Hey everyone! Sorry this is so much later than usual. School started up and I had to finish summer projects just to get assigned more on the first day and I only finished them all last week and... that's no excuse, so I'm sorry. I wanted to wait and restart regular updates in October, but I finished this early and decided to get it out now. You should probably expect an update a week, and I'll also try to post the occasional chapter of The Boy Who Cried Help. But I also have the first few chapters written of two other stories (crossovers, actually) since the ideas struck me and didn't let me write this until I had all of my thoughts down and wow, I should really just get to the point.

1) I'll try to update this on Mondays. 2) I'll try to update TBWCH on Thursdays. 3) I'll try to post the first chapters of the crossovers by the end of next week. 4) I love you and thank you for sticking with me when I really don't deserve it :*

ALSO! Matt (guest) made a really good point so I want your opinion, since I have plans for either choice. I'm having Harry get all of his injuries again, but Matt said he didn't like that because Fate specifically said the only catch was that Harry would be a different person. But then suddenly she says that he was forgetting who he was! I have him conversing with Fate in this chapter so tell me, should I have her listen and he should stop getting the injuries? Or should I keep it since it isn't done by other authors? **I WILL NOT HAVE HIM GET HIS SCAR SINCE THAT IS A SYMBOL OF THE BOY-WHO-LIVED AND HARRY IS NOT HIM ANYMORE.

Thank you all again :) I love love love you :) (sorry this is so long) (sorry this chapter is so short and all over the place)

Chapter 11

Sirius sat down next to Harry and gave him a large smile.

"Ry!" He yelled loud enough for most of the great hall to hear – loud enough for James, who sat right across from Harry, to hear.

Harry rolled his eyes and exchanged flat looks with Remus.

"Hello Sirius." He said dully. "Hello James."

James smiled smugly in Sirius' general direction (but not at Sirius, oh no, he wouldn't willingly smile at Sirius) and spoke. "Good morning Harry, good morning Remus!" Remus nodded at both of the boys but didn't speak.

"So Ry," Sirius continued, his voice was much closer to his normal level. "I was thinking after charms today you and I could do some studying in the library, how about that?" James looked up, annoyed at the other pureblood for stealing his brother.

"So Remus," James said louder that Sirius. "Maybe today we could study in our dorm? Maybe you could help me with the history of magic essay?"

Remus and Harry didn't manage to get a word in and instead had the same facial-expressions-conversation they had last yesterday. And the day before. And the whole week before that.

"Harry, you know we should try to find some secret passages, wouldn't that be fun?" Sirius practically shouted. Students around them were looking over with annoyed faces while others just huffed and looked away. Most of them were used to this by now.

The next sentence, James did yell. "Remy, we should really try to find the kitchens, it would be great!" Harry took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. This is so annoying.

"HARRY, LET'S GO TALK TO SOME OF THE PORTRAITS"

"REMUS, LET'S GO TO THE COMMON ROOM"

"HARRY, LET'S-"

"REMUS, WE SHOULD-"

"HARRY, WHY DON'T WE-"

"REMUS, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF-"

Remus and Harry rolled their eyes again and Harry stood.

"I've finished my breakfast. Come on, Remus, we should get our books and go to herbology." Harry shoved his last piece of toast in his mouth (at least, that's why they thought. Only Remus saw Harry slip two pieces in his pocket to munch on later. For now, they just wanted to leave) and Remus followed him out.

Sirius and James glared at each other and shut up, choosing to eat the rest of their breakfast in silence.

"They're acting like children!" Harry exclaimed as soon as they were away from the great hall. Remus nodded solemnly but didn't speak, instead letting Harry rant since it seemed as though he was finally past the breaking point.

"It's absolutely insane! I mean, what the hell are they doing? Why won't they just make up? Break is in two weeks but if they're still fighting, I'm not speaking to James and Sirius isn't coming over. Are they really going to make me do that? Over a stupid argument about Peter? I mean, I get that it's a big change for them, to not immediately agree over something, but can't they put it away until after Christmas? I mean, for Merlin's sake, we leave next Monday. That's 13 days away!"

Remus agreed silently again and Harry sighed. "Do we know where Peter is?" He asked. Remus shrugged and decided to finally speak.

"I think he went to class early. Professor McGonagall wanted to speak with him." Harry accepted that and collapsed on the cold stones of the hallway. He leaned his back flat against the wall and his head thunked as it was thrown backwards in agitation.

"The problem is that I have no idea what to do. I can't imagine either of them relenting but I really don't want to have to ignore them. I don't want Peter at my home but if it'll make James shut up…" Harry trailed off, worrying his bottom lip. "But I really want Sirius to come over, so maybe I should agree with him and pull the majority card. But then James would hate me and I don't want that." Harry groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. "Why is life so bloody difficult?"

"You're eleven," Remus reminded him with a quiet laugh. Harry joined in after only a moment and stood up.

"I guess I just leave it for them to figure out. Maybe I'll yell at them if I get annoyed enough. But until then, don't expect me to make conversation with either of them." Remus grinned.

"I don't blame you," he said.

James plopped down into the seat next to Harry.

"Hey little bro!" He went to knock shoulders with him but Harry moved away.

"Hi"

"Where were you this morning? You were gone when I woke up."

"With Remus"

"Doing what? Obviously not homework since you always finish that before bed."

"Talking"

"About what?"

"Stuff, James. Look, I really have to go. I'm meeting up with Remus and Lily in the library."

James frowned and shook his head. "No, wait a minute. What's up with you? What have I done?"

Harry finally turned and faced him. "What have you done? You and Sirius are ruining a friendship that was supposed to last the whole time while at Hogwarts! We were going to be the pranksters of the school: you, Siri, and I – and now you two are throwing it away! Over some stupid disagreement! Do you really want Peter over so badly that you risk ruining a friendship that's lasted a few years?"

James shook his head. "Of course not. Truthfully, I don't care whether he comes over or not. I just want Sirius to stop thinking he can control who we do and do not become friends with. Just because he might not like someone doesn't mean I'm not allowed to speak with them."

Harry stared at James before rubbing his forehead. "Then just tell him that. I'm tired of the fighting!"

James gave a tired grin and sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Sorry Ry, you know I didn't mean to put you in the middle, right?"

Harry laughed shortly. He was positive that was exactly what he intended to do. "Yeah, James, I know. Just don't do it aga-AH!" Harry's hands flew to his thigh.

James straightened immediately. "Harry? Are you okay? What happened?"

Harry winced and tried to act normal. "N-nothing happened – ah – I just pulled a muscle in m-my thigh, I think." He bit his lip as he wondered what could have possibly happened last life to create this pain.

James was his oblivious self and let it go, and Harry had never been happier of that fact. He managed to make it out of the common room without drawing suspicion and began searching for an empty room.

As soon as he found one, he sat in a dusty seat and looked around. "I don't understand." He spoke slowly and hoped Fate was listening. "I don't understand," he repeated, "why this is happening. You told me it was because I was forgetting my past self. Isn't that what I was supposed to do? Become a new person? Get a new life? Why did you have to change it?"

He waited for an answer but one didn't come. Harry, in a rare show of rage, stood and overturned a table.

"I DON'T GET IT!" He cried. "I accepted it at first because really, it's not the strangest thing that's happened to me. But now I'm sick of it because I'm getting injuries that I don't remember getting the first time and I don't get it!"

He felt the increase of magic before he heard the voice.

Fate is a fickle thing.

"Yeah, no fucking shit. But it doesn't change the fact that you specifically told me that the only catch was that I'm not Harry Potter any more. And then you go and you change your mind and I'm sick of it! Now these cuts and bruises I'm getting are making me Harry Potter again and damn it I'm not him."

The voice didn't reply and Harry collapsed back into a chair, defeated.

"Isn't there any way for me to not have to go through this again?" He asked miserably. "How am I supposed to explain this? I obviously can't tell them the truth. Merlin, I just wanted to be normal. Why are you not letting me be normal?"

Silence.

"Fine. You know what? I don't care. I don't care. Use me as your punching bag. See if I care, because I don't. I don't anymore." He would never admit it, but he was hoping Fate would say something and stop the injuries. He looked around again and pulled out his wand. He mumbled a healing charm to fix his bruised thigh and sent a reparo towards the table that now had a large crack in the side.

He righted the wooden table and left the room in a cloud of misery.

"Hi Ry!" Sirius said happily as he sat in the space across from him. Harry looked up and noticed James sitting next to the pureblood.

"All sorted out, I see." He replied with a smile.

"Yep!" Sirius cheered and reached over to take a piece of James' buttered toast. He lowered his voice. "And Peter isn't invited, so everything works out!" Harry was also very glad of this fact.

"Good, you were both becoming bothersome." James looked up and gave a mischievous grin.

"You know what else that means?"

"What?"

"The Marauders are back together so the pranks are back on!" Sirius and James immediately began planning with excited voices and Harry went back to his food. When Remus showed up a few minutes later he looked at the boys and turned to Harry with an amused eyebrow raised.

"Care to explain?" He asked.

Harry hummed. "Not much to say. I told James he was being an idiot and they really solved it themselves from there. Say, have you heard yet if you can come over for New Year's?" Remus nodded and grabbed an apple.

"Yeah, my mum said it would be fine. Great, in fact. Does this mean Sirius will be coming over too? And not Peter?" Harry couldn't figure out how Remus felt about not including Peter.

"Yes to both. Their agreement was that Sirius wouldn't be so hostile in school but James wouldn't invite him to out-of-school events. At least, that's what I gathered."

"At least they managed to make an agreement at all. I was afraid we would have to shove them into a room and let them hex the anger out." Harry looked at the brunette with shock. He couldn't imagine older Remus ever saying something like this. Was that Harry's presence doing that? Or was Remy always like this and it was the war that made him so quiet and weary?

"What?" Remus asked defensively. Harry hadn't realized he was staring.

"Nothing," he said smoothly. "Just wondering what you've done with the Remus I know."

Remus' lips quirked up and he rolled his eyes. No matter how uncaring he tried to seem, his ears still turned red and there was the faintest brushing of pink on his cheeks.

"Oh, shush you. They just became too annoying for me and any longer I probably would have snapped." Harry couldn't visualize Remus 'snapping'. He was just so calm all the time; it was weird to think that perhaps at points he wasn't.

"Yes, well, I suppose it's a good thing that they are all sorted out then, huh?"

Remus agreed wholeheartedly.

With the four friends back (almost as if the last few weeks hadn't happened; the only difference was everyone was being careful to not mention Peter too much in fear of starting another argument), the last week passed quickly. They were given a plethora of homework that Harry knew Sirius and James wouldn't do until the last day, but other than that, nothing notable happened before it was time for break.

The friends sat in a compartment together again and made jokes the whole time. However, Remus, Harry, and even James noticed how Sirius seemed to tense as they approached London. Only Harry knew it was because he was dreading seeing his mother for the first time in months. James could probably infer it was something about that, but Remus would have no idea what could be worrying Sirius so.

Too soon, the train was pulling into the station and Sirius was looking much too pale.

"See you soon," Harry told both Remus and Sirius.

"Yeah, less than two weeks until New Year's!" James chimed in and Sirius relaxed slightly.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll try to write before then though. And I have to go shopping!" The boys exchanged their goodbyes and Harry watched carefully as Sirius took a portkey with his father. Hopefully Walburga Black wouldn't yell too loud when Siri got home.

Harry greeted his parents with a large smile and happily accepted the hugs and forehead-kisses. James, however, tried to rub his off.

"How was the first semester of school?" Dorea asked as they made their way through the train station. "Did you make friends? You mentioned a boy named Remus. How is he? Is he nice? What are his favorite foods so I can cook them for your sleepover?"

James interrupted. "Mum! It's not a sleepover! We're hanging out!"

"But they'll be sleeping over at our house, yes?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's a sleepover! Those are for girls!" James looked over towards Harry for help but he just shrugged.

"I dunno, I guess it's not a sleepover," James was victorious and Harry leaned over to mumble in his ear: "especially if we stay up and don't sleep." Both boys were excited and planned on doing a lot of fun stuff as the first official not-sleepover with only the four marauders.

A/N what should they get for each other for Christmas? HELP