A boy, rather small for his age, stared out in to the moon   His name was James Harry Potter.  And despite messy black hair, dark eyes, and round glasses to frame them, he was considered the most popular and beloved student at his own wizarding school. 

Just yesterday though, even he was shocked by his own greatness.  Intertwined with the owls he usually received from his friends and personal fan club, which included females from all houses (even a few Slytherins who tried to hide their affection), he got the very two things he had dreamed of since he began school and one rather strange looking package.

In one package, brought by a very proud looking school owl, two badges were contained, one with word "prefect" and the other, the one he had been smiling over since he received it, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.

The other, while not expected, and defiantly something he had never looked forward to was a red feather.  It was long, and almost silky to the touch.  He had put it in his trunk, maybe he would ask a Professor about it when he got back to school. 

For this moment though, the moon, not the feather, held his attention, his dear friend, Remus Lupin, whom he and his friends had discovered to be a werewolf half way though their first year.  He had been reluctant to tell them out of fear they would reject him, it was quite the opposite though, it had brought them closer than they ever would have before, and soon, he hoped, it would bring them the closest any of them had ever been with any past friends.  Tomorrow though, the full moon phase would end and Remus should be there for their grand reunion.

Presently though, the moon was changing color, which didn't really strike him as strange till the next mourning.  First it turned a deep auburn red, and seemed to flow, gently, like long hair.  A voice soon enveloped him, and though he could not hear any words, it warmed him.  I must be dreaming, he thought.

The red then was slowly replaced with deep, almost shinning green, which proved he was dreaming.  Ever since he was sorted by that old ratted hat into Gryffindor, green had sent a shutter up his spine by his disdain for the archrivals in Slytherin. 

Then, suddenly a high-pitched scream over took the soothing voice.  He jerked around as a high cackle, snake like red eyes, and what looked like the red feather stared at from under a black hood. 

"JAMES HARRY POTTER!"A slightly less warming female voice bellowed out.

His eyes jerked open.  It was his house, on his floor, and he was in his room.  Relief flooded though him, then annoyance with himself when he noticed he had fallen asleep in his bay window. 

"JAMES HARRY POTTER!!"

He couldn't help but roll his eyes.  It was his Nurse, which is all he had ever called her, then one day in his second year; he realized he didn't know her real name.  It never really bothered he much though.

"Coming nurse," he muttered under his breath as he tried to flatten out his hair.

"GOOD!"

He was glad, he would be heading off the Hogwarts today, meeting his friends, and he knew this would be the year. They would pull it off this year.  He finally changed, having given up on the hair and made his way down stairs (technically three flights of stairs but he had stopped counting long ago).

Nurse was an older woman, nothing like what he remembered of his parents, what little there was of that.  A woman of a graceful stature and a man of pride similar to his own is a single pose, as if the memory had been burned into his mind.  The next one was that of the man he now knew as Albus Dumbledore coming into his room and explaining that the reason his parents were killed was because someone was afraid of what might happen if he ever got a brother or sister.  That part never made much since to him, but he rarely thought of it, and now his only concern was food, and getting to platform 9 ¾.

Breakfast was as usual.  Not cold, but lacking the loving warmth he remembered from his younger days.  It was hand cooked, he saw her do it many times, it was part of her contract, but he swore she switch it was some muggle TV (whatever that was) dinner, or at least that is what Sirius Black had insisted it tasted like a couple of weeks ago when he visited.  Nevertheless, it would give him the energy to reach Kings Cross and the sweets tray aboard the express.

"James, we will be leaving at nine, so I want you to hurry up, don't dilly dally,"

James couldn't help but grumble at this.  It was like having a nanny looking over your shoulder as you grew up.  No real love, just that uncaring kind of pushiness that he had come to dread every mourning that he woke up in that house, but he put it out of his mind as he ran back up the flights of stairs.  I'll be back at Hogwarts before the day is out was the only thought he allowed though his mind.

The few hours passed quickly.  It didn't seem like five minutes after breakfast before he was packed in the car, complete with chauffeur, heading to London. 

"Mr. Potter, excited are we?" said a rather old man, with a fuzzy white beard, and barely any hair on his head.  James had guessed he traded a full head of hair for the shaggy old beard. 

"But of course Mr. Stevens, anything to get me out of here" James cried out as he jumped into the front seat beside him.  He would have gotten up there before but Nurse never like him associating with people "below him".

The man smiled, and then gave a fake frown to express a hurt look. 

"That hurt Mr. Potter"

"Well, I am not trying to get away from you, just that old git,"

"You know Mr. Potter, sometimes I look into your eyes and I feel like your father is back with us"

James couldn't help but smile.  He loved to here about his father, and he learned most of the truth from Stevens.  Nurse's stories and his seemed direct contradictions of one another, but Stevens always brought a smile and a ring of truth.

"So, how many girls do you want to bet will be wanting to touch the Great James Potter's new badges,"

James cheeks turned a light peach but he still managed to puff out his chest to show the badges he couldn't help but wear since he had gotten them.  

"Mr. Stevens, I have no idea what you are talking about, girls don't fawn over me, that is Sirius's department."

"Yes Mr. Black, I have seen him get his share as well, but you are not completely innocent, I have seen those kiss sealed letters coming though your window."

James now turned to a bright shade of pink, and turn away, and realizing that the "magic" of the car had gotten them inside the city of London and they would be at Kings Cross in a matter of minutes.

"Mr. Potter, I would recommend you at least try to look like you are an innocent angel, it won't look good if one of Professor Dumbledore's prized Gryffindor prefects is expelled for turning all the Slytherin's hair gold and scarlet."

James quickly jumped out as the car stopped at the station and returned the comment with a wink and thanking him for the great idea. 

He loaded his cart with his luggage rather easily (mostly because he still had the featherweight charming effect).  He waved a heartily goodbye to Stevens and began the joyful trek to the beloved platform.

Dogging Muggles and trying to keep a rather handsome owl, a mix between a snowy and barn, to keep quite as he made his way was proving harder and harder as the years were going by and this year proved the most difficult yet.  Slowly though, the crowds were thinning and he began to recognize faces, and a rather large group of people trying to blend in around the area between two platforms.

He stopped for just a second to smile before he fell over, face first into his cart, sending his owl in to a screeching fit. 

"SIRIUS!"

He quickly pushed off a rather large, long black haired teen his age, only big for it, not small like himself.  He then saw the dark brown, gray flecked hair he had only seen on one person and couldn't help but smile when he saw that person try to pretend he didn't know the pair. 

"Remus! How's it been?"

He finally gave in his attempt to hide and came over to help them put James's cart back together.  Surprisingly enough it was only a few minutes before it was their turn to disappear from the world of Muggles.

Sirius and James paired up and leaned against the wall before they fell though and were greeted by the brightly shinning scarlet paint of the Hogwarts express.  The two pushed the carts over to the luggage cars and waited as Remus and their worshipper, Peter Pettigrew, did the same.

The four jumped into the last passenger car and took their customary last compartment, and decided first thing to do was to change into robes, really James was just dieing to show off his badges that he had to take off before he got out of the car.

He was first done, soon followed by Peter who squealed with delight as he saw the two gleaming badges.  Soon even the slow Sirius was staring at them, until James, feeling more important than usual, stood, proudly informing them that there was a prefect `get together` he must attend.

"James, if your head get much bigger it won't matter how messy your hair is, you will look like you are bald."

He let out a dry laugh at Sirius's comment before leavening them behind and ran to the meeting, figuring it wouldn't be a good idea to start this off being late, not that it would surprise anyone.

He ran at full speed, and only slowed when he got to the car before it, figuring it would look better if he walked in calm, cool, and collected rather than out of breath as he was now. 

He opened the door expecting to hear gasps of shock of him being in time, instead though he only saw the red haired Lily Evans.

"Hey Lily, have a good summer?"

            Though he wasn't sure why for a couple more seconds, as soon as he said that he regretted it with a passion. 

            There was no response.

            He looked at the window, and first saw the refection of a prefect badge, which proved he was in the right place, and was either early or late (most likely).  Then, he saw what was going to tug at him for the next weeks. 

            Out of her bright green eyes a tear fell, the embodiment of innocence fighting guilt.  He blinked in shock, trying to quickly think of what would be the best thing to say. 

            "Lily, what is a matter?"

            The two of them had never really had been the best of friends, but, they talked as any Gryffindor would to another, she cheered with the rest when he scored, and he when she would make one of her shocking grades in charms, both bringing points for the championship. 

            "James, you are early a rather shocking feat for someone like you. I suppose this means you are going to take your position seriously for once."

            James took a couple of steps back in a shocked surprise, they had never been close, but she had never been that harsh. He considered her a gentle soul, laughing and smiling. Now though, her eyes seemed filled with self-hate

            "Lily?"

            "James I would appreciate being left alone. The meeting has been called off so your attempt to prove yourself worthy has failed."

            James left with out even realizing it and was back with his friends in quite the same state or mind.  He came out of it and quickly relayed the story to his waiting audience, who seemed quite as dumbfounded by it as he was. 

            They decided, as a part of inter-Gryffindor house harmony, they would, for a time being put their best efforts in to trying to figure out what was wrong with Lily Evans, and how to develop a Color charm for a certain grease ball of a Slytherin.

HI!!!

Hope you enjoyed, the*drum roll*product of a long three days weekend of someone who CAN"T WAIT FOR BOOK FIVE!!!

So…well…what is it?  R&R pretty please….*sniffles*with cherries on top and everything thing