September, 2017
1 September 2017
It is the first of September, a normal day for the biggest part of the childs. The only special thing was the returning of the classes. But that is for the “normal” childs, if you are one of the lucky ones to receive the Hogwarts letter, it is the day that your whole life will change, at least this was what his father told Albus when he got up this morning.
During the summer Albus received the letter saying that they were glad of having Albus this year in the list of the students to join the new course, no one in the family was surprised with the information because they were waiting for it, even more than Albus himself. The next day they went to Diagon Alley to buy all the new stuff he needed for the term and his own wand, the moment every child waits.
But to be honest Albus isn’t excited a fraction as much as Harry was, the love that his father has for that school is something that Albus never understood, and hoped to do once he was gone. He always talks about his years going to Hogwarts and how great all the teachers are hoping that his children have the same emotion as him. This strategy was useful with James, who seems to have the same emotion, it could be also because all the people say he looks like his father in those years, also he is in his third years so he is used to going and want more than other thing the summer to end and went to Hogwarts with his friends.
For Albus it couldn't be more different. He don’t really want to go, he want to stay at home, he don’t want eyes on him with high expectations because he’s “the son of Harry Potter” or “the brother of James Potter”, he know his brother has a reputation in Hogwarts, even if it's only his third year. It bothers him to think that he will be in their shadow, haunted by people's gaze if he does not reach those expectations they made about him. And the first fear was generated by his own brother who, on the way to the platform, told him that "it would be a shame if he weren't a Gryffindor since all the Potters were always Gryffindors".
Now he is looking at the wall which he must pass through before the express leaves without him, thinking about the house he is going to be, now he thinks about the fact that he really does not care about that in all his life, he never thought about that. He turns to look at his mother, who was with a smile nodding to him with a look in her eyes saying “everything will be fine” and that all Albus needs to cross the wall.
Now in the platform he see all that families gathered saying goodbye to their children, but one catch his attention, a very tall man with blonde hair hugging a guy who looks his age, but to be honest what really caught his attention is not the special blonde that those two people have but that there is no one nearby, the rest of the families are crowd together while they are alone, no one less than 3 meters from them, as if they are avoiding or they have some type of contagious disease. After watching that peculiar scene, his gaze goes to the other corner of the platform where the rest of his family is, his uncles (all of them) with their cousins and also his brother who was talking very animatedly with Teddy.
He heads towards them and the first person he greets is his cousin Rose, apart from being his cousin he considers her his best friend, she is his age so they will go to Hogwarts together. She is as excited as the others and although Albus does not share that emotion he tries to pretend even a little so as not to disturb the happy atmosphere around him.
The train whistled, indicating that it is going to leave soon, so finally waving goodbye to his family, Albus began to head off with Rose and James. But before he could do anything Harry grabbed him by the shoulder to make him turn around.
- I heard what James told you about the houses and all that stuff - Harry took a deep breath before continuing to speak - I just want to be sure of one thing, i want you to know that you are aware that i do not care about the houses and all the stuff he told you, the only thing i care is about your happiness. If your happiness is in Slytherin I will accept without problem. Alright?
It took a few seconds to realize what his father was saying to him but after that he nodded and hugged him. After leaving that short but intense hug, he said goodbye to enter the train where his cousin was waiting for him.
Now the only thing Albus wanted to do was sit in a compartment and stay calm all the way to Hogwarts, but that was not in Rose’s plans. She, like their parents, wanted to meet their best friend in the expreso, so that desire made them wander around on the train in search of the "perfect" compartment. Something that Albus does not believe was real. James had also been gone for a while, clearly he was not going to spend the journey with his cousin and brother, he went to look for his friends, something that Albus found reasonable, if he could he would do the same.
After a lot of wandering he stopped in front of what seemed like an empty compartment, he looked inside and then at his cousin, thinking that she would surely be fine and entering the room. Later he would explain the situation to her and he would look for her.
To his surprise the place was not empty, there was a boy, covered by a pile of blankets and sleeping. Although he was a little hesitant, he decided to sit down. At the end of the day he just wanted a quiet place and the other boy was not going to talk for now.
After almost half an hour the other boy began to wake up and when he got up he revealed to that boy who had caught his attention on the platform, generating even more doubt in him. It took a while for the blond boy to get used to the fact that it was another person at the compartment. They just stayed silent and looked at each other until Albus decided to break the silence.
- Hi, I am Albus, and you?
- Hello, I am Scorpius, sorry for being sleepy, I do not want to be disrespectful - the blonde boy holding out his hand to be shaken.
- Oh, do not worry about that. In fact I thought this place was empty. I just want to relax after the arrival.
- Nervous?
- No, no. Just so you know… Like the pressure, I do not get why people want to go to Hogwarts, it's a school full of homework and exams and a schedule.
- It is a very special way of looking at all this, I had never thought of it like that - Scorpius lets out a laugh and then looks at the window.
- I don't think you or anyone else thought about that. They only think about friends and those things, but school is for study.
- Well, we are going to stay here for 7 years. You will also have time for friends.
Albus started to look out the window also, trying to see whatever had Scorpius so absorbed.
- Isn't it beautiful? - Scorpius asked, catching Albus' attention.
- What?
- The landscape.
- Is it not like all time the same?
- You should look much further, there are many things, details.
When Albus was going to answer they were interrupted by the compartment door opening and showing a very nervous Rose. She was breathing like she was having a hard time and had her red hair all over her face.
- You had me worried, I looked for you all over the train.
- Sorry, I just need to set a moment - Albus apologised, he really felt bad for leaving his cousin alone.
- Well, nothing happens, I found you but you better come, James was also looking for you - After saying that Rose’s face turned to the opposite part, colliding his gaze with Scorpio's - And quickly.
Albus noticed that Rose got more serious but he could not say what was the reason.
- Is something wrong Rose?
- Oh, yeah. It's just him.
- What's wrong with him? - Albus didn't understand anything.
- Nothing, is just Scorpius.
- Do you know him? - Albus' confusion only grew by the moment he didn't understand what was happening.
- O common Albus do not tell me you do not know who he is.
- I just met him now.
- You are just a liar. I do not believe you do not know he is Scorpius Malfoy
When Albus heard that last name it was as if the entire train had just gone through a pothole, an earthquake shook the country, everything around it began to shake. Clearly shaken by the stories his father told about how cruel the Malfoys were, not believing that the kind and calm boy sitting in front of him could be the type of person his father had warned him so much about. A dead silence was established in that space of the train, Scorpius was looking at the ground embarrassed without knowing what to say, Albus was processing everything that had happened and Rose was moving her leg nervously while she became more and more impatient to get out of there. Then finally Albus breaks that silence.
- Is she telling the truth?
- Now i am a liar? - Rose answered without believing that that was what his cousin said.
- I do not ask you and I do not say that. I am talking with him - Rose gives Albus a gaze that could have killed him, but he does not care.
- Em.. Maybe? Yeah, I am Malfoy. But that does not have to mean anything.
- You cannot say that seriously - Rose looked very angry at that answer, as if the boy had just said the stupidest thing in history.
- Are you going to judge me without knowing me?
- I know everything I need to know about you.
- Like what?
- Like how your father treats my mother.
- So now I am my father?
- Maybe you are just like him. A death eater - Rose was beginning to get exasperated and it was becoming increasingly noticeable due to the venom that her words released.
- So now we throw accusations into the air? And next what? Now you are going to say that I am a werewolf or that I am the child of Voldemort? Or maybe that I was born in a ritual to resurrect Voldemort? What rumor do you prefer? Rose. Granger. Weasley. - The last words spoken by Rose were the turning point for Scorpius to begin to raise his tone and raise his look from the ground. Now his eyes were burning with anger and frustration.
At that point Rose crossed her arms and turned her gaze to Albus waiting for some kind of response. Rose wouldn't admit it but Albus knew that response had embarrassed her. It wasn't just what he said, but how he said it and the fact that he used his full name at the end. Albus, without fully understanding the exchange of words that had just happened, looked at his cousin, understanding that he had to get up now if he did not want to arrive at the castle in the form of a corpse. Before leaving, he glanced at the boy who was left alone again and whispered a small "I'm sorry" which the blonde responded with a nod.
He spent the rest of the way to the castle in a compartment with his cousin, his brother and some of his brother's friends, looking out the window trying to make sense of what happened earlier with Scorpius.
An hour later was when he finally arrived at Hogwarts, he got on some boats that carried only the first year students. Once at the hall, a very short teacher, who introduces himself as Professor Flitwick, appeared to talk to them about the selection ceremony and what they would do that night after eating, indicating that they should listen to the prefects who would show them how to get to the rooms. Then he directed them towards the Great Dining Room, when they passed two huge wooden doors they opened, showing inside 4 long months, each one with a representative color, at the end a table placed so that it looked at the students, where the teachers sat. Finally in the center of the front was a stool with a hat on it. The famous Sorting Hat.
Headmistress McGonagall gave a very long speech before the selection ceremony began, but Albus really didn't pay much attention as he was absorbed in the vibe of the place. Then the selection ceremony starts, they call the student to assign a house, something that would define his next 7 years of life. A situation that Albus thought was excessive, unnecessary and overwhelming, wasn't there a fairer way to distribute the houses? The Sorting Hat starts to scream at houses, while it screams as each table celebrates when a new student joins. For ones the hat did not dude, for others it takes a time. Finally Albus heard a name he knows, Rose Granger Weasley. As soon as the hat arrived, she didn't hesitate and shouted at Gryffindor where James was waiting for her with open arms. The hat continues saying Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, another Ravenclaw and then another name Albus knows, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.
To the surprise of some, the hat took a while to decide his house, he looked hesitant. Not like with his father who didn't even need to put on the hat. But since everyone was waiting for the hat, he ended up yelling that he would be in Slytherin. A fact that filled the Slytherin table with both feelings, many celebrated and others looked disgusted.
- Albus Severus Potter!
After waiting so long, his name came, he went up the stairs with hesitation and sat down to have the Sorting Hat placed on him.
“ oh, another Potter…”
“mhh interesting, very interesting”
While the sorting hat was wondering what to wear, Albus could only keep his gaze fixed on James who seemed to be watching a Quidditch match of his favorite team.
“you could fit… definitely no Ravenclaw”
“not even Hufflepuff”
“you will be okay at SLYTHERIN!”
When the hat finally shouted James was ready to celebrate but the shock made him freeze while the shouts of celebration came from the other side of the dining room, the green end. Albus did not process what was happening either, the director had to move to whisper to him to get up in the direction of his table. Which Albus did, sweating too much from the movements he made without really knowing where his body was going.
He unconsciously sits across from Scorpius, but didn't notice until the food magically appeared on the table. He had been so stunned by what had happened for a while that he didn't even notice when the ceremony ended and the banquet began.
During the dinner the classmates around him tried to start a conversation but he was unable to say anything other than short or monosyllabic sounds like yes or no.
Then they got up and showed them the way to the dungeons, where the common room was. They explained how it worked and he was surprised to see how a line of the floor rose up, forming a snake-shaped arch that overlooked the common room. They divided the rooms where their things were already, but he didn't worry about changing or seeing who his roommates were. As soon as he arrived he lay down on the bed and fell asleep hoping that it was all a bad dream. He was probably still on the train and it was just a bad nap.