Chapter One: Enter the Players

I do not own Harry Potter. Nor will I ever have this joy. (Sob)

James Sirius Potter: first son of Harry Potter, pranking extraordinaire, the bane of teachers existence, the greatest thing that ever lived (and modest too) balanced fearlessly on the top of the moving train. This, however, could not be said for his best friends Fred Weasley and Martha Connwith, who would have been content to observe, at least until Griffindor pride kicked in.

This particular adventure had begun with a joke that Martha had offhandedly made. Martha was a half-blood and had recently seen a news story on a moron who had climbed on top of a moving train somewhere in Milwaukee. Naturally, James and Fred had to try it.

Fred, with his dark skin and reddish-brown hair, was an unmistakable sight as he climbed up to where James, with the arrogance of youth, had settled, right at the edge.

"You two!" Martha howled, her long braids whipping her face, "It was only a joke! Please come down!"

Martha was a new addition to the 'Trickster Trio' as the teachers shudderingly called them, and while she would happily prank those who deserved it, she often was the one who called off a prank when it got too dangerous.

And even happy-go-lucky James understood the severity of the situation, when he looked up and felt that the air was getting colder. The Hogwarts Express was heading into the mountains and the wet sheet metal, that consisted of the car's roof, was beginning to ice.

Even worse, up ahead the tracks took a sharp turn that would throw James and Fred off for certain, ice or no ice.

"Come on you two!" Martha called again, fighting with the door to keep it open as the turn loomed ever closer.

Fred gingerly worked his way down first, finely taking Martha's place at the door. In his first year, Fred had become backup beater for the Griffindor Quiddich team, and was more than capable of holding it open.

James was next, but the train was seconds from the curve.

Fred, recovering his senses, yelled to him, "Jump! We'll catch you!"

James launched himself just as the train reached the hairpin turn, the first of the twenty-seven "switchbacks from Hell" as the engineers called them. He barreled into Fred, who staggered back into Martha, sending all three of them tumbling down the trains corridor, past a shocked Hufflepuff third year, and right through the doors of a compartment.

Fred was the first to process the three stunned faces above him. Patricia Ruis, Parker Brown, and Richard Nott. That's not good.

Last year James had come across those three trying to seal a Hufflepuff first year into a suit of armor. He had stopped them, forcibly, enraging Ruis.

Ruis and Nott were Slytherins, the worst of their kind, and while Brown was a Hufflepuff that only meant that she would do anything for her best friend, and their younger tagalong.

Ruis and Brown had devised a cunning revenge, using Nott as bait to seal James and Fred into an empty classroom. What they would have done to James and Fred if Martha hadn't come along is unclear, but the implications are nasty. Martha had threatened to get a teacher and scared them off, and then the Ravenclaw, using a nifty spell, freed James and Fred. Fred was quite willing to live and let live, but James saw pranking potential in Martha and recruited her. This sparked at prank war between the Trickster Trio and Double P plus Nott who was recruited so often he seemed like a permanent fixture in their group. After six months, hundreds of points lost, and countless detentions it came down to a duel that will be remembered for generations (Peeves had already immortalized it in song). When the dust had cleared, it was reviled that Ruis had been hit with a hair removing jinx (pity it wasn't permanent), Brown had simply been turned yellow, Nott had been transfigured so many times that he resembled a pile of goo, Martha could only speak in vulgar limericks related to goldfish, Fred had a pumpkin for a head, and James was sporting a massive set of antlers.

The then first, third, and sixth years had gotten detention for the rest of the year, and it was widely said that the prank war had contributed to McGonagall's retirement.

Today Ruis must have felt merciful, because she simply cast a knock-back jinx that sent the three second-years out the door, and right into a cluster of first years who were right outside the door.

The first years in question had clearly been to see the cart lady, because as they threw up their hands to soften the blow, their parcels of candy went flying.

After they had picked up the candy, James got his first real look at the first years he had mowed down. There were two boys and a girl, all looking quite grumpy. The girl was very pretty, and so tall that James could have mistaken her for a second or third year. Her dark hair was drawn into a long ponytail, with her bangs loose. This style outlined a pair of big, dark eyes. One of the boys had the same dark eyes, and his brown-black hair was slightly longer than normal. He was clearly her brother. The middle person was probably the oddest of the bunch. Uncle Ron had pointed him out at the station, but James had not payed any attention. Scorpius Malfoy had very neat white-blond hair and a pointed face. In fact he looked like a carbon copy of his father, except the eyes. Malfoy's eyes were slightly over large, and an unusual blue color. He stood at the center of his little group, looking indifferent.

"Watch yourself, Potter," He said without malice, or any emotion at all really. Then he simply walked away, going into his own compartment.

Once the Trickster Trio had gone back to their own compartment (after being yelled at by the conductor) they began discussing the events that had transpired.

"Seems to me that Ruis hasn't forgiven us for last year then!" Fred crowed gleefully.

"She'll have some new friends by the time the Sorting is over," James said. Then, noticing his friends confused looks, he elaborated, "Scorpius. Didn't you see him? His entire family has been evil. Besides, 'Watch yourself' is as close to a threat as they come!"

"I don't know," Martha mused, "Maybe he won't be so bad. At least he didn't fight us. Honestly couldn't blame him if he did."

Then noticing that James was preparing himself for a verbal dual, she changed the subject, "What about your brother then, James? I hear you have him made out to be Slytherin."