Albus Potter and the Healing Springs

"Please explain why you won't try out with me!" demanded Ronnie.

The trio was in the Great Hall enjoying a warm breakfast when Ronnie received a flier from Professor Longbottom about Quidditch tryouts. Although it was uncommon for a first year to make it into the team, they received them anyways. Ronnie was extremely excited about the tryouts, unlike her two friends, Albus and Alex.

"No way! First years never get on the team! Why would I wanna embarrass myself like that?!" retorted Alex.

"For fun! Duhh!" replied Ronnie, exasperated with Alex's boring approach to life. "I mean, come on! It's not like you're trying to impress anyone! . . . Or are you?" she asked with a sly face, as if to elicit certain information out of him.

"No! No! Of course not!" answered Alex, with just a tad more enthusiasm than the average person.

It was clear from Ronnie's expression that she clearly didn't buy Alex's story, but much too excited to get on with the day, she paid no thought to him and turned to Albus, who was busy catching an envelope that an owl brought him. Alex, finished with his breakfast, made his way up to the common room, probably to get ahead on some homework before Professor Belikov even assigned it.

"Albus, you HAVE to try out for Quidditch!" said Ronnie, before Albus could even consider opening the envelope.
"Why do I HAVE to try out?" queried Albus.
"Because! I would think your dad has taught you, hasn't he? I mean, he was a Quidditch legand and all." explained Ronnie.

"What? My dad? My dad's just an Auror!" ludicrously stated Albus. "I mean, yeah, he can fly really well, but he's never mentioned anything about being a legend! Why does everyone think they know my dad better than me?!"

Albus had had enough. He got up from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"Well that was stupid . . . He's got quite an attitude." was the last thing Albus heard from Ronnie's lips; she didn't sound happy.

As he meandered up the staircase, Albus was raging with fury. How could everyone think they knew more about his dad than his own son? Unable to find an answer to the conflict alone, Albus decided to consult James. Albus wasn't very fond of having to talk to his prankster of a brother but this was important. Unfortunately, this would mean that he would have to return to the Great Hall and face Ronnie. Time to swallow my pride, I guess, thought Albus bitterly.

By this point, however, Albus had already crawled through the portrait hole and entered the common room; he decided to open the letter he received just a few mintues prior. He began reading, knowing full well that Alex was only a few feet away.

"Dear Albus,
Your mother and I are thrilled about your sorting into Gryffindor! We couldn't be more proud. We also noticed that Rose was quite frightened to tell Ron and Hermione about her sorting into Ravenclaw. Be nice and make her feel at home; there is no reason why she still isn't a part of our family and she could use the support. I'd tell James to do the same, but he'd probably just rub it in her face. We can't wait to see you both at Christmas. Lily says she misses you, (can you believe it?) and tell your brother to behave!
Lots of love, your parents."

The letter was pretty short, but Albus had to admit that he liked it; he couldn't stand when his mother, Ginny, would write three entire rolls of parchment just about the day she spent with his aunt Hermione. Good thing his father, Harry, wrote this one. Alex seemed to have listened to the entire thing, but he seemed pleased by the support his parents gave Albus.

"That's wonderful that your parents are thrilled! By the way who is Lily? And you have a brother here?" asked Alex, intriguied about everyone's personal life. Albus was not annoyed, however. He knew Alex was only asking because they were good friends, not because he wanted to poke his nose in other people's business.

"Yeah I'm glad..." said Albus very undifferently. He was still thinking about everything Alex said about his father Harry being a legacy. Right now was the perfect moment to bring up the multitude of questions Albus had, but he chose to save that inquiry for later and speak to James first."Oh and Lily is my younger sister; she's two years younger than me. My older brother James is here, too; he's a second year. You haven't seen him around?" asked Albus.

"James... James... Oh! I think I have – Wait is he that boy who is constantly picking on other first years? I saw him try to hex Ronnie but fortunately it didn't work. . ." Albus tried imagining that incident and quietly giggled to himself. Just the idea of Ronnie showing up James made Albus like Ronnie even more.

"Yeah, that's him" still quietly giggling; the reason unbeknownst to Alex. Alex paid no mind to it; Albus was always a curious old chap.

Alex and Albus said their goodbyes as Alex headed for the library and Albus for the common room, revisitng the dreadful thought of having to face Ronnie in the Great Hall. Maybe she won't be that mad, he thought. Or rather, hoped.

Actually, now that the thought occured to him, he would kill two birds with one stone and try to talk to Bella. The thought lightened his mood as he wandered down the staircase. As he stepped into the Great Hall, Albus quickly spotted Ronnie with his back to him. Albus desperately prayed that she wouldn't turn around; he was trying to postpone that lecture as long as possible.

Albus looked down the table and saw his brother, jinxing a Slytherin's food to miss his mouth every time he would bite it, while James friends roared with laughter. It was astouding that the laughter itself wasn't enough to catch McGonagall's attention.

Steathily, Albus passed Ronnie and sat obscurely between two rather burly Gryffindors that happened to be James friends.

"Having love troubles already, little brother?" snickered James, clearly having witnessed the row between Albus and Ronnie.

"Shut up," said Albus, clearly annoyed at his brother's childish teasing. Albus' retort made James' friends laugh. "James, was dad a Quidditch legend?"

"Well, of course! I had to have gotten my talent from somewhere!" exclaimed James. This was true, obnoxious as he was, and quite unpleasant company, James was an outstanding Quidditch player. He got his spot on the team last year fair and square; the older tryouts were furious in fact. If it had not been for some git 26 years ago, James would have been the only first year on a team in over a century.

"Well you could have gotten it from mum, you concieted prat. She's an amazing flier as well," sneered Albus; he hated when his brother acted like the epitome of the perfect boy. "How come we never even talk about dad at home?"

"What's there to talk about? He's an Auror, he's dad, and he's Harry Potter." stated James, as if there's nothing special. Rick Thompson, however, previously eating, began choking on the treacle tart.

"What?! James! You never told me your dad was Harry Potter!" exclaimed Rick. James and Albus looked ludicously at each other; why had Rick reacted that way?

"What's so special about my dad?" asked James.

"I don't know exactly, but I've heard my mum and dad talk about him like he's a super hero!" declared Rick. "Don't you know yourselves?"

It was clear from the look on their faces that neither James nor Albus had any idea what Rick was referring to. It was during this moment that Albus made it his mission to investigate this story. And he will start at the walking library himself: Alex.

Alex could wait, though. Right now, Albus had the perfect opportunity to talk to Bella. She was just finishing breakfast, silently with two girls, and Scorpius. Albus prodeeced to do what most Gryffindors would never even consider: sitting with the Slytherins. As soon as he sat down at the table, the zeitgeist was barely tangible. The Slytherins were giving Albus a look that would scare any child. Any child that wasn't in love however, like Albus. Bella, noticing the looks she was getting from her acquiantances and friends, turned to look at Albus as well. If looks could kill, he thought. . . .

He was not discouraged, however. Even when surprised, she looked absolutely beautiful. Beauty emanated from her, and it was obvious that all the other malicious Slytherin girls were just jealous.

"Who are you?" asked Bella; Albus was much to blinded by love to notice the disgust in her voice.

"I'm Albus, Albus Potter. You're Bella Lestrange, aren't you?" responded Albus, very enthusiastic by the fact that Bella had even acknowledged his presence.

"Well. . . Potter," spat Bella, even more repulsed by the fact that the legendary Harry Potter's son was trying to talk to her. "What do you want?" she hissed.

"Just to talk," pronounced Albus. "How was your first day?" he shined brightly.

Bella threw another disgusted look. "Fine." She turned to her right, trying to spark up a conversation with anyone but Albus. She started to talk to the pale blonde girls she was always with, and from what Albus heard, their names were Isabella Hunt and Patricia Knight.

"How are you liking Slytherin? I, for one think the sorting hat made a mistake." suggested Albus, still in a pleasent mood.

Isabella and Patricia were now shreiking with laughter. This laughter even beat the laughter of Rick and James. Bella then whispered to Albus, "Do you now? I personally like Slytherin. It's not infested with Mudbloods."

Albus was taught to never speak to anyone who openly declared pure-blood superiority. With Bella, though, it was clear that she was just misguided and needed some help at getting the right idea that true wizardry had nothing to do with one's parents.

"Now, that's not the right idea, Bella." Bella. . . the name rolled off his tongue so perfectly. Albus loved it, Bella hated it. Meanwhile, Albus noticed that Scorpius slowly left while Bella was too infuriated to notice.

If the looks Bella was giving Albus before could kill him, the look she gave him now could kill a thousand others.

"Listen Potter, I have no interest in 'talking' to you. Go brag about your legendary father to some nitwit Gryffindors. I don't want to hear about you, or your brother, or anyone else in your sanctimonious house, filled with your disgusting Mudbloods. Look! Look at your brother! He's wondering what you're doing over here! So just leave! Get out of my sight!" and with that, she stormed out of the Great Hall along with Isabella and Patricia, leaving Albus as confused as ever.