Author's notes:
#1 This story is a sequel to "Of Hats and Girls", "Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw? Ravenclaw!", and "Of Boys and Spells". All of them are based on chapter "Nineteen Years Later" of DH. However, I ignored most pieces of additional information (e.g. the Weasley family tree or the retirement of Minerva McGonagall) that Mrs Rowling gave in later interviews. What is not in the books is not canon.
#2 Readers have asked me to provide a short summary of previous events. If you wish to read the stories for yourself, please skip the following passage.
- - - "Of Hats and Girls"
Rose, Albus, and Scorpius are all Sorted into Ravenclaw. So are Persephone Ackerley and the Austrian Joseph Gerstlmeier.
- - - "Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw? Ravenclaw!"
How do the parents react when they learn their children are in Ravenclaw?
- - - "Of Boys and Spells"
When one of Rose's essays is stolen, Albus and Scorpius attempt to steal it back, are caught, and have to serve detention. During that detention, Albus nicks a bottle of Veritaserum.
Later seventh year student Julius Yaxley hexes several first-years: Albus and Scorpius's hair will be violet for months, their friend Persephone can't move her legs anymore. A Hufflepuff girl is apparently in actual danger of dying after having suffered an unknown curse, which the healers are unable to reverse.
Albus and Scorpius along with James and his friends find a way to feed Yaxley a dose of Veritaserum. With the help of Auror Dean Thomas, the crime is finally solved. Thomas makes the children (including his own daughter) promise to keep quiet about the incident. In exchange, he'll take the blame for the unauthorised use of Veritaserum.
#3 Special thanks go to my beta readers Adalibina and EvilSatsuma as well as to duj for all her help, support, and advice.
-
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
- - - - - -
Chapter 1: Neville's Surprise
-
(July 31, 2018, 22:30 pm; Godric's Hollow)
-
"I have an announcement to make," Neville said, a small, dreamy smile on his lips.
"Go ahead," Ginny said expectantly.
"I'm getting married."
He answered the chorus of cheers that met him with a somewhat sheepish grin.
"Was about time, too," Ron muttered when the noisy excitement had subsided.
Harry got up from his armchair. "I'll fetch that bottle of overly expensive Greek wine," he said. "We have something to celebrate."
"Have we not been celebrating your birthday for several hours now?" Ginny chirped.
"Yeah," he said, winking at her. "But that we do every year. How often is Neville going to get married?"
-
Harry grinned to himself as he descended to the cellar. Neville getting married, that was happy news indeed.
Whistling under his breath, he selected a bottle from the shelf. He'd got it – as a gift for his thirty-fifth birthday – from the head of the secret Seers' Society of Delphi. Unbeknownst to most of the wizarding world and to the Muggles altogether, the famed Oracle was still working. Harry wiped off the dust of three years with his sleeve and went back to the sitting room.
Sure enough, everybody was still discussing the forthcoming wedding. Even Luna had lowered the copy of this month's Eerie Encounters into her lap.
Harry took six fresh wineglasses from the cupboard and filled them with the honey-coloured, sweet smelling liquid. He then raised his glass and gestured for the others to do the same.
"Here's to Neville and his wife-to-be," he said.
"Here's to you, Harry," Neville quietly said in return. "Every time something good happens, I can't help thinking how many people might not have lived to see it if it hadn't been for you. Cheers!" he added and took a quick sip, so as not to give Harry the opportunity for a reply.
Harry tasted the wine carefully. It was superb. This had been a good birthday, despite the fact that a heavy bout of summer rain had chased them indoors half an hour earlier.
He glanced at the merry faces of his friends. For the past two decades, the evening of July the 31st had been reserved for a relaxed little get-together with only Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. The big family party was traditionally being held at the Burrow on the following weekend.
"Has Megan already decided on her name?" Hermione asked, putting down her glass.
"She'll follow your example," Neville said. "Two professors with exactly the same name would only cause endless confusion. So, she'll be Professor Jones-Longbottom."
"I like that," Ginny said. "I'm really happy for you and Megan."
Neville smiled at her. He was practically radiating happiness.
"Neville, I meant to ask you," Luna piped up, "does Megan happen to be pregnant?"
"Not yet," Neville told her, the contented smile never leaving his face, "but we're working on it."
"You know," Hermione said, "there hasn't been a married couple teaching at Hogwarts for nearly a century. And you'll be the first parents since the Periwyggs."
"I'd like to see McGonagall's face when she wises up," Ron chuckled.
"Quite," Neville agreed, still smiling. "You should have seen her the morning after Albus and Scorpius's broomstick stunt, when old Filius Flitwick walked into the staff room and said, if that had been you, Harry, and Scorpius's father, he'd gladly have awarded you twenty points instead of docking them."
"Err, you've lost me here," Harry said. "What broomstick stunt?"
"Well, James helped out with brooms when they wanted to retrieve Rose's stolen essay," Neville said, sounding for all the world like someone stating the most obvious.
"Wait," Hermione cut in. "People steal my daughter's essays?"
"That poor Hufflepuff girl did, the one who was placed under an Imperius Curse," Neville answered. "Among other things, Yaxley made her steal Rose's homework and copy it."
"I know that," Harry said. "Dean gave me a few insights that don't appear in the official report. But he didn't mention anything about flying around on broomsticks, let alone doing stunts."
"Well, of course," Neville said. "That was about a week before McGonagall called in the Aurors. Nobody guessed at an Imperius Curse by then, least of all first-year students like Albus or Scorpius."
"What's Scorpius Malfoy to do with anything?" Ginny asked, slightly suspicious.
"Isn't that as clear as crystal?" Ron remarked. "The Slytherins Imperiused a poor, unsuspecting first-year. I bet they bragged enough about it in their common room for their whole house to know, and the Malfoys have always been cowards. They chicken out as soon as things get tough. Should have been a piece of cake for James, really, to force little Malfoy to spill the beans."
"Ron, I'm sure I don't understand what you're going on about." Neville seemed genuinely puzzled. "I don't think James could force Scorpius to do anything unless he smothered Rose and Albus first. The two of them have pretty well stood in the way of everybody who tries to harass Scorpius."
"Why would they do that?" Ginny asked, taken aback.
"They're friends," Neville said levelly. "Do they need another reason?"
"Ha, ha Neville!" Ron exclaimed. "That one has bells on!"
Neville blinked. He opened his mouth but Ron – almost laughing – went on, "My Rosie being friends with an arrogant Slytherin git? Fat chance!"
"Ron," Neville said and paused, as if pondering the answer to some byzantine conundrum, "Scorpius isn't in Slytherin. He's in Ravenclaw."
"Oh," said Luna.
Harry wondered bemusedly why nobody had said anything about Scorpius Malfoy not ending up in Slytherin for a whole year. The others were clearly just as much surprised as he was. Neville, in turn, was perplexed by the lack of verbal reaction aside from Luna's minuscule comment.
"That was a joke, Neville, right?" Ron finally said. Something in his voice suggested that he hoped the answer would be yes but that he also knew this was not going to happen.
"Scorpius Malfoy is in Ravenclaw," Neville repeated. "Didn't you know?"
Ron downed the contents of his glass in one go and held it out for Harry to refill it. Harry complied, concentrating on holding the bottle perfectly steady. Exercises like this were helpful in keeping sudden dismay under control.
"As a matter of fact, I did not know," Ginny said, glaring at Neville. "Obviously, neither of my sons deemed it worth mentioning."
Harry could tell she was miffed. He handed the glass back to Ron and then turned to Neville, asking softly, "Why did you never breathe a word?"
"I thought you knew," Neville simply said.
"I didn't."
"Sorry. I didn't realise..." Neville trailed off. "The way you never asked about Scorpius made me think that things were exactly as fine as they appeared to be."
"Ravenclaw!" Ron suddenly burst out. "Why did she have to be in Ravenclaw? Wasn't Gryffindor good enough for my daughter? And to make it worse, the Malfoy brat has to be there, too! I swear, if he ever as much as..." – he got to his feet, gesturing expansively with his glass, which was empty again – "if he ever looks at her... in an inprappr... innappi... bad way, I'll... I'll-"
Hermione firmly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back onto the sofa, hissing something about getting a grip on himself.
Ginny stared at her. "Don't tell me you knew," she said slowly.
"No, I didn't," Hermione said with barely contained impatience. "Perhaps I should have asked a few more questions instead of contenting myself with the information Rose volunteered."
Ginny nodded in agreement.
"And Neville," Hermione went on, "You said, they were friends?"
"They are."
"Not much longer," Ron declared. "I will tell her... I will order her-"
Hermione nudged him into silence. "How did that happen?" she inquired of Neville.
"How they became friends? I don't know. Nobody does, really. If truth be known, most of the staff expected something along the lines of history repeating itself. Having a Potter, a Weasley, and a Malfoy in the same year seemed to bode trouble. However, the fears were unwarranted."
Ron gave a snort, but kept quiet.
"I still can't believe it," Ginny murmured, now more worried than angry. "Okay, they were Sorted into the same house. So it's probably better to tolerate each other rather than to fight all the time. But why friends? Can't they simply stay out of each others way?"
"Might be tricky," Neville said. "According to Filius, Albus and Scorpius are in the same dorm."
A heavy sigh escaped Harry's lips. The mere thought of having to share a dormitory with Scorpius's father would have driven him up the wall! "Do they really get along with each other?" he asked.
"Right from the start," Neville nodded. "If I may say so, they got on like a house on fire."
Ron mumbled something incoherent under his breath. However, Harry caught the word ploy, which stirred a memory. Once he'd overheard – while hiding in a large, black cabinet at Borgin and Burkes – Lucius Malfoy lecturing his son about how it wouldn't be prudent to appear less than fond of Harry Potter. Was there the possibility that Draco had told Scorpius something similar?
Harry rather liked to think his son wasn't so gullible as to be so easily ensnared by some manipulative bastard. Rose at least should have better judgement; she was her mother's daughter.
Then again, manipulative was probably not the word to describe Draco Malfoy. He had been, in his own way, rather straightforward. For most of their time at school, Harry's relationship with him had been open hostility with neither side holding back. By now, Harry thought he could make out the reason why. They had both, quite often, and each one for his own, specific reasons, felt their backs were to the wall. Since running hadn't been an option, they'd resorted to biting. And till today, Harry could not see how they could have acted differently – tightly wrapped up as they had been in their respective political environment, and with hardly any other option than to walk down the paths that had been chosen for them.
Times had changed, though. Maybe Albus and Scorpius could enjoy a freedom of choice their fathers had never had.
Right on cue, as if she'd heard his thoughts, Luna said, "I can see why Scorpius chose to be in Ravenclaw."
"What do you mean, why he chose," Ginny grumbled. "You don't choose your house. You're Sorted into it."
"You do choose," Luna said. "How else would it ever work?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Ginny snapped. "It's bad enough as it is – unless there is something in this wretched wine and I'm just hallucinating..."
"The wine is perfectly pure," Luna assured her, completely unperturbed. "And I'm not talking nonsense. People choose their houses. Ask Harry."
"Luna's right," Harry answered the silent question in his wife's eyes. "I chose Gryffindor over Slytherin."
"And I Gryffindor over Ravenclaw," Hermione joined in. "I debated with that Hat." 1)
"Well, I didn't," Ginny said stubbornly.
"But when you put the Hat onto your head, Ginny, what were your thoughts then?" Harry asked her quietly.
She shrugged. "I hoped to be in the same house as everyone of my family. So what? Is there something wrong with hoping that you'll be with your siblings?"
"Of course not." Luna slightly shook her head, making the gaudy doodahs she wore for earrings rustle. "Was this all that you thought or did you have more reasons for preferring Gryffindor?"
Ginny shrugged again. "I thought that being a girl wasn't my fault, and that I was as courageous as my brothers any time."
"There you go," Luna said, and Harry gave his wife a nod and a smile that said the same.
"Come on, you two!" Ginny exclaimed, still full of doubt. "Are you suggesting that's the way the Sorting works?"
"I suppose, yes," Neville said. "Now that I – for the first time ever – think about my own Sorting, I have to admit that Luna and Harry have a point."
Ginny turned to her brother, who sat rather slumped between her and Hermione. "What do you think about this?" she demanded.
Ron struggled to get into an upright position. With some difficulty, he managed to focus on his sister. "I say she's not going to marry any spoilt Pureblood brat." His vehemence was oddly counteracted by the way he slurred his words together. "Not my Rosie, no. That's what I say."
Ginny couldn't help it. She laughed out loud.
Ron scowled at her, uncomprehendingly. "What's ya laugh?"
Hermione shoved her husband gently back against the cushions. "Take a break, darling," she said soothingly. "I'll tell you when it's time to go home."
Ron smirked and tried to kiss her; Ginny's laughter changed to unrestrained giggling.
"I'm sorry I ruined your birthday, Harry," Neville said.
"It's not your fault. I should have known better than to give Ron so much of this strong wine. And as for my son being friends with Malfoy's, well, I had to learn it sometime. It doesn't matter whether that's today or tomorrow. I just wish Albus had had the courage to tell me himself."
"He does have courage, your son," Neville said. "He probably wanted to spare Rose the trouble she will be in now. Postpone it, at least."
"Maybe," Harry conceded. Albus and Rose had always been close, and being together at school had most likely strengthened the bond. Albus, Rose, and... a Malfoy. He tried to picture the three of them walking into the Great Hall together, sitting down at the long table, eating, chatting, laughing. His success was limited, though; it felt too much like putting him, Hermione, and Scorpius's father together.
He snapped out of his musings when Hermione abruptly got up from the sofa. She had decided that taking Ron home was – considering the circumstances – the wisest course of action.
-
Saying good-bye took a while. Ron was definitely tipsy, Ginny still giggling, and Neville kept apologising.
Luna held Hermione's hands for a moment and said, "You should be proud of your daughter."
"I'll think about it," Hermione replied, her face stern and thoughtful. She grabbed Ron round the waist – which he visibly enjoyed – and Disapparated instead of using the Floo network, thus avoiding the risk of him falling out of the wrong grate accidentally.
"I should be going, too. There's a couple of newly hatched Golden Snidgets I have to look after," Luna said. She hugged Neville, then Ginny and when she let go of Harry, she asked, "You are proud of Albus, aren't you?"
Harry gave a noncommittal grunt, feeling uncomfortable. He knew he shouldn't have preferences regarding his children, yet Albus was special to him. He was quieter and more determined than his siblings were. On the other hand, weren't they all special in some way – Jimmy all buoyant and bubbly, and little sweet Lily – wasn't she still cute and adorable at the age of ten? Any attempt to mould them into a different shape would only result in their unhappiness.
"I might be, eventually," he said, looking not at Luna but at Ginny.
Ginny bit her lip. "Rationally, I should be able to make out certain benefits. Oh yes, I certainly could compose an article: marvellous development... will encourage unifying process within the wizarding community, blah, blah, blah. The point is, I don't feel like being very rational right now."
"You will," Luna said with conviction. She flicked her wand, and flames sprang up in the fireplace.
"I want to worry about my son's well-being," Ginny sulked. "Mother's prerogative."
"Sure. Makes perfect sense," Luna said equably. She took a pinch of Floo powder out of the ornate jar that sat on the mantelpiece and threw it into the flames. Waving good bye, she stepped into the emerald green blaze and was gone a second later.
"Well..." Neville said, nodding towards the fireplace.
Ginny moved the powder jar quickly out of his reach.
"Not yet," she said. "First, I want some questions answered. Neville, are you really sure the Malfoy boy is suitable company for Albus? Is that your private opinion? Would you genuinely and sincerely say that?
Neville inhaled deeply but he held Ginny's gaze. "Scorpius is a boy like any other. His biggest flaw is his father. Do you – genuinely and sincerely – expect me to hold his ancestry against him?"
"Of course not," Harry intervened. Being bullied by teachers because they held an old grudge against your father was something he wished upon no child.
"I do not play favourites with anyone; I try not to discriminate against anyone," Neville insisted. "Slytherin or other, they are students and deserve the same respect, the same praise for equal achievement, and the same punishment for analogous rule breaking. I maintain that policy of mine no matter what certain colleagues say."
"I know, Neville. And I assure you I appreciate your commitment in this matter," Harry said. "But can't you draw us a more detailed picture of Scorpius?"
"As I said, he's a student like others. His Herbology marks are good, although that may not be saying much – my tests are generally considered a piece of cake. He's always been polite to me and also to Megan."
"How does he act towards students who are not the children of famous or influential people?" Ginny asked. "Does he talk to them at all?"
"The first time I really talked to a Ravenclaw was in our fifth year – I could have made friends with Luna a lot earlier. I could have been friends with Megan right from the beginning despite her being in Hufflepuff. What kept us apart? I'd say lack of opportunity and mutual prejudice. Well, it's fiendishly difficult to do something about prejudice but when I started teaching I promised myself that I would provide opportunity. I've made it a habit to team up students of different houses. I had Scorpius work with Hufflepuffs all year long. He's never complained. Nor have his partners. I would have learned it from Megan if he had called somebody the m-word."
"I see," Ginny said sarcastically, "little Malfoy is a perfect, role model student."
"I don't know about role model," Neville replied, his eyes twinkling. "I think entering girls' dormitories via the window is a bit frowned upon. He's also earned himself a fine reputation as a nuisance with Binns."
"With Binns?" Harry wondered.
"Binns started complaining early on about the Ravenclaw first-years ganging up on him. Apparently, the Ackerley girl kept interrupting his lessons with questions. Others soon followed her example, namely Rose and Scorpius."
"An Ackerley girl?" Ginny asked. "Is she Stewart's daughter?"
"Yes, she is," Neville nodded. "Persephone. She's friends with Scorpius, too. If he's not seen with Rose or Albus, he'll be most likely with her and the Austrian boy."
"That's Joseph Gertslemeir, right," Ginny said. "I thought he was Muggle-born."
"He is. Why-"
"Hold on a sec," Harry interrupted as a baffling thought occurred to him. "Did Scorpius know Nancy Donovan was Muggle-born?"
"Oh, come on, Harry! You think he thought the girl was a thief because she's a Muggle-born?" Harry held up both hands in a soothing gesture – that wasn't what he'd meant – but Neville was in full swing. "Look, everybody believed she'd taken Rose's essay. The headmistress in person confirmed that the girl had had the cheek to copy two thirds of Rose's homework. Megan subtracted fifty points from Hufflepuff, as a result terminating all hopes of winning the House Cup for the first time in ages!"
"Calm down, Nev, Hufflepuff did win in the end," Ginny said. "I bet Megan was over the moon."
"That's a plain understatement," Neville said, the ecstatic smile all of a sudden reappearing on his face. "They got the points back once the real culprit was found out. Dean did a good job. Give him my regards, Harry."
"I will."
Neville pointed to the powder jar Ginny was still holding. "May I?" he asked. "Megan's waiting."
Smiling, she proffered the jar to him. "Give her our love."
Neville beamed. "Oh, I'm getting married. I almost can't believe it myself..."
"You'll do fine." Harry gave him a reassuring slap on the shoulder.
"I'll send you the formal invitation soon," Neville said as he threw the Floo powder into the fire. And then, the instant before he stepped into the green flames, he looked back and smirked, "There's one thing I'd really like to know – how Malfoy feels about his son's choice in friends."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1) Hermione doesn't explicitly say in canon that she influenced the Sorting Hat's decision.
The statement she makes in OotP simply reads, "Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw during my Sorting... but it decided on Gryffindor in the end..."; [ch 19, p. 441; Bloomsbury, paperback]. She explains neither how nor on what basis that decision was made.
The gap could well be filled with "... but I waited quietly and patiently until it decided on Gryffindor..." but also with "... but after I had discussed the matter with the Hat it decided on Gryffindor..."
I prefer the latter because this interpretation is consistent with what Harry tells Albus in DH ["... you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."; epilogue, p. 607; Bloomsbury, hardcover].
