Chapter two: The Other Potter Boy
The train ride to Hogwarts had been fairly uneventful for Taylor. Once aboard he'd found his two best friends, Will and Damian, and the three had spent the ride talking of their summer's, what their 6th year at Hogwarts was going to be like, and what a horrible time Taylor was going to have, trying to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch Team to another year of victory.
It seemed to take hours, but the three finally found themselves walking into the Great Hall. Will said goodbye to the other two, and wandered off towards his fellow Ravenclaws, while Damian and Taylor sunk into seats at the Gryffindor table.
Will being in Ravenclaw had never really affected their closeness at all. They had almost every class together, except Potions, and none of them had ever felt left out in their friendship. The only competition came in the form of Quidditch. Will was Keeper on the Ravenclaw Team, while Taylor played Chaser, and was now the captain, for Gryffindor. Damian however didn't play Quidditch; instead he commentated the games, and always found it very entertaining whenever Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were up against each other, meaning Will was pitted against Taylor.
Just as Damian and Taylor were getting themselves into a friendly argument with two friends Andrew Finnigan and Jake Bell, someone tapped Taylor on the shoulder.
He turned away from laughing at Jake's threat to empty the first plate of food that materialised in front of him (when the feast began) over Damian's head, and looked at the black haired boy who'd tapped his shoulder.
"Hi, Sirius."
The guy stared at him, expressionless for a moment, then he crossed his arms, shook his head and frowned at Taylor.
"I'm not Sirius, I'm his brother, James… I was on the Gryffindor Team with you last year…remember…?"
"… Oh! Yeah, that's right, sorry! I didn't really recognize you, you look a lot like Sirius…"
"Well, we are brothers."
"Yeah…um, so, uh, did you need something…or…"
"You're the new captain of the Team, yes?"
"Yeah…"
James Potter nodded, then after a moment, he said, "You aren't going to have an easy time, you know, getting everyone on the team to listen to you…"
"I know…but why're you telling me this?"
James turned away, "Just making sure," he replied, and then he walked off to the other end of the table, before Taylor could say another word.
Damian was studying Taylor seriously, "What was that all about?"
"Don't be so dense Damian, isn't it obvious?" Jake asked as he and Andrew leaned across the table to talk to Taylor again.
"What… cos you're a Malfoy?"
"No, Damian… because James doesn't like Taylor's hairstyle…" Andrew said, sarcastically.
When Damian only blinked at him, puzzled, Andrew cuffed him round the head.
"Of course cos he's a Malfoy you idiot!" Jake laughed.
Damian shot him a look, then turned to Taylor, who was scowling down at the table.
"Look, mate, don't worry about it… if they don't listen then you can always chuck them off the team!"
"I cannot! You can't kick perfectly good players off just cos they don't listen to you!"
"But surely they know you by now!" Jake insisted.
"Yeah," Andrew agreed, "you've been on the team since your First Year, just like Harry Potter was!"
Damian nodded, "I've never seen any hostility between you and the others in any of the matches or practices…"
"That's only because we never really spoke… just played…and I played well enough, so nobody ever had a go at me…besides, Young was a lot like your Uncle Oliver, Jake… you never had any time to talk… just train and train and train… and win, of course…"
Jake grinned, then said, "look, Andrea is on the team, remember? She's cool, she'll pay attention to you, at least."
Taylor nodded absentmindedly; Jake's cousin Andrea Wood was Gryffindor's Keeper, and she was as obsessed with Quidditch as her Dad was, maybe even more so… but the captaincy of the Team had been awarded to Taylor, not Andrea, even though Andrea and Taylor were in the same year, and Oliver and Katie Wood were both international Quidditch players. It was because of all this that Taylor was quite sure Andrea wasn't going to be nice to him at all, but he didn't tell Jake that.
Feeling rather nauseous, he looked up as the First Year's, Isaac among them, came into the Hall, led by Professor Longbottom, the Herbology teacher.
The chatter from the four house tables died down as everyone turned to watch the new students.
Professor Longbottom placed a stool and a ragged hat at the front of the hall, and then stood back as the brim opened like a mouth and the Sorting Hat sang its song. Taylor idly hoped that James Potter, and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, were listening to what the hat was saying about the Gryffindor students.
The Hall echoed with applause as the hat completed its song and Professor Longbottom started to read the names of the First Years to be Sorted.
"Bell, Sarah!" Longbottom called, and Jake's younger sister stepped uncertainly out of the line and sat on the stool with the hat on her head. While the hat spoke to Sarah Taylor looked over at Jake, who had all his fingers crossed in front of him, and asked, "You tell her it was a troll?"
Jake grinned and nodded, "You tell Isaac?"
"Actually, Luke told him… but he also told him that, 9 times out of ten, the students end up in the hospital wing… in a matchbox…. Isaac's been having nightmares for a month…" Taylor replied, as the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" out to the hall.
"YES!" Jake roared as the Gryffindor Table erupted into cheers. Sarah raced over to her brother and punched him in the arm.
"You said it was a troll!"
"I know… I lied…"
Finally, after what seemed like an age, the Sorting was over, (Isaac was made a Hufflepuff), and the feast began.
Taylor gazed sullenly at the back of his little brother's head; Draco Malfoy was not going to be happy when he heard his youngest has been made a Hufflepuff. Taylor sighed as he pushed his mashed potatoes around his plate. He wasn't at all hungry anymore, the events of the past half an hour had taken care of that.
Father's going to go of his tree when he hears about Isaac…stupid Potter! I'll make them listen to me! Even if it means shoving their broomsticks down their throats… who are they to condemn me, just because of my surname…they don't know me! They haven't even tried…poor Isaac…Father will probably be here tomorrow, screaming his head off at Dumbledore, just like he did when I was made Gryffindor…poor, stupid Isaac…oh, its not his fault…at least the Hufflepuffs are being nice to him…
It was only when Damian shook his shoulder that Taylor realised the feast was over, and the other students were all making there way out of the Hall. As he stood up, he saw Luke go storming over to Isaac, pushing other students flying as he went. Uh-oh, Taylor thought. Luke looked furious. Luckily for Isaac, Riley suddenly appeared at his side and grabbed his hand. Taylor met her eyes briefly before she towed Isaac through the crowd and out of the hall. Luke lost sight of them in the swarm of students, yet managed to console himself by punching a passing Ravenclaw boy in the stomach.
Taylor winced in sympathy for the boy; he knew only to well what it was like to be on the receiving end of Luke's fist.
Will met up with Taylor and Damian outside the Great Hall, and the trio watched as a Prefect led Isaac and the other First Year Hufflepuff's to their new common room. Luke came past, and directed a punch at Taylor, who dodged quickly out of the way. Luke glared at him, then walked away, followed by a gaggle of Slytherin girls, and Luke's two best friends, Crabbe and Goyle. Riley wandered over to say goodnight and tell Will to hurry up, cos Summerby, their Quidditch Captain, wanted a quick word with the team before bed. As Riley disappeared up the marble staircase with a group of her friends, Taylor, Damian and Will followed at a slower rate. They strolled slowly along as they talked about what Draco Malfoy was going to do when he found out Isaac had been sorted into Hufflepuff, how much homework they were sure to get tomorrow, and what a horrible time Taylor was going to have, trying to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch Team to another year of victory.
Finally, they parted ways, and Taylor and Damian said good night to Will, then made their way to their common room. It was deserted, as was the staircase leading to the 6th year boys' dorm. Taylor fell into his bed without even bothering to pack his stuff away or change into his pyjamas. I'll do it in the morning, he told himself before he drifted into sleep, trying not to think of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.
So, what's gonna happen? You might ask… well I don't know… I'm just making it up as I go along! Anyone wishing to express any ideas or feelings about what I've written so far, or what they think I should right next, is more than welcome to voice by clicking on the little purple button just down there (Starsight52 helpfully points downwards) and can send me a review…
Thanks, starsight.