"ALUBUS SEVERUS POTTER"
The black haired boy froze, cringed and turned on the spot. He flashed a smile that could melt any witch. But this wasn't any witch.
"Yes professor McGonagall?"
"Don't yes professor me, Potter. How many times have you been warned to behave yourself in these corridors?"
"Today? About 3, Professor." Rose lifted her eyes from her book and shook her head in exasperation.
"I've had enough of your cheek Potter. The next time you have to be told it'll be three weeks detention, suspension from the Quidditch pitch and a letter home to your father."
"Yes Professor," the young Slytherin responded, not the least bit frightened by this threat.
"A letter to your mother then perhaps?"
Albus visibly gulped. "I am sure I recall her promise to remove you from the Hogwarts premises the next time you misbehaved. Am I correct?"
"Yes professor. Sorry professor. I'll behave," Albus promised as he placed the newly opened dung-bombs into McGonagall's out-stretched hand.
"See to it that he does, Miss Weasley," McGonagall addressed the red-haired Ravenclaw.
The three friends wondered away together, following a well-known route to their favourite spot; the old oak tree that stood facing the Lake.
The three were on odd mix; Albus Potter, the Slytherin, Rose Weasley the Ravenclaw and Scorpius Malfoy, the quiet Gryffindor. Neither were more like than their father's than the other.
Scorpius Malfoy was a strange boy. He was almost the double of his father; slim but well-built, average height, with a smooth attractive face and shocking white blonde hair. While Draco slicked his hair back, Scorpius left it longer and shaggy, so it fell onto his forehead. The real difference between father and son lay in personalities. Scorpius was quiet, intelligent and independent. He done everything for himself, excelling in his magical ability and studies so much that the 7th year had taken to leaving his wand behind in his dormitory, using wand-less and sometime spell-less magic.
Laying under the tree studying should have been an easy way to avoid trouble. However, this his father, trouble seemed to find Albus and his friends.
"Look here, we've found ourselves some social-anomalies."
"Oh look at that Scorpius, Parkinson must have been copying from you again. Did it take you long to figure out that big long work Parkinson? I know, words must be so hard for your ickle brain to process."
"Shut-it Weasley, no one asked your opinion. So what's this Potter, have your cousin looking out for you, fighting your battles since you're too afraid of mummy to fight your own. Are you afraid of your mother Potter?"
"Damn right I'm afraid of my mother. While your, eh, delicate mother sat at home twiddling her thumbs, my parents were fighting a battle to save her arse. However I'm not as afraid of my mother as I am yours. There's something creepy about a dog walking on its hind-legs, especially if the dog is a pug…"
"How dare you talk about my mother like that!" The Slytherin fumed.
"I'm bored of your mother this, his mother that. Pick yourself up off the floor and piss off, Parkinson." Rose bit her lip to stop the giggle as the group of boys turned to look at the blonde in shock.
"You're as stupid as look Malfoy, I'm not on the ground," Parkinson bit back, shaking off his shock at hearing the Gryffindor's lazy drawl. At his words, Scorpius looked him in eye, pulled his lips together and blew as if blowing a feather.
A gust of wind circled Parkinson and his friends, as they were lifted into the air, carried a short distance and fell to the floor with a thud.
"I think he told you to piss off," Albus added gleefully, watching the group clamber to the feet and stalk away.
The week followed without incident. Until the following Monday. Scorpius and Albus were walking Rose to the hospital since she had fallen ill over the weekend.
"Well I hear she's been throwing up all weekend. Probably pregnant, those Weasley like to start early, give them enough pop out enough sprogs. I mean she has like 6 aunties and uncles."
"Hah. She can't be pregnant, the geeks to frigid to get laid."
"Turning you down doesn't make her frigid it gives her standards. Sounds like someone's a tad bitter that Rose didn't want to kiss him under the mistletoe in 4th year. Poor Parkinson got all embarrassed and ran away crying."
"Liar," shouted Peter, his face turning red, "what would I want to touch a filthy little blood-traitor like her for?"
Albus and Scorpius turned on the spot, facing Parkinson and his henchmen.
"I mean look at you all – Red hair, freckles, nose stuck in a book. You couldn't be more of a Weasley if you tried. Mix in your mother dirty blood and what have you got left?"
Albus let go of his cousin, forcing Scorpius to catch her full weight. "Albus no, they're not worth it. Come on lets go before you get into trouble," Rose croaked.
"Run along now. Don't want the Slytherin to get into trouble. You're a disgrace to the Slytherin name, ashamed house and friends with a Gryffindore."
"Keep walking Albus, ignore him," Scorpius muttered as Albus' teeth clenched.
"Run along you little rejects. Sly and cunning my arse. You should have been a Hufflepuff, good for nothing Potter." Scorpius stopped and looked up at the ceiling. Slowly he shut his eyes. The gathered crowd in the corridor screamed and gasped as a tile fell from the ceiling; Falling an inch in front of Peter Parkinson.
"That was a warning Parkinson. The next one won't miss," Scorpius growled. Parkinson shrugged the promise off following the trio and continuing his taunts.
"Ha, Gryffindor, yeah right. You've been dying to drop that tile on my head for ages, I can see it in your eyes. You're a Slytherin deep down, dark just like the rest of your family. You're just too afraid to show it. Aren't you Malfoy? You're pathetic." While Albus hesitated with tensed arms, Scorpius continued to carry Rose to the hospital wing as though he never heard a word Parkinson said.
"I wouldn't worry about your pet too much, it's just all that dirty blood getting to her." Before Albus had time to react a horrible squelching sound had filled the hallway. Scorpius' fist had connected with Peter's nose.
"I can show just how much of a Slytherin I can be," Scorpius hissed.
Albus and Rose turned to find Scorpius pinning Peter to the ground; his knee no neck while his fists found his face again.
"SCORPIUS NO! STOP IT. YOU'LL HURT HIM. SCORPIUS STOP, PLEASE!" Rose screaming in horror.
The blonde boy looked up at his friends and removed his knee from Peter's neck, but placed on his chest. Keeping him in place. He leaned down to talk into the bleeding boy's ear.
"I want you to look at her Peter. She's the reason you're not going to spend your life in a hospital, because Merlin knows you deserve it. Her family maybe muggle supporters but her blood is no different from yours. But her soul is. Rose has a heart and soul more pure than yours will ever be. After everything you said about her and her family, she didn't want you to get hurt. Albus is a Slytherin because he is cunning and gets what he wants. You're there because you're cowardly cruel. I asked to be in Gryffindor so I could avoid bigoted, discriminative arseholes like you. However, if I hear you talking like that again, not just about the Potter's and Weasley's, I'll bring out my inner Slytherin. And this has nothing on what I can do to you."
Scorpius stood up and brushed himself off.
He picked up Rose from the floor and turned to Peter.
"Get up and get to the hospital wing. Stay out of my Parkinson." And with that he turned and carried Rose to the hospital wing, closely followed by Albus.
McGonagall watched from the sideline, shocked into silence and far too proud of the young Gryffindor's defence of his friends to give him into trouble.
The professor watched the trio walk away, bittersweet that she would get to group of friends, form such strong bonds that they would go on to change their world for the better. For a third time