Chapter One
The Letters from Hogwarts

'Master Potter! Master Potter, wake up!'

James Potter began to rise groggily, rubbing his eyes and mumbling choice words of complaint under his breath, before looking down at the hunched over house-elf with skin that looked like it was several sizes too large for its body.

'Kreacher has made breakfast, and then you are going with your parents to Diagon Alley.'

'Diagon Alley? Why?' James groaned, pulling himself upright in his bed.

'To buy your school things, Master,' Kreacher said.

James' eyes flew open. 'School things?'

'It is the 25th of July, Master Potter. Your letter will be arriving today.'

His letter. His Hogwarts letter. He scrambled out of bed and ran over to his wardrobe, nearly tripping over his toy broomstick which was hovering about a foot off the ground near his bed.

'Kreacher will be downstairs with your toast, Sir,' Kreacher said, before disapparating with a crack.

Once he was somewhat presentable, he padded down the brightly lit stairs from his bedroom on the second floor, to the hallway. The house was large, spread over five floors plus a basement and bore the unmistakable signs of having been completely gutted and redecorated sometime in the past. He emerged into the whitewashed hallway and walked past the empty portrait of Albus Dumbledore down into the kitchen.

'Morning James,' his Dad said, looking up from his paper. 'Are Lily and Albus up yet?'

James shrugged.

'Kreacher was just on his way to wake them, Master,' the house-elf interrupted. He put a plate of warm toast in front of James and disapparated.

'We're just waiting for the owl and for your mother to pick up Teddy, and then we'll be off.'

James nodded mutely and pulled up a chair at the kitchen table where Kreacher had left his toast.

'Wh— when is the letter coming?' James asked.

'Soon,' his dad replied with a gentle smile. 'Neville tries to make sure all of them arrive before ten o'clock.'

James nodded again, attempting to chew on a bite of toast. A moment later the fireplace at the end of the room lit up bright green and ejected two people with a whoosh. His mother and a lanky boy with shocking blue hair emerged, walking over to where James and his dad were sitting.

'Have the owls arrived yet Harry?' his mum said, giving his dad a quick kiss on the lips.

'No, not yet,' his dad replied. 'How're you doing Teddy?'

'Pretty good, thanks,' replied James' godbrother.

'Looking forward to your last year at Hogwarts?'

'Oh yeah,' Teddy replied with a grin, 'should be a blast. Of course I'll be working a lot, what with N.E.W.T.s and everything,' he added quickly, catching the look on Ginny's face.

'You're still planning to join Gringotts after then?' Harry asked.

'Yep. Uncle Bill's agreed to let me shadow him for a while on his trip to Jordan. Hopefully I'll be able to get some experience there.'

There was a sudden crash from upstairs.

'Ah, that'll be the owl now,' said Harry, looking up at the ceiling. 'I wish Kreacher would just leave the window open.'

'He's got far too much work as it is,' Ginny said, taking a piece of James' toast. 'I do think we should try and get someone to help him. I'm sure Professor McGonagall will be able to spare one of the kitchen elves from Hogwarts.'

'Merlin, no,' replied Harry, 'he'd have a heart attack.'

Just then, Kreacher reappeared in the kitchen. 'The morning post, master,' he said, handing Harry a pile of letters, 'Mistress Lily and Master Albus are awake and on their way downstairs now. Would Mistress like some breakfast, perhaps some more toast, or orange juice?' he added, noticing Ginny.

'No, thank you Kreacher,' she replied.

'I'd love some toast, Kreacher,' said Teddy.

'Of course, Master Edward.'

Kreacher handed Teddy a plate of toast and then disapparated back upstairs, while Teddy flopped down next to James.

'First year then, eh?' he said, nudging James.

James nodded, carefully avoiding Teddy eye and attempting to swallow another bite of his toast.

'Don't worry,' Teddy said jovially, waving a slice of toast around, 'you'll be fine. Just make sure you mind the moving staircases. And Peeves,' he paused thoughtfully. 'And there are the steps which try to swallow you, and that bathroo—'

'Teddy!' James' mum and dad both said simultaneously.

'That's enough,' Harry finished, though he was also sporting a suppressed grin. 'Here are both of your Hogwarts letters.'

James looked up sharply, to see his dad's outstretched hand holding the letter. The envelope was thick, much thicker than Teddy's, but made of the same yellowish parchment and addressed to him in emerald-green ink. Trembling slightly, he ripped open the elaborate maroon seal on the back and pulled out the shorter of the two bits of parchment inside.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Professor Minerva McGonagall, OMFC, Grand Sorc.

Dear Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all your necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your parents' owl confirming your attendance no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Neville Longbottom, OMFC

Deputy Headmaster

'No new books for me,' Teddy said, happily surveying his letter. 'I might need to get new robes from Malkin's though.'

'James, what about you?' his dad asked.

'Oh? Here,' he thrust the longer piece towards his dad, whilst still staring at his acceptance letter.

'All the usual stuff then,' his mum said, looking over his dad's shoulder.

'Mm, they'll still using Bathilda Bagshot's book, I see.'

'Can you ever imagine Professor Binns using anything else? He probably knows the whole book off by heart by now.'

'Well, apart from A Modern History of Magic, we've got all of these already. I don't see the need to buy new ones.'

James looked up suddenly. 'What? No, I—'

He broke off when he saw his mother attempting to stifle laughter.

'Don't listen to your father,' she said, attempting (and failing) to look reproachfully at him. 'I don't even think he's still got any of his old school books.'

'No, you're right. I left them all at your parents' place after the wedding,' his dad said.

'Yes, and Mum's probably still got all of them, knowing her,' said Ginny.

'Lily, Albus!' Teddy's shouted out to the two smaller children who had just appeared in the doorway. 'How are you two today?'

'Fine,' Albus replied. 'Are we going to Diagon Alley dad?'

'Yep, we're just leaving. Get some breakfast you two.'

- JP -

Right, so this is my first fic for a really long time, and my first ever for Harry Potter. I was re-reading the books for the nth time, and honestly just couldn't really let go. Please let me know what you think. I've got pretty thick skin, so don't hold back on the criticism. Compliments are nice also.

I'm planning on doing a chapter a week. I don't know how many chapters it's going to be yet, but I'm guessing about fifteen.