Chapter Seven:

I just want to say a million thanks to everyone who reviewed! You have no idea how much it made me very happy. :)

As James opens the diary, he notices that there aren't many entries. In fact, the very first entry is dated July 3, 1993 - that's already summer. Confused, he checks the other diaries and the trunk to see if he left something. But there's no more diary stuck in the trunk. He has no choice but to read what he's got.

Dear Diary,

My first year of school's over. To tell the truth, it was awful. (Oooh, forgive me for saying that.) I mean, Hogwarts is definitely awesome and everything but, I don't know, it's been a mad year, I guess. For me. Here's what happened:

I had a diary. Throughout the whole year, I had been writing on it, sharing my thoughts and my feelings. But it wasn't just your ordinary diary. Every ink that touched the pages of the diary faded. So no one could read it, I guess. Except for one. His name was Tom Riddle. He'd always answered everything I'd written on the diary - giving me advices and making me think he understood exactly what I felt. So I thought I had a friend. A friend I can count on. A friend who'll listen and never judge me. But I was wrong.

There were nights when I wasn't conscious of what I was doing. Like, I would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating all over and with blood on my hands. There were mornings when I'd wake up with my head pounding, without being aware of what I've done the other night. It was weird. It felt like I wasn't myself anymore. Like there was something or someone controlling me. Until I realized that there's something evil inside the diary. I threw it away - in the Girls' Bathroom where I was sure no one goes inside. But the ugly feeling was still with me. I still woke up with questions concerning my whereabouts at night.

. . . . I don't even know how I should put to words the next thing that happened. Because the thing inside the diary had fully manipulated me. I wasn't aware of what happened next. The only thing I know is that I woke up in this creepy chamber and Harry Potter - Harry Potter! - was there beside me, bleeding, weary and a little disheveled. He had explained everything. He explained that it was You-Know-Who in the diary. That You-Know-Who had once again found a way to battle and try to kill Harry Potter. The one on the diary was actually You-Know-Who, trying to gain my trust so that he could use me when the time came.

And I was the idiot.

My Dad always said never to trust an object that has a mind of its own. I should've listened to him. I guess fathers are right most of the time.

It's a rather long entry. But three sentences really got to James. The first is, Harry Potter was there beside me, bleeding, weary and a little disheveled. What's this? Another heroic act of Harry Potter? During Harry's first year, he saved the Sorcerer's Stone. And on his second year, he saved Ginny and fought Voldemort?

The second is, You-Know-Who had once again found a way to battle and try to kill Harry Potter. James shakes his head at himself. Dad's right. It hadn't been simple.

And the third says, I guess fathers are right most of the time. Reading those words, James suddenly feels immensely guilty - guiltier than he'd ever felt in his entire life. He really had no right to say those things he said to Harry. He should have trusted and respected his father. As he looks down at the six remaining diaries, and the other entries he still hasn't read, he suddenly feels like he's barging into someone's private property. He should wait until his father tells him. It's only right.

He sighs heavily and stands up reluctantly. Part of his mind is saying, Are you being daft? Why stop now? You've already uncovered a lot. And there's still more. But the other part is telling him not to listen to the other one. He follows the latter and closes the window in the room. He gets a glimpse of the sky. It's already twilight. With a last sneeze, he makes his way down the stairs and to Albus's room. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw someone lounging on the bed, apparently waiting for him.

"Albus," he says, clutching his pounding heart.

"I knew you were there. You left the cabinet aside."

"Sorry, I forgot." He makes his way towards the door. Before going out, he asks, "Why didn't you follow me up there?"

"I'm not exactly an inconsiderate brother, you know," Albus answers, pretending to be offended. "I thought you needed privacy. And an airful of dust."

Dinner is a quiet event at the Potter household. James is still guilty as he remembers everything he'd said to his Dad just last night. He sincerely hopes he had not said those things. Yes, he still doesn't know everything. He still doesn't understand how Harry's guilty of the death or everybody. But he knows enough things to understand that Harry's younger life wasn't indeed simple. It was complicated and dangerous and James should respect that his father is having a hard time remembering or talking about it. He will wait. He knows that eventually, Harry will have the guts to tell him everything.

James is eating his breakfast at the kitchen the next morning along with Lily and Ginny. Harry has just left for work. And Albus is at his Uncle Ron's; he travelled through the Floo Network.

"...so many chores to do today," Ginny is saying, sending used forks and spoons flying from the table to the sink with the use of her wand. "James, you'd better clean your room right now. The mess is unbearable. I'm actually shocked you can still sleep without waking up in the middle of the night and screaming your head off."

James rolls his eyes at his plate.

"I don't even know why you care, Mum," James mumbles in a lazy voice. "It's not like it's your room. I'm contented with it. So there."

Ginny shakes her head.

"Seriously, James, when was the last time that you walked around your room without stepping into a junk, or something?"

James shrugs.

Ginny sighs heavily.

"Help me here, James. Your room is practically the home of creatures still unknown to Hagrid."

James smirks.

"If you don't clean your room right now..," Ginny threatens.

What? James thinks. You'll ground me until I'm fifty?

"...I'll ground you until you're fifty."

"What?" James looks up from his food to glare at his mother.

"Yes. And you know I mean everything I say."

Offended, James stands up and runs to his bedroom. A few minutes later, while James is throwing dirty socks into his laundry basket, Lily enters the room, her hands folded on her chest.

"Bloody hell," she says as she saw the mess.

"Don't say that," James snaps. "Swear words are for adults."

Lily scowls.

"You shouldn't lecture me about etiquette, you know."

"What are you even doing here, Lily?"

"I'm escaping Mum. She's making me wash the dishes. You know, James," she continues, denying James the chance to speak. "I never thought your room is this messy. I thought Mum was exaggerating." She flops onto the bed - the only clean spot. "This really is a garbage lair."

James glares at her before opening the backpack he used in Hogwarts. Lily watches as James takes out a spoiled banana.

"What's a banana doing in your bag?" Lily asks.

"Urgh, Fred," James answers, gritting his teeth. "I hope he's already seen the dead rat I put inside his bag."

"Do you do that every year?"

James nods.

"Last year, he put snow in my bag. Good thing I checked my bag before I went home."

The two hear a subtle pop and suddenly there's Teddy standing in the middle of James's heap of stinky sweatshirts.

"Holy cricket!" Teddy exclaims, eyeing the whole room. "This is even worse than the kitchen the last time I was here."

James rolls his eyes at him as he continues rummaging through his satchel and throwing crumpled pieces of parchment into a plastic bag.

"He's right, you know," Lily chimes in.

Teddy sits on the bed next to her.

"Why are you here?" James demands, exasperated.

"Well, you know I'm never home during the day."

"'Cause you're always at Victoire's - yeah, we know that," Lily says, rolling her eyes.

"Then why aren't you there?"

"I was. But I decided to leave before Mr. and Mrs. Parker fetch Aimi and Jian. It's sure to be a loooong goodbye." He rolls his eyes. "You know girls."

James looks up. He has completely forgotten that Jian and Aimi are leaving that day.

"Ted!" he suddenly shouts. "Go with me to Uncle Bill's house."

"What? Are you mental? I was just there. I told you I only left because I hate seeing girls get all emotional and melodramatic. And now you're making me go back? Blimey, James!"

"But - please!" James clutches his hands in front of him.

"Hah! What makes you think I'll do it?"

Think, James, think, James tells himself. Think of a blackmail...

And then he remembers something.

"Hey, Ted," James says nonchalantly. "Remember Dominique?"

Lily rolls her eyes. And Teddy slouches, annoyed.

"Oh, what the hell. Not that again."

"So you'll come with me to Uncle Bill's?"

Teddy glares at him.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Perfect," James says merrily.

As they are on their way out of James's room, Lily calls James.

"What?" James automatically checks if he hadn't forgotten to wear pants.

"Your room! You'll get grounded!"

James smacks a hand to his forehead.

"Urgh! Never mind."

Teddy and James used the Floo Network , and after a few seconds, they emerge into the Shell Cottage, black with ash.

"This is so not good for my image," Teddy whispers, trying to dust himself. "I won't ever enter your house again, James. Bad luck seems to happen every time I do."

No one's in the living room. So after Teddy made James and himself clean and presentable with the use of his wand, they both walk to the porch of the cottage where everyone's waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Parker.

James spots Jian talking to Dominique. Dominique's dabbing a handkerchief on her reddened eyes. Ted walks over to where Victoire is hugging Aimi, and James goes near Jian and Dominique.

"It was really a fun summer...having you and Aimi over,"Dominique says tearfully.

"Yeah, it was," Jian answers. But unlike the others, she isn't crying.

"I'd really miss the two of you."

James rolls his eyes.

"Erm, Dominique?" Jian says. "We're gonna see each other again at the start of the school year. At Beauxbatons, remember?"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be the same. I've grown used to you two living with me."

"But you and Aimi are dormmates at school. You practically live with each other."

James bites his lip to keep from laughing.

"Well - yeah."

"Anyway." Jian moves closer to her and hugs her. "Thanks for the great summer, Dominique."

Finally, Dominique sees James.

"Oh." She breaks away from the hug. "Someone's here to say goodbye, Jian." She smiles at James and makes her way to Victoire and Aimi.

"Wow," James says, gesturing to the other girls. "Ted's right. This is gonna be a long goodbye."

Jian sighs.

"I know. If Mum and Dad would just hurry up."

"Are they Apparating?"

"Yes."

Silence. And then:

"So..."

"Urgh, James, now I wanna cry!"

James gives her a funny look, as she takes out her handkerchief.

"Honestly, JP, I don't know whether to comfort you or laugh at you."

Jian chuckles.

"This is stupid. I never cry - never!"

"Then why are you crying now?" James asks quietly.

Jian sniffs, but doesn't answer.

"Oh. Yeah," James says, nudging Jian's arm. "You're going to miss me so bad, that's why you're crying."

Jian rolls her eyes - still a beautiful violet, regardless of the red spots.

"Sod it, JP."

James smiles.

"C'mere." He then hugs Jian, already unable to resist the urge to do so. "I'm going to miss you, JP," he whispers sincerely.

Jian hiccups and squeezes him.

"Me too, you know."

As they pull themselves apart, Mr. and Mrs. Parker arrive.

"Looks like it's time to go," Jian mutters, looking at her hand.

James kisses her cheek suddenly and Jian punches his arm playfully.

Then she smiles.

"Goodbye."

"'Bye."