Year One
Chapter One
"Bye Mum, bye Dad!" cried the many children aboard the Hogwarts Express, each hoping for one final glance at their parents before they left to Hogwarts for the year.
"Come on, Al!" said an impatient Rose to her cousin Albus. "If we don't move it, we're not going to get a compartment, and if we don't get a compartment, we don't go to Hogwarts!" She frantically pushed past the crowd, looking for an empty place to sit. Al stifled a laugh, as watching his cousin and best friend panic was amusing to watch.
"If James told you that," he called to her, "it's not true. Dad says that James just likes a laugh. He said that he and Uncle Ron drove a flying car to Hogwarts their second year!"
"Well that was very irresponsible of them." Rose replied, an embarrassed flush spreading up her pale cheeks. She couldn't believe that she had fallen for one of James' stupid tricks. She didn't want to disappoint her father who had compared her to her mother countless times.
"Hey," said a voice they knew all-to-well. "Need a hand?" Rose turned to James who was looking at Albus' sweaty face, and hands that were struggling with his trunk's straps. Rose had, of course, asked her mother to teach her all the basics of magic, and her trunk was hovering slightly above the ground, following her like a puppy.
"Sure." Albus muttered to James, who lifted Al's trunk with apparent ease and placed it on the luggage rack. Brushing the hair out of his eyes, he winks at the nearest girl saying, "Just helping my little brother, First Year you know…"
As the two of them got settled into their compartment, Al said, "I'm surprised at you Rose." Rose gave a questioning eyebrow in response. Albus sighed dramatically. "Well why didn't you hex James right on the spot?" Rose burst out laughing as she pulled out her copy of Hogwarts: A History. "I need to get a bit better at magic if I'm going to hex a third year." she replies. Albus snorts loudly and exclaims, "If you aren't smarter then James, then I'm a chocolate frog." Rose rolls her eyes and whacks him with her book.
Albus is rubbing his arm when they hear a quiet knock on their door. Rose slides open the door to reveal none other that Scorpius Malfoy. "Mind if I join you?" he asks in a small voice. "Everywhere else is full."
Rose, oblivious to the fact that Albus was sending her mind-telepathy telling her to slam the door in his face, gestured to the seat in front of her. As Scorpius got settled in, Rose studied him, keeping her fathers warning in mind. However, he didn't seem dangerous. In fact, he seemed quite shy in her eyes.
When Scorpius took his seat, Rose decided to try and be the ice-breaker, for Albus was looking at Scorpius in disgust, as if he wished Fred and James would drop their entire stash of dung-bombs on his head.
"I'm Rose. Rose Weasly! What's your name?" she said, sticking out her hand. Scorpius hesitantly took it and answered, "I'm Scorpius." When he didn't continue, Rose nudged Al. "I'm Albus Potter." He stares out the window, not even trying to engage in conversation.
They all sat in awkward silence until the witch pushing the trolley came around and asked, "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Rose and Albus quickly rushed up to hug the women, crying "Grandma!"
The woman's eyes crinkled up in a smile. "Oh, it's so good to see some of my grandchildren who don't avoid me." She hugs them back and pinches their cheeks. "Well," Rose said innocently, "it does help that you're pushing a cart full of candy." She and Albus gave their grandmother the puppy-face. Grandma Molly laughed, "Help yourselves!"
They had just started raiding the trolley, when their grandmother noticed Scorpius standing in the corner. "Who's that? A new friend of yours, I presume." She beckoned to Scorpius. "Come along dear, I don't bite. Now then, what's your name? First and last, if you please!" she said cheerfully.
Rose jumped in, as Scorpius looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up. "Scorpius Malfoy. His name is Scorpius Malfoy." Her grandma looked shocked for a split-second before her cheerful smile returned to her face. "Well, I best be off!" she said, looking at the line of compartments in front of her. She sighed and gave Rose, Albus and Scorpius a quick hug before descending down the aisle.
Once they were back into their compartment, Scorpius immediately turned to Rose and asked sharply, "How did you know that I'm a Malfoy?"
But instead of being intimidated, Rose pops a Cauldron Cake into her mouth and answered, "First off, you look like a Malfoy." She swallows her Cake before continuing. "Second, I saw you and your father on the train platform and he's a Malfoy. Thirdly, our fathers were enemies in school. Do you seriously think that my dad didn't warn me about you?!"
"I suppose that you're right," he muttered. "Of course she is," Albus jumped in. "She's always right!" To that, Rose threw a Chocolate Frog at him, which he happily accepted. Scorpius looked longingly at the Frog, and Albus, catching on, threw it at him. "We can't eat all of this ourselves, you know. Dig in!"
"Thanks!" Scorpius said, opening the frog and pulling out the card. "Sweet!" he smiled, showing them the card. It read 'Hermione Granger-Weasly: Helped the famous Harry Potter defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the final battle, where they destroyed the Horcruxes. She now works as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.'
He studied the smiling Hermione on the card and turned to Rose. "You know," he said, "besides for the color of your hair, you look a rather lot like your mother." Rose playfully elbowed Scorpius saying, "Aw, shucks! You should see Albus next to his father. They're twins, I swear it."
"Hey!" Albus exclaimed. "I'm not that old!" The three of them burst into laughter, and before long, they were talking as if they had been best friends their entire life.
Their discussion soon turned to what House they wanted to be in. "Well," said Scorpius, his face screwed up in concentration. "I suppose that I'll have to be in Slytherin, despite what House I want to be in." Rose threw him a sympathetic glance and asked, "What House do you want to be in?"
"Gryffindor!" Al interrupted. "I want to be in Gryffindor!" Rose glared at Albus. "As I was saying," she continued, "I rather think that Ravenclaw or Gryffindor will be the best fit for me. But it's ultimately the Sorting Hat's decision."
Scorpius sighed and admitted, "Ravenclaw might be nice, but I'll probably be sorted into Gryffindor because I'm brave enough to be sorted somewhere besides Slytherin."
"Come on," Rose said, looking out the window. "We'll be there in a minute." Rose continued to face the window as the boys changed into their robes. A few moments after, the looming castle of Hogwarts came into view.
The two boys joined her at the window and they too tried to catch a glimpse of the legendary castle. The three friends felt the train slow down and heard the bell whistle. Rose glanced at the boys, whose eyes were wide with excitement. "This is it," Albus whispered in awe. "We're really going to Hogwarts." Scorpius nodded in agreement.
Rose rolled her eyes at them, despite the anxious-excitement that was bubbling in her stomach. She tugged on the boy's robes. "If we want to go to Hogwarts we have to get off the train! We can't just sit here talking about it!"
Reeling in their nerves, the trio took a breath and stepped out into the hustling, bustling hallway of the Hogwarts Express.
