Chapter Text
1 - Owls
Albus Potter watched out his bedroom window as two owls flew closer and closer, finally soaring down to the living room window below him. He recognized the them as two of the Hogwarts school owls and had a feeling one of them was carrying his book list for his upcoming seventh year. The other most likely held James’s N.E.W.T. results. As the smell of something delicious wafted up from the kitchen, Albus hurriedly changed into a pair of trousers and an old Gryffindor Quidditch shirt before leaving his room in search of his letter.
On the landing, Albus paused outside James’s bedroom. Its door was shut tightly, as it had been for most of the month and a half of the summer holiday. Albus brought his hand up to knock, then thought better of it and slowly descended the stairs. James was either asleep or wallowing and every other time Albus had knocked, James had responded sharply. It was obvious he did not want company. Nor, Albus suspected, did he want to see his N.E.W.T. results.
Lily’s bedroom door, however, was wide open and Lily was no longer inside. The previous summer Lily had spent much of her time holed up in her bedroom, but this summer was much more cheerful and social. Albus wondered if perhaps he’d missed his chance to have a summer spent cooped up in his bedroom, but couldn’t imagine ever doing it.
In the living room the two owls sat on the open windowsill, letters still attached to both of them. Albus detached one letter addressed to James from the first owl and two letters, one addressed to Albus and the other to Lily, from the other. With satisfied clicks of their beaks, they both took off once more.
Albus continued to the kitchen, not bothering to open his own letter, where he found his mother serving Lily warm cinnamon buns.
“Morning, Al,” Mum said as she grabbed another empty plate and returned to the stove. “Cinnamon buns?”
“Yes, please,” Albus said as he sat down next to Lily. He set the letters on the table in front of him. “Post from Hogwarts.”
Lily picked up her own letter and ripped it open. “Nothing weird this year. Just the usual books.”
“Your aunt Hermione will get you a study planner,” Mum said as she brought Albus his plate. “And you, too, Al. O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. years. Bloody hell, you two make me feel old.”
Albus laughed as he picked up his letter. James’s was beneath his, with an official stamp from the Ministry Department of Education on it.
“Is that…?” Mum asked, her voice trailing off.
“I think so,” Albus said as he opened his letter. He scanned it briefly. Just like Lily’s, it contained nothing unusual.
Mum sighed and shook her head as she sat down across from Albus. “Was he still sleeping when you got up, Al?”
Albus shrugged and swallowed the bite of cinnamon bun he’d been chewing. “I think so, but I didn’t knock and find out.”
Mum nodded and picked up the envelope. Albus knew it was taking all her restraint to keep from opening it herself.
Toward the end of last term Albus had thought James was getting better in terms of his emotional state. He’d seemed to come to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t be playing professional Quidditch and his memory wouldn’t be back to normal anytime soon or ever. But all that progress had disappeared as soon as James returned home from Hogwarts. He spent his days in his room doing who knows what, wallowing in self-pity and being upset over his lack of Quidditch career. Albus knew his parents were very hesitant to force James out of his room because they didn’t want to make anything worse. Because of this, James hadn’t done a single chore since coming home and only occasionally joined the family for meals. Usually Mum brought him food two or three times a day.
Albus knew his parents stayed up late worrying about James. He’d heard them whispering. Mum wanted to start making James get up by a certain hour and give him small tasks around the house that didn’t require him to remember spells. Dad didn’t want to push him and said as long as James was going to his healer appointments (both the neurologist and the psychiatrist), he should be allowed to be alone. Mum then pointed out that Dad was rarely home and didn’t truly understand what was going on.
“Did Dad already leave?” Albus asked.
“Yes. He left a few hours ago,” Mum said quietly.
For someone who was no longer employed by the Ministry of Magic, Albus’s father had certainly been spending a lot of time there over the past month and a half. Apparently Johnson had brought him back as a “consultant” to the Paul Willinson case and this required a lot of time spent at Auror Headquarters. From what Dad let slip at the dinner table, the Auror Department and the Ministry in general was a bit of a mess at the moment.
It seemed that everyone and their brother were facing inquiries. Johnson was facing an inquiry for his shoddy detective techniques that had led to two people being wrongfully imprisoned. At the same time, Dawlish was facing an inquiry for disobeying Johnson’s orders and sharing information about an ongoing investigation with someone not employed by the Auror Department (Dad), despite the fact that his disobeying and sharing of information had led to the capture of the actual murderer. Balladanis was facing an inquiry for the same thing. Albus found it rather odd that the two of them could face inquiries for sharing information with Dad while Johnson could take Dad on as a “consultant” at the same time. And finally, the Minister herself was facing an inquiry for all of this happening right under her nose. Albus had a feeling someone was going to get sacked over it, but wasn’t sure who.
“Well, I suppose we can take a trip to Diagon Alley this weekend,” Mum said, forcing a smile. “If either of you want to invite any friends to come over and spend a few days after, feel free. I’m sure Mrs. Brickston would appreciate sending a few of her children here for a few days.”
Albus smirked as he continued to eat his breakfast. His friend John Brickston had three younger sisters and a host of younger cousins whom his mother often watched during the week. Their house was chaotic at best and downright insane at worst. And if Albus was remembering right, John’s youngest sister would be starting Hogwarts this year.
“Well,” Mum said as she stood up. “I suppose I’ll go give James his results.”
“Good luck,” Lily muttered.
Mum lingered at the bottom of the stairs for a minute or so before sighing and walking up to James’s room. After she left, Albus and Lily finished their breakfasts in silence.
“I keep thinking about last summer,” Lily said as she put her dirty plate in the sink. “When James ran off to Teddy’s place.”
Albus nodded. He’d been thinking a lot about that, too. Things had changed so much in just a year. “No one saw this coming. Even if James had come up with a second option if Quidditch didn’t work out, that second option would be useless with his memory problems.”
“I guess the only thing he can do is work in Uncle George’s shop,” Lily said.
Uncle George had come over a week into the holiday to offer James a job at the Hogsmeade branch (which, with the exception of Hogsmeade visit days, was the quieter of the two shops). James had said he’d think about it, but hadn’t mentioned it since.
“I’m pretty sure Mum would settle for him coming out of his room more than just to use the loo,” Albus pointed out.
Lily nodded. “Well, I’ve got to send an owl to Gemma.” She drank the remainder of her pumpkin juice, put the glass in the sink, then hurried upstairs.
Albus cleared his dishes and followed Lily. He had a few owls of his own to send.
***
Albus left his door open as he composed letters to Matt and John so that he’d know when Mum was done talking to James about his results. On his way up the stairs Albus had heard mumbling coming from James’s room but hadn’t been able to make anything out. He felt odd about using an Extendable Ear on such a terrible situation, so he decided wait until after Mum left and go ask James about it instead.
After checking to see when August’s full moon was, Albus invited both Matt and John to come over Saturday after the Diagon Alley trip and stay into the following week. He’d heard from both Matt and John a few times so far and knew that Matt would just be returning from a trip to Australia and John’s family had a holiday in France scheduled for late August.
Albus felt a slight thrill as he sealed the envelope with magic. He’d only been seventeen for a month and a half and the excitement of doing magic outside of school had not yet worn off. His friends (with the exception of Rose, whose birthday was at the end of August) had all been of age for months now.
Just as Albus sent the letters off with Pollux, James’s bedroom door opened. Albus climbed onto his bed and put his head as close to his door as he could without revealing that he was there. But it was pointless because Mum didn’t say anything. She just shut James’s door and went back downstairs.
Albus waited a few minutes before going across the hall and knocking on James’s door. There was no answer for a full two minutes and Albus wondered if James had gone to sleep, but just as Albus was turning around to go back to his own room, the door opened. James stood in the doorway, still dressed in pajamas, his wrist brace on his right arm, glasses askew, and his expression unreadable. He met Albus’s gaze, then turned around and went back into the room.
The door remained open, so Albus took that as a sign he was welcome to enter. He shut the door afterward and sat down in James’s desk chair, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. The only light in the room emanated from a small lamp on the bedside table. The room itself was shockingly neat, which was a clear sign James wasn’t himself. Mum had been tidying the room all summer. If the task had been left to James, the room would’ve been disheveled, with clothes and other paraphernalia scattered everywhere.
James was sitting against the wall on his bed, squeezing some sort of therapeutic play dough in his right hand. Albus noticed a partially folded up letter on the bedside table, which was most likely James’s N.E.W.T. results.
“Well?” Albus began, deciding to be blunt.
“See for yourself,” James mumbled, gesturing to the letter with his foot.
Albus picked the letter up off the table, unfolded it, and read it.
Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests Results
James Sirius Potter
Charms - P
Defense Against the Dark Arts - P
Herbology - A
Transfiguration - D
Albus folded up the paper once more, but held it in his lap rather than return it to the bedside table. He looked at James, who was focused on the therapy play dough and not meeting Albus’s gaze.
“You passed Herbology,” Albus pointed out. “And you know these results have got nothing to do with how smart you are. It’s only because of your brain injury that you failed three.”
“That’s what Mum said,” James muttered. “But I’ve got to live with this brain injury. It doesn’t matter whether I would’ve passed without it because I’ve got it. Nothing can change that.”
“No,” Albus agreed. “Nothing can. But you can change what you do with it.”
“Now you sound like my psychiatrist,” James said.
“Look,” Albus said, leaning forward, “you don’t need N.E.W.T.s. The professors all tell you you do and before your accident Mum and Dad would’ve told you you do, but you honestly don’t. Look at Uncle George. He didn’t even take his N.E.W.T.s. So you’ve got one more than he does.”
“But Uncle George has got a working memory and right hand,” James pointed out.
“You’ve got two ears,” Albus countered.
James laughed. It was quick- practically over before it even started, but it was a laugh. “Good one. But you still can’t compare me to Uncle George.”
“Okay, fine,” Albus said, sighing. “But only if you stop beating yourself up over your N.E.W.T.s.”
“To be honest, Al, I’m not,” James said quietly. “I really don’t care about them.”
Albus was inclined to believe him. James didn’t seem anymore upset than he normally was. “What did Mum say?”
“That it’s not the end of the world, there’s plenty you can do with only one N.E.W.T., I can retake them, they don’t show how smart I really am, blah, blah, blah,” James answered.
“Why haven’t you given Uncle George an answer?” Albus asked.
James gave the dough one more squeeze, then tossed it onto the bedside table, where it landed on the edge and then fell off onto the floor.
“You shouldn’t feel weird about it,” Albus went on. “Half our cousins and Teddy worked there for a bit.”
“It wouldn’t just be for a bit,” James muttered. “Teddy worked there while he was figuring out what he wanted to do.”
“Maybe you’ll do that, too. Maybe you’ll just work there until your memory gets better,” Albus suggested.
“It’s been over six months, Al. You and I both know chances are it won’t come back. Not like normal, anyway,” James said quietly.
“Stranger things have happened,” Albus said. “You know, like Dad surviving the killing curse. Twice.”
“Dad’s Dad,” James said. “I’m not him.”
“But you’re his son,” Albus said. “I’m not saying you should be unrealistic, but it’s good to have hope.”
“I guess…” James began as he smoothed a few wrinkles on his comforter, “I guess it just feels like Uncle George is only offering for me to work in his shop because I’ve got no other options. I mean, no other shop would hire me.”
“That’s probably true,” Albus agreed. Mum probably would’ve argued that and said other shops would hire James, but Albus wasn’t in the business of sugarcoating things. “But so what? At least you know Uncle George will understand what you’re going through. He’ll get it if you have to miss work because you’ve got a migraine or something.”
“You sound like my psychiatrist again,” James muttered.
“Just think about it,” Albus said.
“Fine. But I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Mum said you and Lily got your book lists?”
Albus nodded. “Yeah. We’re going to Diagon Alley on Saturday. You should come.”
“Maybe,” James said. “It’ll be weird going and not getting stuff for Hogwarts.”
“It’s weird that this is my last year,” Albus said.
“Yeah, next year you’ll be going to the Auror Academy. Continuing the Potter Legacy,” James said with a smirk.
“I haven’t gotten in yet,” Albus pointed out. “I haven’t even applied.”
“They’d be stupid not to take you. Plus, you’re a Potter. I mean, I’m a Potter and they’d never take me, but you’re a Potter with two working hands. They’ve pretty much got to take you.”
Albus laughed. Rationally, he knew he had a pretty good shot at getting into the Auror Academy, but every time he thought about it a little bit of doubt crept in and made his stomach churn.
***
Friday evening Albus finally decided to start the homework he’d been neglecting since the start of the summer. He figured there wasn’t a chance he’d do it while Matt and John were visiting (both said they would come) and after they left there would only be a few weeks left. The summer, which was Albus’s last real summer off, was flying by.
Albus settled himself in the living room with his Defense book and a roll of parchment. His father had assigned one essay for the summer and Albus figured it’d be the easiest of all his assignments. Lily, who’d also been neglecting her homework, was settled in the chair opposite Albus’s and was working diligently on a Potions essay. James, who had begun spending a bit more time out of his room ever since his results came back, was sprawled out on the couch, falling asleep while studying Rose’s binder of spells. Albus figured this was a good sign, even if studying the binder of spells wouldn’t help James’s memory at all.
Suddenly the fireplace lit up green and Rose slid out of it, crashing into the ottoman that was sitting too close to it, which caused Albus to spill his newly opened bottle of ink all over his Defense book. Lily shrieked and dropped her book on the floor, while James jolted awake and let out a string of expletives that would’ve resulted in a long telling-off from Mum if she’d heard it.
“Was that really necessary, Rose?” Lily asked icily as she picked up her book.
“Seriously,” James muttered. “Look, you freaked me out so much my arm is shaking.”
Albus snorted and looked at James, who was trying hard to suppress a grin as he held up his right arm.
“That’s right up there with Uncle George’s ear jokes,” Lily said.
“Sorry,” Rose said, although the smile on her face told them she was anything but. “Here, Al, let me do that.” She pulled her wand out of her sleeve and began siphoning ink off Albus’s book. “I’ve just been practicing Apparition with Mum. She’s sure I’ll pass the test. I got them all spot on and didn’t splinch anything.”
Albus glared at her. Even though he’d known for months Rose was far better at Apparition than he was and that she’d pass her test on the first go around, it still bothered him that there was a chance she’d pass her test first. Albus had failed his test, which had taken place on his own 17th birthday. He had another one scheduled for the week before they left for Hogwarts, the same day as Rose’s.
“You’ll pass next time,” Rose assured him. She finished cleaning Albus’s book and sat down at the end of James’s couch. “Nice to see you’re out of your room.”
James groaned. “I’m tempted to go back up there now.”
“Mum was ready to physically drag him out,” Lily said, not looking up from her Potions book. “But Dad said he needed time and space. They argued about it every night.”
“Could you not talk about me like I’m not even here?” James muttered. “Mum and Dad do enough of that already.”
“Yeah, it’s really taking the pressure off me,” Lily said. “Thanks for that. I haven’t had one question about what I’m going to do after Hogwarts and that usually starts summer before fifth year.”
“You’re welcome,” James said, closing his eyes. “Now if you’re all done, I’m trying to sleep here.”
“You coming to Diagon Alley tomorrow?” Albus asked Rose.
“Yeah. Amanda is coming, too.”
“Good. Both Matt and John are meeting us there. And Mum said Kaden and Bethany are getting dropped off here in the morning,” Albus said.
“Kaden owled me the other day,” Rose said. “Wanted to brag about his O.W.L. results.”
Albus grinned. “He sent me the same letter. All Exceeds Expectations and one Outstanding in Potions. And an Acceptable in Divination. Very impressive.”
“He doesn’t give himself enough credit,” Rose said.
“His aunt Marge must be so proud,” Albus said, laughing.
Lily snorted into her Potions book. “I just hope Mum and Dad don’t expect me to get that many O.W.L.s.”
“Any amount will look good compared to my N.E.W.T.s,” James mumbled.
“Thought you were trying to sleep,” Rose said.
“Can’t. Not with you lot being so loud. I thought you were doing homework,” James said.
“They’ll do their homework,” Rose said. “Not much time left to do it.”
“I suppose you’ve done yours?” Albus asked.
“Yes, of course,” Rose said as she picked her wand up off the table where she’d set it. She pointed it at the bookcase across the room and a mystery novel came floating toward her. Plucking it out of the air, Rose settled back into her spot on the couch.
“Show off,” Albus muttered. “And you’re not supposed to do magic outside school yet.”
Rose grinned. “No one will know.”
“Still,” Albus said. “It’s the principle of the thing.”
2 - The following morning began with an argument between Mum and James. James, who had decided he would go to Diagon Alley with them, wanted to Apparate and meet everyone else at the Leaky Cauldron. Mum wanted him to Floo with everyone else since he’d just taken a large dose of pain potion to quell the headache he’d had since the previous night. James insisted Flooing made his headaches worse. Eventually James won this argument after pointing out that he was eighteen and he’d do what he liked. Albus suspected it was less this fact but more that Mum didn’t want James to change his mind on going to Diagon Alley that swayed her.
Mum was already out of patience because Dad had been called to the Ministry early that morning and would no longer be able to go to Diagon Alley. Mum had been looking forward to having a normal family outing, something they hadn’t had much of lately. She found it ridiculous Dad had to go to the Ministry so much when he wasn’t even employed by them any longer.
“You’d think saving the wizarding world once would be enough for them,” Mum muttered as she grabbed the Floo Powder off the mantel. “They’re never satisfied.”
“He said he’d meet us for supper,” Albus reminded her.
“Yes, dear, I know,” Mum said. “Here, Bethany, you go first.”
Bethany took a handful of Floo Powder, tossed it in the fire, then stepped in and disappeared.
“I’ll meet you there, Mum,” James said, then disappeared with a crack.
Mum sighed and shook her head, then offered the Floo Powder to Kaden, then to Lily. Albus went next, wishing very much that he could’ve Apparated with James, not because he disliked Flooing, but because of what it would’ve meant.
The Leaky Cauldron was bustling when Albus arrived, unsurprising since it was the first Saturday after Hogwarts book lists went out. The clientele was disproportionately parents with Hogwarts aged kids and the usual day crowd were mostly gathered at the bar. Albus waited at a table with James, Lily, Kaden, and Bethany, figuring he ought to wait for his mother to arrive before going off to meet his friends.
When she did arrive, Mum looked slightly calmer than she had in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. “Everyone got their book lists?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Albus said. Kaden and Bethany both nodded.
“Good. Al, I assume you and Kaden are meeting your friends?”
“In about ten minutes at Flourish and Blotts,” Albus said.
“And Lily, are you meeting Gemma and Hugo?”
Lily nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Here, take some money,” Mum said as she gave Al and Lily a few Galleons each. “Kaden, did your dad give you money?”
Kaden pulled out a wad of ten pound notes. “Just Muggle money.”
Mum smiled and shook her head. She handed Kaden a few Galleons. “Give me that and I’ll take it to Gringotts.”
“Me, too, Aunt Ginny,” Bethany said, holding up her own stack of Muggle money.
“Here,” Mum said, handing Bethany a few Galleons. “You can stay with me, Bethany. Now, James, I don’t know what you were planning on doing, but I will feel a whole lot better if you’re not wandering around on your own. I recognize that you’re of age and you’ll do as you wish, but as your mother I will always worry. And I would appreciate you do the me the courtesy of either hanging around Al and Kaden or finding one of your other cousins.”
James nodded. “I can walk around with Al and Kaden.”
“Thank you,” Mum said. “Let’s meet back here in three hours for an early supper. Bring whatever friends you want.”
Albus, James, and Kaden set off for Flourish and Blotts. Outside, the air was cool and crisp, signaling the autumn season to come. Kids ran up and down the street, their excited chatter echoing off the old brick buildings. Parents ambled more slowly, their own excited chatter breaking through every so often. It was clear they were ready for their kids to go back to school.
Albus couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for his own first year shopping trip- a time that had been riddled with as much anxiety as there had been excitement. James had planted such a seed of doubt in Albus that he wouldn’t be sorted into Gryffindor but instead Slytherin. Looking back, Albus knew it had been silly for even if he had been in Slytherin he would’ve done just fine. Well, except for sharing a dormitory with Scorpius Malfoy. That alone made him grateful he wound up in Gryffindor. Plus, if he hadn’t, he likely wouldn’t have befriended Matt, John, and Amanda.
Flourish and Blotts seemed to be the busiest of all the shops, which made Albus realize it was a stupid meeting place. If Matt, John, Rose, and Amanda were somewhere inside it’d be nearly impossible to find them. They should’ve met somewhere less busy such as Gringotts or the apothecary. As they neared it, however, Albus noticed Matt and John loitering outside the doorway.
“Hey,” Albus said as he dodged a small child carrying a pygmy puff in a cage. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Not long,” Matt said. “Rose and Amanda are inside. They’re buying our books so I don’t have to go in. There’s hardly room to breathe in there.”
“You’d think someone was doing a signing,” Albus said as he peered into the doorway. “I suppose Kaden and I will have to venture in. James, do you want to wait out here?”
“Yeah,” James said. “I don’t need any books.”
“Then I’ll go in with you,” John said. “Rose and Amanda might need help carrying all the books.”
“Since when did you become so chivalrous?” Kaden asked.
“Since when did you learn the word chivalrous?” John smirked.
“Hey, I got more O.W.L.s than you,” Kaden pointed out.
“Well, I’ve got a bit of news, too,” John said as he headed into the shop.
Albus and Kaden followed. “What?” Albus asked.
“I’ve been made Quidditch captain,” John said, beaming.
“You didn’t mention that in your letter!” Albus exclaimed. “Congratulations, mate.”
“Only found out yesterday,” John explained. “Professor Longbottom asked Janie first, you know, out of seniority and all. But apparently she turned him down.”
“I figured she would,” Albus said. “She’s got so much else going on.”
“That’s what Longbottom said. Then he offered it to me, and of course I took it,” John said as he attempted to squeeze past a large witch toting a shopping bag that was leaking something nasty onto the floor.
“Come around this way,” Kaden said, darting around a bookcase. “I see Rose and Amanda in the queue.”
It took them another three minutes to make it to the end of the queue, where Rose and Amanda were standing, each with an impressively large stack of books.
“There you are,” Rose said. “Here, yours are on top, John. Al, yours are just below his.”
“You got mine, too?” Albus asked.
“Yeah, and yours, Kaden,” Amanda said. “Here. They’re on top.”
“Thanks,” Albus said as he took his books. “It’s a madhouse in here.”
Rose nodded. “I’m fairly certain everyone at Hogwarts decided to come to Flourish and Blotts at once. Is Matt still outside?”
“Yeah,” Albus said. “I left James with him.”
“James came?” Rose asked, raising her eyebrows.
Albus nodded. “I was surprised, too. He didn’t even complain when Mum asked him not to wander around alone.”
“Wow,” Rose said. “Then again, he did tend to stick around you at the end of term.”
That was a fair point, Albus thought. It also made him wonder what James would do once Albus returned to Hogwarts. He’d be alone, with their parents. He needed to take that job at Weasleys’.
It took a few minutes, but they eventually managed to squeeze their way out of the shop, which was somehow more difficult than squeezing their way in, as if Flourish and Blotts didn’t want to let anyone leave.
“Whose bright idea was it to get the books first?” Kaden asked as he stuffed his books into the bag he’d brought. “Now we’ll have to carry them all afternoon.”
“If we’d waited much longer they might’ve sold out of some,” Rose pointed out. “And did anyone else notice what the new potions book is?”
“It’s not Advanced Potion Making?” Matt, who’d dropped Potions after fifth year, asked.
“Other than that,” Rose said. “We’ve already got that one from last year. There’s a new one, and it’s…” her voice trailed off.
Albus glanced at Kaden, who had busied himself with the zipper on his bag. “It’s Burke’s book,” Albus said quietly.
“The new professor must be a fan,” John said. “It’s not Amy again, is it?”
“No,” Matt answered. “She can’t keep teaching Potions and continue with her training.”
Kaden still hadn’t said anything and was taking what appeared to be a very long time zipping his bag. “So, where to next?” Albus asked, in an attempt to change the subject.
“Weasleys’,” John and Kaden said simultaneously, a manic grin on each of their faces. “Being my last year and all, the pranking needs to be good this year,” John added.
Rose sighed. “I could stop you, you know.”
“But you won’t,” John said, “because my pranks are harmless. I know where to draw the line. And I’m sure, as Head Girl, you’ll have more important things to worry about.”
Rose had gotten the letter telling her she’d been made Head Girl earlier in the summer. Apparently those letters got sent out weeks before prefect notifications. The entire family had been ecstatic, but none more than Nana Molly, who’d thrown a party in her honor. Rose had pretended to be embarrassed by the whole thing, but Albus could tell she loved the attention. Albus, on the other hand, had not been made Head Boy and couldn’t have been happier about it.
Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes was, if possible, even busier than Flourish and Blotts. Matt and Rose decided not to go inside and instead went Eeylops to look at the owls and pick up owl feed for Matt’s parents. The rest of the group made their way inside, John and Kaden each grabbing baskets and piling them high with what seemed to be half the store.
Albus could only wave at his uncle George, who was toward the back of the store doing a demonstration of a new extended release Nosebleed Nougat that had been developed because teachers had gotten suspicious of students who developed nosebleeds shortly after eating sweets. The extended release sweets were to be eaten an hour before the class that needed skiving off.
“How many classes are you planning to skive off?” Amanda asked John, who’d placed five Skiving Snackboxes into his basket.
John shrugged. “No idea, but I like to have options.”
“Options being selling them to first and second years,” Kaden pointed out.
“What?” Amanda asked.
“Thought of it this summer,” John said. “First and second years can’t get to Hogsmeade and buying them right in the common room is easier than owl order.”
“Genius!” James said, more excited than he’d been in weeks. “Wish I’d thought of that.”
“I plan on seeing how it goes over the first month,” John said. “Then I’ll stock up during the October Hogsmeade visit.”
“Is that even allowed?” Albus asked, thinking of Rose.
John shrugged. “I don’t see why not. No different than them getting them through owl order.”
“I suppose,” Albus said. He pulled out his wand and levitated one Skiving Snackbox off the shelf and caught it. He wasn’t one to skive off class, but liked having a few Nosebleed Nougat around just in case. “You might not want to parade it in front of Rose, though.”
“Think being Head Girl will go to her head a bit?” John asked as he put three value packs of Extendable Ears into his basket.
“Most likely,” Albus said, eyeing John’s already overflowing basket. “Where are you getting the gold to pay for all that?” John’s mum certainly wasn’t one to fund Hogwarts pranks.
“I’ve been doing a bit of tutoring,” John said, grinning wryly.
“No, seriously,” Albus said, rolling his eyes.
“Flying lessons,” John explained. “I’ve been teaching a few of Mum and Dad’s friends’ kids how to fly. Plus some of my younger cousins.”
“Really?” Albus asked, impressed.
John nodded. “Yeah. I want to save up some gold so I can get my own flat once seventh year is over. I really don’t want to live with Mum and Dad next year.”
Albus hadn’t given much thought to where he’d live after Hogwarts. Mostly he’d been focused on his Auror Academy application, which was due on the first of October. He supposed it would be nice to move out and live on his own, though.
“We should get a flat together,” John added. “Especially if it’s in London. Rent is a nightmare in London.”
“I’ll have to live in London,” Albus said. “If I get into the Academy, that is.”
“Which you will,” John assured him. “You think Matt would want to come live with us? Rent would be even cheaper three ways.”
“I don’t know,” Albus said. “I think he’d want to…but I don’t know if he could.”
“Yeah, true,” John agreed quietly. “Well, I’ve got to go pay for all this. I don’t know where Kaden, Amanda, and James got off to.”
John joined the long queue at the till and Albus stood on his tiptoes and tried to peer over the crowd to find James, but his brother was nowhere in sight. Sighing, and thinking about how livid his parents would be if he lost James in Diagon Alley, Albus followed John into the queue. Once they’d both paid, they left the shop, figuring Kaden and Amanda would join them when they were done. Outside, they saw Amanda had already left and was sitting on a bench across the street.
“You didn’t see James in there, did you?” Albus asked as they joined her.
“Not since we got there,” Amanda said.
Albus groaned. “Mum’s going to kill me.”
“Does he really need watching?” John asked skeptically. “I thought he was better.”
“Mostly. He still gets confused some of the time, but it’s not as bad as before,” Albus said. “Mum’s just being Mum. She’s always worried since he can’t do much magic. But honestly, does he really need to do magic to buy something in a shop?”
“There he is,” John said, pointing vaguely toward Weasleys’. “Kaden’s with him.”
Kaden’s bag was stuffed nearly as full as John’s. James hadn’t purchased anything. He walked a few paces behind Kaden, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his trousers. Albus breathed a sigh of relief.
“Where to next?” Albus asked. “Apothecary?”
“We should wait for Rose and Matt,” Amanda reminded him. “I think I see them coming now.” She pointed down the street, toward Gringotts.
Albus craned his head to see around a large witch accompanied by two screaming children and saw the vague outlines of Matt and Rose coming their way. Once they reached the bench, Albus noticed they both looked out of breath, Rose looked extremely excited, and Matt looked apprehensive.
“You’ll never believe what’s going on down there!” Rose exclaimed.
“Is Gringotts giving away free gold?” John asked, his eyes widening.
“Of course not,” Rose said. “There’s a protest going on! Right outside of the Daily Prophet offices.”
Albus stood up and tried to peer through the crowd to see, but they were too far away. “Why? Did they print something awful again?”
“No, they aren’t protesting the paper,” Rose explained. Her face was practically glowing. “They’re demanding Laurentis and Johnson be sacked!”
“Then why wouldn’t they protest in front of the Ministry?” Kaden asked.
“Because of the Muggles,” Amanda said, her voice nearly as excited as Rose’s. “The Ministry is underground. They’d have to protest above it and that’s Muggle London. And the Ministry wouldn’t let them protest inside, of course.”
“Could Laurentis and Johnson be sacked?” Kaden asked.
“Yes,” Rose answered. “Depending on the outcome of the inquiries. If they’re found to have falsified evidence or that they knew full well Boone couldn’t have done that murder, then they could face a fine or get sacked or even prison. That’s if they don’t resign before the inquiry is over. They’re also demanding justice for Boone. He’s suing the Ministry.”
“He’s what?” James asked. “Can you even sue the Ministry?”
“Of course you can,” Rose said. “You can sue anyone you like. Whether you’ll win is another story. But I think he’s really got a chance.”
“What’s he suing for?” Albus asked. “Wrongful imprisonment?”
“He can’t really sue for that,” Matt said, in between worried glances in the direction of the Daily Prophet offices. “The did have a reason for jailing him. The Wizengamot found him guilty, even though he was innocent. He’s suing the Auror Department for mistreatment and discrimination during the investigation. He’s also suing Azkaban for not giving him the proper medical care while he was there. Dad says he’s got a really good attorney, too.”
“The same one he had for the trial?” Albus asked.
“No,” Matt answered. “And this one, according to Dad, wants to turn the whole case into a spectacle for werewolf rights.”
“So this is only the start,” Rose said. “This protest and everything. It’s only going to increase from here.”
“Probably,” Matt said quietly.
“This is a good thing,” Rose pointed out, eyeing Matt carefully.
Matt shrugged. “It’s just a lot…a lot of attention on…well, you know.” He stole a quick glance at James, but James was preoccupied, staring at something in the opposite direction.
“What time did Mum and Dad want us back?” James asked.
Albus looked at his watch. “In about an hour. Why?”
James gave Albus a withering look. “Well, you lot are going to go to that protest.”
“We aren’t-“ Albus began.
“Oh don’t even bother,” James interrupted. “I know you want to.”
Albus looked back down the street, toward the protest, and then back to James. He did really want to go have a look. It would be good for him to keep tabs on what was happening with the Auror Department since he was applying for the Auror Academy.
“If Mum and Dad ask, I’ll say I wanted to go off on my own and you tried to keep me here,” James said. “I swear I won’t tell them you left me. But there’s no way in hell I’m going to that protest.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Matt volunteered. “I don’t want to go back to it.”
Albus chewed his lip and glanced at Rose, who looked all too ready to ditch James and Matt and go back to the protest.
“Okay,” Albus said. “Let’s go.”
Without another word, James and Matt set off toward the the Leaky Cauldron. Albus didn’t think the two of them had ever spent time together alone, but they could bond over their dislike of large groups of strangers.
Albus had never in his life seen a protest, but he knew without a doubt when they reached it. He, Rose, John, Amanda, and Kaden stopped a few feet away and stared at the growing number of people stationed outside the Daily Prophet offices.
“There’s even more now,” Rose said.
It was an eclectic mix. All were overage, but that was where their similarities stopped. The youngest looked hardly older than Albus himself, whereas the oldest looked as old as Aberforth Dumbledore. There were men and women of various races and, based on their outfits, various economic statuses. About three-quarters of them brandished signs that they held high above their heads. Most bore some variation of “Sack Balladanis”, “Jail Johnson”, or “Justice for Boone.” These slogans were also being shouted in unison.
Based on the editorials in the Prophet and the general lack of interest from the Hogwarts population, Albus never would’ve guessed Stuart Boone had this much support. But here were two dozen people who were all on his side.
“What did Matt do when he saw this?” Amanda asked quietly.
“He froze and just stood there, staring,” Rose answered. “We watched for about five minutes, and then he wanted to leave. I think it freaked him out a bit.”
“But this is a good thing,” Amanda said. “Like you just pointed out. I mean, this means people care, that people want change, and they’re willing to work to get that change, even if they themselves aren’t being affected by the discrimination.”
“I know,” Rose agreed. “But the problem is, the people on the other side, the people who don’t want change, they aren’t going to stay quiet, either. It might be good in the long run, but right now? This is going to put lycanthropy in the front of everyone’s minds.”
“And that’s the last thing Matt wants,” Albus said quietly.
“Exactly,” Rose said.
The five of them stood watching the protesters, not joining in, but none of them making any move to leave, either. Part of Albus wanted to drop his shopping bags and march alongside them, but the other part of him wanted to hang back, to disappear into the crowd that had formed, because he knew if one of the Daily Prophet photographers looked out their window and saw Albus Potter participating in a protest, it would be front page news the next day. And so Albus stood in the middle, not protesting, but not leaving either, and certainly not ignoring it.
3 -
Albus’s second Apparition test was scheduled for the last day of the summer holiday, which meant it was the same day as the annual Weasley family pre-Hogwarts dinner. This made Albus feel even more apprehensive about it because even though both his parents swore they hadn’t told any of the aunts and uncles about it, Albus knew the news had somehow gotten out and thus his results would be the focus of everyone’s attention.
The good news was that Rose was taking her test the same day, since she had only just turned seventeen. She would pass and everyone would congratulate her while Albus lurked by the broom shed, trying to stay out of the way, and not wallow too much in his inevitable failure. He also half hoped one of his cousins would make some huge announcement and distract everyone. Georgia was usually good for that. Or, perhaps everyone would be focused on James.
“You’re going to psych yourself out, Al,” Rose said as they waited by the fire in Grimmauld Place for the time to arrive for them to floo to the Ministry.
“That’s impossible, since I’m going to fail again anyway,” Albus said. “You have to be able to Apparate to psych yourself out and I can’t-“
“Oh, shut it,” Rose interrupted, rolling her eyes. “You’re better than you think.”
“What do you think the record is for most failures of the Apparition test?” Albus asked.
Rose groaned. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do,” Albus said. “I know you looked it up.”
“Fine. It’s 76. You won’t beat that.”
Albus winced. “Of course I won’t. I’ll give up long before that, resigned to use the Floo Network for the rest of my life.”
“Oh, give it a rest,” Rose said shortly. “Gabriella failed three times. You’ve got a ways to go before you can complain.”
Albus said nothing, but instead checked his new watch for the tenth time. They had ten minutes before Rose’s test. Albus’s was right after Rose’s.
“We should go,” Albus said.
“Isn’t Aunt Ginny going with us?” Rose asked.
“I’m here!” Mum said as she hurried into the room. “Sorry. James needed help with opening his potion bottles. Ready?”
“No, but I haven’t got much of a choice,” Albus muttered as he reached his hand into the pot of Floo Powder.
A few dizzying minutes later Albus emerged in the atrium at the Ministry of Magic. Rose and Mum were right behind him. They had their wands checked with the wizard manning the sign-in desk, then joined a small queue at the lifts. The Apparition Test Center was located on the sixth level.
Albus grew steadily more nervous as the lift descended lower into the Ministry. Rationally, he knew plenty of people failed their test, even failed it twice, but he didn’t want to face his entire family later that day without passing. For some reason it felt like everything was riding on this test and even though he was already seventeen, it felt like he wouldn’t be a qualified wizard until he passed.
The doors opened on the sixth level and Albus followed Mum and Rose into the corridor. He realized his hands were shaking and shoved them into his pockets. There was no way he’d Apparate successfully if he was this nervous, but that thought only made him more nervous. How had Matt remained so calm for his test? He was nervous for everything else.
“You’ve got to look confident or they’re going to fail you on a technicality,” Rose muttered as they neared the Test Center.
That didn’t help. Albus nodded numbly, but didn’t say anything. He felt like he needed to vomit, even though he hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast.
Mum opened the door to the Test Center and held it for Albus and Rose. Albus followed Rose in and signed in on the clipboard at the front desk after her, then joined her in the waiting area. The fact that he’d done this before and knew what to expect wasn’t helping at all.
A tall witch wearing her hair in a bun who reminded Albus of Professor McGonagall emerged from the door behind the front desk, carrying her own clipboard. She glanced down at it, then looked up. “Miss Weasley?” she asked.
Rose stood, grinned at Albus, then followed the witch through the door.
“Take a few deep breaths,” Mum advised Albus.
Albus did and his heart seemed to settle down a bit, but he still felt jittery. “If…if I fail,” he began, “and have to wait until Christmas to take it again, I’m going to get rusty.”
“Dad will take you to Hogsmeade to practice,” Mum assured him. “Don’t worry about that now. Just focus on staying calm.”
That was a lot harder than it seemed, Albus thought. He tried to take a few more deep breaths, but kept getting distracted by the witch behind the desk, who was scratching her quill on parchment louder than seemed necessary.
Just when Albus thought he was going to crawl out of his skin with nerves, Rose returned, the grin on her face even larger than before.
“I passed!” she exclaimed. “I mean, I knew I would, but there was a tiny part of me that knew there was a slight possibility that I wouldn’t. But I did! And oh, now I can drive James mad with constantly Apparating in and out of rooms like he did last summer!”
The witch with the bun, whom Albus had assumed was strict, smiled a bit at that, and shook her head as she handed a piece of parchment to the witch behind the desk. The desk witch then stamped the parchment with something, and handed it to Rose, who beamed.
The door to the corridor opened and Emily Rhodes from Ravenclaw walked in, followed by a wizard who looked so much like her he could only be her father. She looked nervous, but not nearly as nervous as Albus felt. His stomach churned, now realizing he’d have to face Emily Rhodes after he failed as well. He didn’t know her well, but knew enough that she was very rational and would most likely pass.
Emily signed herself in, then sat next to Albus. She seemed unable to sit still, bouncing her left leg up and down. It was very close to Albus’s right leg, which gave him a very different set of nerves. Her father sat down on her other side.
“Hi, Albus,” Emily whispered. “Rose.”
“Hi, Emily,” Rose said, still beaming. “I just passed.”
“Congratulations,” Emily said, without any excitement.
Albus was unable to say anything. He was afraid if he opened his mouth, he’d vomit.
“Didn’t you turn seventeen months ago?” Rose asked as she poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher on the counter. “Yeah, I remember you showing everyone the earrings your parents got you for your birthday in February.”
Emily’s cheeks turned red and she stared down at the floor, her curly brown hair obscuring her face. “Er, yeah. I…I already took the test.”
Albus’s eyes grew large. Emily Rhodes failed her Apparition test? But she was one of the best in the year. Albus chanced saying something. “I failed, too. In June.”
Emily looked up and offered Albus the tiniest of smiles. It made his stomach do another flip.
“Mr. Potter?”
The witch with the bun had returned. She did the usual double take when she read his name.
“You can do this, Al,” Rose assured him.
“And it’s not a big deal if you don’t pass,” Mum said as she squeezed his shoulder.
Albus nodded and shakily rose from his chair.
“Good luck,” Emily said quietly.
“Thanks,” Albus said thickly.
Albus followed the witch with the bun through the door behind the desk and into the testing room. It was deceptively large and set up to look like a fake street. There were fake shop facades, benches, cars, garbage bins, and even fake people. Most of it looked like Diagon Alley, but there was a bit on the far end that looked like Muggle London (that’s where the fake cars were). Albus knew from last time that he would be asked to do a general Apparition and then the witch would give him specific parts of the room to Apparate to.
“Begin when you’re ready,” the witch said. “Start with a general Apparition to anywhere in the room.”
Albus nodded and took another few deep breaths. He’d done this part successfully last time. Like last time, he chose to Apparate to the second bench. He closed his eyes, thought about the three Ds, and focused until he felt the uncomfortable sensation of being squeezed through an impossibly small hole. When it stopped, he opened his eyes and saw the bench in front of him.
“Good,” the witch said as she peered down at the spot where Albus had previously stood, checking for bits of him left behind. “Next I’d like you to Apparate to the pub facade, right in front of the fake door.”
Albus nodded. This was the part he screwed up on last time. He hadn’t focused enough and left his left pinky finger behind. The evaluator (last time it had been a wizard) had to reaffix it to his hand. The test was then over. He hadn’t been given a chance to redo it.
“Take your time,” the witch said.
The three Ds, Albus thought. Destination, determination, deliberation. He closed his eyes and saw the fake door of the fake pub in his mind’s eye. Determined to get there (and not leave any body parts behind), Albus Apparated.
He opened his eyes and checked for his fingers. They were all there! Smiling slightly, and breathing a huge sigh of relief, Albus turned to the witch, who made a note on her clipboard.
“Excellent,” she said. “Two more to go. Next, you need to Apparate onto the green square in front of the fake bank.”
Albus craned his neck, but couldn’t see the green square. He supposed that was what made it difficult. Closing his eyes, he pictured the fake bank and imagined a green square in front of it. A few seconds later, he reappeared with a crack in front of the bank. He hesitated, then opened his eyes and looked down at his feet, which were planted in the exact center of a green square.
“Beautiful,” the witch said. “Last one. You need to Apparate into the alley between the office building and the hospital, and far enough back that the fake Muggles on the street can’t see you.”
This was it. One Apparition stood between him and having his Apparition license. Regardless of the outcome, he’d at least made it to the end of the test this time. Albus closed his eyes once more and envisioned the far back end of the alley. With a crack, he disappeared.
When he reappeared, he stumbled a bit and had to catch himself on the wall of the fake office building. The cobblestones in the alley were very uneven. He hoped the witch hadn’t seen that.
“Good,” she said as she entered the alley. “I don’t take off points for clumsiness. So long as you’ve got all your fingers and eyebrows, I don’t care how you land. I am going to qualify you for an Apparition license.”
Albus nodded, his cheeks reddening. “So…I passed?”
“Yes, you passed,” the witch said.
Albus felt like he was floating as he followed the witch back into the waiting area. He’d never have to take another Apparition test again, and now he could Apparate whenever he liked.
Mum and Rose stood as soon as Albus returned, both looking nervous.
“Passed,” Albus said, grinning.
“I knew it!” Rose shouted. “I knew you’d get it this time!”
“Congratulations, Al,” Mum said as she pulled him into a hug.
“Mum!” Al said, glancing at Emily. He didn’t need to be hugged by his mother in front of Emily Rhodes.
“Congratulations, Albus,” Emily said, smiling. She was still bouncing her left leg up and down.
“Well, let’s go!” Rose said. “Al and I can Apparate home now. And I can bug James.”
“Rose,” Mum began, “I don’t know if that’s the best…” she sighed, “oh, forget it. After last summer, you can bother him as much as you like.”
Rose laughed. “Good, because I was going to do it regardless.”
Mum opened the door and Rose followed her out. Albus hung back, looking at Emily, who was now chewing her lip nervously.
“Good luck,” Albus said quietly. “And…let me know…if you pass.”
“Thanks, Albus,” Emily said. “And I will. I’ll see you on the train.”
Albus nodded and followed Rose and Mum out of the center, thinking about Emily…and how she wanted to see him on the train.
***
“Auror? Well, can’t say I’m surprised,” Uncle Percy said as he and Albus stood in the garden of the Burrow a few hours later. He’d already answered questions about his post-Hogwarts plans from numerous aunts and uncles and had had enough of it.
“Er, yeah,” Albus said, nodding. He took a sip of his pumpkin juice in the hopes that Uncle Percy wouldn’t continue the conversation.
“Can’t say I’d like to see you working under Auror Johnson,” Uncle Percy continued, “‘course, I suspect he’ll be gone by the time you’ve qualified as a Junior Auror.”
That got Albus’s attention. “Have you heard anything?”
“Nothing I can tell you,” Uncle Percy said pompously. “Let’s just say things aren’t looking good for him. He used some shady tactics while investigating those deaths. And the interrogation tactics he used on Stuart Boone.” Uncle Percy shuddered. “Mind you, I’ve just heard rumors, but all rumors have a bit of truth to them, don’t they.”
Albus nodded. He needn’t have been worried about his family’s reactions to his Apparition test. Only one or two of them had inquired about it and most were far more interested in what Albus was planning on doing after he left Hogwarts. Most of them knew he’d been thinking of applying to the Auror Academy, but they all were very impressed now that he was actually going to do it.
“Well, I’d best find out what Samantha and Lindy are up to,” Uncle Percy said, then downed the last gulp of his beer. He set the empty bottle on a nearby table. “Make sure they haven’t broken anything inside.”
Albus nodded again, grateful for his twin cousins’ tendency to make trouble. Otherwise, he could’ve been stuck discussing Ministry politics with Uncle Percy all night. He wouldn’t have minded if Uncle Percy were likely to let something slip, but he never did. All he did was discuss what was widely known.
Setting down his now empty glass, Albus meandered across the garden, stopping to say ‘hello’ to various family members as he went. He wasn’t sure where Rose had gone. They had arrived together, Apparating to the nearby empty field, but she’d disappeared once they reached the Burrow.
“Oi, Albus!”
Albus turned and saw his cousins Bradley and Cedric sitting with James at a table near the broom shed. Deciding he would find Rose later, Albus sat down next to James. Their table was littered with bottle caps and empty bottles, the three clearly taking advantage of the fact that they could drink legally.
“Did you pass this time?” James asked.
“Yes,” Albus confirmed.
“I knew you would,” James said. “And have you seen Rose?”
“No, not since I got here,” Albus answered.
James groaned. “She’s been Apparating right next to me for the past half an hour and it’s driving me mad. But she’s disappeared. I think she’s trying to lull me into a false sense of security.”
Albus laughed. “She’s only getting you back for last summer.”
“I know,” James muttered. He took a swig of his drink and set the empty bottle down.
“Another?” Bradley asked. “Al, can I get you something?”
Albus suddenly realized he could now drink legally as well. He hadn’t drank beer since Teddy’s stag night and that hadn’t been enjoyable. But this was different. He was surrounded by his family. But he wasn’t sure what his parents would think.
“Mum and Dad won’t care,” James said, grinning slightly. “And yeah, I could go for another.”
“Allow me,” Bradley said as he picked up his wand from the table. With a quick flick of his wrist, he jabbed his wand toward the house and thirty or so seconds later, four bottles came soaring through the air, high above everyone else’s heads. They landed on the table with three distinct thuds. Bradley then distributed them.
“Nice,” Cedric said as he tapped the cap with his own wand, causing the cap to jump off.
Even though Albus had been of age for two months now, he still got a thrill every time he got to do magic outside of school. Smiling to himself, he pulled out his wand and removed the cap from his own beer, successfully managing to do the spell silently.
“See, Al?” Bradley said. “Isn’t being of age grand?”
“Yeah, it really is,” Albus said before taking a swig. The beer was good. It had a hint of chocolate, which was something that definitely would’ve improved the beer he’d had at the Muggle club months earlier.
“Al,” James said, holding his beer out to Albus.
Excited once again to use wordless magic, Albus removed the cap from James’s beer as well.
“To being of age,” Cedric said as he lifted his beer.
“To being able to drink at family functions,” James said.
“To being done with school,” Bradley added.
“To almost being done with school,” Al amended.
The four cousins clinked their bottles and drank.
There was a loud crack and Rose appeared right next to James. James, who had been mid-drink, choked, spat out his sip, and dropped his beer on the table. It landed with another dull thud and fizzing beer spilled out of it, dripping onto both James and Albus.
“Watch it!” Albus exclaimed, glaring at Rose. “Haven’t you had enough of that?”
“Sorry!” Rose said. “I didn’t mean to do that. Here.” Rose drew her wand and pointed it at James’s wet t-shirt. It dried instantly.
James glared at Rose. “Seriously? Can you be done with that now?”
“We’re even now,” Rose said. “And I’m sorry. I’ll go get you another drink.”
Rose disappeared into the crowd. Albus dried his own shirt and looked back at Cedric and Bradley. They were both grinning. James still looked pissed off.
“Rosie, Rosie, Rosie,” Bradley said, shaking his head. “Always thought she was smarter than us. But she just went off to fetch drinks, rather than summon them.”
“You know, most people get up and get their drinks,” James pointed out. “Hardly anyone summons them.”
“I think we deserve a night of laziness,” Cedric said. “It’s been an exhausting week.”
“How’s training going?” Albus asked. Cedric started training to become a Magical Law Enforcement officer at the beginning of the month.
“Good,” Cedric said. “But tiring. More tiring than homework.”
“And what have you been doing?” Albus asked Bradley.
Bradley shrugged. “Avoiding Dad, mostly. He wants me to work in the shop if I can’t find anything else, but I really don’t want to.”
“What do you want to do?” Albus asked.
“No idea,” Bradley said, then took another swig of his drink. “Dad doesn’t think that’s acceptable.”
James, who had begun peeling the label off his now empty bottle, looked up. “Let’s change the subject. Al, how do you think Gryffindor are going to fare in Quidditch this year?”
Albus jumped on the subject, all too happy to distract James from his lack of employment.
4 -
Albus awoke the next morning with a distinct feeling of nostalgia. His year of “lasts” was about to begin, starting with his last September 1st journey from Platform 9 3/4. He was simultaneously excited and sad about it. As he finished off his last minute packing, he wondered what he’d be doing this time next year. Would he be in the midst of Auror training? Or, if he didn’t get in, would he be working in Uncle George’s shop?
Mum was uncharacteristically quiet as she served bacon and eggs to Albus and a half-asleep Lily. Dad was reading the Prophet, sighing and shaking his head every so often. Albus attempted to read the back of it, but it was too wrinkled to read it properly. The back of the page Dad was reading contained the MLE Blotter, which was always good for a laugh.
“What is it, Harry?” Ginny asked as she sat down with her own plate.
Dad sighed, folded the paper, and set it down next to his mug. “Nothing good. Two more members of the Wizengamot have resigned in protest over the Boone disaster. But if they keep resigning at this rate we’ll only be left with the crazies.”
“Why are they resigning now?” Mum asked. “Boone was convicted months ago.”
“Guilty conscience?” Dad suggested. “Either that or they truly had no idea of the discrimination out there against werewolves and they’re just now learning about it.”
“What about the bloke who actually did it?” Lily asked. “The Squib?”
“He’s under house arrest,” Dad explained. “No one’s sure whether it’s legal to hold a Squib in Azkaban since Azkaban is a wizard prison. At least, that’s what his attorney keeps insisting, and since it doesn’t specifically say Squibs are to be kept in Azkaban if they’ve broken the law, the Aurors can’t keep him there. It’s a huge mess. I don’t imagine it’ll go to trial for months.”
“Well, does the law specifically state werewolves are to be in Azkaban?” Lily asked.
Dad grinned. “Excellent point, Lily. You might have a future in law.”
Lily screwed up her face. “No thank you. It’s dead boring.”
“So, it wasn’t legal for Boone to be in Azkaban in the first place? I mean, aside from the fact that he was innocent?” Albus asked.
“No one’s sure, Al. When the law was written, wizarding Britain was very wizard-centric. I’ve told you about the old statue in the Ministry, right? So the laws only specified wizards and witches, not Squibs, goblins, house elves, vampires, giants, trolls, ghosts, poltergeists, or werewolves. Later on, all of them, save for Squibs, were categorized into beings, beasts, or spirits, hence those divisions in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.”
“And werewolves are considered beasts,” Albus interjected.
“Exactly. So, technically, Boone probably couldn’t be legally held in Azkaban, regardless of whether he was innocent or guilty, because he’s not considered a “being.”
“Well, that’s not right,” Lily said.
“No, it isn’t,” Dad said, pausing to take a sip of coffee. “And their status has gone back and forth for centuries. Last change was in the 1940s if I’m remembering right. It can only be a worldwide change, it has to go through the International Confederation of Wizards and not all countries were in agreement.”
“What about goblins and house elves and the others?” Lily asked.
“Goblins are considered beings, but since they’ve got their own magic and rules and morals, they don’t particularly care how wizards organize their government. House elves, thanks mostly to your aunt Hermione, were granted being status when you were all very little. As for trolls and giants, well, they don’t particularly care either way. Vampires have campaigned for a change a few times. Ghosts and poltergeists will always be spirits because that’s a fact.”
“But-“ Lily began.
“We’ve got to go,” Mum interrupted as she stood up. “The train leaves in forty-five minutes.”
Albus was surprised at how much interest his sister was showing in the categorization of beasts, beings, and spirits, especially for someone who claimed to find the law boring. He found the entire thing vaguely sickening. Werewolves and vampires were human, so shouldn’t that in itself cause them to be considered “beings” in the eyes of the law?
“Is James up?” Dad asked.
“His door was shut when I came down,” Albus said as he brought his empty dishes to the sink. “I don’t think he’ll want to go to the station. Too many people staring.”
“Can’t say I blame him there,” Dad said.
***
Albus felt extremely grown up Apparating by himself to King’s Cross. As he pushed his trolley through the throngs of younger students, he felt another wave of nostalgia, unable to believe that it had been six years since his first journey to Hogwarts. He could easily pick the first years out of the crowd. They were the ones standing close to their parents, gazing at the scarlet engine with equal parts apprehension and excitement.
Rose, Albus was confident, was already on the train. Being Head Girl, she had probably been the first one on the platform. She was probably mentally rehearsing her speech that she would give the prefects in half an hour’s time. Rose had been preparing to be Head Girl since she was five.
“I want both of you to make sure you study hard this year,” Mum said. “O.W.L. year is not a year you can slack off, Lily. And Al, I know you know that the Auror Department will rescind your acceptance if you don’t get the required N.E.W.T.s.”
That was something Albus had been trying not to think about.
“But, Al, we’ll love you whether you’re accepted or not,” Mum added.
“Yeah, no pressure, Al,” Lily said, grinning.
No pressure. That’s what everyone had been telling him all summer. No pressure except all the pressure from all of his family members.
“I better go find Hugo,” Lily said. “Bye, Mum.”
Mum gave Lily a hug and then she was off, disappearing into the crowd.
“I’m serious about the no pressure thing,” Mum said once Lily was gone. “The Academy is nearly impossible to get into. We’ll support you no matter what. And if you need any help with your application, Dad will help.”
Dad had stayed behind with James, who had woken up with a migraine. Albus knew already he wouldn’t ask for any help with his application. He wished he could apply anonymously, so he’d know whether it was his skill or his name getting him in.
“Oh, I can’t believe you’re a seventh year,” Mum said. Her eyes were glistening.
Albus knew he had to make this quick or else she’d be sobbing all over him. “Yeah, I know,” he said. “But I’ve got to go. Rose will kill me if I’m late to her meeting.”
Mum laughed. “Yes, yes, you’re right. Goodbye, Al. Keep me updated on your application.”
“I will,” Albus said.
“I love you, Al,” she said.
“Love you, too, Mum,” Albus replied as the train whistle blew.
Albus grabbed hold of his trolley and hurried to the train. He wouldn’t have time to stow his trunk; he’d have to bring it to the prefect meeting, in addition to being the last one there.
The train started to move just as Albus climbed on. He hoisted his trunk onto its side and began dragging it down the corridor, then realized he was allowed to magic whenever he wanted. With a flourish of his wand, he cast a locomotion spell on his trunk (verbally, as his nonverbal spells were iffy at best), and wondered whether it would be possible to Apparate on a moving train. He decided against this, but with the locomotion spell he made it to the prefect compartment much faster and earned admiring gazes from a few dozen younger students on the way.
With a stroke of luck, Rose had not yet begun the meeting, but Albus was unable to slip in without her noticing due to his trunk. She glared at him as he sat down in between Ashtyn Brickston (the only of John’s sisters who ever had a chance of becoming a prefect) and a boy he vaguely recognized who must’ve been the other new Gryffindor prefect. He released the trunk and it landed on end in between his feet with a soft thump.
“Now that Albus Potter has decided to join us, let’s get started,” Rose said as she handed a stack of parchment to Justin Brink, who stood next to her. Justin began passing out the parchment. “I’m Rose Weasley, Head Girl this year. Justin Brink is Head Boy. Justin is handing out September’s patrol schedule. You’ll patrol in pairs….”
Rose’s speech was not all that different from speeches in years past and Albus let his mind wander. He gazed around the compartment until his eyes fell on Emily Rhodes. He’d forgotten she was a prefect. She hadn’t noticed him, appearing caught up the patrol schedule Justin just handed her. Her curly hair blocked most of her face and Albus was unable to read her expression. Just seeing her caused Albus’s stomach to do a flip. He wanted to ask her if she passed her Apparition test.
“Albus,” Ashtyn said as she elbowed him in the side.
Albus jolted out of his daydreaming and looked up to see that Justin was attempting to hand him a patrol schedule. Blushing, Albus took the schedule, muttered “thanks,” and forced himself to stare at it. Rose had scheduled him for the last train patrol, which was the worst one because everyone was in and out of their compartments trying to change into their robes and there was a lot of pent up energy and excitement. He was also scheduled to tutor DADA on Wednesday evenings, which wasn’t bad, and he had approximately three patrols a week, which was manageable. With Quidditch practice twice a week and dueling once a week, he wouldn’t have any free evenings.
“Please see myself or Justin if you can’t do a patrol,” Rose said. “Or if you have any questions. The common room passwords are written on your schedule. Remember your train patrol. I’d like to have another meeting at the end of September to see how things are going. We’ll put notices up in the common rooms.”
Everyone began to get up and leave the compartment. Albus hung back, one hand on his trunk, and watched as Emily Rhodes laughed at something the girl sitting next to her said. Dimples formed on her cheeks when she smiled. She turned and met Albus’s gaze. Albus felt his cheeks redden again and hoped it wasn’t noticeable. Emily gave him a little wave, then left the compartment with her friend. Albus felt slightly dejected. Hadn’t she wanted to see him on the train?
“Al,” Rose said.
Albus turned to Rose. The compartment had emptied. The door shut behind Justin Brink, leaving Albus and Rose alone.
“Why were you late?” Rose asked.
“I wasn’t late. I was right on time,” Albus corrected.
“You were not,” Rose said, opening the door.
Albus charmed his trunk once more and directed it out into the corridor. “I was on the train at eleven. Mum kept trying to assure me there’s no pressure about the Auror Academy. And then she was crying about this being my last year. Did your mum do that?”
Rose shook her head. “No, but Aunt Ginny’s probably emotional about James and it came out over you. Never mind that. I got us a compartment just down here.”
Rose led the way into the next car and opened the door to the second compartment on the right. Matt, John, Amanda, and Kaden were all inside and no one’s little sisters were there. Albus levitated his trunk up onto the shelf above one of the benches and sat down in between Matt and John.
“So, your sister’s a prefect,” Albus said, smirking.
“Don’t remind me,” John said, shaking his head. “Mum was awful about it. Kept going on and on about how proud she was of Ashtyn, all the while giving Gemma and me funny looks. And after she got the letter, Ashtyn wasn’t made to do any chores for the rest of the summer. Plus, Dad bought her a new broom, even though she’s not on the Quidditch team.”
“Weren’t they at all happy you got made Quidditch captain?” Albus asked. “I mean, that comes with most of the perks of being a prefect without all the work.”
“They were, but not as proud as they were of Ashtyn.”
“You can’t be jealous, are you?” Rose asked. “I mean, you didn’t stand a chance.”
“I know that,” John said. “I never wanted to be one. But my parents could stand to be less obnoxious about it. Ashtyn doesn’t need a bigger ego. Still, Mum about lost it on the platform with this being my last year. Between that and Amelia just starting, she didn’t stand a chance.”
“Mine did, too,” Albus said.
“And mine,” Matt added. “She’s been moping about it all summer.”
“My parents want me to go to university,” Amanda said. “We’ve been arguing about it all summer.”
“Muggle university?” John asked.
Amanda nodded. “It’s usually what’s expected in my family, but I’m the weird one.”
“My grandparents think once I’m done with the ‘silly magic stuff,’ I’ll go to university and work at Grunnings,” Kaden said with disgust.
“What the hell is that?” John asked.
“A company that makes drills,” Kaden said. “It’s about as exciting as it sounds.”
“Does that ever happen?” John asked. “Do Muggleborns ever go back to the Muggle world?”
“I suppose occasionally,” Rose said. “And Professor Longbottom is very helpful. We’ve got to meet with him a few times this year so he can help us get ready for what we’re doing after Hogwarts.”
“We do?” Matt asked apprehensively. “But we already did career advice in fifth year.”
“That was just to get you thinking,” Rose explained. “You’ve got to have a real plan by the time you leave and your head of house helps. They’re usually the best to go for for letters of recommendation, too.”
Albus wondered what the Auror Academy would think of him sending a letter of recommendation from his godfather. But who else would do it? Certainly not his father. Maybe Hagrid.
“Oh,” Matt said quietly.
“Professor Longbottom would give you a good recommendation,” John assured him. “Unless you’re going into studying mandrakes.”
Matt gave him a weak smile. He hadn’t been able to withstand mandrake cries, even with earmuffs.
“Are any of you doing a second internship?” Kaden asked.
“I might,” Albus said. He’d been considering the idea of interning at the Auror Department again, for the sole purpose of gathering information about Boone’s lawsuit, the inquiries on Johnson and Laurentis, and the impending Paul Willinson trial.
“Don’t be silly, Albus,” Rose said. “You’ll be too busy revising for N.E.W.T.s. And aren’t you the dueling captain?”
“Marina and I are co-captains,” Albus clarified.
“Plus you’ve got Quidditch practice and patrol and tutoring,” Rose added. “And…whatever else…comes up.” She gave him a significant look.
Albus raised his eyebrows. What was she getting at?
“Oh, come on, Al,” Rose said, rolling her eyes. “Everyone saw you staring at Emily Rhodes during the prefect meeting. Everyone except Emily Rhodes.”
“Emily Rhodes?” John asked. “Nice.”
Albus glared at Rose. He hadn’t been that obvious about it. Rose was just annoyingly perceptive about that sort of thing.
“I was just…curious…whether she passed her Apparition test,” Albus said weakly.
“No one’s buying that,” Rose said. “And you could certainly do worse. She’s very nice and quite smart. You should ask her to the first Hogsmeade trip.”
“Can’t we go to Hogsmeade whenever we like?” John asked. “Now that we’re seventeen?”
“If you get permission from your head of house, yes,” Rose said. “And only on weekends. Not that that’s stopped you before.”
John grinned. “Maybe I’ve decided to change my unlawful ways.”
Rose snorted. “That’ll be the day.”
They were interrupted by the trolley witch and everyone bought large amounts of sweets. The conversation then moved from future careers and seventh year to a game of “would you rather” with the nasty flavors of Bertie Botts Every-Flavor Beans and Albus was glad that they had one more year of this.
***
Albus could’ve cursed Rose for assigning him the last patrol of the trip. He’d originally thought said patrol would end once the train arrived, but it didn’t. It also involved making sure all the first years got to the boats and everyone else made it onto the carriages. According to Rose’s schedule, Justin Brink and Emily Rhodes were doing this same task, but Albus hadn’t seen them.
“Is that your cat?” Albus asked a young boy in Ravenclaw robes, who was prodding a cat with his wand. The cat hissed at him with every prod.
“No,” the boy replied as he continued prodding.
“Then leave it alone and find a carriage,” Albus said. “Get on then. Go on.”
The boy scowled, but abandoned the cat and climbed into the nearest carriage. Albus couldn’t remember he and his friends ever not going directly to the carriages from the train, but there were quite a few younger students loitering between the two.
“Al!” someone shouted from a nearby carriage.
Albus looked up and saw John leaning out of the window of a carriage.
“Are you going to be much longer?” John asked.
“You’d better just go,” Albus said. “Rose is down by the boats.”
“Okay. Could I get the common room password? For Matt?”
“Yeah,” Albus said. He walked over and whispered the password into John’s ear. “See you at the feast.”
John disappeared into the carriage and shut the door a moment later. Albus returned to his task of getting the younger students into the carriages, wondering if it would be frowned upon to use a herding charm. Fortunately there weren’t many left and it didn’t take long to get them into the remaining carriages. Soon, it was just him and Justin Brink left on the platform, and only one carriage remained.
“So,” Justin said, shoving his hands into his robes, “seventh year.”
“Yeah,” Albus replied, nodding. “Congratulations on Head Boy.”
“Thanks,” Justin said. “Oh, here come the girls.”
Rose and Emily walked side by side up the platform, both holding their robes tightly around themselves against the chill of the wind. Albus was suddenly faced with the fact that he would be riding up to the castle in the same carriage as Emily. His heart thudded faster in his chest and he took a few deep breaths to try and slow it, but it didn’t work.
“First years are off,” Rose said. “We’d better go or we’ll miss the sorting.”
Albus nodded and made a sudden dash to the carriage, so that he could hold the door open for Emily. Unfortunately Justin got there before Emily and took the door from Albus, ushering him in as he did so. Albus awkwardly climbed in. Rose followed, then Emily, and finally Justin. Albus was only slightly disappointed when Rose sat next to him and Emily had to take the seat across from him.
“Well, at least it wasn’t raining,” Rose said as the carriage began to move.
“The second years are awfully cheeky this year,” Justin muttered. “One of them insisted on flying his broom to the castle. And four of the girls, Gryffindors I think, were trying to put charms on their carriage. God only knows what the charms were for.”
Albus exchanged a look with Rose. “Er, were two of them twins?” Albus asked.
“I think so. Bright red hair and they looked exactly alike,” Justin said.
“They would be our cousins, Samantha and Lindy,” Albus said. “And the other two were probably Bethany Dursley and Gemma Brickston.”
“John’s sister?” Justin asked. “I should’ve known.”
“She’s worse than him, with making trouble,” Rose said.
Albus couldn’t believe that he was riding in a carriage with Emily Rhodes and the current topic of discussion was John’s sister.
“Well, N.E.W.T.s this year,” Justin said, changing the subject. “I’m going to start my revision schedule this weekend.”
“I’ve already started mine,” Rose said pompously. “It’s never too early.”
“Right you are,” Justin agreed.
And now they were discussing N.E.W.T.s. Or, rather, Rose and Justin were discussing N.E.W.T.s. Albus and Emily weren’t saying anything. Albus chanced a glance at Emily, who happened to be glancing at him at the same time. She gave him a small smile and a slight eye roll in the direction of Rose and Justin. Albus smiled back, stifling a laugh.
Albus’s stomach gave another flip. Maybe he would ask Emily to the first Hogsmeade weekend after all.