Chapter 3
Albus Severus Potter was pacing to and fro outside of Albus Dumbledore's office. He had been summoned there in person for reasons which he did not know. Hermione had suggested- in the light of their previously unsuccessful research endeavors - that he reveal his identity to Dumbledore and seek help from there on, which was eminently sensible.
Still, the prospect of meeting his namesake and quite possibly the most powerful wizard of all time, a title contested only by the great Merlin himself, and of stitching together a coherent explanation for his current state made Albus nervous. He rehearsed his words over and over in his head - until he couldn't take it anymore.
"Acid pops," said Albus abruptly and the gargoyle outside the office leaped aside. He knocked on the door.
"Come in," Dumbledore's voice sounded from the inside.
"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore," Albus said as he walked inside.
"Ah, good evening. Please sit down," Dumbledore said as he offered a seat amicably, smiling. It may be paranoia but Albus was pretty sure that there was a hint of surprise and suspicion within the man's voice.
So it was to be done.
"Pleased to meet you, Sir." Albus held his hand out for Dumbledore to shake it; the man's brows lifted in slight surprise. "Excuse me for the formality, but I believe we have never met in person," Albus explained as he took a deep breath. There was no way Dumbledore wouldn't believe him. If there was one person in the past sans his father's best friends who would believe his outlandish scenario, it was Dumbledore. "I'm not Harry Potter. I'm... Albus Potter. I'm from the future."
~X~
"Al! Snakey McSnakeface! Are you okay?!"
"Stop calling him that James! He's unconscious!" A female voice chided. Harry thought he could her a loud smacking sound.
"You've missed Prefect duty - tsch tsch... ten million points of Slytherin!" The other voice responded nervously, managing a small laugh.
"This is no time for jokes you unsophisticated twerp!"
"Cut the acidity Annie..."
"Shhhhhh... you guys are waking him!"
"Always the considerate one, Scorp."
"I sense some true love right there, sorry Anya, but your affections have been eclipsed!"
"As usual, you make the stupidest statements at the most inopportune moments."
"Bugger off!"
"Quiet! Don't wake the patient!"
"I mean, you technically broke it off with my brother-"
"That doesn't mean we can't, you know, talk to each other or be friends with each other."
"Really, this cluster is more than we can accommodate-"
"I don't know man, Albus was really pissed at you for doing it for your OWLS. Your OWLS."
"He's waking up!"
Harry Potter's eyes flung open. He was on a hospital bed, still surrounded by people he didn't know. The warm air around him induced sweat drops that continued to trickle down his cheeks.
"Who-"
"Albus, you're okay!"
Not-Draco again. Platinum blond hair. Confused grey eyes. Concerned expressions manifested through furrowed brows.
He jumped out of bed.
"I'd...like some peace and quiet," Harry finally summoned the energy to speak. "Really, thank you very much. Thank you all. Good bye."
There were mutters as the lot of them filtered out of the room, ushered by a rather vexed Madame Pomfrey. (It was decent to witness at least one familiar face.) The sound of feet pattering away somehow reassured him. Alas some peace and quiet, perhaps?
~X~
Frustratingly, not-Draco seemed intent on remaining behind - even as a guy who professed to be his 'bro' told him to 'hit him up at the Gryffindor common room whenever he's feeling okay' left - and Madam Pomfrey did not object to his presence. Strange indeed. It had been hours and the guy refused to leave.
"Okay, just who are you and what is going on?" Harry finally blurted out. "I know you're not Draco Malfoy... but you look exactly like him!"
"First things first... you're not Albus, I've theorised that. Secondly, I think you might be possessing his body, which is why I brought this book on exorcism," the guy's eyes twinkled as he pulled out a thick tome, probably taken from the forbidden section of the library. "That said, the fact that you kept referring to as Draco Malfoy, the fact that you have that scar on your forehead"- Scorpius gestured towards him -"and the fact that you seemed to have no idea what the fuck is going on has led me to suspect a third possibility. You're Harry Potter. You're from the past! That's wicked!"
Scorpius sounded giddy with excitement as he rushed to hug Harry, who was as befuddled as ever on his current state, not to mention feeling perturbed by the uninvited physical contact.
"Wait, wait, wait - hang on a minute... You're saying I'm in the future?! What- but - I still need to-"
"Don't worry, I've already informed Albus' dad... you actually - current you, Head of the Auror Department and all that - about the current complications. Told him this might be a case of accidental time travel and -"
"Just what is going on-"
"Don't worry, you're-"
"Of course I'm worried!" Harry uttered these words, interrupting Scorpius' stream of consciousness. "I don't know who you are, what in Merlin's pants I'm doing here and whether I can trust you!"
"Have a chocolate frog," Scorpius piped up jovially. He reached into his pockets for the treat.
"What?!"
"My mother always said that sweets can calm one's nerves."
Harry was completely taken aback by the abrupt change in topic, as well as the offer. This Scorpius kid was one weird person.
"Everything will be fine!" Scorpius reassured him and then enveloped Harry in a tight, mildly suffocating embrace. "You hug right? Do we hug? Should we make this a thing now?"
"Um..."
"CAN WE ENTER NOW?" A loud cacophony of voices boomed from outside the infirmary.
"NOT YET!" Scorpius shouted back. "So," he continued speaking, lowering his voice. "Here's the game plan. Current you, the Auror, will be on his way to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Although I myself am perfectly trustworthy, as are most people here, to be safe, you're going to pretend that you're Albus Potter. And this means playing along with people, pretending that you went a little crazy back then and all that, going to his classes, sleeping in his bed and fending off his ex-girlfriends. Oh and try not to disclose your real identity. Got it?"
"Wait, what-"
"Great!"
"BRING THE MAN TO HIS DORM!" Scorpius shouted outwards, which was responded by the entrance of a barrage of loud, abrasive Sixth-Years.
"Wait, what is going on-"
"Just roll with it, Alby!"
His voice was drowned out by the clamour.
~X~
"This is very serious, Mr... Albus Potter. I would not be so inclined to believe it if I had not seen what's inside your head."
Right, Albus Dumbledore is one of the greatest Legilimens to ever live.
"I would not bestow the title 'greatest' on myself, Mr. Potter. But I am, indeed, a Legilimens... as are you. Am I correct?"
Albus Potter nodded tentatively.
Dumbledore smiled, then his brows furrowed. "I would say welcome to the past Mr. Potter, but these are serious times and your presence brings about... certain complications."
"No kidding, Death Eaters, Voldemort, the fact that everyone is going bananas. Not going to lie I'd really like to be back in the present - but that's probably more complicated than it seems, right? I mean, I don't really know the mechanics as how I got here, but I was hoping that you might... I'd... Never mind..." His voice trailed off and he felt like a helpless idiot. So Dumbledore believed him — and now what?
"No, unfortunately, there's no immediate solution for your predicament," Dumbledore mused as he contemplated the situation in front of him. "But perhaps the truth will soon unveil itself. There's very little you can do right now, Albus."
"Okay so I've just been pretending to be Harry Potter at the moment, but do I have to get involved in his 'save-the-world' antics? I mean, it's not like I don't care, per se, I'm just not sure if I'm the best person... I do know that he's supposed to be hunting down Horcruxes this year but I'm not sure which one he's currently on... There's like seven of them, isn't it?"
Dumbledore's expression made him realize that he may have revealed some 'future knowledge' that was not quite congruent with the current matter of things.
"Okay, what part of what I just said was unexpected?"
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit-
"Should I even be saying anything at this point..." Albus froze, mildly petrified. "I..."
~X~
"Enough with this, I'm going to bed..." Wearily, Harry Potter, murmured as he wrangled himself out of another embrace. Tough job. He was basically enveloped in an inebriated circle of drowsy teenagers, who wanted to throw another party after the first day of school. Several eager first, second and third-years lingered too, eager to impress their housemates.
Luckily, he was a rather nimble individual, owing to his small-ish stature and maneuvering practice in Quidditch and whatnot.
After a string of strenuous goodbyes, as he strove to remember all the names, Harry finally reached a quiet corner where he could have some peace and quiet.
It was a strange day. He had missed the Sorting because he had been hospitalized. Thereafter, he was dragged into a drunken fest of inebriation, a cacophony of loud party music, where he was accosted by someone called Anya who was apparently his ex-girlfriend, who then gratuitously slapped him in front of everyone. Everyone was calling him Albus, which was very strange because apparently his future self had named his second son Albus Severus Potter, after the insufferable greasy git known as Professor Snape. As to the reasoning behind it, Scorpius shrugged and told him to ask his future self when they meet tomorrow. (The whole idea of meeting himself seemed so absurd.) Then apparently he was hauled into the air by a bunch of Slytherin boys, who were 'Albus's' housemates, hollering and calling him "an absolute legend" for successfully evading the Sorting Ceremony. As to why Albus Potter ended up in Slytherin, Harry was in mild befuddlement given — alright the Sorting Hat did at one point say he'd be a good fit in Slytherin but he always suspected it misjudged him anyway. Anyways, these Slytherin boys seemed way too enthusiastic and cheery to be close to comfort — and he was going to have to live with them until everyone figured out what the hell was going on.
"Albus! I mean - Harry!"
There comes Scorpius again. Harry sighed.
"I'm going to bed," he responded.
"Me too, I'm heading back too I mean. I can show you were it is — you know where it is right? Dad said you once sneaked in there."
"Okay this is just getting weird."
"No — I mean, yes, kind of? Isn't it pretty cool that you get to peak into the future? I don't mean — I know you're super unnerved and everything but this — Hey! Wait up! You still need me for the password!"
Getting out of not-Draco/ Scorpius Malfoy's sight does not appear to be a viable option. Harry kept walking. He was sure he remembered the directions to the dungeons.
"Look — I know you're freaked out — I know you don't, well, we're not friends yet, but I was great friends with Albus! And believe me, I want him back too and I want to help you because you're a great person and you're his dad and … just… Okay, so we've established 100% that you are a time traveller and we are getting present-you here tomorrow to help sort it out. In the mean time please— Harry, please— don't do anything stupid. Anyways, let's—"
~X~
"So is there such a thing as the paradox of time traveling — like, I'm not meant to reveal too many details about the future, right?" Albus asked a quizzical Ron at breakfast as Hermione frowned, possibly wondering what else he had gotten himself into. "I mean, I'm thinking… how did I even get here?"
"Yes, that's what we've been trying to figure out, Albus... the past few days," Hermione said with a sigh.
"Okay so basically what happened was I told Dumbledore something I'm not really meant to tell him. It's something kind of important and I think might end up altering the course of history - or maybe not. But what if me being here and you guys seeing me - what if that changes everything?" Albus found himself rambling on and on and on. Ever since his meeting with Dumbledore earlier this week, he had been kind of paranoid about saying anything. Lips zipped tight, he would often add a 'did you guys know this?' or an 'am I even meant to say anything?' to the end of his sentences whenever he began conversing with Ron and Hermione, who no doubt found his antics a bit tiresome.
"Albus, it will be fine... No one is going to care about whether the Holyhead Harpies won the championship four or five times in the next twenty years..." Ron mumbled as he stuffed a sandwich in his mouth.
"Also you guys should totally date," Albus said, "You two look super cute together." He couldn't help it. It wasn't as if Ron and Hermione - sexual tension and all of that - would stop dating just because he said anything or revealed anything. Come on.
Ron spilt his milk. Hermione was coughing up her biscuits.
"Oh I see, a little shy aren't we?" Albus was so amused he began chuckling.
Speaking of romantic relationships, he wondered whether James - back in present day - was ever going to get back together with Annie Bones or whether his ex-girlfriend missed him at all. Then his mind wondered to the topic of his parents. Hadn't Harry and Ginny Potter began dating during Sixth-Year, which meant that if they don't start dating any sooner or if the Harry Potter in the current time doesn't make it back, wouldn't that technically mean he himself wouldn't be conceived at all? His eyes scanned the Gryffindor table and found that Ginny was kissing another dude. That can't be right.
Wingardium leviosa, Albus whispered, swinging his wand, as the random's guy's plate levitated and slammed into his face.
Hermione elbowed him hard. "What the hell was that for?"
"Okay, guys, isn't - I mean - Ginny Weasley" - it was strange referring to his mother by her maiden name - "is meant to be my mother. She and dad got together his Sixth Year, which means that any romantic affection between her and any other guy technically threatens my existence. I can't allow that!" He declared.
"WHAT?!" Ron spilt even more milk.
"Wait - is this another one of these things that I'm really not supposed to say or - I mean - Merlin's pants weren't they always a bit friendly with each other ever since dad saved her from the Chamber of Secrets -?"
"They what?! Ginny never told me anything?!"
"Of course she didn't-"
"Okay - should we tell her? I think that's the most sensible option, as I really don't want her to get together with that guy -"
"That guy has a name and it is Dean Thomas," Hermione explained. "And I am not sure whether us telling her about your status or the future would really help with anything -"
"Okay but what if they really fall in love and I'm no longer born as a result!" Albus threw his hands up in the air in despair.
"Ginny and Dean Thomas? Pffft - she's too good for him! They won't stay together for long!" Ron blurted out, peeved. "But back to what you said about Harry - are you serious? They really got together?"
"Oh yes. That's how I was made," Albus quipped.
"When did Harry begin-"
"Sixth-year. I think. I think." Albus was trying very hard to remember. "Also, I know I'm pretending to be Harry but there's no way I'm going to hit on my future mother. That's just gross-"
Ron spilt milk again.
~X~
"Harry," Harry heard as he stood in front of his future self, who had the same jet black hair (albeit peppered with grey), the same green eyes, the same lightning scar. The man looked worried. "Tell me everything."
"I was on the couch on my way to Hogwarts. I was spying on Draco Malfoy, I got stunned and I woke up here. Then I found out that I'm supposed to pretend to be your son - my future son - until we figure out how to send me back," he explained as succinctly as possible. Also Draco Malfoy's son is somehow not totally evil.
"I see... I remember going through all of that except I awoke in the same time period, missed the sorting ceremony and went to Hogwarts for the rest of the year," Harry remarked. "Did you remember seeing anything strange before falling unconscious? Anything... unnatural?"
"Not to my knowledge, though Draco Malfoy did look like he was up to no good and I think - well, there's no way to verify, but he might have taken the Dark Mark."
"I see." The man did not look particularly shocked.
"So why do you think I'm here?"
It was strange seeing his future self. Privately, Harry wondered how he turned out. The man was clearly an esteemed Auror and a loving family man. But how did he get here? And more importantly, how did he manage to defeat Voldemort in the end? Who had he fallen in love with? What-
"This act of time-travel... It was tampered with - likely from this side, from my time," Harry - present-Harry - explained with a frown. "My team's investigations on the Hogwarts express found the presence of... illicit substances. And no, it's not because Albus and his friends were partying and taking drugs, as teenagers these days often do. There was... time dust, an ingredient used in the making of Time Turners. Or at least preliminary results from the lab provided very strong evidence for the hypothesis that someone in the Hogwarts Express doused my son in it."
"But why? And who would do such a thing - could it be one of his housemates?"
"That is certainly a possibility. I would be opening investigations into each and every one of them. As to your first question... I have a few speculations, none of them too good."
"What should I do in the meantime?"
"Stay safe. Keep an eye out for the people in your dormitory. And keep in touch."
~X~
Scorpius Malfoy met his best friend on the Hogwarts Express.
Albus Potter had firmly lodged himself in the same carriage, adamant about avoiding his brother's irritating taunts. He originally came with Rose who promptly left after a rather awkward introduction in search of other potential friends.
Albus, or Al, as he himself preferred, opted to stay. Ostensibly, it was because of the sweets. Not that Scorpius minded - it felt nice to be in the company of someone his own age, someone that is not his mother or father or some random relative. His family had always been overly protective and he barely had any friends his age sans all the ones in his adventure books. He had grown up reading about Harry Potter and his friends and dreamed about going on adventures of his own. When he told all of this to his parents, his Dad was rather amused.
They soon bonded over just about everything. Candy (this goes without saying, for both had terrible sweet teeth), Quidditch (or in Albus's case, bemusement over everyone's "mindless obsession" over it), favourite wizard bands, trivia quizzes (Al then promptly branded Scorpius "the biggest geek I have ever met), hobbies and, finally, the Sorting.
"Come join me in Gryffindor!" Al offered cheerily.
"Mmm…" Scorpius mumbled. "No one in my family's ever been put there.."
"Albus Potter and the First Malfoy in Gryffindor! How cool will that be!" Al declared.
Scorpius really wanted this to be true.
~X~
Harry Potter was not amused by the Dungeons or his "new" "housemates." They didn't exactly appear to be evil like the Slytherins of yesteryear but by Merlin they were insufferable. All they did was drinking, partying, fucking and do drugs apart from Scorpius, who resembled Draco way too much for him to be comfortable in the guy's presence. And he had to deal with all of them until the Aurors figured all of this out.
"I'm sorry Albus, I took your friend's draught of euphoria," a Second-Year approached him with his head hung low. "Just, don't punish me please. I thought I wanted to try it but I got scared." He handed over a small bottle of blue liquid and ran off.
"That's… a new innovation," Scorpius remarked. "Came after you went to Hogwarts you wouldn't know. It's meant to mimic the effects of muggle hallucinogens but neuter the dangerous side effects even when consumed in larger quantities."
Harry sighed. He had never done drugs nor was he really the type to do it. He was pretty sure Dudley's lot might have tried before.
"Remember, Harry," Scorpius noted, "Albus is a Prefect so you're technically a Prefect too right now."
"Yes, yes, I remember…" Harry sighed. He had the Prefect badge with him but it felt so odd especially since it had a serpent on it and glistened in green and silver.
"Also, Albus is a natural born Legilimens so that's why all of the underclassmen are handing over drugs and potions like that," Scorpius explained. "We tried finding any genetic lineages of that in his family history and traced it to a distant Prewett ancestor! It was so cool but he didn't really want to tell anyone else. His mum and dad knew but that's probably it."
Harry frowned but found it a curious fact. He was rubbish at Occlumency after all so it was ironic that he had a son that excelled in the Mind Arts. Scratch that: it was weird thinking about having a son and a family. It was weird even thinking about life beyond fighting Voldemort. "How many siblings did Albus have?"
"Two. An older brother James and younger sister Lily. You met both of them."
Harry nodded. He did vaguely remember hearing shoutings originating from a guy named James.
"They don't really know about the whole time-traveling situation yet," Scorpius explained, trying to be cheerful. "And, I mean, really, if you want to tell them it's your choice. But of course, it's your choice." He was smiling a forced smile but there was something forlorn about his eyes.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Something wrong? Oh Merlin, don't worry about me Harry… It's just… I really miss Al. He was my best friend, you know. He's probably scared to bits and really endangered if it turns out you guys switched positions. Most of all, I just want him back."
Harry suddenly felt bad for the guy standing next to him who still bore too much of a resemblance to Draco Malfoy for comfort but still, it wasn't really Scorpius' fault. He tried imagining Ron being beamed into the future instead which somehow made him very amused.
~X~
The closer they got to the Dining Hall, the sicker Al seemed to get, or so Scorpius seemed to observe. The boy was green by the time they all sat before the sorting hat. He wasn't speaking at all and Scorpius eyed him with concern.
A few sorting had passed. Sally Anderson went to Gryffindor, Emilia Pratchet to Slytherin, Mariah Bones to Hufflepuff, Steven Boot to Ravenclaw, Polly Chapman to Gryffindor...
"You alright, Al?" Scorpius finally whispered, feeling rather worried for his new friend.
Al nodded unconvincingly.
"Are you sure?" Scorpius reiterated.
"No," Al conceded.
"It'll be fine." Scorpius tried to reassure Al. He decided to hold the boy's hand, which was cold and clammy. His dad said boys weren't supposed to hold hands but his dad's words couldn't be further from his mind.
Merlin, Scorpius realised, he must be absolutely terrified of the sorting. But Al had tried to sound so blasé about it in the train. Must be an act. The guy had very dismissively announced that he was going to be in Gryffindor and that Scorpius should totally join him there so they could be friends there. "I hope we can be in the same house together," Al had whispered. "I don't think I can survive dealing with James alone, no offense intended. Though I can't wait to spend more time with Uncle Neville and tell him all sorts of naughty things James has been up to."
"Malfoy, Scorpius!"
The bellowing of Scorpius's own name jolted him back to reality. He hadn't even noticed all the time that passed. He walked to the stool and donned the hat.
"Another Malfoy. Hmm... curious. Very curious. You're not exactly like your father. No," the hat's voice reverberated through his head. "You're resourceful and determined, but also kind, considerate and open-minded. More similar to your mother really. A bit of a bookworm too, right? With all the books you read and all the trivia quizzes you love. You'll make a fine Ravenclaw, a fine Hufflepuff too, but you'll be best in SLYTHERIN!"
The result came as no surprise to Scorpius. He promptly walked over to the Slytherin table and was curtly greeted by his new housemates. He was a Malfoy and hence the outcome was just as expected and he didn't really expect much else. Neither did they. Although there was a small sinking feeling in his stomach. It would certainly be nice to be in the same house as Al, who was the only one to really befriend him on the train while Al's cousin Rose promptly skirted out of the cabin after finding out his identity. With slight curiosity, he surveyed the rest of the room. Gryffindor had gained five, so had Ravenclaw and his new house. Hufflepuff gained six new members.
It didn't take long for the words "Potter, Albus!"
Scorpius thought the boy's legs were shaking. Al briefly surveyed the room while walking towards the stool where the Sorting Hat sat.
He'll be in Gryffindor, no doubt, Scorpius tried to convince himself internally. It was then that he realised just how badly he wanted to be in the same house as Al.
The hat touched Al's for just a second before yelling "SLYTHERIN!"
Scorpius felt bad about his selfish thoughts immediately. A deafening silence swept through the hall. Members of staff struggled to conceal their incredulity. Hagrid gasped. McGonagall raised her eyebrows. Slughorn suppressed a chuckle. Al himself looked stunned, blinking once or twice in confusion before finally deciding to approach the Slytherin table and take a seat next to Scorpius.
Al sat there, crossing his arms, pouting and scowling. He gazed at the table, not speaking a word. Scorpius thought Al's eyes may be slightly red and resisted the temptation to pat the boy on the back. He could only muster the words: "You alright?"
A pause. Al bit his lip, shut his eyes and plastered on quite possibly the most artificial smile Scorpius had ever encountered."Well that was quick," Al answered. "The hat didn't even explain why."
Scorpius felt rather awkward. He really did not want to celebrate being in the same house as Al but at the same time, he was glad. He was torn between excitement for his new friend (and so far only new friend) and desire to see that guy happy.
"I had this whole plan that I was going to ask the Sorting Hat politely and maybe get it whatever sweet it likes if it agreed with my wishes. Hat's can technically eat sweets right Scor? Right?"
"Al, I'm not sure they actually can…"
"Whatever. What's done is done. James would never let this down," he sighed.
"Well you can only go so far when it comes to straying away from where you belong, kid. By the was, that was fast. I was there up for at least a minute," smirked Claire Zabini, who turned away from a conversation she was having with another third-year girl. She was a few seats away from them and called across the table. "You beat most of us here."
"Me too" another guy added. "I'm Percival Pratt, fifth-year prefect. The other one is Delanie Greengrass."
"So... you really are James's little brother," Claire interrupted, her brown eyes glinting.
"Yeah," Al replied, rolling his eyes as if he were resigned to the sheer irritability of the question. "Though I must admit, James's little brother is not how people… usually refer to me."
"He's a muppet."
"Can't exactly disagree."
"He turned my hair pink twice last year. Pink!"
"Yeah, he told me that. Tried to put worms in your robes too, didn't he?" Al remarked impassively. "He was bragging about it during Christmas."
"Worst experience ever."
"Loud, rowdy and attention-loving?"
"Sound's about right."
"That's just the way he is," Al said while shrugging. "
"I think I like you more than him already," Claire said, impressed.
"Not a very high bar."
"You're right about that."
After Claire turns her attention away and back to her friend, Al remarked "The alternative interpretation is that the Sorting Hat is too senile for its own good,"diligently converting his initial gloominess into dry sarcasm. "Well," he turned to Scorpius, and smiled a genuine smile for just a moment, "at least I'll have you here. Turns out we did end up in the same house. Just not the one I expected."
Scorpius felt strangely warm inside. Al looked oddly comical when he was angry, with his tousled jet black hair, simmering green eyes and the pouted lips. He couldn't help himself and smiled, relieved and elated. "Friends?" He asked.
"Friends."
~X~
Being a Malfoy at Hogwarts wasn't the easiest thing in the world, Scorpius realised upon attending Hogwarts. Nicknames such "Death Eater scum" popped up profusely,.
It confused him at first; he didn't understand what they were saying. He didn't understand why they targeted him.His parents – particularly his mother Astoria – were especially protective about such things. She loathed the word "Death Eater" and did her best to shield him from all things involving his grandparents.
From a very young age, he would remember her telling him that it doesn't matter where you're born, to whom you're born – what matters is who you choose to be. These seemed like perfectly reasonable words, but they managed to forge an insurmountable chasm within the Malfoy family. He seldom met his grandparents and when he did, tensions were fraught. On one occasion, when his parents had ordered him to go to bed, he managed to eavesdrop snippets of what seemed like a confrontation between his mother and grandfather. The word "disappointment" cropped up very often, as did the words "muggle-lover," "blood-traitor" and "mudblood."
His dad had contorted in discomfort when a seven-year-old Scorpius came tottering towards his parents and asking them what a mudblood was, out of complete, oblivious curiosity. His mother had picked him and said it was a word that very bad people used. Some people, she explained, believed that muggleborn wizards were inferior and deserved to be treated like second-class citizens. She smiled when he said that was dumb.
His father had been reluctant to talk about the past, right up until the night before he boarded the Hogwarts Express.
"Listen Scorpius, there are a lot of people in this world who would not look to fondly upon the Malfoy name and I regret that I myself may have contributed to that animosity. I've made mistakes in the past – your mother and I both have. We believed in terrible things. And… after the Battle of Hogwarts, we found each other. She changed me for the better and did her best to prevent the influence of many prejudiced beliefs in your upraising. Whatever happens, I want you to be happy."
It was highly uncharacteristic of his father to be so garrulous. And Scorpius knew it was a speech he would never forget, not for the rest of his life.
~X~
When Polly Chapman (or "cow-faced troll" as Al would disdainfully mutter under his breath) first came up with taunts in proclaiming how he "should never have been allowed to attend Hogwarts," he suppressed the urge within him to throw a hex at her. It would only prove her right. No, he wanted to ignore her, ignore all the bullies until they simply stopped. He knew he wasn't what they said he was. They would eventually realise it, he told himself. He brushed all their hurtful comments to the back of his mind. Naturally, however, Al was having none of it. Al was never willing to let anyone wrong his friend and Scorpius mostly appreciated that. Mostly. "They can't keep doing this to you unchecked," Al had scoffed. "We've got to do something about it."
"Do what? We can't exactly hex them back or attack them – that'll cost us precious house points and-"
"Oh forget about house points, Scorp. I can't stand it when…" Al's voice trailed off as he seemed to slip into a state of productive contemplation. "You know," he whispered, a mischievous glint shining in his bright green eyes. "James is not the only prankster in the Potter family…"
"Oh no, Al. We're not-"
"Don't worry, I'm good at this. I never get caught," his friend said, winking. "And the best thing is, they'll never know who did it."
From then on, Scorpius noticed with bemusement, Polly would occasionally storm into class with her hair still wet from having just washed off the bird … faeces on it, Karl's face would turn green after he accidentally ingested some unknown substance during breakfast, Charles would scream a high-pitched scream – much to the amusement of spectators - as Peeves chased him through the corridors. One time Rose was caught in the midst and Al had mistakenly slipped a farting cushion under her chair instead of Polly's, which she was furious about. She had suspected Al might be behind this but also could not shake off the suspicion that James was involved as well. After all, these were all things James would have done.
Even their other Slytherin Housemates were not spared from the occasional prank. Lawrence, who would not stop joking about Al being bad at Quidditch (which he admittedly was), had "lost" his diary which promptly ended up in the hands of giggling Ravenclaw girls while Hector, after jinxing Scorpius with the Jelly Legs jinx, had a bucket of ice-cold water fall on him one morning in their dorm.
Small things, Al would assure him with a cheeky grin. Scorpius sighed. He would keep reminding his friend that these pranks didn't really do much to stop the bullying. ("But they made them more bearable, no?" Albus would protest.) He did sort of appreciate Al's concern for him though, even if he would constantly fret about being caught or the moral qualms of setting fire to someone's homework. Al may be petty and spiteful at times but he was well-intentioned.
So the first few years passed by and as they got older, the bullying slowly petered out since everyone had better things to do. Al eventually made up with most of Rose's friends and the rest of their housemates and the pranking in general had stopped.
All was, mostly, well.
~x`~
Scorpius found himself reminiscing about old memories with Al as he heard a knock outside the Dungeons. "Psstt. Scorpius. Head Boy reporting for check ups." It was none other than James Potter himself.
"Oh hi," Scorpius greeted James outside. "Do you want to come in?" By now he was on fairly friendly terms with all of Al's family members, even Rose, who was - however - still not speaking to her cousin due to him dumping one of her best friends unceremoniously.
"Oh that's fine. I'm just, you know, checking on my brother. Don't you feel like Al is acting weirdly? I don't know man, he seemed so uncomfortable while we were having our Prefects meeting and I was wondering if there's something on his mind he's not telling me?"
Scorpius debated about telling James everything but opted to withhold the whole time switch shenanigans situation for another day. It should be Harry's choice to disclose. "I'm not sure either," Scorpius said. "But he's going through a lot."
"Just… you know, tell him that if there's anything he needs. He can always give me a chat. I'm his big bro after all."
Scorpius nodded but before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by another voice.
"So, James, didn't know you'd be early for our patrol rounds," an annoyed voice drawled.
"Claire, I said I'd be here 9:30pm and you didn't believe me. You're late too. You lose the bet!"
"Hey! In my defense you were ALWAYS late while still being a Prefect so I thought I had some leeway."
"Boo hoo poor Head Girl didn't get time to put on her fake eyelashes -"
"I don't wear fake eyelashes!"
"10 million points off Slytherin!"
"That's not how it works!"
"Come on! We don't have all night! Patrol time starts now!"
Before they headed off James gave Scorpius another look and Scorpius nodded back as if whispering, I'll keep you updated.
~X~
It was late at night but Harry struggled to sleep. The Sixth Year Slytherin sleeping quarters didn't not induce comfort. Plus, he could here surreptitious whispers outside.
"Shhh… Hector you moron you're going to wake everyone up!"
"No one's going to care…"
"We don't want Al to find out because we don't need his dad getting involved!"
"Shhh!"
"It's no big deal!"
"Of course it is!'
"But just to be on the safe side of things…."
Harry felt himself tense up. Something suspicious was going on. By now he had conceded that Scorpius Malfoy, as much as he resembled Draco Malfoy in looks, did not really have a malicious bone in his body. But he could not rule out the other Slytherin boys.
~X~
During breakfast, walking to class and all their other interactions, the Slytherin boys in Sixth Year were avoiding eye contact with him and Harry found that highly suspect. They were definitely hiding something. He made a mental note to inform his future - current , okay this will never not be weird - self at the Aurors. He arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT class and sat beside Scorpius, which had to be done to avoid suspicions as, according to most people they had interacted with, Albus and Scorpius were practically inseparable. (He would make another mental note to inquire just how on earth did his future son become such close friends with Scorpius Malfoy of all people, notwithstanding the fact that Scorpius was nothing like Draco.)
Before he could sat down, he dodged a curse that was hurled at him. "Merlin's beard! What is -"
"That was for making Joanna cry!" A girl that looked like the combination of Ron and Hermione - huh? - yelled at him. He had no idea what was going on.
"That's Al's cousin Rose. Joanna is one of her best friends and, well, Albus dumped Joanna for Anya and then when Anya dumped him he got together with Joanna again before dumping her again over the summer," Scorpius whispered, filling in the details.
"And…er … who are Roses' parents?" Harry asked, unable to suppress the curiosity.
"Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Harry almost choked.
~X~
"Merlin's tits, Cornelius, do we have to go about like this?" An irritated voice sounded. Harry had hit himself behind the Invisibility Cloak that must have - by now- been given to Albus Potter after he had caught wind of another secret meeting.
"Shhh… I really don't want to get caught."
"Oh come one!"
"Dude, you know Al is not going to agree. Which is why we've kept him out of this—"
"Shhhh… people can hear us!"
"Relax, it's like 2 am."
"Lots of people are up at 2am."
"Whatever. Al's going to be maaaaad when he finds out."
"It's his idea though…"
"Yeah but imagine if his dad find's out and -"
"Okay, okay. You know what, let's pick a more secure place to discuss this. Room of Requirement. Follow me…"
~X~
Head Auror Harry Potter read the letter sent by his past - now in the present - self with some consternation. Apparently a group of Sixth Year Slytherin boys were all part of some secretive plot which they were intent on keeping Albus (and possibly Scorpius) out of. Remembering how his past self was like and all the animosities he had once beheld, though, he did acknowledge that perhaps there may have been some exaggerations in the letter. For one, although one cannot completely rule out that something underhanded was going on, the likelihood of any of them initiating a plot fo send his son back in time was small. He had met most of those boys and although they can be rowdy and mischievous they weren't malicious, he conceded.
But the evidence was indeed pointing to someone in Hogwarts. After all, the person had to be on the Hogwarts Express to have made contact with his son. Further investigations have not only found evidence of time dust but of complex spells being cast. His Aurors were now reviewing past documented instances or anecdotes of unwitting time travel.