"Why so glum?" Sirius asked as he and his entourage approached the scarlet engine.

"I'm going to miss you." Harry replied honestly.

"I won't be missing you." Sirius rebuked straight faced. Harry looked up at his face and realized that he wasn't joking.

For a moment he felt like crying but Tonks nudged him and pulled him into a hug, Moody patted his back awkwardly and Remus, who'd showed up earlier that morning, ruffled his hair fondly. He turned around to see that Sirius had disappeared.

"He's already boarded the train." Remus said.

"Well come on, are you coming or not?" Sirius asked, sticking his head out of the door.

"Why are you boarding the express?" Harry asked, climbing on himself.

"So that I can spend more time with you. This still stops in Hogsmeade, correct?"

Harry nodded.

"Good, I can stop by Zonkos and maybe rig Hogwarts before coming back."

"Sirius" Harry said seriously "I don't know if you are allowed to…"

Sirius couldn't take it anymore he burst out in a fit of laughter. It took him five minutes to calm down, students were giving the pair a wide berth as they made their way down the corridor with Sirius in hysterics.

He walked into the last compartment and slid onto the bench holding his side. "Harry, why are you so gullible? I'm the new professor of Defence, I thought I'd surprise you!"

It took Harry a couple of seconds to assimilate what Sirius had just said then his face broke into a crooked grin. He playfully punched Sirius' arm and slumped into the seat next to him. "You are evil. Why didn't you say something sooner! But wait" he said suddenly looking worried "that position is cursed, everybody knows that!"

Sirius ruffled his hair and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "There's no such thing as a curse Harry, it's all in your head. If you believe strongly enough in something then you yourself inadvertently end up causing situations that will turn your belief into a reality."

"Quirrell."

"Could have been teaching Divination and he'd still be dead! Normal people don't just go renting out areas of their body for parasites to live in."

"Lockhart."

"The idiot had it coming to him, if not Hogwarts it would have been somewhere else."

"Moony." Harry said defiantly.

"The job didn't make him a werewolf; he's been one ever since I've known him. And he has forgotten to take the potion a couple of times, we all make mistakes sometimes."

"Moody."

"Again, he could have replaced Binns and it would have still been an imposter. Last I checked Crouch was only representing the ministry and he too ended up getting hurt."

Harry's brow furrowed as he tried to come up with something but he couldn't think of anything.

"Why don't you go join your friends! I need some alone time to figure out what kind of Professor I want to be. I was thinking I could be the fun approachable guy who sometimes loses his marbles. Or maybe I could just be the unpredictable one…"

Harry shook his head in amusement as Sirius kept on citing different character traits. Once out in the corridor he realized that he wasn't sure of where he should go. He was halfway down the corridor when a familiar voice called his name, he braced himself for a fight but nothing happened.

"Harry, can we talk?" Ron asked when he was standing behind him. They went into an empty compartment.

"Before you say anything, I want to apologize. I'm sorry for acting like such a greedy pig. I still would like for us to be friends but I don't think I can be your best friend. I've thought over it a lot and I don't think I can get over our differences. You've never been jealous of me having a family but I've always been jealous of your wealth."

Harry wasn't sure on how to respond. On one hand he felt like he was losing his best friend but on the other hand he felt relieved.

"So, friends?" Ron asked, extending his hand.

"Friends." Harry agreed, shaking it.

"I have to go do rounds but I'll see you around." He said walking away. Harry noticed the shiny prefect badge on his chest and felt a pang of jealousy.

Before he could further dwell on this new feeling the compartment door slid open once again.

"Harry, can we talk?" Hermione asked with a worried expression.

"Sure" he said as she stepped into the compartment, her hair was frizzier than usual and she had shadows under her eyes. They stood in awkward silence for a couple of seconds.

"I'm sorry, I heard a rumour and I assumed it was true. You could never like a girl like me…" she sniffed and desperately tried to stop her tears from spilling out.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Hermione, it isn't like that. I just don't see you in that light, you are one of my closest friends and I really don't want to lose you. Please don't cry."

"I know I'm being silly but it just hurts." She whispered "I'll see you later okay…"

Harry watched her run out of the compartment, could this year get any worse he wondered. Of course, it could. Not wanting to be alone he too left the compartment and started walking down the corridor. Finally in one of the compartments he spotted Neville and entered.

"Harry! How was your summer?"

"It was good and yours?"

"Same" Neville replied.

"Mine was great, daddy and I went looking for Longtorts." A girl with wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes answered from the corner. She was wearing cork jewellery and reading a magazine upside down.

"This is Luna, she's a fourth year Ravenclaw." Neville said.

Harry took a seat and glanced at the list that Neville was reviewing. "What's that?"

"This? It's a list of possible careers that I might be interested in. Uncle Algie helped me make a list, we'll have to choose this year so they can tell us what classes we need to take next year."

"Wow I didn't know there were so many career options that involved plants." Harry said.

Neville blushed. "Herbology is a hobby. I wouldn't want to make something I love into something that'll stress me out. I'm actually leaning towards law."

Harry was genuinely surprised at Neville's choice; he couldn't for the life of him imagine the shy boy representing someone in a trial.

"Don't!" Someone snapped just as the compartment door slid open and a blonde girl tripped in.

She managed to balance herself against the wall with her left hand as she quickly moved her hair away from her face. Her cheeks tinged pink when she realized that all eyes were on her.

"I'm sorry, I'm Daphne. I was wondering if I could, uh, borrow the magazine for a second please?" She said spotting Luna.

"Hi I'm Luna and these are Neville and Harry." The girl said in a dreamy voice as she handed Daphne the magazine.

She adjusted the hem of her skirt and kept her eyes fixed on the magazine not really reading it as she flipped through the pages. "Umm, I'm sorry I was looking for an ad to show my friend and I don't remember which magazine it's from." She said, handing the magazine back to Luna. "Thank you and it was nice meeting you…all." She added exiting just as quickly as she had entered.

Harry and Neville looked at each other and shrugged.

"What is wrong with you!" Daphne hissed at Tracey who was shaking uncontrollably in silent laughter.

"Did he at least like what he saw?"

Daphne glared at her friend. "I swear on Morgana I'm this close to throwing you off this train!"

"But did he?"

"How should I know! I wasn't looking at him!"

"But how will he fall for you if he doesn't even know you exist? Oi Draco, it's good we ran into you. How many girls do you know in Hogwarts?"

Draco made a strangling sound.

"Come on, it isn't a trick question. Just answer."

"Well, there's Tori and you two. Then there's Parkinson and Granger. And Umm Lavender and the Weaslette and umm oh yeah there are a pair of twins as well but I don't remember their names. And Chang is still in school and there are three girls in the Gryffindor team…"

"Yeah, okay that'll do. Thanks, you can go back to patrolling." Tracey said impatiently, shooing him away.

"You see, and at least Draco uses his eyes and he still doesn't know half the girls in our year. You have to make yourself stand out from the crowd."

Daphne sighed. "Trace, I told you this year things were going to be different. I'm going to actively try and get to know people, but you need to give me some time."

"I'm just trying to speed things along." she replied with a mock pout.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go find a compartment." she grabbed Tracey's upper arm "another compartment." she enunciated, irritation marring her voice as Tracey tried to enter Potter's compartment.

Harry woke up the next morning and made his way down to the great hall. Ron would come later with Dean and Seamus. It was strange not fighting with Ron yet not hanging out any more either.

"Morning," Neville said.

"Morning Harry greeted him back." Hermione was sitting a few seats down and was avoiding eye contact.

Harry had just finished reading the paper when Ron joined them along with Dean and Seamus.

"Oi look, we have Defence first!" Ron exclaimed, holding up their class schedule.

"Yup and you don't want to be late." Harry said standing up "Sirius still hasn't decided if he wants to be charming or terrifying."

The three boys quickly finished their breakfast and hurried out after their year mates.

They walked into the classroom and took a seat just as the bell rang. Sirius emerged from the back of the room with something smoking in his hand.

"Welcome, to DADA" he said as he blew the smoke towards them. "Some of you believe this class to be cursed so I am burning sage, it is supposed to purify the air."

He threw the sage into a bowl and left it on his desk. "Let us begin with a roll call, firstly you may call me Professor Padfoot, seeing how my secrets out in the open as I was forced to get registered." He said with a scowl. "Now it's your turn, when I call your name, you may tell me what you prefer to be called."

Everyone except Daphne asked him to use their first name. When he called out Daphne's name Tracey immediately cut in "Ice Queen, Padfoot, call her the Ice Queen." She said with a yelp as Daphne stomped on her foot and desperately tried to hide her face.

"Making you stand out." Tracey mumbled under her breath as she massaged her foot.

"Great so we have a lot of boring names and the Ice Queen. Now here's the deal, I'm pants at remembering names so you have till next class to give yourselves a cool nickname. If you fail to do so, I will have to choose one for you and I can get very creative." he said with an evil grin, which Harry was sure he'd practised in front of the mirror, it seemed to have the desired effect on his class mates who looked positively cowed.

"Let's start today's lesson then, who can tell me what Lobuela does?"

Hermione's hand shot up in the air.

"Go on."

"You haven't assigned us any books."

"I know, I think books are boring. So Lobuela, does anyone know what it does?"

Hermione's hand shot up again.

"Yes." Sirius said impatiently.

"How are we going to study without books? This is our OWL year."

"I am aware of that, thank you very much. Let me worry about that, so no one? Ah yes!" His eyes lit up "The Ice Queen."

Daphne refrained from rolling her eyes. "Lobuela makes the light flicker."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow, "really? Would you like to demonstrate it for the rest of the class…"

Daphne took out her wand and pointed it at one of the gas lamps and waved it in a semicircle. She said "Lobuela" and made the lamp flicker.

"By golly!" Sirius exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. "Who would have thought, it actually works. Honestly that was a trick question. I didn't know such a spell actually existed. Take twenty points."

Daphne looked at him sheepishly "it doesn't sir, I just made it up as well. I simply cut the oxygen supply for a couple of seconds."

Sirius had to do his best not to gawk at her instead he barked out a laugh. "Take another twenty points, Ice Queen. This class is going to be fun!"

"As you can see, I don't need your help in standing out!" Daphne pointed out as they left the class.

"Alright, sorry. I won't butt in again. But it's a cool nickname, why are you still peeved?"

"Because it's not a cool nickname, you are the only one who calls me that and that too to make fun of me."

"Don't pout, you look too adorable when you pout and I lose every argument. Okay, fine. We'll both think of cool nicknames for ourselves. Now I have to rush down to the grounds for care of magical creatures, if you are going to the library…"

"Don't worry I'll check if your article's still there!"

"You're the best, thanks!"

"Draco, can you stay back please. I'll write you a note for your next class." Sirius called out and waited for everyone else to leave. "I just wanted to clear the air, there is bad blood between your parents and myself. But I want you to know that I will not be punishing you for their mistakes."

Draco was genuinely taken aback but he nodded and thanked Sirius.

Sirius watched him leave and sighed to himself. Remus had showed up at Grimmauld place the previous morning and had asked to speak to Sirius.

"I haven't been a very good uncle, I needed time to think things over. Had it been me, I would like to think that you and James would have loved my son like your own..."

"Of course, we would!" Sirius replied without hesitation. He was still mad at Remus but he couldn't snuff out the glimmer of hope that was now fluttering in his stomach.

Remus nodded. "And that's why I'm going to carry on working for the Order!" he lifted his hand to stop Sirius from lashing out when he saw his friends face twitch in anger. "You are his Godfather, he's got you for emotional support, he doesn't need me. But I don't know, call it my sixth sense but I feel like something is off. Albus has been acting very strangely, this connection of Harry's... it feels like there's more to it. He wasn't happy with how things played out this summer, I want to be his uncle now. The only way I can help him is by keeping an eye out for him, I'll be your spy. As far as everyone is concerned, we are on the outs but if I so much as feel like somethings off I'll alert you so you can look out for Harry."

"It's good to have you back..."

Remus gave his friend a sad smile. "Sirius you'll have to fetch your inner Slytherin as well. You are the new Defence Professor, with Voldemort back a lot of the darker families have already re-joined his ranks but you can dissuade their kids from making the same mistakes. Maybe you can get information from them as well... it wouldn't hurt to try."

"That's actually a really good idea. Though you should spend some time with Harry, he won't hold anything against you, trust me."

"When this is all over, I promise."

"You okay Neville?"

Neville nearly tripped but a hand caught him and helped him steady himself. His cheeks became hot as he stammered a 'thank you'.

"No issues! So, are you doing, okay? You looked a bit put off when Padfoot recognized your dad's wand."

"I, yeah, I'm fine."

"Well, if you are sure… we can walk together we are going to the same class." Tracey said with a smile to the nervous boy who looked even more scared at the prospect of walking with her but he didn't complain, so they walked together in silence.

Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville entered the library after dinner and found a table. They'd been doing their assignments when a shadow fell across their table.

"What are you doing here?"

"Our assignments." Harry replied.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the three of them but glancing at their parchments she was pleasantly surprised. "Your handwriting has improved." She remarked offhandedly.

"You want to join us?" Ron asked.

"Err, no. I'm good, thanks." She replied, sounding flustered and hurried back to her table.

Two hours later Harry finished reading his essay and stretched. The others were done as well, Harry noticed that Ron too was glancing at the table covered in books. So, when Neville, Dean and Seamus went to check some books out, Harry stood up and walked up to the table at the back. He could hear Ron behind him.

"I'll check your work later." She said without looking up.

"I don't need you to check my work." Harry responded a little defensively. "I want to know why you are avoiding me!"

"And me!" Ron added

"I'm not avoiding you I'm just busy, for once was it too much to ask for a decent Defence Professor! It's our OWL year."

"Sirius was great!" Both Ron and Harry said simultaneously.

"Of course, you two would think so."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, look I'm busy. I really want to finish this tonight so can we do this some other time?" She went back to doing her work, they left knowing better than to push her.

"Have you guys thought of a name?" Ron asked as they left the library. Dean and Seamus had already left for the tower.

"Padfoot christened me Hawkair during the summer."

"I haven't really given it much thought." Neville said distractedly.

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"Ghost Pepper!" Ron said immediately "I have found my passion, mum expected us to make and eat sandwiches for lunch and you know my love for food. I mean, how was a simple sandwich supposed to sustain me? So, I tried my hand at cooking, let's just say that I'm a natural. I know what good food should taste like. Mum said that I can work at the local inn during the summer, in fact, she's started supplying their breakfast. She says that if I can prove to her that I'm serious about this then she'll let me open up my own place after graduating Hogwarts. That's the name I'll be using."

"That's great Ron." Harry replied genuinely happy for his friend.

"Well, I have to go patrol the third floor. See you guys later."

Draco had been unusually calm. His father had warned him about Sirius Black being in the castle, he'd instructed Draco to keep his head down. He thought back to the conversation he'd had the night before the start of term.

"Draco, I am serious. Do not go provoking Potter or his sidekicks this year, keep your head down. Black may not act like it but he is a very dangerous man, if he so much as gets a whiff of anything the Dark Lord will punish us severely. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Draco silently nodded. Never before had he seen his father looking so worried, but ever since he'd found out that Black would be in the castle, he'd become paranoid.

"Draco!" His mother had called out when he exited his father's study.

"Yes mother."

"You look pale. Are you coming down with something?"

"No mother, I'm fine."

Narcissa studied her son for a couple of minutes. "Come, sit with me for some time." She tapped the seat next to hers; Draco sat down and felt his mother's arm around his shoulder gently pulling him closer. He ended up laying on the sofa with his head on her lap as she lovingly caressed his hair.

"Ma, is he scared?" Draco asked in barely above a whisper.

"He is, baby, and he is right to be. Till Sirius was in hiding it was alright, now however, things have changed."

"But the Dark Lord…"

"Draco, from the stories you've told me, Harry is a lot like his father. When the Dark Lord was at his strongest and your father joined his ranks, without consulting me first, he couldn't touch Sirius and James. Together they were a force to be reckoned with, in fact, he was so weary of the duo that he placed spies around the Potter house and only attacked when he was sure that the pair were separated."

Draco closed his eyes as his mother carried on playing with his hair. She always sounded bitter when she was reminded of the poor choices that his father had made. In fact, the day Lucius became a death eater, Narcissa not only changed bedrooms but she moved into the east wing.

"Draco, I want you to remember something, when the need arises Sirius will give you asylum. I want you to keep that in mind when you interact with him."

A million questions had popped into his mind, but his mother started humming a slow tune as her fingers braided his hair, indicating the end of their conversation.

On Saturday Neville couldn't stop fidgeting as he accompanied Sirius to Diagon Alley where they were meeting Augusta. As expected, Augusta immediately voiced her disappointment in him.

"Frank was a worthy opponent. I had hoped his wand would give Neville at least a tenth of his talent."

"Augusta, you know that is not how it works. If you didn't want to buy him a new one, did you at least let him, try other family wands? What about Alice's wand? Or Frank senior's wand?"

"I should have known that he was unworthy…"

"Don't!" Neville did a double take at the venom oozing in Sirius' words. "You sound just like my mother and you know very well how things played out with her… respect must be earned and what little respect I had for you has been lost today. How do you face your son, knowing how you are treating his son?"

Augusta wasn't used to being talked down to but she realized that the man sitting in front of her wasn't the boy she'd once known. The vulture on her hat wilted under Sirius' glare.

"I will buy him the new wand and he can keep Frank's wand as a good luck charm. Frank would have wanted him to have it. The only reason I contacted you was because Minerva asked me to. Come on Neville, we have better things to do."

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked as they walked through the portal that connected the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley.

"Nothing." Neville responded immediately.

"Is Starry still alive?"

Neville looked up at Sirius and nodded.

Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked towards Ollivander's. "Good, she made the best minced meat pies I've ever had. I think I'll visit her during the holidays." He said with a wink.

Neville felt his spirit's lift. Starry was their head elf which meant that Sirius would be visiting during the holidays, he wondered if uncle Algie would be equally scared of him as his grandmother had just been.

Daphne was surprised to find Nighty waiting with a letter when she got back from breakfast.

Dear Concerned Shadow,

I thought I'd write as I haven't heard from you for a week. School has been great so far, though I am feeling a bit low. Hermione has been giving me the cold shoulder and I really don't know how to fix things with her. Ron is okay, but things have changed, we aren't that close any more. I suppose I've just been feeling a bit lonely. How has your week back been?

Harry.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading." Tracey replied nonchalantly, still leaning over her shoulder.

"What if it was private?"

Tracey hmphed and threw herself on the bed. "He is a bit full of himself, isn't he? I'm not sure if I'm on team Potter any more…"

"What do you mean? He's feeling low…"

"He's been hanging out with Neville; how can he be lonely?" Tracy countered.

Daphne shrugged "isn't he a bit dull though? He hardly ever talks and he always looks scared. I doubt Harry wants to spend his day talking about plants."

"He isn't dull or scared!" Tracey snapped "Harry needs to get his eyes checked and apparently so do you!"

Daphne threw her hands up in truce "Trace, what's gotten into you? Wait, do you like him? Merlin! You are crushing big time, aren't you?"

"Maybe" Tracey agreed, playing with a loose thread "I mean, I partnered with him in Care of Magical Creatures and he's really smart Daphne and so gentle and caring. He just needs a cheerleader."

"Tracey, I love you. But don't try to go around fixing people, you might end up getting hurt."

"Isn't that what you are doing? You've changed the way Harry looks, you've changed the way he spends his time and the people he spends it with! Don't be a hypocrite Daphne, at least I'll be doing it because I care about him. And just so you know, I like him fine just the way he is, all he needs is a little confidence boost."

Tracey stormed out of their dorm leaving Daphne alone.

She couldn't deny Tracey's words. Though still thin Harry was looking much better and it looked like he'd grown a little taller. Her plan had seemed to work as well, seeing how quite a few people were whispering about the golden trio parting ways. She, however, did not feel guilty. Tracey would come around; she always did and Harry would eventually realize that she'd done him a favour.

Dear Harry,

I would like to show you a secret room in the castle. Would you be willing to meet me next Sunday after dinner?

A concerned Shadow.

She sent the reply off with Nighty, positive that Harry would reply in the affirmative. Now, however, she needed to work on her other goals so she went to look for the boy that she'd promised to tutor.