Chapter two

The train pulled into the station and night was fully upon the students as they exited the train together. The older students seemed to know where to go and Albus saw flashes of green, red, yellow, and blue robes walking past him. Among the crowd, he saw the light shining on a few red headed Weasley family members that were all heading in the same direction as the other students. His brother was among them sporting his red Gryffindor robes and talking to a few friends laughing with his friends not even turning around to see where his younger brother was.

Albus took a deep breath and looked around himself unsure of himself. He wanted so badly to prove that he was good enough to be here despite the teasing his brother gave and the jokes that James seemed to think were funny but were really harsh. He had said that Albus wasn't good enough, that he couldn't learn the simplest spells. But Albus was going to prove that this wasn't true.

The first years were all lead away by Professor Hagrid who Albus knew from his many trips to The Potter house hold to visit his father. The two were long term friends and, from what Albus knew, Hagrid was the one who had brought his father into the wizarding world after being raised by The Dursleys, his father's muggle aunt and uncle. Occasionally, The Potters were brought to see their father's cousin who was married now with a daughter about Lily's age. It wasn't a trip they were particularly happy about especially James and Albus. They didn't really have anything to do there but their father seemed happy to catch up with his cousin after months and months of not seeing him and Lily got along with Daisy Dursley.

Hagrid lead them all away from the train into the darkness that swallowed them. The only thing that could be seenahead of them was Hagrid's lantern floating at the front where he held it to guide them forward to the castle. Albus was jostled by his fellow first years who were just as nervous as he was until he heard the sound of water and realized they had reached a lake. He could see groups of boats across the water docked and waiting for them.

"Okay four t' a boa,'" Hagrid called to the crowd of first years.

Albus and Rose joined a boat with Scorpius Malfoy and another boy who had thick brown hair and dark eyes. This boy and Scorpius exchanged looks and nodded to each other but didn't speak. Albus got the feeling that the two of them knew each other and he swore they boy looked a little familiar as if he had seen him before. The four of them sat in nervous silence as their boat, and all the other boats, glided across the water at Hagrid's call of "forward". Scorpius offered a chocolate Frog to Albus who waved it away. He was so nervous he thought he might vomit if he ate anything.

The castle was suddenly in view to them now and there were many gasps as the students sat in awe of the beautiful site. Even Rose gasped besides Albus. The castle was illuminated with glorious light that Albus had never seen before with a view that was simply breathtaking, magical. He had never seen a building like it and it was much more than his dreams. However, the castle view disappeared as the boats slid through a cave and docked within where Hagrid was the first out of his boat.

The half giant helped many of the first years out of their boats and onto the land with him. Albus got out easily enough and helped out Scorpius while Rose helped the brown haired boy. The boy thanked rRose and he and Scorpius went forward with Albus and Rose joining a few seconds later into the crowd that had gathered at a door. Hagrid knocked three times and the door slowly opened.

A young looking professor with an awkward smile looked out at him and Albus and Rose both recognized him right away. This was Professor Longbottom, the Herbology Professor and Deputy Headmaster who had been friends with Harry Potter and The Weasleys.

"Ah," He said smiling. "Welcome first years. Follow me."

The group followed Professor Longbottom into a dark corridor into the castle and people were either taking in the sight or staring straight ahead at Professor Longbottom. Albus didn't know where to look or what to look at as they were lead to a small area and told to wait there for a few minutes and he took off through a set of doors. From outside, the chatter of the other students could be heard from within, the older students all getting settled before the sorting ceremony and Albus wondered if his brother within was waiting for him and excited that he would be sorted soon.

Albus looked over and saw Scorpius who was talking to the other boy.

"I'm excited, Kris," Scorpius said softly to the boy, Kris.

"I am too," Kris said softly and he noticed Albus was looking at him from far away. He motioned for Albus to join them. "I'm Kristopher Shaklebolt."

"Albus Potter," Albus held out his hand to Kris who took it happily and smiled.

A few minutes later, the first years were lead into the hall by Professor Longbottom and Albus found himself looking around the hall at the house tables where students all around had their gaze on the frightened bunch of first years. Albus felt his stomach flutter as he took a step forward with the rest of the group which all stopped in front of a small stool with a hat sitting atop it. Everyone's attention turned to the hat and, to the surprise of many, it burst into song.

Albus, like everyone else, listened carefully to the hats song and when it had finished, the hall burst into applause. Uncertainly, he looked to his brother, James, who sat at the Gryffindor table and looked at his brother with anticipation in his face. Slowly, Albus turned back to look at where the stool was.

Professor Longbottom stood before the group again and pulled out a scroll of paper.

"When I call your names," He said. "Please come up and take a seat. I will place the sorting hat on top of your head and it will tell you which house you belong to. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin."

The entire group of first years seemed to tense up, their anticipation growing as they waited for their name to be called to go up one by one.

"Abernathy, Luther"

The first student walked nervously up to the stool. His hair was black and curly, his skin pale as he approached and sat down with the nerves he was feeling gleaming in his eyes. When the hat was placed on his head, he sat up a little straighter as if trying to remain dignified in front of his peers. The hat sat atop his head for about ten seconds before it burst out:

"SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table clapped and cheered as Luther Abernathy rushed off to meet his fellow housemates. Next came "Connor, Able" who was sorted into Hufflepuff and "Corner, Alexander" who was sorted into Ravenclaw. The first Gryffindor was "Finnigan, Isabella" followed by a boy with the same last name and looked similar to her "Finnigan, Sean" and the two seemed quite happy to be sorted together.

Next sorted was a Slytherin by the name of "Hopkin's Jr, Wayne" and the list went on and on sorting many students into the four house.

"Malfoy, Scorpius"

Albus watched as the blonde haired Malfoy walked to the stool. The entire hall was watching, most had probably heard about the Malfoy family and about the events that occurred during the second wizarding war. Malfoy was a name that drew uncertainty. Scorpius sat motionless on the stool as if holding his breath as he waited for the hat to shout out where he belonged.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was pulled away and Scorpius went off to join his house as Albus stood there shaking and trying to figure out in his head where he wanted to be, where he thought he deserved to be. His entire family was sorted into Gryffindor and he didn't want to break that cycle but he wasn't sure he belonged there. He would end up in the shadow of his brother once again, with all the teachers comparing him to James or his father. He looked at Scorpius and, in his mind, knew where he'd end up.

"Potter, Albus"

He looked over at his brother and cousins as he stepped up to the stool. Already, he was feeling a nervous wave in his stomach as if it might explode. The hat came down and covered his eyes so he was only able to see the dark brim.

"Ah," it hissed in his ear and he nearly jumped in surprise. "It's been a while since I've seen a conflicted mind like yours."

He wondered how obvious it was.

"You want a place to belong, a place to grow, a place where you can prove yourself. I do see courage in you, just like your father but you share his uncertain nature. How quaint. Young Potter, where should I put you?"

He thought about Gryffindor and his family in there. He thought about how they would react to the hat declaring that as his house and he wanted that more than ever. But he imagined how he would just seem to fade among the Weasley excitement and he thought then about Slytherin. He was afraid, yes, but he was excited. While he wasn't sure how he felt about Scorpius, Slytherin seemed to fit him.

But that's what scared him the most. He knew that dark wizards came from Slytherin but his father had told him that not all Slytherins were bad or evil.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The house announced it as if Albus had already made up his mind and any noise that could be heard within the Great Hall seemed to leave it as everyone grew quiet. The hat was pulled slowly off of Albus's head and he looked around to find his brother and cousins at the Gryffindor table. They seemed stunned! Slowly, he turned his head to see Rose among the yet to be sorted and she smiled encouragingly at him.

She started to clap and, with her, so did the Slytherin house including Scorpius Malfoy. Professor Longbottom, who seemed a little shaken, patted Albus on the back and he slowly stepped to meet his house mates at the Slytherin table. Sitting down, he looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw his brother's shocked face staring back at him with other Weasley faces trying to figure out what had happened.

Albus missed "Scamander, Leo" get sorted into Ravenclaw along with "Scamander, Lorcan". "Scamander, Lysander" was sorted into Hufflepuff parting Lorcan who appeared to be his identical twin brother.

"Weasley, Louis"

His attention, along with the attention of the rest of the family, snapped back as Louis stepped up to the stool. He looked determined to be sorted into a house here almost as if he was worried that, because of his year at Beauxbatons school, that he wouldn't be able to be sorted into a Hogwarts house in front of everyone. But the school had allowed it and, almost as soon as the hat touched his head, it shouted:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

He sauntered off to the Gryffindor table and it was finally Rose's turn. She gave a nervous look to Albus and then the hat fell over her eyes. A moment later it announced:

"RAVENCLAW!"

Albus smiled slightly to himself and nodded. That had been a good choice, he thought. A few moments later, the head mistress, Alina Rainer who had replaced Minerva McGonagall just two years ago, stood up and smiled.

"So nice to see all of your beautiful faces," She said. "We have a few announcements before the start of term. As a warning to the new students, The Dark Forest on the grounds is off limits to all students. A few of our older students would do well to remember that." Albus saw her eyes dart to James and a boy he was sitting with who chuckled together. "Also, this year, we have a new professor, Professor Angel Ramirez who has come all the way from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in North America to teach Divinations this year as old Professor Trewlawny has become too ill for her position."

Albus looked at the table as a man with tan skin stood up and gave a small bow and then sat down. The two locked eyes for a moment and Albus found himself in almost a trance like state that he completely missed the rest of Professor Rainer's speech.

"Now," The way her voice said it was so sharp that it pulled Albus from the trance and she was smiling warmly "Let the feast begin!"

Food appeared on the plates before them and Albus ate until he couldn't bear to stuff another piece of food into his mouth. When it appeared that the rest of the school felt the same way, the food vanished and was replaces with dessert. Albus couldn't help himself as he took a few pieces of chocolate pie. He glanced at Scorpius who was talking to the boy from before who Albus had missed in the sorting.

His name was Kristopher, he heard. Kristopher something...he had also been sorted into Slytherin with them. Slowly, it dawned on Albus who the boy was. His name was Kristopher Shakelbolt and he was the adopted son of Kingsley Shakelbolt who had taken the boy in when his parents died.

He and Scorpius seemed to know each other really well and Albus wondered why that was but he didn't bother to ask. It was getting time for the students to be lead off to their common rooms. They sang the school song and were off. The first year Slytherins were brought to their common room in the dungeons by the prefect: Arthur McNair.

Albus felt very full and sleepy by now as he was brought into his dormitory and given a bed. He laid down and noticed Scorpius' bed was on the right of him while Kristopher, or Kris, was to the left. He didn't think too much on it as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.