Harry Potter : Next Generation

Chapter 3 Albus

I was left alone with James. Again. It wasn't technically alone, but it might as well have been. Fred and Roxy were always off in their own little conversation. Actually not always. Usually they were off with James planning or executing pranks, but when they weren't doing that, they were off in their own little conversation. Usually that was fine. Usually, James had Alice and I had Rose and Scorp, but of course the three of them were all in the prefects meeting. That left me alone. With James. And I loved James. James was my brother and most of the time we got on just fine, we were actually quite similar, but James had decided to talk about quidditch. More specifically about how he was the Gryffindor captain, which really wasn't that bad of a topic if James hadn't decided to talk strategy. Already. We were barely ten minutes into the ride to school. Don't get me wrong. I love quidditch. The problem is, James has decided there will be no inner team dating this year. I understand that we don't want a repeat of last year (Molly was a chaser and she started dating our captain, Alec Donovan. When she inevitably broke up with him, which everyone knew was going to happen except him, he got mad and wouldn't protect her from the bludgers and since he was our best beater, Molly was constantly having to dodge bludgers to keep from getting knocked out or having a broken arm like my dad.) However, this year I had been talking to Natalia Maguire and apparently that wasn't allowed anymore considering that James had been lecturing me on team commitment for the last ten minutes.

"Al you can't let a girl get in the way of the team. I really need this year to go well for me as captain if I want someone to recruit me. Can you please just do that for me?" I could tell he was serious this time, which he usually wasn't. So I gave in.

"Sure James" I told him, "no Natalia, but you owe me."

"You'll get another girl Al, I promise" he leaned closer to me, "besides in my experience going after the same girl for too long doesn't get you anywhere."

"Thanks" I told him, "and good luck with Alice by the way." I grinned as I left the apartment to look for Scorp and Rose. They should've been done by then anyways. I hauled my luggage out of the compartment and grabbed my owl, Who's, cage (that's his name. Who. I had thought it would be funny at the time but it really wasn't) I began walking as I tried to fish my wand out of my pocket. I had put it in my front pocket because Dad had always said not to keep it in the back, but I realized now that the front was probably worse. It was probably my fault for wearing muggle clothes instead of just putting on my robes. I reached my hand in as far as I could and finally grabbed it when I crashed into somebody.

"Sorry" I heard a voice say from the ground next to me, "I didn't mean to hit you but I was already falling and I thought you'd be far enough away and then you kept walking and I ended up taking you down with me. Sorry again."

"Really it's okay" I told the girl, "I should probably watch where I'm going."

"Hey you're Rose's cousin right?" She asked. It was nice to be recognized as Rose's cousin for once instead of 'oh you're Harry's son' or 'oh you're a Potter!'

"Yeah" I said, "sorry what's your name?"

"Alyssa" she told me. I looked up as she said it. She tucked a piece of wavy brown hair behind her ear and pushed her glasses up from where they had been falling down her nose. I must've looked confused because she elaborated. "My name is Alyssa Hemsley . I'm a fifth year Ravenclaw. Your cousin Rose is in my dorm. I think we're friends but we never really hang out since she's always with you and Scorpius. I'm a chaser for the Ravenclaw team but I'm not very good. I- sorry I'm taking too much. You could've told me to stop you know? I ramble quite a lot. I get a little lost in thought sometimes and when I get nervous I just keep talking and- I'm doing it again aren't I?" She sighed and blushed a bit.

I nodded but smiled at her. "It's okay. Really" I told her, "why haven't we met before? Rosie never introduces Scorp and I to her dorm mates."

"Scorp? Oh wait Scorpius okay." She said before clarifying, "and like I said Rose and I are friends but we're not very close because she's always with you guys. We mostly talk during quidditch and some meals, but I mostly hang out with Melanie and Iris. They're Hufflepuffs. And Lyla. She a Ravenclaw but only a fourth year. And - sorry again"

"Don't worry about it. It's nice to meet you Alyssa" I said with a smile.

"Al there you are!" I heard Scorpius yell from behind me, "we were looking for you... oh hi who's this?"

"I'm Alyssa nice to meet you"

"Hey Alyssa" Rose said from next to him, "where are the girls?"

"A few compartments down" Alyssa said, " I was just looking for the candy trolley. I don't know how but I forgot to pack chocolate this year. Usually I keep some with me just in case, but I must've left it in my bed or something. Maybe Augustus ate it while I was packing, but I swear I had it and-" she grinned sheepishly, stopping herself again, "well I'd better go. I'll see you later Rose. Bye Albus"

I watched her go, still wondering how we hadn't met before.