Albus Potter watched as his father heaved his and his brother’s trunks out of the car and onto a pair of trolleys. His mother stood nearby, hugging and talking softly to Lily, who was upset that she would be left behind while her brothers went to Hogwarts. Albus didn’t blame her. He remembered the previous year, when James had left for his first year, that he had also begged to be allowed to go too.

He took hold of his trolley as his father placed a cage, containing a handsome tawny owl, atop of the newly purchased trunk. James also grabbed his trolley and began wheeling it out of the car park and towards the station. Albus pushed his trolley forward and hurried after his brother. His parents followed, Lily now clinging to her father.

As they walked in the direction of the barrier where platform 9¾ was concealed, James gave a sideways look to Albus next to him

“Just wait ‘till you see the Slytherin common room, Al! I heard it’s under the lake, so the light’s all green. You might even see the giant squid, if the water isn’t too dark.�

“Will you quit it, James? I’ve already told you, I’m not going to be in Slytherin! I’m going to be in Gryffindor, the same as you, mum and dad were!� Albus said, frustrated.

“You never know, you might –�

*“I won’t! I won’t be in Slytherin!�

Ginny decided the matter was getting out of hand; James had been hassling his younger brother all the way to the station.

*“James, give it a rest!�

*“I only said he might be,� James said as he grinned at his brother. *“There’s nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth –�

Ginny shot a look at James, the one which had always startled her brothers into silence when she was little. James said no more, for they had just reached the brick barrier between platforms nine and ten. He flashed a cocky smirk at Albus before running through the solid-looking wall. A moment later, he had vanished.

Albus turned to his parents.

*“You’ll write to me, won’t you?� he asked them, a worried look on his face.

*“Every day, if you want us to,� said Ginny.

*“Not every day,� Albus said quickly. *“James says most people only get letters from home about once a month.�

*“We wrote to James three times a week last year,� Ginny replied.

*“And you don’t want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts,� Harry added. *“He likes a laugh, your brother.� He smiled reassuringly and put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

Albus returned the smile, feeling slightly better now. He grabbed his trolley again, his father beside him. Together, they walked towards the barrier, Albus breaking into a run as he neared the wall. He winced, thinking for a moment that they were going to crash, but there was no impact. He opened his eyes, only to see virtually nothing but a thick, white steam, coming from the scarlet train he could only just see ahead of him. He looked at the front of the train, smiling happily at the words ‘Hogwarts Express’ written on the front. He was finally going to Hogwarts!

Albus saw several human figures wandering through the mist, but he would not have been able to recognise anybody even if he did know them. He started walking along the platform, looking behind him every now and then to make sure his parents and sister were still behind him.

*“Where are they?� he asked. He couldn’t see his aunt, uncle or cousins anywhere. He strained his eyes to see through the white haze.

*“We’ll find them,� his mother said reassuringly.

They walked almost the length of the entire platform, Albus looking in all directions, but he couldn’t see them or his brother at all.

Suddenly his mother spoke. *“I think that’s them, Al.�

Albus looked to where her hand was pointed, and sure enough, the shapes of four very familiar people could be seen. He couldn’t make out their faces, however, until they were almost right in front of them.

*“Hi,� Albus said, relieved. His cousin, Rose, who was going into her first year like him, was already wearing her school robes. Rose gave him a very happy smile in return.

“I can’t believe we’re going to Hogwarts! We’re finally going to Hogwarts!� said Rose excitedly. She flung her arms around her cousin in a happy embrace.

Behind them, Lily and Hugo, Rose’s younger brother, were discussing animatedly which house they would be sorted into when they entered their first year in two years time.

Ron noticed this. *“If you’re not in Gryffindor, we’ll disinherit you,� he said firmly, *“but no pressure.�

*“Ron!� exclaimed his Aunt Hermione. Albus looked solemnly at Rose, who returned his expression, but Lily and Hugo were laughing.

Their mothers took note of the worried look on the children’s faces. *“He doesn’t mean it,� they said. They embraced their children, hoping to bring up their confidence levels, all the while shooting glares at Ron, who Albus noticed, was not looking at them, but away from their families.

He followed their gaze, and his eyes came to rest on three people standing a little away from the group.

There was a man with a long coat done up around his throat, with receding blonde hair, that accentuated his pale, pointed face. Next to him was a woman, shorter, with short brown hair styled neatly around her face and neck. What caught Albus’ attention though, was the small boy who looked around his own age in front of them.

He, too, had the blonde hair of his father. His face looked more like his mother’s, but was still pointed, like his father’s. He turned and looked at the group, but unlike his father, he did nothing, his face remaining expressionless.

*“So that’s little Scorpius,� Albus heard his uncle say quietly. He looked at his daughter. *“Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother’s brains.�

*“Ron, for heaven’s sake,� Hermione looked at her husband, a stern expression on her face. Her voice gave away her amusement, however. *“Don’t try to turn them against each other before they’ve even started school!�

*“You’re right, sorry,� Ron apologised to his wife. Unable to help himself from adding to his previous statement, he added *“Don’t get too friendly with him though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood.�

*“Hey!�

Albus looked behind him; almost dreading what was coming next. James had found his way to them through the mist. He looked to have already placed his own owl and trunk on the train, for they were absent. He looked almost bursting with some ever-exciting news.

*“Teddy’s back there,� he said breathlessly, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at the vapour-filled platform. *“Just seen him! And guess what he’s doing? Snogging Victoire!�

He looked eagerly at the adults, his face falling slightly when they did not react. Albus looked at Rose, holding in a laugh behind his hand. She giggled, and behind her he could see Lily and Hugo doing the same.

*“Our Teddy!� he added, as if they had not understood him. *“Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing –�

Albus turned away, his laughter threatening to envelope him. Teddy, his father’s godson, almost like a brother to him, snogging his cousin! Now there was something that would scar him for life…

*“…come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He’s snogging her…�

Albus tuned out his brother’s voice. He did not want a blow-by-blow account of his cousin’s love life, not now. He looked at Rose, though she was still listening to James’ excited rambling. Looking behind her, he saw that Lily was, too. Hugo glanced back at Albus, and the two of them shrugged, both not interested in the topic of conversation.

*“…don’t mind sharing with Al –�

Albus jerked his head around to his older brother. Surely his father wouldn’t let James move into his room? Please, Dad, say no! Tell him no! Albus willed his dad to refuse James’ offer.

*“No,� said Harry firmly, *“you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished.�

Phew. Albus breathed a sigh of relief as his father looked at his watch.

*“It’s nearly eleven, you’d better get on board.�

Ginny came over to envelope Albus in a bone-crushing hug, which could easily rival his grandmother’s.

*“Don’t forget to give Neville our love!� she said to James as she hugged him next.

*“Mum! I can’t give a professor love!� exclaimed James.

*“But you know Neville –�

James rolled his eyes.

*“Outside, yeah, but at school he’s Professor Longbottom, isn’t he? I can’t walk into Herbology and give him love…� He shook his head before aiming a kick at Albus, which he thankfully dodged. *“See you later, Al. Watch out for Thestrals.�

*“I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!� Albus exclaimed to his brother.

James just laughed He allowed his mother to give him a light peck on the cheek, hugged his father quickly before jumping onto the train, which was fast filling up with students. He waved briefly, and then sprinted off up the corridor to find his friends.

*“Thestrals are nothing to worry about,� Harry told Albus. “They’re gentle things, there’s nothing scary about them.�

Albus visibly relaxed.

*“Anyway,� Harry added, *“you won’t be going up to school in the carriages, you’ll be going in the boats.�

Ginny kissed Albus on his cheek. *"See you at Christmas.�

*“Bye Al,� said Harry, as Albus hugged him tight. *“Don’t forget Hagrid’s invited you to tea next Friday. Don’t mess with Peeves. Don’t duel anyone ‘till you’ve learned how. And don’t let James wind you up.�

*“What if I’m in Slytherin?� Albus whispered, just loud enough for Harry to hear. He was terrified of what his brother had been taunting him about all summer becoming a reality.

His father knelt down so that his face was a little below his own.

*“Albus Severus,� Harry said quietly, and Albus took note of the use of his middle name, *“you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.�

Albus was not convinced.

*“But just say –�

*“– then Slytherin house will have gained an excellent student, won’t it? It doesn’t matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you’ll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.�

Albus smiled happily. *“Really?�

*“It did for me,� replied his father.

The doors on the train started to close. Parents swarmed towards windows and doors for final hugs and kisses, last-minute reminders. Albus jumped onto the train and Ginny closed the door behind him. As far as they could see through the mist, which was becoming thicker as the train prepared to move, students were leaning out of the windows. The majority of them were looking at Harry.

*“Why are they all staring?� he demanded of his parents. He craned his neck around Rose to look at his fellow students, as Rose did the same.

*“Don’t let it worry you,� said his Uncle Ron. *“It’s me. I’m extremely famous.�

Albus and Rose laughed, and on the platform, Hugo and Lily joined them. Then the train began to move, and Albus felt a wave of excitement surge through him. His father followed the train, and then when the train rounded the corner, Albus could still see Harry’s hand raised in a farewell.

He stood at the door for a few moments, still looking back in the direction where the platform at King’s Cross had just disappeared. Rose’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“We’d better find a compartment, they’re probably all full by now…�

Albus turned to Rose and picked up his trunk and the cage containing his new owl, Sabio, before heading off up the corridor after her. Each compartment they passed already had several occupants, and they continued to drag their trunks until they were lucky enough to find one that happened to be empty.

Albus, with some difficulty, managed to put their trunks into the luggage rack, and set Sabio, along with Rose’s own spotted owl, Opal, on the seat next to their respective owners. Both put their heads under their wings, and went to sleep while the children talked excitedly about Hogwarts, what the classes would be like, and whether they might have anywhere near as much stories to tell their parents at the end of the year as their parents did them.

It was nearing the time when the lunch trolley would arrive, and Albus was getting hungry. Rose was still talking, oblivious to the fact that Albus was no longer paying attention.

“…wonder what Divination would be like, mum’s always said it’s a load of tosh, but I think it could be fascinating to be able to see into the future, don’t you, Al –�

She broke off as Albus stood up suddenly. He motioned for her to be quiet, and walked over to the door and slid it open an inch. The voice of a boy could now clearly be heard down the corridor.

“…filthy little Mudblood! How you even had the nerve to come talk to me, I have no idea, but I don’t talk to filth like you. Get lost!�

With that, a trunk was thrown out into the corridor after someone who was on the floor, leaning against the wall, clutching a small wicker basket. The trunk landed on the feet and legs of the figure, making them cry out in pain. At this, a small ginger kitten leapt out of the basket and off up the corridor, into the compartment that Albus had just stepped out of, with Rose still in the doorway. It was then that Albus noticed the figure was a girl, with long blonde hair in a neat plait down her back, with a navy ribbon tying it off at the end. She had tears running down her face as her eyes followed in the direction that her kitten had just sprinted away. All along the corridor, faces hung out of compartment doors, all watching the scene unfold with interest.

Albus looked at Rose, who nodded, and they both approached the girl, who looked down at the floor as they drew closer, tears spilling onto the robes that she, like Rose, had put on earlier than needed. Rose knelt down next to the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?� she asked softly.

The girl sniffled and ran her hand across her eyes to rid herself of her tears. She gave a small nod, still looking at the floor. Albus crouched down next to Rose.

“Why don’t you come and sit with us?� Albus offered. He stood and held his hand out to the girl, who glanced up at them briefly before taking it in her own. He pulled her up before he and Rose grabbed opposite ends of her trunk, and led the way to their own compartment. The girl, still wiping at her eyes, followed them slowly.

Once they were inside, Rose slid the door closed and indicated for the girl to take a seat next to her while Albus lifted the girl’s trunk into the luggage rack beside his own. He saw a pair of eyes reflecting the daylight back at him, and noticed the shape of the ginger kitten crouching at the back of the rack. He reached out his hand slowly toward the kitten, which moved backwards slightly as it drew nearer. Albus held his hand still, willing the kitten to come forward, unafraid. After a few moments it took a timid step in his direction, followed by another, until it began to lick his fingers. He smiled when the kitten began to purr as he scratched behind its ears, before he placed his other hand under the ginger ball of fur and bringing it down to the same level as his cousin and the girl, who seemed to have stopped crying now. For the first time Albus got a good look at her eyes – they were a vivid, lively blue.

“I’m Albus Potter,� said Albus, “and this is my cousin, Rose Weasley.� He handed her the ginger kitten, which curled up in the girl’s lap and went straight to sleep

“Hello,� Rose said brightly to the girl. “What’s your name?�

“Jacinta. Jacinta Gritton,� she said quietly.

“Jacinta…that’s a nice name,� said Rose. She opened her mouth to say more, but was interrupted by the arrival of the lunch trolley. Rose put her hand in her pocket to get some money, but Albus beat her to it and bought out nearly half the trolley.

“So,� he said, handing Jacinta a chocolate frog, “what house do you think you’ll be in?�

“I don’t know any of the houses yet…� whispered Jacinta. Rose sent a scowl at Albus.

“Oh, you’re Muggle-born?� she asked in a friendly tone. Jacinta look up confused.

“Wh-What’s a Muggle-born?�

Albus spoke up. “A Muggle-born witch or wizard is someone who was born with non-magical parents. That is, their parents weren’t witches or wizards.�

“No, my mother isn’t a witch and my dad is not a wizard,� replied Jacinta.

“My mother was Muggle-born –� piped up Rose.

“– And so was my grandmother,� finished Albus.

Jacinta thought for a moment.

“Then what’s a Mudblood?�

Albus’ heart sank. He could see Rose’s jubilant expression fall, too. The poor girl hadn’t even been on the train for two hours and already she had been tossed out of a compartment because her parents weren’t magical. He sympathised with her.

It was Rose who explained this time.

“Well…’Mudblood’ is a really foul term for a Muggle-born. It’s only used by those who believe that magical lineage is superior to non-magical heritage.�

Albus could see Jacinta’s eyes begin to tear up again. He racked his brains for something to say, but he wasn’t very good at these kinds of situations. Thankfully Rose spoke again.

“Don’t worry, we don’t care whether your parents were magical or not. We’ve just said that our mother – or grandmother –� she said, indicating Albus, “were Muggle-born, too. Really, it doesn’t matter to us,� she said comfortingly, putting her hand on Jacinta’s shoulder and squeezing gently. Jacinta gave a faint smile to Rose, before looking at the kitten still asleep in her lap.

“This is Ragazza,� she said, stroking the soft ginger fur of the kitten’s body. “It’s Italian for ‘girl’, my family likes to use words from other languages to name their pets,� she explained.

“This is Sabio,� Albus, said indicating the tawny owl in the cage next to him. The handsome bird still slept with his head under his wing, paying no attention to the three students. “His name is Spanish for ‘wise’, and he seems a very smart owl, too…� he added fondly.

Rose spoke up last.

“My owl doesn’t have a name from a different language, but I noticed how her spots seem to change colour in the sunlight, like an opal, so I called her Opal,� she said.

Jacinta continued to act as if the incident in the corridor had never happened. She asked about the houses at Hogwarts, and Albus and Rose took turns explaining everything they could think of to do with the wizarding world.

“…four balls and seven players, each with a different job,� said Rose. “There’s two beaters –�

“– like our Uncles Fred and George –�

“– and their job is to stop other players on their team being knocked of their brooms –�

“– by these heavy balls called Bludgers. Then there is the keeper –�

“– my dad was a keeper!�

“– who guards the goalposts and makes sure no chasers –�

“– they’re the goal-scorers –�

“– from the opposing team can score any goals –�

“– like they could stop Aunt Ginny if they tried –�

“– that’s my mum!� Albus added excitedly.

“– and then of course there’s the seeker, who has the hardest job of all. They have to catch the golden snitch, which is a little golden ball with wings –� continued Rose.

“– and my dad cinched it every time!� laughed Albus.

“– yes, well, Uncle Harry was the youngest seeker in a century for a reason…�

Jacinta listened fascinated as Albus and Rose went on to describe some of the fouls that could be committed during a game of Quidditch. As they talked, it slowly began to grow darker. Albus put on his robes, as Jacinta and Rose already wore theirs, while Rose explained the traits of the four Hogwarts houses.

“…and last of all there’s Slytherin, which –�

“– is full of great, galumphing gorillas according to Uncle Ron!� Albus put in.

“Albus!� Rose turned to Jacinta. “There’s nothing wrong with being in Slytherin, they’re just…uh…reluctant…to mingle with the other houses…but there are some good Slytherins...�

As the train began to slow down, they gathered together their belongings. They pulled to a stop in Hogsmeade station and started to file off the train with the other students. They wove their way along the platform, a voice gradually becoming clearer as they made their way forward.

“…Firs’ years o’er here! All firs’ years teh me! Firs’ years o’er this way! Why, hello Al, and Rosie, too. Great ter see yeh. Well, look ‘ere, who’s tha’ yeh got with yeh?�

“Hey Hagrid, this is Jacinta,� replied Albus, indicating the girl between him and Rose, who was looking up at the half giant in fear.

“Don’t worry, Hagrid’s nothing to be afraid of,� assured Rose. “He’s more like a big, cuddly, teddy bear, aren’t you?� she said, wrapping her arms as far as she could reach around Hagrid’s wide belly. Hagrid chuckled.

“Yeah, well, thanks, Rosie, but we best get movin’ if we’re ter make it up ter the castle without ol’ Flitwick sendin’ out a search par’y. Ev’ryone ‘ere?� he asked doing a quick head count. “Yeah, tha’ looks about righ’, let’s go!�

They followed Hagrid along a rather rocky and uneven trail. Jacinta, still not used to wearing her long robes, slipped on a particularly wet rock. Albus caught her around the middle, sliding a little on the rock himself, but managing to keep his footing.

“Well, of course it’ll be the little Mudblood that’ll prove she can’t even handle the walk to school,� sneered a voice from behind them. Albus and Rose turned to see the Malfoy boy they had seen on the platform, accompanied by another boy, who was shorter than him but rather round. He had short light brown hair, and the coldest brown eyes Albus had ever seen.

Rose opened her mouth to retaliate, but Hagrid cut in.

“There’ll be none o’ tha’ ‘ere, Malfoy,� growled the half giant. “An’ I’ll take twenty points from whate’er house yeh end up in.�

Scorpius looked as if he were going to send some ugly retort at Hagrid, too, but seemed to decide against it and started walking forward again. The rest began moving, too, and soon they came to the shore of a great, black, lake. Albus could see several small boats floating in the water.

“No more ’n four to a boat,� called Hagrid ahead of them, who was climbing into a boat larger than the others for himself.

“Come on,� said Rose excitedly. They climbed into one of the boats near the shore, Rose and Jacinta in front, and Albus behind them. They could see the Malfoy boy and his friend climbing into another boat further away. Albus turned back to the front, his heart pounding in excitement.

“Ev’rybody in?� Hagrid yelled from up front. A few eager nods answered him. “Righ’. Forward!� he said loudly.

Albus gripped the sides of the boat as it started to move forward. He saw Jacinta in front of him, clasping tightly to Rose with one hand, and the edge of the boat with the other. Rose patted her knee lightly and she loosened her grip on the other girl, but still clutched the boat tightly as if it might tip over at any moment.

“Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a bi’,� called Hagrid.

Sure enough, as they rounded a large bend in the lake, there was a mass of rocky mountainside on the opposite side of the lake, and perched atop of that, was a castle that looked even more majestic and regal than Albus had ever heard his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents describe. It had many turrets and towers, and the windows through which light could be seen only added to the spectacular image.

“Wow,� breathed Rose in front of him. “It’s magnificent, don’t you think, Jacinta?�

“That’s a school?� Jacinta gaped. “It’s massive! We’ll get lost in two minutes!�

“Aren’t schools in the Muggle world that big?� asked Albus.

Jacinta shook her head slowly, still staring open-mouthed at the brilliant castle in front of her. “They’re not usually castles, either...�

Her face remained in a pretty similar expression until they reached the opposite bank. As they climbed the stairs to the castle, she continued to gaze in awe at the image before her. Albus had to admit, the castle just seemed to grow more majestic before him as he drew closer to it. It seemed in no time at all that they came to very large set of heavy-looking double doors.

Hagrid knocked loudly three times, and after a few seconds the door was eased open by a man wearing midnight blue wizard’s robes and hat. He had a pair of wire-rimmed rectangle glasses perched on his nose and a friendly glint in his eye.

“Ah, Hagrid! They all here? Well we best get them inside and taken care of, they must be hungry,� said the man. He opened the door wider and beckoned them inside.

Albus and Rose exchanged a smile and a wave with Hagrid before following the mob of other first years inside, the door closing with a loud, echoing bang behind them. The wizard in blue robes led them over to another set of double doors. Albus looked around the massive hall they were in, taking in how high the ceiling was, the marble staircase at one end of the hall, and beside the doors they had just come through, four hourglasses that just might be larger than Hagrid.

The wizard turned to face them and clapped his hands together.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,� he began, “I am Professor Hession, Deputy Headmaster and Head of Ravenclaw house. The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before we eat you must all be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You will earn points for your house for your successes, but any rule breaking will result in points being taken away. At the conclusion of the school year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. The Sorting Ceremony will commence in a moment.�

He smiled at them all before turning and walking through the set of doors in front of them. Albus looked at Rose and Jacinta next to him. Jacinta looked positively terrified.

“How do they do they sort us?� she whispered.

“Well, of course a Mudblood would be only one who didn’t know anything about Hogwarts!�

The three of them turned to see the Malfoy boy and his companion. But it was not the Malfoy boy that had spoken this time. It was the other boy. Albus didn’t know who he was, but he made a mental note to stay away from the both of them if he could help it.

“Why can’t you just leave us alone?� said Rose.

“Why should we? Filth like that shouldn’t be in a magical school!� the boy spat back. The Malfoy boy didn’t say anything, but his eyes were not as cold-looking as those of the boy beside him.

“She’s a witch, the same as the rest of us, that’s all that matters,� Albus retorted.

They were spared from more verbal attacks by the return of the Professor.

“We are ready for you now. Follow me,� he said

He turned and they followed him through the large double doors. Albus gasped, as did many around him, as the doors opened to reveal a hall, possibly larger than the one they were just in. The sky was a clear, dark blue, and the stars twinkled merrily through the roof. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of candles floating in mid-air above four tables that ran almost the length of the hall. Albus could see another long table at the opposite end of the hall, facing the four tables where the students sat. He noticed every single face watching as he and the rest of the first years made their way between two of the tables toward the one at the head of the hall.

Albus’ heart began to beat faster as he spotted James sitting at one of the tables with his friends. As he passed his brother, James gave him a wink and pointed to the table behind him. Albus noticed that while all the students at James’ table wore scarlet and gold ties, and had a lion emblem emblazoned on their robes, those at the other table wore green and silver, and many had cold, hard stares similar to the boy that Albus had seen with the Malfoy boy. Albus supposed that that table was where the Slytherins sat. His stomach flopped over as the students seated at the Slytherin table seemed to recognise him, sending sneering glances at him. His attention returned to the front of the hall as the first years in front of him came to an abrupt halt.

“If I could get you to line up over here, please,� said Professor Hession. The first years shuffled over to one side of the hall. As they moved, Albus caught sight of a stool, perched on top of which was an old, worn-out looking wizard’s hat. He looked toward the older students in the hall, catching sight of James looking at him again. He turned back toward the hat on the stool, and a small smile crept on to his face as he remembered his father’s words.

‘The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account. It did for me.’

Albus noticed Jacinta trembling beside him

“What’s wrong?� he whispered.

“I’m scared. What if whatever chooses our house thinks I don’t belong here? What if it sends me back to my old school? I mean, my parents weren’t magical, what if it turns out I’m really not, either? What if –� her voice shook with every word, he could tell she was scared of what was going to happen.

“It’s okay, my dad told me all you have to do is try on the hat,� he said reassuringly.

“What hat?� she asked, standing on her tip-toes trying to see over the students in front of her. It didn’t do much as Jacinta was a very short girl, even compared to other small first years.

Albus pointed towards the Sorting Hat “That hat.�

“It looks really old…how can a hat choose our –�

She broke off as the hat moved. A tear in the rim of the hat opened like a mouth, and as if this was normal, it began to sing.

Well hello again,
It’s been a while
Since I last sang
I will admit…

Jacinta grasped Albus’ robes and clung tight. She closed her eyes, whispering to herself “I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming, I’m not listening to a singing hat, I’m dreaming…�

…Our times have been happy
For many a year
Nineteen to be exact.
But one of our number
Shall seek to end
This time of still-high spirits.
Of this I am sure
Because as you all know
I am the Sorting Hat.
Now lets get our new ones sorted
Yes, it’s time they were placed
Exactly where they belong.
There’s Gryffindor,
The House of the brave and true
There’s Hufflepuff,
Where dwell the just and loyal
Then Ravenclaw
The home for those who are wise
Finally Slytherin
For those who are cunning
So now just try me on
And I shall see
Just where you ought to be!

There was a cheer and loud applause from the students seated in the hall. Jacinta looked like she was about to faint, and Rose looked excited. Albus didn’t know how to feel – scared of being placed in Slytherin? No, his father had assured him that he would not be placed in Slytherin if he didn’t want to be. He dearly hoped he was right.

Professor Hession stepped up next to the stool, and picked the Sorting Hat up off of the stool.

“When I call your name,� he said loudly so they could all hear, “you will come forward and try on the Hat, and it will place you into your ideal house. Understand?�

There were a few eager nods, and a few that looked as if they would rather leave the hall at that moment.

“Albion, Luke!�

A short boy with tidy black hair walked slowly forward. He pulled himself up onto the stool and Professor Hession placed the Sorting Hat on his head. The hat didn’t do anything for a moment, then the rip opened again and –

“Ravenclaw!�

The table second from the left erupted in cheers as Professor Hession took the hat off of Luke’s head. The boy jumped off the stool and hurried to the Ravenclaw table, where the older students congratulated him, shaking his hand and patting him on the back.

“Aylwood, Sandra!�

A skinny girl with short blonde hair stepped out of the group of first years and sat eagerly on the stool.

“Slytherin!�

“Bletchley, Peter!�

“Slytherin!�

“Goyle, Vincent!�

Albus followed with his eyes as the boy that was with the Malfoy boy went forward. He pushed his way past the other students and swaggered over to the stool. He pulled his overlarge frame onto it and the hat wasn’t even touching his head before it shouted “Slytherin!�

He slipped off the stool and strutted over to the Slytherin table as they cheered loudly. He sat down and was met by students clapping him on the back and shaking his hand.

The Sorting continued until Professor Hession called “Gritton, Jacinta!�

Albus gave Jacinta a quick smile and patted her shoulder, Rose giving her a small hug, before Jacinta moved out of the group of students and made her way to the stool. She climbed up onto it and the Professor put on the hat. The hat took its time but finally it shouted out “Gryffindor!�

The hat was pulled off of her head and Jacinta leapt off the stool and ran toward the table who were cheering for her. Albus gave a small wave as she passed him, and she sent a smile in return.

He watched as Jacinta was greeted by the Gryffindor table while “Jewkes, Amy!� became a Hufflepuff.

As Professor Hession made his way through the ‘K’s, Albus began to fidget. His attention was brought back to the sorting before him as the Professor called “Malfoy, Scorpius!�

Albus saw the Malfoy boy come out of the lessening crowd of first years and walk to the stool. He remembered his Uncle Ron telling him that Scorpius’ father, Draco, had been sorted into Slytherin before the hat even made it onto his head, as had happened to Vincent Goyle just before, and that every Malfoy had been in Slytherin for centuries.

The hat took a bit longer to decide for Scorpius. After a few moments, it shouted out –

“Gryffindor!�

There was no cheering. Everyone in the hall, even the teachers, was deadly silent. Not one ghost moved from their seat.

Scorpius remained on the stool for a few seconds, then he slowly got up and walked to the Gryffindor table, where no one rose to greet him. He sat down a little away from the other students, and still no one made any move at all to greet him as they had the other students. Albus almost felt sorry for him.

“McLaggen, Josef!�

“Hufflepuff!�

“Nott, Talia!�

“Slytherin!�

“Potter, Albus!�

Albus gulped. This was it. Now he really would find out if James was right to think him Slytherin material after all. He made his way nervously over to the stool, and climbed onto it. As he looked out at the rest of the school, he noticed nearly every single face in the Hall craning to get a look at him. Professor Hession lowered the hat onto his head, and Albus heard a voice next to his ears as the hat spoke to him.

“Ah, yes, I remember your father, great wizard he turned out to be, very great indeed…� Albus heard. What in the name of Merlin was it talking about? His father was just an ordinary Auror, head of the department as he might be, but he was just normal as far as Albus was concerned.

“…and your mother, why, the love between her and your father is almost that of a legend. And your brother, he was more like his grandfather than his father, but I see that you are just like your father in most ways, and for this you shall of course belong in GRYFFINDOR!�

The yell of the hat was louder as he was right under it, and the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers louder than any of the houses had done for any of the other first years. He waited until Professor Hession, positively beaming, lifted the hat off of his head before he ran to the Gryffindor table, and was shaking hands and exchanging a “Congratulations!� and “Thank you� with just about every student at this end of the table.

Albus sat down next to Jacinta, who seemed overjoyed that at least one person she knew would be in her house. He saw Scorpius sitting at the end of table by himself, head down and looking at his empty plate.

“Scamander, Lorcan!�

“Ravenclaw!�

“Scamander, Lysander!�

“Gryffindor!�

Albus’ attention was drawn away from Scorpius as Lysander Scamander came over to the Gryffindor table. He stood up to shake hands with his new housemate, and Jacinta did the same. He looked at the group of first years still waiting to be Sorted, the group decreasing in size, and saw Rose. She looked as if she could barely contain her excitement at soon being placed in her house.

“Thomas, Violet!�

“Gryffindor!�

Albus waited his turn to greet Violet Thomas and had just sat down from shaking her hand when he saw that there were only two students left to be sorted. One of them was Rose.

“Weasley, Rose!�

Albus watched Rose skip over to the stool and leap onto it. Professor Hession placed the hat on her head and after a moment’s pause –

“Gryffindor!�

Rose jumped off of the stool, hurried over and was greeted with her share of “Congratulations!�. She sat down next to Albus and Jacinta as “Zabini, Ursula!� (“Slytherin!�) was the last student to be sorted. Professor Hession picked up the stool and the hat and carried them out of the hall.

Albus chuckled and Jacinta and Rose giggled as a little wizard with hardly any hair and a goblin-ish face stood up on his chair. Albus hadn’t noticed him before, and now he thought he knew why; the wizard was not standing on just his chair, there were a number of books between his feet and the seat of the high-backed chair.

“Good evening to all of you,� he squeaked. “Welcome back to all our old students, to our first years, welcome. I trust you are all hungry after your journey, so, tuck in!�

Albus’ eyes widened as the gleaming dishes in front of him suddenly filled with food. He saw roast potatoes, steamed vegies, pork chops, everything Albus could name was there, and more. He reached for the nearest dish of shepherd’s pie, his personal favourite, and dug in.

He talked and laughed with the other students. He listened to their stories of their lives at home. He told them his own. He barely took notice of Scorpius, who hadn’t moved from his seat, and was still staring at his empty plate. He was surrounded by as much food as the rest of the table, and on his own he had it all to himself, but he made no attempt to put any on his plate.

But Rose did. She kept stealing short glances at him in between conversations. She wondered what it was that was making him so depressed and unwilling to join in the start of term feast with the others.

“What’s wrong with him?� a quiet voice next to her asked.

Rose turned to see Jacinta leaning towards her so as not to be overheard by Albus next them. She needn’t have worried – Albus was far to interested in his conversation of Quidditch with Lysander Scamander.

“I don’t know,� she whispered back. “He hasn’t moved or spoken to anyone since he sat down.�

“He didn’t say anything on the train, either.�

“What?�

“On the train, it was his and that other boy’s compartment I got thrown out of,� whispered Jacinta. Rose had to strain her ears to hear her over the noise of all the students in the hall talking. “It was the other boy who pushed me out the door as soon as I asked if I could sit with them, he,� she pointed to Scorpius “didn’t say a word.�

“I wonder why…�

“What do you mean?�

“Well, the Malfoys are known for priding themselves on their pure blood. They don’t have any Muggles in their ancestry,� she explained in answer to Jacinta’s questioning look. “I think you’ll find that’s not entirely true, though, they just disown anyone they think brings dishonour on their family –�

Realisation dawned on Rose and her expression changed to one of disbelief.

“Oh no…� she muttered.

“What?� prompted Jacinta.

“Get Al’s attention!� hissed Rose.

“Why?� asked Jacinta.

“Just do it! I’d rather only explain it once!�

Jacinta shrugged and turned to tap Albus on the shoulder. He turned around.

“Yeah?� he asked, but before Jacinta could speak, conversation in the hall came to an abrupt halt. Jacinta looked around and saw that all the dishes were now empty and gleaming, and that the little wizard in the high-backed chair at the Head table was standing on his books.

“Well then, I hope you are all well fed as I have some announcements to make before you all head off to bed! First, would all of our students please remember that the Forbidden Forest is so named because it is indeed forbidden! Second, the caretaker, Mr Tee, has asked me to remind you all that the list of banned items, which consists of some three thousand, six hundred and fifty two objects, the majority of which are sold at Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, is available for you all to see outside his office door. Finally, for those of you wishing to play for your house Quidditch team, please contact your Head of House to sign up for the tryouts. That is all. Goodnight!� he squeaked.

There was the sound of the benches being pushed backward as everyone in the hall stood. Everyone, that is, except Scorpius. He remained seated, still looking down at his empty plate. Only one thing had changed during Headmaster Flitwick’s speech.

“Oh, my…� whispered Rose.

Albus and Jacinta followed Rose’s gaze and their eyes fell upon Scorpius, who had tears falling from his eyes into his lap.

“Oh dear,� said Jacinta.

They could vaguely hear the call of “Gryffindor first years, follow me!� from the prefects, but paid no attention.

Jacinta took a deep breath and approached Scorpius.

“Excuse me?� she asked quietly. “Are-Are you okay?�

Scorpius merely sniffed.

Rose came up beside Jacinta, Albus behind her.

“Is there anything we can do?� she said softly.

Scorpius shook his head. Without looking at them, he climbed off the bench and walked out of the hall.

The three of them looked at each other. Without exchanging any words, they followed Scorpius out of the hall to catch up with the other Gryffindors before they got too far ahead.


* * * * *

Vincent Goyle sat in his dormitory. The other boys in his dormitory had fallen asleep long ago, but he sat awake thinking over the evening's events. Gryffindor, indeed! He should have seen it coming, he knew it! He knew there was nothing good about that boy he had grown up with! He had never shown his father's hate of anyone with anything but the purest of magical blood. He never insulted that Mudblood when she came into their compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

He knew what he was going to do. Quietly, so as not to wake any of his dorm-mates, he climbed off his bed and went to it's foot to open his trunk. He fished out a quill and a sheet of parchment, and sat back down on his bed. He thought for a moment, quill poised in his hand, before pressing the tip to the parchment in front of him and beginning to write.


* * * * *

Albus, Rose and Jacinta were the only ones left in the common room. They had not yet been up to their new dormitories, but had instead been sitting in the common room thinking until it had emptied of other Gryffindors. That had not taken long, as they were all tired. But they needed to speak privately, without interruptions.

“Something’s up,� said Albus finally.

“We noticed,� Rose said dully.

“What were you saying at dinner, Rose?� asked Jacinta. “About the purebloods…?�

Rose put her head in her hands, thinking for a minute, before launching into an explanation to Albus of her and Jacinta’s conversation during the feast.

“…and then I said that the purebloods just disown everyone they think brings dishonour on their family, and I was going to say that that includes Squibs, before…�

“Before what?� prompted Albus.

“Before I realised that that might be the reason Scorpius was staring at his plate during the whole feast,� sighed Rose.

Albus thought for a moment while Rose’s words swam in his head. Then his expression changed from on of thoughtfulness to sadness.

“Y-You don’t mean…he won’t…?� he stuttered.

Rose nodded.

Albus had never felt so bad in his life. He looked upstairs to where the prefects had told them the boys dormitories were. Jacinta and Rose gazed up in that direction, too.

“Why would they disown him?� whispered Jacinta.

Rose looked at Albus before answering.

“The Malfoys have all been in Slytherin for centuries. They see being in any other house as an indication that the person shouldn’t be a wizard at all, let alone in a magical school. I would say that Scorpius knows exactly what his parents would do when they find out he wasn’t placed in Slytherin, but Gryffindor.�

Jacinta looked horrified.

“They can’t! He’s only eleven years old!�

“That won’t make a difference as far as they’re concerned. All that matters to them is he has brought dishonour and shame upon the Malfoy name, and for that, he shouldn’t be a Malfoy at all.�

Rose’s words were repeated in his head over and over as he slowly climbed the staircase to the boy’s dormitories. He still found it difficult to believe that someone would abandon their eleven-year-old son because he was sorted into the wrong house. It was absurd! How could anyone treat a child like that?

His thoughts came to a sudden end as he opened his dormitory door.

There, in the middle of the room, was Scorpius. He was lying on the ground in almost the same position as Jacinta had been when she was tossed out of the compartment. Only he was looking up at the three surrounding him, not down, and shouting at them too.

“…don’t know why the hat didn’t put me in Slytherin! Why does it matter? I’m in Gryffindor the same as you!�

“Don’t be daft. You-Know-Who burned the hat when he attacked Hogwarts, my brother told me its been acting real wonky ever since. I say this is just another one of it’s crazy mis-sortings.�

“I’ll agree with that, did you know a couple of years back it put a Flint in Hufflepuff?�

“I remember my dad talking about that, he says the man got all shirty with McGonagall –�

“– tried to order her to perform a re-sorting –�

“– ended up sendin’ his daughter to Durmstrang, he did.�

“I still say we chuck this one back in the dungeons where he belongs …�

Albus had had enough. He reached the boy who was speaking in two strides and grabbed the neck of his shirt. He pulled him over to the wall and pushed him against it, pressing his hands to the boy’s elbows to keep him there.

“What do you think you’re doing?� he growled.

“Just making sure that we all know where we stand –�

“What in the name of Merlin is that supposed to mean?�

“I just want to see to it that we aren’t going to die in our sleep –�

Albus drew back his arm and punched the boy in the side of his face.

“What was that for?!� the boy accused.

“Don’t you ever insult him again!� he hissed.

The other boy merely looked back at him, holding his hand to his cheek.

Albus glared back at him, before turning his back to him and striding across the room to where his trunk lay at the foot of a bed. He turned back to look at the other two boys still standing over Scorpius, but staring at Albus. He became aware that one of them was Lysander Scamander, who he had spoken to at the feast.

“That goes for you, too,� he said to them both.

They didn’t answer him, but went to their own beds. Scorpius remained where he was for a moment, then stood and made his way to his own bed, nearest the door and next to Albus’.

Albus set about putting his belongings away in his bedside table and drawers. The other boys all had the hangings drawn around their beds when he had finished. He changed into his pyjamas and put his robes in his trunk ready for the next morning. When he stood up, he saw Scorpius standing before him, looking at his bare feet.

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds, then –

“Thanks.�

Albus waited until Scorpius looked him in the eye.

“You’re welcome,� he said when he finally did. He smiled, before turning and climbing into his own bed as Scorpius climbed into his.

As Albus lay there, he thought about the day that had just passed. It seemed forever since he was standing on Platform 9 ¾ that very morning, eagerly awaiting his arrival at Hogwarts.

He shifted onto his side and closed his eyes. He lay there for a while, thinking about lessons the next day and what they would be like. He was just starting to drift off to sleep when he heard something.

It took him a moment to figure out what it was, but his heart broke as he came to realise what it was.

Scorpius was crying himself to sleep.


* * * * *

The next morning, Albus woke earlier than the rest of the boys in his dormitory. He went to the bathroom and showered, then came back into his dorm and changed into his new Gryffindor robes as the others began to stir. He packed his bag for the day and was just heading out the door when someone called out behind him.

“Excuse me!�

Albus turned and looked at the boy who had called him. It wasn’t Lysander, and it wasn’t the boy who he had pinned up against the wall the night before, but the other boy he didn’t know.

The other boy studied him before he spoke.

“I’m sorry about last night,� he said hurriedly.

Albus stared at the boy before speaking himself.

“It’s not me you should be apologising to,� he said, turning again for the door.

“You’re Albus Potter, aren’t you?� said the boy. Albus whirled away from the door at the question. How did this boy know who he was?

“I am. Why?�

“Your father’s Harry Potter!�

“So what if he is?� said Albus.

“You look just like him…it’s no wonder Ed freaked out when you punched him last night.�

What in Merlin’s name was he talking about?

Albus must have given his thoughts away in his face, because what the boy said next was totally unexpected.

“You’re not saying you don’t know?� he spluttered.

Albus frowned. “Know what?� he said cautiously.

“Merlin’s toad! You’re kidding, right?�

“Who’s kidding?� said the boy Albus had punched last night as he walked out of the bathroom. Ed, Albus thought this boy had said his name was.

“Him! � said the boy, pointing at Albus.

Albus was getting impatient.

“Unless you’re going to tell me what you’re talking about, I’m leaving,� Albus said, turning to face the door again.

Ed looked at him and then at the boy.

“What are you talking about, Les?�

“He doesn’t know who he is!� exclaimed the boy called Les.

Albus thought this was stupid. Of course he knew who he was, how could he not?

“Of course I know who I am! I’m Albus Potter!�

Ed’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Then his expression changed to one of triumph.

“I knew it!� he yelled, pumping his fist in the air. He scrambled to where Albus stood and held out his hand.

“Edward Carmichael!� he said happily, positively jumping on the balls of his feet.

Albus thought for a moment before extending his hand and shaking Edward’s. Edward just about pulled his arm out of its socket as he shook his hand enthusiastically. He thought his arm was going to come off completely as the other boy shook his hand, too.

“Leslie Boot,� he said. “My dad went to school with your dad, said he was the best wizard he ever met!�

“Er, okay…� replied Albus, unsure of what else to say. “Look, I’ve really got to go, I said I’d meet my cousin and friend in the Great Hall for breakfast five minutes ago…�

“No problem, we’ll see you later, Albus!� said Edward.

“It’s Al!� Albus called back as he left the room at last.


* * * * *

Albus was nearing the Entrance Hall when he heard shouting ahead of him. He quickened his pace, and was met by pretty much the same sight as the night before.

Scorpius was again on the floor. But it wasn’t Gryffindors surrounding him this time. No, it was his Slytherin companion from the previous day and another boy, also a Slytherin. Thanking Merlin that this time there was only two to deal with, although they could be three if their size was any indication, he hurried down the stairs, dumping his bag on the floor as he reached the bottom.

“OI!� he shouted.

Goyle turned in time to see Albus before he was shoved against the stone wall.

“What are you playing at?�

“He’s betrayed his family!� spat Goyle.

“No, he’s betrayed you, and I must say I think he was bloody right to do so!� Albus retorted.

Goyle did not answer.

“If I see you clobbering him again, I’ll make sure you regret it!� Albus said finally. Don’t know how I’m going to do that, he thought silently, but I’ll find something.

Albus let go of Goyle and watched him retreat to the dungeons with his friend. Then he turned to face Scorpius and held out his hand to help him to his feet. Scorpius took it and stood.

He looked at his feet, just as he had the night before.

“I guess this is thanks again, huh?�

“Don’t mention it,� replied Albus. He went to pick up his bag and headed towards the door to the Great Hall. He stopped and thought for a moment, before turning and looking at Scorpius.

“You’re welcome to come sit with us if you want to,� he said.

Scorpius paused for a second, then nodded and followed Albus through the great double doors and into the hall.

Albus caught sight of Rose and Jacinta at the Gryffindor table almost as soon as he entered the hall. He headed up the opposite side of the table, Scorpius behind him, and sat down across from them. Scorpius remained standing, then seemed to decide nothing was going to happen and sat down next to Albus.

Rose and Jacinta merely said “Hi,� as they were not expecting Scorpius to accompany Albus to meet them. Albus loaded his plate with bacon, scrambled eggs and toast, and began to eat. Scorpius just looked around the hall, not touching the food around him. Albus noticed this and swallowed his mouthful.

“Come on, mate, eat something. You’ll feel heaps better,� he encouraged.

Scorpius shrugged and reached for a plate of pancakes. He had just drizzled maple syrup over the top and taken his first bite when the ceiling was suddenly crowded with owls.

Albus looked up and saw three owls headed towards him. One landed in front of him, another in front of Rose, and the last before Scorpius. Albus put down his fork and opened his letter hastily, as did Rose, until a horrid sound filled the hall and he dropped the letter and almost fell off his chair.

“GRYFFINDOR! GRYFFINDOR INDEED! WHAT IN MERLIN’S NAME DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? DID YOU THINK THAT BY BREAKING TREASURED TRADITIONS THAT YOU WOULD GAIN OUR RESPECT?�

Albus regained his balance on his chair. He didn’t even have to look around to find the source of the noise.

A scarlet envelope lay on the table next to Scorpius’ plate

“OF ALL THE LETTERS TO RECEIVE LAST NIGHT! YOUR FATHER HAD AN OWL FROM GOYLE AT TWO O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING! TWO O’CLOCK! HE’D HEARD IT FROM HIS SON THAT YOU HAD BETRAYED THE FAMILY TRADITION STANDING FOR HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF EVERY SINGLE MALFOY BEING SORTED INTO SLYTHERIN. AND THEN YOU GO AND TRASH IT ALL WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS MIGHT AFFECT YOUR FAMILY! CONSIDER YOURSELF NOT PART OF OUR FAMILY ANYMORE! WE ARE NO LONGER YOUR FAMILY!�

And before, their eyes, the scarlet envelope burst into flames, it’s ashes falling and scattering on Scorpius’ plate.

Albus had never heard anything so horrible in his life. They had done it. They had really done it.

“Scorpius –� began Rose.

But he did not let her finish. He pushed himself back from the table and ran up the aisle between the tables and out of the hall.

Albus sat there stunned for a moment, then looked at Jacinta and Rose across from him. At once, all of them stood and ran after Scorpius out of the hall, Professor Longbottom close behind them.

They didn’t speak until they were in the Entrance Hall.

“You’re his friends?� asked Professor Longbottom.

“You could say that,� replied Albus uncertainly. Rose and Jacinta nodded.

“Okay, well, in that case, he might react better to you than to me. Any idea where he may have gone?�

“I’m afraid not, Nev – er – Professor,� said Albus, correcting himself. It was going to take some time getting used to calling Neville ‘Professor’.

Professor Longbottom merely smiled at Albus’ stumble.

“Well in that case, we might want to try Gryffindor Tower first.�

“With respect, sir,� said Rose, “I hardly think that after being disowned by his family for being in Gryffindor, that he would find consolation in Gryffindor Tower of all places…�

Jacinta nodded her agreement. “But we should still try anyway,� she said confidently.

“Right,� nodded Albus.

They hurried up the marble staircase, and had a good run up the moving staircases with none of them changing routes unexpectedly. They reached the seventh floor and moved quickly through the corridors to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

“Blibbering humdinger,� said Albus, giving the password to the Tower. All four of them climbed through the portrait hole into the common room

“Al – er – Mr Potter, please go and check the dormitory for Mr Malfoy,� said Professor Longbottom after they had checked the common room from top to bottom and found no sign of Scorpius.

Albus headed up the stairs and into the dormitory. He saw no immediate sign that Scorpius was in the room, but he noticed that, unlike this morning, the hangings were drawn around Scorpius’ bed.

He walked over slowly and gently pulled back the hangings of the four-poster.

“Scorpius?� he said quietly.

Scorpius lay on his bed with his head in his pillow. He did not move, or speak, or otherwise acknowledge that he knew Albus was there.

“Scorpius?� Albus said again.

Scorpius lifted himself onto his elbows and dragged his sleeve across his eyes. He turned over to face Albus.

“What do you want?� he whimpered.

“I came to check that you were okay,� replied Albus softly.

Scorpius turned away from him. “Like you would care, your father didn’t disinherit you –�

“No, he didn’t,� agreed Albus. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care –�

“What would you know about caring?� demanded Scorpius, still facing away from him.

“I know that my family cares not only about each other, but others outside their family, as well,� said Albus. “I am no different.�

Scorpius remained silent.

“Do you want to talk?� asked Albus, sitting on the end of the bed.

Scorpius didn’t speak for a minute, then he sat up and turned to face Albus.

“What do you want me to say?� he said quietly.

“Whatever you want to say, tell me how you’re feeling if you want to,� answered Albus. “Rose, Jacinta, Professor Longbottom – we all came after you because we care about you,� he said.

“Then why aren’t they up here?�

At this, Albus actually smiled.

“Professor Longbottom is a teacher, he doesn’t come barging up into people’s dormitories. And as for Rose and Jacinta, well, they’re girls. They can’t exactly come running up into the boy’s dorms, can they?�

Albus thought he saw a smile creep into Scorpius’ cheeks, but it disappeared quickly.

“You all came up here for me?� he asked, unsure of himself.

Albus nodded.

“Come down and join us for breakfast, mate, I wasn’t kidding when I said you were welcome to,� Albus said, standing up. “That is, if there’s any left,� he added, smiling.

Scorpius thought for a moment. Then he stood and exited through the dormitory door after Albus.

“You can call me Al, if you want,� said Albus as they made their way down the stairs. “All my family and friends do.�

“Y-You’re saying you’re my friend?� Scorpius asked, not quite ready to believe what he had just heard.

“Only if you want me to be,� replied Albus. He stopped just out of view of the common room, as they were nearing the bottom of the staircase.

“Thanks…Al,� said Scorpius.

Albus smiled at him. Then he saw the one thing that convinced him that Scorpius was truly happy to call Albus a friend.

He had a grin on his face that went almost from ear to ear.


* * * * *

Albus, Rose, Jacinta and Scorpius made their way back to the Great Hall to collect their bags, as everyone had left breakfast by now and was currently in class. Then they followed Professor Longbottom to his office to receive their timetables, which would have been distributed to them that morning in the Great Hall.

Seeing that they had Herbology first, they walked with Professor Longbottom out of the castle and across the grounds to the greenhouses.

As it was their first lesson, Professor Longbottom spent most of the period talking to the class about what they would be covering in first year Herbology. Although he wouldn’t let them go near it, he was also content to show them the venomous tentacula.

He was just instructing them on the best way to distinguish magical fungi from non-magical ones when Jacinta put up her hand.

“Yes, Miss…?�

“Gritton, sir,� said Jacinta.

“Yes, Miss Gritton. You have a question?�

“Yes, sir.� She held up what looked like a fat, gold coin. To Albus it looked similar to a Galleon. “What’s this?�

Professor Longbottom smiled proudly, and walked over to where Jacinta sat at her bench, holding the coin.

“Ah, Miss Gritton, what does it look like to you?� he said, still smiling at her.

“It looks like a Galleon, sir,� she replied. “But isn’t it a bit inconvenient to leave this much money lying around?�

Professor Longbottom chuckled. “I think you will find that it has obviously fallen out of my pocket,� he said. “But tell me, if you look closer, does it look…real…to you?�

Jacinta turned the coin over in her hands, the entire class watching with interest.

“I’m afraid I don’t know, sir,� she said quietly. “I only saw a Galleon for the first time less than a month ago. I’m Muggle-born, you see. It does look a bit different, but I can’t pinpoint why.�

“You are quite correct that it is different to a regular Galleon, Miss Gritton. Five points to Gryffindor for pointing that out, despite being unfamiliar with a normal Galleon.

He held out his hand, and she placed the coin on his palm. He held it up for the class to see.

“Miss Gritton has already said that this coin, while resembling a Galleon, does not look exactly like one. That is because it is not a Galleon, but a fake.�

“Isn’t that illegal, sir?� called a blonde haired girl from the back of the class. “Counterfeit cash?�

The Slytherins in the class sniggered.

“Right again, Miss Aylwood. Five points to Slytherin. Yes, counterfeit money is illegal, but this is not intended to be spent. Although I might add that in a way, this,� he showed the coin to everyone, “is also illegal, but it was not I who made it.�

“Who made it, sir?� asked Rose.

Professor Longbottom looked back down at her, smiling triumphantly.

“How coincidental that you would ask that, Miss Weasley,� he said happily. “This coin, along with about thirty others that are identical, was made by your mother.�

Rose looked like she couldn’t believe her ears. “But if it’s not intended to be spent, why did my mother make thirty fake Galleons?�

Professor Longbottom looked as if he was positively delighted to be sharing this information with his class.

“These coins were made by Hermione Weasley, or Hermione Granger as she was at the time, to make organising secret meetings for an illegal organisation less obvious to those who were not members.�

At this, Rose looked shocked.

“But my mother is almost the highest-ranking ministry official in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement! Why would she break the law?�

“The Department of what?� Jacinta whispered to Albus next to her.

“Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ministry office. I’ll explain later,� he added in response to her confused expression.

Professor Longbottom was smiling sadly at Rose.

“Miss Weasley, your mother broke the law along with thirty or so other students of Hogwarts, which I might add included Professors Patil, Macmillan, Creevey and myself, to try and save the lives of those students.�

Albus could see Professor Longbottom’s eyes shining with tears.

“But – how – why?� stammered Rose.

The whole class was now hanging on his every word. Professor Longbottom looked around at them all with a solemn expression on his face.

“I suppose I do not need to tell you that without Hermione Weasley and one of her friends, many of you, in fact, all of us, would not be sitting here today,� he said quietly.

They all looked up at him with frightened expressions on their faces.

“Erm, sir?� spoke up a small Gryffindor girl behind Albus. “Who was Mrs Weasley’s friend that you spoke of?�

Professor Longbottom sighed, and did not answer straight away. When he did, he looked straight at Albus as he said it.

“Harry Potter.�

Albus stared back at Professor Longbottom as the whole class turned in their seats to stare at him.