Chapter 7:

'Better be GRYFFINDOR!' the sorting hat shouted out to the great hall. There was a short silence before the Gryffindor table broke out into the largest cheering James had heard to date- well- excluding the colosseum... Sirius was stood on the mahogany benches whooping his heart out and clapping for all his worth before beckoning James over with a manic look on his face. James almost ran over to him and plonked himself down next to Sirius and opposite Remus who was smiling despite his look of utter exhaustion.

'Jamsey! Welcome to Gryffindor!' Sirius laughed as he held his hand up for an enthusiastic high five which James promptly returned.

'What took you so long?' laughed an older boy who couldn't be older than thirteen with short spiky brown hair, he had an amused grin and winked at James before turning back to watch the sorting.

'Yeah, what did take you so long?' Sirius asked flashing James a look of happy confusion.

'Let's just say that the Sorting Hat and I hold different ideas about what does and doesn't make a Gryffindor-' James said darkly, making Peter, who had been watching with his watery blue eyes the whole time, shrink slightly further back into his seat.

Sirius, however, laughed at both events much to the annoyance of an upper year prefect who shot them a look of utter loathing.

'Sheesh!' Remus breathed and pulled that face that everyone knows means that you want to laugh but you can't, and the feeling grows and grows and grows until your sides hurt and the only thing stopping you from bursting out in laughter is the one person staring at you and giving you the evils.

'What a old fart!' Sirius whispered to the rest of the group, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief, he flicked his hair vainly before pulling the 'perfect student' appearance, his hands held in his lap with innocent wide eyes, James was having none of it.

'At least we now have one person we can prank without feeling too guilty!' James whispered back. Remus sighed and held his head in his hands, he couldn't believe that he'd managed to work his way into the most cheeky, troublesome group in the year, and by the looks of things, the most curious as well. It didn't bode well.

Finally the sorting was over with a short overly skinny child with long black hair going into Slytherin much to Sirius' distaste- 'you would've thought that a Slytherin could at least wash their hair before putting on the hat!' James laughed at Sirius' obviously still pureblood leaning views (no matter how much he denied it, he was still a Black and acted like one at a subconscious level).

'Did you hear what happened to Mary's pigeon?' Sirius grinned evilly at James.

'No,' James raised his eyebrow at Sirius' obvious amusement, 'what did happen?'

'Well, according to a lovely girl, whose name I've forgotten, he was found asleep inside Mary's suitcase the whole time and she just didn't think to look-'

'Are you sure that happened, Sirius? I don't think that a straight thinking human would do that...' James' face was screwed up in confused amusement.

'Guys, do you really think now is the time to be talking about the whereabouts of someone's lost pigeon?' Remus said sardonically, his eyebrow raised behind his long fringe, 'Besides, Dumbledore is about to talk!'

The group turned at once from their rather strange conversation to face the headmaster who was stood at the front of the hall in splendid robes of maroon and silver, his kind face peering over his half-moon glasses. James couldn't help but laugh as he compared the two Dumbledores he knew: one from his ascent to power in which he tried to make a move on James which he was rather shocked by (at that point he was barely 130 years old) and the old grandfatherly figure before him now. Remus kicked him sharply in the shin to stop him from shuddering with laughter, but ultimately failed after Sirius caught on to what was happening and started making faces at James. Dumbledore talked for a bit more about various ways in which one could be killed at Hogwarts - James quite liked the sound of the Giant Squid- and introductions to new Professors ( Chippings the Ancient Runes Professor and Peppsworth the Divination Professor).

'What was that about?' Sirius laughed at James with an impish grin.

'Let's just say I have certain- connections to our dear professor,' he smirked, his eyes alight with mischief. Remus just shook his head.

'So, you've met out esteemed professor and have already settled on a prefect to prank, I think we're gonna get on fine,'

The first morning went decidedly badly. It all started when Sirius tried to wake James up with a bucket of freezing water but tripped and threw it all over Remus instead.

'What in the name of all that's good and holy are you doing?' he screeched as he wiped the sodden hair out of his eyes to glare at a sheepish Sirius who was backing away from the furious teen slowly.

'I was actually aiming for James-' Sirius winced as he picked a drenched maroon sock with the word 'Doctor' on the label off the floor. Somehow, in the space of 48 hours the four boys had managed to utterly destroy the dorm to the extent that when Remus tried to get out of bed he almost tripped over Peter's battered old trunk, despite the fact that Peter's bed was at the opposite side of the room.

'Who is across the other side of the room!' Remus said in sarcastic shock to Sirius' last statement.

'Well-' Sirius began but was stopped by a half asleep James who had crawled out of bed and out his hand on Sirius' shoulder.

'What's happening at this ungodly hour?' James asked blearily through his lopsided glasses.

'Sirius threw ice water over me-'

'Accidently! I was actually going for you-' Sirius mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck with a guilty smile on his face.

'Right. Thanks for that mate!' James grinned at Sirius before grabbing his wand and waving it at Remus to send a drying spell followed by a heating spell. All the boys watched in awe as Remus became dry from the top of his head to the bottom.

'How?' Peter breathed as he exited the bathroom just in time to watch James.

'My dad taught it to me when we were travelling, very handy when you don't have a towel to hand,' James smiled before bunging on his shirt over his head and entering the bathroom only to realise he couldn't work the tap ( after three minutes of pointless fiddling, he found it was a hit with your wand tap- very odd to James' mind).

It was twenty past eight by the time all four boys made it to breakfast, ties loose, shirts untucked and James even had his wand stowed behind his ear gaining him many strange looks... It wasn't until James said to stop looking, it really wasn't that strange that eyes diverted from his lanky form.

Sitting down at the table, James was about to bite into his toast when one of his hearts seized- a sure sign of someone dragging themselves through the time vortex through the use of old Gallifreyan magiks; startled, and to say the least disgruntled, James leant to Sirius and, with a sheepish smile, asked 'You don't think you could whack the right hand side of my back as hard as you could, do you?'

Sirius stared at James before realising his friend was turning white and blue from what Sirius believed was a lack of being able to breathe, as opposed to a lack of circulation due to one heart being out of action. James' heart stopping at disturbances in the time vortex had been an issue ever since James had first jumped: his dad believed it to be something to do with him being linked to a greater extent with time than most time lords so any disturbances manifested physically as well as mentally, they were yet to find out exactly why...

'Why?' Sirius asked before raising a cautious fist.

'Because I have something stuck-' James breathed, it's not like it's my heart or anything! James muttered sarcastically to himself, how did humans live like this? The lack of two hearts was very tiring and he could already feel himself drifting off to sleep.

'If you say so-' Sirius said with a smirk before thwacking James so hard that he could have sworn a rib had been broken in the process, unfortunately, not a heart being restarted.

'Right a bit and down an inch-'

HIT.

'Down-'

HIT.

'Again but harder-'

HIT HIT HIT!

And with a gasp from Remus, Sirius and some of the girls around the cluster of boys, James shouted out as he felt the pumping of two hearts again. Now all he had to do was find out the disturbance.

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The Doctor sat at a table in the middle of a Costa in London, a mellow look had replaced the sparkling, happy looked that usually adorned his face as he sipped from his cup; herbal tea in one hand, the Doctor held an old battered journal in the other. It was a pocket sized black leather book with circular Gallifreyan embossed in silver on the front leading the impression of it being somewhat important despite the fact it was owned by a 17 year old Time Lord who was currently absent; the Doctor flicked through the musty, dried parchment reading the old style penmanship that was littered with both doodles and diagrams of various aliens and spells crammed into the thin margin to the left.

The thin book hummed slightly to anyone sensitive enough to feel it, which, fortunately, was the extreme minority of Londoners, the Doctor didn't want any questions asked about where he had acquired such an interesting specimen, so he was quite glad of the lack of attention being payed to him. After sitting still for about three hours of solid reading, the Doctor was approached by a woman with a black waitress' apron on, after a 'would you like another tea?' and the Doctor's ascent, all was quite once more and the Doctor returned to his reading.

One entry particularly grabbed the Doctor's eye: one obviously written by a younger excited man, one who had seemingly had a breakthrough if the equations were anything to go by.

'1st October, 1972:

It's been one month since I was stranded in this time without obvious means to get out. Without the Tardis, I'm stuck as jumping is too draining without a source of time to top you up every now and again, but that doesn't matter anymore. I've found a room. A room that looks like the Tardis from the inside but a wall from the out- very strange indeed. I would like to say that I haven't formed any friendships due to my inevitable leaving in a matter of weeks, but sadly, I cannot fulfil these hopes for I have landed myself with a nutter, some form of alien - or perhaps half alien, there's something dodgy going on there- and a Peter.

I don't quite know what this room is and how the Tardis has gotten there, but I will find out and I promise you now, I will get myself back to my father if it is the last thing I do. I am not dying here.' a small tear stain marred the subsequent sentence but that was all that was needed to set the Doctor off again: his son wanted him and he couldn't get to him. There was something around that time zone and area that didn't quite agree with the Tardis, it was like there was some form of barrier surrounding Scotland at the time, more specifically, the highlands.

After finishing his luke-warm tea and stuffing the notebook into his pocket, the Doctor exited the coffee shop and strolled along the South Bank of the Thames, a small frown adorning his face as he pondered on what he had read. It sounded like James had come across a form of Tardis like equipment at his school which was impossible! There weren't Tardises anywhere else in the universe but with him! That aside, access to the vortex may prove fruitful.

And with that, the Doctor found his Tardis under the bridge where he landed and went inside, not seeing the hooded figure that watched him from the darkness.

'Did you hear that? Potter's mum don't want him anymore!' guffaws broke out in the corridor amongst a cluster of Slytherins. It had all started when Severus Snape, acclaimed imbecile with an overly large nose, asked James why he had received no post from the owls at all that term and seeing as everyone else has, shouldn't he? James was stuck between a rock and a hard place: firstly, he had no mum to speak of and secondly, he didn't know where his dad was to say that someone liked him who was near and he would write to them right now to prove then wrong. Sirius had tried to brush them off but that had only made them worse, Snape's eyes flashed with mirth when James stumbled over his words- an unusual occurrence that James wasn't sure how to cope with; then Lucius Malfoy showed up and asked for silence.

'So, Potter, what's this I hear about your mum not loving you? Are you too much of a freak for her to like you?' he drawled, a smirk gracing his lips as he aggravated James more and more, 'Is itty bitty Potter not good enough? Does his daddy not love him?'

'He does-' James mumbled, trying to swallow the nauseous feeling growing in his stomach, 'My dad does love me-'

'Really? What's his name? Mr. Nobody?' one of the Slytherins called out causing James to fall silent. How could he prove that his dad existed? He wasn't even real in their sense! Besides, it wasn't like he even had a wizarding name.

'His name's Benjamin, actually-' Sirius butted in, a small mocking smile on his face as Lucius looked stunned, not expecting an answer from James and had thought of another quip, not that that stopped Severus.

'And your mother, Potter?' he sneered, 'You actually got one?' At that, James saw red. He could insult his father, he could insult him, but not his mother, never his mother. She was too good and nice to have that thrown at him.

'My mother is dead and I've never met her-' James almost shouted with such bitterness that Sirius could almost feel the cold coming from James, 'My mother is worth ten of what you'll ever be-'

'Such a shame then that she gave up on you, freak! Maybe your dad just wasn't good enough for her! Or it could just be that she would never want a little freaky kid like you! You're nothing like her!' Lucius laughed loudly much to the amusement of the Slytherins and some passers by, but not to James who leaped at Lucius and whipped his wand out and screamed curses at him, but not before kicking him soundly in the family collection of objects suspended between Lucius' legs causing him to squeal in pain and double over.

'My- mum- was- brilliant- and- nothing- you can- say- changes- that!' James said, punctuating each word with wither a kick or a silent curse. After James almost cursed the older boy to the ground, Sirius dragged James away to the dorm (much to the disappointment of the crowd that had gathered) muttering about the idiocy of what he'd done.

James didn't get a peep out of Sirius on the windy way to the common room other than to shut up, and that he was trying to think which left James lost about the extremity of his misdemeanor. It wasn't like he'd murdered him or anything (all James could think was how glad he was his father wasn't there - he'd be dead meat!) And besides, Snape had started it- who was he to offend his mother? James was a Time Lord and Snape just a lowly human. Nevertheless, James didn't prompt Sirius to say anything more in fear of being massacred by the seemingly furious teen. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, for James, the moment they entered the dorm, Sirius began his rant.

'James, you are a pureblood. Even if you dislike it, you are and nothing you can do will change that. Stop acting like a street rat and act like the heir you are,' at this, James sputtered but Sirius carried, unrelentingly, on, 'Being an heir is important for not only your family, but your personal future. A good heir will get a good job, a good wife and a good house. Now, straighten up and let's go.'

Sirius swept out of the room, his cloak swishing behind him leaving a gobsmacked James. He never had fully grasped how serious wizards were about their status, he had previously thought it to be something vaguely recognised but nothing like this- this was insane! Brushing off his disbelief, James followed Sirius out of the dorm and with a smirk, entered the common room only to come face to face with Lily Evans. His mum. And the girl Sirius was convinced he liked.

'Why did you attack Sev?' she demanded, her arms crossed and her hips tilted to one side: the epitome of sass. James merely raised an eyebrow.

'Excuse me?' James said, eyebrow raised as he took in the sight before him.

'You attacked Sev.'

'I think you'll find that actually, he started the fight and at no point, truth be known, did I touch him.'

'That's not what Sev said,'

'Well if Sev said it! Evans, listen, you seem like a nice kid but if you go round flinging accusations of violence around the place - especially at purebloods- you're gonna have tough time. Now, I'm sorry for any disruption, good bye Evans.' James tilted his head at her and made his way to Sirius who was propped up against the wall. 'Alright?'

' Subtlety. You can't go flinging pureblood things around!' Sirius groaned in exasperation, James couldn't help but feel sheepish as Sirius chastised him. He didn't want to act all pompous, it really wasn't in his nature, but with Lucius chucking insults at him for not being this perfect little heir, he felt more inclined than not to submit to Sirius' teachings. Again, James listened as Sirius ranted. 'You don't drop it like a bomb, it's all about making it known but not bragging. That's what New Money, ergo, Malfoys, do; you are Old Money and, like me, have good old roots. Now go and chat to that girl there, she's either half or pureblooded, so either way will be good conversation. GO!'

Sirius pointed at a pale skinned girl with long, sweeping red hair who was sat huddled over a leather bound book, her hair wrapped around her index finger as she read. From what James could see, she had deep doe brown eyes that were shaded by thick black lashes, but he couldn't see much as a curtain of hair separated them. Slowly and uncertainly, with more than a couple urges on from Sirius, James crawled along the common room, trying to look disinterested but failing miserably.

With a final deep breath, James collected himself and stood opposite her, his features, unbeknownst to him, becoming more matured, like his true Time Lord self as he spoke softly to her.

'Hello, would it be okay for me to sit opposite you? My name's James, by the way-' The girl looked up at him, before smiling and responding in a pleasant Scottish lilt.

'Sure, the name's Amy,' she smiled before returning to her book. James sat stunned. He hadn't planned this far ahead: yeah, he'd completed step one, but there wasn't exactly a step two that had been set out. Desperately, he turned to Sirius who shrugged, laughed and walked away, shaking his head in amusement. Should he talk to her? Would that count as social? What did humans do in situations like these?! James thought desperately to himself. They would- kiss each other on the cheeks! No- not that... Lois slapped him last time. They told jokes? They discussed TV- hang on, hang tv even been invented yet? Good Lord, what if they hadn't?!

'Have you lot invented tvs yet?' James blurted out, not thinking how odd it sounded.

'What?' Amy asked as she peered up at James from behind her book, her eyes narrowed cryptically.

'You know, TVs? You watch things on them?'

'They were invented years ago by muggles-' she said, amusement clear in her voice as she stared at James.

'Oh, right-'

'Which planet are you from?' Amy laughed much to James' shock - not many humans were able to tell. James was going to give her the truth when he realised an alien wizard who travelled in time with his 987 year old dad may not sit so well with certain people. Amy mistook James' silence as confusion as she explained.

'My grandma was a muggle; she taught us all sorts of phrases!' At that explanation, James relaxed. She wasn't some all knowing amazing person who would know all his secrets before he even knew them himself; admittedly, James thought, that would be pretty cool.

'So, you're a- pureblood?' James said slowly, trying to gage her reaction as he went along.

'Yeah, but I have a muggle grandma so I'm not as 'pure' as most,'

'You disagree with pureblood elitism?'

'Not particularly. I mean it's bad and all but we need to keep tradition and if we suddenly lost that side of our culture due to muggle-borns, then we would have lost something great. It is a loss when man chooses to forget history, but an even greater loss when he chooses to ignore it,' Amy sighed, returning to her book with resignation.

'I never really thought of it that way-' James scratched his head as he mulled over what she had said. It made sense though; if he suddenly got rid of all his traditions, he wouldn't know what to do with himself- his father and he were so steeped in preserving all the small quirks of Gallifrey and Time Lords that his education in such matters became commonplace to the extent of his father setting tests on various legends to see how much he'd taken in.

'Not many do. It's a shame really, there's so much to see! The come and go room, for example! Every wizarding family who's attended Hogwarts knows it but muggle-borns never will,'

'The Come and Go room?'

'Blimey, you really aren't from these parts, are you? The Room of Requirement?' At James' blank expression, she hauled herself to hee feet and held out her hand, a bemused smirk on her face. James slowly reached out to hold her hand but the moment they made contact, she grasped him firmly and dragged him out of his chair before pulling him out the common room door, eliciting many a strange look from other Gryffindors.

'Where are we going?'

'The Room of Requirement!'

'Which is?'

'You'll see,'

Amy was insistent on holding James' hand the whole way there, even as they squeezed through miniscule secret passages that excreted them into gloomy corridors lined with flickering candles.

Eventually, James was planted in front of a blank piece of wall.

'Yay! Wall! My favourite thing!' James cried in mock excitement, running up and trying to hug the stone wall as Amy watched.

'No, doofus!' Amy said as she peeled James away from the wall. ' Just think about what you want most- it could be anything!'

'Anything?' James asked, one eyebrow raised.

'Just try,'

James snapped his eyes shut and envisioned every tiny detail of what he wanted, no, needed. The lights, the sounds, everything. A small shaking from Amy roused him from his concentration and he opened his eyes to see a blue wooden door with white Windows and a sign on the front. Cautiously he stepped towards it, not daring to believe it real until he was inside. His fingers brushed again the varnished wood as he stepped closer. He could almost feel the vibrations irradiating off of it.

With an intrepid grin, he opened the door and entered.

'What in the name of Merlin's saggy left ball is that?'

A/N: I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry that I'm only uploading now but with family issues, exams and more exams, it's been hectic so say the least. Secondly, this story now has over 155 followers- wow. I know that for some people that's like petty change but that's amazing. Please continue to support this story as more favourites and reviews etc means quicker updates from now on! I know recently hasn't been great but tbh, it's either exams or I fail this year.

Please review x