Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

"I hate you! I hate you both! MUM!" Lily Luna Potter wailed, jumping up from her position on the couch in the Potter living room to run after her brothers. She leapt onto the nearest brother's back – which just so happened to be Albus Severus Potter's. Al yelped.

James Sirius Potter laughed as he danced out of the way of his siblings, still holding Lily's brand new, recently bought wand. "Come on now Lils, take a joke, I was gonna give it back."

"Yeah, and I wasn't gonna do anything, I swear!" Albus wheezed, attempting to push his little sister off his back to no avail; let it be said that Lily Potter has the grip of steel.

It was at that moment that Ginny Potter had come into the living room and – after wondering to the heavens why on earth her offspring had to be the next generation's troublemakers of the family (it had to have been Harry's genes, as the son of a marauder) – yelled, "What is going you on?" She quickly surveyed the damage. James with Lily's wand, Lily on Albus' back, Albus coughing violently as he tried to remove said redheaded sister. She sighed, tiredly.

Upon noticing her mother, Lily immediately jumped back. "Muuuum! The boys were bragging about how great Hogwarts is, and, and, and said that I probably wouldn't get in! They said I'm probably not a real wizard and that I'll get Kicked out! And James stole my wand." She promptly burst into tears.

James quickly came to his and his brother's defence, casting a wary look at his sister as she continued to sob, "I didn't say that! Me and Al were just saying that It wouldn't be unreasonable to say that there may be limited places at Hogwarts – what with there so many people there already, – so it makes sense that, as there are already perfectly good Potters at Hogwarts – well, one perfectly awesome Potter and one irritating –"

"Oi!"

James ignored his brother, grinning at his mother, and continued. "– and no need for annoying little sisters to come and ruin everything fun. See? Logic."

Lily glared at him. "But you still stole my wand!"

James seem to look at the wand in his hand as if he's never seen it before. "Oh, really? I honestly hadn't noticed it." He looked at his mother sheepishly and quickly tossed it to his sister who snatched it from the air readily. "Oops, sorry Lils."

Anything Ginny was going to say was interrupted as Harry Potter himself rushed into the room, narrowly avoiding hitting his own kids as he stumbled over to his wife to give her a messy kiss, depositing a small briefcase on the coffee table, and speeding out towards the dining room before they could react. "Hi kids. Hi Ginny. Sorrycan'ttalkbusywithhermioneloveyoubuy."

"Harry?" Ginny looked alarmed as her husband left the room, and immediately followed him, leaving three very confused kids behind.

Albus was the first to speak. "What's wrong with dad?"

But Lily wasn't paying attention. Ginny had left before she could punish her brothers. Damn it. She fumed, thinking that she had wasted precious tears for nothing.

James, however, stared at the black briefcase that sat ominously on the coffee table in front of them. The latch seemed simple enough, a rusted silver colour, he mused, likely not hexed if Harry had left in his own house. He inched his fingers towards the latch, slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

It dawned on Albus as he recognised that face (Oh Merlin, that face, oh how he hated that expression…). "Don't you dare. Whatever you're thinking, don't you dare."

Lily also turned to see what he was doing and she immediately turned curious.

James grinned at them, confidently. "Dad wouldn't leave it here if it was dangerous. Besides it doesn't look locked. It looks like one of those muggle briefcases that Dad's cousin always has when we visit him. It's probably nothing."

"If it's nothing then why are we bothering to look at it? Just leave it James." Albus stared anxiously at his older brother. The three siblings stood over the black briefcase, huddling together.

Lily hummed to herself in thought. "Maybe it's just some sweets or something dad left for us; he did leave it here, after all."

"Then maybe we should just ask dad." As if on cue, a deafening crash, followed by a panicked shout echoed though Potter Manor.

Albus blinked. "Never mind then."

James just rolled his eyes and finally – Finally! – unlatched the latch. The trio help their breath as they crowded round to see what was inside.

It was a necklace.

James looked at it in disappointment as Lily stared at it in childlike wonder and Albus sighed in relief. "Well, obviously it's not for us. It's probably for mum, and dad'll probably kill us if he sees that we touched it so–"

Before Albus could make a move to close the case, Lily picked to the necklace from where it was sitting and pulling it towards her face to see it more clearly. "Ooooh, it's so pretty."

"Ahh, Lils, don't touch it!"

"It looks like an hourglass–"

"Guys I think–"

"Did you say Hourglass? Let me see!"

"We really shouldn't–"

"No way! It's mine!"

"It's not yours, it's probably Mum's. Let me see it!"

"Seriously, I really don't think–"

"Relax Al, mum won't find out. And Lils, I'm the oldest so I have rights!"

"What rights? Besides I touched it first so I – hey! No! Stop it! Let go!"

"You let go!"

"Guys!"

SMASH.

James, Albus and Lily froze.

Glass mixed with sand rained down upon the floor from where Lily and James' hands were clasped around the now broken necklace. It swept around their feet, whistling softly.

"Mum and Dad are gonna kill us." Was the last thing they all heard as Albus whispered to himself before the pool of class and sand glowed briefly and enveloped the siblings.

Meanwhile, the two remaining adults of the household remained oblivious as they argued.

And miles away, Hermione Weasley was confused when she carefully pried open the black briefcase which supposedly held a very dangerous Time Turner, only to find Harry Potter's half eaten lunch and a pile of paperwork. Her eyes went wide. Had Harry taken…?

Too bad no one would notice the three Potter kids missing until a very panicked Hermione came looking. After all, it was only a normal day in the Potter household.