Chapter 1: The Syndrome of the Anxious Albus
Draco kissed his pureblood wife and nudged little Scorpius onto the Hogwarts Express. Harry nodded both to him and his wife, Marietta Edgecombe, the same once curly haired girl that ratted out Dumbledore's Army to that despicable Umbridge nearly twenty years ago. But all of that was forgotten, forgiven now, and all was well. Harry no longer held hatred in his heart for those who hurt him in the past.
Albus Severus Potter gave a cold look at Scorpius Malfoy, knowing full well he would be placed in Slytherin. He too feared the worst, and after his older brother had James teased him, he panicked. But Harry reassured his son that the House did not matter, for brave and kind wizards came from all different Houses, that he was named in part after one of the bravest men he knew, Head of Slytherin. Albus seemed to feel his heart beat slower and more relaxed, his knotted stomach untied itself as he jumped onto the Hogwarts Express, following after the red haired girl Rose, whom he had known for quite some time.
Once on the train, Albus followed the Weasley daughter into a small compartment, already occupied by a blond haired witch. She read a copy of the Quibbler upside down and wore a faded orange belt around her forehead as if a bandana.
"Hello," she said coolly and lifted her eyes briefly from the text. "You're the new Potter boy, aren't you?"
Albus sunk deep into his seat and gulped. So this was how his life would be at Hogwarts? Constantly reminded of his father and his mother, having to live up to the Boy Who Lived & the Girl Who Survived Riddle's Diary? His eyes darted over to Rose who grinned in return. Rose had enjoyed this treatment, Albus thought; she loved the fact that her parents helped defeat Voldemort and were best friends of Harry Potter, but all Albus could do was frown.
Not only did he have to live up to his parents, but also to those famous wizards he was named after, Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. The girl coughed, bringing Albus back to reality, sitting on the Hogwarts Express. She must have been waiting for several minutes for the answer he desperately did not want to give.
"And who are you?" Albus asked, avoiding giving his own answer to the same question.
She giggled, as did Rose. Apparently Rose knew her and by the look on his amused face, Albus was supposed to know her too. After squinting at her face, he embarrassingly cupped his hands over his own. He had not seen her in years, almost five to be precise, at the wedding of Rebeus Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Then, the six year old little girl sat next to Professor Longbottom and his wife, whom his parents continually told amusing stories about, how she believed in as Crumple-Horned Snorkack, and Nargles.
"Alice Longbottom?" Albus squeaked just to be sure.
She nodded. "My brother, Xenophilius, is friends with your brother, James. I dunno why but your brother likes to give him all sorts of nicknames. Phil sometimes or Xenius another time and even Ophy- don't really get that one."
Albus remembered his brother James talking about an Ophy last year who had made the Quidditch team as one of the smallest beaters in decades. If he was going to live up to his expectations, he knew he had to start remember who people were and how his parents knew their parents. He was already hating the tasks ahead of him and could not understand how Rose sat there smugly, soaking in the attention like a plant smiling at the sun's radiant rays.
Suddenly they heard a loud crash from a few compartments over as if the trolley of sweets had collided with several students and the side of the train. Rose was the first to jump out of her seat and peer into the now crowded corridor. A lanky boy with ruffled brown hair stood wand to wand with a smaller and more timid wizard.
"You should have watched where you were going you stupid little -" started the lanky boy, but before he could finish another young wizard stepped in between the two.
"Put down your wand, Finnigan."
Charles Finnigan, son of Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott, grinned. "I was only playing."
"Playing at getting yourself expelled before we even start our first year?" Scorpius asked coolly. He had reacted perhaps out of a true concern over other's safety, or perhaps because his father had ordered his son to behave better than he himself did at Hogwarts.
Less confident in his stride, Charles replied, "Sorry. Don't know what got into me."
The fight, having ended before it started up, lost interest in Rose who simply shrugged and returned to the compartment. Albus could not understand why that boy Charles felt so angry at that small boy. He thought that the Houses had found ways to understand one another and that the hatred once forged between them had lessened considerably, especially in comparison to when his parents were in school. What could that poor boy have done to upset Charles so much as to draw his wand against him?
"My mother knew his dad for quite some time," said Alice. She had been talking of course about Charles' father.
"You mean Miss Luna Lovegood and Mister Seamus Finnigan? What do you mean knew?" asked Albus, feeling foolish once again but determined to live up to his expectations. He knew for sure that Luna was alive, having seen her at the wedding of Hagrid dressed in a light blue dress with white daffodils etched upon its trim. She was quite lovely looking. He could not remember having met Seamus, although he had of course heard about him from his parents.
Alice had a way about her much like her mother- with a wispy airy voice she replied, "Oh, he did not survive much longer after the Great Battle of Hogwarts. He had been afflicted quite badly, and although shared a relationship with my mother for many months prior to the incident, he feel ill quite suddenly and did not survive the following night. My mother was there when he died and felt quite sad. Not long after she looked to my dad for comfort, and well, here I am..." She trailed off and continued to read the Quibbler, her grandfather's kooky but still successful magazine, which had been passed on into the hands of her mother, the current editor.
"My mum was there too, when Mister Finnigan died," Rose interjected, feeling some urge to represent her mother proudly. "Not that she was very close to him, or anything, but you know with her abilities and all, thought she could help."
Rose's mother, Hermione, had studied many subjects at Hogwarts, and although showed little interest in becoming a serious Healer, knew many useful healing spells and charms. The dark magic that afflicted Seamus, however, could not be healed, as George's ear could not grow back.
"Is it always going to be like this?" asked Albus to Rose.
She played with her hair and shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."
"You know, like this," he said and turned his head to the compartment window where at least half a dozen wizards peered in to have a look at them. "We're not famous, we're not our parents. We haven't done anything like they have done. Why do they care?" Albus was more scared than truly asking questions, but Rose answered anyway in a somewhat annoyed voice.
"They care because their parents owe their lives to ours, and so they owe their lives too to them. We represent everything they have stood for," she explained to Albus. She seemed to have her mother's wits, having not set foot in Hogwarts but knowing much about it already. "I thought you of all people would know that. Hasn't James taught you anything about his first year, what it was like?"
Albus was well aware of what he represented, and the pressures his elder brother placed upon him, but couldn't quite prepare himself for the stares and looks of admiration on other students faces. He hadn't done anything like his father or mother, and yet instantaneously he gained as much recognition as they did. He felt an unfairness in the admiration he received for doing nothing but simply to exist. Did his father feel this way the first time he traveled to Hogwarts?
"But I'm not my stupid, famous dad," he muttered. He had not realized anyone heard him, and having not really meant what he said, he was quite surprised when he found himself being beaten with a large book. The title of the massive book had been imprinted on his forehead, "SPEW: A Guidebook, by Hermione Granger." Rose placed the book back into her sack and clamored,
"No, Al, you're not- you're his son, who I'd hope and should give him a little more respect!"
He opened his mouth to apologize for his sudden arrogance, but instead crossed arms and slouched further into seat. He did not feel like arguing, knowing he did not mean to call his father stupid. He knew how much he admired his father as every wizard does. Instead of arguing, he gazed into the eyes of Alice across the compartment, who gazed down at her Quibbler which surprisingly gazed back at him. On the front cover of the new edition by Luna Lovegood was a moving image of Holyhead Harpies' new Captain, a Miss Lang, wearing dark green with gold trim. According to the subtitle, which Albus could barely make out with his poor eyesight, Miss Lang had replaced Gwenog Jones as of a few days ago and was looking forward to training with another new player, Miss Penelope Moonstar, the youngest female Quidditch player to play for an international team.
He couldn't believe it. This was same Penelope, beautiful Penelope, who's clear blue eyes were etched into dozens of posters plastered upon Albus's room. The very same lovely young witch whom Albus had had a crush on for three years, ever since his father took him to his first official Quidditch game at the age of nine. She was not on the Holyhead Harpies at that time, but had just graduated Hogwarts, the Gryffindor team captain. Of course, she was much too old for Albus, but his boyhood feelings overwhelmed him once again, seeing her sway in the background of the front page image of Captain Lang and he blushed.
Before he knew it, the Hogwarts Express had stopped abruptly and the bustling of students had alerted him that they had finally arrived. Just as he got up to gather his things, Rose elbowed Albus in the stomach. Just as Albus gave a wheeze, she said in a composed, stern voice, "You've told me time and time again that nothing in the world means more to you than attending Hogwarts and showing the world what you could do," she paused and bit her lip. "Please, don't disappoint yourself."
And with that, she left with Alice and her trunk, leaving Albus scratching his head in bewilderment. He mumbled to himself about being brave, head on his shoulders, or raise your head high, or don't jump ahead of yourself, or- he gave up and sighed. "I'm not my dad. I'm not my brother. I'm not my mother. I'm not Rose. I'm not, well, anyone… yet that is." He smiled, clutched his wand at his side and stepped off the train.