SPOV

"Firs' years foll'er me!" Cried the tallest man I'd ever seen.

"Goodness' Al, yer' a lookin' more like yer' dad every time I see yer'" the man boomed pulling Al into a fierce embrace.

"Its great to see you uncle Hagrid, I mean professor, sir." Al said smiling.

"Oh hogwash, non O that, I knew yer since you wer a wee lad this small—" the half giant started.

"—HAGRID!" Al shot mortified.

"O alrigh lil one well we can leav er at that and if…" The man named Hagrid paused eyeing me and my proximity to Al.

"Al if this here boy is causin' yer trouble, just send im…" Hagrid started.

"No! Um… Uncle Hagrid, this is um… Scorpius… Malfoy… he's a really good friend actually." Al said flushing slightly in the moonlight. Which made me flush slightly too. Malfoy's are unusually pale so any amount of redness shows extraordinarily brightly. I'd imagine flushing to be considered a weakness so my mind started to wander at the possibility of obliviating anyone stupid enough to have noticed it. The man was the largest person I had ever seen. To have him bend down to raise an enormous eyebrow at me was slightly unsettling… I imagine this is how father felt at school when all the money or threats in the world wouldn't stop someone this imposing from merely squashing you.

"That so'? Huh… a Malfoy and a Potter… y'er sure y'er feelin all'ri Al?" Al's honorary uncle said with a questioning look.

"Magical creatures, really a giant softie." Al whispered discreetly. What? I was about to ask too distracted by the thought of witnesses and enormous, oh…

"Its nice to meet you professor. Al was talking for most of the train ride about how excited he is to take 'Care of Magical Creatures' with you. I am fascinated by the properties of wand cores, but I hate the thought of hurting animals to get those cores. I much prefer the thought of working with live ones, sir." I finished excitedly trying to hide the smugness as Al gripped my arm to alert me of my success.

"Well young Mal— Scorpius wer' it? I'm righ serpised at tha and I'm so gla Al here…." Hagrid started

"Hagrid… to the boats please…" another professor said dryly.

APOV

Scorpius was soo smart. I had never met someone who could keep up with me. Sure Rosie and aunt Hermione were, smart. Geniuses even. Sometimes faster in terms of raw processing speed. But nobody got people or magic itself like I did. I just… understood. Although sometimes I underestimate how frightening the perception itself can feel. I watched Scorpius and he was a natural. Then there was the way he handled the window. He was able to feel his way through the magic, just like me. Maybe Hogwarts wasn't going to be so bad after all…

"Whoa…" Every student in earshot spoke together as the sight of the castle proper came into view. Scorpius and I managed to snag the boat with Hagrid which meant there wasn't any room for any new faces. Although large groups tend to scare me, I really love people and even though kids my age don't always understand me, I get to forget sometimes whats its like to carry so much weight. At the moment I was just thankful I didn't have to deal with Scorpius getting trouble from anyone else.

As we got out of the boat I waved to all my family friends and extended relatives without actually getting into conversation. I didn't want to leave Scorpius's side. I had already seen that he was more than capable of dealing with people but I somehow didn't want anyone to get the chance to…

"My… Albus dear how you've grown." my favorite honorary relative spoke from behind me.

"Aunt Mini!" I spun around hugging the headmistress tightly. "Not that its not good to see you but what are you doing down here by the docks you old bat? Doesn't the assistant headmaster escort the students in? I would have thought that my favorite aunt was all warm and nestled in by the fire. To keep her chilled old bones from aching." I teased but with my brightest smile. Most of the students were shocked at my familiarity with the headmistress. Minerva Mcgonagall was rumored for being outrageously strict.

"Al… I'm not dead yet. This old bat was it?" she said eyeing me skeptically as though daring me to test her. "Still has enough in her to box your ears if you cause even one tenth the trouble your grandfather, father or brother have caused." she warned. "Aunt… Er'm Headmistress, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Um… this would be Scorpius Malfoy." I offered cautiously nudging Scorpius forward.

"Is it really?" Minerva mused to herself. "Its nice to meet you Scorpius…" She added. After a considered pause she continued: "You know I knew both of your fathers… and I've quite honestly dreaded the damage I feared might result in a rekindled rivalry between the two of their sons… but now that I think about it… I am entirely more terrified by the prospect of you two actually being friends." She added smiling with a weary sigh.

"Promise we won't be too much trouble for you… old bat." I offered whispering the last part so that only the three of us could hear.

"Careful Albus…" She started louder. "When your father went to school here I knew him as a student… and although I saw him as baby you I've actually watched grow up from birth… not only do I have amazing photos of you running around stark naked… but I've actually grown quite fond of all your uncle George's contraband that I've confiscated over the years… I might just decide to use some of my wares on my favorite nephew. Besides whereas hexing students is entirely against school policy… There is nothing mentioned in the bylaws about hexing family." She laughed maniacally. Which caused all the students to laugh and oooh.

I absolutely love Minerva McGonagall. She never talks to anyone as familiarly as me. I don't know what it is about me that lets her loosen up, but whatever it is Dad says she never laughs the way she does when she is with me. He said she was stiff and formal during his school days and more so now. But nothing she ever said to me ever led me to believe that could be true.