It is a truth universally acknowledged...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a brilliant witch in possession of a famous family must be in want of true friendship.

However little known the feelings or views of such a witch may be on her first entering Hogwarts, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the other young witches and wizards, that she is considered the rightful property of some one or other of her fellow students.

Around the Great Hall, echoes of the other students whispers, some decidedly chatter instead, could be heard: “Did you know that Rose and Albus Weasley have come to Hogwarts?”

“No! Really? The children of the Golden Trio? I have to meet them!”

“Didn’t you hear though? Albus was sorted into Slytherin.”

“Ah well that’s a bummer. Who would have thought?”

“Rose though - she’s in Gryffindor. I have to meet her! I’m sure we’ll be best friends.”

Only one was less enthused.

Scorpius Malfoy sat in the corner of the Slytherin common room, which had been refurbished.

The administration of Hogwarts had decided that it was probably best not to keep children in the dungeons. After all, that might not encourage warm feelings of affection among the Slytherins and their fellow students.

The common room was now located on the ground floor of the South Corridor, which was filled with light, well known among wizarding scientists to promote absorption of Vitamin D and the production of serotonin, key nutrients and neurotransmitters known to promote well-being in all human beings and especially in growing young adults. The Slytherin common room was located, in fact, near the haunted toilets that a troll had once frequented and where Albus and Rose’s parents first became friends. Under the terms of a contract drafted in 1876 by Headmistress Eupraxia Mole on behalf of the whole school, Peeves was allowed a “once-weekly swim” in these toilets. Scorpius never understood why this 141-year-old contract could not be amended, but it seemed that after everything that had happened during the Wizarding War, the wizarding world was able to forgive Slytherin’s past, but not quite ready to forget. Thus, the location near the dreaded toilets. At least the bathroom was nearby in case of a midnight emergency.

The Slytherin common room could not be said to have retained its regality, although it did possess a worn sort of dignity. The windows were flung open to tempt a breeze and provided a view of the lake and rolling emerald hills. Silver stars were emblazoned on the ceiling and enchanted to glitter at night. Occasionally, a comet had even been spotted on the ceiling. The common room did, however, retain its large fireplace next to carved but overstuffed chairs, in which Scorpious was now sitting, nose deep in a book.

And Scorpius was nonplussed.

“Do you not want to know more about Rose?” cried Araminta, his younger sister, impatiently.

“Well you sure do want to tell me,” said Scorpius, not lifting his head from Magizoology, Volume 2: Initial Impressions of Nargles in their Natural Habitat & Fairies of the Forest, by Luna Lovegood.
This was enough of an invitation for Araminta. She flung her blonde hair over her shoulder, pale blue eyes sparkling.

“Well, if you must know, Freya Parkinson says that Rose is both brilliant and sure to continue to be legendary, that she came to Hogwarts this year on the back of a Hippogriff instead of on the train, like her legendary dad and uncles and their Ford Anglia, and that she brought a retinue of house-elves with her.”

This was too many uses of the word *legendary* for Scorpius. “That’s nonsense,” said Scorpius, finally looking up from his book. “Hippogriffs are a protected species since Dumbledore’s Law was passed in 1999, meaning you aren’t allowed to ride them unless you’ve been given extensive training. And everyone knows that house-elves are no longer bound to any family, but choose who to work for and what profession to enter, and must be paid at least a living wage if they choose to enter the helping professions like their ancestors. That’s old news ever since Dr. Granger-Weasley passed Dobby’s Employment-at-Will Law for the Protection of Elvish Welfare. Anyway, Albus says that Grandma Weasley wouldn’t abide by any of her children or grandchildren doing anything but their own chores and cooking, so their heads won’t get too big, same as Mom and Dad.”

“Well anyway,” said Araminta, blushing slightly after such a spirited rebuttal from her brother, “A connection with her has got to be good for getting us a better reputation at Hogwarts, a reputation that reflects who we really are, instead of who people think we are because of our parents’ mistakes. And that means more friendssss!!!” She jumped up and down on the balls of her feet, beaming proudly.

“How?” asked Scorpius, tilting his head like a puppy. Some of his white-blonde hair fell into his sea eyes and he brushed it out impatiently. He had gotten his father’s looks, but his mother’s personality, everyone said. Although his mom was named after the night sky too, she wasn’t remote and cold as his grandfather had allegedly been, but warm, nurturing, and kind. As he grew into his teenage years, his mom worried that he had gotten too guarded as he learned more about his family’s past mistakes, and leery of the reactions of the wizarding community once he entered it in fuller force as an older kid. As a young kid, he had been a beacon of light, she said, always making sure the younger kids were taken care of and reading them stories, with a laugh that could light up the room. He, his mother, and his sister dearly loved to laugh, and they had gotten into many adventures together, reading bedtime stories, cooking, with flour smeared over their clothes and faces, or camping, hanging their heads out of the old Volkswagen camper as they pushed the “Aroogah!” horn for the fifth time, playing the guitar and singing together, and roasting marshmallows over a fire pit, the muggle way. After all, his mother had come from a mixed-magic pairing - a wizard and a muggle who were able to accept each other unconditionally, to grow together, and to love one another with a strength and light that still brought tears to his mothers’ eyes. Their differences made them better, she said, and he was raised with the understanding that all people deserved his respect, not to mention the courtesy and work ethic his mother had instilled in him. They had tempted a smile out of his father a time or two as well, and his dad had participated in these adventures, although he was more reserved, but the older Scorpius got, the more he began to understand why. His father worked every day to atone for his past mistakes, working as a Healer at St. Mungo’s, including with many of those wounded psychologically and physically from the war, but he still felt the scars of his youth, sharply sometimes.

“Scorp, c’mon now! She has a giant, loving family who I already wanna hang out with and can already do a heck of a Bat Boogey Hex. You must know that I’m thinking of us becoming her friends.”

“Is that why she came to Hogwarts?” asked Scorpius, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t know.” And he went back to reading his book.

“Why she came? Who cares! I think it’s very likely that we’ll become friends. She is Albus’s cousin after all, and I know how much you adore him. We have to go and visit her in the Griffindor Tower as soon as possible with Albus!”

“I’m not going if she doesn’t want us to be there,” Scorpius uttered reasonably. “And I see no reason to go to the Griffindor Tower. A lot of the Griffidors are prejudiced enough already against Albus for being in Slytherin, we don’t have to invite it further by visiting their home. Besides, if you really want to go, you don’t need me to come with you. You’re an extrovert and plenty good already at navigating the castle social scene on your own, I hear.” He gave her a warm but protective look over his tortoiseshell glasses.

“No, please, Scorp! You’re witty and you love to read, and I hear Rose does too. Also, you’re kind of like an old, wise Yoda, and Albus says the same thing about Rose all the time! Plus, I’m 9 months younger than you, which means I’m your little sister, and I don’t want to go by myself!”

“You’re plenty grown up to go on your own, sis,” Scorpius said, grinning, “but I do appreciate the Yoda comparison.”

“Scorpius! Pleaseeeeee! Even Freya Parkinson is going, and you know she’s picky about who she makes friends with.”

“Oh, well, I do like Freya. She’s good at telling who’s nice and who’s not.”

“Seeee? C’mon, take it easy on my social anxiety!” she begged.

He sighed and put down his book, a beleaguered older brother.. “All right, all right. If it means that much to you.”

“Yessss!” she said, and got up, taking his hands and twirling and dancing around him, which he bore with good humour. “You’ll see. You’ll make good friends in no time. You just have to try and to visit them with me!”

Scorpius cast a longing glance at his book, thinking yearningly of the worlds contained within, the squashy armchair, and the cozy fireplace, and followed his sister out the door.