I apologize in advance for the... shortness of this chapter. It's pretty hard to make these things long when you're only trying to fit one scene in. And hopefully I got everyone in character, though I highly doubt it. If I didn't, please please review and tell me. I'm begging you, I don't want to be writing a story that's all wrong.
Also, I realize that this isn't the most believable of instances, but give me a break, okay?
Albus wasn't feeling very charitable towards Hogwarts. It was now common knowledge that two Potter boys were at Hogwarts, and though most people had gotten used to it when James came, quite a few of the Slytherins gave him dirty looks when he passed them in the hallways. It would have been fine if whoever had decided on the student's timetables hadn't put Slytherin and Gryffindor together for practically every class. Albus was quite sure they had to have more sense than that.
Entering the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom with Scorpius, who despite being quite annoying at first (and a Slytherin), had become a rather good friend, he immediately noticed a poster in the corner of the room. It seemed to be facing right at him as he took a seat, trying to avoid its gaze. An older version of him was featured on it, his wand pointed outwards and his mouth saying a spell.
Scorpius gave Albus a pitying look. "That's your Dad, isn't it?"
Albus nodded. "Yeah." He didn't particularly care to elaborate. Though he hadn't heard his father mentioned too much, it was still common knowledge that Harry Potter had saved the Wizarding World. He didn't know how anyone had managed to get a picture of his father in action, but he wished they hadn't.
Albus had always been quite jealous of Rose, Hugo, and all his other cousins. Though their parents had contributed a lot to the war, their last names were usually met with fewer stares than Potter. After all, the Weasley family was known for more than just saving the world
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a woman that Albus was certain was too young to teach, swept into the room, her pale yellow robes flowing behind her. He was fairly sure that yellow robes weren't completely the norm, and exchanged a confused glance with Scorpius from across the room.
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, a class that was much more useful before Harry Potter saved the world." She paused, as if expecting laughter, though none came. Albus could tell he would hate her already. "My name is Professor Sperling. My goal this year is to teach you Defense using notable figures in our history that have excelled in it."
Albus almost groaned at all; he could see what would inevitably be coming. Professor Sperling was no doubt going to use Harry Potter as a prime example, if the poster was anything to go by.
He was right. Pulling it off, she held it up for the entire class to see. "We're going to start off by learning what was considered Harry Potter's signature spell: Expelliarmus!"
A snicker came from the Slytherin side of the room. From behind him, Rose seemed to be trying to hold in laughter too. Albus had to admit that the Professor's enchantment with his father was rather funny.
Professor Sperling snapped her head towards the Slytherin offender, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse me, but did you defeat a Dark Wizard?"
There was silence, and even Albus thought she was perhaps going a little too far. Hopefully, she would never meet his Dad.
Professor Sperling turned away, satisfied by the scared look on the kid's face, and continued. "Let's start by choosing somebody to demonstrate…" She looked around, her eyes immediately landing on Albus. He quickly looked away, sinking lower into his seat. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Come up next to me. This should be easy for you, as it was your father's signature spell."
Albus had to wonder how Professor Sperling even knew this, when he didn't. His parents didn't like to talk about the war too much, but if it was common knowledge, he was sure he would have heard it eventually.
Swallowing his nerves, he made his way to the front of the room, Rose and Scorpius' (and for that matter, all the Gryffindor's) sympathetic gazes on him.
Professor Sperling put a hand on his shoulder. "Defense was your father's best subject, but I suppose you already know that. Now, go stand over there," she said, gesturing towards the other side of the front of the room. Albus complied, feeling everyone's eyes on him.
"Now, class, I am going to shout Expelliarmus while flicking my wand up and then to the right. Take out your wands and do the motion with me. Up and to the right."
Albus did, feeling exceedingly foolish. The Professor was only watching him, her bright eyes excited. After about a minute, she gestured for them to stop. "Now, Mr. Potter, I would like you to disarm me."
Taking a deep breath, and already knowing he was going to mess up, Albus said, "Expelliarmus!" swishing his wand to the top then left. There was a burst of light, and he found himself being thrown backwards.
There was a few sympathetic mutterings from the Gryffindor side, and giggles from the Slytherin half, which Albus had been expecting. For the millionth time that day, he was glad the Sorting Hat had taken his opinion in account.
Professor Sperling laughed too, causing the boy to seriously question her mental state. He was pretty sure he had bruised his collar bone, and she wasn't even trying to help him! Who had thought to hire her?
"Ah, Mr. Potter, don't joke around, please. We must get things done."
Albus' eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He was not joking. Just because his father was Harry Potter didn't make him immediately good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. In fact, he excelled in Transfiguration, a subject he knew his father hadn't found easy.
"Er, Professor, I think you ought to call on someone else. I'm not very good at –,"
"Oh, don't be humble, Potter. We know you can do it; your father could."
That's exactly it, I'm not my father! Albus almost shouted, stopping himself in time. He didn't want a detention on his first day; though, he didn't think Professor Sperling would give him one. After all, the blood of Harry Potter could do no wrong.
Rose raised her hand in the back of the place, her eyes trained on Albus.
"Yes, Mrs…?" Professor Sperling asked.
"Weasley, ma'am, and I was wondering if maybe I could have a go? I feel like I have it down." Albus felt a rush of affection for his cousin, who more often than not annoyed him.
"Weasley, as in Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger's daughter?"
Rose looked surprised and a little bit wary but said, "Yes…"
"Ah, well, neither of their strengths was Defense Against the Dark Arts, so I shall keep Mr. Potter up here." A shocked expression found its way onto Rose's face, her face turning red. Albus also felt angry; Rose would have definitely done the spell better than him. Actually, he mused, anyone could probably do the spell better than him.
"Mr. Potter, please try again."
So he did, again and again and again, until his arm was tired and there was sweat on his brow, but he still couldn't get it. The first few attempts, the Professor had threatened to give him a detention for goofing off. It had taken him almost breaking his arm for her to realize that he simply couldn't do the spell.
Walking out of the classroom, Scorpius' hand resting comfortingly on his shoulder, Albus decided he hated having Harry Potter as a father.
See, I wasn't kidding, that was extremely short.
I'm currently half-way through Lily's chapter, and then I shall be moving on to Rose, then Hugo, and then all the rest of them. I'm only going to be doing Next Gen, unless I get a lot of requests for other characters.
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