It was a little known fact that of all the Marauders, it was James who held everyone together.
While Remus was the logical one, the calm thinker, the man with the plan he was also prone to trying to make decisions based on what he deemed to be best for the group and not what the group deemed to be best. Such as whether or not he should be allowed at Hogwarts.
Sirius was the silly one who, with his jokes and laughter could patch nearly any argument in a moment, but he was also plagued with the insecurities of his family.
Peter was, kind, timid and hard to stay cross with and yet was often difficult to get along with due to his inability to decide upon anything of value or meaning for fear of offending others.
James was James. The boy who never changed, the same one who had been infatuated by one Lily Evans since first year and had been the binding force that held them all together.
He was also the force that pulled them apart and, when the time came, back again so to speak. Whether he had a part to play in Teddy's love for photography, his changing hair color or his happy go lucky attitude that thought things out before acting despite with Ginny might think was debatable.
It could be said that would have never had any of those things if he had never been convinced to stay by one James Potter.
It was sure though that James had had an effect of young Harry who would for the rest of his life strive to prove he was worthy of being his son, worthy of being a Gryffindor and most or worthy of being a father.
James had had an effect on one young Sirius Black who, if he had gone ahead with his old plans to join the dark side may have turned the tides, may have changed history completely without much effort at all.
He had had an effect on Wormtail whether he liked to admit it or not. It had been his words that had rung clear in his head on his final night, the night when his hand had turned against him upon realizing his desire to free the boy.
He had had an effect on James Sirius who, true to his name was true to his friends and family and would be until given no other choice but to accept a lost cause, something both namesakes were glad he never had to do.
He was a wild one who got along well with Teddy predictably. Thus, unintentionally he also had an effect on Fred Junior who, seeing the two of them followed eagerly and was soon their equal.
James Potter was a trouble maker it seemed, lost to war but found in peace when reflecting old photographs in an attic of Time When They Almost Lost Everything.