Chp 2: Hogwarts
Albus didn't mind the new laws when they first came out. At the time, he wasn't allowed to cast spells anyways, and he wasn't attached to Reusable Hangmans or Skiving Snackboxes like his brother was. In fact, growing up, Albus assumed he had no aptitude for wizardry. Compared to his brother's numerous "happy accidents," he's only had one account of accidental magic, at the late age of eight years old no less. His prospects of magical success were piss poor to begin with.
Recognizing his ineptitude for magic, Albus found himself gravitating toward muggle culture. The technology was all fine and dandy, definitely what most wizards would first be attracted to. But to Albus, it was their stories: tales set in the far future, the imagined lands of ancient aliens, or fearsome battles that shook the seas.
Since Muggles had no accurate understanding of the supernatural, it was up to their imagination to create whatever they seem fit. It sure was fascinating, learning about their varied takes on magic and monsters.
Unfortunately, only a few months after a certain news broadcast, a ban on muggle content had been set in place. Albus still doesn't understand why Aunt Hermione had done it, seeing as how the woman was the biggest muggle-lover and a forefront advocate for modernization. Being Harry Potter's son hadn't given him any leeway either. He could keep all his old comics, books, games, and VHS tapes, but the television was shut off for good.
No more muggle news or catching up with his favorite shows.
He would have despaired as an impatient nine-year-old kid if it weren't for his dad's computer. Unbeknownst to the famous Auror, Albus had already mastered the ways of sneaking in and out of the downstairs office. Always making sure to leave no trace of his activity when he leaves. Besides, his dad isn't that technologically inclined to realize anything odd anyway.
He got his news from there, keeping up with all the chaos and changes wrought by the words of a single scientist. . .
No one else knows about the severity of their situation he thinks, except maybe the Ministry. All the other kids his age and the many adults he interacts with seem oblivious. They're too preoccupied with their own lives being upturned that they can't focus on anything else really. Albus, on the other hand, wants to get to the bottom of this. It has to be somehow connected: the diminishing of magic and the increasing exposure of their world.
As a teenager, there's not much he could actually do to investigate the issue. And to appease his mother's wishes, Albus has no choice but to attend school: off on his way to becoming a lowly third-rate wizard, since there isn't a snowball's chance in hell he'll ever come close to fulfilling his dad's legacy.
Albus thinks it'll be more of a waste of time than anything else. Just short of four years ago, Hogwarts had gone through major remodeling. The entire curriculum had to be changed due to the "Snooze" epidemic, as the magic issue is now termed. Admitted students started as third years as a means of easing school maintenance. Course loads had greatly diminished due to spells becoming useless by the week. Quidditch and Triwizard Tournaments were canceled for obvious reasons.
Hogwarts was barely functioning as of right now.
To say that he was apprehensive about his future is an understatement.
So now, at age thirteen, he shuffles anxiously while suffering through the whole "I'm proud of you son no matter what" talk with his dad then promptly gets ushered into a large shiny red train. The whole time, he's pinching his nose to block the horrible stench of garbage and sewer water. Unfortunately, with platform 9 3/4 no longer accessible, the only entrance to the hidden station was a dark and grimy tunnel.
Albus heaves a sigh of relief after he boards the train, all senses hit with wafts of old paper and peppermint tea. His cousin, Rose, leads the way down the narrow corridor, shooting him glances once in a while to make sure he's following. Immediately, they start checking each room, and to their dismay, are only greeted with the depressed faces of sixth and seventh years.
Albus now fears the worst of his concerns may be true. With two-thirds of the student population dropping out last year, many future students may have been deterred from attending. He and Rose could very well be the only third years present right now, and the two of them would have sat alone together if it weren't for a blonde girl wearing a rather eccentric purple outfit.
With a bubbly persona and a school uniform that looked like it was dipped into grape acid, she introduced herself as Emily Blackwell: a muggle-born from America who seemed more interested in their accents than the fantastical prospects of magic. At the sight of his cousin, she readily invited Rose to sit next to her, and Albus ended up becoming a third wheel.
As the train took off, the two hit it off right away, finding common ground from their shared interest in fashion and boy bands. She was their age and seemed normal enough despite her attire, and as Albus expected, she didn't know much about current Wizarding events.
It was rather sad, seeing her face appear so crestfallen after they caught her up on everything.
"Is it because of the Golden State Bridge incident?" She asks hesitantly. Purple girl anxiously fiddles with her thumbs as her voice grows quiet. "You know, the witch from four years ago. She caused people to fear magic."
For some reason, her comment seemed to annoy Rose. The ginger-haired girl shook her head. "First off, the girl isn't a witch." Her eyes held a dangerous gleam. "She isn't one of us," she repeated for good measure. Rose looked to Albus for confirmation, as to which he just shrugged back. "Wizards have always been hiding from Muggles. The girl on the bridge. . . well no witch would use their magic so blatantly like that."
"But the scientist, he said-"
Rose interrupted her. "The scientist spoke about magic despite clearly not understanding its nature as we do. He's got like what four years of research under his belt?"
Albus wasn't sure what to make of her scathing tone. Sure, he understands not wanting to be associated with the bridge girl due to the murderous mayhem, but rarely does he see Rose be this hotheaded.
For a few seconds, silence reigned within the compartment, and Emily's brows furrowed.
"Muggles. . . " she whispered to no one in particular. "Do we-?"
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
A sudden scream disrupted their conversation. Emily froze mid-sentence, eyes wide with surprise. Being the closest to the compartment door, Albus peaked his head outside to see what was going on, and the shuffle of feet told him Rose was trying to get a better look too.
Just a few feet away, a silver-haired teen could be seen hunching over a snack trolly; instead of the usual enchanted candy, it was filled with an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, and juices. The elderly witch who seemed to be managing the cart looked tired and irritated. Her honey-sweet voice was laced with a tinge of anger, as she smiled and repeated her response for the fifth time that day.
"Dear, how many times must I tell you. The sweets trolly was replaced for the betterment of the student body."
The tall teen pulled his hair in despair. "Then how much do I have to pay you for you to bring it back, old lady? I have a basilisk fang! You can sell that for a good price on the black market!"
Without saying a word, the woman harshly tugged the trolly free from the boy's arms. The sudden movement made the teen fall over, his knees audibly hitting the hard carpet floor. As if it were squeaking in joy, the trolly sped away in the opposite direction, away from pained groans and complaints.
Rose couldn't help it. A small giggle escaped her mouth, and the sound alerted the sprawled teen to their presence. He quickly sprang to his feet, dusting off his pants and shirt.
"Sorry, you had to see that."
The teen brushed off the pain in his legs and approached their compartment with a weird stride, not an ounce of embarrassment evident. "Any of you guys third years by any chance?" Up close, Albus could tell this guy looked a little unhinged. His dark grey eyes held a twinge of mischievousness, hair was swept everywhere in a frenzy, and he was wearing a tattered brown jacket with strange scratches and . . . wait, was that blood?
Next to him, he could tell Rose was thinking the same thing. She grew slightly alarmed, immediately shooting the newcomer a scrutinizing look. "Yeah, we're all third years here."
Emily seemed intrigued by the stranger, patting the empty space next to her. "You should sit with us! You asked that since you're a third year too, right?" She offered kindly, and before Rose could protest, the teen didn't waste another second. He plopped himself right across Albus, flashing a thankful smile to the girl next to him. "Sure am, it was nice seeing you three. I was scared I would be the only one in my grade." He directed his attention to Albus. "I'm Scorpius. And you are?"
Scratching his head, Albus felt like he's heard his name before but couldn't pinpoint where or when.
"Albus . . . Just Albus."
He sticks a hand out just like his dad taught him, and Scorpius accepts the handshake with gusto. Their little interaction garners an amused snort from Rose before she leans forward to whisper into Emily's ear. The two burst out in giggles.
Albus really hated his cousin sometimes.
Shuffling closer, Emily points to Scorpius' tattered sleeve, where a dark stain blemishes the entire area. With a curious look on her face, she asks, "what's that?" while Rose watches Scorpius' respond like a hawk would to its prey.
The silver-haired teen lifts his right arm to examine his sleeve. A brow raises as he grins. "This?" He rubs his index finger and thumb over the stiff cloth before spreading his red-stained fingers. "Blood, but don't worry, it's not mine." He smiles wide as if he were reassuring them of his safety, like some local idiot.
Albus knew it. This guy was indeed a type of crazy.
"Blood!?" Rose grabs his arm in a death grip, shooting the boy a glare. "Who did u murder? Not your parents I hope." Albus groans at her dramatics. Pulling her arm away, he sighs. "Of course, you'll jump straight to homicide. It could be from a fight or maybe he saved an injured animal."
Scorpius shoots him a grateful grin. "An injured cat to be exact," he clarifies. "Man, does your friend exaggerate."
The friend in question crossed her arms. "I'm just a larger-than-life kind of gal," Rose loudly announces. She sniffs. "I guess I'm glad you're not a killer." Her new best friend decides to chime in as well. "Yeah, you're too cute to be a criminal anyways."
Albus' right eye twitched.
Rose gave out a cranky "eh" at her friend's comment as she slumped further into her seat. "If you like sickly Victorian children maybe." She turns to Albus, poking his arm. "Just like Al here but maybe less skin and bones."
He gives her the middle finger back while Scorpius looks torn on whether he should be insulted or not.
"Anyways, since that's covered, why don't we talk about something more interesting?" Rose suggests, giving Emily a pointed look. "Like school houses? I don't care where I end up, as long as it's not Slytherin, obviously." Her tone is almost condescending, and Albus can't help but think she gets it from James or her dad.
Emily, of course, is confused about her statement. "Not Slytherin? Why not?" She questions naively.
Rose puts on a contemplative expression before snapping her fingers. "They're slimy." The muggleborn across from her nods attentively as if she were listening to a lecture. "Moody, antisocial, still stuck up for gods knows why, and . . . honestly, I feel like it would be depressing, with their new reputation and all."
Emily keeps the discussion going with her many questions about the houses, avidly comparing them to Zodiac signs: whatever that was. Throughout the entire conversation, Albus stays silent, his dad's reassurances replaying over and over again in his mind. Scorpius contributes to their discussion once in a while, making jokes or trying to provide some nuance to their stances. However, despite his easygoing nature, Albus could still tell he was a bit uncomfortable with the entire thing.
"Hey," Albus starts, catching the other's attention. "Do you think you'll stay the whole five years?"
A frown flashes across Scorpius' face before he lets out a loud playful hum. "Ideally, I would like to, but who knows how worse it'll get." He then stares out the window, gazing upon the glistening waters and blue skies.
Despite being inside the train, Albus could still smell the salty breeze and feel the sunrays tickling his skin. Even then, the beautiful weather still isn't enough to uplift their spirits.
The rest of the train ride went by pretty quick with Albus and Scorpius bonding over their interest in history and potions; at the moment, neither of them wanted to talk about school houses.
After conversing with the other teen, Albus quickly realizes that Scorpius used to be a big nerd. Sort of surprising since he gives off a laidback attitude much like his brother. His knowledge was pretty impressive, although nothing in comparison to his cousin with her daily nightly studies. Albus, on the other hand, wasn't particularly knowledgable or good at anything, but he supposed beating Rose at Wizarding Chess was a great accomplishment. Even now, she's still sour about it.
Between the two of them, they discussed their favorite bits of history, whether that be Merlin's endeavors or Magical Egypt. Scorpius seemed to know an awful lot about curses for some reason, and he appeared fascinated whenever Albus referenced muggle events. He seemed to be rather clueless on even the basics of their culture, much like Rose's grandpa actually.
Albus giggles at his enthusiasm. "You know, Muggles have something like television but even better. In fact, there's nothing we have that compares."
His comment sparks something within the other teen. Scorpius' curious eyes give him the signal to continue, and Albus tries his best to describe what a computer is to a wizard who's probably never even seen a movie before.
"-and there's this thing called the internet. It's sorta a big thing you access through the computer. There's games, movies, unlimited information, markets, places where you can chat with anyone and anywhere in the world."
With each word, the other boy's eyes grow wider. Albus continues his speel, knowing that Rose and Emily were starting to pay attention to his embarrassingly long expose. "It's something I can't live without honestly. Dad bought one for himself to use and another for the whole family. I often sneak on it late at night."
He gestures for Scorpius to come closer, whispering into his ear. "I think I might get it to work in Hogwarts too. There's always a loophole."
A gleam of excitement passes through Scorpius' eyes, and he smirks back.
"Now there's no way you'll get rid of me. You'll have to show me how it works."
The sight of Hogwarts castle and their venture inside the dining hall was just as marvelous as his parents had described it to be. The starry sky above them was no doubt impressive and the dining hall grand, bright, and warm. . . but the students themselves were awfully quiet and uncharacteristically timid.
Albus could see a few of his cousins seated at the populous Gryffindor table. Louis and Dominique wave to him gingerly, but James gives him a two-finger salute before signing something inappropriate to him. He rolls his eyes in response while Scorpius snickers in front of him.
The other tables didn't look as fortunate; Slytherin's table has the least amount of people. It was rather jarring to see the hall so empty. Discomfort and melancholy are evident in not only the students but the teachers as well. He recognized one of his dad's friends, Mr. Longbottom, appear especially solemn, most likely due to the small number of third years entering.
The line he was in was pitifully short, only ten people in total.
"Rose Weasley!"
Albus watches his cousin walk up to the stool, all nerves and frizzy hair. Her steps seem confident but her hands shake in anticipation. Not even five seconds pass when the sorting hat yells out "Gryffindor!" and thunderous applause erupts from the red table.
The girl smiles wide and proud, rushing to sit down across from James. She smiles in his direction, giving a small shrug since her sorting was pretty predictable. What was truly surprising was Emily's sorting right after. The girl gives out a loud yelp of glee when the hat mumbles "Gryffindor," and she takes her spot next to Rose.
Albus pegged her to be Hufflepuff, but first impressions can be quite deceiving.
The two girls share a moment together before James and his pose begin their hazing. Meanwhile, the rest of the students get sorted in a quick manner. A few were vaguely familiar to Albus due to their last names.
Damien Boot was a dark and preppy-looking boy with dark black hair combed neatly and equally inky eyes. He looked intense as he gracefully strolled to the stool. The hat wrinkled into a sour expression when placed on his head before it grunted out "Ravenclaw."
The next student, Adya Patil, was also sorted in Ravenclaw. Despite being in the same garb as everyone else, she looked expensive. Her long dark hair was brushed to perfection and her multitude of golden jewelry accentuated amber eyes.
Albus gives himself a look over. Maybe he should have worn a necklace to pop out more? The rest of the students appeared rather ordinary though, except for the other Asian girl. With a messy brown bob, she bounced her way to the sorting hat. She wore beaded jewelry and her smile was a bit too wide for your average human. The girl named Chiyo Nakamura excitedly greeted the headmistress with a sprightly wave and then a deep bow.
The hat sorted her into Hufflepuff.
"Scorpius Malfoy."
The name jolts Albus into a state of shock, and it takes him a few seconds to register what he had just heard. He stares at his new friend with bewilderment, but the taller boy doesn't look back. Scorpius bunches his hands into tight fists and slowly makes his way forward. Now seeing the teen in a whole new light, Albus grit his teeth. Was his behavior on the train all an act? Him being all chummy with him was to test his waters?
Scorpius frowns as the dusty hat is lowered onto his head. His face seems to have steeled into a calm expression, but his eyes told of great concentration. A few times, the sorting hat made curious comments like "You're different from your family aren't you" or "why would you do such a reckless thing". Instead of replying, the teen chose to stay quiet through the whole three minutes of interrogation.
As expected though, the hat finally bellowed "Slytherin!" A rather pitiful applause could be heard from the green table, and Albus' eyes were glued to the ground the entire time, unsure how to feel. In fact, a million thoughts ran loose, ping-ponging inside his brain that he almost didn't catch his name being called.
"Albus Potter!"
His body immediately acts on autopilot. Mind numb from anxiety, he stiffly walks up to the hat in long strides. The other students stare at him intensely in anticipation. Head empty and palms sweating, he closes his eyes to block their curious gazes.
"Now, what do we have here. Another Potter yeah?" Albus refrains from leaping off the stool when he hears an old voice resound in his head. He knows it was the hat, but it does take some time to get used to the whole mind-talking.
"Just get on with it," he demands.
The hat snorts. "You are very much like your father, do you know that? More so than your brother I'd say."
Albus doesn't know how to feel about the comparison, but his heart feels a little less heavy. If he's so similar to his dad then he'll get into Gryffindor, right? The hat, having read his thoughts, chuckles to itself. "Well, I know exactly where to put you, child."
Its tone was teasing and low. Albus did not like the sound of it, not one bit. Ignoring his unease, the hat gives him a hearty chuckle before disclosing the final verdict.
"I think it's best you go to . . . SLYTHERIN!"
Oh, Merlin.
Albus could almost taste the shock and discomfort in the back of his throat, or maybe that was bile from all that dried fruit he ate. Students from all tables gaped at him like dead fish. Rose and James looked particularly ill, face pale and eyes wide.
And the purple girl. . . what was her name, Emily Blackstill? Her face was hard to read, but he swears her eyes had changed, now tinged with something-something dark and unsettling.
Was she glaring at him the whole he was getting sorted?
And maybe it was the trick of the light or his insomnia getting to the best of him but. . . there, right there, smack in the middle of the room. Something was floating, just hovering six feet in the air. Another Hogwarts illusion? Maybe the starry sky didn't cut it for them anymore?
It's a person, he thinks? But he isn't certain, not really. Albus can't make out their gender or any facial features for that matter. An unspeakable amount of fear and disgust envelops his body. Whatever he was looking at. . . it just felt wrong.
He feels a headache storming in, no, actually, it wasn't quite a headache. It-it felt like the hat was squeezing him, squeezing him so tight his skull would cave in at any minute.
Oh Merlin, it hurt so much!
The pressure!
"Albus! Snap out of it! Albus!"
The Chat Room
10:45 P.M. 08.28.2019
PinkPyramid1024: Hello people?
3 People are Online
PinkPyramid1024: it's been two days and no one was been online :(
WitchyPeasant44: maybe these guys r on the younger side lol. It is August, maybe they've started school
PinkPyramid1024: shit, I should watch my mouth then. No cursing in front of minors
MetalAlchemist8808: oh please, some of us are offline for a few days and you immediately think it's cause of classes. Even if we did have school, who says we're not in university?
PinkPyramid1024: Lmao ur cute
PinkPyramid1024: Anyways, I have something exciting to share with all of you
WitchyPeasant44: Ooh! is it about the unicorn sighting last Tuesday! I can't believe we have an actual video of it!
WitchyPeasant44: I hope no one captures the poor baby. Those "hunters" are starting to border the cruelty line.
MetalAlchemist8808: just last month, cameras could only capture magical creatures on infra-red, but by now. . . I have no doubt there's going to a frenzy of amateur opportunists, and our government is not doing a damn thing about it!
PinkPyramid1024: uuuuuum, no, it's not about unicorns or ghouls or anything.
PinkPyramid1024: I kinda hacked into the government servers
MetalAlchemist8808:. . . .
MetalAlchemist8808: what a funny joke.
WitchyPeasant44: Haha! I knew it! I always suspected u were smart but not like this! You're like those super-geniuses in spy movies!
MetalAlchemist8808: Ugh, obviously, she's lying. What are the odds that this internet stranger is an outstanding hacker?
MetalAlchemist8808: . . . but for now, let's say I do believe you. What could u possibly find?
PinkPyramid1024: You're such a stuck in the mud Alchemist. three years being chat buddies and I'm still just some internet stranger to you?
WitchyPeasant44: but strangerdanger! Its good that kids are being cautious on the net!
MetalAlchemist8808: this comment has been deleted
PinkPyramid1024: sheesh who pissed in your coffee this morning. Anyways, I found a document that mentions a really strange project. It might just be what we're looking for.
WitchyPeasant44: magic?
PinkPyramid1024: ummmm, maybe? I think it's dedicated to the research on that subject. They doing experiments and whatnot.
MetalAlchemist8808: experiments. . . what kind of experiments?
WitchyPeasant44: the mad scientist, torture people for scientific progress kind of experiments probably!
MetalAlchemist8808: but that's inhumane. They wouldn't, would they?
PinkPyramid1024: you know, this is the kind of stuff that leads me to believe you're younger than you make yourself out to be. Read a history book for once you fake nerd.
MetalAlchemist8808: . . . I in fact do read a lot of history books, a lot in fact, but I'm more of a chemistry and physics kind of person myself.
WitchyPeasant44: hahahaha
WitchyPeasant44: you talk funny.
WitchyPeasant44: btw, where is Shadowknight?
PinkPyramid1024: maybe he's asleep, can't break bed curfew, or else he gets grounded lol
MetalAlchemist8808: ur not as funny as you think you are
PinkPyramid1024: whatever, I'm only here to drop a truth bomb
PinkPyramid1024 has logged off
WitchyPeasant44: huh
MetalAlchemist8808:that insufferable bitch left us hanging!
WitchyPeasant44: hey now, there's a link she shared through private chat
MetalAlchemist8808: . .
WitchyPeasant44 logged off
MetalAlchemist8808 logged off
Chat has ended