The Chronicles of Albus Potter: Year of Choices

Chapter Five: Welcome to Slytherin

Scorpius and Mitexi stayed on either side of Albus as they followed the Slytherin prefects out of the Great Hall and down into the dungeons. The feast had been spectacular, with more food then all the students could ever eat; but poor Al, still white and shaking, hadn't managed a single bite.

The group came to a halt before a bare stretch of wall. "Birthright." The wall opened up at the Prefect's prompting and the first years filed through.

Scorpius saw a long room of rough stone, with round lamps suspended from the ceiling adding a greenish glow to everything. The chairs were all leather and antique, and the fireplace was elaborately carved from the dark rock. But most impressive of all was the large window at the back of the room, showing, not the night sky, but the dark waters of the lake.

The Prefect gathered them in front of the fireplace. Scorpius was glad of this position at the rear of the group; the warmth from the fire felt good on his back.

"Alright, small fry, listen up. This, obviously, is the Slytherin common room. If you couldn't figure that out on your own, you need to go right back out that door, find a teacher, and get directions to the Hufflepuff common room, where you really belong."

Scorpius exchanged an incredulous glance with Al and Mitexi. "Charming," he muttered under his breath, while some of the older students sniggered.

"No one leaving?" the Prefect continued, sneering. "Pity, I'm sure that some of you are here under false pretences." He glared towards the two boys at the back of the group. Scorpius lifted his chin defiantly, meeting the fifth-year stare for stare, even though inside he was quailing. When the Prefect's attention shifted to Al, Scorpius also glanced at his friend.

Al's face had been raised to listen to the Prefect's words. Now, as attention was focussed towards him, he ducked his head, his cheeks losing what little colour they had regained, and his trembling intensified. Scorpius glanced around the room quickly. Everyone else in the room was following the Prefect's example and staring at Al. Scorpius looked back to his friend in concern. The small black-haired boy was flinching, as though every set of eyes was burning him. His breathing was becoming more and more unsteady.

I don't like this! Scorpius thought frantically. Earlier, everyone had been too busy talking about Al to actually take a close look at him and realise that the young Potter was in the middle of a massive panic attack. Now, it was blatantly obvious to everyone in the room (almost the entire population of Slytherin) that his friend was scared – and vulnerable.

Scorpius wrapped his hand around Al's upper arm, trying to offer support. Mitexi stood close on his other side, scowling at the boy who had started this.

The Prefect was smirking now, clearly thrilled with this turn of events. "Why, Potter, don't you have anything to say?" Al's tremors got worse, and he began to gasp for breath. "See how he shakes! Why, Potty Wee Potter, are you scared?"

Scorpius was rapidly bypassing 'concerned' and was on track for 'terrified' about Al's wellbeing – and exactly what the others had in mind for them. He stepped forward, placing himself firmly between Al and his tormentor.

Mitexi was barely a split second behind him. "I doubt you parents would be too pleased to hear about how you're abusing your powers as a Prefect, Armand Tanner," she said smoothly, almost pleasantly – but her sharp blue eyes told another story. "I'd hate to have to mention this to my father. You know how he is at those business dinners of his – can't keep anything to himself…" The threat was crystal clear.

The Prefect scowled. "You'd better watch yourself, Hunter. An attitude like that will get you in trouble."

Mitexi smiled sweetly. "I promise to restrain myself – except when I feel it's necessary not to."

Tanner finished up the induction speech with no more snide comments, although he kept glaring at their trio. When he walked away, Scorpius and Mitexi wasted no time in ushering Al across the room. The red-haired girl peeled off at the door to the boys' dormitories. "See you in the morning, guys," she murmured, exchanging a concerned glance with Scorpius as she turned away.

"Thanks, Mitexi." Al's voice was so quiet as to be almost inaudible, but Scorpius saw the girl smile.

"Anytime, Al." She waved before vanishing into an identical door across the way leading to the girls' dormitories.

The boys went down a long staircase, passing six landings and doors until, at the very bottom, they found one labelled 'First Years'. Behind the door, another set of stairs led down into a long low room. Large four poster beds, hung with forest green curtains, lined the walls; a fifth was tucked under the window at the end of the room. Like in the common room above, the dormitory was lit by round green lamps.

Scorpius recognised Al's barn owl perched by the bed under the window. He guided Al over to it, where the Potter boy slumped, covering his face with his hands. Scorpius hovered awkwardly for a moment, before sitting gingerly next to him. "Al?" he asked softly.

A groan answered him. "What's wrong with me, Scorpius? Why am I falling apart like this?"

Scorpius frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know. But I think we need to figure this out quickly, because it's gonna be a long seven years otherwise."

Al dropped his hands to glare at him. "That doesn't make me feel better, strangely enough."

Scorpius couldn't help smirking, despite his friend's distress. "Well, it's good to see some colour in your face – even if it is only the redness rimming your eyes."

Al scowled, his cheeks tinging with pink. "Funny, Malfoy, see how hard I'm laughing?"

Scorpius studied his friend. "Yeah. Yeah, totally hysterical."

Al rolled his eyes. "Seriously. I've never freaked out like this before."

"Have you ever been around this many people before?"

Al's eyebrows drew together in thought. "No, I don't think so. I mean, I've been to Diagon Alley, but there are nowhere near as many people there."

Scorpius shrugged. "Well, there you go."

"But-" Al sputtered. "Have you? Been around this many people, I mean?"

He snorted. "Hardly. We're not exactly popular, my family."

"Then why aren't you having a complete mental breakdown?"

Scorpius sighed. "Maybe because I don't have the expectations of an entire nation on my shoulders. I don't even have a horde of relatives to object to which House I'm in."

Al grimaced. "Right. How is your family gonna take this?"

"Well, Grandpa Lucius will be proud, Grandma Cissy and Mum won't really care, as long as I'm happy and Dad-" Scorpius smiled a little sadly; "he'll be a little bit disappointed and a little bit proud." He saw Al's curious look and decided to explain. "He'll be disappointed because he knows being in Slytherin will make things more difficult for me. But he'll be proud, because ours is a Slytherin family."

Al opened his mouth to comment, but stopped when the door swung open again. The other three boys of the Slytherin first years entered. The first of them – a gangly boy with a shock of wild black hair – Scorpius recognised as the boy who'd capsized the boat. He thought back to the Sorting – Sawyer Galloway, that was his name.

The other two boys also had black hair; Scorpius was going to stand out spectacularly with his white-blond locks. He knew of both boys by their families; Jacob Higgs and Zachery Nott. Both were above average height; though not as tall as Sawyer, they were easily able to tower over Al and Scorpius, who were rather short for their age.

Galloway went straight to his own bed, but Higgs and Nott came over to stand at the end of Al's bed. Scorpius got to his feet slowly, warily. He didn't like the looks on their faces. Al remained seated, his gaze fixed on his knees.

"Oh, look, cosy, aren't they?" Nott drawled. Higgs sniggered. Galloway glanced over from his bed, looking very uncertain. Al's shoulders slumped forward at the derision in the other boy's voice.

Scorpius shifted sideways, placing himself in front of Al once more. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked coolly, blandly, as if his heart weren't racing and his mouth weren't dry. He silently thanked his father for all of his lessons in 'how to be a Malfoy'.

Nott sneered at him. "Look at you, acting like you're better than everybody, when everybody knows that your family is a disgrace."

Scorpius kept his chin up, not allowing a single hint of weakness to show through, even when Higgs sniggered again. "No one wants to know the Malfoys. You're blood traitors and Death Eaters. The purebloods won't have you – the Mudbloods don't want you."

Al stood up abruptly. Without looking at their faces, he said softly, "I-I'll have him. I w-w-want h-him."

The two boys exploded into catcalls and hollers. "Ooh, the Potty brat wants a boyfriend!" Higgs snorted. "Is that what you're reduced to, Malfoy? A pet for the Potters?"

Scorpius wasn't even listening. He was staring at Al – as pale as milk and trembling once more. Albus Potter, standing up for him again, even though it drew the attention that he so clearly feared.

"J-j-just go a-a-way!" Al stammered in distress, sniffling. Scorpius moved to stand next to his friend.

Nott sneered again. "What a baby! Honestly, Potter, how'd you end up in Slytherin, anyway? Why don't you go join those dunderheads in Hufflepuff instead?" Al remained silent, and finally the bully seemed to lose interest. "C'mon Jake, let's go before he decides to wipe his nose on us. Later, Snotter!"

Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief as the two walked away, and he was grateful that their beds were the furthest from Al's. Al simply collapsed backwards onto his bed, still shaking with nerves. Scorpius carefully sat beside him, keeping an eye on the other boys as they prepared for bed. He touched Al's arm gently. "Thank you," he said softly.

Al stared at him through tear-filled eyes. "For what?" He sniffled and wiped his nose. "For being completely mental?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "No, dimwit. For standing up for me. Again."

"Oh. You're welcome," Al replied, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely.

Scorpius found himself doing the same. "Okay, it's past my bedtime." He stood and drew Al's curtains shut around him.

"G'nigh', Scor," Al murmured, sounding like he was already three-quarters asleep.

"Goodnight, Al," he whispered back. "Thank you… for being my friend."