Chapter 134

Responsibility

"Dad!" James screamed running up the stairs in an attempt to find his father faster, he had a big stupid grin on his face and was holding an envelope in one hand and a badge in the other, "Dad!"

"What, what? Where's the fire?" Fleamont answered emerging from his study looking clueless and confused, he had his sleeves rolled up and there was a slight tint of pink staining his arms. He was working again, much to James' dismay.

Outside of his job at the ministry Fleamont Potter was an inventor. It was more of a hobby since he only got paid for it if someone brought his crap. The pink tinge on his skin told James that it was that stupid hair care junk he was making. If James was being honest it really was a brilliant product, Fleamont had that same messy Potter hair that James had inherited but you wouldn't tell from looking at him. Fleamont Potter had created Sleekeazy's Hair Potion for himself. It was his wife that convinced him to sell it. That had been about the time she had decided to retire from healing and open a cosmetics shop in Diagon Alley. James thought it was a shame as it would have been cooler to have a healer for a mum rather than a shopkeeper, but James didn't dwell on it. He'd make a name for himself, by himself and, judging from the badge he had in his hand, he'd already started.

"Look!" James shoved the badge in the elderly man's face causing excessive blinking and a step back to actually see what he was being shown. Adjusting his glasses he took the badge and examined it.

"C stands for...?" He asked now looking at his son.

"Captain, Dad!" James gave him an exasperated roll of the eyes. His father's oldness was killing his enthusiasm, Sirius should have had a proper reaction. "I'm quidditch captain."

"Oh, right. That's great son, we'll have to celebrate. I can drop off this batch at your mother's shop while we're there."

Fleamon had sold the Sleekeazy's company, of course. In his old age running a business was too much hassle and between that and his ministry job he'd chosen his ministry job. But, the bottles he made himself were better quality (and more expensive for it) so they didn't mind if he made some himself so long as they got a portion of the proceeds. James thought it was embarrassing that more of their fortune came hair care products than from father's government job.

"Cool, and while we're there I can get a new broom." James started to reread his letter it was only when Fleamont froze on his way back into his office that James realized his mistake.

"Broom? We just got you a new broomstick last summer." He turned back around and gave him a sharp look.

"Yeah, about that..." James ran a hand through his messy hair. His parents have been trying to convince him to use their products for years but he wasn't interested in nice pretty hair, he liked it messy. It was more attractive that way. And no, Sirius' gorgeous hair was not proof of the opposite and no one could tell him any different.

"James Potter, don't you dare tell me you broke your broom already."

"Okay, I won't," he said and his father stared at him as though processing what he'd just heard.

"James!"

"I'm sorry! He was in the scoring zone, I had to dive!" James defended not stopping to breath between words.

"I don't care if he was in the hoop, that broom was expensive." Fleamont shook his head before nearly wiping his potion stained hands on his face. He caught himself before he managed to smear the pink substance all over his face.

"Dad, chasers don't go in the hoop, they throw the quaffle." James rolled his eyes at his father's inexcusable ignorance. "It's not like we can't just replace it. We've got plenty of money."

"We won't if you keep spending it on pointless things. I'd like there to be some left for you or your kids someday James, and if you keep spending one hundred galleons on chocolate frogs there won't be."

"That was one time!" James defended. It had been worth every knut, McGonagall blowing up a boiled potato was still among his top best memories, and that's not even talking about her with a ladle.

"And you still haven't given, me an explanation for it."

"Dad," James whined like a proper spoiled kid, and as per usual his father gave in with a long-suffering sigh.

"Alright, alright, we'll grab you a new broom while we're in town just let me finish this up, so we can drop it off at your mother's shop while we're there," he said before pausing at the entrance to his study.

"Congratulations, James." he turned and smiled at James and James beamed back. Spoiled or not and regardless of they're occupations or hobbies, James thought his parents were awesome.

Even if they didn't know the difference between a chaser and a keeper.

"Thanks, Dad."

James couldn't wait to go get his new broomstick, he tried to find things to distract himself for a few hours. He tried using the mirror to call Sirius, but the pup didn't pick up, then he tried to write a letter to Remus but found himself distracted after every line. He had more luck when he started to design plays for his new team. It was a challenge since he didn't know who his team was, but it was a challenge he enjoyed. By the time Fleamont was ready James actually felt like a true captain.

Diagon alley was busy as usual, early birds getting their kids schoolbooks, no doubt. Fleamont went straight to his wife's shop and James followed only to show her his new badge. He didn't expect a better response from her, but his parents were from an age were Quidditch wasn't nearly as popular. He wasn't even sure the sport was played at Hogwarts while they were students. Euphemia was excited on the principle of the matter, though, and the fact that he wanted it was good enough for her.

"I'm so proud of you, Jamesy, this'll be great for you. It'll give you some responsibility to take up some of that free time you've been using to get yourself in trouble," she told him oblivious to his reaction.

James froze as he thought about it for the first time. No doubt that had been McGonagall's intention, but what neither of them knew is that James had no free time. When they got in trouble it was either them being where they shouldn't be or doing what they shouldn't do because of the animagi training or in class, or between classes, which doesn't count as free time. On rare occasions, they got in trouble because James or Sirius picked a bad outlet for relieving stress. That might be considered free time, but that was usually them forcing more important things to the sidelines for the sake of their sanity. James didn't have time for planning teams and creating plays, he didn't even have time to go to practice last year.

Then again, this year they had Moony.

Remus was brilliant at managing their time, he'd even found time for Sirius to put the homunculus charm on the map, not by choice but James wasn't being picky. Plus Sirius wasn't allowed to play quidditch, or even go to the games now, so there was that.

The thought that Sirius wasn't going to be able to play with him was depressing so he left his mum's shop to get a head start on finding a new broom.

He walked through the aisles carefully considering his options, (his Nimbus 1992 had broken far too early but it didn't loose acceleration on turns like his old Nimbus 1989 had) as he heard his name.

James didn't recognize the voice but when he turned around he knew exactly who this freckled, brown haired kid was.

"Keth, hey. What a coincidence, are you replacing your broom too?" James asked this was convenient, he could get himself a new broom and keep his promise to replace Keth's as well, after all, he'd been the one to break it.

"Yeah, we just got our booklists so Mum figured we'd get it over with." Keth shrugged as he approached almost bouncing with excitement. That was one thing he liked about Keth, the kid was always so happy. He'd bee a lot like Padfoot if the pup wasn't so incessantly moody, plus he thought James was the coolest thing since wet-start fireworks, that might have been part of it.

"So, you looking at anything in particular?" James asked already deciding on the best broom for the keeper. Winner's Circle had the kind of precision a keeper would need but they had a steep learning curve that made it near impossible for beginners to learn, and Keth was defiantly a beginner.

"I was just going to go with the same as my old one. I don't really know what I'm looking for," he said stunning James.

"What are you talking about, that thing was rubbish, you can't get another one. Didn't your dad teach you anything?" James meant it as a joke but it didn't go over well as usual.

"My dad died when I was little," Keth replied like it was nothing.

"Oh well, I'll teach you then." James shrugged it off, he wasn't one to dwell on depressing topics or apologize for accidents. Instead, he led the young quidditch player over to a more beginner-friendly section of the store.

"Are you planning on trying out for keeper again?" James asked as he decided where to start. Most of what he knew was self-taught due to Fleamont's own ignorance on the subject, but the man had at least taken him to buy his first broom and taught him what little he did know.

"I'd like to," Keth answered looking around in wonder. "But I'm not very good."

"Are you kidding? That save during that last game was flawless, dangerous but flawless, and with a bad broom too." James ruffled the kid's hair with a wink and a grin. "We get you trained up a bit and I'll have the best keeper in Hogwarts on my team."

"That won't help me during tryouts." Keth countered, playing with the bristles of one of the display modules.

"It does when the one who thinks so is the one picking who's on the team," the captain smiled when his keeper looked up at him in surprise.

"You're captain this year?" he asked his face brightening at the prospect. "But you didn't come to any of the game last year."

"Yeah, I think that's part of why McGonagall picked me." James picked up a broom, it was a Comet 180, it had been his first broom, as Nimbus didn't make kid's brooms. He'd crashed it into their pool, ruining it, within a week, but it had ignited a love of flying in him that was only fueled by time.

"I don't get it."

"As a captain I have to both practice and games, and while I'm doing that I'm not off breaking rules and getting in trouble." James didn't let the panic of his now impossible schedule seep into his voice.

"Oh, I see. Cool." Keth didn't look like he understood, but the kid was only thirteen.

"Anyway, let's find you a broom." James turned back to the shelves.

"This one says it's made for keepers," Keth suggested, "that's what I need right?"

James smiled at the three-year-old's naivety. "That's what they want you to think. It's shmuck bait, if they say it's for keepers, people who don't know better will buy it. The one next to it is the exact same broom, yet it says it's for chasers. I can tell just by looking at it its not keeper's broom. The twigs are too long, causing wide turns. Keepers need precision and mobility. That broom is a scam."

Keth put the broom back.

"Avoid long twigs, go it."

"And anything that says it's made for a specific position. A good broom is good for all players, not just a select group." James added pointing out another set of specialized brooms. Keth voiced an acknowledgment and James continued with his lesson, he moved over to another set of brooms, they were beautiful, but worthless. "Also avoid anything that's handle is made out of wand woods if it's advertised as such. Unless you're familiar with the makers, anything that is made from these types of wood is, at best, vanity items. They look good but have no substance, some muggleborns or nieve kids think that having a broom of the same wood as their wand will give them some kind of magical advantage but they always regret it." James remembered reading about that when he was ten, but the fact that they still existed meant it was still true. "The exception is birch and ebony, they do make good broomsticks, but still, if it's advertised to be made out of wand wood avoid it."

"Should I be writing this down?" Keth asked comparing his wand to a broom made of Willow.

"You can find this stuff in any book about the subject, so there is little point." James examined the shelves deeper, looking for one for the little keeper. "Now that you know what to avoid we have to find you an actual broom. Keepers should be quick, but agility is more important. Endurance doesn't matter much since you don't move much, it's got to hit it's top speed fast too." James knew the perfect broom for him, "Hazel twigs, for sure..."

"Plus its gotta be cheap. Mum was pretty insistent about that." Keth added following James now that the captain was moving again. James stopped and turned to look at him.

"Cheap? What do you mean cheap? You're not going to get anything good for cheap," James argued, he had zero experience with shopping on a budget.

"Mum said she can't afford it," Keth replied, no embarrassment, no regrets, just a statement of fact.

"I told you, I broke the broom so I'm gonna replace it, we'll spend as much as I want to spend." James countered continuing to look for his chosen broom. "Here we go."

"You're buying me a broom?" Keth's eyes were wide and there was a huge grin on his face.

"I said I would didn't I," James pulled the broom off the rack. "This is a Sonic Spinner. One of the best in terms of maneuverability, and acceleration and not much else. It doesn't keep speed for long but you don't need it to. It'll take some practice to get used to the acceleration but once you do it moves like a dream so long as you don't stop too fast." James handed him the broomstick and he examined it in awe. "And it'll probably be the most expensive thing you own so take good care of it."

"You mean, don't let you borrow it?" he asked the innocence on his face didn't mach his tone.

"Exactly, " James winked at him, taking the broom back. "I'll go grab mine and we'll go up to the3 counter and pay for them." James went for the same broom he'd had, maybe it breaking so easily had been a fluke, and they went up to pay for their new toys.

Fleamont was already there, chatting to the shopkeeper. "Why am I buying two broomsticks?" he asked when James placed both on the counter, his voice held no small amount of exasperation.

"I kinda, uh, broke his too." James rubbed the back of his neck. Fleamont's head dropped to the counter with a loud thud.

"Keth!" They heard a small, high pitched voice call when they exited the shop and the boy turned at the sound of his name. A young girl separated from her mother and ran up to them, a long thin box in her hands. She'd just gotten a wand from the look of it. "Look Keth, look! I got one. It likes me a lot. Mr. Olivander said it sparked when I entered the shop."

"Sweet," he smiled and gave the excited little girl a high five, she giggled.

"What kind? I got unicorn and willow."

"He said it was dragon and vine." she opened the box to show him like it was precious and fragile. She was kind of adorable with her curly blond pigtails and her pink sundress. He shook his head not wanting such girly thoughts going through it. He was too cool to think pigtails were cute. Though that one time Lily had worn them was still seared into his brain, but that was different.

"Aerona, this is James Potter," Keth introduced him before pointing to his mother, "and that my mum."

The blond haired woman had a hand on her hips and looked at him with disapproval. "So he's the one who broke your broom-thing," she said and James hopped she was a muggle because there was no excuse for a witch or wizard to not grasp the concept of a broomstick.

"Yeah, that was me." James ran a hand through his hair with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, ma'am."

"But he bought me a new one!" Keth defended him quickly showing her. She turned to look but she had no idea how much the things was actually worth and, James was glad because, for once, he didn't want the attention.

"Oh, good." She nodded surprised in her eyes but the rest of her body language relaxed and became friendlier. "Well, in that case, it's nice to meet you, Potter. Keth's been talking about nonstop all summer."

"Mum!" Keth whined his cheeks gaining a red tint and she laughed gaining a red tint and she laughed.

"He said you got a trophy for being a seeking even though you're not actually a seeker." Keth's little sister said bouncing on her heels excited by the prospect of meeting someone that was, in her eyes, practically a celebrity.

"Yeah, now if only I could get a trophy for the position I actually play." James laughed, causing the little girl to give a cute giggle.

"Alright, you two, we need to go get the rest of your stuff." Keth's mum said with a smile at her daughter's excitement.

"Thanks for the broom, James." Keth turned back just after he moved to follow his mother, and James shook his head.

"Of course, kid. Just remember me when you're riding it at the world cup." James teased with a wink. Keth laughed a little but shook his head now fully facing him.

' I don't think I want to be a pro." he told James looking back at his family to make sure they didn't go too far.

"No? What do you want to do then?" James asked, curious now. He'd just assumed that was the goal of anyone who joined the quidditch team.

"I think I want to be a healer." Keth looked at him as though requesting approval. "Andrea said her mum died because the healer they tried to take her to wouldn't help because she was muggle-born."

James had nothing to say, he hadn't heard that he knew tensions were high, but a healer to help a dying person just because they're muggleborn? He couldn't grasp the concept of having the power to save someone's life and just refusing like that.

"So I think I want to be a healer so that there's always someone out there. That will help people like Andrea's mum." James was impressed. This kid was thirteen and but that was quite deep, deep enough to make someone as selfish as James uncomfortable. Sure he'd wanted to fight, but why? Was it for the people who'd died or the ones who were still alive, or was it for himself, so that he could be some sort of hero.

He wasn't sure he knew the answer.

"That's great, kid." He said with a wink. "Maybe I can help you out with that too. My friends and I are pretty good at healing spells."

"Really?" he looked excited.

"Sure remind me some time after practice and I'll show you some tricks." Keth gave a bright smile and nodded before running off after his family.

"You got him something good, right?" Fleamont asked having just exited the shop in time to see the thirteen-year-old run off.

"Not just good, the best." James answered smiling to himself before turning back to his father." Likely have that broom for the rest of his life if he takes care of it, probably a better broom than mine."

Fleamont nodded at him with a smile, "that's my boy," his father ruffled his hair, "c'mon let's go celebrate your promotion to captain. Your mum wants to go eat somewhere nice." Fleamont led his son down the street as the Marauder contemplated the thirteen-year-old who made even him feel inadequate.

He'd have to dig out some of his mother's old medical notes and journals because he found he'd enjoyed helping this boy, even if it didn't lead to magnificent applause and considerable fame.

James Potter was selfish, spoiled, and shallow, but if there was one thing he'd learned from all three of his friends it was this:

Anyone could change.