Chapter 4

Dear Tab,

I hope you are well. I send all my condolences to you and your family.

I've been missing you greatly, on an average day, I stare at you at least a dozen times. For you are truly beautiful, Tabitha, and really you are intelligent and kind and I wish I had told you this before you left. Hogwarts just isn't the same without you. I know a lot of the time I act like an immature git but deep down I just really wanted to impress you.

Remember when I first spoke to you back last year? When those Seventh Years were hassling me because I was 'famous' and you came along and told them: 'fuck off or Filch will come hang you by your danglers and have a three-headed dog named Fluffy eat the remains'. I'll always remember that line. And I never forgot you. You must have thought I was some annoying pestering little snob. But you actually seemed to care, you wanted to know me.

From now onwards I'll write to you at least twice a day, unless you prefer I didn't. I know I'm only twelve (thirteen next week) but Tab, I don't think I like you. I think there's a lot to it then that. You're my sun breaking the dark. The whole of summer has been dreadful because I didn't get to talk to you. Tab. I really, really, really like you.

James Potter.

James quickly signed with his name and watched as a brown feathered owl by the name of Grim assertively roll it and perched it into its beak, obviously already knowing whom the letter was addressed to.

He did not have to wait long for a reply and when it arrived his heart immerged from his ribs.

Dearest James,

Us Diggory's are coping with my Mother's sudden death. The Ministry is still looking into it. It has been hard on us all. Thank you for considering me, where I'm sure you have your own troubles.

I remember our first meeting. I'm sorry I had to use such foul language. My mother would not have condemned it. As I'm sure you know, James, I like you a lot, I just feel I cannot be good enough for you. I am not as you have said beautiful, intelligent or kind. I was absolutely delighted that you reciprocated the feelings I have for you when we kissed in Gryffindor tower.

I am hoping to make a return to school soon. I need to carry on at school… my mum would have wanted that.

James. I just wanted to say, you're very special to me. I really do care for you. Take care.

Tabitha Diggory.

She had signed with her name. It made James feel ecstatic. She was a new sense of energy to him, as for once he felt he hadn't been pressured into something, nobody had forced him into being with her. In fact the story was very much the opposite. He had no real friends outside his family, sure he spoke to his roommates, Erasmus Jordan and Bradley Cattermole and of course the second-year Gryffindor girls but he felt he could not trust them and he had been told that the basis of friendship was trust. Fred and Louis had always drilled it in his head that no one could be trusted. Including the 'Diggory girl' he'd taken a shine too.

But Tabitha was somehow different.

It was almost midnight, Grim, the owl, hooted into the night as he fled out the window. James had his head on the desk about to drift away when the outline of a person with dreadlocks came into the clearing.

'James?' whispered Erasmus in the darkness, 'Lumos.'

'What'd you want, Erasmus?' mumbled James.

'I'm worried about you, mate, you're not eating properly, not sleeping properly, heck you can't even fall asleep in Binns' lessons anymore.' He said.

'I am eating properly and I am sleeping just not as much as I used too…'

'Look, James, I know you've got some issues with opening up to people but… I'm your friend aren't I? You can trust me.'

'I can't.' said James truthfully.

Erasmus shook his head, 'Bollocks, of course you can trust me… listen James I know that things aren't usually kept in private when it comes to your life. But I'm not like other people. I know the real James Potter, man, I know you aren't who people make you out to be.'

'You don't know fuck.'

'I know that on the rare occasion you do get into bed you cry yourself to sleep, I know you peed yourself in first year, I know you put up this big funny-guy act just to try cover up your pain, I know that when your nervous you tap your left foot… I know you, James.'

'Sure, you know me. You're my mate but you don't get it, Erasmus. There's people out there who… who want to be just like me. But it's only who my family are that get me to all these places. I only get offered Quidditch trials for The Tornadoes not because I'm brilliant at it, it's because I'm expected to be brilliant at it. Mum's a Quidditch Player and Dad was the greatest seeker Hogwarts has ever seen and my namesake could have made it as a professional too if he hadn't of been murdered.' Said James.

'I hate this,' whispered Erasmus, 'I hate the way you think everyone's trying to do you over. This paranoia thing, it isn't good for you. People like you for you. I like you for who you are James, not what you are.'

'Stop worrying about me… I'll be fine. I'm just fed up you know? Fed up of people thinking they know me by reading a couple magazines. I'm fed up of people thinking I'll be perfect like… like my Dad.'

Erasmus nodded grimly and squeezed James' shoulder. 'Maybe you need some counselling… just so a professional could help you…' he said.

'I'm not crazy!'

'I know you're not crazy. My dad had some counselling after the Second-War.'

'Don't talk to me about that blasted war,' said James bitterly.

'Hmm James, I wanted to talk to you about… that Diggory girl,' said Erasmus completely changing the subject.

'Don't you start on me about her,' James quietly interjected.

'I'm not. I just want to tell you that if you really like her than go for it but you'll have to put up with a load of shit. But if it's what you want then I guess, I'll back you up.'

'Thanks.'

A week had gone by since that night James had unleashed his feelings to Erasmus. He found himself more in the company of Erasmus and less in the company of Louis. He was still not on good terms with Fred but nonetheless he didn't care. He sometimes craved Fred's company purely to play a new prank on someone or feel accepted by a social group but somehow he felt that he had moved on. That he had to mature. James' thirteenth birthday greeted him with cards from his family, Hagrid, a few hundred fan cards, some being howlers but were collected by Filch immediately to be disposed of. Best of all however, was his card from Tabitha.

It was obvious she had found the time during her grief to compose him a hand made card. On the front was a picture of the two of them kissing that day in Gryffindor tower with complicated ribbons tying it down, in the card she had noted that she had threatened a boy in Gryffindor to hand the photograph over.

His parents had given plenty of small gifts, a mokeskin sack that could hide any belongings, a guitar imported from Arabia that awakened genie's and such creatures. Most importantly however was a small packaging rapped in silk that revealed a key that could open any lock. They explained in their letter that his father had received it from his own godfather, Sirius Black, one Christmas. Now it was being passed to him as his middle name 'Sirius' was after him. Hagrid had given him an assortment of cakes that appeared to be handmade. Some fans had left him bombarded with large teddy bears spelling out embarrassing comments like 'I love you' and he reddened when one had sent him her underwear. Tabitha had bought a single blue rose that was enchanted to never die. He was astonished. He knew Tabitha did not come from a rich home and he knew that such items were very expensive.

Heading to Transfiguration he made sure he was seated at the back of the classroom, cursed were those who sat right in front of Professor Puckle who would just pour out random bits of saliva whenever he spoke.

'Psst Potter,' sneered Gordon Fletchley, a Hufflepuff.

Dazed James looked up to see Gordon Fletchley make a disgusted face at him and whispered, 'you stay away from Tabitha Diggory, she's a Hufflepuff. She's ours. She doesn't need a Potter Prat by her side.'

Startled James did not reply and thought nothing of it and went off to dinner.

'Happy Birthday James,' said Victoire excitedly.

James was not convinced and was sure that Victoire was too absorbed in looks to have remembered this.

'Who told you it was my Birthday?' he demanded.

Victoire looked defeated already, 'Well,' she said, 'quite a long story. Basically the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt got the pre-edition of the Quibbler which said it was your birthday, he then told Davina McCall, the Muggle entertainer who told Cassandra Hornby, who works in Gringott's who then told Graham Chang in Ravenclaw who then told his Great Uncle Apollon who's friends with Madam Pince who was then found gossiping with Professor Vector and Moaning Myrtle overheard and told me whilst I was putting on some make-up in the girls loos,' she said completely out of breath.

James could not say he was surprised. Rose flung herself round him and gave him a big hug to congratulate him becoming a teenager.

'Oh,' said Victoire, 'Teddy says Happy Birthday as well… he said he gave you a card with some book or something.'

Yes, Teddy's present had been most interesting. A book on the human anatomy was enough to scar James for life.

James bent down to do up his shoelace and it was then that he saw it. It was a badge, not one emblazoned with the number '13' or 'Happy Birthday' it was bewitched with the words 'Potter Stinks' he picked it up furiously and was even more devastated when the badge image whirled around to reveal the words 'Support Diggory'.

It took several moments to sink in. Rose bent her head to look at and looked on in horror.

'What is that?' she asked bewildered.

'I have no idea,' James said through his gritted teeth, 'Who's sick idea is this? What's that supposed to mean 'Support Diggory'?'

Rose shrugged her shoulders daring to look around as if about to target the villain behind it.

The badge was passed around Gryffindor table. Nobody had any idea where it had come from and what it meant. However, James was absolutely sure it was a way of someone implicating that he was not good enough for Tabitha or trying to stop their recent relationship.

'James is right, who would do this?' said Erasmus pointedly.

'Fletchley!' He said, half-gasping. 'He said to stay away from Tabitha during Transfiguration… I bet it was him!'

Everyone was quick to tell him not to make 'assumptions' but he was determined to hold someone to blame.

'James, honestly, you'll become infamous for having a nasty temper…' said Molly.

'Exactly, James, it's just a piece of plastic… no need to get worked up over it,' contributed Victoire.

'What if you found some mystery piece of plastic saying your name in a bad light and mentioning Teddy?' retorted James furiously, 'Actually you can't compare that, Tabitha's vulnerable and I don't need to explain myself to any of you!'

James stormed off in search of Fletchley. He was not hard to hunt down with his large build and had an odd extreme pale skin. He find him outside the headmistress' gargoyle with a group of Hufflepuff's

'Oi Fletchley, I'd like a word with you,' called out James.

Some of the Hufflepuff's looked concerned but he waved his friends goodbye and walked over to James. James thrusted the badge into Fletchley's face.

'Did you do this?' required James.

Fletchley snickered, 'no.'

'Own up now Fletchley, do you not know who I am?' said James angrily.

'Is that a threat, Potter?' sneered Fletchley.

'Yes it is,' menaced James.

'I didn't do it, Potter, although I wish I'd come up with the idea if it gets this reaction out of you.'

'Tell me who did it. You must know!'

'Haven't a clue…' said Fletchley, 'I do agree with the stinking part though, Potter, you always did carry around a certain pong.'

James felt like screaming: What happened to you? You used to be so nice and friendly!

'You're sure that you know nothing… you have to tell me this could be a threat to Tabitha!' said James.

'That's your problem, Potter, if your bleeding fame ends up getting her hurt, you won't have to deal with just me… it'll be all of us Hufflepuff's and even if we aren't all smart or brave or pure-blooded, we'll always be loyal.'

Professor Longbottom ambled towards the headmistress' office and spotted the two boys and whilst James was about to think of another comeback to Fletchley's defence, he interrupted.

'Past the curfew boys! Off you go to your dormitory Fletchley, I'll escort you back James,' he said.

James was muttering obscenities under his breath and looking at the badge intensely and it spun around so many times he began to feel sick.

'Where did you get this from?' asked Neville with curiosity and snatching it from James.

'Found it on the floor. What's it got to do with me and Tabitha?'

'No… this is nothing to do with you.'

'But it says mine and Tabitha's name on it! Give it back.'

'No, you are mistaken,' he smiled grimly.

'Look Nev- I mean Professor, it says bloody Potter and Diggory,' he had to withold adding; 'are you blind?!'

'It doesn't say James Potter and Tabitha Diggory though does it?'

'No… but what are the chances of them being another Potter and Diggory that are linked...?'

'Very high.' He said promptly, James just stared at him in disbelief, 'I remember this badge from my fourth year very clearly.'

'What?' he demanded.

'I'm probably not the right one to tell you this but I'm sure you know that your dad was in the Triwizard tournament back when he was in fourth year?'

'Yes.'

'Well there was another Hogwarts competitor, his name was Cedric Diggory.'

'You can't have two champions from the same school!'

'This particular year there was.' He said, 'Many despised your father, especially people from Hufflepuff because he had almost stolen the crown from Cedric Diggory. I believe Cedric was a cousin to her Tabitha Diggory's father.'

'Tabitha never mentioned a Cedric Diggory in her family,' huffed James.

'He died that same year.'

James' mouth swung open, 'Wait, he died in the tournament?'

'Murdered.'

'By who…?'

'I've said too much,' said Neville looking worried, 'Er – Listen James you should be asking someone else about things like this. I wouldn't advise it to be one of the Diggory's though.'

James knew he wouldn't be able to push any more information out of him. He retired to his dormitory and sat up all night, thinking of what life would be like without fame. His mother and father had tried hard to shelter them from the public, especially Lily who was very vulnerable to this type of thing. She would cry if strangers approached them and began to flash their cameras. His father being the most famous Auror in the world and the only person to have survived the Killing Curse was constantly bombarded and his mother the gifted Quidditch player and wife of Harry Potter had left her with equal amount of fame. A Muggle-Born Second-Year Gryffindor, Celeste Williams, had once said they were the wizarding version of 'Posh and Becks' who James had never heard of.

James did not mention the badge incident to Tabitha in the letter he wrote her that night.

He kept it at his side at all times, he began to suspect the Slytherin's and he did not care for his name being plastered on the badge but it was Tabitha's. He didn't want to get her into any kind of trouble, he wanted her out of harms way completely.

A/N – Review!

And I know this is really irrelevant but R.I.P. Michael Jackson.

Extraordinary talent and I really want to cry again now.

Tell me your stories of how and when you found out.

I was in my living room and I got a text saying Michael Jackson is dead at about 10pm (British Time). About an hour Channel 5 had confirmed it.

DIRTY DIANA OHWW (8)