Chapter 4

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When Harry came up the portrait of the Fat Lady, he cursed himself for not remembering to ask Dumbledore for the password. To make matter worse, the Fat Lady was glaring at him as he stood there and clumsily tried to explain his situation to her.

"You see I'm a new student and I don't know the password, but I really would like to go upstairs and sleep and so, could you please let me in?" He looked up at her hopefully. She didn't respond and just continued to frown down at him. Finally after about 15 minutes of waiting for someone to come and open the portrait for him, Peter came stumbling down the corridor into view.

Harry barely restrained himself from stunning him on sight. After all, this was the man, well boy, who was the reason Harry didn't have any parents. But on second thought, he doubted that Dumbledore would appreciate it if Harry murdered someone his first night here, so he controlled himself. Harry forced himself to smile and ask, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know the password would you, I'm a new student and the portrait won't let me in"

Peter barely glanced at him. Now that he was closer up Harry noticed how miserable the boy looked, but Harry really couldn't muster up any pity for him. Whatever had happened to him, he probably deserved it, Harry thought cruelly.

"Maneki Neko" Peter mumbled and the Fat lady half-heartedly swung open, looking angry that Harry had found a way in. Harry followed Peter up the stairs, happy to not have to make any small-talk or explain himself to the traitor.

When they reached the dormitory Harry found that Sirius, James and Remus were already asleep. Harry discovered himself openly starring at James but hopefully before Peter noticed anything odd he made his way to the only open bed. Peter didn't say a word as he changed and then pulled his curtains closed around him.

Harry, on the other hand, who was pajama-less, just sat on his bed and starred at the other occupants of the room. Remus had light brown hair that was yet to show any signs of grey and his face looked considerably more peaceful then Harry had ever seen it before. Sirius had inherited the aristocratic, somewhat haughty Black good looks and was just as handsome as he had always been described, before Azkaban had hallowed out his face and nearly destroyed all signs of attractiveness. His long dark hair fell over his closed eyes giving him a care-free look, even in sleep. James also looked untroubled and happy. Harry couldn't help but notice all the differences between himself and James. James had a slightly longer nose and he had a barely noticeable freckle on his ear that Harry only noticed because he was searching for any dissimilarity. The hair and thin face however were identical and Harry could understand why, upon meeting him, everyone compared him to James. The two big discrepancies between them however was the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead and of course the eyes which Harry couldn't currently see, James being asleep and all, but he knew that James' eyes were hazel. Another difference that Harry would never notice but anyone else saw instantly when looking at the two of them was the unmistakable maturity in Harry's eyes that was entirely absent in James'. Harry had aged far beyond his years and that was evident to any observer.

After starring for a while longer Harry kicked off his shoes and reached into his pocket to rest his wand on the bedside table. He had a small shock as he remembered that it was gone as the sinking feeling rushed back. He shook himself to rid himself of the sensation. He would have his wand tomorrow, he reminded himself comfortingly. Finally he took off his glasses and lay down on the bed. It was well after midnight but still Harry couldn't sleep. His mind was racing with everything that had happened that day. Had it really only been a few hours ago that he had been questioned with Hermione in Umbridge's office? It felt like a lifetime ago. Upon thinking that his exhaustion caught up with him and he fell into an uneasy sleep. He kept waking up every few hours in a cold sweat, seeing Death Eater faces swimming above him.

When he awoke around 7 next morning, it was to find four very curious faces looking down at him. He sat up quickly, making all four of them jump in surprise. Harry smiled uneasily at them as he put his glasses on. He decided he should reintroduce himself, since it didn't seem like they were going to talk any time soon.

"I'm Harry, we met yesterday, sorry if I scared you," He stuck out his hand to shake with Sirius.

"Sirius," the boy responded and shook his hand still looking at him as if he might attack. "What was wrong with you yesterday anyways, you were about dying."

"Oh, um, yeah," Harry had come up with an excuse yesterday but actually pulling off the lie would be a bit difficult, "Well, I knew I would be coming here today so yesterday I wanted to take a look around the place, so I wouldn't be completely lost but I didn't realize there was and anti-apparating charm around the castle and I kind of got stuck," He looked up, trying to look guilty and a little embarrassed.

"You know how to apparate? But that's really advanced magic," James burst out. He was thinking about the time Sirius and he had tried to apparate last summer, after all if they able to become animagi, they should be able to apparate as well. Instead they spent several frustrated hours trying to figure out how to do it and when they still couldn't get it right, they gave up the effort, resolving that they would just learn next year.

"Yeah, I had a private tutor and she taught me some advanced stuff," Harry lied, praying that he would never have to prove that he could apparate; he didn't have a clue how to do it. "Anyways, when Dumbledore realized it was me trying to apparate into the castle, he let down the enchantment which let me come through. As you saw I was really not in the best of sorts when you found me. I had to run up to Dumbledore to have him reattach my eyebrow." He knew his story had a lot of holes in it but he hoped it would suffice to get suspicions off of him. Remus had his eyes narrowed but everyone else roared with laughter.

"So what's your last name? I don't know if you noticed or not, but we look a whole lot alike, maybe we're related."

"Phillips, but I doubt we are, you see my Dad's a muggle and my mom was the only child of only children, I have a very small family and I pretty much know everyone in it. I guess it's just a weird coincidence."

"Yeah, really weird," responded James, frowning slightly. "Anyways I'm starving. I'm going down to breakfast, anyone who wants to join me can." Then he strode out of the dormitory, clearly expecting everyone to follow straight away. Peter obediently trotted after him. Sirius, however, merely rolled his eyes and yawned and then went over to his bed to get dressed. Remus, though, stayed near Harry and began questioning him.

"So why did you suddenly decide to come to Hogwarts, I thought we had a no transfer policy? And it's the middle of the term too," he pointed out.

"Well, my tutor passed away last week," he looked down to make it look like he was sad and then continued with his story "and my parents decided that rather then hire another, they might as well send me here. Plus it's safer here then anywhere else." He attempted to look upset about his 'dead tutor' in hopes that Remus wouldn't ask him anymore details.

"Oh, I'm really sorry about, erm, that," he said awkwardly.

"It's ok," Harry mumbled, feeling guilty for making Remus feel uncomfortable because of a fictional tutor. "So I think I'm going to go down to breakfast now too, it was nice to meet you…."

"Remus," Remus supplied, looking embarrassed for not introducing himself properly. Harry gave him a smile and then began down to breakfast when Sirius caught up with him.

"Wait, you don't know the way!" He bounded up to Harry and began acting as his tour guide. "Well as you know this is the Gryffindor common room, it is where we do all things common. Up that charming little staircase you find said species of females who will more likely curse you then speak to you. Just like Riley did to poor Peter last night. Crazy girl cursed him and stuck him in a broom closet. The nerve of her." Sirius shook his head; at least Harry knew why Peter had been so miserable the night before. "Anyways, this is the fireplace and right this way is the lovely Lily Evens."

Lily looked up when Sirius said her name and glared heatedly at Harry. He was shocked at the look of venom she was giving him. How did his dad ever get her to marry him if she obviously hated him this much? "Hi Lily, thanks for finding me yesterday." Harry looked up curiously, to see how she would react.

"You see, Lily, that wasn't good old James as we both mistakenly believed" explained Sirius to an extremely confused looking Lily.

"What? Are you kidding?" She looked astonished; she scrutinized Harry for a moment and then realized that Sirius wasn't lying. She blushed a deep scarlet and then said "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry about how I treated you yesterday! I thought you were someone else."

"Don't mention it," Harry reassured her. "I'm Harry, by the way."

"Well, Harry, let me at least make it up to you. If you ever need anything, just let me know. Catching up as a new student can be difficult.

"Thanks. I'll remember that."

"See you, Harry! Sirius," Lily said with a smile and a curt nod respectively as she headed for the portrait hole.

"She's…" Harry trailed off, lost for words as he realized that he'd just had a conversation with his mother.

"Obliging? Attractive? Unfailingly hostile?" Sirius supplied. "Yup, that's Lily for you. Don't even think about it, though, mate. She's a bit nutty at times if you ask me, but James is crazy about her. She, however, has yet to give him the time of day. Don't blame her really," he grinned evilly "James just isn't her type, and he refuses to see that." Sirius continued to lead Harry out of the common room as he talked. "You see, I am much more sensible, I just take them as they come. I mean, sure, I have standards, but I don't do any of the chasing and trying to impress stuff that James does. I simply let them come to me." He said all this with an air of arrogance and Harry couldn't help but laugh and shake his head at his godfather.


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