Chapter 2

Friends and Pranks

James Potter sat at the dining room table, his mother on his left, his father on his right. He looked down at his food, he could tell something wasn't right; he looked up from his mixture of green peas and mashed potatoes to his parents. His father was tall, pale and had wrinkles around his eyes, his grey and black hair was neatly brushed and his silver wizarding robes hung on him slightly. His hazel eyes looked dreary and tired. James then looked to his mother; she too had a few wrinkles and had brown hair with gray hairs near the root. She was medium height with a small chest, her blue robes fit her well and her brown eyes gave a warm feeling to anyone who glanced in them. James looked back to his plate. His mother having seen her son look up in the corer of her eye looked to him.

"Something wrong James?" she asks. James looks up. He shakes his head.

"You seem a bit quiet tonight, everything alright?" his father asks. James looks back to his plate.

His father, Frederick, looks to his wife Meredith. Meredith looks to James, "Sweetie, your father is talking to you," she says. James looks up.

"Sorry, what?" James asks. "You seem a bit quiet, is everything alright?"

James nodded, "May I be excused? I'm not that hungry," James asked. Meredith looked to Frederick. His father nodded and James got up from the table.

James left the dining room and retreated to his room. James's family was very wealthy, his father coming from one of the oldest pureblooded families in the Wizarding world did make him recognizable, not only for his name but for his family's wealth. The earliest Potters made fortunes developing potions and defense spells as well as being ministry figure heads, such as ministers of several ministry departments. James opened the door to his room and entered. He closed the door behind him and threw himself on the bed. All he could think about at that moment was his friend Sirius. He had received several letters during the summer and could tell things between Sirius and his family was going poorly.

James was happy though, that he would be entering his final year of Hogwarts with his three best mates and hopefully catching the heart of his love, Lily. James rolled onto his stomach and looked to his side dresser. Two picture frames stood on it, one of him and is mates during their fourth year and the other of Lily, which he got Remus to take for him. James smiled at the photos. He rolled back onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, the thought of Sirius returned, he hated how Sirius had to return to his home every summer, true James often invited Sirius for the entirety of the summers but this year he returned home, in hopes of regaining some of his family.

Suddenly a large nock was heard from the far window, James sat bolt up right with his wand drawn, and he looked to the window, unsure of what made the noise. Outside rain battered against the window and wind pounded against the house. James watched the window, the window then began to open magically. James got up carefully off his bed and stood up. A relatively large box came through the window and landed on the floor with a thud. James held his wand ready for who ever was to come through. Suddenly James saw a patch of black wet hair rising and coming into view.

Sirius Black peered in soaking to the bone and looking pissed as ever. James quickly recognized it as Sirius and ran to the window. He helped Sirius in through the window. James grabbed Sirius as he literally fell into his arms, James could tell he wasn't well.

"Sirius, what happened?" he asked. Sirius put all of his weight on James, causing James to use most of his strength to carry him to the bed.

"Sirius?" James asked once more, Sirius didn't respond.

James set Sirius on the bed, "Bolly!" James called out. Suddenly a house elf appeared, "Yes young master?" he asked. James looked to him, "Get mum and Dad now, tell them Sirius is sick, go!" James ordered. The elf left at once.

James pointed his wand at Sirius and began to perform heating spells to warm him up. "Sirius, speak to me, what happened?" he asked once more. Sirius began to shake with the sudden temperature difference,

"I – c-c cou-d-n't st- st- ay th-ere," he stuttered shaking furiously. Suddenly Meredith and Frederick entered his room. Mrs. Potter began healing Sirius right away. James stepped back to where his father stood.

"What happened?" he father asked with great concern. James looked to him, "He went back home, is what happened." He simply responded. After several minutes of healing charms being cast, Sirius calmed down and stopped shaking. Meredith put him under the covers, and put him into a sleep trans. "James, you can stay in one of the guest rooms, tonight" she said, James nodded. "We'll talk with him tomorrow, I imagine he's been through a lot tonight," Frederick said. James nodded.

His parents left the room leaving James next to Sirius, 'this is what didn't feel right,' James thought. He always worried about Sirius, he was like a brother. Sirius came from a dark wizarding family, who despised his acceptance of half blooded wizards and muggle-borns. Sirius may have looked like his father with his handsome facial features, thick curly black hair, grey eyes, and fit body, but he was no where close to having the same mentality about wizarding ways as him. Sirius despised his father's beliefs entirely. His father and he had never gotten along, ever since Sirius was put into the Gryffindor house at Hogwarts things hadn't been the same.

James looked to Sirius, he was dry, looked dead on his feet and worst of all, he was angry. Sirius became irritable when he was angry, always. James had learned early on how to deal with those situations, "just let him come to you" James said to himself. James stayed by Sirius's side until midnight. He retreated to the guest room and got into bed.

The next morning, James got up and used the bathroom. He looked into the mirror and took off his hearing aids, yes James was deaf, the first in his family. Several people knew of his disability. He had told his friends during his third year and his parents had informed his Head master Professor Dumbledore of James's disability. James had since used a speech charms which would allow him to speak easily when in school and at home, though his parents strongly urged him to continue to use his natural voice even though it, at times, was not understandable.

James showered and soon got out. Her dried himself off and put his hearing aids back on. He went to his room and opened the door. He entered and there sat Sirius on the edge of the bed, his back facing James. James came in and closed the door.

"Sirius?" James asked. Sirius looked up and turned his head towards James's voice. James came around the bed and looked at Sirius, he looked better. Sirius looked up. "I'm never going back James," he said flatly. James nodded and sat beside him, "Don't worry, you can stay here as long as you wish," James said. Sirius nodded. "I hate them so much, James, I want all of them to go to Azkaban where they belong, let's just forget about last night and move on, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm alright, are you sure you don't want to talk?" James asked.

Sirius nodded. "Alright, why don't we write up Remus, see if he wants to come over?" Sirius smiled and nodded. James quickly wrote to Remus and with in an hour's time Remus replied saying he'd be there mid afternoon.

It was around two o'clock when Remus arrived sporting muggle clothing. He wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a wolf on the front.

"Hey guys, what's up?" he asked as he entered James's house. "Not much mate, so how's your summer been, good?" Sirius asked. Remus nodded.

"Good, I got in touch with Peter, he's still in Wales, visiting family, what about you two?"

"Good," James said looking to Sirius. Sirius nodded, "Yeah I'm staying with James for the rest of the summer so we'll probably be here till school starts. Remus nodded and the three boys made their way into the kitchen. They had a snack and soon went up to James's room. They all sat down and talked about the up coming year.

"So we need to start our prank planning, boys, what shall we do first, Dung bombs in the Slytherin lavatory?" James asked with a smile.

"Nah, we've done that a million times, plus it's our last year we have to do something brilliant" Sirius said. "Yeah, but what?" James said in thought. The three thought for several moments.

"I've got it, why don't we dye their hair permanently and cut it, but put a curse that would make it stay . . . no that plan sucks never mind." James said going back to his thought process.

"Why don't you do what you always do, make fools of them or something, so then you can get detention like you always do," Remus said sarcastically as he flipped a page in James's magazine. James and Sirius looked to him.

"You know Mooney, even though you may not like al of our pranks, you do help in acting on them," Sirius said. Remus looked up. He agreed, "Well perhaps we should cut it down a bit, I mean we are eighteen, isn't that a bit old to be pulling pranks?"

James and Sirius looked to each other, "No," they said in unison. Remus nodded, "That's what I thought you'd say," he said and returned to the magazine.

James and Sirius continued to talk about pranking and Remus kept himself in the conversation by listening to them, "You know James, Lily might not like this and she may take points away from you, word on the street is that she's up for Head Girl this year." Remus mumbled.

James and Sirius looked to him, "What was that Mooney?" James asked.

"I said you may want to cut the pranking, because word on the street is that Lily is up for the Head Girl position this year," James smiled, "Right and you, I imagine, are up for Head Boy there for you can help us get out of trouble," said with a sneaky grin. Remus looked to him in all seriousness, James dropped the smile. "It's not to be abused James, it's an honorable duty, and if I were you I wouldn't get into trouble this year Lily doesn't like it and if you wish to fulfill your life goal of being with her I think you should reconsider your plans for pranking . . . but then again that's just my opinion.

James thought for a minute, "Oh come on it is just one prank," he said. Remus glared at him.

Please review, thanks, next Chapter is coming.

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