Chapter One

“I won’t! I won’t be in Slytherin!” I yelled defiantly at my older brother James as he began to taunt me once more. I could hear my younger sister Lily’s gentle sobs coming behind us, where she was being rocked from side to side by our mother, he arms wrapped firmly around her neck as her tears leaked down onto mum’s new robes. She wanted to go to Hogwarts too, however I knew that she’d soon get over the longing and wait the two years she still had left before it was her time.

“James, give it a rest!” I heard mum shout at my brother, who’s smirk instantly slid off his face as he turned and scowled.

“I only said he might be,” James clarified innocently, grinning deviously at me the minute he turned away from our mum. It was the look he always wore which made me dread whatever he was planning, and I had absolutely no desire to pry into his minds in the near future to discover what it was. Gradually, the five of us neared the barrier, and I began to feel my heart pounding inside my chest, my brain hammering against my head the way a desperate, starving child would bang on someone’s door to beg for a place to stay. With his usual arrogant glance directed at me over his shoulder, James positioned his trolley, which comprised of his school trunk and his large barn owl, Hank, and broke into a rapid run towards the wall situated directly between platforms nine and ten. Before I knew it, he had vanished. I won’t deny, I was exceedingly apprehensive about the apparition, yet it could in no way compete with my increasing fear of being placed in Slytherin house. Slytherin is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and is traditionally home to students who exhibit such traits as cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition. Founded by Salazar Slytherin, the house is composed mostly of pure-blood students, due to its founder's mistrust of Muggle-born witches and wizards, and so Slytherin house has a negative reputation, with many claiming that it is the source of most Dark Wizards in Britain, including Lord Voldemort himself, as well as a large majority of his Death Eaters.

I took his momentary disappearance as an opportunity to express perhaps the smallest of my many concerns. “You’ll write to me, won’t you?” I asked my parents, my mother still clutching tightly to my weeping sister, my father stood with his hand around my mother’s shoulders. They both shot me their familiar watery smiles, of which I returned almost immediately.

“Every day, if you want us to,” My mother replied, beaming encouragingly, however I was unsure if this was true or sarcastic.

“Not every day,” I exclaimed, eager to make my point clear. James, who had started at Hogwarts the previous year, said that most people only get letters from home about once a month. It was as if mother could read my mind.

“We wrote to James three times a week last year,” She pointed out, and my father chuckled.

“And he replied about once every couple of months, if we were lucky,” He chipped in. “And you don’t want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts. He likes a laugh, your brother,”

Side by side, my father and I pushed my trolley, stacked high with my huge red trunk and beautiful coal-black tawny owl forward progressively gathering more and more speed. I winced, as we approached the barrier, though, much to my relief, which I showed by releasing a large outtake of breath of which I suddenly realised I had been holding onto, no collision came, and instead, the two of us, closely followed by my mum and Lily, emerged onto platform nine and three quarters, which was covered in thick, white steam that was billowing from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. James had already disappeared among the people roaming in the smoke, more than likely having spotted one of his many school friends; he is extremely popular.

“Where  are they?” I asked, becoming nervous that we wouldn’t find them before the train left. I peered around in search of the recognisable faces through the hazy mist, as we made our way down the platform.

“We’ll find them,” My mother assured me, craning her neck, however I was not convinced due to the fact the vapour was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody’s faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. If the sights had been visible, I would more than likely have snatched the opportunity to try and make friends with another first-year, seen as that was another of my shedload of worries. I was beginning to tremble at my anxiety of not finding them, however I was relieved when my mother said suddenly, “I think that’s them, Al,” addressing me. Forcing a smile to spread across my lips, I noticed a group of four people evolving from amongst the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only fully came into focus once I had followed my parents right up to them.

“Hi,” I gasped, feeling immensely grateful. Rose, who I could see was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes due to the fact she was also starting at Hogwarts this year, which I was incredulously pleased about as I would hopefully at least have someone I was familiar with, beamed.

“Parked all right, then?” My Uncle Ron asked my father. “I did. Hermione didn’t believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I’d have to Confund the examiner.”

“No, I didn’t,” Retorted my Aunt Hermione. “I had complete faith in you.”

“As I matter of fact, I did Confund him,” I heard Ron whisper to my father, once Hermione had turned away and was now engaged in checking that Rose had everything she needed for school, much to her daughter’s complaints. “I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let’s face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that.”

I chuckled discreetly. Lily appeared to have lightened up by this point and was now engrossed in an animated discussion with Hugo, Rose’s younger brother, about which house they would be sorted into when they finally started at Hogwarts. My worries seemed to be easing until Ron said, as what was his opinion of a joke, “If you’re not in Gryffindor, we’ll disinherit you,” Lily and Hugo laughed, currently untroubled at the thought of being placed in a house which does not follow the family tradition. “But no pressure.”

“Ron!” My mother snapped, shooting him the menacing glare of which she reserves whenever she wants to silence one of the three of us, most frequently James.

“He doesn’t mean it,” Hermione reassured Rose and I, however Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching my father’s eye, he nodded furtively to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a mere moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

“Look who it is,” He snorted, as I, too, turned to gazed into the same direction. I could see nothing �" or no one  - peculiar. There were several families kissing or hugging goodbye to their children, presenting them with gifts or important things of which they had forgotten to pack. The only unordinary thing I could spot was an extremely elderly witch sat all by herself on a nearby bench, walking stick clasped firmly in her right hand, her left hand being used to steady her half-moon glasses. “So that’s little Scorpius,” Ron said suddenly under his breath. The four adults were all staring at a blonde-haired family comprising of a mother, a father and a young boy, who I presumed was starting at Hogwarts too this year. I had a strong urge to dart over to him and introduce myself, however the way my family were glaring at them made me decide against it. “Make sure you beat him in every test, Rose. Thank God you inherited your mother’s brains,”

“Ron, for heaven’s sake,” My aunt exclaimed, half-stern, half-amused. “Don’t try to turn them against each other before they’ve even started school!” I was beginning to feel exceedingly befuddled. There was obviously something about that family of which mine despised, or some history between them. And then it precipitously occurred to me. I knew of one family that my father had shared a prominent rivalry with since the minute they had met; the Malfoys. Out of mere coincidence and strong revelation, could that possibly be Draco Malfoy with his wife and child? The man was standing there deep in conversation with his son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasised his pointed chin. The young boy, Scorpius, very much resembled his father, but I jumped in surprise as he caught sight of us all gazing at him, and, taking me by surprise, he nodded curtly and then turned back to his son.

“You’re right, sorry,” Said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, “Don’t get too friendly with him, though, Rose. Grandad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood.”

“Hey!” James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl and trolley and was evidently bursting with news. “Teddy’s back there,” He said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. “Just seen him! And guess what he’s doing? Snogging Victoire!” He gazed up at the adults, clearly disappointed by the lack of reaction.

“Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing…”

“You interrupted them?” My mother asked, astounded. “You are so like Ron…”

“And he said he’d come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He’s snogging her!” James added, as though worried he had not made himself clear.

“Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!” Lily whispered ecstatically. “Teddy would really be part of the family then!”

“He already comes round for dinner about four times a week,” My father pointed out. “Why don’t we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?”

“Yeah!” Said James enthusiastically. “I don’t mind sharing with Al �" Teddy could have my room!” I looked up, abruptly, horrified at the suggestion.

“No,” Said my father firmly, much to my relief. “You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished.” He checked the battered old watch of which he had explained to me on several occasions that used to be Fabian Prewetts’s. “It’s nearly eleven, you’d better get on board!”

“Don’t forget to give Neville our love!” My mother told James as she hugged him. James fidgeted.

“Mum! I can’t give a Professor love!”

“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 a Herbology lesson and give him love!” Shaking his head at her foolishness, he vented his feelings by unexpectedly aiming a kick at my leg, causing me to jolt over in agony. “See you later, Al. Watch out for the Thestrals.”

“I thought you said they were invisible? You said they were invisible!” I yelled, clutching onto my sore leg. James merely laughed, permitted our mother to kiss him, gave our father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. I noticed him wave, before sprinting up the corridor to find his friends. I  stared after him, yet I could no longer see him, as the fog and mist had now taken over my sights once more. I was taken aback as I felt a warm hand being placed on my shoulder. I spun round in shock, however I was greeted by a pair of familiar emerald green eyes, the eyes of which I was so glad to have inherited.

“Thestrals are nothing to worry about,” My father told me tenderly. “They’re gentle things, there’s nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won’t be going up to school in the carriages, you’ll be going in the boats.” I felt a flood of relief shower me from head to toe. At least that was one weight lifted off my shoulders. I allowed my mother to kiss me, and I spoke to her, “See you at Christmas,” She shot me a watery smile.

“Bye Al,” My father said, as I flung my arms around his neck, embracing him in a huge hug. As I let go, he straightened up and started to recall some last minute advice, “Hagrid’s invited you to tea next Friday. Don’t mess with Peeves. Don’t duel anyone ‘til you’ve learned how. And don’t let James wind you up.” But those were perhaps the very least of my worries. Knowing full well that the train would be departing at any moment, I fired my greatest and most sincere anxiety at my father. “What if I’m in Slytherin?” I realised, as my father crouched down so that his face was level with mine, that my voice was trembling. My whole body was beginning to quiver frantically at the dreadful thought causing my teeth to chatter.

“Albus Severus,” My father addressed me quietly. I wasn’t used to hearing my full 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.” I considered this. Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. I had heard the tale so many times, I scarcely needed to think to recite it. It still didn’t ease my fears.

“But just say…” I pressed on.

“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.”

“Really?” I enquired, my heart starting to pound against my chest in both relief and excitement.

“It did for me,” He told me. My biggest worry shrunk and I began to feel more enthusiastic about going to Hogwarts now. Even if I didn’t belong in Gryffindor, I could choose to be sorted there! My lips twitched into a vast and truthful smile, but I could now see the doors all along the scarlet train slamming shut and the blurred outlines of parents swarming forwards for final hugs and last minute reminders. Worriedly, I jumped into the carriage and my mother closed the door behind me. I took a seat opposite Rose, and together we gazed out the window and waved to our parents. It seemed weird that, after spending every day with them for eleven years, I wouldn’t see my family again for three months. I had to gulp back tears, as my parents stood there waving to us, my mother stood with her arms on Lily’s shoulders, my father hugging her compassionately. There were other students hanging from the windows, and it only just occurred to me that a great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned towards my father.

“Why are they all staring?” I demanded to Rose, as I noticed that she too was craning round to see the other students.

“Don’t let it worry you,” I heard my Uncle Ron bellow through the crowd. “It’s me. I’m extremely famous!” I laughed, along with my cousin, and the train began to move, faster and faster, gradually picking up speed as it glided away, leaving Kings Cross Station and evaporating into the autumn air.