1. The Hogwarts Express

Albus Severus Potter dragged his trunk through the train, staring around bleakly for an empty compartment, or a friendly face. Where was Rose? How had he gotten separated from his cousin so easily? As they were both first years, he had rather expected them to stick together, probably with a bunch more wide-eyed and nervous youths. But he had left her for two seconds to wave farewell to his parents and now she was nowhere to be seen. It had been she who had reminded him of how important it was to find the right compartment on the first day. After all, their parents had all met their first day on the Hogwarts Express. Feeling more and more nervous, Albus suddenly spotted his elder brother James in the compartment ahead of him entertaining at least six other third years with some amusing antic or another. Feeling awash with nerves, Albus shakily reached for the compartment door, lost his nerve and headed even further towards the back of the train, buffeted by various students, their trunks and their pets.

Surely Rose would be back here? Maybe this was where all the first years would be. But as he drew further and further on, Albus felt a deep sinking sensation in his gut. There was not a seat available. Finally, with desperation, he reached the last compartment and, feeling that he would just have to force his company on whoever was inside, threw open the door. To his complete shock, there was only one other person in the compartment. And he might just be a first year judging by his size! Relief washed over him. And then in equal measure panic. For the boy that had just turned his silver blonde head to look up at him was none other than Scorpius Malfoy, the son of the man his father had once told him had been a death eater. Completely frozen to the spot, Albus was only able to move again when his tawny owl Dublis squawked loudly in his cage, startling both boys.

"Er…hi," Scorpius said, smiling politely up at him. "Need a seat?"

Albus felt that his jaw wasn't working correctly, nor were his legs. Ought he to run for it?

"Yeah," he heard himself say finally. "Everywhere else is packed."

"Feel free," Scorpius said, motioning around.

Albus, feeling rather like jelly, managed to stow his trunk away and take a seat, the one opposite Scorpius, who was watching him curiously.

"I like your owl," Scorpius said, gesturing to Dublis.

"Thanks," Albus muttered, feeling like he had cotton in his mouth. "I like y-your owl too."

Scorpius's owl was a large eagle owl which stood proudly on a wooden perch and dwarfed Dublis in size.

"You're Albus Potter, aren't you?" he asked, without trepidation.

Albus blinked and nodded. He had half thought that Scorpius was behaving with civility due to the fact that he didn't recognize him. Apparently he was wrong.

"I expect you know already, but my name's Scorpius Malfoy."

"Ah yeah," Albus confirmed, wondering whether the other boy was being arrogant or not.

Scorpius seemed to realize what he had said had come off as presumptuous. "Ah, no, I didn't mean it like that," Scorpius assured him, looking wary. "It's just, I think our parents weren't really very close at school. In fact, I think they maybe didn't like each other much."

Albus suddenly laughed. "I think that's putting it lightly," he said, chuckling.

Scopius smiled. It looked genuine. In fact, he was nothing at all like what Albus had been expecting. The two sat in a few moments of awkward silence, but it was a silence that seemed to be teaming with unasked questions.

"Hey, did your family ever tell you about the dueling club at Hogwarts?" Scorpius asked suddenly.

Albus grinned. "Yeah! My dad and your dad dueled! I don't think either of them won though."

"My dad said he had an edge but I don't think that's true," Scorpius said. Something in his tone made Albus think he too sometimes wondered about his father's authenticity.

"Your brother seems really popular," Scorpius commented after a while. "I saw him as I was walking by."

"Yeah," Albus said, gloom coming over him. "He's got about a million friends. And he's in Gryffindor, and he gets top marks at everything."

He stopped quickly, feeling awkward. What on earth was he saying?

"You're going to be in Gryffindor, aren't you?" Scorpius asked.

Albus was thrown off guard by the other boy's blatant and unabashed honesty.

"Yeah," he responded slowly. "I mean, I hope so."

"I'm going to be in Slytherin," Scorpius said matter-of-factly. He didn't seem either proud or unsure of his remark. "See, there hasn't been a Malfoy in a hundred years that was in a different house. What about for your family?"

"I don't know," Albus admitted, thinking the matter through for the first time. "My grandfather and grandmother on my mom's side were in Gryffindor. My dad's grandfather, his family was in Gryffindor too, I think. My grandmother was muggle born though, so she had no magical relatives."

He paused here purposefully to see if Scorpius would make some remark, mudblood or something along those lines. But Scorpius only looked polite and interested.

"Well and then my dad and mum were both in Gryffindor, and my older brother. And my Aunt and Uncle. And my mum's whole family. Oh man!"

He put his head in his hands. Saying it out loud was bringing heavy stress over him. For some reason he didn't feel confident at all right now.

"Hey, don't worry," Scorpius said suddenly, jerking him out of his obsession on Gryffindor. "You'll do great Albus. You're going to be fine!"

Albus looked up at the boy across from him, the boy he had thought he would hate, the boy he had thought would hate him. Instead, a nervous smile crept upon him, and a lightness he had not expected. Despite houses, despite old rivalries, despite it all, he wondered if he had just walked into the right compartment on his first day heading to Hogwarts.