The Potter Family

Malfoy's Surprise

  "Bye Albus, Bye Rose" said James running off to get a good place in the horseless (thestral) carriages. Professor Longbottom guided all the first years onto the longboats. "Four per boat" he said " Come on, quick!" Soon, all of them were in the boats and sailing across the black lake. Albus and Rose were in the same boat with a curly-haired girl with blonde hair and a small- looking boy who was clutching onto the sides of the boat.
~*~
James walked jauntily into the Great Hall and sat down at the Griffyindor table. The Headmaster, one of the youngest to ever preside over the school and also one of James's numerous uncles, William Weasley smiled down at him when he sat down. James acknowledged the smile with a nod and just then, Professor Longbottom strode in with a large group of first years behind him. He went ahead and sat down at the staff table while the first years stood at the centre of the hall, all of them looking nervous. A stool was brought in on which sat the sorting hat. A stern-looking woman, namely Professor Willow stood up and pushed her spectacles further up on her nose. "Now," she said. "The sorting shall begin!" James usually did not take much interest in the sorting and now he looked on with a glazed look in his eyes. It had been a little interesting in his first year when the sorting hat had sung a song before the sorting, but since then, it had not even said a word except for calling out the houses the students had been put into. Some sixth-years said it was growing old but according to James, that hat should have been thrown away long ago, especially since it had been half-charred nineteen years before in the legendary battle at Hogwart's. James opened his eyes a little wider as Scorpius Malfoy stepped onto the stool even though he was almost sure that precious little Malfoy would be put into Slytherin. He wondered why the sorting hat did not declare it right away because the hat had been on Scorpius's head for almost a full minute now and James's father had told him that Draco Malfoy had hardly had the hat on his head when he was declared a Slytherin. So, it came as quite a huge shock when the sorting hat loudly proclaimed him...."Gryffindor!" Loud murmurs went up throughout the hall and Malfoy's pale face reddened slightly. The Headmaster had to stand up to bring back order and even then, there were whispers going on all around. James almost felt sorry for Scorpius because just as James's father, Harry Potter had found his way into their history books for destroying Voldemort, Draco Malfoy had found himself there for becoming a death eater and also for being the coward who ran away from anything that endangered him. Scorpius found a place at the Gryffindor table that was the furthest away from James, probably because of their earlier encounter and started answering the questions of all those in the vicinity who were eager to know why he had come to be in Gryffindor. James was not interested. To him it looked like Scorpius was trying to be different from his father who would almost certainly not be pleased with him. The sorting hat suddenley called out "Gryffindor!" and before James could even see who had been sorted he fell back and banged into the boy sitting next to him. Albus had come straight to him like a little whirlwind and hugged him right in the stomach. James prised him off gently. "You're really embarrassing." he said. Albus looked a little hurt so James moved over to give him place to sit. Rose came to Gryffindor too, which was no surprise but James still wondered why Scorpius had chosen Gryffindor, even when the feast was over and he was lying on his bed trying to fall asleep.