Disclaimer: Any universe in which Harry Potter is present, there must also be a J. K. Rowling.
Here is the first re-witten chapter.
I have decided to make this story much shorter than I first intended, as I am writing a different one and (shock horror) this one is starting to bore me a little.
Chapter 1
The small family was standing next to the train, their Uncle Percy having just walked off (much to everyone's delight) after boring them with his talk about broomstick regulations. The sound of many cats, owls and toads could be heard through the mist.
"When will they get here?" whined Hugo, the youngest and smallest of the group.
"Be patient! They probably had traffic problems or something," said Hermione. She glanced swiftly at Ron before saying, "Are you sure they were driving..?"
"Yes, yes. I remember Ginny said."
Despite the thick fog, Rose could hear the loud voice of their cousin, James. "Listen, Hugo. They're coming now!" she said, happily.
She was right. The five potters emerged through the mist, James and Albus fighting (as usual) and Lily holding her mother's hand.
When Al saw Rose, he ran over and engulfed her in a huge hug, almost lifting her off her feet.
"I've missed you guys!" he announced loudly.
"Missed you, too," she said before turning to greet the rest of the family.
"Hiya." Said Lily, the youngest of the three. She looked like her grandmother, Lily, but she had Ginny's deep brown eyes.
Ron nudged Harry, "Look who it is."
A tall, pale man was standing a few metres off, only just visible through the thick mist. The boy he was with resembled him as much as Albus resembled Harry. The man caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.
"So that's little Scorpius," muttered Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."
Rose understood. It was Draco Malfoy, her Dad, Mum and Uncle's enemy when they were at school. She hoped, from the stories they been told, that Scorpius would be a lot nicer.
"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"
"You're right, sorry," said Dad, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."
Rose playfully hit his arm "Don't call me that! It's a baby name!"
Just then, James appeared.
"Guess what! I just saw Teddy kissing Victoire!"
He paused. No one said anything, so he continued. "Our Teddy, Teddy Lupin. Kissing our Victoire, our cousin! AND he said he was just saying goodbye to her!"
"You interrupted them! You are so like Ron!"
Suddenly a loud whistle blew.
"Bye guys. Good luck." said Ron, as he hugged the children.
"Bye Mum, Dad." Rose turned, looking for Al, but he was talking to Harry, so she thought it would be a good idea just to save him a space in one of the carriages.
She was sitting alone in the compartment, waiting for Albus, when two girls knocked on the door.
"Do you mind if we sit with you? All the other carriages are full." said the one with black hair.
"No, no. It's fine." Rose said non-committedly. Both the girls walked in and sat down.
"I'm Cherry. This," she pointed at the other one, "is my sister, Poppy. And you are...?"
"Rose."
Poppy looked Chinese, with strawberry-blonde hair cut just below her pointed cheekbones. She was about the same height as Rose, and was quite skinny. Her eyes were hazel and she was smiling nervously.
Cherry, however, was tall, slim and had long hair which reached down to her waist. She looked a lot more confident than her sister. She was standing, her hands on hips, and her grey-blue eyes taking in Rose's appearance.
They both sat down at the exact same moment that Al knocked on the door. He opened it, and nodded towards the sisters opposite them.
"Hi..." he mumbled, looking surprised at the sight of the girls.
Rose looked at him. He interpreted her look to mean 'You know them?'
"Rose, these are my... second cousins."
When she showed no sign of understanding he said "Dudley's children."
She remembered. Dudley Dursley had had two children. She had known that, but just had never known their names.
At this moment, a boy knocked on the glass door of the compartment. He had white blonde hair, grey eyes and the Weasley-Potters recognised him. He was the boy from the station, Draco Malfoy's son.
"Mind if I...?" He asked opening the door.
"No." Rose said, as Albus looked too shocked to react.
"Uh? Sure. Is your name Scorpius?" asked Al.
"Yes." said the boy. "How do you know?"
"I'm Albus. Albus Potter."
"Oh."
He seemed a lot less like his father than Ron had predicted, even from this first impression. There was even a chance that he might be quite nice.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, a lady walked past, her trolley stacked with sweets and chocolates. "Anything from the trolley, anything from the trolley. Anything from the trolley, dears?"
"Could I have," he looked around at the compartment, "5 of everything please?"
'Of course my dear, that'll be 11 sickles and a Knut please.'
When he had finished paying, the lady walked off, and Rose got up to help him carry the stuff into their compartment.
"Whoa. That's a lot of stuff!" said Poppy, gazing longingly at the pile. It was the first time she had spoken in their company.
"Help yourselves." said Scorpius, "I'm not hungry."
"What are these, even" Cherry asked, raising an eyebrow at the inscription.
"Chocolate frogs." Al replied.
"They're not really frogs, are they?" asked Poppy.
"No, but you should look for the cards. Some are really rare. I've nearly collected all of them now, but they keep bringing new ones into print."
"Cards?"
"Yeah. Each packet has the card of a famous with or wizard hidden in it."
"Do you have this one?" Poppy asked, showing Rose the card.
Hermione Jean Granger
Considered to be 'the brightest witch of her age, Hermione Granger aided Harry Potter with his defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in 1998, resulting in the end of the war.
She has also campaigned for the rights of lest fortunate creatures, such as House-elves, and has eradicated many Pureblood laws.
"Ugh… not her."
"Why? What do you have against her?"
"Nothing personal. I love her really."
Poppy looked confused.
"Hermione Granger is Rose's mum." Clarified Al, who was sniggering.
"Ah." Poppy smiled as Rose looked embarrassed.
They sat in the train, talking, laughing and chatting, for the next few hours.
It was dark when Al changed the subject to houses. "So, which house do you want to be in?"
He said it casually, but they could tell he was nervous.
"I don't know... I think Gryffindor." Rose pondered.
You'd do well in Ravenclaw" mused Al, "Which house do you think I'd be in, Rose?"
"Probably Gryffindor. Scorp, where do you think you want to be?"
"Anywhere but Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. It would dishonour the name of Malfoy if I was put in those." He said, a weak smile on his face. Rose didn't know him very well, but she could tell that, like Al, he was very concerned about where the hat would put him.
"We will be reaching Hogsmeade Station in five minutes. Please leave your belongings in the train. They will be taken to the castle for you." boomed a voice.
This was finally it. They were going to Hogwarts.
As they stepped off the train, Rose heard a loud, familiar voice, Hagrid.
" Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Oh hello Rose, Albus. "
They waved up at the daunting figure of Hagrid. He really wasn't as scary as he looked; although some of the other first years thought otherwise. They were trembling in his shadow.
"Any more firs' years? No? C'mon then! Mind yer step now! "
All of them followed him, some tripping over their new, overlong robes. Nobody spoke, although Rose heard someone sniff once or twice.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
The castle was huge, much larger than the diminutive, muggle version in America which Rose's Mum had persuaded her Dad to take them to while she was having a girl's night out. Every window glowed brightly against the midnight black sky.
"C'mon then! No more 'n four to a boat. Get in."
There was a great amount of shuffling, as everyone tried to get in a boat. Within 30 seconds, all the boats were full. Rose sat squished between Al, Poppy and a tall dark haired girl.
"Everyone in? Ok—FORWARDS!"
The fleet shot forwards, theirs at the back, the water rippling gracefully beneath the bow.
In their boat, they were all silent. Rose wasn't very good at judging awkwardness, but this felt very awkward. She decided to break the silence.
"Soooo... um... I'm Rose, Rose Weasley, and you are?" She asked the girl.
"Katrina McDougal. But I prefer to be called Kat, if you know what I mean." She said in a strong Scottish accent.
"Yeah... haha…"
Luckily, the boats bumped into the opposite shore before anyone could think of anything, probably embarrassing, to say.
"C'mon then! Up to the castle now! We're nearly there now!"
The firsties walked up the large stone steps, and Hagrid lifted his gigantic fist and pounded on the oak door
They were about to be sorted.
The doors opened. There stood a tall, grubby man who introduced himself as 'Professor Longbottom'. Scorpius knew his name, Neville. He had always been afraid of Father.
They followed him into the largest room he had ever been in. It was even bigger than the dining room at Malfoy Manor, which is saying something.
In the middle of the room, at the front, there stood a large, floppy, slightly singed hat upon a three legged stool. Everyone was staring at the hat, so they did too. The rip at the brim opened wide, and although Scorpius was expecting it, he jumped when it started to sing.
"Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the HogwartsSorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where stay the just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
But in times of old, when I was new,
And Hogwartsbarely started,
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted.
United by a common goal,
They had the self-same yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach"
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!"
Professor Longbottom stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When your name is called, please make your way to the front and try on the hat. "Abbot, Harriette."
A pink-faced girl with brown bunches walked up to the front, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
The table to the very far right clapped.
Scorp really want to be in the same house as Rose, no matter if it put shame on the name of Malfoy.
He listened to the names, tuning in and out, whenever one caught his interest.
"Beale, Tobias."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Bones, Lewis."
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Boot, Bartholomew." He sniggered, many other people did too.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" Scorp had thought so. You couldn't be anywhere else with a name like that.
"Creevy, Harry."
"GRYFFINDOR!" Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table, a boy (probably his brother) patted him on the back and hugged him.
"Dursley, Cherry."
The hat barely touched her hair before "SLYTHERIN!"
"Dursley, Poppea."
"RAVENCLAW!"
My cousin "Greengrass, Katie" was made a "SLYTHERIN!"
"Malfoy, Scorpius."
Scorpius. His turn. As the moment approached, he had been getting more and more nervous. Now the moment had come...
Someone pushed him from behind, making him stumble and a few others laugh. Where will I be put, where, where? He thought, nervously.
He reached the stool, and put on the hat.
Ah. A Malfoy?
It talks?
I do talk, and I know just where to put you, but, do I see some loyalty, bravery? Are you more suited for Gryffindor? Possibly, possibly... but where to put you...? I know "GRYFINDOR!"
It was over. He had been sorted.
Malfoy was a Gryffindor. Nearly everyone was muttering, even the teachers looked shocked.
"Potter, Albus."
Everyone went quiet. Then the muttering began again louder. Everyone watched as Al, brightly red, stumbled out of line and walked up to the hat. Rose could see him mumbling 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.'
He was almost a hatstall. (A hatstall is someone who sits with the sorting hat for more than five minutes, as the hat does not know for certain which house they should be in. Hermione was almost a hatstall, and so was Professor Longbottom.)
She waited for four long minutes, watching Al getting more and more flustered until - "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
Nearly Rose. Right now, she didn't feel like she would fit into any of the houses: Ravenclaw? She was very smart but not that dedicated to my work; Gryffindor? She was brave, but right now... I don't think so. Hufflepuff? Maybe not... Slytherin? She was sometimes quite selfish, well most of the time, but her mum said she was really generous. Now, if there was a house for the Divergent (She reads Muggle fiction. So what!), the ones whom didn't fit in any of the houses, then that would be the one for her!
"Walters, Ella."
"GRYFINDOR!"
Down to the 'W's...
"Watson, Penelope."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
She must be next,
"Weasley, Rose."
She felt as if she was about to faint.
She put the hat on, it slipped over her eyes, and all she could see was back-grey cotton.
Another Weasley, eh? There have been a lot of you. How many more are left?
Well, there's my brother Hugo, that's one. There's Lily, but she's a Potter and I'm not sure if that counts. That's about it, unless Charlie has any children, or I get a new cousin... so one and a half?
Very good. You can think under pressure. That makes you good for Ravenclaw.
But I don't WANT to be in Ravenclaw! Molly is there and I don't like her!
Well, if you're sure. The hat said disappointedly Better be "GRYFFINDOR!"
Relieved, she walked over to the Gryffindor table, and sat next to Ella and Al.
After the last person had been sorted ("Zabini, Sally-Anne", "SLYTHERIN!"), Professor McGonagall stood up and said "Let the feast begin!"
The golden plates filled with the most delicious food anyone had ever seen.
They were home, at last.
Review please :) Thanks to those who have.