Albus Potter and the Cursed Legacy | Scorbus

47. Back to Hogwarts

The gates of Hogwarts loomed before Albus. It was a familiar sight--one he'd passed through for five years previous. Approaching the gates was never a task that Albus found particularly exciting. The walk was monotonous, at best. Each trek up the beaten path to the castle felt no different than the last. Perhaps he grew a little bit taller each year, but nothing else seemed to change upon each arrival at Hogwarts.

Except for this time. This time felt different. This time felt brand new.

For one, his family was beside him--or, at least, they had been. He'd since fallen behind, lingering before the arched iron gate that had opened shortly after they'd apparated just outside of the school grounds.

Just a few days prior, he'd stood before the gate on the opposite side--enclosed by the bars and brick. Now, the open gates welcomed him. Adrenaline had coursed through his veins as he and his mates had snuck out of the school. Now, he had a similar thundering heart and sweaty palms for an entirely different reason. Last time he'd stood behind these gates, his life was entirely normal--or as normal as it could be for a Potter. Now, he was entering Hogwarts changed: a new version of Albus Potter. For better or for worse...

The beady stone eyes of the hog statues that guarded the entrance Hogwarts stared down at him from atop their pillars. The winged creatures watched every student that passed through, all the way back to the very founding of the school. They'd seen wizards who'd grown up to do great things--some wonderful, others terrible, but great nonetheless.

Compared to them, Albus felt insignificant. He'd always be shadowed by the actions of his father. He'd never reach the same level of recognition as his namesakes. He wouldn't go down in history as one of the Greats.

But yet, for once, Albus was okay with that.

News had spread quickly about the events at the Lacero Estate, no matter how hard Harry and Hermione tried to keep in under wraps. Albus expected that the whole school would know what happened by now. Many of the details were sure to be lost as word travelled so Albus didn't know what to expect upon stepping onto Hogwarts grounds again after his weekend at home. He was sure to be the subject of many a whisper but, for once, perhaps they wouldn't be too bad.

In fact, there was a small tingle of pride that tickled the back of his chest. Buried beneath all the trauma that he'd spent the weekend trying to sort out, something within him caused him to smile. He'd accomplished what he'd set out to do after all--albeit, not in the glorious way he'd expected. But maybe accomplishments such as these weren't meant to be glorious. Sure, the history books like to make it seem that way as Albus had learned as a child seeing his own father on the covers but the more he spoke to his dad, the less he believed the shiny tales. Battles were dirty--full of bloodshed, sweat, and tears. No one emerges unscathed. Even if not physically wounded, there would always be the deepest emotions that would well up, sometimes causing more pain than the former. Albus had only experienced a fraction of what his father had been through at his age, and that was plenty enough.

Albus didn't need to be a hero. He just needed to not be a loser.

And for the first time since he first crossed onto Hogwarts grounds, Albus felt capable of that. He wasn't the same Albus Potter that left Hogwarts that afternoon, set out to prove himself. In a way, he had accomplished his goal but that wasn't what he felt most proud of. He felt most proud of what he'd learned about himself in the process. He felt proud of his strength, his resilience, and--most importantly--the friends that had his back throughout the ordeal. He wasn't returning to Hogwarts as a hero, but he was returning with a new sense of determination. If he could defeat and evil witch and save himself and his family, Hogwarts bullies would certainly be no match for him anymore.