Albus Severus Potter (A Harry Potter fanfic)

The Surprise

November was soon ending, and the students were beginning to feel the chill. The students from the other schools had settled in well and almost all of them were getting on well. There were those few who thought that anyone from outside their school was scum, but it was nothing too uncontrollable. However, all of the students had noticed that it was very dark for late November.

∞

Louis had woken up to some sunlight shining in through the window of the Durmstrang ship. He noticed a fine layer of ice on the surface of Black Lake, and the cold sun staring bleakly down at him. He was momentarily mesmerized by the beauty of the scene, but it was quickly forgotten when Alex threw a book at him. "What?!" he exclaimed irritably.

"Quit looking out the window, we need to go to Hogwarts for breakfast today, remember?" said Alex.

"We do?" Louis asked, not remembering any of the announcements from the previous nights.

Alex groaned, "yes you idiot, now come on or we'll be late!"

"Fine," he said, dragging himself out of bed.

They woke up their friends and headed to Hogwarts for breakfast, not knowing why they had to have breakfast there. They trudged up the hill to castle and their fingers were getting frostbite from the early morning cold. The sun was nowhere in sight and Louis could have sworn he'd seen a snowflake last week. Everyone knew that it was abnormally cold for winter, but no one knew why. The muggles called it Global Warming, but the wizards knew better: something was going on.

Louis and his friends sat on the Durmstrang table, along with the rest of the Durmstrang students. Once they had finished eating their breakfast, which Louis had quite enjoyed, Professor McGonagall called for silence. "As you know, it is nearing Christmas and the Yule Ball is supposed to be taking place," she said, shaking slightly, making her voice waver. "This year, due to a change of circumstances, there shall be no Yule Ball, but in its place a Valentine's Ball shall be held. And the second task will be taking place on February 10th; no lessons will take place in that week." The students responded with a cheer. Professor McGonagall sat down, but it looked as if she wanted to say something more. Either way, the students let it slide.

After breakfast, the students all left the Great Hall in a slight hurry as lessons were going to be starting soon. Louis was going to a Potions class with Alex and Cole - his other roommate.

∞

Alex was a tall boy with dirty blonde hair; he also played Quidditch and was quite good. He walked into Potions class and took a seat at the back, hoping he wouldn't be noticed by Professor Merrythought. His potion making skills weren't that good. He was soon joined by Louis and Cole who dropped their books onto the table and slumped back into their chairs, not seeming at all bothered about the lesson.

"Today," began Professor Merrythought, "we will be making the Draft of the Living Death. Instructions are on page 12 of your text books." Alex internally groaned, that was one of the hardest potions, he would need a lot of help from both Louis since he could probably brew this in his sleep.

He read over the instructions and his stomach practically did a flip, he hadn't ever imagined such complex instructions. "Louis," he whispered.

"Yeah?" Louis whispers back.

"Help me?" he asked.

Louis raised his eyebrows, "really?" Alex nodded. Louis pet out a sigh, "fine."

"Thank you," replied Alex.

"But you have to do my History homework."

It was Alex's turn to sigh, "Okay then." Louis replied with a grin.

After a tiresome hour and a half, Alex was let out of his misery after his potion was claimed passable and Louis' and Cole's excellent. They walked back to their ship for lunch, but stopped when they saw almost all of the Durmstrang students piling out of their ship looking disgruntled.

Alex spotted someone he knew and walked over to them. "Hey, um, where's everyone going?"

"Apparently, it's been made compulsory to eat in Hogwarts now," he said, annoyance filling every word.

"Why?"

"No idea," he replied, shrugging. He carried on walking up to the castle.

Alex couldn't think of any reason they would need to eat there - they'd never had to before, or at least that's what he'd read. He didn't dwell on it, it didn't really make much of a difference to him at the start, but the more he thought about it, the more it annoyed him. Louis, however, seemed to think that it was a great way to socialize. The foreign students didn't have to sit at their tables; they were allowed to sit at the other tables if there was space. Most of the students stuck to their own tables, but occasionally Alex could see a Beauxbaton at a Hogwarts house table.

After walking back up the hill to the castle, they all dropped onto the benches, tired and irritated. Alex looked over at the staff table where their head master was seated. He also looked a bit annoyed, maybe because his students were annoyed. It was possible as he was surprisingly nice despite his permanent death glare. After glancing over at the Beauxbaton table, which was filled with more girls than usual, Alex could tell that they had to eat here too. He studied the staff table again, Professor McGonagall looked as if the top half of her body was having spasms, and he was surprised that no one noticed it besides him.

∞

Albus walked to Great Hall for lunch.

'Sit down next to Rose.'

He sat next to Rose.

'Stay still until I say so.'

He didn't move.

'The food's appeared, eat a little.'

He took a small amount onto his plate and finished it in a matter of seconds.

"Albus? Are you alright?" Rose asked.

'Say 'Yeah, I have a headache tell our teachers I won't be coming to lessons today afternoon'.'

"Yeah, I have a headache tell our teachers I won't be coming to lessons today afternoon," said Albus.

'Now leave and go to your dormitory, you have much work to do.'