Submitted for Round 9 of The International Wizarding School Championship.
School: Durmstrang
Year: 5
Theme: Ophiuchus — Slytherin characteristics.
Main prompt: [Action] star gazing
Optional prompts: [Action] Begging, and [Weather] meteor shower (shooting stars)
Additional Notes: Written for my classmate, Shana, using her request for a next gen story around Albus Severus Potter.
Word count: 1,439
Author's Note: Set before the Cursed Child. And yes, sadly, a late entry for round nine—sorry, everyone. I really couldn't help it, though.
Letters and Falling Stars
"James got an Owl!" Lily Luna loudly and unnecessarily announced to everyone around the lively Potter family's breakfast table.
"Yes, he did." Harry quizzically turned to his wife, his head tilted in silent inquiry.
Ginny smirked. "A significant letter."
Harry lifted one eyebrow but before he could pry further James's sudden shouts of joy and excitement provided the answers to Harry's questions.
"Yes! I'm going to Hogwarts!" Turning to his younger brother and sister, he held out his letter—his Hogwarts letter. "Better take a long look at it, Al and Lils, because you probably won't be—"
"James, you stop that right now." Ginny interrupted her oldest child after casting a swift and non-verbal silencing charm on him.
Lily smirked and poked her tongue out at James while Albus smirked.
"We expect all of you to attend Hogwarts." Ginny began, her blue eyes sending a silent warning that she would not be allowing his mischievous antics to run rampant, at least for that morning. "When it's your time."
"And, if for some reason one of you doesn't get your letter, it won't make us love you any less," Harry added as he looked at his three children.
Albus nodded and resumed eating his pancakes, thankful that his mum did not release the silencing charm on James. He really was not in the mood to listen to him brag about being the first one to go to Hogwarts. Too bad his time would not be for another two years.
Later that evening, as Albus was grabbing a small juice bottle from the kitchen, he paused as he overheard his parents' raised voices coming from the den.
"How could you not know that today was James's acceptance day into Hogwarts?" His mum angrily questioned his father. Albus could just picture his mum standing in her usual stance with her hands on her hips as her blue eyes blazed. He had seen it many times before whenever his parents had a row like they were doing now.
"Gin, calm down. I just made a simple mistake. I thought he had already gotten his last month—"
"Last month? Why would you think that?"
"Well, I thought he had gotten it during his birthday. I had that big emergent case and missed his party, so I thought…" His dad's voice sheepishly trailed off.
"That just proves that you are not spending time with your family as you should. I have moved my schedule and adjusted my career for this family, countless times."
"Yes, you have, Gin. Thank you. If it hadn't been for your sacrifices, we wouldn't have this. I, we wouldn't have our family." Harry's voice was softer and sincere.
Ginny hummed, apparently his comment appeasing her.
Albus resumed his trek to the kitchen when he stopped again upon hearing his mum's next question.
"Seriously, though, why did you think the letter had arrived last month? They always come out about now: at the end of July."
"Well, I got mine on my birthday, but thinking back the first time the letter was posted was about a week before then."
"The first letter?"
Albus took a step nearer to the den as he heard his father's chuckle.
"I guess I never told you this—or anyone actually, now that I think about it—but my aunt and uncle do not, and did not, tolerate magic, so when that letter came to me, my aunt and uncle ignored it."
"Why didn't they just send back a note stating they didn't want you to go to Hogwarts?"
"I don't know. I'm happy they didn't, though." There was a short pause before Harry continued. "Anyway, each day the number of letters grew, and no matter what my uncle did to try to stop them from coming, from boarding up the mail slot to driving us out of town, they still came. But, I couldn't read any of them no matter what I did. Not until Hagrid came bearing one along with a birthday cake just after midnight on my birthday."
Silence fell, and Albus wisely decided that now was the time to grab his juice and tiptoed to the kitchen. His thoughts still replaying the story he had just overheard from his dad. He had always known that his great aunt and uncle were not found of witches and wizards, but he had not known they had despised it that much. Then again, he could count the number of times he had seen them on one hand—heck, on one finger! Although, his cousin Dudley seemed okay with them and magic, even though he was just a Muggle.
Albus shrugged. Family dynamics, as aunt Hermione would say.
It was not until the second week in August when James discovered that Albus was fearful of being sorted into Slytherin. How James had found out Albus's silent fear was anyone's guess but he had, and he used it often throughout the days preceding his departure to Hogwarts.
Albus sighed and hugged his knees closer to himself as he sat on the roof directly above his room.
His thoughts were weighing heavily upon him as he studied the night sky and the hundreds of stars glittering above him.
Okay, so he had a lot of Slytherin traits. He was naturally curious, sneaky, and he could be resourceful when he needed to be, but he wasn't intrigued with power nor could he be called particularly ambitious by any means.
But, did he have any Gryffindor traits to offset those?
Albus sighed as he observed the faraway lights of a Muggle aeroplane slowly drifting across the sea of stars above Godric's Hollow.
He wasn't courageous, or daring, nor was he very chivalrous besides the basic etiquette that his grandma had installed in our her grandchildren. Like he would hold open doors for witches or women, but he did not see himself issuing a duel to defend a girl's honor. (Except for his sister, Lily. He would hex anyone that tried to hurt her.)
Maybe he was fated to be the first ever Potter to be sorted into Slytherin.
Albus groaned and turned his attention from the clear night sky to his family's backyard where his brother was practicing some aerial stunts on his broom. Albus had no doubt, as did everyone else who knew James, that he would be sorted into Gryffindor.
Albus smiled as the events from earlier that day came rushing back in his mind's eye as he watched James twirl and roll around in the air. James had been begging, and begging, for weeks that he could be allowed to bring his broom. He had even gone as far as begging their father to write Headmistress McGonagall, asking her to grant special permission for him to bring his broom along. His outlandish request had been denied, of course.
"You know mum doesn't like you sitting out here."
Albus turned to see his sister pull herself up and over the railing of the small balcony that jutted out from her room's window and onto the roof.
"I could say the same thing to you," he countered while he scooted over for her to join him.
Lily airly waved his comment away. "Good thing it's only us then."
Albus simply hummed before leaning back onto his elbows as he surveyed the stars above them.
A peaceful silence covered the two siblings as they watched the stars and either aeroplanes or brooms dart across the sky.
"Don't let what James say get to you, Al. I'm sure you'll be in Gryffindor with me."
Albus smiled as he reached down and tousled his sister's hair for a moment before she batted his hand away.
"Aw, sis, I didn't know you cared about me that much."
"Quit it before I change my mind and hex you into Slytherin."
"Big talk for someone who doesn't have a wand."
"I can wait to hex you. I'm patient with a good memory." She proudly declared as she waved her hand about in a precise imitation of a wand incarnation pattern.
"Yeah, that you are, Lils." Albus laughed before straightening and pointing at the lone meteor diving through the night sky. "Look a shooting star!"
Both quickly closed their eyes and made a wish. Neither one asked the other what they had wished for as they returned to their silent stargazing.
It was another hour before they both left the peace and beauty of the stars for their own rooms. James still soaring around the backyard despite his mother's calls to come down and in for bed. It was just another night at the Potter family home,
Fini