Starstruck

24. Light as air

“See you later Al, watch out for the thestrals.” laughed James as Albus gave a fleeting glance behind him. Almost imediately, another very familiar fluttery, panicking feeling inside of him; forget butterflies, it was if it was momentarily packed with miniture writhing snakes!

In that moment, Albus himself was unsure why he'd become so panicked about such an insignificant matter. Perhaps it was just the overwhelming reality of the day, but he couldn't prevent himself from blurting out. "Thestrals! I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!”

James decided, predictably, against answering Albus's question and instead merely scoffed with an infuriating raise of his eyebrows. Alowing his mother to kiss and hug him until he nearly imploded with pressure, did the same with Harry yet with not quite as passionately, and then leapt onto the rapidly filling train, overflowing in a sea of students. They saw him wave quickly and then he was gone.

 Albus was relieved to find himself temporarily alone for the second time, with the exception of the Weasleys walking just out of earshot. He turned to his father. Yet the question didn't even need to escape his lips.

"There's nothing scary about them. They're just like horses, just invisible, skinny (well fleshless actually), slightly skeletal and black. But apart from that they look relatively similar!" Albus gulped. Thank goodness about that. Inclined as he was to believe his father over James, he'd rather leave the encounted for another year.

Ginny turned to kiss Albus goodbye, leaving a faint red lipstick mark on his forehead which she rubbed of hastily with a fraying sleeve. “See you at Christmas... Al” She smiled sadly. Albus felt a sort of bitter-sweet tingle, torn between hapiness at going to his dream school and leaving his family.

“Bye, Al,” said Harry as Albus rushed forwards to hug him like he would never let go. He heard the steady heartbeat of his father compared to his, frantically dancing about his body with nerves.

“Don’t forget Hagrid’s invited you to tea next Friday. Don’t mess with Peeves. Don’t duel anyone ‘til you’ve learned how. And don’t let James wind you up.” Harry put in, condensing all his advice into last minute reminders. Even so, Albus’s head was spinning as he made a mental note of everything his father had told him. He seriously needed a pensieve some day soon to store it all.

But there was still one more thing to say- something important. It was vital that he stold someone before departing onto the train; it may somehow calm the jittering dread inside him. It was a nightmare that had been bottled up inside him for months now, he'd just never found the courage to repeat it out loud. But it was now or never. 

“Dad, What if I’m in Slytherin!?” he said under his breath, his voice barely more than a strangled whisper in the crowded station. Barely audible in the racket. A pause. Albus knew his father could detect the fear in his voice, and stood frozen as his father knealed down, so that his green eyes locked onto Albus’ eyes. The exact same shape and colour- Lily’s eyes.

“Albus Severus,” whispered his father in a tone that nobody but the two of them could hear what was spoken. "You were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I ever knew.” Albus’s breath caught in his throat. His father had told him about his namesakes being Hogwarts headmasters, but never managed to coax any information out about them.

For years he'd been teased by his muggle classmates for having the old wizarding name 'Albus' but had learnt to put up with it. He had absolutely no idea that he'd been named after a Slytherin!

"But just, just say-" he began, but Harry cut him off. "-Then Slytherin house will have gained an excellent young student won't it. It doesn't matter to us Al and it shouldn't matter to you, but if it does then you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The sorting hat takes your choice into account!"

Albus let the words sink in. He felt like all the wind had been knocked out of him, and then a split second later as if air had been breathed into his body and he unclenched his muscles. Albus breathed out a huge breath that he hadn’t realised he had been holding in, feeling as if a gigantic weight had just been lifted off his shoulders- as light as air.

 He actually had the choice- could affect- the sorting hat’s choice if he wanted to! He could ask the sorting hat to put him in Gryffindor and maybe it would answer his request? Suddenly, there was a glimmer of hope- something he could do himself without relying on chance.

Suddenly, the whole station seemed so much brighter and more magical; the air so much fresher and the frantic beating of his heart seemed to lessen and lessen. “Really?” he asked incredulously, almost daring his father to say otherwise.. “It did for me,” said Harry, his eyes sparkling.