In Hopes You're Safe
This is a response to the "A Letter from My Hogwarts Days" Challenge on HPFC.
I have no affiliation to the Harry Potter license, that all belongs to JK Rowling, Scholastic Books, Warner Bros., and all others that take a part in the franchise.
31 October 1975
Dear the future James,
While I'm sure you'll remember this, McGonagall decided she would call some sort of House Meeting (not that I've ever heard of one before) but she wanted to tell us all something. She decided that she wanted to make some new tradition for the house of Gryffindor.
I thought it sounded bizarre, but maybe there are a few things I could actually tell you. I mean, there are a couple things that are on my chest that I can't really talk to Sirius about – he'd just laugh – and I guess this could be a part of me that no one sees; well, except for you… me… us?
Anyways, you know that girl, Lily who's always talking with Snivelling Snape? Well, I think I might like her. She's sweet and funny, and so cute. Girls do want to be called cute, right? It's not hot or anything. Mum had mentioned something about it, how it wasn't proper. But what would she know, right? She grew up years ago.
Well then, I've never really done this before so I guess I'll talk about what has happened lately. We found out why Remus seems to disappear for a little bit each month. He turns into a werewolf. My reaction was that was so bloody amazing; but Remus didn't seem to find it that great. He had confided in Sirius, Peter, and I about it and told us everything he went through from his transformations to how he wonders if this time he's hurt someone really bad – like one of us. Turns out, transforming into a werewolf is not as awesome as I thought it was.
Wormtail has been acting funny lately – oh, each of us thought it would be cool if we each had our own nickname. Peter is Wormtail, Remus is Moony, I'm Prongs, and Siri has decided he wants to be called Padfoot. Said how he always wanted to be a dog or something.
However, we found that the three of us – Padfoot, Wormtail, and I – could actually transform like Moony. Awesome, right? Siri could actually be that dog he so wanted. I think I want to try and learn to transform into a Stag – I wonder if I can yet. It would be bloody brilliant. Wormtail said he wanted to try out being a rat. Of course, I wasn't so sure it would be as brilliant as a stag or dog, but who knows.
So while McGonagall was explaining how the letter would work to us, there is this one thing that she said that is bothering me greatly. She told us; "The Letter will appear somewhere in the recipient's home 10 years later. However, there is this charm developed by an old seer that the letter could also arrive to those prior to a tragedy." Does that mean that if someone is about to get really, really hurt or die, they get their letter before that happens? I mean, that's a tad disturbing to think about. But because You-Know-Who is back, could people actually get their letter in two months' time when they go back for Hols?
Well, I hope you're well in ten years (Siri is getting restless; guess he finished his about ten minutes ago. Oh, now Lily is complaining to him that he should have written more than "Good luck in the future, mate! Try to stay single, will ya?" Well, here's to a safe ten years, future me.)
With concern, James Potter
31 October 1981
James sat on the couch in his home in Godric's Hollow. That evil madman was out to get them and he wasn't entirely sure why. Dumbledore hadn't said much – that there was a prophecy made that got You-Know-Who's blood roiling. Lily had just brought Harry up to bed; the poor kid was going through teething still and Lily had informed him that it hurt the baby for it to happen. James didn't like his son in pain, but if it was something as important as teeth, well, James would do all he could to help his son. Son; he had a son now. With Lily. He wasn't sure how he had gotten this lucky.
The smile on his face as he reflected his life came to a halt when a letter in his script popped in front of him. His brows furrowed as he looked at the letter as it dawned on him what it was. He opened it to look at it. His eyes went straight to where his younger self informed the future self about what McGonagall had said about the letters coming early. He could hear Lily coming out of the nursery with his child still in her arms. This wasn't good. "Lils, I-I got my letter. From fifth year." The connection didn't seem to be made in her head at first, but it definitely dawned on her when a banging came to their front door. "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off –"
Author's Notes: Well, I can't say I'm too happy with this as I feel I didn't get his characterization down too well. Maybe I'll go back later on and fix it, but for now, it's going to stay this way. =/