Albus Potter and the Cursed Legacy | Scorbus

17. The Other Brother

The corridors were always packed with students between lessons. Students filtered through, being nudged and bumped around as others tried to weave in and out to get to their next destination. First years scuttled through, trying not to get lost in the sea of robes or trampled by the older students. The elder students paraded in packs through the corridors as if they owned them, many of them claiming to know every twist and turn of the complicated castle (which was highly unlikely without the help of the Mauraders Map, which James kept safe in his possession). 

The chatter blended together into a clamour of voices the carried up into the rafters of the high ceilings. The footsteps of hard-soled school shoes clopped like hooves against the stone floors, creating a rumble of students as if a storm was rolling in through the school. The occasional spark would shoot out from somewhere as a spell was cast, causing a small crack, like lightning. Laughter would rise above the din as friends joked and jostled around with each other.

Prefects would stand watch along with professors, supervising the mass movement of students, stepping in when required. Usually, they were just there to scold preteen boys who were roughhousing or remind the students to hurry along to class and not dawdle. On the off chance of a fight, they'd part their way through the gathering crowd, wand at the ready, to break it up and dish out detentions.

There were many times throughout his years at Hogwarts that this would happen to Albus and Scorpius--although they were never the ones who started it. But more often than not, there were no authority figures around when the bullies came to prey on Albus and Scorpius leaving them to fend for themselves.

"Aye, if it isn't Peewee Potter!" Matthias would exclaim, backed up by the jeering looks of his popular friends. It was a common occurrence when he was targetted in the corridor. "And his little friend, Scorpius, a sorry excuse for a Slytherin, if you ask me." He elbowed Ryker with a laugh.

Normally, Albus would have ignored their pestering, continuing to walk the other way. But on this particular day, back in their fifth year, Albus couldn't just walk past.

Silas stepped forward, grabbing Matthias' shoulder in mock concern, "Watch out, Matthias! His Deatheater parents might come and hex you!" Silas then turned his head to look at Scorpius with a smirk, his voice filling with patronizing venom, "Oh wait...His daddy's too busy crying over his mummy's grave. Lost his two greatest loves, the Dark Lord and his minger of a wife! Boohoo!"

Scorpius froze, the colour draining from his face as Silas' harsh words ripped into his skin.

It was one thing to bully Albus and Scorpius themselves, but to attack Scorpius' parents--his mother especially--that's where Albus drew the line. He whipped out his wand as he turned on his heel to face Silas and his friends.

Albus marched up to Silas, sticking his wand right under his chin, bearing his teeth as he looked up at the boy who had at least four inches on him. But Albus didn't have time to think about how unbalanced the fight was, too distracted by the fire burning in the pit of his stomach. Every curse and hex that he'd ever heard of ran through his mind as he tried to find the best one to use on the cocky bastard.

"Take it back, Silas," Albus hissed, his jaw clenched, "Or I'll--"

"--Or you'll what?" Silas snickered at Albus' attempt at intimidation, crossing his arms in front of him. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by the threat, which infuriated Albus even more. He held no remorse for what he said

Silas' posse of friends, on the other hand, seemed a bit more cautious, taking a few steps back to avoid the scrap. Ryker and Matthias exchanged a look, appearing to think that their friend might have taken things too far, even by their standards. Among them, watching the standoff was Tristian Gainesley, a rough-looking beater from Gryffindor; and a few of the popular girls in his year, including Magnolia and her best friends Margot Creevy, a Gryffindor, and Georgia Sharpe, a fellow Slytherin. Whilst they all looked unsettled, none of them dared to step in and put a stop it.