Albus (A Next Generation Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Gryffindor

Inside, everything was stone. The whole building was old and  crooked, with little nooks and crannies that Albus and Sam pointed out  to each other as they were ushered along. But at the same time it was so  huge and grand, with towers that rose higher than the stars, surrounded  by the forest and the lake that went on forever. He couldn't wait to  explore it, to send off his owl, Jasper, from one of the highest turrets  and watch his snowy-white feathers disappear into the sky. They walked  up a long flight of steps, past glowing fires that eerily lit up the  hallways, and stopped in front of gigantic wooden doors.

A  tall, young man with a small beard and very dark hair stepped out in  front of them. He smiled down at the first-years in an authorative  manner, immediately pronouncing his authority. "Good evening, and  welcome to Hogwarts," he spoke. Al gazed up at him in awe. He knew what  would be next. He would be sorted into Gryffindor, and he would get to  sleep where his father slept, work where he worked and grow up where he  grew up, next to his brother and Rose and Sam and whoever else he would  meet there.

"As some of you may know, I am the  deputy head, Professor Stanford. I am also housemaster of Slytherin, and  the Ancient Runes teacher. Through these doors in front of you is the  Great Hall, where you will have all your meals, and where any important  events or announcements take place. Your headmistress, Professor  McGonagall, as well as the other students. You will follow me into the  Hall, and gather at the front. When I say your name, you will come  forward to be Sorted,".

Professor Stanford droned on about the castle as  if he were a textbook, droning out facts and lists of what they had to  do, but Albus' excitement never dwindled as they entered the magnificent  Great Hall. His father had described it to him many times, but nothing his imagination could have conjured up did the place justice. Candles flew above his head, lighting up the huge tables, filled with kids ready in their houses. Next year, Albus thought, he'd be sitting there with James, watching all the new first-years come in. He spotted his brother at the Gryffindor table and waved. James winked at him as he patted the bench he was sitting on, saving a Al a spot.

It took what felt like forever to get to the front. Albus gazed upon the magnificent banquet table the teachers sat at, smiling at Neville- or Professor Longbottom, as he now had to call him, and Hagrid, who he'd only met a couple of times but got along with completely. He remembered his Mum telling him not to forget tea at Hagrid's on Thursday. He'd invited him and James round to see what Al thought of Hogwarts. And what Al did think of Hogwarts was that it was simply so magical. The place gave off an energy of mystical excitement, as well as beauty and curiosity. He stared some more at the ceiling, the night sky. He couldn't even see the rafters.

Professor Stanford stepped out in front of them, near a chair on which sat what had to be the Sorting Hat. The first-years craned to have a look at it, a rugged, dirty old hat which held their futures, almost.

"Right," the Professor said. "Miranda Abernathy," he called. A short blonde girl nervously stepped up towards the chair as the room fell completely silent. Stanford picked up the hat as she cautiously sat down, eyeing it as he put it on her head. For a second you could hear a pin drop, before the wrinkled of the hat morphed into a resemblance of a face, frowning and puzzling over what it saw in her head.

"Hmm..." it said, in a raspy, old voice. Albus wondered how long it had been around. Definitely long before his father had first been sorted into Gryffindor. He wondered exactly what it had said, as his Dad had sat there, fully unaware of how life at Hogwarts would pan out. "Not sure about this one, not sure..." the hat pondered. "Better be... Ravenclaw!"

The third table along clapped and cheered, as the girl wandered over and sat down. She was the first, and there were a lot of them to do. Albus and Sam waited forever for their names, as Stanford trailed through the A's and the B's.

"Alexander Ferrel,"

Alex turned to face them all, giving a big smile as his name was called out. His hand scratched the corner of his mouth, coming away with a spot of chocolate on it. He frowned, and faced Albus and Sam again. "Wish me luck! Now I think about it, I kinda want to get put with one of you two. I mean, since we got on so well and-"

"Alexander Ferrel?" Stanford repeated. Alex went bright red, and silently stepped forward. Some students laughed as he sat down. Albus just shook his head implicitly at Sam, who was chuckling to himself.

The hat sorted Alex into Ravenclaw, just like he wanted, making Al feel a little relieved that he wouldn't have to live with the guy. The girl after him went into Gryffindor, the two after that both into Hufflepuff, and the next into Slytherin. The group was slowly shrinking as Stanford got down through the alphabet, going past the K's and L's and M's, until he called out Scorpius Malfoy's name.

Albus immediately recognised him. He was the boy Ron was talking about on the platform, telling Rose to beat him in every test and ultimately to stay away. And Albus had heard a lot of things about his family. They were Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort, Scorpius' grandfather especially. He remembered his Dad telling him all the stories of when they fought, eventually on different sides of the war they faced about twenty years ago. Albus knew he would be put straight into Slytherin.

Sure enough, as the hat touched his white-blonde hair, it gave an exclamation, making Malfoy jump a little. "A Malfoy!" it said. "I remember your father, yes... I am one for tradition," the hat concluded. "Slytherin!"

As the green house on the end table clapped, the boy looked thrilled. Albus couldn't understand how he could want to be in Slytherin, taking after his father.

Albus tapped his foot on the floor as they got down the O's and finally the P's. Sam was just before him, smiling before he went up. The hat shouted Gryffindor as soon as it touched his head, and Albus caught his eye as he walked over, beaming, at his new housemates.

"Albus Potter,"

Al's heart started to beat faster, but he knew he didn't have anything to worry about. He was practically guaranteed a place in Gryffindor. With what his Dad told him about choice, and what the hat had literally just said about liking tradition, he just knew in his heart he was meant for that house. His feet took him up the stone steps towards the glass window, and turned him around to face the whole school. They knew who his father was. He could hear whispers, but they soon died to silence as he sat on the chair. He looked excitedly at the Gryffindor, his heart really pounding now when he saw James and Sam and all the others. Rose was still waiting, as Weasley wouldn't come for a while. Albus stared wide-eyed up at the candles, thinking 'Gryffindor' with all his might as the hat was placed on his head.

For an agonizingly long moment, the hat was silent. The whole hall stopped, all the eyes on him. Why wasn't it talking? He waited for the hat to make the exclamation of 'Gryffindor!', or to say a word about bravery or about his father or tradition or-

"SLYTHERIN!"