Imprisonment

Twenty Four

Charms had finished at three o'clock and the group went down to the kitchens to get a snack to eat. They thought that it was the best idea since they had a flying lesson at four o'clock. James couldn't wait for that. He had been flying a few times with Ron and his 'cousins' but to have a proper lesson would be fantastic.

At a quarter to four the five classmates headed down to the green where the class would be conducted. They found Ron stood there looking up at the sky a small smile spread over his features.

"Great weather for a first lesson. Okay class so we're going to go straight into this. It isn't like any of your other lessons this is for fun. You don't need to fly but you might find that it's a good way to relax. Now we have five brooms over here if you'll go stand by one."

James stood next to the one labelled 'Firebolt X'. He didn't know personally what a good broom was but he knew from the brief times he'd been in the air that he wanted to know.

"Okay class so the first lesson is how to get onto the broom. Now I want you to raise your right hand over the broom and in a commanding voice say up."

"UP."

James watched in amazement as the broom hit the palm of his hand. This was looking good. Next to him Neal wasn't doing as well. The broom had shot up suddenly, hit him in the face and landed back on the ground. Daniel though was holding his tenderly and Claire was grinning as she held hers. Rose though was looking sideways at the broom still on the ground.

They waited until everyone held their brooms and then Ron went around correcting their grips.

"Alright so next I want you all to hover a little above the ground. You just have to kick off and then lean forward so that the broom will take you back to the ground."

The lesson continued on and James was in the air before he knew it. He went higher than he was told but he didn't care. Gently he flew in circles in the way that had come naturally to him. He wasn't sure if it was in his blood but he could just imagine his father flying around a ground very much similar to this feeling free.

"James come back down!"

He looked at Ron who was pointing to the ground. Claire was flying in short straight lines looking like she loved it, but she was the only one. Daniel was on the ground laying flat on his back, it was clear he hadn't fallen off since his broom was still in the air. Rose wasn't doing much better; she was rolling over on her broom screaming. Neal however looked the worse of them all. He was white and clinging to the broom. He was however only two inches from the ground. James pointed the nose of the broom downwards and landed on the ground happily.

"Alright then class, I think we'll call it a day. Don't worry we'll work more on this on Wednesday."

James stood watching as Rose and Claire joined arms and ran back up towards the castle. He didn't even want to guess what they were going to do. Neal was shaking as he and Daniel walked on ahead. The later stopped a little off and looked back.

"Hughesy aren't you coming?"

"I'll meet you later."

The boy nodded and James looked at Ron. The man was holding the four other brooms.

"I'm guessing that Sirius passed the message on then."

"Yep. Did he really know my grandparents?"

"Sure did. He was best friends with them, don't you remember?"

"Well yeah you told me but … I mean I never thought I'd get to meet the people you mentioned."

Ron smiled gently at the boy. James was beginning to read the man and knew that there was something he was holding back but he didn't push it. In silence they walked up to the castle. They entered the hall and instead of heading for dinner they turned left and walked along the bottom floor.

James had wandered the castle since he had arrived. He had sort of worked out the directions and what was where. He knew for instance that on the bottom floor there were two private rooms belonging to Moody and Professor Flitwick. Also the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom was on this floor along with the rooming for the thirteen year olds.

James didn't know however why they were walking down this hall. They walked half-way down when Ron stopped and looked at a portrait. James studied it for a moment. It was of a woman who didn't look much older than her early twenties. She had long blonde hair that fell in a straight line around her face. Her eyes though drew James. They were a light blue colour and the more he looked at them the more sure he was that he had seen them before. But where had he seen them? He just couldn't place it. He felt Ron move beside him and looked up at the man. He smiled gently looking back at the portrait.

"That's my wife Luna. She was taken back in July by Death Eaters."

He understood what was meant by that. He had learnt quickly that people were taken and not heard of ever again. He had heard that the professors that were teaching him had been part of an Order that had fought against that Voldemort guy for years. It was them in particular who were tracked down, captured and never heard of again. There were rumours that if you were captured you weren't killed. No you were kept alive and tortured for information that they thought you had. James was sure that it was a fate worse than death.

"I'm sure she's fine wherever she is."

Ron nodded a little and smiled.

"Sure Harry is watching over her for me."

James didn't understand that but followed the man down the corridor. Just off from the Defence Against Dark Arts classroom there was another portrait. James stopped in front of it and stared. He knew who this was of.

The woman in it again didn't look much older than her early twenties. Her hair was a light brown and fell in loose waves. Her eyes were a chocolate brown and were filled with emotion. James was sure that he saw hurt in them masking every other emotion that the woman had probably ever felt.

Looking at it he didn't think that the woman was beautiful. No there were women in the muggle world that were much more beautiful but she was pretty. He could tell that to be looked on by her would be to feel love. There was warmth and caring to her. Maybe that made her more beautiful than her looks ever could.

"Do you know who that is?"

Ron's voice startled him a little but he nodded not taking his eyes from the portrait.

"It's my mother."

"That's right."

"She doesn't talk though."

"No. But that's a good thing. It probably means she's still alive wherever she is."

James tore his eyes away from his mother to look at the man.

"Why would they keep her alive?"

"Because of you."

He was completely confused now and the man seemed to pick up on that.

"Ever since we returned to the wizarding world eleven years ago there were rumours flying around. People had thought that we had all died but then there we were. People began to talk and one of the things said was that your mother had had a baby. Well she had been married to your dad and so they assumed the child would be his."

"I don't understand."

"Your father was Harry Potter. James he was the one, the one that would end this war. But Voldemort killed him. He had tried for so long to kill the Potters and then he heard rumours of a child. He'd failed. There was still one Potter left."

"But my mam is a Potter."

"By name alone. She doesn't have the Potter bloodline. Don't get me wrong Voldemort wants Hermione dead as well. I mean she's a nuisance, always has been in fact. But no you have your father's blood. Therefore you have the same strength that he did running through you. The protection your grandmother gave him is in you and Voldemort fears that you'll be able to succeed where Harry couldn't."

"Oh so he wants me dead."

Ron must have heard something in James' voice because he gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're in good company. He wants everyone here dead. But yes he does want to kill you more than the others. Although I bet he wants Moody dead just as much."

He laughed lightly and James couldn't see what was funny.

"James you have to understand that the talk of a birth was just a rumour. Voldemort couldn't get any closer to the truth than that. He captured Order members demanded to know if there was a child but they wouldn't tell him. Now he is persuasive but he couldn't even get this one out of us. So when he captured your mother he now had a chance to find out the truth. The thing is Hermione is very strong, more so now than when we were kids, and she was strong in mind then. I doubt that he will get the answers that he wants so she'll be kept alive."

"We have to rescue her."

The man nodded looking at him gently.

"We will, but not yet."

I know I said no more post until after my exams but I've had enough. There's only so much revision a girl can take. Seriously ask me anything about Roman provinces and the governing system and I can tell you. Oh and how about leather making, that's one you should keep your eyes open for, so much revision its entered the story later on coughcarly'sfaultcough. Anyway my exams finish a week tomorrow so that's when the next load of post will be (or maybe Monday night after my exam)

Kris