James potter and the diamond arrow

by Zita-Rose

Hey everyone. This is the first in my series of James Potter stories. Please read and Review! :

'We'll send you a letter twice a week!'

'Don't forget to eat your vegetables!'

'Don't wear the same socks for over a day!'

'And remember to write to us!'

'Don't go making any enemies.'

'And stay out of trouble.'

Harry and Ginny hugged their eldest son James.

'Alright alright, I wont forget.' He replied to their one hundred and one rules.

'Bring me back something from hogwarts, please!' begged Albus.

Albus was ten years old and already near the same height as James.

You could think they were both twins.

There were only two differences from Albus and James apart from their age.

One of them was Albus's eyes were bight green were James's eyes were brown.

The other thing was James's hair was messy and wild, but Albus's was neat and tidy.

'You know I wont Albus.' James joked.

'Im going to miss you SO much James! My little wizard in training!' exclaimed Ginny as she hugged him again even more tightly.

'Mum I need to go or I'll miss the train! And your strangling me!'

'Were just going to miss you so much!'

'I'll be fine, I have Ted to look after me, remember.'

Ginny wasn't so sure about that, but she let go of him anyway.

'James, even though your not going to get Albus anything, can you still get me something?' asked Lily, who climbed off her dad's shoulders to hug him.

'Sure Lily.' Replied James.

'Hey!' exclaimed an angry Albus from behind.

'See you son, say Hi to Neville and Professor McGonagall for us.' Harry said to James as he too hugged him.

'No worries, See you in the holidays!' James exclaimed as he bordered the train.

One of the older students closed the carriage door before James could turn around to wave one last time.

'Now where's Ted?' he thought to himself as he past the compartments looking in all of them as he went by.

In the compartments were either students catching up or frightened first years cautiously looking around the place wondering how on earth they'd survive this year.

'Ted!' exclaimed James as he saw Ted and his friends all huddled up and speaking.

James pulled open the compartment door and the group immediately broke up.

'James! It's alright mates, he's my godfathers kid.' Ted said as he patted on a place on the seat beside him.

James happily sat down and looked up at all the faces.

'James, this is Charlie.'

James shook his hand while Ted moved on to the next person.

'And this is Emily, she's head girl.'

James shook her hand too.

'This is Drake, he's from, where is it again?'

'Australia.' He replied.

James nodded.

'And this is Cleo, and Cleo's little sister Alex, she's new here as well.'

'Hi.' James said to Alex, but she just looked away.

'No offence mate, but you and Alex need to clear off, make some new friends while you at it.'

James and Alex left the compartment and it slammed shut and locked as soon as they had left.

James thought he'd have to sit with Alex, but by the time he had turned around she had already disappeared.

James searched for a compartment for about ten minutes, all of them were either filled of older students practicing magic, or they were too full.

He eventually came to a compartment that was occupied of only one.

The boy looked about his age but was reading a gigantic book.

He had brown hair and hazel eyes and loads of freckles.

James slowly opened the compartment door.

The boy hadn't realized James was there until James asked.

'May I please sit with you?'

The boy jumped with fright, then slowly nodded as he picked up his book.

James looked out the window, but it was too late to wave goodbye for the train left the station ages ago.

James instead looked back at the boy and relised he too wore glasses that had string attached to that he could take them off and not loose them.

'My name is James potter.' James said and held out his hand.

The boy looked up at him and studied his hand before smiling and shaking it.

'Hi James potter, my name is Douglas Ford.'

Then he started to read again.

'Are you a first year?' James asked.

Douglas nodded and with that he took off his glasses and put them in his case.

He placed his bookmark on the paged he was on as well.

'You new as well?' he asked James.

James looked out the compartment door, for some older students were setting off fireworks.

'Yeah, I am, and I hope im in Gryffindor.'

'Why Gryffindor?'

'Well, I've heard it's the best house, and my dad and mother were in it.

My whole family has been in Gryffindor actually, what about you? What house do you want to be in?'

The boy went red and looked at his feet.

'Well, actually my parents are muggles, so I don't know about any of the houses really, except what I've read in this book.'

Then he held up the book to show the beautiful black leather cover with the words in Gold lettering, 'Hogwarts, A History.'

'Did you know the surname, 'Potter,' comes up a number of times? His name is Harry James Potter, hang on, James potter?'

Douglas looked confused as he opened his book to look at the name, 'Harry James potter,' and then looked back at James.

'Harry potter is my dad, just so you know.'

Douglas nodded and closed his book again.

'I know this is a weird question, but what do you do before you get the letter, what I mean is, what is it like in the life as a muggle?'

Douglas thought about it for a while before replying, he didn't want to leave a bad impression on what muggles are like, but there not exactly the most EXCITING beings ever.

'Well, muggle kids go to this called school.

It's not like Hogwarts, you don't learn things like magic, they learn other things like, math and English, and social studies.'

'Okay,' replied James, 'I don't think I even want to know what social studies are.'

They both laughed when two students opened the door to the compartment.

'Can we come in?' asked the girl.

James and Douglas looked at each other before nodding.

The two students looked exactly alike, only one was a girl and the other was a boy and the girl was the shortest.

The students realized that James and Douglas were looking at them weirdly so they explained why they looked alike.

'We're twins by the way.' The girl told them.

'Im Michael,' said the boy, 'And this is Opal, my little sister.'

'By two minutes! I mean come on! That shouldn't count!'

'Oh but they do,' and then he sighed, 'I can remember it now, you weren't born, just me, ahh . . . those were the days.'

'Im James by the way,' James said, 'and this is Douglas.'

'You can just call me Doug.' Douglas said.

Michael and Opal nodded and looked out the compartment window.

'Im starving!' exclaimed Michael.

'Your always starving.' Replied his sister, 'Give me the money, I'll go up and get them from where ever the trolley lady is.'

Michael watched Opal closely as he handed her the money.

'I want two licorice wands and a packet of droobles.' He told her, 'Oh and Opal.' She turned around to look at her brother.

'I expect change.'

She rolled her eyes and walked away.

'What house do you suppose your going to be in James?' asked Michael.

'Well, I want to be in Gryffindor.' James replied.

'Great, I don't really know.

My Dad was a Gryffindor, but my mum was a Ravenclaw so I could be in either one, hopefully not in the same house as my annoying little sister Opal.'

'Oh, well my whole family has been in Gryffindor.'

'What about you Doug?' Michael asked Douglas.

Doug had gone back to reading after Opal had left the compartment and closed it again to reply.

'Well, from what I have read in this book, Gryffindor's by far the best.'

'What do you mean by 'read', what house were your parents in?'

'My parents aren't magic, they're well, muggles.'

'Oh, sorry.'

Doug went back to his reading when James checked his coat pocket for money.

He pulled out four gallons and two sickles.

'You want anything Doug?' James asked Doug.

Doug looked up from his book and looked at his money.

'Oh yes please! Could I have a Mars bar?' he asked.

'What's a mars bar?'

'Oh, it's a muggle thing, well, I'd like to try a Cauldron cake.'

'Cool, I'll be right back.'

'Oh James,' asked Michael.

'Yeah.' James replied and he turned to face Michael.

'If you see my sister, feel free to kick her.'

'Okay . . .'

James walked down the corridor of the carriage and made his way past all the students until finally getting to the trolley lady.

'Is my brother Michael still in that compartment?' Opal asked James before she left.

'Oh, yeah he is.' Replied James and she went back.

James bought a couple of cauldron cakes for Doug and a licorice wand and a bottle of butter beer for himself.

When he got back to the compartment Michael was blowing a huge bubble, entertaining Doug who had put his book away in his bag and absolutely disgusting Opal so she left to another compartment.

'Here are your cauldron cakes Doug.' Said James as he placed the mini cakes on his lap.

'Oh that's excellent James, I'll pay you back, how much was it?' exclaimed Doug as he reached into his coat pocket to pay James back.

'No you don't need to.

Just think of it as a 'welcome to the wizarding world' gift from me.'

'Alright first years over here!' bellowed Hagrid over the crowd of first year students.

The older students left down the path leaving the first years with Hagrid.

'Just down 'ere kids, follow me.' He said and he started to walk down the path towards the great black lake.

'Im going to be in Slytherin, like my mother and father, my brother said we have to do a number of tests and of cause he taught me all of the spells for them.' Said a short, thin blonde boy.

'My brother said we have to wrestle a sixty foot troll in front of the school.' Said a tall girl with pigtails.

'Ya don't do nothing o' the sort.' Chuckled Hagrid.

''Right you lot onto the boats, and don't worry to much 'bout falling off, the giant squid's on holiday in the Atlantic Ocean.' Hagrid explained as he took up a whole boat leaving the confused first years to get on by their selves.

James, Doug, Michael and Opal shared a boat with Doug holding the lamp at the front.

'Oy you, what's ya name?' Hagrid asked Doug.

'Um, Douglas Ford.' Doug replied.

'Yeah Doug, I'd get back from the front o' boat if I were you, your 'bout to tip the whole thing over.'

Doug immediately lent back to save himself only resulting in Doug pushing Michael off the edge of the wooden boat taking Doug down with him.

'You stupid- ' Michael started to say.

He tried to punch Doug but he was smaller than Michael and managed to swim away from him.

Opal and James stayed on the boat dry and laughing harder than ever.

'Shut up!' exclaimed Michael and Doug together, and then instead of fighting they turned on James and Opal who immediately stopped laughing.

'Hagrid!' exclaimed Opal and Hagrid turned to see what the matter was, but it was too late.

By the force of Michael and Doug the two dry ones had no chance and the boat was flipped upside down.

Happy first years laughed and talked and watched ghosts fly past and introduced them selves.

There was no un-happy first year climbing up the marble staircase to the great hall.

Even James, Michael, Doug and Opal were happy even though they were absolutely drenched they were probably the happiest of all of them.

They eventually approached the doors to the great hall, where waiting at the doors was Professor Longbottom.

'Wow James,' exclaimed Professor Longbottom who was examining the state of James and his new fiends, 'I think you've bet your fathers record, I don't think he ever got into trouble before he was even sorted.'

James gave a huge grin, so did the other three.

'Safirao bucklio!' yelled the professor at the four students immediately became dry.

'Thanks Nevile.' Exclaimed James before Professor Longbottom went into the Hall to see if they were ready for the first years to come in.

'Its Professor Longbottom in school Mr Potter, excuse me everyone! I'll go check to see if they're ready for you all, I'll be right back so stay here.' Then he turned and entered the hall.

All of the first years started talking at once about what house they hope they'd be in.

'I hope im in Ravenclaw like my big sister!' exclaimed a short red-haired girl.

'Im going to be in Hufflepuff, my mum was one of the last living descendents of Helga Hufflepuff.' Bragged one of the boys in a large group of students.

'They're ready, now you can come in.' said Nevile as he came back.

The excited and nervous first years slowly but surely made their way up to the front of the hall, past all the smiling older students including Ted.

'Hey professor,' whispered James as Professor Longbottom made his way up to the front of the hall to join the rest of the staff, 'Mum and dad say Hi.'

'Thank you James, I'll catch up with them soon, and good luck with the sorting hat.' Replied Nevile.

'Sorting hat?' thought James.

'What's a sorting hat? I thought we had to wrestle trolls.' Whispered Doug.

'Bets me.' Replied James.

The headmistress, Professor McGonagall, approached the new students with a stool and a hat.

'Welcome old and new students to another year at Hogwarts, I ask all of you to wait patiently for the feast as we sort the new students into their houses.

Also Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that the forbidden forest is strictly out of bounds and advises students to stay away from the trophy room on the fourth floor, for the glass needs to be repaired.'

She pulled out from her pocket a large scroll and started to read from it.

'Miller, Kyle.' McGonagall read.

The same boy who had clamed to be a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff stood forward and sat on the stool as McGonagall placed the hat on his head.

All new students lent back expecting something horrible to happen when it never came.

Then all of a sudden the hat screamed.

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

He happy ran to the house table and sat beside the Hufflepuff head boy.

'So all we do is put on a hat, then it tells us what house we're in!' exclaimed Michael.

'What if it doesn't say anything, then I have to go back home because im really a muggle.' Doug wondered.

'Don't worry your little head Doug, everything will be alright.' Said

James.

Even though James only had to put on a hat, he couldn't help but feel nervous like every other student.

What Doug had said really got to him.

What if he wasn't magic, and he just sat there for ages until McGonagall came and took it off and told me to get back on the train and go home?

'Ford, Douglas.' McGonagall called.

James finally awoke from his little daydream when it became Doug's turn.

He slowly walked up to the stool and sat down.

'Don't worry, everything will be okay.' McGonagall reassured him as she stepped backwards.

After about ten seconds it exclaimed, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

'I made Gryffindor!' mouthed Doug as he sat down and James laughed.

It was only four people after that until 'Hutchinson, Michael,' was called.

He grinned as he practically sprinted to the stool.

He closed his eyes and crossed his fingers before the hat shouted once more, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

He raced to sit opposite Doug and they were both happy as ever.

'Hutchinson, Opal.' McGonagall called and she too sprinted to the stool and grinned as the hat was placed on her head.

Michael crossed his fingers that she wasn't in Gryffindor and that she would be put in Ravenclaw.

But he gave a big sigh as the hat screamed, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

She sat beside her brother and poked her tongue at him.

He just glared at her and then looked away to talk to Ted.

Ten minutes had gone by with the students being sorted, then finally McGonagall called out onto the crowd, 'Potter, James.'

All around the hall students and staff sat up a little higher, some even stood.

They all wanted to see the eldest son of Harry potter.

James slowly approached the wooden stool and sat down.

He looked a little closer at the hat and relised it wasn't just a mouth it had a whole face.

It was old, dirty and patched but all the same you could not deny the hat had a magic feel to it.

James could sense the magic as McGonagall placed it on his head.

'Please Gryffindor, please Gryffindor.' James thought.

'Like father like son aye? He too wanted to be in Gryffindor, but he could of done well in Slytherin,' replied the hat.

'Well,' James thought back to the hat, 'He did better in Gryffindor, and I'd do great as well.'

'I see you have a lot of courage and bravery, so I'll put you in . . .'

'GRYFFINDOR!'

James felt as if he had just been crowned King of The World as he ran to the Gryffindor table.

He sat next to Doug who was equally happy because not only he was in Gryffindor, but the three friends he had made were also in Gryffindor with him!

'Oy James,' exclaimed Ted, 'Welcome to Gryffindor you loony, heard you got in a bit of trouble with the lake, nice.'

James and the others grinned as more students were sorted.

'Stevenson, Emma.' McGonagall called.

'What!' yelled James.

He immediately covered him mouth.

Emma Rose Stevenson was a girl James new since he was little.

He had always thought she was nice and pretty but James didn't want to be friends with a muggle!

No matter how hard she tried James ignored her.

Ever since they were ten she hated him, and now James felt so guilty about mistreating her.

'GRYFFINDOR!' the hat screamed and James sighed.

'It's alright though.' Thought James, 'I'll apologies and we'll be friends, maybe.'

She came down the table happy as can be until she saw James and her face turned sour and angry.

She looked for somewhere else to sit, but there was nowhere.

'Hi Em- ' James started but she turned around and said.

'James Potter you are stupid and I don't like you so never talk to me okay!' then she turned to look somewhere else.

Hayden Tennyson, Benjamin young and Victoria zedja were the three other students that were sorted after Emma into Gryffindor.

McGonagall clapped her hands together and plates filled with food appeared.

'Wow!' exclaimed Michael as he took some chicken of a plate.

'My mum said it would be like this, but it's hard to imagine it until you actually see it!' said Opal.

James filled his plate up with as much food as he could possibly eat, then to everyone's delight came dessert.

'Damn, I shouldn't have eaten all that food, now im too full!' exclaimed Ben who was thinking along the same lines as James.

'Hey Ted, how can you eat like that?' asked Doug who was watching Ted eat.

'Honestly,' Ted managed to say with his mouth full of cake, 'I don't really know.'

'Well you eat like a wolf.' Joked Doug.

Then Ted's face turned pale and he spat everything out.

'Ted, you okay?' asked James who was watching Ted's sad and pale face.

James knew he wasn't.

Not so long ago James's dad told him of how Ted's dad was part wolf, and how he turned into a wolf every full moon.

Ted looked at James like he knew what he was thinking.

After the feast the head girl and boy collected all the first years and made them follow the head's to the Gryffindor common room.

'Alright twits.' Exclaimed Ted who was the Gryffindor head boy, 'This is the Fat Lady portrait, she guards the Gryffindor tower.'

'Triwizard is the password.' Said Emily the head girl.

She then turned to face the Portrait and clearly said.

'Triwizard!' and the portrait opened.

'Come on in.' Ted said and he ran in taking the best armchair by the fire.

'Where do we sleep?' asked Victoria.

'Oh right, um, guy's go up the staircase and your rooms are one on the left, girls same for you only your rooms are on the right.' Said Ted, and he sat back down.

There was a stamped of students from year one to seven.

It was easier for the first years because their rooms were one of the first ones.

'Finally.' Michael said aloud jumping onto his bed.

In front of every bed was a student's suitcase and Michael had found his.

'This is mine, hey James, im next to you and Michael.' Exclaimed Doug who too lay of his four-poster bed.

James sat on his and realized there was an empty bed.

'Oy Michael,' said James and Michael sat up, 'whose bed is that?'

Michael stood up and looked at the suitcase.

'His name is, Benjamin Young.' Michael said and took a pumpkin pasty from his suitcase.

'That's gross mate.' Said Doug who was watching Michael eat the squished cake.

'It's only two days old, no harm in eating it.'

Then a barn owl flew through the open window and dropped at letter onto James's bed.

'Who is it from? Your parents aren't that obsessive over you are they?' asked Michael who sat up to watch James open he letter.

Dear James

Hi how are you? Listen I was wondering if you and your friends might want to come round for tea in my cabin this Friday, if not then please reply in this letter.

Hope your well

Hagrid.

P.S, well done for making Gryffindor.

'Whose it from?' asked Doug.

'Hagrid, he wants to know if we could make it to his house for tea on Friday.' Replied James.

'Well I'd like to go, I've been told in his cabin he once brought up a dragon!' exclaimed Michael.

'No, that's not true, well not entirely anyway.' Replied James.

'Well I can make it too.' Said Doug.

They didn't realize that Benjamin was at the door.

'Um, hi?' he said nervously.

'Oh, you must be Benjamin.' Said Doug.

'It's Ben, but my mother wont call me by that, she prefers Benjamin.' He replied and sat on his bed.

'Im James, and this is Michael and Doug.'

Doug and Michael waved at Ben who smiled.

'You all right?' asked Michael.

'Had kind of a ruff trip, my parents are muggles, and I joined a group of boys in a compartment and they were all third year slytherin students, but I didn't know they were bullies.' Exclaimed Ben who lay down on his bed with frustration.

'What did they do?' asked James who had only just noticed all the bruises on Ben's face.

'Well they asked if my parents were magic, and I said no, then they started to beat me up for being muggle born and they practiced jinxes on me as well.'

'That's horrible! Thank goodness James and Michael didn't do that to me.' Said Doug.

'You muggle born as well?' asked Ben.

'Yeah.'

'Not that there's anything wrong with it, at least you don't have a famous Dad.' Said James.

'You know what, we should make up a group, or as muggles call it ' A Gang.' Suggested Michael.

'How about the 'Muggles rule Gang?' suggested Doug.

'Yeah, but Michael and I aren't muggle born.' Said James.

'We don't have to include Muggle born in the name, we could be called the Jade rocks for all I care.' Said Michael.

'What about we put every colour on a piece of paper in a hat, then about twenty animals in another hat.' Suggested Doug.

So on a piece of paper they write twenty colors and twenty animals and put them in separate hats.

'Okay, Doug, you pull one out.' Said James.

Doug closed his eyes and picked out a piece of paper from the animal hat.

He chose one and unfolded it and read, 'Phoenix.'

'Okay, Ben, you can do the other one.' Said Michael.

Ben took one and unfolded it before reading, 'Black.'

'So the 'Phoenix Black Gang?'' said Ben.

'Na, how about the 'Black Phoenix Gang'.' Suggested James.

'Yeah.' The others agreed.

'Whose going to be the leader?' asked James.

The other three looked at each other before turning to James and saying, 'You.'

'Good morning.' Said Opal as the four boys came down to the great hall for breakfast.

'Im starving!' exclaimed Michael who sat beside Opal and grabbed a plate full of Jam toast.

'Slow down Michael, one of these days your going to choke on your food.'

'Shut up.'

Opal sighed and smiled at James before leaving to join her friends.

'This toast is excellent!' yelled Michael and he went to grab more, while James, Ben and Doug watched Michael eat like a hungry lion.

'What do we have first?' Ben asked James.

'Herbology, then Potions, after lunch we have double defense against the dark arts.' James's heart gave a jolt.

Defense against the dark arts were apparently strength for the Potter's.

'Welcome students to your first ever lesson of Herbology.' Said Professor Longbottom as he came into the greenhouse.

'My name is Professor Longbottom.' He said while he write his name on the board.

There were a few sniggers at the back of the class but James shushed them up.

'Today we are going to read from your text book, 'A Guide to Herbology'.'

There were a few moans from the class as they took out their books from their bag.

'Yes I know it's annoying but we need to start with the basics then we can move onto more practical things.'

He turned away from the class and back to the board and started to write again.

'Right, I need you to read pages one through to twenty today and if you finish quick enough you can read onwards to page sixty, that'd save you the hassle of doing it for homework, for homework-'

'Hey James,' whispered Doug, 'since we have a group and all, what do we do?'

'Well it's like a Robin Hood story, we'll take from the rich and give to the poor, in other words, us.' Replied James.

'James, I like you as a friends and all, but I don't steal.'

'No you loon, we could start up like our own business, a bit like the weaslys with the Wesaly Wizard Wezzers, only we'll do something else, something totally original.'

'Toilet tax.' Said Michael as they made there way to lunch.

'What?' exclaimed James, Ben and Doug who were laughing at Michael's suggestion.

'Toilet tax, simple enough to understand, not that you dung heads would though.' Joked Michael.

'So what is this Amazing toilet tax then?' James said as they sat down at the table and started loading food onto their plates.

'Well, we guard the entrance to the boys toilets and each student has to pay a sickle per entry.'

'Like anyone would listen to us.'

'Yes, well it's a working process, Doug's big enough and ugly enough to scare the first years younger or weaker than ourselves, then next year we have a whole form to get sickles from.'

'Sounds kind of mean though,' said Doug grabbing a sausage from one of the plates.

'You are big and strong Doug, yet your as soft as a marshmallow.' Exclaimed Michael.

'Oh James!' exclaimed Professor Longbottom as he ran into the great hall, 'the defense against the dark arts teacher is missing! He was on the train and at the feast, but ever since the end of period one, the teacher has completely vanished! You must inform the other Gryffindors.' And then he ran off to tell the Ravenclaws that they shared the D.A.D.A with.

After finishing telling the Gryffindor first years of the cancellations, James, Doug, Michael and Ben made their way down to the boy's toilets.

Ten minutes later they came back with one sickle and loads of bruises.

'That worked well.' Ben said sarcastically as they climbed through the portrait hole.

'Well, considering we got one sickle, we weren't too bad.' Said Michael, he sat down on the armchair beside the fire.

'And well, we could be in a worse state than we are now if those sixth year Slytherins weren't feeling so evil today.'

'Lucky.'

'Hey do you three want to do something REALLY exciting?' asked James who immediately sat up to get closer to the other Gang members, 'Do you want to check out the defense against the dark arts room.'

'Hell yeah! Im in James.' Exclaimed Michael.

'Same.' Doug said, he was laughing at the excitement of Michael.

'Sure why not.' Ben agreed.

They slowly walked to the D.A.D.A room, avoiding students and staff they eventually made it.

'Is this the room?' whispered Ben.

'Yeah, says his name on the door, 'Professor P Memory.' Replied James.

'Is it open?' asked Doug.

'I don't know.'

James tried to push the door open, and then he tried the handle.

'It's locked!'

'I don't know any spells yet, what about you?' asked Michael.

'Were all in the same class, we haven't learnt all this yet.' Exclaimed Ben.

'I know how to do it!' exclaimed Doug, 'well it's worth as shot any way, it was in one of the books I read before coming to school.'

He studied his thoughts trying to remember what it was.

'Aha! Alohamora!' he yelled at the door, and with a swish of his thick wand the door unlocked and opened.

'Close the door behind you!' whispered Michael to Ben.

The door shut and Ben turned on the lights.

'What exactly are we looking for any way?' asked Ben as he walked over to the three boys.

'Clues,' said James, 'something that might explain his disappearance.

Then he saw it.

Glistening like a diamond was something amongst the rubbish in the bin.

'What's that?' James asked Ben who was closest to the rubbish bin.

'Rubbish?'

'No, that shining thing.'

James ran up to the rubbish bin and pulled the diamond like object out.

It was diamond the shape of an arrow and it was pointing to somewhere in the room.

'What's that?' asked Doug who was walking over to James.

They all huddled around the arrow and James pushed them to the side.

'It's pointing to something.' James said, he moved closer to see what it was when the door slammed open and the third year up Herbology teacher Professor Sawyer came in.

'You four!' the teacher screamed as James put the arrow deeper in his pocket, 'Out now! And fifty points from Gryffindor!'

'Fifty points!' exclaimed Ben, 'That's a bit over the top I think!'

'You lost fifty points!' exclaimed Ted who was laughing more than he was yelling, 'You'll have to make up for that James when you put your skills to use on a broom and lead Gryffindor to victory!'

'When's try outs?' asked Michael.

'What's Quiddich?' asked Ben.

'The tryouts are early this year, it's next week.'

'I guess we should do that homework Longbottom and Slughorn gave us.' Said Michael, and he pulled out the thick books.

Four days later Professor Memory was still missing!

No one knew of his were abouts, so they brought in the only two substitutes that were qualified enough, and whose classes weren't at the same time as the D.A.D.A ones.

James, Doug, Michael and Ben came into the class that they haven't had for a week only to find their Herbology teacher was now also their Defense against the dark arts teacher.

'Hello class, since I have you two house's for Herbology you already know who I am.' Said Professor Longbottom as he came out of the D.A.D.A office.

All except James pulled out their books as they all suspected that the teacher that makes them only do reading and writing in Herbology would surely do the same in D.A.D.A.

'What are you all doing with your books out? There's nothing in a book that you couldn't learn faster than by doing it in this class with a wand. '

The whole class broke into happy and silent chatter as they put their books away and took out their wands.

'Today if you'd please follow me to a more 'spacious' room in the school so we could learn the Alohamora spell.'

The whole class was super excited, well except Doug who already knew the spell.

The class happily followed him up to the seventh floor were they entered a room none had noticed was there before.

After the most exciting class they had had all week, all of the first years from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor came down to the great hall from their double defense against the dark arts class.

'I'd hurry up and finish eating quick if I were you.' Ted whispered to the four Black Phoenix Gang members, 'try outs are in ten minutes.'

He left the hall in a rush.

'Hey Ben and Doug, you coming to try outs?' asked Michael as he drank some butter beer.

'I will, I've heard the game is quite good.' Said Doug.

Ben thought about it before replying with a nod.

They ran down to the pitch not worrying about getting changed.

'Knew you four would be here!' exclaimed Ted as he rushed them over to the center of the pitch were Sylvia Ashton the caption of the Gryffindor Quiddich team was waiting.

'What position do you play?' she asked the four.

'Seeker.' Said James.

'Beater.' Michael told her.

'Um, beater, sure why not.' Doug also said.

'Goalie?' Ben confusingly said.

The caption took the suggestion of Goalie to be the Keeper.

'Alright, Chasers are first, you four wait down there and Ted will sort you out for the brooms.'

The four met Ted in the Gryffindor base and he sorted out what broom would suit whom the best.

'Clean sweep seven for you Doug.' Said Ted as he handed the large broom to Doug.

'Um, Comet three sixty for you Ben.'

'And I think clean sweep for you as well Michael.'

'And of course a Nimbus two thousand for you James.'

After watching the chasers try out they felt even more nervous.

First one didn't even lift off his broom, second got on it all right, but then went straight up and fell off and the third one was excellent!

The fourth and fifth ones were on the team last year and were perfect were else the sixth one, lets just say old Madam Kendra as mended too many broken bones in her ten years as Hogwarts nurse.

'Keeper up!' yelled Sylvia and Ben nervously made his way down the pitch like all other to try out.

Luckily enough the Gryffindor's had have a lesson of flight already so they had more experience than nothing.

'Which one is Ben?' asked Doug looking around the pitch.

'That one! That's going now!' exclaimed Michael who was using Ben's binoculars.

The excited three watched Ben go on his broom, he seemed all right as he flew up to the goals.

Except he didn't save any goals!

'Sorry mate, but old finny over there saved five out of five, and well, you didn't save any, so maybe next year aye.' Said Sylvia as she patted him on the back.

'You all right Ben?' asked the three boys.

'Yeah, hey you two should be out there its beater tryouts now.' Exclaimed Ben as Doug and Michael ran towards the caption.

'Hey there's Doug!' exclaimed Ben looking through his binoculars.

Doug was awesome!

He flew like he'd been doing it for years, he hit every bludger and even got some through the goals and even though he was an excellent beater, he could have been an excellent chaser as well!

Ten minutes later after other beaters trying out, it was Michael's turn.

He was great on a broom! Really was except didn't hit any bludgers, he eventually got smacked in the leg with one and had to be called off to go to Madam Kendra.

'No, James don't be stupid,' exclaimed Michael as Doug and Ben tried to get him to the hospital wing, 'you'll miss try outs, I'll be fine.'

James watched his friends go as he made his way onto the pitch as well as all the other hopeful students.

'Potter, your up.' Said Sylvia as she checked his name of the list.

James slowly got onto the Nimbus two thousand and lifted off into the air.

'Right James,' said Sylvia when she caught up with him, 'We're going to let out ten golden snitches onto the pitch, you have to catch as many as you can in ten minutes.'

Then she waited until he was ready, then 'Go!' she cried.

James nervously looked around him searching for the nearly invisible golden snitches.

There! James spotted one and he zoomed over to it.

Its tiny golden wings flew it away from James so he had to reach as far as he could until yes! He caught it!

He tucked it safely into the little bag he was given and went in search of another.

Two golden snitches hovered over a goal post.

James zoomed there on the broom and snatched both with one hand.

They were small enough to do so.

He put them into the bag.

That was Snitches number five and six.

'Two more minutes James!' exclaimed Ted.

He managed to collect one more golden snitch before he was called back to the ground.

'That was great James!' exclaimed Sylvia and Ted.

'You bet the last guy by two! You're the new seeker for Gryffindor!'

'Really! Great! Did Ben, Doug or Michael make the team?' asked James as Ted was taking him to the Gryffindor broom shed.

'Well the keeper, is Sylvia, Ben didn't make it sorry.

Chasers are Emily, Greg and Opal.'

'Opal!' exclaimed James.

'Yeah, isn't she Michael's twin?

Well beaters are Doug and I. And seeker is you.'

'Great, you and Doug are on the team.'

'Yeah, I'll have to watch for him though, he has a mean swing.'

James placed the broom beside Ted's and said goodbye before running over to the hospital wing were Michael, Ben and Doug were.

'Michael, you all right?' asked James as he sat down on a chair beside his bed.

'Did I make it?' Michael asked.

'No sorry, Doug and I did though.'

Doug was super excited and Ben and Michael were happy for them.

The three walked to the Gryffindor common room with out Michael that night.

They didn't say anything when they got to the dormitory; they just went straight to sleep.

Two weeks had gone by since that night.

The arrow had stayed safely in his suitcase while the D.A.D.A teacher Professor Memory struggled to reason with the evil wizard to let him live.

'You fool! You said you had the arrow with you when you came to Hogwarts.' Yelled the master; 'you promised the arrow to me for the safety of you and your family!'

'I don't know where it went master, im so sorry, some one must of stolen it!' replied Professor Memory, 'if you would be so kind master, to let me go back to the school and find the arrow- '

'That you'll do, but if I don't have the arrow in a month, you and your family will die.'

'I keep telling you, that arrow goes ballistic every time im near the D.A.D.A room.' Exclaimed James as he headed over to the great hall for lunch with the rest of the Black Phoenix Gang.

'Don't worry about it mate.' Michael said as they sat down, 'Im sure you're just going crazy.'

'Great news!' exclaimed Professor McGonagall, 'Professor Memory is back! He was found lost in a locked tower.'

Professor Memory stood and bowed to the school, but there was something about him that just didn't seem right.

'He'll be back to teaching straight away.'

'Oy James, what do we have now?' asked Opal.

'We have defense against the dark arts next.' Replied James, 'Ow!'

Something stabbed him.

It was the arrow; he didn't put it there.

'That's weird,' he thought as he realized it was pointing to Professor Memory.

'Good afternoon class, my name is Professor Memory and im your Defense against the dark arts teacher.'

Professor Memory walked out from his desk and started writing what to do on the board.

'I don't have the slightest idea why you all have your wands out.' He added and to everyone's disappointment they put their wands away and took out their books.

'James,' whispered Opal to James who was beside her, 'whatever you are doing, stop it now, you'll get your self into trouble and lose more points for Gryffindor!'

James looked around him and realized the arrow in his pocket was spinning wildly out of control!

James held it to make it stop but instead he just got cuts on his hands from the sharp point.

So he then tried sitting on it, but it spun from underneath him as well.

'Mr Potter, what in the world are you doing?' asked Professor Memory as he sat down on his chair and watched James jump up and down.

'Um, I err, need, to go to the toilet, please Professor.' James struggled to think of a suitable lie.

'Then do go, and don't be too long you have work to do.'

James hid the arrow in his pocket again and ran out of the room and made his way to the bathroom making sure no one was following him.

'Ow!' he exclaimed as he took out the arrow from his pocket.

It had stopped spinning and was still pointing to the D.A.D.A room.

James studied the cuts on his hands, he put the arrow back into his pocket and decided it would be best to go to Madam Kendra to get them checked, it was badly bleeding.

'Hey James, where were you at Professor Memory's class, I thought you said you needed to go to the bathroom.' Said Opal as they walked down to the pitch for Quiddich practice.

She handed him his bag that he left behind and what they had to do for homework.

'I, err fell and cut myself on the broken window.' Lied James, but this lie wasn't entirely false, he was going to the hospital wing only to slip on the wet floor and smash his hands through a low window.

'That was smart, well see you on the pitch.' And she turned to go into the girl's changing rooms.

'James!' exclaimed Sylvia as she ran to her injured seeker, 'what on earth did you do?'

'Long story short, I cut it, but I can still fly, it'll just hurt like-'

'No matter, hurry up and get changed.'

James ran to the boy's changing room and changed from his school uniform, to his Red and Gold Quiddich uniform.

James, Doug and Opal made their way back to the Gryffindor common room absolutely starving.

They missed Tea due to Sylvia's extra long team practice.

'Im starving, and normally Michael's the one who says that!' exclaimed Opal as she rested on the armchair.

'Your not alone on that one Opal.' Doug said as he and James too sat on a chair beside the lit fire.

'Worry no more!' yelled Ted as he ran into the common room with the other Quiddich team members.

They were all carrying loads of food and drink.

'Were did you get this stuff?' exclaimed James as he reached for a mince pie.

'Well im surprised your dad hadn't told you about the house elves kitchen, it's packed with food, and the house elves are happy to serve you.' Replied Ted as he drew up some chairs.

'Well don't you dare tell Michael,' said Opal, 'We might never see him again if he knew.'

The others laughed and at ten o'clock they finally called it a day.

The next two days were full of work at both school and on the pitch, Doug and James felt as if they had no time to breathe anymore.

It was the end of a busy day and Sylvia told the team that practice was canceled due to three players had mysteriously caught the measles that miraculously disappeared as soon as they found out.

'Ah good old weaslys.' Ted said while the two other healed players laughed in the common room, 'what would we do without you?'

James had just finished writing yet another letter to his parents when he finally remembered something.

'Did I tell you that when I was sitting in Memory's class the other day, that arrow was spinning like mad?'

The three looked up curiously.

'No,' they replied, 'why?'

'Well, I think that old Professor Memory is hiding something in his classroom.'

They all grinned mischievously as they all thought what the others were thinking.

'I think,' started Michael.

'We should check it out?' Replied Ben and Doug.

'Exactly' replied James and they tip toed out of the common room and down the moving staircases down to the third floor were they tried to get into Memory's classroom once again.

'Do that Alohamora thingy again Doug.' Ben said as he found the door was locked again.

'Alohamora!' Doug exclaimed and the door unlocked and opened once more.

They cautiously opened the door, just in case he was there.

He wasn't, so they slowly crept into the abandoned classroom and turned on the lights, as the door was closed shut.

'Oy Ben, lock the door this time, so if someone trys to get in they'll see the doors locked and not bother.' Suggested James and Ben did that.

'Right.' James also said as he pulled the arrow from his pocket, 'I'll go back to where I was sitting and show you.'

The arrow pointed desperately to the center of the class where James once sat, and once again it spun wildly out of control.

'Hey James, move the desks and chairs that are on that mat aside, there might be something underneath it.' Whispered Michael.

James, Doug, Michael and Ben grabbed hold of the desks and chairs and slowly pushed them to the perimeter of the class where Michael started to roll the large mat so it revealed the wooden floor.

'There!' he exclaimed as he revealed underneath the mat where James was.

It was a large trap door that had no handle.

'Stand back' Doug said to the others before shouting.

'Wingarduim Leveosa!'

He levitated the handle-less trap door so it showed a large hole.

They all looked down it and they saw it was dark, with only a lit torch and miles of a stone staircase.

'Should we?' said Ben.

'We should.' Replied the other three.

They took the lit torch and climbed down the as it seemed 'never ending staircase' until they reached the bottom.

'Now where do we go?' asked Michael as he looked around the place.

It looked like they were far under the school for the walls were mud and rock.

'Is that lava?' asked Doug as the came close to a red water full.

'I think it is!' replied James.

The arrow was pointing to somewhere in the cave.

Or someone.

Or a whole bunch of people.

'You fools! Get back to your common rooms quick!' yelled Memory as they came closer.

'Professor? What are you doing here?' asked James, they came closer to see the six people that were there.

There was Professor Memory, his wife, his two daughters and his son.

' Why is your family down under the school?' asked Michael.

'No time to explain!' Memory yelled, then he saw the arrow in James's hand, and James knew he saw it as well.

'Mr potter, please give me the arrow.'

'No.' James replied holding it a little tighter, the arrow was pointing towards Memory's family.

'Whys should he?' asked Doug.

'Because if you do I'll let all of you live.' Replied a voice from behind them.

'Master I- ' started Memory.

'Shut up! How dare you bring them here!' the old man replied.

'Who a-are you?' asked Ben.

The old man looked at James who recognized him at once.

'Your Lucius Mafoy!' exclaimed James, Michael looked closer to the man and realized it was.

'It is! I recognize you from the daily prophet when you escaped from Azkaban!'

'What's Azkaban?' whispered Ben.

'Wizard prison.' Doug whispered back.

'Just give me the silly littler arrow and I'll let you little lovelies go.'

'Azkaban didn't do you any good did it?' exclaimed James, 'your mad if you think I'd give it to you, unless you tell us why you want it?'

'If you don't he'll kill my family with the lava over there.' Exclaimed Memory, 'He'll kill us all-'

'Fool!' exclaimed Lucius.

Ben saw a big key that looked as if it'd fit the lock that kept Memory's family cadged.

It was on Lucius's belt.

'Distract him.' Whispered Ben as he attempted to get the keys.

'Well, your not getting it.' James told him.

'Well then, get through this!' he exclaimed, and he leapt into the air on his broom just as Ben was a meter away from getting the key.

'Damn it!' he yelled.

'Bonbarda!' he yelled and pointed his was at the lava waterfall.

He also hit other places of the cave before flying through the mouth of the cave and out the passage that led to Hogsmead.

The ground shook beneath them as they started to run.

'Professor Memory! Hurry!' they exclaimed.

'Not without my family!' he yelled back, he turned to his weeping family.

'The key!' Ben shouted as the key that was on Lucius's belt had come off.

He grabbed the key and threw it to Professor Memory who unlocked the cadge to save his family when nearly half of the exit was blocked by rocks.

'We need to hurry!' he yelled as the ran as fast as they could to the exit.

They dodged boulders and hot rocks and they made it!

Just in time for the cave to collapse.

They took the torch and slowly made there way up the stairs and thorough the hole were they also fell as the ground beneath then shook like an earthquake and they fell..

Raining, there was nothing that could be seen in the thick layer of fog that surrounded him that night.

He had felt like he was alone, apart from the occasional person that went past him.

Then, when all hopes of winning were lost he saw it.

The golden snitch, hovering above the Slytherin seeker's head its tiny wing sprung into speed.

James zoomed after it.

All hopes of winning back those lost points should be made up for if he reached a little farther.

He was just about there when his name was yelled out from a distance.

Then there was total silence before even more voices could be heard, all calling his name and he lost track of the snitch.

'No!' he thought as he desperately searched for the winged ball.

He spotted it again! And this time he flew faster than ever, about ten millimeters away when Doug finally got him to wake up from his sleep.

'Ow you dork, you broke my reading glasses!' he exclaimed as James sat up a little too fast.

'Ow my stomach.' James yelled as he lay back down again slowly.

He looked at his stomach to see it was all bandaged up.

He then looked up at his three friends to see they all had cuts on their faces, some three times bugger than others.

'What happened?' James asked.

'Well when we got up the stairs to Memory's classroom the ground under us collapse.' Michael said as he grabbed a cauldron cake from a basket of food in front of James's bed.

'Even with a stomach injury,' said Opal from behind them, 'you still mange to have room to eat.' And she took the half eaten cake and threw it in the bin.

'These were sent up last night from Professor Memory and his family, kind of a 'thank you for saving our lives' present.' She added.

Michael took another mini cake without Opal noticing this time.

'Thank you, for bringing them up to us.' James told her.

She went red and walked away.

'She likes you, shame.' Said Michael flipping through a little pink diary with the words 'keep out' on it, 'you'd think she'd put locks on her diary, here look at this James, your name 's in a love heart! Gross!'

James and the others laughed.

Another two weeks later it was time to go home for the Christmas holidays.

'See you next term!' exclaimed James as he left his friends to go home with his family.

'I'll call you.' Michael mouthed them cracked up laughing.

Ben and Doug had already gone by the time Harry and Ginny had picked up their son from then station.

'How was your term?' asked Harry as they climbed into the car.

'Smashing.' James replied as he gave Lily and Albus their treats he promised.

'You come up with the weirdest of words.' Said Ginny, James sighed with relief, maybe McGonagall hadn't told them of James, Doug, Ben and Michael's little adventure, 'Just so you know, your grounded for life.' She added.