Till Forever Falls Apart

The Christmas Camera

*This is definitely one of my most favorite chapters I've released so far. (One swear word involved-even though Sirius Black is a dad, he's still got a mouth on him;) )

December 25, 1992

James Potter was a man of many talents.

He won the quidditch world cup twice in his four-year career (he would say there should have been a third had it not been for the other country's "cheating"), he married the girl he spent all of his boyhood pining over, he helped defeat the darkest wizard of their age, became an animagus at an age where others deemed it impossible, had a son he adored, was a fantastic friend and brother to those he loved... the list could go on, depending who you asked.

But the family considered the greatest talent of them all was his ability to never let anything go once he put his mind to it.

Three days before Christmas, it had been a gray morning, James noted as he pulled back the curtains in the sitting room. He didn't care for cloudy skies as much as he did for running in the rain or feeling the sun against his face. The thick, cotton-like palls of darkness were of no interest to him as he sunk into the couch and turned on the television, lowering the volume so he would not wake his still-sleeping wife and son. Flipping absentmindedly through the channels, blowing raspberries with his mouth as he pressed the button that took him to the next set of movies and shows, he hummed a holiday tune, waiting for something on the television to catch his interest.

And then, twelve minutes before the clock struck eight, he stopped on a commercial marketing a product he never knew he needed.

It was the greatest camcorder of the decade, the man in the video stated proudly. He began to say words James had never heard before, which only interested him more: VHS, color display, Panasonic.

He watched the commercial in awe, admiring the focus on the video recorder's features, the screen showing a kid riding a bicycle while his parents filmed. The salesman was speaking incoherently, listing off payments and facts James couldn't comprehend.

The final shot of the commercial played, depicting the telephone number buyers could call to purchase the product and ask any questions they desired. A three hundred and sixty-degree piece of footage was drawn out, showing the camcorder at all angles as the man on the screen said his last words:

"The perfect opportunity to record the holiday season!"

He faded away, and the show that had been interrupted continued.

James registered what he had just seen, blinking slowly for a few moments. Then, he bolted to the telephone, dialing the number he had repeated to himself in hopes of remembering it. Even after all these years, he still had trouble from time to time trying to call muggles as he pushed the numeric buttons, putting the phone against his ear.

"Panasonic," a woman said on the other end, clearly exhausted as he was her tenth caller in the last few minutes. "How can we help you?"

Although the woman couldn't see him, James smiled as if he was greeting her personally.

"Good Morning," he said excitedly. "I'm James Potter."

"Hello, Mr. Potter," the sales lady said unenthusiastically. "Anything I can do for you?"

He ran a hand through his hair, imagining the possibilities of the device. "I would like to purchase one of those camcorders, please. Exactly like the one on the television."

Which brings the family to Christmas morning, where all had gathered at Marlene and Dorcas' flat to commemorate the holiday. A ticked-off Lily Potter could be seen sitting with her husband in the large armchair, watching as he played with the camera he had bought for the occasion.