Rivals

Albus-Prologue

Albus Severus Potter was the second child of the Potter family. Being the middle child, James, being the oldest and Lilly being the youngest, was difficult for him as he felt sandwiched and pressured, and being affectionately called "Alby" by his family, especially his elder brother James. He also felt the need and responsibility to look after his younger sister Lilly, while being put under academic pressure by his older brother and parents to excel. 

But all and all, Albus didn't complain. He had a roof over his head, decent clothes, a decent house, and although they were strict, his family loved and supported him, despite his mischievous antics, and for the most part well liked. He had his other supports too, like Estelle Delacour-Weasley, (who was also  one of his many cousins), Samuel Lovegood, Xavier Chang and his twin brother Marcus, and perhaps most surprisingly, Theo Riddle, the great great grandson of the infamous Tom Riddle (aka Voldemort).

But, like the lives of all children, his wasn't perfect. Now, anyone who loves their children as much as the Potters did, will all say that the child (or in this case children) are perfect. The truth is, dear reader, that no one, not even those in a wizarding society is perfect. Albus, being the middle child he was, often had a lot of issues regarding his self-esteem. He often found himself feeling alienated from the rest of his family and often wishing to be like his older sibling James. For example, James, upon graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had set up a very successful newspaper in Diagon Alley, so successful in fact that it was considered to be a rival to the Daily Prophet. If anything Albus felt envy towards James, not out of hate for he loved his brother more than anything, but he found himself wishing he could be more like his brother, so as to please his parents. He didn't dare complain, for as he thought that would sound ungrateful.

A child's life is often riddled with the  mysteries and questions of life, and sometimes the child can't quite comprehend them. For Albus, one of the many mysteries for  him was the name of the house Malfoy. He'd grown  up knowing very little of that last name, other than they were bad people, and were not to be trusted. Yet, he often found himself wondering why his parents, especially his father turned so deathly pale whenever the name Malfoy was brought up. He often wondered what they were really like, since all he heard was rumors.

He would find out soon enough, for tomorrow was the start of his third year back at Hogwarts. The next generation had begun.