“James Sirius Potter!” Ginny’s voice echoed down the stairs to the kitchen where James and Albus sat playing chess at the kitchen table.

“Uh oh, she used your whole name,” teased Albus, a worried but gleeful look crossing his face. “What did you do?”

“I don’t know,” replied James innocently.

Both boys looked towards the bottom of the stairs as they heard the footfalls of their mother coming closer. Just as Ginny reached the last step, the boys heard the sound of someone stepping out of the fireplace.

“Ginny, what is wrong?” Harry asked as he looked from Ginny’s flushed face to his sons’ scared faces.

Ginny held up her hand in which an envelope was clutched. Understanding dawned on Harry instantly. He looked at his oldest son.

“Well, now you’ve gone and done it,” he said to James. Harry could barely control his laughter at the look of pure terror that crossed his son’s pale face.

“James, how could you?” asked Ginny, her voice laced equally with anger and hurt. “I just don’t…”

Harry knew his role. They had been planning this for weeks. He rushed to Ginny’s side and pulled her against his chest. Patting her gently on the back, her laughter was muffled as she leaned into him. They both watched the boys out of the corners of their eyes.

“Mum, Dad, I didn’t do anything. Honest,” James said.

“Yeah, he’s been with me all day. He couldn’t have,” said Albus in an obvious attempt to protect and defend his brother.

“The evidence is clear, James,” said Harry. “You did it so you will just have to suffer the consequences.”

“Oh, Harry, do you think… I mean so long… seven years…” Ginny said letting her voice break and hesitate at just the right moments.

Harry watched as Albus’ eyes went from worried to understanding in a flash. He knew they were about to be exposed.

“James,” Albus began, winking at his dad, “this sounds pretty bad. Maybe,” he said and dropped his voice to a whisper, “if you just confess, say you’re sorry. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“But, I didn’t do anything,” James said pleadingly. “This time, I really didn’t.”

“We have the proof right here,” Harry said as he took the envelope from a silently laughing Ginny. He held it up out for his son to see. When James reached for the envelope, Harry pulled it back.

“No, I think I better read it,” he said to his son.

Taking out the parchment from inside, he cleared his throat and began to read;

Dear Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…*

Harry got no further before Ginny and Albus began laughing at the look of shock on James’ face.

Harry’s smile felt frozen on his face. His son was leaving home. In a few short weeks, he would accompany him to Kings Cross and wave goodbye to him. A stray thought suddenly crossed his mind and he began chuckling.

“Do you think Hogwarts is ready for this little monster?” he asked Ginny.

Ginny didn’t answer. The tears in her eyes and heartbreaking smile told Harry everything she was feeling. She had the same thoughts as he did running through her mind.

“Can I go tell Grandma and Grandpa?” James asked. Before anyone could answer, he rushed to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. Stepping into the fireplace, he threw down the handful of powder and shouted, “The Burrow!”

Green flames erupted around him and he was gone. Shaking his head, Harry looked at Albus. “Go get Lily, Albus. It looks like we are going to visit your grandparents.”

Smiling, Albus jumped up from his seat. “That was a great joke, Dad,” he said as he ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Harry took one look at Ginny’s face and opened his arms. She walked over to him; wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest once more. This time, however, Harry knew it was sobs that had her shoulders shaking.

“Shh, it will be okay,” Harry said soothingly. “He will be fine. He’s ready for this.”

“I know…I know,” she said quietly. “It’s just-”

“He’s your baby,” Harry finished her sentence. “Come on, dry your tears. This is supposed to be a happy time.” He pulled back and began wiping away the tears that still fell from her eyes.

They heard the sound of Albus and Lily racing down the stairs. Smiling at each other, they could hear the furious voice of their daughter.

“Albus, that isn’t true. Mummy and Daddy would never send James away because he is bad,” she said furiously.

Harry chuckled. “Looks like Albus decided to run with our little joke,” he said, “just follow my lead.”

“Ginny, you know it is for the best,” he said, pretending he didn’t hear the two children approaching.

“But, Harry, he’s our son,” Ginny said.

Harry could hear Albus and Lily slow and attempt to be quiet as they approached. He left his arms around Ginny lightly as if he was comforting her.

“Mum, Dad, Albus said you sent James away because he did something terrible,” Lily said, rushing up to them. As she looked at her mother’s tear-streaked face, her own fell. “Mummy?”

“Lily, James has gone-”

“NO!” shouted Lily. “He didn’t do it, I did. You can’t send him away. You just can’t.”

“Lily,” Ginny began, “James has only gone to your grandparents. Albus was just having fun with you. Your dad and I played a trick on him making him think he did something wrong. The truth is the only thing he did was turn eleven.”

Lily’s face showed her confusion. It took only seconds for the confusion to lift and anger to take its place. She turned on her brother so rapidly, neither Harry nor Ginny could stop her.

Pulling back her arm, she punched Albus in the stomach with all her strength. “That was a mean and rotten trick to play on me, Albus Severus Potter. Wait until I tell Grandma.” She turned and in a perfect imitation of James, raced the fireplace and with a flair of green flames was gone.

Shaking his head, Harry looked at Ginny and Albus. “Shall we follow them?” he asked.

“Might as well,” said Ginny. “Albus, if I were you, I’d stay away from your sister for a while.”

“Mum, has it come yet?”

“Albus, for the hundredth time, no. It might not even come today. You don’t turn eleven until tomorrow,” answered Ginny.

“But, Mum,” whined Albus, “James got his letter two whole days before his birthday. Two whole days!”

Ginny looked down at her son’s anxious face. Kneeling down, she looked him directly in the eyes. “Albus, James’ letter came the day before his birthday, not two days before. Yours will come, don’t worry.”

“But what if it doesn’t? What if-”

“What if...what if...what if the giant squid could fly?” she asked clearly exasperated.

“Mum,” Albus said, rolling his eyes, “that just silly!” Albus giggled and soon Ginny joined in. Reaching out, Ginny pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Mum! Albus! It’s here!” James’ excited voice came down the stairs second before his rapid footfalls could be heard on the stairs leading down to the kitchen. Seeing his mother and Albus, he skidded to a stop. Holding out a wrinkled envelope to them, he smiled.

Seeing the smile on James’ face immediately set off the warning bells in Ginny’s mind. He had the same smile that Fred and George always wore when they were playing a prank on someone. She reached out to grab the letter, but Albus was faster.

He didn’t hesitate before tearing open the letter. At once, Ginny knew something was wrong. His face fell and tears welled up in his eyes. She reached out and took the letter from him. She quickly read it.

Dear Mr Potter,

Due to changing standards, we are sorry to tell you we are unable to offer you a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We will keep you in mind for future years.

Sincerely,

Professor Flitwick
Deputy Headmaster
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Ginny looked from the letter to James. “James, do not move a muscle,” she said as she turned her attention to her youngest son. “Albus, I am sure this is not your real letter-”

“It’s real!” cried Albus. “I’m not going.” He turned and ran up the stairs. Ginny could hear him sobbing as he ran.

Without a word, Ginny moved towards the fireplace. Grabbing a handful of Floo Powder, she threw it into the flames.

“Head Aurors office, Harry Potter,” she said and she stuck her head into the green flames. “I need you to come home, now,” she said. Pulling her head out of the flames, she stood and stepped back.

The fireplace was filled with green flames and Harry stepped out, a worried expression on his face. “Ginny, what’s wrong?” he asked quickly.

“This,” she said and handed him the letter. “I will go deal with Albus, you deal with James.” She turned and left the kitchen without a backwards glance.

Harry quickly read the letter. As he did, he resisted the urge to laugh. He knew they should have been expecting something like this since they had tricked James when his letter came. Harry went and sat at the table and looked at James. He was standing as still as a statue.

“James, come over here,” he said quietly.

“Mum told me not to move,” said James. He knew he was in trouble, but he had been prepared for his mum to yell. His dad’s quiet words were scarier than anything to him.

Harry let out a small chuckle. “It’s okay, come on,” he said. “This is very good work. I am guessing you had help with this.”

James nodded as he slipped into the chair next to Harry. He didn’t look at his father.

“Let me guess, your Uncle George?” asked Harry.

James nodded his head again. “But, he didn’t know I wanted it for Albus. He thought it was for someone else.”

Harry smiled at his son’s attempt to protect his favourite uncle. “Well, James, it’s very nice of you to try to protect your uncle. There’s just one small problem...” Harry let his voice trail off. He could see his son trying to work out what the problem was.

Harry waited a few minutes and then asked, “Do you know what that is?” James shook his head, still not looking at his father.

“The handwriting,” Harry said simply. He held out the letter and envelope to his son. He waited again for his son to look it over before speaking. “It is all the same. So, either you wrote it all yourself, which I doubt, or your Uncle George did. In which case, he knew who this was for,” Harry paused allowing his son time to say something.

“I am also thinking, he sent the letter by owl so it would arrive at a set time. All you had to do was make sure the real letter didn’t get to Albus before this one came.”

James remained silent, staring at the table. “I will admit,” said Harry thoughtfully, “this was a good prank.”

Harry could see James trying to come up with something. Harry guessed there was a war going on in his head; to save himself and blame George, to take all the blame himself and protect George or to tell the whole truth and get them both in trouble. Harry longed to take the choice out of his hands and contact George himself, but he knew this was a choice James had to make. It was a part of growing up and choosing the right path.

Harry saw Ginny at the bottom of the stairs and shook his head slightly. She turned and quietly went back upstairs allowing him to deal with his son alone.

“Dad,” James began, “it was my idea. Uncle George just helped me with it. Don’t be mad at him, I sort of let him think you knew about it.” James finally looked up at his father, tears in his eyes.

Harry fought back the smile. At his moment, he was proud of his son. He laid a hand on James’ shoulder. “You know what you did was wrong. You hurt your brother with your joke. Now, you’re going to go upstairs and apologize,” Harry said to him.

“I am guessing the real letter already came and you have it?” Harry asked. At James’ nod, Harry smiled. “Well, let’s go and get it. It may help to keep your brother from killing you over your joke.”

Harry took the boy by the hand and led him upstairs to the bedroom he shared with his brother. Opening the door, Harry saw Albus sitting on his bed, a forlorn look on his face. Ginny was seated next to him. She looked questioningly at Harry who again shook his head. He patted James on the back giving him a small nudge into the room.

Dragging his feet, James went to his dresser. Opening the top drawer, he reached deep inside the drawer and pulled out Albus’ real letter. Turning, he walked slowly over to his brother.

“Al, I’m sorry. It was just a joke. Here’s your real letter,” he said. He gave Albus a small smile as he handed him the letter.

Albus took the letter and looked from his mother to his father. Both gave him a nod of encouragement. Slowly, he opened the letter. He read it twice before they saw his eyes brighten and the smile cross his face.

He looked at his brother as he handed the letter to Ginny. “It was a mean joke,” he said. “But...it was a good one. I think it was too good for you. I’m betting Uncle George had something to do with it.” James nodded giving his brother a small smile.

“George?” Ginny asked, her voice clearly reflecting the anger she felt.

Albus looked at his mum quickly. “It’s okay, Mum. I’ll get even with him,” Albus reassured her.

“And, I’ll help,” said James in a rush. Perhaps if he helped Albus get even with George, he wouldn’t be on the receiving end of some prank.

“Oh Merlin,” Harry said simply.