Harry Potter One Shots

Three Generations

All rights belong to the author, AidennPluto

There had been a time when the Potters and the Malfoys were competing families. They were both powerful, pureblood families, with a long history behind them and plenty of ancestors who had awed the Wizarding world and brought fame to their name. They had many of the same visions; promoting wizardry, creating strong alliances in case enemies rallied their forces against them. They only had different ways of going about these alliances.

The Malfoys firmly believed that they should unite against muggles; to separate themselves from their radius of influence in order to prosper as 'true', pure wizards. The Potters on the other hand, (while they didn't think they should spill all their secrets to the muggles and try to become best chums with them), believed that muggles were as much a part of their world as much as magical creatures were.

Potters saw muggles as pitiful animals, who could not contribute to their world, but who should be protected. It was a view similar to the "White Man's Burden" of 18th century Africa, yet they supported muggles, and that's the important thing.

The competition extended far beyond the adults and political issues; young Malfoys and Potters were taught from an early age that their families were competing as top Wizarding families, and the very future may depend on which family came out on top. James and Lucius took these teachings to heart.

At eleven years old, James Potter waved out the open window of the Hogwarts Express at his parents, a huge smile on his face. Finally, finally, he was going to Hogwarts. He would learn how do be an amazing wizard, just like his parents and grandparents, and the rest of his ancestors. He believed he would uphold the family honor. Because little James had never suffered from low self-esteem. Quite the opposite, really.

He met a young boy named Sirius, with whom he instantly struck up a comradeship. They bonded over the most brilliant game in the world: Exploding Snap. They renamed the game "Exploding Snape" after meeting the dark, malnourished-looking, pathetic and ill-tempered boy named Severus Snape.

They shared a compartment with a tiny boy with amber eyes and sandy-colored hair. His name was Remus Lupin, but they ignored him for the most part, until he offered a new strategy for the game they were playing. James appreciated intelligence, and decided to try to be friends with this nameless little runt.

James was laughing, holding on to his stomach as the cards exploded all over Sirius. It was then that the compartment door opened and a tall boy with white-blond hair and gray eyes came in. He wore a badge pinned on his black robes – one that identified him as a fifth-year prefect. He took in the three occupants of the compartment and sneered.

"Sirius, dear friend, you should not be sitting with this scum. That pathetic sack of raggedy robes is not even worthy of licking your shoes clean."

James glanced at Remus and felt a sharp stab of fury for the blond boy as Remus flushed and looked down at his hands in shame.

"And do you even know who that is?" Malfoy continued. "He's a Potter, and he stands for everything our honorable families detest. Your parents would not be happy to hear that their son, a respectable Black, spent his time with vermin such as this."

James glanced quickly at Sirius, and was shocked when he didn't deny being a Black. The Blacks were right up there with the Malfoys. But Sirius just sneered back at the blond boy.

"Shove off, Malfoy. Who I spend my time with is none of your business!"

"My, my, Sirius," Lucius said with a twisted smirk. "Such venom. You should be careful. You wouldn't want to end up in detention on your first night at Hogwarts." He tapped his silver badge.