Title: Hogwarts, Class of 2024: Year Three
Setting: Hogwarts; September 2020 to June 2021
Summary: Albus Potter and Rose Weasley find their own way in the world during their seven years at Hogwarts, taught by Professors Neville Longbottom, Gabrielle Delacour, and Teddy Lupin.
Author's Note: Well, Gustav passed, and Ike passed, and so I figured, in celebration for that, it's time for the next chapter. Here it is. Enjoy!

Hogwarts, Class of 2024
Year Four

Chapter Eight

They had failed their Herbology project, because they never got to work on it, and Oliver was fuming that Albus didn't seem to care. And his anger just drove Albus away further—he just came by before lights-out, went to sleep, and left first thing in the morning. Oliver didn't know where he went; he just assumed he was hanging out with the Slytherins.

Brendan, Katie, and Rose noticed the feud, too—and Oliver refused to talk to them about it. He just sat there, reading, studying, doing whatever independently—brooding, most likely, too. They started to leave him alone, knowing that it would blow over faster if they didn't provoke him. He was too proud—much too proud.

Oliver was sitting there, alone, on his bed, when James came in.

"Where's Albus?" he asked.

"I haven't seen him," Oliver said coldly. "He hasn't been around all week; we had a fight four days ago."

"Over that Herbology thing?" James asked. "Damn it, Wood, you'd better resolve it before our match on Saturday."

"I'll reserve it when I bloody well want to, thanks," Oliver snapped.

"All right," James replied. "All right, do whatever you want. I just thought Gryffindor was important to you, is all."

"It is important to me," he replied. "More important than it is to your snot-nosed brother—spending all of his time hanging out with his Slytherin girlfriend."

James's eyes narrowed. "Albus's girlfriend is a Slytherin?"

Oliver thought for a moment, whether to say anything. "Yes," he said finally. "Cassie Malfoy. You probably know her."

"I've seen her," James said slowly. "I'd have said she was cute if she wasn't a Slytherin—and damn it, a Malfoy! When Dad hears about this—"

"No, wait!" Oliver gasped. "You can't tell him. You can't let Albus know I told you."

Scorpius was pacing around his empty Slytherin dormitory. "So it's Finnigan or Carrow that they're after?"

"I don't know," Albus said. "I'm worried for them—and I can't to Oliver about it, and I didn't know who else I could tell."

"What I don't understand," Scorpius said slowly, "is why Finnigan or Carrow have 'king's blood' in their veins."

"I can't tell you that," Albus replied. "I swore I wouldn't—and my word to my friends is the most important thing to me right now."

"I don't understand," he said. "If it'll help me figure out how to help you—isn't that important too?"

"Very," he said. "But I can't tell you."

"Fine," Scorpius said curtly. "I don't know how to help you, then, unless you just want me to track them or something—make sure they don't go out of bounds."

"I've been doing that," Albus said, reaching in his pocket for the Marauder's Map, "on this."

"That's incredible," the Slytherin said breathlessly. "Did you make this?"

"No," Albus said. "It was my—well, I found it."

"I won't ask," Scorpius said. "You've been tracking Finnigan and Carrow on it?"

"Yes," he said. "But they haven't done anything out of place yet—so I don't know what to do."

"Tell Professor Weasley," Scorpius said. "Just tell him everything you know, even if you won't tell me—"

"No!" Albus shouted. "I told you, Scorpius, I won't."

"You're being stupid," he said, "and a bit of a prick. I never thought you could be as hardheaded as my dad says Potters are." He suddenly realized he shouldn't have said that, so he curled his lips into a smile and said, "Are we getting drunk tonight? I think I can get some hot Ravenclaw fifth years to come over."

"I'd rather not."

"You never want to hang out with girls," Scorpius said. "Makes me wonder a bit."

"Well, it shouldn't," Albus replied. "I like girls—one in particular."

A grin appeared on Scorpius's face. "You have a girlfriend and you didn't tell me any of that? Who is it?"

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Don't give me a reason to, and I won't."

"It's Cassie."

The room fell silent.

"My sister?" Scorpius whispered.

"That sounds really bad," Albus replied. "You make it sound bad. It's not—it's not a fling, or anything. I really like her. Wouldn't you have me dating her than some other guy you don't even know?"

"I'd rather have no one dating her! She's just a little girl!"

"She'll be fourteen in a month—don't you think she's old enough to make her own choices? To have her own boyfriend—Merlin's socks, Scorpius, you're as much as a git as my dad says Malfoys are."

There was one fluid movement—and Albus suddenly found himself pinned up against the wall, Scorpius's wand at his throat.

"I hope you understand me," he barked. "You will not date Cassie—do you understand?"

Albus looked down at the wand and, feeling a sudden bravado, smiled proudly at the Slytherin. "I think I'll date whoever I please, thanks."

"Petrificus Totalus!" Scorpius shrieked—and Albus was suddenly catipulated to the ground, every limb frozen to his side. Scorpius said nothing, as he put his wand away, picked up his book bag, and left the dormitory.

Albus waited an hour—a good hour, damn that Scorpius—until Avery stumbled into the room, unhexed Albus, and he ran back up to Gryffindor tower, where Oliver sat on his bed, reading a book for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Where have you been?" Oliver sneered, as Albus came into the room. "With the Slytherins?"

And the whole story sort of poured out from there, with Oliver staring at him, wide-eyed.

"He's bad news," Oliver said finally. "I've sad that a lot, Al, haven't I?"

"You have," Albus replied. "I think I need to talk to Cassie."

"Another Malfoy," Oliver replied. "I think you need a clean sweep—cut them both out, you know?"

"I can't do that."

"You have enough friends," Oliver reasoned. "Me, Brendan, Katie, Rose—you have us all, behind you one hundred percent. You don't need Slytherins."

"It's not that I need them," Albus said slowly. "Do you have any idea what happened in the forest last year?"

"You killed Greyback."

"It's more than that," he replied. "You can't share a moment like that with someone and not be friends, you know? He saved my life out there—I really think that. He did the killing curse when I couldn't."

"You could have, though. You know it."

"I wouldn't have," Albus reasoned. "My dad has been fighting dark wizards since he was eleven—and you know what? He's never used a killing curse. Not once. He always told me that it was far braver to not use it. So I won't use it."

"Then what does it even matter? You would have gotten Greyback, Albus, no matter what. You're a damned good wizard, and I hate that you forget that all the time. You're brave as hell."

"I'm not," Albus replied. "I'm not and we both know it. No, I need to talk to Cassie right now. I just wish I knew where she was."

"She has detention," Oliver said. "Katie told me—Cassie, Katie, and Brendan all have detention together."

"What did they do?"

"Mouthed off to Professor Maxwell or something. I don't keep track. They have to go into the forest, though."

"Katie and Brendan are in the forest? Both of them?"

"Yeah. Their detention started at six, I think; they left thirty minutes ago."

"Shit—shit! We have to go after them."

"Why? They'll be okay; they're with Professor Delacour gathering potions ingredients."

Albus said nothing; he was already across the room, digging in his trunk, until he unearthed the Marauder's Map. He scanned it quickly, and saw no dots in the forest, except for Katie Carrow, Brendan Finnigan, Cassiopeia Malfoy, and Gabrielle Delacour. He allowed himself to breathe. Maybe it wasn't tonight?

And then, out of the corner of the map, he saw the thin name—Amycus Carrow, followed closely by Rabastan Lestrange. Damn it. They know the heir is out there. They know it. But where was the rest of them?

"We're going to the forest," Albus said to Oliver. "Let's go."

Oliver said nothing; he set down his book, hopped off the bed, and said, "All right, why not?"

Albus couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "You're not going to ask why?"

Oliver was already buttoning up his cloak, and twiddling his wand between his fingers. "You have your reasons." With a twinkle suddenly appearing in his eye for the first time in months, he grinned and added, "Let's kick some ass."

Teddy had lit the candle in the center of the table, for dinner with Hot Tiffany—the rather attractive new blonde barwitch from the Three Broomsticks. The house elves had sent up two plates of chicken and scallops, and they sat, ate, as she descended into a thoroughly boring story about how many pairs of shoes she had bought during her last trip to Gladrag's. Teddy wasn't really listening; he was just watching her, anticipating ending the evening with something that didn't require very much talking.

He frowned angrily, as four fists suddenly began pounding on the door—and he contemplated, for a moment, putting a silencing charm around the room. But it could be important—so he stood up, brushed some crumbs off his dress robes, and opened the door.

"We have to go to the forest!" Albus gasped. "It's urgent, Teddy. You have to come with us. It's Cassie—and Brendan and Katie, and—and Gabrielle! They'll all in trouble, grave trouble."

"Slow down, Al," Teddy said. "What's going on?"

Albus thrust out the Marauder's Map, and pointed to the corner—and, without any more words, the three of them left the room, leaving a very confused Roxanna to ponder over her chicken parmesan.

They ran into Filch in the hallway—"Get an owl to Harry Potter right away," Teddy hissed as they ran. "Tell him to come here right away; it's urgent!"—and then they sprinted, completely in silence, across the grounds and to the edge of the forest. Albus strained to look at the map—but it didn't really matter, anyway; he could hear them, he could hear them right nearby. His heart began pounding ferociously inside his chest, harder and harder, as he looked from side to side at Teddy and Oliver, who were both staring straight ahead with stoic courage. But the voices—happy? Yes. It was Gabrielle's voice, giving directions as if nothing was wrong. "These roots, you guys! We need a whole bag full—"

She suddenly looked up, as she saw the three boys come out of the brush. "More for detention, Teddy? You'll have to stay. I'm not looking after five students in the forest, not this late—"

"We have to move," Teddy said. "Quickly. All four of you."

Gabrielle opened her mouth to answer—but no sound came out; instead, the clearing exploded into a burst of piercing white light—and when it subsided, they were surrounded by the Renegade Ten.