It was Thursday, July 2nd, 2020, the first full day home from Hogwarts for the summer for James, Albus, and Lily.

After a breakfast of sausage, bacon, and ham burritos and Michelob to wash it down with, James asked Lily, "Would like to have a bike race with me today. No bets or anything like that, just a friendly competition between brother and sister to see which one of us can race our bike around the block fastest?"

"That sounds fun, let's do it!" agreed Lily at once, "Harry, could you come outside with us and yell "start!"

"Yes, but why don't you let Albus come with you?" suggested Harry, "All three of you could have bike race to see who the fastest of all three siblings is."

"I don't see why not, " said Lily cheerfully.

"Sure, Albus can join us, " said James brightly.

So, James, Albus, and Lily all went to their rooms and retrieved their bikes. James's was scarlet, Albus's was black, and Lily's was hot pink.

They all went out front and positioned them at their agreed starting point and harry yelled "start!"

All three got off to great starts. James, Albus, and Lily were all fast riders at the beginning. This was going to be a test of endurance.

Being the least athletic and least fit of the three, Albus faded about halfway through the ride. It was clearly going to be a battle between James and Lily for the win.

James and Lily were neck and neck almost all the way home.

"PHOTO FINISH!" yelled Harry as James and Lily closed in on home, "JAMES AND LILY STILL NECK AND NECK1 THEY'RE TIED WITH ONLY A FEW FEET TO GO! AND LILY JUST GETS IT! LILY LUNA POTTER IS THE WINNER OF THE POTTER SIBLINGS BIKE RACE!'

"I did it! " said Lily joyously as she pumped her right fist, "I won the race! "

"Yes, you did, " smiled Harry, "That was a thrilling finish, but you got it in the end, if only by the hair of your chinny chin chin!"

"James was a really worthy competitor and he ran a great race, " said Lily fairly, "To be honest, it was a crapshoot at the end, I was just a little luckier than James."

"So, Lily won?' asked Albus as he made it back.

"Yes, " replied Harry and he explained James's and Lily's photo finish to Albus."

:"Good job, Lily, " said Albus sincerely, "Congratulations on the win."

"Yeah, congratulations, Lily, " said James proudly, "You ran an awesome race and you deserve the win!"

"You were just as worthy as I was James, " said Lily fairly, "A race a few inches shorter or longer might have gone a different way. I won't deny how satisfying it was for me to win, but I won't act like I proved I was way better than because I didn't. We were legitimately equals.'

"Thank you, Lily, " said James genuinely, "I always respect it when people act classy in victory."

"Either way, it was a really fun race, " said Lily happily.

"It absolutely was, " agreed James with a smile on his face, "Even though I lost, I still had a blast. Lily won and I lost but when I proposed the idea, I meant it for fun anyway. Sometimes, win or lose, there's a certain joy in friendly competition."

"You weren't really a loser, James, " said Lily, warmly "I was the victor and you were the vanquished, but neither of us was a loser."

"The real win for both of us was the fun we had with the race, " said James wisely.