Two Heads Are Better Than One

Chapter 1

It was early autumn and James Potter was awoken by a sharp tapping of glass. He scrambled out of his bed and shuffled to the window. There sat a handsome Hawk Owl, the sun glimmering off its light-brown feathered wings."Morning Volkan." He yawned, opening the window. Volkan hopped inside the room and stuck out his leg. James untied the envelope which hung from its talon, all the while being stared at by his owl. His huge, black, liquid eyes were boring into James' hazel ones. "You look like you're about to eat me!" he told it simply. Volkan only tilted his head in reply. After James had untied the envelope, feeling somewhat unnerved, Volkan took off to his cage on top of the wardrobe.

James, feeling slightly more awake, opened the envelope. Two letters fell out into his open hand. One for him. And one for Sirius.

At that moment, Sirius grunted in his sleep rolling over on his bed. James and Sirius were due to start their seventh and final year at Hogwarts on the first of September. Sirius had been staying at the Potter's residence ever since that start of the holidays leading up to their sixth year. He had run away from his own home after being beaten and abused by his family. He had had enough of it. He was sick of it. So he ran. He ran to the only place where he knew he would be welcomed; the Potter's.

"Padfoot." James whispered, prodding him in the shoulder with his finger. Sirius didn't budge. James sighed. "Sirius!" he said a little louder this time, shaking Sirius' shoulder with his free hand. Sirius groaned and pulled his head under the covers. James sighed louder and took a few steps back. Sirius let out a triumphant noise, but a second too late! James had ran and jumped onto Sirius' bed landing right on Sirius' stomach!!

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Sirius yelled in pain, sitting bolt upright.

"Whoops! Sorry Padfoot!" laughed James, sliding further down the bed.

"That's…okay…" gasped Sirius. "Didn't…need…that kidney anyway!"

James laughed again and threw Sirius his letter.

Sirius opened it and scanned it quickly.

"Same old, same old!" he dropped his letter and flopped back down under the covers. After a few minutes of sitting in total silence, Sirius decided to investigate and see if his best friend was still alive. He sat up again, peering at James suspiciously through his half opened eyes. James sat staring, wide-eyed into the palm of his left hand, the letter crunched up roughly in the other.

"Whassup with you Prongs?" He asked.

James looked up at him and held out his left hand. Sirius took whatever it contained and gazed at it. It was a silver badge with the words;

"Head Boy." Breathed Sirius, speechless. "How did, I mean…WOW! You, Head Boy?!" Sirius began to laugh and James stared at him.

"Is it really that unbelievable?"

"Yes!"

"Fine!" James grinned, snatching back his badge and crossing the room to sit on his own bed, reading the rest of his Hogwarts letter.

"Congratulations mate!" laughed Sirius swinging his legs over the side of his bed to face James. "Hmm, I wonder who Head Girl is." He said thoughtfully.

"I dunno." James shrugged his shoulders, still reading his letter.

"It's probably some pussy Slytherin chick!"

"Um…'pussy Slytherin Chick'?"

"Yeah!"

James laughed, placing down his letter and badge. "Once - just once, I would love to see inside that thick head of yours, Padfoot!"

"Hey! You know…" Sirius pretended to act hurt, wiping a fake tear away with one hand and clutching at his heart with the other, "…words hurt, James!"

James shook his head but grinned nonetheless. "Get over it!" He said, carefully placing his head boy badge on his bedside table and stretching. "Breakfast time I think."

"You read my mind!"

Moments later Sirius and James arrived downstairs, James' head boy badge pinned to his pyjama t-shirt. "Morning parents!" he said on entering the kitchen. "Boy do I have a surprise for – do I smell pancakes?!" James suddenly stopped walking to sniff the air causing Sirius to walk straight into him.

"Move it or lose it four-eyes!" he said, jabbing James in the back with his finger. "Get out of the way! What are you do – pancakes?!" Sirius scanned the room, trying to find the source of the delicious smell. "PANCAKES!"

James and Sirius plonked themselves down at the kitchen table, grabbing a plate each and fighting over the pancake plater in the middle of the table.

"He has more pancakes than me!"

"Stop your whining – your pancakes are bigger!"

"Nut-uh! And stop hogging the sauce!"

"It contains nuts – see? – and you don't like nuts!"

"Well where's the pain chocolate stuff?"

"Um…"

"You ate that too didn't you?"

"Yes and no."

"What does that mean?"

"Yes I did and no I didn't not!"

"You greedy son of a b -!"

"JAMES!!"

"Sorry mum…"

After that they continued to eat their breakfast in silence, occasionally eyeing each others pancakes and smirking to themselves.

"I was thinking about taking a little trip down to Diagon Alley today." Said James' mother. "Your letters are due sometime today, are they not?"

"We've already got them!" replied Sirius through a mouthful of pancakes. "They came in this morning."

"Good!" said Mrs Potter beaming at them. "We'll go when you boys are ready."

"Ok" spluttered James, slittering his food all down his t-shirt.

"James, don't talk with your mouth full," scolded Mr Potter, "You're getting half chewed pancakes all over your badge…"

"Badge?"

"Yes. On his shirt, see?"

"What does your badge say, James?"

James swallowed the contents of his mouth and said "Head Boy."

"Oh James!!" squeaked Mrs Potter, bustling around the table and pulling her son out of his seat. "I'm so proud of you!" She wrapped her arms around him, tugging him into a bone crushing hug.

"Mum…" moaned James, "I love ya n all, but I kinda need my ribs to be in the one piece!"

"Don't be cheeky." She snapped, cuffing him around the ear. Then she smiled at him. "This calls for a present!"

"Yey!"

"She meant for me, Padfoot!" laughed James.

Sirius pouted but said "fair enough."

"You can share it with me." Smiled James "Whatever it is…!"

The streets of Diagon Alley were bustling and crowded. James and Sirius had bought all their books which were now being carried by Mr Potter. He and Mrs Potter were sitting outside a small café waiting on the boys returning, for they had both decided to wander around the shops to find James a present.

"How about a new broom?" suggested Sirius.

"Nah. I've already got the latest model." Replied James, shoving his hands into his pockets and lazily eyeing the shop windows. "I hate shopping" he sighed "It's a woman's job!"

"Woman's sport more like!" added Sirius. "Why do they like it so much?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's because people always buy them stuff!"

Sirius laughed loudly making several passers by duck for cover!

"It wasn't that funny!"

"No, it isn't that." Laughed Sirius. "It's the fact that you're complaining about woman always getting presents when we're stuck here trying to find you something nice from you're mummy!"

"That's because I was appointed Head Boy! I'm allowed something because I have achieved something. I don't see you wearing a badge!"

"I don't see you wearing one either!"

"Well look closer!" said James, "See? It's right…HEY!"

"Told ya!"

"Where's my badge?"

"You mean the one you're not wearing?"

"Yes!" growled James, stopping in his tracks and searching the ground for his badge! "It must have fallen off my shirt! Oh my God, Dumbledore's gonna kill me!"

"You mean McGonagall's gonna kill you?!"

"Crap! I'd forgotten about her!"

James and Sirius retraced their steps back up the street, looking everywhere for James' badge.

"I really don't see it, mate!" called Sirius, poking his head out from behind a large crate full of bird-food which was sat outside Eeylops Owl Emporium. "Maybe you dropped it in the house before you Floo here."

"No I definitely had it when I arrived! I remember because the first thing I did when I came out of the fire was – OOF!!"

"You did what?!" asked Sirius as he clambered out from behind the boxes and ran over to James, who was now lying on the ground, rubbing his head. "MOONY!!" yelled Sirius, pulling his newly arrived friend into a 'manly' embrace. "When did you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago." Replied Remus, rubbing his stomach.

"Store stomach?" asked Sirius surveying his friend with a sceptic look.

"Yeah…Prongs head-butted me!"

"How the hell did you manage that one, Prongs?" asked Sirius, helping James to his feet.

"I was crouched over, looking for my badge and he - !"

"What badge?" asked Remus.

"My Head Boy badge!"

"You mean…this badge?" Remus held out his hand, and resting in his palm was the little silver badge.

"YES! Moony where did you find it?!" asked James, accepting the badge and pinning it securely to his shirt.

"I met your parents in a café. They said I was to give it to you!" he replied, smiling at the look of sheer relief and happiness on James' face. However, this look of happiness quickly transformed into a look of disgust.

"My parents had it?!" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Ha – ha! Fancy that!" laughed Sirius. "We've been running around here, Moony, searching for this God damn piece of metal for about - what? – twenty minutes, and now we find out that his parents had it!" Sirius continued to laugh, however, both James and Remus could tell that he wasn't the least bit amused.

"C'mon." Muttered James, grabbing one of Sirius' arms. "Let's go, I dunno what I want."

The three boys trudged their way back up the street again, James and Sirius both feeling rather disgruntled at having spent all that time searching for something that wasn't even lost! Remus, on the other hand, found this extremely amusing.

Almost reaching the top of the street, where the café was situated, James began to quicken his pace. "Nearly there," he mumbled.

"Where's Padfoot?" asked Remus suddenly.

James froze. "What?!" he asked, whirling around and scanning the surrounding street.

"Where's Padfoot?" repeated Remus. "He was here just a minute ago!"

"Oh great!" sighed James. "First my badge…now my best friend! C'mon, maybe my parents have him…"

James was in the process of turning around again when Remus had grabbed his shoulder and pointed down the street. "There he is."

Sirius was stood outside a shop window, staring fixedly at something inside. James and Remus hurried down to stand on either side of him. "Padfoot, what are you – ?"

Sirius silently pointed a finger at a knife in the shop window. "Look…" he breathed.

"It's a knife."

"It's not just a knife, Prongs. It can unlock any door! Wow…imagine the fun we could have with that!" Sirius grinned to himself then but shook his head. "Aww well, just have to dream about the – Prongs where are you going?"

James headed into the shop, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the money his mum had given him.

"Prongs?"

"I'll told you we would share the present, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"So shut your mouth and bring me over the knife!"

Sirius grinned at him. "I love you, did you know that?"

"Um…thanks." James eyed him nervously.

"Anytime!" Sirius dashed off to the front of the shop and retrieved the knife. James smiled, watching Sirius run across the shop and nearly injuring Remus who had to duck to avoid being beheaded by the knife. "Don't worry, Moony." Called Sirius "It only opens doors!"

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure it slices throats as well!" Retorted Remus from his place on the floor.

James laughed. He could tell that this last year at Hogwarts was going to be the best yet …

A/N: So what do you think? Should I continue it?