Author's Note: Please excuse the formatting. There are three different scenes below, and has removed my dividers.

The room was filled with darkness. Cold stone floors and hard walls made the room feel more depressing. Black curtains billowed, occasionally allowing in light from the bright moonlit sky outside. Two people were inside of this room. One sat in the chair, with her back facing the window. The other was completely covered in darkness, with just the tiniest bit of his cloak illuminated.

"What makes you think you can win?" spoke the voice from the shadows. Though the man's voice was deep, it was barely above a whisper, as though he was scared the walls would hear.

"I know I can win," said the voice from the chair. It was that of a female and it was harsh as though she was in pain.

"He defeated the Dark Lord," said the man's voice.

"He did not defeat anyone," she spat. "Potter made the Dark Lord's own spell rebound back on him. He showed no extraordinary skills."

"Why now? It's been 19 years since he defeated the Dark Lord. Others have tried to kill Potter for their revenge. What will make your attempt any different?" the man said.

"The others that have tried were unorganized. They were Death Eaters on the run. Take McNair for example. He tried to kill Potter in broad day light in Diagon Alley; nothing more than an act of desperation. The world is ready for me now. It's been long enough that those who think as the Dark Lord once did have not had anyone to rally under. I shall lead them."

"He is an Auror now though," the man continued, as though determined to find some flaw in her plans.

"Of course he is an Auror, you fool," she said, and he voice had become a bit louder, "Head of the Auror department in fact. However look at the circumstances. Though he stumbled to defeat the Dark Lord, he still managed the task. Would you not rush to make him an Auror? The fame he would bring is endless. He would inspire many to want to join their ranks, and at a time when the Ministry of Magic was corrupt, who else would they want on their side."

"True," said the man. "However, what makes you think you can win now?"

"I am a descendant of one of the oldest magical families in England. Power flows through my veins. I am very accomplished at forms of magic in which Potter remains ignorant. I studied the rise of the Dark Lord. I know where the flaws in his plans and the cracks in his armor were. No one is perfect, and in order to be better than someone, takes a bit of admiration. Potter has gotten older, and though I doubt that his skills have gotten any worse, I know where it is that Potter will falter. I know the one thing that will be Harry Potter's downfall."

"What?" asked the man eagerly, his voice still just above a whisper.

"Harry Potter has a heart," she stated. "No mater how far into battle he is, his attention is always divided between those close to him. This time around however, I have the upper hand. Potter will have no psychic link to my mind. I have no clever schemes to hide pieces of my soul across the country. Potter will have to use his feeble mind to try and stop me, and if he falters, that is when I will swoop in and take what he hold's most dear to him."

"What does he hold most dear?"

"His family," said the woman with a tone of finality in her voice. "Now, there is work to be done."

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Albus Severus Potter walked along the narrow hall of the Hogwarts Express. His cousin Rose was right next to him. The duo looked around the train, noticing the kids in older years smiling and greeting their old friends. Albus opened his mouth to speak when he felt something hard hit him in the back of his head. He turned to see his older brother James.

"What did you do that for?" asked Albus, rubbing the spot where he had been hit at.

"Move out of the way, Al," said his older brother. "I have to get over to my usual compartment."

"Where am I supposed to sit?" asked Albus.

"Find an empty compartment and park yourself there," said James. "Now, excuse me," he said and he walked off, and entered a compartment.

"Let's go this way," said Rose, grabbing Albus. The duo walked swiftly, trying to find an empty compartment. However, it seemed that they were all filled. Finally, at the far end of the train, they found an empty compartment. They sat down and Rose began to talk.

"I'm so excited. Mum was telling me all about how they sort us into houses and I'm pretty sure that I want to be in Gryffindor. Mum and dad were there, so were your parents," she said eagerly.

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" asked Albus, turning his head to look at his cousin.

"There's nothing wrong with any of the houses," she said. "Different qualities for different houses, that's all.

Albus opened his mouth to speak, when the door to the compartment slid open. A short pale boy with platinum blonde hair stepped inside.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he said. "All the other compartments are full and I was wondering if I'd be able to share this one with you."

"Sure," said Albus, recognizing the boy.

The young child took a seat next to Rose, across from Albus.

"Your name is Scorpius, right?" asked Rose.

"Yeah, how did you know?" he asked.

"My dad pointed your father out to us," she said. "I think they were old friends or something like that."

"No," said Scorpius. "They weren't friends. My dad told me so. He says that they were enemies, but they have a mutual respect for one another now. He wouldn't tell me anything more than that. Anyways, what are your names?"

Rose was the first to speak. "I'm Rose Weasley, nice to meet you," she said. Scorpius smiled weakly.

It was Albus' turn. He was a bit hesitant, as he was unsure of whether or not he liked the boy. "My name is Albus…Albus Potter," he said.

Scorpius' eyes bulged for a minute. He looked Albus over one time from head to toe.

"What is it?" said Albus, sitting up a bit more.

"You're father wouldn't happen to be Harry Potter, would he?" asked the platinum haired youth.

"Yeah.Why?" Albus looked at the boy. "How do you know who my father is?"

"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked. He looked at the boy in amazement. "You mean to tell me that you don't know who your father is?

"I think you should just get to the point," said Albus, his patience was wearing thin.

"You're father is famous, and you mean to tell me that you didn't know? He's in so many books. Didn't people stare at him when you got onto the platform? I know he had to tell you something. He is one of the most famous wizards of the past century,"

Albus looked at the boy. Though he wanted to believe that his parents were always open with him, something in the boy's cold eyes made him believe that he was not lying.

"He didn't tell you," Said Scorpius. It was a statement, not a question. "Well, my father says that your father isn't really all that great. He was there the night that he did it and-"

"Did what?" Albus interrupted.

"You've got to be joking," said Scorpius. "You mean to tell me you've never heard of the Dark Lord?"

Albus turned to look at Rose, who for the most part had stayed out of the conversation. One question came to mind. "How did you not know?" Albus asked his cousin. "You read through the entire summer reading list. There was no way you couldn't have known."

Rose looked down for a moment before looking up at her cousin. Tears filled her eyes. "Oh Albus," she said. "I'm sorry. But my mum and dad told me that not to mention anything about it. They said that even though we're family, it was your dad's place to tell you. I don't know why he wouldn't tell you. He told James before his first year and-"

"He told James!?" Albus yelled. He could hear other compartment doors opening trying to see where the noise had come from.

Albus was beyond angry. He knew that his parents had lives before children, but to find out that his father was a famous wizard and he had not known about it had been a blow to the little boy. It was very much unlike his father to keep secrets, especially from him. Many a night Albus had spent sitting on his father's lap in his study, talking with him and helping him with his work. So many opportunities had presented themselves for him to tell his son, and yet he had taken none of them.

The rest of the ride passed by, uneventful. As they got close to the school, both Albus and Scorpius changed to their school robes. They reached the Hogsmeade station and exited the train. Albus and Rose saw James and watched him greet Hagrid. They walked over to the giant and smiled kindly.

"'Ello there Rose, Albus," he greeted in his large gruff voice. "Who's your friend?" he asked, pointing to Scorpius who had walked off the train with them. Hagrid did not allow them to answer as he answered his own question. "You must be Draco Malfoy's son. Blimey, you look just like em." Scorpius seemed to be a bit scared of Hagrid; however he still managed to force a smile out.

"Albus, you look jus' like your father in this light. I remember when he first got off the train, all those years ago. You even have his eyes. They were his mother's eyes, you know," Hagrid said matter-of-factly. "No time to catch up now though. There'll be plen'y o' time for that at the end of the week when you lot come to see me."

Albus, Rose, and Scorpius all climbed into a boat, and were soon joined by a mousy haired boy. The crossed the surfaces of the black lake, watching it gently ripple with their movement. They looked in amazement at the other boats moving across the water, of course being moved by magic.

Very quickly they reached the castle. Albus looked around and did not see James anywhere and he assumed he was already aside, seated with his fellow Gryffindors.

Albus opened his mouth to speak to Rose, when he was interrupted. Someone had just appeared at the front of the queue of first years. The person was young, appearing to be in her mid thirties. She had deep brown hair and light brown eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing the traditional jet black Hogwarts robes. Her smile was kind and wide.

"Hello everyone," she greeted. "My name is Hanna McCuliber. You can all call me Professor McCuliber. I am the Defense Against The Dark Arts professor, as well as the head of Ravenclaw House. In a moment, you all will walk through these large doors. Your name will be called and you will be sorted into one of the four houses. After your name has been called, you will go to sit with your house. Is this clear to everyone?" There was a small murmur among the crowd. She smiled and pushed the large oak doors open. The young students walked in quickly, noticing the floating candles and the ceiling that reflected the night sky outside. They also noticed the stares of all the students in the room. Albus noticed his brother James, who smiled at him, and gave him the thumbs up. Though he could be a prat at times, James cared for his brother.

Albus turned his attention to the front of the room where he watched as a very old looking hat was placed on a stool. He was even more surprised when the brim of the hat opened and it a voice began to speak.

More than a thousand years ago,

When this building was so new,

The greatest wizards of the age,

Decided to make it a school

The four great friends of varying skills

Decided on whom to take

They needed to provide their knowledge,

As well as make it great

They disagreed on what criteria,

Would make a student bright,

They told me what they wanted,

And brought me to life

Gryffindor, who was of course,

The bravest of the four,

Decided that he would take the courageous,

And make them something more

Old Slytherin, from green he came,

Decided that only those,

Whose blood was pure and mind was sly,

Could study in his shadow

Most fair, Rowena Ravenclaw,

The most clever of the bunch,

Decided that those who were most like her,

Were wise enough to take the hunch

And old Helga Hufflepuff,

Whose friendship was so true

Took only those most loyal of students

And said I know what to do

So now the task has come to me,

And I take it with very much pleasure,

For when you are sorted in your house,

Its your housemates you will treasure,

Though separate rooms you all will have,

I beg you not to follow old trends,

For though the houses are different,

Their founders were all friends

So you know now what's inside my head,

And the time is wearing thin,

They call me the Sorting Hat,

Let the sorting now begin

A very loud applause broke out in the Great Hall. All the students clapped and a few whistled. However, after a moment, the noise died name and Professor McCuliber called the first name.

"Abbot, Delilah," she said. A small skinny blonde haired girl made her way up to the stage. She sat on the stool and the hat was placed on her head. After a few seconds, the hat yelled out "Hufflepuff," and the girl ran over to the table, being welcomed by the cheers of her fellow students.

The rest of the sorting went this way. Albus and Rose whispered to each other. It was soon Scorpius' turn to be sorted. He sat on the stool, and the hat was placed on his head. It was there for the shortest time of anyone before calling out "Slytherin". Scorpius nodded once more to Albus and Rose before heading over to join his house at the table. The sorting continued and soon it was Albus' turn to be sorted. He felt Rose pat him on the shoulder and he walked to the stage. He sat on the stool and felt the hat being placed on his head.

"Another Potter, eh?" said a voice that had come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. "Yes, I remember. I see it all here. You're just like your father was when I sorted him."

"Not Slytherin, please," Albus thought and spoke at the same time.

"Are you sure? You're namesake was a Slytherin, and he did great things. You could be great in Slytherin. I see it all here," said the hat.

"I've heard bad thing's about Slytherin," he said.

"You would do well not to listen to thing's you hear. If not Slytherin, the better be GRYFFINDOR!!!"

Albus smiled as he headed towards his table. His brother greeted him with a wide smile and a pat on the back. He sat down, after being greeted by some fellow first years and those in other years. Soon after, his cousin joined him at the table. The duo smiled at one another. After the sorting had concluded, a man stepped up to the podium.

He appeared to be a kind soul. He did not look exceptionally aged, appearing to be about fifty years old. His hair was graying, with spots of white in the front. His hair was wild, and just past his shoulder. His eyes were of some shade of lavender and seemed to shine and twinkle, even from the podium. He was wearing robes of midnight blue, and a hat to match. Albus noticed the single hoop earring adorning the man's left ear.

"Good evening everyone. To all of our returning students, welcome back. Welcome to all new students. For those of you who do not know, my name is Magnus McGonagall. I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There are a few announcement to be made, however, I know that they day has made you all a bit hungry. Dig in," he finished and clapped his hands. Food of all kinds and quantities appeared on the large house tables.

After about an hour or so, when the food was done and everyone was no longer hungry, the headmaster stood again to address the school.

"Now that everyone has been fed, there are a few announcements. Firstly, the Forbidden Forest is called forbidden for just that reason. Please stay clear of it at all costs unless accompanied by a Professor. Next, I would like to introduce our new Head Boy and Girl. Head Boy is Christian Macmillan. Head Girl is Victorie Weasley," he said. He paused here to allow the two to stand and take applause. He then continued on. "Quidditch captains must discuss their schedules with their House Heads. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell everyone that in the spirit of competition, Professors McCuliber, Sinastra and Longbottom have devised a clever competition to be taking place this year. You will all be notified of the exact circumstances and rules shortly. First years, please follow your Prefects to your houses. And again, welcome to Hogwarts," he finished, to much applause.

Albus stood and found his house Prefects. They led him up to the Gryffindor dormitory where a portrait of a fat lady sat outside. They told her the password was "Polyjuice" and gained entry. Albus had already began making friends among his peers, yet somewhere in the back of his mind, he still wondered about Scorpius. He already had plans to write his father a letter, wondering why he had not told him anything about his past. He thought about his owl upstairs and wondered if she was doing alright, making a mental note to go and see her the next day. Soon after though, Albus only had thoughts of his cozy four poster bed.

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The next day had already dawned. A tall man sat in his office. A lightning bolt shaped scar was on his forehead, barely covered by his unruly jet black hair. He emerald green eyes were focused on a piece of paper on his desk. He was reading up on a report that he would need for a meeting later in the day. A soft tap came to the door.

"Come in," he said, sitting up a bit more. The door opened and in walked a man Harry recognized immediately.

"Minister, you know you don't need to knock on my door," said Harry, standing to shake his hand.

"Harry" began the man in his deep slow voice, "you know that after all these years, you have no need to call me minister. How long have we known one another? There are no more formalities between us."

"Sorry Kingsley, it's a habit," Harry apologized. "What brings you down here so early in the morning? I thought you were leaving for Peru soon to meet with the foreign ambassador."

"Yes, Harry, I was. However, something came to my attention and the trip had to be postponed. I know it is very unlike me, but I had to bring it directly to you and I took special care to make sure that the Daily Prophet would not get word of it."

Harry looked at his old friend. "What is it?"

"Harry, it's something we haven't seen in 19 years," said Kingsley, and he noticed Harry's eyes grow wide.

"Please tell me you're joking," Harry said.

"Yes, the Dark Mark," said Kingsley gravely.