Second Best

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or settings associated to Harry Potter. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.

Written: In James's Point of View telling his story.

Setting: The summer between James's sixth and seventh year at Hogwarts at his parent's home.

In the magical world, it seems that every witch and wizard believes that it would be great to be Harry Potter's son. They say, "C'mon Harry Potter was an orphan who eventually defeated You-Know-Who and became Head Auror. That is fantastic and wonderful!" It's ironic, because in that whole statement there is no mention of me, James Sirius Potter. I always knew my Dad was different from other dad's but I didn't know the extent of it until I started to attend Hogwarts. It became worse then. All I heard in the halls while I would make my way down to classes was things like, "That's Harry Potter's son. Although, he doesn't look much like Harry does he."

If you think it was tough at Hogwarts for me, it was even worse at home. Don't get me wrong, I know that my parents loved me, it wasn't that, it was the fact that I had two other siblings that usually stole the spot light; Albus who is a year younger than me, and Lily who is two years younger than Albus. I never had much of an issue with Lily it was always my younger brother. You see, Albus looks a lot like Dad. In fact, he even acts a lot like him too. So it was always easier for my father and mother to deal with Albus than with me. In fact, I often felt that they favored or at least sided with Albus more. It was like I was second best. I will give you an example of such an event, which lead me to do something drastic-something that changed my life. I ran away, and left my life as Harry Potter's eldest son behind.

James's bedroom: Summer between his sixth to seventh year. Told in his point of view.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and everyone was home except Lily. She was at Uncle's Ron and Aunt Hermione's house hanging out with Rose. I was in my room finishing up my transfiguration homework at my desk. It took me three weeks and five rolls of parchment to describe how you can change a person to animal than an inanimate object back to a person and the mistakes that can take place during all of this spell work. I had even owled Lorcan (one of Luna's son) who is my best friend at Hogwarts for some help. It took a while for him to get back to me as he was at his great uncle's house. So needless to say, Lorcan was not much help.

I heard a knock on the door and told whoever it was to come in. I was thinking it was Teddy, as he told me he was going to look over my work for me. I was wrong, it was Albus.

Albus came into my room, stomped his foot in annoyance and asked, "Did you take my Quidditch magazine again. I need that to get ideas so I can become captain next year. You gotta stop taking my stuff!"

I jumped from my chair and yelled back at him. "I don't have your damn magazine Al! You lost it. Stop blaming me. Or maybe-mom, dad or Lily has it, did you ever think of that?"

"I asked Mum and Dad, James and they don't have it. Lily is out of the house, and has no interest in that magazine. So that leaves you. Stop lying to me. You had a few weeks ago, so you probably have it now. In fact, why don't I take your homework and I'll give you this back when you give me back my magazine!" With that, Albus walked over to my desk and took my homework from me, the homework that took three weeks to complete!

I yelled back. "Al give me that back! I don't have your damn magazine." I yanked it out of his hands and then he yanked it back. Just my luck-it broke up into many different pieces!"

"Albus, I worked on that for three weeks. Three weeks! Like I said, I don't have your magazine. Get the hell out," I screamed back.

Our parents must have heard the commotion, because before Al and I could throw punches at each other they were holding us apart. My father held me and my mother was holding Albus back.

My father looked angry and said, "What's going on here?"

Of course Al had to respond first. "I came to him asking where my Quidditch magazine was, because I was going to look through it to get ideas about how to become captain of the Gryffindor team next year. And he has it, I know he does! I saw him with it a few weeks ago and haven't seen the magazine since."

Harry and Ginny looked satisfied with that reply. Stupid git forgot to mention that he destroyed my homework that was five scrolls long!

"James, do you have your brother's magazine?" my mother asked.

I looked into my mother's brown eyes and responded truthfully, "No, I don't. I haven't seen it since that time. In fact, Al destroyed my homework!"

"James do not lie to your mother and I," my father answered backed. "In fact, James, we are getting tired of these games you play. We get notes back from Neville (who is the Gryffindor head of house and our herbology teacher) saying that you're playing pranks most of the time and now you're starting to lie to us. The last time we saw that magazine it was with you. Now you are to stay up here and don't come back down stairs until you give Al his magazine."

"But that's so unfair! I don't have the damn thing, plus Al destroyed my homework that I have been working on for three weeks!"

My mother glared at me and said, "Don't you ever curse in this house again. You are to stay here until you can do what your father told you to do," my mother angrily said to me.

While my father, mother and brother walked out of my room I heard my mother say gently to Albus, "You shouldn't rip up your brother's homework."

I was pissed. My mother and father let Albus off, but I have to stay in my room until I give Al back a magazine that I didn't even have. I always got the short end of the stick when it came between me and Al. I was always second bested. You know what-I was sick of it. I knew at that moment I would always be in my father's shadow, and I would always be second to Albus. I knew that I just couldn't keep living this way. So I decided to do something that many would consider stupid, I decided to run away. At least I could live up to my own potential instead of being judged against my perfect father and brother. I packed my bed, left my family a short note on why I was leaving, and waited until 1am to say goodbye to the place I called home for the first seventeen years of my life. I knew my journey was going to be difficult at times, but I knew it was the best. When I started to walk down those dark streets, I felt free and I knew I was given a chance to be me without comparison to somebody else for the first time in my life. It was an exhilarating feeling and it gave me the strength to keep walking forward to a different life where James Sirius Potter was a person of the past.

Next chapter: James meets up with Lorcan and plans his new future. Meanwhile, the rest of the Potter family realizes that James is missing.

Reviews are always appreciated!