[ =o! first post from yours truly, mr. christopher! i didn't feel i had the right to make up James and Sirius meeting without talking things out. IM me when you can, thebweasley. ill use a different s/n for james i'm justu too lazy right now. enjoy!]

James Potter delicately ran his fingers over the golden sphere lying on his pillow next to him. The feminine engravings, the almost imperceptible wings motionless against the smooth, cold surface… he had never seen such a beautiful creation. To James Potter, his acceptance letter to Hogwarts meant one thing and one thing only: Quidditch. Why waste time with boring classes, studying, taking flying lessons, being a book worm, and wearing those dreadful uniforms when you could wear the uniform of a Quidditch player?

“JAMES POTTER YOU GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!”

His mothers frantic scream caused James to jump up, trip over a lone sock on the floor by his bed, and go cascading into a pile of posters, which then knocked down just about everything in the surrounding area. The noise, which, if James was asked, sounded like the cheering he fantasized about after catching the golden Snitch; in reality, it sounded like someone fell through the floor.

“JAMES! I SWEAR TO GODRICK IF THAT RACKET HAPPENED TO BE A YOUNG MAN FALLING INTO ALL HIS POSTERS I WILL PERSONALLY DESTROY EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!”

As far as James was concerned, there was no worse threat a mother could give her child. “Er… no mum! That was… uh… I dropped me broom stick is all!”

“JAMES POTTER YOU DONT OWN YOUR OWN BROOMSTICK!”

“Unimportant details mum!”

James trotted down the stairs and put on his best grin. His mother glanced at him, then threw his acceptance letter down in front of him. “I hope you’re happy Mr. Potter. You’ve made a right fine mess out of that letter.” James eyeballed the envelope and held back a grin as he recalled drawing snitches over its surface from his trusty invisible quill. “Is that a hint of a grin I see Mr. Potter?!”

“No mum. Well, yes mum,” her face hardened. “ But not from what you think!” he quickly added. “Just because… I’m off to Hogwarts! I’m a student now!”

“Which means no more magic, or else they’ll kick you out for good!” James’ heart sank. No more fun with the frogs out back. “Now we don’t have time to dawdle James,” she gathered her shawl and purse. “Go put on some respectable clothes and brush that mess of hair. We’re going to Diagon Alley, and be quick! We don’t want all the good wands taken!”

The excitement from hearing the simple “wand!” from his mother was enough to propel him up the stairs unconsciously.

Today’s the day, James, he thought to himself. Today’s the day you show all those wizards you’re not a muggle. Today’s the day you become a wizard.

*Like a couple weeks ago... *

James' mother threw a Hogwarts letter down in front of him on the kitchen table. She kept her face expressionless and turned to the stove, stirring some strange, pungent chili mix she'd been working on all morning. James plopped lazily into a chair and narrowed his eyes at the letter. It was a bit larger than usual, the envelope darker and heavier. He stared at it.

What could he possibly have done this time? If the Ministry knew about the little magic he used a few days before when he was too lazy to mow the lawn by hand...

He pulled the huge sweater he was wearing off over his head before he tore open the letter. A large, glittering "Congratulations!" put a glare in his right glasses lense. He blinked.

There was utter silence before his mother finally turned around, barely hiding the smile that was forming on her features. "So... what is it James? Expelled yet..?" She waved the wooden spoon she was holding in the air, pensive.

James opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. He tried this three more times before he could say, barely above a whisper. "I'm ..Head Boy."

"Hm?" His mother grinned. "Of course you are!"

There was nothing but the tick tock of the wall clock and the slow, simmering bubble of the chili on the stove. Then, he popped.

 "I'M HEAD BOY?! THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF MISTAKE. I MEAN... I... HEH. HEH HEHEH. NO. NO. NOT ME. I'M JAMES POTTER. WHO DO THEY THINK I AM, REMUS?" he took a deep breath. "I'm... I'm fecking JAMES POTTER." His mental anger made the chili explode all over the stove and the walls nearby. Some dripped on the floor. It was spattered on his face, as well.

His mother scowled. "You're right you're James Potter, and now you're going to be James 'Scrubbing' Potter." she pointed at the walls, which were sporting orange slush. "Clean it up." Strangely, she was still grinning. She got up and left the room. James noticed a happy bounce in her steps.

After she had gone he folded his arms across his chili-full chest and sighed. Head Boy? ..Never. ....Never James Potter.

Never James Potter.

Yes, James Potter.

[ boo! o.o; i dunno if i was allowed to use lily but i did. so if i was not allowed, or if i made her look dumb, just tell me megz. x_x i hope i didnt do bad. ]

James stumbled into the light of the livingroom when Vernon pushed him forward. The first thing he noticed was that the carpet was the same color as his eyes, and he remembered again to keep them shut, in case Vernon saw.

"Petunia, look what the cat dragged in."

"Oh my," She said in quick disgust, "Did you really have to let him in? Getting rid of him was the best thing we've ever done with him. And after last summer..."

James opened his eyes and turned, darting for the door. He was blocked by Vernon's bulk. He shook a pudgey finger at him. "No, you aren't going anywhere. I'm not going to let you terrorize us AND the neighborhood like you have the past couple of years."

"Have I?" James snickered, "That's great!"

Vernon hit James right across the face, and it took him by such surprise that he spun and fell, his glasses flogged from his face and spinning off somewhere he could not see. "You're old enough, boy," Vernon decided, "To act like a man. So treating you like a little child that can't be beat isn't going to happen anymore."

Is this the filth that James and Lily had to leave their child to? How could Harry live in such a place? How could Dumbledore leave him with such a sick and terrible family? James gritted his teeth. He wanted to beat Vernon into a bloody mess. He wanted to grab Lily's sister by the throat and squeeze the arrogance out of her horsey features.

And then, the front door was thrown open, and there was a flash of light so great that James could see even less than his damaged eyes could already percieve. Someone, he regognized that grip anywhere, grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him from the house. He was on his feet and being pulled through the grass before he could react.

It was Lily. He was close enough to see her clearly, and he grinned. She was beautiful in the middle of the night, rushing hard to put the time-turner chain about his neck, breathing heavily, apparently scared out of her wits. She glanced up at him with startlingly green eyes.

"James, WHAT are you laughing at? We don't have time for this!"

He wrapped his arms around her with an even larger smirk as the two of them rippled out of the future's existence and into their regular time. Lily was pulling the chain off his head, and sighing as she untangled it from his hair.

"I was worried," she said shortly. "You shouldn't've left like that."

"Sorry...how did you get me out?"

"Luminous Balloon." He stared blankly. "Flash grenade." He understood.

"And," she continued  "I don't appreciate you getting caught, and then, of all things, finding it funny. You DO know that Harry isn't staying at the Dursley's this summer?"

Obviously, he hadn't. "MY WAND," he remembered.

Lily shoved it at his chest and he put his hands out just in time. "Oh, thanks." He stared at it. Lily was amazing. She really did think of everything.

He looked up at her again, to try and calm her anger, but she was smiling. He matched her expression as she spoke. "Next time, don't you ever think about leaving without me."

James nodded and she began right away into the story about Sirius...

[ O_o; ]

James tried to throw Dudley's crushing weight from himself but it was less than useless. His wand had gone spiraling from his fingers, and luckily, no one had noticed it or recognized it for what it was. He was still gripping the broom handle in his right hand, so he swung it sideways and cracked it against the side of Dudley's head. With an angry roar, he tumbled sideways and off of him.

James scrambled to his feet, moving towards his silent wand. Two of the gang members were in front of him now, their hands either outstretched cautiously or balled into tight fists, ready to pummel him if he got any closer.  So he got closer.

The first one tried running at him blindly, with no apparent sense of direction. James swung the broom handle with an angry grunt and whacked the kid in the stomach hard enough to make him buckle over. James sprinted toward his hunched form, hopped, and rolled over his broad back, landing on his feet behind him and shoving the end of the stick straight into the next boy's chest.

His shoes kicked up grass and wet dirt as he went back for his wand. He was stopped by a third boy, and he thrusted the broom handle in front of his face just in time for a fist to come cracking through it. The broom was broken clear in half. The kid tugged one of the halves from him now and held it, sharp end out, ready to attack again.

"My... broom!" His and his assailant's makeshift swords clashed against each other until James wound up, hit the broom handle as hard as he could, and it went flying into the side of the Dursley's house with a loud smack.

As soon as this happened, everyone seemed to draw away. Even Dudley had picked himself up and was running off into the bushes with the rest of his gang. James laughed triumpantly and held his half of the broom in the air, shouting out victoriously into the warm night. "THAT'S RIGHT," he breathed heavily, "RUN AWAY!"

A strong, artificial brightness spilled out from somewhere behind him, and he turned, blinking through the glare his glasses produced against the light. The doorway to the Dursley's house had opened, and in the middle of this doorway of beaming rays was a large, fat, and mustached man. Vernon. James yelped and tried to step away, but Vernon had him by the collar of his robes.

"Harry. How nice of you to drop by. Do you have ANY idea how long we've been hoping you'd show your scrawny little face here again, boy?"

James struggled, and said through gritted teeth, "I doubt you've seen my face before, you fat load of shit!" He lashed out, but it was nothing against the pure size and strength of Vernon.

Vernon gasped in shock and anger. "You'll eat those words, Harry my boy." He grabbed a handful of James' hair and yanked backwards. The last thought James could remember having was the sickening hope that Vernon did not notice that his forehead was scarless, or that his eyes were not green. He squeezed them shut as a precaution as Vernon pulled him into the house.

[ weeee. part three, tomorrow. ]