Chapter Text
Nobody warned James Potter about the responsibilities that came with being a king in the making. Sure, they did warn him about the uncomfortable suits, the insufferable and exhausting kingdom meetings and about the thousands of tasks to do per day . But while staring at the blank sheet in front of him, James does think that he should have been told about the unbearable stress of making his first claim. It was an important rite of passage for an heir, which, most of the time, was what set the tone for his upcoming reign. His own father made his claim to be the construction of the prestigious college of Auradon, Hogwarts, an elite school, only for the best of the best. His reign turned out peaceful, luxurious and most importantly, well received. The people loved Fleamont Potter, the beast, the king and the father of a prosperous empire. James didn't know how he could ever achieve such a brilliant claim. Everybody in Auradon had what they needed. Was he supposed to restore an old monument? Or… starts a charity? Sell lemonade? What did his citizens wanted?
James let out a loud grunt and banged his head to his desk.
His three friends whom he shared a dorm with, Peter, Sirius and Remus, turned theirs faces to him.
- You okay there Prongs? Sirius asked.
James muffled a response which sounded like a mix of “ yes, totally fine” and “ fuck me gently with a chainsaw.”
Sirius scoffed.
- Well, leaving you to your royal duties I guess.
James' head hitted the mahogany surface again.
- I don't have a single idea for my claim. I must hand it in before Saturday.
Remus huffed.
- You poor aristocrat.
- Ughhhh.
James turned to his sheet again. Still blank. Not that he expected a godsend miraculous idea, but still, plain was quite rude.
- Make cafeteria lunches free on Friday.
The heir laughed at his friend's idea. He still wrote it on his page though, as a last resort.
- Pete, let him concentrate. Remus hissed behind his book.
- I’m serious! That would be groundbreaking! Absolute genius that I am! Prongs, write it up!
- Already did mate, you’re the brightest of us all.
- I know, I know.
The two other boys sighed. Sirius was sprawled on his bed throwing a ball at the ceiling above him while Remus was sitting on his own , his book now laying in his lap.
- I still think that you should fund the literature club, your highness
He finally said.
- ‘Course Moony, ‘course. James responded.
He had absolutely no interest in this club but still wrote it for Remus sake.
- You know how all of Hogwarts' budget already went to the football team. Those jerks. No offense Prongs.
- None taken.
- But me and Lil’s are trying so hard to find people for this club! And nobody gives a shit!
As much as James loved his friend, there was in no way that funding a literature with a total of 3 students, with Gilderoy Lockhart as one of them, was going to be his first actions as a ruler. Between this and free lunches, free lunches looked like the best option.
What did his people wanted? He kept on asking himself. But the more he thought about it, the more a literally incredible idea started to bloom in his head. There it was, his project. Something bigger than building a castle to turn it into a school. Something better than dropping some budget onto a book club. Something more shocking, more exciting than what anyone ever did. Hell, something even more groundbreaking than making cafeteria lunches free. Something like…
- Bringing villains kids from the Lost Island.
Peter choked. Remus stopped breathing. Sirius turned his head to James.
- What did you say?
James turned to his friend, a huge smile spread out on his face, his glasses a little bit crooked.
- Bringing kids from the Lost Island! That’s it! That’s my project. Nobody has ever done that. This will shock them! Hopefully for the best.
Receiving no reactions from his friend but some outraged looks, James decided to go on.
- Come on! Think about it!
He cleared his throat.
- “The new Potter heir to the throne is opening Auradon doors to 3 selected kids from the lost island”
You see! That, Pete, IS groundbreaking!
His friends all looked at each other in silence, seeming to share a secret conversation, sometimes stealing a glance in James' direction.
“ Has he finally lost it?” Peter mouthed
Remus just shrugged and turned to the long haired boy.
Sirius was the first one to break the unsettling silence.
- Mate, not to, you know, burst your euphoric bubble but, have you ever thought about why nobody ever did that?
The others agreed.
- I mean, Prongs, come on! They’re not gonna see you as “groundbreaking”. At best they will see you as naive. At worst, as crazy, or arrogant, or both.
- Why would you bring them here?! They have their own island!
Peter added.
Sirius winced a little bit at his uneasy words.
- I mean yeah of course, but it’s not like they choose to be there.
- Bah, they’re not very different from their parents anyways.
Sirius just casually shrugged and continued staring at his royal friend with his piercing silver gaze, but there was something that James couldn’t quite catch behind it. That caught him a bit off guard. He knew Sirius since they were both eleven years old, on their first day at Hogwarts, and he managed to read right through him most of the time. He seemed like he was hiding something.
- Prongs.
He turned and looked at Remus who was now staring at him with a weird knowing in his gaze. James didn't like being read like that. Before he could say something about it, Remus started talking.
- You wanna prove yourself
- Oh piss off Moony.
- Yes, you do. You wanna prove to everyone that you can do just as good if not better than your father, so you try to find the craziest idea to stand out.
- I don't okay. And anyways, what’s so crazy about that huh? They’re just kids, like us.
James looked at each one of his friends disapproving glances.
He turned his back to them and took a little time to think about his idea.
Did he want to prove that he was worthy of the throne?
Yes!
Is it because of his father, who was the best king of all of those who reigned on Auradon, that he felt like people will always expect too much of him ?
No!
Was it really that crazy to want kids of the other side to discover theirs? They couldn't be THAT bad.
The Potter heir took a deep breath, and looked at his friends. His decision was taken.
- Yeah yall are right. This is a bad idea.
The marauders exhaled.
- God Prongs, you scared m…
- Three is way too low. I am bringing five. Saturday morning at the first hour, Auradon will welcome his new inhabitants.