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September first.The day Albus Severus Potter had been dreading since the second he opened his Hogwarts acceptance letter. His parents had a mini celebration for him and his cousin Rose for both being accepted into the school, despite it being written in the stars since they were born. The best friends were going to start their Hogwarts journey together, no doubt being sorted into Gryffindor and having their pick of friends - Albus' uncle Ron liked to add. The anticipations for the day had been far too high for Albus' liking, he already wanted the day to be over.That was seemingly the only thing that separated the cousins apart from each other. Albus would've happily spent his whole childhood in the safety of the burrow with his grandparents, learning all about muggles with his granddad and baking with his grandma and Rose. He liked spending most days with his grandparents, he liked being flown around on a broom with his granddad, racing Rose and his grandma around the garden. Rose, on the other hand, had been rereading Hogwarts: A History since she could read. She danced around the living room in red and gold finery, pretending she'd won the house cup, singing the Hogwarts song. Her parents had told her all of their stories from Hogwarts, causing her to spend hours reading all about the War and then reciting it all to Albus. The car journey to the station had been an overwhelming rush of emotions. James was excited to get back to all his school friends, itching to get out the car and onto the platform. Lily was in tears, not wanting her older brothers to leave her after a whole summer together. His parents were both glad to be getting rid of them but also teary as they were saying goodbye to their youngest son. Albus, however, wanted the day to be over already, never being one for emotions and sentimental goodbyes. Lily, sat in the middle of her two older brothers was clutching both of their hands whilst whispering to them to not forget about her, the two of them rolling their eyes finding it hard to believe there would be a day where Lily let them forget her.Albus didn't remember the train station ever looking as big as it did now, the wall that his platform 9¾ seeming to be a mile away from where they were standing. The walk was slow and quiet, Albus beginning to become aware of the sound of his heart beating wildly in his chest. James broke the silence of their walk."What house do you think Al will be in?" James inquired, "cowards aren't normally sorted into Gryffindor, are they Dad?"Albus' face paled. He was relying on his name to get him into Gryffindor, forgetting it was based on the character of the person. He had to be sorted into Gryffindor, it would practically treason for the child of a Weasley and a Potter to not be sorted into the house. "James don't be mean about your brother," Harry scolded, "only the sorting hat knows where Albus will be sorted, it's not for us to try and guess.""We'll love you regardless of what your silly house colours are," Ginny added, noticing Albus' uneasy face."What if he's a slithering Slytherin?" James laughed, "Uncle Ron would never forgive him.""James, shut up!" Harry hissed at him, "don't worry Al, you won't be sorted into Slytherin." Albus nodded, but didn't want his parents to see how scared he was. The rest of the walk consisted of James hissing under his breath to Albus, who was growing paler by the second. At the wall of platform 9¾, James ran straight through with his trolley, desperate to reunite with his school friends and catch up about their summers. Albus lingered for a second not sure if he wanted to run through or run away."I can run through with you, if you'd like?" Harry offered, ready to grab onto the handle of the trolley with his son. "N- No, it's okay, I can do it by myself," Albus said, knowing this was a moment he had to have by himself. Before he could question it he began to run towards the walls, shutting his eyes on the expected impact, only to run straight through like he normally did. In front of him he saw James standing with his Aunt and Uncle, an excited Rose practically shaking in her spot. He pushed his trolley over to them, a nervous smile on his face."Don't look so scared Al, this is going to be so exciting!" Rose exclaimed, pulling him into an awkward side hug. Albus gave her a nervous smile as he pulled away and focused on not hyperventilating. Soon enough, his parents and Lily were chatting away to his Uncle and Aunt, gushing over how their babies were going to Hogwarts and much they wished they could go back. James has run off to his friends somewhere, giddy with first day excitement. "Excited for first year then Al?" Ron asked him, "We attacked a troll in our first year, didn't we?"Albus gulped, why had trolls never been mentioned before? Were there still trolls roaming around the grounds? Where was the troll in the school? Why did his Dad and uncle fight it?"Don't listen to your stupid Uncle, you're very excited aren't you?" Ginny said, slapping Ron's arm.Albus could only nod as thoughts whirled around his head. "No way," Ron gasped, looking at something in the distance, "Is that Malfoy... Malfoy with a child?"All three adults whipped their heads to try and see this Malfoy, all gasping in turn when their eyes landed on the clearly out of place people."The audacity of sending his kid to Hogwarts, didn't they hide in France after the War?" Harry muttered, maybe to himself or maybe to the group. Albus and Rose looked at each other confused, why were all their parents so shocked to see this man?"Was he part of the Dumbledore's Army?" Rose asked, trying to figure out what was going on."No Rose, that man stood for the exact opposite of the DA, the bloody cheek turning up here," Ron snarled, "God, if his kid is anything like him, stay far away."Albus had never seen his Uncle so enraged before. There was anger in both his father's and Ron's eyes and they refused to explain, saying it would be taught to them in their history lessons. Albus wasn't sure he wanted to know what the man stood for, if it wasn't what Rose had told him about all too many times.Before they knew it, the Hogwarts Express stormed into the station, the excitement getting louder as the long awaited moment had finally arrived. Rose immediately hugged both her parents, kissing them on both cheeks and telling them that she'll write to them as soon as possible. Albus, just stood in awe of the train that was taking him to his future. He turned to his parents, hugging them tightly then kissed Lily on both of her cheeks."Be good for them." Albus told her, wiping the tears that were trickling down her cheeks.Rose the grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the train. They both looked back before jumping on, Albus just managing to catch the last thing his parents said."We love you, Albus."Suddenly the two of them were in a whirl of other students, most of which were taller than them and far more at ease. They held hands as they wandered through the carriages trying to find one suitable. Most people were already sat with their friends, catching up after their long holidays."Al, Rosie, over here!" A familiar voice shouted at them.James was stood in the doorway of a carriage, waving frantically at them. They sighed a relief as they made their way towards the older boy, aware of the looks they got from the other first years who didn't know anyone yet."Right, this isn't happening every year but I thought I'd introduce you to some of the Gryffindor gang so you have some familiar faces around here," James stayed, gesturing for them to sit and and get comfy.He went round and introduced each one them, telling them something stupid they'd done at school and a fun fact - most of which were more gruesome than fun. Rose immediately began chatting to them, introducing herself and telling them all the things she hoped to achieve at school. Surprisingly, they all listened to her, laughing in all the right places and by the end she'd secured herself three quidditch practices and a charms tutor. Albus, on the other hand, sat in the corner listening but not taking part in the conversation. "Can you at least pretend to be interested, you look like a bloody squib sat there doing nothing," James hissed at him under his breath. He kicked him hard as someone asked Albus a question, only for him to shrug in response. The rest of the journey went painfully slow, the nerves rising in his chest by the minute. He could feel the anxiety rise into his throat, desperation trying to swallow the lump in his throat away. After focusing on his breathing solidly for five minutes he managed to focus the fear away, but he was left zoned out for the remainder of the ride. ⋆The great hall was exactly how Albus pictured it. The long tables seemed larger than life with hundreds of students cramped, longing for the first great feast of the year. The teachers looked intimidating as they sat on the stage, peering down at the first years. As soon as Albus walked in he noticed the boy his parents were staring at on the platform. The boy was stood by himself, there almost being a wall between him the person next to him. He looked lonely and afraid, biting down on his lips and rubbing his arm shakily. Albus felt enormous pity for the boy, having to tell himself to not go over them as he couldn't leave Rose.Soon the sorting hat began to sing, captivating the whole of the school in silence. When it finished everyone clapped, sitting on the edge of their seats nervously as they waited to see where the new students were sorted into. There were claps and cheers as each student was sorted into their houses, and beaming smiles from the students as they were sorted into the house they dreamed of."Rose Granger-Weasley," Professor McGonagall called out. Albus wished her good luck as she stepped up to the stool. She sat on the stool confidently, a smile wide across her face at whatever the hat was saying to her. It was seemed to be on her head forever before it made its choice."Gryffindor." There were loads cheers as she practically jumped on the stool and ran towards the table where her cousin was waiting for her. He pulled her into a hug as she sat in the seat next to him. This only caused Albus' fears to increase. The pressure to be put into Gryffindor was causing him his heart rate to increase and a lump to form in his throat like what happened on the train."Albus Severus Potter." Everyone started whispering amongst themselves. A Potter in their year? This could only mean good things. The next hero of Gryffindor, the next Defence Against the Dark Arts prodigy. A famous person in their year.Albus felt a part of him leave his body as he found his way to the front of the stage. He sat on the stool delicately, afraid of rubbing the sorting hat the wrong way."Hmm, interesting, you're not like your brother are you now Potter?" The hat spoke to him, "you are your fathers son, the same ambition but a different motivation - you fear your own power, but you know you can use it well."Albus was lost for words. What is the hat on about? There is not an ounce of power in Albus' body, there never has been."This house will be the making of you Potter," The hat said, moments before making its choice. "Slytherin."The school was shocked into silence. Albus didn't move for a moment. It must be wrong. He wasn't a Slytherin, Hufflepuff maybe. He couldn't be a Slytherin. There was silence as Albus moves towards the Slytherin table, the same lonely from earlier moving up so he had a place to sit. He couldn't bear to look at anyone so focused his energy into the intricate details of the wood the table was made out of. There were no celebrations from the other Slytherin students, only the occasional stare he could feel burn into him. He couldn't imagine what the whole of Gryffindor were thinking. Were James and Rose embarrassed, what would they think of him. A Slytherin in the family. He could imagine the disappointment his family would feel when they found out. Unless he didn't tell
them. Although, he didn't think he had enough chocolate frogs to bribe his brother and cousin to not say anything. Maybe he just wouldn't go home. When the great feast started Albus realised he had no appetite and couldn't dare to look around at anyone. He thought that no one would dare approach him, a Potter in the Slytherin house was wrong, they couldn't predict what he was like. The overwhelming thought made tears prick in his eyes as he stared at the table."My mama always told me to eat my sadness," Albus heads a quiet voice whisper to him, with a slight French accent. Albus looked to his right to see the lonely boy, his light blonde hair in a messy crew cut, smiling at him an offering him some potatoes. Albus couldn't help but take a few potatoes, not wanting to offend the kind boy."I'm Scorpius," The boy spoke to him in an equally as quiet voice, almost as if he was afraid someone was listening."Albus."The two boys had small talk with each other, no one else dared to talk to them at all. They found comfort in each other's equal loneliness and decided to stick together to make it through the year. Scorpius told Albus about his life in France and how he had to beg his parents to send him to Hogwarts over Beauxbatons, Albus couldn't understand why but didn't question it. Albus chose to not mention his older brother and cousin who were expecting for him to be in Gryffindor.As the feast came to an end, everyone started to head to their dorms. A Slytherin prefect called for all the first years to follow him and he directed them to the Slytherin dungeons."Hey Al," a voice from behind him said.Albus whipped around to see Rose running you to him, looking at all the Slytherins weirdly. She had a smile on her face as she reached out to take his hand."Leave me alone Rose, I have to go to my dorm," Albus said before turning around and catching up to Scorpius.He didn't see the hurt look on Rose's face, that quickly turned into anger as he turned on her heel shaking her head. She knew better than anyone that Albus needed her more than she needed him, but he just ruined that chance for him. She knew she didn't need her quieter, lonesome cousin to drag her down.Running into Rose made his already bad mood worse, not even talking to Scorpius for the rest of the walk. The dungeons were cold and empty. There was almost a lost feeling to them as he wandered down the corridors. Any warmth of human contact was gone and he could feel shivers in his spines. The common room was a deep green, with mahogany furniture spread across the room, with enough sofas to squeeze the whole house onto. There was an almost familiar feel to the room and he could get used to the constantly lit fireplace. Once in his dorm room he immediately got ready for bed, more than ready to end the day and sleep until the end of term. He managed to ignore the looks his other roommates gave him, apart from Scorpius who always seem to bear a smile. His thoughts were overflowing in his head. How could he have been put in Slytherin? Did the sorting hat make a mistake? Why did it say he was like his father, his father is the poster child for Gryffindor - there is not a Slytherin bone in his body.Slytherin.Slytherin.Albus managed to fall into a fitful sleep after spending an hour fighting the lump in his throat and voice in his head. He was drained from the day and needed a dreamless sleep to get him through the seven years of being a Slytherin.
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Albus' first term went exactly as he'd expected after being sorted into Slytherin. Terrible. He was quickly learning that the similarities he had with the rest of his family began and ended with his name. People were shocked to hear his surname, seemingly to be nothing like the Potters that everyone so fondly knew. He kept his head down as much as possible, realising that no attention was better than the possibility for a negative audience. The way he acted led to rumours of him being adopted or magically stunted, his classmates choosing the throw the word 'squib' in reference to him.It was clear to see, however, that Scorpius was becoming a powerful wizard, becoming top of the class within the first few weeks of school. He knew how to use his wand effortlessly as the words just flowed out his mouth like a second nature. He somehow knew every answer to every question, only to shrug when Albus asked how he possibly know that. 'I just read it in a book' he'd reply easily, like it was an early learners book or something. What Scorpius had in intelligence made up for his inability to make friends. The boy was painfully shy in non-school conversations, only confiding in Albus and making no effort with other students. Albus, confused but grateful, made the most of the attention he got from Scorpius - very glad the two of them had each other to help them through the school year. James and Rose acted as though Albus didn't exist. The train ride to Hogwarts seemed to have been obliviated from the other Gryffindors as there was no acknowledgement of him as even James' brother at all. Part of Albus was so glad to not have his brother and cousin breathing down his neck at every choice he made and spell he messed up. In class there was no way of believing that Rose and Albus were related, with the stares they gave each other and the huffs heard when the other got too close. However, there were times when Albus' chest felt so tight and the lump in his throat was so despairing that all he wanted was to hear a stupid fact from Rose or a insult from James. He missed the familiarity of them always being around, understanding his complex emotions and knowing to give him space and forcing others to as well. He hadn't written to his parents and burnt every letter he received without reading them. He felt relaxed watching the word they wrote him disappear and leave a pile of ash in their place. He lived in the shadow of his family, the shadow of his older brother who was the best chaser Gryffindor had had for one hundred years, and the shadow of Rose as she was always there to make the family name proud - at the times he least wanted to be a Potter."One of our old students, Harry Potter, did outstandingly well in Defense Against the Dark Arts, his eldest son is doing exceedingly well," Professor Trewner, the defence against the dark arts professor began, "Now Mr Potter you must follow in his footsteps and be equally good, what are the three distinctive features of a werewolf, compared to a wolf?"The whole class turned to look at Albus who shrunk into his seat. Albus had never shown interest in Defence Against the Dark Arts, the whole topic scaring him. He didn't know the first thing about werewolves, assuming you'd be able to tell a werewolf by his bushy tail, however he wasn't sure even that was the correct answer."I- I... Um, I'm not too sure, professor," Albus stumbled out, turning red and looking down at his parchment.The whole class started snickering at him as his face burned in the place he was sat. If there was a time to disappear, this moment would have been at the top of every list."Oh dear Mr Potter, let's hope your brother can tutor you before you fall too far behind," The professor tutted, "Can anyone tell me the three signs?""I can Professor," Rose shouted, her hand in the air as she stared directly at Albus. "The three distinctive features of a werewolf can be seen in the size of its eyes, the shape of its snout and the tuft of its tail.""Well done Rose, I'm glad I have one competent Weasley in my class," Professor Trewner said, giving Albus a pointed look. It was times like that when Albus couldn't bear the burden that came with his name nor his cousin who handled it so well. He could see the gleam in his cousin's eyes as the teacher praised her knowledge, at the expense of his own lack there of. Scorpius whispered to him not to worry about Rose and that, if anything, it was creepy she knew so much about werewolves. He laughed it off, learning to hide behind a small smile and light laugh.The laughing helped when he was confronted by the boys in his class who had never taken kindly to him, saying a Potter doesn't belong in Slytherin - like he didn't already know that. Scorpius could tell the words hurt him, however Albus never let anyone see what the extent of his pain was. He didn't need to worry Scorpius nor add fuel to the other boys fires. The way the acted around the boys in his class was reckless and arrogant. He was always equipped with a comeback and a snarky smile, a hex at the ready and the ability to save Scorpius from whatever they threw at him as well.No one saw the way he'd curl in the shower, crying his eyes out for help. They didn't see him at three am, longing to be anyone but him. They didn't feel the anxiety rise through his chest every time the boys were near him. The lump in his throat and the shake of his hands. No one needed to see the lack of anything Potter like he possessed, the fear of life overcoming him more often than not.It was two weeks before the end of term when Rose approached him for the second time. This time, however, she didn't give him a choice of whether to listen or not. He was walking out of his potions lesson, chatting to Scorpius about something or other when Rose pulled him into a classroom. Scorpius went to follow them, but Rose gave him a look that had him muttering that he'd be in the common room."What do you want Rose?" Albus sighed, already looking at door, ready to leave."Nice to see you too, after what, ten weeks maybe?" Rose huffed, an unhappy look on her face. "We're going home in two weeks and you're really going to tell our family you're friends with a Malfoy?""What do you mean?" Albus was confused, what did Scorpius have to do with his family."Are you playing stupid or do you actually lack half of a brain?" Rose practically shouted, throwing her arms around. "Scorpius is a Malfoy, and what are Malfoys, Albus? Deatheaters! Scorpius is a deatheater."Albus looked at her with a blank expression. He wasn't sure if he missed a class or something but he hadn't heard of a Deatheater before. However it was wasn't Albus' ignorance, more so Harry trying to protect his family from the past."A Deatheater, Albus! A follower of Voldemort, Merlin's beard, how Scorpius can spend so much time with you'll I'll never know," Rose huffed, "Scorpius is a Deatheater and when your parents find out they'll freak!""I don't care if Scorpius eats death, and I don't care about what my parents think about it either," Albus said as he headed towards the door. "Scorpius is my best friend and that's not changing."Albus stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him. He didn't look back once as he stomped to the Slytherin dungeons. What position did Rose think she was in that she had the right to tell who he could be friends with? There was no way that what his family thought of Scorpius would ever change their friendship. He was glad he had someone like Scorpius by his side, he'd rather have one true friend than all the acquaintances his brother and cousin had. That was the last he saw of Rose until the end of term. The end of term had, in Albus' opinion, come far too soon as he was beginning to find a normal at Hogwarts. Not a particularly happy normal, but it was a normal that he could deal with. The end of term meant he had to see his family he'd been so good at avoiding for three months. There was no way of escaping the expectant taunts of his brother and the disapproving looks from his parents and extended family. He knew it was going to come around but him and Scorpius were starting to enjoy the time had shared together, whether it be in the library or hiding from the other students.The train ride back to King's Cross Station was a quiet and somber one. Albus and Scorpius managed to get a carriage to themselves, both liking the fact they could stretch out across the seats. Scorpius spent the seven hour journey reading and talking to Albus about his plans for Christmas. Albus, too was reading, however he wouldn't tell Scorpius what he was reading. He didn't want Scorpius to know he was reading about Deatheaters, feeling it was a topic that he wasn't uncomfortable discussing. As he was reading about the horrors they committed, he was thinking how unlike Scorpius the whole thing was. There was no way that Scorpius could be a Deatheater, he was far too good natured and shy to secretly work for a Dark Lord.Upon reaching the station, the reality of saying goodbye to each other, after being each other's sanity for the past three months hit them hard. They stood in the carriage watching everyone greet their families with sad smiles on their faces. The two boys stared at each other, not sure how to approach the new situation they had been put in. Scorpius, however, launched himself over Albus, engulfing him in a tight hug. He held him for what felt like hours, as Albus hugged him back harder. They leaned against each other until they realised the train would be headed off again if they didn't leave now. The both stepped off the train, immediately going in different directions, not even saying goodbye to each other. Albus spotted just large family easily, heading over to them with his head down."Oh Albus, there you are!" Ginny gushed, running over to him and wrapping him in a tight hug. "We were beginning to think you'd ben left behind."Albus looked up and gave his mum a slight chuckle. His mum looked different than from the last time he saw her. Her eyes seemed softer and she seemed a lot more fragile than he remembered her. Her hands didn't leave him as they walked out the station, almost scared that if she let go that he'd disappear. She rubbed his shoulders and kept his close on the way to the car, not saying anything but appreciating his presence."You didn't write to us once Al, would've been nice to know you were having a such a good time," Harry chimed, looking back to see his son. "Even James wrote to us in first year!"Albus laughed when he heard, 'such a good time' knowing that his father couldn't be further from the truth. He didn't write to his parents for a reason, the reason being pretty clear from the glances he was getting from family as they stared at the green and silver scarf wrapped tightly round his neck."Haha, sorry, there were never enough hours in the day I guess," Albus mumbled, forcing out a laugh."Well I'm just glad you're home and you're safe," Ginny said, pulling the boy closer to him.⋆The Christmas break was a lonely escape from the hells of Hogwarts. The amount of time he spent in his room increased quickly as his patience grew shorter with his family, arguing with his Dad over trivial things. He didn't mean to get into arguments but going to Hogwarts made him realise how much of a prick his Dad was. Albus was sure he didn't intend on picking on Albus, but each snide comment about some wizard not doing his job, or Albus' schoolwork which he compared to his own time at Hogwarts would build up until Albus would explode. After one argument he hid in his room for two days, not even leaving for food. His stress was at an all time high and he didn't know how to deal the anger and frustration running through his body, feeling that locking himself in his room was the only to calm down. Whilst he removed himself from the rest of his family he didn't hear the arguments they were amongst themselves. He didn't hear his Dad saying that they need to talk to Neville about Albus' behaviour to see how he acted at school, he didn't hear him threaten to get McGonagal involved.The only thing keeping Albus sane were the letters he'd send to Scorpius everyday. Most of the letters were the same, telling the boy of the little activities he achieved or a random fact that he has learnt. He'd add little drawings to the end of the letter, or attempt a full size one on the back of the parchment. Scorpius would send him letters back with pressed flowers inside or a page out of a book. Albus kept everything Scorpius sent him, sticking the flowers onto his wall and pinning the book pages on the wall above his small desk. There was one page that interested Albus more than anyone other, it being a page from a muggle book. He asked if he could possibly borrow the whole book, which Scorpius happily sent to him the next day.Albus refused to talk about Hogwarts with anyone in his family, catching onto all of his tricks of asking Teddy to try and coax information out of him. Every attempt was met with a blunt, mumbled response that never was enough to satisfy his parents - especially his father. He heard his Mum say to Harry to lay off of him, saying she knew that Hogwarts would get easier for him and that he should just trust in the school to help Albus out.⋆Hogwarts didn't get easier to Albus. Him and Scorpius got closer, ignoring the rest of the school together. The two were inseparable, regardless of the comments Rose made about Scorpius in first year. If anything, the comment just drove Albus to have a fierce protection of Scorpius, knowing first hand the hurt that could come with Rose's words. The teasing only got worse, to the point of public humiliation from the people in their house and others as well. It was by his third year that he realised the hatred of Hogwarts was never going to change, but instead the divide between him and his family was only going to increase. The summer before third year had been a particularly hard one. James has been relentless in his Quidditch practice, using every moment of his day to take to the air with his Mum. They practiced day in and day out as he was preparing to become the captain of the Gryffindor team. All Albus saw that summer was James outside just window, throwing quaffles around and speaking a sport language that Albus couldn't even begin to understand. Lily, too, was unbearable as she was getting ready for her first year at Hogwarts. She was acting in a similar way to Rose, wanting to wear red and gold and listen to stories about her parents time there. She forced Harry to teach her simple spells on his days off, or give her tips for potions and charms. The smile on her freckled face never disappeared that summer as she excitedly anticipated her future at Hogwarts.Albus, however was feeling the loneliness of summer drag him down into a downwards spiral. The overwhelming feelings would overtake his body as he'd cry alone in his room, begging for someone to help him. He'd not leave him room, only appearing at meal times where he'd sit in silence. The summer was the worst one yet as he hadn't heard from Scorpius once. His parents pretended not to notice Albus looking up, hopeful, every time a owl came, only to sulk off to his room when it wasn't for him.The trip to the train station to begin his third year was the hardest one, not knowing if Scorpius was even going to be there. The morning was slow as his parents gushed over the baby of the family starting at Hogwarts.His extended family were waiting for them at the platform, all ready to wave Lily off for her first year at Hogwarts. Ginny has tears in his eyes the whole time, holding onto Lily, not wanting her baby to become one of the big kids.Harry pulled Albus to the side, away from all of the dramatics of his family and handed him a slip. "We were sent your Hogsmede letter and you never asked us to sign it," His Dad said, "So I signed it for you.""I hate Hogsmede," Albus mumbled trying to give the slip back to his Dad."How can you hate a place you've never been to?" Harry sighed, not taking the slip. "Hogsmede was one of my favourite places to go.""Because I know it'll be full of Hogwarts students," Albus said, screwing up the piece of paper."Just give it a go, it's your chance to go nuts - you can go to Honeydukes without your parents knowing," Harry pleaded, not understanding Albus' issue with it. "No Albus, don't you dare.""Incendio!" Albus said, watching the the piece of paper become a pile of ash."Of all the stupid things," Harry huffed, losing his patience with Albus."The ironic thing is that I didn't expect it to work. I'm terrible at that spell," Albus chuckled, looking his father in the eye."All of the things we do for you, and this is how you treat us," Harry practically snarled, "Go get on the train and don't tell your Mother what you did."Albus walked towards the train, not looking back at his family once as he boarded it. He searched all the carriages to find his friend, his stomach rising when he was sat in the last carriage of the train. He walked in quietly and looked at his tired, empty friend sat opposite from him."Hey Scorp, how was your summer?" Albus spoke, softly and calmly despite the rage he had from the conversation he'd had with his father."My mum..." Scorpius managed to spill out, tearing threatening to fall down his cheeks."Has she gotten worse?" Albus whispered, moving to sit next to his friend."The w- worst she could possibly get," Scorpius sniffed, leaning into Albus' shoulder. He instinctively wrapped his arm around him, pulling him into a safe embrace."What, I-, how can I help you?" Albus spluttered out, unsure of how to help his grieving friend."Just be here for me," Scorpius said softly, before letting his eyes shut and allowing his body to get a well needed sleep.
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Albus' third year was arguably the worst year he'd had so far. The humiliation was worse than ever, the two boys not realising how hateful fourteen year old boys could be. Albus became more and more distant from the world, not engaging in classes at all and only talking to Scorpius. The teachers tried to talk to him privately but to no avail, the boy would not listen to anything they'd say.Scorpius was struggling the most he had done since starting school. The pain of losing his Mother was constant and scary. The dependency on Albus grew, looking for him for comfort at all times. Luckily, Albus was always there for him, even though he could see the boy was going through his own thing. They needed each other as much as they thought they did. Scorpius started going to see a Healer at the school as a way of helping him verbalise his thoughts, at the request of his father. At first he was unsure that it could help but Albus encouraged him, fortunately so, as the Healer understood Scorpius completely and helped him far more than he knew Albus could.Albus' relationship with was whole family only deteriorated with time and the fact he was away from them. The one letter a week he got in first year, had slowly become one a month by his third. His guessed his parents knew he wouldn't reply, but sent him a letter just so he didn't feel forgotten, however he felt worse than forgotten. It wasn't lost on him when James got new Quidditch gloves and Lily got a mountain of chocolate frogs as a a congratulations for winning games of Quidditch and good report cards. He knew, technically, they had no reason to send him any gifts as he was overachieving - it didn't sting any less.⋆Fifth year rolled around faster than Albus could wave his wand. Which, to be fair, wasn't very fast. The fact it was his OWLs year was not lost on him, but any motivation to do anything has left his body and he felt like the shell of a person. He had spent the summer becoming far more irritable, and finding countless ways of hiding from his family.His family had given up on him. During previous summers his mother had at least tried to involve him in family activities, even if he shut them down every time. She allowed him out the hour to go for walks by himself, instead of going on the family walks. However, this summer they just accepted that he lived in the small space that was his bedroom, rarely leaving and whenever he did, he made sure to be discreet about it. He didn't see the emotional strain it put on his family, the arguments that were caused in his absence anyway. He didn't see the tense look on his Fathers say after asking if anyone had seen Albus that day, only for there to be a shake from everyone's head. He didn't see Ginny crying into Harry's shoulder at night, unsure of what she did to make her son not love her. It didn't stop James being an ass though. He still walked past hissing at Albus's door, put the Salazar Slytherin chocolate frog cards under his door. Fortunately, him and Scorpius were back to owling each other almost everyday. Albus wasn't sure if it was to keep him sane or because he needed all of the notes that he'd failed to take during class. He didn't know why he never took notes, he guessed it was because he relied on Scorpius to take them for him but also because he always struggled to focus on what the teachers were saying. The fact he had dragged himself out of his bed to attend the classes was enough, he thought, thus the note taking was a secondary priority.The night before September first, Albus was disturbed by a heavy knock on his door, a sound unfamiliar to his world. He mumbled a 'come in' as he flopped on to his bed. He didn't expect his Father to walk in, holding something in his hands."Hey Al, are you excited to go back to school?" Harry asked, unsure of how to approach his son who'd drifted so far from how he once knew him."Can't bloody wait," Albus grumbled, rolling his eyes at his Dad's stupid question. Has Albus ever been excited for school?"I'm sure it won't be too bad," Harry sighed, sitting himself down in Albus' desk chair. "I wanted to give you something that I was given when I was around your age."Harry held out a small, off-white blanket, witch a small smile on his face. Albus took it and looked at it, fumbling it in his hands."What is it?" Albus questioned, not really sure of what to make of this old blanket. "Well, it was the blanket that I was wrapped up in on your Great Aunt and Uncle's doorstep," Harry explained, trying to emphasise the sentimental value the item had to him."I- I, um, maybe you should keep it?" Albus stumbled out. He didn't understand why his Dad would give him a grotty blanket. "I get why James got the invisibility cloak, Lily does love fairies... this is?"He avoided looking at the slightly heartbroken look on his father's face."Would you like me to help you pack for Hogwarts? It was always one of my favourite things to do, the feeing of knowing I was leaving Privet Drive," Harry asked, desperate to reach out to Albus in one way or another."I know Dad, for you it was the greatest place on Earth. The poor orphan, bullied by his Aunt and Uncle Dursley," Albus said in a monotone voice, no expression on his face. "Albus, please.""Traumatised by his cousin, saved by Hogwarts!" Albus said, adding exaggerated movements. "Trust me Dad, I know.""Albus stop it now!" Harry seethed, his voice rising."The poor poor orphan who saved us all - so may I say - on behalf of wizarding kind. How grateful we are for your heroism. Should we bow now or will a curtsey do?""Albus, why are you doing this?" His Dad almost shouted, standing up from his seat."What did you think would happen Dad? Did you think we'd hug and I'd say how I've always loved you?" Albus shouted, throwing the blanket to the floor."You know what? I'm done with being made responsible for your unhappiness. At least you've got a Dad. Because I didn't.""And you think I'm lucky?" Albus screamed, "because I bloody don't.""You wish I was dead?" Harry said, his voice only getting louder."No! I just wish you weren't my Dad!""Well there are times I wish you weren't my son," Harry bellowed, causing James to run to the doorway in a panic. "No, I didn't mean that.""Yes you did," Albus said, all the energy deflating from his body, leaving his exhausted."No, you just know how to get under my skin," Harry sighed, him too quietening drastically."You meant it Dad. And, honestly, I don't blame you," Albus muttered, lying down on his bed and facing the wall. "You should probably leave now.""Albus, please..." Harry begged as he was leaving, but Albus refused to turn around. He heard the door shut and his room was left in an uncomfortable silenceAlbus felt his whole body crush as he went over the whole conversation in his head. Why did he do that? Who did his dad think he was? All he wanted to go was disappear as he let the hours trickle by. He wasn't sure how long he stared at the wall but his body grew more tired and he must have fallen asleep at some point.The morning came and Albus felt like a deadweight. Despite the long sleep he must have had, he felt like he hadn't slept a wink. His head was like a stone attached to his shoulders and he wasn't sure he had enough strength to move it at all. He dragged himself up like he did everyday and forced himself into a pair of jeans and hoodie. The blanket his dad gave him last night was discarded on the floor and he made no effort in going to pick it up. He managed to get his trunk downstairs, sitting on it exhausted at the bottom of the stairs. His mum called for breakfast, the whole family staring him as he shuffled into the kitchen."Morning, Al," His mum said to his, leaning to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Ready to go back to school?"Albus just nodded in response as he moved about the kitchen, trying to find a carton of milk with the milk still in it. After pouring himself some cereal and whatever milk he could find, he went and sat at the table in the seat he'd sat in his whole life. His father came into the kitchen, his tie askew and a tired look on his face. He was clearly unprepared for the day, it seeming that he was working after having no sleep. "Morning James, Lily, ready for school?" Harry relished out, reaching for the cup of coffee waiting for him. "Oh, I-, morning Al."Albus didn't respond, staring intently at the cereal in front of him, not wanting have another conversation like last night. Soon the whole family were on their way to the station. Albus was looking out the window, seeing the streets on London he so rarely got to walk along. He had memorised the journey and could point out the buildings he was curious about going to, wanting more than anything to see what life was like as a muggle. He had asked his grandad about it constantly when he was younger, however his dad was always defensive about the topic and would shut Albus down when he tried to ask about his childhood.On the platform, Albus felt the familiar rise in his chest that he got at the start of every term. The uncertainty of how his year was going to go loomed over him ominously. He stood anxiously with his parents as they chatted to his aunt and uncle about recent events, and the memories of their fifth year, more specifically Dumbledore's Army. He saw the look on their faces as Scorpius and his father entered the platform. Scorpius had grown over summer, his face had become sharper, despite having the same boyish facial expressions. His hair was longer and fluffier, clearly a hairstyle that Scorpius had chosen. He caught Scorpius' eye and gave him a small smile, but understanding the dice between their families."Seeing Draco with a kid never puts me at ease," Harry muttered, "What he's telling that boy, I don't want to know.""Rose tells me he's as cunning as Draco was, the kid is top of every class," Ron joined in, "wouldn't surprise me if Draco just paid to put him there.""Don't say that about Scorpius, you don't know him," Albus shot back, anger rushing through his body. How can his dad and uncle stand there and talk about a boy they don't even know. Especially a boy as kind as Scorpius, regardless of their parents agenda against his dad."Albus, stay out of it! You don't know him or his father," Harry huffed, looking at Albus with a hard expression."I do know Scorpius, I know that he is sweet and kind and intelligent," Albus shouted, "I know that he's the best friend I've had at Hogwarts.""Stop talking rubbish Albus, there's no way his father would let him be friend with you," Harry said, raising his voice but trying to stay calm."Dad, don't you get it! I'm not like you, or mum, or anyone in this family!" Albus shouted again, causing people to stare. "Me and Scorpius are best friends, I know it must kill you to hear it but he's a hell of a lot nicer than anyone of you lot!""This is ridiculous, you're only friends with him to get back at me, and for what?" Harry shouted this time, the rest of his family staring at them in silence. "All me and your mother have done for you, and you treat us like this.""All the things you've done for me? You can't even look at since I was put in Slytherin," Albus shouted. "I hate you Dad, I hate you and your stupid family name that is suffocating me.You said it yourself, yesterday, you wish I weren't your son well it's your lucky day because you never have to see me again!"Albus ran onto the train without a second thought. The lump in his rise in his chest was shortening his breath as he made his way through the carriages, panic over taking his body. Tears pooled in his eyes and he felt the walls close in on him and suffocate him. He didn't see as an escape as he kept moving, his hands shaking as they opened every door and followed every movement. His breaths were becoming quicker and more frantic and he couldn't bear to carry on any further.He fell into a carriage and curled in on himself in the corner. The walls didn't stop moving and all the oxygen seemed to disappear like he was in a deflating balloon. "Woah, you alright there buddy?" A voice suddenly said in the door way.Albus looked up to see a girl with badly cut, black hair and a smirk on your face. He didn't dare reply to her as she looked over at him."I know you, you're one of the Potter kids," The girl said, "You must be the one the whole school is talking about, argument with your dad?"Albus nodded pathetically, still trying to tame his out of control breathing. He couldn't place a finger on how he knew the girl, but he had a feeling that she wasn't here for a good reason."Well, by the looks of it, you're having a panic attack," the girl said, crouching down next to him. "And normally, Potter, I don't give my goods away for free - but you look like you could use some."Goods? What the hell was this girl selling, and how could it solve his family problems?The girl opened her bag and pulled out a little vial of purple potion. The liquid itself didn't look unappealing, but he was unsure of how it was supposed to help him."Drink this, all of it." The girl commanded, handing him the vial."What is it?" Albus managed to breath out."Think of it of a calming draught, but better," the girl smirked, a playful look on her face.Albus drank the liquid, knowing that such a small amount couldn't have too much of an affect on him. He felt the liquid run through him, almost instantaneously calming his heart down. He was blown away by the speediness of it, where had it been when he'd have to suffer through the anxiety by himself."Good, good," the girl said, standing up. "If you need anymore, well you'll know where to find me. My name is Delphi, by the way."With that, Delphi left the carriage and Albus was left on the floor, unsure of how to feel about what happened. He stood up, fixing his clothes and sat down on one of the seats, waiting for Scorpius to join him.The way the calming draught has worked so quickly made him feel like he hadn't done for years. All the stresses he had had gone and were replaced by a warmth content feeling. He hoped he'd run into Delphi again, knowing she'd had more of what had made him feel so relaxed."Albus, are you okay?" Scorpius said, out of breath as he flopped on the other seat. "I think the whole school what happened between you and your dad.""I don't care," Albus grumbled, wanting to forget the argument. "How was your summer?""It was really nice actually, me and dad spent loads of time together." Scorpius spieled, seeing that Albus didn't want to dwell on it. "It was hard not having mum around, but it was the first time since, you know, that I didn't feel lost around Dad."From then, the two boys talked non stop the whole way to the Hogwarts. Scorpius had loads of stories to tell about the books he had read, and Albus was more than happy to listen to whatever Scorpius had to say. The hours that past were blissful and Albus had never felt more at ease about going to Hogwarts. It made for a nice change, after four years of dreaded anxiety.His mind felt light and he was joking around with Scorpius, in a way that so rarely happened and was a way that the two boys communicated so well. He laughed on that train ride in the first time in months, the laughs where he'd have to hold his tummy it hurt. Scorpius could almost feel the happiness radiate off of Albus and lapped it up in all the ways he could. Maybe his fifth year was going to be the best one yet.
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The next couple of days went by in a daze. The lightness of the potion stayed with Albus, leaving him on cloud nine. Him and Scorpius quickly got into their routine, but this time it didn't feel like chore. Waking up for breakfast was the start of a bright, new day with opportunities for good things to happen. Each lesson that went by wasn't a horrible experience, each wrong movement of his wand was a lesson learnt, each wrong answer was just an answer closer to the right one. There was nothing that could bring Albus' mood down.Scorpius' attitude matched Albus' as they laughed with each other at dinner time, and shared inside jokes in hushed whispers during their library hours. The drastic change in Albus' behaviour was not lost on Scorpius but he knew he'd might as well make the most of the happiness, knowing it could end at any point. The two would stay up late at night in the common room, wands lighting up the room as they read together and played games of exploding snap. Even the boys in their dorm couldn't bring down Albus' mood. The sly looks of their faces didn't phase Albus as he was tricked and tripped by their harsh jokes. Their words seemed to bounce off of Albus as their taunts were ignored and forgotten. Scorpius wasn't sure if Albus' new found tolerance to the mimics of their peers was taken kindly, as, if anything the two were treated worse than ever before. You couldn't tell by Albus' attitude. It was the first potions lesson of the new term. Usually, Albus grumbled the whole way as it was the one class that had had Rose in it since first year. Scorpius would listen but ignore his friend's sour words, knowing Rose was hardly as bad as Albus made her out to be.They walked into the classroom, immediately moving to the seats they'd sat in since their first ever potions class. They weren't the first in but the rowdy Gryffindors hadn't arrived so there was still a calm atmosphere to be appreciated. Albus and Scorpius were discussing what potions they'd be making in fifth year, knowing this year was the most important in terms of their lessons.Soon enough, the peaceful time of the class was over as Rose and all her friends bounced into the classroom, laughing and joking with each other. Albus hated everything about the group the moment he laid eyes on them, the hatred only growing as Rose stood proudly at the front. The teacher desperately hushed them, asking them to find their seats when Rose glided past Albus and Scorpius' desk."James and Lily have been looking for you," Rose said, barely looking at Albus. "James asked me to tell you, if I ever saw you that was, that you need to stop being such a slithery snake and apologise to Dad."Albus looked helpless, as if the bubble he'd been living in the past couple of days had been popped and he was left with a sticky mess of a situation. He hadn't even thought about the argument he had on the platform, this being the first time he was actually beginning to process the words that were said. Rose gave him a look that made him feel seven years old again before moving to sit with her friends again. The two boys were left speechless at the words, only being able to follow her with their eyes as she walked to her seat."Have you noticed anything different about Rose?" Scorpius said, "I think she's done her hair differently.""I don't care about her stupid hair," Albus muttered, scribbling on his parchment lazily. "There's a reason why James and Lily haven't seen me, I don't want to see them."The whole lesson Albus was thinking about Rose's words. He didn't like how his brother and sister had been talking about him, even though it was clear they had been. He knew it was easy to talk about him, the weird Potter brother who hung out with a Malfoy and was sorted into Slytherin, he just didn't like the idea of his brother and sister joining in. Scorpius kept him preoccupied, by asking him far too many questions about what Rose was like over summer. Albus took no notice of the words questions, repeatedly telling him that he didn't spend enough time with her to know her favourite spell or what she uses to make her face glow so nicely. After the lesson, Scorpius attempted to pull Albus out of the hole he'd fallen into, thanks to Rose. He knew it was their last class of the day of the day, so Albus let himself be dragged to their secret hide out. He wasn't sure if it was secret but he knew that there had never been anyone there when they went to use it.Albus followed Scorpius out of the closest doors and onto the large grassy areas that were the school grounds. The two walked in silence, focusing on the place they were trying to reach without distraction. There were students everywhere, none of them looking at where they heading, but they wouldn't take any chances anyway.Soon, the great willow tree came into view. Scorpius was the one to move the vines out the way, letting Albus duck under his arm and sit by the trunk of the tree. Scorpius sat down next to him, taking in the awe of sitting under the tree like he did every time they went there.The first time they sat under the tree was in their first year. The torments were getting to two much for the young boys to handle and they needed an escape where no one would find them. They ran around the school, trying to find somewhere where they couldn't be seen. It was wasn't until Albus angrily whacked the hanging branches that they realised they could sit under there was hours with no one noticing."What do James and Lily even want from me?" Albus groaned, finally feeling like he was in a place to vent. "Like, I am already the least favourite, do they want me to dig my grave or something?""Albus, don't say that," Scorpius said, "Maybe they just want to understand your side of the argument, it can't be easy to have the stand around and watch that happen.""It's not easy being their brother, but I make it work," Albus sighed.Scorpius changed the topic onto something work related, the two joking around like they had been the last couple of days. He pulled out one of the books he was reading and began speaking it out loud to Albus, who settled his head in Scorpius' lap and fiddled with a piece of grass he pulled out. Scorpius let the words of a literature book fill the air, knowing it always calmed Albus down. The privacy of the underside of the willow tree had always remained such a special place to Albus. It was the first place he wanted to go when life got hard, even during summer he wished he could hide under the weeping haven. It was his favourite place in the whole school, a place where him and Scorpius were protected, a place where he saw Scorpius break down over his mum for the first time, the place where he stayed with Scorpius for hours whilst he cried himself into a tranquil state and was ready to sleep. It was a place where Albus could be most angry, most honest but also the most happy."Do you fancy Rose?" He asked out of the blue, catching Scorpius off guard. "I heard the way you talked about her, Scorp.""I, Er- I don't know," Scorpius, spluttered out. "She's always been really pretty, I think, her hair looked really nice today.""I know, you said, like a hundred times," Albus mocked, laughing. "But really, Rose, my annoying cousin.""C'mon Al, she's not half as bad as you make her out to be!" Scorpius laughed, "I mean, she's so clever.""And there's nothing annoying about a know-it-all," Albus sighed, "apart from you, of course, you're about as much nerd as I can handle."Scorpius hit him, laughing. It was nice to have conversations like this, that didn't feel like he had to be angry. Even if the conversation was about his best friend's new found love for his cousin.After a couple of hours they headed up to the castle for dinner, careful to avoid the conversation the Potters were due to have. The whole time Albus mocked the attraction Scorpius had to Rose, even if it came from a place of unplaceable jealously. Their dinner was eaten quickly, realising they had reading for a class they hadn't even started yet. They were out of the great hall as quick as they were in it, luckily for Albus who still hadn't seen his brother or his sister.⋆Albus managed to last until the first Sunday until he saw his brother and sister. Him and Scorpius were in the great hall, eating their breakfast and awaiting the first letters from home of the year. It had never been exciting, getting letters from his parents, but he knew it was an important part of Scorpius' week. The breakfast at school always seemed to be the tastiest thing after a long summer of his parents cooking. He wasn't sure what the cooks did to make the bacon so crispy and the toast the perfect golden colour, but it was one of the only things he missed about school when he went home. Him and Scorpius would always help themselves to two slices of toast each and a pile of bacon, along with a large of coffee to help them, Albus especially, to get through the day. Soon enough, owls started making their way through the windows, dropping letters and parcels as they went. The snow white owl that was so familiar came towards the two boys, Scorpius ready with a treat to give the bird. The bird had a letter and a small package for Scorpius. The boy took the items before petting the bird and sending it on its way. Albus too, received a letter from family's owl, Hooty.Like always, Albus slipped the letter into his robes and turned his attention to Scorpius. His friend opened the letter to see a long message from his father. Albus watched as the boy's facial expressions changed throughout the letter, a smile one second to a frown the next. He wasn't sure what had been written, but it didn't seem to make Scorpius very happy. When Scorpius put down the letter, he looked up and sighed at Albus."My father is confused as to how I found myself being friends with a Potter, the delinquent one, he so nicely added," Scorpius huffed, "He's also concerned that I never mentioned it before.""You've never spoken about me to your father," Albus mock gasped, "to say I'm upset is an understatement.""Because buddying up with a Potter is the first thing a Malfoy wants to hear," Scorpius said rolling his eyes. "He still sent me chocolate frogs, he can't be too mad.""Oh, to be a Malfoy," Albus sighed jokingly, knowing full well being a Malfoy was practically asking for trouble.They finished their breakfast in a comfort silence, Albus knowing how the rest of the day was going to go. Scorpius was going to pour his heart into a letter to his father, gushing about how much of a good friend Albus was, whilst Albus flicked him in the head until he'd consequently give up writing the letter and play games with Albus all afternoon.The two boys got up to leave when they'd finished, planning to head to the library to get the books they need for their homework early so they had them for the week, a routine Scorpius followed religiously. They left the hall and turned to walk towards the library when there was a voice that shouted to them."Albus!" The familiar voice shouted, "you can't run, we've seen you."Albus turned around the see his brother and sister standing in the doorway of the hall. He stopped in his tracks, letting them come to him."We've been looking for you," Lily said, as they walked over to him."I heard.""Run along Malfoy, we need to talk to our brother," James snarled, pointing his wand at Scorpius."Don't talk to him like that," Albus shot back, "Scorp, I'll meet you in the library, I won't be long."James waited until Scorpius was out of earshot before ripping in Albus."Who the hell do you think you are?" James shouted, shoving Albus hard. "You're so bloody selfish, you never think about your family.""What do you mean?" Albus shouted back. "You're really trying to tell me that you didn't erase the memory of me ever being your brother as soon as I was sorted into Slytherin.""Shut up Albus! This isn't about your bloody house," Lily joined in."You can't even look at me! You walk around as if you only have one sibling, and I'm just some weirdo who has the same surname as you!" Albus yelled, rage rising through his body."Why are you doing this Al? Why do you hate us so much?" James said, shaking Albus' body."Why do you hate me?" Albus shouted again, trying to get out of James' grip."We don't hate you, you're just bloody miserable all the time," James spat. "You're ruining mum and dad as well.""Well, this whole family ruined me!" Albus yelled, shoving James into Lily and running off into an empty corridor.Albus collapsed into the wall. The anxiety rising through his body was causing him to lose his breath, shaking and helpless. He pulled at his hair as he rocked himself, trying to get a hold of himself, but failing miserably. The corridor closed in on him. He felt trapped and lost, unable to find something to bring himself back up to the surface. He was slipping further and further until he heard footsteps from somewhere in the hallway.He didn't dare look up, letting the noise come closer to him. He could feel someone staring at him, but he didn't have the energy to move or cover himself. Whoever it was would have to deal with seeing the Pathetic Potter child, then move on with their life."Didn't think we'd be meeting again so soon," a voice said, a figure crouching down next to him. Albus looked up to see Delphi staring at him, the same smirk on the face as she had on the train. Without saying another word she opened her bag, pulling out a large bottle of the purple potion."Please, I'll do anything," Albus gasped, knowing it was the only thing that would calmhis anxiety."Oh Albus, you don't do anything right now," Delphi said sweetly, "all that comes later.""Okay.""This isn't just a calming draught. I'll warn you, you must only drink it when necessary." Delphi commanded, "follow the rules, or well, you'll pay the price."Albus in the flurry that was his breakdown took the bottle with a nod. She smiled at him again, before standing up."Pleasure doing business with you, Potter, perhaps I'll you around." Delphi said, walking down the corridor without looking back. Albus opened the bottle and immediately took a swig of the purple liquid. The calmness rushed through his again, putting him in the daze that had been so nice for the first couple of days. He slipped the bottle into his bag, then stood up and headed to the library to meet Scorpius.
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Albus didn't know what potion Delphi gave him or what it was actually doing to his body but he did not care. The way it made him feel was something of euphoric. The lightness was unexplainable, being able to live like how he thought all normals wizard must. The bliss was endless. He felt happy, lighter, actually alive for the first time in years. The potion was his secret to surviving Hogwarts, not that anyone needed to know that he was taking it. He knew if Scorpius saw him, he'd put the potion through every tested and figure out exactly what was in it. There were some things that didn't need an explanation.That was why he didn't tell anyone. He didn't think it was anyone's business anyway. He kept the bottle hidden in his trunk, and made sure no one ever went into his trunk. He took a small sip from the bottle everyday, using it to help him get through the day like his coffee did. Scorpius hadn't suspected anything, thus far, and his plan was to keep him thinking about it for as long as possible. It was difficult to distract Scorpius, finding books for him was the most effective though, by far.He's steered clear of his brother and sister, since their conversation in the hallway and didn't tell Scorpius about the argument. He knew telling Scorpius things like that would only stress him, and he liked to keep Scorpius as happy as possible. He'd hardly seen Rose either, and she didn't try approach them in class anymore. For Albus, the term was the best one he'd had yet and with how the potion was making him feel, it was only going to get better.Things were better than ever with Scorpius as well. Normally, Albus had the constant fear that he wasn't the most fun person to be around, often living in his own misery and putting it onto others as well. However, so far the amount of late night laughs him and Scorpius had had were innumerable, much to the annoyance of their roommates. They were a duo that were as strong as they had ever been, and Albus didn't want to change that. He knew what Scorpius deserved and was intent on making sure Scorpius has the best school year yet as well."Did you know, muggles put things in their houses to tell them when someone they don't want is entering," Albus said to Scorpius, textbook in his lap.The two boys had spent the whole afternoon in the quietest part of the Slytherin common room, where there were two small armchairs and single candle. The rich, green room has always made for a comfortable studying space, with the small corner being the perfect place for the two friends to learn. Albus was lying his legs over one of the arms of the chair, resting against the other one, where Scorpius was curled up in his seat."Albus, I haven't got a clue what you're on about," Scorpius laughed. "You know full well I am the least integrated wizard in the whole school.""They put these like bleeper things in their house, by their door, and then when someone comes in that shouldn't, the alarm goes off," Albus explained, reading out the textbook. "How crazy is that, like, how does it know who shouldn't be in there?"Muggle studies was the one subject that Albus felt truly invested in. It was a subject where it wasn't based on how good your wand work
was, or how many dark facts you knew. Muggle studies was the exploration of artefacts, learning along side the teacher. He liked how there were endless possibilities for what the object was, the fact it could be anything, until the teacher had said its purpose. Albus likes to think like that a lot. Anything can be anything until it's not. He knew his dad would struggle knowing Albus' interest, the pain of his muggle childhood still being too much for him to talk about, but his grandfather would be thrilled. The clock struck three, meaning he had a lesson in Herbology. He wasn't sure why he'd taken Herbology as a subject for one of his OWLs, the fact he had to go to extra lessons on a Sunday summed up his ability in the subject clearly. He bid Scorpius farewell and headed to the greenhouses where his Uncle was waiting for him. Walks around the school always seemed far lonelier without Scorpius next to him, the school felt a lot bigger as well.As he was walking towards the doors closest to to the greenhouse, he looked to his right and saw none other than his brother James making out with a blonde Gryffindor. They were in sat along the wall, touching each other all, oblivious to anyone that walked past them. Albus just rolled his eyes, knowing that she wasn't the first girl James and had been with, and doubted she was anything more than a accessory to him and his ego.He pushed the old doors open and let the warm September air hit him. Autumn was his favourite season at Hogwarts, liking that the golden colours of the weather complimented the colours of the school. He liked the crunching of the leaves on the cobble pavements, accompanied with the soft hues of the sunsets and sunrises. The walk to the greenhouse was always a pleasant one, giving every student the time to truly admire the beauty of the school and it's grounds. Upon reaching the greenhouse, he peaked into one of the many windows to see Professor Longbottom tending to a plant. He opened the door gently and gingerly stepped into the warm room."Hi Al, how have you been?" Professor Longbottom said, knowing it was Albus without even looking.Neville Longbottom had always been Albus' favourite Uncle. He had always preferred him to his Uncle Ron who's jokes weren't always too funny. Uncle Neville was far more reserved and quiet. He was a calm force amongst his manic family, Albus often using him a source of escape at social events. He had never minded playing a quiet game with Albus in a different room, whilst his siblings and cousins caused havoc in another room. He always felt like Uncle Neville understood him more than his parents, or he just had more time to put up with him."Hi, I've been good actually," Albus breathed, knowing for the most part that it wasn't a lie."That's good," Neville said, moving so his whole focus was on Albus. "Your father told me about what happened on the platform, and I wanted to make sure you're okay.""Yeah, I mean it was bound to happen at some point but I'd rather it had not happened in front of everyone," Albus admitted, looking around awkwardly."I understand that, your father isn't always the easiest person to get along with," Neville nodded."You can say that again," Albus chuckled."If you ever need to vent about anything you can come to me you know, I know I'm Uncle Neville and everything, but I can keep a secret from your parents," Neville said, looking at Albus reassuringly. "Right, now lets have a look at those plants."The hour with Neville was calming and reminded Albus that there were still adults who didn't hate him. He didn't bring up his argument with James and Lily, but he made sure to tell Neville how thankful he was to be able to talk to him. His mind felt calm and he there was peace in the place that there was once uncontrollable anxiety. He knew he could trust Neville to talk to and not be discussed with his parents.He took the long way back to the dungeons, taking in the most of the bearable weather, when he didn't feel his fingers freezing off and his ears aching.⋆"It's all in the arm movement," Professor Wildfield shouted to the class. "This will come up in the exam."Albus has spent the last hour repeatedly failing the Aqua Eructo charm in, easily, one of his worst subjects. It was awful in the sense that he couldn't make his wand produce any charms, and the fact that he didn't have Scorpius to make it bearable. He was flailing his arms around everywhere, as if he was being attacked by something - but nothing was being produced. He wanted to give, knowing he was useful at all the stupid charms were going to come and and that he'd fail charms miserably anyway."Albus, calm down," professor Wildfield said, walking over to him and lowering his wand. "There is too much pressure in your body for there to be any way you can produce the charm naturally."Albus dropped his shoulders and left her to
move his arm in the way that was the correct manner."Think of something calming, something that makes you sigh in relief." Professor Wildfield suggested.Albus' first thought went to the sip of the calming potion, feeling the waves ripple through his body. Then his mind went to the smile on Scorpius' face when they're laughing and messing around."Good," whispered Professor Wildfield. "Now say it.""Aqua Eructo!" Albus shouted, a stream of water leaving his wand like April showers. "Well done Albus, remember to be calm," Professor Wildfield said, patting his on the shoulder and moving onto the next student.Albus looked at the puddle on the floor. He produced that. His wand actually listened to
him and produced a successful charm. Albus' pride burst through his chest. After years of failing to produce even simple charms, he managed to produce a charm that actually did something. He couldn't wait to tell Scorpius later on. By the end of the lesson he had a mini lake around him that he was standing in gleefully. The water around him was a symbol that he wasn't the failure he'd believed he was for so many years, it was a sign that he could do magic.As soon as Albus got to his dorm room he practically jumped onto Scorpius' bed. He had been itching to tell Scorpius about his charm work from the second he left the class and it was the only thing on his mind since. He ripped the curtains of Scorpius' bed open, finding him reading a book in the calmness. "Scorp, guess what!" Albus exclaimed, at the point of shouting."What?" Scorpius said, the usual enthusiasm not in his voice."I produced a water charm, like an actual water charm," Albus rambled. "It was like a waterfall, I've never seen anything so beautiful!""Wow, that's cool," Scorpius sighed, giving Albus a small smile. "What's up? Did something happen? Did the boys say anything to you?" Albus questioned, crawling on to the bed next to Scorpius."I asked Rose if she wanted to go to Hogsmede with me next week," Scorpius explained, he cheeks turning red. "She said no, obviously but like she wasn't the nicest about it. Don't worry though, I have my next plan already worked out.""Oh Scorp, she's can a right piece of work sometimes, don't listen to what she said," Albus sympathised. "But, what do you mean next plan?""My plan to make her go on a date with me to Hogsmede," Scorpius said with a smile. "It's almost fool proof, she'll most definitely want to go with me by next May - at the latest.""May? At the latest? Are you sure you want to do this? Rose is always going to be Rose, and you're, well... You're Scorp." Albus tried to reason, not liking this new side to Scorpius. "What's got you all interested in her anyway?"Scorpius had never showed any interest in a gif before, not to the point of asking her out. Neither of them had. All of this was so foreign to Albus, what if Rose and Scorpius did start dating? Would Scorp want them to all be friends, would Rose hang out with them? Or would Scorpius split his time? Would Albus only see Scorpius in Wednesdays or something stupid? All these thoughts whirled around. He didn't want to lose Scorpius, not to his own cousin."Well, I mean it's fifth year Al, the rest of the year started dating in like third year," Scorpius tried to explain. "And most girls don't really get me, but I think Rose could if she gave me a chance.""I hope it all works out for you," Albus grumbled. "I'm gonna take a shower."Albus walked to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. He didn't mean to be angry by the conversation, but it hurt his heart more than he wanted it to. He didn't want to lose Scorpius.He got into the shower and let the hot water burn his tanned skin. He sat on the black marble tiles, letting his tears mix in with the water. He felt vulnerable, like everything he had was in position to be taken from him and she hadn't said yes yet. But it was because he knew Scorpius, he knew how his mind worked. He knew the boy wouldn't leave a book without finishing, and he wouldn't leave Rose until she said yes or hexed him (probably). It was Scorpius' determination that Albus has always been so envious of, now he wished it didn't exist. ‘Scorpius will leave you.’A voice said, taking control of his mind.‘Scorpius will choose Rose over you, everyone else already has.’‘Who will you have if you don't have Scorpius. Yourself. And you hate yourself.’Albus put his hand over his ears, the voices just shouted louder. They were screaming in his ears. Telling him to give up, to hurt himself. He tried to stop it. He tried to fight back but the voices said they'd go, when he proved it. The voices were shouting at him to hurt himself. Hurt himself like how Scorpius hurt him.Albus couldn't stop crying. The voices were getting too loud. He grabbed the nearest thing to him, praying it was sharp, and brought it to his wrist.‘Do it.’‘Prove to us that Scorpius won't leave you.’ So he did. And it burned. He seethed through the pain and dropped the razor. The voices stopped. The anxiety in Albus' body overspilled as he shook on the floor, blood running down his wrist. He stopped the shower and stared at himself in the mirror, trying to ground himself. Looking at himself, all he could see was his father. He was the only Potter to get his fathers tan skin and dark features, both James and Lily has gotten strong Weasley genes. In some ways it worked in his favour, no one could tell they were siblings but everyone guessed he was related to Harry Potter. A double-edged sword. He stared at himself until all his features merged into one. He wrapped a towel tightly around him, and braved the dorm room. He changed into his pyjamas, before taking another sip of the potion before climbing into his bed. He knew Delphi said to not take it too often, but he knew the effects couldn't be too bad.He didn't talk to Scorpius again that night. He didn't go for dinner, but hid in his bed, hating himself more than ever.
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It was the weekend of the first trip into Hogsmeade. The village, just outside Hogwarts, had never been Albus' favourite place - in fact, he actively avoided the village for the two years previously at school that he'd been allowed to go. It was only because of his new, positive outlook on the current school year that encouraged him to actually go into the village. His father, without Albus' knowledge, had sent a permission slip directly to Professor McGonagal after the incident in his third year. The only reason Albus had considered going into Hogsmeade for was Scorpius' sake. He knew Scorpius had been rejected by Rose, but didn't want that to put a damper on Scorpius' usually rosy mood. Scorpius was shocked when Albus suggested the two of them going together, assuming Albus was mad at him for the whole Rose situation. Albus, however, had chosen to not talk to Scorpius about Rose because he wasn't sure the conversation would go the way he wanted it to, so deciding to try and forget about it.The potion had helped him see the situation in a better light, it being a way of bringing the two together - united against Rose. It also made the voices stop. He didn't dare tell anyone about what happened the other night, far too scared and overwhelmed to even let it enter his mind. He'd pushed it to the back of his head, and wore his sweaters to keep his distracted from the physical memory of the night. He'd never had a experience like that before and he wasn't sure he knew why it happened, but could only hope that something like that didn't happen again. Albus woke up early on Saturday morning. He'd never been one to wake up early on the weekends, most times missing breakfast from his poor habits. This weekend, however, he had thoughts about Hogsmeade running through his head. He wanted to go for Scorpius, but he'd gone so long not needing to go that he didn't want to give up his boycott of the place. He weighted up the pros and cons of the trip, knowing in himself that the pros would outweigh the one negative - you've never been before, why start now. He sighed to himself, today was the day he was going to go to Hogsmeade, and he was going to have a good time even if it was just for Scorpius. Albus crept out his bed, heading for his trunk. He knew he'd need more of the calming potion in order to get through the day so had a quick sip before throwing the bottle back into his trunk."Morning Al," Albus heard a sleepy voice say from behind him. "Didn't except you to be up.""Morning Scorp, you know what they say 'new year, new me' or something like that," Albus chuckled softly. "I'm just as confused as you are."Scorpius chuckled and climbed out of bed. His hair messy and all over the place. His reached for his glasses on his bedside cabinet and placed them onto his nose gently. Albus watched as he blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the clear sight with a smile on his face. The two boys looked at each other, without saying anything, they agreed to go and get breakfast. It was normal for students to go to breakfast in pyjamas during the weekends, McGonagol relaxing some of the ancient rules to allow for the present day to filter in.Like always, they had toast and bacon with two mugs of strong coffee. Breakfast was always a nice part of Albus' day, a time where him and Scorpius could chat and relax without the stress of school work and only minimal harassment. Scorpius always brought his current read with him, and would lazily read bits out that he thought would interest Albus. It was dreamy morning likes this that Albus appreciated Hogwarts for what it was, not damning it to a certain place in Hell.The morning went by slowly. It was like a morning that Albus had at home. One where the world seemed to be calm and there were no stresses but that of just existing. His head felt clear and he thought he could stay in this hazy morning moment forever, the words of Scorpius creating a calming harmony in his head. They are way too much bacon, but it didn't feel like it when they were so perfectly aligned with the rest of the school, for once. Albus didn't feel like the Potter that was always forgotten, he didn't even feel like a Potter. He felt like Albus and Albus only.⋆"Remind me why we haven't walked down here before," Scorpius questioned as they made their way to Hogsmeade. "This path is so beautiful."The two boys were heading to Hogsmeade, sheepishly following where all the other students were heading. "Because Scorp, Hogsmeade sucks," Albus grinned, smirking at Scorpius' rolled eyes. "Of course you'd say that," Scorpius laughed.Albus hasn't anticipated the walk to Hogsmeade itself to be so pretty. The path was almost a straight line but somehow showcased the prettiest views Hogwarts had to offer. There were wild flowers growing on the edge of the path, almost rebelling against the hundreds of shoes that would trample over them. The sound of students filled the air, but surprising, not in the usual way that put Albus on edge and stressed him out. The chatter was quiet but cheerful, laughter harmonising with shouts and squeals.Hogsmeade, itself, was just as picturesque as the walk there. The village looked like it was straight out of a muggle history book. The cobbled streets and small brick buildings gave Albus a warm feeling that was met with joy. There was a slight hustle to the place but at the same time complete calmness and order. Albus and Scorpius looked around in awe as they took in their surroundings. Scorpius' smile grew to light up his eyes that Albus saw very rarely. "Where do you wanna head first?" Albus asked, looking at Scorpius with a smile on his face."Honeydukes! My Dad used to love going to Honeydukes so maybe I'll buy him some of his favourite sweets," Scorpius rambled as they walked to the infamous shop.The shop was better than any of James's descriptions. The store smelt like the sweetest dream possible, the colours illuminating everything. The two boys walked around, running their hands over all the counters and looking at all of the sweets carefully. Scorpius carefully selected a variety of sweets he knew his father liked, being oddly specific with the amount and colours of each kind. Albus just watched with a smile on his face as Scorpius watched the sweet maker gift wrap the sweets to perfection and handed Scorpius the bag.Albus picked out a couple of chocolate frogs for him and Scorpius to share, knowing they will come in useful when they were studying and just hanging out. His were far less carefully dealt with but took the bag gratefully and smiled as the two left the store. They wondered through the village, not desperate to go into any particular shop but instead go just not have to stress about anything to do with school and make the most of their free time.The two walked past Madam Puddifoot's, the tea shop that is renounced as the place for first dates. The shop was dainty, witch mismatched chairs and tables cluttering the small space. The windows were large and let in a light that the light fixtures couldn't quite. In the window of the shop Albus couldn't help but notice his brother with the same girl he him caught making out with. Albus was shocked. James was serious enough about a girl that he'd take her to 'the place' for their first date. He was never convinced that James was the type to actually have a girlfriend, more often finding joy in just leading them on until he has the chance to cut it off. "Where do you want to go now?" Scorpius hummed, breaking the comfortable silence between them."Could we go into Scrivenshaft's, I think they have the muggle studies book I need?" Albus asked, trying to remember the name of the book."Albus Potter wants to go to the book shop? I think I'm going to pass out," Scorpius gasped dramatically, laughing as he waved his hand across his forehead."Sod off! We don't have to go," Albus grumbled, a smile on his lips. "This is as much for you as it is for me.""Of course it is," Scorpius laughed, bumping into Albus jokingly.The walked to the book shop and stepped into the musty store. It was clearly not the most popular place for students as the shop was almost empty. Scorpius immediately took off, looking at every book and running his fingers along the spines. There was a completely different atmosphere to this shop than any of the others they'd been to. There was the feeling that any sound that was too noisy would disturb the fundamental elements of the place, so Albus made sure to not move anything too aggressively or drop something. Soon enough he came across the Muggle Studies book he was looking for. He was glad his parents always give them money at the start of each term, regardless of how socially devoid they were that summer. Albus bought the book and went to find Scorpius amongst the mountains of old books. Eventually, Albus spotted the white blond head in between a pile of old books and headed over to him. He sprang up behind the unsuspecting boy, who gasped and screamed jumping as he turned around. "Bloody hell Al!" Scorpius screeched, earning a hard look from the shop keeper.The two boys burst out laughing, unable to wait until they got out the shop. They laughed as they walked down the street, continuing to mimic the way Scorpius jumped out of his skin. It was such a feeling of release to be able to laugh so openly with his friend, without the feeling of fear over who was watching them and ready to hex them. Albus had decided that Hogsmeade wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. Despite the amount of Hogwarts students roaming around, there weren't any that paid attention to him. He didn't feel stated at or penalised for his every move, he just felt like another Hogwarts student out with his friend. The village gave him a warm feeling, much unlike that of the school and he didn't feel tense walking around. He liked how Hogsmeade wasn't like his home where he felt like an unwanted visitor, nor likeschool where he felt like a waste of space. Apart from Scorpius, no one was particular attention to him, they weren't pointing him out as everyone was too busy with their own lives.After hours spent roaming the small village, the two decided to head back in time for dinner. They had decided to not go to the Shrieking Shack, Scorpius not being too fond of scary things. As they began the walk up to the school again, Albus saw someone walking right up to them. Scorpius looked at Albus with a confused look on his face, as he didn't know this person and didn't know how Albus would either. The figure was getting closer to them and Albus knew exactly who it was."Hi Al, nice to see it's working," Delphi said, a dangerous smirk on her face. "Don't forget what I said though."Albus gulped. He didn't want Scorpius and Delphi's paths to cross. Ever. He knew that Scorpius would ask far too many questions, and then take the potion to every wizard who knew anything about potions to find out what it was. He didn't look at Scorpius, but he could already see the expression in the boy's face. Albus kept his head down, hoping Scorpius might think the girl was confused and didn't know who she was talking to. "Al, who was that?" Scorpius asked, confusion evident in voice."Er, nobody, just someone I met on the train in September," Albus muttered. "No one of importance.""I recognise her." Scorpius declared. "I recognise her and I don't know how or where from.""Yeah well, she's nobody so leave it." Albus huffed, quickening the pace of his walk.Albus practically stormed up to the castle, with Scorpius struggling to catch up. He didn't know why what Scorpius said had annoyed him so much. So what if Scorpius has recognised her, maybe she was in one of his classes. Albus knew as much about Delphi as Scorpius did, nothing. He argued with himself over why Scorpius always had to say something and put him in a bad mood, even though he knew it wasn't Scorpius' fault. He was just angry at the whole situation and didn't know how to deal with it.‘You know how to deal with it, Albus.’‘You've done it once.’‘Show Scorpius how angry you are at him.’Albus pushed the voices to the back of his head. He knew he wasn't really angry with Scorpius, regardless of what the voices were trying to tell him. He still didn't know why they were there or what they were trying to do to him, but he wasn't going to let it work. Regardless of how much a release it was last time. They headed to dinner in silence. Albus didn't want to risk talking to Scorpius in case something was said that made him in even more angry. So, they ate in silence. There was a sad look on Scorpius' face, which hurt Albus to even look at. Whenever he saw Scorpius he saw the voices.
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Albus over slept. He was woken up by the fractures of sunlight that managed to find themselves in the large windows. His curtains were half open, clearly an action from Scorpius, who must have been confused as to why Albus wasn't awake. It wasn't like Albus to over sleep during the school week. His body was like clock work, waking up involuntarily at the crack of dawn. It was the main reason he slept in so late at the weekend. He didn't even want to check what time it was, but considering the room was empty and the sun was already shining he could assume it was late. As he sat up, he head felt like a tonne of bricks on his shoulders. He hung his head out of surprised, lying back onto his pillows. His whole body felt out of sorts. Every movement was heavy and lethargic. His mind felt clouded, but they were dark and uncomfortable clouds not a dreamy, hazy feeling. As he got himself out of bed, his body felt tired and unrested, despite having more sleep than usual. He trudged about his dorm room, each step more difficult than the last. He felt like he was in a completely different body. He managed to pull his robes on, struggling like he usually did with his tie. Even after five years he didn't find it any easier. He fumbled around trying to find his wand and the books he needed for his classes, not even checking the clock to see what the time was. He glanced at it as he left the room, stopping as he tried to focus on what it said: ten thirty. He'd missed two classes already. He groaned to himself, not even having a good reason for his tardiness. He stumbled out of the Slytherin common room and headed up to the his Herbology class.He took the quickest route there, not wanting to be caught out of class by any of the teachers. The cold air caught him off guard, completely forgetting to put his scarf on in his dash out of his room. He walk to the greenhouse was a cold one, the weather changing quickly at Hogwarts. He knew the class had only started a few minutes prior, but he knew Neville would want to know why he was late. He peeked through the windows of the greenhouse, before building up the courage to walk in. Professor Neville was so caught up in what he was talking about that Albus contemplated turning back and missing that lesson as well. He knew it wasn't the smartest idea, but Albus wasn't known for being smart. Or, he could sneak in the back, knowing how deep in discussion Neville was, he might not even notice him if he was silent. Albus weighed up his options, but knew ultimately Neville would find him anyway to ask why he wasn't in class.Albus very quietly opened the last door to the greenhouse, tip toeing over the dodgy concrete slates. He slipped into the closest seat and acted as if he'd been paying attention from the beginning."Morning Albus, it's nice that you finally turned up," Neville said, not even looking up. "See me after class."Albus groaned as the rest of the class giggled to themselves. Albus got his book out and pretended to follow whatever Neville was talking about. A plant was placed in front of him and he just looked at it like it was a mythical creature. Everyone around him were changing the soil and adjusting the water levels, whereas Albus just stared at it. He didn't what it was but it just couldn't focus. It was like the cloud in his head was blocking anything from entering the brain. He could hear the people around his laughing and the noises irritated his ears, as if they were getting louder and laughing directly into his ears. He felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed. The sounds were getting too much and people felt like they were far closer to him than they were. He looked at his workbook, desperately trying to ground himself. He was getting nauseous and panicky. He wanted everyone to stop moving so quickly, so brashly. He tried to take deep breaths to himself, only to be caught out by Fred Hawes - one of the far less nice boys in his year.Fred started laughing at him, he could tell by the way he was standing over him. Fred was getting the attention of his friends, who also began laughing at Albus curled into himself. Albus clenched his eyes shut, keeping his head down and avoiding any confrontation he might find himself in. He could hear them whispering about him, probably about him being a squib. He tried to block them out and focus on his breathing, which was becoming increasing erratic, but the whispers felt like screams in his head.'It's true.''What they're saying is true.''You are useless, pathetic, a waste of space.''Not much of a Potter, are you?''Your Dad could fight us, doesn't look like you're doing too well.'The voices were growing louder, more intrusive, more aggressive. They were scaring Albus. He couldn't stop them. Until, Professor Neville announced that class was over. Everyone began packing up their things, but Albus stayed firmly in his spot. Not daring to move in case the voices started again. He could feel everyone around him leave, the room emptying quickly."Albus, are you okay?" Neville said, walking towards him. Albus's head shot up, he saw Neville's concerned face and the put in his stomach grew. He knew he should tell someone about the voices, but they'd probably think he was lying and trying to be like his father."I, er, yeah," Albus spluttered out. "Sorry for being late, I overslept but I don't really know why.""Albus, I don't care about you being late for class," Neville said, moving to sit next to Albus. "I'm worried about you, your moods are erratic and you seem vacant.""I... I don't really know what to say," Albus admitted. "Hogwarts has just never been my favourite place I guess, it's not all it was made up to be.""I understand that, it must be difficult to be somewhere you don't enjoy, but you have Scorpius don't you?" Neville said softly, Albus nodding at his question. "I just want to you to know that school doesn't determine the rest of your life. Now go to your next class so you don't miss that one too."What Neville said did make Albus feel a fraction better. School doesn't determine the rest of his life, unless he let it. That, however, was a lot easier said than done. He didn't know how he was going to make it through school with the way his anxiety was controlling his life, unless he had some of the calming potion.The calming potion.He hadn't taken any this morning. That why his mood was so low. He had been in such a hurry to get out that he forgot to have a sip. He mentally kicked himself, knowing he was going to feel awful all day. The thought of him forgetting it made him want to cry. How could he have been so stupid? Why did he not take the potion? The thought of not taking the medicine added to the overwhelming feeling that was consuming his body. From the outside, it look as though if you'd even touch the boy he'd fall into a million pieces, he felt that way inside too. He took the long way to his next class, his motivation to go to class decreasing by the second. He couldn't think of anything worse than a potions lesson. He almost turned to go head down to the dungeons, wanting to sleep the horrible feeling away. However, he knew it would only get him into more trouble, and he didn't have the energy to be told off. He took the left turning to the potions classroom, knowing it was in fact a right turn and that he'd have to walk all the way around again. Perhaps it was stupid on his behalf, but he didn't really care about being late for his potions lesson,he didn't understand anything anyway."Oh look, it's peewee Potter," A voice shouted from down the hallway. "The freak was having some meltdown in herbology today."There was a chorus of laughter as Fred's voice came closer. Him and his friends sauntered towards him. Wands out and smirks on their faces. Albus instinctively took a step back but Tom, one of the harsher Gryffindor boys, muttered a spell under his breath that tied Albus to his spot."Trying to run away were you?" Tom snarled, moving dangerously close to Albus' face. "You scared of what we're going to do?"Albus gulped, not wanting to say anything to them. He didn't know how to get himself out of this situation. He was stuck. Literally. There were three boys circling him. He left like he was dragon's supper. The were laughing cynically. "Surprised your not with Malfoy, shame he can't protect you now," Fred taunted. "Did you have a lover's quarrel?"Albus wanted to scream. He wanted all of this to stop. He felt like he was seeing the voices in his head in person. Their eyes burn into his skull as his eyes darted between them. He didn't know what to do. There was nothing he could do. He knew he just had to wait out whatever they were going to do to him."The squib can't even speak," The third boy, Liam laughed.The boys began to jab him with their wands. Desperately trying to get a reaction of some sort out of him. He remained still, but his head was swarming with feelings of despair. His whole body was racing as it was stuck in its place. Anxiety raced through his body with no where to release it. He was becoming more and more agitated, like he could explode. "What the hell are you doing?" A voice from down the corridor yelled. "Bugger off to class you twats!"Albus turned his head to see James with his wand out running towards him. The three boys ran off, leaving Albus stuck in his place. James removed the hex and gave Albus a hard look. "Defend yourself, it's not difficult!" The boy huffed. He gave Albus another look and took off back down the hallway. Albus remained stood in his place. He didn't know why James helped him, but he wasn't too happy about it clearly. The interaction took away any of the thoughts he had, focusing completely on the brief looks on his brother's face, the annoyance of his pathetic younger brother. Slowly, Albus started to move towards his class. His body still felt weird after the hex, finding his body heavy and not used to sudden movement. He trudged to his next class, humiliated by the boys in his year. Only for it to be seen by his brother, who was embarrassed to even be seen near Albus.⋆The rest of the day went painfully slowly. The boys were still mocking him and he hadn't seen Scorpius all day. He had wilfully made himself forget about Scorpius mentioning Delphi yesterday, wanting his best friend back. Unfortunately, they had hardly any classes together that day and the ones they did have, Albus slept through. He didn't realise how much he missed Scorpius when they weren't attached at the hip, even if it was just because they hadn't had breakfast together.The day was only going downhill, receiving poor marks in his latest essay from Defence Against the Dark Arts. The teachers were unhappy with his performance, the enthusiasm he'd had for the past few weeks disappearing the day he stopped taking the potion. If he could take anything away from today, it was that he needed the potion to function far more than he thought. The way the potion woke him up in a way that he didn't think was possible. He knew there was no way he could go another day without the potion to keep him going.Eventually, dinner time rolled around and he sighed a dramatic sigh of relief when he saw Scorpius in their usual seat. He walked over to him slowly, a smile on his face. Scorpius looked up when he saw him get closer, the same smile etched onto his face. Albus flopped into the seat opposite Scorpius and put his head in the table."Overslept, I see," Scorpius mocked, grabbing some food from the silver platters."Shh, lets just pretend it didn't happen," Albus sighed, not feeling like being lectured for gus poor sleeping habits.A comfortable silence fell between them after that. Albus got his food and they sat with just each other's company. It was an unspoken thing between them that allowed moments like these to not be awkward but instead peaceful and a lot of the time, needed. Occasionally, they would smile at each other at maybe something they both over heard or at the dramatic Gryffindor who'd stormed away from their dinner table. It was the unspoken moments that Scorpius and Albus valued more than anything."Hey Al," Scorpius spoke, breaking the silence between them."Yeah?""So, Er, you know yesterday that girl said hi Albus and you said she was nobody... Well, I don't think she's nobody." Scorpius said, receiving a death glare from Albus."What do you mean?" Albus huffed, not wanting to hear what Scorpius was going to say."Well, I knew her from somewhere but I couldn't remember where, but it wasn't until last night that I realised that she goes to the dinner parties that my grandparents host," Scorpius explained, his eyes wide. "She's not a good person Al, her parents are death eaters. I'm confused about how she knows you but it makes me nervous."Albus lost it. The day had gotten too much for him. Forgetting to take the calming potion, the hallway incident, his brother's face and now Scorpius trying to tell him things made him explode."So what? Your parents are death eaters, and I still hang out with you!" Albus yelled. "You're so quick to judge, but you don't know her! God, you're so much like your parents it's painful, I don't need your bigoted ideas anymore."Scorpius looked heart broken. Albus didn't see that though. He saw red. He chucked his plate on the floor and stormed off to his room. There were too many thoughts in his head and he wanted to scream. Why were people attacking him. Why were there voices in his head. Why couldn't he be normal?'Oh dear Albus.''Lost your only friend? Well you always have us.'"Shut up!" Albus screamed, once he'd got to his shared bathroom. He had his hands over his ears and there were tears rolling down his face.'You know what to do Albus.''It made you feel better last time.''Show Scorpius how mad you really are.'With jagged breaths Albus turned the shower on. He stepped into the shower and released all the anger out. He watched the blood mix in with water and felt peace for the first time that day.
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Weeks passed. Albus isolated himself from everyone. His days were spent hiding from the rest of school. Sitting alone in class. Sitting alone in the dining hall. Sitting alone in the library. Alone. There were dark scary clouds overwhelming him, making his life almost impossible to live. He wanted nothing more than to hide in his bed and to not exist. To not exist. The thought of a void was appealing to Albus more and more as he sunk lower and lower into the abyss. The days seemed to merge together as he dragged himself from day to day in a despairing way.Him and Scorpius weren't speaking. After Scorpius had confronted him about Delphi he completely shut him out. The thought of even looking at Scorpius made his heart ache. For the first time in his whole time at Hogwarts he was completely alone. He didn't have the one person he needed more than anything else. The world felt ten times harder without Scorpius by his side in lessons, making funny faces at him over dinner, being the first person to see him
when he woke up. The only light he had in his life seemed to have disappeared.Scorpius seemed to have moved on quickly. Only a few days after their argument Albus saw the boy with a couple of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor girls. Rose of one of them. The thought of his cousin, the one who warned him about Scorpius in first year, being friends with him now made his blood boil. They all looked at Scorpius like he was the world, which he was, all batting their eyelids and laughing in all the right places. He couldn't say that Scorpius looked as miserable him, the boy practically glowing with his new found attention. Albus felt betrayed, but at the same time, he could see why Scorpius would leave for a better option. Scorpius' new friendships only made things worse for Albus. He would sometimes avoid classes if he knew Scorpius was in it, causing his attendance and grades to drop significantly. The classes he would attend were pointless as he'd sit there with a blank expression in his face and no complete any work. No amount of detentions seemed to encourage him, if anything it was an extra hour that he didn't have to see anyone. Albus was a shell of a person, and he thought that Scorpius was the missing piece that would fix him back together.Albus was struggling too much. Everyday his thoughts were overwhelming him. The thoughts about Scorpius made him feel isolated. He was beginning to beat himself up about feeling different to everyone else, in a way he could never talk about. A way that scared him and made him want to curl up and hide. He was stressed about the bad relationship he had with his parents, to the point he couldn't even look at his brother or sister. He has no clue what was going on at home, what was going on with any of them as he was too scared he'd disappoint them. The only thing keeping him sane was the calming potion. The sip of that every morning made the day bearable enough for him to keep going until he crashed in his bed at night. He wasn't sure if it was that much of an existence but he knew he needed to keep going as without it, he was far worse. Every so often he'd see Delphi around and she's give him a smirk and slip him a top up. He knew the situation wasn't great, but he didn't care. It was potion that kept him going and there was no way he'd stop taking it. It just wasn't possible.Albus was sat in his Muggle Studies class. It was the only class that he actually took interest in and could produce markable work in. His teacher was seemingly nicer to him than others, obviously seeing there was an issue that was unresolved. She would let Albus come into the classroom whenever, allowing him to look at all the Muggle artefacts that had been collected. He would spend hours just analyses the working of something like a 'microwave' trying to figure out what it might do in the muggle world. Professor Patchett has always taken kindly to Albus. She saw the lost boy that he was and would take time to make sure he was okay, even though he always said he was. She wasn't aware of how much Albus used her kindness as a life line. Without her warm smiles and kind offers he would feel a lot more useless. She knew he was an outstanding Muggle Studies student, always getting high marks and thinking of interesting analysis of muggle topics. She seemed to see how he liked the sense of escapism the muggle world gave him.They had been learning about the muggle wars, World War I and World War II. The concept of muggle wars amazed Albus, spending the lesson looking through the textbooks at all
the artillery used and methods of fighting."Mr Potter, you have been asked to go to the hesdmistress' office," Professor Patchett announced, looking at Albus with a confused look on his face.Albus was equally confused but stood up and collected his belongings. The class were whispering as he left the classroom, heading for the office. He didn't know why McGonagal would want to see him. He hadn't done anything particularly headmistress worthy, he didn't think. As he walked there his mind was playing tricks on him.She thinks you're pathetic Albus.She's going to kick you out.She doesn't want wastes of space at her school.The voices were growing louder. He was struggling to not cover his ears to try and stop them, but there was nothing he could do. Tears were brimming in his eyes but he forced them back. He knew it could be about anything. He didn't have to listen to the voices.Soon enough, he reached the door that led to the her office. He knocked on it and anxiously waited for her to let him in. He'd always been scared of McGonagal. His father had always spoken so highly of her that it scared him. He knew the logic wasn't there, but the thought of her intimidated him enough to always avoid her. After a couple of seconds, he heard her say 'come in' and he quietly opened the door and slipped into the room.Albus had never been in the the headmistress' office before. The room was tall and intimidating. The eyes of past headmasters watched him, especially his namesake. The books were overspilling, however it didn't make the room look messy instead it looked inviting. It was Scorpius' dream. McGonagal was strolling around the room, looking at Albus sternly as he crept in."Mr Potter, take a seat," She spoke, no emotion in her voice.Albus gingerly took a seat on the chair that looked as old as the school itself. He still had no idea why she had asked to talk to him but his anxieties were rising by the second. McGonagal sat in the chair behind her overflowing desk. She looked at him, with now a concern look on her face."Albus, do you know why I wanted to speak to you today?" Professor McGonagal asked. Albus shook his head, his words caught in his throat."Well, a couple if teachers have expressed concern over your well-being and I want to make sure that everything is okay." McGonagal explained. "I am aware of how patronising this all sounds but I am truly worried about you.""Everything is fine, professor," Albus spoke back, not wanting to open himself up to a teacher."Albus, I have had concerning conversations with a multiple of teachers who have all said you are withdrawn in class, that you isolate yourself." McGonagal continued. "I know you are good friends with Scorpius Malfoy, would you say he's encouraging you to distance yourself.""Were friends," Albus grumbled. "No, Scorp was always trying to get me to talk to other people in the year.""Are you and Scorpius not friends anymore?" McGonagal asked, Albus nodding glumly. "Would you say that has caused you to cut yourself off from everyone else?""I don't want to talk about this," Albus said, standing up. "I don't think you're qualified to be a healer.""Albus! I'm just trying to help you." McGonagal exclaimed, walking towards him as he headed for the door."I don't need help, I need people to leave me the hell alone."⋆Albus needed to get out of the school. He felt suffocated and anxious. He exited through the closest doors to him, undoing his tie as he walked. He was breathing heavily and erratically. He could feel his life crumbling down around him. Nothing was going good, there was nothing keeping him grounded.He didn't have Scorpius by his side, the one person who despite Albus' fluctuating moods and the constant battle he had against himself, was always there to keep him going. His brother and sister were done with him. They couldn't care less about him, all because he was so insecure in himself about his wizarding abilities and his poor excuse of a Potter and a Weasley. Even his teachers could see that he wasn't trying, that he didn't care about school anymore. Because he didn't. He didn't have anything to keep him going.Albus was tearing through the school grounds, not intending to go anywhere in particular. The winds had only got harsher with the change of season but he fought against it. His body was being driven mind that was clouded by emotions that couldn't be explained, emotions that caused him to shake and cry. Soon he found himself in front of the willow tree. His body and mind stopped as he stood at the entrance of his safe place. However, the place didn't feel so safe without Scorpius by his side.Regardless, he moved the vines out of the way and walked over to the stump of the tree. He settled himself down and cried. He knew there would be no one around so he let all the emotions that had been building out. He shook through the tears as he cried over every little thing that had been on his mind. He cried over Scorpius, feelings he didn't know how to explain mixed with the unfiltered pain of missing him. He cried over his parents, how much he wanted to talk to him but never knew how to formulate the words. There was something calming about his tears drenching his robe sleeves so he just sat and let the tears roll down. He didn't know how long it had been but eventually he dried his face and fixed his robes so no one could tell he'd been crying. He emerged from the willow tree and saw the sun setting over the castle, meaning lessons were over and it was probably dinner time. As he walked up to the school he took the longest route possible, not quite ready to see Scorpius with his new friends at dinner. He walked around the grounds for another twenty minutes before deciding it was getting too dark."Albus!" A voice shouted from behind him.He turned around to see Delphi in the arch of a hallway, mostly covered by the looming shadows."Have you been crying?" She asked, as he walked over to her. He shrugged."Merlin's beard, school is rough for you." She laughed softly."I'd rather do anything than be here." He admitted glumly, knowing that it hurt to say but it was true."Let's runaway," Delphi suddenly exclaimed. "School's never been for me, and it clearly isn't for you.""We can't just runaway.""Sure we can, what have we got to lose? Mediocre school grades, I'm sure they'd be glad we didn't mess up their scores." Delphi tried to reason. "C'mon Albus, haven't you ever had the thought of running away, going somewhere no one would remember you, a place where you could start again not as the spare Potter?"Her last question sounded so much like the voices that consumed his head that he almost second guessed what she had said. He had thought about running away, perhaps becoming a muggle. No muggles knew who Harry Potter was, he'd have no one watching his every move. He'd be free.He could run away. It was true, no one would miss him. She'd have more of the calming potion and he'd be free from school and all the anxiety that came with it. However, he knew it couldn't be that easy to just leave the grounds or a lot of people would try to just up and leave. "I, I'm not sure." Albus stumbled out, the whole opportunity appearing too quickly."Look Albus, think on it and we can meet tomorrow." Delphi agreed. "If you want to them we can start planning, if you don't then that's fine too."Albus just nodded. After that, Delphi disappeared. He turned around and she was gone. There was a voice in his head telling him to go but another telling him to stay.To stay or go.
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The idea played on his mind all night. It started off as a small, insignificant voice asking him over and over again. However, as the night dragged on the idea became bigger and bigger. It led him to question everything. He knew he had to think the idea through logically, the calming potion helping him organise his thoughts logically. He knew that it wasn't a brash decision to be made, it was an irreversible plan, that could end up being the best thing to happen to him, or equally as the likely - the worst. His pros to running away were simple. If he ran away, he wouldn't have to worry about school anymore - who cares about being good at potions when you've started a new life. He wouldn't have to worry about his parents, he knew they secretly be pleased that he left himself. He wouldn't have to worry about all of his confusing thoughts over Scorpius, he wouldn't see him again, problem solved. He would always have the calming potion that kept him sane, that was perhaps the most important reason for him. The cons, were less thought through, but arguably less important. He was trying to convince himself to go, not to stay. The most obvious con would be getting caught. He wasn't sure how his parents would react if they found out he was trying to run away, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Equally, as much as the Scorpius problem would be solved, he wasn't sure he'd be able to replace a Scorpius shaped hole in his heart, he wasn't sure if he was physically able to leave Scorpius. He knew it was clear from the data he'd gathered in his head that it would be much better if he left, but there was still a massive part of him that wanted to stay at school, just in case.He didn't sleep that night. The morning came slowly as he laid in his bed, thoughts running round and round his head. He watched the shadows of the other boys in his room get dressed and leave for breakfast. He waited until he was the last person in the room before he emerged from the safety of his bed. He begrudgingly got himself dressed, not having to think over the actions as he tied his tie and pulled his robe on. He put his shoes on and headed towards the common room. In the common room his eyes landed on his ash blond ex-friend chatting to a couple of Slytherin girls, laughing at something one of them said. Albus couldn't help but try and memorise the laughter as if it were lyrics to his favourite song. The sound was the perfect arrangement of notes, the sound of calmness to him. He shook the moment from his head, trying to pretend he hadn't just listened to Scorpius' laughter from across the room like a weirdo, and stalked out of the common room with his head down.He ate breakfast alone. Breakfast was one of the biggest changes, in his opinion, since him and Scorpius stopped speaking. Mornings weren't the same without Scorpius' morning hair, the tired but happy sparkle in his eyes which would grow with each sip of coffee. The amount of bacon on his plate was never proportionate to how much he'd eat, so used to Scorpius stealing the remains left on his plate. The coffee never tasted the same without Scorpius pouring one too many sugars into his mug, always laughing and saying it was to sweeten him up at bit. It was at breakfast when his genuine loneliness was felt at its most.The purple potion might have calmed his anxieties, but it didn't make him feel any less lonely. The highs lasted seconds compared to the emptiness he had to carry with him.His first lesson of the day was Potions, his already least favourite, but now hated class. Most lessons he considered skiving, loathing every second that he had to spend in the classroom. He would still in on the two person desk in the corner of the room, close to the window but slightly distanced from the rest of the tables. However, the two person table now only had one occupant, one very lonely occupant. The table felt massive compared to his small body and lack of classroom stationary. The light didn't shine the same way it did when it was reflecting off of Scorpius' hair. The corner was emptier and further away from the rest of the tables than it had ever felt, almost as if it was in a completely different classroom.Now that he sat alone, he could only watch Scorpius sit with his new friends, them managing to squeeze him onto the table they always sat at. There was always happiness radiating from that table and part of Albus was glad for Scorpius, he had found a group of people would could match his happiness not bring it down. Rose was sat with him as well, never smiling as brightly at whatever Scorpius had said, but laughing anyway. Albus hated her of it. She didn't appreciate him, she never saw him for who he was only for the label her parents put onto him. "Albus, could you talk me through how to make a forgetfulness potion," The professor spoke, looking at him with a hard stare."No professor, I don't know how make that potion," Albus sighed, his chin in his hand. He knew there was no point in making it up, people would laugh either way.The class did laugh. He felt the eyes of every student on him. He could see the gleam in their eyes as they smiled at his misfortune. He could only sit there and take it, but it only convinced him more to go. He would have to feel any judgement as he struggled through his classes, he wouldn't even have classes. The looks from his classmates along with the voices in his head, had almost completely swayed him to leave with Delphi - there was nothing worth staying for.There was one pupil who wasn't laughing. He caught Scorpius looking at him with a sorrowful expression, feeling the sympathy from where he was sat. He knew that Scorpius would have helped him, or at least told him something reassuring afterwards. Albus memorised his face. He took in very tiny detail, from the three shades of grey of his eyes to the degree that his mouth sat at. He memorised every flick of his hair, which was growing curlier on the top and longer on the sides. He took in the way he placed his hands, fiddling with the band that he had had on his forefinger since his mother died. Scorpius looked ethereal from where he was sat, the only thing that made Albus consider stay. However, he knew he was just as bad as the people he sat with. When lunchtime rolled around, he had made his decision. He took his time heading to the dining room, not in rush to eat anything. When he got to the hall, he subtly looked around to see if he could find who he was looking for. He then went to his usual seat and looked at the lunch options. Nothing was particularly appealing so he just grabbed a sandwich. He ate in silence, but looked around the hall, looking at all the paintings. It was the first time he'd taken the time to look at all the intricate carvings, the way the wood all fitted together in a way that could have only be made by magic. After dragging out eating his sandwich, he looked to the place he found at the beginning of lunch and headed over to the direction. He saw the dark haired girl sat in the corner, two scruffy looking boys either side of her. He sat down opposite her, receiving hard stares from the two boys. She tapped them both on the shoulder and they got up at left, glaring at Albus one last time."Ah, Potter, made up your mind?" She grinned, resting her head in her faces, framing her face sweetly."I wanna go," He said, gulping heavily as he secured his fate."Exactly what I wanted to hear," Delphi smirked. "Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into, Daddy Potter won't be very happy.""I know what I'm doing," Albus shot back, the thought of his Dad only adding fuel to his fire."Well then, let's get planning," Delphi began. "The best time to go is Halloween. The castle will empty, everyone will be in the hall for the feast. It's perfect. We need a way of getting out of the school without getting caught." "Well, er - my brother once showed me this map thing that had secret passages to get to Hogsmeade," Albus mumbled, unsure of what he was saying was of any use."Brilliant, do you remember any of the passages?" Delphi gasped, clearly impressed."There was one, I think it was something-witch passage," Albus said, desperately wishing he'd paid more attention. "One-something.""The one-eyed witch passage! That's perfect! I know exactly where it is, we will end up in Honeydukes with has a floo powder network nearby." Delphi grinned, happy with her plans. "This is easier than I thought.""Where are we going after that?" Albus asked, beginning to feel excited about the escape him and Delphi were planning. It was dangerous and potentially life-ruining, but nothing had made him rush with so much adrenaline for such a long time that he knew he had to go through with it."Don't worry, I have somewhere in mind," Delphi said, almost too sweetly.The rest of the lunch was spent discussing the details of the plan. Honestly, Albus thought it was fool proof. The plan was to wait in their rooms on the night of Halloween, with packed bags, until they were sure everyone was in the main hall. From there, they would head to the one-eyed witch statue, on the third floor. Once they had gone through the passage, they would end up in Honeydukes cellar. From there, Delphi would take them to a place no where would find them, until the search for them had ended, so they could leave and no one would think of them. Albus was impressed, Delphi knew what she was doing.He wasn't curious as to why she wouldn't tellhim where they were going after the Honeydukes cellar, it wasn't his biggest concern, by that point he'd be out of Hogwarts anyway. He knew that it was probably so that even if he chickened out last minute (which he wasn't going to do) then he still wouldn't be able to say where she was, if she had continued the plan herself.Albus recited the plan in his head. Over and over, he'd go through how the evening was going to play out. He had thought through every detail that could possibly go wrong, down to the staircase movements. He knew what he was going to do every minute of their escape, not wanting to fail the one thing he wanted to do more than anything.
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It was Halloween. The day had arrived. The day that was going to free Albus from the hell he'd been trapped in for five years. He wasn't going have to see the judgement in the eyes of everyone around him around, he wasn't going to have to see anyone that he knew ever again. The thought made his heart race, the hair on his skin raise. He had been dreaming about the day since him and Delphi discussed it last week. Everyday was a count down to freedom. The day had finally arrived, and he couldn't have been more ready for it. Albus took in his surroundings. He paid attention in his classes. He wanted to remember everything about Hogwarts, despite it being the reason he was running away, it was still somewhere he saw himself. He looked at all the paintings, all the intricate details being prettier than he remembered. The grounds glowed in the deceiving Autumnal sun, looking far warmer than they really were. The staircase were especially kind to him, as if they knew it would be the last time he trudged up and down them. The library was calmer and more tranquil than it used to be, the energy was peaceful rather than chaotic.Hogwarts seemed far nicer than he had remembered, than it had treated him for so many years. The thought of what Hogwarts could be if he viewed it how he was at the moment played on his mind, maybe it wouldn't be as mad as leaving. However, he knew ultimately that Hogwarts had never made him happy, the think he used a calming potion proved that. The way he was looking at Hogwarts was with a clouded judgement, a way of how he wanted Hogwarts to be instead of how it really was. The day went past agonisingly slow. His first lesson seemed to last five hours, much like his second, third and fourth lessons. There was a mischievous energy in the atmosphere, like there was every Halloween. He watched as friends tricked each other giddily, pulling pranks on each other harmlessly. Him and Scorpius had never partaken in the spirit of Halloween, not particularly seeing the point of teasing each other, no matter how much it was in the spirit of things sometimes. Albus mainly hated Halloween as it was a Gryffindor fuelled celebration. Each year they were the ruling champions of pranks. The pranks would be over the top and try to outdo the year before. Every house talked for weeks about what the Gryffindor prank would be that year, excitedly anticipating something incredible. This year, it was down to James' year to organise the prank, meaning Albus was looking forward to it far less than usual. Everyone knew it would be good, he had more Weasley genes than Potter by far. The boy had been practically adopted by George when he performed his first prank. Lunchtime was when the prank happened. When everyone was in the hall together, but it was the important great feast. There was always an excited atmosphere, something that was never replicated throughout the rest of the year. Albus sat in his usual seat, by himself, in the corner of the Slytherin table. Scorpius has apparently upgraded and was now sat, rather uncomfortably, with a group of Gryffindor boys and girls on the Gryffindor table. His friends were talking animatedly but he didn't seem to match their excitement. Albus knew he hated Halloween as much as he did."You ready?" Delphi whispered to Albus as she walked past at lunch time. Albus nodded but tried to not draw attention to himself, he didn't want anyone to know they were friends - if you could even call them friends.Albus ate in silence. His eyes would wander back Scorpius occasionally and his mind would wander too. Did Scorpius ever look for Albus' face in a crowd? Would he ever look over, just to see how he was? Albus couldn't be sure, but he hoped he did. He hoped it wasn't easy for Scorpius. There was a loud bang. Albus whipped his head around to the door. James and two other final year students were raving into the room on broomsticks, fireworks following them. They zoomed around the hall, dropping sweets as they went. They flew to the ceiling and all pulled out poppers. Every Gryffindor student counted down as the prepared to release whatever was going to explode. On one there was another explosion. Red and gold confetti burst into life as there were maniacal laughs from James and his friends. They zoomed around again, dropping confetti onto the teachers who were sat in a state of shock and amazement. There was a final bang as the words 'Halloween 2020' glittered in good fireworks, followed by 'J.S Potter, R.M Snewt, H.E Pewitt'. When the fire world died down there was silence before the whole school erupted into cheers. James and his friends landed on the Gryffindor table and bowed to the students who were cheering them like gods. Albus could only roll his eyes. How could he have guessed that James would do the most pretentious prank, followed by his name in gold lights. The predictability was painful.⋆Lessons were finally finished for the day and Albus was preparing for the plan to begin. Delphi had told him that he couldn't look or do anything suspicious, telling him that people would notice. That put Albus on edge, he didn't want anyone asking about him so he tried to act as normal as possible. He had already packed his small bag, knowing he couldn't bring his trunk as it just wasn't reasonable. The bag didn't have much in it but it did have the essentials that he thought he'd need to escape. It had been hidden on his bed all day. There was a couple of things he needed to do before he met Delphi but needed everyone to be given before he could.He stayed hidden in his bed, waiting for the boys in his dorm to head down to the main hall. Like always, they faffed around, making Albus more anxious by the minute. Eventually, the room emptied and Albus was alone for the last time in his room. He looked around at the scattered clothes on the floor. He decided to actually make his bed, but kept his curtains closed. He ripped a piece of paper out of one of his books and wrote a note for Scorpius. He knew that Scorpius could quite possibly throw it away without reading it, but Albus couldn't imagine leaving without saying anything to Scorpius. 'It's for the best, A x'He didn't know if the kiss at the end was too much, but him and Scorpius had been through too much together for him to think anything of it. He put the note in Scorpius' drawer. He checked the time, 5:59. He had minute to say his final goodbyes before he was meeting Delphi. The room looked the same that it always had, and in that moment he truly realised that nothing would really change if he left. There would be no memory of a boy called Albus ever living in this room, ever existing at Hogwarts.With that in his mind he slammed the door and headed to the common room. Delphi was standing there, bag slung on his back, looking at the end. She looked up when she felt his presence, giving him a sly grin."Ready for the rest of your life?" She asked as he got closer."Never been more ready," Albus breathed, the realisation setting it.The two creeped out the Slytherin dungeons. They checked every corner for teachers would might be roaming around, looking for mischievous students. There was a sigh of relief at every empty hallway as they made their way to the third floor. There was tension in the air, the tension that would go and quickly as it came. They just needed to get out the school and they would be able to breathe easily. The third floor was the hardest to navigate. There were classrooms in strange places and the one eyed witch wasn't an common place g to. Albus obediently followed Delphi, who seemed to have eaten a map for lunch as she headed towards the statue perfectly. They felt their worlds stop as they heard animals outside and mistook them for teachers. They held their breath as they moved around hallways surreptitiously. Unsure of what was happening in the hall and when it would be ending.After what felt like hours of searching, Delphi let out a deep breath at the sight of the one-eyed witch in the corner of the hallway. They ran over to it quickly, it opening at Delphi's command. She let Albus through first, before closing the stature behind them. There were steps leading down that Albus followed. She whispered to him to just follow the steps. That was something he knew he could do so he let the path lead them to freedom. Each step felt an inch closer to what he'd been waiting for, for so long.The passage was long. They knew they could run it to speed it up, but Albus wasn't sure when else he was going to need his energy so he carried on at the normal pace. Delphi didn't seem mind as she laughed quietly behind him, talking about the freedom they were so close. She talked about all the things she was going to do when she got out. When the world was her playground and she was the child who'd been let out to play. Delphi's plans caused Albus to panic in his head. He had no plans after leaving. He had only thought as far as Honeydukes. He had no clue where he was going to go, what he was going to do. There wasn't much he could do as the walking poster child of a Potter. Delphi had spoken about laying low somewhere untilpeople forgot about them, but what were they doing to do. Where was it going to be? How could he be sure they wouldn't be found. The voices were telling him to turn back, telling him he couldn't even escape without failing. Perhaps they were right, but he'd made it this far and couldn't bare to turn back.The passage started to get thinner, the walls crumbling around. Delphi gasped, telling him they were getting close. Very close. Albus sped up with excitement. The reality of escaping was very soon going to be in his sight and he any anxious thought about his future left him. Soon, there was a door above him. He moved so that Delphi could 'do the honours' of opening the door. She graciously swung it open and heaved herself through it. Albus followed close behind her. The two of them were stood in the Honeydukes cellar. They looked at each other and then broke out into loud laughs. They had made it. They were no longer in Hogwarts. Delphi led them to a window."We have to climb through there," she said, pointing up to a window that was closer to the ceiling than the floor.Luckily, it seemed to be more of a jump than a struggle. Delphi went through first, pulling Albus through after her. It was dark and cold in Hogsmeade. The perfect weather for two students escaping Hogwarts. It was darkenough for no one to see them and cold enough for no one to be outside anyway. The next part of the plan was to floo power themselves to the place that Delphi had said, to keep them safe for the time being. Delphi looked around for a while, until she found what she was looking for. Albus could only stand around anxiously until she pulled him over to the corner. "Right, so this is an old house that burnt down," Delphi explained as she got a little pouch out of her pocket. "Luckily for us, the only thing that stayed was the fireplace. That means that we can go wherever and no one willbe able to trace which fireplace we started in."Albus modded, however, he wasn't really sure of the logic behind it. Either way, he followed Delphi's orders. She gave him some powder and told him to stand in the fireplace."We're going to 'Slaveric Manor," Delphi said, slowly, to ensure Albus got the right place.Albus nodded and moved to the fireplace."Slaveric Manor." He opened his eyes and he was in a dingy dungeon that made the Slytherin dungeons look inviting. He looked around as he waited for Delphi to join him. A second later and she was standing in front of the fireplace, with her wand out."Against that wall, don't try and scream. No one can hear you." Delphi yelled, wand pointed at him.Albus panicked. Delphi had a look of pure evil in her eyes. He stepped back in fear and leaned up against the wall. Delphi walked over, and pulled his hands out. Albus didn't dare fight back as she tied his hands in chains and force him on to the floor. "Sweet, naïve Potter," Delphi sung, sickly. "How easy you were to get, almost too easy.""What are you doing? What's happening?" Albus struggled, his voice laced with panic."You're paying for what your father is doing to my family, for what the whole wizarding world is doing to my family!" Delphi laughed. "You see, it's a trap! This whole thing. And now I get to torture you, in the hopes your heroic Dad figures out where you are and we can meet in person."Albus' anxiety was rising. He couldn't control his breathing. His whole body was shaking, chains rattling. How could he have been so stupid? There was no escape. He had told no one about what he was doing. There was no one who could help him. He felt hot tears in his eyes spill down his cheeks. His mind felt like it was exploding. He could hear Delphi laugh from the other side of the room and he realised how much trouble he was really in.
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Harry Potter no longer lived the heroic life of that when he was sixteen. He'd succeeded in his plans to save the wizarding world from Voldemort, with the battle scars to prove it. The heroism was never lost on him, something he knew would live inside him forever no matter if he had to fight evil wizards again or not. His school days were long ago and the adventures he had experienced had been replaced with piles and piles of paperwork, paperwork work that stressed him just thinking about.His life was no longer defeating evil, but instead navigating the world of parenting, something he hadn't had many good examples of growing up. His job was no longer saving the world he lived in, but trying to make it home in time for dinner. He thought challenging Voldemort was difficult, but nothing could compare to trying to raise three children. Three completely different children, who annoyed him in different ways but also made him feel so much joy. His job was as stressful as his home. Working as an Auror was a job he fell into after Hogwarts. The heroics couldn't last forever, so he tried to keep it in the job he did. However, working as an Auror, whilst being called Harry Potter brought a different variety of challenges to his life. His job meant late nights and early starts. It meant that sometimes he had to stay in the office late at night, never being satisfied with his work. It had brought conflict to his and Ginny's marriage, his insatiable desire to work. Although, like always, Ginny could see past the front Harry put on, knowing that sometimes working all night was easier than going home and having to deal with the nightmares that still plagued his sleep. She could tell his work would increase at important anniversaries but all she could do is have a cup of tea ready for him.One of his biggest stresses was his youngest son, Albus. That boy was an enigma that Harry couldn't figure out. He saw himself in the boy but struggled to get him to open up. His and Albus' relationship had never been great, the boy was far too distant from the whole family - especially since starting at Hogwarts. When he was younger, he'd always been quieter than his brother and sister but he was very close to his Mother. However, as he began Hogwarts and moved into his teenage years he grew further and further away from the rest of the family. He started to shut himself away, avoiding conversations and family events. He wasn't sure where it had stemmed from, however, since learning about his close friendship with Scorpius, he decided that was a good starting point. He marked the change in Albus' attitude in the fact he was sorted into Slytherin, knowing he shouldn't have the traditional stereotypes but having them anyway. He couldn't think of what else it could be. He'd lost his son to Slytherin and the Malfoy boy who had taken him away from his family. All he wanted was the young boy who looked up at him like he held all the answers in the word back.Fortunately, he didn't have much time to dwell on his deteriorating relationship with his son as his work load was piling up. Over the past couple of years there has been a resurgence of a kind of neo-deatheater group. The group weren't as radical and didn't follow Voldemort, as such, but they followed a lot of the ideals he had instilled in the death eaters he had. This was a major cause of concern for Harry, as he wasn't sure what was causing them to come back or where they were located. There had been an increase of media coverage over the expanding group, an unnecessary addition to the issue. The newspaper articles were scaring the Wizarding world. He had received an influx of letters about people they thought were 'neo-deatheaters' but none of them were of solid foundation. He was doing his best to not let the information spread to Hogwarts as he wasn't sure how the students would cope with dealing something that was meant to be in their history books. His days had consisted of a lot of meetings with Hermione and other members of the ministry, however he had come to the realisation that hiding what he was doing fromthe ministry, as he'd done when he was younger, was far easier. The long days were becoming long nights as he tried to place new death eaters on maps and determine patterns. He was analysing the materials that had suggested the rise of an extremist group and how their origins could be traced, but to no avail. It was hard. The letters were untraceable and there were too many panic-written letters to try and figure out a pattern to the sources. He was in a meeting, one with Hermione, as he was the only person she'd trust with his matter when he was called away from his meeting.He was annoyed by the interruption as him and Hermione were close to something. He tried to push the disturbance away, telling the assistant that he'd see to it later, however the assistant insisted it was a matter for now. Angrily, Harry pushed himself away from the table and muttered to Hermione that he'd back soon. The assistant led him to his office, closing the door before turning to Harry. "Sir, I'm sorry to pull you away from your meeting but you have a received an urgent letter from Hogwarts," The assistant started, "there was a note attached asking to inform your wife, I can do that whilst you read the letter.""Um, yes course, please contact Ginny," Harry said, confused at the sudden turn of events. He'd never seen an urgent letter from Hogwarts. The assistant handed the letter to Harry and left to contact Ginny.—Dear Mr and Mrs Potter,I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you as there has been an incident at Hogwarts, in which your son, Albus Severus Potter has gone missing. He was lasted seen on the evening of Halloween, but we can confirm that he wasn't present at the feast and hasn't been seen since. Please come to Hogwarts at the most present time possible, where we can discuss the actions to take to find him.Minerva McGonagall—Harry dropped the letter to the floor. Albus had gone missing. His son was gone. His mind started racing through different possibilities as to what could have happened to him. He paced around his office waiting for Ginny. How did he tell Ginny, the other kids? How does he say that Albus is missing. Was he taken? Did he run away? Whatever the reason, Harry needed his son back.His mind turned to the death eaters. He knew the possibility of them kidnapping Albus was slim, the boy wasn't stupid. However, he was worried if the boy had run away and found himself getting help from one. He knew the thoughts were irrational and there would be a simple explanation for where Albus had gone. The situation didn't sit with him easily though.Soon, Ginny burst through the door. She looked worried. Harry wasn't sure she'd ever been called to his work before. She looked at him nervously, not knowing what to expect for him to say. Harry sighed heavily, knowing the thought was going to weigh heavily on Ginny's heart.He had always found that Ginny had far more patience with Albus. When the boy started to isolate himself from the family it angered Harry. He didn't understand why the boy would want to sit alone when there was a family who loved him. Ginny, however, would go and sit with him. She would bring him food, a kind smile and time. Even if he didn't mutter a word to her, she'd still sit with him. He knew that Ginny had the softest part of her heart saved for Albus, whenever Albus was ready to be loved. "Ginny, we have to go to Hogwarts, immediately," Harry spoke, not able to make eye contact. "Something's happened, Albus is missing.""What?" Ginny gasped, her voice small and scared. Her whole face fell as she processed her husband's words. "What do you mean, missing?""I'm not too sure, he was last seen on Halloween," Harry explained, "we need to go to Hogwarts."Ginny nodded. Harry took her hand and held it tightly as they walked through the ministry to a floo fireplace. Ginny had tears in her eyes that she was trying to fight back, wanting to be strong for whatever was coming. Harry's mind went back to the last conversations he'd had with Albus. By conversations he'd meant fights. All him and Albus seemed to do was fight and say things they didn't mean to say to each other. The thought of Albus' last thought of his father being heat of the moment anger it would break Harry's heart.The floo power journey was quick and soon the two of them were stood in Professor McGonagall's office. The office took Harry back to the days of when he would sit with Dumbledore. The office was a portal of another life, a life that Harry has wanted to leave behind for good. McGonagall was sat at her desk, a tense look on her face. It didn't ease when Harry and Ginny arrived, instead she furrowed her brow even more so. Ginny and Harry went and sat at the desk, looking at her desperately to tell the something more than they already know."Mr Potter, Mrs Potter." She breathed, almost sadly. "I don't know what to say to you, I'm so sorry about what has happened.""Have you received any more information?" Harry asked, a frantic wave coming over him. "Do you know if he was taken, if he ran away?""Harry, we don't know for sure what happened, however, there are there strong reasons to think that he ran away." McGonagall admitted, "I, myself, spoke to Albus about his withdrawn behaviour in classes and generally around the school but he was dismissive of the conversation. I wished I'd done more to help the boy whilst he was here.""Why would he run away, I know he's never enjoyed Hogwarts as much as other kids but what would lead him to run away," Ginny sighed, struggling to contain her emotions. Harry instinctively rested a hand on her leg, squeezing it for comfort. "We haven't spoken to any students yet to see if they would know about his whereabouts, but from brief discussions with his teachers I can gather that he had distanced himself from everyone - even Scorpius." McGonagall explained, "but I think students are the best way of getting a bigger picture of Albus and his reasons for leaving."The whole situation was foreign to Harry. He used to be the one to run away, not deal with the fallout of the actions. He knew that he'd do whatever he had to, to bring his son home. But his mind keeping screaming, what if he didn't want to come home?Harry was beginning to think about whether Albus had ran away or been taken. From what Minerva had been saying, the former seemed far more likely. Harry had never realised how much of an outcast Albus really was, his only friend being Scorpius. Harry felt like Albus disappearing had to be his fault. He knew he was harder on Albus than he was James and Lily, but the boy just knew how to press his buttons. Despite the obvious indications of him running away, there was still a part of him that thought he might have been taken. He knew Albus was fragile, he would be an easy target. Harry knew what the newspapers called Albus in the occasional article about the family. He was the forgotten Potter, not the quidditch prodigy son or the bubbly, outgoing daughter. He was quiet and reserved. Harry know victim types and Albus fitted into it perfectly. The only problem was figuring out who could've taken him. There can't have been anyone at the school who would want him gone, Harry couldn't imagine him having enemies."What is the best thing we can do right now?" Ginny asked, pain etched onto her face."We've sent a search party out for him, and we will expand that asking for help from the locals as well," McGonagall explained, gesturing wildly. "A couple of teachers and I are going to question some of the closer students to Albus to see if he gave the impression of running away.""Okay that sounds thorough, shall we ask anyone to help search?" Harry questioned, keeping himself close to Ginny."Anyone who you feel will help the investigation will be welcome warmly," McGonagall spoke. "Now, you two go home and see if there's any help you and bring in."Harry and Ginny stood up, as if they'd been dismissed from a detention. They walked to the fireplace, still holding hands tightly. "See you soon, look after yourselves."With that, Harry and Ginny were back in the comfort of their own home. Ginny burst into tears, falling into Harry who could only hold her whilst she wept. He rocked her back and forth, whispering soothingly to her. When they broke away she curled up on the sofa, a vacant look in her usually soft eyes. Harry pushes gus emotions to the side as he looked for parchment to write to Hermione, knowing they'd all the help they'd need to get Albus back.
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Everything had changed. The Scorpius that arrived at Hogwarts in first year was not the same Scorpius that looked him in the mirror now. The eleven year old Scorpius had two parents, who loved each other and him dearly. Eleven year old Scorpius had big dreams, ambitions of having the Hogwarts experience that the famous Harry Potter had. The Harry Potter that his family spoke so admirably about, except from his grandparents who refused to speak of him. When he got to Hogwarts, he made friends with an equally scared boy as him, Albus. Albus Potter. His best friend. The fifteen year old that now looked back at him now, didn't have both parents. His Dad was distant and despite loving him the same, there was still an obvious hole in his life that was shaped like his Mother. The dreams of Hogwarts came crumbling down when the boys in his year began mocking him. Mocking his family, the past that Scorpius had no choice but to accept. The past that didn't define Scorpius, even though everyone decided it had. He didn't even have his best friend. Scorpius didn't know what happened to Albus. The way his moods were so erratic scared him, never knowing what Albus was going to wake up in the morning. He didn't want to lose him, but Scorpius couldn't watch his best friend destroy himself for no reason. He hadn't intended on leaving Albus, but when a couple of Gryffindor girls approached him, inviting him to join the conversation like an old friend he realised it might be for the best. The girls were sweet, always knowing the right thing to say and having a laugh at the same time. The conversations were light and easy, like lemonade on a sunny day.However, Scorpius wasn't always lemonade on a sunny day. Like Albus, sometimes Scorpius was scared. Sometimes his mind played tricks on him, making him feel less than he was. His new friends wouldn't be there when he needed them the most. They wouldn't hold during nights when all he could think about was his Mother. They wouldn't understand that some days he wasn't as happy as others. Their friendship was a release but there was nothing holding the friendship together like him and Albus had. He needed the change that the Gryffindor brought, but it made him realise how much special what he and Albus had was. It had even put him off Rose, which he knew would make Albus at least a tiny bit happier. He understood his infatuation with Rose, she was everything he wanted. She was smart, hardworking and fiery. But she didn't have the softness, in the same way that her friends didn't either. Their group was brash and quick-witted, dry humour and sarcasm. Scorpius found it funny, but it wasn't always all that fun. Scorpius could tell that something had been off with Albus for a while. Since they stopped talking, Albus cut off all communications. He never saw Albus with anyone, not even talking to the teachers. He could see the loneliness in his eyes and so often did he want to go over and sit with him. But he didn't. He wasn't sure what stopped him, but there was something in his mind that told him to stay. It was the night of Halloween, and as always, Scorpius searched the room to see Albus' face. He just had to. He quickly realised that the familiar face was no where to be seen. He focused his eye contact as he looked at each face individually of every single person, at every single table. He did it twice, three times. But he never saw Albus' face. Scorpius tried to ignore it. It wouldn't have been the first time that Albus had skipped a school event. He put it down to Albus falling asleep, he always seemed to be in bed anyway. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind for the rest of the meal.The meal went slowly. Too slowly. The speeches from the teachers, usually one of his favourite parts of the whole night, droned on. The dessert felt hours after dinner. The breaks feeling like years. The choir sounded like a whole concert worth of songs, songs that didn't fill him with the usual warm tingles. The whole evening was wrong. By the end of the night Scorpius was itching to leave, he just needed to prove to himself that Albus was asleep. As the night drew to a close and students started heading to their dorms, Scorpius jumped at the chance but was stopped by his friends Anna and Ellie."Hey theres a kind of - after party - in the Gryffindor common rooms that you can come to if you'd like," Anna said, a smile on her face. "Some of the older boys and getting some firewhisky, it's a nice tradition.""Oh, er - thanks but I think I'm just gonna head up to my dorm," Scorpius replied, scratching him head. "Need to revise for a test tomorrow, it's a big one.""Oh, no worries! Good luck." Ellie chimed in. The two girls then bid him good night and headed to the Gryffindor tower.With that, Scorpius made his way to his dormroom. He recited in his head, he's asleep. He's asleep. He's asleep. Hoping to Dumbledore that if he said it enough times it would be true. The walk to the dungeons seemed to be the longest walk of his life. Every step was longer than the last. He almost shouted the password at the frame that was keeping him from entering. He made his way up the stairs, deciding he didn't care if Albus questioned why he opened the curtains of his bed, if he was in bed. He moved between students until he was standing outside the bedroom. He pushed the door open and immediately saw that the curtains around Albus's bed were closed, but that he'd tidied all his belongings. He walked over to Albus's bed and peeked his bed through the curtain. His bed was empty. He took a step back and looked around, on second look he saw there was nothing to prove that there was even a boy who stayed in that bed. The only thing that was left was his trunk.Albus was gone.Panic seeped into his body as he looked around for anything, anything that might be a sign of Albus. He went to his bed, looking for something - anything that could be Albus.He was gone.Should he tell someone? Maybe Albus wasn't actually gone, but needed to take a break from the dorm. Yes. He'd gone to sleep in James' dorm for the night. Perhaps he had a bad dream and needed the brotherly comfort. James would help Albus in a state of distress, he wasn't heartless. Albus was with James for a reason that wasn't Scorpius's business anymore.Scorpius told himself that as he got himself ready for bed. Albus is with James. He tucked himself in and looked at Albus's deserted bed. Albus had to be with James. With that, Scorpius fell into a restless sleep.⋆Scorpius rose, panicked as there were numerous teachers voices in his room. He pulled his curtains back gingerly to see what was going on. Professor McGonagall, as well as Professor Longbottom and some other teachers were looking at Albus' bed. Going through his sheets, the trunk. Scorpius creeped out of bed and watched as all the teachers turned to look at him. There was a mixture of emotions on their faces but Professor Longbottom jumped in before any of the teachers could say anything."Scorpius, could you come with me to my office?" He said warmly, "We can get you some breakfast and we can have a chat."Before Scorpius could reply, a pair of slippers were shoved in his directions before he was promptly removed from the dorm room. Professor Longbottom stayed close to him as they walked to the kitchens, avoiding the main hall to get him some breakfast. After securing him some bacon, toast and a coffee they walked to his office. Scorpius was hardly awake but was beginning to piece together what happened last night and how it related to why there were teachers in his bedroom this morning. His panicked state that repeatedly told him that Albus was with his brother. Albus. They were looking for Albus. Did that mean that Albus wasn't with James? What where else could Albus be?Upon reaching Professor Longbottom's office, Scorpius gingerly entered having never been in before. Unlike most offices, there were plants everywhere and a surprisingly comfortable sofa against one wall. Professor Longbottom gestured for him to sit down as he sat in a chair adjacent to the sofa."Um, sir, not to be rude as your office is lovely," Scorpius mumbled. "But why am I here? I'm in my pyjamas and no one has told me what's going on.""I just need to ask you a couple of questions about Albus, you're good friends with him aren't you?" Professor Longbottom explained, sipping on the tea he got for himself. "We were good friends, we haven't spoken recently." Scorpius admitted, the words causing his heart to hurt."Okay, well I just need a few questions." Longbottom said, "firstly, has Albus ever spoken to you about not liking Hogwarts or not wanting to go to school?""Like everyday, I mean he didn't really hide his hatred of the school." Scorpius spoke. "He always called it hell and stuff.""Right, did he ever talk about having a reason to hate the school?" Professor Longbottom questioned further."Well I guess he thought teachers expected more from him because of his Dad and he never really liked magic anyway," Scorpius explained. "His favourite subject is Muggle Studies which I don't think his Dad liked either.""Did he ever suggest to you about running away or leaving the school?""No, I don't think so. I mean, the thought probably played on his mind but he never said anything to me.""How has he been acting these past couple of weeks?" Professor Longbottom asked, leaning towards Scorpius."Like I said, we aren't really friends anymore." Scorpius sighed, looking defeated. "What's all this about, has something happened to Albus?""I'm not sure if I'm meant to tell you this but last night Albus never went to the feast or to bed," Professor Longbottom explained. "We are asking you and a couple of other students some questions that might help us gage why he left.""I don't understand... I thought he was staying with James last night?" Scorpius asked, confused. He could've sworn last night, after the feast, that Albus went and stayed in James' room. He fell asleep thinking that."No Scorpius, we think he left during the feast and he hasn't been seen since."Scorpius' body filled with panic. Albus was gone. No one had seen him since last night. What if something had happened to him and Scorpius was too late. He must have known that Albus wasn't in his bed, but told himself that he was with James. His best friend was gone. And no one knew where he was.His mind began racing. Albus wouldn't have just left, he knew Albus better than that. Albus wouldn't runaway without telling him, he knew he wouldn't be able to plan an escape by himself. There had to be something more than just Albus up and leaving. He wasn't sure what he needed to do but he couldn't see Albus running away, no matter how much he hated Hogwarts.Something wasn't right.
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There was something that didn't shake from Scorpius' mind. His thoughts were consumed by the thought of Albus, the thought of him alone and scared. His heart hurt for his ex best friend. No matter what had happened between them, nothing could have made Scorpius want Albus to leave. He wanted his best friend back. Hogwarts felt wrong now. Even though they hadn't spoken for weeks, Scorpius still searched for him in the crowds of people. He still looked at the empty bed every single, willing for Albus to burst through the door and collapse onto the dark sheets.The search for Albus was continuing. It had been three days since he went missing and all three days there had been people searching. However, by this point they weren't sure whether they were looking for a boy or a body. Scorpius wasn't stupid. He'd read muggle books on Criminology (a weird phase he went through and is since over), and he knew that the first seventy-two hours were the most vital when looking for a missing person. He knew the risks that lied ahead now that the most important hours were gone. As underage witches and wizards, no one from the school was allowed to help in the search. It didn't stop people from looking subconsciously as they walked around the grounds. For a boy who hated all the attention, Albus sure knew how to make it all about him. Scorpius saw the reaction from James when Harry had him promise to not going looking for Albus, the pain in his eyes that he'd never seen before. He sobbed to his parents, telling them that they had to bring his Albus home, whatever it took.The days had gone more slowly than usual. He still sat with the Gryffindor girls, but he was far less talkative than he ever was before. Same with Rose. The whole mood of the school had lulled and there were whispers going around. No one dared saying anything out loud but the gossip mill was stirring and people were beginning to have their own theories about the disappearance. There were obviously mutters about Voldemort, but most of them were rooted in the tense relationship he had with his family. Scorpius tried not to listen to any of them, but he felt guilty knowing something could've happened that he didn't know about as they stopped talking.The media had also gotten a hold of the story. The headlines were filled with witty Potter puns, 'Won a War but Lost a Son'. Scorpius found the titles insensitive but the articles were the only way of keeping up with the case. There were daily updates from a private detective agency that was working on the case, each day dissecting the finding from the day before. However, there was never again good news but instead a ticking time bomb on Albus' safety. Whatever the detectives were looking for wasn't leading them in the right direction, but Scorpius didn't know what the right direction was.In his lessons he preferred to sit alone, not have anyone distract him. The walks between lessons were always the fastest routes so that he didn't have to speak to anyone. That's how he got by. Avoidance. He could hear people talking about disappearance as he walked to his Runes class. Fortunately, Albus wasn't in this class meaning he didn't have to stare at the seat his friend was supposed to sit in. It didn't stop people from talking though. It never did."I just don't understand why he'd run away, I mean I know he's always been kinda weird but like not to the point of running away," One of Rose's friends was saying as Scorpius walked over to the group of girls. "Do you think he ran away, Scorpius?""I, um, I don't think so," Scorpius answered awkwardly, rubbing his arm."Well what else could've happened to him, he was kidnapped? Unlikely, no one likes him that much!" Rose laughed, her friends joining in."It just doesn't add up, he never spoke about running away when we were friends, I don't know how he'd come up with something like that," Scorpius said, "Something just isn't right."The class went by slowly but he could see Rose constantly looking back at him. He felt self-conscious as he could feel her eyes burning into his back. His crush on Rose was fading, especially since becoming friends with her. He wasn't sure what attracted him to her, apart from her high intelligence and quick wit. There was obviously something about Rose, but he wasn't sure it was what he wanted. She was too quick, too brash for him. At the end of the lesson he made a beeline for the door, wanting to get to his next lesson as quick as possible to avoid everyone. He was about to leave the room when he felt an arm pull him back."Scorpius!" The person called. Rose. He turned round to look at her and he could see the worried look on her face. She led him in to a corridor where no one walked past. "Hey I know what I was saying earlier, but I am really worried about Albus and when you said that something didn't add up, I needed to know what you mean," Rose rambled, Scorpius never hearing sound this worried about anything in this way."Look, maybe I'm completely wrong but Albus just didn't seem in a state to run away. His mood was all over the place, but most of the time he was happy, when we were friends anyway," Scorpius explained. "So I just don't see how he could've gone from being happy, to wanting to run away.""Then what do you think happened?" Rose asked, beginning to pace."Well I, er, I don't have much but there was a girl he knew that he wouldn't tell me about and got annoyed when I brought her up," Scorpius said."A girl?" Rose almost gasped. "In all my life I don't think I've seen Albus with a girl that wasn't in his family.""It's strange I know, but the reason we fell out is because I said she wasn't a good person, well her family aren't.""I see what you're saying," Rose said. "Well we need to get to class, but do you think tonight we could go to library and discuss this more because you seem to be talking the most sense in this whole thing. Seven-thirty?"Scorpius nodded.After all of his classes he always went straight his dorm room. There was nothing to do since Albus disappeared, he didn't even want to hang out with his new friends. He laid on his bed thinking about everything. Thinking about Albus. He wondered what he was doing and who he was with. He wondered if he was safe, warm, happy. There was so much he wished he could've said to Albus before he disappeared. How much he meant to him. He decided to write a letter to his Dad, having not written one since Albus had disappeared. He opened his bedside table drawer and rummaged around for some parchment. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. He opened it, knowing he never folded his own parchment paper as he didn't like it creasing.'It's for the best, A x'Scorpius dropped it. Albus left something for him. Albus did run away. He ran his finger over each letter, the way each scrawled letter ran into the next one. There was something about that made Scorpius unable to put it down. It was the last piece of Albus. He put it carefully in his pocket to show Rose. After finding some parchment paper he wrote a very badly written letter to his father, finally opening up about what was going on with Albus and how much he missed him. How much he needed him. He hoped his Dad wouldn't mind such an Albus centred letter but the thought of him was consuming his every thought. Once he'd written it he carefully rolled it and put it in his pocket to take to the owlery later.Upon checking the time he realised that he might as well head to the library. Knowing Rose, she'd probably be early anyway. He walked the quickest way possible but it didn't stop him from being stopped by someone in the corridor."Hey Scorpius do you think we could talk for a minute?" James Potter asked him quietly.The boy had dark circles under his eyes and his clothes looked disheveled and unclean. He had a sad look on his face, one that could only be seen on a boy who's brother was missing."Yeah, is everything okay?" Scorpius asked, already knowing the answer."You know it isn't," James snapped. "Sorry, sorry I know I've been harsh on you in the past, never knew why my brother would want to hang out with a Malfoy but you were friends so I just have to ask, did he say anything to you? Anything?""I'm really sorry James, I wish he had done as much as you do, I really do," Scorpius said. "We hadn't been talking for a couple weeks before he disappeared.""Okay, thanks anyway," James said, sounding crest fallen. "Well, look after yourself.""You too James."James laughed emptily and walked away. Scorpius carried on his way to the library, trying to get the conservation out of his head. Regardless of what Albus had said, James looked broken not knowing where Albus was. He wondered if Albus thought that no one cared about him. No one was looking for him.In the library, he saw Rose's fiery red hair immediately and walked over to her table. She was sat reading a thick book on history and Scorpius couldn't help but smile. He slid into the chair opposite her and looked at her expectedly."Hey, how's you?" She said, closing her book and putting it in her bag."I just had a conversation with your cousin, James." Scorpius said, "He asked about Albus.""Yeah, he's pretty broken up about it," Rose replied. "I'm surprised he spoke to you about it it, he won't mention it around us and acts like Albus has gone for a walk or something.""I wish.""Me too," Rose sighed. "But anyway, you said something about a girl that wasn't good news. She's the best place the start I think.""Yeah," Scorpius said, "So her name is Delphi, I don't know her surname, but her family are friends with my grandparents and I saw her maybe last year at a family dinner party my grandparents held.""What kind of dinner party was it that made you think her family weren't good people?" Rose asked, writing things down on a piece of parchment. "Er, well it was a dinner party that my grandparents hold every couple of years with all the death eaters." Scorpius admitted. Rose's head snapped up."Death eaters?""Me and my Dad aren't death eaters but my grandparents forced us to go just after my Mum died and my Dad didn't have the energy to say no," Scorpius explained quickly. "We were both grieving and I don't think my Dad wanted the fight.""It's okay I understand," Rose said, "So she was at this party and then when did you see her next?""So we were walking back from Hogsmeade and Albus was in a really good mood, he had been for a while. It was the happiest Albus had been ever." Scorpius explained. "Then Delphi spoke to Albus, I can't remember what she said but when I said I recognised her he went all funny and practically stormed off.""So you knowing this girl annoyed him," Rose asked. "Did you mention her again?""Yes! It was a couple of days later when I remembered that I knew her from the dinner party, so I just warned that she probably wasn't good news and he shouted at me and we didn't speak after that.""So she was the reason you guys stopped speaking?""Yeah, yeah she was." Scorpius realised."That means, there must be something that she was, did, or had that Albus wanted," Rose said. "If we know how why she was worth falling out with his best friend over, then maybe we'll have a reason as to why he ran away."Scorpius thought it over. Him and Rose were gonna have to work together on this. They didn't have access to the people that could do a real investigation and he was convinced the Potter's wouldn't want a Malfoy involved in the case.The first thing they needed to do was find Delphi.