The Kid - Son of a Legend

The Kid - Son of a Legend

Chapter 4 - At Last

As soon as Harry and Ginny landed back in their own home, both scurried up to James' room to look for what he had been talking about. When they opened the door to their son's room, the couple found a neatly made bed and picked up floor. They went over to James' bed and looked at the pictures laid out.

"Look!" said Ginny, pointing to James' artwork. The particular one she was looking at was dated yesterday. It depicted James in between his parents, holding their hands. They were swinging him back and forth, singing a song. Harry spotted the photograph first.

"Ginny! I forgot we had this photograph," Harry went on, "I don't think we've been as good of parents as we could have been, especially to James. I guess I just thought he was old enough to do a lot of things himself."

"I know it doesn't make sense, Harry, but I think I did too. We were being stupid. James is only eight years old; he can't take care of himself. We need to find our baby boy and bring him home. Where do you think he's gone?" Puzzled, the couple sat for a long time, pondering where their son had gone. All day, they sat there.

Harry sent Emma, Tyler, Lily, and Joseph to stay with Ron and Hermione while they searched for James more. Around midnight, Ginny and Harry were sitting at the kitchen table, thinking of where to look for James.

Harry, who was still holding the photograph in his hand, had an idea. The man looked at James' nearly toothless grin and realized where his son was. At the Play Park, of course! This is where James was an only child. Six months later, all of this became merely a memory pushed to the back of his head, drowned by Joseph's arrival.

"Gin, I think I know where James went."

"As we're walking down toward the train station,

I hear a whispering rainfall"

James had long since fallen asleep, lost in his dreams. The little boy's hair was messy, covered in grass. Waiting out in the sun all day had made him sleepy. It was cold outside, making it impossible to sleep. Around 6 AM, James got up. He saw Mr. Rosen watching him from the little white house. James trudged over to the swing, wondering where in the world his parents might be.

Across the street, Mr. Rosen grew worried. James had been out there all night and still no sign of his parents.

James dragged his feet on the ground as he gently swung back and forth. He spotted something blue in the ground and made of paper. Curious, James dug it up, and found it to be an old birthday card. The boy flipped the card open and read:

"Happy birthday, baby boy, you're one year old today!

Let's all jump and shout hip-hip-hooray!

Turning one is lots of fun!

Below, James read in Mummy's writing:

To our dear little baby boy,

Happy 1^st birthday, James!

Love,

Mummy and Daddy

Shocked, James set the card on his lap. This had been the card he had received on his first birthday. The eight-year-old looked up and climbed the wooden Play Park. He then looked around for Mummy and Dad. There was no sign of either of them. Slumping to the ground, James fell into a troubled sleep, still clutching the birthday card in is fist.

"Harry! Where are we going?" Ginny asked as Harry was placing the photograph back on James' bed.

"We're going to go find James." Outside, a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder started the couple. Rain started pouring down, making it impossible for them to see three feet in front of a window.

James had rolled over, and was now on top of the birthday card. It started raining, but James didn't notice. He was still fast asleep, thinking Dad was carrying him home.

"Do you remember that Play Park we took James to when he turned one?" Ginny nodded. "Go there!" Without any further words, Harry disapparated, shortly followed by Ginny.

At the Play Park, Ginny and Harry didn't care that it was raining. They searched for their son, trying to find him. After ten minutes, they were about to give up and leave. Mr. Rosen ran out of the house under an umbrella.

"Are you James' parents?" he shouted through the roar of rain.

"Yes!" Harry yelled, surprised, "Can you tell us where he is?"

"Follow me!" Mr. Rosen led them over to the wooden Play Park structure. He pointed up. Harry and Ginny climbed up until they saw a little red trainer sticking out from the brown wood. James was still fast asleep, undisturbed by the rain. Ginny couldn't help herself; overcome with emotion, she grabbed James and pulled him into the tightest hug she had ever given anyone.

"Across the boulevard, you slip your hand in mine

In the distance the train's last call"

James opened his eyes to see a mass of red hair hugging him, and a giant smile broke out over his face. He nuzzled his head in Mummy's shoulder, feeling the comfort that always radiated off of Mummy.

No one noticed as Mr. Rosen retreated back to his house, grinning.

James finally pulled away and looked up at Mummy and Dad, tears in his eyes. "Where's my brothers and sisters?" he asked, as though making sure it was just the three of them.

"They're not here right now, " said Harry, a smile playing his face, "so I guess it's just us three, kiddo." James hugged his Dad and he felt happier then he had been in a long time.

Noticing the card, Ginny picked it up. "Why, James! Where did you find this? It got lost shortly after we gave it to you." James pointed to the dirt under the swing. The parents opened the card and read it. Harry bent down and told James something he had wanted to hear forever.

"You know we have always loved you and will always love you, no matter what." With that, Harry scooped up his son and climbed down off of the wooden platform. He placed James on the swing and began to push him back and forth. Ginny waved her wand and a camera appeared. She took pictures of James and Harry playing. Harry took pictures of his wife and their eldest son.

Soon it was nearing late morning, and James was growing tired again. Harry picked him up and James slumped his head on Harry's shoulder, fast asleep. Ginny found the tin can James had used to arrive there. She tapped it and muttered, "Portus," Ginny then bent down and picked up James' bag.

As the parents and child were whisked away by the portkey, Mr. and Mrs. Rosen watched from afar, staring in awe. "I don't think James is like most little boys," Mrs. Rosen commented, amazed at what the old tin can did.

"No, he was a pretty special boy, himself. I'm glad we could help him." Shrugging, the couple began to unpin Rafi's birthday decorations.

"I'm the kid who has this has this habit of dreaming

Sometimes gets me in trouble, too"

Two weeks later, Ginny quietly opened James' door to wake him up. "Good morning, sweetie," she said stroking his hair, "Breakfast is ready. Why don't you come downstairs, sleepyhead?"

James got up and rubbed his eyes. He walked downstairs in his quidditch PJ's.

"SURPRISE!" Harry was sitting at the table, Emma on his lap. All of his other siblings, plus Aunt 'Mione and Uncle Ron and Laurie were standing below a giant sign that said, "Happy belated 8^th birthday, James!"

Grinning from ear to ear, James raced to the table and hugged his Dad. "Thank you, Dad," he whispered.

After saying hello to everyone and eating breakfast, James was whisked upstairs and presented with new clothes to wear. James quickly put them on and hopped back down the stairs, light as a feather. There, he found a sticky chocolate cake, reading, "Happy Birthday, James!"

Presents were opened and wonderful gifts were revealed. James' favorite part of the afternoon was not when he got his first broom or when James ate the tasty cake. As James was about to blow out the candles, he thought about his wish. Finally, the now officially eight-year-old knew what he wanted. 'I wish for Mummy and Dad to always love and appreciate me as they do now'

James thanked Aunt 'Mione and Uncle Ron for helping him before they left. The house was cleaned up, and James' gifts sat in a pile at the bottom of the stairs to go to his room. This had been the best day of James' life.

There were no more Potter children born after Emma, and James was just fine with that. He loved all his siblings, but didn't want there to be another fiasco. Now the Potter family was complete, and James wouldn't have it any other way.

"But the truth is, I could no more stop dreaming

Than I could make them all come true."