Albus Severus Potter and the Mystery of the Letters

2 - The Hogwarts Express

Chapter Two - The Hogwarts Express

Friday, 1st of September

The Hogwarts Express

Al looked around the small compartment he had chosen. It had a sliding glass door leading on to the corridor that stretched almost the entire length of the train. It was comfy, but intimate, and Al was glad the people, well person, in his compartment were close family.

Rose sat opposite him, her blue eyes taking in every inch of the compartment. James was in the next compartment, Al could hear him yelling through the wall.

"Where is everyone else?" Al asked.

"No idea," Rose mumbled, her gaze directed at the scene outside the window; London was turning rural, and Rose was watching it pass. Her eyes were suspiciously red but Al, being tactful, didn't mention it.

"How 'bout I check out where everyone else is?" he asked. Rose didn't answer, so Al got up and slid the door open. He was almost at the end of one train, so he decided to go the other way. He had cleared one carriage when he bumped into a large group of people, which on closer inspection turned out to be his cousins.

"Hey Al!" someone shouted.

A chorus of voices joined in the greeting. The original speaker stepped forwards and Al realised that it was his cousin, Roxanne.

"Have you found a compartment yet?" she asked.

"Yeah," Al replied. "It's just me and Rose, so we were wondering if anyone else wanted to come join us," he finished shyly.

"Sure. We Weasleys always sit together on the way there, don't we guys?"

There was a loud whoop from behind.

"Lead the way, Al," Roxanne smiled.

* * *

Al was very glad to see that Rose had recovered by the time they all got back. There were not as many of them as he had thought, which was good, as it was already a bit full in the compartment.

On one side was Rose, beside the window, with her head in a book, Dominique on her other side. There were two cats beside her (Molly's and Roxanne's) curled up on the soft seat. Opposite them was Roxanne, who was between Al and Molly.

"So are you lot excited, then?" Roxanne asked, propping her feet up beside Dominique, who rolled her eyes but didn't complain.

Rose nodded, her head still in "Hogwarts: A History" and Al nodded slowly. "Yeah. But I'm kinda nervous about the sorting..."

Dominique nodded. "I was completely freaked out over it. But it wasn't as bad as I thought."

Al opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Then he opened it again.

"I'm just really worried in case I'm in-"

"Slytherin?" came a voice from the door.

James was standing there grinning mischievously.

"All right, little brother?" he smirked. "Budge up," he added to Dominique, and she and Rose shifted up towards the window, letting him sit down whilst avoiding the cats. Fred came in behind him, wearing the same grin as James.

"Hello all," he said. Not noticing the cats, he sat on top of them, but only for a second; there was an indignant "meow" and a yelp before Fred jumped up, swearing and clutching his backside.

Everyone laughed, and Molly moved up to let him sit down. Al was very thankful, as James forgot about him and moved on. It seemed he was still interested in Teddy and Victoire, as he launched into a vivid descriptions of what happened, which seemed to be more graphic than what he had told his parents.