A/N: Hey, y'all! Thanks for checking this new story out! First of all, this is one part in a sort of two-way story. The other part to this story is called "Jade Malfoy and the Trouble Brewing" by EmeraldSerpent394, so I would highly suggest reading that alongside this story. They have connecting plots. The whole story is somewhat AU, because in it, Draco has a daughter as well as Scorpius, and some other things. Anyway, please read, review, favorite, follow, you know it all! Thanks, guys!

I don't own anything created by J.K. Rowling.

Chapter One

The Night Before Hogwarts

"James! Mummy says if you're not packed yet, she won't be sending you anything from home that you've forgotten!" sang the voice of my younger sister, Lily, from down the stairs of our, the Potters', house.

"Tell her I'm ready and that Dad'll just send me the stuff anyway!" I yelled back down, glancing up at her briefly through the open door of my room as she ran from the bottom of the stairs to the side, her dark red hair swishing behind her. I sighed as I turned my gaze back down to the parchment that sat on a book on my bed, an inkwell sitting beside it next to a cedar-brown quill.

I dipped the quill into the inkwell and added my signature to the bottom of the parchment before rolling it up and tying it to my pet owl, Godric. He flew off through the open window, chestnut-brown feathers glinting in the fading sunlight of the afternoon. The letter was for my cousin and best friend in the world, Freddie Weasley. Even though we were seeing each other tomorrow, I just had to send him a letter now. We sent letters to each other a lot. Almost daily, actually. Well, we wouldn't need to do that anymore for the next several months, because for the next several months, we'd be sleeping right next to each other every night, and learning magic together every day. Because tomorrow, we were going to Hogwarts.

I'd always tried to imagine what Hogwarts was like. Mum and Dad say the castle is huge. The Gryffindor common room was in one of the towers, with a spiral staircase and fireplace and everything. I knew I'd be sorted into Gryffindor—I mean, everyone in our family has. I'd seriously leave Hogwarts if I was sorted into any other House—of course, if I was in Ravenclaw or maybe even Hufflepuff with Freddie, that might be all right. But Slytherin? No way. No, no way. Not Slytherin.

"James! Albus! Lily, if you're up there, dinner's ready!" called Dad from down below.

I turned away from the window and sunset shown out of it. I knew Freddie would respond to my owl once dinner was over. Then, I'd probably better not send Godric anywhere for tonight. I'd need to take him onto the train. I stepped out of the messy, cramped room and shut the door behind me, leaving any view of my Gryffindor banners, Quidditch team posters, random clothing items, and owl droppings diminished.

I stepped down the stairs right in front of my bedroom door and turned right into the living room, then left into the dining room of our small home. Mum, Dad, and Lily were already sitting at the polished, dark-wood table, on which was my favorite meal of all time: tacos. I really, really love tacos.

"Where's Al?" asked Mum.

I shrugged. "Probably still moping about the fact that he's not going to Hogwarts yet."

"He'll get his turn," said Dad bracingly.

"I can go get him, if you want!" suggested Lily brightly.

"Sure," said Mum.

Lily slid off her chair and ran out of the dining room and up the stairs, audibly saying in an annoying voice, "Al! Food's ready! Come on, we're having tacos, we're going to start without you if you don't come soo-oon!"

I heard the muffled voice of my younger brother, Albus. Seconds later, Lily came racing back into the room, followed more slowly by Al.

"Now we're ready!" said Lily happily. She promptly folded her arms and shut her brown eyes tightly.

Mum exchanged amused looks with Dad before folding her arms as well. Dad, Al, and I did the same, and Dad blessed the food. Then we started eating.

"Have you got everything packed and ready, James?" asked my mother as she passed around the taco shells.

"Think so," I replied, cramming lettuce into my already nearly full taco. I was starving.

"Good. Because if you forget something because you purposefully didn't pack properly, I promise I—"

"Won't send it to Hogwarts. Got it," I finished the sentence, before stuffing my face with a taco.

Mum gave me a stern look before starting to eat her own taco, though a lot less messily (of course).

"You excited, James?" asked Dad, looking at me through his circular glasses, like Al's.

I nodded. My mouth was really full of taco.

"Good."

"Jade and I went shopping yesterday with James and Freddie!" piped up Lily. Jade was a friend of hers. As a matter of fact, she was the daughter of Draco Malfoy. From what Mum and Dad tell me, they were enemies as school. Now we get together every once in a while, with the whole Malfoy family (Draco's wife, Astoria, and their kids, Scorpius and Jade); it's obviously really awkward for Dad and Draco, but the rest of us get along pretty well.

"Oh, yeah, your mum told me," said Dad.

"Yes! We went to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and oh, Dad, I really, really want a Pygmy Puff!" exclaimed Lily. Her food was untouched on her plate.

"You'll be getting an owl for your eleventh birthday, James has already got one, and we've also got your cat, Dobby. Why do you need another pet?" asked Dad, mystified. Dobby isn't really her cat, but Dobby seems to think so.

"Oh, but Dad, they're really, really cute!" said Lily. "They've got different colors, they've got purple and pink!"

"Yes, I know that, but Lily, I don't think we're going to be getting you one any time soon, sweetheart," said Dad, shaking his head.

"Oh, but Dad—"

"Enough, Lily. Eat your taco," interrupted Mum firmly.

The table fell silent. I finished eating my multiple tacos quickly before heading back upstairs to my room.

I was right. Godric (who, by the way, was named after Godric Gryffindor, in case you didn't catch that) was back, and a scroll of parchment was tied to his leg. He hooted as I strolled over to him across the room and the end of my bed, which was right in front of the open door.

I took the scroll off of his leg and unrolled it, sitting down on my plaid, red-and-gold bed, which sunk inward. I smiled as I saw Freddie's handwriting. He couldn't wait to see me tomorrow, and said that Roxanne (his younger sister) was bawling over the fact that she couldn't go to Hogwarts yet. I think he exaggerated. Roxanne typically doesn't cry, or get upset at all, for that matter. She would be going with Lily in a few years. I set Godric back into his cage and pulled on my pajamas, went and brushed my teeth, and then came back and crawled into bed.

The white-and-brown form of Dobby the cat came slinking into the room and hopped up onto my bed. I could barely his very fluffy, very furry outline in the light coming from the streetlamps outside, shining through the window. I stroked him and heard him purring gently and wondered, for the hundredth time, why Lily had decided to name the cat Dobby, of all things. Dad had just told us the story of how the now dead house-elf named Dobby had nearly killed him in his second year, and then been accidentally freed from the Malfoys'. Then, as a Christmas present from Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron (their cat had just had kittens), we'd gotten him, and Lily called him Dobby, and he'd been stuck with that name ever since.

I rolled over in bed, trying to get a comfortable position, and resumed my stroking of Dobby. I was going to miss that cat, however much he annoyed me sometimes. But really, Hogwarts could make up for anything I'd be leaving behind at home. I smiled at the wall I was facing and closed my eyes, wondering about Hogwarts, and hoping that it was as wonderful as everyone ever said.