Hello everyone!

I know that there has been a big gap in between chapters since I have been so busy. One of the reasons I have been away from the fic is that I had been writing something for a prompt on Tumblr. Of course it ended up being S&L related so I decided to put it up here to help with said wait. I am about halfway through the next chapter if you're wondering so I hope to have it done by the end of next month at the latest :)

The prompt was 'back-to-school and since our Beloved Queen, Ms. Rowling announced that James Sirius Potter was sorted into Gryffindor this September I decided to make this little drabble set in Mr. Potter's POV. You could think of this as almost as premature epilouge of sorts. I have tried to stay away from spoilers, however there are certain things that may sound like spoilers. These are things that will not be addressed in S&L.

Enjoy!

The Past is in The Past

"First years to me, please," called the severe looking witch who had appeared seemingly from nowhere to direct Hogwarts' newest students.

They had arrived from Hogsmead station almost a half hour ago and were quickly herded away from the upper years by the school's Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Professor Hagrid had brought them to the edge of the Black Lake where a fleet of small boats waited to ferry the first-years across to the school. Many of the other kids had been frightened by the half-giant who had escorted them to the castle's side entrance, but not him. He had known the hulking man, with the wild beard and booming laugh since he was a boy. Hagrid was a very good friend of the family.

The second Hagrid had caught sight of the boy he'd clapped him on the shoulder with a hand the size of a dinner plate, almost knocking him to the ground.

"Good to see ya James! Ready ter start your first year at Hogwarts?"

James had nodded mutely, aware of everyone starring at the pair. Hagrid immediately sensed the boy's discomfort.

"Now don' be nervous about yer sortin'. You would do great in any of the Houses, but I'm willing to bet my beard that the son of Harry Potter has a seat saved at the Gryffindor table!"

If everyone hadn't known who he was by then, they certainly did after that.

James Sirius Potter tried not to think about that now as he followed the elderly witch towards a massive set of mahogany doors, behind which he could hear the low rumble of hundreds of voices. The fluttering in his stomach that had started up when his parents had hugged him goodbye at Kings Cross station, had now turned into full-fledged backflips.

The woman stopped in front of the door, next to a small stool on which sat a very old, very worn, looking wizard's hat. She turned around and regarded the group of nervous looking children with an expression of cool indifference over her rectangular spectacles. As her gaze swept across the many new faces her eyes met James', lingering for a few seconds before moving on.

"Good evening. I am Professor McGonagall, and behind me is the Great Hall where the rest of your peers are waiting for you," she said.

James swallowed and stood a little straighter. His mum and dad… and several other family members, had warned him about the infamous Minerva McGonagall. She had worked at the school almost 60 years, and 14 of them had been as Headmaster. However, a few years ago the witch decided that she much preferred teaching, and so stepped down from the position.

"Hogwarts students are sorted into one of four Houses; Gryffindor," James' breath hitched, "Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin," Professor McGonagall explained. "Your House will be like a second family for the remainder of your time here, so the friendships you make there are important. However, the Headmaster has asked me to remind each of you that inter-house discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated." If it was possible, the woman's expression turned even more steely.

James swallowed. Why did this woman make him feel like he was in trouble even though he hadn't done anything?

"Once the doors open, you will follow me to the front of the room and wait for your name to be called. When it is your turn, you are to come forward and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head," McGonagall said, gesturing to the hat next to her. "Once you have been sorted, you will join the rest of your House at the respective table."

Before any of them had time to fully absorb her instructions, Professor McGonagall picked up both the hat and the stool and spun to face the slowly opening doors. The loud groaning of old hinges caused the room to fall silent, so that every pair of eyes fell to them.

James felt his ears grow warm, and his heart began to pound furiously against his ribcage, so loud that he was sure everyone could hear it. He was jostled out of his initial shock however as those behind him began to move forward in order to keep up with McGonagall's purposeful strides.

As the first-years moved down the center aisle, James cast his gaze around the room. The sight of it nearly took his breath away, it was even better than everyone described. Four long wooden tables dominated the room; each one filled with students, and from the ceiling, hung a standard depicting each House's emblem. For Ravenclaw, the eagle on a field of blue and black; a badger on a field of black and yellow for Hufflepuff; the green and silver serpent of Slytherin; and Gryffindor's lion on a field of red and gold.

Candles floated lazily above each table and, paired with the candles that lined the walls, filled the Great Hall with a warm glow. At the head of the room stood a fifth table that faced its brothers. A small stage below it raised the table a few inches higher than the others, with a podium resting in the center.

Before James knew it, he had followed his feet to the front of the room, lining up alongside his classmates. Professor McGonagall placed the wooden stool on the ground with the hat resting on the seat and stepped back.

James knew what happened next, he heard enough stories. The hat stirred and the large tear near the brim opened. The Sorting Hat had begun to sing.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

When the Sorting Hat had finished its song, the room burst into applause and James felt his fear growing stronger with each passing second. What if he didn't get sorted into Gryffindor? His entire family had been put there, what would they think if he didn't make it too? Even worse still, what if he got put in Slytherin? As if he didn't have enough unwanted attention being the son of the Boy Who Lived, how would people react if Harry Potter's eldest child got sorted into the same House as the man who gave him his famous scar?

It didn't matter that the reputation of Slytherin House had improved remarkably in the years following the war. It didn't matter that the reigning Headmaster had come from Slytherin or that James' youngest brother held the name of a wizard from the same House. All that mattered was that James had to get into Gryffindor, and he was not above begging the Sorting Hat to do so.

McGonagall cleared her throat as she pulled a long scroll of parchment from the pocket of her robes. She pulled it open and began to read.

"Alton, Gregory!"

A small boy with dark skin and wide eyes moved forward. When he sat on the stool and faced the room James saw the sweat on his brow and the tremor in his hands.

McGonagall gently placed the Sorting Hat on Gregory's head, where it fell past his eyes. The boy tensed and everyone held their breath, waiting for the Hat's decision. The first sorting was always the most exciting, people were even known to place bets on which House would be the first to receive a new addition. It only took a few moments, but to James – and probably Gregory - it felt like a lifetime.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table to James' right erupted into loud cheering - causing a few first years to jump - and Gregory wobbled over to their table smiling broadly.

James felt a thrill of excitement when he caught sight of a boy with electric blue hair standing up to shake Gregory's hand. It was his brother (well technically he was his adoptive brother), Theodore Lupin.

Hufflepuff's Headboy looked up and caught James' stare, offering the boy a reassuring smile and small wink before they both turned back to the watch the next first-year try on the Hat.

I guess being put in Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad. I'd have Teddy.

As the Sorting wore on, James grew restless and his eyes began to drift. Eventually, his gaze fell to the table before him and those who sat behind it in a neat row.

It was the staff table, and James was proud to note that he recognized more than a few faces.

There was Hagrid of course, grinning merrily and occasionally stealing a drink from a goblet the size of James' head. Further along the table was a woman draped in shawls and wearing the largest pair of spectacles James had ever seen on a person, which amplified her eyes to at least three times their normal size. True, he had never actually met this woman before, but his aunt had told him enough about her to know it was Professor Trelawney. James couldn't help but smirk at the sight of her, evidently the school hadn't 'come to its senses' like his aunt had hoped.

Sitting next to Trelawney, was the school's Herbology Professor, Neville Longbottom. He was yet another one of his parents' mates from school. The man had stopped by last summer with his wife to visit his old classmates and update them on the most recent goings on at Hogwarts.

Last but not least, was the Headmaster, or rather, Headmistress.

Elsa Arendelle sat regally in the center of the staff table, back straight and hands folded neatly in her lap. Her blonde, almost white, hair was pulled back and coiled at the based of her skull, so tight James wondered how it didn't give the woman a headache. Her arctic blue eyes stared forward intently – though they occasionally drifted to the empty seat next to her – as she watched her new students being sorted, the corners of her lips curled up in a small smile. James had met her only a handful of times but during every visit he couldn't help but admire just how pretty she was, it made him blush.

Of all the people James' family had told him about, Elsa Arendelle's story was by far the most interesting. If possible, she was almost as famous as his father… almost.

It was well known that Professor Arendelle was able to cast an extremely rare form of magic that could only be mastered by the most powerful of wizards and only after a lifetime of unwavering discipline… wandless magic. Even better than that, she was an Elemental, which meant that her wandless magic was completely focused on one specific element, which in her case was ice and snow.

Elsa Arendelle was the only witch in over 400 years able to boast of such a thing, which was part of the reason why she was so renowned, hell there was even an entire chapter written about her in one of his schoolbooks. However, there was a lot more to her than that. For one, no one even knew she was able to perform wandless magic up until she was about fifteen years old and even then it wasn't by choice.

After an accident when she was little, Elsa's parents decided to keep her abilities a secret. At face value it sounded misguided and harsh, but in reality it was much more complicated than that. He'd read that Professor Arendelle had come very close to ending a life with her magic, the book hadn't provided very many details but it did say that it had been her sister, and that the magic had left its mark.

Apparently after that, Professor Arendelle locked herself away, avoiding everyone, even her own family; for fear that she might hurt someone again. The only reason she'd agreed to even attend Hogwarts, was a pair of gloves Albus Dumbledore crafted for her, enchanting them to cap her winter magic. And even then, she distanced herself from most of her classmates. James couldn't imagine living like that; being completely alone was a foreign concept to him. He had grown up surrounded by his family, and though they sometimes got on his nerves, he loved that they were all very close. James couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman; it must have been extremely lonely during all those years of isolation.

A loud whoop startled James out of his thoughts when a lanky blonde-haired boy was sorted into Slytherin. The boy immediately ran to the table and high-fived a girl who must have been a friend or family member. James quickly turned back to the front table to catch Professor Arendelle's reaction, and in that instant he watched her eyes light up in the same way that his parents' had done when they found out he'd been accepted to Hogwarts.

Watching the professor as he did, James found it difficult to imagine Elsa as anything other than the bright and happy woman before him. Picturing her, as a lonely, frightened girl felt strange, despite knowing some of the terrible things she'd gone though – further reaffirmed when he caught sight of the thin scar that ran down her neck to disappear under the collar of her blouse. However, he was comforted in the knowledge that it clearly wasn't the case anymore.

Professor Arendelle had long ago mastered her unique powers, which meant she no longer lived in fear of harming someone else, and she certainly wasn't alone. She and her previously estranged sister, Anna – whom James idolized – were reunited after almost eight years spent apart.

Anna Arendelle – well she Anna Bjorgman now – had been his mother's best friend since their first year at Hogwarts and they had even played on the same Quidditch team for a few years before Anna was traded. Needless to say, Anna was practically part of the family, and whenever Anna came to visit she always, always talked about her sister. About how quickly Elsa was moving up in her career, – especially when she'd been promoted to Headmistress – or how she'd finally gone on that blind date Anna had been bugging her about for ages, or about the trip to Norway they'd taken that summer. James had never met someone who could talk for so long about their sibling. He could barely go two minutes talking about Albus or Lily, and it was mostly stories about how annoying they were. To James it sounded as though they weren't sisters at all; it was like they were… friends.

Despite being in a constant state of confusion over the foreign relationship Anna shared with her older sister, James loved it when she visited. His mother's former teammate, was hilarious and practically a kid herself. Without fail, she always convinced the family to participate in one game or another - even her own gruff husband had no choice but to join in the fun.

"P… Potter, James!"

James was suddenly and terrifyingly jarred from his head when the sound of his name reached his ears. He froze, and the rest of the room did so along with him. It wasn't until McGonagall cleared her throat, vocalizing her unspoken desire not to repeat herself, that James tore his gaze away from the staff table and spun to face her. The woman wore an expression caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement, but gently motioned him forward regardless.

Swallowing hard, James willed one foot and then the other into motion until he found himself seated on the stool beside McGonagall. Every single pair of eyes in the Great Hall was aimed directly at him and he could feel the physical weight of them like the heavy wool sweaters his Grandmum made him every Christmas. Before, people had been chatting amongst each other or fiddling with their phones but all of that ceased the second his name was revealed. His stomach twisted furiously into a tight knot of fear and the pulse pounding in his ears made him deaf to the sound of Professor McGonagall lowering the Sorting hat so that James jumped when it brushed his ears.

The rim of the Hat rested just passed his eyes, for which he was immensely grateful as it cut him off from the hundreds of faces gawking up at him. Though his reprieve did not last.

"What is this?" The Hat's ancient voice whispered in his ear. "I wondered when I would meet another one. And look, your mind reads of both Potter and Weasley! Won't your teachers be delighted! I know just where you ought to go…"

James held his breath.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The tense silence that had previously choked the Great Hall was split like a flash of lightning and with a roar so loud that the glass windows shook with the force of it. The entire Gryffindor table was on its feet, cheering and banging raucously on the wood of their table. James' delighted grin split his face from ear-to-ear, and as the Sorting Hat was pulled off his head his relief rolled off him in waves.

It took a full five minutes for James to make it to his seat, as possibly every Gryffindor came over to shake his hand or pat him on the back, and another three before the room had settled enough for the Sorting to continue.

When the last of the new students had been placed in their proper Houses, Professor McGonagall picked up the stool and the Hat and marched them away while at the same time Professor Arendelle stood up.

"Good evening everyone and welcome!" Elsa's low voice filled the Great Hall. Though she didn't need to shout as the room had gone completely silent as everyone listened to their Headmistress speak. "As eager as I am to be properly introduced to you all I must admit I am rather famished. So I do hope you can forgive me when I say let us eat first and speak later. Vær så god!"

Light laughter followed the Professor's words along with a round of applause. The room became a flurry of activity, as every food imaginable suddenly appeared to cover every square inch of the five dining tables.

"What did she say?" A fellow first-year asked out loud.

An upper-year girl shrugged. "Professor Arendelle is Norwegian so sometimes she says stuff like that," she explained taking a bite of kidney pie.

"It means 'you're welcome' but it's more like their version of bon appetite." James chimed in offhandedly as he tried to decide which food he wanted to try first.

The older girl raised an eyebrow. "How'd ya know that?" she asked.

"Oh – well – I – she told me… well she told my dad." James replied shyly.

"Wait. Not only is your dad Harry Potter, but you know Professor Arendelle too?" The girl said incredulously.

James felt his ears grow exceptionally warm. "Her sister is good friends with my mum. I've only met her a couple times."

"Woah," breathed the first-year boy who had initially sparked the conversation. He leaned in a little. "Is it true she has a scar on her stomach from when she fought You-Know-Who?"

James frowned at his question. It was rumored that during the war Lord Voldemort had approached Elsa Arendelle multiple times, trying to persuade her to join his ranks. Once the man learned about her special brand of magic he'd been eager to put her abilities to good use. Her refusal was not taken very well.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. However, based on what he'd learned about the dark wizard, James had no trouble believing that he would be interested in someone like Elsa. And that there would be nasty consequences for anyone who dared disobey him.

Thankfully, the matter was dropped and instead turned to more cheerful topics while they ate. James, and a few other first-years, chatted about what they thought their classes would be like and their excitement at the prospect of exploring the castle.

Before he knew it, James had cleaned his plate along with the rest of his peers and the volume of the Hall steadily rose until he had to strain to hear the girl sitting across from him. Without warning a small gust of bone-chilling air washed over the room causing James to shiver violently and wrap his arms around his middle.

"I am not a fan of that." James murmured.

All at once, the noise died down and everyone looked up to see their Headmistress has risen from her seat to stand behind the podium.

Once she had everyone's attention, Professor Arendelle smiled. "Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed our first meal together! I am your Headmistress, Elsa Arendelle and I am looking forward to getting to know all of you during your time here. I beg a few minutes of your time for a few start-of-term announcements, but I am sure you are all very tired from your trip so I will try to keep things brief."

"To our new students, I would like mention that the Forest is out-of-bounds to students, so try to resist the call of nature." A few people chuckled. "Please be reminded that magic is not permitted in the halls between your lessons and cell phones will be confiscated if used during class time." She gave them all look that said 'I'm serious, but I know you will do it regardless'.

"Since being appointed as Headmistress, I have always encouraged anyone who wishes to visit a common that is not their own to do so." James lit up. That meant he could hangout with Teddy in the Hufflepuff common room. "However, I do expect you all to be in your proper residences by curfew, and I ask that any… 'celebrations'," the side of her mouth twitched, "be kept to a minimum. On a similar note, seating arrangements during meals are not restrictive to House tables. I strongly feel it is important to remember that although you are Sorted into individual Houses, you are all students of Hogwarts school, and as such are part of a greater, singular community."

Elsa glanced over her shoulder at the still empty seat next to her own. James had initially assumed that it was reserved for Professor McGonagall, but he now realized that she was sitting further down the table next to Hagrid.

"We do have a change in staff this year as Madame Hooch has left us to begin her lovely venture of retirement. However, it seems as though she…"

Suddenly the door just behind the staff table swung open, interrupting the Professor and revealing a very flustered redhead who James recognized immediately.

A flash of movement to the right of Professor Arendelle caught James' attention and his jaw dropped. What he originally thought was a glass decoration got up and trotted over to Anna Bjorgman so it could greet her. The giant snow leopard was now circling the woman as she walked towards her sister, vying for her attention and occasionally bumping its head against her leg.

Teddy had once told James that in her second term as Headmistress, Professor Arendelle had made an animal out of her ice and it roamed the school's halls, telepathically reporting any trouble to its creator. James had always just assumed that his adoptive brother had made the whole thing up, considering no one else had confirmed it and Teddy liked to tell fantastical stories like that all the time. Apparently he was telling the truth.

"Sorry! Sorry Els! I know I'm late! Kristoff didn't want to me to fly in my 'condition' which we all know is rubbish and we got into it. So of course he had to come with me and he practically hung off my broom the whole way here. Anyways, that's what took me so long and I'm sorry and…" Anna finally seemed to remember where she was and abruptly turned her attention to the hundreds of students gaping up at her. "Oh! Uh - hi there!" she said blushing profusely and giving them a little wave.

Professor Arendelle giggled behind her hand before dropping it to take her sister's.

"As I was saying," Elsa said, turning back to her students, "I am happy to announce that our new flying instructor will be none other than the famous Anna Bjorgman of the Karasjok Kites!"

More than a few burst into applause, and people began to talk excitedly to each other. Anna was a very popular Quidditch player and one of the best Beaters in the world. James was practically giddy with the idea that he was actually getting the chance to have her teach him how to fly.

If possible, Anna turned an even brighter shade of red at Elsa's compliment, laughing awkwardly and tucking a loose strand of white hair behind her ear. "Oh – er – I'm not really famous," she sputtered.

Professor Arendelle waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense," she said. "Who here is eager to learn from Mrs. Bjorgman?"

James cheered loudly with the rest, while Anna covered her face with the hand that wasn't currently entwined with that of her sister's.

The Headmistress chuckled good-naturedly at Anna's obvious embarrassment. "Well, now that we have all been introduced, I think it is time for everyone to get some rest. You are free to go, sleep well!"

The Great Hall became a sea of activity once more as each student stood up and slowly made their way towards their respective common rooms. A call of 'first-years this way' rang up and down the hall as prefects from each house gathered the new students to them.

Just before James was swept away with the rest of them he caught one last glimpse of the Arendelle sisters. They were embracing, but as they pulled away from each other James watched a grinning Professor Arendelle place a hand on Anna's stomach and say something to her. It was then that James noticed the slight swell from under the younger woman's robes.

Suddenly, he finally understood the reason why an important Quidditch player at the height of her career would abruptly abandon her team to teach flying lessons at a wizarding school.

Anna was pregnant!

A few end notes. I always thought the Elsa would be very interested in improving inter-house unity among the students. Can you guess why she might be interested in allowing them to visit each other's common rooms? XD

Yes, Anna is the famous Quidditch player we all knew she would be and ended up on Norway's national team (they had to fight hard to get her btw). I know a lot of people like her as a Chaser, which I'm okay with, but after seeing her smash a wolf in the face with a lute I had other opinions ;-)

Elsa was the Transfiguration teacher for about four years before McGonagall asked her to take over as Headmistress. I imagine McGonagall would want to teach for a few years before retiring… which, most likely seems pretty appealing now.

I am sure you are all curious about Elsa's scars… she has acquired a few unfortunately. The ones not received during S&L are: one on her abdomen that was given to her by Voldemort (yes the rumours were true), and the ones on her palms and wrist, curtesy of the Carrows. I may address both of these situations in future drabbles if time allows, but feel free to ask questions :)

I think that's everything! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK !