It was one in the morning at Hogwarts as James potter stirred in his four-poster bed. He could not sleep for his nightmares were too overwhelming for him to bare it.
James had become frighten for the constant nightmares that awoke him every night. In his dreams he dreamt of a bright light hovering over him then all of a sudden the light was overcome by a great darkness.
James rubbed his tired eyes and suddenly was filled with joy as he remembered that today he and his brother Albus would be heading home to see their parents and their little sister Lily for Christmas.
James found himself to sleep again and dreamt happy dreams, but he was once again awoken [but this time at a more humanly hour by a dream, not a nightmare about that peculiar light, but a face. A young and hansom face of a man that had longish black hair, wearing rag-like clothes, and the man was smiling. James was not scared, but he felt a little curious for that face of the young man felt strangely familiar.
Down below in the griffendor common room he found that his mates had hung Albus on a cloak hook by his underpants.
'Let me down! JAMES! MAKE THEM PUT ME DOWN!' Albus screams could be heard from a mile away.
The boys though he was joking about James being there just to make them put him down, James coughed and they turned around expecting the head of Griffendor [Mrs. Peacock waiting to give them detentions.
'SEE! James is here to put me down!'
But James just laughed with the rest of the boys and said.
'Yeah I'm sure little bro'
Then James's best friend Douglas put his arm around his mate and said just loud enough that James and his gang of friends could here.
'Well mate we supposed since you wont be here for Christmas that we'd give you an early present [he pointed to Albus who was glaring at Douglas.'
James laughed.
'Thanks Doug but funs over-' James quieted down a little.
'- If he doesn't think I'm being nice to him then he'd tell my mum.'
James walked over to the unhappy squiggling child and put him down, rubbing his backside Albus muttered 'thanks' into James ear.
It was only 4 hours later when Albus and James boarded the Hogwarts express.
James shoved 5 sickles into Albus's outstretched palm.
'There, now remember our deal'
Albus sighed and recited what James had told him ever time they went to see their parents.
'As far as I know James has been trying his best to behave and is always respectful to teachers [by now they were in a compartment he spends most nights doing his homework and if he has time he'll study in the librey. [This was finished but Albus kept on going But he needs to stop being a big smelly twit.'
James punched Albus in the shoulder.
'Close enough, where's that cart? I'm starving!'
A few pumpkin pasteys and a wizard card later they were leaving the train and were strangled by their mothers' hugs almost instantly.
Ginny looked at James, then to Albus and said.
'Did James behave this term?'
'Yes mum, he was behaving very well, keeping up with his school work and respecting teachers, he's always studying in the librey in his spare time, god couldn't have given me a better older brother than James.'
Ginny rolled her eyes and muttered 'I wish' and then when know one was listening Harry said to Albus in private.
'How much exactly did he pay you to say that?'
Albus smiled and replied.
'5 sickles.'
Harry laughed.
'Next time make him pay you at least double, god knows how much money he has and how he gets it,'
Albus didn't have the heart to tell his father that James was paid sickle from each boy who wanted to use the bathroom; it was his so called 'toilet tax'.
Number 1 was one sickle and number 2 was three.
Once they were finally home, James plonked his trunk, broom and other equipment into the cupboard along with Albus's wizard stuff.
Their mother called from the living room.
'Boys, come down stairs, your granddad is here with your grandma.
The boys raced down stairs pushing and shoving each other out of the way.
Grandpa was here and they both knew what that means…
Presents!
'Boys! How was school? Albus, was your first year good?'
Albus and James hugged their grandfather.
It was Christmas Eve dinner when grandpa Wesley finally remembered something.
'Woops, nearly forgot to put the presents under the tree.'
As he left the room the three kids excitedly looked at each other.
'Albus, what's hogwarts like?' moaned Lily, she apparently was still upset because she was only 9.
James sniggered; he thought 'As if Albus would know, he spends every day with his head in the clouds, either that or the toilet.'
Then he caught his mothers' eye again and fell silent.
Albus thought for a moment before answering.
'Hogwarts is kind of hard to explain Lily, but I can tell you that its beautiful, that most teachers are nice, especially Professor Slughorn.'
Lily sighed.
At nine o'clock they headed for bed, the boys rooms were right next to each other and their sisters was opposite James's room.
The boys could here their mother in there sisters room telling her the story about the 'magic goblin' who brings presents to all good little wizards and witches in his flying carriage that's pulled by hippogriffs.
Then Ginny told each of them that Ted was coming over for Christmas lunch, along with their aunties, uncles and cousins.
They all fell asleep and awoke at seven in the morning.
They rushed downstairs into the living room were they were surprise to find their parents already there.
'Where's granddad?' asked James yawning.
'Still in bed, we'll wait for everyone else to arrive before we open the presents, come into the kitchen and we'll have breaky.' Ginny turned and headed for the kitchen.
The kids moaned, but followed their mother.
One by one family members appeared.
First Ted and his grandma, then fleur, bill and their daughter Victoria, then hermione, Ron, Hugo and rose, then Percy, Charlie, gorge and James's grandma.
Once the were there they opened their presents.
Albus was upset because James got a present for becoming Griffendor seeker, Harry's fire bolt.
'If I'd became seeker I bet I would have got that.' Muttered Albus.
Albus got his revenge on James though, because he then was given a new owl.
It was snowy white and was beautiful, it's was also a girl so Albus re-named it Hedwig after his fathers owl he tragically lost. This Christmas was the best ever!