Harry Potter and the Story Without Delphi

Chapter Five: Big Bro Saves The Day (And Makes A Cool Exit)

"James?" Albus exclaimed, bewildered.

"Who are you?" said Nova, seeming utterly confused.

The gang leader, however, was the quickest to recover.

"Hogwarts's poster boy going to save his itty bitty slithering brother? Come on James, he's a total loser."

Albus was confused on the approach he was going for. Was he taunting James or convincing him of his evident lameness?

"Look Baron, can't you just leave the kid alone?" he asked "Kids?" he said, upon spotting Nova and Scorpius.

"I really don't have anything against you, James," said the leader, apparently named Baron "But if you stand in my way..."

James sighed

"Step back kiddos"

In five minutes, James had singlehandedly bound, stunned and, stupefied the entire group. Nova and Scorpius looked at him in awe, but Albus had half expected him to steal the show, especially with an audience.

"And you're in third year?" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Meet my popular older brother, James Potter," Albus said, with a tinge of resentment.

"Glad to be of temporary service"

"Temporary?"

"I have made a general rule, seeing Albus's rapidly declining popularity, to let him fit our his own battles, or I would be jinxing somebody at every turn. However, I figured I would be a really terrible older brother if I let you get beat down when I was literally passing by."

Nova and Scorpius kept staring out it. They seemed to be in awe in how thought out his reason was for not protecting him brother. James, seeing their faces, seemed slightly put off.

"Relax, I won't let anyone kill him or something, but if I fight everyone in the castle for you, well...um" he seemed to become uncomfortable.

Albus realized what he was trying to say.

"We understand Mr.Popular has an image to uphold," he said, becoming slightly pissed "And I'm glad to say, we have absolutely no need for your pity. Have a good day." He started walking for the exit, but the other two's feet remained planted.

They seemed like they were about to say something when James started pulling something out of his pocket.

"Sorry guys, but my lecture limit has just been reached. Be seeing you."

And he threw something at the floor, making everything go black.

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"It's always the same with my brother," Albus said, picking at the cold remains of lunch "I like to believe he's good at heart but, well, he can seem like a huge git at times"

"For all his faults," said Nova "At least at he can make an exit"

"Don't even get me started," groaned Albus "11 years of Peruvian darkness powder, fireworks and, just about anything sold at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."

"Weasley's Wizarding..." Nova began but was cut off by Scorpius.

"Hey! Look over there!"

"I swear Scorpius if I'm about to see Rose I'm going to..."

"It's not Rose," he said, blushing "It's snowing outside!"

Albus turned. A light flurry was falling onto the grounds. He realized it was already late October.

Nova seemed horrified.

"It's snowing in October?" she questioned, seeming weirdly shocked.

"You've never seen snow in late October?"

"It's late October?" she said, suddenly excited, "What's the date?"

Scorpius, the all informed, gave the answer.

"It's the 27th."

"It's almost Halloween!" she squealed "Do you guys do that? Like wizards?"

"We definitely do it," snorted Albus, remembering his dad talking about the feast "And we do it big."

Every since Nova knew about the upcoming Halloween celebration, she absolutely wouldn't stop talking about it. And of course, she asked millions of questions per millisecond.

"Is Trick or Treating a thing? Do we eat candy? What food do we eat? Are there cool decorations?"

"What until she hears about Christmas," muttered Scorpius.

"Can we dress up? Do people scare each other? Do we..."

Albus lost patience.

"Why don't you wait and find out?" he said, with a threatening tone.

"Well geez ok," she replied, affronted.

"Children, children let's all keep our tempers and run along," chanted Scorpius, in a falsetto.

"Yes Mother Scorpius," Nova and Albus said in unison.

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The fateful Halloween day had come and gone, but Nova wouldn't stop talking about it, a week later.

"The pumpkins were floating! Floating! And the candy never seemed to finish! Did you see those ghosts!"

"Everything you saw we saw Nova" sighed Scorpius.

"Can we please drop it," begged Albus, "Halloween has come and gone. Focus on other things."

"Ok," Nova said smirking "Why don't we focus on Scorpius focusing on a certain somebody."

She faked a cough

"Rose," she said, under her breath.

Scorpius turned bright red. Albus saw Rose chatting animatedly at the Gryffindor table. He missed her terribly, but he was too nervous to regain communications with her.

"You should go talk to her," said Nova "You obviously like her."

"And have her call me the son of Voldemort?"

"Hey!" said Albus, feeling weirdly defensive "She isn't that rude."

"Then talk to her," said Scorpius dryly, "Didn't you grow up with her or something?"

"I will," replied Albus "I'm just letting her....branch out."

"Mhm," said Nova "Sure you are."

"Anyways, isn't being associated with me considered social suicide?"

"You aren't a mathlete," snorted Nova. When nobody made the connection, she sighed.

"Haven't you watched Mean Girls?"

"No, and I don't think I would want to" replied Scorpius "And Albus, people really don't hate you that much."

"Don't give yourself all that credit yet," said Nova "People just think you have lame friends."

"Oh yah? I'm the type of person you grow to hate."

Thanks to Shippingfangirl013 , DarkPastel__12 , laymun23 ,socially_awkward04 for all the votes and comments!