Author: Auditory Eden
Rating: K+
Warnings: None, really
Notes: Belongs to JK
Namesake
Albus Potter stood nervously outside the Great Hall, cold and dripping from his rain sodden trip across the lake. Rose stood nearby, jabbering excitedly to another girl about spells, and Albus noticed that the Malfoy boy, Scorpius, was watching her with a tiny frown, almost of confusion. The creaking of the huge doors silenced them all, and tiny Professor Flitwick ushered them all inside.
The ceiling of the Great Hall was midnight blue, and not a star could be seen in the roiling mass of clouds. Albus bounced nervously on the balls of his feet while other children were called, one by one, to put on the Sorting Hat after its song. As "Dineen, Emily!" was sorted into Hufflepuff, Albus noticed his cousins Roxanne and Louis waving frantically from their spot at the Gryffindor table, while James and Dominique badgered a tomato-red Victoire in whispers.
A few moments later, "Malfoy, Scorpius!" was sorted into Ravenclaw, to the general astonishment of everyone.
"Potter, Albus!"Albus jumped as Professor Flitwick called his name, and he stumbled forward to the stool. The hat fell right past his eyes to settle at the tip of his nose, and he held his breath, waiting for the hat to talk.
"Ah, another Potter…I remember your father…" Albus bit his lip as the hat spoke. "And your brother, of course. Your brother was more like your grandfather, a very quick decision… But where to put you? Hmmm….I see brains, and talent…You could easily go to Ravenclaw….or Slytherin, I suppose, but I don't see you have such amibiton….No..And courage, of course, maybe a Gryffindor like your father…" I don't want to be in Slytherin! he thought as hard as he could.
"Not Slytherin? Just like your father…very noble I see, so perhaps Hufflepuff…Hmm…" The silence was making Albus jumpy and he desperately wanted to be sorted and have done.
"Well, well, I see you're quite matter of fact…better be—
"RAVENCLAW!"
Albus took off the hat with trembling fingers and moved over to the Ravenclaw table, where he sat next to Scorpius Malfoy. They exchanged a look that said clearly that neither of them expected to be there. He saw James sitting one over with his mouth hanging open, staring at Albus as though he'd never seen him before.
Ten people later, after "Smith, Brian!" and a few others, "Weasley, Rose!" was called. The hat barely seemed to think about it as it called "RAVENCLAW!"
She made her way to the table and sank into the seat next to Albus.
"Dad's going to kill me," she said, highly woebegone.
"Mine, too," Scorpius agreed, looking slightly green.
"Mmm," Albus agreed. All three let out a sigh in unison.
xXx
"You know, my dad told me not to talk to you two on the platform," Scorpius mused to Rose and Albus during break.
"Oh, yeah, Uncle Ron told you to beat Scorpius in every test, right Rose?" Albus pointed out.
"Yes," Rose sighed. She picked up her Potions book and flipped through it. "I wish Professor Slughorn had gone a bit easier on us. I know he's old, but really."
"Ten bloody inches by Wednesday," Albus said bitterly, and Scorpius groaned in agreement.
"Hey, hey Potter! Potter, is it true your dad named you after the man that killed Dumbledore?" an unpleasant boy, Zacharias, called across the courtyard.
"What'd you going on about?" Albus yelled back.
"Well, you know. Severus Snape! He was a murderer! Voldemort's biggest supporter, I heard. Why are you named after him, then?" A number of other students tittered.
"Did your dad hope you'd turn out like him, then?" Zacharias sneered.
Albus did not reply, biting his lip and curling over his potions essay.
"You deaf, Potter? I asked if you were going to grow up to be a murderer and traitor as well?"
Albus hurled himself at Zacharias, throwing a very accurate punch straight to his, very pale, pointed nose.
xXx
"Potter," Professor McGonagall began.
"Why d'you always call me that?" Albus interrupted.
McGonagall's lips compressed into a thin line. "I beg your pardon?"
"Why do you always call me Potter, Professor? You call James by his name."
"I suppose…Well, you always looked more like your father than your elder sibling, and he was always Potter to his teachers, except Dumbledore, of course." McGonagall paused for a moment and then continued, amusement twitching at the corners of her mouth, "And, of course, with the two of you, calling you both Potter would lead to some confusion."
"But you call all my cousins by their surname, and that makes seven!" Albus was adamant.
The headmistress stood and moved around her desk. "I think you might also find that some of the staff, particularly those who were in residence when Professor Dumbledore died," she said, "do not call you by your first name because it recalls times when there was another whom they called Albus." She waved a hand at the largest portrait behind her desk, at the sleeping, silver-bearded old man in magnificent robes.
"That aside, Potter, I must ask why, for the fourth time this week, you were fighting in the corridors," McGonagall asked, as gently as she could.
Albus stayed silent a moment before muttering, "S'because of my name, Professor."
"Your name?"
"Yeah," Albus gulped. "Some kids found out who I'm…who I'm named for, and they've been making life hell for me ever since."
"There are students who are abusing you for having the name of Hogwarts' best headmaster?" McGonagall asked, her nostrils flaring. Albus shook his head.
"My other name, Professor, my middle one."
"Which is what?"
Albus wouldn't speak for a moment, and he glanced at one very small portrait on the wall, this one featuring a man much younger than the majority. Perhaps only forty, this man was thin and sallow, with a hooked nose and long, greasy hair. He was currently scowling out of his portrait, listening to the whole affair.
"Severus," Albus squeaked. "My full name is Albus Severus Potter, Professor." A light of understanding entered McGonagall's eyes.
"They are abusing you for being named after Severus Snape, then. Yes, I can see why that would be.
"Potter, very few know that Severus Snape was a very brave man, who gave his life for this school. He was headmaster for only six months, but he did all he could to protect the students from the wrath of Lord Voldemort, although no one but himself knew it until after his death." McGonagall took a deep breath. "He has gone down in history as Albus Dumbledore's murderer, but all of that was planned between them. Severus could tell you this himself, I imagine." Her eyes strayed to the frame where Snape stood glowering at the room. He shook his head minutely, and she returned her gaze to Albus.
"Potter, your name is nothing to be ashamed of. I will not punish you for this offense, or the others like it, but you must learn to control your temper." She gave him a reproving look. "I do think it would be interesting to see if you can break your father and brother's streak of getting a detention in their first week of school. Your father's, I understand, was given to him by Professor Snape, your brother's by Professor Longbottom. You still have two more days to go before you are out of your first week, however, so I imagine you will be able to incur punishment if you are determined to follow tradition." She smiled at him softly. "Off you go, Potter."
Albus closed the door behind him, but could still hear Professor McGonagall speaking to someone faintly.
"So that is Potter's son…"
"Indeed. He is very much like his grandmother, though. Feisty, but talented."
"It will be interesting to follow what I have no doubt will be his long, illustrious career of rulebreaking."
Now another, older voice, very cheerful, "Severus, I have no doubt whatsoever that Albus will manage quite well here. And you might notice, he, like Harry, has Lily's eyes."
"And I imagine he has inherited all of his father and grandfather's skill for knowing exactly how best to cause trouble, as well."
There was no response to this comment, so Albus slipped away down the stairs and past the gargoyle.
He had no idea that Severus Snape had loved his grandmother, Lily Evans, and that through his father, her eyes were the last thing he saw.
He never knew that there were much worse names than Severus.
xXx
Parting Comments: I always had this idea that Albus would get teased a lot for his name. Then I realized that it was unlikely that Harry would have told many people about Snape being awesome (he is my favorite character ), because Snape had asked Dumbledore never to tell, and I think Harry would have adhered to that as well. So Albus would get a lot of flak for being named after him…
Does anyone know what namesake means? It is the person named after someone, or the person they are named after?
Also, I don't think Snape necessarily has a portrait in the head's office, but I wanted him to, so now he does. He was a headmaster of Hogwarts, after all. Umbridge doesn't, though. For obvious reasons.
Hugs and Kisses
Eden