AN: Alright so...this is the big send off! I hope I didn't butcher it too badly! From here on out it will be mostly Next Gen, with some snippets of back home and everything, but this is the springboard! I honestly don't know how long this story will last, but I'll just have to ride it out for now. Hopefully you all stick around for the ride as well! Enjoy!
"Mum, this is so cool!" Scorpius held up his arms for the fifth time in an hour, showing off the Quidditch braces Theodore had purchased earlier that morning. "I'm going to make the team as a First Year, just like Uncle Harry!"
"You really shouldn't encourage him like this." Hermione admonished Theodore, who shrugged and eyed the recently released Thundercloud Seventy Five as it spun in its display case. "And definitely not, not even for yourself."
"I was thinking Christmas." He replied with a smile, tossing a wink to Scorpius for good measure. The boy beamed and tugged on his mother's sleeve.
"Ollivander's! It's open now!" Scorpius pointed out the window at the wand shop, which was indeed open and had a line flowing already from the door. "Let's go!" He darted out of the Quidditch shop before Hermione could protest and left the adults to follow hastily. Theodore was a little faster, even laden with shopping bags, and made it out onto the overcrowded street, his eyes surveying the scene. A small flash of white gold caught his attention and he sprang forward, nearly bowling Scorpius over as the child had abruptly stopped in front of the long line. He stared, slack jawed, at the display of rows upon rows of wands in the storefront, his eyes glassed over in amazement. Hermione let out an audible huff of aggravation as she finally caught up.
"You can't just go running out like that, Scor!" She scolded, grabbing his arm and marching with him to the end of the line. Theodore followed dutifully, one arm lifting so he could dangle the bags over his shoulder. "There are too many people here to be wandering around on your own!"
"Mum!" He scowled and tore his arm from her grasp.
"I'm serious, Scorpius! You could have been hurt!"
"Mum I'm fine! Tell her I'm fine so she'll stop bugging me!" Scorpius demanded of Theodore, who took one look at his fiancée and then turned to the boy.
"Perhaps you should listen to your mother. She is only concerned for you." Scorpius narrowed his eyes at Theodore and shook his head, his arms crossing over his chest in annoyance.
Whatever annoyance the boy held for the adults, however, was quickly erased as they entered the wand shop and he was surrounded by attendants who were eager to help the young boy find his proper wand.
"Careful where you swish that thing, you haven't learned yet!" Hermione hollered as Scorpius ran ahead to meet the Potter family as they stood on the Muggle platform. She didn't mind him waving a wand on the Muggle platform simply because she knew to the Muggles it would look like the child had an imagination.
Muggles always turned a conveniently blind eye to so many magical happenings.
"You are going to absolutely go insane without him, no?" Theodore hummed in her ear as they walked, his arm finding its way around her waist easily. She nodded and smiled emotionally, leaning into her fiancé as they moved in tandem. "He will be fine. He is a strong and remarkable boy. You have done well, raising him."
"I just worry." She murmured in reply.
"-Quidditch braces and they put the new broom on display too, but-
"-in red, and Mum said she can stitch my name on the back for backyard games and then-"
"-like a regular barn owl, Harry, for goodness' sakes, not a-"
"-didn't have them last time, you know, and I only got one copy-"
The Potter family was a cacophony of jumbled voices, all fighting to be the loudest over each other. Harry and Ginny were heatedly discussing Harry's purchase of an eagle owl for Albus, who was chattering wildly with Scorpius over the Quidditch gear. James was showing his newest edition of a Quidditch tactical book to both of the younger boys. Lily had buried her face in the soft fur of Scorpius' familiar, a beautifully marked Norwegian Forest cat. The younger children had been left to the care of Arthur and Molly for the morning.
"Morning all!" Hermione had to practically yell to get everyone's attention but she received a harmony of answers. Moving as a group they approached the entrance to Platform 9 and ¾, James running through first with Harry right on his heels.
Theodore extended a hand down to Scorpius, who looked up at him anxiously.
"It does not hurt, no matter what lie James has told you."
"So I won't come out the other side with my legs and arms switched?" Scorpius was visibly relieved as he took hold of Theodore's hand. Hermione laughed heartily and pushed the cart full of Scorpius' things through the barrier, her men following moment later.
Again the blond boy went slack jawed in appreciation as he gazed upon the gleaming ruby engine of the Hogwarts Express. His awe was shortlived as Albus took hold of his arm and began bouncing excitedly. Together the two new additions started running along the length of the train. Hermione strained her neck to try and see where they went, shooting a helpless glance at Theodore. He just smiled and jerked his head to the right, where George and Angelina were standing as they overlooked Fred. Teddy was waiting with them as well, his hair turning a shocking shade of blue. Sure enough Scorpius and Albus made their presence known, snatching the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff robes from the older boys in clear fascination.
"Robes?"
"Check!"
"Books?"
"Check!"
"Familiar?"
"Check!"
"Potion?"
"Locked in the bottom of the trunk with two extra in my bag." Scorpius beamed up at Hermione, who was valiantly fighting tears, and he leaned forward to embrace her tightly. "I'll be fine Mum. I swear."
"I know you will, darling." She folded her hands across the back of his head, pressing him closer to her chest for the last time before he boarded the train. Scorpius gave Hermione one last squeeze, breaking their hug to dart over to Theodore.
"You promise it's not bad in Slytherin? Just in case I get Sorted there?"
"I promise on my life." Theodore grinned. Scorpius nodded and set his jaw. Theodore held out his hand, surprised when Scorpius stepped forward and threw his arms around the man's waist.
The loud whistle of the train broke their embrace and Scorpius ran back to Hermione, a final hug exchanged. He then turned to Albus, who was extracting himself with some difficulty from Ginny. Hermione held tightly to Theodore's hand as she finally began to cry, her emotions winning out.
"I threatened James within an inch of his life if he let Al and Scor fall by the wayside." Harry admitted as he stood in between Ginny and Hermione.
"Your bark is worse than your bite, Harry." Hermione chuckled, wiping at her eyes. "If we really wanted to make sure he listened we would have enlisted Theo."
"And what exactly are you saying?" Theodore frowned, giving Hermione, Harry, and Ginny an odd look.
"Just that our oldest son is dreadfully frightened of you ever since he saw a pair of Slytherins hang a Hufflepuff upside down by their ankles before breakfast last term. Thinks they're all barbarians and crazed lunatics." Ginny snorted. "Not off by much."
"Gin." Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to the train, searching for the window into the compartment that held Scorpius. At long last she found him, his face pressed against the glass as he waved. The train was barely moving, inching along the track until it picked up speed and soon, too soon, the whistle had faded into the distance and the train became too small to see.
"Budge up, Firstie." Teddy snickered as he plopped down on the seat next to Scorpius. Fred was sandwiched between the Potter brothers, all three vigorously unwrapping sweets. "So, excited yet?"
"Yeah." Scorpius nodded and caught the Chocolate Frog Albus tossed him. He ripped the package open, turning the card over. "Your dad again."
"I have about a hundred of him." James rolled his eyes and checked his own card. "Uncle Ron." He tossed the card aside. "Honestly, you'd think they make cards about interesting people."
"They do!" Teddy grinned. "But only on Halloween."
"What?" Scorpius and Albus said together, looking to the older boy. Fred nodded.
"Yeah, they make special editions and release them on Halloween. Don't you idiots know that? Teddy had that card of…who was it again?" Fred tilted his head to the left, trying to remember.
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Teddy said spookily. "Craziest witch that ever lived. Torturer, Dark magic specialist, and second in command to Lord Voldemort."
"Damaged in the head, he is." Fred said of Teddy, who was grinning like a fool. "Thinks it's his life's goal to collect all the Death Eater cards."
"Death Eater?" Scorpius piped up, intrigued. James scoffed.
"Don't tell me you've never heard of the Death Eaters."
"No." Scorpius shook his head honestly. James, Fred, and Teddy all gaped at him. Even Albus was giving him a weird look.
"Don't you know how our dad even got famous, or did you miss all the dinner shows?" James said haughtily. Scorpius nodded.
"Yeah, sure, he defeated Voldemort."
"Not to mention dozens of Death Eaters." Teddy said, exasperated.
"He put tons of them in Azkaban!" Fred spluttered around a mouthful of Every Flavor Beans.
"And Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione helped!" James added. Albus nodded, his mouth too full of chocolate to properly assist the conversation. "She hasn't ever told you?"
"I mean, I never asked. She was just always…Mum." Scorpius shrugged and popped open a box of licorice wands. "Anyway, all I care about right now is which House I'll get."
"Probably Ravenclaw." Albus finally said as he swallowed his candy. "With the way Aunt Hermione is, her smarts probably rubbed off on you."
"But who knows, since Theo was a Slytherin, and you've been around him a ton, he's probably infected you or something." James teased. Fred and Teddy laughed loudly, poking at Scorpius with their fingers.
"You're covered in Slytherin germs!"
"Am not!"
"Are too, look at him, the little snake!"
"I am not, and I won't!" Scorpius cried, suddenly defensive. "I won't be in Slytherin!" His face had paled considerably and his hands were shaking. Teddy was the first to notice and he reached out to the younger boy.
"It's alright Scor, we were only teasing." Teddy said quickly. He nudged James discreetly and the oldest Potter began digging through Scorpius' bag on the floor. "Here. You look peaky."
Scorpius unstopped the bottle of Blood Replenishing Potion and downed it in a few gulps, the color returning to his face slowly. The other boys sat in silence as Scorpius scowled at the window.
"Sorry Scor."
"S'alright." The blond muttered, embarrassment seeping in. Albus broke the uncomfortable quiet with a loud belch, enticing a round of laughter from the compartment that led back into easy taunting and bickering.
Scorpius stared, numb, at the stool at the front of the Great Hall. To his left stood Albus, and all around them were their classmates, all dressed identically in plain black robes and hats. Only the Hogwarts crest adorned their robes and it would soon change to the House where they had been Sorted. An elderly witch moved to the podium at the front, right behind the stool where the Sorting Hat was perched as it sang the end of its song.
With a smile, the witch looked down upon the group of First Years and unrolled a long piece of parchment.
"Let the Sorting begin." She announced, a twinkle dancing through her eyes as she scanned the first name on the list.
"Melinda Avery." A small girl with two long black plaits of hair skipped up the steps to the stool and sat obediently, the Sorting Hat placed gently on her head. A few moments passed before the Hat erupted in a roar.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"She looks like a badger." Albus snickered as the girl bounced to the table of yellow clad students, her robes transforming to match.
"Hansen Burdgeon."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Alexis Carter."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
By the time the witch had reached the end of the F's, there were three Gryffindors, four Hufflepuffs, two Ravenclaws, and not a single Slytherin. Scorpius shifted in his shoes, casting a glance at the table of green robed students who were looking slightly put off. The numbers at their table were significantly smaller than the rest of the other tables and for a moment Scorpius wondered why, and if the tales James had told him were true and that it took someone really evil to wind up there.
He was so caught up in his thinking that he jumped when Albus elbowed him, gesturing to the stool and the witch smiling at him. His breath caught in his throat.
Scorpius reached up to straighten his nondescript tie and took the first step towards the Sorting Hat stool, hoping he didn't trip on the way. He finally reached the seat and climbed up onto it, watching as the brim of the Sorting Hat settled over his eyes. He nearly gasped when he heard a whisper in his ear.
"Interesting. Very interesting. All the brains and ambition you could ever need. No doubt a smart boy. And curious too. Powerful blood indeed, pure as ever. Such talent taught, I see, but what an open heart for a Malfoy. Your bloodline speaks for itself, my boy, it will soon be made known. It's your fate, and you'll soon begin, best of luck to you in-
-SLYTHERIN!"
His blood roared in his ears. His heart had surely stopped. Time itself seemed to freeze as Scorpius became the first Slytherin of his class. He sought out James, Fred, and Teddy at their tables. Teddy looked utterly distraught, his earlier teasing now a haunting reality. Fred offered him a grim smile and James looked to be on the verge of true tears as Scorpius turned his eyes to the table of green robed and clapping people. Slowly he started to walk there, wishing he could slam the Sorting Hat back on his head and ask for a different House.
He gasped when the edges of his robes morphed into an emerald hue and the patch over his heart shifted into the silver and green crest of Slytherin. He swallowed thickly against his rising emotions, deaf to the other names being called as he finally took a seat at the end of the row of students. Many shook his hand, welcoming him to their House with smiles and hearty claps on the back.
"I'm Galen. Second Year."
"Scorpius." He shook the hand of the russet haired boy beside him, a little of his unease settled by the introduction.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to the reputation." Galen shrugged and repositioned himself so he could properly watch the Sorting. Scorpius mimicked his actions, desperately hoping for another Slytherin to pop up in his class.
Eight more students were called and Sorted and not a one wound up in green with Scorpius. At long last, a tan skinned girl with sharp eyes was Sorted into the house of snakes and joined Scorpius at the table. She sat across from him, hawk eyes darting from face to face. Once again Galen reached out to welcome her and, as he had for Scorpius, Galen seemed to calm the girl. Scorpius held out his hand next.
"Scorpius." He introduced politely.
"Roshni." She shook his hand once and dropped it, still squirming a little in her seat. She turned to the Sorting and then back again suddenly, holding Scorpius' eyes with her own. "You can call me Rosh."
And Scorpius knew then that he had somehow, by some miracle, made two friends. His attention was directed to the front when Albus' name was called out. He craned his neck to see over Roshni's head. Albus sat perfectly still on the stool, his eyes trained on the Gryffindor table, obviously focused on Fred and James. After a few minutes the Hat started to hum thoughtfully, as if it were making a terribly tough decision. The witch waiting behind the stool began to tap her foot impatiently. The Hat opened its mouth once, twice, and then shut it, still confused. Scorpius knew that Hat was still whispering in Albus' ear, trying to figure him out, and then suddenly the Hat roared to life again.
"SLYTHERIN!"
AN: Well...let me know what you think please!
