As the oldest of the Potter children, James felt a great sense of responsibility towards protecting his younger siblings from harm and social discrimination. Lily wasn't yet old enough but Albus was starting his first year and was still waiting to be sorted. James recalled his first year, anxiously waiting in line as his year-mates were sorted into the various houses. He hadn't really been nervous about his placement, it was a near certainty he'd end up in Gryffindor but he just couldn't wait to hear the Hat proclaim it. All his Weasley cousins had gotten into Gryffindor-the ones who were of age at least-and there didn't seem to be any reason for James to think he'd be placed anywhere else.
"Potter, James," the Deputy Headmistress and his aunt, Hermione, called.
The Hat was barely on his head when it chuckled, "I was wondering when I'd get a Potter. Like your father, you are." James had grinned at that. "And you're a Weasley too. There's only one place for you, m'boy, and that is...GRYFFINDOR!"
James smiled at the memory and watched as Albus walked up to the Hat and sat on the stool. "Another Potter-Weasley child," the Hat exclaimed. "Only one place for you lot...GRYFFINDOR!"
Albus smiled in relief and ran to join his Gryffindor year-mates, leaning back to smile at James. The Weasleys had broken the unofficial record of most family members in one house years ago and there didn't seem to be any stopping as the next Weasley hopped down and ran to the table to join Albus. There was at least one redheaded Weasley in every year, some had two. Of course Christmas at the Burrow was a rather packed event with so many Weasleys in one house. Not all of them had red hair but they all had some amount of red tint to their locks, except for James and Albus who had their father's black hair, and Teddy who wasn't really a Weasley. Lily, many people remarked, looked like her father's mother. It only seemed fitting since she shared her name. James, it was said, looked like his grandfather, also fitting he supposed. Albus...well Albus looked like Albus, a combination of both mother and father with a rather odd tendency to say some of the strangest nonsense and a love of muggle candies that James just didn't understand.
Their father insisted Albus inherited that from his namesake, a man of no relation whatsoever. James watched as Albus pulled a lemon drop from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, a smile playing on his features.
Hermione returned to her seat next to the headmistress who stood and swept her arms wide to calm the students.
"To our first years, welcome. To our returning students, welcome back. I'm sure you're all hungry from your journey here but before I allow you to partake of our delicious feast I must first announce our newest professor, a former student of this very school, Auror Harry Potter."
Until then, James hadn't bothered to notice the head table but now he stared in shock as his father stood and bowed.
"Thank you, Headmistress. I will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," he stated. "Most of you have probably heard a number of stories about me, if you haven't then you likely will soon. To my sons, nieces and nephews, I apologize for not warning you but it came on rather short notice and I never really found the time, also, I'll be watching you...all of you," he stated with a pointed look at James. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"How's he gonna manage missions and teaching?" Fred whispered from across the table.
"He'll probably get an assistant professor to cover for him when he's gone," Roxanne replied. Both Weasley cousins had the trademark red hair, though it was wound in tight spirals like their mother's hair and the typical Weasley skin was absent in the face of their darker complexion though they still sported a fair amount of freckles. They both had inherited their father's penchant for mischief and pranks and hinted more than once that they planned to take over running their father's shop once they came of age. James often tagged along, causing his own mischief and mayhem and wished he was only a year older so he wouldn't be subject to the curfew of his current year-mates. One thing he was looking forward to were the Hogsmeade visits, since his uncle had set up a shop there things were getting on better as far as pranks went. James thought longingly of his father's invisibility cloak, an item that would be invaluable for pranking if he could get his hands on it but his father almost always kept it on his person save for when he was sleeping and kept it beneath his pillow.
Every Christmas James asked for the cloak, and every Christmas his father told him he wasn't old enough, which James thought was rather hypocritical of him since he got the cloak in his first year. James had heard stories of another item, a map of Hogwarts that showed everybody in it. Of course there was no way to find out if it was real but the idea made James curious, because if it was real then James was almost certain his father had it too.
"How're we going to break in the first years?" Teddy asked as he slipped into the empty spot next to James. "Since it is my last year I propose something truly spectacular."
"It's always spectacular, Ted," Roxanne remarked dryly.
"Yes, but this year needs to be amazing," he said as his hair turned a vibrant blue to emphasize his point.
"Why do you even care anymore? You're almost always busy with Tory, snogging. I mean, can't you two keep that to the broom closets?"
Teddy grinned, "Not my fault she finds me irresistible."
Roxanne snorted.
"And I care because it's my last year and I need to make a lasting impression on these young first years. I mean, I trust you to do a bang up job of carrying on my legacy but I'd like to go out with a bang, literally if possible."
Fred smiled, "I think my dad might be able to help you there. He basically skipped out on his seventh year, flew through the entry hall setting off fireworks and crackers and dropping tons of their candies. I'm sure some of the professors still remember that day."
"Then I'll talk to him on the Halloween Hogsmeade visit," he turned to James. "Speaking of which, what shop are you looking forward to the most, little bro?"
James grinned. Teddy wasn't his real brother but after his grandmother died James's parents basically adopted him and treated him like their own son. "I dunno. Probably Honeydukes."
"I remember my first time in there. Absolutely no idea where to start so I just bought one of everything."
Suddenly the food appeared in front of them and James smiled as he heard the gasps of astonished first years.
About halfway through the meal James heard a throat being cleared and turned around to see his father standing with his hands in his trouser pockets. He swallowed, "Hey, Dad."
"It's Professor Potter, James," the man replied. He tried to sound authoritative but failed and grinned down at his son. "I need to talk to Teddy. It should only take a minute."
"Sure thing, Uncle Harry," Teddy replied as he stood and followed his godfather into the entry hall.
"You think he's already in trouble?" Fred asked.
James shook his head, "Nah. Dad would have been crossing his arms and frowning. I reckon Ted's gonna be his assistant."
"Professor Lupin," Roxanne remarked. "It has a nice ring to it."
"I'm sure Tory would say the same thing," Fred replied with a mischievous smirk.
Roxanne hit him in the chest with the back of her hand.
"How do you mean?" James asked which caused both cousins to burst into a round of laughter.
"I do love your innocence sometimes, cous," Fred stated after a while. "Oh to be thirteen again."
"Minus the curfew," Roxanne added to which Fred nodded enthusiastically.
Teddy came back into the Great Hall, a grin on his face while Harry followed closely behind with his hands in his trouser pockets. He really did look like the pictures of his father, James thought as he remembered a picture of he'd seen of his grandfather standing with his friends, hands in his pockets and a cocky grin on his face.
Teddy slipped back into his spot, "I'm the new DADA assistant, it counts as hours towards my training."
"We have an in," Fred announced. "As Uncle Harry's assistant you will have special access to his office and can therefore search for the map, if it exists."
"I doubt something like that exists, guys. I mean, it would take so much work to charm it just right. D'you really think my dad and his friends had that kind of knowledge and time on their hands?"
Fred shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe they did."
Teddy sighed, "He trusted me to this position, I'm not going to betray that trust for a map that might exist."
"Well what if we found out if it really did exist?" James queried
"Then I might be of some help," Teddy replied with a grin as he bit into an apple.
James grinned wickedly and pulled out what the group had deemed their Prank Planning Board from the inside pocket in his robes. He laid the board out and picked four random objects off the table, "Now, to plan our First-Year Prank."
They all grinned. The First-Year Prank had become a tradition for them, a way to break in the new Gryffindors, and this year was special since it was Rose and Albus' first year and Teddy's last. This one would be spectacular, just like the rest of the year.
