A/N Character: Albus Severus Potter =]

Theme: A new start

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.

This was for the January Monthly challenge for Hogwarts online. =]

Enjoy!

As Albus walked onto the train for the last, but first time in his life, the last six years flashed before his eyes. Everything was perfect. Or so he thought. He was loving life at least before last year he was. Now, however, everything was changing. Everything did change. He was the only Potter left in the world. The last of his family. His eyes probably still had water in them and it happened almost a year ago. But today, was the day he was going to start anew. He had come back to Hogwarts to finish his education. Simple as that. After, he had no clue.

"Albus?" A shocked voice came from behind him. He needn't look to know who had called out to him. No matter how long it had been since they had talked.

"What do you want Scorpius," His voice was cold, and hard. As if he was talking to a loathsome enemy instead of his best friend.

"Chill, mate, it's just me," Scorpius responded in a stunned voice.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just, well I haven't exactly talked to too many people since. Ya know?" Albus explained in a low and depressed voice.

"Mate, what happened to you. You look dead on your feet. The Albus I know should be jumping up and down because he was going to Hogwarts. Not the other way around. You look like you want to be dead. That fire was an accident. It wasn't your fault and just because you got out of it because your dad and mom risked their lives doesn't mean their deaths were your fault. You know that right?" Scorpius whispered the last part as an add on. Something that should already be known but wasn't sure if it was.

Scorpius knew when he heard the news that Albus wasn't going to be the same, but never in a million years did he picture him like this. It was unbearable. Albus didn't even respond to that. He just continued to walk towards the train.

Albus knew that when Scorpius finished his statement his eyes would be glowering. Hard with pain and misery. The whole time, Albus thought one thing. This is a new start. A way to start my life over and make it into what I wanted it to be. What that was he had no clue. Perhaps he would become an Auror, if he had good enough grades. Maybe he couldn't, though. Maybe he couldn't go in the profession his father had. So many memories, all fresh in his mind, as if they had happened hours ago, or days even. Not years, like they had.

Albus couldn't even think of the things that had happened during his school years. His childhood was what stuck out with him. The memories of which his father and mother and siblings were in. Not the ones with Scorpius. He loved them all, and they had all left them. He was the reason two of them had died. If they hadn't sacrificed themselves to save him, he would be dead, instead of them. Which is why he is taking this so hard. Although who wouldn't take the fact that Lily, James, Harry, and Ginny are all dead. Fiendfyre is very uncommon, but not unheard of. How it started was a mystery in itself. Lily, she had never graduated from Hogwarts. Never got to have fun with magic and do it outside school, never got to apparate. James, he was just starting up his career. Granted he was just following after Uncle George, but he would never know what it was like running a joke shop. His dad was in the prime of his life. He had just became head Auror and loved what he did. His mom had just made captaincy of the Holyhead Harpies, which has been her goal since she was little. Everything was perfect. Then everything evaporated in the puff of black smoke that surrounded the house that night. Albus remembers it perfectly.

"Lily! Run!" Albus had yelled to his sister in an attempt to get her out safely.

"Albus! James is still back there!" She had called back to him worryingly. Albus had turned in every direction in search of him, but he was no where to be seen. Later, Albus realizes that he is probably already dead. Albus proceeded with his sister's hand clasped in his own, hoping to keep hold of the bond long enough to get out of the house safely. His parents had yet to be seen.

Then, out of no where part of the house had fallen. Lily was crushed. Right before his eyes. This tormented Albus later. Watching his sister die before his eyes. Tears streaming down his face, almost ready to just give up, he continued through the demolished house.

"Mum! Dad! MUM! DAD!" he screamed at the top of his lungs in an attempt to find them. Hoping they were still alive.

"Albus!" He heard the soft reply of his mother coming from the area the kitchen used to be.

"Mum!" Albus exclaimed as he made his way towards her. He searched for another minute before finding them. They were back to back fighting the fire. Together. The last thing they would do together. Ever. They weren't doing much. The fire was still advancing, still tearing up his home. Ruining his life.

"Albus, we can hold off the fire for a second so you can run out the back door. That's all though. Where are your sister and brother?" His dad had asked him. Tears came back to run down his face.

"I don't know where James is. I haven't seen him. Lily. Part of the house collapsed. I couldn't save her, dad," he replied as his voice cracked toward the end. He could have swore that a finished tear had began to form in his eyes too.

"Okay, just get out of here safely, Al," he told him. "Be brave and don't worry about us too much. Live life as though this had never happened. Be happy. To the well-organized mind death is but the next great adventure," His dad had muttered to him. "I love you son."

"As I do too Al," his mother had joined in, tear stains on her cheeks.

"I love you both, so much." It was after that that he heard a shout of "NOW" echo across the demolished house. He saw an opening in the fire that lead to the back yard. He ran as fast as he could. And saw his parents grabbing each other before getting ready to die.

The first time, Albus had actually relived it. It felt good somehow. Content. Almost as if he was supposed to do that. Supposed to relive what was now his worst memory.He focused on what his father had said to him about being happy and moving on. He knew it would be hard, but he would try. He would do anything for his father. If that meant forgetting about this, then he would do it. He would forget about it and live life happily, not sullen and depressed like he has been for the past six months.

"Scorp?" Albus called over to his best friend sitting on the other side of the compartment. He looked stunned. Scorpius hadn't heard Al talk normally to him in a very long time. Let along talk to him at all. Not unless he started the conversation.

"Al?" he murmured, a little weary at the sudden change of tone to his voice.

"I can't wait to get to Hogwarts," Albus told him gleefully. Smiling when he finished in anticipation of what Scorpius would reply. Instead of saying something first, Scorpius showed Al how much he loved having the real Al back. He got up and hugged him. Hugged him like a brother and in a lot of ways he was his brother.

"It's good to have to back Al. I've missed my best friend. Rose will be thrilled! So will Samantha." Ah, Sam. Albus' girlfriend. Was she still his girlfriend after not talking to her in four months or so? "She's not mad by the way," Scorpius answered Albus' unasked question. To that. Albus smiled bigger than he had in a long time and that smile stayed on his face the whole train ride back to Hogwarts. Or as Albus like's to call it. His start to a new life. A new beginning.