A/N : Long time no see! I returned with a tale about the Next Generation of Hogwarts! Harry Potter has been a part of my life for 10 years, and I absolutely lovee it! Thanks, J.K. Rowling for giving us these great characters to play with! This story is rather random, but it's very fun to write, I guess. All OC's are by me. Enjoy, and review!
"Are your bags ready, Albus?"
Albus was a small 11-year-old. He has big green eyes, like his Father, and the same black hair as him, only not that messy. The tiny boy was putting all of his clothes in the big trunk. He didn't know what to put, actually. He had already packed his bags, when his older brother came in and told him that he wouldn't be needing that many colored clothes, he needed more white shirts, and grey or black sweaters. He needed, as well, three or four robes, depending on the weather. The uniform was pretty standard; really, not very different from the one he had from school. Though the robe was definitely out of the ordinary.
"Do you have enough shirts, honey?" asked the redheaded woman, "Oh, my, they're not quite enough. I told your Father that you needed more, the washing at Hogwarts is pretty slow, you know. It's ok, I'll send another package as soon as your Father comes,"
"Is Father going to teach at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, he's going to be the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. It was his favorite subject, as I recall. He's great at it, and he's had a lot of experience with Darkness."
A short man came into his sons' room with a book under his arm. He approached his son smiling, putting his hand around his slim shoulders.
"Hello, my little man."
"Hello…Father."
The people whom Albus looked up to the most were his Father, the infamous Harry Potter, and his older brother, the soon-to-be best keeper of the Quiditch team, James Potter II. His Father's reputation was well known to every witch and wizard alive, and his brother was, well, amazing. He didn't study a minute, yet he was top of his class, and he became a member of the Quiditch team before even starting his first year, when the captain of the team promised James that he'll make him the keeper next year.
"I have a little something for you,"
His Father handed him the only book he hadn't read from their library. His journal. It was filled with all his Father's adventures, from the very first year of Hogwarts, to the very last.
"Before the start of each year, I want you the read another part of this book. The first part is my first year, actually, and I hope you'll read it, maybe it'll be useful at times,"
"Thank-Thank you, Father,"
An older boy came running into the run, still wearing his pajamas.
"Wow, Dad, that's the journal! Man, the second part blew my mind off! You saved Mom, that was epic. The beginning of a love story, so soon…"
"James, don't spoil your brother's surprise," laughed Ginny.
"Oh, that's right, little Al is coming to Hogwarts this year! And Rose too. That'll be nice. I'm already a hot shot there, little bro, so I could introduce you to some of my guys. It'll be fun, I promise. Maybe even join the Quiditch team,"
"B-But I'm afraid of-"
"Don't be such a wuss, Al, I'll show you how it's done."
"James, please don't scare your brother. And what is it that I'm seeing? You're still in your pajamas? I told you to get dressed an hour ago!" shouted Ginny.
"Yeah, but I was busy, Mom! I was writing to Scorpius,"
"Can you believe it, Gin? His best friend is Draco's son," said Harry surprised.
"That's odd, I know. But Draco's not all bad. Not anymore, I guess,"
"Yes, you're…right."
"Oh yeah, I read about you and Draco Malfoy, Dad, it was horror! You always fought with each other. And he was really arrogant and annoying. Is he like that now?"
"Not really. He's still pretty full of himself, though."
Ginny looked at the big brown clock on Albus's wall, and saw the time, "Oh my gosh, Ron and Hermione will be here any minute. James, get dressed. Now!"
"Ok, ok, sheesh, calm down."
James went back to his room still mumbling something, and put on his casual clothes. Albus was still very nervous. He felt relieved that his Dad was coming to Hogwarts with him. At least he'd feel more secure. He wasn't his brother, that was for sure. He wasn't charming, or athletic. He was shy, a bookworm, really, and very reserved. He liked to keep his feelings inside, rather than shouting them out loud. James was tall, well-built and developed for his age, with black messy hair and big brown eyes, while Albus was small, skinny, and fragile. He didn't rely on his body much. He didn't like running, or playing outside, he was more the indoors type. He was afraid of flying, meeting new people, and being bad at something.
Suddenly, a burst of laughter could be heard from downstairs. Albus shut his trunk closed, and dragged it to the hallway. He could barely carry it.
James sighed, "Here, let me,"
The older boy took not only Albus's trunk, but also his own. He was carrying them down the stairs, like they were nothing but feathers. Albus came down shyly.
"Hey, Albus,"
His Aunt and Uncle came over. His Aunt, Hermione, was a very important person for the Ministry. She was beautiful, dressed really elegant, and pretty serious and well mannered. On the contrary, his Uncle Ron was clumsy, very comfortably dressed, and laid back. He worked as an Auror, as well as his Father.
Their two cousins also came. His cousin Rose was the same age as him. She was very excited to receive the letter, and she couldn't wait to read all those books her Mother told her about. His younger cousin, Hugo, was the same age as his sister, Lily. They were both two years younger than him. Rose was like a perfect mix between Hermione and Ron. She had long red hair, but her features were clearly Hermione's.
"Today the day, Al. How are you?" asked Ron.
"I'm quite nervous, Uncle Ron."
"I know the feeling, Al, I was nervous too when I first went to Hogwarts. But I felt better that I knew I had my brothers with me. You have James too, and Rose of course. You'll all love Hogwarts."
"Yes, Albus, it's wonderful there," said his Aunt. "Not only do you learn a lot, you also make wonderful friends, and have extraordinary adventures. And it's the safest place on Earth."
"Oh, but watch for the Womping Willow. It can crush you. And the Forbidden Forest. And the corridor on the Third Floor. And-"
"I think that's enough, Ronald," growled Hermione. "Oh, look at the time, we need to be at King's Cross in 15 minutes!"
"Ok," said Harry. "Lily, come and walk your brothers to the station!"
A pretty girl came down. She looked a lot like her grandmother, except for the eyes. They were like her Mother's. She was smallish, with red hair, and big beautiful eyes.
"I don't want to! I want to go to Hogwarts!" shouted Lily.
"See? Lily wants to go too! I want to go too, Mom!" shouted Hugo, as well.
"Hugo Weasley, how many times do I have to tell you! When you'll be 11, you'll go. No sooner or later."
"But, but-"
"No buts, young man,"
"Aw, come on Hermione, look at the puppy dog eyes. How can you resist…the puppy dog eyes?" cowed Ron.
"Ronald, don't even start."
The two families got into their cars and drove to the station. As soon as they arrived, Harry and Ron took all of the trunks out of the cars and handed them over to the boys.
"Here you go, Albus," his Father said.
"Can you carry it on your own, Al? Do you want me to help?" asked James.
"N-No, I can do it myself, thanks you asking."
The three kids were walking towards platform 9 ,and Albus was shocked to see that such platform didn't exist.
"We need to walk through platform 9 and platform 10," said Rose. "Right here," she showed Albus the wall, "I read about it in Interesting Facts about Hogwarts by Hermione Weasley."
"Yeah, yeah, you bookworm," laughed James, "Come, Al, let's walk through together. It's frightening at first, but you get used to it,"
Albus took his brother and Rose's hand, and the three walked through the platform. It was magical. They soon could see the Hogwarts Express, a big purple train, and the platform filled with young witches and wizards.
"Scorpius!" shouted James.
James ran to the blonde boy, and hugged him. The two approached Albus, and Scorpius shook his hand, smirking.
"I'm Scorpius Malfoy, the greatest wizard Hogwarts has ever seen!"
"Better said, the greatest prick Hogwarts has ever seen…"
"Shut it, Potter! And you are?"
"Albus Severus Potter. I'm James's brother."
"Oh, pleasure. You'll be attending Hogwarts too, this year, right?"
"Y-Yes, I will."
"Just remember, I'm in charge. If you listen to me, nothing bad will happen to you."
"You mean nothing good would happen to him."
"What did you say?"
"Stop bragging, Malfoy,"
"It's not called bragging if it's all true, Potter. Come on, then. We don't want to miss our train, do we?"
"Sure! Al, I'll go then. I'll keep you and Rose a seat, ok?"
"Wait, James-"
Before even finishing his sentence, the older brother disappeared and left Albus alone. He walked to his family, while Ron and Hermione were kissing Rose goodbye. Lily was still crying about not going to Hogwarts, and Hugo suggested hiding in Albus's trunk.
"Are you ready, Al?" asked Harry.
"Fa-Father? Can I ask you something?"
"Yes, son?"
"What if…What if I'm put in Slytherin?"
His Father put his arms on his shoulders, "Albus Severus Potter, you were named after two head masters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin, and he was the bravest man I've ever known."
Harry was smiling at the boy. Albus smiled as well. He hugged his Mom and Aunt, and kissed his little sister on the forehead.
"Al, don't go! I'll be lonely without you!"
"Don't worry, Lil, I'll write you a letter every week and tell you about Hogwarts. You and Hugo can read it together, ok?"
"Bye, Al," said Hugo.
"Goodbye…everybody."
Al headed towards the train. He got his trunk on the train, and looked for a compartment. He then saw James waving him, and entered the compartment he was in. Rose was there, as well as Scorpius. There was also another girl, a small girl with long black hair and beautiful blue eyes.
"Hey Al, this is Linda. Linda is also a first year, like you and Rosey. We met her in the train,"
"Hello, I'm Albus Potter,"
"Nice to meet you, Albus, I'm Linda Peterson."
Once the four had settled, and all their luggage was taken to the luggage compartment, they waved their parents goodbye and the train left from the station. The road to Hogwarts seemed very beautiful and filled with amazing sights, that Albus was eager to see. They started talking about different subjects.
"Gryffindor and Slytherin used to be rival houses, did you know?" asked James, "Dad told me that they would always fight with one another, and they quite hated each other."
"Yeah, my Dad was awfully surprised when he saw that I'm friends with a Gryffindor. But he wasn't mad, not at all. Just…surprised." Said Scorpius.
"I want to be a Ravenclaw," said Rose, "I heard they're the smartest."
"Aunt Hermione was in Gryffindor as well, and she was the smartest witch in all the school. So it doesn't really count, actually. And you'll be breaking the Weasley tradition! All Weasleys were in Gryffindor!"
"What about you, Linda? What house do you want to join?" asked Albus nervously.
"I don't really know what houses are, really. I hadn't had any sorts of encounters with witches or wizards. I'm Muggle born. At least, I…I think. I live at the orphanage."
All the three children were silenced by Linda's confession.
"I don't really know who my parents are. The ladies from the orphanage told me that one day, they found me on the bench near the orphanage, and they took me in."
"How did you find out you're a witch?" gasped Scorpius.
"I could move objects without touching them. I was different, and everyone knew it. I was really lonely sometimes. I cried almost every day in my room. I could never find a roomie, because every kid was scared of me. But one of the ladies, Lady Rosemerta, figured out I'm a witch. Her mother was also a witch, so she could tell that they're something odd about me. She called a man from the Ministry, a short man with black hair and a lighting scar on his forehead."
"That's Dad!" said James, "You met our Dad?"
"That was your Dad? Interesting. He was very kind to me. He told me that I need to go to Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards, and that I'll be living there nine months each year. I was more than excited to leave the orphanage, even for a little bit. It's awfully hard to be ignored by everyone, you know."
"I understand," said Albus, ",all my classmates used to bully me because I am quite skinny and geeky. I never felt good about myself. Though I always knew I was a wizard. My parents told me."
"It's going to be ok now, Albus, Linda. Hogwarts is a place for special kids, kids with gifts, such as magic. So no one will bully you. I think."
"That's very encouraging, James," said Rose sarcastically.
The journey didn't last much longer. The four children were announced that they are required to change into their robes. Soon after, the train stopped, and everyone got out. A huge, old man was waiting for the children to come.
"Hagrid!" shouted James.
"Well, well, look who we have here! The one and only James Potter, and his crew. Now let's see. You don't need an introduction: you're Scorpius Malfoy! Welcome back, Scorpius! And the others?"
"Oh, Hagrid, this is Albus, he is my younger brother. It's his first year here."
"Nice to meet you, Albus! You know, I've known your grandfather and your father, and now look! You and your older brother joined Hogwarts as well! Time flies …so…"
Hagrid reached for his pocket and grabbed a handkerchief. He blew his big nose into it, and put it quickly back in his ginormous pocket.
"And two girls! Are they your relatives, too, James?"
"Yes and no. This is Rose, my cousin. Also first year. She's Ron and Hermione's daughter."
"You're so beautiful, Rose! You look a lot like your Dad, that's for sure. I hope you have yer Mom's brains, though," he laughed, "and you, sweetie?"
"I'm Linda Peterson, sir," said Linda, "I met them on the train."
"Oh well then, welcome all to Hogwarts! I hope you have a wonderful experience, all of ya! Now, all first years follow me to the boats!"
Hagrid arranged them in boats, and guided them to the castle. The sight in front of them was unforgettable. It was just like magic. A huge medieval castle appeared right in front of their eyes. It was just like their parents had described it, only more and more special, because they could see it with their own eyes!
After crossing the lake, Hagrid showed them off to the Great Hall, and wished them luck. The group of first years wasn't big, maybe twenty or thirty. Not many freshmen this year. James and Scorpius already went into the Great Hall and took their seats. Albus was nervously waiting for someone to come and invite them in.
When the door opened, a tall man came towards the children and started talking, "Hello, first years, I'm Neville Longbottom, and I'm the Herbology teacher. My son is also a first year here, so I decided to take the initiative and invite you in to the Sorting Ceremony! It's simple, you just sit on the chair, and wait until I place the hat on your head. It will then shout out loud your new House. Please, enter."
Professor Longbottom opened the doors, and the first years were absolutely stunned by the Great Hall. The celling was tall, and it reflected the night sky, with stars and clouds, and even birds! The room was filled with students sitting at four different tables. Those were the houses. The teachers had their own table, at the back of the room.
Albus entered nervously, while waiting for the others to be invited in and sorted. Linda's turn was up, so she headed towards the chair, sat down, and waited patiently for her to be sorted.
"Hmm, difficult. I think the best would be… Ravenclaw!"
The small girl ran to the table, and showed Albus a warm smile. He felt like his blood was rushing to his cheeks, but he couldn't waste any more time, Prof. Longbottom called his name!
He took a seat, "Aha! Another Potter. I know it'll get you mad, but… Slytherin!"
Albus was slowly walking to the Slytherin table. There weren't any applause… Just silence. He felt embarrassed, when Scorpius pointed out to the empty seat near him. Rose got up and started clapping her hands together, and everyone joined her soon after.
"Potter, you a Slytherin? That's odd, very odd," said Scorpius, "But welcome, nonetheless, Slytherin has gained a great asset. I …think."
The older boy was shocked as hell, and while he was trying to comfort Albus, he could barely find his words. The last one to be sorted was Rose. She became a Ravenclaw, like Linda. She soon ran to the table and started talking joyfully to the girl.
Albus was still pretty sad. Even though Slytherin wasn't considered a bad house, on the contrary, it was full of smart, talented students, it had a dark reputation. During his Father's time at Hogwarts, the Slytherins were hated by everyone. But times had changed, and maybe being a Slytherin wasn't such a bad thing, after all.
Head mistress McGonnagal rose and gave her introductory speech. She was quite old, but she kept a lively smile on her face. She then announced the House Heads.
Slytherin's head was a Potions teacher named Prof. Slughorn. He seemed nice, so Albus put a smile on his face and clapped his hands when his name was called. Ravenclaw's head was Prof. Flitwick, the Charms professor. Prof. Longbottom was in charge of Hufflepuff, and the last, but not the least Gryffindor. Everyone was surprised when the Head Mistress shouted "Harry Potter!"
No one answered. Then the doors were opened loudly. A short man ran to the teachers' table and shouted, "I'm here, I'm here!"
Everyone started laughing. Albus buried his head in his shoulders, and blushed heavily.
"Hey Potter, is that your Daddy?" Asked a fellow Slytherin.
Albus was on the verge of tears when more and more Slytherins were pointing their fingers at him and laughing.
"Stop it!" shouted Scorpius, "So what if his Dad teaches here? I think you should get on Potters' good side; otherwise you won't pass Defense against the Dark Arts. If anyone has anything else to say to Potter, tell me first."
Everyone shut up. It was amazing how much power a second year could have over the Slytherins. His Father being the Minister of Magic, no one really stood up against him.
Harry rushed to McGonnagal's side. He hugged his old teacher briefly and apologized for arriving late. Something about Lily…
"Hello, students. I'm Harry Potter, Auror, and your new Defense against the Dark Arts teachers. I'm also the Head professor of Gryffindor," he looked desperately for his two sons "I was really excited about being a professor, seeing as both my sons are in…"
He finally found Albus, sitting at the Slytherin table.
"I-I mean, one of my sons is in Gryffindor, and the other one is in S-Slytherin. "
Most of the students were talking about Albus, even though the Slytherins were silent. Albus felt like hell. Why? He thought that his Father's presence at Hogwarts would help him, but here he was, embarrassed by what his Dad said.
"W-Well, I wish you all a great year, and… health!"
Harry nervously took his seat next to McGonagall and Prof. Slughorn. He kept explaining something to Slughorn, but Albus couldn't tell what exactly. It was definitely something about him, though.
When the meal was over, all the children were guided to their common rooms. The Slytherin common room was big and dark, and very sophisticated. He could see many older students talking politely. It really wasn't his style.
His room wasn't that big, seeing as he was sharing it with three boys. It had four beds, two on top of other two, and a big wardrobe. There was enough room to store his books and school stuff, but it still didn't feel like home. All the furniture was black, with green sheets and curtains all around.
The other boys finally arrived. They didn't look that unfriendly, so Albus thought about introducing himself.
"Hey, I'm Albus Potter," said Albus shyly.
"Oh, we know you," chuckled one "Your Dad is the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, right?"
"Y-Yes."
"I think you felt quite bad about that thing earlier. I would've felt the same. Don't worry, they'll all forget about it soon enough," smiled another one kindly, "I'm Tony Hart. And these two here are Mike Parkinson and Wesley Jordan. Nice to meet you, Albus,"
The four boys shook hands, and unpacked their stuff. The three already knew each other from the train, so they talked more openly to one another, even though Tony tried to involve Albus in the conversation as much as possible.
"So Al - can I call you Al?"
"Yeah, sure, that's how friends call me," Albus smiled.
"Good then. Did you met anyone knew on the train?" asked Tony.
"Well I have a lot of family here. My older brother, James, is in Gryffindor. He's a second year. My cousin, Rose, is a first year in Ravenclaw. And a lot of other cousins, but they are much older. "
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Mike. "Tell us, tell us!"
"Well, Fred is a fifth year, Roxanne a fourth year, and they are both in Gryffindor. Dominique and Louis are in Hufflepuff. They're 17 and 15."
"Wow, that's a whole lot of people! So you have…five cousins?"
"No, actually I have nine, but three of them already completed their years at Hogwarts, and one hasn't started yet. Hugo, 9 years old, he's the same age as my sister, Lily."
"So let me get this straight. You have nine cousins, a brother, and a sister?" empathized Wesley. "How do you fit at a table on Christmas?"
"Grandma and Grandpa are used to a big family. Mom had six brothers. One of them died in the Second Wizard War, though."
"That was nineteen years ago, right?" asked Mike. "My mom told me about it. She was a seventh year."
"My Dad too! I think she knows her."
"Many lost their lives then. But your Dad is legendary, Al!" said Tony. "He killed Voldemort! And Professor Longbottom destroyed a Horcrux. And many others, such as the Weasleys…"
"You know your stuff, Tone," said Wesley.
"I read about it in Second Wizard War by Hermione Weasley. She's my favorite writer! Do you think you could get me an autograph, Al?"
"From Auntie? Sure…"
The four boys kept getting to know each other. Slytherin wasn't as horrid as many said. The three boys were actually pleasant. He found a lot about them.
Tony was a Muggle born, obsessed with magic. He read hundreds of books on magic and Hogwarts. He was about the same height as Al, and he had slightly long chestnut hair and big violet eyes. He was very smart and funny, as well as open. More of a Gryffindor, really.
Mike was a pure-blood, meaning his parents were both wizards, and he came from a long line of witches and wizards. He was already acquainted to potions, and he loved making them. He had short curly hair, and he was very round and short. He looked like a baseball to Al.
Wesley was a half. He was a bit arrogant, but he didn't seemed to be a bad person. He was taller than the rest, and had features which were considered attractive. He had wavy black hair and gorgeous blue eyes, with skin as pale as snow. He was already a crush for many of the Slytherin girls.
The three boys fell asleep instantly, but Albus couldn't sleep just yet. He opened the journal his Father gave him before leaving. He opened it to the first page, and read.
My first day at Hogwarts was unforgettable. I still remember being put in Gryffindor, despite the Sorting Hat wanting me in Slytherin. After what I heard from Ron, I didn't want to be in Slytherin. And Malfoy was there too, so I asked the Sorting Hat to put me elsewhere. I felt excited as I was running to the Gryffindor table, where I was greeted by Hermione, and soon, Ron followed me.
I was so happy. For the first time, I had friends. I wasn't alone anymore. I knew who I was, I was Harry Potter. A wizard.
Percy (Ron's older brother, and Prefect) led us to the Gryffindor tower, where our rooms were. I shared a room with Ron, and three other boys. They were Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom. Seamus seemed very funny, but quite full of himself. Dean was brilliant, really. Neville was weird. He was shy, and didn't talk much. He only played around with his pet frog, Trevor. I was really glad to meet them. Sharing a room, talking with boys my own age, it was almost like a dream. We could barely sleep that night. We spent the night talking about ourselves, and what we want to accomplish here, at Hogwarts.
His Father felt nervous about Hogwarts, as well. Albus felt relieved. His roommates didn't seem too different from Tony, Wesley and Mike. Even though they were Gryffindors… Albus closed the book, and fell quickly asleep.
"Al, wake up, wake up!"
The familiar voice was piercing Albus's ears, while he was getting up. He looked around and saw, to his surprise, his older brother.
"Oh my gosh, James, get out!" shouted Albus, "This is the Slytherins' dormitories!"
"Chill, dude, I came to see Scorpius as well, so I remembered you were here. See I have my share of fans here."
"He's a second year, the keeper! James Potter…"whispered Tony with admiration.
"Hello, fellow mortals! James Potter had arrived in your humble room today, feel blessed. If my baby brother isn't treated like a prince, I will see to your deaths as soon as possible. Got it?"
Tony shook his head scared, yet the other two couldn't care less. James grinned at Albus, and got out the… window? Albus looked out, and saw his Nimbus broom waiting for him.
"So it wasn't suicide…" thought Wesley out loud.
"Ugh, annoying. Your brother sure is cocky, Potter," said Mike. "Barging in like that…"
"Sorry, I know. I'll talk to him later. Excuse him, please."
"It's ok," said Mike, "It's not your fault."
"Ok? Ok? We got to speak to James Potter! It was… unforgettable…"
"He just ordered you around and cooed over his brother, you dumbass…" sighed Wesley.
After continuous bickering from Wesley and Tony, the three boys put their robes on. The Slytherin robe was different from the one James came with. It was a black robe, with a green collar and silver detailing. He also had to wear a silver and green tie, and of course, the white shirt. Since it was warm, he didn't put a jumper or vest, and he left his green scarf with silver lines in the trunk. He was ready. Green suited the young Potter, even though he thought that red and gold would look better on him…
"Ready, Al?"
"Sure, Tone,"
"First period is… Defense against the Dark Arts! Cool! We're paired with Ravenclaw," said Mike, consulting the schedule.
"With Rosey!" exclaimed Albus, "Guys, I'll introduce you to my little cousin, Rose."
"Oh, that's awesome. Maybe she'll be enchanted by my charms and my attractive body," declared Tony.
"Yeah, sure, Tone," laughed Wesley.
The four Slytherins came down to the common room. Albus saw Scorpius, who headed to the Potter boy.
"Morning, Potter,"
"Malfoy," Albus shook his hand.
"What's your first period?"
"Defense against the Dark Arts,"
"Ah, Daddy. God luck, then. See you later,"
"Thanks,"
After taking a quick breakfast, the four boys ran to the classroom. They were running late, because Mike couldn't stop eating. The Slytherins finally reached the classroom, when they heard a ghastly voice.
"Running late, children?"
It was an old man, dressed in rangy old clothes, staring at the boys. He had cat-like yellow eyes, that pierced through your soul. He chuckled darkly,
"You little, wretched souls, will-"
"Filtch!"
The door was opened, and Harry yelled at Filtch, "Are you still here, you mangy old twit? Leave these kids alone! If you wish to know, this little boy here is my son. If you do anything to him…"
"My, my, Mr. Potter, excuse me! Forget about my foolishness, I beg of you! The savior of us all…"
"Shut it, now. Come on boys, why so tardy? Get in,"
Harry steered the boys into the classroom, and winked at Albus. Inside, you could see a lot of first years. Albus recognized a few Slytherins from his table, and some Ravenclaws. Oh, he just saw Rose! He waved at her, while she nervously pointed her clock. She hated tardiness.
"So, now that all of you are present, even you four Slytherins…Let's begin! I believe I've already introduced myself at the Opening Ceremony. I want you all to open your books at page 5, please."
Everyone seemed to enjoy the introductory lesson. Harry tried to make everything really practical, and he didn't stress on the details. Albus remember his Father mentioning that he hated the useless things he studied at Defense against the Dark Arts when he was in his first year. His teacher was afraid by most creatures and spells, so he kept reading about them. A real bore, actually.
Everyone was packing their books, and checking their schedule to find out where their next class was.
"Wow, Uncle Harry was really good! I enjoyed this class," said Rose.
"What class don't you enjoy, Rosey?" asked Albus ironically, "Oh, I want you to meet my roomies! Rose, these three are Tony, Wesley and Mike! They're also in Slytherin."
"Nice to meet you! My name is Rose Weasley, Albus's cousin. Well then, got to go to Herbology. See you later, Al!"
The girl ran to the exit and joined her two classmates. They headed to Herbology. The four Slytherin boy got out of the classroom as well, and headed to Transfiguration.
"Wow, Al, your cousin is really …cute," said Tony.
"Tony has a crush?" smirked Wesley.
"If you want, I can ask her to study with us later at the library," said Al. "She loves studying."
All the classes were difficult, but what I found particularly hard was Potions. The teacher hated me! Snape was a real snake. He even lectured me because I kept taking notes. He's crazy, I tell you. And he kept favoring the Slytherins. Not fair, so not fair! Those poisonous snakes!
Snape… he was one of the Head Masters Albus was named after. His Father told him about his brave act. Even though he didn't act like it, he really cared about his Father. But Albus quite shrieked when his Father wrote "Those poisonous snakes!". Did he really hate the Slytherins that much?
At dinner, Albus kept staring at Linda. She was casually chatting with Rose and drinking her pumpkin juice. And then he remembered about promising Tony to get Rose to study with them. Albus rose from the table and headed to the Ravenclaw's table.
Rose gave Linda an elbow and she stared at Albus. After meeting his glance, she quickly looked away, blushing.
"Hey Rosey," said Albus casually.
"Hey cousin. What is it that you require?" she said in a goofy voice.
"Do you …two want to study with me and Tony after dinner at the library?"
The two girls looked at each other, and giggled, "Sure, Albus. Let's meet at half past six at the entrance. I'll be sure to bring Linda, don't worry."
Albus glared at his cousin, blushing as hard as possible. He headed back to his table, and told Tony, "Mission accomplished. Tonight, half past six, we'll study together at the library."
"We?" asked Mike.
"Well, me, Tony, Rosey … and Linda,"
"Oh, who is this Linda?" grinned Wesley.
"Just a girl I met on the train," responded Albus nervously, "W-Why?"
"Just a girl, then…" smirked Mike.
Scorpius turned around angrily and looked at the four boys, "What are you saying? I want to come to the library too!"
"Scorpius, you're a second year," said Albus.
"I-I don't care. I want to come!"
"Is this about a girl, Malfoy?" smirked Wesley, "Oh, I'm thinking …Weasley?"
"My…my Rose?" cried Tony.
"W-W-What are you saying? I wouldn't d-d-date a Weasley, you twit! Huh, how dare you …"
The Malfoy boy ran to his room, even though Albus was pretty sure that he'll come and crash their study date. Was it just for laughs, or was something more serious involved? Albus wasn't really sure. He didn't quite understand the boy-girl dynamics.
He took his Transfigurations book and headed to the library, where Rose and Linda were probably waiting. The two girls were already talking about Potions.
"…Professor Slughorn seems nice, but Potions is really hard…"
Albus took a seat near Rose, and so did Tony. Albus was amused by Tony's shyness, as he approached Rose.
"My favorite class so far is Defense against the Dark Arts," said Linda ", but I think I really like Herbology, too. Professor Longbottom sure is a nice man."
"I like Defense against the Dark Arts, too," said Rose, "I'm really glad that Uncle Harry came to teach here, he's had more experience with Dark Magic than anyone,"
"Why?" asked Linda.
"It's a long story," sighed Rose, "You could read it in Harry Potter: Hero or Zero? by Reeta Skeeter. I read it, and it's fairly true. "
"Wow, Albus, you should really be proud to be his son! He's very famous, I hear."
"Being my Father's son is harder than anyone thinks," said Albus. "Everyone expects amazing things from me, and I'm just…just Albus. Just Albus."
"Well, "Just Albus", I think you're great," said Linda, "And I believe that Tony and Rose could also agree on that."
The other two nodded their heads, and Albus smiled joyfully. His pale skin turned hot red as the three were merrily grinning to his delight. The four continued studying. Rose was really useful in times like this, since she was so smart and all. Albus was happy that Hogwarts had started, and he was looking forward to the time he would spend there.
"Albus, James, we're here!"
The two boys were greeted by the rest of the Weasley/Potter clan. It was heavily snowing, and all the children were wearing their green coats. Christmas was near, and you could feel it in the air, and see it on the streets. Everyone prepared for the holidays ecstatically, even the Weasley/Potter clan.
"My sons!" exclaimed Ginny and hugged the boys tightly, "How is Hogwarts so far, Albus?"
"I love it there, Mom! I love everything. Except Potions… I suck at Potions,"
"Don't worry about it, Al," said James, patting his shoulder, "I suck at Potions too, and you don't see me all worried."
Ginny glared at James, and his smile slowly turned into an awkward straight face. Soon after, Rose came with Linda and Tony. James ran to his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy and grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing, Potter?"
"You promised me you'd come to The Burrow this Christmas! Grandpa just prepared another room so that all of us can stay there!" cried James.
"But I haven't even asked my parents yet…"
Only Draco was waiting for Scorpius. His wife was home, seeing as she was with child. He approached the Weasley/Potters and spoke, "Hello,"
They all stared at him. They haven't really talked much since they left Hogwarts, maybe a few "Hellos" or "How are things" but not much. Harry thought to himself, "Why does my son have to be best friends with Scorpius Malfoy?"
"Hello, Draco," said Hermione. She twitched when she noticed that Ron was squeezing her hand quite hard. He had hated Draco for a long time, even though he wasn't that bad now.
"Dad, can I spend the holidays at their house?" asked Scorpius, making those grey puppy dog eyes.
"Scorpius, you don't even have your bags ready… and you can't invite yourself over, that would be just rude! Where are your manners?"
"Draco, it's alright, we invited him," spoke Harry, "He can come if you're fine with it, of course."
Scorpius kept staring at his Father, constantly saying "Please, please…" Finally, Draco gave in, and told Harry that he'll deliver his luggage the next day. Harry smiled kindly at the man, and Draco, even though surprised, replied with the best smile he had.
Before getting the kids in cars, Ron stopped and started counting the little wizards, "Four, five…they're six, Harry. You take three, I'll take three. Luckily we didn't bring Hugo and Lily, we wouldn't fit in here."
"Honey, but we're going straight to The Burrow! What about Hugo and Lily?" Ginny asked Harry nervously.
"It's ok, honey, Charlie said he'll bring them on his way home. He travelled via airplane."
"What's that again, Harry?" asked Ron.
Hermione sighed, "Muggle means of transport. A big metal bird flying in the sky…powered by an engine. "
"What a crazy thing," laughed Ron. "Well then, Lily and Hugo are in good hands. Off we go then! Everyone should have already arrived. Victoire and Teddy have just arrived from their honeymoon, and the two went straight to Mom and Dad's."
After everyone found a seat, Harry and Ron activated the invisibility button, and the two cars rose from the ground. They were gaining altitude quite fast, and once they were in the air, they opened the windows and shouted, "HOW MUCH TILL THE BURROW?"
"THIRTY MINUTES! STEER EAST!"
"OK, THANKS! TALK TO YOU WHEN WE GET THERE!"
Harry closed the window and threw a smile at the three boys in the backseat. James, Albus and Scorpius, who was completely terrified by this car, were quietly looking at the view. Harry had to spend almost ten minutes explaining to Scorpius that the car is safe, and nothing wrong is going to happen to them. Sure, it landed once in the Womping Willow, but they lived, right?
The journey ended briefly, and the five got out of the car. A small bundle of red ran towards Harry and gave him a big bear hug, "Daddy!"
"My little girl! Oh, how I've missed you!"
"Daddy, I'm very mad at you! First Albus, now you! You left me and Mommy," cried Lilly.
"I'm sorry, princess, but Daddy has to work," smiled Harry, "What about visiting me next semester?"
"Yey, Hogwarts!"
Arthur and Molly were standing in the doorstep. They welcomed all the guests to The Burrow, and kissed all of their grandchildren. Harry and Ron helped everyone get their bags inside, and then Ron pulled out a small piece of paper with tons of writing on it.
"We've placed you in rooms according to gender and age… Room 1 (Ginny's old room): Rose, Linda and Lily. Room 2 (Ron's old room): Albus, Hugo and Tony. Room 2 (twins' old room): James, Scorpius and Fred. Room 3 (Percy's old room): Roxanne and Dominique. And finally, Room 4 (Charlie's old room): Teddy and Victoire. I hope it's ok,"
Before Ron finishing, the kids grabbed their bags and ran to their rooms and unpacked their things. Everyone was charmed by The Burrow, and they all looked forward to spending their holidays there. Grandma and Grandpa Weasley were putting the table, and what a table! Arthur Weasley built a special tent for the family table, with no less than twenty-three chairs.
While Scorpius, James, and Fred were unpacking their bags, Scorpius kept staring at the big tent outside, wondering what was in it.
"Say Potter, what's inside that big tent over there?"
"Oh, that's just the family table," smiled James.
"And how many… are we?"
"Oh, only twenty-three."
"Only?" exclaimed the boy.
"Last year Percy and his family came too, so we were twenty four,"
"Your family breeds like bunnies, Potter," smirked Malfoy.
James threw a death glare at Scorpius, and then he shove a big pillow in his face. Fred couldn't help himself, and started throwing pillows at Malfoy as well. Soon enough, the three were having a real pillow fight, and no one could stop them, except…
"Dinner! NOW!" shouted Rose angrily.
The three boys removed all the feathers from their clothes, and headed (un)willingly downstairs. Scorpius winked at Rose and said softly, "You really are a pain the behind, Weasley,"
Rose blushed, and kicked Scorpius lightly in the ankle. After all the rooms were cleared out, Grandma Weasley showed them to the table, and they all remained speechless. Every year, Grandma Weasley prepared an exquisite festive dinner, but this year's was one of a kind. The starters ranged from stuffed pumpkins, baked aubergine and even cabbage wrappings. The drinks were also uncountable. There was pumpkin juice, Butterbeer, wine, a Muggle drink Coca Cola, and all sorts of delicious liquids.
"Grandma, you've outdone yourself this year!" said Victoire.
"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, it's the best Christmas dinner I've ever had in years!" replied Teddy Lupin politely.
"Oh, you dears, that's too much, really," giggled Molly, "I haven't had time to do the asparagus salad, and the tomato mix…oh, I'm such a mess!"
"No, Mrs. Weasley, it's amazing!" said Tony. "I didn't think wizards could cook that well, but now I stand corrected!"
After everyone was finished eating, they started chatting lively. Scorpius still had a lot of questions to ask, and he thought that this was the right moment.
"Can someone please tell me who's brother is who's cousin and… so on? Because I am very confused, and I don't know the names of half the people I'm eating with."
Everyone burst into laughter, and James was patting Scorpius's back saying, "Oh, dude, you're hilarious," yet Scorpius didn't quite understand their reason of laughter, since he was being very serious, indeed.
"Isn't he sweet?" giggled Hermione. "Well, Scorpius, you know that Ron had five brothers and a sister, right? I'm guessing your Father told you a little about us,"
"Oh, not just a little," giggled Scorpius.
"Well, let's go on. Ron married me, and our children and Rose and Hugo. Ginny married Harry, and their kids are James, Albus, and Lily. Fred and Roxanne are the children of George and Angelina. Bill and Fleur got married a while before the Second Wizard War, and they had three children: Victoire, Dominique, and Louis. Louis isn't here; he's at his friends'. And finally, Percy, who isn't here now, has two daughters, Molly and Lucy."
"Let's all introduce ourselves, since we don't know each other, and we'll be spending the holidays together," said Rose cheerfully.
Linda rose and spoke shyly, "Hello, I'm Linda Peterson, and I'm a first year Ravenclaw. I live at the orphanage, and I didn't even know I'm a witch until last August."
Everyone stared at her kindly, but she felt a bit awkward, so Tony got up and opened his big mouth, "I'm Tony Hart, Muggle-born, first year Slytherin, though I'm more of a Gryffindor. I'm extremely goofy, and fun, and charming…"
"And so on," said Scorpius, making the first year take his seat, "Scorpius Malfoy, second year in Slytherin, pure blood. Nice to meet you all."
"I'm Fred, the number one Weasley prankster ever seen. I'm a third year in Gryffindor. My passions include Quiditch, throwing pranks, and well… you know the rest."
"Hey, I'm Roxanne, and I'm also a third year, in Gryffindor. I like pranks, as well, but my main interests are makeup and fashion,"
"My name's Dominique and this is my last year here at Hogwarts. I'm in Ravenclaw, and I also have a boyfriend, he's in Hufflepuff. Hope we'll get along!"
All the students introduced themselves, while the adults were eating dessert. It was a really sweet sight to see all those children getting along. Everyone was surprised by Linda's confession, and they all felt like protecting her, seeing as she was an orphan.
After everyone finished their dessert, they all went upstairs, but of course, not in their own room. Everyone gathered in James's room, which was the biggest of them all. Due to several pleading from the older ones, they decided to play truth or dare.
It was James's turn, "Scorpius, truth or dare?"
"Hmm, truth," answered Scorpius, while drinking some more pumpkin juice.
"Who do you like?"
Scorpius choked with the pumpkin juice, and turned all red and shaky, "What's all that about, Potter? Stupid, stupid… Dare!"
"Ok," smirked James, "I dare you to tell me who you like,"
"I won't tell you, Potter! Deal with it!" Scorpius shouted.
"Oh, so you do like someone," smirked James, "Is it someone from this room? Is it... Rose?"
Scorpius looked away, still cursing James, and Rose blushed as hard as a girl could.
"I got them, I got them!" James voice could be heard throughout the entire Slytherin tower.
Albus and Scorpius came down angrily, preparing themselves to shout at James for the 100th time. How many times did they tell him to stop barging in their common room?
"James, are those…?"
"That's right, lil' bro, these are our exam results!"
"How did you get your hands on those, Potter?" Scorpius angrily took the papers away from James, and opened them quickly. He smiled delighted, "Four O's (Outstanding) and two E's (Exceeds Expectations),"
James opened his letter too, "Five O's. That's right, Scorpie my love, five! And a…A (Acceptable). At Herbology. Well, that's ok…"
"Ok? Potter you bastard, I don't think you spent more than an hour studying for all the exams. And I don't recall you studying at Herbology."
"That's right, Scorpie, I didn't. I'm just a smart gangsta,"
Albus opened his envelope, and was surprised to see his results. He was very smart, but also shy and wary, so he was absolutely certain he failed all his Practical exams, but he got A's on Potions and Charms. He got O's on everything else.
"That's my little brother!" James hugged him, "I bet Mom will be so happy when you come back home and show her these grades!"
"Oh, did you find out about Rosey?" asked Albus.
"Only O's, of course…"
Albus went upstairs and opened his Father's journal. He had been reading all about his adventure that first year. About the Philosopher's Stone, Quiditch, and Voldemort. He now reached the final page of the first chapter.
I was really scared when I got the results in. I thought that I'll fail at most subjects. But to my surprise, I got good grades. I got O's on Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy and Charms, E's on Potions, Transfiguration and Herbology, and A on History of Magic. Hermione was, of course, our little perfect. All O's. Ron even got a D (Dreadful) on Potions, but I guess he'll retake the test. I couldn't believe that this was the last day of my first year. I had lunch, talked with Ron and Hermione, and then we headed nervously to the station. Before I hopped on, Hagrid gave me a present. It was an album filled with photos of my Mom and Dad. I finally saw their faces, and noted that I do have my Mother's eyes, and my Father's looks. I also put a picture with me, Ron and Hermione that we took after Christmas.