All the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Some information is taken from Pottermore.

July Thirty-First 2014

I was laying wide awake in my bedroom staring at the ceiling. It was eleven thirty and I still hadn't fallen asleep. My head was pounding, probably because all the mayhem that had happened hours earlier. My father's thirty-fourth birthday was today. So that meant that our whole family had to visit. Which was eleven cousins, six uncles, four aunts, two grandparents, and about ten of his close friends and their kids. It was insane.

Once when I even went to the bathroom to try to get alone, I found Teddy and Victoire in there alone just talking. Victoire screamed at me to get out, that she and Teddy needed some time alone.

'Go away James! We're trying to talk here, don't you see? We just need some time alone right now! So get out!'

Like I didn't know what that meant. I'm the third oldest of all my cousins, next to Dominque and Victoire. Their younger brother, Louis, is almost the same age as me. Though I am about five months older than him, which mean he won't be in the same year as me whenever we get to Hogwarts.

I try to focus on something simple. Tomorrow will be exactly one month before I go to Hogwarts for the first time. It just seems so exhilarating. Last thing I knew, I still had about nearly nine months before I was going to go. I will be the oldest of my siblings to go to Hogwarts, well unless you count Teddy.

Teddy is my 'God Brother', I guess. His parents died when he was a few days old and they had already decided is anything happened to them that he would live with his Grandmother and my dad. Most of the time he stays with Auntie Andromeda. Well, she's not technically my Aunt. My siblings, Al, Lily, and I just call her that.

My eyelids get heavy. I can't stay awake anymore. But just as I am about to dose off for good, I hear voices.

"Lily wouldn't go to sleep. I think we let her have too much cake," I heard my mum say. She must be in the living room downstairs. I creep out of my bed careful to not make any noise. I silently push my door open. Once I make it down the hallway I sit on the very top step of the staircase, making sure to be as quiet as possible.

My parents are sitting on the couch in the living room. The warm glow of the fireplace bounced off the wood floors, illuminating the room with a bright orange-red color. My mother held in her hand, a book. While my father was reading through birthday cards people had sent him. It was a very thick pile. For some reason, almost everyone knew my dad.

"Well, at least she's in bed now. We can finally have some peace and quiet," My dad replies. I jump. I had forgotten where I was for a moment.

They are silent for about two minutes until my dad says, "Can you believe this!?"

"What?" My mother asks.

"Rita's new book was released today. It's on the front page of The Daily Prophet. Though I doubt it's as bad as the biography she wrote about me a few years ago."

Biography? The Daily Prophet? My parents told me they didn't read the prophet because it was all rubbish. Why is dad reading it? And what does he mean 'biography'? The name Rita seems a little familiar as well. I think I remember something my Uncle Ron had said a few weeks ago.

'Did you see Rita's article! 'Dumbledore's Army Reunites At Quidditch World Cup Final'. She never stops does she? Doesn't she realize that we work at the ministry now? We could easily arrest her, we know the fact that she's an illegal animagus!'

"The one that no one will shut up about?" My mother says with a hint of disgust. "Dumbledore's Army: The Dark Side Of The Demob. God, I can't imagine the lies that are filled within those pages!"

"That's the one. I mean listen to this quote from the book, 'In spite of taunting with the ministry, the rising group of heroes named their organization Dumbledore's Army. Sources tell me Cho Trigg(neé Chang) tells me that it was originally her idea with the name D.A. but she had wanted to call it Defense Association. But Ginny Potter(neé Weasley) came up with the name Dumbledore's Army. Talk about competition. Everyone who had known Harry in his early years at Hogwarts knew that he had fancied Cho. Even though she may have returned those feelings, she eventually settled for a muggle named Franklin Trigg. But there's no doubt, Ginny definitely won the battle in a long run though.'

"Ugh. I hate her. We can get another jar?" Mum suggests, though it came out more like a question. I have no idea what she means by any of this.

Dad laughs as if it was an old joke they had shared dozens of time before.

"You, know. 'Mione is Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law enforcement now. Couldn't she arrest Rita? I mean- she is an illegal animagus," Mum says.

"Ron said something along the same lines as that when her article came out in the paper," Dad laughs a little. "But, I don't think that's necessary. No matter how evil Rita is- it wouldn't be right to hold a grudge like that. Besides, not many people believe half of what she says anymore."

"Good point," Mum says wistfully. I can tell she's deep in thought.

They sit there. The fire crackling it's warm glow still illuminating the room. Mum kept her eyes still focused on her book. My father was still looking through his birthday cards. How many of those did he receive this year?

He sighs and sets down the card he had been reading on the table in front of him. He picks up about twenty more birthday cards.... What the heck? Why would so many people write to my father on his birthday?

Every once in a while reads one and says something like, "Hey look at this one. It's from Padma."

"Padma Corner? Really?" My mum asks. "I haven't heard from her in a while. How is she doing?"

"She didn't say much.... But I think a few months ago she and Michael had another child."

"Oh," Was all mum said.

"It's going to take me the next few days to go through all these cards," Dad muttered.

Mum laughed, "Remember when we first won the war. It took you three months to go through just half of the letters."

"Don't remind me," Dad says.

"So. I've been thinking lately," Mum says very seriously, "when are we going to tell the kids who we really are? The real story. I mean, in one month, James will be leaving for Hogwarts."

I freeze in my spot. I can hear my heart pounding. What does she mean 'tell the kids who we really are'?

"Ginny," My dad says, "we've talked about this. If James finds out, he'll tell Albus and Lily. They're all too young to know about it."

"Harry, we've talked about this! They're going to find out sooner or later. I mean, eventually they're going to realize how everyone knows their names. Why reporters follow us around. They will find out, and when they do...."

"Lily is only six. Do you really think she should know about the horrors of our pasts," My dad said.

"Don't you understand? When James gets to school, he's bound to find out. Everyone knows his name. He'll be as clueless as you were when you got to school."

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?"

"Yes. I mean, everyone is going to be talking about the Chosen One's son. He needs to know the facts from us, not from anyone else. We don't have to tell him everything, just the basic idea."

"Are you sure?" Dad asks.

"Of course."

What are they talking about!? It sounds like they are hiding this big secret that everyone knows about except Albus, Lily, and I. I want to ask them about it, but then would know I was eavesdropping on them, which would probably get me grounded for a few weeks. So obviously, that's out. I could always ask Teddy and see if he knows anything. But he could also tell my parents.... So that's not a good solution either. All I know, is that they are hiding something really big. I just wish I knew what....

'They're going to find out sooner or later. I mean, eventually they're going to realize how everyone knows their names. Why reporters follow us around. They will find out, and when they do....'

My mother's words echo in my brain over and over. Pounding against my brain. It's giving me a headache. Well, the headache could be due to the lack of sleep. I need to get out of here, go back to bed. I'm being delusional. I quietly move from the stairs and make my way back into my bedroom. I skip over the floorboards that creak very carefully, one misstep and I could give myself away.

I plop on my bed, sigh, and close my eyes. Everything around me fades away enduring me into a deep sleep. I dream of many strange things. Teddy and Victoire whispering and laughing together. My father and my aunt Fleur running through some sort of maze. One of my parent's friends Luna, flying through clouds on a black leathery horse with wings. A car with no driver, chasing me through a forest....