A/N - I know I said on my profile that I was leaving this until I'd finished HFHE and ADI but since they're both officially AU, I thought I'd do this first...

Chapter 5

Albus sat alone for a moment, not entirely sure whether he could approach the small groups of children his age who were talking and playing with cat's cradles and jacks and cards. Most of them seemed to know each other already. Perhaps there was a special preparatory school magic children went to – they'd think him frightfully behind in things. He scolded himself for being a coward, but despite this, he still felt at a loss for words.

He heard a vague scuffling sound, and his attention was alerted to a boy who had just arrived. He was looking lost. Their eyes met briefly, and there was a moment of relief when they both realised that the other one was equally bewildered. The other boy approached and sat down.

"Hallo! I say, frightful things, dragons, eh?"

Albus swallowed when he heard the plummy accent, but spoke back bravely enough, though aware of the Cockney tone to his words.

"I know… Gave me a shock when I saw 'em."

"Oh yes, me too, me too…"

The boy held out his hand. "I'm Brackenwood – Simon Brackenwood."

Albus shook it. "I'm – Albus. Most people call me Allie."

"Gosh, that seems frightfully strange. You wouldn't think my name was Simon considering how little I hear it. At school it was always Brackenwood, and Pater – Father – calls me 'son', and Mother calls me 'dear'… It all seems very odd to be called by one's Christian name."

Albus searched his tone for mocking – but found none. The boy was sincere, and Albus sighed inwardly with relief, even though it seemed exceptionally bizarre that he was having a conversation with a boy who was probably from a family he would have counted himself lucky to work for. Was this another strange part of the new world? Anywhere else and Albus would have automatically doubted the chance of any sort of friendship, but they were two boys who were both wizards, in a box on top of a dragon, and to bring class into it seemed a rather base occupation. He would give the boy a chance.

"Do you mind if I call you Simon? I'll get confused, calling you by your last name."

The boy smiled magnanimously. "If you like. Give me some time to get used to it, though."

There was a momentary silence. Then Simon said, "Are – are you from a wizard family?"

"No," Albus said, which he felt was true enough, considering.

"Neither am I," said Simon, sounding relieved. "Were you visited by Brother Anthony? He said he visits all – what's the word? – Muggleborns, to tell them about magic."

"No… A man called Nicolas Flamel told me about magic. He's – a friend of my mama's." Well, not quite, Flamel did not seem to like his mother at all, but that was the story that would have to do.

"Nicolas Flamel? The alchemist? I read about him! What sort of person is he?"

"He's very kind," Albus said stiffly, suddenly uneasy that Simon would try to use him as a textbook. "What's Brother Anthony like?"

"Oh… he's very kind too. He's a monk – a proper friar, you know, and you can tell by the way he acts. Mater – Mother – said he was a saint. It's so curious though, he's a wizard. You don't think of monks being wizards. But he made magic sound like the most normal thing in the world. He was wonderful."

Albus smiled. "I think I'd have liked to meet him." He chuckled a little. "Mr. Flamel isn't really a saint. Although he did buy me Fawkes," he added.

"Fawkes?"

Albus motioned to the cage where the phoenix was. Fawkes was currently in an adolescent stage, the bird proudly strutting around and showing off his rather stubby plumage.

"I say! What sort of bird is that?"

"He's a phoenix."

"Is he really? I read about them. But it's so hard to believe that all the stories I was told by Elspeth – my nanny – when I was a child… All those stories had some truth in them."

"My mama used to tell me stories about wizards all the time. I think she knew – about me."

"Perhaps Elspeth knew about me… Father always did say she was queer."

There was a startling shudder, the boys were thrown back into their seats, and a couple of the others screamed in surprise. "It's all right," said a much older girl Albus hadn't noticed before. "We're taking off. We should be at Hogwarts in a couple of hours."

"I wonder who she is?" Simon murmured.

"Prefect," contributed a freckled girl behind them.

"A girl as a prefect?" Simon furrowed his brows in apparent confusion.

The freckled girl snorted. "Where are you from, Martin Muggle? Didn't you notice that girls go to Hogwarts too?"

For a moment, Albus frowned, worried that there would be be an argument. However, Simon was true to his breeding. "I'm terribly sorry," he said, in a dignified tone. "I'm jolly glad that Hogwarts lets girls do the sort of things that bo-…" He trailed off for a second, and the girl quirked an eyebrow, although Albus got the impression that she was more amused at his confusion than angry. "The sorts of things that people say they can't do. My cousin Jane always gets herself in awful trouble playing with her brothers, my aunt says she isn't ladylike but I think that's all rot."

"What an enlightened little Muggle you must be," the girl said sardonically, wrinkling her nose. It wasn't so much her words as her tone. She counted herself superior. Simon drew himself up. "Now see here. I don't think it's very fair for you to judge me on my background. I don't know how witches and wizards see things and just because you know what's what, that doesn't mean it's all right for you to make fun of me…"

Whilst he was speaking, the freckled girl began to laugh. Albus didn't like the sound one bit – she was spiteful, a sort of bully. A sandy haired boy came over, and tugged at her.

"Come on, Cass. It's not like a fellow can help his breeding."

These words appeared to create even more shock in the face of Albus's new friend. Albus doubted that Simon had ever considered that his breeding could constitute a problem. He had been rendered speechless, beggared for a response.

"It's not breeding I have a problem with, it's ignorance," the girl huffed.

"In any case," the boy went on, in a similarly superior tone, ignoring the girl completely, "A Muggleborn's ten times better than a halfbreed. Father always said that a Muggleborn's a serendipity, but a halfbreed's a product of perversity. Come along, Cass…"

The freckled girl arose, and tossing her hair, followed the boy. Albus and Simon were silent after the pompous pronouncement of the boy, then Simon snorted, evidentally rather annoyed, both at the two they had just met, and at himself. "Well I think that's rot. It's not like one can help it either way." Albus nodded but didn't say anything. Was he a 'halfbreed'?

*

In the late afternoon, the dragon landed, shaking them all up and throwing them into disarray without warning. In a brief moment where no one spoke whilst they scrambled to their feet, Albus heard Fawkes gently cooing. The sound heartened him somehow. Taking up the cage carefully, he and Simon followed the prefects as they led the first years out. At the door, the girl who had spoken to them all earlier tapped her wand against the door frame, and a staircase appeared. Albus gasped, then checked himself. When would he stop being surprised by magic?

They were in a rugged meadow surrounded by trees. The air was chillier than it had been in the morning, and Albus pulled his cloak around himself for warmth.

"I don't see any school," Simon murmured, earning a sharp look from the caustic freckled girl.

"First years, this way…" An old man, scruffy but with brilliant, mischievous green eyes, was calling. The prefects ushered them on, and another group of first years joined them from another dragon across the meadow. They followed the old man, who brought them to a small harbour.

"Four to a boat. Come now, don't be shy." The man's voice was croaky with age. Albus stepped forward, and he and Simon got into a boat, followed by two girls, neither of which was, thankfully, the spiteful freckled girl.

The boats started floating out of their own accord. The girls smiled shyly at them – neither of the boys being accustomed to girls, their returning smile was equally shy. "I'm Brackenwood – Simon Brackenwood," Simon said, politely.

"Albus – Allie, if you like," Albus contributed. The girls smiled, looked at one another, and then looked back.

"I'm Josephine Tilby," said one. She had dark brown hair, a round face, and a pretty smile. "Josie."

"Serendipity Malfoy," the other said. Blonde, waiflike. "My friends call me Dippy." "Serendipity's a pretty name," Simon said courteously, although a quick look exchanged between the two of them informed Albus that he, too, was reminded of the sandy haired boy's words of earlier.

Serendipity smiled. "It means 'happy accident'. I'm the youngest in my family, my mother didn't think she would have another."

Josephine frowned. "Dippy, are you…"

Her words trailed off. Simon had gasped. Serendipity was staring goggle-eyed up ahead, and Albus could instantly see why.

"That's Hogwarts…" Josephine said, her voice full of awe. Fawkes was singing again, sweetly and eerily, and deep down in his heart, Albus felt a distant aching… He was longing for something he'd never known.

*

The crowd of first years were ushered into the hallway, hushed by their mutual apprehension. A sharp-faced woman entered and glared at them, then spoke. "First years will be sorted shortly. Ensure you are all presentable."

She exited, and left them alone for ten minutes. They exploded into fumbling activity, straightening hats and ties, and polishing boots, the air resounding with nervous chatter. The woman entered again, and they fell silent, instantly. The woman's eyebrow quirked momentarily, then she said, "Form a straight line and follow me." They did so, shuffling eagerly into place, and then found themselves marching into the Great Hall, between rows and rows of people. Above, Albus saw not the ceiling, but the sky, yet it was not cold in here. Eventually, they were assembled at the front, and there was a shabby hat atop a vacant chair. Presently, it began to sing.

Nine hundred years have I been here
To sing my merry song
Yet at the turning of each year
It never seems so long;
For children will always put me on
Just as the year before
Those coloured houses strips they don
Just as the Founding Four.
Salazar Slytherin, the cunning old soul
Desired all those with ambition
Those clever and wily in every role
Are called Slytherin's by tradition.
Rowena Ravenclaw, a woman of wit
Was of intellectual persuasion
She required those of intelligent knit
Sorted to her on this fine occasion
Godric Gryffindor, the chilvalrous lord
Was possessed of courage peerless
His house fight evil with wand or sword
They are called the noble and fearless
Helga Hufflepuff, loyal and kind
Urged on those with compassion
Those pure of heart and loving in mind
Behave after Helga's fashion
The house of one of these four
Will become yours this day
So put me now upon your head
I'll sort you if I may
Not in your face or ancestry
But deep inside your mind
Your thoughts alone will tell me
I'll direct you as I find

The entire hall broke out into applause. Albus's stomach turned over, unsure of what was to happen next. A name was called.

"Aylesbury, Aisling!" A small girl squeezed forward, and the woman shoved her towards the chair. Tentatively, she put on the hat. After a few moments, it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

One of the tables began to cheer, as the blushing Aisling approached them. "Black, Rigel!" A sneering boy pushed through, and the process was repeated. This time the hat yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

"Brackenwood, Simon!" Simon edged towards the hat, and tried it on. It took a little longer this time. Then, "GRYFFINDOR!" Albus watched reluctantly as Simon's face turned to a relief that the ordeal seemed to be over, and one of the tables cheered him on.

Catkin, Sarah; Connor, Hayden; Daniels, Naomi; Dervish, Harold all passed and were sorted into their respective houses. Then, "Dumbledore, Albus!" He stumbled forward, suddenly aware of whispering that seemed to be happening in the background as he walked towards the hat. He put it on.

A small voice began to speak, quietly. "Ah, a Dumbledore. A little different this time, perhaps. You're not quite Ravenclaw – there's time but I don't think you're going in that direction. I know… GRYFFINDOR!"

Although to Albus's eyes they looked slightly surprised, the Gryffindor table cheered with all their might, and, suddenly feeling much better, he went to sit down next to Simon.

***

A/N - Up next - the rest of the bad bunch, and with any luck, first lessons at Hogwarts!

 Thanks to...

CrimsonShinigami! Thank you very much :) I have to confess that I really enjoyed writing the bit where they bought Fawkes. I love that phoenix...

Gina Starr! Isabelle probably does wish she was magic, for a number of reasons :-) I'm glad this doesn't sound too Philosopher's Stone to you, I think I've had to check myself a couple of times.

AgiVega! Yes, the Hogwarts Express wouldn't exist yet but I didn't want to write something boring :-)

MorningLight! Hehe, glad you like it :-) Sorry I didn't update sooner.

Flamewing! Wait and see ;-) Thanks for your nice comment on the dragon rides :)

Odd World! It's nice to have you back, if only briefly... Aaah, siblings... Hope to hear from you soon :)

Thanks also to everyone who reviewed A Little Chat with Nicolas. If you haven't read it, please do, it's a Book 1 era story with Nicolas Flamel in it!

Please review!