A/N: Hey guys! I'm excited to enter the Harry Potter fanfic universe and I hope to provide you with an original and intriguing plot. Please review if you have the time. It's difficult for me to grow as a writer if none of you offer feedback and recommendations. I look forward to all reviews and intend to take the time to answer them!
To the best of my knowledge, this plot will be original, but I do not claim to have read all Harry Potter fanfictions ever written.
Also note I intend for this story to be entirely true to canon up to the end of DH Epilogue, including any subsequent information given by Rowling. If you notice any mistakes or think anything is out of place, please let me know.
Keeping this in mind, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter universe. Period.
Who I'm Supposed To Be
Chapter 1: The Journey
Albus plopped himself down on the seat next to Rose and examined his surroundings for the first time. His father's reassurances about the Sorting Hat having lifted an immense weight off his shoulders, the reality of his journey had begun to sink in. He was heading to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After years spent listening to wondrous stories of life in the majestic castle and wishing he could jump onto the Hogwarts Express every time he stood on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to see off yet another member of his extended family, Albus was finally getting his turn! Sure, he had been to Hogwarts already for a few ceremonies commemorating its eponymous Battle, but there was a difference between visiting Hogwarts and inhabiting it. His brother James – curse him – had made that perfectly clear.
Fiddling with a small hole in the otherwise immaculate seat cushion, the young wizard looked around the compartment to examine his family. Fred and James were vividly arguing over their chances of making the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the latter teasing that Fred would be better suited for commentating than playing. It was no secret they both wanted the Keeper position, having trained all summer after Jade McKinnon fell off her broom the previous year during the Quidditch Cup Final, following which her parents had banned her from ever playing again. While Fred and James had been best friends since they were toddlers, the "Dangerous Duo" – as they were referred to by everyone who knew of their mischief – were struggling with growing animosity ever since they had both announced their intentions to tryout for the Keeper position.
Albus quite liked Quidditch. It was a sport that brought his entire extended family together, as his parents and uncles had almost all played for the Gryffindor team at one point or another, not to mention his mother's flawless career with the Holyhead Harpies before James' birth. It was almost expected of the Weasley and Potter children to be avid Quidditch fans, and truth be told most of them were exceeding expectations. There was something about the freedom of open air that Albus just couldn't describe. It was inexplicably exhilarating to cut through the air at blazing speeds while trying to maintain control on the broom, something akin to Muggles riding a bicycle and a roller coaster simultaneously. He hadn't told anyone yet besides Rose, but he was planning on trying out for Seeker of his House team next year. He knew his brother and cousins would tease him incessantly for imitating his father once more, but the other Quidditch positions didn't offer the freedom Albus so relished. Finding himself lost in thoughts of Quidditch yet again, the youngest Potter son looked away from his brother's conversation, figuring he'd have plenty of time to participate in Quidditch debates throughout the coming year.
Dominique and Victoire were talking in hushed voices in French, ignoring the boisterous James and Fred seated next to them. Smiling and then nodding to each other, both sisters got up in synch and addressed the rest of the cabin.
"Well, mes chéris," Victoire started, "I'm off to the prefects' cabin. See you all at dinner!"
"I'm just going to find some peace and quiet," Dominique stated bluntly. "Hopefully a Quidditch-free environment," she added, glaring at the Dangerous Duo. Much to the chagrin of their extended family, the entire Weasley-Delacour progeny displayed a strong disinterest for the sport of Quidditch, with Dominique going as far as to claim it was a pointlessly violent and barbaric physical compensation for intellectual inferiority – a comment that earned her the dreaded familial silent treatment for the better part of the Christmas holidays two years prior.
As both girls opened the cabin door, they turned around and bent down on either side of Louis, kissing him on each cheek and giggling as their brother's face turned crimson. They then proceeded to leave the compartment, as Louis regained his composure and stormed off to join his friends.
Albus then turned his attention to Rose, who was asking Molly for pointers on basic charms, reciting Miranda Goshawk's The Standard Book of Spells verbatim. The green-eyed boy sighed.
'Look at her, already thinking about schoolwork,' he thought. While Albus had proved himself to be much cleverer than many of his peers, Rose's passion for reading and learning had rendered her excessively brilliant, to the point of intimidating her peers. Albus could easily see why Uncle Ron kept saying Rose took after her mother. Focusing on Molly's demonstration of the appropriate wand movement for Wingardium Leviosa, he noticed a pale figure standing in the corridor, peering into their cabin, seemingly observing Molly's explanations.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" James asked, spitting as he pronounced the observer's name. Startled, Albus looked at his brother and then at the intruder, recognizing the boy about whom Uncle Ron had warned Rose back at King's Cross. The young blond seemed just as startled. He looked up at James and turned to leave, almost running out of sight.
"What was that for?" Molly scolded James. She really did take after her father Percy, with an innate need to discipline and remonstrate. To Albus' surprise, Rose nodded in agreement with her cousin. She had rarely been one to contradict her father's wishes, and defending the Malfoy boy was certainly not something with which Uncle Ron would be happy.
"He's a stinking Malfoy, Molly. What did you expect me to do? Invite him to have a seat and offer him a chocolate frog perhaps?" James replied, clearly frustrated with having to offer an explanation for what he considered normal behaviour. "Nobody is going to force me to be nice to a filthy Slytherin," he added, giving Albus a meaningful look.
"You can't know he's a Slytherin. He hasn't even been sorted yet," Molly retorted.
"Oh please, everybody knows he'll be in Slytherin. Malfoys are always sorted into Slytherin. It's common sense. Just like Weasleys and Potters are always sorted into Gryffindor, no questions asked," James replied before turning back towards Fred, signalling the end of the conversation.
Albus wasn't sure what to think of the Malfoy boy, but he was relieved by his brother's statement. While he had never admitted it to Albus, it was evident that James didn't doubt his little brother would be sorted into Gryffindor just like the rest of the family. He turned towards Rose after she gently nudged him in the ribs, and agreed to partake in Molly's quiz of basic elements covered in their summer reading. Rose was determined to be just as brilliant as her mother had been in her years at Hogwarts, and had convinced Albus to study at least half as much as she did. The raven-haired boy sighed once more, confident he'd live to regret agreeing to Rose's request when he'd received his Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Scorpius ran down the corridor intently, rushing past a dozen other students and barely slowing down to avoid the Honeydukes snack trolley. Only after moving to the next carriage and closing the solid oak doors behind him did he allow himself to relax. After making sure the Potter boys hadn't followed him, he concentrated on slowing his breath and set out to find a cabin in which to spend the trip.
His father was wrong; life at Hogwarts wouldn't be as easy as he claimed, but Scorpius should have expected that. While his father had warned him to be wary of the Potter and Weasley clans and to ensure he bested them at everything he tried, he had reassured him – in the few stern words that count as reassurances for Malfoys – that the Malfoy name would protect him at Hogwarts and guarantee him the respect of his peers. Or rather, it would guarantee respect from those peers that actually mattered. Yet here he was, among students that were clearly Slytherins, and the only form of acknowledgement he received were cold stares every time he opened a cabin door to see if there was room for him.
Having found nowhere to sit, he had moved to the following carriage, and upon peering into most of the cabins, he had arrived at the Weasley cabin and had found himself unable to keep moving forward. He had just lingered in the corridor and watched, until the older boy noticed him and yelled at him.
He hadn't quite understood his father's warnings regarding the Weasley and Potter families, and a part of him had foolishly hoped they could at least be cordial to one another in an effort to mend ties between their families. Years of reading about the legendary family feud in various biographies and history books had really affected Scorpius. While his father had strongly disciplined him every time Scorpius expressed his apprehensions, the young blond had never been able to shed his fear of being judged by his surname. He was proud of being a Malfoy and of the noble heritage the name entailed, but he nonetheless resented his grandparents for allowing the name to be dragged through the mud. Now he was off to Hogwarts, and it was evident he wasn't welcome.
"You're Scorpius Malfoy," an older boy stated, sitting down in the corridor next to Scorpius. It wasn't phrased as a question or an accusation, merely an observation. Reading the surprise in the younger boy's eyes, the elder continued. "I'm Tanis Nott. Your father and mine knew each other when they were at school. No doubt I'll be seeing you in Slytherin soon. Now quit your damn moping, you're a Malfoy for crying out loud. Get up, you can come sit in my cabin."
Scorpius obeyed, and after rising and straightening his shirt, followed Tanis toward the front of the carriage, finally plopping himself down next to the older boy, who was already conversing with two other boys of about the same age. The young Malfoy paid them little attention and just took the opportunity to rest. It would be a long journey to Hogwarts, and he did not want to be tired by the time they arrived.
"Snack trolley! Snack trolley!" Fred and James bellowed in unison, purposely waking Rose and Albus.
"Oi mate, give it a break, yeah?" Albus replied drowsily.
Rose looked around the room and noticed Molly had left. Only Albus, James, Fred and herself were left, and the older boys were intent on being their usual annoying selves.
"How can we? You've been sleeping all afternoon!" James exclaimed. "This is your last chance to stock up before we get to Hogwarts. Come on now, lay them out. Nuts, Sickles…"
"And Galleons!" Fred jumped in, emphasizing the last word and unable to suppress a devious smile. "Hogsmeade weekends are a long way off and even then we'll have to bribe Louis to shop for us. So take our advice and fill up!"
Rose reluctantly emptied her pockets and turned to the trolley lady, opting to buy a bit of everything with a special emphasis on her favourites – Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties. She then stepped aside and let her three cousins do the same, each purchasing extras of their favourites. Once the trolley left, James turned to address Albus and Rose with a wide grin.
"Well, this'll start the year off right. Just make sure you don't eat through them all tonight like Fred and I will!"
"Yeah," Fred added. "We'll need to restock from your stashes after all!"
Unimpressed, Rose just turned toward Albus and rolled her eyes. She saw a brief smile cross his lips, which he immediately concealed before his brother had time to notice. Then, looking at her watch, the redheaded girl warned her cousins to put on their robes, and stepped out of the compartment to let them change.
It was a few moments later that Albus slid the door half-open and closed it behind himself after slipping out.
"It may take a while," he stated matter-of-factly. "You know how they are. Their stuff's all over the place."
Rose knew all too well how immature here older cousins could be at times, and she said so to Albus. They therefore both agreed to walk down the carriage in an attempt to find some family members with whom to sit. They quickly found Victoire, who had apparently already concluded her prefects' meeting. The blonde girl scolded them for being out of their compartment as they were nearing Hogsmeade and refused to listen to any of their protests, pushing them back toward the commotion James and Fred were now making in the corridor.
"What's going on here?" Victoire asked, clearly already exasperated with her siblings.
"Hey, it's Victoire! Bonjour ma chère cousine…" James started, visibly hoping to sweet-talk his way out of trouble.
Victoire just glared at him for a few seconds and turned around without saying a word. James smirked and turned to his younger cousins.
"Come on kids, we'll let you have the window seats."
"You're just barely one year older than us," Albus mumbled.
"And don't you forget it!" James quipped, before walking back into their compartment.
Rose sighed and followed her cousins. Sometimes she couldn't handle all the sibling rivalry. At times like these she was reminded just how lucky she was to get along so well with Hugo. She sat down in front of Albus, who was peering out the window, seemingly transfixed by the view offered to him. As the train slowed down and rounded a final curb, Hogsmeade came into view, and nestled behind it in the distance was the majestic castle of Hogwarts.
Like most of her cousins, Rose had had the privilege of going to Hogwarts before, but she had never been blessed with this view. The castle emitted a fiery glow, as if the sun had not yet set upon it while the surrounding region had already fallen into the covers of darkness. Awaken from her reverie by the clamour of her fellow students, Rose grabbed her belongings and followed her cousins out onto the platform, where she heard a familiar voice up ahead of her.
"Er'body off the train! First years, come wi' me!" Hagrid bellowed over the crowd of students. Through the mass of black robes, Rose easily recognised the tall family friend and walked up to him, pulling Albus by the arm.
"Oh hey there Rosie, Al," Hagrid said, nodding and smiling at each of them has he said their names. Despite his advanced age, the half-giant seemed just as eager and energetic as Rose's parents had described him being the first time they arrived at Hogsmeade.
"Hey Hagrid!" Rose and James cheered in unison. They then stood next to him as he called out several more times for the first years to join him. Most of the older students having proceeded toward the Thestral-drawn carriages, it soon became clear that all the first years were assembled around Hagrid.
"Right then, off we go. Follow me to the boats," he yelled to the silent crowd gathered near him.
Rose quickly followed suit, again dragging her cousin behind her.
"All right, all right, let go," he moaned. "No need to tear my new robes."
Rose obliged as they reached the boats and sat next to each other. She turned around to look at the other students sitting with them and recognised Frank Longbottom, with whom she and Albus had become good friends when they were children. She gave him one of her best smiles, vaguely noticing a blond figure on the dock behind him getting onto another boat. Frank then scooted over to her and quickly began talking.
"Hey, I'm glad we get a chance to talk before Sorting. I know we can still talk to each other after the ceremony, but if we don't get sorted into the same House then we might not get the chance. I'm really excited but really nervous at the same time. I don't really mind which House I get sorted in, as long as it's not Slytherin. What house do you think you'll be in? Dad says he's sure you'll both be in Gryffindor," he blurted out, nodding to Albus as he finished his monologue.
"I don't think you need to worry Frank, I've known you long enough to know you're not sly enough to be sorted into Slytherin," Rose teased, giving him a wink.
"Will you guys just give it a break with the Sorting," Al interrupted. "We'll know soon enough, no need to dwell on it now!"
Rose glared at her cousin long enough for him to blush, then turned back to Frank.
"Don't mind him. He's just even more nervous that you are about being sorted into Slytherin. Unlike you though, HE," she said loudly, turning toward Al. "… is arrogant enough to be cursed with green and silver."
"Shut up!" Al replied, failing to realise he was indulging his cousin's desire to get a rise out of him.
Before Rose could reply, the boats reached the landing and Hagrid instructed all the students to disembark and follow him up the narrow path to the school. After what seemed to Rose like hours of walking but may have only been a few minutes, they found themselves in front of a tall, beaming man whom Rosed recognised as her parents' friend, Professor Longbottom.
"Right Nev, they're all yours," Hagrid said loudly, before wishing the students luck and hurrying off.
Once Hagrid left, Neville addressed the students gathered before him.
"Listen up!" he yelled, putting an end to the quiet conversations taking place. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Longbottom, and I will have the pleasure of teaching you in the fascinating art of Herbology throughout your years here." He paused, looking at the students scattered in the room, giving barely noticeable smiles to the faces he recognised.
"But enough about me," he continued, running his hair through his blond mane. "In a few moments, the Sorting ceremony will commence. You will follow me into the Great Hall. We will walk up to the front and you will wait behind me until your name is called. At that point, you will step up to the platform and the Sorting Hat will be placed on your heads…"
Albus tuned out, certain he knew everything Professor Longbottom would have to say about the Sorting ceremony and the Houses. He looked around the room, acutely aware that while the stone appeared centuries old, most of it had only been there since the Reconstruction following the Battle of Hogwarts. Looking at his fellow students, he noticed the Malfoy boy in the corner, apart from the other students. The raven-haired boy wasn't sure how he should feel about the other boy's evident exclusion by his peers, so he continued to observe the other students, giving a warm smile to a pair of girls smiling and giggling behind him. As he completed his survey of the room, he heard Professor Longbottom raise his voice and turned back to listen.
"Alright students, it seems they're ready. Off we go!"
He turned to face the immense oak doors and walked into the Great Hall as the doors opened, to rousing applause, as the students seated at the long House tables cheered for their first year peers. After several minutes, silence fell on the hall, and everybody turned towards the Sorting Hat perched on a stool at the front of the room. Knowing what was coming, Albus moved to get a good view, as the Hat began to sing.
Welcome all young eager minds,
To the adventure that is Hogwarts.
Every year I see your kind,
All of whom it is my job to sort.
To all of you, I must disclose,
This past year I've been quite busy.
I haven't had time to compose,
A completely new melody.
Every year, many students come,
Split in Houses that number four.
Founded by talented old chums,
None of which any should ignore.
Slytherins and Gryffindors,
Are the cunning and the brave.
Enemies they are no more,
For a school they had to save.
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,
Better friends they always were.
One the House of brilliance raw,
The other of loyalty bare.
Bless these days of peace and quiet,
There have been years that were not so.
More unified than ever yet,
The school and its students can grow.
Now is the time, let us not wait,
The air is too ripe with suspense.
Wear me proudly, keep your back straight,
Let the ceremony commence!
Once the song ended, the Great Hall erupted into applause as per tradition, quickly dying down due to what Albus assumed to be a disappointing song. Professor Longbottom then walked up next to the Sorting Hat and pulled out a scroll, off which he read the first time to call out.
"Jenny Anderson!" he called, looking at the first years gathered before him. A short brown-haired girl stepped forward and sat on the stool, as the Professor put the Sorting Hat on her head. After about thirty seconds, the Hat announced her Sorting into to Hufflepuff, to a round of applause from the Hufflepuff table.
Albus tuned out once again, overcome by nervousness of what was to come. He looked at Rose and she gave him a knowing smile, but it did nothing to sooth his nerves. While his father had revealed the Sorting Hat could take the student's desire into account, Albus still worried the hat might not listen, and sort him in Slytherin nonetheless. He noticed his family sitting at the Gryffindor table – they were hard to miss, afterall – and several of them gave him an encouraging nod, visibly focusing on Rose and Albus rather than the students being called to the front.
The young Potter was so absorbed by his thoughts that he hadn't paid any attention to the names being called out. He was vaguely aware of the Malfoy boy being called up and sorted into Ravenclaw before the Hat even had time to touch his head – much to the surprise of all the students – as murmurs filled the entire room and the Headmaster was forced to silence everybody.
"Albus Potter!" Professor Longbottom called out a few moments later.
This was it; the moment of truth. Aware that all eyes were on him and that he had the Potter legacy to live up to, Albus Potter walked up and sat down at the front of the Great Hall. A shiver went down his spine as the Sorting Hat was placed upon his head and began talking.
"Yes, hmmm. I see," the Hat slowly whispered to Albus. "Another Potter… Interesting, you're in many ways like your father."
Albus couldn't take it anymore. He knew he'd let his family down if he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor, and he wouldn't want to face his brother's wrath if he wound up in Slytherin.
"Please, not Slytherin. Just put me in Gryffindor with my family" he blurted out, hoping nobody else would here him.
"Hmmm, you really are your father's son," the Hat replied. "He too pleaded to be kept out of Slytherin. I made an exception for the Boy Who Lived, but I have a duty to sort you in the house in which you would best fit."
"Please, please. All Weasleys and Potters are sorted into Gryffindor. My brother says it's common knowledge. Just don't turn a Potter into a Slytherin."
"Forceful, aren't you kid?" the Hat quipped. "Very well then, I know just what to do with you. And for the record, Slytherin would never have been an option for you."
Albus relaxed, as if the weight of a thousand Hagrids had been lifted off his shoulders. At that same moment, the hat called out his House.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat bellowed so loudly that Albus' ears started ringing. There was another wave of murmurs around the Great Hall as Albus got up and walked toward the Ravenclaw table, not daring to look at what he was sure would be the very shocked expressions of his family members. It couldn't be real. How could this have happened?