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Albus Potter and the Deathly Hallows | ||||||
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Category: Post-Hogwarts Characters:Harry/Ginny, Other Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Humor, Romance Warnings: Death, Intimate Sexual Situations, Violence, Violence/Physical Abuse Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 77 Summary: Albus has his challenges during his first year. Cleopatra is obviously his soulmate, and has brilliant insights into magic, except she cannot do it like anyone else. Albus has to help her while keeping peace between the two brightest and most competitive students at Hogwarts, Scorpius and Rose. It doesn’t help that people are out to get Albus. Harry is not sure he can keep everyone safe. Then you have Ginny and Cleopatra. Hitcount: Story Total: 79343; Chapter Total: 2643 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: I want to welcome Arnel, who has agreed to Beta my story along with FriendofMolly |
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Albus Severus Potter climbed into the Hogwarts Express. He waved at his parents until they were out of sight, then met his cousin, Rose Weasley. Together the two of them went looking for a compartment to sit in. They bypassed the compartment that James Potter was in, holding court with admirers. Several of the compartments were full, others had mostly older students in them. Al’s house elf, Frerin, was trying to hurry the Albus and Rose by a compartment when Al heard singing. (Sung to the tune of “Kansas City”.) I’m go to Hogwarts Castle, Hogwarts Castle, here I come, Albus opened the door and joined in the singing. It was like Albus’ world turned upside down. THIS was the girl who had played the organ in the next room four years ago. He had been hoping to find her ever since. He joined in the second verse, I’m going to Hogwarts Castle, Hogwarts Castle, here I come, They’ve got some curvy little witches there, and… At this point Albus sang, “I’m going to get me one.” Cleo sang, “Albus Potter, I’m the one.” Albus and Cleo were looking at each other, great big smiles on their faces. The two elves were looking at each other in panic. Since Al was already in the compartment Rose went in too, looking at Al and Cleo in amazement as Cleo and Al continued, I’m going to be standing on the staircase, first floor to nine, I’m going to be standing on the staircase, first floor to nine, Albus sang, “With my curvy little witch,” But Cleo sang, “With Albus S. Potter,” And in unison, “And a bottle of vintage elf wine.” I won’t Apparate, because I’m on the train, But if I had to walk with you I’d get there just the same. Albus and Cleo sang the verses three times, each time with a slightly different harmony, Cleo playing her keyboard organ. Finally they stopped singing. They both stared at each other. “You are the girl with the organ!” Al said. “I’ve wanted to meet you ever since the duet at the Magical Musical Menagerie.” Cleo said, “I knew you were Albus Severus Potter, but did not have any way to get in touch with you. I even asked Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy, but she said that the Potters and the Malfoys were not exactly friends.” “Are you a Malfoy?” asked Albus. “No, I’m Cleopatra Desiree Smith,” Cleo said. Rose said, “May we sit with you?” Cleo said, “Yes, please. That would be nice. My friend is Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy.” Rose said, “I’m Rose Weasley.” “What just happened?” Rose asked Scorpius. “Cleopatra has been obsessed with Albus Potter for years. She said they sang a duet when she got her portable organ, but she didn’t get to meet him,” Scorpius said. Rose looked at the two, staring in each other’s eyes. She said, “Well, it looks like they just met.” Scorpius said, “You and I just met, Rose.” “Not like THAT, Scorpius Malfoy,” Rose said. “I HOPE NOT, Rose Weasley,” Scorpius said. “I memorized everything in all the textbooks,” Rose said, preening. “All the textbooks that have ever been written, in all languages?” Scorpius asked. “All the textbooks we have for this year at Hogwarts,” Rose said. “Oh, THAT’S all. Well, so have I. I’m going to get the highest marks possible,” Scorpius said. “I am,” Rose said. “You are NEVER going to get better marks than me!” “We will see who is smarter,” Scorpius said. Rose and Scorpius stared at each other, each almost willing themselves to be better than the other. “You and your cousin are FAMOUS,” Cleo said, finally breaking eye contact with Al. “I hope not,” said Al. “We’re just first years.” “This is the first time I’m going to see Hogwarts,” Cleo responded. “What do you know? You must know something! You must have been there! Oh my! ” Cleo was bouncing up and down with excitement. Scorpius was thin, all angles, with a thin face and pointed chin. He had the very light, thin blond hair of his father, and a complexion that was almost too pale. He wore expensive clothes that fitted him well, pressed trousers that accentuated his angular look, and all in all was very sharp looking. Al and Rose noticed that Cleo was above average in height, a little thick around the middle, huge hips and butt. She was not as dark as Angelina, but she was very dark skinned. Her face was as round, as Scorpius’s was angular. She had heavy black hair, none of it straight but not curled in any pattern, that had tried to be confined into a pony tail, but too many hairs had escaped and were sticking out all over. She was supposed to have a fringe in front, but the individual hairs seemed to want to go in seven different directions, and those were a disaster as well. Cleo had a huge nose, wide but also long. Below the nose was a large mouth that seemed to go almost to her ears, with wide lips. She had on an expensive blouse and skirt, but nothing hung quite right on her body. She had dark brown eyes, and a huge ‘isn’t this fantastic’ smile. Cleo didn’t really look ugly, just awkward. She was as curvy as any eleven-year-old just starting puberty could be. Cleo sat on one side of the compartment with Scorpius, and so Al and Rose sat on the other side. Rose was tall and thin for her age, just a little shorter than Cleo, beautiful dark red hair as full as her mother’s bushy hair. It was down to her shoulders, and hard to miss. She was also bright like her mother, and just like her mother had memorized all the first-year text books, and unlike her mother, having grown up in a magical household, had a chance to practice some magic. She was, to quote her mother, “cursed with high expectations,” something that she was only sort of comfortable with. Albus looked almost like a clone of his father at the same age, although he was a little smaller. He had the same black hair, although for the first time in three generations it was neatly combed. Albus had same green colour eyes. They were kind eyes as well, and Albus was one of the nicest people you could meet. If James Potter wore the family fame easily, Albus always found it awkward, and was not always at ease at being the child of famous parents, although he was amazingly at ease with other famous Magi. He was very proud of his parents, and very ambitious in his own way. Al had a cage with him with a very small, white owl, that he called Puff. Scorpius looked at Al and Rose and said, “Are you sure you want to sit with us? We had several people who did not want to sit with us when they found out I was Scorpius Hyperon Malfoy. I guess I’m used to it, but Cleo, Cleopatra Smith, is not used to it.” “Why would people not want to sit with you?” asked Al. Albus really did not understand why people could be so cruel to each other at times. “My grandfather is serving life in Azkaban. Both my father and grandfather were Death Eaters. Grandma had to yell at my mother and father to get them to take me to the train station. At least Mum does charity work at St. Mungo’s, but all Dad does is sit at his end of the house and brood. I almost never see him. I hate him! “My grandmother always says nice things about your dad, Al,” said Scorpius looking at Albus. “She always says that your dad’s testimony and fighting for her and Dad kept them out of Azkaban. Of course some of the Pure-Bloods hate her because she lied for your father. She met your mother, Ginny, at home schooling meetings and likes her as well. You are so lucky to have such good parents!” Rose and Albus looked at each other. Both were feeling a little sorry for Scorpius. Cleo looked very concerned. Al asked her, “Do you know Scorpius?” “I’ve lived with him since I was five years old. I’m not sure where I’m from. Mum and Dad have never seen me since I have been at Scorpius’s house. I wish I had nice parents, and a nice family like you.” She looked at both Rose and Al. “I’ve read about the Potter and Weasley families, you being famous and all, and I so wish I had nice parents and brothers and sisters and grandparents and all. It must be so wonderful to be part of a large family.” “It’s a lot of people when we get together at Grandma and Grandpa Weasley’s,” said Rose. “It’s kind of confusing and busy at times, but it is fun! Grandpa Granger died before I was born. Grandma Granger lives with us.” “Tom Riddle killed Grandma and Grandpa Potter,” said Al, eyes down looking kind of sad. “The closest I’ve ever come to meeting them was seeing their graves.” Cleo said, “Since I was dropped off at the Malfoy house I guess I feel ugly and awkward and unloved. Sorry Scorpius, I know you like me, and your grandmother tries to be nice to me. Grandma Narcissa Malfoy took me in and has been home schooling Scorpius and me. She’s tries to be nice to me. Scorpius’s mother hates me, and his great-grandmothers really hate me. Scorpius’s mum is not much of a teacher. The five of us usually have breakfast and dinner together. Mr. Malfoy has dinner with us sometimes, but sometimes he hides out in his corner of the house and broods. He has a short temper with Scorpius, but almost never gets mad at me. I don’t think he knows what to do with me.” Al and Rose were both listening with eyes wide open. One of Al’s great gifts was being able to listen to people, and by looking at them and accepting what they were saying have them open up to him. Cleo could tell that Al wanted to hear more, and lots of thoughts that had been bottled up inside of her started to tumble out. She said, “Actually I’m there because I’m supposed to marry Scorpius, but I think that’s the STUPIDEST thing in the world. I mean I really like Scorpius but he’s like a cousin or a brother. Can you imagine marrying your cousin? It’s GROSS. “I think my grandparents arranged everything with Scorpius’s grandfather, maybe even before we were born, and everybody kind of went along with it. I know grandma Malfoy did not expect me to be left with her, but one day my parents said that I was going to be living at the house of the boy I was going to marry, and left me there. I do not remember anything before we appeared outside Malfoy’s house! Grandma Malfoy was not happy, but my parents left and did not come back for a year, and she was sort of stuck with me. When they did visit a year later I heard them yelling, but my parents would not take me back. No one wants me! I like you Scorpius, I really do, and you are the only friend I have, and I do not know what I would do without you, but I really do not belong to your family, I do not belong in your house. I don’t belong anywhere!” Al said, “My dad told us a little about his childhood. When his parents were killed he had to go live with an aunt and her family, and they didn’t like him either. He had to live in a closet under the stairs until he went to Hogwarts. He felt that Hogwarts was the first place he ever lived that felt like home. He became friends with his cousin, Dudley, later and we know him, and we kind of know Aunt Petunia, well, we’ve met her but Dad never visits her and never has us go over to see her. Dad never calls the house he spent ten years at home, and never calls his Aunt anything but Aunt Petunia. Maybe you can find a home at Hogwarts. And I’ll be your friend, Cleo.” Al thought that he was going to be a lot more than just a friend to Cleo, but he did not have any way of talking about it. Cleo’s eyes looked right at Al, and she broke into a huge smile. She was thinking the same thing that Al was, that they were going to be a lot more than friends. She said, “At least I have a bedroom, but it feels like a guest room, and not MY bedroom.” Scorpius looked at Al. “Could you be my friend as well. With a horrible name like Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, it’s not like I’ll make friends easily. The Pure-Blood faction hates me because Grandmum lied for your dad, and because I side with my Grandmum and your dad. The other side hates me because I’m a Malfoy. I just can’t win!” Al answered, “Sure, Scorpius. I’ll be your friend. I’ve read about the last war, well, I sort of had to too understand what made Dad so famous, and why I had to have an Auror go with me to some places and all. It’s really a pain sometimes. But you sure don’t sound like your dad or grandfather, and it’s not fair to not like you because of something they did years ago.” Scorpius answered, “Grandfather Malfoy is a real piece of work, and I really do hate him. I guess sometimes I sort of hate my Dad, but sometimes I just feel sorry for him. I mean he did a lot of bad things, but he should try to be better, and try to be sorry for what he did in the past. That’s what Grandma Malfoy says. “I still think it’s stupid to ask you to marry someone who’s like a sister or cousin to you, especially when you are only eleven, and I really like Cleo, but what our families have done to us just is not fair!” Al said, “Well, Teddy Lupin looks like he wants to marry our cousin Victoire, and Teddy is almost like a cousin, well, he’s almost like an older brother to us, but he isn’t really. And Rose and I are really best friends, and we have been going to school with Mum and Grandmum Weasley and Grandmum Granger, and when she is working on a text book Roses’ mother. We have lots of friends as well as cousins. I can’t imagine marrying Rose. That would be gross!” Rose said, “I really love my mother, and she is a great mum, but she is usually working. We spent a lot of time with Grandmum Granger or Al’s mother.” Scorpius spoke up, “Cleo and I really never had any other friends. I’ve been to a few parties with other stuck up Pure-Bloods. Some of them are just mean. Some of them say that Grandpa Malfoy should not have been put in Azkaban. I’ve met Grandpa Malfoy. We go to see him a couple of times a year, and Grandma goes alone a couple of times a year. I’m glad you haven’t had to go,” Scorpius said looking at Cleo. Looking at Al and Rose he said, “He hates your parents. He still thinks that the world would be better if Voldemort had won. I want to do everything in my power to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. I want to get just the best marks, and take the Malfoy seat at the Wizengamot, and help your parents,” looking at Al and Rose, “pass the right kind of laws, and defend people grandpa wanted to hurt or kill.” Everybody was silent for a minute or two, and then Scorpius said, “My mum and dad don’t even like each other. They don’t sleep together. They hardly ever talk.” Rose asked, “They don’t sleep together, or they don’t sleep together, like they sleep in separate rooms, or they don’t have sex?” “What?” asked Scorpius? “Do you know about sex? No one ever talks about sex at our house. I know that boys and girls are different, but no one ever says anything about it.” Cleo looked down and quietly said, “Not even about girl things. I think I’m supposed to know about what happens to girls, but when it happened to me no one told me anything. I thought I was hurt and was going to bleed to death and die.” This was just the opening Rose needed, and she spent the next hour going over the facts of life, using proper scientific names for private body parts, and even making some sketches of body parts. Everybody was a little embarrassed, but Rose was so factual, so much in her “teacher lecturing” mode, that everyone listened. Besides Scorpius and Cleo really did want to know and needed to know. When Rose explained about periods, Cleo asked, “It’s supposed to happen every month? No one told me THAT.” Rose answered, “Eventually, unless you’re pregnant or maybe nursing.” “Nursing?” asked Cleo. “That’s what breasts are for,” said Rose, pointing to her totally flat front. “Boys think they are sex objects, but they are for feeding babies.” “I sort of knew that,” said Cleo. She got a big smile on her face. “That’s what these are for!” as she touched her nipples through the dress. Unlike Rose, Cleo was not flat. Finally Scorpius asked, “How does the sperm get to the egg?” Rose got a little indignant, like she could not believe the question, and said, “That’s what sex is, what making love is, what sleeping together is all about. The boy puts this there (pointing to the body parts she had been sketching, with proper names, of course) and it must be fun because I know my parents sometimes send Hugo and me to visit Al or Grandmother Weasley so they can do it.” Cleo looked down at herself and looked up horrified. “He does what? He puts WHAT WHERE?! ” Rose said, “I really don’t understand all of it, I mean no one shows you. They sure don’t want you around when they do it. But I know that after kissing they get naked and do something and it feels real good and if you are not careful you can make a baby. “It just sounds pretty unsanitary and too personal to me. It must be different if you are grown up.” Al had had the talk about the facts of life, and spending so much time with Rose he knew most of what she knew. He mostly listened as Rose was pontificating about sex, and watched Scorpius and Cleo. He noticed that after Rose talked about what sex was, Cleo looked back and forth at him and Scorpius, kind of looking down at where their private parts were, not sure what to think, alternately scared and amazed. Cleopatra was originally just horrified about letting someone down THERE. Mrs. Malfoy had emphasized that it was supposed to be private. Finally the discussion about sex died down. Cleo looked across the compartment and said, “We’ve told you about our families, what family we have. Tell us about your family. Neither of you is an only child.” Rose looked at Al and said, “You go first. You have a brother AND a sister.” Al said, “I have a brother James Sirius who is twenty months older than me, but just a year ahead of me at school. All James cares about is Quidditch. He was Seeker for Gryffindor last year, the first first-year to be a Seeker since my dad. He wants to play professionally when he graduates. He has never minded being the famous Harry Potter’s oldest son. I’ve never been comfortable with it. I’m glad he soaks up the attention. Then I can avoid the spotlight. “Lily is twenty-four months younger than me, and she will be going to Hogwarts in two more years. She’s smart, although she does not like to study, and I guess she doesn’t mind being the daughter of Harry and Ginny Potter either. She has my mother’s pretty hair, and she can get angry like my mother as well. I like Lily. It will be fun when she is at Hogwarts.” At this Al turned to Rose. The implication that being James Potter’s brother was not always fun did not escape Cleo. Rose said, “I’m six months older than Al. My brother Hugo is exactly the same age as Lily. From something Mum said I think she and Aunt Ginny got pregnant on the same holiday. He’s smart, but all he cares about is Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. He has already worked there, and his life’s goal is to be as much trouble as his uncles were when they were at Hogwarts, as much trouble as his cousin Fred.” Cleo said, “Fred is the oldest? He and Roxanne’s parents are the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley that we met when we shopped at Weasleys Wizard Wheezes?” “Yes,” said Rose. “Victoire is the next oldest, and she is in seventh year, along with Molly, Uncle Percy’s oldest. Actually Molly is a month older than Victoire. Fred’s sister Roxanne is in sixth year. Lucy, Molly’s sister, is in fifth year, and Dominique, Victoire’s sister, is supposed to be in fourth year, but she is going to school in France this year. Louis, Victoire’s brother, is third year, and Al’s brother is second year. We have loads of cousins.” “They are all in Gryffindor,” said Al. Scorpius looked right at Al, and said, “I guess I’m going to be in Slytherin, but I would give anything if I did not have to be in there alone. Al, do you think you could be my roommate?” Albus Severus Potter almost panicked. He did not know how to respond to this request. He thought about all the times James had kidded him about being put in Slytherin. His dad had said that he had a choice, and now Scorpius was asking him to choose Slytherin. Scorpius really needed a friend, and it sure sounded like Scorpius was trying to do the right thing. Dad said ‘always do the right thing, not the easy thing.’ Oh, help! Al did not know what to think, what to do. There was an awkward period of silence before Cleo spoke up. “I guess you are going to be in Gryffindor,” Cleo said, looking at Rose. “I would give anything to be in Gryffindor with you. Maybe I could make friends anywhere, but I just like you so much, and I’m not sure if I could make friends with the girls in Slytherin.” Rose said, “I’d like it if you were in Gryffindor with me. The Sorting Hat does the sorting. I don’t know if there is anything you can do to change the hat’s mind.” Al said, “My dad just told me that the sorting hat takes your choice into account. I guess you could try and tell the hat what house you wanted to be in. Malfoy, Potter, Smith, Weasley, “ You go first, Scorpius, then me. I could ask the hat to put Cleo in Gryffindor with Rose, and if the hat would do that I guess I could go to Slytherin with you, Scorpius.” Al’s heart almost dropped down to his knees when he said that. What had he done? He looked across the compartment to see a beaming Scorpius and Cleo. Cleo got up, pulled Al up, and gave Al a big hug, kissed him on the lips, and said, “Oh, Al! If you did that it would be so fantastic! It would be just like a dream come true! Thank You!” Sort of shocked at what she had done she sat back down again. Cleo was crying, but they were tears of joy. She looked at Al with eyes wide open, looking at him like he had just done the bravest thing in the whole world. In all honesty, Al was thinking the same thing; it was sure brave, and gutsy, and maybe really, really stupid. And Cleo wanted it, and somehow pleasing Cleopatra was suddenly one of the most important things in the world. But he NEVER wanted to be in SLYTHERIN! Cleo gushed, “Oh, Al, if you would do that it would be the most magnificent thing in the whole wide world! I don’t know if it will work, but that you would try is just so fantastic! ” Al and Rose were both a little taken back by how excited Cleo was. Al said, “It would be the first Potter or Weasley not in Gryffindor in a long time. There are seven Weasleys at Hogwarts right now, no six, Fred left last year, no five because Dominique is in France, six counting Rose, plus my older brother James, he’s a Potter, and they are all in Gryffindor.” Albus Potter looked at Scorpius, trying to read his mind. Scorpius was thinking, ‘All my life I’ve had to live down being Scorpius Malfoy. Maybe if Albus is my friend I can become good, and maybe eventually because I am good, and am Al’s friend, other Magi will know I’m good. I hope he is my roommate, I hope, I hope, I hope.’ Cleo was thinking, ‘It’s like a fairy tale, like one of those stories with lots of trouble but a happy ending. Albus Potter has already been in the Prophet. I can’t believe he would be my friend. And if he goes into Slytherin for Scorpius what a brave hero! I almost can’t believe, anyone would be so brave!” Albus was not sure if he was being brave, or stupid, or even if he could talk to the Sorting Hat. Scorpius’s gratitude was a good thing. It looked like Cleopatra had a bad case of hero worship, of him! There were a couple more minutes of silence. Then Scorpius looked at Rose and asked, “I don’t believe you know EVERYTHING. I’ve a few questions for you.” Rose said, “MY mum helped write some of the text books, so I’ve read some of them last year and the year before that and even the year before that. Al and I worked in the potions room in their basement and did all of the first- and second-year potions in the Potions text book that’s new this year. We also know a lot of wrong ways to do things and what happens if you do something wrong. I WILL consent to revising together, no matter what house we are sorted into. That way I can teach you what you don’t know.” Scorpius said, “Well, THANK YOU, Rose Weasley. I doubt you know THAT much.” Scorpius wanted to talk about text books and he and Rose ended up on one side of the compartment, arguing about academic things, a couple of text books spread out on the seat between them. Cleo was fascinated about family, and Al was more of a student of human relations than Rose, and they spent much of the trip while Cleo asked Al about all the family, and soaked up all the stories she could. Cleo was especially fascinated with Grandma Molly who had all the children, and who seemed so comfortable with all the grandchildren. Al also listened to Cleo, who really felt that her parents and grandparents had abandoned her. She had vented to Scorpius a few times, but he only had academic solutions and was not very comforting. Al was just a more sympathetic ear than Scorpius. Scorpius’s interest in helping other people was more intellectual, plus a fierce desire to make up for what his grandfather and father had done, while Cleo and Al just liked people. Albus and Cleo had been talking for about a half an hour when Cleo reached out and touched Al to make some sort of point. She sort of recoiled, then said, “You don’t mind when I touch you?” “People are touching other people all the time in our family,” said Albus. “Grandma Weasley gives everybody huge hugs when she greets us. Mum and Dad always hug us and kiss us good night. Sometimes when we are playing we are all touching each other. Even little Molly and Lucy have gotten better at being touched.” “I think I used to touch people,” said Cleo. “I know I want to. No one in the Malfoy house wants to be touched. I do not know how Scorpius’ parents ever had him. They never touch.” “That’s not a problem with my parents,” said Albus. “It’s embarrassing how they kiss and hug in front of us sometimes. Rose’s mother and father are just as bad. I do not think Aunt Hermione was ever that much for touching, but she sure has it bad for Uncle Ron.” Cleo grabbed Albus’ hand in both of her hands and said, “Thank you, Al. It feels so good to touch another human. The elves are sort of huggy with me, which is really nice, but it’s not the same thing. The Malfoy house is so cold and formal.” “I think you would fit in with our family,” said Al. “Is one of your aunts really black?” asked Cleo. “Aunt Angelina is pretty black,” said Al. “Fred and Roxanne are as dark as you.” Cleo looked at herself and said “Mrs. Malfoy, Scorpius’s mother, she is so thin and light, and of course Scorpius’s skin is almost white at times as is his hair. She hates me. She says I am black and round and fat and ugly. It’s hard to like yourself when someone is always telling you that you’re dark and fat and ugly.” “You’re not ugly!” said Al. “But I’m fat! ” insisted Cleo. Al took a moment to look at Cleo, and said “No, you’re not fat. Mr. Dursley, well, that is, was, old Mr. Dursley … Not Mr Dursley that we know, although he is heavy … his father, well, his father was fat! He was really fat. Mr. Dursley we know, he’s heavier than you. Grandmother Molly Weasley, she is sort of heavy, but not fat like old Mr. Dursley. My mum is a lot heavier than she was when she was at Hogwarts. You’re nowhere near as heavy as Grandmum Weasley. You’re not skinny, but you have a nice shape.” “I’m fat and dark and ugly,” persisted Cleo. “You look like a girl, which is great,” said Al. “You are darker than most people, but there is nothing wrong with that. Aunt Angelina is black, not just dark but black, and she is real pretty. Roxanne is as dark as you are and she is real pretty too. There is nothing wrong with being dark!” “Oh, thank you, Al,” said Cleo. Al was quiet, thinking about Scorpius and Cleopatra and being sorted into Slytherin, and kept looking back and forth between the two of them. Scorpius and Rose were still animatedly arguing about some obscure point in one of the text books. Cleo was just looking at Al. Finally Cleo said, “What is wrong, Albus? You look really worried.” “My brother James has been kidding me for years about being sorted into Slytherin,” Al whispered, some terror obvious in his voice. “I want to be a good person and …I really want to be a really good person, but so many of the students sorted into Slytherin turned out bad. I think I need to be Scorpius’ friend, but the thought of getting sorted into Slytherin has me terrified.” “I guess I could understand if you did not do it,” said Cleo with a frown on her face, looking worried and sad at the same time. “I don’t know what type of choice I have,” said Albus. “Maybe Scorpius will be sorted into a different house. Maybe the Hat will not listen to me. If I can get you into Gryffindor with Rose and I can be with Scorpius, I will do it, but I’m scared.” Cleo took Al’s hand. “You are a very good person, Albus Severus Potter,” said Cleo. “I am sure you will stay a good person even if you are sorted into Slytherin.” “Sometimes I think I’m just good at not getting caught,” Albus replied, a quizzical frown on his face. “I’ve been doing magic I’m not supposed to do all my life.” Cleo’s eyes got wide open; she pulled on Al’s hand and asked, “Like what? What magic have you done that you should not have done?” “Well, I’ve always been real good at levitating things,” Al explained. “Magi babies can keep things suspended, and I’ve never lost that ability. I’ve actually gotten better and better at it. When I was young I kept getting into trouble for levitating things. The Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic and I were engaged in a running feud. I never got in trouble for violating the rules for revealing magic to Muggles, but I was accused of all sorts of things.” “Did you do all of the things you were accused of?” asked Cleo. “Er, they did get it right more often than not, but I was accused of a lot of things I didn’t do,” Al offhandedly admitted. “I did a lot more that I never got caught for than I was accused of. I got better and better at not getting caught. Mum got more and more disgusted at the hassling I was getting. She has a nasty Bat-Bogey Hex, makes bats and gooey stuff come out of your nose. Mum Bat-Bogey Hexed a witch from The Department for Underage Magic a couple of times, she was so mad.” Al sighed and shook his head. “Bat-Bogey Hexing someone from the Ministry is not a good idea.” “Oh, Al, did your mother get into any trouble for hexing the Ministry witches”? Cleo almost shouted. Scorpius and Rose looked up, and Scorpius asked in amazement “Your mum hexed Ministry wizards?” “Al’s mum is kind of scary when she’s mad,” Rose quickly volunteered. “When she’s real mad she’s real scary.” “I think she would have had her wand taken away from her, at least for a while, if Dad had not been the head of the Aurors,” admitted Al. “We had a lot of fights with the Ministry, but eventually I got permission to levitate things, as long as no Muggle found out, and the Department was told not to bother me.” “Are you still levitating things?” asked Cleo. Al took a pen and a couple of coins out of his pockets and levitated them, just with a hand outstretched, no wand, and then put them back in his pockets. “Anything else?” asked Cleo. “Well,” said Al, “I’ve used a wand since I’ve been five, but only in the cellar of our house where no one can tell. I’ve only used a wand outside this summer.” “How old do you have to be to use a wand?” Cleo inquired. “Eleven, or the summer before you go to Hogwarts,” Al replied. “They let you practice with a wand the summer before you go to Hogwarts even if you are not eleven for the whole summer.” “You’re not supposed to use a wand before you’re eleven?” questioned Cleo. “I’ve used a wand for cooking for as long as I can remember, but just in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. The house-elves did not want me to take the wand out of the kitchen, but I didn’t think it was because I wasn’t supposed to use a wand.” “I thought you had to use a wand for cooking,” said Scorpius. “How do people cook without a wand?” “It’s not all that hard,” Cleo replied. “It’s just easier with a wand.” “Have you used a wand for anything, Rose?” asked Scorpius. “Mum and Al and I went over all the beginning potions the last couple of years as she rewrote the Beginning Potions textbook,” said Rose. “I’ve never used a wand for anything else! We’re supposed to learn how to use a wand at Hogwarts, not practice before we get to class. That’s why they have the rules they have. You’re not supposed to do magic outside of Hogwarts until you’re old enough!” “But you used a wand last summer outside, Al?” Cleo asked. “Erm, I sort of got away with it,” Al confessed. “I think the underage magic people are still scared of Mum. Besides, I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I can get away with.” “You are sneaky,” said Scorpius. “He is,” Rose confirmed. That was really not what Albus wanted to hear. Cleopatra had the diagrams that Rose had drawn, about sex, and she looked at them, and at Albus. Albus was looking out the window, and Cleo was sitting next to him, facing away but touching him. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted to touch him, and be touched by him. She finally looked down at that most private part of herself, between her legs. No one else should be touching her down there, but somehow she felt that nothing, NOTHING, should be off limits to HER Al. He was a good person, and as long as he was good he could have all of her, any part. She was HIS as much as he was hers, and it felt really good. Cleo looked again. THAT is how you make babies. Albus Potter and her babies. Cleo silently giggled. She looked at Al and totally surrendered her soul to Al. Albus looked at Cleo, and held her hand. He had no idea what was going on, but it felt good. Harry Potter received a call from Nausicaa, the prophetess from Switzerland. “Could you please go home and look at Albus’ name on your tapestry? Call me with what you see, please.” Harry took the Floo home. Ginny was home, and he called her. “Nausicaa wants us to look at Al’s name on the Tapestry, Ginny,” Harry said. Together they went in and looked. Harry called Nausicaa back right away. “There is the thickest golden line I have ever seen, but it is dotted, connecting Al with Cleopatra.” “They have met, then,” Nausicaa said. “All they need to do is to consummate the marriage and they will have been married since today, or since the duet at the Magical Musical Menagerie.” Ginny, who was listening, said, “They’d bloody well better not have sex! Al is just a little boy. This is crazy!” “I don’t know how to handle this one, Ginny,” Nausicaa said. “I’m going to Hogwarts,” Harry said. “I’m going to take my Invisibility Cloak, but I want to see the sorting.” Inside the train compartment Al, Cleo, Rose and Scorpius were in there were two Elves, Frerin and Dis, trying to be as invisible as only an Elf can be. Occasionally one of them would whisper something to the other in Elfish. Keeping Al and Cleo apart was going to be a problem. |
| Reviews 77 |
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