QUIDDITCH LEAGUE FANFICTION COMPETITION

Montrose Magpies, Chaser 1

CHASER 1: Write about someone looking forward to the future. (Special Rule: You must use a Next-Gen character as a main character.)

Next-Gen character used: James Sirius Potter

Optional Prompts:

(character) Harry Potter

(emotion) disappointment

(word) unexpected

AU!ALBUS IS SIX YEARS YOUNGER THAN JAMES.

Note that dates of birth have been adjusted.

Of Disappointment, Surprises and Babies

By RowenaHermioneRavenclaw

For James Sirius Potter, life was perfect - except for one thing.

He didn't have a sibling.

Since he was two years old, James longed for a brother or a sister to play games with and prank and have fun with. He begged Mum and Dad for one, but they always said, 'We don't know, James. Maybe.'

It was ridiculously unfair. Nearly all of James's cousins and friends had siblings! Why couldn't he have one?

That was why he always looked forward to the future, because in the future James might have a sibling! Or maybe he would have two! Or three! Or even four! He just needed to be patient...but unfortunately, patience was not James's strong suit.

"James? Come to the living room, please!" Ginny Potter's voice sounded.

"What for?" James asked. He was in the middle of planning another prank, and he didn't want to get distracted.

"Just come. It's a surprise, and you'll love it!"

James's mind immediately jumped to the most obvious 'surprise' - he was going to have a sibling! That would definitely be a surprise that he'd love!

James dropped his pencil, hopped down his chair, and ran out of his room as fast as his legs could take him.

He arrived at the living room in three seconds flat.

"What surprise?" he asked eagerly.

His mother grinned. "But that'll spoil it!" she teased. "It won't be much of a surprise otherwise, will it?"

"Please, Mum…" James pulled puppy-dog eyes. "Just this time?"

Ginny laughed and beckoned him closer. She ruffled his hair.

"Mum! Don't touch the hair!"

"You Potters," his mother complained as she pulled her hand away. "Always touchy-feely about your hair. I ask you, what is your hair but a pile of messy black natural string that sprouts out of your head?"

"I'm offended, Ginny," James's father said, leaning over to place his hand in his wife's. "You love my hair and you know it."

James carefully averted his eyes. "Okay...the surprise." he said impatiently.

"Oh, the surprise," his mother said cheerfully. James sneaked a peek and realised, with relief, that his parents weren't doing anything...inappropriate.

"Well, it's…"

"It's…" James repeated, excitement flushing his face red.

"Your Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey are going to have a baby!"

For a second, not all of the words truly sank in. The only word James cared about was baby.

Then his mind replayed the rest of the sentence.

It wasn't his parents who were going to have a baby. It was Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey.

Horrid disappointment, descending from James's mind to the rest of his body, snaking through his veins like ice…

His parents weren't going to have a baby.

"What's wrong?" James's parents asked in unison, immediately noting his change of demeanor. "We thought you would be happy...A little cousin to play with. You've been wanting a baby playmate for ages."

A sibling, not a baby playmate…

Later in life, James would be embarrassed about what happened next.

But he cried.

True, genuine tears, splashing from his eyes to the carpet, wetting it. All the excitement built up for nothing, all the hope that disappeared without warning, flowed out of him.

Quickly, James's father knelt next to him. Harry Potter tried to wipe away his son's tears with his hand, but the pure force of James's disappointment proved too much.

"James…"

Through his tears, James thought he detected something in his father's voice. He wasn't completely sure because of his dazed state, but…

Disappointment.

Disappointment in James.

It made him cry harder, the tears like a waterfall now, spilling down until the section of carpet that James was standing on was damp, like someone had dumped a bucket of water on it. His mother nearly tripped in her hurry to get to him. She, too, attempted to brush away her son's tears, but the tears dripped from James's eyes continuously, never stopping.

"I think we did something wrong," James heard his father say worriedly.

"Of course we did something wrong, Harry!"

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know!"

A pause.

"But let's get James cleaned up first, okay? Then we can talk to him."

"You're the boss."

"I know I am."

" - And I still don't understand -"

" - What we did wrong!"

"Maybe we can ask him when he -"

"Harry, look! He's awake!"

James pried open his eyes and blinked blearily. His vision was hazy. His parents' outlines were blurry.

When he tried to speak, all that came out was "Ugh."

Soft hands patted him all over, tenderly yet slightly forcefully. "James?" his father's voice said. "James?"

"I'm -" James tried to speak coherently. "I'm - I'm awake."

He heard his parents' sigh of relief. The thing obscuring his vision cleared, and he could see clearly.

"James." his father's face hovered over him. "James."

James tried to say Yes, but it came out as Ugh again.

"James. James. James!"

"Harry, stop heckling him." James's mother chided. "James, darling."

This time, James was able to say, "Yes, Mum?"

"Do you feel okay?" she asked, concerned.

James nodded. "Ugh. Yep."

"Do you mind telling us what's wrong, sweetheart?"

"N-nothing." The lie was ridiculously weak. It slipped out of James's lips, leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

"Jamie…" his mother tried.

"Nothing." James repeated, more forcefully, but the word still seemed just wrong on his tongue.

She sighed. "Well, okay, Jamie." she sounded disheartened. "Do you need anything?"

"No." James forced out.

She sighed, a little disappointed. "Alright." James's mother said with a nod. "Harry, let's go outside. It seems like James wants a moment of peace - right, Jamie?"

James's head felt like rock, unable to move. Perhaps it was that special mother-son bond that mothers always talked about that allowed Ginny Potter to know that James needed a moment alone.

She turned to James's father. "Harry, come on."

"One moment."

"Alright."

She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Harry knelt beside James, his fingers brushing his son's forehead. Even after Harry determined that James was perfectly okay and healthy, he kept stroking James.

And suddenly, James wanted to spill his guts.

(Not literally, of course. That would be disgusting.)

"Dad…"

James's father glanced at him. "Yes, James?"

"I just wanted to tell you…" James swallowed. Don't be a coward! he chided himself. "I...was disappointed."

His father didn't talk. He simply looked at James, waiting for him to say more.

"I don't want a baby playmate. I want a...sibling."

James expected his father to sigh, to drop his head and say the words that he'd always said whenever James told him that.

Instead, James's father smiled widely. Very widely. His green eyes glittered.

"I know it's stupid," James mumbled. "But -"

His father cut him off mid-sentence. "It's not stupid, James." he said. "It's just that...just that…"

What was it?

"There was a second part to the surprise. We saved it for last."

James's surprise must have shown through his expression.

"Wanna know?"

"Yes!" In a second, James was back to being the happy, excited child again, a clear contrast to the disappointed, crying boy he'd been.

Harry leaned closer.

"But it's a big secret."

"Doesn't matter!" James squealed.

"You're getting a baby brother."

James wondered if he'd heard that sentence right - probably not. His mind repeated it, over and over again. Again and again. Then, finally, it sank in.

"I'M GETTING A BABY BROTHER!"

The shout echoed around the Potter home loudly, making Harry both smile and wince at the sound. James didn't notice. He was too busy shouting and screaming in joy, thinking of the great big brother he'd be, and how cute his little brother would look.

After his tears, this seemed like the most appropriate, unexpected surprise ever.

Harry didn't try to silence his son. He simply laughed, and patted James's hair affectionately. If it was any other time, James would have batted him away. But now, James was too excited.

He wondered what his baby brother would look like, and what he would look like.

James was really excited for the future now, because he was getting a baby brother!

[Hogwarts] Assignment 12: Medieval & Renaissance Studies: Genius Works of Art The School of Athens Task #2: write about two people having a meaningful discussion. Their relationship (from platonic to unfamiliar strangers) and the topic of discussion is up to you.

WC: 1355