Albus Severus Potter (A Harry Potter fanfic)

The Preparation

The castle grounds were still covered with a thick layer of snow and most students had snowball fights on a regular basis. James, Albus, Jane and Tom enjoyed bewitching snowballs to hit the back for teachers' heads, a trick taught to James by his uncle George. The ice and snow sculptures outside were being left there as they were easily staying up with the cold. Only one had been taken down, because a seventh year had been complaining that it looked like Voldemort, although he didn't realise that that was Peeves' idea of a joke.

It was mid-January and the champions were still puzzling over their eggs. They all knew that the eggs could spilt into two halves and each of the champions had found a small piece of parchment with a word or two on it in red ink. None of the champions understood it.

∞

'Go to the Black Lake.'

Albus got up and left the Common Room. He walked out of the castle and involuntarily shivered, it was still snowing and the pure white snowflakes shone brightly in his black hair. He stood at the edge of the icy lake, waiting for more instructions.

'Melt the ice on the like and pour a little water in to the egg.'

Albus took out his wand and thought 'finite incantatem.' The ice instantly melted. Albus got his egg and opened it; it fell easily into two parts. He cupped his hand and took some of the Lake's water into it. He poured a few drops into each half of the egg and closed it.

∞

The next day everyone was eating breakfast in the Great Hall, the noise of everyone talking so loudly at once made it next to impossible for anyone to hear what anyone else was saying. Suddenly, all the owls swooped into the Hall, all of them hooting together - instantly becoming the centre of attention because there were twice as many of them than usual. As well as that, each owl was carrying multiple red or pink letters, which were now raining down on the students.

Shruti grabbed three letters out of the air, one was light pink, the second was a dark pink, and the third was a deep red. She nudged the girls on either side of her, who turned to looked at her. "Look," she said, waving around the envelopes.

Sienna gasped and asked her, "Which ones mine?" The words came out as a blur, but Shruti managed to understand.

Shruti looked at her for a minute and replied, "None." Sienna looked back at her and quickly grabbed all three envelopes out of her hand. Simran was laughing at the whole thing.

"Thank you," said Sienna to Shruti, Shruti just stuck her tongue out in response.

"Now give me mine," said Shruti, while Sienna gave Simran's letter to her.

"No," she said, holding the light pink envelope in front of her, Sienna took it anyway with a grin. They all opened theirs and their eyes scanned over the words. Shruti quickly finished reading it, a huge grin plastered across her face. "Hey, Sim," she said, looking over at her, "you done?"

Simran read over the last few lines and squealed. "Yes!" she said, clearly happy. "So who are you with?" she asked.

"Um, it didn't say," said Shruti. "Look," she showed Simran the bottom of her letter which just ended in 'x'.

"Oh, mine has a name," replied Simran. "It's um, I can't read it," she sounded put out. "I think it's um, Laxe. I can't read his last name, at all," she added.

"Hey Sienna," started Shruti, but she was cut off by Sienna.

"Look, look, look," squealed Sienna, waving around her letter.

"I can't see if you keep waving it around!" said Shruti, trying to sound firm, but failing. She took the letter out of the hands and put it on the now empty table.

Sienna immediately pointed to the 'p.s. bit' at the bottom. "Look, it says 'Meet me at the Black Lake at 7pm before the Ball'."

"Aww," Simran cooed, "that's so sweet! I only got a jumbled name." She added, sounded a bit sad.

"Let me see," said Sienna. Simran passed over the pink paper. "Well, I think his first name's Alex, but I'm not sure about his last name. Try to rearrange the letters."

"Ok!" she replied, sounding a bit happier. "Except, there'll be loads of Alex's here."

"Have fun figuring out his last name," replied Sienna with a wink. "Does yours have a name?" she asked to Shruti.

"No, and there's nothing in the letter either."

"Guess you'll have to wait for him to grab you at the Ball," said Simran.

∞

Louis and his friends watched as the owls dropped red and pink envelopes in front of most of the girls in the Hall. He noticed Alex looking over at the Beauxbaton table, except he kept moving around. "What are you doing?" asked Louis.

"Trying to see her reaction. I put my name as Laxe Oseltcnala," replied Alex, saying his imaginary surname with some difficulty. There were now no more falling letters, and Alex had stopped moving around, and he was laughing.

"What?" asked Cole, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," explained Alex, "she's sitting there like this." He put his elbow on the table, rested his head on it and started down at the table, his expression definitely the funniest.

Louis and Alex both scoffed. "Where is she?" asked Louis, and amused expression on his face.

"Just look on the Beauxbaton table," replied Alex, who was now helping himself to some more bacon. Alec could hear his roommate's quiet laughter even through the rising noise of the Great Hall.

A clear ring sounded through the Hall and the students silenced a second time. "Most of you girls will have received a letter from someone asking to go the Valentine's Ball with them," said McGonagall, her voice emotionless and her former excitement for the Tournament now gone. "Of course those of you who haven't received a letter or been asked, will be soon." She sat back down, but it looked as if giant hands were forcing her down.

"Hey, look," said Cole pointing to an approaching figure. "That's Albus, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah," said Louis, looking interested. Albus took a vacant seat.

"H-hi," stuttered Cole, Albus only replied with a vague nod.

"Good luck," said Albus, almost robotically. He held out his hand for Louis to shake.

"Um, thanks?" replied Louis, confused by Albus' behaviour, but he shook his hand regardless. Albus got up and left.

"Is he always like that?" asked Alex, scrunching up his nose.

"No," replied Louis, still confused by Albus' behaviour. He looked at his right hand and found a piece of folded up parchment. He unfolded it and read it.

"Is there something you need to tell us?" asked Alex, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Louis didn't look up and said, "Er, what?" Then he did look up and after seeing Alex's face said, "No," firmly.

"Fine then," said Alex, crossing his arms over his chest while pouting like a child. "But what does it say?" he asked, acting normal again.

"Nothing," said Louis, pocketing the parchment.

∞

After a few days people began wondering if their champions had solved the egg clue, but had to give up because Albus and Louis had quickly said that they knew and they couldn't find the third champion. For the past few days, Shruti and her friends had been using a Disillusionment charm to get around the castle, and were lucky that no one spoke to them during lessons.

∞

James was walking to the Quidditch pitch when he noticed his cousin Rose's bright ginger hair. He couldn't find a reason for her to be here, in fact, she should be at S.P.E.W. club on the other side of the castle, and she wasn't one to ditch. He decided to follow her. He almost caught up with her, when he noticed the Slytherin boy walking next to her. They were walking down the corridor hand in hand. James recognised the platinum blonde hair immediately. Scorpius.