The Hallows of Hogwarts

Chapter 2: Checkmates

Compartment E had several first years also. A dark haired girl, two boys with varying shades of blonde hair and another girl with auburn hair and grey eyes. They all looked up silently as they entered.

"Back for another round?" The dark haired girl smirked as James, Fred and Louis had followed and flushed guiltily.

"I don't play Gobstones," Rose said edgily. "Or for my cousin," she added, shooting James a frustrated glance. He shrugged back helplessly. "But he'll play chess for the money back." The compartment quieted as he felt, his throat flutter. Did Rose just bet for him to play? He chanced a look at Rose for reassurance. She nodded eagerly back.

One of the boys stood up: he had silver-grey eyes, was pale and his hair was a light blonde. "Chess is fine by me," He said idly. "Anyone got a set?"

Four minutes later, their old compartment was bursting to full. Amelie had left with Miranda who came back to check up on her, so the boy's friends took one seat while the Weasleys and James took the other with Archimedes being held on to by Fred.

Albus had carefully set up his chess set on the floor of the compartment, while the boy watched with suspicious, narrowed eyes. The ebony pieces were set up before Albus so the boy moved first. Black pieces were lucky for him, he felt. Albus won his first game with black. But still, he sent a glare at Rose who sighed back at him.

"Pawn to C5," the boy started.

Albus jumped into the game, scanning the board critically. Why Rose decided to volunteer him to play was beyond him, but he wasn't about to disappoint Uncle Ron now. After all, he had taught Albus how to play when he was five years old…and had conceded to his victory at age nine.

Although this boy wasn't bad either. He knew how to play and quickly cut off Albus's attacks on his pieces.

Have it your way, then.Albus thought as he directed his pawn ahead. He quickly followed up with even more vicious attacks on the ivory bishops, knights and rooks.

Finally, the game seemed at a stand-still. The boy was nodding in satisfaction: he had taken out all of Albus's most valuable pieces, leaving only pawns and the king, plus a knight. But it was his turn.

"Pawn to H1," He decided, barely able to hold back his grin as the pawn hopped to the other edge of the board finally. "I think you'll be a rook," He told the piece as it shivered and grew into his once-sacrificed rook.

The boy looked nervous as he realized how close the rook was to his king. "Knight, take out the rook," He ordered after a moment, face relaxing.

The knight slid across the board and Albus's rook fell again. But he only grinned.

"Checkmate," He declared, passing the forgotten queen past where the knight had blocked the way to the king.

The compartment exploded into excitement as the white king flung his crown down. The boy's friends looked sulkily, but the boy simply looked like he had in that single move, wised up enough to be wary. He pulled the money out of his pocket, and laying it on the floor, smoothly strode out with his friends in tow.

"Cheers Al!" James shouted. "I'll get you a bunch of Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs for this now, c'mon guys!"

Albus and Rose followed James, Fred and Louis out to the snack trolley, where an old, fluttery sort of witch handled the money and sweets.

"Oh it's you again…"She said in a would-be complaining sort of way were it not for the smile. "Going into third year, right? I suppose I'll see you in Honeydukes now…"

"Hey, Enid," Louis said, smiling devilishly. "You are looking as lovely as ever! Those two will be taking all they can get for six sickles. We'll be wanting the rest of your licorice wands and a package of Drooble's best."

Albus and Rose staggered back towards their seat as the lights flickered above. Sometime recently, they had come on to combat the dark skies out the windows. Indeed, the train did seem to be slowing.

But they stumbled back to their compartment. Martin, Amelie and Miranda had abandoned their things by the looks of it, but Rose and Albus were having a perfectly good time without them. Finally, the excitement began to build up again like it had all summer until a week ago when James started riling him up.

Hogwarts! He had been waiting since he was almost four years old to go as they waved Teddy off for his first year. They all had sat around, listening to the older cousins and their parents share stories about their school days every summer.

Of course, first he had to be Sorted. Doubt crept back into his mind along with the taste of chocolate from the Chocolate Frog. Rose was more than brave enough to be in Gryffindor, and hadn't he just won a chess game against an unknown opponent? Or would that be considered more of a Ravenclaw trait? P came before W for Weasley in the alphabet…would Rose chose to follow him into whatever house he got?

It wasn't until Herpo the Foul that Albus discovered the mysterious package.

Herpo the Foul happened to a rare Chocolate Frog card he didn't own, so when the Dark wizard's scowling face poked through the foil wrapper of his fourth frog, Albus pulled open his trunk, rifling through for his album in excitement. But instead of the cover's crinkled surface, he felt something squished and wrapped.

He pulled it out, it being a carefully wrapped package stowed away in his trunk. Curiously, he unwrapped it as Rose watched distractedly.

It fell to the floor, smooth and silver-grey but in a lump. When Albus touched it, grasping the material to lift it, it was like water as it hung from his hand in the form of a cloak.

"A cloak," Rose said, dismissive. "It looks much too large for either of us and it's not standard Hogwarts black either."

Nonetheless, Albus slipped it on, the hood falling over his fringe and into his green eyes. It was too big for him, but Rose exclaimed anyways.

"Albus! You're—"

"I'm what?" He asked, pushing off the hood. Rose looked awestruck.

"Invisible." She answered simply, gesturing to his knees.

Albus looked down, but only the floor could be seen clearly where his foot was. He kicked it out under the hem and it appeared for a brief second before the cloak fell back and covered him again.

"It's Dad's," He realized aloud as he slid it off. "He must have given it to me."

"Of course!" Rose declared. "Uncle Harry entrusted it to us…we have an Invisibility Cloak, Al!"

"Shut it, Rose." Albus said worriedly as he folded it. "I don't want James or anyone to know, all right? I'll keep it safe until we need it for something," He promised as he buried it inside of last Christmas's Weasley sweater, making it look worn by someone with a pudgy stomach.

Albus's stomach, on the other hand, probably grew thinner judging by the gnawing and twisting it was going through. Why would his dad give him the cloak? What sort of adventures and quests did he imagine he'd need it for? And worse of all, would he need it to disappear once the Sorting was done?

And there's Scorpius Malfoy. What? You expected him and Albus and Rose to either become the best friends ever or Draco and Harry and Ron Jr. ? Well, originally I did (one of the two choices anyways). But this was way back when I was one out of maybe 10 Next Gen authors (even a few weeks before Albus Potter and the Year of the Badger started!) and since then, it's become a cliche'. I had to change it for my own sake of mind.

Chapter 3, they will arrive at Hogwarts and 4 ought to be the actual Sorting. I know where my characters are going, even if they would never believe it themselves but what do you think?