A lot of things seemed to set Albus apart from the rest of his family... well a good deal of them anyway. His father, mother, brother, and sister, and really most of his other family had been or were in Gryffindor. He was in Slytherin, not that he was ashamed of it. Many in his family were regarded as heroes in the Wizarding World... or people who could very well some day be heroes should chaos erupt again. Albus didn't want to be a hero. He just wanted to be a normal wizard paving his own path in the world.

However, there was one thing that Albus shared with many in his family... a love for playing Quidditch. There he couldn't help himself. He had been hooked on the sport since he was young. He loved when his dad and mum took him to games. He loved that his mum played it as well and became famous because of how well she played. He was so happy the day that he was chosen to be Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch Team at Hogwarts. It was in Quidditch that he did hope to make his family proud of him, and he played ferociously in order to do so.

Albus had so much going on as of late. First, there were the pressures of being a Seventh Year. Second, there was all the talk from those in his family about what his role should be at Hogwarts if the disappearance of Liam Ollivander led to worse things. It seemed that Quidditch was about the ONLY thing that made him happy as of late outside of hanging out with his friends. So when he needed to clear his head, Albus went to Spintwitches to learn at some of the latest Quidditch gear. After all, he had considered getting a better broom. His current Nimbus was going out of style.

GINEVRA MOLLY POTTER

Ginny would have been proud of her son whether or not he played Quidditch or whether or not he decided to lead the DA at Hogwarts. She knew that Harry had high expectations for their children. He wanted them to be strong and responsible and ready in case anything started to go wrong in the wizarding world. She didn't blame him. It was important to both of them that their kids and their family knew how to protest themselves and how to fight for themselves and for their loved ones, but she wouldn't go quite as far as he did. She wouldn't try to force them into joining anything or into fighting. She hadn't been forced to join DA, she had done it on her own when the time came and it was necessary for her to do so. So, if the time every came for her children to join, she wanted them to be able to join on their own if they felt it necessary.

Ginny had nothing better to do for the day so she decided that a trip to Hogsmead would do her some good. She had heard Albus mention that he was going to go look at the Quidditch shop today. Maybe he wouldn't mind so much if she showed up there as well. She could as him how he was feeling about his last year at Hogwarts. She remembered hers, it was strange for her. Harry and Ron and Hermione were finished with school but she still had another year of school after the Battle had been won. She felt more alone during that year than she had before. Everyone else was getting started with their life and she was stuck at school for another year. Albus, being the middle child had his younger sister there still, and because of her huge family, they had a million cousins hanging around. Ginny had been the youngest of them all. She walked into the shop and would her son looked at the brooms. "That's a nice one." She pointed to a new model then smiled at her son.

While Albus' relationship with his father was a complicated one, whatever awkwardness there was between he and his mother had dissolved over the years. He certainly never had coldly negative feelings toward her, but over time he had come to love her and respect her more and more. His mother was someone he knew he could talk too, and knew would listen to him completely. She wouldn't put words in his mouth or take whatever he said out of context as he felt others in his family did. She would understand him. This is how he felt about Ginny Potter anyway. Sometimes she was very much a good friend as she was a loving mother.

Albus didn't expect her to pop into the shop even though he had mentioned it to her. Whenever she or his father visited, they of course often let him know ahead of time, but there were those delightful surprise visits from her like today. Albus turned when he heard her voice. He smiled and her and hugged her. Some his age were bashful about hugging their mothers in public. Heck, some were bashful about their mums being around them in public. Not Albus though. His mother was always welcomed around him, no matter who else was around.

"Hello mum," he said. "I see you got my owl about me picking out a new broom. My current Nimbus has about had its day I suppose and after last year, Slytherin needs all its team members in top form."

Albus did feel a bit awkward talking about being on Slytherin's team around his mother. She had been such an amazing player for Gryffindor in her day and all, and of course the team's top competition was Slytherin, and in those days Slytherin didn't always play fair.

"It is a nice one," he said. "The Nimbus 3001s are really top of the line they say. Think I should go for it?"

GINEVRA MOLLY POTTER

Having grown up with 6 older brothers, Ginny was well versed with the typical cycle of young boys as they grew up and into their maturity. She knew that boys and girls were very different in how and when they grew, and while she also sort of hated not having any sisters and having to deal with 6 brothers, she always knew that she didn't want all girls. She wanted boys. Of course, she wasn't upset that she got a daughter, she loved all of her children very much and didn't love any one of them more than the other. But she already knew how to handle boys, she was less knowledgeable about girls, despite that fact that she herself was one. She grew up playing Quidditch and running around after her brothers, trying to do the same things that they would do. It wasn't until she grew up more into her teens that she started hanging out with her mother, and even then she still wanted to hang out with her brothers.

"I think it's about time for a new broom." Ginny nodded in agreement with her son. There were never any hard feelings on her part that her son had been sorted into Slytherin house or even that he played for the Slytherin team. Even though she was a Gryffindor and had played on the Gryffindor team, and so had his brother and father, and uncles, Ginny would proudly wear Slytherin gear and go to cheer on her son if he asked her to. "You've worked hard, I think you're dad would agree you deserve a new broom too." she insisted. They had gotten James a new broom when he asked for one, Albus would get the same treatment. "If it's the one you like. Make sure you're really in love with your broom, otherwise it'll never work just right." she was speaking from experience after all.

Albus' mother always seemed to be so supportive of him, even in little things like picking out a broom. It was no surprise to him that she felt he needed a new broom. Besides Ginny Potter knew all too well what it was like when a Quidditch Broom had worn out. Games were a bit awkward to play then, and even at the end of last term, Albus could already tell his old broom was failing him. He did hate to give it up though. He had the broom was a good few years and it had helped him and the team win some important games.

"A new broom it is then," he said with a smile.

Albus didn't want to feel the uneasiness when his mum mentioned his dad, but it seemed to be there more and more those days. No matter who spoke of Harry Potter, it seemed to irk Albus.

"I suppose..." was all he said to that. He tried not to let his bother him. This was time with his mother, which he would not have a lot of until Christmas.

He knew his mum was right about picking a broom he would have a love for. He had to be careful in his choosing. A broom that was even the slightest bit of rebellious could mean trouble on the Pitch. However, as he looked around he knew he wanted to talk to his mother about more than just brooms.

"Mum..." he said. "Can I talk to you about something? It's not really something that I suppose should be kept between you and I, but... if I tell you how I feel about something... could you please keep him between you and I?" Albus knew he could trust his mother when it counted, but he had to know for sure she would not tell his father.

GINEVRA MOLLY POTTER

There was nothing that Ginny loved more than being able to spend quality time with each of her children. Each one of them were blessings and she was happy that she had all three. But James had never been a mamas' boy. He had always been a million times closer to Harry, and Ginny was alright with that. Each child always had a parent that they were closer to. James was almost a spitting image of Harry and while Ginny loved that about him, she admired Albus for being strong and brave enough to be his own person and not try to ride on his parents fame to get him through life. Lily was still figuring out who she was and she had plenty of time to do so, and she seemed to take mostly after her mother as well, which was nice seeing as Ginny herself was becoming the spitting image of her own mother.

"And keep in mind, the newer models aren't always better, sometimes they're still sort of glitchy. But you'll know which broom is for you." she insisted and ran her hand down the handle of a really nice dark wood broom that if she was still playing, she would have considered getting. She still had all of her old brooms though. And it was quite the collection, she imagined the broom shed held at least 20 of her old brooms, starting with her very first, hand-me-down Clean Sweep. Ginny shifted a bit when her son asked if he could talk to her about something serious that he didn't want her to tell anyone. Worry instantly took her over, but she used everything in her power not to let it show on her face, though her mouth took on a straight line and her smile faded. "You know you can tell me anything, Al. All of your secrets will always be save with me. Are you alright?" she asked right away, her sons safety and well being was always the most important thing.

Albus nodded when his mother spoke about the broom. As he looked among them, he could already clearly see what she meant. Some of the brooms looked beautiful, and others wicked awesome. But what he had seen so far didn't really look like something for him. He did feel a connection to the last broom he had from the beginning, only at that time, he didn't have to look for it. It was just... sort of there. But he knew it was the broom for him and it had served him well for some time. He was actually sad when it was time to give it up.

"Seems as if I might not luck out today," he said with a slight chuckle. "I'm not really feeling any of these brooms. What do you think? Do you see any that are... me?" He smiled at his mum. Perhaps the choosing by one he held so close to his heart would do the trick. And Ginny Potter definitely knew a good broom when she saw one.

When his mum promised that his secrets would be safe with her, Albus knew for sure that he could trust her not to tell anyone, not even his father and her husband. He smiled a little and nodded as he placed his hand on her arm for a moment. He then frowned as he began.

"Well... it's all this business about dad wanting me to be a role model at Hogwarts, to be a leader and all that," he said. "I love dad, I love him a great deal, but he needs to stop thinking that I'm him... or James. I'm not a hero, and I don't want to be one. I just want to be... me. I want to be Albus Potter... student... Quidditch Player. I'm not a bloody savior or all wizardkind!" Albus then calmed himself.

GINEVRA MOLLY POTTER

She wouldn't be at all upset if her son wasn't able to find a broom that he liked today. She knew how long i could take and how many shops one could go to before one would find the one that called to him. There were even handfuls of custom broom makers who she visited often just to be sure that there was nothing new that called to her. It wasn't uncommon for her to have more than one broom at a time, there were brooms for speed, brooms for agility, etc. Different brooms, like different wizards, had different talents. "I quite like the one with the dark wood, myself. But we could have completely different tastes." She told him with a shrug when he asked whether she had seen any that she thought would work for him. "It's like choosing a wand - none of my brothers wands ever worked for me." She said, her family often used hand me downs when the kids were little, but Ginny, being the only girl, often got her own things, which was nice.

Ginny couldn't help but feel so disappointed when he son told her what was wrong. But she wasn't disappointed in Albus for not wanting to continue his fathers work, she was disappointed in herself and Harry for making him feel like they were forcing it upon him. It had always mostly be Harry, he was always the most intense about it. "Albus, I never want you to feel like you're required to do anything." she insisted. She knew about family obligation and expectations. Her entire family had been Gryffindor. They had all been Quidditch players and strong and had all fought brilliantly. And she had as well, but not because she had to, because she wanted to. But if she had decided not to, she knew that she would have been looked at slightly differently by all involved. She didn't want her son to feel like he couldn't be himself and had to be his father. "I love your father, obviously, that's why I married him. But he's sure been getting on my nerves lately with those damn cigars anyway. You know, I'm glad you're not like him. I don't want you to be like him. It's true he was a great man. And you will be too, in whatever way you chose to be, even if that's just being a lovely person, which you already are." She smiled to her son, but she didn't want to get to sappy in a Quidditch shop.

Albus sighed as his mother made it clear that perhaps even she couldn't help him here, though she was right. What looked good to her and worked for her could possibly... actually probably not work for him at all. No, he would have to look for himself and he continued to do so.

"Hmmm... perhaps I should just hold off until I can go to the shop in Diagon again," he said. He then smiled at his mother about her choice. "That is a nice broom though. I bet it will do someone well on the Pitch. Let's just hope Lily doesn't get a hold of it, eh?" He chuckled, showing he was jesting.

The smile faded when he brought up to his mother what was troubling him. While he trusted his mother to keep the conversation between them, he really didn't know how she was going to react. It was a great relief to him when she told him he didn't have to be anything he didn't want to be. His mother was taking his side. Perhaps when he did confront his father, that would be of great help.

"Thank you, mum," he said, hugging her. "That means the world to me."

His mother then surprised him by saying his father had been an annoyance to her as of late. He chuckled about the cigars.

"I agree there," he said. "Bloody hell if I'll ever smoke after smelling those things." He then cleared his throat at his swear in front of his mum. "Sorry."

Albus blushed when his mum said he was a lovely person.

"Well... I don't know about that," he said. "I did wind up in Slytherin after all, but still... thank you... for supporting me."

At that moment, the shopkeeper brought out a few more brooms. When he did... Albus could feel it. He turned slowly... and there it was, a magnificent black wood Nimbus with what looked like silver bristles. He felt connected instantly.

"Mum, that's it!" he said, pointing it out. "It's practically begging me to buy it!"

GINEVRA MOLLY POTTER