Chpt 2- the Hogwarts express
It was a complete catastrophe.
As soon as the platform was out of view, James leapt off his seat as fast as he could and went off to find his friends. This left Albus and Rose alone together in the otherwise empty compartment. How were they meant to know when they were nearly at Hogwarts? How were they meant to know when to put on their robes? Albus's already clammy fingers started to slide beneath each other as he twisted them together nervously.
"Oh, get a grip Al. There's nothing to be nervous about. We're going to Hogwarts!" exclaimed Rose. Her freckled face frowned as she looked closer at Albus.
"I know," Albus said in a barely audible whisper. "It's just.. I felt safer with James around. Also.. I don't want to be sorted into Slytherin..."
"Oh fine. So you don't feel safe around me," snapped Rose back. She flipped her ginger curls out of her face as she stood up and started towards the door. "I get it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find some other company. Preferably such that isn't depressed. See you later."
"No, Rose. You know that's not what I meant-!" But she had already slammed the compartment door closed before he could finish his sentence.
Albus slumped back into his chair and placed his hands over his eyes. "Fantastic..." he said to himself.
Just then, the compartment door slid open again.
"Look Rose, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that I didn't feel safe-" he stopped speaking as he looked up. The person stood in the frame of the door was not Rose Weasley. It was not even his brother, James.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, but everywhere else is full. Do you mind..?" The boy gestured to the empty seat opposite to where Albus was sat.
"I guess not." replied Albus. Wasn't this the same boy whose father had just started a confrontation with his family? He was just about to ask when-
"Sorry about earlier. On the platform, I mean. My dad doesn't know when to stop. I'm Scorpius by the way, Scorpius Malfoy." the boy threw the words at Albus as though he couldn't get them out quick enough.
"Oh... Right. I'm Albus, Albus Potter."
"Ohho, I know... Harry Potter's son and all that... quite a famous family..." whispered Scorpius as he looked at Albus in awe.
Albus knew, of course, that is father was very famous within the wizarding world. However, it still felt weird for people to talk to him about 'Harry Potter'. To Albus, Harry was just his dad.
An awkward silence seemed to have burst into the room with them; it felt as solid as if someone had just slapped him around the face with it.
"So..." said Scorpius. He seemed to have felt the tension in the compartment, too.
"So... We're going to Hogwarts! I take it you want to be in Slytherin?" asked Albus politely. Even though he was trying to make conversation, he was not listening to carefully. Right now, he would much rather go and find Rose to apologise.
"Oh, I don't know. Of course, Slytherin has changed since the second wizarding war, but it still has a bad reputation. I feel if I were in Ravenclaw, I would be pushed too hard and sent over my limits. Gryffindor- well, I suppose it's ok. But I'd rather be brainy then brawny. And Hufflepuff... Well who wants to be in Hufflepuff?" Scorpius laughed.
"I don't know, Hufflepuff doesn't sound too bad..." Albus replied. Scorpius stopped laughing at once.
"I guess I'm undecided. I'll just go wherever the sorting hat places me! What about you?"
"Well, I want to be in Gryffindor. Everyone in my family has been in Gryffindor, on my mother's and father's sides. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad, I guess." answered Albus. He decided to leave out how much he didn't want to be in Slytherin. He didn't want to make an enemy before they even got to Hogsmeade.
"Fair enough. You seem a little preoccupied... are you sure I'm not interrupting anything?" Scorpius asked.
Albus looked away from the door and stared directly at Scorpius. His bright blonde hair had been sleeked back from his forehead, which emphasised his sharp pointed chin. His shocking aqua blue eyes looked straight back into Albus's green ones.
At that moment, Albus realised something. As he took in the bright, yet concerned smile on Scorpius's face, he knew that he needn't be worried about making an enemy today. Scorpius had come to make a friend.
Albus was no longer worried about Rose, or James, or even Hogwarts. All that mattered now was him and his new best friend talking to each other as much as possible before they were possibly sorted into different houses.
"No, of course not. I'm sorry, I was just a little worried about my cousin... but do you want a game of Exploding Snap?" asked Albus, returning Scorpius's wide smile.
"Yeah, sure!"
They spent the rest of the time before lunch discussing what they might be learning this year, different spells they might encounter, and teachers.
"I know Professor Longbottom teaches Herbology, and Professor McGonagall is still teacher of Transfiguration, but that's it." said Scorpius wisely.
"Hagrid is gamekeeper, but that's all I know too. I really hope there isn't anyone nasty there." replied Albus.
"Me too."
After the lunch trolley had come around, and the duo bought many packets of Pumpkin Pasties, Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, they played more Exploding Snap. Twice a prefect had to come in to tell them to be quiet because they were laughing so hard.
"It's starting to get dark. Do you think we should put our robes on now?" asked Al.
Scorpius nodded, and the two got changed and sat down for more discussions about the sorting.
"I heard the sorting hat is quite patchy now. Do you think it's still reliable enough to say which house we belong to?" questioned Albus.
"Of course it is. It's worked all these years before us, why should it stop now? We'll be fine." Scorpius reassured him.
A few hours later, new lights were seen through the dark windows. The train started to slow, and a voice from the corridor outside was shouting "Hogsmeade Station! Keep to your left! First years, head towards the boats!"
Albus and Scorpius gathered their things, and headed out onto the platform.
"First years! First years, this way!" boomed a familiar deep voice.
"Hiya, Hagrid." shouted Albus through all the noise.
"Hello Albus! How're you? How's mum and dad, an' Ron an' Hermione?" replied Hagrid.
"Yeah, we're all fine thanks. Hagrid, this is Scorpius."
"Ah, Scorpius Malfoy I guess? Nice to meet you."
"He-hello." said Scorpius. He was evidently overwhelmed by the huge size and scruffy beard of Hagrid.
"We'll have plenty o' time to talk later, you two. For now, I need to get you into the castle. FIRST YEARS!" Hagrid bellowed again. "FOLLOW ME!"
Hagrid lead the group of small, terrified looking first years to the boats by the lake.
"If you look forward in a sec, you'll see the castle. Let's go." He took the lead in the party of boats that were floating towards the huge dark mass in the centre of their path.
As Hagrid had said, they got their first look of the castle a few seconds after taking off. It was absolutely breathtaking.
There were three tallest towers that shot above them all, with beautiful pointed tops that Albus was sure were extremely fragile. Each brick had been perfectly placed so it complimented the shape of that specific building nicely. The whole castle was enormous! Yellow lights were coming through the carefully rounded windows, which gave the place a good feel of home.
"Woah." gasped Scorpius beside him.
"She's a beauty, ain't she?" replied Hagrid in approval.
They arrived on land, and there waiting for them was a lady who Albus recognised from many photographs his father had shown him.
"Good evening. Welcome to Hogwarts." said Professor McGonagall.
