September first had finally arrived. The Potter family was driving to King’s Cross Station, Lily sitting in the front between her parents, and Albus and James in the back along with their owls, Athena and Elvendork.
“So Al, what House do you think you’ll be in?” asked Harry, looking at his son in the rearview mirror.
“I hope I’m in Gryffindor like the rest of our family,” answered Albus, “but I’d be happy anywhere, as long as it’s not Slytherin.”
“I think you might be in Slytherin,” taunted James.
“I won’t be in Slytherin, James,” said Albus.
“Yeah, you’re a bit of a duffer, so maybe Hufflepuff would be a better fit,” James laughed.
“Hufflepuffs are not duffers, James,” scolded Ginny, “they are kind, loyal, and hardworking.”
“Well Hufflepuff’s out then,” mocked James, continuing to badger his brother. “You don’t have the brains for Ravenclaw, and you’re too much of a wimp to be in Gryffindor, so I guess that leaves Slytherin after all.”
Albus was about ready to hit James when Harry commanded them to stop arguing. This worked for the rest of the car ride, but when they arrived at King’s Cross Station, the quarrel had started again.
“I won’t! I won’t be in Slytherin!” Albus shouted.
“James, give it a rest!” said Ginny, thoroughly fed up with the bickering.
“I only said he might be,” said a grinning James. “There’s nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth””
Ginny gave James what Albus liked to call “the look” and James fell silent. When they reached the barrier between platforms nine and ten, James smirked at Albus, took his trolley and sped off toward the barrier and vanished. Albus took this opportunity to ask his parents something he wouldn’t dare mention with his brother around.
“You’ll write to me, won’t you?”
“Every day, if you want us to,” said Ginny. Albus could tell his mother was glad he had asked, but he didn’t want to be the only student writing home to his mommy every day.
“Not every day,” he said quickly. “James says most people only get letters from home about once a month.”
Ginny laughed. “We wrote to James three times a week last year.”
“And you don’t want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts,” Harry added. “He likes a laugh, your brother.”
That’s for sure thought Albus. Together they pushed the trolley toward the barrier. Albus was glad he didn’t have to do it alone. When they reached the other side, Albus was overwhelmed by the sight of the massive, scarlet Hogwarts Express, which was surrounded by thick steam.
“Where are they?” Albus asked, looking around the dense mist for his cousins.
“We’ll find them,” said Ginny reassuringly. They did, but not until they came to the very last carriage. “I think that’s them, Al.”
“Hi,” Albus greeted his cousin Rose. He was relieved to see the familiar freckled face and bushy red hair.
While their parents talked and lifted the trunks and owls onto the train, Albus and Rose listened to the discussion Lily and Rose’s brother Hugo were having about which House they would eventually be sorted into.
“If you’re not in Gryffindor, we’ll disinherit you,” said Albus’ Uncle Ron, “but no pressure.”
“Ron!” Aunt Hermione said indignantly.
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus was worried and he could tell Rose was too.
“He doesn’t mean it,” Albus' aunt and mother said in unison. Albus hoped so.
Ron was now indicating a point in the distance where three people stood.
“Look who it is.”
The man and his son looked very similar, both with sleek blond hair and pointed chins.
“So that’s little Scorpius,” Ron said quietly. “Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother’s brains.”
“Ron, for heaven’s sake,” said Hermione with a stern expression on her face, though clearly amused. “Don’t try to turn them against each other before they’ve even started school!”
“You’re right, sorry,” Ron apologized, adding, “Don’t get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood.”
Rose turned as red as her hair, but before her father could embarrass her any more, James came running up to them, looking excited and winded.
“Hey! Teddy’s back there,” he panted. “Just seen him! And guess what he’s doing? Snogging Victoire!”
When the adults didn’t react, James assumed they mustn’t have heard him correctly and elaborated. “Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing””
Ginny looked appalled, though not surprised. “You interrupted them? You are so like Ron””
James ignored his mother and continued, “”and he said he’d come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He’s snogging her!”
“Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!” chirped Lily. “Teddy would really be part of the family then!”
Albus had to agree it would be nice to have Teddy be part of the family. He started imagining what it would be like to have Teddy as an older brother, but snapped back to reality when he heard James say, “I don’t mind sharing with Al ” Teddy could have my room!”
That was definitely a bad idea and fortunately Harry agreed.
“You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished.” Harry checked his watch and then said, “It’s nearly eleven, you’d better get on board.”
Ginny hugged James and told him, “Don’t forget to give Neville our love!”
“Mum! I can’t give a professor love!” James complained.
“But you know Neville””
James rolled his eyes. His mother just didn’t understand what it was like to be a kid.
“Outside, yeah, but at school he’s Professor Longbottom, isn’t he? I can’t walk into Herbology and give him love. . . .” James then kicked Albus and said, “See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals.”
This worried Albus. “I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!”
James just laughed and hopped onto the train to find his friends.
Harry turned to his son. “Thestrals are nothing to worry about. 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.”
Albus was relieved. His father was good at calming his fears. But there was still one thing troubling him.
Albus’ mother kissed him and said, “See you at Christmas.” Albus thought that was an awfully long time to be away from home. His father hugged him and gave some last minute advice, but Albus wasn’t listening. His thoughts were on his one last concern.
“What if I’m in Slytherin?”
“Albus Severus,” whispered Harry, crouching down to look his son in the eyes, “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 still 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’ green eyes lit up. “Really?”
“It did for me.”
Albus was amazed. He could choose which House to be in! He wondered if other students knew about this. If they did who would ever choose to be in Slytherin?
Albus noticed the train was about to leave and climbed aboard to join Rose. From this vantage point he detected quite a few people, on the train and on the platform, staring at his father, but he could not understand why. Sure his dad was head of the Auror Office, but that didn’t make him a celebrity. His mother was slightly famous, having been a professional Quidditch player, but she had retired years ago, before having James.
“Why are they all staring?” he demanded.
“Don’t let it worry you,” said Ron. “It’s me. I’m extremely famous.”
Everyone laughed. The Hogwarts Express lurched forward and began its journey. Albus waved goodbye to his parents and saw his father waving back until they rounded a corner and he was gone.
Albus Potter and the Sorting Snafu by rjc917
Chapter Notes: This chapter is primarily the Deathly Hallows Epilogue rewritten from Albus' point of view. Since I cannot change what J.K. Rowling said her characters said (nor would I want to), I naturally had to use her dialogue. This is only done to be consistent with HER story.
Chapter Endnotes: I really don't like the title of this chapter, so if anyone has a better idea, please suggest it in a review and I'll change it.