Part one in a two part series. Next part will be posted soon as a seperate story.
CHANGED
August 31st, 1977 started out like any other day for seventeen-year-old wizard James Potter.
His stomach awoke him half past ten, clamoring for food. Unwillingly, James slid out of bed, clad in pajamas, and padded out the door and down the stairs.
The house was silent as James walked down the halls of Potter Manor, until...
"JAMES!"
Suddenly, a small figure jetted out from behind a column, grabbing James around the waist.
James laughed, ruffling his little brother's ebony hair. "'Morning, Mike. Now can you please let go?" The skinny, messy-haired boy grinned up at James, his blue eyes sparkling.
"James, Mum and Dad said we're going to Diagon Alley today! My Hogwarts letter came!" Mike proudly held out the parchment to James, who laughed.
"Nice, Mike," James said, grinning. Inside, he was bursting with pride for his little brother.
During August, the Potter family had been heavily anticipating the letter, James' parents growing more worried with each day that their youngest son wouldn't get accepted. James didn't quite get why the letter had come so late – school started tomorrow! His own letter had been delivered weeks beforehand, and he already had all of his supplies.
"Thanks, James!" Mike said, before racing off down the hall to his bedroom.
James shook his head, continuing down to the kitchen. A house elf bowed to him, and immediately, he was swarmed with breakfast from several different elves.
"That's alright, I'll get myself something," he said, and the elves disappointedly went back to their duties as James poured himself a bowl of cereal.
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It was half-past twelve when the Potters arrived through Floo in the Leaky Cauldron.
"James, take Mike to get his school supplies, will you? We need to meet a man from the Ministry for lunch," Daniel Potter said, handing the school supplies list to James.
James sighed. He'd intended to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies to take a look at the new broom, then meet up with his friends in the ice cream shop. "But Dad –"
"James," Daniel said warningly, and James sighed.
"Okay, Dad," he mumbled. Daniel nodded, handing James Mike's list and a small bag of money. "C'mon, Mike..."
Mike followed James excitedly out of the Leaky Cauldron, unaware of James' suddenly sour mood.
"Can we go to the wand shop first?" he asked, James, who shrugged. The two of them set off in that direction, Mike talking the whole way.
"... and I'm going to be sorted into Gryffindor, and I'm gonna make the house team in first year, and I'm gonna get more detentions than you, and I'm gonna have so much fun –"
"Do you ever shut up!" James suddenly burst out, and Mike quieted immediately, staring at his feet.
The rest of the trip to Ollivander's was in uncomfortable silence. James felt a small pang of guilt for taking his anger at his father out on Mike, but...
Just as they reached the wand shop, an explosion jarred James from his thoughts.
James spun around, grabbing Mike's arm. Several robed figures had appeared in the streets, blowing up things and attacking people. James could hear them jeering beneath their robes as they tortured people.
James began to run into Ollivander's, still holding Mike's arm, as this seemed to be the closest place to hide...
He was barely a step from the door when a curse hit him square in the back. His world turned black as he fell to the ground, unconscious, unaware of the rubble falling upon him.
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My head...
James groaned, his eyes squeezed shut, as his head throbbed. Through his eyelids, he could see a blinding light.
Cracking open one eye, then the other, St. Mungo's Hospital swam into view.
A Healer stood with her back to him, fixing a potion, and his mother was dozing in a chair to his right. His father was pacing around the room, and jumped when he noticed his son was awake.
"Thank Merlin, James..." He hugged his son, who looked around him.
"Where's Mike?" he asked. He couldn't remember anything beyond getting hit with that spell. "He's alright, right?"
"Oh... uh..." his father said, walking to his wife's side. "Janet, dear, he's awake..." he said, gently shaking her shoulder.
Janet Potter sat up, blinking blearily, before she remembered where she was. "Oh, James," she said, hugging her son, who winced.
"Careful, now," said the Healer, bustling over. "He has a couple cracked ribs." She took the potion she'd been brewing and instructed James to open up. He obliged, and the potion was tipped down his throat. Several seconds later, he felt the pressure on his ribs lift, and he sighed with relief.
"Anyway, Dad, where's Mike?" he asked again. Daniel Potter looked uncomfortably to his wife, who bit her lip. James felt a sudden nervous edge come onto him.
"Dad, Mum? Mike's alright, right?" he asked, worry starting to creep into his voice.
Janet burst into tears, and James looked from his crying mother to his father with horror. "James... Mike... he... he's dead," Daniel said quietly.
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King's Cross Station was filled to the brim with Hogwarts students heading for Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
Sirius Black strode in alone, as he'd escaped his childhood home the summer before and was now living on his own, thanks to a good sum of money left to him by his Uncle Alphard.
Upon stepping onto the Hogwarts platform, Sirius instinctively looked around for James, whose letter he'd gotten at nearly one that morning.
Sure enough, he found the Potter sitting on a bench, staring into space. His hair, which usually stuck up at all angles, seemed limp, and his eyes were dull. A frown was on his face, and occasionally, he'd raise his hand to fiddle with the silver Head Boy badge pinned to his tee shirt.
Sirius strode over to James, sitting on the bench beside him. James still hadn't taken notice of his friend – either that, or he was ignoring him.
"Hey, James," he said softly, looking quietly at his friend.
James turned to look at Sirius, and Sirius wordlessly hugged him.
Students in the Wizarding world, or who received the Daily Prophet, understood why Sirius Black was hugging a sobbing James Potter. The Muggleborns, or witches and wizards that didn't receive the Prophet, stared for several seconds before hastily moving on.
Lily Evans was one of these Muggleborns who was curious to know why the great James Potter, the most popular and, basically, happiest guy is school, was crying into his best friend's shoulder, but she decided that it was none of her business as she dropped off her things and went to the Heads' compartment.
Imagine her shock when James soon arrived in the very same compartment.
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The entire school was in an uproar when James Potter fled from the Sorting Ceremony as they reached the 'P's.
Sirius, who followed, found him crumpled in the hallway, sobbing. Sirius went to his side, kneeling by James as he sobbed.
"He- he should- he should be here!" James said, as his sobs began to ease. "It's- it's not fair!"
Sirius hugged him. "Life's not fair, James," he said quietly, as James began to cry harder.
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The school year sped by. James' grades went up as his Quidditch skills plummeted. Scouts from professional teams who were there to watch James, who had reportedly been Hogwart's best player, left, shaking their heads.
Every goal James scored made him feel awful, like his brother should have been in the stands cheering him on. So he stopped scoring. Every time he received the Quaffle, he passed it on.
With his mind less focused on Quidditch, James buried his nose into books. His prankings ceased greatly, and the Marauders seemed to only have three members now. James lived up to his Head Boy status, staying out of trouble, keeping top grades, and giving proper punishments.
Lily watched as James' head shrunk greatly, and she thought she would've liked the new James. But the new James was quiet and seclusive, and his hazel eyes looked dead. It killed Lily to see James like this.
She knew she was falling hard for him. But he never looked her way anymore. He never really looked at anyone. He didn't ruffle his hair anymore, he didn't torment Snape or any other Slytherins, and he didn't play with the Snitch.
Lily had, by then, found out what had happened to James, and she felt so horrible, for the many times she'd wished death on her sister Petunia. She realized how terrible she'd feel if something bad happened to her older sister, and had soon after written a letter of apology to Petunia and mailed it to her parents, requesting that they send it through Muggle post to Petunia.
Lily didn't know if James was going to be alright, but she did know one thing.
James had changed.