Friday 29th June 1973

Hogwarts Express, 10:45

James happily dragged his (lightened) trunk across the platform and shoved it onto the train. In a stroke of luck, there was no one in that compartment and it was their compartment so he lay claim to it for the Marauders. It really was becoming their compartment.

"Come on!" he called behind him impatiently.

Why were all of his friends so slow? You'd think that they didn't want to go home. Because that's what they were doing. Going home.

There was just the ride on the Hogwarts Express and then they were free because it was officially summer. James couldn't wait. He was going to do so much this summer. Loads. And all his friends were going to join him as well. The Marauders.

"What's got you in a rush?" Remus panted as he came up behind him. "The train's not going to leave for another fifteen minutes."

"It's nearly summer!" James said happily.

Remus rolled his eyes fondly at him but James didn't care. It was nearly summer!

"It's not summer until we're out of uniform," Peter declared, shoving his trunk overhead with a huff.

Even with featherlight charms, trunks were still unwieldy.

"I agree with that," Sirius said, draping himself on a seat and yanking his tie off. "There," he said in a satisfied tone, stuffing the tie in his pocket. "Less uniform."

"Just don't take off your shoes," Remus warned. "They stink."

"Is this because you're a werewolf?" Sirius asked. "Or do they actually smell that bad?"

"Shhh!" Remus said, looking frantically at the door to the compartment. "Don't say that."

James decided to step in. "They really smell that bad."

Sirius puffed up his chest indignantly.

"They are not!"

"Yes, they are," Peter chimed in, nodding in agreement. "They would make plants die.

Sirius now looked completely affronted. "Now you're just exaggerating. It's not funny."

James looked around the compartment, a stupid grin on his face. Yes, it was going to be a great summer.


Severus watched the Hogsmeade Platform get small and smaller as the train picked up speed. He sighed heavily and kept staring out the window until all signs of Hogwarts had vanished. Which was depressingly early. It was summer. And he had eight weeks of no magic, no cosy dorms, no dungeons. See? Depressing.

He was alone, for a change, because Lily wanted to finish up talking to her friends from her dorm. She said she'd be by as soon as she could. Hopefully that meant before they left Scotland but he wasn't holding his breath. Girls really could talk a lot.

Which he missed. Well, his missed Lily's chatter and maybe McKinnon's - she was at least amusing. They'd probably both come back here. That meant he probably wasn't going to get anything productive done when they did.

He eyed his trunk. Was it worthwhile getting his summer work out and starting it? It would free up his summer. Not that there was anything to free up his day for...


Wednesday 4th July 1973

Potter Mansion, 13:00

Why don't you invite your friends for next Friday and they can stay the weekend," Mum suggested.

James started to nod but remembered when the full moon was (he'd been paying attention to it now) and turned the nod into a head shake.

"They're busy then."

"All of them?"

James nodded, obviously not informing his parents of Remus' little issue. Because that's what it was, just a little issue. Something they had to work around.

"Can they come to following Friday?" he asked.

Of course, he would have to ask if they were all free first. Something he probably should have done before he asked his parents. Oh well, he'd get it sorted.

"Of course," mum replied happily.

"Just make sure they check with their parents," dad added. "If any of them want to floo us, give them the receiving room address."

"Will do!"

James was pretty sure all his friends had access to the floo. Something else he'd have to check. Not everyone got themselves connected to the network. Most. But not all. Though he doubted that Lord and Black would floo. They hadn't over Easter and that probably wouldn't change.

Shaking his head to rid himself of thoughts of the Blacks, James grinned in anticipation of his friends' upcoming visit. They were going to have so much fun!

But first, he had owls to send. Now, where was his quill...


Saturday 7th July 1973

12 Grimmauld Place, 11:00

"I don't see why he has to go."

"He has been invited, Walburga."

"To the Potters."

Sirius could hear his mother's disdain even through the front door. He wasn't sure if it was because the Potter were Light Aligned or because Lord Potter chose to work for a living (the very height of shame according her). Knowing mother, it was most likely to be the latter of all things. Even if the former was more understandable.

Not that he understood her disdain for the Potters at all. Not now anyway. They were so nice! Then again, maybe that explained it. Nice wasn't exactly a word he'd use to describe his mother.

"We have no need to pander to them, Orion."

"This isn't pandering. This is being polite."

"I warned you that nothing good would come from Sirius' association with that boy."

That boy being James, of course. Mother really despised the Potters.

"At least they are of an appropriate social standing," he heard Father murmur. "No eyebrows will be raised."

"Barely appropriate." Mother sniffed. "We are not returning an invitation."

"Of course not."

Sirius shuddered at the thought of any of his friends coming here. What on earth would they think of his parents? Especially since he had now discovered that most people's parents were like the Potters and not his ones. It would be embarrassing and awkward to have his friends come over.

"What's going on?"

Sirius jumped as Regulus seemed to appear out of thin air.

"Don't do that," Sirius scolded.

Regulus just rolled eyes and gestured towards the still closed study door. "Well?"

Sirius sighed and leaned his head on the wall.

"They're arguing about letting me go to the Potters."

Reful6us scrunched up his nose in disdain.

"You got invited again."

"He's my best friend," Sirius said defensively.

Of course, he would be invited back!

The look on Regulus' face didn't improve.

"I still don't understand that."

"He's a good guy."

"He's a Potter," Regulus reminded him, as if that explained everything.

Which it did. And didn't. Who else was he supposed to be friends with in Gryffindor if he was "making the best of things" as father instructed him to? MacDonald? Smith? They were girls.

"So?"

Regulus rolled his eyes again. Obviously, he thought that Sirius was being stupid but, quite frankly, Sirius thought that Regulus was being the stupid one.

"You shouldn't even be associating with him."

Sirius glared at him and crossed his arms.

"Well, I am."

Regulus nodded his head towards the closed study door.

"Not if Mother has anything to say about it."


Wednesday 11th July 1973

The Park, Cokeworth, Manchester, 12:30

"Come on, Sev," Lily tried to persuade him.

Severus stubbornly shook his head.

"Seeeeev."

Sometimes whining worked. It made him grin and shake his head but then he gave in. Not that it looked like it was working this time.

"It will be fun," she tried.

"No."

She huffed at him. He wasn't even giving her an opening to work with here. Didn't he like doing fun things? Especially with free food. Lots of it.

"It's the perfect weather for a barbecue," she said instead, trying to be persuasive.

She still didn't understand why Severus would turn down a barbecue. It wasn't like he was a vegetarian or anything.

"I said no, Lily."

She frowned at him. He was being weirdly firm about this. Normally, he would let himself be dragged unwillingly into things she wanted to do. Not this time. Well, she'd see about that.

"Please?"

She really did want him to come, otherwise it was just going to be a bunch of adults. Maybe one or two other children but Lily didn't really get on well with them. She wanted her best friend with her. Someone she didn't have to pretend she went to a normal school with.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" he checked.

"They asked me to invite you."

They'd also added that at least this way he'd get a proper meal into him, dad though Severus to be awfully scrawny. He should see Potter. If that wasn't scrawny, Lily didn't know what was. Sev just wore a lot of baggy clothes that made him look skinny.

"They did?"

He didn't have to sound so shocked at that. He was her friend after all.

"Uh huh," she replied impatiently. "So, come on!"

He took a step forward only to pause and look down at himself. A frown came over his face. Lily suddenly knew what the problem was. Or, at least part of it.

"Mum and dad won't care how you look," she said.

Because they wouldn't. They were too polite to mention things like that. Even if Sev's 'Muggle clothes' were all mismatched and odd shapes. Though, Petunia on the other hand...

"Are you sure?"

"They really won't," she reassured him and then grabbed his hand to give him a tug. "Come on, dad bought way too many sausages so we're going to have to eat them."

"Because that's going to be difficult," he said in a deadpan tone.

Lily grinned at him. That meant he was coming!


Severus stood awkwardly in the Evans' back garden, holding a half-eaten hot dog. It was a very nice hot dog, completely smothered in tomato sauce the way he liked it, but he didn't know what to do with himself.

He hadn't realised that the Evans' had invited a few of their neighbours around. Neighbours he didn't know nor cared to know. None of them had high opinions of him anyway. He saw the looks they gave him out of the corner of their eyes.

"Hi!" Lily chirped at him, clutching a burger with a bite already out of it. "How's it going?"

"They're staring at me," Severus grumbled.

Lily's neighbours hadn't taken their eyes off him since he arrived. And they were doing an awful lot of whispering as well. Not that he cared. But it was annoying. They didn't even try to hide it. Just because he didn't care didn't mean that he had to like it. No one liked being stared at.

"Oh, them?" Lily asked, looking over where Severus jerked his head. "Don't worry about those busybodies."

Severus just gave her a look. That was no excuse! Or maybe it was.

"They're nosy about everyone."

Severus opened his mouth to say something scathing about gossips when two of the women bustled their way over to them.

They were quite funny to look at. One was incredibly tall and thin and the other was short and round. Kind of like a beach ball. The stripey dress she was wearing didn't help that image.

"Hello, Lily, dear!" The tall one greeted.

The short one withered a greeting of some sort as well.

"Hello, Mrs Wigan, Mrs Young," Lily returned the greeting in a polite tone. "How are you doing?"

Oh, how Severus hated stupid small talk. If you didn't have anything to say you should just keep quiet. No need to fill the silence.

"Oh, very well, thank you," the tall one clucked. "You?"

"I'm good."

The woman turned an eagle eye onto Severus. "And is this your little friend we always see you with?"

Severus bristled at being called little. He had grown three whole inches this year!

"This is Severus, Mrs Wigan," Lily introduced him. "He's in my year at school."

At least he knew who was who now.

"Oh, so you go to the same school? I thought it was all-girls."

"No, Hogwarts is a mixed school."

"How odd."

Were most schools single sex in the muggle world? He supposed he should have known but the only muggle boarding school he knew about was St Clara's and that was all girls.

"It's fun."

"More fun than St Clara's?" Mrs Young pried.

Severus supposed it was odd looking for one daughter to go to one school and the other two to go to another.

"It suits me and Chryssie better."

"Hmm."

Neither woman looked too convinced though this was apparently all the opening they need to launch into what basically amounted to an interrogation about Hogwarts. It was actually difficult to keep the details vague and not let anything slip. The women were relentless and more than a little bit aggravating. They actually had the nerve to ask how people like him got into such an exclusive sounding school. People like him?

They finally made their escape when Mrs Evans quite literally came to their rescue. She had deliberately come over with some fried tomatoes, which apparently Mrs Wigan was a big fan of.

"Why are they even like that?" Severus asked in exasperation.

And annoyance. Of course, he was good enough to go to Hogwarts! How dare they! He almost wished that they hadn't walked off far enough so they wouldn't be overheard by nosey ears just so he could give them a piece of his mind. Not that je would actually be brave enough to really do it but the thought was a nice one.

"It's because you're from the estate," Lily said with an eyeroll. "Not your clothes or anything. I honestly think that they think someone from the estate is a different species."

"Seriously?"

He knew some of Lily's neighbours were right snobs but really? A different species? It wasn't like they were anything special

Lily giggled. "Maybe they thought people didn't leave the estate if they're from there."

Severus rolled his eyes. People were so strange.


Friday 20th July 1973

Potter Mansion, 10:00

"Oh, Merlin, thank goodness you're here," Peter said in relief as Sirius left the fireplace.

Sirius waved one of his arms at him, unable to respond as he was engulfed by James. Quite literally.

Peter eyed the two of them and sighed. He took two steps across the room so he was behind James and prised him off Sirius.

"Let him breath."

"Thank you, Peter," Sirius gasped, rubbing his almost certainly crushed sides.

"I was just saying hi!" James complained.

"Way too enthusiastically," Peter scolded.

"No such thing."

Peter and Sirius just shook their heads at each other, both used to James' incessant need to hug people by now. Sort of. Until he literally launched himself across the room at you.

Speaking of that-

"At least Sirius managed to stay upright," James teased.

Peter immediately felt his cheeks darken. He had hoped James wasn't going to bring that up, it was embarrassing.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked between the two of them questioningly.

"What happened?"

James chuckled and Peter tried to shoot him a glare. Which didn't work, unfortunately.

"Don't," he tried to demand but it came out as a whine.

Therefore, James took no notice of him whatsoever as he turned to Sirius with the biggest grin on his face.

"Peter fell over and we went rolling across the room and made that picture fall down," James explained, pointing to the picture that had been put back on the wall.

Peter covered his face with his hands in embarrassment

"James!"

Sirius let out a laugh. "Tell me more."

"The frame broke," James eagerly added.

Thank Merlin for Reparo, that's all Peter was saying.

"I didn't break it," Peter muttered.

He hadn't. Not exactly anyway. The frame had come free from the back, it wasn't like it had cracked or anything.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, which didn't help Peter's embarrassment at all.

"Guys."


Saturday 21st July 1973

Potter Grounds, 12:00

"It's so warm!" Peter complained, throwing himself down on the grass -his face bright red a shiny.

"It's going to be like this all day," Remus said, looking critically at the sky.

There wasn't a cloud in it and the sun seemed to be impossibly bright. Remus swore the air around them was shimmering, that's how warm it was.

"Too warm to do anything," Sirius pronounced, flopping himself next to Peter.

Well, as much as Sirius did flop. Which wasn't much. More like sit heavily on the grass.

"That's what you two get for wearing proper shirts instead of t-shirts," Remus told him, gesturing down at himself.

Sirius and James were wearing button up shirts, almost dress shirts, and pressed trousers. Looked right posh. Especially compared to him in his plain t-shirt and long shorts.

"You really think my mum would let me wear muggle clothes?" Sirius demanded.

"Why would you want your legs all exposed," James wondered, staring at Remus'

"Bet yours is scrawny and pale!" Sirius teased. "I wouldn't want to show them off either."

"Says Mr White-as-a-ghost!"

"Guys!" Peter complained. "It's too warm to argue!"

"Maybe we could go for a swim in the lake?" James suggested.

"That's on the other side of your property," Sirius whined.

Which, because this belonged to the Potters, meant that the other side was a fair distance away. Too far to walk in this heat in Remus' opinion. Just standing still like they were now was enough to make the sweat drip off you.

Remus suddenly remembered something and started putting his pockets. He was sure that he had them on him...

"I know how we can stay cool!"

Seriously, where were they? His friends looked expectantly at him.

"I brought water balloons," Remus finally pronounced them, pulling out a plastic bag (why did he have a pocket in a pocket?).

Sirius frown at it and poked it.

"What's that material?"

"The bag? It's plastic."

"Huh."

Sirius picked it up and it made a crinkling noise. Sirius was delighted with it and started scrunching the packet more to get the sound again. Remus shook his head. Sirius liked the strangest of things.

"This is cool!" Sirius said happily.

Remus resisted the urge to snigger at him, even though he was being a bit ridiculous. It was just a plastic bag for Merlin's sake. Instead, he took the bag back and ripped it open.

"Hey!" Sirius complained.

"You'll like this even better," Remus assured him.

"What even are they?" James asked curiously. "Coloured plastic?"

"No. Well, yes. Technically."

Water balloons were a type of plastic, right? James and Sirius were giving him confused looks while Peter was just rolling his eyes.

"Look, you fill them up with water and-"

He was just getting a pair of blank stares. Ah. He didn't exactly think this through.

"Do you have an outside tap?" he asked hopefully.

There was technically no need to one in a magical household.

Surprisingly, James nodded. "Around the side."

"Why?" Sirius asked in bewilderment.

James shrugged. "Easier for the elves. Apparently, a hose gives a better spray for the garden."

Huh. Remus wouldn't have thought that. Though he supposed that even when dealing with magic a hose was better than a watering can.

James picked himself up from the ground.

"Come on, I'll show you."

"Do we have to move?" Sirius whined but he was already pushing himself off the ground.

"Come on!"

No one could say they ran towards the house (if you could even call it that, it was basically a mansion), more like limped towards it. Remus could feel the sweat running down his back but getting to the shade of the house was so good.

Sure enough, James had an outdoor tap. Perfect. James and Sirius watched with fascinated eyes as he stretched a water balloon around it and filled it up. After a few seconds he carefully eased it off (first turning off the tap of course) and tied a knot in it. A perfect water balloon if he said so himself. He did the sale with a few others and passed them around, piling some at their feet.

"So, what do we do with them?" James asked, hesitantly squeezing the green one in his hand.

Remus felt the smirk that came over his face but he really couldn't help it.

"This!" he shouted, throwing his water balloon at James.

9t hit him straight in the face, exploding on contact. James gasped as he was instantly soaked with water but Remus didn't stick around to see. He took off running to get out of reach.

"REMUS!"


Tuesday 23rd July 1973

Art Gallery, London, 11:00

"I wish I could have invited Sirius," Dora said wistfully, she was sure that he'd be loads of fun.

Especially in the boring parts like the art galleries. Mum and dad spent way too much time in those. She could even practice her morphing, there was so much inspiration here, because they were in the muggle world. Which sucked. It was also the reason why she was wearing a cap and her hair was in a bob. She still involuntarily shifted more often than not so the less of her hair on display, the better.

"You know that's impossible," mum said briskly.

But Dora caught the look in her eye. Mum wished Sirius could come over too. He'd only been a baby when she had left and, apparently, she had doted on him. Mum really liked babies. Got ridiculously gooey eyed over them. Definitely not something you'd imagine a Black Sister doing.

"Yes, mum," she sighed.

She'd just have to be happy catching him at school. It sucked for mum though. It wasn't like she could easily see him. When Sirius wasn't at school he was with family. Family that very much did not want mum anywhere near them.


Saturday 27th July 1973

Evans Home, Cokeworth, 13:30

"There's so many houses," Marlen said in amazement, turning her head every direction as Lily led her through her neighbourhood

She had arrived at the Evans' house about twenty or so minutes ago - she was going to be here for a whole week! They had unceremoniously been pushed out of the house as the weather was so fine. Lily's parents not wanting to see them until dinner. So, Lily decided to show her around the place.

They were going to be alone except for Lily's parents, until Tuesday. That's when her younger sister, Chryssie, returned from a friend's house. Her older sister wouldn't come back from a cousin's until Thursday.

"Well, I do live in the suburbs," Lily told her.

"I didn't realise it meant this many houses!" Marlene said gesturing around her.

It was a far cry from the fields and farmland of home. There just wasn't a lot of space. Not as bad as Diagon Alley, obviously, but you expected there to be no space there. It was pretty much all of the shops in Magical Britain. Except Hogsmeade and a few other small pockets. But most people didn't live in those places. She certainly wouldn't want to.

How did you live so close to people? Wasn't it noisy? Even tractors trundling along were quieter than all these cars going past.

Lily was shaking her head at her. Easy for her! She had lived here all her life! This was all new for Marlene.

"You really wouldn't like London," Lily said.

Marlene pulled a face. The little of London she'd seen each first of September was more than enough for her, thank you very much.


Thursday 1st August 1973

The Park, Cokeworth, 14:00

"You could have waited!" Chryssie accused, running over to the pair of them lying back on the grass.

"It's not my fault it's your turn to do the dishes," Lily retorted.

Chryssie pouted at her sister but she couldn't really argue with that. Even if it was annoying that Lily didn't have to do any jobs about the house while her friend was here. Yes, it was being polite but that meant Chryssie had to do the dishes half of the time instead of a third. Which was no fun at all.

What was fun, however, was what was jingling in her pocket.

"Mum gave us money to get ice creams and fizzy drinks," Chryssie told them, remembering why she had come dashing over in the first place.

She jingled the change in her pocket again, it made a very pleasing noise. Mum had been generous; they could all get knickerbocker glories which would be perfect. Petunia had been invited but she'd turned her nose up at going anywhere with her little sisters. Chryssie still heard the unspoken 'freaks' which had hurt. But maybe ice cream would ease it a little. Ice cream solved a lot of problems in Chryssie's mind.

"Brilliant," Lily declared, picking herself off the grass and dust9ng her skirt down. "Bingleys?"

"Is there any other?"

Marlene did the same and looked at them curiously.

"What's this Bingleys? And is it as good as Fortescue's?"

"The best ice cream place ever!" Chryssie proclaimed, because there was none better.

"And better," Lily added.

"Really?" Marlene asked sceptically.

Both Evans girls nodded. No one had lived unless they had tried this ice cream.

"What are we waiting for?" Lily said impatiently. "Let's go!"

Chryssie glanced across the park and remembered that she had something else to say.

"Also, Sev has been hanging about the path," Chryssie said. "Shall we go pull him over?"

Marlene looked across the grass, shading her face with her hand.

"Is he trying to be a tree?"

Lily and Chryssie giggled at that. Severus did look like he was trying to become one with the tree.

"Let's get him," Lily decided.

With that, three girls descended on an unsuspecting Severus Snape.


Monday 5th August 1973

"And then BANG!" James flinched in excitement as Uncle Al's eyes widened and he spread his hands apart to demonstrate the size of the explosion. "He disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke."

"Wow!" James breathed. "He just disappeared?"

Uncle Al nodded. "Except for his nose. He left that behind."

"Cool!"

"Alastor," Mum scolded in a faint tone, looking a bit green.

Uncle Al grinned at her and shot a wink at James. He giggled.

"How did he do that?" he asked in fascination.

"Splinched it when he tried to hide his Apparition with some fancy spell work," Uncle Al explained with a scoff. "So pointless."

"So, you caught him?"

"Well, he had to come back for his nose!"

James knew he shouldn't, laughing at someone else's misfortune was never could, but he just couldn't help it. The laughter came long and loud from him as he imagines a nose flopping around and a wizard returning for it only to have ten wands pointed at him. See? Hilarious.

"That's enough stories, Alastor," mum said firmly.

"Aw!" both man and boy complained.

Dad actually backed her up.

"Mainly because you are distracting James from his summer work," Dad said pointedly.

James sighed heavily. He had hoped that his parents wouldn't have realised that. Unfortunately, not.

"It's nearly done," James tried.

Even though he still had half of Transfiguration and Potions to do. Not to mention that he hadn't even started the Herbology one. Not that any of the others besides the DADA one was done. Oops.

"Then it shouldn't take you long to do it."

James pulled another face but decided to obey and go and do his summer work. Some of it anyway.

James left the room and closed the door behind him. But he didn't go outside or to his room, instead he hovered on the stairs - trying to listen in. He just knew they had been angling to get rid of him and he wanted to know why.

"You've been working yourself to death, Alastair," he heard mum scold. "You need your rest."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," came the familiar dismissal. "Need to keep fighting before this becomes bugger than it already is."

"Are you sure that it isn't being blown all out of proportion?" dad asked.

James didn't think he'd ever heard his dad sound so serious before.

"This guy's the real deal. I'll bet my right eye on it."

"Don't say things like that."

"Sorry, Phemia," Uncle Al said contritely.

"I'm sure the Ministry will get it under control," dad said confidently. "You Aurors at least seem to be on the ball."

"He's a slippery fellow. This chap. Knows what he's doing and he's playing a long game."

Mum sniffed so loudly that James was impressed that he could hear it through the crack he'd left open.

"Going around in silly costumes, scaring everyone, and using silly names for themselves. Sounds more like a childish club than anything else."

James bristled at the idea of 'silly names', je and his friends had a name for themselves and it wasn't silly! It was cool.

"He's doing more than scaring people," Uncle Al said ominously.

"I thought those were just rumours," dad said in a hushed tone.

Their voices got quieter after that and James strained to hear them. He didn't have any luck. Maybe he should try his chances closer to the door?

No, James shook his head, that was stupid. Uncle Al had an uncanny ability to know when someone was lurking about - it was why he was so good at his job. No. Better not risk it.

He gave the door a final hopeful look but all he caught were indistinguishable mumbles. With that, he actually did go up to his room.


Sunday 11th August 1973

Château de Noire, France, 15:00

Sirius was lazily stretched across the bed in his holiday room. It was light and bright and airy, so unlike his actual home. He wouldn't mind staying here for good. Only going back to England for school. That would be nice. He breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh sea air.

He needed the clearest head he could get or else he was going to be in very serious trouble. Very, very, big, massive trouble. Maybe the biggest trouble he'd ever been in.

You see, Sirius had chosen Muggle Studies as his third Elective. Him, a Black. Learning more about Muggles. That was not going to over well. Not that he wanted them to find out! Until he went back to Hogwarts anyway.

But still, there was one little opportunity for his mother and father to find out before then. The textbook. As in, he needed to buy one. Without any of his family noticing.

Yes, he needed a plan.


Saturday 18th August 1973

Potter Mansion, 19:30

"James?" Dad called down the hall in a somewhat serious tone.

Huh, that was weird. Dad wasn't normally serious about anything unless it was something to do with safety. Which was never a good talk. The last one of those had been when some idiot with a grudge tried to breach the wards.

"Yes?"

"Come here a moment, please."

Now that was really worrying. James hesitantly entered, not knowing what he was going to walk into.

Dad was just standing in front of his desk, a pile of metal beside him.

"Do you remember what these are?" Fleamont asked, pointing to what was the three necklaces on his desk.

James thought for a moment and then shook his head. He didn't think he'd ever seen these before. Did mum wear something like this.

"Ah," Fleamont scratched the back of his head sheepishly, making his hair stick up even more. "I must have missed that in you 'Heir Lessons'."

Now James was really curious.

"What are they? They just look like necklaces."

Fleamont pushed them away from his grasp and perched himself on the edge of his desk. Great. He was going into lecture mode.

"These are Protection Necklaces for the House of Potter. Or amulets, if you prefer a less feminine term."

It didn't look very amulety to James. Definitely a necklace.

"What dk they do?"

"They give protection to people. Makes the House of Potter their refuge if they ever need it."

"But don't we have Protectorates for that sort of thing?" James asked.

A Family being in the Protection (I.e. under a Protectorate) of the House of Potter got, well, Protection. In exchange for something, of course, no matter how small.

"Yes, we do," Fleamont agreed, nodding. "For whole families or a specific Family's branch. These," he held up a necklace," is for single people who you want to give direct protection to. It carries a lot more weight as with one of these, the power is in the hand of the one being protected. They are the ones who activate it."

"Oh."

"It's a longstanding tradition of our House," he finished.

"Wow," James breathed, entranced by the necklace.

It was pretty simple; a thin chain with a metal disk attached. The Potter Coat of Arms was embossed on it. James absentmindedly traced the lightning bolt.

All that meaning and protection in one little piece of metal. That was so cool!