The Life and Times of Little Albus Severus
Chapter One: A Snippet to Start the Year
AN: I'm sorry to have to go though the whole train/sorting scene again, but please bear with me, I promise improvement. As for using mulatto, I figure if Nirvana can get away with it so can I!.
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Albus recognized the blond boy from the platform. He'd turned to see the boy worm in between boxes into the compartment Albus and Rose were holding.
"Who are you?" the boy demanded with an unmistakable petulance. Unfazed, Rose looked him up and down as the boy sat down uninvited on the opposite side of the compartment.
"Rose Weasley, you're father's Draco Malfoy right?" The boy ignored her and turned on Albus.
"You?"
"Albus Severus Potter." Obviously he shouldn't have included all his names, the boy was looking at him as if Albus had a third head.
"That's worst name EVER!" Albus thought his face pinched up rather curiously when he talked, and glared at the boy, they were perfectly respectable war hero names.
Before Albus could think up something clever to say, he noticed his brother glowering in the door way. His intimidating thirteen year-old frame lounged easily in the door way flanked by friends, and his brother's appearance suddenly made Albus feel inexplicablely sorry for the boy.
"At least not as stupid as yours. Scorpius? Did your parents really name you that?" His older brother blocked the door and Scorpius seemed to shrink but managed to look defiant.
"Yeah so what of it? It's a cool name!"
"Oo I'm going to name my son after a scorpion 'cause I'm just so evil. Why don't you go get lost." This last retort accompanied by the sarcastic hand waving James picked up off some American sitcom over the summer.
Though he tried, Albus couldn't help grinning and he herd Rose snicker. The boy who's name was Scorpius sat for a moment defiantly glowering, then got up and slouched out of the carriage past James.
Albus was grateful to see him go, he'd never been really good in these kind of situations. It was nice to have his brother's protection. Thinking about the other boy's retreat from their compartment and Albus couldn't help feel just a bit sorry for him.
"Git." James said with relish still lounging in the doorway. "Remember Uncle Ron telling us about his father, and what a coward he was!" This last loud enough to carry down the train.
"My mum punched his dad once for calling her the M word." Rose piped in with pride.
James led a couple second year boys into the compartment.
"Darwin, Mathew this is my little brother, and this is my cousin Rose, she's my Uncle Ron's kid. She's all right."
Rose grinned at the older boys, as Albus smiled and mumbled a 'hi'.
The train chugged on its long journey north while Albus chatted with Rose and occasionally with his brother and his friends. They seemed really nice, but a bit on the dangerous side, just like his brother. They probably all received Detentions.
"Has that secret passage behind Hilda the Horrible been closed off?" James asked Mathew.
"What's that?" Albus interjected as the conversation rolled on.
Darwin turned, though James staunchly ignored them.
"That's a short cut. Just down the hall form the fat lady's portrait to the kitchens. Really useful when you've missed dinner y'know."
"Oh I hope it's open then, that would be grand." Rose looked excited.
"That's useful." Albus added feeling a little lame though Darwin didn't seem to care, content to impress with his inside knowledge of Hogwarts.
The train ride dragged on amicably enough except for a short spat when James started up again about Albus ending up in Slytherin. When the sweets trolley came by Mathew even gave Albus and Rose the Severus Snape and Hermione Granger-Weasley chocolate frog cards he got.
"I've got doubles." He said nonchalantly before turning back to his conversation with James about whether or not it would be possible to sneak out to Hogsmeade.
The train arrived eventually and travel dazed Albus alighted only to be instantly separated from his brother and Rose in the crowds. In a very short time they were all loaded into the boats, herded along by the momentum of various teachers and older pupils. It was all just like James had described.
Once in the boat he realized he was with the blond boy from the train Scorpius Malfoy.
"I'll bet I'm in Slytherin, a Malfoy hasn't been in another house for as long as we can remember."
He seemed too excited not to talk. Albus wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something back or not. Instead he tried to concentrate vary hard on keeping as still as possible. The water looked cold and foreboding. He really wished he'd learned to swim properly and Old Hagrid's boat seemed near sinking. He wondered uneasily whether there were leaks as he stared at the dark bilge water sloshing around in the bottom of his boat.
They landed at last on the opposite shore and Scorpius sprang from the boat with ease. Albus moved but managed to put his foot in the bilge water and stumbled out of the rocking boat feeling horribly embarrassed and tripping over his undone shoe laces.
"You all right there?" The kindly voice of Hagrid asked and a great hand came down and steadied him and the other first years moved off up to the castle.
"Yes" he squeaked. He knew the half giant from his father's stories and various family gatherings, but he was still a little intimidated. Scampering to catch up with the gaggle or first years, he joined them as they headed up the stairs.
"Oh there you are, sorry I lost you." Rose smiled at him, she was always so confident.She didn't look nervous at all, he thought dolefully.
"Dad told me all about this. They are going to let us into the Great Hall now, Mum says it is the oldest enchanted ceiling in the country. And the feast is supposed to be really really good, and there's no one there to tell you what or how much to eat! Are you alright?"
Albus felt so nervous that the thought of food made him slightly queasy.
He'd had a fight with James over whether he'd get into Gryffindor just fine. But then he didn't really know what it took to do so; something about bravery?
"What are the things each house looks for again?"
She stood for a moment trying to remember.
"For Gryffindor you need bravery and courage and chivalry, and to get into Ravenclaw you have to be smart." She paused for a second considering. "I don't know what you need to be to be in Hufflepuff and you have to be evil to go to Slytherin or something like that. Don't worry Al your notevil you'll never been in Slytherin." This last bit she said more loudly as Scorpius was standing near them.
"Shows what you know." The blond boy muttered. Rose looked at him angrily.
Albus hoped they wouldn't fight.
"This way children." A man's voice cut through the chatter around them.
Albus was shuffled along with the rest though the enormous doors and into the great hall. At the back and short for his age he couldn't make out anything, but then he saw it. He tilted his head up and caught sight of countless gleaming glittering stars. It was as if he really was looking up directly at the night's sky from his bedroom window. He'd always liked the stars. The vastness overwhelming and calming he stared awed.
Then from the front of the hall names were being called.
"Archers, Clare." A pause.
"Hufflepuff!"
"Bode, Watson."
"Slytherin!"
The list continued and the group dwindled. Albus started to feel exposed, the ceiling no longer a distraction, he glanced over at Rose. She looked nervous and he noticed she had her fingers crossed. He crossed his too.
"Hope we both make it into Gryffindor." She whispered to him. Behind him he heard a snigger.
"Malfoy, Scorpius."
Scorpius strode passed them and up the hall, swaggering a little. Albus looked from the other boy to the tables around him. They were standing between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, both houses didn't seem to be paying much attention. The idele chatter continuing as Albus watched the boy take his place on the stool to be sorted by The Hat. Albus watched the ghosts glide around, the hat cried out.
"Ravenclaw!" the Ravenclaw table seemed temporarily stunned and for a moment there was silence then a belated cheer went up.
Albus watched Malfoy rip off the hat and fling it onto the floor. Scowling he slouched off to his new table. Albus caught sight of Ted Lupin sitting at the teacher's table him trying to catch his eye. The older boy had always been his hero. He remembered them playing Aurors when Albus was really young, Ted had been the detective and made up most of the story while James played out the action sequences and Albus wrote up reports for the ministry in brightly coloured crayons.
"Potter, Albus" the teacher called. He felt Rose squeeze his hand.
"Good luck." Ted mouthed as Albus shuffled toward the front dais.
A tall heavyset man with a moustache waved him to the stool and gave him an encouraging smile before placing the old tattered hat on his head. Albus was thankfull when he could no longer see the crowd of people watching him.
Humm now… quite bright, quiet, not at all like your brother. The hat's voice filled his head. Timid… better be Ravenclaw.
'No' Albus thought wildly, no one he knew was in Ravenclaw.
Now child the selection of a house to which you belong has more to it than who you know or what you like.
'but… but' Albus protested.
Don't worry you will make friends, they all do. I think Ravenclaw will suit you very nicely.
Albus wanted to protest but the hat cried out.
"Ravenclaw!"
He heard an unexpectedly boisterous cheer go up from the Ravenclaw table, but he couldn't help from looking wistfully over to the Gryffindor table where his brother sat, only to see James smirking an I-told-you-so at him. Just then Albus didn't care what his brother thought; all he wanted was to be able to walk over to the Gryffindor table where everyone in his family had sat before him. He almost unwittingly did until the mustached man who directed the sorting stopped him.
"Ravenclaw's just there, you'll be fine." He gave Albus a reassuring pat on the shoulder that obviously didn't fulfill its mandate, but sent Albus off to the Ravenclaw benches.
Weakly Albus flopped down at the table. Would his parents be man? He stared down at the empty worn wood and let then rest of the sorting and the welcome speeches wash over him.
His brother had already recounted all the usual dire warnings to him, probably even embellishing a bit and he was too miserable to pay proper attention anyway. When Headmistress McGonagall clapped and the food finally appeared before him in great steaming heaps all he wanted to do was slide under the table and disappear.
"Aren't you going to eat anything, Alba-snot?" Scorpius was glaring at him across the time. He shook his head.
"Not hungry."
"Oh come on, you don't have it half as bad as me, my whole family has always been Slytherin."
Not wanting to start an argument Albus nodded glumly. This didn't appear to appease Malfoy.
"Eat! You'll be hungry if you don't. Here have a meat loaf." Unceremoniously Scorpius dumped one onto his plate. "And eat some vegetables, I heard you get a terrible disease that makes all your teeth fall out if you don't."
"That's nonsense." Albus hadn't meant to blurt it out. Malfoy frowned menacingly at him and he added defensively. "Rose always manages to avoid eating vegetables and she's fine."
Scorpius shrugged.
"Maybe it works differently for half bloods." He said matter-of-factly and started talking to a second year next to him.
Albus sat miserably though dinner and at the end of the meal managed to drag himself off upstairs with the other first years. They were lead by a fifth year prefect named Robina Mainville who showed them the secret entrance, briskly answering the question the magical voice posed.
"She should go easy on you seeing as your first years." She said with a wide friendly grin, "girls up, boys down."
Albus walked disconsolately along side the other Ravenclaw first year boys.
"Hi I'm Rupert Hamilton" A cheery mailto kid trotted up to a tall gangly boy walking near Albus.
"Hi, Michael Ng."
They both turned on him but a third boy cut in before they could speak.
"What're your names? I'm Travis Mariwood pleased to meet you." The new boy Travis stuck out his hand with an air of great formality blocking their way into the dormitory. The five of them all shook hands rather awkwardly in the cramped corridor. Albus felt painfully short. Michael was a full head taller than him.
"I'm Rupert, he's Michael" the mulatto boy said excitedly to Malfoy once they were in their dorm room.
"Scorpius Malfoy, I don't think I'm in the right house." Malfoy was scowling vigorously.
"The hat told you to come here didn't it?" this from Michael.
"Of course" Malfoy snapped
"Hogwarts a History said the hat takes more into account then our personal preferences." Travis said in a rather superior tone.
"Well it's obviously wrong" Malfoy flashed back. "My whole family's been in Slytherin for years." To Albus's horror Malfoy jabbed a finger at him "And he's a Potter, what's he doing in Ravenclaw!"
"Really? Are you actually related to the Harry Potter?" Rupert seemed dazzled by this fact.
"He's my dad." Albus mumbled.
Travis looked genuinely impressed, though Malfoy continued to scowl.
"Wow that's really really cool! Do you have body guards to protect you from the Death Eaters?"
"No…"
"Who's Harry Potter?" Michael interjected.
"Only the greatest wizard ever! The one that defeated the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Rupert looked thunderstruck at Michael's blank expression.
"Must be Muggle born if he's never heard of the Dark Lord." Travis interjected authoritatively.
"Yeah I am so. Who is he?"
"Look here, I'm going to sleep and I don't want to have to listen to the whole nauseatingly boring story so can you guys drool over Potter tomorrow." Scorpius snapped.
Rupert looked mutinous.
"He's right, remember what they said at dinner; we've got to be up early to find out about classes tomorrow." This sanctimonious homily from Travis.
Albus found himself grateful not to be asked any further questions. The little group broke up and Albus flopped down exhausted on his four-poster with Scorpius to his left and Rupert on his right. The other boys started to rummage for their night clothes Travis making a point of telling everyone how important it was to brush their teeth before bed.
Albus just lay feeling uncomfortable and out of place in the unfamiliar room. He could hear Rupert whispering the story of the Dark Lord's defeat to Michael in the next bed.
"Oi you not going to change?" Scorpius hissed at him.
"Yeah, sorry." Hefting himself off the bed and began to rummage in his trunk. He mum had put his Pajama's with his toothbrush at the top of his trunk next to a picture of his family. He hurried off to the loo sniffling slightly and hoping desperately that no one noticed.
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There we've made it though the requisite introduction. Fear not some semblance of plot will emerge.
Reviews are Peachy and Creamy and very delicious