Time of My Life

Time of My Life

Chapter One: The Journey to Hogwarts

Albus Severus Potter watched sadly as the train gained speed. His Mum and Dad's faces were quickly shrinking. He could barely even make out the face of his little sister Lily anymore, much less the features of Uncle Ron, Aunty Hermione and Cousin Hugo. He was, after a year of listening to James' wild stories about the place, finally going to Hogwarts.

The compartment had only one other human occupant and that was his cousin Rose. Her cat, Aries, was contentedly sitting in her lap, staring at Albus with its ugly yellowy-green eyes, almost sizing him up. He felt rather afraid all of a sudden, and not because of the "Mmm I wonder what human meat tastes like" look on Aries' face.

"Nervous, Al?" Rose inquired; not even looking up from her mother's dog-eared copy of Pride and Prejudice.

Albus looked at her, a small smile playing at his lips. She knew him too well.

Albus Severus was the second child of Harry and Ginevera Potter. He was a carbon copy of Harry, right down to the eyes. Rose Weasley was the oldest child of Hermione and Ron Weasley and she seemed to have inherited her mother's looks along with her knowledge, except for the eyes. She had her father's blue eyes. Albus sighed and stared out the window at the blurry landscape.

"I don't want to go in Slytherin," he said after a long silence broken only by the hooting of Albus' owl, Stormy.

Rose looked at him now, and she smiled. "Is it really that serious, Al?"

Albus looked at her, disbelieving. "Of course it is. Well, to me it is, anyway.

"Don't worry, Al. Even if you are Sorted into Slytherin, your parents will still love you. And I will, too."

She blushed, realizing what she had just said.

Albus smiled, relieved for the moment.

They sat together, descending once more into silence. This time it was only broken when the snack trolley came down the corridor. Seeing it, Rose reached for her purse.

"What would you like from the trolley, Rose?" Albus asked. His own money bag was already in his hand, stuffed to the brim with Wizarding gold. After all, his dad was an important Ministry official, being head of the Aurors.

Rose blushed again. "Albus, that's very kind of you, but--"

"I don't care. I don't even know why Mum stuffed my bag; we don't go to Hogsmeade in First Year."

After a while, Rose agreed, and Albus paid for their sweets. Entering again with the candy, the two immediately started stuffing themselves silly.

~*~*~

"Firs' Years over here! Firs' Years over here!" boomed the enormous silhouette of Hagrid. Albus grabbed Rose's hand and they fought their way through the throng.

Finally, they emerged near the half giant, whose lantern was just as big as Albus. Hagrid did a head count and then they set off down a trail ending at the edge of the still, black lake. Along the bank was a fleet of little boats. Soon, Albus and Rose found themselves squashed in a boat with Scorpius Malfoy.

Albus looked up at the enormous façade of Hogwarts Castle. It seemed to render him speechless. Rose noticed and gently squeezed his hand. Near the back, Scorpius was looking at the castle, sizing it up and down, almost as if he was considering buying it.

The boats drew nearer. The castle grew, and Albus shrank. They were passing under a curtain of ivy now...they were in a harbor of sorts...now they were disembarking.

"Is this your toad?" Hagrid's voice suddenly called out, slicing through the fearful silence.

A round-faced girl scrambled up to retrieve it.

"That's Neville's daughter!" whispered Rose excitedly. "Flora Longbottom!"

Albus dimly recognized Flora from past encounters in Diagon Alley. She and her father always stopped and said hello when they met. He remembered seeing her bat her eyelashes at him. The memory made him blush and Rose laughed a little.

"Come on, Al, they're all moving." Sure enough, Hagrid was walking again and the first years were jogging to keep up with him.

They emerged just before a pair of magnificent oaken doors. Hagrid knocked and he was answered by a young man who had curly hair.

"I'll take them from here, Hagrid," he said curtly and the first years filed after him into the entrance hall.

Albus heard some intakes of breath. The entrance hall was like a cathedral, and he was sure at least five duplicates of his house could fit into the space with room to spare. There was a grand-looking door off to one side of a magnificent marble staircase. Behind the door there was an odd humming noise, like a beehive. But the young man didn't lead them into the beehive. He led them into a room off the beehive.

"Headmistress McGonagall would like to remind you all to smarten yourselves up before we let you enter the Great Hall," said the man. "Now excuse me..." He left the room.

Chatter started up. Albus tried to flatten his hair but it was no use. Suddenly there were screams. He whirled around.

Ghosts were entering the room through the walls, obviously arguing.

"Well, Peeves certainly cannot sit though the feast without starting a food fight, so why bother?" the ghost of a young lady was saying.

The ghost of a fat friar countered it with something that sounded like, "Forgive and forget it!"

Suddenly the ghost with a large ruff seemed to notice them and pointed them out to the other ghosts. They all stopped bickering with each other.

"Well, look what we have here!" the Fat Friar said jovially.

The Grey Lady arched an eyebrow. "It's another bunch of First Years, Friar. That's really nothing to get excited about," she said coolly.

"Helena, this is the year Professor Potter's second son starts Hogwarts! In my opinion, that's really worth celebrating," cut in Nearly Headless Nick. His ghostly gaze swept the group of first years, coming to rest on Albus, who now wished he could sink into the ground.

Albus was trying to hide himself behind Rose when the young man returned. "Go!" he said somewhat fiercely. The ghosts sidled though the walls.

"Hope one of you guys can get into Hufflepuff!" called the Fat Friar.

Soon, Albus was inside the Great Hall, staring at the ceiling. The chatter was pressing in on his eardrums, and that is a very annoying sensation. Rose was beside him, grasping his hand.

"It's quite a nice ceiling, isn't it, Al?" she asked him. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside."

His attention turned towards the High Table. There was the Sorting Hat, and it was silent at the moment. The teachers were sitting behind it, facing the students. There was Professor Neville Longbottom, who was waving at his daughter. Sitting at his right was Professor Cho Chang, who taught Charms after Flitwick retired. Sitting in a throne-like chair at the very center was the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. At her left was....

"Dad?" whispered Albus, disbelieving.

To Be Continued...