AN:
Personally, I hate Authors notes because I usually just want to get on with reading the story. I always read them though because I freak out that I'll miss something if I don't.
This is my first FanFiction, although I have been reading FanFiction for years. I've always wanted to write a Harry Potter Fanfiction (Probably something to do with being obsessed and unable to let go haha), and this one has been playing on my mind for ages!
I plan to write stories about all of Harry's school years (but with parents), but thought that I'd start with his fourth year to begin with.
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Chapter 1: Holy shit. Why for the love of God is he always in the middle of something?
Lily Potter was sitting at home, waiting for the kettle to boil. Why, you may ask, did she not just boil it with magic? Well, according to her, there was something even more enjoyable about a cup of tea that you had to wait for. Besides, she was a Muggle born. Old habits die hard, right? James thought she was Barmy. Now that she thought about it, James should be home by now. It was already almost 10pm. He had Owled her earlier to let her know that he would be working overtime. As a senior Auror, she knew that they worked him hard, but still! Was she not allowed normal family time with her husband? It was bad enough that Harry, now in his fourth year at Hogwarts, was away at school for the better part of the year, but the hours James had been working the last couple of months were beyond ridiculous. At least, they were in her opinion.
A loud crack sounded behind her and, before she had time to do anything (besides have a mini heart attack) she felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her waist and lips kiss her neck. She spun around and wacked him playfully on the chest.
"You Git! You scared me half to death! Haven't you ever heard of the Floo? Your bloody lucky I didn't curse you!" Lily ranted, dramatically. James chuckled and cut her off with a kiss to the lips, and lily melted into his arms. Looking into his eyes, she saw, behind the ever present mischievous glint, the utter exhaustion that truly lay there.
"They're working you too hard, James. You're gonna burn yourself out with all the stress of it!"
"Lils, you were at the world cup. The Ministry needs all the extra workers they can get. The Toss Pot we have for minister might be pretending there's nothing to worry about, but the Auror department sure as hell isn't! Besides….I know great way for dealing with stress." He smirked that smirk she both loved and hated…but mainly loved. She sighed with exasperation but giggled when he kissed her again and followed him upstairs.
Later, as they lay together, still entwined, lily wondered out loud, "Who do you think the Hogwarts Triwizard champion is? They were supposed to be announcing them tonight. I thought we would have received an owl from Harry hours ago telling us all about it. He promised he would. They didn't tell you at the ministry did they?"
"Nah," he replied, "but Harry will probably owl us in the morning and fill us in. Mind you, if it's some slimy Slytherin Git, I don't think I want to know. I don't think I'd even go watch the challenges. Though, it could be entertaining if they were to get decapitated or..."
"Don't be a prat James! You're talking about kids! And only a few years older than Harry! Would you want to see him decapitated? Lily argued, half-heartedly.
"Of course not, Lils!" James scoffed, "Harry's a Gryffindor. If he had been put in Slytherin, God forbid, it would be different, it would be fine for him to be decapita…Ow…Ok, ok, no, of course it's not ok to decapitate children, Slimy Gits or not. Better?
"It will have to do." She replied with a sigh. "I guess we'll find out who it is tomorrow then."
They both then drifted off to sleep. Unsuspecting of the news that tomorrow would bring.
As 4am drew closer, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian, sat at his desk, in the exact same position he had been sat in since the head of International Magical Cooperation, Barti Crouch, had left his office the night previously. The early morning light began to filter in through his study window and Albus sighed; he had better contact the Potters. Perhaps, he thought, their meeting could take place in Minerva's office, therefore, when James Potter inevitably lost his temper, he could break her personal effects, rather than his. He chuckled, remembering the last time, at the end of Harry's second year, the morning after the basilisk escapade. James had not been pleased to say the least. His humour was short lived, though. Picking up his quill he scrawled a quick letter, rolled up the parchment and placed it into one of Fawkes' clawed talons.
"To the Potters, my friend," he said to the bird. And the Phoenix disappeared in a flash of flame.
At 4:30am Lily Potter was startled out of her sleep by a burst of flame outside the bedroom window.
"James!" she exclaimed. "James, wake up!" Rolling over and opening her eyes he realized he was not next to her. She sighed, rolling out of bed and making her way to the window. Undoubtedly, James had already left for work. They truly were working their Aurors much too hard. She made her way to the window, opening it cautiously and letting the phoenix inside,
"What are you doing here, Fawkes?" she asked, reaching out and stroking the beautiful feathers. In her time at Hogwarts she had been rather fond of the bird. Fawkes dropped a letter onto the bed and disappeared in the same flash of flame as it had arrived.
Intrigued, Lily picked up the letter, wondering what on earth Albus had needed to write them about at this time of the morning.
After reading the letter through, she moaned softly sinking back into the bed.
Holy shit! Why for the love of God is he always in the middle of something? What the hell was James going to think? She wondered to herself.
Oh Crap! James! Rushing downstairs whilst tugging on a nightgown, she rushed to the fireplace and made a direct Floo call to her husband's office. Much to her exasperation she could not see James. She could however, see Sirius Black, one of her and James' best friends.
"Hey Lily-poo," Sirius called cheerfully, walking over to greet her head bobbing within the flames, "What's the happi-hap?" he asked.
"Sirius, please can you tell James he needs to come home right away!" asked Lily.
"Oooh booty call, huh?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. " Sorry, but you'll have to remain strung out for a few more hours, Jamey's in an important meeting with Kingsley, Scrimigour and a bunch of pompous, butt kissing…."
"SIRIUS!" Lily shouted, "I don't care if James is in a meeting with the bloody Queen of England herself! He needs to come home right now! Something has happened!"
Sirius lost the playful glint in his eye immediately and his voice turned serious.
"What's wrong, Lily?" he asked kneeling in front of her.
"Just get him to come home, would you?" With that Lily's head disappeared from the flame, and Sirius was left staring into the flames, questions unanswered.
Rushing to the meeting room, a few doors down the hallway, Sirius knocked and opened the door without waiting for a reply.
"Sorry to interrupt Kiddies, but I need to borrow Potter." He said cutting off whatever Rufus Scrimigour had been saying. Scrimigour, displeased with having been interrupted spun in his chair to face Sirius.
"Whatever it is you want Black, now is not a good time. Come back later!" He snapped. Sirius, unperturbed by Scrimigour's rude dismissal, ignored him and looked over at James, who was eying him curiously.
"James?" he said. Indicating with his head for James to follow him, he did not wait for a reply, but simply turned on his heel and strode out. James immediately followed after his best friend.
"What's going on, Sirius?" James questioned the instant the Office door had closed.
"Lily just Floo called, James, she seemed pretty upset about something, said you needed to come home right away!"
Without a word, James spun around and rushed down the hallway at top speed, back into the office Sirius had originally exited. Grabbing a handful of Floo Powder from the mantle, he threw it into the fire, stepped into the flames shouting 'Potter residence,' and disappeared.
When James stepped out of the fire he was greeted by a mass of red hair hurling towards him. Lily threw herself into James' arms and began to sob into his chest.
"What's happened, Lily? What's wrong?" James asked urgently. When she didn't answer, he pried her away from him, looking down into her in the eyes.
"LILY! What is it?" He said, trying to contain his emotions. As it was, his heart was pounding in his chest, whilst a hundred different scenarios, each more horrible than the last, played through his mind. Was Remus Dead? Dumbledore had sent him on some Order related Werewolf mission, some days earlier, and they hadn't heard from him since. Had something happened? Or perhaps Harry had managed to find another…erm…Hagrid bred, crazy monster in the Forbidden Forest that had eaten him?
Lily gave a final sob and managed to calm herself down. Ugh! She though. She shouldn't have gotten James so worked up. He was so stressed at the moment and he was going to be upset by this enough as it was!
"Um..." she said, heading towards the kitchen. "Would you like to sit down? I'll make you a cup of tea?
"Lily!" James said, anger seeping into his voice. "You do not get to call me home from work, crying, and then ask me if I want a cup of tea! Now tell me what the hell is happening!"
Lily didn't answer. She didn't know how to tell him without him 'hitting the roof.' James strode into the kitchen, grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, and spun her around to face him.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" He shouted, his eyes darting all over her face, desperately trying to read the answers he wanted in her expression. Lily Sighed. Perhaps, she thought dryly, James hitting the roof was going to inevitable either way. She may as well get out with it.
Reaching into the pocket of her night gown, she pulled out the letter she had read, less than ten minutes before. Handing the letter over to her husband, she braced herself for the storm that she could see was rapidly approaching.
James read the letter through quickly, his heart sinking further with each word.
Holy shit, He thought. Why for the love of God is he always in the middle of something? Turning away from Lily, James kicked the nearest wall. Swearing under his breath in a continuous stream, he began to pace. Lily stood there, watching him cautiously. Abruptly, he stopped his pacing, turning around to face her, a look of pure fury in his eyes.
"I'm going to kill him," he said, simply. He stormed back towards the fireplace, threw a handful of powder into the flame and shouted 'Hogwarts Head Office' and disappeared once more.
Whether it was Harry or Albus that James was planning to kill, Lily was unsure. Perhaps both.
She sighed again. It felt like she had been doing that a lot tonight. But then she, she thought, she had just found out that her fourteen year old son was going to be competing against a bunch of seventeen year olds in a deadly tournament. As far as she was concerned, she could sigh all she wanted.
Grabbing a handful of the sparkling green substance, she stepped into the fireplace and disappeared also, following her husband.
Aaaaaand that's the first chapter! xox SydneySwapperMPP
Hope you liked it!
Please review and tell me what you think.
Should I keep writing it? Was it crap?
I won't be offended! (well…maybs a little, but that's ok lol)
If you have any ideas or anything you'd like me to write into the story please tell