Scorpius got onto the train, looking back at his parents miserably as he did so. He didn't want to go to school, he really didn't, but his father insisted. He thought back to the conversation they had had on the platform whilst everyone else had been staring at that Potter family.

"I hope you will bring honour to our name Scorpius. It is expected of you after all"

He nodded "Yes father. But, what if I'm in Gryffindor?"

"Then Gryffindor house have gained an excellent student, will it not? Too much blood has been lost from an obsession with its purity"

Scorpius frowned "What if I'm in Hufflepuff?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Is that likely?"

"No."

"Then go, and although you are a Malfoy, remember it is still a name to be proud of. And do try to beat the Weasley girl at least once…"

"Yes father. Goodbye father."

So he got on to the train, fighting through a horde of second year boys, one a Potter, the other two identical, with dark blond hair and slightly surprised expressions.

He almost made it through the carriage when the Potter boy turned and stared at him.

"What do you think you're doing? We don't want your sort in here Malfoy. Sod off, or you'll regret it." He didn't so much as sneer, but it was clear from his expression that he wasn't joking.

Scorpius felt a hot prickling feeling in his eyes, but he pushed it back fiercely along with the sinking feeling with his stomach. He might not be a mudblood- Muggle-Born hater, but he was still a Malfoy, and he was not going to cry.

He eventually made it to an empty compartment, still dragging his trunk behind him at shut the door with a huge of relief.

"I'm not going to be in Slytherin." he decided. He wasn't really ambitious or 'cunning' enough, and although he had secretly always quite liked the idea of being the first Gryffindor in his family, like his distant relative Sirius Black, he didn't really think he was brave enough to merit a place in that house. Still he was only 11, and so ignoring such gloomy thoughts for a little while, he dug out a battered muggle graphic novel from his trunk. His father would have probably killed him if he'd known, but he didn't.

I suppose I am little bit Slytherin he thought as he flicked through the pages happily. Unfortunately for Scorpius though, he wasn't alone for long, as he heard a boy and a girl, bickering outside.

"I told you that James wouldn't let us sit with them, Al."

"You? It was your idea in the first place! And now bloody Lorcan Scamander's given me blue hair! Blue! I look like Teddy. Thanks Rose!"

Scorpius groaned. Of all the people to have to come and share his compartment, it would have to be Potter (who did indeed have blue hair) and Weasley.

The door slid open.

"Is anyone – oh sorry, every where else is full..." Weasley said, not seeing Scorpius at first. "Is it all right if we come in?"

"Go ahead" Scorpius muttered. It was just typical, still, maybe if he kept his head behind the manga, they might not recognise him.

"Aren't you Scorpius Malfoy?" asked the Potter boy

Or Not. He looked up from the graphic novel.

"What do you think?" He snapped. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Potter instantly looked affronted, and Scorpius kicked himself; he didn't want to be friends with him, but he didn't want him as an enemy either.

"All right, sorry! I was only asking!" Potter replied, then turned to his cousin and continued a conversation they'd obviously had going for some time.

"Yeah but Rosie, you'll definitely be in Gryffindor, you're a Weasley! You have to be, there's like a law or something."

Weasley rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Albus, you're part Weasley too! By the rule, so are you. Think I might prefer Ravenclaw, anyway, I'll be away from you and James anyway, the smelly prat." She said, with a sniff.

Scorpius tried to tune out the cousins' banter, but eventually he had enough.

"Will you too shut up? There isn't a law that says you have to shout everything, you know!" Scorpius huffed.

This time Potter laughed.

"Sorry!" He said in a stage-whisper. "Do you want us to talk like this?"

"Al!"

"I don't want you to talk about anything! I'm sick of thinking about houses! I don't want to be Slytherin, but since practically my whole family has been Slytherin since there have been Malfoys and 'there's like a law or something' that's unlikely, I'm not intelligent enough for Ravenclaw, and heaven knows if I were a Hufflepuff I'd emigrate, I really just want to read my book and not think!"

Potter raised an eyebrow and Scorpius automatically wanted to take back everything he'd just said. It just wasn't pureblood to have such an outburst.

"Notice there's a house you didn't mention," He said. "What about Gryffindor?"

"Oh come on Al-" Weasley scoffed.

"Look Rose, I know something about the Sorting that you don't for once," Albus – Potter, continued, ignoring his cousin's idignant squeak. "It takes your choice into account. Dad said."

"And how would your father know exactly Potter?" Scorpius spat. He didn't know why he was being so aggressive, but he thought it might be because if he wasn't he really would cry, and crying in front of a girl or a Potter was definitely something a Malfoy would never do.

"Happened to him he said. And Malfoy, I swear if you tell anyone this, no matter what house you'll end up in, I'll get someone to hex your willy off if you tell, but the Sorting Hat nearly put my dad in Slytherin." Potter said, confidently

And it's Albus, by the way, you can my brother what you like though." He grinned and added as an afterthought.

"Really?" Scorpius choked as huge wash of relief swamped him.

"Yup. My dad's not a liar. Besides, what's so bad about Slytherin? I'm named after a Slytherin, and besides, you might end up like Sirius – first Gryffindor, it can happen. Then the Patil twin's my dad's year were in different houses."

"Dumbledore was a Gryffindor Pot-Albus."

Albus grimaced "My middle name- Severus"

"After Professor Snape."

"Yup"

"Huh."

Scorpius then went back to his book, Albus seemingly distracted by the view out the window, for which Scorpius was glad – he didn't really want to think about what it meant that he actually didn't mind talking to Albus, or Weasley, who was currently reading 1001 Fungi and Where to Find them.

There was a lull for a while, and the rhythm of the train had almost lulled Scorpius into dozing off when a shout came from the corridor.

"And stay out you filthy little mudblood!"

Scorpius jolted awake and Albus and Weasley looked at each other.

"Who was in that compartment?" asked Weasley worriedly. Scorpius swore, and the cousin looked at him, Albus impressed, Weasley shocked.

"Warrington and Parkinson."

Albus scowled.

"Purebloods..."

"I said go away, mudblood!" the voice called again.

"I'm gannin already ya ugly horse-face!" A girl called from the corridor, and the compartment door slid open. The girl turned go almost immediately, but Albus called her back.

"Don't go! Are you OK?"

She came back into the compartment, and although Scorpius rolled his eyes, he couldn't really summon up any anger.

"I'm fine, really." She sniffed, as she wiped her face. Her blonde hair had been half-pulled out of its ponytail, her plain robes were rumpled (unembroidered as yet, making her a first year) and she had obviously been crying.

"You're obviously not," Scorpius, said, surprising everyone, including himself. "Have my handkerchief, it's clean. What's your name?" he continued, ignoring the looks from Albus and oh well, Rose, although he did think he heard Rose mutter something like 'Malfoy would have a hankie and not tissues...'

"Becky Matthews." The girl responded, wiping her nose and eyes, and then looked at the monogram in the corner.

"SHM? What's that stand for then?" Becky asked, obviously cheered up now, and Scorpius couldn't help but feel a little proud that he was partly responsible. He then realised what she'd asked him and inwardly groaned.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." He drawled. "I don't know what my parents were thinking." he finished in a more normal tone for an 11 year old. As he expected, the other three first years found this hysterical, but he didn't feel as insulted as would have expected. Was it possible that he actually liked Albus, Rose and and a Muggle-born?

"Mate, that's child-abuse!" Albus said, holding his sides, whilst Becky was trying her very hardest not to laugh and Rose was hiding her face under book.

"Like you can talk, Albus Severus Potter!" Scorpius retorted, laughing at his name a little himself, for the very first time in his life.

"That's a...canny name." Becky said quietly, a smile quirking the left of her face, as she sat down next to Rose, who pushed Albus onto the opposite seat next to Scorpius. "Are you from a wizarding family? Pureblood was it?"

Scorpius nodded, "Yes, although I try not be as horrible as the ones you just met, Warrington and Parkinson – it's a miracle they can actually speak, considering how many purebloods marry their cousins." Becky leant forward, seemingly fascinated by the explanation. Scorpius blushed.

"So...what about you two?" she asked suddenly of Albus and Rose.

"Rose Weasley, and no Malfoy I don't have a stupid middle name, this one's cousin." she said pointing to Albus, "half-blood, though mum's a muggle-born witch, and my dad's supposedly pureblood, but no-one counts us, cos we're blood-traitors apparently, which means someone who doesn't support the idea of pureblood supremacy."

"Albus Potter, pretty much pureblood, though I'm part Weasley, so half of me is 'blood-traitor'" he said making air quotes. "which, like Rosie said, means we like Muggles and Muggle-borns, dad grew up muggle though, so he doesn't really care about blood status.

Becky nodded, then her eyes widened, looking from Rose to Albus, squeaked and then dived into her trunk, whilst Scorpius, Albus and Rose looked at each other in confusion. Becky surfaced, brandishing a copy of Modern Magical History: New and Updated. She flicked through the pages, frantically, and then gave a triumphant 'hah!' and read aloud.

"'Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, commonly referred to in the press as the Golden Trio in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, all now work in positions in the Ministry (Blagden:2011) have supposedly remained good friends over the years, with Weasley and Granger formalising their wartime romance (see footnote3 chapter 12), and having two children, whilst Potter, commonly referred to in his youth as the Boy-Who-Lived married Ginevra Weasley, the younger sister of Ronald, and who now live in London with three children' That's you! Isn't it?" Becky's eyes bulged, and when she saw the three of them staring at her in amazement, she continued defensively and her accent strengthening slightly. "What, I like knowing things a'reet!"

"Definitely a Ravenclaw," Scorpius and Albus said simultaneously, looking at each other warily as they realised.

"How am I Ravenclaw? And answer the first question!" Becky said impatiently.

"Yes I'm Harry Potter's son, yes I have an elder brother James who's a prat, a little sister called Lily, and yes my dad really did kill Voldemort, but don't ask me stuff, cause he really doesn't like us talking about it, thinks it's bragging."

"It is bragging." Rose said giving Albus an exasperated look. "And yes, my mum and dad are Hermione Granger-Weasley and Ron Weasley."

"As for how you're a Ravenclaw," Scorpius continued "Well..."

The three wizarding children tried to explain as best they could to Becky how and why exactly you ended up Sorted, and the four of them were so involved in their conversation (including a short interlude, as Albus had to explain to Becky and Scorpius why, exactly, his hair was blue,) that it wasn't until it started getting dark that Scorpius and Albus realised that they really ought to have been in their robes half an hour ago and they stopped talking.

It wasn't until they were getting off the train that Scorpius realised he'd gone almost three hours without even thinking the word blood-status, or thinking of referring to Albus or Rose by their last names.