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Born to rich loving parents James never had to long for something. All his wishes were catered as his parents had him very late in their lives and pampered him very much. Spoilt but at core a good-hearted person. Grew up with his parent's love, he entered Hogwarts a smart, confident child. Some people just connect in their first meet. Same happened with him and Sirius. In the short life he lived, he had a rich friendship with Sirius, treated him as a brother, shared his parent’s attention with Sirius and entrusted his precious son’s welfare to Sirius and made him a godfather. He also made friends with an intelligent classmate Remus Lupin, who lacked in confidence due his furry nature and was master planner for all the pranks they executed in Hogwarts. As their friendship grew, Remus opened up to all of them and even though it was not very boy-type, they had serious talks when necessary. His last confidante was Peter Pettigrew, a child who is bullied and overlooked so often, it affected his persona. Peter was not bad one from start, his experiences made him so. His experiences left him a coward. Instead of trusting and talking with his friends whenever he was low, he hid all with smiles and it burst out in form of betrayal later. He was young and made mistake, the mistake which he can't turn his back from or seek redemption from his friends.
Lily- the love of his life, whom he loved more than anything in his life. Lily came from a background different to James. Even though both were magic, the culture they grew up with is different. But he loved her with all he had. It would have been easy to hide their relationship during the war, to avoid the talk it caused, A pureblood heir, Potter marrying a muggle-born. It bought all the ill-attention to them. People on the other side of the war were furious. Clearly sides were chosen. Even if their Ideologies were different light families and dark families used to be polite to each other. Now, people whom James knew from childhood, with whom he had some polite conversations before were clearly now on the other side of the war. War is ugly but it is what it is. She along with Sirius was one of his support pillars after his parents died.
Severus Snape and he had a childhood rivalry, which extended to being on opposite sides of war and different ideals. Both gave as much as they got. Sometimes James was wrong and cruel, and sometimes Snape was wrong and cruel. It was a toxic rivalry which should have been nipped in the bud by responsible professors. In other realities, they may have understood and respected each other.
James loved Harry very much and would have encouraged Harry in everything. Would be his best friend and proud of him. It was sad that he did not get to spend much time with him. Sometimes James shone through Harry’s behavior and ideals which made all others Nostalgic for him.