It had become a tradition of sorts. It was started only 3 years ago by Teddy. Just after the train started, and before all the cousins and siblings would head off in different directions; some to Prefect's Carriage, some to meet their friends after the long summer break and some (mostly just 2) to plan/ setup a prank; all of them would gather in the 6th compartment from the doorway, 8th carriage from the engine, which was unofficially recognized as 'The Potter- Weasley Family Compartment'.

Of the seven people currently in the compartment, one was narrating an incident, which he deemed so scandalous and so explosive that even in closed compartment in moving train he could barely speak higher than an urgent and forced whisper, in such a gossip-worthy tone that would put even the Daily Prophet's gossip columnist Romilda Vane to shame.

"Can't you guys see how wrong it is? Our Victoire! And our Teddy! It's…. it's just…. GROSS!"

The speaker was a messy raven haired, hazel- brown eyed 13yrs old James Sirius Potter. Besides him was sitting his best friend, classmate, partner- in- crime and the only interested listener, Fred George Weasley, a dark skinned, black haired boy who was nodding his head furiously in total agreement.

Across from him, his twin sister, similarly dark skinned and black haired, Roxanne Angelina Weasley 'Rox', rolled her eyes at their antics. She was elder to him by a mere 3 minutes. Mere 3 minutes. But in those 3 minutes, midnight bells had tolled and the last day for acceptance into a Hogwarts year had ended. They both suspected that their father, although he'd never admitted, had thought of it as a practical joke on them and some hand in this bad timing. And as matters were to be, those 3 minutes had divided them by a whole year in school, a fact that she would never tire of reminding and implying at every given opportunity.

Alongside her sat her best friends and classmates, Dominique Gabriella Weasley 'Dom' and Molly Audrey Weasley, both red headed, freckled pale skinned epitome of a typical Weasley. The three young witches, together since childhood, starting their 4th year in school were almost always seen together in and out of school and their group was called many names in school like the Unholy Trinity, or the Coven, or anything that school kids' imagination can make up with three, trio or trinity. Lately however, with development of their personalities and more of bodies, they were 'Badass' (Rox, for her fierce deadly Beater skills, a 'bit' of anger management issues and a tendency to get a 'bit' physical in arguments), 'Smartass' ( Molly, for her bookish intelligence, a quick sharp tongue and a quirky sarcastic wit) and 'Good-Ass' (Dom, for her…..well, good ass). The three cousins were inseparable and fit together like jig-saw puzzle pieces. Molly was book smart, good at managing stuff and mother hen of their group, forcing others to finish homework on time. Rox was tomboyish and street smarts of the group, and Beater of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Dom was easy going, music and party loving, a social butterfly and their port of call for advice on fashion and boys and connected the other two to their 'feminine' side.

Their reactions to their 'younger' (oft repeated and reminded term) cousins' incessant rants were much more mature.

Rox rolled her eyes again and returned her attention to the Quidditch magazine she was reading. Molly just shook her head at their display of immaturity and got back to her book, while Dom was just smiled down at them in a mock pitying smile, which seemed a bit too mature on a girl her age, and went back to her Witch Weekly magazine.

"But she is our SISTER!" said Fred exasperated.

"Exactly!" chimed in James, "Firstly, it's so, so wrong of them to get involved and secondly, that display in a public place is totally unacceptable!"

It elicited equally exasperated sighs from the three.

"Boys!" said Dom.

"Kids!" from Rox.

"And we thought Vic and Teddy were the only ones in the whole family who were blind to it." Added Molly.

To any listener (reader) it may seem that only 5 people were present in the compartment. The 5 people, were what the family lovingly collectively called 'The First/ Elder Brood/Clutch'. The two more occupants of the compartment, the eldest of the so- called 'The Second/ Younger Brood/Clutch', first years, who occupied the corner-most seats, seemed almost relieved to have the spot light taken off them and that James' and Fred's attention span (though as short as a goldfish) was for now, not focused on them and both dreading the moment it would.

The first day at school can be scary and intimidating to any kid in itself, without the additional incessant teasing and pranking by your cousins. But their peaceful existence was not to be as soon both James and Fred, tired, bored and defeated of trying to stress the life-and-death importance of their point, turned their attention to the next interesting thing – Rose Molly Weasley and Albus Severus Potter.

"Why, why, oh cousin of mine," said James, a predatory gleam in eyes and mischievous smirk on face, nudging Fred, "this young scrawny one," pointing to Albus, as if not to his younger brother, but a cat in a cage in a pet shop, "I think, would make a nice snake."

"Hmmm," Fred spoke slowly, with an uncannily matching predatory gleam in eyes, his right hand on chin and a thoughtful calculating expression on face, more akin to a potential buyer examining a display item, "Green eyes, matching the House colours, Middle named after a famous Slytherin, I think, I would have to agree with you, cousin!"

"And add to that, even his initials!" added James with a dramatic gasp and hand on his chest, which caused Molly to shake her head and mutter, 'Drama Queen' to Rose, "A. S.P.! he is going to slither right in among those other serpents and asps!"

Albus was squirming uncomfortably at this point under their stares as his best defense against his brother's verbal barbs; Miss Spitfire Lily Potter was very far away.

It was a partnership of necessity between the younger siblings to match their elder brother. Albus was sneakier and would do the brainwork, but execution and the verbal sparring were Lily's forte.

It was at this moment that the door to their compartment was thrown open and when James turned around to see who it was, the smirk was wiped right off and his face turned a deathly pale, his body lost its confident, arrogant posture and his mind flashed back to that horrible day on the beach, when he had, out of jealousy purposefully trod upon the sand castle replica of Hogwarts, made painstakingly over the hard work of 5 days and preserved from the elements by carefully placed preservation charms. Needless to say, the two builders were not pleased. And that day James Potter had learnt, why you should not tickle the proverbial sleeping dragon, as written, ironically, on the, now tread upon and demolished, school crest sand replica, Draco Dormeins Nunquam Titillandis, right on which he was caught standing red handed, or rather, wrong footed. Teddy, one of the two builders, had barely managed to save (some of his) skin from the ire and wrath of the second builder, the proverbial sleeping dragon, one Victoire Weasley.

That day, Teddy had saved him by shielding him with his body and then, by suggesting that they bake a cake in shape of Hogwarts castle for going-back-to-school-dinner party, had managed to lull the dragon back to sleep. James' mother had used the most stinging antiseptic liquid to clean the more than 2 dozen angry red fingernail scratches on his arms, back and legs; and had refused point blank to heal any scratch magically and had, for a good measure threatened all other family members who would dare to. That night, as he laid turning and tossing on his bed to try to put any unscratched surface down, unable to sleep, Teddy had crept in his room, tossed him a jar of healing cream, before giving him a smack on the back of his head and an advise, the first rule of successful trouble-making, "Mind where you put your feet."

Victoire Weasley was not a violent person. With the responsibility of being one of the two, so- called by the Family, Eldests and reining ones temper and appearing to be in control was very important to be able to rein in the pan-DEMON-ium that was the Weasley-Potter litter and to be a good role model for the younger ones to look up to. But she was a mortal after all and although her violent angry flare ups were very rare (especially in light of the firework that was Rox), but when they occurred, they were…..spectacular, to put it mildly.

And it seemed as if today was going to be such a 'spectacular' day and with an audible gulp, James realized that unlike last time, Teddy was miles away. Victoire, standing in the door, was glaring down on him, with enough fire to put Vesuvius to shame, when in a deadly low tone, she uttered the words which made James' blood run cold, "James Sirius Potter! You are so Dead!"