Chapter 13 - Potter Manor
James was very glad to be home for the holidays. He was spoilt rotten by both his parents and the family house elf, Ethel, and didn't hesitate to take full advantage.
His days generally consisted of breakfast with his parents (a tradition his mother had always insisted upon), flying on his comet broomstick, lunch with whoever was in the house, then more flying or a trip out with one of his parents, if whatever they were doing sounded interesting enough.
He accompanied his father to the ministry of magic during the first week of the holidays. His dad had been going there to take part in a panel discussion on British entrepreneurs, and invited James along for a 'change of scenery'.
It certainly was that. As the ministry was underground, the hallways and atrium were very dark. The walls and floor were tiled and people came and went through magical grates in the lobby. The whole place was a hive of activity with wizards running bath and forth, dictating memos and drinking coffee. The lifts were zooming up and down so fast it hurt James' eyes, and everyone around him looked so busy and important he couldn't help feeling a little small and insignificant beside his dad in his T-shirt and trainers.
"Dad? What am I going to do when you're in the panel?" He asked his father, wondering if perhaps there was somewhere he could go for an ice cream in this place.
"Don't worry. My old friend Perkins works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, he said he'll be more than happy to entertain you there for an hour or so."
They made their way over to the lift that would take them up to the right department, but as they headed there, James spotted a familiar face.
"Nora!"
It was Nora Leach of Ravenclaw. She was wearing a muggle dress and had her brown hair tied back with a blue hair ribbon. She smiled as she recognised James. "Hi." She said, and she and the man she was walking with came over to greet them.
"Hello Nobby!" James' dad said to Dora's. He extended a hand and James wondered if Dora's dad was someone important. He had that distinct air of 'important man' about him…
"Fleamont Potter, as I live and breathe!" The man said, grinning and reaching to shake James' dad's hand. "I heard you were appearing on the Entrepreneurial Panel today. I'll see if I can nip in and check some of it out later. Not now though, Jenkins has called me for an emergency meeting. She's getting really worried…"
Jenkins? Eugenia Jenkins, wasn't she the Minister for Magic? This man must be important then if he worked with the Minister for Magic…
"Nobby, this is my son, James." James' dad said. "He's just finished his first year at Hogwarts." James couldn't miss the pride in his words.
"Pleasure, young man." 'Nobby' said, shaking James' hand. "You must know my Nora?"
"James is in Gryffindor." Nora said.
"'Where dwell the brave of heart'." Nobby said with a grin at Fleamont. "Excellent house. Well, we mustn't keep you. Unless Nora, you want to show James our cabinet dining room? It's really quite excellent." He added with a grin.
So James left his dad at the lifts and followed Nora up to the famous canteen on the fifth floor.
There were a number of ministry staff already in there when the two of them arrived. There was a small group sitting at a table near the buffet, one of them had his feet up on the table, the others were lounging back casually in their chairs and talking to one another as though braying. "Aha told the Minister it wouldn't happen." One of the men was saying to the others in a bored, fruity voice. "She thinks she can win this war by chucking the chap in Azkaban? No chance, I told her."
"It's because she's a woman." Another man said in a sage sort of tone. "She thinks she has to take the bullyboy tough approach. They're all the same."
"That's because we're forced to be." Little Nora said, marching over to the men with her hands on her hips. "If women are supposed to survive in a system entirely dictated to us entirely by men, how else do you suggest we're taken seriously? Or do you suggest we all roll over backwards and go home to our kitchens instead?" She gave them such a cool stare James was surprised they didn't back away.
Instead they merely looked disarmed.
"We didn't mean you, miss."
"No offence meant."
"And aren't you a little young for politics?"
Nora tossed back her brown hair and glared at the man. "My father's Nobby Leach." She told them. "I've never been too young for politics. Good day to you." And she turned around and walked back over to James.
James wanted to applaud. "That was amazing," he said as they helped themselves to snacks from the buffet table.
Nora shrugged. "It happens with unfortunate regularity. But mother says we women must do our best to challenge patriarchy. Father did a lot to help when he was Minister for Magic. He was the first muggleborn Minister, see? He helped undo a lot of prejudice. Obviously not enough…"
"What was it like, having your dad as Minister for Magic?" James asked curiously.
"No one's ever asked me that before." Nora said, rolling her eyes and causing James to bristle a little "It was OK." she told him, now taking a bottle of wine from the buffet. "Oh don't worry." She said. "They won't find out." And she poured herself a glass.
And all this time he'd been thinking Ravenclaws were swots and goody-two-shoes… This girl was definitely not like any other…
"So." Nora said, pulling him to the closest table and sipping her wine. "I want you to tell me exactly what Lily and Bessie see in Mary MacDonald."
James managed to put her off with vague non-answers but was secretly glad when his dad's panel discussion was finally over and he could go and meet him in the lobby.
"Thanks Nora." James' dad said to her. "Tell your dad you're welcome round anytime. "Mrs Potter does a delicious Sunday lunch."
And James and his dad floo'd back to Potter Manor.
The rest of their week was spent preparing for his friends' arrival the following Saturday, which James thought his mother might be looking forward to even more than he was. She quizzed him endlessly on names, likes and dislikes and favourite foods.
James knew his friends didn't really care whether she served the Eton mess or strawberry trifle (well, perhaps Peter would), they were all just excited to get together again after the time apart.
The day of their arrival finally came, and James waited eagerly in the living room for the flames in the grate to turn green and reveal one of his ash-specked, slightly disheveled friends.
Predictably, Remus was first, bang on time at eleven o clock. He got quickly to his feet and attempted to brush the ash from his robes as he stepped gingerly onto the Potters' thick red carpet.
"Oh don't worry about that." James told him, grinning and taking his bag from his friend. "Hi."
Peter came next, landing in a heap in the grate and exclaiming loudly with pain or discomfort.
"Hello Pete!" James laughed, helping the shorter boy to his feet. "Where's your floo network then?"
"The local owl post." Peter said, getting to his feet and rubbing his backside. "Mum said she'd drive me, but I said wizards always travel by floo, so here I am."
"Well, you are a wizard." James said, taking his hand to help him out of the grate. "You guys heard from Sirius at all?"
James had to admit he wasn't altogether sure their fourth group member would make it. His mother had sent an invitation to his parents to have him to stay with the time and date in it but hadn't heard back. James was still hoping his friend would come though. If he knew Sirius, and he thought he did, he would find a way.
But as the minute hand on the clock on the mantelpiece began to tick past however, James wondered if he might perhaps have overestimated the power of his friend's will, or perhaps underestimated the control of his parents...
"Guess he's not coming." He said eventually, sighing and turning to the others. "Well, shall I show you around then?"
They went to the conservatory first, where James' mum (clearly desperate to see them but doing her utmost to 'play it cool') was reading a book.
"Hello dears!" She said, getting to her feet and hugging Remus and Peter. "My, you've grown! Has James offered you a drink yet?"
"I was just about to show them round." James told her. "Can Ethel bring us something?"
"I'm sure that's just fine. Pink lemonade? I'll have a word." She turned back to Remus and Peter. "I can't tell you how pleased I am that you're here. You must tell me if there's anything you need, though you can tell James too of course!" She turned to her son then and frowned. "No sign of Sirius?"
James shook his head and he saw the same feelings of concern he had mirrored in her hazel eyes.
"Well, no reason not to still have fun! You boys must make yourselves right at home. We don't have many rules. No flying without an adult nearby is probably the main one. And if you want to visit the town just let me or Monty know and we'll take you."
"Thanks mum." James said, and though he appreciated her hospitality he was also quite keen to spend some time alone with his friends.
"Alright." Euphemia said, winking at him. "You boys have fun."
"Your mum is so nice." Peter said as they wandered off in the direction of James' bedroom. "And your house is massive!"
"The grounds are bigger." James said. "We can have a game of quidditch later if you like? My mum and dad won't mind us borrowing their brooms."
They entered James' bedroom, where his mother had set up three camp beds (in the hope that Sirius might show up too). Of course there was enough space in the house for each of them to have had their own bedroom, but James had wanted them all to share. He had already made plans in his head to ask Ethel to bring them a midnight feast later.
"Your room is so big!" Peter said in awe, staring around at the enormous bed, desk, chest of drawers, red sofa, bookcase and shelves where James kept his old toys.
Remus had picked up an old stuffed lion and smiled as he held it up to James questioningly.
"That's Godric." James said. "I wanted to take him to Hogwarts but…" he had thought the others would laugh.
"You still can." Remus said. "He could be our dorm mascot."
"Have you read all of these?" Peter said, examining his enormous book shelf.
James shook his head. "Not even close. And there's even more in the library!"
He gave them a brief tour of the house, showing them the dining room, morning room, drawing room, study, music room, games room and then the grounds.
When it was time for lunch, they sat outside, under the veranda. "It's just too nice a day to be indoors!" His mother said, helping Ethel bring the bowls to the table.
They'd just made it to pudding when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" James' mother said with a frown, getting to her feet and going back into the house.
James assumed it was one of the neighbours. His parents were friendly with all their neighbours. Some were magic, some were muggles, all were old, and they were forever popping by for tea or to bring a book they thought James' mother might like to read.
But it wasn't old Mrs Fordyce his mother brought into the house with her this time, it was…
"Sirius!"
"Poor dear came by bus!" James' mother was saying, leading Sirius over to them with an arm around his shoulders.
Sirius accepted a glass of lemonade and grinned at the others. "Knew I'd make it somehow." He said. James thought there was something a little strained about his smile, but he took the plate of sandwiches Mrs Potter offered him and sat back happily in his seat to eat.
"Why didn't you come by floo?" He asked him later, as the four of them made their way to the shed where the Potters kept their broomsticks.
"Not allowed." He replied out of the corner of his mouth. "I wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for the fact that I quite literally ran for it."
"You ran away?"
"Well, I ran here. I got the underground (or the tube as the muggles call it), then a train, then a bus, then another bus…"
James stared at him. "How did you do that? And how did you pay for it?"
"I asked." Sirius said, and there was a mischievous glint in his eye now. "Excuse me ma'am, I'm ever so sorry to bother you, but my parents have no money and I'm so desperate to and see my aunt Joan in Gloucester. She's dying, you see. Won't you help me?"
"You berk." James said, giving his friend a playful push. "How did you know where I lived?"
"Nicked the invite you sent mum. Why did you invite her?"
"We didn't."
"Well, she received it. And of course she forbade me from coming the moment she saw who it was from."
"But you're here!"
"Well what's she going to do?" Sirius said, and though his tone was defiant, James thought he saw a shadow of fear cloud his handsome features.
"Forget her." James said, leading him into the broom shed where there were more than enough brooms for them to select one each. "Which broom do you want?"
"This is so cool." Sirius said when he, Peter and Remus had mounted their brooms and Sirius was examining the engraving on the front of his. "Nimbus 1000. Is your dad a good flier?"
"He's not bad."
James' dad had joined them, clearly just back from his trip from London. He still had some ash in his hair from the fire and he was grinning at them all broadly.
"Fleamont Potter." He said, shaking hands all around. "But please call me Monty."
"How was London?" James asked.
"Excellent. We had a delicious lunch at The Three Mad Hatters and then I popped back into the ministry for a chat with Nobby. I've got you to thank for that." He grinned at James. "You made quite the impression on his daughter it seems. Anyway, I won't stay. Just came to say hello. You boys have fun." And he walked back over to the house.
James set up the quidditch game, they picked teams (James and Peter vs Sirius and Remus) and set to it, the goal being to see who could get the most apples through the makeshift quidditch hoops his dad had constructed a few years back.
James whooped and grinned as the air whipped his hair and face. This was truly what life was about. When he was older, he'd buy himself a proper quidditch pitch, with all the balls and equipment. He'd invite Sirius, Remus and Peter over. Between them they'd have enough kids for a quidditch team. And wouldn't that be fun!
But the apples worked for now and James considered it an afternoon very well spent, especially as he and Peter had been the clear victors (though neither Sirius nor Remus seemed to mind).
As they entered the house for tea, his mum came to meet them. "Sirius dear, can I have a word with you?"
James looked from his mum to Sirius. "What is it?" He asked.
"It's Sirius' mother. I've had an owl from her. Apparently she didn't give permission for him to be here and she's quite upset. I really think you'd better go back home dear. Can you floo?"
"No!" James said, causing both his mother and Sirius to stare at him. "You can't do that, it's not fair, he's only just got here!" He very nearly stamped his foot but stopped himself short. He wanted to be taken seriously. He was twelve now after all.
Euphemia looked at him then she turned back to Sirius and sighed. "Well, I suppose I can see what I can do… I'll tell her we'll take very good care of you, you're a joy to have around and that you're welcome for as long as she'll allow." She smiled at him. "All of which is true."
"Thanks." Sirius said quietly.
She gave him an odd sort of look. "Don't worry." She said, so quietly that James barely heard her. "I'll do what I can to keep you."
And James' mum was a miracle worker, because that's exactly what happened.
"Result boys." She said, grinning from ear to ear as she entered the games room later. She handed the piece of parchment she carried to Sirius, which James read over his shoulder. It consisted of just three words:
As you wish.
"You're here 'til Wednesday, just like the others." She told Sirius. "Your mother's black stationery doesn't scare me…" And she wandered out of the room.
The four of them had a very enjoyable first evening together with a delicious five course meal served by Ethel followed by a murder mystery game organised by James' mum (Sirius, it turned out, was the murderer). And when it was bed time, James' mum brought them all up hot chocolate and biscuits.
James had almost forgotten his friends were staying when he woke up the next morning and found them all sleeping in his room.
He grinned widely and threw a pillow at Sirius.
"What?" His friend mumbled from beneath his dark fringe.
"You awake?"
"Well I am now you speccy git." He groaned and sat up then threw the pillow at Remus who jolted awake too.
James picked up another pillow to throw at Peter, but Sirius grinned and put out hand to stop him. "I've got bigger plans for Pettigrew…"
James watched as Sirius crept over to Peter's bed and shouted so loudly in the other boy's ear that Peter jerked upright, smacking Sirius hard on the forehead with his head as he did so.
"Oh you bleeding imbecile." James laughed as Sirius swore loudly and Peter screamed.
Fortunately Mrs Potter had some salve for the bruise that had now loomed large on Sirius' forehead. She dabbed it on over breakfast as the others helped themselves to bacon and eggs and apple juice from the Potters' orchard.
"Don't give it to him mum, it's his own stupid fault." James teased.
"There." Mrs Potter said, putting the cap back on the tube and smiling at Sirius. "Now, what are you boys up to today?"
Peter wanted to go to the park, Sirius wanted to check out the muggle shops, James wanted to play quidditch and Remus didn't mind. They ended up doing all three activities. The shops were on the way to the park, so the stopped in there first, James and Peter boredly examining the vinyl records as Sirius exclaimed over everything from a telephone to a tea cosy.
"Not from round 'ere?" The shop proprietor asked curiously.
"He's from London." James said and the shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and nodded as if to say 'say no more'.
"The cars are different here." Sirius observed as they walked with James' dad along the high street. "More colourful. They're mostly black in London. Not as many motorbikes though…" he added, a little disappointedly.
"Not as much need round here." James' dad told him. "Nowhere near as much traffic to need to weave in and out of."
"Even more reason to have one!" Sirius said. "Think how cool it would be to go zooming down a road like this. I wonder how fast they can go?"
To Sirius' great delight (and the others' amused tolerance), James' dad organised a trip to a motorbike factory the very next day for him to find out.
"This is the absolute coolest thing ever." Sirius said, his eyes alight with joy as he watched the mechanics at work. "How old do you have to be to ride one of these?" He asked one of the workers.
"One of these? Seventeen." The man said. "But you can ride a scooter at sixteen." He gestured over to where some smaller bikes were arranged. "They only go up to 50cc though."
"I'll wait." Sirius said.
When they were finally done entertaining Sirius, James' dad took them into Gloucester, where they visited the cathedral and had some lunch on the docks.
The next day, Tuesday, James' parents took them to Cardiff to see the quidditch match between the Holyhead Harpies and Puddlemere United. They treated them all to drinks and snacks, and settled in to watch the game. It lasted nearly five hours, so by the time they got home, it was already getting late.
Ethel treated them all to another delicious meal as it was the others' last night staying with them, and then James' parents bade them goodnight, telling them not to stay up too late.
"What shall we do?" James asked, keen for at least one more adventure before the end of the (far too short) visit.
"We could play exploding snap?" Peter suggested.
"Or gobstobes." Remus added. "So we don't wake your parents."
James turned to Sirius. "What do you think?"
"Don't mind mate, it's your house."
What James really wanted was to play quidditch. They'd spent far too much time poking around silly muggle shops and cafes, and this was going to be the last chance they had in his parents' big garden with the four of them.
He knew it wasn't strictly allowed but how could it hurt really?
The others were all up for it ("it's your house" Sirius said again), and so James unlocked the broom shed, took out the brooms, and they set up for another game of quidditch. This time James imagined he was Ming Yao of the Holyhead Harpies, zooming across the pitch, quaffle in hand, ready to score…
He was distracted in his fantasy by frantic yelling from below. He looked and saw Peter, who seemed to have lost control of his broomstick. He was panicking, yelling for help as he clung on for dear life.
"It's ok!" James shouted, turning on his broom and making to fly down to him. "It does this sometimes. Just…"
But it was too late. Peter had already fallen. He'd only been about ten feet in the air, but he hit the ground with a loud thump. The broomstick zoomed off into the trees behind them.
"Peter!" James yelled, flying down and quickly dismantling. He ran over to where his friend lay sobbing and clutching his ankle.
"What happened?" Sirius had joined beside him.
"I dunno. He just fell…"
"James, you need to wake your parents." Remus said urgently from his other side.
"Yeah." James agreed, and, thinking of nothing but Peter, ran into the house and up to his parents' room.
They were quite beside themselves.
Demanding to know what they had been doing outside so late, they both rushed downstairs in their dressing gowns and slippers, and out to where Peter lay still crying on the grass.
James' mum, who had worked as a healer, took Peter gently in her arms and examined his ankle. She put one hand gently on it, then waved her wand over it with the other. James could tell by the expression on Peter's face that the pain was fast fading. His breathing had returned to normal and his sobs were dying down.
"Better?" Mrs Potter asked, smiling at him. Peter nodded.
Mr Potter was not smiling. He was looking at James as though he couldn't believe his eyes. James suddenly found it very hard to meet his eye.
"I think it might be best if we discuss this tomorrow." He said and James felt himself shrink a little inside at the cold disappointment in the man's voice.
"Yes dad." He said quietly, before quickly putting the brooms back in the cupboard and running back into the house with his friends.
"You OK Pete?" He asked once they were in.
Peter nodded. "Sorry I messed it all up."
"Don't be silly. It was my fault. I shouldn't have let you ride my old broom. My dad kept saying we needed to get it looked at. Sorry we couldn't finish our game…" He glanced at the others apologetically. "What shall we do instead?"
"I think it's probably best if we just go to bed." Remus said and James decided that he was probably right.
There was what could only be described as an 'atmosphere' the next morning at breakfast. James' dad was clearly still angry he had broken the one house rule they'd set but seemed to be saving his telling off for when the others had left. James wished he'd just get it over with. The tension was surely worse than anything else could be.
Sirius was acting very peculiarly indeed. He seemed to be trying to convince James' dad it was him who'd had the idea to fly their brooms at night.
"I know that's not true." Mr Potter said, smiling slightly. "And I don't blame any of you. I hope you won't let last night's incident affect the rest of your trip. It's been lovely having you."
Mrs Potter insisted they all have third helpings of everything and then they were back in the living room ready for the others to floo back home.
"We'll see each other soon." He told them, trying not to think how quiet and lonely it was going to be without them here.
He said goodbye to Peter and Remus and then turned to Sirius, the only one left.
"You ok?" Both asked the other simultaneously.
James frowned. "Why wouldn't I be OK?"
"Well aren't you about to get it in the neck for what happened last night?"
James nodded. "Probably." He said. "But it'll be OK."
But Sirius continued to look worried. "I should have tried to stop you. I'm so sorry James."
"Sirius, it's fine." He said, frowning at his friend. "What are you so worried about?"
It was Sirius' turn to frown. "Well, won't he be angry?"
"I expect so."
"Won't he hit you?"
James stared at him. "No, of course not! Why on earth would…" and then the final puzzle piece clicked into place. Suddenly everything made sense. This is why Sirius was acting so strangely at breakfast, why he was perfectly comfortable talking back to teachers but seemed so frightened of his parents. This was how they did it. Those pureblood, evil, wicked…
"You can't go back home." He said suddenly, the fierceness in his words surprising even him. "You can't. You have to stay here." He looked imploringly at his friend. He wouldn't let him go home to those monsters.
But Sirius was shaking his head. "It's not that simple James."
"It's exactly that simple! Come on, I'll tell my mum. You can move into one of our spare rooms. We have about a dozen, you probably notice… Come on, let's tell her now."
"Please James." And his expression was resolute, his resolve firm. And James realised in that moment that really there was nothing he could do to help his friend. The powerlessness was worse than the rage.
"Promise me you'll write."
Sirius tried to smile but it looked like the effort was hurting him. "You know I can't."
"And please try and come to Remus'."
"I can promise that."
And then James did something he'd never done before. He moved forwards and hugged him.
They stayed there for a while, neither of them wanting to let go, but both knowing they must.
"Bye." Sirius said at last, pushing away, taking a pinch of floo powder and wiping his eyes on his sleeve when he thought James couldn't see.
James had a sudden urge to pull him back as he stood there in the flames, but he let him go. What else could he do?
He ran into the kitchen, where his dad and mum were waiting for him, feeling sick. He threw himself into his father's arms and something about the man's warm embrace made him break down in tears. Or perhaps it had been the shock of what he'd just heard. He couldn't imagine anyone's parents treating them so badly. That didn't really happen did it?
He let his dad hug him and stroke his back for what felt like hours. When they eventually broke apart, both his parents were looking down at him worriedly.
"James darling, what on earth's the matter?" His mother said.
He looked at his father. His kind, loving father who had always treated him so gently. "Sorry." He said. "We shouldn't have gone flying last night."
"It's ok." Fleamont said, stroking his hair. "If I'd known you were this upset about it, I wouldn't have made you wait. I just didn't want to embarass you in front of your friends."
That made James cry even more. His dad was even thinking about James' feelings while he was angry with him.
"Let's say no more about it." His dad said, and they didn't.
Over time, James fell back into his normal happy routine, but as the days passed, he noticed that he felt a little different in himself. He felt older somehow, like he'd understood something very grown up. Sirius' life was different to his. And so was Remus' and so was Peter's. Some lives were better, and some were worse. His was good, Sirius' wasn't.
But as the days passed, he vowed that one day, he would change that. He would close the gap. One day, he would be allowed to fight. He would make things better. Not just for himself, but for his friends.