Chapter 1: A trip, a plan, and consequences...

A/N: This is the first chapter which I wanted to publish early because a) I wanted to continue so badly and b) because the prologue does hardly tell you anything about the real story. But after I had written most of it more than a week ago, I kind of stopped because I didn't have time to finish it, but: here it is! So... enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the world I want to live in.

2017

To say that James Sirius Potter liked his life would be wrong.

Actually, he thought he had the best life ever.

Living as the son of an international hero and a former quidditch player was probably the best thing he could imagine, and especially at Hogwarts, he felt he himself was probably the best thing to ever happen to the world. He had his friends (also known as cousins) and everyone could see mischief in his hazel eyes. He pulled pranks, played Quidditch and sometimes, (just to confuse Professor McGonagall, of course) even payed attention in his classes. But, well, most of the time, he did the other two things.

But the real fun had started when his third year had. Now he was allowed to go to Hogsmeade, which he had never visited before because both of his parents had agreed that it would be more impressive if he went there on a Hogsmeade weekend with all the other students and his friends. He had gone there a few times now that it was February in his third year, and he still loved it. Going to Honeyduke's, to The Three Broomsticks and to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (previously Zonko's),where he sometimes met his uncles George and Ron, who was working there after getting an Auror, was simply wonderful, and so it was going to be this weekend too. He went to Hogsmeade with his cousins Louis and Fred, who were also his best friends and partners in crime, and they decided to go to The Three Broomsticks and drink a butterbeer to warm up again.

„I am telling you: she likes me!", he heard Fred say.

„Fred, for the hundredth time: Alice Longbottom doesn't like you, and the looks she threw you yesterday were looks of compassion because you failed at your History of Magic essay." Louis really didn't support Fred when it came to girls, mostly because he found it annoying, but also a bit because he thought he should be the one admired since he thought himself very handsome being a part veela, James suspected.

„But later, in Charms, she was looking at me like I was some kind of hero to her!", Fred said excitedly.

„Well, she admired your work, you are, after all, brilliant at casting charms."

„Oh, how flattering. But: she likes me!",he simply shouted the last part, and a few other pupils looked at him interestedly.

„No, she doesn't like you! Believe me, I am a part veela, I know what girls look like when they like you," Louis said.

„Well, I think she likes me. What do you think, James?"

„I think she likes you, I mean, she even offered to help you with Herbology. But I also saw the look on Neville's face, I think he doesn't like to see her falling for you.", James answered and snickered.

„Poor Alice. First, she falls for an idiot like Freddie, then she can't look at him once without her father noticing since he's her professor."

Fred snorted at Louis calling him an idiot first, but his expression changed as soon as he realized that Louis had finally admitted that she liked him.

As they walked into The Three Broomsticks, they noticed that there were no students in it, or at least not nearly as much as normally. The last few students were about to exit, and they looked at them strangely and quickly whispered: „I wouldn't go in there. Professor McGonagall is having a conversation with the minister of magic and it looks pretty serious." „I really don't think they'd like to be disturbed." After that, they finally left and Louis was about to go too, but James stopped him. „Louis, Hermione is our aunt! And I don't see why the things she and old Minnie are talking about should be kept a secret, I mean, how bad could it end? Besides, we are practically the most responsible people in the world, so... if we heard something, we wouldn't go and tell everybody about it." „You mean: Let's eavesdrop, if we hear something we shouldn't hear, it's okay because we are more responsible than other people because we are from a famous family? Seriously James, I think a bit of rule-breaking isn't that bad, but isn't that a bit too much? This could be about serious ministry affairs!", Louis said quietly. „Or it could just be a cup of tea and a talk about embarassing old stories from Aunt Hermione's days at Hogwarts. That would be rather interesting!", Fred stated. „See, Louis? Fred thinks it's okay, I most definitely think it's okay, so don't be such a big-headed prefect-to-be and come with us!" „I'm not big-headed, and I'm certainly not going to be a prefect, I like having fun just as much as you do, but although I don't agree with you, I'll come with you." James smiled his 'oh-my-god-thank-you-so-much-you're-the-best-person-in-the-world'-smile and they quietly went into hiding under a table near the one Hermione and Professor McGonagall sat at.

„Would you please explain me how exactly you got into the possesion of such a thing, Miss Granger?", McGonagall asked coldly.

„Well, excuse me, but I have to remind you that I have been calling myself Mrs. Granger-Weasley for a while,but you can call me Hermione, I'm not your student anymore. However, when I looked through Remus Lupin's possesions for Harry after he had died, I found it; it didn't belong to anyone and nobody wanted it, so I kept it because it seemed to have priority, it looked magical. Today I know that I shouldn't have done this, but I was 18 years old that day and the way I was making decisions was pretty different from the way I'm making them now. But yesterday, it started shining, glowing as if it came to back to life again, but this time, I still couldn't open it; I think it's for someone else to open now." Hermione said worriedly, her hands resting around her teacup as she spoke, dark bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept properly for a while.

„Well, I assume that this is not the first time this happened? I also think that you were acting more foolish than I expected from you by keeping the locket, it could have been dangerous, after all. I would like to know what happened the last time it 'shone'." McGonagall said, now sounding more interested than professional, although James still wondered why she was talking that way to a person who hadn't been her student for a while, and whether it was for the reason that her former student was now Minister of Magic or for the reason that she had acted foolish, which he hadn't expected from his aunt either.

„Well, um..." Hermione answered still thinking, and suddenly sounding a bit embarassed and a tinier bit sad. „ ...it shone the last time in 2002, and I would prefer not talking about what happened then. It happened 15 years ago and what happened, happened, the past can't be changed." At this, both women frowned a bit and James made a mental note to ask Hermione about it until he remembered that he wasn't supposed to hear this.

„May I look at it for a few days? I think there may be a wizard who could help with that, but I have to contact him. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? It would probably help me figuring out what kind of magic this could be."

Without hesitating, Hermione gave a little box to her and answered: „No, Professor. You can keep it, I would like to know how it works. Thank you very much for your time, I have to talk to Harry about some paperwork he still has to do, so I have to go now. Goodbye, I hope to see you again soon." As she said that she rose from her seat and walked around the table to shake the Headmistress' hand.

„Goodbye. And, if Mister Potter is still as good with paperwork as in his and your days at Hogwarts, I wish you good luck." The two of them left The Three Broomsticks and James, Fred and Louis stood up. Fred snorted boredly. „That wasn't nearly as interesting as I hoped it would be." „Really? I think it was very interesting, I'd like to know what that mysterious locket looks like," Louis answered, a thoughful look on his face. „Me too! I wonder if McGonagall keeps that box in her office. Maybe we could look at it just once...", James said with a twinkling in his eyes as they went outside in the cold but sunny weather. Louis and Fred stopped to look at him in horror. „You can't do this! Breaking into the Headmistress' office is probably the worst thing you could try!", Louis said seriously. „Really James, that's too much," Fred agreed. „Well, you'll see. I'll be a real Gryffindor tonight and I will suceed," James said, anger slowly rising in his chest. „Well, then I won't be too surprised if you get expelled." Louis said, leaving them to go to his sister Lucy. „James, that's not a good idea. Please think about it," Fred said calmly, but James wouldn't let anything stand in his way now, he just knew he would break into the office, and he knew it would be great.

In the evening, when he had made sure his dormmates were sleeping, James slowly walked out of the common room. „What are you doing that late at night?", the Fat Lady asked suspiciously. „I somehow forgot...ehm...something...in the Great Hall!" And with that, James walked away as fast as he could without making too much noises while whispering: „I solemnly swear that I am up to no good". As the map showed itself properly, James was reliefed to see that Filch was nowhere near the Gryffindor Tower or the Headmistress' office. He also noticed the point 'Colin Creevey' slowly walking towards him from the Hufflepuff common room near the kitchen. „Hello James Sirius Potter, I am so happy to see you!", the young blond boy whispered excitedly. „Hey Creevey, so: What is the password? Remember, you get an interview with me!" This seemed to cheer Colin Creevey II up even more, and he answered eagerly:" Ligaturam Cuccureris!" James chuckled. „Interesting choice. But they're always something in latin. I've heard Dumbledore preferred easier ones. Anyway, thank you, you'll get the interview tomorrow during lunch."

Right after James had seen Colin coming out of the Headmistress' office that evening, James had promised him an interview as an exchange for the password to the office. Colin had been there because he had accidently set his friend's robes on fire in Potions class.

As James entered the office, he already thought about how jealous Louis and Fred would be and how he had been right and had been, once more, the bravest of them.

He didn't have to search long for the locket; the little box he recognized from the afternoon stood right on the top of the table in the middle of the room. He hadn't thought it would be that easy; but after all, McGonagall obviously didn't expect someone sneaking into her office at night stealing a mysterious locket in a box only she and Hermione knew about.

He felt a wave of happiness hit him as he opened the box; he had managed it. He took the delicate, silver chain with the tiny locket out of it and examined it. Hermione had been right; it shone and glowed, as if there was some own strong power to it, as if it was living.

He thought back to the talk he and his friends had heard listened to...he thought about how his aunt had said that she couldn't open it and that it was meant for someone else to do so.

He couldn't help being very curious if maybe he could open it, so when he found the little vent on the right side, he took a long, freckled finger and tried to open it, and he was very surprised to see that he, indeed, could do it.

So he stood there, in the Headmistress' office at Hogwarts, thinking if it would be wise to do it.

But he quickly decided that, if his aunt had already opened it once, it couldn't be too bad.

He slowly opened the locket to see a bright, white light come out of it, and he had to close his eyes for a second.

As he opened them again, he saw, inside the locket, that there weren't any photos or other pictures, no, it seemed as if there was an endless, light silver flow in it, sparkling like clear water in the morning sun.

He felt the need to touch it, to go into it, to swim in this little thing, and, although he didn't really know why, he reached out and touched the inside of the small locket he held in his other hand.

Suddenly, he felt as though he was dragged into the locket, and everything around him felt dizzy, a bit foggy, too.

But then, after the moment of wondering what was happening, he felt like he was side-to-side-apparating, travelling to an unknown place,and out of nothing, everything went dark.

A/N: This is it. This is the first real chapter of this story. I think I could have done that better, but I am happy with it as it is. I think I'm trying to go into a weekly routine, maybe I'll just update once in two weeks, but however, I'm trying to write as often as I can. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you are curious to see the next one, I think I'll update it next week after Easter. Thanks for reading!