Distributor: Potter, etc, etc, are not my creations. Never have and never will be. However, I can dream.

~*Dial 'M' For Mischief*~

"Sirius, mate,

It's James. Just writing to let you know we'll all be meeting in Diagon Alley outside Olivanders' at 12. Peter's gone and broken his wand again, daft git. Send a reply owl back with Arty to let me know you'll definitely be there.

James"

James Potter once again found himself seated at his desk at his family home, writing a letter to his best friend Sirius Black. It was always a little risky sending letters to Sirius because of his high strung mother, high strung being an understatement. She was always on Sirius's case about a lot of things, James wondered just how he could put up with it all, living at that house.

But, Sirius's living situation weren't the main focus of James' thoughts, the start of his Second term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, however, was just that.

Carefully he strapped the note to his owl, Artimus's, leg and opened his window letting him fly off into the night with instructions to go straight to Sirius' house and back. After-all tomorrow was the day they were all to meet in Diagon Alley, an area where no Witch or Wizard has not yet ventured in, more or less. In three days time it would be September, 1st. The day when every student attending Hogwarts would make there way to Kings Cross Station in London and cross over onto platforms Nine and three-quarters to board the Hogwarts Express. James stood watching as Artimus disappeared into the night and then glanced around his room. On his walls he had posters of his favourite Quidditch teams and other Quidditch items.

But amongst those were things he really treasured, photos of his family. On his dresser he had a framed photo of his mum and dad together holding him as a baby, as they all waved at the camera. The love and devotion shown through the moving image. There were lots more photos of his parents, too, and other family members. Even some taken at his first term at Hogwarts of he and his friends. On one photo, and he didn't even know why he had it, was himself being slapped on the face by a girl in the same year and House as him. He had found out afterwards that Sirius had taken the picture as James had taunted Lily Evans and she turned round to get back at him. "Priceless" Sirius had said after he'd taken it.

Shivering from the draft coming from the open window he closed it and the curtains silently and then crawled into bed, turned off his bedside lamp and covered himself with the blankets. In a few hours he had to get up and get the train down to London. It would have been oh so much easier if they lived in Hogsmeade. A place he told his parents time and time again he wanted to move to but who in return told him it was much better to live in the home town of the Quidditch team James' father plays for. "But it's not like they do away games anymore Mum" James had stated. Once upon a time they would move around time and again for James' father's team, but now his dad was growing older he only ever played home matches, and recently was offered to manage the team once he retired from participating in the actual games.

An hour or two had gone by and it seemed James had just been laying there thinking, until a gentle thud against his window reminded him he wasn't asleep, but merely in a place between asleep and awake. He jumped and sat upright on his bed and quickly grabbed his wand from beneath his pillow, his parents always told him not to keep it there incase of any accidents, but he never listened to that advice. He threw the sheets off him and got out of bed. His wand hand pointed at the window while his other hand slowly took back the curtains till behind them on the outside he saw Artimus flapping madly to stay in the air after flying into the glass. He breathed a sigh of relief and let the owl in, lowering his wand hand to his side and sitting on the edge of his bed.

"That was quick. Wasn't expecting you back till morning at least" he said as Artimus nipped at his hand and held out his foot showing the letter attached, "For me?" he smiled and detached it. He recognised the writing on the front, not only was it in Sirius' usual fine letters but it had "To Mop Head" wrote for the addressee.

Grinning he opened it and read:

"James, mate.

Would have waited till morning to reply to your letter, like I usually do.."

"Ahh, so That's why they're always so slow in returning" James pondered

".. but seeing as you sounded desperate I thought I'd make an exception. Not only that, but Arty wouldn't stop biting me till I picked up my quill."

James gently patted Artimus on the head smiling and read on:

"And don't think Arty biting me is something you should treat your owl over after reading this."

James raised a brow.

"Anyway, will definitely meet you all in Diagon Alley tomorrow, don't worry about that. I'm starting to question whether Peter is reliable enough to be carrying anything that even resembles a wand around with him. We all should worry about that. Next he'll be accidentally putting the Cruciatus on us all, though I doubt he even Knows what the Cruciatus is."

James snorted, "Too true"

"Damn, well, I think I hear my mum coming (can't not hear her she's screaming at the top of her lungs the old bat). See you tomorrow.

p.s. Stop lying in bed thinking and get some sleep. You'll need your wits about you tomorrow, you'll see why. Night!"

And the letter finished.

"Need my wits about me?" James repeated questionably. Whatever Sirius had planned, James couldn't wait to find out. He drew a treat from a drawer and fed it to Artimus who then flew back out of the window for a night's fly. He left the window open this time so Artimus didn't fly into the glass again, then returned into his bed where, this time, he fell soundly to sleep.