Albus waited a few minutes for Rose in the common room before she finally came down. In the meantime, he occupied himself with looking at the flyers on the notice board. Quidditch tryouts were the second week of term, and while Albus knew he couldn't try out because he was a first year, he planned on attending anyway. James had talked of little else all summer, and Albus would like to see how his brother did when he tried out for Seeker. Their parents had promised to buy him a new broomstick if he made the team, and that was to Albus's benefit; he knew that he would be able to sneak rides on it when James wasn't hogging it. Next to the Quidditch tryouts was the date for the first Hogsmeade weekend, which he couldn't attend, and partially covering that was a list of missing items. That made Albus's eyes widen – someone had lost things already? Albus was by no means neat, but he could at least confine his belongings to a general space so they weren't completely lost.
"Ready for breakfast?" Rose said cheerfully as she appeared next to him.
As they walked down to the Great Hall, Albus quickly found that without Rose's guidance, he would be utterly lost. She seemed to have memorized some map of the castle that he assumed was in the Hogwarts book she kept telling him about because she was constantly correcting his direction. He almost wondered whether she really knew where she was going, but they arrived in the Great Hall seemingly without getting off track. Albus was very thankful they would have the same classes.
While he ate a breakfast of warm eggs and bacon, he listened to chatter around him. People discussed themselves for the most part, getting to know their neighbors. Darren, who had already had enough attention about his heritage from the night before, listened to the others discuss their history. Marcus's parents were both magical; Josh's father was a Muggle, his mother a witch; and Brandon's parents were both non-magical. Valerie, a pretty girl with dark hair that was a first year Gryffindor as well, told an intriguing story about how her parents had tried to hex one another upon their first meeting even though both of them were Squibs.
The talk dissipated, however, as the owl post arrived. Hundreds of owls flew through the Great Hall carrying letters and packages of all sizes, sending forgotten items and wishes of luck on the first day of classes. Albus was pleasantly surprised to see that his honey-colored owl, Casper, had mail for him already. A letter with his name on it in his father's familiar scrawl dropped in front of him. Albus petted Casper gratefully, and the owl snatched up a piece of sausage in his beak before soaring off again.
As Albus attempted to open the letter, however, another dropped in front of him. This one, too, had his name written on it, though he could not identify the handwriting. He glanced over at Rose, who had a letter written in the identical writing. They exchanged a curious look.
"They don't give us our schedules through owls, do they?" Albus asked uncertainly.
"No, that would be quite impractical. Everyone hasn't got an owl," Rose said, setting aside the letter from her parents to inspect the unfamiliar one. She turned it over for a moment, as though expecting something else to be on there, before sliding open the envelope. Albus turned to his own and followed her example. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter, It is my pleasure to invite you to a special meeting of your peers for which only a select group of you have been singled out. Please accept this invitation and be aware that the first meeting will be held tomorrow night in my office. Sincerely, Professor Slughorn
"Oh, so you did get one of those!" said a familiar voice over Albus's shoulder. He jumped; he had not realized anyone was there. "I thought you might, 'cause of me and dad and all."
"What are you talking about?" Albus asked, wheeling around to face his brother.
"I got one last year, been going to the meetings ever since," said James nonchalantly. "He's completely mental, of course, only wants to be pampered for the rest of his life, but he's got a lot of connections, Professor Slughorn. You should go, you never know when it might be of some use to you. I personally don't think the usual meetings have any point, but you gotta show face if you want to reap the rewards. He knows Gwenog Jones, did you know? I'm hoping he'll introduce me and get me started on a Quidditch team."
"But James, you don't even know if you'll make the school Quidditch team, much less a national team!" said Rose.
"Oh, ye of little faith," said James dramatically and walked back to his seat with a smirk.
"Oh!" said Rose angrily. "Your brother is a pompous, arrogant imbecile, you know that, Al?"
Albus hastily took a large bite of his eggs and murmured something indiscernible. Rose was quite right, of course, but agreeing with any conviction could result in her going on for hours.
"It really makes me hope he doesn't make the team," she said with a glare in James's direction. Then she sighed and shook her head, turning back to her half-eaten breakfast. "But of course he will. I've seen him, he's good, and he's your father's son, after all."
Albus quickly swallowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Your dad," said Rose. "He was the youngest Seeker in a century. My father told me a week ago or so when I was prattling on about James being all talk."
"Really?" said Albus, and a small knot formed in his stomach. Why hadn't he known this? "My dad always told me he'd been really good at Quidditch, but he never mentioned that."
"No, I don't suppose he would," said Rose unconcernedly. "He's very modest, your dad, isn't he?"
"I guess," said Albus with a shrug. "I've never thought about it."
He then spotted the letter from his parents sitting half-opened next to his plate. He picked it up, unfolded it, and read:
Hey, Al! Hoping you get this letter before your classes start. Lily was ridiculous after we left the platform, tried to demand that we take her to Hogwarts via broomstick. She even tried to steal one out of the shed, we've had to lock it magically. (By the way, you should learn that spell and the one to unlock doors. Both helped me when I was at Hogwarts!) Your mom and I wish you the best of luck at school today, and don't let James pull anything on you when you're not looking. Let us know how your classes go! Love, Dad and Mum
P.S. No matter what you may hear today, I have only looked out for your best interests and I love you more than anything in the world.
Albus reread the letter, and then stared at the postscript for a full minute more. No matter what he might hear today? What was that about? He passed the note to Rose, who was peering indiscreetly over his shoulder anyway.
"What you may hear?" Rose said. "What's he talking about?"
"I don't know," said Albus, just as nonplussed as she was.
"Hmm," was the only comment Rose made, and she had no more time to speak as Professor Swift suddenly appeared next to them, passing out schedules.
"Here you'll find your classes and their locations," he said in his cheery, good-natured voice. "If you have any trouble locating them, that's not an excuse for tardiness, I'm afraid. Find a ghost, they're usually more than happy to help. I'd recommend staying away from the Bloody Baron if you can, though," he added with a wink before moving on to the second years.
Albus looked over his schedule and then glanced at Rose's, checking to make sure they were definitely the same.
"Potions, Charms, and double Herbology," said Rose, looking at Monday's schedule. "That isn't so bad! We get to see Nev—I mean, Professor Longbottom today!"
Albus returned her smile. "That's good. I always pictured Mondays to be the worst."
"I think they usually are, but they may go easy on us because we're first years," said Marcus, who was sitting across from Albus.
Rose made a skeptical look from behind her schedule but otherwise said nothing. Albus understood, though – Rose would hate the thought of professors "going easy on her" as she was eager to prove that she could keep up with the best of them.
"We should probably go to Potions. Who teaches that again?" said Albus, standing.
"Professor Slughorn," said Darren in his quiet, melodic voice. Albus barely spared a glance for him, not having quite forgiven him for his slight the night before. Darren had been gone before Albus got up that morning, and seeing him now, it made Albus grimace. He looked perfectly perfect again today, and Albus scowled the idea of what time he must have woken up to get himself ready and still be out of the dorm before anyone else woke up.
The Gryffindor first years traveled in a pack today, giving Albus time to notice who else was in his year. Rose commented for him in low tones with a suspicious glance when he mentioned that he didn't know any of the girls.
"The girl with the dark hair is Valerie, you must remember her Squib story from breakfast, though I'm afraid it's the most interesting thing she's said so far. The redhead is Rachel, she seems a bit of a priss if you ask me. Daria is the girl with light brown hair, but she hasn't got an ounce of creativity in her body, and the blond is Iris; she's okay, not very pretty, and not your type."
Albus spoke incoherently for a moment, surprise etched into his features, before spluttering, "I didn't say anything about wanting someone my type!"
"Oh," said Rose frostily. "In that case, they're all lovely girls."
And she stalked off ahead of him to immerse Darren in conversation.
Albus was still trying to fathom the workings of the female mind, something his father assured him he would be doing for the rest of his life, when they reached Potions. It was held in the cold dungeons on the level below the Great Hall where they were surrounded by unwelcoming gray walls and had their paths lit only by torches. Fortunately, Rose seemed to have gotten over whatever had been ailing her, and she took the seat next to the Albus.
"Excuse me," said Darren, "but may I sit next to you?"
The question was clearly directed at Rose, though his glance at Albus signaled a desire for his approval too. Albus resisted the way his lips pulled down in an attempt at a scowl – he wanted Albus's consent to sit next to Rose and probably flirt with her the entire class? Fat chance.
"Yes, of course," said Rose with a smile. Seeing as how Darren's eyes had moved toward Albus now, however, she turned to face her best friend. "He can, can't he, Albus?" Her tone was polite, but her eyes held some of that fiery emotion that his mother sometimes had when she was asking him to do something – something that wasn't a suggestion.
Albus shrugged and looked pointedly at the front of the class. He peripherally sensed the chair next to Rose being soundlessly pulled back so that Darren could sit in it. He stared harder at Professor Slughorn's desk, which would probably have burst into flames had looks been able to kill. He was very surprised then when he received a tap on his shoulder from directly behind him and turned to see Darren standing there.
"Could I have a word please?"
Albus's eyes probably revealed his shock, but he nodded curtly and stood, following Darren outside the classroom. Rose watched them go with her eyebrows furrowed together in a piercing line across her forehead. Darren held the door open for Albus and then shut it behind him. Albus crossed his arms as Darren turned to face him.
"I was wondering… what I did to upset you," Darren started.
Albus glared. "I'm not upset with you."
"Al—"
"Albus."
"Albus," said Darren with a frustrated look, "I know I did something, but I am unaware what it is. Please enlighten me."
Albus scowled again. "Just stay away from Rose."
"Rose?" said Darren, his surprise evident.
"Yeah, Rose!" said Albus, his voice rising slightly, his arms uncrossing. "None of this kissing her or flirting with her or… or touching her!"
Darren looked very taken aback now. "My apologies, I meant neither of you any insult. I have behaved as I normally do around ladies. I was raised to treat them with the utmost respect. I will kiss the hand, hold open the door, and assist any lady in any manner I can."
Albus's face showed a look of concentration. "Any girl?"
"Any lady," Darren repeated.
"So then… this isn't… it wasn't just… you didn't…?"
Darren looked expecting, as though waiting for him to finish one of those sentences.
"You don't like her?" Albus finally settled on.
"Most certainly I do," said Darren. "I think she is a lovely lady. However, I have no intention to, ah, date her, if that is what you mean."
Albus sighed in relief. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to go big brother on you."
"What?" said James, nonplussed.
"Rose is the oldest in her family, she doesn't have a big brother to take care of her. I'm her best friend and as much like a brother as she's got. I'm not letting anybody close to her that I don't like." He crossed his arms again in emphasis.
Darren smiled. "Then we are friends, Albus?"
Albus hesitated for a moment, then said, "Al."
Darren's smile widened.
Hurried footsteps met their ears then, and they turned to see Professor Slughorn hurrying down the corridor, a wide cauldron clutched in his hands. "Boys, boys, what are you doing? We're late as it is! Inside now, go on!"
Darren held open the door for Slughorn, who had no arms to spare, and followed Albus back to their seats. Rose looked at each of them quizzically, but Albus shook his head and watched Slughorn place the cauldron at the front of the room. All eyes watched him as he bustled about his desk for a moment, arranged a few things, and then smiled up at them all.
"Good morning! I hope you all are very excited to begin your education here at Hogwarts. Strive to do your best and who knows, you may be as famous as some of my previous students! And if you do, don't forget me in the future." He winked. "Now, who can tell me what this potion is?"
Rose's hand shot into the air so fast that Albus swore he got whiplash.
"Oh, yes, you're Miss Weasley, aren't you? And – why, we've got a table full of prodigies over here! Mr. Knight, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, already found out you're the geniuses, have you? Outstanding! Now, what is this potion, Miss Weasley?"
Albus puzzled over Slughorn's words, paying Rose's answer no mind. The geniuses of the class? Where had Slughorn gotten that idea? Albus had never been allowed to touch a potion in his life; he had no idea how good he was going to be at this class, so how on earth did Slughorn?
"... Mr. Potter?"
Albus jolted back into the present conversation at the sound of his name. "Er, sorry?"
"I was saying that since you're father is a potions prodigy, you must know the name of the potion to stabilize a werewolf when it is the full moon?"
Rose was staring at him with an incredibly intense look, as though trying to burn the answer into his brain. At the moment, he wished she could.
"I don't know."
Slughorn looked disappointed. "Mr. Knight?"
Rose rounded on him, but before she could so much as look at him, he had answered, "The Wolfsbane Potion."
"Remarkable!" said Slughorn happily. "Now, the Wolfsbane Potion is much too difficult for first years to attempt. It had two pages worth of ingredients plus another page of directions in almost every text and is far too complex for all but the most accomplished potioneers. It is something we won't even begin to discuss until your NEWTs. I want you to get an idea now at what you will be able to accomplish in seven years should you choose to stay with Potions that long. It is a daunting task, potions this complex, but one with unprecedented rewards! For today, however, I want you to start with something simple: a Swelling Solution. Turn to page 11 and follow the directions as best you can. I will be coming around to correct your techniques. The best potion at the end of class will receive top marks. Begin!"
Albus pulled out his potion's book and the ingredients he had bought in the Apothecary. He turned to page 11 and stared at the page, biting his lower lip. Slughorn said it was simple, but as Albus had mixed no more than a cup of tea in his life, even this looked very complex. He stared at the page for a full minute before realizing he hadn't taken in a word. He glanced over at Rose, whose potion was already a shimmering purple. With a mental smack, Albus refocused on his book.
Slughorn started on the opposite end of the room, though he continuously glanced over at Darren, Rose, and Albus, as though he were saving the best for last. Indeed, he probably thought he was, but Albus was well aware that his Swelling Solution was more likely to turn them all into tadpoles than make things larger. As they had Potions with the Hufflepuffs, Albus didn't feel too horrible, however; Slughorn was constantly correcting them on one thing or another. In fact, Rose and Darren seemed the only ones getting anywhere with their potions. Albus continuously looked over at them, desperate for some help, but Rose only whispered that if he read the directions properly he should be fine. That was easy for her to say – her potion was the cool blue it was supposed to be. Albus's solution was a cheery, sunshine yellow that served only to darken his mood.
When Slughorn finally reached their table, he grinned excitedly at Darren's potion, which was a slightly darker shade of blue than Rose's. "Wonderful, wonderful! This is excellent! I bet you stirred in the lacewings at exactly the right moment for it to be this shade of blue. And Miss Weasley! Fabulous! Did you stir if four times clockwise, and then three counterclockwise?"
"Yes," said Rose with an unmistakable air of pride.
"Outstanding! And... oh my." He looked at his Albus's potion, and his face grew downcast. He looked up again with a fake smile. "Not quite got your father's touch, eh?"
"I don't think my father is very good at potions," said Albus with a glance down at the yellow liquid in his cauldron. His mother would never let his father near her cauldron.
"Nonsense, m'boy, nonsense! One of the most gifted students I've ever known! Well, he had to be, of course, with all the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named business, but—"
"Excuse me?" Rose interrupted. Then she suddenly threw a hand over her mouth, as though she'd just spoken blasphemy. Rose would normally never interrupt a teacher like that.
"What, my dear girl?"
"Uhm," said Rose, much more meekly now that she felt the guilt of disrupting him. "Lord Voldemort, sir?"
Slughorn flinched so bad he almost sent Darren's potion to the floor. Luckily, Darren had quick reflexes that caught the cauldron before it went off the desk.
"Don't say his name!" said Slughorn quickly. Rose looked taken aback, and Slughorn considered her for a moment before speaking again. "Yes, your mother wasn't afraid to say his name either. I learned the whole story afterwards, how she helped Harry Potter in defeating You-Know-Who. Never left his side. A brave woman, your mother. Your father too. They were all best friends at Hogwarts, never saw one without the other two. None of them came back for their seventh year because they were on the run as fugitives, fleeing from the corrupted Ministry and working to defeat You-Know-Who. Exceptional wizards – and witch, of course. Miss Granger and Mr. Potter were phenomenal potioneers, and I had rather hoped you both would inherit their talents. I see it wasn't all in the genetics…" He gave the merest half-glance towards Albus. "But nonetheless – ah, that's the bell! No homework for today, but be ready for an essay over the weekend!"
And he hurried out of the room after that.
While the students collected their belongings, there was a slight buzzing among the students as they gave Albus and Rose sneaky glances on the way out of the classroom. Darren made to stand, but when neither Rose nor Albus followed him, he sat back down.
"What is it?" he asked, looking at them both with concern.
Albus and Rose had identical looks of shock on their face. Words failed them.
After a moment, Darren's eyes widened in amazement as he understood. "Are you saying – you mean – you never knew?"
Albus numbly felt in his robes pocket for the letter his father had sent him that morning. No matter what you may hear today, I have only looked out for your best interests and I love you more than anything in the world. His fingers curled around the parchment, and there was a crackling of paper as he crushed it in his hand.
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A/N: For my own personal benefit and any interested readers, I found actors to portray the characters. If you want a face to associate with the names, you can see them here (without the spaces): http://s185. photobucket. com/albums/x159/DiaRiles/Renew/