Albus sighed as he lost sight of his dad out of the train window. James ,his brother, who he hoped he would be able to sit with on the train, had already left to hang out with his loudmouthed, second year friends. Now Albus had the whole train compartment to himself an he felt as though he might drown in his worries. What if Im in Slytherine? What if I don't make any friends? WIll people think Im weird because my dad is Harry Potter? Albus was so wrapped up in his pity party he hardly noticed when a girl rushed inside his train compartment and slammed the door shut. But, it was impossible to ignore her once she leaned her body against the door and burst into tears. "E-e-excuse me," Albus stuttered, quite unsure of what to do in this awkward situation. The stranger whipped around, surprised to see him there. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed tearfully , "Ill just leave now." "No no you can stay," Albus muttered thickly. Now that the stranger was facing him, he could see that she was very pretty. In fact, Albus was sure she was the prettiest girl he had ever met. She had rather large violet eyes and shining blond hair. Albus felt he would be crestfallen if she left now. " Whats wrong?" he asked, his voice suddenly an octave deeper. He instantly regretted it, afraid that he might have to help with relationship problems or something. " Those girls they, they turned me into a canary!" she sobbed. "Oh did they now?" Albus asked, amused. He now knew exactly what happened. "Those girls," had fed her a canary cream , a pastry you could buy at his uncle's joke shop for 7 sickles apiece. " Here," he said reaching into his pockets, "have a chocolate frog." He offered one to her and she accepted tearfully. "thanks" she muttered. She stopped crying and sat down across from him. Watching her nibble on the chocolate, Albus realized that he still didnt know her name. "Umm...Im Albus, first year," he said lamely. "Hello Albus First Year" sh said jokingly, "Im Ash. I'm a first year as well," Now, that she had stopped crying , Albus could hear she spoke with an American accent. " So, where are you from?" Albus asked , he ran his hand awkwardly through his thick brown hair. " Well, Albus," she stated, Albus like the way she said his name. It made him feel like the most important person in the world. "My parents moved to America when i was just a baby, when I got invited to Hogwarts, we immediately rushed over. We flew over the ocean!" Her expression suddenly turned dreamy. "Flying is a wonderful thing isnt it?" "Not for me," Albus said. Ash raised an eyebrow urging him to continue. "Im terrible at flying. Both of my parents were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and my brother is trying out this year. Hes bound to make it. The only I've seen fly better than him is my dad." "Who's your dad?" asked Ash. Albus mentally cringed. He had been doing so well at not mentioning his celebrity father. "Harry Potter," he answered. Albus waited for her look at him in awe, ask if she could come meet him sometime, maybe get her an autograph. But, all she said was "that must be hard." "It is." Albus nodded "I'll be living my whole life in his shadow." "I doubt it" Ash said, eyes twinkling, " You're definitely going to shine." Albus decided it would take too much energy to argue with her so he awkwardly agreed and for the next 2 hours they got to know each other and became fast friends. "Look!" Ash exclaimed ,hours later, shaking Albus awake. Albus awoke panicked and instantly scolded himself for falling asleep. Have I been drooling? James said I snore but I thought he was lying. Albus looked to Ash to see if she was disgusted but she was staring out the window. "Get up sleepyhead!" she said playfully. Albus looked out the window just in time to see a castle sliding out of view. "Was that Hogwarts?" He asked. "Yup, were amost there. Lets get changed."
This is it. Albus thought standing in the front hall next to Ash. Most of the fifty odd group of first years looked nervous but, Albus could also see the white blond boy who his uncle pointed out on the train platform boasting about something to a couple of other students. Whatever it was, they were obviously awed. Ash turned to see who Albus was staring at and made an expression of immense dislike. " That boy tried to touch my bum on the train" she hissed into Albus's ear. Albus cracked up at this but stopped when he noticed Ash giving him a cold glare. "Sorry," he cleared his throat. "Do you want me to curse him for you?" he asked, hoping she didnt. The only spell Albus could correctly do was one to clean ovens and he doubted it would work on humans. Ash opened her mouth to answer but just then a stern looking grey witch entered the room and everyone immediatley silenced. "In a just a minute," she said in a regal voice " you first years will be sorted into your houses so, please get into line." She then opened up a scroll and read their names in alphabetical order. When she read "Potter" everyone that was already in line whipped around to stare at him, but the witch cleared her throat and they faced foreward again. Albus was releived to see that Ash was only two spaces ahead of him, but he was less glad to see that the person between them was the blond boy from the train. And once again, his hand seemed to be reaching for her butt. Albus quickly whipped out his wand and pressed it into the small of his back. "Do it and Ill curse you," he growled hoping the boy wouldnt call his bluff. Luckily he believed him and pulled his hand back just as the doors to the dining hall opened. Albus could hear Ash gasp in amazement and he almost did so himself. The high ceiling opened up to the heavens and the entire room was encased in a warm glow. At the end of each house table there were empty spaces for the new students. Albus looked to the Gryffindor table and could see his brother and his friends making faces at him. Albus was now sure that he would be Gryffindor. How could he not? It was in his blood. THe first years lined up infornt of a stool with a dusty old hat on it. The entire hall silenced as the old witch opened up a scroll. "Creevey." she boomed , her voice magically magnified. The pasty boy ran foreward and jammed the hat on his head. The hat sat there for a moment and then a tear opened up on the brim, " RAVENCLAW" the voice boomed. The table closest to the hat burst out in cheers and the now pink faced Creevey ran to sit with his new house mates. Albus watched as the line got shorter and shorter. Finally it was Ash's turn. "Ashley Locken!" Ash climbed up the steps and set the hat delicately on her head. She smiled nervously at Albus while the hat considered. Albus knew she was going to be put in Gryffindor. After all they were exactly alike, "SLYTHERINE" the hat yelled , Albus felt his heart drop. That couldnt be right. She was supposed to be in Gryffindor with Albus. When it was his turn Albus stumbled up the steps. Still shocked by the hats decision, He distractedly shoved the hat on his head. Why was she put in Slytherin? Does this mean we cant be friends anymore? He was so distracted, the old witch had to kick him off the stool ,much to the delight of the other students. Albus apoligized and headed over to the Gryffindor table. "Youre going the wrong way sonny" the witch said and she firmly steered him to the Slythrines table. Albus slammed his hands on the dinner table but stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him. There had to be some mistake! Albus turned to the Gryffindor table, hoping to give his brother a HELP ME look but as soon as James caught his eye he looked away. Albus slouched in his seat brooding and trying to plot ways to kill himself. "Hey," a sweet voice whispered in his ear. Albus turned to snap at whoever it was but came face to face with Ash. He turned back around and resumed his brooding. "At least we'll be together" she said, nuging him. When he turned to look at her she wiggled her eyebrows mischeviously and grinned. Albus couldnt help but crack a smile. Finally the last boy "Zerfoff" was placed into Gryffindor and it was the headmasters turn to speak. The headmaster, "Rocky"Kingsley's voice boomed over the cafeteria. "I have a few words to say before we eat." "Well make em fast!" Albus could hear his brother's yell all the way across the dining hall. "Im starving!" The entire student body laughed at this and Albus cursed himself for not saying something earlier. He was hungry too. He could be just as funny as James! He sat, fuming, through Kingsley's entire speech, spending the whole thing cursing James for being so perfect and himself, for not. Some of Albus's misery melted away though when the dining table was suddenly filled with food. It was filled with potatoes, turkeys, meat pies, complicated things that even his magic savy mother couldnt make. Scooping some of everything onto his plate, he turned to Ash who hadnt one delicous morsel on her golden plate. "What are you looking for?" he asked her, watching her crane her neck as she examined the foods. "They haven't got any fried chicken!" she exclaimed. "What's fried chicken?" he managed through a mouth full of food. Some of the other first years leaned in as well, eager to hear what Ash had to say. "Its only the most delicous thing in the world!" she said, seemingly shocked that no one knew what it was. "Must be an American thing" said Parkinsan a girl who introduced herself to the pair. "It is" Ash nodded "and its delish." "SOunds quite horrid really " said a freckly boy, sitting on the left side of Albus. "And you are?" Ash laned over Albus to glare at the boy and Albus felt a spike of electricity when she touched him. He glanced at her to see if she felt it too but she was too busy lecturing the boy, Alex, on the wonders of drumsticks and hot oil. "Here," she sighed impatiantly "Ill show you," Ash then proceded to whip out her wand ,and to Albus's amazement, conjured a plate of chicken right out of the air. The plate was giving off a delicous smell that masked the aroma of all the other Hogwarts food. Even people at the next table ,Ravenclaw, whipped around to see where the unfamiliar aroma was coming from. Without really thinking about it, Albus reached out his hand and grabbed a chicken leg. "Its really not bad!" he exclaimed after trying it. Ash glowed and proceeded to hand out drumsticks to the rest of the first years. "Oi! Kevin youve got to try this!" Alex hollered down the table. A sixth year came tromping down to their end of the table. "This is my brother" Alex said importantly. "What is this stuff Alex?" Kevin asked, examining a chciken leg sceptically. "Its delicous!" Soon the Slytherine table was filled with plates of fried chicken ,courtesy of Ash, and the decadent Hogwarts food lay forgotten. Albus was suprised at how hapy he was hanging out with Alex , Pansy ,another first year, Parkinsan , and especially Ash who was possitively radiant from all the attention. "You're a big hit" Albus whispered to her after dinner as they were waiting for someone to take them to their dorms. "Oh thank you Albus!" Ash exclaimed giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Albus couldn't even remember what had happened the rest of the night.
