Chapter 2

Albus looked around excitedly; he was standing just outside the doors to the Great Hall with the rest of the first-years. A witch wearing magenta coloured robes, who had introduced herself as Professor Stratas was just finishing the welcome speech.

"Your house will be like your family. Once we go through the doors you will be sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Any questions?" She asked.

A petite girl with sleek, black hair put up her hand.

"Yes miss…?"

"Payne." The girl replied with a toss of her hair. "I was just wondering how we're going to be sorted?"

"That," said the professor "you will find out in an instant." She said while swinging the doors open to reveal the fabled great hall.

Albus gasped at what he saw. It was just like he had imagined it – five huge tables were filled with students, teachers and ghosts. The empty gold goblets and plates were set all along the benches. And at the end of the hall, right in front of where the professors were sitting was a stool with a rather mangy looking hat on it. Albus supposed this was the sorting hat, it looked rather ugly to have so much wisdom.

There was however, one thing that he had never heard about from all of his family's stories. There was a golden statue of a phoenix that stood in the center of the hall between two of the house tables. Albus wondered why no one had ever mentioned it.

The first years moved slowly up to the front of the hall and Albus passed the statue on the way up. He wanted to stop and read the plaque but he was just too nervous to do anything. He felt like everyone was staring at him for some reason. It was probably just nerves, but Albus couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going on.

The hat suddenly started to sing but Albus couldn't focus on the words. He heard snatches of it though "Their daring nerve and chivalry" and "Wit beyond measure". All Albus could really focus on was the whispers he heard floating out, over the crowd.

"Is that really him?"

"Of course, looks just like him."

"Doesn't seem a bit like James though."

Albus couldn't help but feel that those whispers were for him. But it was probably just nerves right? The hat had finished singing now and professor Stratas took out a long scroll and began reading off names.

"Allen, Marnie."

A tall girl with brown, bushy hair nervously sat on the stool.

"Hufflepuff!" exclaimed the hat.

And so it went on… and on… and on. The wait was almost unbearable for Albus, who was just anxious to be sorted.

"Malfoy, Scorpius." Albus' head snapped up, he had heard of him - this was his parents' old rival. There was a lot of murmuring in the crowd but the boy ignored it all and took a seat on the stool. The hat seemed to deliberate for a while. It was the longest time anyone had taken, but after about three minutes the hat shouted – "Slytherin!" The boy sat down with a weird expression on his face – he looked relieved but slightly unhappy.

"Mellark, Abby." Albus was excited to see his new friend called up. Almost instantly the hat shouted "Gryffindor". She shot him a grin as she went to take her seat.

Only a few more he thought, as Payne, Jenn was sorted into Slytherin.

"Potter, Albus." There was a lot of murmuring for him as well. Albus carefully made his way up to the front and sat down on the stool, the hat was placed on his head.

"Hmmmm, interesting." The hat thought to him. Albus was so nervous now he thought he might puke, he glanced over at the Gryffindor table and James stuck out his tongue at him – that didn't help.

After what felt like hours the hat shouted "Gryffindor!" Albus almost sank with relief. He was so happy, he felt like he was floating. He removed the hat and stepped down from the stool. He started to make his way over to the table, where James, Abby and the rest of the Weasleys were beaming at him. However, Albus caught sight of the statue again and this time read the plaque.

Albus' whole world stopped, he felt like he had been hit with a bag full of bricks. How could this be- it made no sense… But it did make sense, the way his family always seemed so respected bordering on reverence, the way everyone knew who he was and how they were always in the prophet no matter how his parents tried to hide it. His dad was famous, he was famous. Dazedly, Albus stumbled over to the table and sat down. He went over again in his mind what the plaque had said, what had always been hinted at but never fully explained.

"This monument marks the spot where Harry James Potter defeated the dark wizard Voldemort and freed the wizarding world from terror and destruction."

James clapped and hollered as Rose the last to be sorted, joined them at the Gryffindor table. The headmistress, professor Sprout stood up and gave her usual speech, welcome, stay out of the forest Wasleys wizard Wheezes are banned blah, blah, blah. It was taking far too long and James wasn't just hungry, he was ravenous.

"Can we eat already?" James yelled.

Most of the students laughed, but Victoire Weasley (the head girl) shot him a look. James shrugged his shoulders at her.

Proffesor Sprout was pretty cool (for a headmistress), and since she was basically done talking anyway she just chuckled and said "Very well, ." She waved her wand and the feast began.

"Excellent" James said and immediately started wrestling with Troy for a chicken leg.

James noticed Rose talking and laughing with a group of people but Albus looking lonely and was keeping to himself.

"Hey Al, wha'sa matter?" James asked through a mouthful of food.

"What? Oh, nothing." Albus said. But James wasn't stupid, he had saw Al reading the plaque.

So, he had finally figured it out. James had known about his parents for ages. He supposed he would have to talk to him later. James sighed, what a good brother he was, he thought while chucking a bit of potato at Albus' head.