[Um.. my only noter-- who is Arabella? I've read of her, in LJ fanfics, but as I haven't really read all of the Harry Potter books.. yeah, I could use a little help on that one..]

"James Potter, please get down here this very instant," a commanding tone demanded, "You're going to be late again!"

"Yes, mother," James grumbled, wishing he could stay a bit longer with his friend Sirius to play pranks on random Muggles. Maybe Mum will give me a bit of money so I can buy the newest toys at the Dragon's Lair! he thought happily, trying to console himself. Shopping with Mum was always so tedious.. not fun at all. He wished he could buy his books with Sirius instead.

As James slowly walked downstairs, clad in Muggle clothing, he was met immediately with rebuke.

"What are you doing in those.. those.. those--"

"Muggle clothes!" Adam stepped in forcefully to finish his mother's sentence. Being a graduate of Hogwarts, and previously a Head Boy with highest honors at that, Adam was constantly scolding James, preparing him to take his former position at Hogwarts. Too bad I'll never be like him, James smiled as he thought about the first prank he played that morning. No, I'll never be like him.. nor do I want to! Who wants to be boring?

"I'm just fitting in with.. with other people!"

In reality, the neighborhood the Potters lived in was a known Wizarding neighborhood, and no Muggles even knew of the place. It did not exist on their maps or in their minds. James had been dressed in Muggle clothing because he had been playing pranks on a poor victim who had yelled at Sirius a few weeks ago at a Muggle library. The woman lived in a predominately Muggle neighborhood, so Sirius and James had to borrow clothes from Julio, one of the Potters' many family friends, who was also half Muggle as well.

"With who?!" James' mother exploded.

"I'm in no mood to take you to Diagon Alley! You're going to go yourself, even if it's your first time!" Ohhh.. she's angry now.. James tried to plaster an expression of hurt pride, but his happiness could be seen leaking through as soon as his mother turned her back on him.

"Can I go with Sirius?" James said quietly, barely above a whisper. When his mother was angry.. it was not a pretty sight. She was bound to explode at any minute.

"Go with whoever you want to go with, as long as they'll take you! Here's the list and some money." She practically threw the list and money at James and stormed off, fire poking through her ears.

Shaking his head, Adam looked at James disapprovingly. "What are we going to do with you? How are you ever going to measure up to me? I'm counting on you to be Head Boy, you know." Adam knew what James had been up to that morning, waking up at eight o'clock in the morning and sneaking out to Sirius' house. They'll never grow up, he said, nodding sternly to himself.

James raced out of the house, disregarding everything his brother had told him. He couldn't conceal the smile on his face. Him? LIKE HIS BROTHER? Yeah right! He was not going to be all stuck up and haughty just because he had good grades. He was going to live it up and have fun! Which reminded him, of the first prank he and Sirius had decided on playing on the train to Hogwarts.

James was halfway to Sirius' house by now, and all out of breath. He decided to slow down a little and walk for a bit. Sirius lived quite a few blocks away, and it always took at least half an hour to get there. But James was so excited that morning that he couldn't help but sprint the rest of the way. As he knocked on the Blacks' door, James felt like his lungs were about to burst. He also realized that he was still in Muggle clothing.

"Hey James! You going to Diagon Alley?" Sirius was at the door, surprised to see his friend again.

"My...mo...so...here," James managed to say before heaving heavily and trying to get a bit more air into his lungs.

"Whoa, whoa.. you okay?" Sirius looked kind of confused and offered James into the house. As he sent a house elf to get James a bit of water, Sirius looked at James with a worried eye. Then again, things like this happened all the time. Stuff was always happening with James and Sirius.

After a few seconds, James was breathing properly again.

"My mom said I could go with you to Diagon Alley, so I came here. And I want to get the newest toys, and Adam's so stupid, and--" James kept rambling, apparently very happy because he wouldn't have to go shop with his mother. That way he could buy all the toys he wanted and miss out on the dreaded haircut.

"My! Well if it isn't James Potter.." A sly, calculating voice interrupted James from behind Sirius. It was his sister, who, put lightly, hated the two pranksters. Not only were forty percent of their pranks that summer played on Kate, the two sneaky children also loved teasing Kate about her boyfriend in front of Ms. Black. To her, they were pesky brats.. and pesky brats who would be spying on her for the next few years. She resented that she was only two years older than Sirius.

"Bug off, Kate," Sirius snarled. He hated his sister because she was always telling on them and getting them in trouble. She claimed to be "getting them ready" for the strict rules at Hogwarts. Getting us ready my butt! Sirius thought bitterly. He had been shut up in his room for the past few days just because of his sister's stupid prattling and tattling. Just because she's two years older than me doesn't mean she can do that!

Kate had long been gone by now, and Sirius was staring blankly off into space, his eyes shining with a fiery passion to get even with his sister.

"Are you even listening?!" James had been rattling on and on about a few of the tricks he had come up with in his head on his way here. He even knew of the exact ingredients he'd need--all supplied at the Dragon's Lair, of course.

Before Sirius could mumble a yes, his mother came bustling in, asking whether Sirius was ready to take off for Diagon Alley.

"We better get a head start; there will be so many people there today, as most people would have gotten their letters at 11 this morning! And oh!-- Who's this? James Potter!"

"Hi, Ms. Black.. I was wondering if I could go with you to buy my school supplies.. my mother isn't, er.. feeling so well, today.. and so--"

"Why of course you may come! What a polite boy!" Sirius' mother never blamed James for any of the pranks they played; it was always solely Sirius' fault. Which was why she welcomed him so cordially.

"Well, if we're going to buy your school supplies, we must be going soon, before all the shops are crowded! Kate, hurry up, and STOP TALKING TO THAT INSOLENT BOYFRIEND OF YOURS!"

And before he knew it, James was screaming "Diagon AllllleeeeYYYYY!" into a fireplace.