A/N: Oh my gosh, thank you guys so much for the interest in this story! You're all wonderful people! :) So sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! Just one more to go! Now I'd like to note here that I like all the houses and believe there are brilliant people in all of them, even Slytherin. And if you are patient with me, hopefully I will be able to introduce you to some awesome Slytherins in my other story (besides Scorp, of course, who will eventually end up friends with Al and Rose, in case you don't already know :)). But anyway, yes. I like all the houses and appreciate the qualities of all of them. But the kids still live in a kind of prejudiced world… so…. Even with Harry's vouching, Al still didn't seem to want to end up with the snakes… but now I'm rambling.

Hope you enjoy!

James Sirius Potter and Fredric George Weasley – 2016

James and Fred stood side-by-side, looking out over the Great hall. And for once, neither one was talking and there was no practical joke to speak of. They had spent ages itching to finally be here, talking endlessly about the castle and their classes and the sorting, but now it was really here, and neither of them had anything left to say.

Fred was looking nervous, and James was trying not to. He scanned the four house tables, trying to appear merely bored as he waited to be called, but nerves jumped in his stomach so badly that it felt like the dozen chocolate frogs he'd had on the train had come to life and thrown a party for all their friends.

James spotted a few familiar faces from the train in the crowd: that Emily girl his parents had practically forced him to shake hands with because they knew her parents was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, Aaron McGraw, who had shared his and Fred's compartment, mock-saluted James from the Gryffindor table with a wide grin, a Ravenclaw prefect who had caught the three of them with a WWW product was still trying to wipe the purple sludge from his glasses, and that red-headed girl who kept giving him funny looks mirrored Aaron with a cheeky salute of her own and a sneer from the Slytherin table. Glancing quickly at the teachers to make sure he wasn't being watched, James stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation before pointedly looking away.

He picked his cousins out at the Gryffindor table. Dominique glanced up from her giggling fiends to give them a wink, Louis smirked up at them from where he sat, fingering his red and gold tie and delicately rubbing in the fact that he had nothing to worry about this year. Molly was, as ever, studiously ignoring him and Fred. Victoire smiled and waved when she saw James looking, but he thought she looked rather gloomy, sitting a little apart from her friends.

For the umpteenth time, James wished Teddy were still at Hogwarts. As the primary source for his Hogwarts knowledge, the castle seemed incomplete without him lounging at the end of the Gryffindor table, shooting James the thumbs-up and winking beneath his turquoise fringe. It was so unfair that James missed being in school with Teddy by mere months.

"Potter, James!" Professor Lancing called, and James started. He hadn't been paying much attention to the sorting.

At his name, whispers erupted across the hall and all eyes – except Molly's – fixed on him. James froze. Normally he liked being in the spotlight, but usually it was by choice. Fred gave him a small shove, and James stumbled a little before regaining the confident stride he'd practiced in front of his mirror at home (much to Albus's mirth until James had pinned him down and threatened to sell pictures of Albus's teddy bear boxers to the daily prophet if he breathed a word to anybody).

Neville caught his eye and grinned and even McGonagall flashed a tiny smile in his direction. That was enough to surprise James out of his nerves. But then he was on the stool and the hat was being dropped over his eyes.

"Hardly a question here," a decisive voice said in his ear, just as he'd been warned. " Bold, courageous, practically made of daring nerve… not even your father's fame and the world's expectations seem to daunt you. There's nowhere else to put you but GRYFFINDOR!"

And just like that it was over. James didn't even have time to be relieved or proud about what the hat saw in him – what he had been afraid, deep inside, it wouldn't see.

The hat was off his head, the Gryffindor table was going nuts, and James was already speeding down to slap Aaron a high five and flick Louis's ear for being a git, and give Fred a cheeky wave because he was still waiting. What on earth had he been so worried about anyway?

Fred returned the wave with as much cheek and the pair of them both cracked up silently.

Unnoticed by the rest of the hall, there was a small chink of coins as the headmistress collected her winnings. With a name like James Sirius Potter, it hadn't really been a gamble.

There were only two people between Potter and Weasley in their year. Fred waited as "Stimpson Gavin" was made a Ravenclaw and the hat puzzled over "Urqueheart Cassiopeia". He'd expected it to be the most difficult part of the wait, being up there all by himself, but his jitters had left him when James had sped off to the Gryffindor table.

If James was a Gryffindor, he didn't have anything to worry about.

"Weasley, Fred!"

The hat had decided Cassie Urquehart belonged to Ravenclaw, too, and now it was Fred's turn. There was no murmuring for him. The hall was used to Weasleys by this point. But Fred didn't mind the lack of interest the school took in his sorting in the least.

Lancing dropped the hat over his head and Fred waited for that tell-tale voice in his ear.

"You were afraid I'd put you in Slytherin," was the first thing the hat said.

Fred started. He had?

"You were worried all those cunning pranks you've pulled would lead me to the conclusion that you were underhanded. Hm… an interesting way of thinking…"

But, er, you're not, right? Fred thought, a little nervous again. If James isn't –

"But I'm sorting you," the hat cut him off. "You don't want to tarnish your name, I see. You want to live up to your namesake… very loyal to your family. And concerned with 'the line'. For all your mischievous impulses, you worry over crossing 'the line'. That shows compassion and a sense of justice."

You're not seriously trying to put me into Hufflepuff now, are you? Fred asked incredulously. Er, not that that's a terrible thing, but…

"Anyone would tell me you aren't a hard worker?" the hat finished slyly.

Well, yeah.

"Perhaps, but you are honest."

But has anyone ever lied to you? Fred asked. Doesn't honesty come with the whole mind-reading thing anyway?

He thought he might have heard the hat give a wheezy sort of chuckle.

"But to business. You're clever, that's for sure, but rather adverse to the recommended curriculum. Not in pursuit of knowledge, loyal, with a sense of justice, but I would call it nobility. A healthy amount of daring… and plenty of courage. Eager for excitement and unsatisfied with the safe and easy… I can hardly put you anywhere but GRYFFINDOR!"

James's whoop echoed off the star-spangled ceiling as the rest of the table burst into applause and Fred jumped down off the stool to join them with a broad grin.

Albus Severus Potter and Rose Megan Weasley – 2017

"Relax, Al."

"Who says I'm nervous? I'm not nervous. I'm perfectly fine!"

"You're going to bite your lip off if you keep that up."

Albus stopped chewing his lip with difficulty and whispered back to his cousin, "Like you're not freaking out, too."

"Of course I am," Rose breathed as 'Lilton Marshal' was called forward to be sorted. "Just in a much less visible way. You're going to make yourself sick at this rate. Mum says fear is a mental state and you can convince yourself not to be scared."

"I'm not scared," Albus told her.

"Exactly," Rose said approvingly.

Albus looked away from her and spotted James smirking from the Gryffindor table with Fred and their friend Aaron, who were counting dung bombs under the table. James nodded towards the Slytherin table and flashed a wicked grin in his brother's direction. Victoire reached across the table to smack him on the back of the head, Head Girl badge shining. She rolled her eyes at Al and smiled reassuringly. Dominique waved towards both of them from where she and Louis were spinning coins on the table top, trying to knock each other's allowance off the edge. Louis was too busy sending his sister's sickles toppling off the table to look up. Molly had foregone the book this year and was instead sweeping the table with keen eyes, determined to live up to the polished prefect badge on her own chest. Once, maybe by accident, her gaze fell on Rose and Albus and she gave them a tight nod, which Albus took to mean 'good luck' in Molly-speak.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

The blond boy Ron had pointed out on the platform scuttled over to the stool and sat down. Rose eyed him suspiciously.

"Why do you suppose Dad doesn't want me getting 'too friendly' with him?" she whispered.

Albus shrugged.

It took Scorpius Malfoy a long time to be sorted. James kept sending Rabid Rubber bands (from the joke shop of course) zinging over the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables to snap a girl with red hair in the back of the neck or ear. Albus saw her slip her wand discretely into her hand, but James was spared a hex because the hat chose that moment to declare Malfoy a Slytherin. Albus thought he looked an odd mixture of relieved and disappointed as he slid off the stool to let 'McLaggen Connor' strut over for his turn.

The Sorting passed both painfully slowly and much too quickly. It seemed to Albus that he had been waiting for this moment for eternity, waiting to walk to his doom in front of the whole school. He glanced over to the Slytherin table where Malfoy and the redhead were sitting, trying to imagine himself joining them. No matter what his father said, it looked like an unfriendly lot. A thickset, black haired boy was glaring up at Albus and a girl with stringy pigtails was cracking her knuckles menacingly. He gulped.

"Potter, Albus!" Lancing called, and of course the whole hall had to buzz excitedly again at the name, craning necks to get a good look at him.

Rose squeezed his elbow comfortingly, James offered one last smirk, Victoire mouthed 'good luck', Neville winked, and then had perched himself on the edge of the stool, trembling. The hat dropped over his head, and he waited.

And waited. And waited.

Teddy told him the hat spoke in his ear. Shouldn't it have said something by now? What if he was unsortable? What if there had been a mistake and he was really a squib? Panic carried his imagination away.

"Oh, don't worry, there's a place for you. We've just got to find it."

Albus jumped at the voice, even though he'd been desperately waiting to hear it. He thought of what his father had told him.

Erm, Mr. Hat? I'd like to go into Gryffindor, if that's alright.

"You would, would you? And what makes you think you belong there?"

Well, um…

He wasn't brave like his father. He wasn't daring like James. He wasn't bold like Rose. He didn't know if he was noble or chivalrous or any of the other things the hat had used to describe Gryffindor. Why did he belong there, really?

"Well, if that's what you think –"

No! I mean, please don't put me in Slytherin. Anywhere else, but please not there.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Where've I heard that before… but let's see, now. Too cautious to be very ambitious, you put other people before your own ends, not very cunning or sly…"

Albus breathed a small sigh. Anywhere but Slytherin was alright by him. He didn't even care so much if he was the first in his family not to end up in Gryffindor. As long as he didn't have to go sit with that lot that seemed to hate him.

"But that's not to say you couldn't adapt…"

Albus started. What? But I don't fit….

"Not at the moment, not when you don't know where you're going. But if you care enough, you can get quite fierce, can't you? If you find something you want enough, it could bring out great ambition, cunning, you could go far Albus Potter, if you took that fierceness in the right direction… and Slytherin would help you."

I don't want –

"Yes, yes, I know," the hat seemed almost to sigh. "So let's see what's already here, then. Not a bad mind, but no thirst for knowledge… not very bookish… prefer to stay out of the way… You care a great deal about the people around you, and there's certainly a strong sense of justice and fairness here. Enough to fight for it? Loyal, certainly… perhaps Hufflepuff? But the question is, are you brave at heart?"

Albus swallowed. If he had to be honest… well, he was a scardy-cat. James could vouch for that. But maybe, if the hat thought he could be cunning, well, maybe he could become brave too?

"Being fearless is not the same as being brave," the hat told him wisely. "Some are under that delusion, but most courage comes from fear. Think on that Albus Potter. Since you so adamantly oppose Slytherin, we'll give you a try in GRYFFINDOR!"

The hall reappeared around him as the hat flew off his head. Rose beamed at him as Albus jumped down, practically giddy with relief, and made for the screaming table on the far side of the hall. All of his cousins (even Molly) had stood up to clap and cheer him on, even James and Fred's friends. Neville whistled, grinning as Albus sprinted down towards an empty seat by his family. Victoire hugged him, and James, who had teased him so much, grabbed him and swung him around, rubbing his knuckles hard into the top of Al's head, just for good measure.

"Knew you'd make it!" he shouted in Albus's ear.

Albus gave him an incredulous look.

"Then why didn't you say so!"

James just smirked.

Rose watched Albus being welcomed officially into Gryffindor by the rest of her family. Between all their cousins and their cousins' friends, practically half the table had come over to mob him. She wondered if she would be getting that kind of welcome in a few minutes or whether she would shock the world by being the first Weasley in generations put somewhere else.

That was when Rose caught sight of that Malfoy boy watching Albus's reception sullenly from across the hall. What was his problem? But remembering her vow to give him a fair chance, no matter what her father told her, she managed to stop herself jumping to conclusions. Maybe he was just having a bad day.

"Weasley, Rose!"

Rose swallowed. If she didn't have a family reputation to live up to, she thought this might be one of the most exciting moments in her life. But all she could think of as she walked to the stool was her silently waving and cheering cousins at the Gryffindor table and how the world might possibly shudder to a halt if a Weasley landed somewhere besides Gryffindor.

Her father's voice echoed in her head, 'If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you.' He'd been joking, of course, but…

And then the hat was over her eyes and a voice was going in her ear.

"Exceptionally bright, no doubt about that. A drive to learn and achieve, you have your wits about you. Ravenclaw would be a good fit, that's for sure,"

Rose caught her breath. A part of her wanted to be different. A part of her wanted to make her own name for herself in her own house. She would love to be in Ravenclaw. But the image of her cousins all together at the Gryffindor table flashed in her mind. She felt left out already. And would Al be okay all on his own?

"Ah, I see," the hat, who had apparently been observing this inner conflict with great interest, chimed in. "A great sense of loyalty, then. And certainly passionate for justice and equality. Hardworking, not always so patient, though. Very stuck to fact and reason. Yes, you would like Ravenclaw…"

Had the hat shouted the last word? Was it definite? She couldn't tell. But the hat was still over her eyes.

"There's more here than meets the eye," it went on after a moment. "Hm, very interesting. You speak your mind, are sure of yourself, though I wouldn't call you arrogant… Bold is what you are. Prepared to face your fears head-on, stand out. It's tempting to put you in Ravenclaw… but in the end, but there's too much boldness for anywhere but GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word echoed in Rose's ears and almost at once the hat was pulled off her head. For a second, Rose was almost disappointed, that dream of individuality slipping away. But then she spotted all of her cousins going wild, hooting and cheering and waving her over. And has she raced towards them, towards all their different personalities, she thought maybe it wouldn't be so hard to be herself after all. In fact, maybe it would be easier with all of them to help her.

A/N: What did you think? Please tell me! It especially helps to get feedback from this story! One more chapter! Lucy, Roxanne, Lily, and Hugo still left! :D