Second Generation- First Year
A/N: So this one took a little bit of debating- should I skip to after the sorting or write a peice of their lives? But eventually I decided that it would make a better fanfic if I wrote the whole thing... And so that is exactly what I am going to do.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
(sorry to bore you with boring disclaimers- just too much to write and too little time...)
Chapter 2: Hogwarts Itself
Albus and Scorpius had played a seemingly never-ending game of Wizard's Chess, both being very good players. Rose read her book the whole time, and judging by her expression, she was not in the least bit confident about the sorting. None of them were. Scorpius refused to speak when Albus or Rose brought it up, and eventually they abandoned the subject altogether. Soon, however, Scorpius had had to go get changed, or else he would arrive at the school in the wrong uniform. It was then that Albus had chosen to talk to Rose.
"So... We are friends with the new Malfoy..."
"And?" Rose inquired curtly, and Albus realized that the whole "malfoy" thing was a sensitive subject to her.
"And... James and Cassie will kill us."
"I doubt either willl go as far as that!" Rose stated menacingly.
"I do hope you're right, at least about that, because Cassie seemed quite capable of murdering Scorpius... Besides them, though... Draco and our family... We're vicious rivals. My dad... He might be lenient, but would he really be proud that I was friends with him? And your parents, Rosie, they both loathe the Malfoys. Have you even heard their stories? Your mother punched him, your father tried to make him burp slugs, and he and my father were worst enemies. What do you think they will think of this? And I heard your dad talking to you, he said he didn't want you becoming too friendly with him-"
He had hit a nerve.
"Albus, what on earth makes you think I will become too friendly with anyone? Have some sense! I have no immediate intentions to go falling in love with everyone I meet; you know that! My own mother is not that way, and so neither am I!" Rose snarled.
Albus couldn't help but think that even though she had her mother's brain and wits, she looked a lot more like her father, except as a girl. Like a female Ronald Weasley. Equal inheritance. He looked at her, knew the conversation was pointless, and said anyway, "How are you going to handle them?"
"Well... I wasn't planning for them to find out."
"And if it becomes something more?"
Rose blushed, but this time she did not blow up.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
When they arrived at Hogsmeade Station, it was bigger and much more interesting they they had imagined. Everywhere students were struggling to get their things and get a good carraige to the castle. Some of them, the first years like Albus, Rose, and Scorpius, just stood there, unsure of where to go. Albus knew they were riding boats with Hagrid, but he wasn't sure where he was until he heard the familiar grunting voice, loudest of all.
"Firs' Years! Over here now, Firs' years!" he yelled over the rumbling crowd.
"Hagrid!" Rose and Albus exclaimed gleefully, turning to see him there. Scorpius, having never seen anyone so very large, looked merely very, very scared.
"There yeh are, Rosie and Albus, I see you've come along well since I last saw yeh? Thas' good, no need ter grow too fas' there."
Rose and Albus rushed to hug him, Rose tugging Scorpius along, who gave Hagrid a nervous pat.
"Ah, yeh mus' be Malfoy's son. Yeh look lots like 'im, see?"
Scorpius nodded, giving Hagrid a look that was now more curious than terrified. Rose broke away from Hagrid, along with Albus. "We'll introduce you in a second, Hagrid, you must get back to calling the rest of the first years."
"Oh, righ'... Firs' Years!" Hagrid said loudly, though it sounded much like he was yelling. The crowd had thinned, and many of the first years were standing by, some of them, like Scorpius, looking terrified of the huge teacher, except Scorpius seemed a little better off.
"Righ', then, all o' the Firs' years here? Good, then, follow me!"
They followed Hagrid in the darkness through a steep, narrow path, which worried Albus slightly, afraid of tripping in the darkness. He followed carefully behind Hagrid, not wanting to get lost in the darkness. Slowly but surely they made their way to the caslte they all dreamed of finally seeing. Eventually they turned around a bend, and the path suddenly ended in front of a very large lake, and Hogwarts Castle in veiw just beyond it. The castle was huge, and everything his older brother had said about it suddenly seemed like an understatement to Albus. The very thought of the castle made him feel nice and warm and comfortable... and small. There was no escaping the hugeness of the castle, or the feeling of tinyness it gave the first years, who were all shaking slightly.
Hagrid turned to look at them all. "Well," he said gruffly, "better be gettin' inter the boats now," he said, and Albus noticed, for the first time, the boats at the egde of the lake. Hagrid held up his lantern as he got into one by himself, saying, "no more'n four to a boat!"
Rose, Albus, and Scorpius all climbed in to the one nearest Hagrid, followed by a boy who seemed to walk with a show-offy pride. He climbed in with them and sat down in the very back, acting as if he ruled the boat.
"Thank you, kind people," he said pompously, "for granting me the right to ride with you to this wonderful castle."
Albus raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew, the boy had not asked for any kind of granting of the right to ride in the boats with them.
"And who might you be?" Albus asked, slightly taken aback, and sounding less-than-happy about the boy.
"The one, the only," the boy's voice trailed off slightly as he dramatically said, "Cory Sumter!
"I'm famous," he added importantly.
Albus and Rose stared at him, but Scorpius waved him away. "Give it a rest, Cory, they really don't know you, idiot." He surprised Albus and Rose be the obvious dislike Scorpius felt toward the boy, and at the obvious anger.
"Oh, you're just jelous, Scorpo, old boy!"
"Jelous of what?" Scorpius snapped back. "Of the fact that you are a total git, and I'm not?"
Cory smiled slyly. "Oh no, Scorpo, you're jelous because MY real father is Harry Potter, which, of course, is why I'm so famous!
Albus snorted. "Yeah, and my dad's definetly NOT Harry Potter, oh no, he happens to be Dumbledore!" He roled his eyes. "And this is my cousin Rosie, who is the daughter of Helena Hufflepuff herself."
"Really?" Cory exclaimed excitedly. "Can I have your autograph? Or would you like mine? Maybe we should meet up sometime and talk about how famous our families are and how much money we have!"
Scorpius sniffed. "I doubt they really want to talk about that, you twit."
"So, um," said Rose uncertainly, "Do you two know each other?"
"Yes," said Scorpius grudgingly, "Our fathers are good friends."
"You are forgeting, Scorpo, that my father is Harry Potter, and doesn't even know your measly wanna-be-famous father."
"Don't you dare-"
"Dare what? Its plain to see, Scorpo, who is the better man."
Scorpius looked furious. "I don't care if my father shuns me, you brainless git! Even if I had no sense, I'd be able to see that you are the stupidest pureblood ever to think yourself worthy of any title." he spat, then turned around furiously and stared into the clear, glassy, still water.
"I think Scorpius is right," Rose agreed. "You are a brainless git. Want to know something? Dumbledore and Hufflepuff died years ago, Hufflepuff many more years ago than Dumbledore. My actual parents are Ronald and Hermione WEASLEY and his actual parents are Harry and Ginny POTTER. And Cory, if you would like OUR autographs, then I guess you will have to be a bit more persuasive, and do a bit more research for your lies. Albus's father has no other children besides his sister Lily and brother James, and you would do well to stay away from us."
Rose had said everything Albus had been about to say, except a lot less colorfully, and still gotten the git to shut up. Albus gave her an admiring, thankful look.
They soon reached the castle, which was certainly more majestic close-up then from across the lake, and made their hearts much lighter and their emotions more nervous.
"What house do you really think you'll be in, Scorpius?" Rose asked as they followed Hagrid to the doors.
Scorpius looked at them nervously.
"Well... I was hoping to be in Slytherin... Except now, I'm not sure. I kind of want to make a difference in the tradition... Break it, you know... Befriend a couple of people from another house..."
"Huh... I never thought about it that way..." Rose stated. "But what would your sister say?"
"That I'm not a true Slytherin and that I need to go back to the place I came from," Scorpius replied.
"I guess she'll more or less skin you alive..." Albus said.
"Oh, I can handle her. I think."
Rose smiled. "We'll be here for you."
"Thanks, Rosie."
They entered the Entrance Hall more silently, too nervous to say anything more.
"What's gonna determine our houses, do you reckon?" Scorpius asked Albus and Rose.
"A hat," they answered together, and Rose continued, "It's supposed to be a very smart hat. It sings a song at the beggining of each school year."
"Oh," Scorpius said, unsure of what to think of this. Suddenly a man entered the room, and Rose and Albus sighed with relief, for they knew who it was.
"First Years," he began, catching the eyes of Albus and Rose. "I am Professor Longbottom, head of Gryfindor House. Welcome to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We will begin the feast shortly, but first I would like to inform you that before you are able to eat, you will be sorted into the four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. These four houses have amazing histories and each has held wonderful students. It is important because your house will be like your family. You will go to classes with your house, eat with house, and sleep in your house dorm. There will, of course, be time for inter-house friendships, but first you must finish work. I will call you into the Great Hall when we are ready to begin the sorting."
Professor Longbottom left the room, giving them all an encouraging smile as he did. Scorpius looked at Rose nervously.
"Are you sure its OK if I'm in Slytherin?" he asked, plainly terrified of what she thought.
"Of course, Scorpius, it doesn't really matter to me. Or Albus, for that matter. I'm just worried one of us will end up with that idiot Cory..."
"Oh, good," Scorpius said, relieved. "And don't worry about Cory, he'll say anything if it makes him popular. Once he told me he had a very rare disease that he would die of in exactly one year... Of course, its been three years since then, and he hasn't died yet, so I suppose he was lying. He lies about almost anything... It really makes me mad..."
He glared at Cory, who was boasting loudly to a small, nervous looking girl, who didn't seem to be listening. She was chewing on her fingernails as if it was the end of the world. Scorpius glared still more angrilly and turned abruptly away, as if he didn't want to look at the idiot any longer.
Soon, however, Professor Longbottom came back into the Entrance Hall and motioned them to follow him in. "Come with me," he said.
The first years followed him nervously into the Great Hall, staring around nervously. Albus caught the eye of his mischeivous older brother, who winked at him. He smiled weakly back, then turned around.
At the end of the Hall sat a stool, upon which sat a hat. The hat looked very old and worn, and Albus couldn't help but wonder whether it could really be smart enough to sort them or not. He stared at it, as everyone else did, until a rip near the brim opened wide, and the hat began to sing.
A very long, long time ago,
When a founder had me on,
That founder knew that one day,
He would be dead and gone.
So he and all the others,
Put some brains into me,
And so I came to life,
Sorting stundents into the houses with glee.
Some always went to Hufflepuff,
Were always just and loyal.
Always patient, always true,
And unafraid of toil.
And then some went to Slytherin,
Where they all made real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To acheive their ends.
Some went to wise old Ravenclaw,
If they'd a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind.
And finally, some went to be
In gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart.
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart.
So try me on, don't be afraid,
I'll sort you tried and true,
For fear isn't meant to take
Young First years such as you.
The hat bowed, and everyone clapped. Rose and Scorpius looked less nervous, and Albus felt much better at the hat's reassurance. Professor Longbottom stood up next to the hat to call out the names.
"Abbott, Mellanie," he called. The small girl that had been chewing her nails in the Entrance Hall stepped up, shaking like a nervous puppy. Professor Longbottom lifted the hat and she sat upon the stool, and put it on. It fell right over her eyes. For a moment, nothing happend, then the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Mellanie went to sit with the other Hufflepuffs, handing the hat back to Professor Longbottom.
"Adelle, Sheri," the professor said, and another girl went up.
The first boy to be sorted was "Candale, Sam", who went to Hufflepuff as well. Minutes went by where they were sorted, each into a different house, until it was Scorpius's turn.
Scorpius took a moment to go up, in which Rose pushed him along. He stepped nervously up to the hat, which called out as soon as it reached his head-
"SLYTHERIN!"
Albus sighed. So Scorpius had gotten what he had wanted.
A couple more people went after that, and then it was Albus's turn. He stepped over and sat on the stool, eyes wide with fear as the hat plopped down over his eyes. He was just wondering which house he would be in when a voice spoke in his ear.
"Another Potter, eh? Where to put you... hmm..."
"Oh, please, not Slytherin!" he thought desperatly. The hat seemed to give an exasperated sigh.
"You would do well... Not as well as your father would have, I might add, but still very well."
"NOT SLYTHERIN!" Albus desperatly screamed into his head.
"Oh well," the hat said. "GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a loud cheering as Albus handed the hat back, and made his way to the table. He smiled proudly at his older brother, who was probably cheering loudest of all. A couple more first years went, and then it was Cory Sumter's turn. He walked pompously up to the stool, but before he sat down, he said, "And might I add that whatever house gets me will be a lucky house indeed." before Professor Longbottom put the hat on his head.
"RAVENCLAW!" it shouted almost immediatly. After him, all but one first year was left, and that was Rose. She stepped proudly up to the hat, Professor Longbottom put it on-
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted, also immediatly. Rose went to sit with the other Ravenclaws, on the far opposite side of Cory. She gave him a look of disgust.
"Well," Professor Longbottom said, "now that we have finished the sorting, I would like to remind you all that the forest is forbidden to all students. Headmistress, would you like to say anything?"
The headmistress stood, saying, "Well, for those of you who don't know, I am Headmistress McGonnagal. I would like to remind you all-"
But before she could say anything, an owl burst through the Hall doors, and drooped a letter onto the table in front of her. She gave it a curious look, looking at who it was from. When she saw who it was, she frowned. Why would Harry Potter be owling her now? She opened the letter carefully, reading it with care. The students and staff all watched nervously as her expressions changed dramatically. Then she turned to the school.
"It seems our feast will be delayed, due to a late commer, " she said, looking troubled. "We need only wait a few minutes; she is due to arrive any minute now."
The hall watched curiously as the Headmistress sat, looking very old and troubled. The rest of the teachers looked like they wanted to ask questions, but the look on her face seemed to silence them. After a moment or two, Professor Longbottom re-entered the hall (he had left to put away the Sorting Hat, though now he still carried it and the stool in his hand.) with a young, wavy black-haired girl, who looked very much more terrified than any of the first years ever could. Albus watched her carefully, watching her every move. She seemed as nervous as he had felt, and he smiled encouragingly when she caught his eye. She gave him an even more terrified look, and eyed the sorting hat fearfully.
When they reached the end of the hall, Professor Longbottom seated her on the stool. She shut her eyes tight, as he said her name aloud to them all.
"Riddle, Krysta"
A/N: I was originally planning on writing a story with her in it, but I wasn't sure how I was going to do that exactly, and then I started writing this story... and remembered krysta. Her story comes in the next chapter.
ooooo, though... A RIDDLE! hahahahaha... You will see.