An: Please be patient with me, this is a first attempt at trying to write my own story. If you do read this then thank you and please review so that I know I'm either going in the right or wrong direction.

There were three main rules in the potter family, each rule placed by Harry to ensure that his house and family ran smoothly and were kept relatively safe. Now these rules went in no particular order of importance but none of the less they all were important. The first rule in the house was never to go into Harry's study without permission. It was considered perfectly fine if he was with you or you were called in but never to go in unannounced or just out of pure curiosity. Harry being head auror often had people floo into his study for chats of private and important matter, as well as this being the man who defeated Voldemort and being just Harry he had an instinctive power to understand how objects worked and he often worked with the unspeakables. Therefore he often was given things to look at or to protect due to Potter manor being well warded from rogue deatheaters, reporters and just general family nuisances.

The second rule of the house was to never make Ginny cry through matter of foolishness or stupidity. Now Ginny was not a crier and it took a lot to get her started. One of the things which did set her off was the anniversary of Fred's death every year and her children's birthdays. She never cried through injury even when she played for the harpies, but for Ginny, her family was everything. Harry did not like Ginny upset and an upset Ginny meant Harry got angry.

The third and final rule of the house was for his boys mainly and that was to look out for one another and to most of all to ensure to Lily was safe to an extent, even though his boys and more often than not his little daughter, protested that she was able to look after herself, being the spit fire that she was.

"James what have you done to Snuffles" Lily Luna potter stormed into the living room where her two brothers were, with a flushed face; Snuffles trailed after her with a vivid green and silver streak through his black fur. Her siblings looked up at the 11 year old who for such a small person cut a scary figure. Subsequently, she was often seen as a a carbon of Ginny from her looks down to her temper and she'd had her daddy wrapped around her little finger from the very beginning. He found it hard after all to deny his beautiful wife anything. Why would it be any different for his baby girl.

"I have no idea what you are talking about dear Lily kins" was the reply.

James Sirius potter was a carbon copy of his grandfather right down to the attitude. His parents still wondered whether they had made the right decision naming him as such and it was often a joke around the potter household. Upon seeing snuffles, James burst out laughing." Oh you mean that." he paused and looked to his right at Al who was sat in an arm chair reading."Well that was all Al's idea" Al just stared at him puzzled.

Albus Severus Potter was what Harry would have looked like as a young boy if his parents had still been alive. Bright faced Albus had his mother and fathers temper and intelligence combined. Where as James was the major Quidditch fanatic out of the three of them thanks to his Uncle Ron, even though Al could hold his own in the air he like his name sakes preferred reading in his favourite arm chair near the fire. Al was what Harry called a 'brainiac that didn't flaunt it". Lily turned to look at Al with what could only be described as frustration and amusement rolled into one. " I swear Lil I did nothing of the sort, you know I don't care for pranking like James and Freddie do. You know James did it. Who else is it usually."

Now Al was stubborn, not as stubborn as James but stubborn all the same and he refused to take blame for something that could not only get him hexed from his little sister but also in trouble from their mum. Ginevra Potter was not someone they liked to get angry. She was ruthless with her punishment - or that's what it seemed like to them. Al just got a blank look in return from James when he finished speaking. Lily however whipped around, wand quickly emerging from her pocket.

"Now Lily let's not bed hasty" James jumped up from where he had been lounging on the couch, raised his hands and started backing away quickly. Turning around he ran out the room, lily running full pelt behind him. Albus looked at his book then the door which his siblings had just exited through. There was temptation just to ignore it and carry on reading, but his Potter genes won his inner conflict and he too followed them out the room. Potter Manor was a very large home with long corridors perfect for running along and Al soon found his siblings quite quickly, stood right outside their father's study. Both were stood there with a look of disbelief on their faces.

"Hey guys, what are you looking at" Al turned to look at the door and realised why they looked so shocked. The door stood slightly open.

Now Harry was not so foolish that he left it unlocked with three children with Weasley and Potter DNA. Oh no it simply was just never done.

"No way" Al gasped. All three of them turned to look at one another simultaneously. Their father never left his study door open. It just never happened. James turned with a grin, and shuffling forward slightly stood in the doors entrance.

Their fathers study's was a brightly lit room, with a huge bay window - that specifically overlooked the grounds - and shelves full of old books that would make Hermione drool. It was a well kept secret within the Potter family's house not to tell Hermione of them, because as much as they adored her, they didn't want her moving in. Plus they did not want to see her sulk and go on about that fact that she couldn't open any of the books because she didn't have potter blood running through her veins. Harry's study was full of pictures of his family and gadgets of different types sat on shelves. A portrait of him and Ginny on their wedding day took up pride of place above the fireplace whilst his firebolt sat on the opposite wall.

All three potter children squashed themselves in the door way looking around with eager interest.

"This is a very bad idea" al muttered.

"Very bad" lily replied.

James just turned to stare at his siblings. "This is a once in a life time opportunity." They stared back at him with incredulous looks on their faces. "Are you crazy!" Al whisper shouted.

"Maybe" was the reply and with that James jumped from the door frame and into the room. He turned to look back at the two of them with a relieved look on his face.

"Dad doesn't have any wards on his study? " Lily questioned shuffling forward into the room.

"Apparently not" was the reply she got back in return from James.

Al was still stood in the door way observing his siblings when he felt a nudge in the back of his leg as a silver, green and black dog squeezed himself past in order to get into the room as well. Whilst James and Lily stood in front of the shelves looked at the different gadgets and artefacts, al stepped up to the book shelf to scan the titles. He had pulled 'so you think you know defence' off the shelf when he heard Lily shout "put that down" from behind him. Al closed his eyes and spun round to look at his siblings. James was holding something shiny within his hand whilst Lily stared at him. At first Al thought it was their dads snitch as the object was also gold and rounded, it was only when James moved his hand slightly and a chain dropped through his fingers that he realised it wasn't a snitch and placing the book on a side table he hurried on over to the pair of them.

"James be careful with that. And I mean be careful as in put it back on the shelf and back away now". Al shouted

"For merlins sake Al will you calm down,it's only a timer. Dad probably uses it for recruits training. Just relax for once in your life" James retorted looking up, before he then went back to looking down at his hand. "See it has a dial on it so its just a timer." He said. Before Al could say anything Lily started move closer to her eldest brother in order to make a grab for it.

"Jamie let me see" lily cried whilst she scrambled over to James who as an answer to her grabbing just held his hand up in the air.

"No you two, stop it" Al shouted, he reached out to Lily to pull her away from James. Snuffles who had followed them into the room was sat in one of his many baskets located around the house watching them. At the siblings commotion he lifted his head in excitement and bounded over to them. The Potter children continued on squabbling. Now Snuffles was not a small dog and there had often been many times where he had knocked or tripped the children down with excitement when they were younger. As they got older it happened less but only on occasion. This was one of these times. Whilst fighting for what was thought to be a timer by the oldest and youngest, the Potter children were moving around the study.

"You don't understand guys. This is dangerous"

"It is not Al" was the retort.

"Yes it is"

"Is not"

With the excitement building and what was thought to be a game by Snuffles, Lily stepped one way, tripping backwards over the dog and landing with a thump. She flung her hand to attempt to break her fall, whilst simultaneously bring her brothers down with her.

"For merlins sake, you fat lumps get off me." She cried.

"Hey it's not our faults" Both of them said indignantly. The three of them scrambled up and James and Lily instantly started bickering.

"Hey you guys"Al frantically turned his head round the room taking in the glowing sand on the floor whilst his brother and sister squabbled. "GUYS STOP" he shouted. When they both turned to look at him he just pointed.

"Oh wow it looks like pixie dust" Lily said staring in aww.

The glowing was now getting stronger and the sand was started to float up and wrap around them.

"We all need to hold hands now" James shouted. "This is powerful magic, who knows what is going to happen, we need to be together if something does". Al and Lily just stared at him in shock. "Hey I know how to use my brain sometimes" was the indignant reply before the three of them vanished from the room glowing dust and all.

Harry wandered down the hallway with a mug of tea in his hand. The other holding a letter that had just arrived from Ron. He paused when his study door came into full view and he saw it open. He moved forward, pushed it further open and stepped in slightly. Looking around the room Harry frowned. Carrying on toward his desk he placed the mug down with a thump and dropped the letter to the floor. Scanning the room again a shuffling of paper caught his attention. Looking down he placed a hand on his chair and knelt down.

"Oh it's just you. Well Jamie for someone who's rival house is Slytherin your showing off a very strong sense of house unity. I'm very proud" Harry stated to himself when he saw Snuffles under his desk.

Being head auror Harry could often do his paper work at home so Ginny could write her articles in peace. He had just stepped out for five minutes to take a breather.

Getting up Harry pulled out his chair. Before sitting he looked back down at snuffles and asked him if he was staying there. Getting a dogish grin back, Snuffles trotted to the other side if the room to sniff the dog had been for his children 5 years ago after a constant whining for a puppy. Much to their disappointment as much as the dog loved and played with them he attached himself to Harry and often followed him about he house. Ginny and the rest of the family said it was because Harry was the alpha male of the household. Personally Harry thought it was because they just got on really well. Therefore Snuffles was seen to be more Harry's dog than anyone else's. The children didn't mind as much now as they had their own pets for Hogwarts to pay attention to.

Breaking from his thoughts, Harry settled into his chair again to get back into his paperwork, when Snuffles whining caught his attention.

"Shhh boy, I need to work" He just got a look. Placing his hands on the arm rests Harry heaved himself up. His age and being a war hero was finally starting to show itself slowly even though he was a fit man.

"What you got there boy" Harry asked before holding out his hand to Snuffles who was attempting the squeeze himself under a cabinet.

Getting down on the floor with Snuffles, Harry shifted onto his front so that he could look under the cabinet, Snuffles nudging him in the face all the while.

"Ok mutt stop it. I need to look" Harry laughed. "I can't see anything boy" Harry shifted more to his side so he could squeeze his arm under the cabinet and grope around. Clenching his fist around something he pulled his arm out. Opening his fist he stared at the object in his hand with horror. Harry scrambled to his feet whimpering "No, no, no"."Please be a different time turner. Don't be the one off the shelf" Harry kept on muttering to himself whilst he strode to his shelves.

"Merlin, kids, what have you done now, I can't take my eye of your for five seconds, i hate summer holidays" he said when he got to his shelves to see a gap. Spinning around his study he looked for anything else out of place that might be dangerous. Seeing the book sat innocently on the side table he chuckled to himself. 'Al' Harry said with fondness before running out his study towards his wife's home office.

So, what do you think?