Author's Note: Hello everyone! I've recently read some Cursed Child spoilers and realized that my plans for this story don't align with some of the things in the play. So I've decided to just continue with my interpretation of how I see the lovely Next Gen's experiences at Hogwarts and hope you will enjoy them as well! Thanks! :)


September 2018

Uprising in Falmouth Gone Wrong; Three Dead, Fifteen Injured

By Indigo Flume

Neighbors in Falmouth were awoken late Thursday night by the discordant sounds of yet another Wizarding Creature Alliance display. The rally, organized by the infamous Zacharias Smith and a group of colleagues, was meant to raise awareness about giants and their possible benefits to wizarding society. However, this senseless demonstration was cut short with the arrival of a band of cloaked men and women who attacked the Sympathizers. In their brawl, a number of people were stunned and petrified. "Some were even brandishing knives," cried a witness, Bernard Simmons, who had been knitting a sweater moments before the incident. When asked to describe which side observed the most hostile behavior, Simmons said the violence was "too terrifying from both sides" and that she has plans to move in with her sister for the time being.

By the end of the night, three Sympathizers were killed and authorities have yet to confirm or deny if these deaths were caused by an Unforgivable Curse. Fifteen patients were admitted to St. Mungo's soon after, with varying ranges of injury severity. Two were members of the cloaked group; the rest fled the scene when authorities arrived and have not been identified.

Minister of Magic Stamford Jorkins did not address the incident directly but expressed his condolences. "I am truly sorry to those who lost friends and family in Falmouth. Every drop of wizard blood is sacred and we must do everything in our power to prevent something like this from happening again." Earlier in the week he was quoted saying, "The Wizarding Creature Alliance is passionate about their cause but their displays have done more harm than good." No word from the Wizarding Creature Alliance has been released at this time.

"Rosie, stop reading the bloody paper and pass me the salt," James cried.

When she failed to comply, Fred reached across her and grabbed the shaker, handing it to his cousin. "Was it that bad?"

"Read it for yourself," Rose said absently, handing him the Daily Prophet.

As Fred scanned the paper, Molly joined them, a little breathlessly, adjusting her Prefect badge. "Is that today's paper?" she asked, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. "I heard some Ravenclaws talking about it on my way over here. Things are getting worse, aren't they?"

Worse wasn't even the half of it. Over summer, a group of merrymen listening to the Quidditch World Cup on a wireless over a round of firewhiskey had a run-in with a pile of brutally murdered hags. A few weeks later, before Neville and Hannah's wedding, members of the Wizarding Creature Alliance were meeting at the Leaky Cauldron, planning an event, but were attacked by an unknown source. Small incidents like these were cropping up all over England, a missing person here, an injured person there, all somehow connected to the Wizarding Creature Alliance and their opponents.

The Prophet had included one of the worst stories thus far and Rose trembled at the thought of anything happening to her family. She realized, with a faint drop of her heart, that things had only begun to get worse since her family members and friends had acquired positions of power and tied themselves closely to the cause. The only detail that eased her worry was that, at the very least, most of her cousins were safe within Hogwarts walls.

It was their first week back and the first Friday of the year. Headmistress Vector, who was a spectacular replacement for Professor McGonagall though no one would ever dare compare the two, had given specific directions the first night to avoid the Room of Requirement as usual and introduced the new Arithmancy professor, Dean Thomas, and the new Transfiguration professor, Roger Davies. When Hagrid had visited the Burrow in July to tell them the news, James, Albus, and Dominique said they could have sworn their fathers had rolled their eyes, though none of them knew why.

"What have you got this morning?" said Molly, cutting into her thoughts. "Herbology?"

"Yes!" Andie answered for her, appearing at her elbow. "Professor Longbottom's first lesson of the year. Oh, how I adore learning Herbology! I wouldn't be surprised if I were the next Herbology professor myself. Don't you agree, James?" She looked to him for validation.

James raised an eyebrow at her. "I dunno, being around Abyssinian Shrivelfigs and Bowtruckles isn't exactly the thrill I look for," he said, forking eggs into his mouth.

It amazed Rose how overtly head-over-heels her friend was for her cousin and how overtly indifferent he was to it.

"James!" The growing throng of people at their table grew even larger with the arrival of James's best mate, Vaughn Hobday. "Ah, Freddie, didn't see you there." Vaughn never felt the need to acknowledge anyone other than the two. "Have you two seen the ridiculous Quidditch practice schedule our lovely captain has mapped out for us? I reckon I don't even have time to wipe my arse after using the loo." Vaughn also never felt the need to censor himself. It was one of the winning traits that lured James into their friendship.

"Of course I saw it! Wood's gone mental. As if winning the cup last year with half the practice wasn't good enough," James scoffed.

Fred huffed, "Does she know we can't make it to the Quidditch World Cup?"

Vaughn let out a noise of indignation, only because a piece of toast was buried in his mouth. As they chattered about Quidditch, Molly took the paper from Fred's hands, shaking her head as she ran her eyes across the paper.

Andie leaned closer to Rose. "Cat's got your tongue?"

"I'm just worried. It's sickening how this has happened multiple times in the past few months and the Ministry is just ignoring it," said Rose, scooping oatmeal into her mouth.

"I'm not surprised," said Molly. "You heard what our parents have said about how the Ministry was like before. Unreliable, corrupt."

Rose knit her brows. "Yes, but I thought that would've changed with Shacklebolt being Minister of Magic."

Molly took a swig of her pumpkin juice. "Well, Shacklebolt isn't Minister anymore, is he?"

"My dad says that Jorkins fellow is a nasty git," Andie agreed. "Says he's very secretive and only has his own best interests at heart. He's probably only in it for the money."

"And to help bring down the Wizarding Creature Alliance from the inside," Rose added.

They all ate their food silently, listening to the boys' conversation.

"...and if I could finish with a Wronksi Feint we'd definitely have a solid place in winning the House Cup this year," Vaughn was saying.

Molly wrinkled her nose. "I can't believe you're worried about the Quidditch schedule of all things. Have you heard about what's in the paper? Fifteen people at St. Mungo's!"

"That nasty virus is still going around, then?" Vaughn said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"No! It's another attack on the Wizarding Creature Alliance. Aren't you worried at all that there might be an attack there?" she said shrilly. Her concern was understandable; her mother was a Healer-In-Charge for the fourth floor, patients with spell damage.

Vaughn shrugged. "'Tis unfortunate, really, if what you say is true."

"Yeah, it is." Molly's disgust was palpable.

He stood up, picking up a banana from the platter in front of Rose. "I'll see you in class, mate," he nodded at James. "I've left my book back at the dorms."

Fred busied himself with his food and James scooted forward, trying to pick a good apple from the pile in the middle. Molly was fixing to stand up when Andie spoke quietly.

"I think I'd like to try out for the team this year."

"Quidditch?" Molly asked, surprised.

"No, the bloody Gobstones team," said James, but his expression was delighted. "That's brilliant! Are you any good?"

Andie visibly colored at his interest. "Sort of, yeah. I play with my family on holidays."

"What position do you play?" asked Fred.

"Seeker."

James tilted his head thoughtfully. "Vaughn plays Seeker. But I bet I could convince him to tryout as Chaser. Tryouts are on Saturday by the way. At two o'clock."

Even Molly's anger at Vaughn had disappeared. "More girls on the team! How fantastic! I'll be sure to tell Juliana."

"Yeah, Wood was complaining that it'd be an all-boys team if it continued at the rate it was going," Fred said, nodding his head approvingly.

Rose managed an encouraging smile, though she was disconnected from the topic. It was when Andie suggested that Rose try out with her that James and Fred promptly burst into a raucous round of laughter, causing Molly to bite her lip from laughing herself.

"Absolutely not," said Rose. She tried to glare at her cousins but it was a fruitless attempt; they were still banging on the tables and wheezing, causing some people around them to look at them curiously.

"Why not?" Andie was confused. "You did tell me that you didn't play Quidditch but why not try out for fun."

"Because it'd be a grand waste of time."

"Oh, Merlin, you can't be that awful!" Andie exclaimed.

"She is!" James and Fred chorused. Molly, at least, had the decency to rise from her seat and hastily say goodbye to them before giggling to herself as she walked away.


"All right, everyone make groups of four. Should be evenly divided."

Professor Longbottom's Herbology class scattered at the sound of his words. Students rushed to take a seat next to their friends in time, but Rose and Andie sat quietly, waiting for two more people to join. The stool next to Andie scraped the floor as Roxanne sat in it and transferred her rucksack onto her lap, grinning at the two.

"Roxie!" Andie said cheerfully.

Roxanne smiled. "Easy, Andie. Don't get too excited. I'm rubbish at Herbology, you can ask Rosie."

Rose nodded distractedly, flipping through her text. "She's only joined us because we're two of the best in this class. She's not going to do any work."

"I'd be offended, but it's true. I'm here to mooch off of you two." Roxanne swung her legs, waiting for the class to finally begin.

Longbottom furrowed his brow, glancing around the greenhouse. "McLaggen, Diggle, quit fooling around and using your books as Beater's bats. Malfoy, please join a group immediately."

This caused Rose to look up from her book. Sure enough, the blonde boy in question was looking around curiously, searching for a group.

Roxanne waved at him. "Join us, Malfoy." He looked around one last time before taking the last seat next to Rose.

"Excellent. So now that everyone has a group, I want you to all take a few sticks from that pile over there and practice the Severing Charm as a group. Be sure to take turns and make sure everyone has mastered it. We'll be trying to use this spell on actual bowtruckles next week." Professor Longbottom motioned for them to get started and Rose turned to Scorpius as Andie gathered sticks for their group.

She hesitated. Their last interaction had ended badly at their aforementioned professor's wedding.

"Had a good summer, Rose?" he asked kindly.

"Of Course. You?"

"Yeah."

Andie dumped the sticks in front of them. "I love this class but I cannot for the life of me understand charms." She pulled out her wand and twirled it but it only conjured a small puff of smoke.

Scorpius laughed softly and produced his sleek, black wand. "It's like this: Diffindo."

The stick snapped cleanly in two.

"Good work, Malfoy!" Longbottom said cheerily, walking by the group with his hands behind his back. "Merlin's beard, Bole, it's diffindo not Gryffindor."

Rose bounced her leg impatiently. "Let me try." She swiftly did the same wand movement as Scorpius and got the same results. She smiled, and although it was not a competition, she felt as if she had won. "Easy."

Roxanne and Andie exchanged looks. They both knew Rose had an affinity for proving herself, since she was expected to be as great as her parents and was constantly in the public eye. At the beginning of her first year, the Prophet had speculated whether or not Rose would be just as successful in school as her mother and then congratulated her at the end of the year, praising her brilliant mind. This year, however, her brother Hugo had seemed to steal the spotlight (for which she was grateful) and by the second day, there had already been an article on how the youngest Granger-Weasley had been sorted into Hufflepuff, bless his soul.

"That was very nice," said Scorpius, leaning his forearms on the table. "But it's not as if I expected you to be rubbish with Charms."

"Academics is one of the few things I'm successful with," said Rose. "I've got to redeem myself somehow."

Scorpius cocked his head. "What are you on about?"

"She's just upset that I'm trying out for Quidditch," Andie answered, waving one of the twigs instead of her wand. "Poor Rosie can't believe I'm better than her at something."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You're quick to gloat. You haven't even made the team yet."

Andie shrugged.

"You don't like Quidditch, then?" Scorpius was rearranging the broken sticks neatly. "I didn't think you were so against it."

"I'm not against Quidditch. I love watching games and hearing about them and talking about it." She dragged his pile of sticks closer to her. "I just don't play it. I c-can't fly on a broom," she added, not lifting her eyes from her hands.

Scorpius smiled, "That's what this is about?" His voice was soothing and nice, not the mocking tone she'd expected. "Rose, you've got to let other people be good at things too, you know." Roxanne nodded in agreement.

She looked up at him slowly and saw the genuine kindness in his words reflected in his eyes. "I know that," she said, the corners of her lips turning upward. "But it gets in the way of me being the best at everything." An unspoken apology. I like talking to you and I'm sorry about what happened over summer and I'm sorry I didn't owl you—

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Is there a book for that or something?" She was forgiven. I have as much fault in this as you do.

Rose laughed, relieved. "I've tried everything but the Restricted Section."

"Huh." He tapped his wand on his lap. "I reckon I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings doesn't have a chapter on that or else you would've already been well on your way."

"What?"

"That's your favorite book, isn't it?" he said slowly.

"How did you know that?" Rose asked, mildly surprised.

He blinked at her. "Because you told me?" When she merely looked more confused, he added, "Last year. You said it was a Muggle book but it was your favorite nonetheless. The only thing that came close was Hogwarts, a History. The original, not the newer version."

She wrinkled her forehead. "And you remembered that?"

"Of course. You're my friend, aren't you?" he said nonchalantly. "Here, Roxanne, you've almost got it. Let me show you."

She sat back as he scooted to help Roxanne and Andie master the Severing Charm. How had he remembered? She certainly hadn't packed her tattered copy of the book nor mentioned it that often for fear that no one would understand her. She was touched that he had remembered a seemingly insignificant detail about her and that he'd made her feel slightly better about being awful at Quidditch. He was a mystery to her but he seemed to know her better the longer they knew each other. She didn't even know his favorite book.

The rest of class passed with the two of them helping Andie and Roxanne until they both could do the charm with their eyes closed (unfortunately for Andie, she nearly severed off a piece of Dessie Nott's scarf in the process). Professor Longbottom congratulated those who mastered the charm and reminded them that the following lesson they would have to stay in their groups.

Rose had packed her bag and was walking out of the greenhouse when Scorpius came up at her shoulder, slightly out of breath.

"It's Le Petit Sorcier, by the way. It's a twist on a Muggle book by a French wizard."

"What?"

"My favorite book." His hair caught the sunlight when they crossed the path into the castle. "In case you were wondering."


"The past three years we've completely annihilated every team at the Quidditch Final! And we cannot take home the cup this year if every single one of you are not dedicated to this team," Juliana Wood spat. She was decked in red and gold, pacing up and down the line of potential Chasers, Beaters, Keepers, and Seekers, all ranging from frightened second years to smirking sixth years who lounged casually against their brooms.

Rose sat in the stands with Albus, both of them bundled up in their scarves leaning towards each other for warmth, despite the Hot-Air Charm she'd performed for them. She squinted her eyes, searching for Andie's figure and found her standing in between James and Fred, nervously (or excitedly, perhaps) hopping from foot to foot and listening to Wood's motivational speech.

"It's my second to last year here and my first year as Captain of this team. And I'm not going to let you ruin it for me or Gryffindor. If every single one of you put your blood, sweat, and tears into this season, it'll be a good one. Now, if anyone is not up for the challenge..." Wood extended her arm behind her, "Please do show yourself the way out."

Surprisingly, a few third and fourth years set down their brooms and walked in the direction she'd indicated. Wood was unfazed. "The rest of you, I want you to do a warm up lap."

Albus let out a low whistle. "Wood's really taking this seriously," he said as the students lined up and took off on their brooms one by one.

"Well, of course! I reckon word got back to Wood about Slytherin's new and improved team. We can't have them winning the Cup," Rose said matter-of-factly, then cheered as Andie zoomed past them on her broom.

Albus leaned into Rose, "I hope she makes the team."

"I know she will. She's brilliant."

"I wouldn't say anyone better than you is brilliant," Albus smirked. "That's not much of a high standard."

"Oh, sod off!" She slapped his arm just as a bushy haired boy clambered up the steps and joined them.

"Hiya, Al! Rosie!" Hugo said cheerily. He lifted up the bowl in his arms, "I just came from Hagrid's! He gave me some of these wicked rock cakes." He looked up at them with his large, brown eyes. "Would you like some?"

Albus shook his head and Rose politely said, "No, thank you. Have a seat, watch with us."

Hugo obliged, hopping into the spot on the other side of Rose, nearly knocking off his yellow and black scarf. "Who's playing?" he asked, crunching down on a rock cake.

"It's tryouts," Albus explained. "Wood's just dividing the team in half and doing a scrimmage to see everyone's strengths. Andie's waving!" He and Rose waved back and Hugo gave the biggest smile he could.

Wood's voice was saying, "When I blow my whistle, I want you all to play like this is an actual game. I've put you in the positions you want but if I think you're fit to play another, I'll move you. For Merlin's sake, Weasley keep your arse on the broom— not you! Your last name isn't even Weasley! Potter, I'll—" The whistle sounded and they were off.

Vaughn Hobday careened past the opposing Chaser with ease, carrying the Quaffle in his arm. He tossed it to James, who only nearly missed a Bludger by sinking lower on his broom. On the other side, Andie hovered in the same area as Malachai Diggle, her eyes narrowed in search of the Snitch. Fred seemed to make a joke out of messing with the older players and moved in a zigzag pattern that angered the hopefuls, to the point that Carolyn Mina snatched a Beater's bat from the hand's of a fourth year and set off behind him.

Wood kicked the Quaffle out of the way of one of the goal posts and scanned the air. "Diggle, switch to Chaser, you're a rubbish Seeker. Hobday, fill in for him and give Corner a run for her galleons."

The boys did as they were told and immediately Andie plummeted towards the grass, a golden glint catching her eye. Hobday flew after her, and though his broom was a newer model, he was flying at a much slower pace and did not have the advantage of turning around quickly when the Snitch decided to fly north. He stumbled as Andie outstretched her arm, trying to shrink the distance between her and the ball.

"The scrimmage has only started and she's almost got the Snitch!" Albus cried, rising from his seat.

Rose screamed and Hugo dropped his rock cakes, jumping up and down. The few other people in the stands were watching with wide eyes and open mouths.

James, who was now in possession of the Quaffle again, stopped in midair to watch his best friend fly after Andie, a satisfied smile appearing across his features. Vaughn was now next to Andie and shouldered her, getting the momentum he needed to get ahead. His fingers were long but not long enough to get the Snitch and the ball traveled across the pitch; Vaughn panted in effort to touch it with even the tips of his fingers. It was close— its wings fanning his hand and glowing in the light from the emerging sun— he leaned forward in anticipation—

And another set of fingers wrapped around the Snitch.

"GO ANDIE!" Albus hollered and Rose hugged Hugo gleefully. James and Fred pumped their fists in the air and Vaughn clapped Andie on the back, a smile that didn't reach his eyes spreading across his face. It was when they touched the ground that Rose, Albus, and Hugo ran across the pitch, nearly jumping on Andie and giving her congratulations.

Wood had a straight face, most likely due to the fact that people other than the Quidditch hopefuls were now joining them on the field. "I wouldn't get too excited. Just because she caught the Snitch doesn't mean she's on the team. And Diggle you're a rubbish Chaser too. I'll be posting the roster in the Common Room tonight after dinner. Thank you to everyone who tried out today. Good scrimmage." She turned on her heel and walked towards the changing room.

Andie looked crestfallen at the news and Albus threw an arm around her. "Don't worry, mate, she'd be mental not to give you a spot."

"Yeah!" James agreed. "That was bloody amazing! Even Vaughn didn't see you coming from below."

His compliment seemed to lift Andie's spirits. "Really?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Vaughn gave a sour smile as James put an arm around him.

"Really," James affirmed, half-listening as his attention turned to the rest of the team.

"I think he's warming up to you," said Albus encouragingly.

Promptly after dinner, a piece of parchment was charmed to hang on the wall in the Common Room:

Gryffindor Quidditch Team Roster

Chaser- James Potter, 3rd

Chaser- Fred Weasley, 4th

Chaser- Vaughn Hobday, 3rd

Beater- Molly Weasley, 6th

Beater- Malachai Diggle, 6th

Seeker- Andrea Corner, 2nd

Keeper- Juliana Wood, 6th


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