A/N: I'm not dead, I promise! And I have suffered for not updating, I promise that too...but here I am! See, being a broke college student and all, I was motivated to get a full time job, plus an internship, so with that, sleeping, and trying to maintain social connections, writing has taken a back seat...unfortunately. BUT...here's the next chapter, though I'll confess that this version is a re-post; I nearly forgot one very important day for one of my characters!. Also, I messed around with the previous chapters, so I'm gonna re-post them...nothing big, except for one chapter break, so you shouldn't need to re-read, but if this works like I want it to, this should turn in to chapter 10.One last thing! Within the next few days, I'm going to post my poems and short stories from my creative writing class on if you're interested, go read them AND REVIEW them, and I hope you enjoy them. And now: THE STORY!

Sammy Solo

By the second weekend of November, the Slytherins' skins had lost their orange tint and talk about the prank had all but died away. Snowflakes began to drift onto grounds, hypnotizing most students and drawing them outside despite the chilled air.

"Isn't there a quicker way to do this?" Sirius complained, staring longingly out the window at the dropping flecks of ivory. "It's the first snowfall of the year!"

"If we want these pranks, mate, we have to get them now," James explained, turning the copy of The Joke Is On Them: 1,001 Goofs for the Everyday Prankster so that he could read it.

"The book's not going anywhere," Sirius argued.

"But if we take it out all the time, and every time we take it out a prank happens, they'll know it was us," Remus half mumbled half snapped. James shot Sirius a warning look; Remus looked pretty tired and kind of sick, maybe Sirius shouldn't be arguing with him. But Sirius either couldn't take a hint or didn't particularly care.

"Yeah right. The professors said it was a group of sixth or seventh years who pulled that prank. They'd never believe it was us even if we told them."

"Yeah, but that librarian isn't stupid," Remus pointed out harshly. "She'd catch on really fast, then we wouldn't be able to check the book out anymore."

"Well...this is still stupid. We should be outside killing Slytherins with snowballs."

"We'll have a snowball fight tomorrow," James promised, ending the fight before it could get any worse. "There'll be even more snow, and the four of us will be able to get a bunch of Slytherins."

"I um…I can't go tomorrow," Remus said, suddenly losing his harshness and becoming interested in the parchment in front of him.

"Why not?" Peter asked, taking the book from James and copying down another spell.

"I told you guys, I'm going to see my Mum tonight. I won't be back until probably tomorrow afternoon or night."

"She hasn't been feeling any better?" James asked, remembering what Sirius had said last time Remus had gone home. Was it really possible that his friend was hiding something from them?

"She's been…off and on," Remus answered. "But I have most of my homework done, so I want to go see her while I have a chance."

"You're going to throw away a perfectly good snowball fight to sit at home?" Sirius asked.

"My Mum's sick!" Remus snapped. "What would you do?" He'd apparently heard enough, because he stood and walked out of the common room.

"Great, now this'll take even longer," Peter pouted, finishing the spell he was copying and pushing the book back to James.

"What would I do?" Sirius asked, glaring at the hole through which Remus had disappeared. "If my Mum was sick, I think I'd have a party."

Remus came back Sunday night, and though he and Sirius didn't talk much that night, the fight was all but forgotten Monday as classes started again.

"I've got an exam in every class in the next three weeks!" Sirius complained at dinner that night.

"Everyone does, mate," James agreed.

"It's like the professors are trying to kill Christmas," Peter said into his mashed potatoes.

"Yeah, Happy Christmas, you failed your exam." Remus was looking downtrodden as always after seeing his Mum. She might have been the sick one, James thought, but seeing her was making Remus just as ill.

"Well, all these exams before Christmas can only mean one thing," Sirius stated.

"Locking ourselves in the dormitory until Christmas break?" Peter suggested.

"A prank," Sirius finished.

"How will we have time to plan a prank with all this school work?" Remus asked skeptically.

"Come on, guys, we have to make all that hard work pay off!" Sirius encouraged. "We spent all day Saturday copying that stuff down, it's time we used some of it."

"Well, we did miss the first snowfall…" James mused.

"And everyone's going to need some cheering up after exams," Sirius pointed out. "We'd be doing everyone a favor!"

"Alright, I'm in," James said, nodding.

"Me too," Peter piped in, looking much more perky than he had a few minutes before.

All three boys turned to Remus. "I…I don't know…" Remus pushed his food back and forth on his plate. "I mean…last time we had a good reason, the Slytherins were being terrible, but this time…"

"I just gave a load of good reasons!" Sirius interrupted.

"But still…I mean…"

"You know they're just offering because they feel bad for you," the wolf said in his snarling whisper. "They don't really want you to help, you'll probably just mess it up anyway…"

"Don't worry about it Remus," Sirius snapped. "It's not like we need you anyway for this." He turned and started whispering to Peter, making sure that Remus couldn't hear. Remus sighed and speared a piece of meat with his fork angrily. All I want to do is go to bed…

"It's really okay, Remus." Remus looked up from his plate, surprised that James hadn't started whispering with the other two. "You don't have to help if you don't want."

"I do," Remus said honestly; planning and performing the last prank, not to mention seeing the end result, and been one of the most fun experiences of his life. "It's just that…"

"You're worried we'll get caught?" James offered.

We'll get caught, then Dumbledore will realize that all the horrible things people say about werewolves are true and change his mind and send me home and… "Yeah, I just don't want to get caught."

"We're gonna be careful, mate," James assured. "There's no way they'll guess that a bunch of first years are doing this stuff. Besides, you thought of all the good stuff last time, it'll be easier if you help."

"You…you really want me to help?" Remus stuttered.

"Of course we do," James said. "Why else would we have asked?"

"I…I dunno…"

"He's lying!" snarled the wolf. "He's just saying that to make you feel better…"

But James's hazel eyes spoke something else to Remus. "Yeah, I'll help."

Before James could respond, Sirius slid down the bench and threw an arm around Remus's shoulders. "Knew you would, mate," he said with a wink. "Now, as I was saying to Peter," he continued, removing his arm. "This is gonna have to be something completely different…"

December 1 started for Liz in much the same way that October 31 had started for Lily.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ!" her roommates screamed when it came time to wake up that morning. Liz sat bolt upright in her bed, gasping in surprise. When she realized what had happened, she threw her best glare at Becca.

"You just wait until your birthday," she threatened.

"I'd be afraid, but my birthday's in June, we won't be here." She smiled and held out a small package to Liz. "Happy birthday."
Lily sat down on the edge of Liz's bed and offered her another gift. "How did you guys find out?" Liz asked, astonished.

"I heard from her," Lily said, pointing to Becca.

"And I heard from my brother, who heard from Remus. The two of you! Keeping it a secret…it's a great day!"

Liz opened her presents from her friends, and those that had arrived by owl from her family. "Thank you guys so much," she said once they had cleaned up the wrapping paper and were heading downstairs for breakfast. There they found the boys; Remus gave her a gift, while James and Sirius took advantage of the situation and performed their rendition of "Happy Birthday" so loudly that, by the end, most of the Great Hall was involved. Liz blushed profusely, mumbled her thanks, and nearly ran from the Great Hall when the bell rang for classes to begin.

"…and as you can see, the correct wand movement in all Transfiguration attempts is vitally important…"

Why is it that the last classes before a holiday have to go by about as fast as a niffler trying to drag a giant? James thought as McGonagall continued her lecture. He sighed and checked his watch again, rolling his eyes and sighing at what he saw. And this is just the first class of the day.

He felt a sharp pressure near his ribs, and turned to Sirius at the desk next to him. Grey eyes shining, Sirius positioned his wand subtlety under his desk and mumbled a few words that James couldn't hear; he still knew immediately what they were.

We weren't supposed to use it until the feast! James thought worriedly. But as he continued to listen to McGonagall speak, he realized the pure genius of Sirius's plan.

"…so that the swift flicks of the wrist sh-jajinggijingjing." McGonagall closed her mouth, eyes wide, as the sound of chiming bells escaped instead of her intended words. The first years giggled into their hands, but Sirius let out a roar of a laugh.

"Jajingjinglejingjang…" McGonagall was forced to stop again, a scarily angry look clouding her face. The first years didn't seem to care, though, as they had all lost the tug of war between their self-control and the absolute hilarity of the situation.

Trying to remain unfazed, McGonagall removed her wand from the pocket of her cloak, pointed it at herself, and attempted to cast a spell. She managed a few cheery-sounding melodies of bells before she gave up and resorted to outright yelling.

"…jinglejajingjing-ever found out who did this, I'll…" she stopped suddenly, surprised to hear her own voice, and the first years got another good laugh at the look of surprise on her face. She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "Whoever the prankster may be, I would like him or her to know that I will find you, and you will be punished…severely." A few of the students gulped loudly, but Sirius managed to keep a straight face the entire time.

Perhaps tired after her humiliation—or perhaps afraid to risk more—McGonagall stopped her lecture and gave the class a short essay to write before the end of class.

"Excuse me, Professor, may I be excused to the bathroom?" James turned his head slightly in his seat as Remus's voice spoke into the silence.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin, go on," McGonagall said with a wave of her hand. Remus left and returned a few minutes later, face caught between an expression of conquest and one of worry.

"What happened?" James whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"I made sure McGonagall doesn't think it was one of us," Remus answered simply, and continued to work on his essay.

When class was dismissed, the boys packed up and left for their next lesson. They slowed their walk once outside the room, however, when they spotted Professor McGonagall talking with Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher.

"…honestly don't know how it happened, Minerva," Binns was saying in the dull tone that he always possessed. "One minute I was giving a highly-interesting lecture to the sixth years about the Dwarf Revolution of 1313, and the next all I could speak was bells. Must have been one of the sixth years…"

As they walked away, James, Sirius, and Peter turned admiring eyes on Remus, who shrugged and tried to hide his blush. "I just thought it would be better to not get caught…"

With a rotation of mumbled spells and trips to the loo, the boys managed to perform their prank on enough teachers—and a few choice Slytherins—that no one could draw any connection to the occurrences. At the Christmas Feast that night, Professor Dumbledore stood to address the school.

"Ah, Christmas, a truly magical time for all the world, not only our small piece of it," he said dreamily. "I'm sure you've had enough of teachers for today, so I'll be brief."

James noticed Sirius shift in his seat, and saw that his friend had his wand in his hand. James reached out to stop him, but Sirius shook his head and moved further down the bench, out of James's reach.

"I merely wanted to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Christmas indeed. While continued lessons loom in your future, I trust that all of you will not have a hard time forgetting our voices for a few weeks." There was an appreciative chuckle from students and staff alike. "And to our pranksters, who have once again struck and made our holiday just a bit more interesting, I have this to say: jinglejajingjangjinglejijangjaclang…"

It seemed almost as if Dumbledore cast the spell himself, the timing was so perfect. The student body burst into laughter, with the exception of the Slytherins that had suffered the spell for themselves. Dumbledore continued as if nothing had changed, and when he finally finished and returned to his seat, the students burst into applause. Sirius turned back to his friends, winked, and dug into his roasted potatoes.

"You guys better write me, you hear?" Sirius mock-threatened as the four boys made their way off the train, back to Platform 9 ¾ to start their winter break. "I'm gonna have to tell you all about how angry my dad is somehow."

"Of course we'll write," James promised. "And maybe you can come stay at my house, I'll ask Dad about it." Sirius nodded and smiled, then turned to Remus and Peter. "Happy Christmas mates."

"Happy Christmas," Remus offered with a weak smile; he was looking rather sickly again, and he looked like he could use a break from school.

"Yeah," Peter agreed, looking nearly as pale as Remus and shooting nervous glances around the platform.

James held out his hand and Sirius shook it earnestly. "I'll talk to Dad," James promised, and even though he had put on a careless air all day, Sirius got the feeling that James knew just how disappointed—and maybe a little scared—he was to be going home.

"Thanks, mate," Sirius said with a smile. They unclasped hands and went their separate ways, dread making Sirius's stomach wring like a squeezed rag. I can handle a few weeks, he told himself, but some of the confidence faded as his father's face appeared among the crowd.

"Get over here, boy, we've got some discussing to do." Menelaus squeezed Sirius's shoulder roughly. Sirius stole a final glance over his shoulder, spying James being swung in the air by an older version of himself, before Menelaus led him off the platform. Yeah, Happy Christmas…