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SIYE Time:15:28 on 29th March 2024
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The Next Generation
By werekitten

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Category: Post-DH/PM
Characters:None
Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff, General
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 202
Summary: “I won’t! I won’t be a Slytherin!” So says the youngest son of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley just before he leaves for his first year at Hogwarts. Albus Severus Potter’s worst nightmare is to be sorted into Slytherin, house of the Dark wizards. Despite reassurances from his father, he still worries that it might come true… and it does. How does little Al cope with being a Slytherin? And can his family accept it? *This is actually a H/G story, although it doesn't sound like it from this summary*
Hitcount: Story Total: 55779; Chapter Total: 5568





Author's Notes:
So, this is my first multi-chapter non-challenge fic... now we'll actually see if I can make up a plot. XD
Mega thanks to my beta Erik (Victor Aagaard) for getting this back to me faster than most betas, despite the lack of internet.
For those of you who are dubious as to whether this will actually have Harry and Ginny in it, trust me, it will, but you'll have to wait 'til chapter 3 or 4 before they play a major part.
I know you've heard this many times, from many authors, but, I'm begging you on bended knee, please review. Thanks in advance!




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Albus Severus Potter sat all by himself in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, speeding towards Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He anxiously stared out the window as the train pulled out of Platform 9 , but he wasn’t really noticing the platform and the waving parents, which were quickly fading into the distance. He knew he shouldn’t be worried, but one concern after another kept circling round in his head.

What if he wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor? Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff might not be so bad, but what if he was put in Slytherin? Would the rest of the family forgive him? His father had said that his placement didn’t matter, but his elder brother James had said otherwise. What if he was terrible at magic? Mum and Dad were quite good, but that wasn’t an indication of his own powers. What if he was really a Squib and no one had realised it yet? And what if he made no friends at Hogwarts? Already he was sitting all by himself, and –

Al’s thoughts were interrupted as the door to his compartment slid open. A small girl clutching a wicker basket stood at the door, her worried face a mirror of what his own had been. She had hazel eyes that sparkled with intelligence and a long, brownish-blonde, plait running down her back. Hesitantly, she asked, “Do you mind if I sit here? It’s just that everywhere else is full.”

He nodded quickly. His own brother had told him to leave and find a different compartment and even his cousin Rose, also a first year, had left to sit with her friend Quintessa Lovegood-Longbottom. Al knew what it felt like to want to be included, if only by having a place to sit.

She came in, started to sit down, then paused. “Oh, I nearly forgot. Are you allergic to cats?” A plaintive mew came out of the whicker basket.

Al grinned. “No, I love them! We’ve got one at home, her name is — don’t laugh — Athena. Sounds nerdy, I know. My mum thought of it.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Athena? She’s the Greek goddess of wisdom, right?”

Al nodded. “But Nini — that’s what we call her — isn’t very smart. She chases her tail, sometimes.”

The girl smiled. “Minerva used to do that, too.” She reached inside to stroke the cat, then looked back up at Albus. “Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom.”

“That’s right! I’d completely forgotten! I used to study gods and goddesses all the time, but I moved on to Goblin Rebellions a few years ago. I just love all of their funny names!” He made an exasperated noise. “I’m so sorry! I’ve been so rude — what’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Mir– Miranda, I guess. But everyone calls me Miri. Who are you?”

“I’m Albus — Al.”

Her eyes widened. “Albus Potter? Harry Potter’s son?”

He nodded hesitantly. “But please don’t judge me by my father. James — that’s my older brother — says that everyone expects him to be wonderfully brave and clever and all sorts of things that Dad is.” He bit the edge his lip nervously. “But I don’t think I can be any of those things. I’m going to do the best I can, of course — I’d love to be top of the class, or a prefect, or something. I just wish people wouldn’t measure me up to famous, perfect Harry Potter. I love Dad very much, but, from what James says, being the son of a legend is good deal like work.”

The girl’s expression softened. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do very well. At least you grew up in a wizarding family.”

He gave her a curious look. “Are you Muggleborn, then?”

She shook her head. A strange shadow flicked over her eyes, but it quickly passed. “No, my mum’s a witch; I think she’s pureblood, not that it really matters.” She hesitated, then plowed on. “I don’t live with her all of the time though, just visit her occasionally. I grew up in a Muggle family, though I always knew of the magical world. So,” she said, changing the subject quickly, “which house do you reckon you’ll be sorted into?”

Clearly she did not want to talk about her family, and Al could respect that. He allowed himself to be draw into an involved discussion of the houses as the anxious frown returned to his face. “I dunno which I’ll be in. James said I might get Slytherin — that’d be terrible! My entire family’s always been in Gryffindor, and I’d love to be there to, but what if I’m not?”

“Well, the other houses are just fine, too. Personally, I’m hoping for Ravenclaw. My mum was a Hufflepuff, but that doesn’t mean anything. I think it’d be wonderful to be with people who actually care about studying, and grades, and about, well, just learning.” Her face was shining with excitement.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait until we get to Hogwarts to find out…”

*~*~*


Lily Nymphadora Potter wiped the tears from her eyes. She had jumped up and down, waving, as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station.

Two more years, she told herself. Just two more years, and then it’ll be my turn. In two years, it would be she, not Albus or James, who would receive her first ever letter from Hogwarts by owl post. It would be she who excitedly went to Diagon Alley and got measured for her first ever set of school robes and purchased her wand — Ollivander had finally began training a replacement, but he still insisted on serving all the Potters. It would be she who excitedly boarded the train, searching for old friends, making new ones. It would be she who her mother and father promised to write to, who they would miss all year. She would be the one who rowed across the lake with Hagrid, or maybe Grawp, his assistant, and she would be among the group to be sorted. Just two more years. It seemed like forever. But for now, she could at least say goodbye to her lucky older brothers who would be at Hogwarts this year.

Lily kept waving until the shiny red and gold train was out of sight, then turned back to her parents. Ginny put her arm around her daughter and smiled sadly. “Miss them?” Lily nodded. “Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon enough. In the meantime, Hugo’s still here,” she added as Ron, Hermione, and Hugo came over. Hermione looked close to tears.

Ginny smiled at her old friend. She had long since stopped feeling angry at Ron and Hermione for going with Harry to hunt Horcruxes and leaving her behind. After all the deaths, such grudges had seemed petty and insignificant.

As Lily walked with her father to the car — Harry having legitimately passed his driving test several years ago — Ginny passed a handkerchief to Hermione, who took it.

“I’m just being silly, I know Rose’ll do just fine at school,” she muttered as she blew her nose.

“The first one’s always the hardest,” said Ginny, remembering how she had felt a year ago when James had left for the first time. “Just remember your first time at Hogwarts — sure, you were scared in the beginning, but then you had so much fun with all your friends that school seemed like home.”

Hermione nodded, wiped her eyes again, and dried off the handkerchief with a wave of her wand. “Thanks,” she said, handing it back to Ginny.

“Gin?” called Harry, from up ahead. “You coming?”

“Yeah, be right there!” She turned back to Hermione. “Why don’t you come over for dinner, say, tomorrow night? With Ron and Hugo? We can only hope that the kids will have written by then — I can’t wait to find out which house Rose is in!” Ginny was fairly certain that Al would be a Gryffindor — she had overheard Harry’s advice about the Sorting Hat, and was now convinced that if Al truly wanted to be in Gryffindor, all he had to do was ask. Rose, on the other hand, would make a fine Ravenclaw as well as Gryffindor, or maybe even Hufflepuff.

“Alright, dinner sounds great. See you tomorrow night!” said Hermione. The two families had remained very close over the years, and often were at each other’s houses. Ron and Hermione had settled in Godric’s Hollow, in a house near the cottage that Harry’s parents had lived in. Harry had had the cottage repaired, keeping as much of the original as possible while still making it comfortable for a family of five (and a cat).

Ginny ran to catch up with her husband and daughter as they climbed in the car.

“Remember the time Ron and I flew to school in your dad’s car?” Harry asked, grinning.

Ginny laughed. “How could I forget? It wasn’t really funny at the time… I was so worried! There I was, sorted into Gryffindor, but only three of my brothers came to greet me. And,” she grinned impishly, “famous Harry Potter, my not-so-secret crush, was gone, too! We had no clue where you were!”

“Granddad has a flying car?” asked Lily incredulously, eyes wide.

Had,” corrected Harry. “Your uncle Ron and I crash-landed it on the grounds at Hogwarts.”

“Wicked!” said Lily excitedly. “Tell me how!”

Harry laughed, but there was sadness in his voice as he told his daughter how the brave house elf Dobby had tried force Harry away from school, where the Chamber of Secrets was about to be opened.

Ginny was silent, remembering everyone who had fallen in the war against Voldemort. George had never quite recovered from the loss of his brother, and while Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes was successful with Percy as the business manager and George as the inventor, the surviving twin was never as cheerful or creative as he had been with his brother. The third eldest Weasley brother had completely given up the idea of an ambitious Ministry career, and was quite content to work in the family joke shop.

The loss of Tonks and Lupin had hit everyone very hard. Teddy, their son, had been raised with his grandmother Andromeda, but he was over at the Potters’ or one of the Weasleys’ houses so often that he was more like a son than a friend to Harry and Ginny.

That reminded Ginny of James’ announcement. “So, Harry, what do you think of little Teddy and Victoire?”

Harry grinned again. “They’re so sweet together. Teddy’s just like Remus was — too studious, most of the time. Some snogging will be good for him.”

“Ewww!” came an exclamation from the back seat. “Snogging is gross!”

Ginny laughed. “Just you wait, Lily. I’ll remind you of that when I see you in Madame Puddifoot’s.”

Harry groaned as Lily asked, “What’s Madame Puddifoot’s?”

He snorted. “You don’t want to know.”

~*~*~


Hour s later, at Hogwarts, Al and Miri were climbing into one of the little boats on the lake. Hagrid was to take them up to the castle, which comforted Al slightly. An old family friend, Hagrid was often over for dinner.

As they drew nearer to the castle, Al’s stomach began to squirm. James had said that the Sorting Ceremony involved slaying a dragon — Al didn’t quite believe this, but he was nervous all the same.

Finally, they reached the opposite shore of the lake. A small thrill of excitement ran though Al — finally, he was at Hogwarts!
Reviews 202
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