Sorry I'm posting this really late! Schoolwork has (maybe) gotten the best of me. But here it is, chapter 6!

And to answer one reviewer's question about whether or not Harry will see Sirius again, he will. But probably not in the way that you're hoping he will.

Looking at the Great Hall, Sirius didn't know what to think.

The last time he had been at Hogwarts, the Triwizard tournament had ended and he had spent the majority of his time bouncing back and forth between the Hospital Wing and the Headmaster's office. And the last time he had been in the Great Hall….

Huh. That was a tough one to remember.

But here he was, years older, and though it had felt like forever since he had gazed at it, it technically hadn't been that long. Because there he was, a few feet away and a few years younger, laughing with his friends after an eventful summer. He couldn't remember what they were talking about, but from the glances that were made in Lily's direction, it probably had something to do with her.

Dumbledore had been concerned about what seeing his old friends would do to him, so the suspicious old man decided that the best place for Sirius to sit would be right beside him. So with Dumbledore staring intently at him, Sirius was able to freely gaze upon his friends.

James Potter looked just like how he remembered. With his Head Boy's badge gleaming prominently on his robes, James looked both comfortable and confident. Knowing what his son would look like did wonders with Sirius' imagination, because even though James and Harry looked very similar, there were a few subtle differences between the two. Harry was always more closed off, and not as outgoing as James had been, especially when it came to his looks. James' hair, constantly sticking up, was something that he took pride in and actively kept casually messy. Meanwhile, Harry would always try to keep it tame, while simultaneously participating in James' habit of messing with it when he was nervous. James radiated immaturity and fun, while Harry was more mature and down-to-earth, something that only one who knew both of them well could take notice of.

Across the wooden table for Gryffindor was the beautiful Lily Evans. Her emerald eyes met with James' and she looked away with a huff, her Head Girl's badge somewhat hidden beneath her dark red hair. Sirius smiled. While James tried showing off his accomplishment to anyone he saw, Lily tried to keep it to herself. As modest as ever.

Meanwhile, a younger and less scarred Remus Lupin tried to comfort James, his light green eyes filled with wisdom. He said something quietly under his breath to his four friends, and Peter let loose a loud and almost pitiful laugh. Sirius ground his teeth in frustration, and as Dumbledore gave him a concerned look, he smiled in the old man's direction, but kept his anger hidden within. He would have to do something about Peter. He didn't know what just yet, but he did know that his first order of business was to get rid of the future Death Eater.

Lastly was the younger Sirius Black. The older version looked at his younger self with both sadness and jealousy. Sadness, because he knew what could have awaited him, and jealously, because if he succeeded in changing the future, this version of Sirius would live the life that the older version had been pining and wishing for. Sirius decided that it would be best to try and separate this young and immature boy from himself, and thus would only refer to him as Padfoot when discussing him with Dumbledore.

Speaking of Dumbledore, he was curious as to why the old man had not started his final Welcoming Speech yet. The students looked practically done eating, and Sirius was intrigued to find that he was not the only one curious. The students were now whispering to themselves as to why it had not yet begun, and this even piqued the young Marauders' attentions. Sirius looked at Dumbledore, only to find that Dumbledore had been looking at him from the corner of his eye, most likely for the past few minutes. Sirius motioned his head towards the Great Hall, and, as if taking this as a cue, Dumbledore smiled and began walking towards his podium to begin his speech.

"The very best of evenings to you all!" Dumbledore began, a warm smile gracing his features. Sirius couldn't exactly remember what the speech had consisted of, but he did remember that something big was going to happen at the end. He smirked. This would be fun.

"I welcome our new students, and to our old students I say 'Welcome Back.' As always, I look forward to a wonderful year with each and every one of you. I'd like to inform the new students of a few basic rules. Firstly, no student is allowed in the Forbidden Forest, and any student found there will be quickly punished. Secondly, the following items have been banned from use on the grounds…"

Sirius zoned out for a little while during that speech, because he knew that more than half of those banned items were banned because the Marauders had used them at one point or another. He did notice, however, that Lily Evans was taking notes. Sirius smiled to himself. Nothing had changed.

"I would now like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Joining us this year is Professor Harry Grim. If he could please stand."

Sirius grumbled to himself, and with a sigh stood up and waved to the students in the Great Hall. No one looked particularly interested, and it was most likely because they expected him to be gone by the end of the year like so many professors before him. The only two in the room who looked even remotely engaged were Sirius and Regulus Black.

Padfoot had on his face a look of pure loathing. Sirius gulped. He probably should have taken Dumbledore's advice and disguised himself. However, that ship had sailed, and he most likely looked, at least to his younger self, like a more scarred version of his father. James looked questioningly at his friend, and after Padfoot had whispered something unintelligible into his ear, James looked at Sirius with the exact same amount of disdain. This year was going to be fun.

On the opposite end of the spectrum was Regulus. Sirius had avoided looking at his younger brother for quite some time, because he wasn't sure how he would feel when he saw him. As an older, more experienced man, he felt sorry for the way things turned out for his brother, but knowing the path that he was on just made him feel sad. But looking at him now, with his wide, curious eyes, Sirius knew he had to save him. Regulus had not yet joined the Death Eaters and there was still a chance for him to change. Maybe keeping his appearance could actually play out in his favor after all.

"Now, a warning to you all, if I may." Dumbledore began, snapping Sirius, James, Padfoot and Regulus out of their stupors. Sirius quickly sat down, and Dumbledore continued on. "There have been some rumors going around about a certain group of people who are attempting to, perhaps, change the world. In some ways, they are doing just that. But not in the right way, not for the right reasons, and not for the right cause. There are also rumors that the recent string of murders that have been occurring have also been caused by these certain witches and wizards. I can confirm this to be true. And, though these attacks have been going on for a few years now, it is imperative that all of you are aware of what lies ahead. With the number of these attacks growing, and new information being presented to me," Dumbledore looked to Sirius out of the corner of his eye, an action that was not ignored by Padfoot and Regulus, "I must stress upon you all that these attacks will only increase. If anyone has been contacted, or is in connection with these so-called 'Death Eaters' I urge you to tell someone about it. Dark forces are attempting to usurp everything that we've ever known and cherished. And though you may feel that you play an insignificant role right now, please keep this thought in mind. Someone trying to change the world is nothing without followers to support him. *So in the end, their greatest weapon, is you."

A poignant silence graced the halls, and Sirius noticed Regulus looked especially pale. Unlike some of the other Slytherins at his table, he was not smiling or scoffing at Dumbledore. Sirius felt his heart leap. Regulus looked upset at the prospect of joining the Death Eaters. There was hope.

"Alright, off to bed then." Dumbledore stated after a few seconds. But before kids could begin getting up, a loud pop was heard above the Hall. Sirius grinned. And so it begins.

Everyone looked above their heads, and were surprised to find that instead of looking up at the night sky, they were instead looking at the faces of four, mischievous boys. Someone had messed with the enchantments that were placed on the ceiling and had instead made it so that one particular scene was being played out. In it, the four boys were making faces and laughing at one another. It was truly some spectacular magic.

At this point, the four boys whose faces were prominently displayed on the ceiling were laughing and bowing, while even Dumbledore smiled to himself at the Marauder's beginning of term prank. The only one who looked even remotely upset was Lily Evans, but even Sirius could tell that she was impressed.

Dumbledore, still chuckling to himself, quickly fixed the enchantments, stating, "I congratulate that astounding use of spell work from Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew. Ten points each to Gryffindor. But as much fun as that was, it is time to turn in for the night."

*This quote was in the Half Blood Prince (not the book-the movie), but I had to put it in. The reason why is because ever since I saw that movie, this quote has always struck a chord because of how true it is. Those who become bad people had to start somewhere, and one can't have an army without followers. The greatest weapon someone can have is the extent that their influence reaches, because one man with crazy ideals isn't as much of a cause for concern as a group of men with crazy ideals. And in the movie, it was specifically used to emphasize the decisions that Draco Malfoy had to make. I thought this might parallel later decisions made by someone else*

Thanks for reading!

~M