Chapter 1

It was a Tuesday morning when the family set off. The sun shone brightly down on their home in Godric's Hollow as theu drove away in their car towards London, but their was a frost settling on the windows, and orange-brown leaves falling everywhere, signifying the beginning of autumn.

The three children sitting in the back of the car laughed and talked and argued - the good-tempered 9 year old boy with jet black hair and green eyes; the 7 year old girl with laughing blue eyes and striking auburn hair; and the quiet 11 year old boy who looked much like the younger one, except he had brown eyes instead, who sat tensely and quietly in the middle. You wouldn't think any of them were different to other children at all - but they were. All three were not only wizards and witches, which was a peculiar thing in itself, but they were also the children of both Ginny Weasley, former Holyhead Harpies quidditch team, and Harry Potter - the boy who lived. Harry had defeated the most feared dark wizard in 100 years or more, Lord Voldemort, numerous times between the ages of 1 and 17. Now though, Harry lived a quieter life with his children, and had taken up a job in the Ministry of Magic.

Today, however, was a day when another person was in the spotlight- James Sirius Potter, the quiet boy in the back of the car. It was his first time going to his new boarding school, Hogwarts, which would give him a special education for wizards like himself.

The family had left early, as the train left at exactly 11 o'clock, and so by half past ten they were drawing in to park outside King's Cross Station in London. The family piled out of the little red car, and Harry opened the boot and hauled out James' trunk.

Then the family found the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, and ran straight through it, Harry pulling the trunk with him - into platform 9 and three quarters.

"Wow, son, this seems heavier than it was before," Harry said with a grin, "What are you smuggling into school?" James gave a weak smile, feeling sick with nerves, and grabbed the handle of his trunk. He was excited at starting his new school, but there were so many things to worry about. What house would he be sorted into? He wasn't too worried about this - Ravenclaw was the house for the smart kids, and that would mean he was smart, which he would be happy about, and the Hufflepuff dorms were near the kitchens, plus Hufflepuffs aret loyal and nice, and James had enough common sense to know that Slytherin wasn't actually the evil house... but he badly wanted to follow in his parents' footsteps and be a Gryffindor. And what if his introverted personality made it hard for him to find friends? He didn't know, and he didn't particularly want to find out, but time was ticking, so he dodged out of the way of one of his mother's kisses in fear someone might see, and dragged his trunk onto the train - The Hogwarts Express.

Harry frowned, confused as to why his son was acting so strangely, as usually he loved to be around his mother. He ducked between crowds of people to get to a window in the train, where he could see James sitting down in an empty compartment. Harry gestured for his son to open the window, and he did.

"Hey," Harry said, "What's the matter wirh you?"

James shrugged and said nothing.

"I know there's something up," Harry continued, "So you may as well tell me."

James began to turn away, then stopped, because he didn't want to leave his father like this. Before he could think, he was telling his fatjer everything, about all his worries about Hogwarts. "...and that's why I don't want to go," he finished, "Can't I just stay home?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, before telling his son, "You know, when I first started Hogwarts, I was just as frightened - no, more frightened- than you are. I had no idea where to go, I probably looked like the nerdiest kid alive," James laughed at this, and Harry smiled, "and I was wearing clothes four sizes too big, but that didn't stop me from being sorted into Gryffindor, or making friends. And," he leaned to whisper into his son's ear, "I'll tell you a secret. If you really want, you can tell the sorting hat what house you want to be in, and it will take your choice into account."

James sat back, speechless, just as the great clock in the station chimed 11 and the train started to move out of the station. Harry gave James one last kiss, and he leaned out of the window as his parents and younger brother and sister waved at him, yelling their goodbyes.

James Sirius Potter was off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.