then Rose has hers as well. You two can spend the rest of the day being excited about Hogwarts after you eat breakfast."
Disappointed, Albus returned to his seat. Suddenly he realized the sooner he finished eating the sooner he could go see Rose and started filling his plate and shoveling food into his mouth. Ginny rolled her eyes but let it go this one time. Just as Albus was finishing, James made his way into the kitchen.
"What'd I miss?" he asked taking a seat.
"Guess what? I got my letter!" Albus said excitedly between bites.
"What are you in such a hurry for?" James asked noticing how fast Albus was eating.
"Gonna go see if Rose has hers." He responded.
"So you two can celebrate…until you land in Slytherin that is." James finished wickedly.
"What?! No way I'm gonna be in stinky Slytherin!" Albus shouted. "I'm gonna be in Gryffindor, just like you and Dad and everyone else in our family!"
"No way you're brave enough, cowards go to Slytherin."
"I am too brave enough!"
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"BOYS! That's enough! James leave your brother alone and both of you no shouting in the house." Harry intervened before the fight got too far.
Albus angrily scooped up his plate and dumped it in the sink and ran out of the house before James could say anything else. Albus was not going to let James ruin his day and he definitely wasn't going to end up in Slytherin. He hoped anyway. Suddenly James' words turned into a stone that settled into his stomach. What if he was a coward and ended up in Slytherin?
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Rose Weasley got up early just as she always did. Throwing on a pair of comfortable jeans and a tank top, she started working on her hair. Though she wasn't a prissy girl by nature and didn't put a whole lot of time into her appearance, her flaming red hair was every bit as curly and bushy as her mother's. Also, you can't have four older female cousins without at least trying to tame your hair. Some days she was successful and some days, well, she always had a hair tie on her wrist or in her pocket.
Finishing her hair, Rose walked downstairs and took a seat at the dining table between her dad and brother while her mum finished up breakfast. Ron hid a smirk and casually asked Rose to grab the mail for him. Rose did as she was asked and was nearly back to her seat when she looked down and spotted the unmistakable letter addressed to her. Shrieking, she dropped the rest of the mail in her dad's lap and ripped open her letter.
Dear Miss Rose Weasley,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all
necessary books and equipment.
Term begins September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom, Deputy Headmaster
"I GOT IN!" She exclaimed.
"Congrats Rosie, we're so proud of you!" Ron said and kissed her on top of the head.
Rose was so excited she forgot entirely about breakfast and started rambling on about how she couldn't wait to get her books and what classes were like and what house she was going to be in. Of course she wanted Gryffindor; the tradition of the Weasley's in Gryffindor went back generations, except for her cousin Dominique who was in Ravenclaw.
"Rose honey, eat your breakfast before it gets cold." Hermione reminded her. "Or before your father and brother eat everything" she added.
"Right, of course." Rose responded before serving herself. "I wonder if Al has his letter. Can I go to the Potter's to find out?" Rose asked.
"After breakfast, though I'm sure he does." Hermione answered.
Just then, Albus burst through the front door and yelled "ROSE I have my letter!"
"I do too!" She yelled back.
"I know you kids are excited, but please no yelling." Hermione chided them.
"Sorry mum."
"Sorry Aunt Hermione."
"Why don't you two head to Rosie's room and plot what you're going to do at Hogwarts?" Ron suggested. Both children ginned and ran to Rose's room already excitedly talking about Quidditch and houses.
Only when they were safely in Rose's room did Albus bring up what James had said about him being in Slytherin.
"Don't be ridiculous Al, you know he's just trying to wind you up." Rose said matter of factly. "We're both going to be in Gryffindor just like we've always planned."
With the stone in his stomach gone thanks to his reliable cousin, Albus spent the rest of the day hanging out with Rose and not worrying about the sorting.
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Scorpius Malfoy rolled out of bed and got dressed in his usual clothes, though they were getting a bit snug. His parents promised him they would get him some new clothes in Diagon Alley after he got his Hogwarts letter. Of course, new for him meant second hand because money was tight and clothes on top of all his school supplies was going to be difficult for his parents.
After the war his father Draco had cut ties with Lucius, though still occasionally writing to Narcissa, and thus had been disinherited. Not that it mattered much, his grandparents had been stripped of their wealth by the ministry as part of the punishment for their crimes and all they had left was Malfoy Manor.
Scorpius went out to the dining room and started in on the breakfast his parents had left out for him. They were already down stairs in the shop below the flat working.
His family ran a small bakery in Diagon Alley called Astoria's Petite Patisserie that sold cookies, cakes and pastries. His mum baked while his dad did the bookwork after Astoria discovered that he couldn't be trusted not to catch anything on fire. Scorpius usually helped out in the morning before school and in the evening when he got home. His parents insisted he didn't have to, but he knew they appreciated the help and he really did enjoy baking with his mum.
Scorpius finished breakfast and prepared to head down to the shop to help his mum open for the day when he spotted the mail. Grabbing the small stack, he took it with him as he locked up the flat and went down stairs.
"You forgot the mail Dad." Scorpius said as he handed his father the stack.
"Are you sure about that?" Draco asked, his eyes crinkling as he hid a smile.
Scorpius looked down for the first time at the mail in his hand and right there on top was a letter addressed to him with the Hogwarts crest on it. Without hesitating, Scorpius ripped it open and pulled out the letter.
Dear Mister Scorpius Malfoy,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all
necessary books and equipment.
Term begins September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom, Deputy Headmaster
"I've been accepted!" Scorpius said after he finished reading the letter.
"As if there was any doubt after you made that auror's hair fall out." Draco teased him. The ministry found an excuse to search the shop and flat every few years simply because they were Malfoys. On one such occasion when Scorpius was six, he had made a particularly rude auror's hair fall out as his first act of accidental magic. His parents had let him have his favorite chocolate mint chip cookies to celebrate that evening.
"Mum look, I've been accepted to Hogwarts!" He shouted, running out of his dad's tiny office and to the shop's kitchen where his mum was pulling out a sheet of cookies.
"I'm so proud of you honey" his mum said as she hugged and kissed him.
Putting his letter safely in his work robes, Scorpius started on some pastry dough.
"What house do you think I'll be in?" He asked conversationally. "I mean, I know you and dad were in Slytherin and the whole family has been as well. Does that mean I will be too?"
Astoria smiled at her son and answered "Well, these things often run in families but your father and I have worked hard to raise you differently than how we were raised."
Scorpius knew she was referring to the pureblood beliefs of his grandparents that he was specifically raised not to believe and not make the same mistakes of his parents or grandparents. He had attended a local muggle primary school so that he would have a well rounded education and know of the muggle world.
"So, basically, it could go either way? I might be in Slytherin but I might not as well?" Scorpius asked.
Astoria chuckled. "Basically we won't know until the hat is on your head and makes a decision. No matter what that decision is, your father and I are extremely proud of you and know you will do great things at Hogwarts."
Scorpius smiled gratefully at his mother. He had never been pressured to get into Slytherin, but he kind of wanted to just to be like his parents. On the other hand, it kind of scared him because he knew he would be judged poorly already just for being a Malfoy and being a Slytherin on top of that might be too much to handle. He was secretly glad he wouldn't have to make that decision and the hat would choose for him because he honestly had no idea which house he wanted most.
