Hi all. I started this story 4 years ago and left it abandoned for a while (sorry about that). I'm currently revamping the existing chapters before trying to write more chapters while I'm on spring break.
A note to new readers: I began this story at the epilogue of Deathly Hallows. I used JK's dialogue, but rewrote it into Albus's perspective. It only seemed fitting to begin where she ended. The following chapters are my original work with the use of JK's characters.
"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!" I yelled at my brother James as he began to taunt me once more. I could hear my younger sister Lily whimpering behind us. She wanted to go to Hogwarts too, but I knew that that the sobbing would subside when she began to reap the benefits of being an only child while James and I were away. The two years would pass soon enough.
"James, give it a rest!" I heard my mother yelling behind us.
"I only said he might be," James said grinning deviously at me. That look was one of pure bliss for James, but it usually meant sheer terror to a younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth—"
But my mother caught his eye to give him the menacing glare she reserved just for him when he was particularly difficult. The five of us approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look directed at me over his shoulder, James took his trolley from our mother and broke into a run. Before I knew it, he had vanished.
I took his momentary disappearance as an opportunity to express one of my many concerns. "You'll write to me, won't you?" I asked my parents.
"Everyday, if you want us to," my mother replied.
"Not every day," I said eager to make my point clear. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."
"We wrote to James three times a week last year." My mother pointed out.
"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts. He likes a laugh, your brother." My father added.
Side by side, my father and I pushed my trolley forward, gathering speed. As we reached the barrier, I winced, though no collision came. Instead, the four of us emerged onto platform nine and three quarters, which was covered in thick white steam that was billowing from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. James had already disappeared among the people roaming in the smoke.
"Where are they?" I asked becoming anxious that we wouldn't find them before the train left. I peered around looking for the familiar faces through the hazy mist as we made our way down the platform.
"We'll find them," my mother said trying to reassure me.
But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anyone's faces. Every sound was intensified. I thought I heard my uncle Percy loudly discussing broomstick regulations.
"I think that's them, Al," my mother pointed into the mist.
The group emerged from the mist, standing next to the last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when the four of us had stopped directly in front of them.
"Hi," I said relieved.
Rose beamed at me, and I noticed that she was already in her brand new Hogwarts robes.
My parents, Aunt Hermione, and Uncle Ron talked amongst themselves as my father lifted my trunk and owl, Snowdust, onto the train.
Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, were having an animated debate about which Hogwarts house they wanted to be sorted in when they were older.
"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," I heard my uncle Ron warn them until he added, "but no pressure."
My mother and aunt shouted his name at the same time and they both began to scold him for trying to scare us.
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Rose and I looked at each other with wide eyes and solemn expressions.
"He doesn't mean it," my aunt and mother assured, trying to calm our nerves, but my uncle was no longer paying attention. He and my father had turned their attentions to a point about fifty yards away where three people stood.
"Look who it is."
I saw a man with his wife and son (probably a first year like Rose and I) He wore a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding, making his pointed chin even more prominent. His son resembled him just as much as I resembled my own father, which was definitely saying something. The man nodded curtly at the adults when he saw that they were all looking at him.
"So that's little Scorpius. " my uncle Ron said under his breath in a sour tone. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited you mother's brains."
"Ron, for heaven's sake," my aunt Hermione exclaimed. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"
He seemed to think better of his comment and added, "You're right, sorry." And he turned to Rose again, "don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Grandad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."
"Hey!"
My ever taunting brother had reappeared; having deprived himself of his own trunk and owl. He was squirming and obviously had interesting news to tell.
"Teddy's back there," he said excitedly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"
Everyone just stared back blankly or smiled. I could see he was disappointed with the lack of reaction.
"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing—"
"You interrupted them?" my mother asked clearly appalled. "You are so like Ron—"
"—and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though he hadn't already made himself blatantly clear.
"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married." My sister whispered energetically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"
"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week. Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?" My father said with his voice laden with sarcasm.
"Yeah!" James said enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al—Teddy could have my room!"
"No." My father stated quickly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."
He checked his watch as he added, "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."
"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" my mother told James as she hugged him. I was deeply grateful she hadn't chosen me for the task.
"Mum! I can't give a professor love!" James answered while wrinkling his nose at the thought of it.
"But you know Neville—"
James only rolled his eyes and explained further, "Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love…." I thought I saw him shudder from merely thinking of the ghastly embarrassment that would be forced upon him. Priceless.
Shaking his head, he vented his feelings by kicking me.
"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."
This sent a chill down my spine. He'd been filling my mind with stories of thestrals all summer. "I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!" I cried. The sense of calming that my parents had reassured into me had disappeared.
James merely laughed, let our mother kiss him, gave our father a short-lived hug, and leapt onto the train to give one last wave and sprint away to find his friends.
"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," My father said putting a hand on my shoulder. "Theyre gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages this year, you'll be going in the boats."
My mother kissed my forehead.
"See you at Christmas."
"Bye, Al," my father said as he hugged me. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."
I figured this was my last chance to ask the question that had been bothering me the most.
"What if I'm in Slytherin?"
My father's face became sympathetic and understanding. He crouched down to my level and looked into my eyes that matched his.
"Albus Severus," he said quietly so no one but my mother could hear. "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."
"But just say—"
"—then Slytherin house will have gained an excellent student won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The sorting hat takes your choice into account."
"Really?" I asked taken aback.
"It did for me," My father answered with a small shrug.
I turned to jump into the nearest carriage and my mother closed the door behind me. Everyone was hanging from the windows nearest them. It seemed as though everyone, on and off the train, was gawking at my father.
"Why are they all staring," I asked as Rose and I looked at our fellow students.
"Don't let it worry you," My uncle Ron said. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."
Rose and I and our younger siblings laughed. As the train began to move my heart leapt with excitement. It was finally my time to go to Hogwarts. I was jealous of James last year though I'd never admit it out loud.
I followed Rose as she turned to find a compartment.
