Chapter 10
Letters and Frogs

Author's Note: Q&A Time:

Q: I don't agree with your thoughts on Harry's words to Albus Though. I think he would have been sincere that Albus would be a wonderful wizard even if he was in Slytherin. Does that make any sense?

A: Oh, I totally agree with you. That was just needed for this story, though I also feel he was quite sincere. It just moves this story along.

(Harry's PoV)

Dear Mum and Dad,

At first I wasn't going to write this to you, because I wasn't sure how you would feel if I told you what I'm writing in this letter. But then I realized that if I didn't write this, you would hear it from James instead of me. I know what kind of stories he makes up, and I wanted you to get the story from me. So here goes...

Last night, the Sorting Hat put me into Slytherin.

Wow, that was tough to write. Yes, you read that right, Mum and Dad. I'm a part of the Slytherin house. The Sorting Hat said I'd do well in Slytherin. I had remembered what you said to me before I went on the train. I remember you said that the hat listens to me. Throughout the train ride, I was thinking that I'd just tell the Sorting Hat to put me in Gryffindor, and I'd be another Potter in the Gryffindor house.

Then... I don't know what happened, Dad. I was sitting on that stool in front of the whole school and the Sorting Hat tells me I'd do well in Slytherin. I remembered that you said I'd be an excellent wizard, even in Slytherin, and that is all I wanted. I wanted to be an excellent wizard like you said I could be, so I just chose for the hat to put me in Slytherin. I didn't think about it too much. I mean Slytherin is just another house in Hogwarts, like Gryffindor. So I didn't think it'd be a big deal.

And then... as I was walking toward the Slytherin table, I heard the other students talking. They seemed to be surprised that a Potter ended up in Slytherin, and I couldn't figure out why that was a surprise. I thought I'd just ask you what they were talking about.

Then Rose told me something that she discovered in one of the school books. She told me about some of the history of Slytherin, and how some student in the house of Slytherin turned out to be this evil bloke. Vold-something... I can't remember his name. But you probably know who I'm talking about. She told me that you, Dad, had something to do with this guy, and that you had problems with him. It sounded so strange, Dad. I wasn't sure whether to believe her, because – well – this is stuff about you. I thought I would have heard about all of this. I thought she might have just made it up or something. What was she talking about, Dad? Are you really this hero that defeated this evil bloke? Why didn't you tell me?

Also, she told me that because this bloke and his cronies were in Slytherin, and they turned out to be evil, that it was rumored that everyone in Slytherin would end up associated in the Dark Arts. That's not true, right? I mean... I'm not going to end up associated with Dark Arts, am I?

I was going to tell you other stuff that happened, but it seems so less important now. I want to send this straight away so I can find out what you think about it. I really hope you'll just tell me that this stuff I've heard is mental and I shouldn't worry about anything. I hope you can tell me that.

Say 'hi' to Lily for me,

Love,
Albus

After he finished the letter, Harry stared at it. He tried to read it over again to make sure he had read everything right, but he couldn't get past the words "Last night, the Sorting Hat put me into Slytherin" before he had to push the piece of parchment away from him.

He looked up at Ginny, who looked as if she wanted to say something to him. On the stove, the pot started to steam a bit, and Harry, who was closer to it, stood up. He walked over to the pot and stirred the mashed potatoes around.

"Harry, are we going to talk about this?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Harry said.

"Harry," Ginny said.

"It's my fault, Ginny!" Harry said.

"Don't say that," Ginny said, "It isn't true."

"It is true," Harry asked, turning toward his wife.

"No one's at fault," Ginny said.

"So it isn't my fault that twelve-and-a-half years ago," Harry said, "I sparked up a conversation where we each made a promise not to tell them anything because we hoped they wouldn't have to deal with it."

A frown creased Ginny's lips.

"So It isn't my fault, you say," Harry continued, "that I told Al he'd be an excellent wizard in Slytherin, just so I wouldn't have to see that innocence leaking away from my son's face?"

Harry slammed the wooden spoon into the pot.

"Not so loud, Harry," Ginny said, "Lily's upstairs playing before dinner. Do you want to put her through this?"

"Why shouldn't we?" Harry asked. "It'd be one less child that I'd have to look in their eyes and lie to them when they ask me why I have a ruddy scar on my head!"

Harry shook his head and sank back into his chair at the table. He grabbed Albus' letter and held it up and showed it to Ginny.

"You read all of this, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"So you read the part," Harry said, "where our son asked me why I didn't tell him anything about what he's probably learning about. I can't imagine what he's heard from Rose. She's as smart as Hermione, but she can't know all of it just yet. Ron and Hermione never told her anything about this either. You know they agreed that we shouldn't tell them anything. Who knows what Rose told Al..."

"Yes, I read that part, Harry," Ginny said.

"And you read the part," Harry said, "where Albus is asking me if he's going to be associated with the Dark Arts because the Sorting Hat placed him in Slytherin?"

"Sure," Ginny said, "But -"

"I worked so hard," Harry said, shaking his head, "So bloody hard on making sure our children wouldn't have to grow up worrying about any of this. I spent these last countless years as an Auror to make sure they wouldn't have to deal with any of this. I should have been focused on telling them our side of it. Now he's going to hear it from school children who have no experience in this and those who -"

He looked at the letter and found the particular part he wanted.

"Those who, and I quote from our son himself," he said, "Those students who were 'surprised that a Potter ended up in Slytherin'. They don't know the half of it, Ginny."

"No, they don't," Ginny said, "But the Professors do. We'll tell Albus he can hear all of this from the Professors. Minerva or Horace or somebody. Hell, Neville could tell Albus. Al's known Neville all his life."

"It was supposed to my job, Ginny!" Harry said, "I'm his father!"

Ginny stared at Harry, and he thought she was going to say something. However, she stood up and walked over to a drawer under one of the counter-tops. A moment later, she placed a piece of parchment, quill and ink on the table in front of Harry.

"Then do your job," Ginny said, "Tell him."

"Like I could get what I want to say out in a letter," Harry said.

"At least try," Ginny said, "Albus needs his father right now. He needs to hear this from you. So, how about you write that letter while I fix dinner?"

Harry stared at the quill in front of him. He didn't even know where to begin.

"And please do calm down, Harry," Ginny said, as she walked over to the stove, "I'm not exactly ready to explain any of this to Lily. She's too young."

Harry nodded in agreement. Even in his rage, he knew his wife was right. One of the best things about Lily, that Harry loved about her, was that she was so pure and innocent and the perfect little girl. He didn't want to see that innocence leave her eyes just yet. She had a couple more years of being a little girl before Hogwarts would make her grow up.

-
(Rose's PoV)

"Alohomora!" Rose said, pointing her wand at the box in front of her.

Rose picked up the box and tried to open the lid. It did not budge at all. Rose groaned. She hadn't gotten any further with the box than she had in Charms class, which wasn't very far to begin with.

It was currently a little after half-past-seven in the evening, and Rose was sitting at one of the tables in the Gryffindor Common Room. She had finished her Transfiguration homework late that afternoon, and had decided to put off the box and journal until after dinner. The Divination journal lay open on the table, though it was still as empty as when she had received it in class. As she stared out the window, toward the star-filled sky, the only thoughts going through her head were how there was no way she could open the box in time for Charms class on Wednesday.

As she stared at the box, trying to figure out how to open it, Rose heard a boy behind her yell 'checkmate!', followed by another boy groaning. She recognized the latter boy's groans and looked over her shoulder. Her cousin, James, was covering his face in his hands as, on the chessboard, the tiny white queen clobbered the tiny black king, sending tiny pieces of the king off the board with a violent force. James looked up from the chessboard and at Rose. She just chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" James asked as he transferred his chair, with him still in it, from the other table to the one Rose was sitting at.

"Just your inability to play wizard's chess," Rose said, grinning.

"Oho!" James said, "my inability, eh? How about I play against you?"

"Sorry, James," Rose said, looking back down at her box, "I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"Already working on homework?" James asked with a scoff.

"Don't want to let it stack up," Rose said.

"You are so like your mother," James said, grinning.

"And you are like your father," Rose retorted.

"Proud of it," James said, with a smirk, "Speaking of my father, have you taken a gander at your History of Magic book yet?"

"I don't wish to talk about that right now," Rose said.

"Why?" James asked. "Last night you were pretty curious."

"You haven't talked to Albus today, have you?" Rose asked.

"It's a bit difficult to talk to my brother," James said, "when he's in a different House and he doesn't care to show up for meal time."

Rose nodded. Albus hadn't bothered to show up for dinner when she was there.

"Why?" James asked, "Have you talked to him?"

Rose sighed and nodded. She then explained what had happened throughout that day: from her and Scorpius' conversation in the Owlery and Albus showing up, then to her conversation with him on the stairs leading to the Grand Staircase. By the time she was finished, James' mouth was agape.

"So Albus thinks that, since he is in Slytherin," James said, "he's going to end up a bloke associated in the Dark Arts?"

"It's not funny, James," Rose said, sensing a smile on James' lips.

"I'm not laughing, Rosie," James said, "I can't believe you told him that."

"It's what Scorpius told me," Rose said.

"Scorpius?" James asked, "You mean the Malfoy kid?"

"Yeah," Rose said.

James scoffed and shook his head.

"What?" Rose asked.

"I can't believe you talked to that kid," James said, "Everyone knows the Malfoys are scum."

"Scorpius seems okay," Rose said.

"He seems okay?" James echoed, "And yet you and him had a conversation that ended up with my brother mad at you?"

"That wasn't Scorpius' fault," Rose said. "I started that conversation."

"I should never have told you any of that stuff," James said, "I should have let you learn it in class or something. Now I have to find Albus before he does something really serious."

"If you're talking about him writing to your parents," Albus said, "I think he did that around lunchtime."

James gaped at Rose.

"Ugh!" he said, standing up, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Now I gotta go write a letter to my Mum and Dad and explain this whole thing to them."

Before Rose could reply, James headed off toward the staircase and up to the boys' dormitory. Rose rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the box in front of her.

"Alohomora!" Rose said, pointing her wand at the box.

Rose tried to open it again, and yet again it didn't budge. Rose groaned loudly. Behind her, she heard someone chuckling. Rose rolled her eyes as Scorpius came into view and sat down in a chair across the table, laying his knapsack on the seat beside his.

"I'm not in the mood right now, Malfoy," Rose said.

"I'm not here to talk about your cousin," Scorpius said, "I thought you might like a bit of help with that box there."

Rose looked up the box, toward Scorpius.

"Don't tell me you already opened yours," Rose said.

Scorpius grinned. He opened up the knapsack, and a moment later, placed the box in front of him.

"Alohomora," Scorpius said, pointing his wand at the box.

Rose gaped as the lid to the box opened on its own.

"H-how?" Rose asked.

"Enough determination and concentration," Scorpius said, "and you can do anything."

"I think I've had enough of both, thank you very much," Rose grumbled.

"Well, I'll believe the determination part," Rose said, "But not the concentration part."

"Oh really?" Rose asked.

"Yes, really," Scorpius said. "Concentration requires your mind emptied of everything else, except for the want to perform the task successfully. Can you honestly say your mind is empty?"

Rose sighed as she looked down at her box. No, her mind was certainly not empty.

"I didn't think so," Scorpius said, "judging by your Divination journal, which is pitifully empty, you've kept your thoughts to yourself and not let them out."

"I doubt Firenze wants to hear about my personal troubles," Rose said. "So what did Flitwick say? Were you the first to show him the open box?"

"I – er – haven't shown him yet," Scorpius said.

"Why?" Rose asked. "You don't want the reward? You deserve it for opening the box."

"I know someone who deserves it more," Scorpius said, raising his eyebrows.

Rose blushed.

"That's very sweet of you, Malfoy," Rose said, "But you deserve it. Besides, it is only a homework pass. The house points will be for our whole house. So we all win. I'll probably be one of the last to open it. If I do open it at all."

"Don't say that," Scorpius said. "Come on. Just try it. Empty your mind of everything else. Concentrate on the box."

Rose sighed and tried to concentrate on the box in front of her.

"Alohomora!" she said, once again pointing her wand at the box.

She tried to open the box, but once again, it didn't budge.

"See?" Rose said, "I can't do it."

"What would your mother say if she heard you say that?" Scorpius asked.

Rose pouted.

"Close your eyes," Scorpius said.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Just do it," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

Rose sighed and closed her eyes.

"I feel stupid," Rose said.

"That's not going to help you," Scorpius said. "Just concentrate on the box. It is only you and the box. Nothing else but you and the box exists in the world."

"If that was so, I wouldn't have to listen to you," Rose said.

"You're not helping," Scorpius said.

Rose pouted again. She then took a deep breath, clearing her mind of everything. Just her and the box. Nothing else. She wanted to know what was in the box, if there was anything. She was determined to open it. She wanted to show Professor Flitwick that she could do it. She then exhaled, opened her eyes and pointed her wand at the box.

"Alohomora," she said.

Rose stared at the box in front of her, and just as she was about to give up, she heard the near-silent sound of metal. Suddenly, the box popped open. Rose raised her eyebrows, grinning, then looked up at Scorpius.

"Well done," Scorpius said..

Rose nodded slowly and looked down at the box. She opened it all the way, and found a Chocolate Frog package, as well as a tiny piece of parchment. She picked up the piece of parchment and read it.

Congratulations! You have opened the box and have earned yourself a homework pass for the following class. See me and I'll tell you if you earned 50 points for your house.

Professor Flitwick

Rose looked from the parchment to Scorpius.

"It says I get a homework pass," Rose said, "But I thought it was only for the first -"

"Turns out everyone who opens it gets the homework pass," Scorpius said, "Just one gets the house points."

"You could have told me that!" Rose said.

A smirk crossed Scorpius' lips, and Rose rolled her eyes. She opened the chocolate frog package and popped the frog into her mouth before it could scamper off. She took out the card from the package, and looked at it. Her mouth fell open in shock.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius asked.

"I – er – it's," Rose stammered.

She couldn't find her voice. She was staring at the face of her own father. Scorpius rolled his eyes and grabbed the card.

"Oi!" Rose said, "Give that back."

"I just want to see," Scorpius said, before looking at the card, "Oh, its one of the new additions this year."

"My father," Rose gasped.

"I see where you get all those freckles from," Scorpius said, grinning.

Rose narrowed her eyes and snatched the card from Scorpius. She turned it over and looked at the back of the card. It read:

Ronald Billius Weasley (1980 - ?)
Auror with the British Ministry of Magic. Helped Harry Potter defeat the dark wizard, Voldemort. Earned a Special Services to the School Award for helping destroy the Basilisk in Salazar Slytherin's infamous Chamber of Secrets. Keeper for Gryffindor House Quidditch Team from 1995-1997. Ron enjoys playing Wizards Chess and spending time with his wife, Hermione Weasley, formerly Granger, and his kids.

"Wow," Rose said, "My father on a Chocolate Frog Card."

"You didn't know that?" Scorpius asked, "The new additions were made this past summer. I must have half-a-dozen different copies of your father's card."

"I don't collect them," Rose said, shaking her head.

She turned the card over and looked at her father's face. He was smiling up at her. She smiled back.

"It's your Uncle Harry's card that's really hard to get," Scorpius said, "They're extremely rare."

"I had one," Rose said, "Got it on the train yesterday."

Scorpius gaped at Rose.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Where is it?" Scorpius asked, "I'd do anything to have that card. Please tell me you still have it."

"Nope, sorry," Rose said, "Flew out the window of the train."

"Please tell me you are joking!" Scorpius said.

Rose shook her head.

"Ugh, women!" Scorpius groaned.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Rose asked.

"Er – I – er, I said," Scorpius stammered, then shook his head, "Never mind, how about we go see Professor Flitwick then. If we're lucky he'll still be in the Great Hall for dinner."

"Scorpius," Rose said, "You deserve the credit, not me."

"I insist," Scorpius said, "Call it a favor. You can do something for me later. Besides, like you said, it'll be a win for Gryffindor either way."

Rose narrowed her eyes.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Rose said, standing up. "All right, let's go."

"After you, Clumsy," Scorpius said, with a smirk.

Thought I'd end it there. You'll see Harry's letter to Albus in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one!