Chapter 2
"Four to a boat please." Hagrid said, and Al got in a boat with Scorpius, Brooke, and Rose.
"Oh my gosh!" Scorpius muttered, quite breathlessly. He gripped the side of the boat with his pale hands.
"Which house d' you want to get into?" Rose asked the other three as the other boats began to load up.
"Well..." Brooke said, with her head tilted. "I don't know. They all sound pretty interesting..."
"Even Slytherin?" Al asked her. Brooke grinned at him.
"Especially Slytherin." She said. Then, she tossed her head to get her chocolate brown waves from her eyes. Al decided that she was a very odd girl.
"I hope you're right. Father would disown me if I didn't get into Slytherin house." Scorpius said.
Brooke's grin got deeper. "That's it; haven't you wanted to prove the world wrong about something?" She asked. "I've always wanted to prove there could be a good Slytherin."
Al found himself blushing. "There was a good Slytherin," he said, remembering his namesake, Severus Snape.
Just then, the boats docked, and Headmistress McGonagall opened the huge oak doors. "Thank you, Hagrid, that will be all." She said. Spontaneously, Al grabbed Scorpius' shoulder.
"She's scary..." he whispered.
"Only for appearances." Rose said, overhearing them. Then, Al and Scorpius shakily got off their boat, and followed Rose and Brooke up the staircase.
Al walked, almost zoned out, up the staircases and into the Great Hall. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the tables: especially Slytherin. Al saw James and Danny smile and wave, and he waved back. Even Brooke grinned and waved at her brother and James.
"Scared?" She whispered to Al, Rose, and Scorpius. Rose shrugged, but Scorpius nodded, paler than usual. Al didn't bother to reply; he knew that his facial expression conveyed enough to as if he was scared or not.
Al found himself staring at the Slytherin table, trying to recall what his father had said. You have a choice- was that it? Yes, that was what he had said.
It seemed like such a long time ago, earlier this morning. Looking around the castle, Al felt all the air in his lungs escape. Some of the Slytherins caught Al staring, and smirked. Al went red.
Al closed his eyes as the Sorting Hat song ended. He felt his own heart beating inside his chest. Al nervously looked down at his hands, only to see he had gone white.
"Abbot, Jessica," The Hat called. Al tried to keep his lunch in as Jessica got sorted into Hufflepuff.
"Boudett, Brooke," the hat called. Brooke walked steadily toward the hat, but Al could see through her right away. As calm as she tried to appear, Brooke was frightened. Al sympathized with her. Wonderful! You! The hat said. Brooke turned red. Well, let's have a look. Brave, yes, daring. But also sly in the most endearing way; yes, manipulative to your advantage... nevertheless... GRYFFINDOR! The Gryffindor table exploded like a volcano as they welcomed the first Gryffindor of the night. Brooke turned pink, but was smiling happily. Al watched, somewhat jealously, as she took a seat next to James and her brother.
The hat sorted some more students; Emma Creedy was a Ravenclaw, Thomas Dannon became the first Slytherin.
Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table, and Al wondered, Would that be their reaction if I were to get into their house? He decided that was too much of a thought for this stage into sorting.
Finally, the hat cried, "Malfoy, Scorpius." Al watched helplessly as Scorpius walked toward the Sorting Hat. He could hear the hat speak: Another Malfoy! I thought I was done sorting your sort... hmm, let's see. Ambitious, yes, but to what extent? Chivalrous, yes, definitely. Well... Malfoy, GRYFFINDOR!
The whole Great Hall stood, quiet, not even breathing. A Malfoy in Gryffindor? Something had to be wrong! It was well known everywhere that the only place the Malfoys belonged was Slytherin... but now a Malfoy was placed in Gryffindor!
Al saw Brooke whisper something to James, and then suddenly the Gryffindor table began cheering the loudest of the night. Al realized that they looked at it as if they had won something; a war, against the Slytherin table. Scorpius sprinted to the Gryffindor table, and sat next to Brooke, who put her hand on his shoulder and consoled him.
Al felt his stomach flip. What if I'm like that...? he wondered, going pale again. His heart reached out to Scorpius. Poor boy! Al wondered how he would feel if his parents weren't as supporting as they were...
"Potter, Albus!" The hat cried, making Al jump. He turned, and caught Rose's eye: Don't worry. Al gave her a small smile. He walked, shaking, to the hat. Murmurs vibrated through the hall as he sat down on the stool. Before he felt the hat on his head, Al looked at Scorpius, who was looking at him in that moment, and the message was clear: it's not that bad.
Al closed his eyes, and felt the hat, cold but warm at the same time, and he forgot what "breathing" felt like. Well, well, well, look who it is! Another Potter! I had great fun sorting your brother out last year, you know. You are quite the same... and quite different. Al's stomach lurched.
Sly and clever... no, but brave to any extent... you know, Sl-
No! Al thought as hard as he could. Not Slytherin, please not Slytherin...
Quite a trick, isn't it? Did your father...? Hmm. I wonder. Alright, have it your way. Not Slytherin? Okay... GRYFFINDOR! Al opened his eyes, and heard the Gryffindor table cheer loudly... for him! Him, Albus Severus Potter! Al stumbled off the stool and almost sobbed with relief.
He walked happily, his motions similar to those of a drunk man. "I knew all along you wouldn't end up in Slytherin, Al!" James laughed, patting him on the back so hard Al almost fell to the ground. He took a seat next to Scorpius and across from Danny, and everyone had a smile on their faces- even Scorpius, who managed a quiet smile.
Al felt bad for Scorpius. "Look, Scorpius, I don't know your father, but if he's disappointed in you, so be it. You're who you are, and you shouldn't change that... not for your dad, not for anybody." Al whispered, not knowing where the power in his words had come from.
Scorpius nodded, but remained pale.
"And now..." McGonagall said with grandeur, "Let the feast begin!"
"This is my favorite part." James told the first years laughing.
"It would be your favorite part." Brooke replied, laughing along. Rose laughed too, and pretty soon all three of them were laughing really hard for no reason.
"Wow... this food is great!" Scorpius grinned, and took a sausage. He cut into it, and took a bite.
"You do know it's made by the labor of hundreds of house elves, don't you?" Danny asked him, with a wink toward Al.
"Danny, don't!" Rose cried, looking down at her plate with a less tasteful glare.
Al found himself remembering how Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione had told him about S.P.E.W. James seemed to be remembering that, too, and gave Al a wink.
"Dessert!" Scorpius cried, clapping his hands together. The dinners went away and platefuls of dessert appeared.
Suddenly Al noticed that Slytherin boy, Thomas, glaring at the back of Scorpius's head. "Look, Scorp, I don't want to scare you, but that Slytherin, Thomas, is glaring daggers at you." Al whispered. Scorpius went red.
Had they made an enemy already?
