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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: 79295; Chapter Total: 2610 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Thanks again to my Betas, FriendofMolly and Arnel. If you have not read Arnel’s stories they are well worth reading. |
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It was the first Saturday in September, 2 September 2017, and the first Professional Quidditch game of the season. Harry was up first, as was normal. He dressed in the Muggle clothes of the day: very few Magi were wearing robes. Harry was looking over the list of the guests. He had a list of all the people who were going to be at the Potter/Weasley box, watching the Holyhead Harpies. The box also served as the unofficial Ministry of Magic Box. The Harpy Board of Directors box was next door to the Potter/Weasley box. The British Auror training program was one of three outstanding programs in the world, along with the North American program and the Chinese program. Harry was happy with the state of the British training program. All three programs trained about forty Aurors at a time. The British program had become the de-facto program for training the best of the European Aurors, as well as a smattering of Aurors from other countries, and as usual there were five Aurors from more distant areas. Three of the five sets of parents of the Aurors from the more distant countries were in Britain, and Harry had invited all three sets to the Quidditch game. All three sets of parents gladly accepted. Having a chance to mingle with the famous Harry Potter was still something that thrilled many of the Magi in the world. Harry had gone from amazement to a little resentment to amused acceptance of his fame. Life was very good for Harry. He seemed to live life grateful that he had chosen to come back to life after Riddle killed him and both to himself and to others it seemed as if he went through life amazed at what he had been given. This was going to be the first Quidditch game since Albus had gone to Hogwarts. Albus liked Quidditch, but he was not a fanatic like James or Lily. Albus actually liked whatever Harry was doing, but amazingly enough he was not focused on becoming an Auror. Neither Harry nor Albus could tell you exactly what Albus was going to be doing after Hogwarts. Ginny was waking up. Harry loved looking at Ginny. She was still beautiful, as far as Harry was concerned, and he knew she worked very hard to stay that way.. She was still freckled, face and legs and arms, and worked hard with magic lotions to keep her skin young looking and freckled. She was thirty-five pounds heavier than when she was married. Harry knew that Ginny was frustrated that she still had the little belly in the front, but as far as Harry was concerned the extra weight did not matter. Harry thought she had an outstanding figure, busty enough to be delightful to look at and a lot of fun when they were making love, still thin enough around the waist, nowhere near the tiny waist Ginny had when they were married, but she still went in and not out there, and delightful shapely, ample hips. Ginny said her hips were fat, but Harry never minded them. The children were old enough that they had gone back to sleeping without anything on; although night clothes were always close at hand. He was still amazed that he had been lucky enough to marry someone as brave, as smart, and as fun to be with as Ginny. Harry was a little shocked to realize that he had been married to Ginny for over half of his life, with two of their three children at Hogwarts. Harry went over to their bed and gave Ginny a kiss, saying, “Good morning, beautiful wife. I love you.” Harry continued to kiss Ginny, moving down her body with his lips and hands, knowing he was driving her crazy. She stretched out, reached down to where she knew it would drive him crazy even through his clothes. “Shake Lily Luna out of bed, please, Harry. Love you too,” said a still slightly groggy Ginny, giving Harry a little slap on the butt. She went to the loo, took the morning potions she was supposed to take, and brushed her teeth. By this time she was awake. She put on one of the magic bras that would, with spells, support her breasts. She knew Harry liked to look at them, and more than look at them. She was sort of resigned to her shape. The accident that had ended her Quidditch career had hurt her balance. She just could not move as fast as before her accident. Maybe she could get bigger on top if she became pregnant again, and not lose all of it. There were potions and lotions that small breasted women used to gain shape when they became pregnant, not that she was all that small. She knew she was sort of curvy but would not mind being a little more striking. Yes, she was a little vain. At the same time the newspaper and magazine articles about the Potters always talked about how she looked, mentioned her striking long red hair, her still freckled face, her shape. She dressed in shorts that flattered her bottom and hid the baby belly, a blouse that showed off her shape on top without being too revealing, and because it was a little chilly a Harpies jacket. The problem was that she was never content with doing just one thing with her life. She loved the Quidditch reporting, but really missed playing. She had played Quidditch with the little children until her accident, and helped teach them. Since her accident she couldn’t even fly. She loved having older children, but missed babies. It would be sort of a relief to have Lily at Hogwarts, but then she would not have a child being schooled at the New Burrow with her family. Ginny knew that Audrey and Molly were going to continue to help mothers in the Ottery St. Catchpole area teach their children. Well, right now she needed to focus on the Quidditch game. Harry knocked on the door to Lily’s room, and when there was no answer went into the room. Lily was still in bed. “Wake up, Lily Luna, if you want to go to the Quidditch game, or we’ll leave you home with the Elves.” “Do you have so bloody cheerful in the morning, Dad,” answered Lily. Harry left as soon as he saw her feet on the floor. Lily really wanted to go to the Quidditch games, and she only had to miss a couple to find out that her parents were serious, and if she was not ready on time they actually would leave her at home. Albus Severus woke up with a start, and started to contemplate the events of the last twenty-four hours. His brother James had kidded him for years about being sorted into Slytherin, because of his middle name, and because he was sneaky. James liked to tease, and he especially liked to tease him. Now the teasing would never end. He had to do something to make being sorted into Slytherin good and not bad. The Hat had said that he could help make Slytherin a better house; how was he supposed to do that? He was already fighting with the prefects. He was going to have to talk to Victoire about prefects; she was Head Girl. Al really hoped that Scorpius could become a good friend, and that being friends with Al could make Scorpius a better person. He seemed friendly enough, and it seemed he really wanted to be good. He and Rose sure hit it off well. Al knew that from the little Legilimency that he used during the train ride that Scorpius was fascinated by Rose, and she with him. The constant bickering back and forth was mostly friendly. He’d never met anyone like Cleo. She was strange, fun to talk to but strange. Was she his soulmate? This mind to mind communication was really strange. It felt strange, but it kind of felt like being hugged too. Before any of the Gryffindor first years could go to breakfast there was a meeting in the common room with the first years. Victoire said, “We have been told that professors do not want more than twenty students in the first year classes. We have twenty-four of you. Slytherin has only ten first years. It would be ideal if four of you would volunteer to go to classes with the Slytherin first years. Rose and Cleo immediately raised their hands. Christy Shook also raised her hand, a little reluctantly. Victoire said, “None of the boys is brave enough?” Colin Creevey II raised his hand. Victoire said, “Thank you. I will give this information to Professor McGonagall. You are free the next two days. I would strongly suggest that you read your textbooks, at least the first two chapters of each, if you have not already done so.” When they went down to breakfast Al and Scorpius were already down in the Great Hall eating. Cleo said “Should we eat at the Gryffindor table or go over and see Al and Scorpius?” Rose answered, “Let’s say hi to them and offer to meet after breakfast.” The two girls walked over to Al and Scorpius and Rose said “We had a meeting of first years before breakfast. We’ll meet you after breakfast.” Al said, “We should be done with breakfast before you. We’ll come over and sit next to you after we are done, if that is all right with you.” Rose said “Sure, come on over.” Cleo gave Al a little wave and giggled. Al smiled and gave Cleo a little wave back. When they were gone Al said to Scorpius “Is Cleo always like that?” “Like what?” asked Scorpius? “That little wave and giggle,” said Al. “She never did anything like that with me,” said Scorpius. “She is a lot more emotional than anyone in our house, although she tries real hard to control it around my mother and father and even more around the grandmas.” Rose and Cleo sat next to Christy, who was talking with Colin. Cleo said, “Thank you for going with us to the classes with the Slytherin students. THANK YOU!” Christy said, “Well, Al is in the band with me, and we want you in too, so I just thought it would be easier if we had classes together.” Colin said, “My dad is some sort of big hero, and I didn’t want to let him down. Besides, Rose, your mum was brilliant at school, and it couldn’t hurt to study with you.” Christy said, “Cleo, how did you get to be such good friends with Albus Potter?” Cleo said, “IT’S FATE! As soon as we met we knew. We played and sang a duet at the Magical Musical Menagerie years ago, even though we never met, and I think from that moment on we knew! Albus is the only male who could handle my wand. It’s just, it’s just, FATE!” Christy asked Rose, “You and Scorpius Malfoy, is that FATE too?” Rose made a face and said, “He’s bright, but he’s an arrogant prat. We’ve both memorized all the textbooks, but I had a chance to talk to my mum about them, and she’s been helping to write them. He just knows what he has read.” Cleo said, “He is just trying to be the best student, and be good. He doesn’t want to be like his father and grandfather.” When they were done with breakfast Al and Scorpius went over to the Gryffindor table and sat down, Al next to Cleo and Scorpius next to Rose. Cleo shouted, “WE ARE GOING TO BE IN CLASS WITH YOU!” Rose said, “There are too many students in Gryffindor, and too few in Slytherin, so Cleo and I, Christy Shook and Colin Creevey, will be taking all our classes with Slytherin.” Al and Cleo held hands and the best way to describe it would be to say they shook minds, like you shake hands, and that is sort of an analogy of what they did, but it’s a lousy one. They greeted each other mentally. Rose looked at Scorpius and said, “Let’s go up and see the library! It’s huge!” Scorpius said, “I’d like that. I plan on spending a lot of time there. I want to be the best student at Hogwarts.” “I will help you, I guess,” said Rose. “My mother was the best student in her class. Some say she is the smartest witch in the world. It’s not good enough for me to just be good; I have to be the best, and know more than anybody, and make my mother proud!” “I’d like to study with you,” said Scorpius. “I want to be as smart as anyone in the school too! Rose, let’s be the smartest witch and wizard, or at least the hardest working.” “My dad is really going to be mad if you are a better student than I am,” Rose said. “My dad is probably going to be furious at me for even talking to you, but he’s a git, and he’s always mad at me anyway,” Scorpius said. “Do you want to come?” Rose asked Christy and Colin. The two students looked at each other, and both shook their heads no. Scorpius and Rose led the way and Al and Cleo followed. Al was just smiling looking around, and Cleo was looking at the other three trying to figure out the dynamics of the group. She finally looked at Al and said, “What do you want to learn here?” “I’m already a pretty good Magi,” he said. “I want to be as good a Magi as I can be, not just what I can do with magic, but what I can do to make the world a better place. I know most of what Rose knows, but she knows more obscure facts, and I can do more magic. What about you?” “I don’t want to marry Scorpius, although he is a nice person,” Cleo said. “I think he is a good person too. I don’t know.” Cleo looked at Al, and he back at her. Al thought there was a lot more Cleo wanted to say, and if he was quiet she would open up. Scorpius and Rose, despite being raised by Elves, really talked like life was a series of questions and answers, and most of the answers were in books. They almost needed to talk in Elfish to get some of the emotions and the non-logical part of analyzing people. Dealing with emotions was a lot more natural to Al and Cleo. “You don’t have to decide what you are going to be when you grow up,” Al finally said. “We are young.” “Do you know?” asked Cleo. “No,” said Al. “I’ve had a lot of talks with the prophets in Switzerland, and I think I am supposed to be ready for something, but I have no idea what it is.” Cleo could feel something in Al’s mind, like he didn’t want to tell her what the prophets were telling him. Al could feel Cleo’s probing and questions, and so he said, “I sort of know a little, I guess, but let me tell you when it is a better time.” “You talk to the prophets in Switzerland?” asked Cleo. “Who else do you talk with?” “Well, Dad knows just about everybody,” said Al. “The Minister of Magic and the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards. That office rotates among some of the Ministers of Magic. I’ve met them all. Dad was even Supreme Mugwump one year. Maybe because I know so many people I am just content to wait and see what happens. If I am a good wizard I know there will be something I am supposed to do.” Al was mostly looking ahead, following Rose and Scorpius who were in the lead, but he turned to Cleo and said, “You?” “I’m lonely,” said Cleo. “I think I like people, but I’ve never been around many. It was like a prison at the Malfoys house. I love it that there are so many people here. It’s like I need to get to be friends with lots of people. I have a lot of Muggle movies, and the ones I like show lots of people. Scorpius and I talk a lot, but it’s like it’s all in his head, like he is trying to figure it out, like if you think hard enough about something you can understand it. Some things you cannot understand by thinking about it.” “When you use a wand you have to think about what you want to do, but you have to feel it too,” said Al. “With enough practice you can do things almost without thinking about it.” “I’ve used a wand for years for cooking,” said Cleo. “I guess I was not supposed to, but in the basement of the Malfoy house I got away with it. I really like cooking. It’s not just about thinking and following directions. Natural things have flavors that change; spices loose some of their flavor, spells work a little differently on different things. You have to taste and smell the food, not just follow directions. I like that.” Al said, “My dad is probably the best wizard in the world in making mapping potions, showing the plan of a building or area with all the people in it. His father, Grandpa Potter who I never knew, made something called the Marauders Map that showed not only all the rooms but also all the people or ghosts or elves in the building. I started working with my dad on making maps when I was five, and I think I could make my own map of Hogwarts now.” Cleo looked at Al with eyes wide opened, touched him, and said “Oh Al, I would love to do that with you. Sometimes I think all Scorpius wants to do is to learn ABOUT magic. I want to do it! I want to have adventures! I want to do things! I want to live!” Al thought he had never met anyone who talked quite like Cleo. She was so excited about everything. If Rose and Scorpius were cold and cerebral, living life in their minds, Cleo was red hot. She was a touching, feeling and exuberant person. By this time they were at the library. Rose and Scorpius roamed the aisles of shelves, and Al and Cleo followed, listening as Rose and Scorpius noticed one section after another. After covering the entire library except the Restricted Section Rose asked everybody, “Where should we start?” “Let’s start in the history section,” said Scorpius. “We have a couple of histories at home, but I’d like to learn more.” Rose and Scorpius went excitedly into the history section, and both of them ended up with a couple of big books they were going to read, and then maybe trade books if they were any good. Al looked at Cleo and said, “Do you want to do this, or maybe help me start mapping Hogwarts.” “Oh, Al!” said Cleo. “Real practical magic, Oh, oh that would be so fantastic! Oh, Al, I’m so glad we met. Wow! ” “I’ll take that as a yes,” said Albus, chuckling inside, amused at Cleo’s excitement. They went down to the Slytherin dorm, and Al took Cleo into his dorm room. As they went Al tried to see if he could get into Cleo’s mind again. ‘I’m still here!’ Cleo thought back at Al. She then kept up looking at the castle, music and colors and strange associations flying through her head. Albus soon found out that he could ride on the surface of the melody, sort of in tune with Cleo without getting into the impossible task of thinking what she was thinking. Just before they entered the Slytherin dorms Cleo said to Al, “You have been riding on the surface of my thoughts!” “You can tell?” Al asked. “Oh, YES,” Cleo said. “I like it. It is sort of like being hugged.” Al looked up at Cleo. He knew, sort of, that saying it was like being hugged ought to be a problem. He was way too young to have a girlfriend, but there was an intimacy implied by what Cleo said that ought to be troubling. Al couldn’t make it troubling. It was just true; it was what it was. Cleo grabbed Albus’ hand, and they squeezed hands. They both knew that the hand squeeze was an acknowledgement of how strange, and at the same time how good this sharing of minds was. Once in the dorm room Albus went into his trunk. It was well arranged, and seemed to have lots more room inside than outside. “Aunt Hermione helped me make this trunk so it was a lot bigger inside than outside, but I’ve worked on it the last few weeks and made it easier to find, and hide, things in it,” said Albus. He pulled out a big piece of parchment. Cleo looked in the trunk. She put her hands into it. She put her head down into it. Then she said, “It is, Al, it is, it’s SOMEWHERE ELSE. All the extra room, I can see where it starts being somewhere else. I can SEE it, sort of, the boundary, I think. “Maybe I can make your trunk like that, if Aunt Hermione shows me how,” Al said. “We’re not allowed to have boys in our rooms. The stairs turn into a slide if a boy tries to get into the girls dorm rooms.” “I don’t know what they do here,” said Al. “Maybe someone else does.” As they were walking out of the first year dormitory Al spotted someone he knew and said, “Abraham, this is my friend Cleo, Cleo, this is Abraham Sanford. His dad is the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, has been for years, even taught my mum her last year.” “Thanks for the life history, Al,” said Abraham, smiling. “We live close to Al’s grandparents, and Al and Rose live in sort of a second home there in the summer and over Christmas, although it is more like a mansion than a summer home.” “It is a nice house,” said Al. “Cleo was telling me the boys cannot go into the girls’ rooms in Gryffindor. Is it the same here?” “It’s supposed to be,” said Abraham, “but from what I understand Slytherin students have not always been very good at following the rules. Why?” Al looked at Cleo, and she said, “I just said … forget it. I’m in Gryffindor so I really don’t care what rules the girls in Slytherin have to follow.” “Well, if you want to know I can find out. My sister Ruth is just a couple of years older, in forth year, and she should know. If she does not, our half-sister Elisa Williamson should know. She was snogging somebody before she graduated.” Abraham turned to go, and then turned back and said, “Oh, Al. Thank you for what you said last night. Several of us have been quietly trying to get rid of the obnoxious pure-blood language and prejudice for a long time. “Al, there is a meeting of the Slytherin Quidditch team after dinner. Be there!” “Why?” asked Al. “They don’t usually allow first years on the team.” “Just be there, Al, please,” said Abraham. Al took Cleo up to the top of the Astronomy Tower, and as he went he told her as much as he could about making maps. The closer you were to the area you wanted to map the better the map was. “I’ve just decided to start at the top,” Al said, “because it is probably going to be more private. Getting into the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff dorms may be a challenge. “Take out your wand, and I will show you the spells.” Al unrolled a piece of the mapping paper, and took out his wand. He looked at Cleo, and saw THE WAND. Al, who was never rattled, dropped the mapping paper and his wand. He slowly picked up his wand. He looked at Cleo, and she at him. “They said you were the first male who could use this wand,” Cleo said. “It is a female wand, and only wants to be used by a female,” said Albus. “I know,” Cleo said. “I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, and when I heard that you could handle this wand I just felt, …” “I felt, when I had this wand,” Albus said, “that it would be the best thing in the world to meet the girl who this wand chose.” Al did not want to say that he thought he wanted to marry the girl who owned that wand, but he could not hide it. Cleo grabbed Albus’s left hand in her right hand, and then handed Albus her wand. Albus felt the power of the wand, and the power of the witch who owned it. He also felt that together he and Cleo were a lot more than they were alone. Al knew that Cleo was feeling exactly the same thing. Albus knew that this was way too much, way too soon. He thought this idea to Cleo, and she agreed, a little more reluctantly than Al. ‘Soulmates,’ Cleo thought. “Mapping,” Al said, as he gave Cleo’s wand back to her, and tried to focus on the job at hand. It was almost like he and Cleo were, not engaged, but already married. ‘Focus on mapping, focus on mapping,’ Albus thought. ‘Focus on mapping,’ Cleo thought, as she disengaged from Albus’ thoughts. ‘YES!’ Cleo thought. ‘She and ALBUS, YES!’ The music that always was running through her brain reached a crescendo. The colors went into dimensions that most humans could not see. It was Glorious! ‘Focus on the mapping. Focus on the mapping. Cleo forced herself to just live in the present, with Al, and stop thinking about her future, about the rest of her life with HER ALBUS. To make a good map you had to be reasonably close to the area you were mapping, so Al and Cleo had to trudge through the entire castle, a process that was going to take days or weeks. Even on this first try they could see a lot of hidden rooms, and at least see dots representing themselves on the map. Al tried to teach Cleo what she had to do with the wand to make the map, and she finally managed to get some of the spell to come through. It was hard work and really advanced magic, but a lot of fun. That evening the boys ate at the Slytherin table and the girls ate at the Gryffindor table. The boys ate with Abraham Sanford (who was in second year) and John Nott. The girls ate with two of their roommates, Patty Finnigan & Olivia Woods. After he and Scorpius returned to their common room, Albus was approached by Miles Urquhart, a sixth year, the head of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and Abraham Sanford. The Slytherin team had not been really good for nineteen years, partly because the number of students was small, and partly because they did not seem to be quite playing as a team. They needed a good Seeker, some good Chasers, coaching for the Beaters, and another Beater. The Keeper was OK, but always had too much work to do. Miles was the best of the Chasers. Abraham Sanford was there; he was a Chaser, although not an outstanding one. He said, “I told you last year that the Weasley and Potter kids were excellent Quidditch players, well, except Rose Weasley. Rose hardly knows how to fly. Whenever they play James Potter is the Seeker on one team and Albus is Seeker on the other team. When I take part in these games, and lots of other people want to take part and do, Al is almost always the other Seeker. He is that good.” “Ya, as good as James,” asked Miles of Al. “No,” said Albus. “I’m pretty good, though.” “Practice tomorrow morning after breakfast,” said Miles. |
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