Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related, I ain't making money of this ish, so don't try to sue me.
December 25th, 1989
It was a snowy Christmas morning, and the Potter Manor resembled the exact opposite of The Night Before Christmas. There was hooting and hollering from every corner of the house. Two six years olds were running up and down the stairs, arguing over who gets to open the first "To the Twins" present. A three year old was waddling back and forth from the kitchen to the tree, trying to figure out just which presents were hers, seeing as she couldn't read yet. There was a ten year old going on and on about how immature everyone else was, while reading Teen Witch Weekly. An eight year old and a nine year old were busy playing a loud game of wizards' chess, whilst their mother did everything in her power to conjure up enough food for the whole brood. A father was sitting in his study, lazily waiting to be called for presents and breakfast. And then there was the boy who lived… the boy who lived to crave and need everyone's attention at all times.
"Mum, tell Harry he needs to clean my room today, it hasn't been done since he moved in with Hayden. Oh and tell Jenny she needs to clear her stuff out of her room and the bathroom and onto the fourth floor; I think a fitting Christmas gift for me should be the entire third floor. And seriously, why does Rosy need all that attention? She's not the girl who lived and I am the boy who lived!" said Junior, in a very loud, demanding manner.
"Now honey, I'm sure Harry will help you with your room, but I can't make Jenny move out of her room sweetheart," said Lily, hoping to appease her little sweetie-pie.
"No, it's okay mum, I'll just make the attic into a studio apartment," said Jenny, hoping her Lily would go for it.
"Oh would you do that honey, that's so sweet of you. Harry, Hayden are you two going to help your brother clean his room?" asked Lily.
"Can he help clean ours, too, then?" replied Hayden.
"No! I'm the boy who lived, why should I have to clean anything?" yelled Junior. "And you still haven't told me why you're paying so much attention to Rose."
"Honey, Rose is just a baby; she needs our help sometimes," said Lily soothingly.
"If you ask me, she's just trying to hog attention that I should be getting," stated Junior resolutely.
"No one…" started Jordan.
"did, dummy!" finished Jason.
"Hey…" started Junior.
"Let's open presents Mum, I'll go and get dad so we can get started?" Harry interrupted, trying to avoid a fight.
"Good idea Harry," said Lily, thankfully.
"Hey dad, we're ready to open presents, wanna come join us by the tree?" Harry said to his father as he entered the study.
"Happy Christmas son, of course I'm coming!" James replied back jovially.
The scene around the tree was something to behold. The tree was eleven feet tall, with all manners of ornaments and decorations. There were quires of elves hanging from branches, caroling for the family. There were miniature owl statues, flying between bristles in the tree. The top of the tree was charmed to appear snow-capped and had a large star on the tippy-top of the tree. Around the tree, there were hundreds of gifts or so it seemed. Everyone's gifts were sorted into piles beforehand, so that everyone knew where to sit. Their stockings hung over the fire place, which was charmed to have a fire burning at room temperature behind it. The stockings has all manner of candies; chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans flowing to the brim of each.
"Let's take a family photo before you tear this place all to hell," laughed Lily as her children gave her anxious, impatient looks of concern as though the presents would disappear at any moment.
After the family photo was taken, the place was torn to hell as predicted. Wrapping paper was flying and compliments abound as everyone thanked each other for their gifts. Well, that is everyone but Junior who seemed quite disappointed.
"This is all?" he asked angrily, "Last year I got twice as many gifts. This is so unfair!"
"Calm down, dunderhead. You still got twice as many as the rest of us thanks to all of your fans," said Jenny.
"And you think I don't deserve it?" he retorted back.
"Oh Junior, it's okay honey, mummy has a special gift for you," said Lily, pulling out a package from behind her couch as James gave her a sideways glance.
"Just one?" he said obnoxiously.
"I think you'll like it though, sweetheart," Lily said back sweetly.
He grabbed it from her, and shook it with enthusiasm. Then, in about two point four three seconds, his new broom was unwrapped. It was a brand new Nimbus 1001.
"Awesome, thanks Mum!" he cried out happily, Lily beaming with pride, whilst Harry and Hayden looked towards her and James expectantly.
After a few minutes, they realized that they would not be getting a broom like their brother had. The hurt was evident, as James had always taught all three of them equally, giving them all the same amount of time on a broom.
"Hawwy, will you wead to me?" asked little Rose, holding up her brand new children's version Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"Of course princess, which one do you wanna hear about first?" asked Harry trying to ignore the obvious pain he was feeling.
At the same time, James was busy pulling Lily aside for a short conversation. He led her to the kitchen so that the children wouldn't over hear.
"How could you do that?" he asked.
"Do what honey? I thought you'd love the idea of Junior having his own broom," Lily said innocently.
"No I do, honey, I do. But what about Harry and Hayden? They've been asking for a broom constantly for the last three months, too, and you went out and only got one for Junior," stated James, hotly.
"Honey, I didn't even think… I just wanted to surprise Junior and… I didn't even realize they wanted one," she admitted.
"Now they're going to think we care about Junior more than everyone else," James said.
"But shouldn't we?" asked Lily, "I thought we agreed on this, James. Junior is more important."
"I've had enough of that!" hissed James, "Can't you see what the bloody hell you're doing to our kids? Jenny sees the situation for what it is and is starting to resent us for it. Harry and Hayden keep quiet about and try to avoid fights with you and him, probably because they think if they're good enough you'll start to see them as important as Junior and maybe Junior will stop picking on them. We can't leave the twins or rose with him, because he'll just pick on them; he's been pulling little Rosy's hair lately. She's his baby sister for goodness sakes and the little wanker pulls her hair and shoves her around. What kind of big brother does that? You need to stop so blatantly favoring and pampering him, because you're making him absolutely awful."
"James, you picked today…" she started.
"Yes," he interreupted, "and now I'm going to Diagon Alley so that I can get the other children a couple more things, seeing as how you've decided to spoil Junior and not them."
With that he left Lily, standing teary eyed in the kitchen. All she had wanted was a beautiful Christmas for her baby boy. He was so special; she could remember the day he was born. She'd been so happy that she'd been blessed with twins and that Jenny would have brothers to play with. But then it dawned on her, she had seven children, not one. It became so clear, in that instant, that she'd been going about parenting all wrong for the last seven years.
Junior was already out on his new broom when James came into the living room. The other children were occupied with their own gifts, though James could see Harry and Hayden glancing outside towards Junior every now and then. At that moment James decided that Harry and Hayden would most definitely be getting Nimbus 1001s, Jenny would get a casual riding broom and the twins could have some children's toy brooms.
December 25th, 1989 after James returned from Diagon Alley
"Hey Dad! Hey dad! The Weasely's invited us over tomorrow for a huge quidditch match. They've decided to call it the First Annual Weasely Boxing Day Huge Quidditch Match Extravaganza… one heck of a name," laughed Hayden.
"I think we can go to that," replied James.
"Nice, that's awesome, a whole bunch of people are going to be there. The Changs, the Diggorys, the Abotts, the Boneses, the Greengrasses, the Longbottoms and the Finnigans are all supposed to be there. It'll be massive!" Harry ranted excitedly.
"Oh who cares about them, it's me everyone'll want to see," said Junior arrogantly.
"Yea, that's why the Longbottoms, Weaselys and Diggorys are always inviting you over… wait it's me, Harry and Hayden who always get those invites," snickered Jenny.
"Whatever, I have better things to do with my time, right mum," replied Junior, hotly.
"Mhm, yes, sweety, whatever you say," Lily replied, paying no attention what so ever.
December 26th, 1989
"Oi! Potter clan, who are you bringing just as many to the party as the hosts," laughed Cedric as he saw the Potters arrive with Remus and Sirius in tow.
"Well, hello there Cedric, how is your first year treating you?" greeted James. Then looking at the Weasely twins, he asked "And who might these fine young folks be? They look as though they may be some of your Gryffindor class mates."
"Well these two…" started Fred
"lovely young ladies…"
"just so happen to be…"
"no other than…"
"Katie Bell…"
"and Angelina Johnson."
"And this strapping fourthy…"
"Over here…"
"Is our teams captain…"
"leader…"
"and dictator…"
"Oliver Wood!" they finished together.
"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter," both girls chirped.
Oliver extended his hand, saying "Pleasure, the twins here tell me this will be an excellent opportunity to scout ahead, seeing as we undoubtedly have a few Gryffindor to be in our midst. Plus, I never miss an opportunity to fly with Charlie Weasely. I'm telling you, that boy is something amazing to watch."
"I'm sure he will be, and you keep an eye on my kids, you hear, not one of them won't be golden when it comes to quidditch," laughed James.
"Well, obviously I'll be the best," added Junior, bragging, "Quidditch is cake when compared to beating dark lords.
"Yea, yea, yea. We get it. You so heroically stood in place and let accidental magic do the work seven years ago. We're reminded all the time," sarcastically breathed Jenny.
"You're just jealous…" started Junior.
"Now kids," James chided them.
Everyone was gathering around the pitch out back of the Weaselys' house, getting ready to start picking.
"How should we play it?" asked Bill.
"Well, we could do it tournament style, seeing as we only have a hundred people here," laughed Sirius.
"How about one massive game with three quaffles and an extra bludger?" Harry offered up.
"Actually, that sounds quite entertaining," said Charlie.
"Of course, we'll need two keepers. And are we gonna release a snitch?" asked Oliver.
"Yes and No," came a chorus of Weaselys, all of whom had been planning not to so that the game could last for hours.
"I don't have a broom though," moaned Ginny.
"Don't worry, we brought extras," said James.
"Wait, dad how are they gonna fly if you give Ginny a broom," asked Junior, quite confused.
"They have their own brooms, buddy," replied James, handing Ginny a cleansweep.
"What? I thought I was supposed to be the only one to get one! This isn't fair!" yelled Junior while his siblings laughed.
"Get over it," laughed Hayden, "let's pick teams and get started."
The game lasted for hours, while the score grew to ridiculous amounts. Oliver and Hayden played keeper for James' team while Ron and Jenny played keeper for Charlie's. The Weasely twins and Cedric were the beaters for Team Charlie while Sirius, Remus and David Greengrass played that role for Team James. Which left everyone else to play chaser, with three quaffles. It was a sight to behold, thirty some odd people flying back and forth, round and round on the pitch. The final score was 2340 to 2180 in favor of Team Charlie. However, Harry and James, Sr. had scored a combined 1260 points.
Afterward, Oliver Wood was in a state of histeria. "I'm going to petition to have two teams if the lot of you Potters and Weaselys make it into Gryffindor. Harry and Ginny (well that's you Weasely) you two made an incredible pair of chasers. And then Hayden and Jenny P. over here both played keeper ridiculously well. If I wasn't captain, I might be afraid for my spot. And twins, Bell and Johnson, let me be the first to congratulate you on making the team next year. Heck, you know what, we're just gonna have reserves in a couple of years once you all get to Hogwarts, and we'll be the first team in quidditch history to use subs effectively," he ranted.
"Thanks Woodey," chorused the Potters and Weaselys.
"What about me?" demanded Junior, "Why haven't you slotted me for a spot yet, I mean I know you haven't seen me in my true position of seeker yet, but I'm the boy who lived so you know I can do it."
"Well, we'll see," muttered Oliver, not wanting to be mean to the Chosen One but not wanting to get his hopes up either. Junior was clearly the weak link in the Potter litter as far as Wood could see.
All of the quidditch warriors (that's what they were you see after playing for hours on end) made their way back to the tent just outside the Burrow to eat.
The feast was a sight to behold. There were four tables, two for kids, one for adults and a last one for food to be served from. Platter after platter lined the serving table. Pork roast, ham, turkey, quail and lamb chops all cherry oak smoked to perfection. Yes, the feast was a sight to behold.
Junior was none too happy to have been placed at one of the children's tables. He went on complaining for ten minutes, all the while all the other guests' children hoping we would get to sit with the adults, none of them wanting to be near the brat.
"Mum, how can you possibly expect me to sit with such plain kids? I've more than earned my right to sit with adults. Hell, I've done more than most could ever hope to already. You just have to let me sit with you all," he pleaded.
"Bloody wanker," said Jenny.
"Prat," chorused the littler Potter twins.
"Language," admonished Harry as he and Hayden sniggered.
Most of the adults were giving sideways glances towards Junior and Lily, including James. He wanted to see if his wife had taken anything away from the lesson he'd tried to teach her yesterday. Whispers around the tent started became audible.
"How bratty!"
"Is he really like that all the time?"
"I know, I have refused to have him to my house."
James, hearing all these comments, only focused harder on Lily. She seemed to be thinking it over. While she'd prefer to have had Junior with kids her own age, she did have to agree Junior had some good points.
"Oh, alright sweet-ums. I guess you can sit with us, isn't that right Molly?" Lily said.
Molly, though whole heartedly disagreeing could only nod an affirmative, not wanting to insult the Potters. James just sagged his head and sat a fair distance from Junior, hoping to distance himself from what he considered his problem child of the moment.
"Great, didn't want to be near the wanker anyway," said Danielle Greengrass, getting nods from most of the children, as the feast commenced.
A/N: had a hard time fiding motivation to put this chapter out, I hope it doesn't show though. Enjoy.