My first fanfiction. Currently going through and editing, trying to get it as close to canon as I can. Unfortunately, in my story, James' is a year older than Albus, rather than 2 which he is in the canon. Oh well, too late to change. Sorry about that.

Chapter 1 – Sibling Rivalry

"Lily, post is here!" a voice called from the hallway. Lily Potter opened her eyes and found herself staring at the ceiling.

The post!

She leapt out of bed and opened her bedroom door, tossing her long red hair out of her hazel eyes. She ran through the hallway and down the stairs, but her toe snagged on something warm and furry and she grabbed the railing to right herself. She turned and saw the family's half-Kneazle half-cat glaring at her.

"Sorry girl," she whispered but the animal merely flicked its tail in an annoyed way. When she made it into the kitchen she only saw her brother, Albus, sitting at the kitchen table, tucking into his porridge and reading a letter. He ran his hand through his messy black hair.

"Where is everyone?" Lily asked. Albus' green eyes found Lily's.

"Dad went to work – something about urgent Auror business. Mum is outside with James -," Albus rolled his eyes, "- practicing Quidditch tactics with Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Fred and Roxanne."

"Gah I should be out there!" Lily cried, ripping open her Hogwarts letter and scanning it hurriedly. She smiled hugely at the fact that this year she would finally be starting at the prestigious school. Still holding the letter she bolted back upstairs where she threw it on her bed, changed into a shirt and shorts, grabbed her Cleansweep Eleven – her Uncle's old broom – before racing downstairs and into their secluded backyard.

After following a path through shaped topiaries she emerged onto a small, makeshift Quidditch pitch. Sure enough her brother, mother and Uncle George's family were up in the air.

"Lily!" James called. James was, in reality, the spitting image of Ginny. He had windswept red hair and soft brown eyes with a small abundance of freckles, "we need another Chaser, you in?"

"Course," Lily replied, she mounted her broom and kicked off from the ground getting level with James. James raced straight at her and she managed a Sloth Grip Roll to avoid the impact.

"Nice Lily!" Fred called with a smile, flashing his brilliant white teeth while James high-fived her. Fred had curly dark auburn hair, almost copper in colour with dark blue eyes that stood out against his Hispanic-coloured skin. Roxanne, his younger sister who was only ten years old had long, black hair pulled into a ponytail with dark brown eyes and suntanned skin, closer to Uncle George's complexion.

"You know I'm not good at Keeping!" Uncle George laughed as he pulled his broom to a halt in front of one side of the makeshift goalposts.

"We don't have a team but you, me and Angelia will be Chasers. George is going to attempt to stop goals, Roxy is going to act as a Seeker while Fred and James are Beaters trying to knock us off," Ginny explained to Lily.

"Got it!" Lily cried. James and Fred were the Gryffindor Beaters, a position they had secured in their second year. She had a blast playing Quidditch. She raced at Uncle George with the Quaffle and launched it but he kicked it aside with a grin.

"You said you couldn't Keep?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, well," Uncle George shrugged. Ginny and Aunt Angelina were, no word of a lie, incredible. Lily knew her mother had played Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and smiled as Ginny's Quaffle soared through George's outstretched arms.

James and Fred, Lily noticed, were knocking Bludgers at them. Lily managed another Sloth Grip Roll to avoid one and threw the Quaffle, successfully getting it through one of the hoops.

"Boom!" Ginny cried and high-fived Lily. Even Roxanne kept her skills up, repeatedly just going after the Snitch, catching it and then letting it go again. She had admirable skill as she raced through the players to grab the small winged ball.

Eventually as the weather grew hot and beads of sweat ran down Lily's face they called a halt to the game.

"We'll make a player of you yet!" James laughed hugging his sister when they landed on the ground. Fred and James play wrestled all the way back to the house while Roxanne walked with Lily.

"So you're going to Hogwarts this year?" Roxanne asked.

"Yep, I'm so keen!" Lily smiled as they neared the back of the house. James came out of nowhere and ruffled her hair, she retaliated by play-punching him in the arm. They all entered the kitchen and Ginny and Uncle George began to magic plates and saucepans out of the cupboards, "go put your brooms away James and Lily, and get your brother too!" Ginny said.

Careful not to tread on the family pet again, Lily walked upstairs with James. His bedroom was near the stairs and he walked in while Lily peered in. He had a Gryffindor banner above his bed and countless posters of the Puddlemere United Quidditch team. She made her way to her room, which had posters of the Holyhead Harpies, even ones of Ginny playing. On one wall though were family photos. She gazed fondly at them as she put her broom away: she and her family on a holiday in Bulgaria visiting a family friend and famous Seeker, Viktor Krum, her family and cousins; Rose and Hugo at the 2014 Bulgaria vs Brazil Quidditch World Cup as well as the 2018 World Cup, her and Hugo at his house for a Christmas and countless other photos of her and her brothers. She pulled the 2014 photo off of the wall; everyone was so young here. She gazed fondly at her smiling, cheery six-year-old self.

She walked down the hallway where she came to Albus' room. Her parents had a bedroom downstairs while the three of them slept upstairs. She knocked on Albus' door, "enter," he called. Lily opened the door and saw Albus lounging idly on his bed reading a copy of Transfiguration Today. She looked around his room, the darkness hurt her eyes. He had drawn his emerald curtains over his windows. A massive Slytherin banner hung above his bed. For some reason, Albus had ended up in Slytherin. He had posters of the Weird Sisters and a wall covered with photos of his friends, rather than family. She noticed his 2018 Qudditich World Cup photos were of him and Scorpius Malfoy, his best friend. There was only one 2014 World Cup photo, it was of him and Viktor Krum with Albus holding the Snitch.

"Lunch is ready," Lily said. Albus nodded curtly, rising from his bed and walking back down the hallway with her.

"How was practice?" Albus asked.

"Good," Lily replied.

"Are you gonna try out?" Albus asked.

Lily shrugged, "I want to, depends on which house I go in to, James tells me that Gryffindor had two Chasers graduate last year."

They entered the kitchen just as plates of toasted sandwiches were placed on the table. Lily, who had not had any breakfast grabbed one and tucked in hungrily.

"When are we going to Diagon Alley?" Albus asked as Ginny sat down to eat.

"Soon," she replied, "probably tomorrow, both your father and Ron have a day off so we'll go with them – what about you George?"

"Nah, we'll go next week sometime," he replied.

"James, you'll be getting your new fourth year textbooks and please look after them, your brother needs them. Al you'll be using James' third year books and Lily you will be using Al's old first year books."

Lily nodded and pushed her plate away, suddenly not so hungry. She wanted new books, she remembered James poring over his new, gleaming copies of his first year books. Their family wasn't exactly poor, but they weren't rich either. Lily knew her father liked buying brooms, so their textbooks just became second hand.

"Mum, I don't take the same subjects as James though," Albus replied, "I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies while he takes Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."

"That's okay Al, we'll pick up some books for you," Ginny smiled. Lily made a mental note to take Divination, a truly terrible subject, just to get new books.

"Why would you take such hard subjects James?" Roxanne asked.

"Cause I wanna be a Curse-breaker," James shrugged.

"Curse-breaker?" Fred scoffed, "well I want to be a Beater for Puddlemere United. What about you Al?"

Albus shrunk in his seat a little, "I want to be an Auror," he whispered.

"Daddy's boy," James muttered.

"Shut up James," Albus snapped, "if you ask me flying around on a broom like some hero is pretty Daddy-like to me."

"Albus!" Ginny snapped.

"Just because you're too much of a sissy to fly," James retorted, "Oh help me, help me, I'm too scared to leave the ground! No wonder why you ended up in Slytherin." Lily watched her brother's face go red and he launched himself across the table, scattering the sandwiches and wrestling with his brother on the floor. Lily flinched as the plate crashed to the ground.

"Protego!" Uncle George roared and the shield charm forced James and Albus apart.

Ginny marched over to both Albus and James and shook with fury, "rooms, NOW!" James started to argue while Albus skulked off, "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Ginny yelled, "ROOM!" James gave the finger as he left and stomped up the stairs.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny replied, "I honestly don't know what to do with them sometimes."

"Reparo," Aunt Angelina whispered and the plate repaired itself, resting on the table with the sandwiches upon it once more.

"That's okay Gin, we'll go anyways. Say hi to Harry for us," Uncle George announced. Lily hugged her Uncle, Aunt and cousins and waved goodbye as they exited the house. She emerged back into the kitchen and began cleaning the plates where the discarded sandwiches lay.

"Oh Lily, I'll do that with an easy wave of my wand," Ginny replied, "You go have fun."

"There's nothing to do," Lily moaned.

"You'll find something, just don't talk to Al and James right now though, they are being punished," Ginny's voice became stern as she said it.

"Point taken," Lily said and exited the kitchen. She went up the stairs and passed James' room where she heard him throwing things against the wall. Lily went into her own room and saw a stack of books on her desk. Albus must have put them there when he had been sent up to his room. She grabbed the top one, Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 and began to read.

In what felt like no time at all Lily heard the door open downstairs and glanced out the window, the sun was hanging low in the afternoon sky. She placed down her book, now halfway through and exited her room. Sure enough when she entered the sitting room she found her father, Harry, putting up his coat.

"Hiya Dad!" Lily cried and hugged him quickly.

"Hi Lils, have a good day?"

"Yeah I did, we played Quidditch in the backyard with Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Fred and Roxanne!"

"Awesome!" he smiled as Ginny entered and pecked her husband on the cheek.

"Hi Ginny," Harry said, "Where are our two sons?"

Ginny frowned, "in trouble. They did a bit of Muggle duelling at lunch today; I sent them to their rooms. Honestly Harry I don't know how they got like this, especially Albus. He was always such a gentle boy but ever since getting sorted into Slytherin-"

"I don't think it's Slytherin that's the issue," Harry replied, "I think it's the fact James gives him so much crap for it."

"I'll go talk with both of them," Ginny replied. She marched off up the steps while Lily watched on. About ten minutes later James waltzed down the stairs with Ginny behind him.

"Hi son," Harry said.

"Hi," James replied nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets. Lily walked toward the kitchen as Harry started to speak, "did you have something to tell me?" but before Lily could hear James' reply she had entered the kitchen to see her mother scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment.

"Is Al still in trouble?" Lily asked.

Her mother looked up, "No, he just doesn't want to come out. You may go and talk to him."

"Cool," Lily said and walked back into the sitting room to walk up the stairs, she heard a snippet of the conversation from Harry, "James, you know that Al is sensitive about being in Slytherin and being the odd one out."

"Pfft," she heard James reply as Lily walked down the second floor hallway and stopped in front of Albus' room. She knocked.

"Anyone but James enter, if that's James, buzz off," a muffled voice said. Lily walked in and saw her brother curled into a ball, tears streaming down his face.

"Al, I'm sorry!" Lily said, going to leave.

"No Lil, it's fine, you can stay!" Al replied, patting his bed. Lily jumped on it and sat across from him. She looked out the windows which Albus has removed the curtains to. She always admired the view Albus had out his window which looked on to the small Quidditch pitch, however, Lily realised quickly, that was probably why he drew the curtains.

"God I'm such a sissy," Albus replied, wiping away the tears with his hands.

"Don't be stupid Al," Lily said gently, "James is just being a prat." It felt odd to be consoling her brother. She often thought she had the better relationship with James, but realised that she had the funner, naughtier relationship with him. Albus on the other hand was more reserved and caring, someone she turned to when she needed advice and kind words, especially when James' teasing had gone a step too far, "he's just winding you up. He knows the whole Slytherin thing gets on your nerves, but who cares."

"Yeah, but y'know, I am kinda jealous of him," Albus admitted.

Lily scoffed, "why?"

"He's handsome, good on a broomstick, well liked. And what am I? Some nerd who's in Slytherin who can't fly to save his life – oh and I look like a scrawny twig."

"Yeah Al, but you're smarter," Lily replied.

"Huh?" Albus asked.

"You get really good grades, like E's and O's while James barely scrapes A's."

"How do you know his grades?"

"He shows me his grades," Lily replied, smiling at her brother's dumbfounded expression, "come on Al, I have a good relationship with James, of course I am going to know this."

"Good point," Albus smiled back, "ah Lily, you can just hit the right spot to cheer me up, thanks."

"Anytime my brother," Lily said and then a long-eared Owl soared into the room landing on the end of Albus' bed.

"Excellent, Scorpius' reply," Albus said and ripped open the letter, scanning it quickly, "yes, he's coming to Diagon Alley tomorrow!"

"Is his Dad coming?" Lily knew that their father and Uncle Ron weren't on good terms with Draco Malfoy.

"Nah, he says here 'My dad is working tomorrow – lots of patients in St Mungos so he's dropping me off at the Leaky Cauldron'."

"Okay cool," Lily said, "are you coming down for dinner?"

"Nah, just tell Mum that I'm not hungry."

"Alright," Lily said and went back in the kitchen where she found Harry busily making dinner. Ginny was still scribbling on the parchment while James sat at the table playing on his hand-held video game contraption.

"Is Al coming down to dinner?" Ginny asked.

"No, he said he isn't hungry," Lily replied as she sat in her usual spot. She saw James and Harry exchange a fleeting look before Harry set down plates of Spaghetti Bolognese, "and I made treacle tart for dessert," he said proudly.

All in all it was an uneventful dinner, and after dessert Lily grabbed a bowl of leftover treacle tart and went back to Albus' room, "here Al," she said, handing him the bowl.

"Thanks Lil," he said. With nothing better to do, Lily went back to her room and got herself ready for bed. She smiled as she pulled the blankets over herself and gazed out the window at the setting sun. Tomorrow she would be going to Diagon Alley, and getting the item she couldn't wait to hold in her hands, her magic wand. After all, the wand chooses the wizard – or witch – in her case. Eventually fatigued overwhelmed her and she slipped into the world of dreams.

Edit 11/4/2016