CHAPTER 3

"James! Lily! Hurry up!" Ginny called up the stairs. "You ARE NOT going to miss the train in your first year! or in your second" she commented with a meaningful look at her husband and dobby the house elf.

"Mum I cant find my lip gloss," Lily shouted from the top of the stairs.

" I don't care!" Ginny yelled at her daughter, She was already frustrated, she hadn't had a good night sleep last night after James came in scared that every one was going to leave him. So he had ended up spending the reast of the night in their bed to scared they would leave once he had left. "Just get down here NOW so we can leave!!"

Ginny had hoped that when her kids went to school on September 1st, it wouldn't be like it was at the burrow, utterly chaotic!! But obviously her wish wasn't going to come true,

not this year anyway.

"James, are you ready dude?" Harry called up the stairs after Lily had come down with her trunk and brown tawney owl.

"Coming dad, just need to close my trunk. can you come up and help me?

Harry started up the stairs and entered his son's room and immediatly saw the problem.

"Dude, wheres the kitchen sink?"

James' face went slightly pink.

Harry looked around the room at all the empty surfaces that only last night had had nick nacks, clothes and books scattered everywhere. It was quite clear that his son had tried to put his entire bedroom in his brand new school trunk and hadn't succeeded.

"I didn't know what to pack." James replied looking at the floor and shuffling his feet in embarassment.

"Don't worry buddy," and with a wave of his wand the trunk sorted itself out.

"Thanks dad," James said and hugged his father.

Harry and Ginny had both noticed that James had been hugging them alot lately. They had put it down to nerves and feeling scared at first. Starting a new school and all. But since they went in to London he had been oddly possesive of Him and Ginny.

"Lets go, your mum wont be happy if we have to send word to Professor McGonagall that you missed your train." Harry commented. "I will never hear the end of it!" he said rolling his eyes.

James giggled.

" mummy can be scary can't she?" he said after he had stopped laughing." just like nanny."

Harry really wanted to laugh he really did, but thought it would be wise not to encourage comments like that if he wanted to stay in Ginny's good books. So he laughed on the inside.

Harry went over and picked up the trunk. And started out of the room.

"Come on get your owl and come down stairs or we will be in big trouble."

They went through the barrier between platform 9 and 10 with 10 minutes to spare.

Harry felt like it was a school reunion every wher he looked there were people he knew from school.

A few meters away he saw ron and hermione and the other weasleys. all of them here to say googbye to there children untill christmas.

Harry pointed them out. so they started walking towards them.

on the way they passed all the people they knew at school. They passed Neville and a pretty and harrassed looking woman woman who Harry assumed was his wife and their daughter.

They passed seamus and dean and their wives and children.

"It feels like we are back at school!" Ginny said as though reading his mind.

"Hey guys," Hermione said spotting Harry and Ginny coming towards them.

"Hey," Ginny replied back.

"Are you guys nervous?" Ginny asked to the twins.

"NO!" they shouted back.

"I am," came a voice from behind Harry. "Dad i dont want to go!!"

Harry knelt down so that he was eye level with his son.

"Dude, come on you can do this, there is nothing to be nervous about. And you have all your cousins to look after you. I bet you wont even want to come home for Christmas, you'll be having too much fun."

James walked towards the big scarlet train with hesitating steps. after walking down half the train he came to an empty compartment. He didn't really feel like being with anyone at the moment. As he sat down he sat on something hard that was in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the square wraped package and opened it. inside he found a muggle diary. On the inside cover there was an inscription:

Dear James

I know you must be feeling very nervous right now, in your position i was feeling the same way.

I thought you might use this to write all your thoughts.

I know your probably thinking that this is stupid but it isn't.

Have an interesting and awsome year and write to us often.

see you at christmas

Love always no matter what

Dad

If you are ever lost or need advice dont be afraid to write on the last page.

James looked quizzically at the last line. The last page???

He heard a knock at the door and saw a young girl about his age.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" She asked nervously.

"No," James said quickly, "Take a seat.

The girl sat on the seat opposite him and they sat in silence until a lady pushing a trolley full of food stopped outside the compartment.

"Anything of the trolley dears?" she said in a cheery voice.

james got up and looked at the choices.

"berti botts, and a pumpkin pastie please,"

"The same for me please," the girl mumbled.

when they sat back down James decided that he was sick of the silence.

"My name is James Potter, What is yours?"

The girl looked up as though she had been slapped.

"M my name?" she stuttered. "My name is Narcissa. Narcissa Malfoy."

James was shocked. He knew that name as well as his own. He had heard the story of his father's 6th year so many times.

"Thats a nice name." James replied simply hoping no hatred came out in his voice.

"I hate it," Layla responded.

"Oh," James was at a loss for words. she seemed like a nice person. It was a pity about her family though.

He was shocked when he heard her small voice whisper " I dont want to talk about my family."

James was very grateful for that.They spent the rest of the trip talking about what they think the year will be like.

The diary and its message left forgotten.