When James first started at Hogwarts, he hated it. All the teachers were constantly comparing him to his parents, the Great Harry Potter, and the Magnificent Ginny Weasley. He felt as though he were constantly living in his parents shadows, and could never measure up to them, as if he had to do well at everything because it was expected of him. As time went by, he was able to make friends, but tried to hide who his family was, afraid that if they knew, they would only like him because they might get to meet his parents and uncles.

One day in Herbology, he was having particular trouble with some bouncing bulbs. A handful had gotten away from him and were shooting around the classroom, bouncing off of student and walls, even shattering some windows. The other students shrieked and ran from the class room, leaving a rather sullen James behind to help Professor Longbottom clean up. James noticed the Professor kept glancing at him, and felt annoyed.

"What? Are you disappointed I don't remind you more of my parents more too?" He finally snapped.

Neville looked at the boy surprised. "No, actually you kind of remind me of me." James looked at him confused. "I had a lot to live up to too... My parents were Aurors during the first war and were tortured to insanity." James gaped at him, surprised. "Growing up everyone always told me how great they were, how brilliant they were, how clever they were. Meanwhile, there was me, short, pudgy, meek, inept at everything I tried... my family was convinced I was a squib until my uncle dropped me out a window and I just bounced down the street." James tried to stifle a laugh unsuccessfully, "no, it's ok, it is pretty funny." Neville smiled at him kindly. "The point is, for a very long time, I never thought I could live up to my parents' reputation, and because of that I never had any confidence in myself, and my lack of confidence just made me worse at everything I tried to do." James looked at him.

"How can I be confident in myself if I'm always being compared to them? It's like when ever people look at me, they don't see me, they see them."

"Well, first off, it helps to have good friends who believe in you, and who know you are not your parents. You are you! Secondly, stop worrying about what everybody else thinks about you. Worry about being yourself instead of living up to your parents. They have their own lives to live, you don't have to live it for them." Neville waved his hand dismissively. "And if anyone can't deal with the fact that you are James Potter, not Harry or Ginny, they can go eat Doxy eggs for all you care."

James left class that day feeling better than he had all year.