It would be Damian's first year at Hogwarts. Living up to the legacies of his father, retired Head Auror and current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and his mother, world-renowned assassin (not that anyone could prove it) both in the muggle and the Wizarding world, is hard enough. But entering Hogwarts as the youngest of Bruce Wayne's brood of exceptional children? Damian had a lot of work cut out for him, but he's certain that he can do it. After all, it was expected.

Damian tensed in his bed as he woke up. His letter from Hogwarts was due to arrive today. Pennyworth would surely bring it in, along with all the other letters and booklists his "siblings" would receive. He was definitely going to Hogwarts, there was no doubt about it. He's come from a long line of witches and wizards, his father is one of the most talented wizards of the age, and his mother is no lightweight either. He was definitely going to get his letter today.

In the hallway he could hear his "siblings" making their usual noise as they sleepily made their way down to breakfast. They all received their letters, it would make no sense that Damian wouldn't. He could differentiate which sibling was passing his door based on their footsteps alone. Father did not condone the inappropriate or frivolous use of magic in the Manor. They had appearances to keep up after all.

Grayson's footsteps were light because of his formative years in the circus. His parents were magical yes, but not magical enough to need to go to school to learn how to control it. He turned out fine, Seventh Year and, most likely, Head Boy this coming term. If he could get into Hogwarts even with his not-so-impressive lineage, Damian is definitely a shoe-in.

Todd's heavy clunking steps were next. Usually, nobody could get him out of bed before noon on summer holidays, but Pennyworth must have insisted on a family breakfast today. Todd's lineage was insignificant. A muggle-born from the streets, Damian was surprised to learn. Todd's magic was strong though, maybe even stronger than Dick's. There was also no doubting that Todd was talented. He was talented and determined to a fault to make something of himself. He had ambition, and he wasn't going to stop working his butt off to get what he wanted.

Another set of nearly silent footsteps meant that Cain was passing by his door. She seemed to have stopped a bit right at his door before she continued on her way. There was never any doubt that she would get a letter. Her magic manifested itself long before she joined the Wayne family. Damian had a spark of accidental magic here and there, but no matter the training his Mother had put him through, no matter the numerous sessions he had to endure, there seemed to be…no, he wasn't going to doubt himself. Damian Wayne is going to Hogwarts, it was just a matter of time.

Drake's footfalls were the last to be heard. Like Todd he was usually late to rise. He spend his nights reading that most of the time he fell asleep in a couch or on his desk. Like Cain, there was never any doubt that Drake would get his letter. He was strong magically, his bloodline ensured it. Pureblood parents, no squibs until third degree relations, accidental magic manifesting at a young age, there was never any doubt about his qualifications at all. He wasn't content to just breeze through school either, Drake was at the top of his class, always with his nose in a book or practicing some spell or another. Go-getters, that's what Damian's family consisted of.

Titus perked his ears, Alfred must have blown the whistle indicating that breakfast was ready. It was Titus' job to make sure that Damian came down. Alfred trained the dog that way. As much as Damian was dreading going down to face the mail, he knew that he had to put on a brave face. It was expected.

As he exited his room, he saw Grayson leaning against the wall in his pyjamas, waiting for him with a reassuring smile. It was annoying, to say the least.

"Your letter's arriving today," Dick said cheerfully. "We'll finally be in school together."

It was apparent that the older boy was excited to be able to see Damian more often. Even if Damian wasn't sorted into his house, there were plenty of opportunities to spend time with the boy at Hogwarts. Dick was really into the whole family bonding thing, and hated the fact that their youngest brother was with his mother for most of the year and only got to spend time with them during the summer and a few days around Christmas.

"Tt," Damian responded, walking past the older boy. "There is no doubt that I will receive my letter. I only have to ensure that I'm not stuck in Hufflepuff."

"Hey!" Dick faked outrage and caught up with the boy. "Hufflepuff isn't that bad!"

"Says you, and you're a Hufflepuff. House loyalty and all that."

"Face it Dickiebird, the Demon Brat is right," Jason commented as the duo turned a corner and almost walked into him. "Hufflepuff is lame."

"Just because you're in Slytherin doesn't mean you're any better than Grayson is," Damian said ignoring Dick's protests and verbally attacking Todd head-on. Damian could verbally outspar his two eldest brothers. Only Drake could keep up with him. "How, you were sorted into it is still a mystery to me. You're almost all brawn and bravery, with no strategy at all. It's a wonder that Father isn't ashamed of you. Then again it could be worse, you could be in Gryffindor."

"Take that back you little-"

Damian evaded Todd's lunge easily. He was faster and smaller than the Sixth Year, and definitely more well-trained in using his body. He ran towards the staircase, leaving his eldest "siblings" to wonder if he had apparated since he was gone so quickly.

He sped his way through the Manor and at the doorway leading to the kitchen, Damian stopped. He could hear Drake request coffee from Alfred as well as some soft humming that was definitely Cain. He still couldn't hear Todd and Grayson behind him, so he assumed that they were taking their time.

This was his last chance to steel himself, because once he went inside, there was no turning back and nowhere to hide. If by chance he had no letter… He couldn't think of what would happen next. Anticipating it as a possibility filled him with shame, how much more if it became reality? He was a Wayne, he would do as was expected of him. He took a deep breath and started to push the door open.

Before he could, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Only two people in the Manor could do that, Cain who was inside the kitchen, and his Father.

He turned around to face a smiling Bruce Wayne holding out a Hogwarts letter with his name written on it. Damian stared at the letter in his father's hand and gave an answering smile.

"There's another one inside that came in the post with all the other letters," Bruce explained. "But I thought you would appreciate reading your letter for the first time without the others."

Damian smiled. The way his father said 'others' clearly meant that he was talking about Grayson and his propensity for blowing achievements out of proportion. Or at least that was how Damian chose to interpret it.

"You have my sincerest gratitude, Father."

He took the letter and started to walk away, intending to open it in the other room before proceeding to breakfast. After two steps, Damian turned back to give Bruce a rare hug, and an even rarer invitation.

"Would you care to read it with me?"

Later, after they were all finished eating breakfast, Alfred distributed the mail. Dick's envelope was heavier than normal, not that that was a surprise. It was long since expected that Richard Grayson would become Head Boy. Jason's OWL scores came in the mail too. Nothing below Exceeds Expectations and O's in Transfiguration, Defence, Potions, and Ancient Runes. Tim's Hogsmead Permission Slip was handed off to Alfred who would have Bruce sign it later and then ensure that Tim didn't leave it behind.

Damian browsed his second letter, already knowing the contents by heart, and he suddenly asked a question.

"Father, may I bring Alfred?"

Of course Damian meant his cat, but it took a while for Jason and Dick's sleep-addled minds to realize that, leading to a rowdy discussion of how they "already tried to talk Bruce into bringing Alfred to Hogwarts during the school year" and of how "even though the food at school was nowhere near Alfred's level, it wasn't that bad, don't worry about it Damian."

Somewhat based on jbramx2's drawing Batfamily goes to Hogwarts on deviantart.

I might make more of this, but I'm a bit stuck on central plot, so I make no promises. Leave a comment?