James and Jade were having problems with Darryl and Malfoy. Darryl acted rude and arrogant except in classes, where he was always polite to the teachers. This irked James greatly. He didn't really mind Darryl pretending to be Harry Potter, but he did mind Darryl's behavior. Except for the Slytherins, the other students were mostly put off by his manner. A few students tried to find excuses for Darryl's behavior, with little success.

On Monday, Darryl snapped to Hermione, "Get out of my way, Mudblood."

Next to him, Malfoy smirked and added, "You're polluting the air he breathes."

Hermione's eyes glittered with anger, but James spoke before she could. "How dare you insult Hermione! She's a million times better than you two."

"Ooh, the bushy-haired girl has a boyfriend," said Darryl mockingly.

Hermione and James both turned scarlet. Jade snapped, "Oh, please do everyone a favor and shut up! You know, I'm starting to think that you're not really Harry Potter. The real Harry wouldn't be so rude or act like the way Voldemort would probably act."

Darryl turned red and his eyes widened slightly in nervousness. Malfoy retorted, "Don't talk about Harry Potter that way! He's a much better wizard than you."

"No he's not!" snapped Neville, who then looked surprised by his outburst. However, he bravely continued, "I think Jade's right about Harry not really being Harry."

"But maybe Harry was just brought up wrong," suggested Ron, but he didn't look very convinced. In fact, he looked very annoyed with Darryl.

James stood right in front of Darryl and in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, said, "I believe you're a fraud. I have no intention of telling on you, but you'd better clean up your act or I might be strongly tempted to go to Dumbledore."

Darryl glared at him. "You can't prove that I'm not Harry Potter." He then looked at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Let's go and leave these losers."

As they left, other students that had been in the corridor began talking about the confrontation. They were all disgusted by the fake Harry, though a couple of those that were Muggleborn first had to ask their friends what 'mudblood' meant. When they found out, they became angry. A few students also began wondering if Jade might be on the right track about this Harry Potter being a fake.

That evening, the confrontation was driven out of James's head when he saw a notice regarding flying lessons hung in the Gryffindor common room. He became very excited about flying and couldn't wait for the first lesson on Thursday.

"Flying is nice, but we have the class with the Slytherins," pointed out Jade.

James excitement was slightly dampened at the thought of having to put up with Malfoy and Darryl for another class. It was already bad enough having to see them in Potions.

Neville wasn't excited, but rather nervous about the flying lessons. His grandmother had never let him on a broom before. James privately thought that she had good reason, for Neville managed to have a number of accidents even when his feet were on the ground.

Hermione was almost as nervous as Neville. Flying wasn't something that could be learned out of a book, not that she hadn't tried. On Thursday at breakfast, she bored them all silly with flying tips she got out of a library book titled Quidditch Through the Ages. Everyone was quite relieved when the mail arrived, interrupting her.

Hedwig dropped a letter from Mrs. North, saying that she had quit her job as a waitress and had gotten a job working in Magical Law Enforcement, a department in the Ministry. She had decided to finally be part of the wizarding world again, and she had worked at the Ministry for a couple of years right after she had graduated from Hogwarts.

Jade quickly wrote a note congratulating her mother on the new job and after she and James signed it, sent it off with Hedwig. Then they saw Neville unwrapping a small package from his grandmother. He showed it to his friends, explaining that it was Remembrall and would turn red if he forgot something. As he spoke, the ball turned red. Neville began trying to remember what it was he had forgotten.

Darryl, Draco, and their goons Crabbe and Goyle turned up then. Darryl snatched the Remembrall from Neville's hand, looked at it, and then handed it to Draco.

"Give that back!" exclaimed James, shooting to his feet. Ron got to his feet also, the two of them half-hoping for an excuse to fight Darryl and Draco. Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble faster than any other teacher in the school, was there in a flash, though.

"What is going on?" she asked severely, frowning at the tableau.

"Draco Malfoy has my Remembrall, Professor," responded Neville.

With a scowl, Malfoy dropped the ball on the table. "I was just looking," he muttered. He, Darryl, Crabbe, and Goyle turned and left the Great Hall.

That afternoon, the first year Gryffindors walked outside to the Quidditch Pitch. It was sunny, clear, and breezy, perfect flying conditions. The Slytherins were already on the pitch, and so were twenty brooms laid out in two lines.

Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, came striding out the pitch and ordered everyone to stand next to a broom. She had them hold out a hand over their broom and say, "Up!"

James's broom flew into his hand at once, and Jade's broom followed a beat later. However, theirs were only two of the few that did. Hermione's broom simply rolled on the ground, while Neville's broom didn't move at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were frightened and there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said he wanted to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

Once everyone was holding a broom, Madam Hooch showed the class how to mount. James was pleased to see her correct Malfoy's grip, saying he was doing it wrong. Darryl looked slightly unsure about things, as if he, like Neville, hadn't flown before.

Madam Hooch then explained how to kick off and started to count backwards from three to ready them to fly. However, Neville, scared and nervous about being left behind, took off before she could reach 'one' and blow her whistle.

"Come back boy!" shouted Madam Hooch, but Neville couldn't. Jade could see Neville's scared, white face as the broom flew higher and higher. Without even stopping to think, she took off on her broom and went after Neville.

Madam Hooch shouted for her to come back, but Jade ignored her. James decided to join Jade and together the two of them managed to grab onto Neville just as he fell off from his broom. Jade pulled Neville in front of her on the broom and began flying down. The Remembrall fell from Neville's pocket and James went in a dive after it.

A foot from the ground, he caught the ball and pulled himself up. As he jumped off, he saw that the other Gryffindors looked impressed, while the Slytherins looked annoyed.

Madam Hooch hurried over to them. "All you are right?" she asked Neville. After ascertaining that he was okay, she turned to Jade and James. "You two shouldn't have taken off like that without permission. Five points from Gryffindor. However, your flying was impressive, and the two of you did rescue Mr. Longbottom. So ten points each."

Darryl and Draco did not at all pleased to hear this. They began whispering to each other.

After the flying lesson, Professor McGonagall called James and Jade into her office. A burly fifth-year boy was with her.

"Madam Hooch told me what happened during the lesson and about your flying," said McGonagall. "Anyway, this is Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. From what Madam Hooch said, you would make an excellent Seeker, James North. The Gryffindor team happens to need a Seeker and you would be an excellent candidate. As for you, Jadina North, you could probably make a good reserve Seeker or Chaser."

Oliver looked excited and regarded the 'twins'. "James does have the build for a Seeker. And Jadina could be a decent Chaser or Seeker. They'll need decent brooms, though."

"Good," said McGonagall. "Tonight the two of you will meet Wood on the pitch and he will test out your Quidditch skills. If you make it as Seeker, Mr. North, I will speak to Dumbledore about bending the first year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match against Slytherin. I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks." She smiled at James and Jade. "You know, your father would be proud of the two of you. He was Keeper on the Gryffindor team when he was at school."

------------------------------------

"You're joking."

It was dinnertime. James and Jade had just finished telling Ron, Neville, and Hermione about what had happened in McGonagall's office. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten about it.

"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never – you must be the youngest house player in –"

" – a century," finished James. "Wood told me. But I'll only become Seeker after he tests my flying skills after dinner and he deems me worthy."

"What about you, Jade?" asked Neville.

"If I'm better than James, then I'll be Seeker and he'll be the reserve," replied Jade. "If not, then I'll be the reserve Seeker. Or perhaps Chaser, if I'm better at that. I won't be full Chaser, though, because the three Chaser spots are already filled."

"Don't tell anyone though, guys," said James. "Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George turned up then to congratulate James and Jade, adding that they were Beaters on the team, and therefore had been told by Wood. The twins then left, saying something about their friend Lee Jordan finding a new secret passageway out the school.

The Weasley twins had just gone when Darryl and Draco turned up, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Think you two are so great?" sneered Darryl. "You're just show-offs."

"We were only rescuing Neville," said James coldly. "Now please go away."

"No," said Malfoy. "We'll prove to you that you and your stupid sister aren't so great."

"Don't call Jade names!" snapped James, furious. There were times when he wouldn't stand up for himself, but anyone who insulted or hurt Jade would cause his ire.

"I can defend myself," said Jade calmly. "For your information, Draco Malfoy, I'm not stupid. I'm currently tied with Hermione as top of all our subjects, except Herbology, which Neville is the top student in and we are only second."

"Well, if you're so smart, then prove it," said Darryl, glaring at them. "Draco and I challenge you and your brother to a wizard's duel. Tonight if you like. Wands only – no contact. Crabbe and Goyle will be our seconds. Who are yours?"

"Me," said Ron at once. "I'm James's second."

Hermione looked disapproving, but said, "And I'm Jade's second."

"Fine," said Malfoy. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked."

When they had gone, Hermione demanded, "What were you guys thinking?"

"Well, I don't know about James or Ron, but I was thinking of not going," said Jade in a calm tone of voice. Ron and James started to protest, but Jade interrupted them. "I would bet all my possessions that Darryl and Draco have no intention of showing up. Knowing them, they'll just tip off Filch or a teacher to try to get us in trouble."

"I think you're right," said James, sighing. "Okay, we don't show up for the duel then."

After dinner, James and Jade went out to the pitch with school brooms. The entire Gryffindor team was waiting on the pitch. Oliver Wood tried out Jade first, in the capacity of a Chaser. She flew quite well and was very good at passing. The Chasers, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell, looked impressed. She only scored two goals, but that was mainly due to fact that Wood was an excellent Keeper. By the time she was done, Wood said she would definitely be made a reserve Chaser.

James was next and caught each of the gold balls the team members threw, because it was getting too dark to use the Snitch. Wood looked as if he could hug James by the end and declared him Seeker as once. Jade then tried out. She didn't do as well as James, missing two of the golf balls. However, she wasn't bad, and was made reserve Seeker too.

The team then trooped up the castle, Wood telling James that practices would start next week. Jade didn't have to attend all the practices, because she was only a reserve, but Wood said that it would be a good idea if she attended anyway.

A few minutes later, Jade wrote a letter to her mother, telling her the news. The next day, Mrs. North sent a reply, saying that she would write to McGonagall and arrange for their brooms. James and Jade looked delighted with the news.

Darryl and Draco were surprised, then sour, when they saw James and Jade at breakfast, looking cheerful and with no sign of having gotten into trouble. This confirmed that the two Slytherins hadn't planned to show up for the duel. Jade waved cheerily at them and Darryl scowled and Draco glared at them. Ron choked on his laughter at this.

After breakfast, Jade, James, and their friends left for class.

A/N: For those who are wondering, Darryl does not have access to the Potter fortune. Dumbledore is not about to hand over the vault key with the way the boy is behaving. And if Darryl went to Gringotts, the goblins would first do a blood test or something similar to prove if he's Harry Potter or not. Obviously, he be shown to be a fake, and Darryl and his father won't want that. If Dumbledore decides to give up the Cloak despite his dislike of the fake Harry's behavior, James will end up with it instead. Mrs. North would do a spell to ensure the real Harry Potter gets mail delivered to Harry Potter. (Except for Hogwarts letters)