the boy that could have been

Padfoot, Prongs, and pranks

"So, dad." Asked Harry the next day as they tried to put up tinsel around the house without magic, "Why did you want to see the Weasley twins?"

James grinned mischievously, "I know I said I'd explain it all, but I've changed my mind. Let's just say, they're continuing me and Padfoot's legacy."

"Hey." Harry said, a little bit hurt, "Isn't that my job? And, I suppose, Char's?"

"Well yes of course, but I didn't mean that! You're my son and I'm incredibly proud of you and who you are, I don't want you to change. The twins have a slightly different personality - they're drawn to pranks, and annoying people all of the time, whereas you're also your mother's son, so you have too much of a good heart to do that."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or offended?" frowned Harry.

"Flattered! I'm saying that you're a nice person, whereas they have the same attitude as me and Sirius, which isn't always a good thing! Basically, we left something behind at Hogwarts that they found, and then they heard me call Sirius Padfoot and they realised who we were. I haven't actually had a chance to speak to them yet, but I think we might make their year."

Harry still felt a bit disgruntled, but he decided not to push the matter. At least he now had parents, right?

James, as oblivious as ever, rushed off not long after to find Sirius, and then the twins.

"I can't believe it!" They said in unison once the four had found an empty room. James and Sirius grinned.

"Padfoot and Prongs."

"We owe you so much!"

"How did you find the map?" James asked eagerly, eyes lit up like a small child seeing his favourite toy, "Tell us everything!"

"Well" Grinned Fred.

"It all started in First Year!"

"We were sent to Filch's office."

"Hang on." Sirius interrupted, "Do you have to speak like that? It's befuddling my brain."

George carried on speaking, "And we nicked it. Took us a couple of weeks to figure it out, but it was worth every second..." He paused, looking wistfully into the distance, "Of course, we'd already discovered quite a few secret passages by then - found Gregory the Smarmy in the first week - but it showed us all of them, and we could avoid teachers! We've always wanted to meet you..."

James stood up a bit taller and Sirius let out a bark-like laugh.

"I can see your ego swelling, Prongs."

After shooting him a glare, James turned eagerly back to the twins, "Now, tell us about all the best things you've ever done..."

Unfortunately for the rest of the house, the combined brainpower of James, Sirius, Fred and George could produce a lot of pranks. Harry woke up one day with bright pink hair, and Charlotte was chased by a screaming balloon until she snapped and somehow shoved it down Fred's trousers, where it blew up and caused quite a kerfuffle. After that, they didn't dare mess with her, although her and Sirius kept disappearing for long chats.

Lily grew more and more frustrated with the four of them every day.

" - HAD TO ENDURE SEVEN YEARS OF IT - GROWN MEN NOW - DO NOT NEED TO ENCHANT MY UNDERWEAR TO MAKE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS, OR TURN ALL OF THE KNIVES INTO RUBBER MICE!"

Everything blew to a head on Christmas Eve, when all of the baubles suddenly fell off the tree and turned into gigantic spiders during dinner. Ron let out an ear-piercing scream and jumped onto the table, whilst Cress froze in place and began to shake. Lily was absolutely livid.

"No, that's the FINAL STRAW!" She yelled as she made them disappear with a wave of her wand, "You two-", she pointed at James and Sirius, "should know better by now. I don't mind a few harmless jokes, but this is clearly not harmless, look what you've done to them! Go upstairs now, both of you, and I'll deal with you later."

The two scuttled off ashamedly whilst Charlotte comforted Cress and Harry convinced Ron to get off the table ("Sp-spiders- all over m-me"). Lily turned on Fred and George, who shrank back worriedly.

"And you two - well, you're still children, so I don't expect as much from you, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that you didn't know your younger brother had a phobia of spiders! I'll be writing to your mother!"

The twins paled. "Please-" they said in unison. Lily's face didn't change.

"No, sorry but you've left me with no choice, you've been tormenting us all for days, and now it's gone too far! You'd do well to remember that you're guests here, and I've been looking after you for the past few days! Now, you can go."

They left, both looking embarrassed, and Lily relaxed, turning back to the remaining four and a still-shaken Cress and Ron.

"Now," she said kindly, "who wants cookies?"