Just a heads up, these are a dark couple of chapters that many people might appreciate but the story itself will be quite a bit happier. I feel that these next three chapters are vital to the story and that it wouldn't be as strong without them much. They were a bit of a pain to write, but well, you'll see what I mean when you read them. Thanks!
I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling is that lucky duck!
Chapter 1: The Worst Day of His Life
James was rushing down the stairs. He couldn't remember the last time he was so excited! He had just gotten his Hogwarts letter and his new Head Boy badge! Who would've guessed! He thought that Remus for sure would be the new Head Boy. Remus was a diligent student and was the responsible one of the marauders. This just proved that Dumbledore was getting senile in his old age! But better yet, he would be sharing a dorm with Lily Evans! If he played his cards right he might finally be able to convince Lily to go out with him. She would finally see his responsible side, a side rarely seen unless you were on the quidditch team, which he had captained for the past two years and would be doing so again this year.
James came to an abrupt stop on the stairs as he heard a loud bang and shattering glass just down the end of the hall. His father was a healer at St. Mungos, and often developed new potions or helped a team, in order to help unfortunate victims. As a result, explosions were not uncommon in Potter Manor. In fact, his father was helping to develop a potion to help lessen the pain of certain types of transfiguration that could be painful to an individual or some other type of living thing. Sometimes the transformations scarred a person's mind because of the pain and would drive them crazy. James smiled to himself; he could see the smile on his father's face as he showed him his new badge. He was always encouraging James to push himself. Well, James got excellent marks in all of his classes and was the top of his class in transfiguration in all six of his years at Hogwarts, but you couldn't say he pushed himself in much besides much quidditch. In fact, he was given an offer to play keeper for England once he finished his final year at Hogwarts.
James jumped as heard more shattering in the distance. Now that he thought about it, he was on the far side of Potter Manor and he shouldn't be able to hear all the commotion from there. With a furrowed brow, he rushed down the hallway, the explosions and shattering becoming more frequent along with an odd curse word. James didn't recognize all the voices but he did recognize his father's voice. This shocked James because he never heard such profanity from his father. His parents thought it was demeaning to everyone, the speaker and their audience and it was one of the few things they were strict about. James started to sprint down the hall. An unearthly shriek sliced through the air, and James's heart. It was his mother's voice.
James mother worked in the Magical Law Enforcement Department at the Ministry of Magic. She was a judge and working her way up through the legal system. Many prisoners and wrong doers would request her because she was a kind compassionate person, who would not be corrupted no matter the circumstance. She was always fair and did what she knew was right, no matter how her popularity might suffer. Strangely enough, she hardly got any criticism even when she let a convict off; everyone knew her reputation well and trusted her judgment. She always put her family above work, though and was always there when James needed to talk to someone. He loved his mother more than anyone, so this shriek drove needles deep into his heart.
He finally reached his father's potions lab to see his mother with her wand out dueling against two masked individuals, and there at her feet was the body of his father. His father was not dead but horribly mangled and bloody. He was gasping for air and hopeless to do anything to help his wife fend off these intruders. James was struck by grief but it was soon replaced by anger at these two unknown messengers of death. With an angry roar he whipped out his wand and relentlessly sent curses and jinxes flying. James was considered one of the best duelists to have gone through Hogwarts in the past decade, maybe even two. With his anger and grief driving his prowess to such unknown heights these two individuals were put on the defensive within seconds. His mother thoroughly exhausted continued to add her spells to the fray to help her son drive back these wizards. But with the initial shock gone the death eaters, for they couldn't be anything but, started to even the playing field. Soon they were evenly matched and James was forced to defend both he and his exhausted mother. The fierce battle lasted many minutes until James slipped a spell through and hit one death eater in the leg with a cutting curse, slicing the tendons of the leg so the death eater could no longer stand, writhing in pain the death eater collapsed to the floor with a yelp of pain, gasping for air.
Surprisingly, this broke James' stride. He had never hurt a living thing like this before and it caused him to hesitate. And due to this hesitation the other death eater sent a killing curse straight at his mother. It had so much power behind it that she flew back and knocked over a vial full of a vibrant green solution. It landed on his father and set his clothes alight. James screamed in pain at the depth of his mother, but his screams were soon drowned by those of his father's as he was being slowly burned to death, yet James could do nothing to save him as he thought this wizard, no a witch, he realized as she cackled in delight at the obvious anguish he was going through. Tears streamed down his face as he battled on. He felt a slight draft in the room and quickly dived to the side as a green killing burst soared past him from behind. Two more death eaters had arrived. James hated his life. He could not fight off three skilled death eaters. He turned on the spot to apparate, but as he was finishing his rotation he was hit by a cruciotous curse and his mind drifted from his destination as his body jerked with pain. Not all of him made it to Sirius and Remus's new flat.
Sorry about such a dark start. This should be the one of the few chapters like this. I'm tired of the cliché go lucky James and Lily stories, I feel there needs to be a darker element. Please R&R! Other chapters will be much better and less dark, mainly James as he goes to Hogwarts in deep depression and many misunderstandings lead to an even deeper depression for him. Eventually he'll come out of it but a more mature and emotional individual.