[LOG] Flashback: Hogwarts, The beginning

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Where: The Hogwarts Express
When: September 1, 2017 (first year)

Scorpius pulled the compartment door shut and settled down. His father had helped him stow his things, and Scorpius gave his parents one last good bye wave before steam obscured the view of the platform and the Hogwarts Express eased its way out of King's Cross Station. Pulling his brand new bookbag from under his seat, Scorpius opened it and found that his mother had slipped him a couple of fresh meat buns for the journey, wrapped in some foil and charmed with a warming spell. When his mother had managed that sleight of hand Scorpius didn't know, but he was thankful and realized with a twinge that he was going to miss her, he was going to miss his Dad, and most of all he was going to miss his grandparents and their cave home carved into the mountains in China, where had spent a good deal of his time as a kid. Thinking that he was all grown-up now, Scorpius blinked back some tears and decided to take his mind of his already burgeoning homesickness by pulling out the book he'd saved for the train ride, a fantasy novel about a famous Chinese alchemist and adventurer set in the 12th century.

The compartment he sat in was empty, a small thing tucked in the back of the last train car, a little off to the side and right next to the toilet. It was probably the least desirable compartment on the Hogwarts Express, which meant to Scorpius that he was the one who probably wanted it most. Pausing in his reading, Scorpius let his eyes flit over the green countryside and the gray, cloudy day, thinking that despite his blond hair and fair skin, he was still a bit of a stranger in this country, and briefly wondered whether the Sorting Hat would put him in Ravenclaw or Slytherin.

His Malfoy grandparents wanted him in Slytherin of course, as per the pride of their lineage. His mother and father had both been from Slytherin too, but Scorpius found that he really didn't care which house he was sorted into, as long as the students there left him alone when he wanted to be left alone. Scorpius had barely flipped to the next page of his novel when the loud slam of the opening compartment door startled him and he looked up from his page at the boy who'd just disturbed his reading. Scorpius pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose in a very adult manner he'd seen his mother do occasionally when she was cross, and stared silently at the intruder.

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Albus stood at the window of the train until the steam obscured his father's figure standing at the end of the platform, one hand raised in farewell. It was both saddening and exhilirating to be leaving, finally, to begin the next seven years of his life as a student at Hogwarts. As he watched the station fall away out of view, he thought about what his father had said. If he really wanted to choose Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat would take that into account. After a few moments, lost in thought, Albus smiled a bit to himself, feeling rather relieved, and set off with his things in search of James, who'd obviously left him on his own, as though he knew where to find his brother on this huge train!

Minutes later, he slammed open the last door in the car, sure this must have been the one his brother was occupying - the fact that it was too quiet to house his brother and his friends totally lost on the younger Potter. "James?!"

Albus stopped, mouth still open, as he blinked at the compartment's sole occupent - a slight boy who looked his own age, pale-skinned and fair-haired. He was holding an open book, and was now pushing his glasses up his nose, as if to better examine the boy who'd opened the door. His eyes behind the lenses were gray, like the low clouds outside.

Alby blushed a bit, grinning sheepishly. "You're not James," he said, glancing around at the otherwise empty compartment. He'd already checked all the ones in this car, and his things were heavy... he didn't want to have to carry them to the next car! "I guess I'll just stay here, though - you have room, it's okay, right?" He pulled his trunk into the compartment behind him, then turned and lifted Brownie's cage out of the hallway and into the compartment as well, setting the owl on the seat near the door before he plopped down beside it, between the cage and the window. "I'm Albus, what's your name?"

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Scorpius's first thought, in response to the boy's comment, was the kid was very astute. Deciding it would be rude to make this very sarcastic observation, Scorpius stayed silent and let the boy chatter on for a bit. He'd already had half his stuff inside the compartment before Scorpius had a chance to answer, and by then it was just too late. A picture of Scorpius's father, came into his mind, and he imagined his father's voice telling him very sternly to be polite, kind, and never to tarnish the Malfoy name. Or his mother's name, Yang.

"Sure," Scorpius said, trying not to sound resigned as the boy plopped down beside him. His cheerfulness and the fact that he seemed to have no friends who were willing to stick with him seemed to indicate that he, like Scorpius, was a first year.

The boy looked very familiar, and after a moment's thought Scorpius placed the dark, unruly hair and green eyes. He was probably the son of the famous Harry Potter. His father and mother had told him very little about Harry Potter and their schooling with him, save for the fact that they had been on his side in the war, and helped him out during the defeat of Voldemort. Even in those stories, neither his father nor his mother seemed overly fond of Wizarding Britain's biggest hero.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," Scorpius said in reply to Albus's introduction. "Nice to meet you," he added a beat later, remembering his manners.

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Alby grinned as the other boy acquiesced - he looked polite enough, behind those glasses, and Alby was sure that sitting in a compartment all by himself must not have been very fun. The other boy looked him over a moment before some sort of recognition seemed to register - Alby sighed inwardly. People were always telling him how much like his dad he looked. He hoped this new boy wouldn't treat him any differently because of it. James had gone through this too - he didn't look as much like their father as Albus did, but the family resemblance (not to mention their name, which Alby had learned to leave off, when meeting new people) was unmistakable. James had said a lot on the subject, but exactly how much of it was true, Alby was still unsure.

But then the other boy introduced himself - and Alby found his mouth hanging open once more. Malfoy! Scorpius Malfoy - his father had told him loads about Draco Malfoy, who must be this boy's father. He cocked his head, looking at the boy again - yes, he did look like how his father had always described Draco Malfoy - finely-boned face, slightly pointed chin, light hair...

Alby squirmed a little. That meant that maybe Scorpius might be a bit uncomfortable - his dad had also told him that he and Draco hadn't exactly gotten along most of their time at school, though Draco had proved himself in the end and had turned out a fine man. He'd always told Alby never to judge people by their appearances - and that meant their family names, as well.

Alby then realized that while all of this had been going on in his head, he'd been staring open-mouthed at Scorpius. He quickly shut his mouth, squirming again. "Oh! It's nice to meet you too! I like your name, it sounds really important. Scorpius - it's kind of long, but nice!"

... Well. That had sounded kind of... stupid. Alby pictured James laughing at him, and frowned a little. He tried to brush that thought away, shaking his head slightly and grinning back up at the other boy. "Are you excited about going to school too?"

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Scorpius stared back at Albus when the boy's jaw dropped. Of course if his father had told him the story, Albus's father must have too. Scorpius's dad had the annoying habit of glossing over the bits he felt didn't quite fit (like the part where he let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts and confronted Headmaster Dumbledore in the Astronomy Tower), which he'd always have to wheedle out of his mother when his father wasn't around. From she'd said, he gathered that Harry Potter and his father had hated each other, maybe even loathed each other, and despite ending up on the same side at the end of the war, had never quite been able to put that behind them.

Albus squirmed a little uncomfortably in his chair, and Scorpius supposed that perhaps like father like son, the train ride might pass faster if he said no more and went back to his reading. He looked up again when Albus's jaw shut with a snap and he spoke, just as cheerful as ever.

"My grandfather named me," Scorpius replied. "My English name, at least." He figured he'd get lots of questions about his name. Why couldn't he have something nice-sounding like his sister? Instead he got saddled with
Scorpius. It wasn't pretty and it conjured up images of unfriendly poisonous things, but at least it didn't rhyme with anything, which was at most what Scorpius found he could be thankful about.

Scorpius shrugged. Excited? Well, maybe. "A bit," he conceded, being as honest as he could. He obviously wasn't as excited as Albus there, but it was something of an adventure to be on his own, far away from home.

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"Your English name?" Alby blinked - what did that mean? Did Scorpius have a not-English name? He'd never heard of that before! "What's your other name?" he asked, before he could help himself - Scorpius looked a bit like he didn't like his name, but it wasn't a bad name at all - it sounded kind of like Albus, he thought, and he'd always liked his name okay. They both sounded important - and Albus knew his name was important, his father had told him he was named after a very important man. Two very important men. And he liked the name Albus.

Well, except when his brother called him 'Alby' in front of all his friends. That made him sound like such a little kid...

The small frown returned, as Scorpius professed he was only 'a bit' excited. "Only a little? But my brother said - er, well, he's said loads of things, but at least some of the must be true! And we get to ride in boats up to the castle from the train station, doesn't that sound exciting?"

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Scorpius closed the book his lap, figuring it might be a while before he'd be able to get back to it. "Yang Xiaorui," Scorpius replied. The name felt smoother to his ears, softer than "Scorpius" but maybe that was just because he'd grown up being called that. When Albus looked confused he added, "I'm half-Chinese, from my mum's side of the family."

Scorpius thought about Hogwarts castle from the day his parents had fondly described it, and he thought about the Slytherin common room, hidden in the dungeons of the castle beneath the lake. "It's kind of exciting, I suppose," Scorpius admitted with reservation, though he might not have used the word 'exciting' to describe it. He had never seen a castle before, sure, and he had never been to a school as large as Hogwarts either, but 'excited' just wasn't the right way to put it.

Scorpius smiled a bit, finding Albus's cheer a bit infectious. "I guess I am looking forward to the end of the ride and the Sorting."

They passed the remainder of the train ride quickly, chatting about their very different childhoods, always a bit careful not to talk about their parents and whatever experiences they may have had. Scorpius told Albus a little about what China was like, explaining some of the complexity of the Chinese Wizarding society's emphasis on martial and magical skills. When the witch with the cart full of sweets passed by they loaded themselves with chocolates, and when the sun began to set and their stomachs growled, Scorpius shared some of the meat buns his mother had slipped into his bag. For the first time Scorpius found that he actually wanted to talk with another boy, and that he didn't feel out of place, being a blond-haired, grey-eyed half-Chinese boy who was not particularly interested in the martial arts.

Finally the train began to slow and the boys hurriedly pulled on their robes, a little afraid and a little excited about the first night that would mark the beginning of the next seven years of their lives.

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Alby had never heard Chinese before - was that really a name? It sounded so... fluid, not like anything he'd ever heard before. He supposed it fit the boy in front of him - he didn't know why, but it did - but when he tried to pronounce it, his tongue had gotten all tangled up after only the first syllable and he'd turned red and stopped trying, not wanting to offend his new friend.

He'd been especially happy when Scorpius had closed his book and set it aside - that meant he was okay with talking to Alby, and so Alby chattered on and on about anything and everything his brother had said, speculating that much of it might not be true, because his father had seemed to indicate otherwise. And then Scorpius had told him about China - China! - and Alby had listened, enraptured as he so rarely was, with only a few twitches as he tried to imagine everything the other boy was describing. His life sounded so glamorous, Alby could understand why maybe Scorpius hadn't been so excited about Hogwarts at first - what was someplace like Hogwarts, as wonderful and amazing as it was, compared to China?

But finally, the train began to slow, and Alby blinked as he realized the entire day had gone by - it was dark outside already, and Albus and Scorpius both hurried into their robes, Alby's stomach turning over a bit as the train finally pulled to a complete stop and chaos ensued, as students of all years poured off. Getting off meant going to the castle, and going to the castle meant getting Sorted. And getting Sorted...

He pushed that thought firmly out of his mind, not wanting to be left behind - he liked Scorpius already, and he suddenly hoped that maybe they'd be in the same house. He let that hope settle to the pit of his stomach, trying to cover up the nervousness, and followed the blonde off the train, to where the throng of students was only just starting to become organized, as a giant (well, half-giant, his father had told him) man with a shaggy graying beard and an old moleskin coat waved a lantern around in one giant, meaty hand.

"Firs' years this way! Firs' years!"

Alby was suddenly jostled from behind, as a hand ruffled his already messy hair, and a familiar voice said, "All right there, Alby? I knew you'd find your way! Seeya at the feast, I'll save you a spot at our table!" Alby lookedup to see James passing by with a few of his friends, all now third years and looking like this was old hat by now. "Unless, of course," James whispered as he leant down so only Alby could hear, "you're in Slytherin~"

Then he straightened and jogged off a few steps to catch up with his friends, waving once more. "Seeya Alby!"

Alby cringed.

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Scorpius squeezed through the throng, a little glad that he had Albus because it seemed that all of the other kids, first years included, seemed to know someone already, and were talking quickly in their little splinter groups as they gathered around the half-giant that was ushering them along.

"Alby?" Scorpius remarked as what was probably Albus's older brother passed them by, surrounded by year boys wearing robes lined with red. Scorpius tried very hard not to laugh, so he just smiled a little and tried to control his breathing. "Alby it is then," Scorpius decided. The name seemed to fit him better, there was something about "Albus" that might've been too dignified for a first year, especially one that was all freckles and grins.

Eventually when there was no one else left on the platform, the first years formed a messy little queue and followed the half-giant. He lead them from the station and down a steep, narrow path, darkness on either side of them. Scorpius looked at Alby wondered if this was some sort of initiation ceremony, that they'd all get left in the dark and have to find their own way to the castle. Finally the trees on either side of them parted, and the path opened to a giant, black lake, at the other end of which stood Hogwarts castle, its stones reflecting a bit of moonlight, its windows filled with light, warm and welcoming.

The other students around them gasped, letting out an impressed "oooh!" but Scorpius appraised it silently, and finally decided that he might enjoy spending the next seven years of his life there.

"Four to a boat!" the giant shouted, showing students to the boats that sat quietly at the edge of the lake share. Scorpius and Alby climbed into one together, joined by two girls they didn't know. Scorpius edged away from them, hoping not to get drawn into a conversation he didn't care to participate in.

The boats set off all at once, gliding smoothly across the lake, hardly leaving a trail in their wake. The ride was fairly silent, every student staring up at the tall turrets and towers that would be their home.

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Alby's cringe only worsened into a grimace as his newfound friend, influenced by James' outburst, said quite decisively that 'Alby it is, 'then.' Alby nearly groaned - he'd hoped that at least at school, people might take him seriously! But it seemed that was too much to hope for - he followed Scorpius through the crowd of confused first years, until they were all led down a dark path (Alby kept glancing around nerviously, hoping nothing was going to jump out at them - what if James had been right about the thestrals?) that eventually ended at a broad expanse of dark, moonlit water. Alby gaped - this was the lake! It looked so beautiful in the moonlight... But he didn't have much time to think further than that as he was pulled along into a boat with Scorpius and two other students, a girl and a boy, all of whom seemed equally as enchanted with the water, until they saw the castle gleaming in the distance, looming closer every minute,

Alby had the intense urge to trail his hand in the cold water, but just as he was about to dip his fingers in, the boat slowed and bumped gently against the shore. Everyone filed out and through the doorway that stood nearly on the shore, climbing a flight of torchlit stairs until they came out into a great stone foyer, with a very familiar, rotund figure of a man waiting for them.

Alby's face broke out into a grin as he recognized Neville Longbottom as the figure waiting for the first years to assemble before him. He grinned up at the professor, who caught his eye and nod genially, returning Alby's grin with a smile of his own. Once all the first years were assembled before him (Alby made sure to keep extra-close to Scorpius, he didn't want to get lost in the crowd), Neville spoke.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Professor Longbottom; in just a moment, you'll line up in pairs and walk through the doors into the Great Hall, where you will be Sorted. It's very easy, nothing to worry about - just wait until your name is called, then put the Sorting Hat on your head. It will announce which house you will be put into, and you can join your classmates at your table." He smiled as reassuringly as he could, before glancing at Alby. "Albus, why don't you start the line?"

Alby blinked, suddenly nervous again - first in line didn't mean first Sorted, did it? But then Scorpius stepped up next to him and the doors to the Great Hall opened, and they fell into step beside one another as they walked through the doors and into the most massive room Alby had ever seen, with four long tables occupying most of the space (two on either side of their queue), at which were seated the rest of the student body, all looking at the first years now filing in. At the front of the room was a long table, where the professors were seated, and just in front of that was a stool with what looked like a very old, battered hat sitting upon it. Alby just blinked in the light of the hundreds of floating candles and walked, shoulder-to-shoulder, with Scorpius up to the front of the room, where they waited until the rest of their class had entered, Alby shifting nervously from foot to foot.

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Scorpius blinked, recognizing the name "Longbottom" again out of his parents' recent history. The professor seemed to have fondness for Alby, and so singling him out, Scorpius decided that he might as well line up next to his newfound friend and lead the line into the school properl.

The Great Hall was every bit that his parents had described to him, massive, tall, with a sky full of stars at night and floating candles lighting the room. It managed to fit the entirety of the school's population, with the students seated at four long tables lining the hall vertically while the teachers sat on a raised dais at the opposite end of the room. Scorpius's eyes scanned the room, scanned every face that sat silent, respectfully as all the first years filed in together and tried not to shuffle about too loudly before the Sorting began.

There was the sound of a small cough and all the attention turned to the stool and the hat that sat in the center of the front of the room. Suddenly, the hat burst into song.

Scorpius blinked, a little taken aback that a hat, enchanted though it was, could sing. From the looks on the faces of the rest of the students, it seemed that this song was new, that they'd never heard it before. Scorpius found it curious, and wondered exactly what sort of complicated enchantments or hauntings had allowed the hat to do that. When it finished its song, Professor Longbottom stepped forward, holding a long parchment.

"When your name is called, please step forward, sit on the stool, and put the Sorting Hat on.

"Bell, Lewis!" A light-haired boy emerged from the crowd of first years, clambered up on the stool, and put the Sorting Hat on. There was a moment of silence before the Sorting Hat proclaimed him a GRYFFINDOR!

The Gryffindor table, draped in colors of red and gold, erupted into cheers, and the boy, a little dazed, walked off to join his new friends, amidst congratulations and pats on the back.

The list went on, every house cheering for every new first year Sorted, until "Livesay, Roseanne" was called and declared a Gryffindor and Scorpius's name was announced.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

Scorpius gave Albus a small reassuring smile as he walked up to the stool. He thought it was awfully weird to decide a house based on the opinion of an enchanted, talking hat. He supposed it was just tradition, if perhaps a little arbitrary.

He sat down on the stool and put the hat over his head. It sunk down over his eyes, and smelled a bit like it had just been taken out of the closet.

"Hmmm..." the voice of the hat spoke into his ear, and Scorpius almost jumped. He'd had no idea that the Sorting Hat was going to talk to him. Neither his father nor his mother had mentioned that bit. "Very serious boy. Like books and learning, hmmm? Might be Ravenclaw for you, but I see you've got quite a bit of that pride that seems to run in the family. I remember your mother and father, they got along so well in their house. Well," the hat said, evidently having decide without any input from Scorpius at all, "I don't think you'll fit better anywhere else but SLYTHERIN!"

The hat shouted and Scorpius couldn't wait to get it off and out of his head. He hastily put it back on the stool and walked over to where his table, covered in cloths of green and silver was cheering for him raucously. There was a space reserved for him and some of the other first years, so he sat down and turned to watch the rest of the proceedings, hoping that if Alby got Sorted into a different house, that they'd at least see each other during some of their classes.

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Alby watched in fascination as the Sorting began, feeling at once relieved and nervous as he realized that the students were Sorted in alphabetical order. That meant Scorpius would be sorted before him - and maybe he could ask the hat to put him in the same house! His father had said that he'd have a choice, and Alby believed his father.

The list of names went on, and the group of students standing before the stool grew smaller, until Professor Longbottom called Scorpius's name, and with a reassuring smile, the blonde boy went up to the dais and sat with the hat on his head. Alby stood on his tiptoes with anticipation, watching and straining and hoping and waiting -

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat announced - the table decked with green and silver burst into applause, and Scorpius passed by him once more - for what, Alby suddenly thought with a sinking feeling in his stomach - might be the last time for a very long time, if they were in different houses.

Because they had to be in different houses - Scorpius was in in Slytherin, and Alby didn't want to be in Slytherin!

The next few students went by in a blur - Alby was barely listening to the names, until suddenly, Professor Longbottom called out, "Albus Potter!" and Alby nearly jumped, approaching the stool somewhat reluctantly, the mantra already forming in his head: Please Gryffindor, please Gryffindor...

He sat gingerly on the stool, and suddenly his view of the hall was plunged into darkness as the brim of the hat fell over his eyes, and he almost forgot where he was and that he had to keep reciting in his head where he wanted to be -

"... A Potter, eh?" Alby nearly jumped off the stool - the hat was talking? He opened his mouth, maybe to ask it to please put him in Gryffindor (but none of the other students had said anything!) - but the hat seemed to already sense his thoughts and it went on before he could even speak. "And you want to be in Gryffindor? Ah, you always do - are you really sure - there are other places you might do better, you know~" Alby shook his head nearly imperceptibly - he wanted to be in the same house as Scorpius, but he was Harry Potter's son, he had to be in Gryffindor, he wanted to prove -

"Ah, so you do understand," the had went on, and Alby froze. He understood? But that hat was supposed to understand! "And I do," it said, "I understand exactly what you want, and I know just where to put you. You'll do so well - in SLYTHERIN!"

Alby pulled the hat off his head, gasping for air, though it hadn't covered more than his eyes. He blinked dumbly, his gaze immediately going to the Gryffindor table, where he could see James sitting with an open spot beside him on the bench, as promised. James - and, indeed, most of the Gryffindors - seemed to be looking at Alby in stunned silence, as unable to believe what they'd just heard as he was.

Even the Slytherin table didn't seem to know what to make of their new arrival - there was a bit of halfhearted applause as Alby stumbled down from the dais; his cheeks began to burn the instant his shoe touched the floor. He felt like he was sleepwalking as he crossed the distance stiffly to the table; the applause grew a bit louder, but all he could hear was a roaring in his ears as, entire face feeling like it was on fire, he nearly collapsed down in the (thankfully) empty spot beside Scorpius and tried not to look like he was hanging his head in shame. But he was.

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The Great Hall filled with silence when the Sorting Hat cried, "SLYTHERIN!" Professor Longbottom looked like he had been doused with cold water, and all of the Gryffindor table looked as if something was stuck in their throats. All eyes were on Albus as he climbed down from the dais at the front of the room, his cheeks bright red and his eyes lowered, not meeting any of the gazes that followed him as he moved in a daze toward the Slytherin table.

The Slytherins were just as surprised as anyone else in the room--never in their wildest dreams or nightmares had they ever thought they'd bag a Potter. Scorpius was the first to break the silence, putting his hands together, he began to clap. The rest of the Slytherin first years followed suit, and by the time Alby sank down into his seat the entire table was applauding and banging the table, as their shock slowly wore off and they realized they'd just won themselves the son of the great Harry Potter.

Alby's eyes were lowered, hidden by the fringes of his unruly hair, the only person at the table who didn't look happy about the situation. Scorpius put his arm around Albus's shoulders in a bit of an awkward hug. As Professor Longbottom recovered and continued reading out names.

"Alby," Scorpius said quietly, so none of the other Slytherins could hear, "don't worry, I'll take care of you." He knew he had no idea what it was like to be Alby at this moment, being Sorted into a house that had, for a long stretch of years, been his father's rival at every turn. At a loss for words Scorpius just kept his arms around Albus and held his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

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Alby nearly jumped out of his skin (for probably the fifth time that day) as Scorpius slid an arm around his shoulders in an awkward sort of hug. His eyes shot over to the other's face as the boy told him, quietly, that he'd take care of him.

It was nothing like when James told Alby he'd take care of him. James was always loud and sure and he'd always clap Alby on the back and say it'd be fine, of course, because James would keep an eye on him. Scorpius's embrace was both more awkward and more reassuring, as Alby realized the Sorting, which seemed to have momentarily halted, resumed as Professor Longbottom began reading out names once more.

His cheeks still burned, but Alby's mind had finally begun working sluggishly again. He had to make the best of it, right? His father had said he was named after a very brave man - a very brave Slytherin man - so maybe... his parents wouldn't be too disappointed? And... And Scorpius was here - right here, in fact, squeezing Alby's hand, and somehow, he didn't want to let his new friend dow, either. Alby forced a grin onto his face (fake though it might be) and turned to Scorpius. "I'm okay!" he insisted cheerfully, though still quietly. "It was just - I was just surprised -"

"Weasley, Rose!" Alby binked and cast his gaze up to the dais again - it seemed so long ago now that Uncle Ron had made his joke about Gryffindor or disinheritance. Part of him hoped desperately that maybe Rose would be Sorted elsewhere as well.

Rose climbed up onto the stool, and just before the hat slipped past her eyes, Alby saw Rose look straight at him, her expression tense and unreadable. Alby sank a little lower in his seat - it was awful of him to wish that she'd be put somewhere other than Gryffindor, she was -

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat announced, and Rose climbed down from the stool and began walking towards her new house table, looking, for the most part, relieved. Maybe it wasn't Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw wasn't... well, it wasn't Slytherin. She'd be a good Ravenclaw, Alby thought absently... and wondered if... he'd really be a very good Slytherin at all. He glanced at Scorpius, who was still watching him. Maybe... maybe it would be all right. Right?

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A small, wry grin crossed Scorpius's face. Belatedly he'd realized that it had been a long time since he'd smiled so much, and mentally he imagined his father commenting on it, and ruffling his hair fondly. "Everybody was surprised, Alby," Scorpius said.

The Sorting finished and Professor Longbottom rolled up his scroll and took away the Sorting Hat and its stool. Headmistress Perpetua Phoenixfire, a middle-aged witch with silver streaks in her long, dark hair, stood up and deliver a short welcoming speech. Scorpius wasn't listening, he was looking around at the table, at all the faces he was going to be living with for next few years. Five Slytherin girls and five Slytherin boys (counting him and Alby) in their first year. Some of them had arrogant, unfriendly looks on their faces but mostly to Scorpius they looked just like every first year did--a tad bit nervous, a little flushed with excitement.

"Here," Scorpius said, remembering his manners as the Headmistress finished her speech and raised her arms. Plates of food, piping hot and still steaming appeared on all the tables and with a great rush and clatter of silverware and plates, the students of Hogwarts, old and new, began the feast. He took a serving of mashed potatoes and spooned a glob onto Alby's plate. Alby smiled up at him and Scorpius smiled back. The boy was a little unsure, a little scared that maybe he wasn't living up to his family's legacy. Scorpius knew how that felt--he would never be a great martial artist like the rest of his family, but at least he knew what he liked to do and what he was good at. He nudged Albus and both boys grinned wolfishly, reaching for roasted turkeys and slices of meatloaf dipped in rich, dark gravy.

The Slytherin table started a toast, starting down at the other end of the table with the seventh years. Mugs full of butterbeer and cider clinked, and the toast passed from one student down to the next until it reached Scorpius and he raised his mug.

"Cheers, Alby."

[OOC: You wanna wrap this up with the next post? :D]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

Scorpius was smiling so reassuringly - Alby kept glacing at the other boy throughout the Headmistress's speech, still feeling more than a little self-conscious, but every time he saw the serene look on Scorpius's face, things seemed not quite so bad. His new friend was happy to have him here, so why shouldn't he be happy to be here? James was sure to have a few choice words next time he saw his brother, but for now, he was separated by a benchful of students and all the meaningful glances in the world from his older brother couldn't ruin his wonder as, when the Headmistress finished her speech, plates full of steaming food appeared upon the table and Alby realized, as the fist whiff graced his nostrils, that he was starving. And the idea of food seemed to push most of his anxiety to the back of his mind, for now, at least - there would be time enough to worry about that later, when he had to write his parents, or talk to any of the Gryffindors, or... well. Food now. Worry later.

Before he knew it, Scorpius was helping to pile food on Alby's plate, and soon both of their plates were full past capacity, and there was the clinking of mugs from the other end of the table, as the Slytherin students, new and old, passed around a toast for the coming school year. Alby raised his own mug, a few drops of cider sloshing over the side, as Scorpius clinked their cups together. Alby looked up at his new friend - his new best friend, he was sure - and grinned, a genuine expression that couldn't be diluted by any of his worries right now. This was a good night, and maybe if Alby tried hard enough, it would be a good seven years that he had ahead of him, with Scorpius.

"Yeah!" he echoed, turning to pass on the toast to the boy beside him. "Cheers!"

[OOC: Sure, sounds good~ Yay end! :D So cute!! XD]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: :D Did we want to start a 2nd year scene? X3 Did you want to start it, or should I?]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Ooh, yes~ I guess I can start this one, if we figure out what scene we want to do? Any thoughts? Just random studying, or something maybe more specific?]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: I was thinking something short where Alby gets picked on by some upper year kids (Slytherin? Gryffindor?) and Scorpius totally kicks their ass. Maybe beginning of 2nd year when they're getting off the train? :3]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Oh, that sounds good! Sure thing~! I'll go ahead and start a tag and post it up then! I'll have it so Alby is a bit behind Scorp in getting off the train, so they get separated for a moment at first, if that works.

... Do you think that'd get them a detention, for fighting? D:]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Yeah, that sounds good! Nah, if Scorpius decks them fast enough so that nobody notices, and lets them know exactly how fucked they are if they mess with Alby, then I think all will be well. And hey, if they get detention for it, then they get detention together right? X3]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: XD Yeah, maybe no one will notice~ Unless the other boys tell who beat them up. XD But Alby says Scorp's not getting detention without him, if it happens!]

[of-gunmetalgrey.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Nah, I don't think anybody would tell on them, especially if it was older students. >_> I mean, imagine telling a teacher that you got beat up by someone who's barely a second year. XD]

[n3xt-in-line.livejournal.com]

[OOC: XD; That's a very valid point! Woo, escaping with no punishment~ And it's posted now! :D]