The year went by quickly, homework mounted, Quidditch more fierce, attacks more frequent and violent.

During transfiguration, our last day before the Christmas holidays, Dumbledore came in looking suddenly rather old, the twinkle gone from his blue eyes. James was asked to go to his office. No-one had any idea why as the Marauders hadn't played many pranks this year. There hadn't been time. Everyone was confused, no more so than me as James had been spending moist of his free time with me. (Of course bringing the map and invisibility cloak, so the others wouldn't find out about us!)

He wasn't at lunch, nor in charms that afternoon, and wasn't at dinner. Everyone was worried. Sirius went to the kitchens and asked if James had been-no. They tried the map, couldn't find it, and no cloak. He could have been anywhere. When I finally made it to my dorm that night, I was shocked to find James curled up asleep on my bed. I walked quietly over the wooden floor and what I saw horrified me.

Here was James Luke Potter, prankster since before he could walk, Quidditch captain, chaser, rich, extremely popular with the girls, so handsome that the female population practically drooled over him, and he was on my bed, curled up in a foetal position, eyes bloodshot, tearstains down his face, glasses Hanging from his lip hand and holding onto a stuffed stag.

I sat on the bed beside him and gently stroked his hair. I jumped when his eyes snapped open. There wasn't the usual glint that was part of the Potter trademark (males only, pranksters), instead there was pain and sorrow. I was horrified to see a thirst for revenge behind the pain. I wiped away his tears.

'James, what happened?'

'They're dead.'

'Who?'

'Everyone.'

I didn't understand and my confusion obviously showed on my face as James showed me the antler of the stag. There was a note, written in James' scruffy handwriting:

'To my dearest Cleo,

I won't be here

When you arrive

So I give you

This, a memory

Of me.

Have great pranks,

Carry on Potter

Tradition to

Give McGonagall

A heart attack (!)

Lots of love

Your big brother

James.

p.s. love you loads.

Then I understood. His family.