Hogwarts, a Future

One

Albus sighed.
Sure, he was excited to go to Hogwarts this year- who wouldn't be? He stared out of the window of his bedroom, pushing the warm duvet off of his bare legs.

Albus's room was covered in Chudley Cannons quidditch posters, which were zipping in and out of the borders, dodging bludgers and beaters.

The sky outside the window was just starting to dawn. The palest wisp of rosy pink was rising from the horizon.

Albus Potter lived with the rest of his family: his father and mother, of course, Harry and Ginny, his older brother James, and his little sister Lily. Harry's godson Teddy Lupin lived in a flat not far away.
The problem? Every one of his family were Gryffindors. Well, except for him and Lily, they were not yet old enough. But Albus was going to Hogwarts this year, and he had no idea which house he'd be in. James had been pestering him nonstop, taunting him about his fear of becoming a Slytherin. Who would want to be in the house that spawned Voldemort, the darkest wizard that had ever lived? Albus thought about his friend Scorpius Malfoy, who had come from a long line of Slytherins, yet was one of the nicest people he knew.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" Albus jumped when he heard the scream coming from the bedroom next door. Teddy? Oh, yes, he remembered. Teddy had stayed the night so he could see them off at platform nine and three quarters. Albus sighed, slipping on a bathrobe. James was at it again, undoubtedly. The yell was followed by a crash, muffled yelling, and a thundering of feet. Albus glanced at the clock on his wall, which was shaped like a snitch. Quarter to six. Albus smirked. He was glad it was Teddy and not him. He opened the door and started down the stairs.

"What happened? Both of you sit down and tell me right NOW." Ginny, red hair rumpled, nightgown wrinkled, had her hands on her hips. She was not happy to be waken at six o'clock. She proceeded to interrogate James without much success, as he was laughing. She turned to a seething Teddy, who was soaking wet and was holding James by the nape of his neck. They both sat down, the couch squelching a little.
"You had better have a good reason as to why you woke me up at six o'clock, James Sirius," Ginny said menacingly. "Teddy. Talk." Teddy, eyes and hair rapidly changing colors, turned to Ginny. Teddy was a metamorphagus, like his mother, which meant he could change his appearance at will.

"I was sound asleep before this prick dumped a bucket of ice cold water onto op of me," he spat, James's face beginning to purple as he gripped his neck harder.
"Teddy, let go. James, you may mop and sweep the floors and cook- well, Id better cook, or else you might poison us all. It'd better be done before six thirty or..." Ginny left her sentence unfinished and beckoned at Albus to follow her into the kitchen, waving her wand at Teddy so he became instantly dry. "You two may as well help make breakfast, seeing as the whole house is already up," she said as a very sleepy looking Harry and Lily came stumbling down the stairs.

They sat down to a very tasty meal of omelettes and bacon. Albus managed a few bites before pushing his plate away. He couldn't eat, he was much too jittery to keep anything down. "Alby, from Slytherin," a low voice murmured in his ear. Albus jumped, then realizing it was James, turned and slapped his brother in the face, angry tears leaking out of his eyes.

Everyone looked at Albus in shock. He had never hit anyone out of anger. Ever. His way was more cunning, more like- a revenge. He had never portrayed his emotions in such a spur-of-the-moment way. Albus grabbed James's collar and pulled him close. "Stop," he hissed. James looked shocked. Albus let go, and then excused himself into his room.

"Oh, Albus," he heard Ginny sigh.

"What do you have to say for yourself, James? Teasing your little brother like that?" Harry, red faced and visibly trying to restrain himself, was shouting at James. They were in Harry's study, which contained many posters of different quidditch teams and a snitch that circled the room. James gulped and stared at the picture of his mother, grinning and red haired, waving cheerfully at the camera.

"It was just a bit of fun," he said lamely, catching the snitch and rubbing it with his thumb before letting it go again.

"James. That wasn't any fun at all. His first day at Hogwarts is tomorrow and you go and make him more stressed than he already is? You call that fun?"

"Come on, dad. You saw how out of it he was at breakfast this morning. I tried to wake him up a little. " James glanced at his father, running his hands through his dark auburn hair nervously. Harry stared at his son skeptically.

"James."
"Dad."
"You know full well that was no excuse to do that to him." Emerald eyes met amber ones. Harry sighed and pulled his door open. "You'd best go apologize."