DISCLAIMER: What's JKR's is hers, what's mine is mine.

This is a bit shorter than the first chapter. But I'm a sucker for reviews. So please keep reading and reviewing.


Harry stood outside the gates wondering exactly how to get past the wards uninvited. He knew a great deal more about the wards of Hogwarts than the average person, and all of this knowledge told him he was no match for the protection they afforded. He was contemplating making his way back to Hogsmeade and entering the school through the Shrieking Shack when he heard a collection of laughter and chatter coming from behind him. He turned to see the threastle driven carts bringing the students to the school. The gates opened to allow them through and he got quite a few strange and admiring looks as several went right on past. Harry's eyes roamed from cart to cart apprehensively searching for those he knew. And then, he saw her. Her beautiful dark red hair, not quite auburn but not the orangey-Weasley red either, blowing in all different directions as she laughed with the girls in her cart. She was indeed breath-taking. His staring was interrupted by the sudden collision of another body with his. He was knocked to the ground but was up in a flash, wand drawn. When he looked at who had collided with him his heart stopped for several seconds.

--

Sirius Black was known for many things, one of them was his reckless bravery. So, after making a quip to James about Lily, which had resulted in him being pushed out of their cart, he was quick to draw his wand the minute he saw the stranger had done so.

The two of them stood facing each other wands raised slightly neither in attack nor in hesitation. The stranger said nothing, and Sirius took the silence to check him out a bit. He was definitely not from Hogwarts. He had a punk-rock look to him that Sirius could appreciate, all decked out in leather himself, his hair was black with bright red streaks, and spiked in a messy way that still seemed to be done with intention, His black t-shirt was tight across a clearly well muscled chest. Sirius was taken aback by the scars across the boy's face, a long silver line ran from his left eye to his neck, and several still pink scars that resembled large scratch marks wrapped around his neck and disappeared under his t-shirt collar. Finally, Sirius looked at his eyes and felt a strange jolt when his own silver blue eyes, met the pale, frosty green ones. It was only after a minute or two that he realized two things, first he could hear his friends laughing at him in from the cart behind him and two this boy was staring at him with a strange familiarity.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." The boy's voice was light but hard at the edges.

"Right. Well. Bloody Hell. Sorry mate." Sirius shook himself from his thoughts and extended his hand. "Sirius Black, Gryffindor."

The boy took his hand and shook it firmly. "Harry Pierson. I guess you could say I'm new."

Sirius noticed that the boy's mouth quirked up at one side as he said this, and Sirius felt that he had missed the joke. "Excellent. Come on then, want a lift?" Sirius pointed at the cart where his friends were now staring avidly.

"Yea, sure."

Sirius turned and Harry followed him to the cart and climbed up.

--

Harry climbed into the cart knowing exactly who he would find there, and still a little startled from seeing Sirius. He was so young, there were no lines of torment around his eyes, and his eyes held none of the pain and hatred that had filled him when Harry had known him. He sat down next to the boy who must have been Remus. He glanced at him and saw that time had not treated him well either. And he once again thought that Sirius and Remus had perhaps had the worst of it all.

"Gentlemen, may I introduce you to the Harry Pierson." Sirius said dramatically still standing as the cart moved forward. "He is new, and less he be sorted into the house of our enemies. We shall take him in and show him the way to true happiness of Hog— ." Before Sirius could finish the cart hit a dip roughly and sent Sirius falling straight into Harry's lap.

There was a moment of silence before Sirius looked up at him, shouted "My hero!" and fainting dramatically falling over into Remus' lap so that he now lay stretched across both of them.

Harry turned to Remus and said "Is he always like this?"

"Always." Said another voice and Harry found himself staring at what could have passed for his own reflection not so very long ago. Harry had no frame of reference for his father really, not like Sirius or Remus or even Peter, whom Harry could not bring himself to even look at. His father was a fairytale and now staring at him he was suddenly unsettled. "You alright there?" James said.

"Wha—yea. Sorry. Just a bit tired is all" Harry shook his head lightly and then with the tiniest glace toward Peter, held out his hand to James. "Harry Pierson."

James took it. "James Potter. And this is Peter Pettigrew and that is Remus Lupin." Harry nodded at Remus and Peter. Sirius finally removing himself from his and Remus's lap, squeezed himself into the space between them.

"So what house do you think you'll be in?" This came quietly and almost hesitantly from Peter, and Harry noticed he looked to James almost for permission to speak. He felt tiny pinpricks of loathing rise up in him but seeing the expectant looks from the others chose to respond.

"I'm not sure. I mean I know about the houses. I suppose I would prefer Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."

"I'm sure he'll be in Gryffindor, what with the way he drew that wand on me." Sirius broke in, "You must have had one hell of a Defense teacher."

Harry smiled at this, "I had a good teacher, but mostly I learned from experience."

"How do you mean?" This was Remus, quiet but strong.

"Self-defense is best learned when you need it the most." It was another private joke he made, repeating Remus' own words to him before he'd even said them. Harry smiled a little knowing Remus would have appreciated the irony of it.

Sirius through his arm around Harry's shoulder and said "Well, it'd be nice to have someone else to sleep with…" he held the silence for effect and Harry raised an eyebrow. "…our fifth roommate had to leave halfway into first year for some reason, and we've had an extra bed forever."

"Merlin, Padfoot, coming on a bit strong aren't we?" James got out just barely before bursting into laughter joined by Remus and Peter.

Sirius just shrugged and gave Harry's shoulder a little squeeze.

"You're one to talk about laying it on strong, how many singing Valentines did Lily get last year?" Sirius didn't duck fast enough and a flying chocolate frog slapped him on the face before climbing up to his forehead and leaping off the side of the cart.

Harry smiled and looked up to see the castle approaching, his heart ached as he saw it standing whole, strong and beautiful once again.