Breaking Free

1

It was the early hours on the first day of September and the Potter household was bustling with energy. Harry Potter was seated in the kitchen, his eyes scanning for any unusual news, as he pondered over a copy of the Daily Prophet. His wife was seated beside him in a similar fashion, as she too was deeply engrossed in the sports section of The Quibbler. Behind them, pots and pans were in midair, clashing and clanging, as breakfast was getting prepared.

Lily Potter was all packed and seated in the living room. She was waiting for her eldest brother to come down so that she could have their usual pre-Hogwarts talk. Over the past years, he was the first to be seated in the living room with trunks, he would have packed the previous night, a habit which Lily had picked up. But James Potter had completed seven years of education at Hogwarts, graduating with top honors, (an Outstanding in every NEWT he had taken). Today, he wouldn't be boarding the Hogwarts Express again, not as a student at least.

There was a shuffle in the doorway to the living room and Lily jumped up excitedly only to find Albus Potter heaving his trunk into the room. Her face fell slightly but it was enough for Albus to notice.

"Expecting your favorite brother, were you?"

He probably hadn't meant it, but the words came out as a sneer.

"What if I was?" retorted Lily, who was now quite used to and extremely tired of such taunts.

Albus muttered under his breath but didn't further the conversation. He placed his trunk near to his sister's and settled down on the couch, his fingers occupied by the screen of his new mobile phone (a gift from his grandfather).

Lily sighed. Sometimes, she felt as if she had two younger brothers instead of elder ones. The self-proclaimed 'feud' between James and Albus had gone on long enough to a point where it had become extremely silly. However, to both of them, it was seemingly at a point of no return.

The fact that Albus was in the living room meant that James wouldn't appear any time soon, so it was up to her to go to him. She left the living room, rushed up the stairs and banged her fist on her eldest brother's room.

"James! Open up!"

The door opened to reveal a disheveled looking James, still in his pajama pants, shirt hung over his right shoulder, his muscular upper body on the display. His jet-black hair was messier than usual and the fact that he had let it grow just compounded his state of untidiness. Lily noticed that there were black patches underneath his eyelids. She gazed into his deep blue eyes, which normally would have been twinkling and full of life, but now it looked as if a light had been turned off.

"What is it?" he asked, in a tired voice.

"Can I come in?"

James regarded her for a moment then disappeared back into his room, leaving the door wide open. Lily took this as granted permission and entered into the room.

It was a complete mess. This was a surprise to her as James was usually a stickler for tidiness. Clothes were strewn here and there, along with books which were open. The walls were adorned with posters of Quidditch players, musicians, Muggle motorcycles and there even were newspaper cuttings stuck on to the walls.

The only tidy place in the room was his desk upon which stood a framed photograph of their entire family. James, after letting her in, was rummaging about, making the room even messier than it was, as he was seemingly searching for something.

"Umm, James? What are you looking for?" asked Lily.

"My toothbrush. I can't seem to find it anywhere," replied James, his back turned to her.