Author's Note: Hello, faithful fans! Alright, that sounded a bit high handed, sorry. Anyway, I'm really sorry for the delay in posting new chapters. I've been having my finals going on. My last paper for this semester is tomorrow, and it's a paper nobody cares about, so my studies are unofficially over. So, I'm back on the fan fiction circuit! Here's Chapter Four : Gossip and Gryffindor. Hope it makes up for the long-ish break!
Rose and the rest of the new Gryffindors spent most of the meal talking and getting to know each other. Well, except for Scorpius. Most people seemed to be taking his Malfoy ancestry seriously, and trying not to actively involve him in the conversation. He didn't seem to care, either. He kept his eyes on the scrumptious meal appearing on the table, course by course, and kept his slightly turned up nose in the air. Of course, it took the new Gryffindors-emboldened by the comfort of having been Sorted into the House of their choice-no time at all to write him off as a snob.
Rose and Al were munching their way through mashed potatoes, peas, and juicy slivers of ham when James said, diverting the topic of conversation from Quidditch, "I think it's time they made a new Sorting Hat. This one's beginning to malfunction. It put a Malfoy in Gryffindor!" The table was extremely noisy, so Scorpius, sitting many places away, didn't hear. But the rest of the Gryffindors nodded and made "hmm"ing noises in agreement through mouthfuls of mashed potato. "I don't think it's so weird," said Albus unexpectedly, "Uncle Sirius came from an all-Slytherin family, but he got into Gryffindor, didn't he?" "But that's different!" exclaimed James, looking scandalised, "Uncle Sirius was...more Gryffindor than old Godric himself!" A few of James's gormless mates chuckled at this statement. Clearly, they played Follow-the-Leader. But Al didn't. "Maybe Scorpius is, too." he said softly, glancing at the boy sitting in the middle of a crowded table, but still all alone. James narrowed his eyes, and Rose had a nasty feeling Al would get a reaming-out later. James was famous for his temper. And his opinions. However, James changed the topic. "So, young Rosie. Are you ready to take over the mantle from our dear Cousin Victoire?" "What mantle?" asked Rose, glancing at where blonde, pale, sharp-featured Victoire sat with her girlfriends further down the Gryffindor table, "Head Girl?" James rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. His mates chuckled. "No, my little first year. You can become Head Girl only in your seventh year," he said slowly, exaggerating his mock-sweet tone, "I'm talking about the mantle of Hogwarts's Most Desired Girl." "Don't be stupid," said Rose dismissively, blushing almost as red as her hair. "Oh sweetheart, you may have Aunt Hermione's brains, but you're also Ginny Potter's niece. Don't forget that." he winked. "Riiiight." said Rose sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Aunt Ginny had been quite the heartbreaker while at Hogwarts, they'd heard. She'd also been voted no. 1 on Witch Weekly's Britain's Most Beautiful Sportswomen list for three consecutive years back when she still played with the Holyhead Harpies. But since this particular prediction was coming from James, Rose didn't take him too seriously.