Potter and Pettigrew
Chapter 1
Just a few more, James Sirius Potter thought with nervous excitement as he looked around the Great Hall, Hogwarts is so much better than Dad described. Albus is going to be so jealous when I tell him, especially when I get in Gryffindor.
He looked at the other excited 11 year olds that surrounded him, there was a girl stood beside him, her dirty blonde hair was cropped short and she was looking down at her worn shoes.
"You ok?" he whispered, not taking his eyes off the three-legged stool.
"Fine," she whispered, not raising her head.
"What house you hoping for?" he asked turning his head slightly to but still not looking directly at her.
"Gryffindor."
"Me too. Like my parents," He said proudly.
"My Grandad was in Gryffindor but he did some pretty bad stuff. My dad was Hufflepuff I don't know my mum. She died just after I was born. Dad doesn't talk about her."
"Unlucky," James said quietly "I'm James by the way, James Sirius Potter."
"Elizabeth Pettigrew, my friends call me Libby, or they would if I had any. You're Harry Potter's son aren't you?"
"Pleased to meet you."
The two shook hands, then Libby's name was called, she gave James a small sad smile then walked quickly over to the stool where the worn and patchy hat was placed on her head. There were a couple of moments of tense silence. Libby looked nervously out into the crowd, her brown eyes found James'.
The rip in the hat opened wide.
"Gryffindor!"
Libby let out a sigh of relief and joined her new house.
"Potter, James."
James sauntered confidently up to the stool, the hat had barely touched his curly mop of hair before it sorted him into Gryffindor.
"Piece of cake," He whispered into Libby's ear as he sat down next to her.
"You seemed very confident," she said.
"I knew what house I wanted to be in. I wasn't going to accept anything else."
The sorting continued, then when Fred Weasley joined the Gryffindor table the sorting hat was taken away.
"Hi James," Fred said brightly as he sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"Hey Fred, Good summer?" he asked conversationally.
"Bit boring actually, Dad was away a lot."
"Same, mum took us out though. This is Libby," James said pointing at her, Libby looked up, shocked to be brought into the conversation.
"Hi, I'm Fred Weasley." He was ginger with freckles dotted across his nose
"Libby Pettigrew," she mumbled nervously.
Just then food appeared on the table. Fred and James piled up their plates and began talking excitedly about the year to come.
"I'm going to write to my dad, he'll be so pleased I got in Gryffindor," Fred said as he bit of a huge lump of chicken.
"Mine too," James said "Though I don't think mum was particularly bothered."
"What about your parents Libby?" Fred asked, turning to her and splattering her with bits of chicken "Sorry about that," he apologised picking up a napkin and wiping her face with it.
"My Mum's dead and I doubt my dad would be bothered," she replied quietly.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't-"
"It's ok," She interrupted "I don't like to think about it."
"Do you live with your dad then?" Fred asked as the mains were replaced with an array of delicious looking deserts.
"Leave the poor girl alone Fred, you're making her uncomfortable," James said, saving Libby from answering anymore of Fred's questions.
The three new Gryffindors were joined on their way up to the tower by a dumpy looking boy named Nigel Longbottom, son of the herbology professor, a tall thin girl called Hannah Carrington, a sour looking boy with a big nose called Robert Cardwell and a pretty girl with shiny black hair named Alicia Jamison.
"Wrackspurt," The prefect said confidently to a portrait of a large woman in a frilly pink dress.
"Welcome to Gryffindor," she said to the newcomers as she swung open obligingly to let them pass through.
"This is the Gryffindor common room. Boys dorms to the east and Girls to the west," the prefect informed them before walking away to join his friends, the Gryffindor common room was decorated in warm shades of red and sparkling gold, a fire crackled merrily in the hearth and the air was alive with chatter as old friends caught up with each other. James looked around with the air of a lord surveying his new domain, whereas Libby's mouth was almost hanging open in shock.
The boys and girls went off to their respective dorms leaving James and Libby behind.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Sorry about Fred at dinner."
"It's ok. Goodnight James."
"Night Libby.
0o0o0o0
Dad,
Hogwarts is amazing! Just like you said. I got in Gryffindor, Fred did too. I'm loving it here, it's fantastic, but tell mum not to worry because I know she will be. I'm settling in fine. I've made new friends already, Nigel Longbottom and a girl called Libby Pettigrew, she's a bit quiet but looks like she could have a good laugh.
Love James
p.s I'm not going to write everyday because I can't be bothered
p.p.s love to Albus and Lily.
James attached the letter to the leg of his owl Mercury then opened the window and watched him soar into the night. The room was dark, all the other boys were asleep. James took his dad's old invisibility cloak from his trunk and threw it over himself. A new generation of Potter has come to make mischief at Hogwarts. he thought gleefully as he remembered the stories his dad had told him about the things he, and his dad before him, had got up to at Hogwarts.
The stairs were quiet and in the common room the fire had burnt down to glowing embers, there was a noise from one of the armchairs and James noticed someone sitting there. He took off the cloak. Libby Pettigrew squeaked with shock as James materialized in front of her.
"How…What?"
"Invisibility cloak. What are you doing down here?"
"Can't sleep," she admitted "I'm scared that if I fall asleep I'll wake up in the morning back at home and this will have just been a dream."
"Well it's not. We're actually here. It's not just a dream."
"It all seems so surreal. I've been dreaming about coming here for years."
"Me too, but we're here now and you need to sleep."
"So do you, never mind wandering around in your invisibility cloak," She stood up "See you at breakfast."
James watched her disappear up the stairs to the girls dorms, then, ignoring her advice he crept out the portrait hole.
"Morning," James said as he sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Libby.
"Hi," she said quietly, not looking up from her toast.
"Sleep well?"
"Eventually. You?""Like a log," James lied, grabbing the pumpkin juice and pouring himself a glass "Have you got your timetable?"
"Yes," she mumbled, taking it out her bag for James to see, as she did so, he noticed a stack of parchment with writing scrawled on it, he looked curiously up at her but her face was turned away.
"We're in the same lessons," James said.
"Good, at least I'll know someone then," Libby sounded relieved. Suddenly there was a loud whooshing noise as the post owls swooped in through the roof. James spotted Mercury and was pleased that his dad had replied straight away, he eagerly untied the letter, leaving Mercury to soar off to the owlery in search of some well-earned rest.
James,
Congratulations on making Gryffindor, your mother and I are so proud, and your brother and sister are extremely jealous, try not to cause too much trouble though. Your new friend Libby Pettigrew, any relation to Peter Pettigrew? Remember to write sometimes, even if not every day. You know what your mother is like for worrying.
Enjoy.
All my love,
Dad
"Hey Libby," James began looking up, but Libby was gone, he thought he saw the frayed edge of her robes disappearing round the corner.
"Morning," Fred said brightly, sitting down next to James and promptly spilling pumpkin juice all over him.
A/n: Hope you like it. Reviews much appreciated.