A/N: Hello! Sorry for the long time it took to update; don't know exactly when I last did (and nobody tell me, it's better this way... haha). But I did tell you not to expect it for a while. And I'm going to tell you the same thing about Chapter 8... awkward. But in the meantime, thanks for reading thus far and please enjoy Chapter 7!

PS: This chapter covers a few of Al's classmates. I have made some changes to Chapter 6 regarding them, so if a name seems unfamiliar, different, etc. Go back and read Chapter 6 again- it may have changed.

Chapter 7

House Woes

Suddenly, the golden plates before Albus filled feet high full of food. Not just one kind of food, either. Why, as he looked down the table, he could see that every inch of it was covered in a new dish. He piled about fifty different types of delicious looking meats, savoury sauces, and steaming vegetables onto his plate and dug in.

It was nearly ten minutes later before he came up for air. He looked next to him to Scorpius. However, it was quite obvious that his new friend was not as enthusiastic about the glorious cuisine as Albus. In fact, Scorpius had gone entirely pale and was staring blankly at his empty golden plate.

Albus swallowed his mouthful of beef. "Scorpius?" He asked delicately.

"My dad's going to kill me," Scorpius gaped, more to himself than anyone.

Al put down his fork and caught Scorpius' eye when he glanced up. The blonde boy had a positively terrified expression on his face.

"Why would he do that?" Rose chimed in. "Gryffindor is the best house, and you should be proud to be in it. Don't you remember what you told us on the train?"

"I know, but that was when I still expected to be in Slytherin," Scorpius mumbled. "And I never said I wanted to be in Gryffindor, I just wasn't excited about being in Slytherin."

"Well, now you don't have to be!" Albus said, trying to make his friend a bit happier. "And your dad doesn't even have to know!"

"He'll find out," Scorpius said miserably. "I have cousins already in Slytherin. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew tomorrow. I'll probably get a Howler."

"That's not fair!" Rose exclaimed.

"That's my father," Scorpius said. "He's many things, but fair is one thing he's never really been."

Albus felt his heart ache for the boy sitting beside him. He thought about his own dad, whom he couldn't wait to write as soon as he left dinner and whom he knew would be absolutely thrilled that his son was a Gryffindor. He remembered his dad teaching him and James how to play Quidditch, reading to them when they were younger, and roughhousing with the boys when they grew older. They were some of his fondest memories. He just never realized that some people didn't have the same adoring images of their parents.

With that, Scorpius became quiet. He served himself a bit of rice and picked at it in silence for the next fifteen minutes. It was then that the Headmistress McGonagall stood once more.

She cleared her throat and everyone in the Great Hall simultaneously put down their forks. The platters of food cleared themselves, suddenly sparkling clean. The hum of chatter across the banquet tables hushed as the woman began her speech.

"Good evening," She said almost coldly. "And I hope you all are nice and fed from your journey. There are just a few announcements to get through before we send you all up to bed. Firstly, students are reminded to keep out of the Forbidden Forest without express written permission from Professor Hagrid, Mr. Filch, or myself. Mr. Filch has also requested that all students take notice of the list of banned items located in all the House common rooms and outside of his office, as he has added a significant number of products, including Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes new line of Pranking Potions, amongst others. Finally, as a temporary development, the staff is asking that students avoid the Third Floor corridor for the year. And just to ward off those of you who will undoubtedly try to find their way around this rule—"

Albus couldn't help but notice James and his friends snicker.

"Let me dispel all rumours now: What lies in the Third Floor corridor is strict Ministry classified business that concerns no one but the Ministry and the Hogwarts teachers. It is absolutelynothing of importance to students such as yourselves. Anystudents caught meandering about the corridor will be punished mostseverely." Professor McGonagall emphasized her last sentence. No one in the hall moved until she clapped her hands, ending the speech with a shrill, "That will be all. Have a nice evening everyone."

All at once, the Great Hall transformed from an arena of silence to a bustling sea of noisy students all anxious to get to their dormitories. Amongst the frenzy, Albus spotted his cousin, Molly, a fifth-year prefect, yelling for the first years to follow her.

"Albus, come on!" Rose scolded him. She had already rushed ahead to the front of the pack of first-years. Albus pushed his way next to her, Scorpius at his heels. The nine new Gryffindors struggled to make it out of the Great Hall, but once they did, their journey up seven flights of moving stairs was easy and amusing.

Albus ignored everything that Molly was saying to them while she led them up through the castle and chose to take everything in. The moving portraits waved hello like they had to many generations of first years before him. He felt slightly self-conscious, for it seemed like every time he passed one, the occupants would point and whisper. Once, he swore he heard a knight yell out, "Rise, son of the warrior Harry Potter, to my challenge!" But when he looked back, the knight had vanished in pursuit of the Ravenclaws.

Finally, they reached a portrait of a large woman in a silky pink gown. Upon arriving at it, the woman opened her mouth.

"Password?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Hungarian Horntail," Molly spoke crisply. The lady nodded and swung open to reveal a small tunnel. The eleven year olds climbed through it, and when they came out, all of their eyes were wide and their mouths gaping.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room," Molly said proudly, flipping her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. "The boys' dormitories are on your left, and the girls' on your right. All of your possessions should be waiting in your rooms. Breakfast will begin in the Great Hall tomorrow at seven and classes will begin by nine. You best be on time to receive your schedules. Good night."

The Gryffindors separated into their respective sides of the tower. Albus waved good-bye to Rose, who did not respond, but had sped up the staircase to the girls dorms.

He entered the room labelled First Years above the door with Scorpius. There were five four-poster beds spread in a circle around the room, and sure enough, Al's trunk was sitting neatly beside one right beside the window, with Godric perched in his cage atop the dresser. To his left was Scorpius' bed, and the right was a handsome boy with dark curls that he didn't know.

Albus went over to begin to unpack his pajamas. The boy to his right started talking to him.

"I like your owl," said the boy enthusiastically.

"Thanks!" Albus said. "I call him Godric."

"Ah, you must have been pretty sure you'd be in Gryffindor then," the boy replied. Albus shrugged. The boy went on.

"My whole family was in Hufflepuff. Quite a shock for me to be here, but I'm not complaining. Gryffindor is supposed to be the best, isn't it? Of course, the only downside is that my sister got sorted into Hufflepuff. Stephanie Hopkins. I'm Ian. We're twins." He said this all so quickly that Albus could hardly think of a reply. He simply nodded.

"Is Hufflepuff still good?" A rather high pitched voice asked from the corner. A short, blonde boy had spoken.

"Well, of course!" Ian responded, shocked that the blonde boy would assume otherwise. "They're the hardest working. You'd think some of the best grades on the O.W.L and N.E.W.T exams would come from Ravenclaw, but actually it's Hufflepuff."

"Er, what are the Owl and Newt exams?" The blonde boy asked shyly. "I hadn't heard of them. But then again, I haven't heard of a lot. I'm Muggle-born, you see. Name's Fredrick Parks, but you can call me Fred."

"Ah, you don't need to worry about them yet," Ian said. "We don't take them until fifth and seventh years. Huge wizarding tests."

"You're Muggle-born, you say?" The final boy finally spoke up. The dark-skinned boy was located at the bed beside Scorpius. Fred nodded.

"So's my mum," explained the boy. He was crouched down at his trunk, already hanging up posters for Puddlemere United Quidditch, but Albus could tell that he was very tall. "And my dad, too, for all we know. He never knew his dad, but we think he was a wizard as well. Either way, my grandparents are all Muggles, so I get it. But I do think it's quite odd, how they choose to substitute magic and all. I'm Evan, by the way. Evan Thomas."

Evan and Fred began discussing Muggle affairs. Ian turned to Albus.

"And who are you then?" he asked.

"Albus Potter," Al replied, holding out his hand. "Pureblood."

Ian accepted his handshake warmly, raising his eyebrows. "Potter, did you say?" Al nodded.

"Interesting." Ian bit his lip, thinking. Albus frowned. Why was everyone so fascinated by his last name?

"I'm Scorpius." Al's friend finally spoke up. "Scorpius Malfoy. Also Pureblooded, and also House-confused, like you."

Ian chuckled a bit. "And where were you supposed to be then?"

"Slytherin." Scorpius said solemnly. The other two boys quieted at the sound of their rival house.

"Ah, that's the bad one," Fred acknowledged, clearly quite proud that he remembered. Scorpius nodded sadly.

"My whole family's been there for centuries, 'cept for a few cousins of my Grandmother's or something. I don't know what they're going to say when they find out I'm here." He professed.

"Well, I'd be right proud to be breaking that evil spell!" Ian announced. Scorpius perked up a bit.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, mate," Evan consoled. "What's done is done."

"Yeah," Fred agreed.

Albus gave his friend a comforting look. Scorpius returned it with a miserable smile.

Albus and the other boys silently put on their pajamas and climbed into their warm, new beds. The lights went out instantly, but Albus rolled over onto his side to look out the window. Gryffindor tower had a beautiful view of the rolling hills and the forest beyond. Albus smiled slightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

Gryffindor. Finally.