Hogwarts: the Return

Albus

I woke as a cup of ice-cold water was poured onto my face.
"Time to get up, wimp," James shouted in my ear, "Or are you too scared the Slytherins will eat you tomorrow?"
He smirked before walking triumphantly out of my room.
"Good morning to you too," I mumbled.
James was the nicest brother in the world. Not.
I got dressed reluctantly and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
"'Morning, Al," Lily chirped as she brushed her silky red hair, "I'm sooooo jealous you get to go to Hogwarts this year, it's not fair!"
I loved Lily but I seriously didn't understand her sometimes.
"Lily! Al!" our mother called from downstairs, "Are you ready yet? We need to go to Diagon Alley, remember."
"Coming!" Lily called as she ran out the door.
I brushed my teeth and washed my face hurriedly. I was pretty sure James had already taken my breakfast. Looking into to mirror, I saw a scruffy eleven-year-old with dark messy hair and emerald green eyes staring back at me. I gave myself a little smile. James always teased me about my hair and my eyes but I was secretly proud of them. Sometimes I even got the feeling that he was jealous because my eyes and hair were exactly like Dad's. Uncle Ron even called me Harry by mistake sometimes.
"Al, have you seen my car keys?" Dad asked as he hastily tried to comb down his hair.
"I saw Kreacher put them in your left running shoe," I replied.
Isn't photographic memory great? Especially when you have a really old house elf who tended to misplace things.

I took the stairs two at a time on the way down, only to see that all that was left of my breakfast was a burnt omelet (obviously, Dad had cooked it). I gave James a quick look before swallowing the omelet whole so I didn't have to chew it. James offered me a glass of "juice" which I sniffed before running into the bathroom and puking the omelet back out. I could hear James cracking up in the dining room. My face grew hot. How could he? He tried to make me drink his urine! Ugh!
No, wait, he was James. That explained it.

Soon we were in the car, heading for Diagon Alley. Looking back at our house, I was homesick already. Today was my last day at home before I left for Hogwarts. I was nervous about the year ahead of me. What if the teachers didn't like me? What if I didn't make any friends? What if I was put in Slytherin?

If I'd only known what was really lying ahead of me, I would've worried a whole lot more.