10

The next few weeks passed in a relatively uneventful fashion. James found himself reflecting on Professor Bowen's veiled warning more often than not. It had put him off—for the moment—of any hijinx with his Invisibility Cloak. He had confided in Sirius, Remus and Peter the details of the warning, and they all agreed that remaining safe should be the priority for the moment.

Christmas break seemed to arrive quite fast after that. The Gryffindors were gathering in their common room, rucksacks packed and ready to go.

'I can't wait,' Frank Longbottom was saying. 'We always go to my Uncle Roger's for Christmas Eve. He and my Mum make this terrific mince pie.' Frank proceeded to go into a long and surprisingly eloquent amount of detail about the ingredients that made up the pie. The end result was that everyone was feeling incredibly hungry.

Sirius nudged James. 'You going to say something?' he murmured.

'About what?' James asked.

'You know,' Sirius said meaningly.

James shook his head. 'I can't. It would be a bit of a giveaway to Professor Bowen that I blabbed, wouldn't it?'

Sirius nodded his agreement. 'I guess you're right. Well, I'll give it a go,' he said. 'Excuse me, everyone!' he said in a much louder voice. 'I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, but we—Messrs. Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew, would like to wish you all a safe holiday as well,' he announced, putting particular emphasis on the word 'safe'.

James caught Lily's eye. She was staring at him suspiciously. He ran a hand through his hair nervously and looked away.

'We're quite looking forward to spending the next seven years with you lot,' Sirius concluded.

There was a smattering of jokes and claps from the crowd, and then Professor McGonagall arrived. 'Alright, students. It is time to return to the train.'

James had been certain to collect the mailing addresses for Sirius, Remus and Peter. He had asked Lily for the same and, her response had been more than a little crude. As he arrived back at his house, all the thoughts of Hogwarts and Professor Bowen's warning seemed to temporarily vanish from his mind.

'Mom! Dad! I'm home!' he called as he stepped in the front door.

'James!' came a cry from the kitchen and Mrs. Potter bustled into the hall, sweeping her son up into a crushing hug. 'Oh, I've missed you so much. I am so sorry I couldn't see you off to Hogwarts, but look!' she said, gesturing to a large picture hanging on the wall. James groaned. It was plainly the picture Mr. Potter had taken of him the day he set off on the Hogwarts express. 'Did you get his gift?' she asked shrewdly.

James chuckled. 'Was that your idea?'

'Merlin's beard, no,' she said with a frown. 'Your father got into enough trouble at school without the help of that little cloak. I didn't even know it existed until after we'd graduated. It certainly explained a great many things.'

'Like what?' James asked.

'He always seemed to just pop up wherever I was. Turned out he was following me. Your Dad was quite the little stalker as a school boy,' she said with a grin.

James looked around. He hadn't noticed at first, but his father was not there. 'Where is Dad?' he asked.

'Working, of course,' Mrs. Potter sighed. 'He was supposed to be home before you arrived, actually. Must be a busy day at work.'

James' mind briefly flitted to Professor Bowen's warning, but he was interrupted by an incessant tapping from the window. He turned to see an Owl flapping its wings in the snowy weather. Its eyes appeared to be screaming.

'Who's sending post, now?' Mrs. Potter asked. She opened the window and the owl fluttered in. It was jet black, and it hooted thankfully as Mrs. Potter took the letter off its leg. 'It's for you, James,' she said in surprise. 'From Sirius Black?'

James leapt up and snatched the letter. 'He doesn't waste any time, does he?' he said with a grin. He tore open the letter.

'Dear James,

I miss Hogwarts already. I pretty much went straight to my room and I haven't come out yet. I'm thinking of finding some pinups of scantily clad women just to aggravate Mum and Dad. Maybe, with any luck, they would ban me from the family and I could spend my Christmas breaks at Hogwarts. Spending it alone would be better than spending it here.

If you were planning to send me a Christmas present (I will not be upset if you are not), it is probably best to wait until we return to Hogwarts. My family are searching for ways to punish me for getting sorted into Gryffindor. I've already been threatened with the usual—grounding, hand-me-down-dress-robes, disembowelment, etc. The only thing that's bringing a smile to my face right now is a prank I'm thinking of to pull on old Snivellus. I'll tell you more when we're together again.

I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.

Your Brother,

Sirius.'

James looked over the letter sadly a few more times. It was sad that Sirius was so miserable in his own home, and James had indeed managed to get a gift (he had sent Seger to a joke shop where she had managed to pick up a copy of '101 Useful, Entertaining and Highly Uncomfortable Jinxes'). He would wait until they returned to Hogwarts to present it to him. Meanwhile, Mrs. Potter was bustling around the kitchen again, and if James had been a bit more attentive he may have noticed that she was simply trying to keep herself busy to keep her mind off other things. She kept shooting glances at the clock on the wall.

As the night stretched on, there was still no word from Mr. Potter. Mrs. Potter kept insisting that he was working late, and James finally decided to try and engage her in conversation. 'Mum, do you know my Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?' he asked.

Mrs. Potter hesitated. 'Not as well as your father,' she said. 'I hear he was a fine Auror, though. Are his classes interesting?'

'Very,' James said. 'But he had some other things to say, too.'

Mrs. Potter turned and smiled kindly at him. 'I'm sure he did, dear, but I really don't think Christmas holidays are the time to discuss such things!' she said. 'Now why don't you get and write back your friend? He was clearly eager to hear from you.'

Sensing that the conversation was over, James returned to his bedroom and set down to write Sirius.

'Dear Sirius,

Sorry your family is on your case. Maybe if they ban you from the family, you could just come and spend Christmas' with us, instead? That might be more enjoyable than spending it with the teachers at Hogwarts, especially if I keep annoying Professor Flitwick the way I have.

I have gotten you a gift, by the way (not telling you what it is). I got gifts for Remus, Peter and Lily, too. Lily's is a bit of a joke—you'll have to guess what I sent her. I got Remus a new quill and parchment binding set, as he seems so keen on doing homework. I got Peter a book on lunar cycles, since he always seems to comment on full moons. It was a bit of a shot in the dark, really—I'm not entirely sure what Peter likes.

I think something weird is going on tonight. Maybe like what Professor Bowen told me. My Dad still isn't home, and Mum seems worried, although she's trying not to let on. Hopefully everything is ok.

Anyway! Merry Christmas, and I'll see you in a couple of weeks!

Your Brother,

James.'

James summoned Seger to his window and attached the letter. Seger clicked her beak angrily, glaring out into the snowy night. 'Sorry, Seger,' James said soothingly, patting her back. 'Sirius' needs are greater than yours. Now go!'

Seger ruffled his feathers and lifted off into the greyish-tan night that was spreading over the village of Godric's Hollow. James was suddenly aware of how tired he was, and he lay down on his bed and quickly fell asleep.

He awoke some time later. He was not sure how long he had been out—his window was still open from when he had let Seger out, and his bedroom now held the same winter chill that the outdoors did. His light was off, Mrs. Potter had undoubtedly come in to turn it out, but he was not covered in a blanket.

James blinked a few times. Had the cold woken him? No, a sound had. He listened hard and he heard voices downstairs. He vaulted off the bed and headed down the stairs, hearing what was unmistakably his father's voice. But he froze on the staircase when he heard the sound of his mother crying.

'But how?' Mrs. Potter was asking.

Mr. Potter's voice was soothing, but a trace of anger undercut it. 'They arrived at Roger's house a day early. You know their tradition of minced pies,' he said. 'Anyway, they came to the door. I'm not sure what the discussion was, but Roger flatly refused. That's when everything happened.'

'So...everyone?' Mrs. Potter whispered.

'Not everyone,' Mr. Potter sighed, and James heard the sound of a chair sliding across the floor. 'Augusta managed to get out of there with Frank. She fought four of them off—she's not to be underestimated, that one,' he said with something of a dry sense of humor. 'But the rest...all of them. They're dead.'

James froze. He knew exactly who was being discussed. He had heard Frank Longbottom talking loudly about the minced pies when they were about to leave Hogwarts. Something had happened, and now some of his family members were dead. James made his way down the rest of the stairs and into the kitchen. Mr. Potter had an arm around Mrs. Potter's shoulders, and she was crying softly.

'Mum?' James asked.

They both whipped around. Mrs. Potter immediately grabbed a handkerchief and blew her nose rather loudly, and Mr. Potter leapt to his feet, trying to put a smile on his face. 'There he is,' he said proudly. 'Sorry I wasn't here when you get back!'

'What's happened?' James said quietly.

Mr. Potter frowned. 'Nothing, son, we're just talking about work.'

'No,' James said slowly. 'You're talking about someone who murdered Frank Longbottom's uncle.'

Mrs. Potter gasped and Mr. Potter sighed, looking at the ground. 'How much did you hear, son?' he asked quietly.

'Why don't you start from the beginning?' James asked, pulling a chair over and sitting down, crossing his arms.

Mr. Potter smiled faintly. 'I keep underestimating you,' he said softly. 'All right. The Longbottom family was attacked by a group of Dark Wizards tonight, James. They used Unforgiveable Curses on them. The Longbottoms managed to get out a call for help, but we only arrived in time to save a few of them.'

'Frank and his Mum?' James asked.

Mr. Potter nodded.

'How many?' James asked. Mr. Potter looked quizzical. 'How many died?'

Mr. Potter looked over at Mrs. Potter, who had tears running down her cheeks again. 'Five,' he said softly. 'Frank's father, Reginald. His uncle Roger, his wife Anne and...and their two children,' he finished.

'Children,' James breathed.

Mrs. Potter left the room, sobbing loudly. Mr. Potter leaned over to James. 'I'm sorry to have to tell you this...I wanted to wait until after Christmas.'

James felt numb. 'Who did it?' he asked.

Mr. Potter leaned back again. 'We have some theories,' he said. At James' piercing glare, he sighed. 'It's an organization,' he said with a frown. 'They like to call themselves the Death Eaters. It appears to have been some kind of recruitment group, and clearly Roger Longbottom didn't like what they had to say.' He smiled faintly. 'He told them to get off his land.'

'What are the Death Eaters?'

'Dark Wizards,' Mr. Potter replied. 'We're not entirely sure what their goal is. Or who they are serving, for that matter.' He looked at James. 'Yes, I believe there is someone in control, someone to whom they are all subservient.'

'Is Frank still going to go to Hogwarts?' James asked.

Mr. Potter smiled grimly. 'I'm not sure,' he said quietly. 'He has lost a great deal tonight. That will be a matter between himself and his mother, but he would certainly be safer at Hogwarts, as will you.'

James felt fear creep upon him for the first time. 'What about you and Mum?' he asked.

Mr. Potter smiled warmly and stood up, pulling his son into an embrace as Mrs. Potter re-entered the room. He waved her over and she joined in the family hug. 'We'll all be fine,' he said quietly. 'The ones we love never really go anywhere, James. They never truly leave us.' James looked up to see a tear in his father's eye.

'It's a kind of magic,' his father said softly.

Christmas came and went. In spite of their best efforts, the mood in the Potter house was relatively sombre. More information seemed to come in almost every day. The day after Christmas, they were visited by Professor Bowen.

'Artemis!' Mr. Potter said, shaking Bowen's hand as he stepped into the house. 'I thought you weren't supposed to leave the grounds of Hogwarts?'

Bowen nodded. 'I've got someone there now, substituting for me,' he said with a wry smile. 'I heard about the Longbottoms, and I heard you were in charge of the investigation. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help?'

James was listening quietly from the table, pretending to read the book that Remus had sent him. '10 Foolproof ways to not make a fool of yourself in front of the fairer sex'.

'I could certainly use someone to bounce theories off of,' Mr. Potter said. 'Butterbeer?'

'Please,' Professor Bowen said. 'Hello, James,' he said as he sat down at the table. Mr. Potter made as if to send James from the room, but James closed his book and stared resolutely back at his father, silently signalling he was not about to go anywhere. Professor Bowen chuckled. 'I think he'd make an excellent Auror some day,' he said quietly.

Mr. Potter smiled. 'Hopefully he'll go into something a bit less harrowing. However, he does keep surprising me.' His smile disappeared. 'It was the Death Eaters. From what we've gathered, they are approaching pureblood families. It seems they are looking to recruit.'

'To attack muggles or muggle borns?' James asked.

Mr. Potter nodded. 'Precisely,' he said.

James thought for a moment. 'Do you think they're likely to still be out there? Trying to recruit?'

Mr. Potter and Professor Bowen exchanged a glance. 'It's entirely possible,' Mr. Potter said. 'Is there something you'd like to share?'

James considered this. He knew Sirius didn't get on with his family, but by the same token, would he be angry if James potentially put them under the scrutinization of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? He thought of Frank Longbottom and made his decision.

'My friend Sirius says his family are really into the Dark Arts. And they're pure blood. Maybe they'd be high on the list of people these...Death Eaters would visit?'

Professor Bowen raised his eyebrows and looked at Mr. Potter. 'A solid theory,' he said.

'Who's this friend Sirius?' Mr. Potter asked with a frown.

Professor Bowen waved a hand. 'He's not a concern, Potter. He's every bit as strong of character as James, here. How he could come from a family that favours the Dark Arts is beyond me,' he muttered. 'Funny how I didn't think of it until now.'

'You know the Blacks?' Mr. Potter asked.

'Know of them, more like,' Professor Bowen replied. 'Orion Black—Sirius' father—is definitely a dodgy character, but that's besides the point. If these Death Eaters are approaching pureblood families, it could be a good place to start.'

Mr. Potter nodded his agreement. He looked at James. 'Thanks for the idea, son.'

James smiled when a tapping sound came from the window. He looked over to see the jet black owl that belonged to Sirius hovering frantically outside the window, a rather large package strapped to its leg. James ran over and let it in, taking the package. In light of the conversation they had just had, he decided to open it upstairs.

After arriving in his room, he tore open the package. There was a small card from Sirius inside.

'James,

Merry Christmas, sorry for the delay. Had a dickens of a time nicking this from my Dad, but I think it will come in incredibly handy. Just look into the mirror and say my name.

Sirius.'

James looked into the box and found himself facing a small mirror. He held it up, staring at his own reflection. He shrugged. 'Sirius,' he said.

Suddenly, he found himself looking at the grinning face of Sirius Black. 'Am I good?' Sirius asked. 'Or am I good?'

'This...is WICKED!' James hissed.

'Right?' Sirius said happily. 'How's your Christmas going?'

James' smile faded. 'I have so much to tell you,' he said. He proceeded to tell Sirius everything that had happened—the murder of the Longbottoms, Professor Bowen's visit, and even James' idea regarding Sirius' family.

'Don't feel bad,' Sirius said coldly when James had finished. 'It wouldn't surprise me if they got involved with that. I should curse them now,' he muttered. 'Frank and his Mum were the only ones to escape?'

James nodded sullenly.

'Poor guy,' Sirius said softly. 'Let's look out for him when he gets to Hogwarts. I reckon we haven't really got to know him well enough.'

James nodded his agreement. 'I think that should go for everyone,' he said. 'There's loads of people we don't really know. We should get to know them. We're all stronger united.'

'United against what?' Sirius asked.

'Against whatever comes,' James said strongly.

Sirius cracked a smile. 'You sound like a leader, James,' he said.

'If the robe fits, Sirius. You with me?'

Sirius chuckled. 'James, I'll follow you to hell. I'm in.'