Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Inc., Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Raincoast, and any other affiliated party.
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Chapter 1: A Lost Parchment
"Your highness, get over here right now!" A shout rang throughout the Royal Palace of Godric's Hollow. Six-year old Crown Prince James Potter, named after his grandfather, ran through the courtyard of the beautiful royal grounds, laughing his little heart out. He had messy brown hair and emerald green eyes. Aside from his hair color, he was a virtual carbon copy of his father and if you ignored his green eyes, of his grandfather as well.
"Catch me if you can, Lavender!" shouted little James, laughing his heart out. Lavender Brown, the nanny of the Royal children gave chase after the hyperactive child who was running away, zigzagging through the legs of the many servants of the palace. In this process of chasing, Lavender ended up colliding into Lady in Waiting Parvati Patil and the two ended up sprawled on the floor, very annoyed. James started laughing hysterically.
"Oh, when will James ever grow up," said the voice from the courtyard. It had come from James's twin sister. Her name was Lily, named after her grandmother, but people preferred to call her Lin. She had bushy brown hair and slightly large teeth. In fact, if you ignored her green eyes she was a carbon copy of her mother. "He just had to interrupt my reading with his antics."
"What's 'antics'?" asked a slightly shyer voice from right next to Lin. It was from James and Lin's younger sister, five-year old Virginia. She was also a carbon copy of her mother from the bushy hair to the brown eyes, but in her case, her hair was black. Lin was currently reading to her.
"Antics are basically what James was just doing," said Lin with a cute smile to her sister. "Running around and making a fool of himself."
"Oh," said Virginia. She was a shy girl and didn't share James's hyperactivity or Lin's bookishness. She often spent a good deal of her time in her mother's lap simply being cuddled although she did like having Virginia read to her.
James was still laughing at Lavender and Parvati who were unsuccessfully trying to detangle themselves and get up. Lavender did not look very happy. "Your highness, when their majesties hear about this..."
"I would imagine Harry to be delighted to hear that his son is growing up his and his grandfather's footsteps," said a voice from behind the two women.
"Grandpa Sirius!" shouted James, looking delighted. He ran into the outstretched arms of Lord Sirius Black.
"Ha ha, Jimmy. You sure are growing up quickly. Your at least more heavier than I remember," chuckled Sirius.
"Grandpa Sirius!" Lin also came forward and leapt onto Sirius. Sirius stumbled a little from the added weight but kept his balance. He laughed as he placed the twins down.
"You two really are growing up so fast," said Sirius. He spotted Virginia who was hiding behind a pillar nearby. "Come on Virginia, give your Grandpa Sirius a hug," he said. Sirius crouched down and outstretched his arms.
Timidly, Virginia walked forward and Sirius gave her a strong hug and picked her up, much to her surprise.
"Oh, you're getting big too," said Sirius. "As far as I'm concerned, you guys grow up too fast, right Remus?"
"Too true," said Lord Remus Lupin as stepped forward. James and Lin tackled him and gave him a huge hug as well.
"Grandpa Remus!" they shouted, huge grins plastered on their faces.
"Hey little ones," said Remus while laughing. "Are your Mum and Dad here?"
"They said they wanted to be left alone for a while. So Romantic time I assume," said Lin sounding very know-it-all like.
"What's 'Romantic'?" asked Virginia.
"Know-it-all," coughed James. Lin glared at him.
"Well then, I suppose we can see them later," said Sirius. "So, why don't you three show us around the city?"
"OK!" shouted James looking excited. "So long as you two tell me what's been happening outside these days."
"Deal," said Remus.
"James, Mum said we're not aloud outside of the palace!" hissed Lin.
"Don't worry about that, Lin," said Sirius. "Your Mum and Dad trust us and they wouldn't mind so long as we're with you."
"Come on, let's go," said James as he dragged Lin along. Virginia timidly followed behind them.
* * *
"So what's been happening these days?" asked James as they walked through the streets of Godric's Hollow. "I want to know all the details."
Sirius laughed out loud. "I can see a lot of the Potter blood in you little one," he said. "Well life's pretty much the same as it was the past six years, the Alliance is at peace, the citizens are happy, Mage Knights don't have much of a job, for which we are all very thankful for."
"Did the Mage Knights really go around fighting bad guys and saving people?"
"They sure did James, and they still do. That's their job."
"I'm growing up to become a Mage Knight," declared James. He struck a heroic pose that caused Lin to roll her eyes while Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.
"You will be one, James," said Remus. "Just you wait, when you turn eleven, your Mum and Dad will send you to Hogwarts to begin your training as a Mage Knight. And Lin will probably go with you as well."
"I'll decide whether to become a Mage Knight myself or not, thank you," said Lin, sticking her nose up into the air. James started laughing.
"Well, whether you decide to become one or not, I'm sure your parents will support your decision no matter what," said Remus. Lin beamed at him.
"And how about you, little Virginia?" asked Sirius smiling sweetly. Virginia simply squeaked and timidly ducked behind Lin. James rolled his eyes.
"You'll have to forgive her, she's very shy," said Lin.
"Too shy," said James, leaping around Lin and Virginia. "Come on Virginia, you're a Potter. Only wimps hide like the way you are."
Lin scowled at James.
"Well, we better get you two back home, now," said Remus. James started to pout as Sirius dragged him back to the palace.
* * *
"Where have you three been," asked an exasperated Hermione Granger-Potter as James, Lin, and Virginia came running up to her. Hermione was wearing queen-like purple robes, and her bushy golden brown hair showered out from below her silver tiara. Although the tone of her voice was stern, her brown eyes were shining with mirth.
James grinned sheepishly and said, "Grandpa Sirius and Grandpa Remus took us outside, Mum."
"You shouldn't have gone outside," said Hermione, sounding stern, "even with your Grandpa Sirius and Grandpa Remus." She sat down on a sofa and gave James and Lin a look that Hogwarts trainer McGonagall was known to show her trainees. James and Lin cowered a little from the look while Virginia sought her safe place and crawled into Hermione's lap.
"I told Grandpa Sirius and Grandpa Remus that you told us to stay in the castle," said Lin. "But James dragged me outside anyways."
"Lily, what did I tell you about pointing fingers?" said Hermione. Lin immediately shut up.
Sirius entered the room with Remus right behind him. "Aww, Hermione have a heart. I just thought that we could spend some time with the kids while you and Harry had your 'romantic' time," he said.
Hermione blushed and said, "I'll speak to you about this later."
"Sirius, Remus, you're here," called a voice from across the room. Harry Potter, king of the Kingdom of Gryffindor strode forward, wearing kingly scarlet robes. His black hair was as messy as ever and his emerald green eyes were filled with glee.
"Dad!" shouted James and Lin. They ran up to Harry and jumped into his arms.
"Ah, so what did you two do today?" asked Harry as he ruffled his son's and older daughter's hair.
"Grandpa Sirius and Grandpa Remus took us outside," said James escitedly.
"Didn't your mother tell you to stay inside?" said Harry. When James looked sheepish, Harry grinned and said, "Next time, I'll take you out myself instead of Grandpa Sirius and Remus."
Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "You're no help." Harry laughed and kissed her on the temple.
"Well, as much as I love seeing my godson spend time with his family," said Sirius, "we should really discuss the issues of the Kingdom. That's why we're here after all."
"Right," said Harry. He ushered James and Lin out of the door. "You two go play somewhere in the palace, your Grandpa Sirius and Remus have some grown up stuff to talk about with me and your mother."
"Aww, Dad. Can't we stay?" pouted James.
"Well sure, if you want to here about tax cuts in the agriculture or trading with Hufflepuff," said Harry.
James grinned. "Uh, I guess not. I guess we'll go then." He ran down the hallway dragging Lin with him.
Virginia had fallen asleep in Hermione's lap so Hermione gently picked her up and strolled out of the room. "Go ahead and start without me," she said. "This little angel probably missed her nap time. I'll go put her to bed."
"OK," said Harry. He gently kissed Hermione before she left to take their little daughter to her bedroom.
* * *
"Hey Lin, look at what I found," said James. He was at the end of a secluded corridor of the palace and appeared to be studying a crack in the wall.
"What is it?" asked Lin. She saw that James had found a small protruding of rock sticking out of the crack. James grinned like he had struck gold.
Alarmed, Lin warned, "James, don't touch that." However, James ignored Lin's warning and pushed the protruding into the wall.
There was a low rumbling sound and one of the brinks suddenly slid out like a drawer. Looking excited, James examined the brink and discovered that it was indeed a hidden drawer. He looked inside and discovered an old parchment.
"What's this?" he said. Despite Lin's protests, he pulled out the parchment and glanced at the names written on it.
"James? Lily?" he wondered out loud. "I've never seen this parchment before. Why does it have our names?"
Lin rolled her eyes. "James, its probably our grandpa and grandma's names. Their names were James and Lily. We're named after them."
"Why did Mum and Dad give us these names? Its so confusing."
"They wanted to have our grandparents remembered through us."
"All well that doesn't matter," said James. "What matters is this parchment. Do you think its something important? Lets go read it some place where no one can bother us."
"James, we should show it Mum and Dad."
"Oh come on Lin, what Mum and Dad don't know won't hurt them"
"What won't hurt us," came a kind yet stern voice from behind the twins. Startled, James looked up sheepishly to see Hermione looking down at them.
"Mum! James found a parchment in a secret drawer," shouted Lin.
"Really?" said Hermione while raising an eyebrow. "Well then, hand it to me James."
James scowled at Lin and handed the parchment to Hermione.
"Hmm. What is this that it would be hidden here?" Hermione wondered out loud. She noticed the signatures of Harry's parents. Finally, she read the first sentence on the parchment:
"Here follows the account of James I, king of Gryffindor and his Queen, Lily Evans concerning the Crystal of Tempest and the Eight Rings of the One Deity."
Hermione thought her heart had stopped and it suddenly became hard to breathe. Herr face visibly turned pale and beads of sweat were forming on her brow. She nearly lost her footing but managed to barely keep her balance. Yet the words, "Crystal of Tempest" continued to reverberate back and forth through her head.
"Mum, what's wrong?" asked James: both he and Lin and looks of concern on their little faces.
Hermione slowly staggered out of the corridor. "I need to speak to everyone," she whispered and ran down the hall, leaving behind a confused James and Lin.
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A/N Well, there you have it, the genuine first chapter. Sorry if the prologue was a little confusing considering the time period: I'm sure that this chapter clarified the fact that this sequel takes place six years after "War against Magiterran". Sorry this took a while but Real Life has been so hectic recently.
On a brighter note, my website which I promised oh so long ago is FINALLY up! Just visit author's section and click on my homepage. Oh, but I don't think you should book mark it yet, I plan on changing the server. The one I'm using right now shuts down after you view 20 mbs worth of pages and you have to restart the computer once to see it again. At least, that's my theory as to why the site some times shuts down. Whichever way, although I do plan to switch the server, the site is up for the time being.
So, just read and review this chapter. Next: what was written in that parchment? And we'll also get to see Ron and his family.