Characters are the property of JK Rowling.
Albus Potter hated being short. Albus – or Al, as he preferred to be called – was a pretty easy going guy. Only a few things riled him up, such as when people messed with his family, his friends, and especially his best friend Scorpius Malfoy. When those three things mixed together, it was easy to understand why Al displayed the temper that rivaled his Uncle Ron's. Like now, for instance.
"Score didn't do anything wrong! It was all my fault!" Al announced angrily. He gripped the armrests of his chair in Headmistress McGonagall's office tightly. He hated this. He hated Score being blamed for something he did, and he hated how everyone seemed to automatically blame his blonde friend anyway. And he really, really hated the way sitting in this chair made his feet unable to reach the ground. It made him feel shorter, and even more annoyed than he already was.
McGonagall sighed, rubbing her temples. "When Argus arrived outside the Gryffindor common room, Mr. Malfoy's wand was out, and yours was nowhere to be found, Mr. Potter."
"That's because Score disarmed me! I told you!" Al hissed. "After I hexed –"
The discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Al's mom. Ginny Weasley tumbled through the fireplace in a flash of green flames, an expression of relief on her face.
"Thank goodness, James. Your father and I were starting to think you'd been Imperioused or fallen in a coma –" she paused, startled, when she recognized the boy in the chair was not her older, but youngest son. "Al?"
"Mr. Potter here was caught with Mr. Malfoy outside Gryffindor less than an hour ago, cornering a certain Victoire Weasley. Ms. Weasley was… well, not quite herself."
"I turned her into a cow," Al said bluntly. "Not exactly much of a change."
"Al!" the Headmistress and his mother both cried, in the same scandalized tone with identical expressions of shock on their faces. Normally Albus would have burst into laughter and taken a picture, so he could share it with Score later, but the situation was too tense.
"Albus Severus Potter," his mother began once she regained her voice. "Please tell me why you thought it would be a good idea to hex your cousin."
"Because nobody else was going to do anything about it!" Albus informed them, as if it should have been obvious.
"About what?" McGonagall sounded incredulous. "What could have possibly warranted an attack?"
"What she was doing to James!" Albus shouted. "Do you really not know? Have you actually not noticed?"
"Minerva," Ginny addressed the Headmistress, but did not take her eyes away from her son. "Please allow me to take Albus home for the evening. I will return him tomorrow morning and he will be prepared for whatever punishment you wish to set."
Albus didn't seem to need – or want – his headmistress' consent; he strode past her desk, pinching some powder along the way and disappeared without a word.
Ginny threw the headmistress a puzzled, yet apologetic look as she made a move to follow her son. At that moment, the spiral stairway entrance revolved, revealing a small blonde first year.
Scorpius Malfoy surveyed the room quickly with wide eyes that hazed over Mrs. Potter and landed on McGonagall.
"Al! Don't tell me he's expelled!" the boy cried. "He didn't do it! It was my fault, I hexed Victoire!"
"You have neither want nor reason to have hexed Ms. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter has already confessed, and from what I gather he had both of those means," Professor McGonagall said simply. "He has gone home in order to sort himself out."
Scorpius looked horrified. "He can't have been expelled!"
McGonagall started to look slightly annoyed. "Mr. Potter will return to Hogwarts tomorrow morning, so you will have until tomorrow evening to prepare yourself for your shared detention with Mr. Filch." With that said, she picked up her quill and began scribbling on a piece of parchment.
Ginny made to leave again. As the green flames engulfed her, she took one last look at the young Malfoy. His face was set in a mask of contempt extremely reminiscent of his father. Ginny knew just by looking at him that Scorpius knew exactly what had Al so upset, not just with Victoire, but with her as well, and that he completely agreed with Al's current opinion of both.