Chapter One

Nineteen Years Later

Dark Wizard Still At Large

Although the wizarding community has largely enjoyed peace since the famous defeat of the Dark Wizard, He Who Must Not Be Named, and his followers (labelled 'Death Eaters') 19 years prior at the hands of Harry Potter and the collective of the then-students and staff of Hogwarts and the society shrouded in mystery, the Order of the Phoenix, some of these Death Eaters still remain at large today.

Of those still evading the Aurors, the most dangerous could possibly be one Rodolphus Lestrange, whose wife, Bellatrix Lestrange, was killed at the Battle of Hogwarts. Rodolphus was previously apprehended along with his wife and several others just after the first fall of You-Know-Who for the use of the Cruciatus Curse on the Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom, which lead to irreversible damage and insanity.

"Rodolphus is vicious and malicious. He and Bellatrix were two peas in a pod for sure, relishing in the darkness. It is vital that we catch him before he fancies trying to be a 'Dark Lord' himself," says Auror, Ronald Weasley, veteran of the Battle of Hogwarts.

It seems almost extraordinary that these Dark wizards have managed to elude capture for so long. Could it be possible that Aurors are looking the other way instead of capturing these foes of the community?

Me, myself and I, along with my adoring fans, want to know!

"Right ugly blighter, isn't he?' asked Rose, looking at the moving picture of Rodolphus Lestrange.

Albus Severus Potter closed the wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet, with a silent nod.

"I can't believe they're implying Dad and the other Aurors would help Dark wizards. Especially this Rodolphus character. He's one of those that attacked Neville's parents,' said James Potter, Albus' older brother who would be starting his second year at Hogwarts. James had dark brown hair and blue eyes, taller than Albus and a smirk that said trouble would soon follow. Rose Weasley was their cousin, in the same year as Albus with bushy red hair that fell to her lower back and warm brown eyes. She had also inherited her father's freckles and her mother's large front teeth. Albus looked more like Harry, scrawny with unkempt black hair and piercing eyes. He has been told many times that he and his father had gotten their eyes from his grandmother, Lily Potter.

The Hogwarts Express rolled along, the scenery outside the window changing from rolling hills to flat plains and farmlands. Albus was feeling very nervous. Earlier, on Platform 9¾, he had pulled his father aside.

"What if I end up in Slytherin?" he had asked.

"Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts, and one of them was probably one of the bravest men I had ever known and he was in Slytherin," Harry had replied with a smile.

"But just say if it happens?" Albus persisted.

"Then Slytherin house would have gained an outstanding young wizard. If you really are concerned about it, the Sorting Hat does take your opinion into account," Harry said.

"Really?"

"It did for me," Harry had replied with a wink.

Albus wasn't sure if any of that was true since his father had never mentioned that part before but he merely nodded and greeted his family before boarding the train.

"Who wrote that article anyway?" James asked, causing Albus to jerk out of his reverie.

"Oh, um… Rita Skeeter," Albus said, glancing at the paper again.

"Not that old hag again. I would have thought Mother had put her in her place but apparently she never learns," Rose said with a roll of her eyes.

Albus merely shrugged, not really caring about the old story he had heard plenty of times of how his Aunt Hermione had figured out Rita Skeeter was an unregistered Animagus (a person who could change into an animal and back at will) and captured her.

"So, Alby, looking forward to the Sorting Ceremony?" James asked with a smirk. "Can't wait to be in Slytherin, can you?"

'Oh, James, not this again. Leave Albus alone," Rose said with a sigh as she reached for a carry-on bag she had placed beneath her seat.

"What? He might end up in Slytherin!' James said, eyeing Albus to see his reaction.

Everytime the talk came to the Hogwarts houses, Albus felt a wave of anxiety and nausea. There were four houses one could be sorted into at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Slytherin house had produced more Dark wizards than the other houses and thus gained a dark reputation. It was also the house of He Who Must Not Be Named, whose ancestor was Salazar Slytherin, founder of the house. Slytherins were mostly cunning, ambitious people. Gryffindors were brave and chivalrous. Hufflepuffs were kind, patient and hard workers, masters of none. Ravenclaws were witty and intelligent. Albus didn't really feel like any of the houses described him but felt he might just fit in with Hufflepuff. His older, adopted brother, Teddy Lupin was in Hufflepuff house and had been made Head Boy.

"I don't want to talk about it,' Albus said and looked out the window as rain began to pour outside.

"Drop it," Rose said as James opened his mouth again and this he heeded her after catching the cold look in her usually warm eyes. They had learned from a young age that Rose was a kind and caring person until she got angry. That was when injuries happened. She had pulled out a book entitled Hogwarts: A History.

"Don't you already know that thing by heart?" James asked.

"Of course not. It's over a thousand pages," Rose said, her eyes flying over the words as she read at top speed.

"You've read it like ten times already," James pointed out.

"And your point is?" she asked, still not looking away from the book.

"What's the point of rereading something? I just don't get it."

"Maybe that is why you didn't do as well in your exams as you could have," Rose said simply.

James opened his mouth angrily, paused a moment and then decided against it and closed his mouth again.

They spent most of the journey in relative silence. Students were running up and down the hallway outside their compartment, screaming and laughing. A few of James and Rose's friends came by, talked about their summers and so on before leaving again. A young girl, a first year by her looks, walked by their compartment looking nervous as she surveyed everything. When she made eye contact with Albus, her eyes went wide and she left so quickly, he could have sworn she had vanished into thin air. She had seemed vaguely familiar, but he was sure his mind was toying with him. She wouldn't be here… She couldn't be…

When the lamps in the train came on by themselves, Rose suggested they get into their robes. She and James pulled on their black Hogwarts robes trimmed with red to indicate they were in Gryffindor. Albus's robes were plain black with the Hogwarts crest on the breast. As soon as he is Sorted, the trimmings will match the colour of his house.

The rain outside had stopped as the train sped the last part of the journey through the night.

"Remember to leave your luggage," Rose said as the train started to slow down.

In no time at all, the Hogwarts Express screeched to a halt. Students poured from their compartments and into the hallways of the train, chattering happily and loudly. Albus allowed himself to be swept up by the crowd so that they could steer him in the right direction. He quickly lost sight of James and Rose but as he got off the train onto the platform of Hogsmeade Station, a familiar voice rang out through the night and he couldn't help smiling.

"Firs' year! Firs' years, this way! Come now, firs' years over here!"

The massive silhouette of the gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, came into view, holding a lantern aloft. Hagrid was also the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. A half-giant, he towered over them all, with hands the size of dustbin lids, feet like small canoes and a tangled mess of black hair and beard that covered up most of his face apart from his beetle black eyes. Most people would find him intimidating but Albus knew Hagrid to be a kind and gentle soul.

"All righ', Albus?" he asked over the din of the crowd as Albus finally made it over to him.

Albus felt too nervous to speak so he merely nodded. Hagrid tapped him reassuringly on the shoulder which caused Albus' knees to buckle.

"Whoops, sorry 'bout that'," Hagrid said, helping Albus up.

"All the firs' years here? All right, follow me!" Hagrid called loudly.

A bunch of kids with varying expressions came together and followed Hagrid away from the rest of the students.

"You will have a first glance of Hogwarts when we 'round the bend," Hagrid said, looking over his shoulder.

As they rounded the boulder, there was a collective gasp as the first years laid eyes upon the school. The castle stood majestically atop a cliff with many towers jutting upwards and numerous battlements and hundreds of windows alight, giving the impression of fireflies. Before them was a large, black lake with a number of small boats on the bank of the lake.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called as he took a whole boat up by himself. Albus clambered into one nearest him, followed by a blonde boy, a black girl and a girl he first thought was a boy due to her choppy, short hair. She frowned at him for staring before he quickly looked away, flushing.

"Everybody in? Right, now don't go leanin' over the edge otherwise you'll end up in the lake and I will not be pullin' ye out. I'll leave ye ter the giant squid. All right then, forward!"

At Hagrid's command, the small fleet of boats set off at once, steered by themselves towards the cliff upon which Hogwarts rested. Albus couldn't help but stare. After all he had heard about the castle, none of the stories could do it justice and this just from the outside. He couldn't wait to get inside and see every nook and cranny. There was a general murmuring and as he looked around, he could see the others pointing at the castle and whispering excitedly.

"Mind yer heads," Hagrid said as he bent forward, ducking beneath a curtain of ivy. The rest of them imitated him and soon they were within a cave that acted as boat house apparently. As soon as they docked, they scrambled out of their boats and stood waiting for Hagrid who seemed to have some difficulty dislodging himself. After a few seconds, he managed to extricate himself from his boat and turned to the door. He pulled out a flowery pink umbrella and tapped the door once. It creaked open and they followed him through the door up a jagged staircase that lead from the cave up towards the castle. They came to a door and Hagrid knocked three times. The door opened to reveal a young wizard standing there with warm smile. His hair was black streaked with pink and his eyes seemed to shift between green and blue. He wore robes of black trimmed with a deep red barely possible to see.

"Firs' years, Professor Rhyner,' Hagrid announced.

"Thank you Hagrid, I shall take them from here," Professor Rhyner said.

Hagrid nodded and went through the door.

"Good evening to you all. The rest of the students are still getting seated so still have a few more minutes before the Sorting begins. Now, at Hogwarts, you get sorted into a house. Once Sorted, your house will be somewhat like a family. Each house gains points due to the triumphs of its students, however; any rule breaking and points will be deducted. Please note that only teachers can award or deduct house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup, a great honour indeed. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. After the Sorting and the feast, your prefects will lead you to your respective common rooms. These common rooms will be your main residence within the castle and where you will most likely spend most of your free time. You attend classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitories and eat at your house table. Right then! Follow me and no need to be nervous. This will be a start of a wondrous journey for all of you."

Professor Rhyner turned and the first years followed him into a humongous hall whose ceiling was impossibly high. To their right, two doors stood open to reveal the outside. To their left was a grand marble staircase that led to the higher levels of the castles. Directly across from them two doors stood open to reveal the Great Hall where hundreds of students were sitting at four long tables with a thousand candles floating overhead. Professor Rhyner marched them past the doors to a smaller door next to them and ushered them inside. It was a smaller antechamber. All of them squeezed in tightly and Professor Rhyner called for them to form a single line. Albus found himself between the blonde boy and the girl with the choppy hair.

"All right! The Sorting Ceremony will start momentarily. Please remain here, quietly, until I come fetch you."

With that, he turned and exited through the door that lead into the Great Hall. Albus could hear hundreds of voices droning through the wall like the buzz of cicadas. He was starting to get nervous again. In a matter of minutes, he will sit upon a three-legged stool, put a large and pointy hat on his head and be told to which house he belongs. Just as he began to tremble slightly with anxiety, Professor Rhyner opened the door with a smile.

"We're ready for you now. Follow me."

They filed out into the Great Hall and Albus looked quickly toward the ceiling he knew to be enchanted. It looked as though the hall was roofless but he had been told it is bewitched to look like the sky outside. Stars winked at him as the moon shone brightly. A few clouds drifted lazily about. Albus looked back down, to his right were the house tables with the students looking at the new first years. To his left was the teacher's table. He recognised Neville Longbottom, the Herbology teacher who smiled at him encouragingly. Hagrid was at the far end and gave him a small thumbs-up. In the middle of the table in a winged-back chair sat Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts. His father described her as one of the most talented witches he had ever known. Her black hair was streaked with grey and pulled up in a tight bun beneath her emerald witch's hat that matched her emerald robes. Behind her square spectacles, she examined each student until her eyes fell on him and she smiled wryly. Albus returned the smile tentatively before turning his back on the teacher's table as Professor Rhyner now requested. They now faced the hundreds of students who fixed their eyes on the three legged stool upon which sat the ancient, patched and frayed Sorting Hat. After a few seconds of silence, a tear opened at the brim of the hat and it spoke.

"Oh here we are

Another year to start

Many gone

Many more to come

The Houses Four still endure.

Brave Gryffindor

Kind Hufflepuff

Clever Ravenclaw

Cunning Slytherin

Strength and traits have each

Yet divided, still unconquered

But the time shall come

When old prejudice will be forgotten

And unity shall begin anew

As in the days of old

The time is now

It is up to you

Stand united

Both here and faraway

For unity will be required

Before our new cycle is done."

Albus stared at the hat with a quizzical look and he saw the same expression mirrored on the faces of the older students. As he glanced up the Hufflepuff table, he saw his brother, Teddy Lupin, easily distinguishable by his turquoise hair, his Head Boy pin on his chest gleamed in the candlelight but he too, had his brow furrowed. Slowly the clapping start until the hall burst into applause. The Sorting Hat inclined its tip to each table in turn and became still once more.

"Now, when I call your name, you will sit on the stool, place the hat upon your head and then proceed to the house table you are Sorted into."

Albus gulped. The time has come.

"Anders, Agatha!"

A girl with pale, curly blonde hair walked up and placed the hat on her head where it promptly fell over her ears. After a few seconds of silence, the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Agatha Anders, took the hat off, placed it back on the stool and with a broad smile, headed over to the cheering Hufflepuff table.

"Austin, Broderick!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table roared its approval and Albus could see James and Rose sitting next to each other, applauding their new addition.

The list went slowly and Albus only caught a name here and there as he started to focus on how hungry he actually was.

"Clare, Kennedy!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Albus stared at the golden plates and goblets just as the ghosts arrived. Silvery in appearance, the ghosts glided silently overhead before settling at their respective tables.

"Dursley, Patricia!"

Albus did a double take at the name, and snapped his eyes to the girl walking to be Sorted next. It was the girl he had seen on the train but thought he was just imagining things. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and her back was straight, her eyes dark as she stalked to the Sorting Hat. He looked at James to see shock on his face as well. Patricia was the daughter of their Uncle Dudley whom they had not seen in many years due to his parents' hatred of magic. Now his daughter was at Hogwarts! He cannot imagine Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon being happy with this development. The Hat was quiet for almost a full minute before it shouted "RAVENCLAW!"

Patricia walked to the cheering Ravenclaw table and the Sorting commenced. Albus noticed her casting him a quick glance now and then.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

The blonde boy next to him gave him a weak smile and walked to the stool. The hat barely touched his head when it shouted "SLYTHERIN!"

Scorpius went to the Slytherin table to tumultuous applause. Albus looked at him for the first time with interest and saw his face was pale, slightly pointed and he was tall for his age. He had heard about the Malfoys of course. They were Dark wizards who, at the last moments of the Battle of Hogwarts, decided against aiding the Dark Lord further. Scorpius' father and his were enemies when they were at Hogwarts. He wondered if they would follow in the footsteps of their parents. He glanced at the Gryffindor table to find James glaring at Scorpius with distaste and rolled his eyes. Sometimes, his brother judged far too quickly.

"Potter, Albus!"

The hall went deathly quiet as everyone waited with bated breath to see where the second son of the famous Harry Potter would be sorted. Wishing something would happen to make people avert their eyes, Albus sighed and mentally kicked himself to move. He reached the stool and placed the hat on his head where it fell and obscured his vision.

"Ah! Another Potter. Your father was difficult to place, your brother less so. But you… you are like your father. I see courage, kindness, intelligence but also ambition, cunning, a thirst to prove yourself just as he wanted to. Fear also, for the labelling of society. Perhaps you can break perceptions? What say you?"

I don't know Albus thought.

"The most honest answer I had gotten in a long time. I know, SLYTHERIN!"

The Sorting Hat shouted the last word and Albus ripped it off immediately, feeling stunned. The Hall was quiet. His eyes found James' and they were both hard and amazed. Rose looked puzzled and Teddy mirrored the surprise of many of the students. Professor Rhyner nudged Albus and he stumbled over to the Slytherin table where no applause met him, just curious stares.

"Slytherin…" Albus sighed as he took his sat next to Scorpius Malfoy.

"It's not all bad," said Scorpius.

Albus looked up at his brother over at the Gryffindor table glaring at him as the Sorting continued. Every now and then, people would glance at him. It was making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"If you say so," Albus replied somewhat glumly.

"I do. I haven't properly introduced myself, have I? Scorpious Malfoy," the blonde said, holding out his hand.

Albus hesitated for a moment before grasping it. "Albus Potter, nice to meet you."

When the Sorting finally concluded with Ameria Zakon being sorted into Gryffindor, Professor Rhyner took the stool and Sorting Hat and left the hall through the antechamber. When he returned and seated himself behind the teacher's table, Professor McGonagall got to her feet and a hushed silence swept through the hall.

"Welcome! Welcome to you all! A new year of learning awaits and I shall make the announcements quick before we begin our feast. Students, new and old, should take note that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. It is called forbidden for a reason. Hogsmeade is out of bounds as well to all below third year and those who are of age for the village trips must have a permission slip signed by a parent or a guardian. No exceptions. Mr Filch has a full list of banned items and for the twentieth year in a row insists on the mention of a blanket ban on all products from the shop Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Please remember that no magic is to be used in the corridors and duelling is strictly forbidden. Students would do well to remember that nothing gives a student the right to be out of bed after hours. Now, with that being said, let the feast begin!"

She sat down and food appeared out of nowhere and the tables groaned under the weight of the dishes. Albus, thankful for something to do and that the food now preoccupied the other students quickly filled his plate with some of his favourite dishes including meatballs, mashed potatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches. His goblet filled itself with pumpkin juice and he actively avoided it, never having liked the taste. Instead, he drank from a goblet of water that stood next to his pumpkin juice. There was very little talking as everyone ate, the only sound really was the clattering of knives and forks against plates. As Albus was helping himself to seconds, the Slytherin house ghost, the Bloody Baron, settled next to him. The Baron had wide, haunting eyes and chains hung from shackles around his wrists and ankles. Silvery blood seemed to flow from a wound in his chest.

"Welcome to Slytherin house. I truly hope you shall do this fine house good and help us win the House Cup. Goodness knows, we haven't gone this long without winning," the Baron said dolefully.

"You must be the Bloody Baron," Scorpius said after taking a sip from his goblet.

"Ah yes, the Malfoy boy. Your father never had much of a liking for me, I could tell. Never spoke to me once! But then, Lucius also lacked manners. I believe you are the first Malfoy to speak to me since your great-grandfather Abraxas."

The Baron turned his eyes to Albus, who suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Albus Potter. Your father killed the descendant of this house's founder," the Baron said blandly.

"I suppose he did, yes, sir,' Albus said, feeling his face getting redder.

"Riddle had the right idea at first. I cannot fault him. But to actually attack Hogwarts itself! I had not felt such anger in my thousand year death! No sir! I personally lead some students to points where they could be most useful in the battle. I would rather die again before I see Hogwarts fall in such a manner!"

Albus had no idea how to respond to this and looked toward Scorpius for aid. Scorpius was busy coughing as he had snorted whilst drinking. Albus thumped him on the back.

"Thanks," Scorpius replied.

Albus nodded and saw the puddings had arrived. He took a slice of chocolate cake and some peppermint pie and dug in. Scorpius was dishing up vast amounts of treacle tart.

"That's my dad's favourite," Albus said. He saw a few older Slytherins look at him and he quickly turned his attention back to his own dessert. When everyone had eaten their fill, the plates wiped themselves magically clean and everyone was talking merrily. Albus stifled a yawn with his hand and glanced at the teacher's table. Professor Longbottom was looking at him with concern but when he saw Albus looking at him, he quickly engaged in conversation with the Charms master, Filius Flitwick. Professor Flitwick was a tiny man was sat upon several cushions so that he could see over the table, with a shock of white hair. Professor McGonagall got to her feet once more and again silence fell almost immediately.

"I must say, that was a fine feast. Now that you are all fed and watered, I can only assume you would like to sleep so that you can be well-rested for your classes tomorrow. Off to bed and goodnight to you all."

There was shuffle as everyone got to their feet and the students headed toward the Entrance Hall.

"First years, this way please!" called a girl with a prefect badge on her chest. She had long black hair and icy blue eyes.

Albus, Scorpius and the other first years joined her at the top of the table.

"Follow me and keep up."

She walked through the double doors and across the Entrance Hall towards the dungeons. As they descended the stone steps, the air became cooler the farther they descended. Torches lit their way as they went down and even further down. Just as Albus wondered how far they still had to go, they had reached the end of the stairs. They were in a passageway with a blank stretch of wall except for a lone lantern that produced green flame. The prefect led them to the lantern and stopped in front of the lantern.

"All right, you lot. This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. No one outside our house may know where it is or how to access it, all right? My name is Megan Wolfe, if you ever need help with something, just ask. Right, now this patch of wall is the door. Just tell the password to the lantern. This year's password is slithering."

As soon as Megan said the password, the wall sank into the ground to reveal an archway. She went inside and they followed. The Slytherin common room was a high-ceilinged room made of dark stone and black marble. The ornate fireplace was black but the flames were green and comfortably warm. Squashy black armchairs and sofas was scattered around the room along with tables, stools and dark wooden chairs. The carpets were plush and soft and the Slytherin colours of silver and green adorned the walls with the snake emblem staring at them from everywhere.

"Okay, girls, your dormitories are through the doors on the left, boys yours are on the right. Your doors will be labelled 'first years.' Your curfew is seven o'clock, Breakfast starts at seven and classes at nine. Break and lunch go together and dinner is directly after classes end. You will get your timetable from your Head of House tomorrow morning at breakfast. Right then, off to bed with you. Your belongings are already in your rooms. Good night."

Scorpius led the way to their dormitory. Along a corridor, they found a door labelled 'first years' and entered. Their dormitory was a rectangular room of dark stone. They had a marble fireplace that burned with a low fire but nowhere near as fine as the one in the common room. There were five beds, one against each of the four walls and one set higher up to be accessed by a ladder. Their trunks were already at the feet of their beds. Albus looked at his fellow first years and decided he should make his time here the best he can and decided to introduce himself to the other three boys. One was gangly and black, with chiselled features. One was rather large with tiny eyes and brutally short hair. The last one was brown haired and had a slight swagger to him. Albus quickly saw he and this boy would never make it further than the level of acquaintance.

"Albus Potter," he said, offering his hand. The other three seemed hesitant to shake until they saw Malfoy glaring at them.

"Dominique Zabini," said the black boy, shaking Albus' hand.

"Oliver Goyle," said the large boy.

"Adam Smith. Our fathers knew each other when they were here," said the boy with the swagger.

"I don't recall him mentioning a Smith," Albus said honestly, and Adam relinquished the handshake with a scowl.

"My father is Zacharias Smith. He was a Hufflepuff and part of your father's little Defence Against the Dark Arts group, Dumbledore's Army."

"I've heard about him. I was told he was a pathetic Quidditch commentator and an even worse player. Dung for brains mostly," Scorpius said with a haughty look that would have made his father proud.

"I'd watch myself if I were you, Malfoy. You and your family don't scare me," Adam said darkly.

"Oh please, I bet a Muggle infant would scare you. Just shut it, Smith. We have seven years together, let's not make it seven years you will regret," Scorpius said menacingly.

Adam glared at the pair of them and stalked off toward his bed on the far side of the room. He undressed, got in his pyjamas and pulled the curtains shut. Zabini and Goyle also decided to go about their business. Malfoy's eyes flashed and he took a deep breath before turning to Albus.

"Sorry about that. I usually keep my temper in check but people like that just annoy me."

"That's fine, I can understand that."

They turned to their beds. Malfoy's was the one with the ladder and after getting ready for bed, he clambered into bed.

"Night Albus, tomorrow the magic begins."

With that he pulled his curtains close.

Albus got into the bed diagonally below Scorpius' and pulled the curtain shut, wondering about his lessons tomorrow and how his family will react to him being in Slytherin and how his father would feel that he might actually be in the process of becoming friends with Scorpius Malfoy.