Thanks for reading and if you didn't read it.... miss it miss out lol
for those of you who have enjoyed reading my material, I now invite you to pass on ideas of a plot or events which you would like to see happen to Ablus Potter in his first year at Hogwarts!!
I regret that not all ideas will be used and some might merely be adapted
thanks xx
and can i just apologize that some punctuation marks disappear when i post my chapters, so it might not be grammatically correct but isn't because i don't bother .

to post go back to the fanfic section of the forums and select feedback sub-forum. from here search for Albus and the ImPossible Challenge'
and select. then add your reply and ideas!!

http://www.veritaserum.com/forums/index.ph...mp;#entry511724

*disclaimer: I don't own any right to any character or places or ideas used within this text. Any subject related to the almighty Harry Potter enterprise is property of should be Dame J.K.Rowling*

also a huge thank you to my fabulous Beta, who has the tedious job of coping with correcting my grammer- Hermionegal16 XXX

Chapter one- Mirror of the First Journey

Albus leant his head against the window, twisting awkwardly in his vain attempt to not lose sight of his parents and younger sister. As the train gathered speed, he pressed his head even harder against the pane of glass, an exact mirror image of his father some 21 years previously- the only difference in appearance being that there was no lightning shaped scar upon Ablus' forehead. Albus was also nowhere as near as scrappy looking as his father, Harry Potter, had been on his first journey on the Hogwarts Express.
In a single blink his parents and sister disappeared from view. Albus sighed and slumped back into his seat, disappointed at his departure from the comforts of his home. However, this emotion rapidly subsided to that of pure excitement- he was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Excitement began to ebb away into fear as James Potter told repeatedly to his younger brother the shame upon the family if he was to be sorted into Slytherin house.
As James laughed at his brother's naivety, Rose noted the absolute horror and panic across Albus' face, and she tutted. She glared at James from her seat, disapproving of his behaviour.
"Come on! He knows I'm only joking- don't ya Al? See? He is trying not to laugh.” Rose Weasley raised her eyebrows- Albus was scowling fiercely.
"On the contrary, I would say he didn't find that in anyway funny," she cut across James who was composing a counter argument. "Oh, just be quiet and change into your robes! You should be setting a better example for us first years!"
Albus sniggered at the look of disbelief on James' face, who, under the steady stare of Rose, admitted defeat and left the compartment to find his friends.

The train rattled on, rain now lashing at the windows, creating rivets of clear water as it caught in the slip-stream of the steam train. As the sun began to set, the rivets reflected magical dancing lights of reds, pinks, and orangey-golds. This, however, was completely unnoticed by two very excited young wizards. Rose Weasley and Albus Potter spent the remainder of the journey, after being left alone in the compartment, practicing simple spells and transfigurations. Rose had, at first, had reservations about this: "It's a small space. We don't really know what we're doing... we could get hurt." Albus silenced her with a well aimed Silencing Charm.
Albus had welcomed the arrival of the lunch trolley, as he was running out of spells to perform- Rose had read all the set texts and already knew far more than he did. They began to eat their way through a heap of chocolate frogs ("Hey! Have you ever even heard of this guy? Harry Potter... apparently he is really famous!". “Must be. He is on the card!") Cauldron cakes were left aside as Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougats were subject to roars of laughter.
James reappeared to help himself to some sweets, only to be hastily sent marching to change into his robes by Rose. ("Hurry! We'll be there soon. What sort of an example...")
Albus nervously straightened the creases out of his own, new, black robes and, strictly out of habit because he knew it would never have a noticeable effect, tried in vain to flatten his hair.

Albus was overwhelmed with anticipation as he stepped out of the compartment into the growing crowds of chattering students in the corridor. The train eventually pulled to a halt, and Albus was swept along with a tide of first years behind the half-giant Keeper of the Keys, Hagrid. Albus and Rose followed the bobbing light to a small fleet of rowing boats with no oars. They sat down in one, accompanied by three other students, all of whom stared at Albus expectantly; Albus ruffled his hair nervously and pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose.
Rounding a willow tree, the first years gasped as one, each then holding their breath, drinking in the first sight of Hogwarts castle.

Chapter two- The First Feast

The castle loomed above them, silhouetted against the moon and mountains. The first years and the games-keeper ducked their heads down as they passed through a hanging sheet of ivy, and the fleet of boats settled in a small harbour.
Albus clambered out of his boat, still sensing many eyes ogling him.
“You there! Is this y’ book?” Rose thanked Hagrid as he handed her book to her out of the boat. He led them up stone steps, and they came to a company halt, facing two large oak doors.
Albus looked back over his shoulder, scanning the sloping lawns. His father had fought here; he had swum in the lake that Albus had just crossed, and there in the distance, was the forest where his father had escaped giant spiders in a flying car.
Light poured out over the lush lawns, and Albus turned to see a witch with beautifully sleek black hair, that fell far down her back. She stood in the entrance to the castle and thanked Hagrid. She gave a warm smile to the anxious first years; her smile faltered as she her gaze met Albus’s. He wondered why.
The new students trailed up the steps into a vast entrance hall with chambers leading off from the sides and a grand marble stair case ahead of them. Along one wall stood four giant hour glasses, which were empty and next to these was some sort of a monument. Names of the brave, who sacrificed their lives in the final battle, were engraved into the white marble. At the base Albus saw, with a wriggling sensation in his stomach, his father’s face carved into the stone, and beneath this was an inscription written in gold- The Chosen One.
Albus gave a sniff and a start as Rose jabbed him in the ribs. Professor Chang had finished telling them about the sorting ceremony and the four Hogwarts houses; she was now leading them into the Great Hall. Four long tables housed the older students, and at a fifth table sat the staff, facing the students. A circular space occupied the very centre of the hall.
Here the floor was made of glass and gold lettering and enscripted in it was a prophecy- ‘Neither can live while the other survives.’ A small gold plaque rested at the foot of the script, but Albus had no time to read this as he was shunted along towards the sorting hat on its stool.
Each new student sat on the stool and waited to be sorted into one of the four houses: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Gryffindor.
“Potter, Albus Severus,” called Professor Chang, prompting Albus to take a seat. He trembled slightly as he stepped cautiously towards the sorting hat, perched upon the stool. He pulled it on and it slipped over his eyes. Feeling that he must look foolish, he was at least grateful that he didn’t have to look at the numerous faces he could sense staring at him.
“Ah ha! Another troublesome and adventurous Potter! Well there IS courage and cunningness...”
“Don’t even think about thinking of putting me in Slytherin,” muttered Albus.
The patched hat sniggered in his ears, “Daring and a thirst to prove yourself, just like your father... He should’ve been in Slytherin”- but Albus cut across the flimsy hat.
“Well, he did just fine in Gryffindor... so I’ll just stick to that house if you don't mind,” he said, quivering from head to foot- imagine if he was put in Slytherin! What would people think? The sorting hat resigned, with a sigh.
“Humph. I thought I was supposed to sort, not you. Don't make me regret this- GRYFFINDOR!” The hat bellowed this to the rest of the hall, and Albus breathed a sigh of relief. He hopped off the rickety stool and joined his brother at the rest of the Gryffindors, who were making a deafening din.
James leant closer to his younger brother a whispered, “You took your time!” Albus merely shrugged and they both watched Tallent, Paris sit next to Scorpius Malfoy at the Slytherin table. James continued, “Did it try to put you in Slytherin?”
Albus tried his best to look affronted and shook his head vigorously, but he had given himself away. James looked quite forlorn.
“You managed to persuade it to put you in Gryffindor much quicker than I did. It took me nearly five minutes. Dad would never forgive me if I had landed in Slytherin.” He looked away quickly as Rose sat eagerly on the stool. Two second later she had joined the two brothers as a first year Gryffindor.
The stool was taken away and the headmaster stood to greet them before the feast began. Albus turned back to James.
“No. Dad would have understood,” James rolled his eyes and shook his head at his knees, which he was apparently deeply interested by. Albus continued in a low whisper, “The hat tried putting him in Slytherin. The only reason the hat didn’t put Dad there is because he asked it not to.”
James looked bewildered, as though he was daring himself to believe Albus. He looked slightly happier as a grin spread across his glum face- but that might have been the result of a delicious selection of feast foods appearing on the table before them.
James, Rose, and the other students chatted merrily away as the clatter of cutlery filled the hall. As Albus silently helped himself to roasted potatoes, Rose became engrossed in conversation about lessons with a sixth year prefect. To Albus’s other side, James and his friends gossiped about quidditch and James bragged about his last capture of the snitch. Albus listened to this buzz as he began to feel full and sleepy.
The head master Rose to his feet once again and a hush fell over the young witches and wizards. He had curly brown hair, which sprung about around the rim of his pointed hat. He spoke with an air of laughter in his voice and beamed at his students.
“So,” the headmaster drew his speech to an end, his curls bouncing, “No magic outside of lessons, no forbidden forest and please now go to your dormitories and rest before lessons start tomorrow!” He took a short bow and chuckled as his students clapped and stood to trundle through the castle to their respective house common rooms and dormitories
As Albus tailed Rose and the prefect, the rest of the new Gryffindors stared at him in awe. Past tapestries and up stairs they went, until they eventually came face to face with a portrait of a plump woman in a stunning silk gown.
“Password?” she said in a deep voice.
“Nargles,” replied the prefect. This was clearly the password as the painting swung forward, revealing a hole.
Inside was a circular, comfy room. Albus had enough energy to understand that they were in a tower and noted the welcoming fire and squishy chairs. He was then led up a spiralling staircase and into his dormitory.
He fell in to the bed nearest the door and snapped the hangings shut- the four other new Gryffindor boys were scrutinizing him.
And Albus stared too, but at the canopy of crimson material above his four poster bed. He didn’t know if he liked Hogwarts much- ‘Maybe when everyone stops staring,’ he thought.
At last, long after the other boys had, Albus drifted off to sleep and the colours of sunrise broke out over the surrounding mountains.

Chapter three- As good as it gets?

Albus woke with a start. Groggily, he listened to his fellow Gryffindors shuffling around nosily, finally slamming the door behind them. Through the closed door, Albus could still hear them continuing their chatter and laughter as they made their way to breakfast.
Not feeling like facing them, or anyone else for that matter, Albus waited for all the chatter to die away before rising. He dressed and slowly made his way downstairs, wondering when would be best to grab some toast. His stomach gave an involuntary grumble, and he decided he was too hungry to wait much longer- he would duck into the Great Hall and grab something to eat, along with his timetable, and leave before anyone could notice him. He would explore the grounds before first lesson begun.
As he reached the top of the marble stair case, he heard his name being called. The young wizard looked inconspicuously out of the corner of his eye, so as to not make it obvious that he was looking to see who the owner of the voice was. The sight at the side of the marble monument made his face split into a relieved smile, which ached his tired face. Rose was standing there, a stack of buttery toast wrapped in a napkin, and in her other hand were two timetables.
“I thought you might avoid the Hall.” She handed him a slice of grilled toast as he folded his timetable up and placed it in his pocket. She led him out to the grounds and they took a turn around the vegetable patches in silence before heading off for Transfiguration with the first year Ravenclaws.

Rose made her way eagerly to the front desk, nearest to the Professor’s desk. Albus silently wished she had chosen to occupy a seat nearer the back of the class- already he could feel a number of eyes staring at him, boring into him. Feeling uncomfortable Albus felt his mood darken as Professor Chang welcomed her class with a gleam in her eyes but as they meet Albus’s green eyes they filled with unease. Albus shifted in his seat while Rose furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes.
By the end of the hour Rose had almost accomplished the task they had been set- transfigure a toothpick into dental floss. Where Rose’s pick was now extremely stringy but still had a wooden texture, Albus has achieved to turn his still usable toothpick white and it was slightly flimsy. They were to practice this exercise for homework, and as they left the class room Chang eyed Albus awkwardly, once again. He glared at her- why was she behaving like that?

After break, the first year Gryffindors trudged to double Herbology with the Slytherins. Neville Longbottom greeted Rose and Albus warmly, asking how they were settling in- Albus did not reply. The round faced professor took the register, and Rose gave the other Gryffindor boys a steely glare as the laughed maliciously when Professor Longbottom read out Albus’s name.
The class was told to split into groups of four, and the four Gryffindor boys grouped immediately together around a pot. They cast smug looks at Albus and Rose, who no one had yet grouped with. A girl from Gryffindor shyly said hello to Rose and nodded blushingly at Albus. Neville then sent Scorpius Malfoy to join the group as he lingered at the back of the greenhouse, unwilling to work.
During the next two hours, Malfoy barely moved a muscle, only shifting when the professor came over to note their progress. Once, Rose dropped her handful of manure onto the floor as Longbottom approached. Malfoy ducked down quickly to retrieve it, so as to appear to be participating in the ongoing activity. Professor Longbottom arrived just as Malfoy straightened up. The young Malfoy gave Rose a searching look whilst the corners of Neville’s mouth twitched. Colour tinged Scorpius Malfoy’s pale cheeks as he plodded the muck back into Rose’s gloved hand. She smiled a weak, uncomfortable smile, and Albus’s eyes darted between the two of them, expecting Malfoy to remark... on the contrary he gave a slight nod and took to scowling at a woodlouse.
“Good work,” exclaimed Longbottom to the class. “Two points apiece to Gryffindor and two to Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy’s good team work.” The class was then dismissed. The four Gryffindor boys sullenly faced that they hadn’t gotten any points.

During lunch, Rose pestered Albus to at least practice his wand movement if he was not going to do his Transfiguration homework properly. Albus waved her off. He felt a hand clap down upon his shoulder as Rose muttered darkly about detention.
“Ah, that’s my lil’ bro’, in detention already!” James helped himself to a sausage roll from Albus’ plate. “Keep showing this sort of potential and I might actually start admitting being related to you.”
Rose made an indignant noise in her throat and continued her muttering. James readied himself to fire back a retort but a Ravenclaw girl approached him and announced that she had finished lunch. James leapt up and left the Hall with her, blushing as Rose and Albus raised their eyebrows and sniggered when James tripped over the hem of his robes in his haste to accompany the girl.

The Gryffindors lounged in the common room, still gossiping about their summer. Rose was leaning across the table every now and then, scribbling out wrong answers as Albus applied them, quite frequently, to his Charms homework which they had been set last period, due in tomorrow. Albus rolled his eyes and leant back, resigned. As Rose scratched out yet another of his sentences, she scratched his parchment so vigorously that her quill splattered Albus with ink. The first year boys chortled at his misfortune.
Albus gritted his teeth and scraped back his chair. Rose looked up, shocked, as he stormed up to his dormitory, not stopping even to apologize when he knocked into Jessica, the girl who had joined his group in Herbology.
He ripped open the crimson hangings that surrounded his four poster bed and threw himself down onto the mattress, pulling the hangings closed, furiously. It looked like last night, and today was as good as it was going to get for him at Hogwarts.
Once again, the sunrise broke out over the nearby mountains before Albus Potter slept.

Chapter 4- Unfriendly Surprises

As the leaves of different golden-red-brown hues settled upon the sloping lawns of Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry marked the autumn season, the first years, too, settled. Inside the castle, Albus Potter had grown used to the envious glares he got from his four roommates and the attention he now seemed to be getting from girls. He also no longer fell victim to trick steps, nor did he accidently fall through tapestries which concealed short cuts whenever he leant against the wall. This was due to his extensive knowledge of the castle’s secret passages and short cuts. Rose, however, had been the one who had discovered the short cuts to the library.

“Right,” announced Jessica, the Gryffindor girl from Herbology, “it’s time to go.”
Albus lifted his head, and self, out of a stupor. He gladly placed his ink, quill and parchment into his bag. Not wanting to stay any longer than he was necessary, he nudged Rose.
“Wait, let me finish this! We need this planned. We need to be organized to get good marks.” Though she continued to write furiously fast in attempt to finish, her hand writing remaining remarkably neat. Albus, keen to move things on a bit, began to pack her things away for her, though getting them into her bag was rather more difficult than one would think- it was more of a mobile reference library than a simple satchel.
Albus and Jessica had already swung their bags over their robed shoulders by the time Rose inked the final period on her precious plans. She folded it carefully and placed it between two of the many books in her bag. Jessica clicked her tongue impatiently, and Albus had already started to make his way, purposefully, towards to the portrait hole.
They had been sitting around a circular table in the Gryffindor common room working on a boring History of Magic essay, while rain and hail lashed the edges of the tower. Albus would rather have been outside in the freezing lake, despite the weather; his glum mood was the producer of such a thought.
Unwillingly taking a seat to make a start on the History of Magic essay, Albus had very nearly fallen flat on his backside. Credit for this went to his roommate, Craig Hamlett, who had vanished the legs of Albus’s chair. Rose had spared Albus the embarrassment of falling to the floor by quickly conjuring new legs. However, Albus knew that he would later feel the repercussions of dodging the prank, and to top it off he now had a bruise forming on the base of his spine where he had hit the chair so hard.
This bad mood did not lift as he left through the portrait hole, heading for the library to do yet more work.
‘Maybe he won’t bother turning up,’ thought Albus hopefully. ‘Not that I could blame him.’ Albus continued his dark musings as he lagged behind. He was to moody to even feign listening to Rose as she ploughed through their plan of action. When they entered the library, Rose’s voice dropped to a hushed whisper. He and Albus hushed too, sending Albus further into his glowering mood.
Malfoy had shown up, not that he looked happy about the arrangement. Rose wasted no time in finding them a table and reciting her presentation of who would do what and by which deadline. Jessica, who had endured each rehearsal of this every night for the last week in the dormitory, simply nodded in the appropriate places. On the other hand, Malfoy and Albus sat wide eyed and jaws dropped. They were both horrified at Rose’s assumption that they would be willing to do EXTRA work to get a better grade.
“So,” Rose puffed, catching her first full breath in ten minutes, “Let’s get started!” She eagerly began to write the hypothesis, but, catching the dumbfounded expressions on the boys’ faces, she asked incredulously, “What?”
“You want us to do EXTRA work!” spat Malfoy, as thought the very thought made him nauseous. “This isn’t just about you; we can’t all work at O.W.L. standard!”
Rose looked momentarily upset but a smile soon played across her lips; there was a compliment unsuccessfully hidden in that scornful remark. Albus and Jessica merely glanced at each other, whilst the other two stared at each other; both of their expressions were unreadily blank.
Clearing her throat and breaking the tension, Rose added a throw away comment, which caused both Albus and Jessica to gape and Malfoy to fidget.
“Well, I can tutor you if you get really stuck.” Both hers and Scorpius’s cheeks warmed with a gentle hue of pink. Albus flung a reference book to each of the others, slamming them as he went, in his rage, and to bring their attention back to the Herbology project.

Professor Longbottom had yet again split the class into groups of four. Naturally Albus, Rose and, Jessica grouped themselves. Then, much to Albus’s dismay, Malfoy was added to the assemblage, as he hadn’t bothered to pick a group. Neville looked at Albus apologetically. What annoyed Albus, above the presence of the brat in the group, was that he made a hunch that Malfoy had done this on purpose- a perfect opportunity to dig at Albus, whilst showing off to Rose.
The quartet set to work, Albus and Malfoy comically and childishly elbowing each other as they shuffled parchment. Albus gave Malfoy a rather ferocious nudge causing the boy to slam into Rose; she slammed down her quill furiously. Her diagram was now splattered with spilt ink. Her outcry resulted in the library hawk, Madame Prince, chasing them out.
No longer able to use the library to work, Jessica suggested that they (meaning herself, Albus, and Rose) go to visit Hagrid, as it was a Sunday. Rose suggested that seeing as the library was out of bounds, and Malfoy couldn’t enter Gryffindor Tower, that they find an empty classroom and work there. Malfoy made a notion that they just not bother continuing work today, and Albus silently agreed with the boy, for once.
Sighing, Rose agreed they go to see Hagrid. Malfoy, in pure spite of Albus mentioned that he would like to lunch with Hagrid too; this notion was met with confused (and furious in the case of Albus) expressions. Albus said the idea was all very well and good but that Malfoy might enjoy feeding himself to the Giant Squid instead. Rose agreed and this sent Albus storming in rage off to the quidditch pitch.
Pacing around the stands, Albus fumed. Why couldn’t Rose see what an animal Malfoy was? Though the Slytherin agitated Albus, he had remembered what his father had said about Draco Malfoy, Scorpius’s father. It seemed Albus had been let off lightly- Scorpius wasn’t too like his father. ‘But why?’ wondered Albus. ‘Of course, Draco must feel so in debt to his father, who saved his life more than once in one night.’ Albus smirked, Malfoy wasn’t so tough.
Albus settled to watch his brother zoom around the pitch, looping and twirling just to show off the fact that he could. Albus, who had always been quite jealous of his elder brother, now felt that it was astonishing that his brother’s broomstick could hold the weight of the ego that sat upon it. Albus certainly wasn’t jealous of that; then he realised that he was almost as pigheaded towards Malfoy. He continued to sit and muse in silence, not paying attention to the quidditch practice.
He jumped around and whipped out his wand when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Albus lowered his wand and looked into the grave face of Jessica. He rose from his seat in silence and furrowed his brow quizzically. She was waving James over, who looked annoyed that his spectacular dive after the Golden Snitch had been interrupted, but catching sight of her begin to silently cry, he dismounted and joined Jessica and Albus at the base of the stand.
“What’s happened?” James demanded, but Jessica just swallowed back a fresh wave of tears and led the way to Hagrid’s hut.
Mr. Weasley shifted in his wooden chair at the scrubbed table. Pots, pans and, hams hung as usual from the ceiling and a large bed stood against one wall. There was no sight of Hagrid, which unnerved Albus- he was hard to miss. Mr. Wesley’s presence and Hagrid’s absence could not be a good thing.
Mr Weasley made to speak but paused and shook his head. His eyes fell on Malfoy who felt as though he was intruding. The balding redhead cleared his throat and closed his eyes. The atmosphere thickened as Mr. Weasley tried to compose himself. Rose was clinging to her grandfather’s robes, her hands were shaking. James and Albus’s breathing became ragged.
The old wizard looked at his three grandchildren and Jessica, sorrow in his eyes; no one acknowledged Malfoy’s presence. Drinking in the grief around him, Albus sat at the table, head on hands, knowing, without asking, that their friend was somewhere they couldn’t reach him.

Chapter 5- Malfoy spells trouble.

The coldness of winter and grief bit at Albus. He looked out of the owlery window towards the forest, where his friend Hagrid lay peacefully encased in a colossal tomb. He drew a deep breath and sniffed. He watched an owl flutter towards the window and stepped back to allow it space to come in.
The eagle owl perched itself on the arm of a robed boy, a parcel tied to its leg. The boy untied the parcel and carried his owl to a perch near food and water. Albus watched as the boy undid his parcel and shuffled through the selection of sweets he had been sent by his parents. He opted for a chocolate frog.
To Albus’s surprise Malfoy threw him the frog. Albus stared blankly at the boy and then the chocolate. Malfoy shifted uncertainly and then composed himself.
“Come on, you must be hungry. Rose says you haven’t been at any meals for days now.” He stopped and looked at his feet, looking as though he wanted to say something else but didn’t quite know how to put it. Albus made a mental note to tell Rose to not share his business with Malfoy. Malfoy drew a long sigh and approached Albus cautiously. He gave Albus a stack of warm buttered toast in a napkin. Albus threw the toast to the floor.
“You do not want me as your enemy, Malfoy.” Albus paused and looked shocked to find the point of his wand at Malfoy’s throat. He had no idea what was in this empty threat, nor where the anger had surged from. Malfoy backed away. He did not feel any less frightened even when the fierce fire in Albus’s green eyes died away. Owls screeched in alarm at the unexpected outburst. The seconds stretched into an eternity.
The fire in Albus’s eyes became ablaze once more, and he picked up a heavy china bowl with scraps of owl food still in it. He threw the bowl straight at Malfoy’s head who managed to duck out of the way. Malfoy stumbled backwards, reaching for his wand. Albus advanced, taking aim with another bowl. Scorpius blasted it to pieces with a clever flick of his wand and then yelled “PROTEGO!”
Malfoy turned and ran, his shield charm deflecting the curses that Albus was hurling at him. Malfoy darted down a secret passage way, and in his fury Albus kicked out at a statue in the corridor. He was angry not at Malfoy but at himself and at Hagrid. How could he leave him? Hagrid was strong and tough and his death made Albus scared- what chance did he stand. He was nothing but weakness. Everyone expected great things from him, like his father. But there was no war to be won, he did not have a passion for quidditch like James, and he was not brainy like Rose. Worse of all he was so weak that he had almost let Malfoy see him crumble.
He pulled himself together and headed for transfiguration. The lesson had already begun and he braced himself for the scolding he would receive for being late yet again. He pushed open the door and had barely set foot over the threshold when Professor Chang marched up to him, turned him sharply around, and shoved him back out into the corridor.
“This is enough! You can’t keep coming in late. Haven’t I given you enough warnings and detentions?” She glowered at him. “Don’t bother coming back.” She snapped the door shut sharply in his face.
Albus shook his head in disbelief. Craig Hamlett sauntered into the classroom and Chang merely asked him to sit quietly and copy the board. Why did she have it in for Albus? He wandered back off to the owlery and recommenced his absent staring out of the pane-less window.

Albus gave a start as the bell rang, sounding break. He was greatly regretting not eating the toast Malfoy had offered him as his stomach cramped with hunger. He turned a corner and stopped in his tracks. He turned on his heel and went back the other way. The headmaster called after him, but Albus continued to walk hastily away. Suddenly a suit of armour grabbed him, hopped off its plinth, and guided a struggling Albus back towards the headmaster.
“I dare say, Potter, that you will find a time when you find that trick amusing. Now, if you will.” Professor Pectus opened up the concealed spiral staircase and led Albus to his office. Albus let out a groan- his father was seated at the desk, looking anything but amused to be summoned to the school. Pectus gave Harry a nod and left the room.
“Would you care to explain why I received an owl an hour ago telling me that you had been excluded from a lesson?” Harry did not drop his gaze from his son once. He was not angry, just worried. He began to lose his patience when his son did not answer after a minute or so. “Answer me!”
Albus bit his lip. He wished his mother had come instead; she would give him a hug rather than a lecture. He hated the way his father lost his temper. He dare not say that his teacher had it in for him. His father would laugh it off and just get more agitated. Harry rose from his seat and, seeing red, Albus stumbled out his answer.
“Late.”
“What lesson? How many times? Do you do the work?” Harry demanded and began to pace up and down. He had been quite worried that Albus would stray for attention- he was far more subdued than James, which meant that James was constantly in the limelight at home, pulling pranks and getting into trouble. Harry calmed himself; he did not like how uncomfortable Albus looked nor did he want yet another row with his wife about how to discipline their children. He checked himself, and then continued coolly. “Is there something you don't like about the lesson?”
“It’s transfiguration. I get the work. It’s just...” he felt really foolish, remembering what his father had said about Snape hating him. Albus looked at the old headmaster in his portrait. The late potions master was watching the ongoing scene between father and son- arrogance clearly ran through the male line of Potters.
“It’s the teacher. Professor Chang. She doesn’t like me..." Albus bowed his head feeling extremely childish.
Harry stopped pacing and clapped a hand to his forehead. ‘Of course,’ he thought and he too looked at Snape, who greeted Harry with a snarl. “Cho Chang! I had forgotten Neville said she worked here now.”
Albus looked at his father, who clapped his son on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll sort this. Cho is... me and Cho ended on bad a term, that’s all. I think she might be a bit… you know, because your Ginny’s son.” Albus ran this through his mind several times before he realised what his dad was getting at.
“Oh! Your first girlfriend! Ewww, Dad she’s our teacher!” Harry dismissed his son with a gesture towards the door. Albus left giggling, glad he had not been scolded too badly.
Harry contemplated how to get around this. He was highly embarrassed. Snape could see this and was keen to rub insult to injury.
“Of course I could have told him that myself, having seen that one sentimental moment in your memories...” Snape’s lips curled into a cruel smile. He was referring to Occlumancy lessons he had given Harry in his fifth year. Harry had to remind himself that it was just a painting.

At dinner Rose threw filthy looks at Albus and refused to speak to him. He assumed this was because she was appalled at the thought of him missing lessons, but really she was seething because of his outburst at Malfoy. Jessica refused to sit between them both and sat at the other end of the table. Albus was stabbing his food viciously not able to bring himself to eat.
Finally, giving up on his food, Albus left the Great Hall and was in the process of wrapping his cloak around himself, ready to battle the cold of the grounds, when he stopped dead. His father was at the base of the marble monument tracing his index finger over the names of his lost loved ones. Harry wiped at a tear- Lupin had taught him so much. Harry felt a tight knot pierce him as he looked at the title ‘The Chosen One’. He had thought that killing Voldemort was impossible, but it now seemed like a throw away task compared to having a family.
Without seeing his youngest son, Harry headed out towards the lake, and Albus followed in silence. Harry came to a stop at a white tomb. He placed his hand upon it, longing to feel close to his greatest role model. Albus Dumbledore had done everything for Harry, and it pained Harry that he hadn’t lived to see Harry finally have a family around him. He looked towards the forest. Albus assumed he was looking at the spot where Hagrid’s corpse lay in a clearing. Harry began to walk towards it.
Sudden jeers and explosions echoed out of the castle. The two Potters sprinted back towards the castle, and as they ran up the stone steps and into the Entrance Hall, they could hear a commotion in the Great Hall.
Malfoy and James were duelling viciously in the centre of the hall. Students were shouting curses and hexes, whilst teachers tried to push their way through the thick crowd to break up the fight. James was winning- he was much faster at throwing curses than Malfoy, who was now trying to maintain a shield charm. James gave a violent jab of his wand and Malfoy flew high in the air, landing hard on the circle of glass floor. The glass shattered beneath him and he let out a cry of agony. Professor Pectus seized the opportunity to disarm James, who was looking horrified at what he had just done to Malfoy. Rose screamed and ran forward to help Malfoy. James then saw his father radiating with rage and he looked down at his feet.
“All students back up to your dormitories!” Neville Longbottom was shooing the excited students out. He gave Harry a brief nod before chasing the last of the students out of the hall and then shutting the doors to the Great Hall firmly behind them.
The remaining occupants stood in a stunned silence as the last of the chatter and footsteps of the students died away. Pectus released James.
“Potter you are to see me after your father has finished with you. Weasley, can you please take Malfoy to the hospital wing. He will then join Potter and myself in my office once he is patched up.” He gave another brief nod to Harry and led Rose and Malfoy out of the hall. He turned and spoke to someone over Harry’s shoulder, “Could you please leave Mr. Potter to deal with this. I dare say you will need to ensure that the Ravenclaws are all in the common room.” Then he left.
Harry looked round to see Cho Chang standing awkwardly. He felt a muscle in his cheek twitch- her hair was still sleek and black and age had not led her to lose her attractiveness. She caught his eye as she passed and closed the doors once more.
Harry drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. Two dealings with his sons in one day was far too much for his patience. “"I don't know what the hell either of you think you are doing, but it's done!” he spoke in a dangerously low tone, keeping himself from exploding. “I don't want to deal with this right now. James--headmaster’s office. Albus-dormitory. Now!"

Neither of his sons dared argue, and they both left, slouching their way to their destinations. Meanwhile, Harry ruffled his untidy black hair, unsure of how to handle his two sons- and then of course there was Cho too. His eyes fell upon the shattered floor and as one shard of splintered glass caught the light of a floating candle, the Great Hall suddenly flashed with lights flying in all directions. It was chaos. Looking further down the hall, Harry’s stomach knotted as Ginny was nearly hit by a fatal curse, but Mrs. Weasley pushed her aside.
Harry looked to the centre of the room. Tom Riddle was pacing in a careful circle, his wand pointed directly at Harry. Harry turned his back, trying to shake his mind back to the present and took a stunned stumble backwards. Lupin, Tonks, and Fred were sleeping in eternal peace.
A hand touched Harry’s shoulder, and he jumped back to the present. He quickly wiped his face before turning to see Cho Chang studying him.

Chapter 6- Murder Mystery at Midnight

The firewood had now burnt itself into cinders, barely casting a faint red glow in a low circle around the Gryffindor common room. Sitting in the almost complete darkness Albus turned once again from his boring History of Magic essay and proceeded to bug an answer out of his elder brother. He was yet again unsuccessful- James merely ignored Albus and Rose glared at them both: whether this was because she disapproved of the fight with Malfoy or because they were disturbing her from her work, Albus couldn’t work out.
“Whatever the ‘reason’, there’s no real reason to have attacked Scorpius like that!” Rose would sniff indignantly. This time however she added, “What if the matron can’t put him right?”
James, seeing how tearful Rose was, looked as though he might finally give in. He drew a breath through his nose, but then merely shook his head and slumped back over his work. After a moment’s silence only disturbed by the scratching of quills he sat back up, pointed his wand at the fire and reignited it. The room was suddenly bathed in a warm, orange glow. The three Gryffindors blinked, adjusting their eyes to the light.
James slammed his quill down suddenly, making Albus spill his pot of ink on himself. Albus was just about to yell at James, when he spoke for the first time since dinner. Pushing his potions homework away, James said “There was a reason but... it can’t be... I mean he was just winding me up, I knew that but- it’s what he actually said.” He trailed of under Rose glare. Cleary she still couldn’t see reason.
James continued to roll up his parchment and put his books back into his bag. Sensing Rose's glare still upon him, he glanced up and said “Okay! Okay! I am sorry. I should have never risen to the little-“
Rose slammed her quill down in temper, tears now streaming down her flushed cheeks. “How dare you call him that?” She rummaged through her bag, not taking her eyes off James. He and Albus sat in a shocked silence, pondering the fact that Rose was actually crying over Malfoy! She pulled out her wand and before either of the two boys could react, she was poking the tip of her wand into James cheek.
“Go on then! What did he say! We want to hear!” Rose’s vivid red hair seemed somehow bushier than ever.
James was frozen- no doubt terrified of what jinx or hex Rose would hit him with if he didn’t answer, or if she didn’t believe his answer. He couldn’t win.
“I... he,” James looked uncomfortable and Albus had a feeling that James’s usually very well hidden sensitive side was surfacing- James didn’t want to upset rose any more than he already had.
Knowing that James had been worn down Albus demanded, “Get to the point!”
“Okay... err- okay,” James said slowly. “OW! Get that blasted thing out of my face!” Rose lowered her wand a fraction, leaving a small purple boil on James cheek due to her loss of control in her impatience.
James rubbed his cheek and winced as it stung. Throwing a dirty look at Rose he sighed, “Malfoy said that Hagrid wasn’t attacked by a- what’s that thing in Greece called? Apparently we were lied to! He says...” James paused looking at one angry face, and one hurt face. “He said that Hagrid was murdered.” He drew in a long shuddering breath and ducked as purple sparks flew from rose’s wand tip.
She yanked her cloak off the back of her chair, looking furious. The fastenings would not catch in her haste, so she discarded the cloak. Throwing it into the armchair she hissed, “How dare he say that! He knows what Hagrid meant to me... to us.” She stormed her way towards the portrait hole.
“Where are you going?” Albus jumped to his feet- he wouldn’t miss a showdown between Rose and Malfoy- she must be very angry to leave the common room after hours.
“To ask him why-“ Rose’s voice cracked as he flung open the portrait of the Fat Lady. The force she had used to slam the portrait open knocked someone outside of it off their feet.
“Really now! You should certainly all be in bed!” The Fat Lady was hissing like I mad goose- she certainly still hating being woken up, or being begged to be let in without a password.
The three Gryffindors ignored the Fat Lady. Rose ran round the portrait to se who she had hit. Without pause, she pointed her wand violently and demanded, “Get up Malfoy!”
Malfoy looked as the he had been winded by a blow from the Whomping Willow- he not only had a bloody nose from the portrait, but Rose had never addressed him as ‘Malfoy’, like that. He looked at the three Gryffindors, who all had their wands on him.
Sensing a fight, the Fat Lady slammed herself shut, noisily enough to attract attention: for good measure she left the frame too, in order to fetch someone.
“Why did you say that?” Rose had lowered her wand, tearful again. Malfoy looked pleadingly at her.
“I’m not lying, I swear!”
“How would you know something like that?” Albus looked at Malfoy scathingly, emphasising ‘you’. Neither Albus nor James lowered their wands.
“I’m telling the truth okay? Look- I don't know exactly what’s going on, but the Order is getting worried and-“
Rose raised her eyebrows thinking, “How pathetic, the Order would only reform if a Dark wizard was rising!” and Albus repeated “How would you know?”
Looking directly at Albus this time, Malfoy answered, “Your dad isn't the only one here. I saw your mum here too,” he looked to James too. “At first I thought you were in major trouble.” It was sign of his desperation that Malfoy didn’t pause to relish in this idea. “But then I saw Mr and Mrs Weasley too.” Malfoy was now looking pleadingly at Rose again. James shifted awkwardly.
“I thought I saw Ron,” he muttered, admittingly. He looked slightly crest fallen- if the Order were collecting, here at Hogwarts, and if were to do with Hagrid...
Spotting his chance, Malfoy added, “If you don't believe me that they’re here, check the map.
James was already shuffling through his robes-he had the map last, but it wasn’t there!
“Where!?- hang on, how the do you know about the marauders map?" he was already looking at Rose.
“Oh, I just used it last night- me and Malf-“ she blushed. “I just used it okay.” She had pulled the aged parchment from her robes. She hurriedly tap it with her wand and declared that she was up to no good, so that Albus and James couldn’t press the matter of why she had been using the map- instead the four of them crowded around the old parchment in search of the Potters and Weasleys.
“Quick!” Malfoy grabbed Rose’s hand and shoved James towards the classroom nearest to them. “Chang is coming- the Fat Lady must have taken so long to find her specifically.” He looked at Albus, then James when he said this.
Sure enough the Fat Lady flitted through a portrait of a snoozing Lion, not seeing the rule breakers in her eagerness to get back to her own canvas to see them punished. Chang’s dot had moved right up the corridor and stopped. They heard her voice right outside the door. There was no exit other than out to the corridor. They didn’t have the Invisibility Cloak, and even wearing that they would need to open the door! There were no cupboards in the room. If James or Albus got caught, after the trouble they were in for the fight and poor punctuality...
Cho Chang slammed the classroom door open. Her expectant face registered shock and then disappointment. There was no one in here.
The four children had climbed out of the window, Malfoy, being the last to descend , had barely ducked his head out of the way in time, as he soundlessly shut the window. They had each edged along the ledge and jumped down to a small area of flat roof, where they all now assembled crouching low.
The four looked up in horror as Chang opened the window. Albus felt as though someone had poured ice cold water on him, as nerves trickled through him. Cho stuck her head out of the window and pointed her wand light directly over them- the rule breakers must be ton the flat roof unless they had jumped several floors...
She pulled her head back in and slammed the window shut, locking it with her wand. If the Potter boys were out there, they wouldn’t be able to get through her Unbreakable and Unlockable charm. They would be stuck on the roof till morning, and then she would fetch their father to go out and deal with them.
“That was close,” James’s laugh come from somewhere to Albus’s left. Rose let out a low whistle.
Albus merely stood up, very confused- Chang had looked right at them! And where had the others gotten to, he though, now looking around. Turning, he felt a warm sensation of relief when he saw James standing suddenly to his left. Behind him rose tapped Malfoy on the head, lifting the last of the four Disillusionment charms.
“Great thinking!” Malfoy beamed at Rose, who was trying to not look too pleased with herself. James looked stunned, “I have never managed that charm!” He said, completely pleased with himself.
Albus caught on- Rose had Disillusioned herself and Malfoy; James had charmed himself and Albus. However Albus wasn’t sharing their glory.
“I hate to snap your wands guys, but she locked the window and we can’t get down.”
Rose tried the Alohermora charm, but it didn’t work. She looked scandalised at the idea that a teacher would behave like that, penalising a student because of who their parents were. But then hadn’t Harry told them how Severus Snape had treated him, because of who his father was?
They stood in silence, each thinking of how to get down from the chilly roof- Malfoy gave Rose his cloak as she shivered. She smiled and pulled it tighter around her. James and Albus looked highly disgusted at the sickly moment.
Malfoy was now dangling in mid air, as if suspended by the ankle. He let out yell as Albus dangled him over the edge of the roof. Rose shrieked too- not only was she swelling like a bullfrog, in anger at Albus, but James, catching on, had performed the same jinx, LeviCorpus’, on Rose and was now guiding her over the edge of the roof. James lowered her to the grassy slope gently. Albus however had peered over the edge of the roof and seen that Malfoy’s head was now about a foot from the floor.
Sensing that he had stopped, Malfoy braced himself, and sure enough, fell in a heap onto the grass. He stood up and dusted him self off with dignity. Albus had levitated James down and had now jumped from the roof.
“Impedimenta.” Malfoy had said it before James could; his reward was Rose gazing at him in awe of his dignity to not let Albus fall after dropping him on his head. James tugged Albus, who had slowly inched to wards the floor, to the ground.
Albus and Malfoy glared at each other. The other two had to pull them down behind a shrub. Looking at the map, they could see that there was no one in the nearby chambers who could have seen them through the windows.
“There!” whispered Malfoy, pointing to a chamber on the other side of the turret to their right.
Sure enough four dots were moving into the chamber on the map- Harry and Ginny Potter, and Ron and Hermione Weasley. The three Gryffindors looked at Malfoy, who waved them forward. They ran silently to the edge of the turret, and then ducked down. They were crouched low under the window, listening.
“So let me get the straight,” Ron’s voice carried easily through the open window. A flash of light lead the quartet to believe that someone, most probably Hermione, had put a Imperturbable Charm on the door- no one thought of eavesdroppers at the window.
Ron carried on. “if You-Know-Who died but was thinking about protecting a Death Eater at the time- like what your mum did Har-“
“But Voldemort didn’t care who died!” Harry was clearly as disbelieving as the children outside the window.
“But... but” Ron grappled for a counter argument. “Well let’s say he did, so- so... he would get revenge when you’re not expecting it. I mean, we aren’t on guard are we. I mean he’s been dead for what- 18 years?”
There was a pause. Harry broke the silence. “He wouldn’t have taken that measure. He thought he would kill me no trouble... he took Narcissa Malfoy’s would for it, without a doubt and-“
This time Hermione interrupted. “Voldemort- for crying out loud Ronald- he might not have thought that after he found out that you had destroyed some of the Horcruxes. He might have wanted to tread carefully.” She trailed off. There was an even longer silence. When Harry broke it they all jumped.
“Well if he was doing that- how did he stop me from finding out? Our minds were connected. I was purposely seeing what he was up to. With Grego-“ He had said this as though merely thinking out loud. Then his tone changed and he no longer looked at all convinced.
“A Death Eater?” He now sounded amused by the idea. He scoffed at Ron and Hermione for their apparent lapse of common sense and basic logic. “It can’t be.” He turned to his wife. Ginny’s expression was unreadable.
Ron looked down at his shoelaces and after a moment he shrugged, clearly thinking that Harry had a point- hopeful that Harry had point.
Their curiosity having peaked, the four children stood peering into the window, unseen by the adults, as they had used the Disillusionment Charm again. Their eyes adjusted to the light from the flaming torches just in time to see Ginny and Hermione cast wary looks at each other. Harry noticed this glance too.
Albus jumped as Malfoy nudged him whilst scribbling a note. James and rose leant in to read it too. It read-

‘I heard Ginny and Hermiony talking about all this. It’s why I said about Hagrid. They think it’s this Death Eater theory or... it isn’t a Death eater.
Meaning someone is out there- as bad as a Death Eater... or a new Dark wizard.’

James turned to Scorpius frowning and nodding. He felt extremely guilty for attacking Malfoy. He hoped that rose wouldn’t hold a grudge- they needed to work together and they certainly needed her brains to get to the bottom of this.
The returned their full attention back to the adults, who were in the longest silence yet. Harry had Ginny’s gaze, which she held strong and steady. Knowing she wasn’t going to give in, stubborn as she was, he turned instead to Hermione. Harry instantly knew that she would crack as she begun hopping uncomfortable from foot to foot. Harry folded his arms and waited.
Ron sensing a new tension was distracted from his thorough inspection of his shoelaces. He watched Hermione’s odd behaviour and knew that she knew something he and Harry didn’t- or at least she had a sound theory, with evidence.