“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.”
Letters From Hogwarts by mudbloodproud
Chapter Notes: James Sirius Potter:
James knew he would be accepted to Hogwarts. He didn’t worry about it. He didn’t wait for the owl, just went about his day like normal. However, his mother and father had other plans for their son.
Chapter Endnotes: *Quote is from The Philosopher's Stone: Chapter Four: The Keeper of the Keys, page 42, British hardcover edition.