Albus took a deep breath before sitting on the stool as his brother and cousins watched. The Sorting Hat was placed on his head and it immediately recognized him. A Potter eh? Albus Severus, I've been waiting to meet you since I met your brother.
R-really? Albus stuttered in his head.
Yes, your brother is too much like the first James Potter but you, you are like your father. I know where I want to put you. It was a difficult decision for me the first time and your father felt so strongly about Gryffindor.
Where are you going to put me? Slytherin? Albus asked but he wasn't answered.
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled for everyone to hear. Everyone was shocked, a Potter in Slytherin? What was the Hat thinking? James was immediately on his feet.
Professor Longbottom started clapping with Headmaster McGonagall and that shook off the shock. James was still standing as Albus made his way to Slytherin table. He sat away from everyone and then he heard a familiar name being called.
"Scorpius Malfoy!" Professor Longbottom called out. I watched the spitting image of Draco Malfoy timidly sit on the stool. The hat hadn't even brushed his head when it called out his house.
"SLYTHERIN!" The boy sadly sat down across from Albus. Neither of them looked at each other nor spoke to anyone else. A few more Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors later the Sorting was done and Scorpius and Albus still sat alone. The feast began but Albus and Scorpius barely touched their dinners.
"Alright everyone, it's time for bed!" Headmaster McGonagall said and everyone headed to their common rooms. Scorpius and Albus both walked in that same dejected way with the Head Boy for Slytherin. He gave them the password and they went up to their room, for they were in the same room. Albus curled up in bed and was almost asleep when Scorpius finally spoke.
"You're Albus Potter aren't you?" he said quietly.
"Yeah," Albus said sitting up.
"Why are you in Slytherin?" he asked. His words held no malice, it was an innocent question.
"I don't know but I don't want to be," Albus said.
"Me neither, I don't want to be Slytherin. I wanted to be in Gryffindor," the Malfoy said.
"I wanted to be in Gryffindor too!" Albus said perking up a bit. "Do you like Quiditch?"
"Yeah, who doesn't!?" Scorpius said. The boys talked into the night until they both passed out from exhaustion. They woke up that morning to their robes all set out and in Slytherin colors. They also got a Slytherin scarf for when it gets colder. They both dressed quickly in their dress shirts, ties, vest, and robes. They walked to their classes which had been in the pocket of their robes. They had Potions with Professor Slughorn first. Albus hoped he hadn't inherited his Uncle Ron and Father's horrible potion skills. Professor Slughorn welcomed Albus in very warmly and loudly announced that he was "the youngest Potter boy" to the whole class. Albus flushed and Scorpius just sat silently next to him. The two were given odd looks and they caught a few whispers.
"A Potter and Malfoy sitting together?"
"A Malfoy and Potter together, it must be the end of the world."
"Potter and Malfoy, what a pair."
Al's hands shook and he finally exploded. "Yes, I'm a Potter and he's a Malfoy! We get it! Now SHUT IT!" He hung his head as Slughorn shot him a dirty look for yelling in class. Albus settled and read along until they were dismissed. The day went by pretty quickly and then they were in the common room playfully arguing over what was the best Hogwarts Quiditch team when their parent went there.
"Gryffindor is the best!" Albus said.
"No! It's Slytherin. We had the better keeper!"
"We had better beaters and a better seeker!" Albus said huffing and looking quite like his father.
"The Weasley twins were brilliant beaters I'll give you that and Harry was an excellent seeker, but we had the better keeper and chasers."
"Okay, we can compromise right Scorp? They were equally as brilliant. Does that satisfy you?" Albus said blowing a stray hair out of his eyes.
"For now I suppose," Scorpius said. They looked at their watches and it was late so they decided to hit the hay. "Hey Al you awake?" Scorp asked after a few minutes.
"Mmhm," Albus said rolling over to face his friend's bed.
"Can we be friends?"
"I thought we were."
"I mean inseparable friends, best friends. Like those twins in Hufflepuff." Scorpius looked so young and innocent and so did Albus.
"Of course Scorpius. We'll be best friends forever," Albus said yawning. "Now let's go to bed, we have lots of early mornings ahead of us."
"Yeah we do," Scorpius said. He smiled at the black-haired boy across from him and went to bed happy that he had made his first friend at Hogwarts and first best friend. He figured he could be happy here.