Auther

Author's Notes:  Okay this is the first story in what should hopefully be a very long story.  It is about James Potter and his friends while they were at Hogwarts.  Hopefully we should have the next chapter up soon.  Please read and review to tell us what you think.

Disclaimer:  Must we really write this?  Okay fine we do not own any of the recognizable characters from the Harry Potter books.

Chapter 1: James Potter

James Potter sat staring transfixed at his brother, wondering if everything he was being told was true.

"You have to fight a dragon." Said his brother, Jack.

His twin nodded his head and continued with the tale that they were spinning for James." A big ugly dragon with lots of teeth." Joe continued, while watching his brother intently, looking for some reaction as to what he was feeling about the sorting. Joe gave Jack a quick wink, thinking that James had bought the act.

"Really! That sounds so cool. I can't wait to get there. I wonder if Sirius and Tempest know about what's going to happen. They'll freak out." James said very excitedly "I cannot wait until we get there. And how are we supposed to get onto Platform 9 ¾?"

" You have to make one of those really strict looking guards laugh." Joe said. He was very disappointed that James hadn't thought that what he had said was true but he didn't think he need to worry about this one. James had already tried many times to make the guard laugh but it had never worked according to their knowledge.

"I figured that out while you guys were at Hogwarts last year. All you have to do is jump on one foot, pat your head with one hand, rub your stomach with the other, and touch your nose with your tongue." James told them this as he demonstrated what he meant.

Unfortunately for the twins James was still demonstrating it when their mother walked into the kitchen.

"What did you tell him this time?" Bernice Potter said when she saw her son, jumping up and down on one foot and doing a bunch of other ridiculous things.

"Nothing." Jack said while trying to look as innocent as possible.

But unfortunately for them James was already telling Bernice about how he knew how they sorted people at Hogwarts and about getting onto the platform. By the time he was finished with explaining his brother's story, their mother was fuming at the ears.

"Why did you tell him that?" Bernice Potter said in a dangerously quiet voice.

Jennifer Potter, James's older sister, looked up at their mother and said, "They were trying to get him scared out of his wits. It didn't work very well though. All it did was get him even more excited. They really need to revise their tactics."

There had always been something about the Potters' that most families didn't have. That family had more in common then most families combined. For example they all were very mischievous. If it wasn't an explosion in the one of the bedrooms it was dungbombs in the kitchen right before dinner. They also all had black hair, and brown eyes. You could almost mistake one of the twins for their father, or Jenny for their mother.

"Don't worry James," Jenny continued. " It really isn't that exciting. All you have to do is try on a hat, for the sorting. And run through a barrier to get onto Platform 9 ¾. Unless you want to be like these two," Jenny said as she pointed at the twins. " And then you try to brake the record for the longest time for being sorted."

James who had been looking disappointed from the time that Jenny had told him that what the twins had said wasn't true, but brightened up at the prospect of having the longest time ever.

"That is enough!" Bernice said looking at her children in her sternest manner. " Don't put ideas in his head. He has enough of his father in him as it is."

Howard Potter, upon hearing the name that his children called him, looked up from his paper that he had been reading to see what had been said about him. "What did I do this time?" He asked his wife upon seeing the look that she was giving their children.

"Oh never mind, go back to reading the Daily Prophet." His wife snapped at him. "We have ten minutes until we have to leave for Kings' Cross Station, and the boys aren't totally packed yet!"

"Of course we are packed." The twins said as one.

"You call throwing everything into your trunks packed?"

"Of course, what else would we call it?" Joe answered.

"Throwing everything into your trunks," James smirked.

"Don't you dare tell them off, mister. You haven't finished packing yet either." Their mother said looking straight at James.

James stood up at the same time as the twins, and turned to run up the stairs to their bedrooms, yelling something along the lines of, "Going to finish packing."

Bernice turned to her daughter, "If you are done eating you better go up and make sure you've got everything in your trunk." Jenny nodded and took her dishes over to the sink then ran up the stairs.

"I don't know what I am going to do with those four." Bernice said when Jenny was out of earshot.

"But you know you love them." Howard said. "I better go supervise their packing."

"More like help them plan how to make their teachers miserable." Bernice muttered under her breath.

******

"So James, are you going to join in the detention race with us?" Jack asked innocently.

"The what?" James asked staring at his brothers like his dreams had come true.

"The detention race of course." Joe repeated. "We're trying to see how many detentions we can get in our seven years at Hogwarts."

"Of course." James answered feeling as if his dreams really had come true. "What is the record anyways?"

"716," Jack said. "We have 487 detentions, and Jenny has 557. Dad set the original record of course. He did say though that before they started keeping track of all the detentions, that his grandfather had a detention almost every single night."

"Wow!" James exclaimed.

"Are you guys ready yet? We really need to leave." Said their father from the doorway.

"Um, Yeah." Joe said as he finished throwing his and his brothers dungbombs into the trunks.

"Now there is one thing I have to discuss with you three before you leave." Howard said.

"What is it dad?" James asked as he finished throwing his books and clothes into the trunk.

"Okay, from what I here there is another Snape going to Hogwarts this year." Their father answered.

"Oh no!" Jack and Joe groaned in Unison.

"Not another one," Joe complained.

"Don't the Snapes have enough children already?" Jack said agreeing with his brother.

"Um, what is a Snape?" James asked timidly.

"A really disgusting person who tries to make all Potters miserable." Howard answered. "Now here is the deal, you can play as many tricks as you want, as long as it is on the Snape, or Malfoy."

"M-M-Malfoy!!" The twins yelled out.

"You never told us there was another Malfoy!" Joe said.

"Fine, there is another Malfoy. Happy now?" Their dad said with a grin on his face, knowing perfectly well that they were going to make Malfoy's and Snape's lives as miserable as possible. "I believe they are both in James's year too."

"James, we feel so bad for you!" Jack said sincerely.

"What are you four talking about?" Came a voice from the door.

The four turned around to find that Jenny was standing in the doorway.

"Absolutely nothing." James answered sweetly.

"Yeah right. Like I believe you. Come on, tell me, what are you guys really up to?" Jenny said.

"We were just discussing the little detail that I already told you about." Howard answered for James.

"Oh, that. Okay then, Mum said to tell all of you that we need to leave for Kings Cross right now." Jenny told them. "And you better be packed or Mum will have a fit."

James quickly stuffed the rest of his stuff into his trunk and turned to leave the room.

*****

Fifteen minutes later the Potters had reached Kings Cross. Taking the barrier at a run, they soon stood as a group in front of the scarlet steam engine that was going to take them to Hogwarts.

"Now, don't get into too much trouble." Bernice lectured them.

"Oh look, there's Nancy. Got to go, mum." Jenny said as quickly as she could, not wanting to get lectured on their manners.

"And don't..." Bernice began but was interrupted by the twins.

"Oh look, it's Aurther.  Got to run, Mum." They shouted over their shoulders.

James felt miserable standing infront of his mum like that and being lectured, but he couldn't see Sirius or Tempest so he could make an excuse. Finally he spotted them.

"Oh look, there's Sirius. See ya later mum." He said quickly running off towards Sirius and Tempest.

Bernice watched her baby leave and turned towards her husband, "They are all growing up so quickly." She complained as they waited for the train to pull out of sight.