27th December 2022- St. Mungos
James Potter
James yawned yet again as he was led down the long winding corridors of St. Mungo's by his equally tired mother. His mum hadn't returned at all last night. Hermione had come at twelve and taken a sleepy Hugo and Rose, but James couldn't sleep all night. He didn't want to. He was the adult, the only one who could protect them. In the end, he'd slept in the hallway upstairs, wand in hand, between his two siblings' room. That was where his mum had found him this morning. His Dad was fine, but the healers wanted him there for a couple of days to test him thoroughly: they were concerned that not all the damage had been reversed.
They went through the final door into a small ward, where there were two stern-faced hit-wizards on the entrance that nodded as they walked through. At the end of the ward, there was a cluster of red heads and James headed forward speeding ahead of his mother. He managed to push himself through the throng of people. Aunt Hermione's lot were here as were George's, as well as Grandma and Grandpa Weasley.
"He's in here," Ron said jovially, "Although he was due a potion, sends him loopy." James nodded and pushed his way into the room. The room was dressed in that clinical way that all hospitals seem to have. There was just one lone bed and one window. There was a door off to the side that James presumed would take him into a small bathroom. There were numerous bunches of flowers littering the windowsill as well as a smattering of get well cards.
For some reason though, on the table tray over the bed there was a toilet seat.
His Dad was sitting upright at the bed. Although he was pale, he looked to be in good spirits.
"Ginny! You're back! Look- George brought me another toilet seat." James looked at his mother, who rolled her eyes skyward and let off a huff of fond exhasberation.
"I see you've been given your next pain potion," Ginny said warmly, running her hand through Harry's hair.
"Kids!" his Dad said warmly, beckoning them towards him. Lily launched herself forward and into her Dad's open arms. Albus hugged him next. After they had both stepped back, James found himself in his Dad's tight embrace. James couldn't help but inhale his Dad's scent whilst the tension he'd been carrying slowly drained out of him.
"I hope I didn't make you worry too much," their Dad said, ruffling his hair with a faint flush filling his cheeks.
"Do you know who did it Dad?" James asked.
Harry tapped his fingers against the tray. "No, not yet son, but we've got the best investigating- they'll find out soon enough."
"But Dad, first they attacked Aunt Hermione, now you what if-"
Harry cut James off. "It's all under control Jimmy."
"Dad it was so scary," Lily said in a small voice. Ginny wrapped her arm around the girl, sharing a tight look with Harry.
"I know Lils," Harry said sadly. "I'm sorry you were scared."
"But you are okay now though?" Albus said from the foot of the bed. His expression was pinched and his hands were deep in his jean pockets.
"I'm fine, honestly, don't worry about me."
They talked for a while, but all too soon the 'kids' were turfed out so the adults could talk. Hermione, Ron and George also went in to talk to their dad, so just the cousins remained outside the shut door. Fred tried to use an extendable ear, but as the ear bounced off the closed door, he'd admitted defeat. Instead they caught Roxanne and Fred up on what had happened at the ball.
"It's obvious who the traitor is, isn't it?" Fred said angrily glaring at James. "Higgs."
James recoiled in shock, "Don't be so stupid, just because you don't like her."
"Higgs is quiet, but she isn't bad," Roxanne said softly and James was glad someone else was on his side. "How would she have known about it anyway?"
"Because we told her!" Fred yelled, drawing glares from the healers, "we sat all chummy, drank butterbeer and told her everything!" James felt ice pierce his heart. It wasn't true, she wouldn't tell them anything that they hadn't agreed to. He trusted her.
"She wouldn't," he said in certainty. Fred shook his head angrily and the others looked doubtful. They didn't believe him. His heart thumped desperately in his chest as his mind raced to find any explanation, any explanation but the one Fred was quick to accept.
"All this year you've pulled away from us, your family, to spend time with her," Fred almost snarled, months worth of frustration pouring out. "You forgot about us, your mates, to spend time with a pretty girl, and all that time she was using you to get to your father. That's the only reason she was so bloody interested, but as always you are just too thick to see it."
"Fred!" Lily said in horror at the same time Rose gasped. Albus and Hugo looked left and right, unsure what the hell they were supposed to do while Roxanne bit her lip.
"She didn't do it." He raised his chin defiantly.
"You don't even know her, and you would trust her over us? She knew where it was and when it was, her brother is in with that lot and she is too! Get over yourself James."
"She isn't like them, I know her!"
"And I know you! All year you've been chasing her around like a pathetic puppy doing everything she told you. You ignored us. When was the last time you spoke to us, actually spoke to us? Do you even know what's going on in our lives now? Or do you just not care as long as you've got Higgs dragging you into broom closets and massaging your ego?! Lily got dumped the other week and instead of you being the one to comfort her it was me, because you are never fucking there anymore."
Lily blushed and looked to the floor, and James for the first time felt guilty. He should have been there. "I should have been there… but I was busy," he knew it sounded lame the second it left his mouth but he couldn't tell them the truth.
"James the rest of us spend about two hours a week with our partner, you spend every evening! You are keeping secrets, skulking around. You can't see the truth, or maybe you just don't want to"
"Is this what you all think?" James said shakily, looking around his family in horror.
"We don't see you a lot," Albus said shifting from foot to foot, "I mean it doesn't bother me but you've barely been scheduling Quidditch training." Lily was crying, James noticed.
"Me and Allie, we just have stuff to do, I can't tell you- I promised. But it's important."
"James," Fred said harshly stepping forward and into James' space, his body almost vibrating in anger. "You are not your father. You WON'T ever be Harry Potter. Stop pretending that you are trying to save the bloody world and face the fact that you are never going to measure up against the guy that saved the world. You're only ever going to be a disappointment." James stepped back, heat rising on his cheeks as he staggered away. Fred seemed to realise what he said and he stepped forward but then gaped, his mouth opening and closing. There was nothing he could say. They both knew he'd meant it. James turned to leave.
"James, no!"
"Fred's being an idiot; he doesn't meant it!"
"Jim, please, don't-" Rose, Albus and Lily shouted after him but he was gone before they could stop him, striding off and out of Mungos and into the muggle street beyond. Fire pulsed through his veins, the cool winter air doing nothing to cool the burning anger. He stuck his hands in his pockets and disappeared into the anonymousness of Muggle London.
He spent hours, wandering, thinking constantly of Fred's words. He was a disappointment. He was a failure of a brother, he hadn't been there when they needed him. Pathetic. Yesterday he hadn't even been able to react. He'd stood there dumbly while his younger brother had reassured his sister. That should have been him. He should have been brave. Even his Aunt hadn't wanted to trust him with his own siblings and her kids, and no wonder. They all knew he was weak. They all knew he was a disappointment. The rain poured down, running into his tears, but he didn't notice. He didn't notice anything.
It was hours before he even thought about getting home and then he was struck by now he was going to get home. And if he actually wanted to get there, he wasn't sure. But he knew he was being selfish, his parents would be worried about him out by himself. He had to get home, but he didn't have much money and he was completely lost.
The Knight Bus! The sky was darkening quickly, the inky colour spreading across the sky and plunging the streets into eerie darkness. He checked he was alone in the alley before pulling his wand out of his back pocket and holding it out.
CRACK
The Knight Bus appeared before him in all it's purple glory, it skidded down the street and he jumped back to avoid being hit. With a squeal and a crash it came to a violent, sudden stop. The conductor, a young man with violently blond hair jumped out.
"This ere' is the Knight Bus emergency transport for the stranded witch and wizard. Me name is Louie Beeston and I'll be your conductor this evenin'." The man squinted down at him. "Ey' do I know you?"
"Never met, how much to Yorkshire?" He paid and sat at the back. The chairs had yet to be turned to beds so he sunk gratefully into a plush, overstuffed armchair. As the bus shot forward, the chair shot back. He threw out his arm and managed to stop and hastily cast a quick sticking charm. He was then able to enjoy the rest of his trip in relative comfort.
"Where in Yorkshire you wanting?" Louis asked, holding onto the rail for dear life.
"Potter Cottage, Wentworth, Rotherham," he said quickly but Louis' eyes widened in surprise.
"Potter? Ah that's how I know you! You were in the paper today," he reached into his robes and pulled out the paper. Sure enough James' terrified face was on the front cover. "Did you really poison your dad?"
"What? No!"
"Thought it were a bit odd, like. But you never know…" Louis trailed off staring at him oddly. "Why you out on your own?"
"Got lost."
"Got lost, eh? I'm sure." Louis toddled off shaking his head and clutching the bars. Not ten minutes later they were speeding into Wentworth, The George and Dragon had to jump out of the way to escape the bus.
James jumped off the bus on shaky legs, thanked Louis and scuttled down the drive to the house. He'd been gone all day, his mother was probably going to murder him, bring him back and kill him again.
He slipped through the old door quietly, but obviously not quietly enough.
"James Sirius Potter where the hell have you been!" She bellowed, James winced as his mum barrelled through the door into the kitchen. "We've been worried sick and poor Freddie has been beside himself with worry, if something had happened to you…"
"I'm sorry mum," James said, and he meant it. His mum was worried enough he hadn't meant to worry her more. "I just went to clear my head and then I got lost… I didn't know how to get back."
"Oh Jimmy," she grabbed hold of him and hugged him tightly, nevermind the fact that he was now taller than her.
"Sorry," he said again.
"Oh Jim," she released him and stroked his cheek tenderly. "You are such an idiot sometimes, get washed up and come back down for tea." He nodded dumbly and did what he was bid. He could hear the murmur of many voices downstairs but they all gradually left. Once he felt clean and was in his pjs he went downstairs. In the kitchen was just his mum, she was heating some soup for him.
"Where are Al and Lil?" He asked, just so he could say something.
"They are at Grandma and Grandad's," she said, "I thought we might need to talk."
James nodded but was unsure what to say, his mum placed the soup in front of him and he began to eat as his mother watched her silently. "I hear Fred wasn't particularly nice." He shrugged in response, refusing to look up at her, "I also hear it was about a girl."
"They think because she's in Slytherin, Alison isn't trustworthy," James said, gesturing angrily with his piece of bread.
"But that's not the only reason, is it?"
"Alison knew we were at the party today and her family are like super into the whole pureblood thing- but that doesn't mean that she is!"
"No it doesn't," she replied mildly letting him talk.
"She knows her family are horrid, we talk about them all the time. They wanted her to-" he stopped, angry at himself at slipping.
As he watched his mum she played with the rings on her fingers, arguing internally with herself. "I didn't want to tell you this, neither did your Dad, but you are of age and perhaps it's best you know," she pauses and James blinked at her, knew what? "On your birthday a package was delivered to your Dad's work, in it was… photos of you."
"Me?"
She nodded, looking into the distance for a second before locking eyes again with her son, "We won't let anything happen to you James. But they are threatening you, you deserve to know the truth. It's why we were all a little hysterical today." James nodded, mind racing. They wanted him? "The photos were taken at Hogwarts, it's why Ted was at Hogwarts and he will be going back in January."
"Like a bodyguard?" James asked, he didn't want a bodyguard, what would people think?
"He'll be ensuring the security of the whole school," she said firmly. "But you need to make sure you are careful, no unnecessary risks. Promise me?"
With a bad feeling deep inside him, and a certainty that he never knew before, he promised her. As soon as the words passed his lips he knew it was only a matter of time before he broke them.
