James Potter and the Crooked Owl
Chapter 1 The Beginning
James Potter lazily waved his new wand at his alarm clock which was yelling at him to get up before his long day ahead, causing it to explode. Whoops. He lay back in bed but now that he was awake he couldn't fall back asleep. He looked at the walls, covered in Quidditch posters of his favorite team, Puddlemere United as well as famous players such as Slan 'Bang' Derkens of the Chudley Cannons and Rewtun 'Falcon' Qwamper of The Falmouth Falcons.
He picked up a Snitch he had bought from a Quidditch shop in Diagon Alley when buying school supplies, named Quidditch Tips, Tricks, and Things and pocketed it in a zip of his collection for Hogwarts. James slowly got out of bed taking time to put on his slippers, Muggle clothes, and brush his teeth back and forth. He looked in the mirror. A face looked back at him with untidy black hair that shot out as if struck by lightning, a skinnier less round face with a pointy chin and a curved hooked nose. He splashed some water on his face and woke with a start; it was the first day of his new wizarding school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!
James rushed downstairs where his mother, Cercilia Potter shook her head in dismay to see how late he was to get up. "I was about to climb upstairs and shake you awake! You know how important this day is! Your father and I have learned everything we know about magic from that school and think how-"she began.
"I'll be fine. The train leaves at 2 o'clock. I have plenty of time." James rudely interrupted. Cercilia looked at him and to his surprise began to cry. "I'm sorry mom…"
"No, it's not that," she sobbed. "I can't believe my little James is going to go to Hogwarts for 7 years. Oh, I know it's stupid but I feel that I will never see you again!" She cried even louder. My father, Fenslang Potter looked up from his newspaper as if only just realizing James was downstairs.
"Already to go James, my son," he grunted, but wore a grin from ear to ear. He placed his newspaper down and smiled at James comforting his mother. Fenslang slowly stood up and walked to the window commenting on how Britain's weather was always gloomy.
James ran up the creaky stairs which he had expected to crash any moment as the creaks were getting louder but he supposed it could have been Gerben, the house elf, forgetting to replace the boards as he was getting older and more forgetful of his duties. James passed him on the way and reminded him kindly as he lay down on his bed reading a book named Quidditch of the 20th Century, waiting for 1 o'clock, when he was to leave.
At last it was 10 till one and he double-checked for all of his supplies; his wand, an eleven inch pliable mahogany, dragon heartstring; his many spell books for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms; his posters of Quidditch players; his letter from the new headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore; and of course, his favorite Snitch.
He scanned the letter once more almost as if afraid of finding that he would not be permitted into Hogwarts something he was terribly afraid of; but there was no reason to, as he was pure-blood and both parents had excelled in magic. The letter said;
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Yours sincerely,
Swatess Grobinhein
Swatess Grobinhein
Deputy Headmistress
He took one last look at his room before turning around and entering the Muggle dull gray van in which they took out of Godric's Hollow, the car making its usual funny noises.
He had known that the new headmaster, a previous Transfiguration teacher, had lived in Godric's Hollow, why only a block down the street. The rumors that went on about him and his family about his family members almost 30 years ago. It made James shiver and think that the stories couldn't be true anyways.
As the car entered the Muggle highway, he heard a loud owl hoot behind him, to see an owl with a crooked wing trying to fly but losing altitude before elevating up again and then down once more. This repeated so many times and looked so strange that at first James didn't realize it was following him.
"Mum, do you see that strange-looking owl behind us? It seems to be following us." By the time both of them looked behind them the owl had disappeared. Cercilia asked if he was feeling alright. James smiled and nodded, soon forgetting about it. His mother whispered something to his quiet father about first day nervousness.
Upon reaching King's Cross Station Fenslang and Cercilia led him over to a brick pillar in which he was to run through. Muggles and wizards alike wandered the station with loud hoots coming from the trains, Muggles running with tickets shoving it in conductor's faces, people running to catch their trains, and all sorts of things you would expect to find in a train station. James pushed his trolley with all of his supplies hesitantly forward, only a few feet. How was he to be expected to run through a straight brick wall? But he trusted his mother's proud face and his father's smiling one and ran through the barrier headfirst, expecting to slam into it, and break every bone in his body. He opened his eyes to find a place just as large but with people swinging wands, everyone dressed in cloaks and robes, and many, many children, at least 300.
A boy with black hair messier than James' himself, if that was possible, wore bright red and yellow boldly insulting the Slytherin house to a group of silver and green. They all looked at him disdainfully but with one look at the beefy warlocks patrolling the area didn't lift a finger. There was something James immediately liked about him. He didn't know if it was the Gryffindor colors or the look of his mischievous face or even how the rest of his family pretended that they didn't know him but despite that he kept yelling, "These four over here are my family!" But he made James smile.
He saw a few familiar faces. He saw Arthur Weasley one of the many red heads and his aunt Muriel Weasley. Arthur had come over in the summer with his father to help with a Muggle that claimed to think that Fenslang was a wizard. He also saw Frank Longbottom, a 5th year who James and his family once visited for dinner. He was a quiet boy who kept to himself and was quite the opposite of James.
A large hoot came from the train, from where an owl stood. The owl seemed to be staring daggers at James, with its bright yellow eyes. James squinted…Was that a crooked wing? The owl ruffled its feathers and flew off into the distance. James shook it off. There were probably plenty of owl with crooked wings around London.
Another toot came from the train but this time it was the last call for passengers. Cercilia kissed James on the cheek and James hugged Fenslang, then climbing aboard, one of the last to do so. He plopped himself down in the last compartment where there was a sleeping boy against the window. He wore shabby clothes and was quite thin. You could see he had dozed off reading a book as there was an open one on his lap; A Guide Against Werewolves, Ghosts, and Vampires. Exhausted, James was just starting to relax in his seat when another boy came in. He looked familiar and James realized it was the messy haired boy who was insulting the Slytherins. He strutted in, head held high.
"Ah, Lupin we meet again," the boy said a mischievous grin on his face. James looked to see he was talking to the sleeping boy, who in one snore sent his book to the ground. "I met him in Diagon Alley, quiet boy. Unlike me." The sneaky looking boy said, still wearing a grin.
"James Potter, pleased to meet you," James said, smiling and holding his hand out. "We'll see if you can still say that after 2 hours." The boy said, laughing, his hair spring down onto his face, shaking his hand. He didn't have a particular strong grip but not necessarily a weak one either. James was starting to like him even more because of his humor. "Name's Sirius Skills," he said. James raised an eyebrow. "Skills?" he said grinning.
"Something like that, give or take," Sirius changed the subject to Quidditch. As soon as James and Sirius had finished their debate on who was better; the Falmouth Falcons or Puddlemere United, a small pudgy boy stumbled into the compartment waking Lupin. He had dirt smeared on his face and said something about Slytherin under his breath that shouldn't be repeated. He looked up at Sirius who had stood up.
"Hello, what's your name?" the boy squeaked. By this time Lupin had fell back asleep. Sirius replied, "None of your business. What were you saying about Slytherin?"
The boy who said he was named Peter Mouseling Pettigrew (James snickered at the middle name), said he was just thrown out of his compartment by Bellatrix Black, a fourth year, Lucius Malfoy, a 7th year, Scorpier Saper, another 7th year, and Severus Snape, a 1st year, when he had sat there first.
"Oh, Snivelus!" Sirius exclaimed. James thought that it was a swear word Sirius must have made up. "There was a really greasy haired one with shabby clothes wasn't there?"
"Yes!" Peter squeaked. Oh, so it was a person, James thought. He didn't know what to make of Sirius or Peter. He knew that making friends with Sirius was as good as being in detention for the rest of the year and Peter simply seemed like someone who James could take under his wing. Peter seemed very hesitant, not knowing what to do, and looked up at Sirius for help.
"Ooh, we'll get even with that greasy nitwit. He's eyes up in Dark Arts that one is." James wondered what Sirius had against "Snivelus" and asked him. Sirius muttered something about a Bat-Bogey Curse and sat back down. He soon forgot about it and his eyes were shining with what James could only describe as mischief.
No sooner, the compartment door swung open, and James looked up to see a slimy haired boy still wearing his shabby Muggle clothes. He had black eyes, not dark brown, but glossy black. His nose was very thin and his lips were almost a line as he looked at Sirius.
"What do you want?" Sirius sneered, pointing at the hallway as if to tell the boy to get out.
"Nothing, stumbled into the wrong compartment. Have you seen a red-head with green eyes named Lily Evans around here?" the boy said.
"No, I haven't, so why don't you go back to your Death Eater friends and stop annoying us future Gryffindors." Sirius replied. James and Peter were silent.
"Oh, a disgrace to the Black family, unlike faithful Regulus. Want to be Gryffindor, not your true home Slytherin? Oh, well, there will always be an odd one out, the third wheel, the loser, the outsider-"
"Shut up! You're to talk, you slimy meatball. Coming from a loser like you, I don't really even care what you have to say, Snivelus. Always the loser with no friends, go get a life you dirty Slytherin!" Sirius yelled at him. While James could tell Sirius was trying to keep a cool head, he was obviously hurt from the comment, because either it was true or he truly liked his family.
James also didn't understand the reference to the Blacks, an infamous surname known for Death Eaters and followers of Lord Voldemort, a rising wizard who was known for killing Muggles and Muggle-borns, wizards born from two Muggle parents.
"So where do you guys fancy?" Snivelus said, changing the subject and looking at James and Peter.
James let out a loud laugh. "Gryffindor like my father, where the brave dwell at heart!" Peter nodded in agreement.
"If you would rather be brawny not brainy." Snivelus muttered.
"What did you say? Say it again, I dare you!" James had stood up and had pointed his wand at Snivelus' throat. Snivelus backed up to the compartment door.
"Nothing…Nothing!" Snivelus pleaded and James put his wand down, gave him a push out of the compartment and shut the door.
"What was that thing?" James asked Sirius who was still pissed off, but surprisingly, smiled and said, "Severus Snape. Half-blood. Slimy moron. There's not a single dark spell that that boy doesn't know.
Back to his normal self, Sirius then took out a pepper shaker and sprinkled some in Lupin's nose. Lupin immediately began sneezing for the rest of the trip. He must be a heavy sleeper, James thought as Lupin still didn't wake up. Sirius made a joke on how waking up Lupin was as good as waking a werewolf. The Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop shaking Lupin to the ground. He woke up with a start after falling on his huge book. "Wh-at…wh-e-ere am I?" he started. Sirius quickly took this as an excuse to dump a glass of water over Lupin's head. Lupin woke with a start. It's going to be a long year, James thought, looking at Sirius' face with a piano looking smile.
"Gee, thanks. Are we here yet?" Lupin asked, glaring at Sirius with such fierceness that would have made James crumple and throwing his book at him. Sirius dodged it with such speed that made James blink and James caught it in one hand, not even looking at the book. Peter looked at them in amazement. Lupin continued to glare but Sirius smiled. "Anything for my buddy, Lupey boy."
"Don't call me Lupey boy." He said. Peter was watching all of this with a look of admiration. A prefect walked in who James recognized as Frank Longbottom. "In your robes, boys. Oh, hello James." He greeted.