And onwards!

After Christmas, Harry had begun spending most of his free time with Theodore in the Potions classroom, working fervently to complete the incredibly complex potion. Snape had begun assisting them as several times even Theodore had almost made a couple of terrible mistakes.

"This potion is eleventh on the top twenty most difficult potions." Snape told them with a snarl. "I shouldn't have let you attempt it."

But his pride over them wanting to try instead of using Transfiguration and Charms had obviously been what had stopped him from telling them no.

When classes started again, Snape all but took over handling the potion and Harry was given the shock of Rita Skeeter's article concerning Hagrid, though he wasn't particularly surprised by all the lies, most of which were produced by the Slytherin group. He tried to talk to Theodore about the article, but the other boy was reluctant to the point of weird, which Harry pointed out.

"Always knew." Theodore finally admitted in a mutter. "Just never said anything because you were my only real friend."

"Said what?" Harry forced down the angry tone.

Theodore hesitated and finally grumbled, "Is wrong, don't you think? Half-giants or half-goblins or half-anything...is gross."

Harry shrugged, tried to play off indifference. "Their own business, isn't it?"

"Still gross."

"Is it that Pure-blood thing?" Harry spat.

Snorting indignantly, Theodore didn't answer and instead pretended to be listening to Grubbly-Plank's lesson about unicorns. They didn't see Hagrid for the rest of the week and the relationship between Harry and Theo had definitely chilled. Harry figured it was a combination of the Yule Ball fiasco, which he was sure Theodore hadn't forgiven him about yet, and him calling the other out on his Pure-blood prejudice.

A Hogsmeade weekend came up and Harry decided he should probably go despite risking running into Rita Skeeter as he hoped to break the ice forming between him and Theo, but Theodore didn't want to go.

"Why not?" Harry asked, startled and highly disappointed.

"Have a lot of work still to do with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes...think I'm going to drop Ancient Runes though after this year."

"Oh?" Harry sat down next to his studious friend. "But you like it."

"More than Arithmancy." Theodore admitted. "But it doesn't fit into my schedule while taking Care of Magical Creatures."

"You hate that class." Harry pointed out. "Why not drop it instead?"

Theodore flinched slightly. "You take Care of Magical Creatures."

This made Harry smile slightly. "Well, you shouldn't suffer through it because of me."

Sighing heavily, Theodore pressed his head to the table. "Thought I could take all these classes like that Granger Mud...girl did all third year, but I didn't get a Time-Turner like her. Had to rush from class to class and take extra classes after everyone else was done, but this is killing me."

"Well, you were smart not to take Muggle Studies or Divination."

"Divination is stupid." Theodore practically spat the words. "And Muggle Studies? Me? A Slytherin? A Pure-blood? No. Never. Not even if you paid me galleons to take it."

Harry sighed, almost rolling his eyes. "All right. But you should drop Care of Magical Creatures."

Theodore straightened and stared down at his essay about unicorns. There was a long moment of silence before he finally picked up the parchment and tossed it into the fire.

"You're right." He closed his book and set it aside. "I'm not taking that class anymore."

"Come on." Harry grabbed his friend's hand. "You should take a break."

"Really shouldn't." Theodore muttered, glancing at his other stack of books.

"Come on." Harry insisted and the other finally gave a sigh and agreed to come along.

"But you're not wearing that cloak this time."

Going to Hogsmeade had been a terrible idea as Harry was almost instantly cornered by Sirius.

"Harry!" The man gave his godson a giant hug and Harry had to fight the urge to yank away. He was still mad about what Sirius had said and done to Theo. "Oh, Harry! I couldn't get to the first task, but they're letting me into the second. I read all about the dragon! That was quite amazing, Harry! Your dad would have been so proud."

"Thanks." Harry said shortly, finally freeing himself from the embrace. "Er...how have you been?"

"Oh, you know..." Sirius shrugged, smiling. "Just been hoping to see you. You didn't come down the last Hogsmeade visit."

Harry noticed Theo start to wander off and his gut tightened.

"Yeah." Harry's tone darkened. "But it sounded like I should have."

By the shadow that entered Sirius' eyes, this had not been a good thing to say. "Look," His voice dropped. "Harry you have to understand that...Nott...his father...was a Death Eater, a supporter of You-Know-Who."

"His name was cleared."

"It's a lie."

"You don't know that."

"I do." Sirius insisted. "I was in Azkaban. I heard the other Death Eaters. I know who was considered faithful and who wasn't. They're all mad at Nott and Malfoy and several others who lied and didn't get put in Azkaban with them. They thought it was an insult to everything they had worked so hard to accomplish in the first wizarding war. "

Harry felt uneasy now, uncertain and anxious. "Theo's my friend. He's not his father...neither am I."

"Harry, you're very much your father..." Sirius started, but Harry interrupted with a shout.

"I AM NOT." He hadn't meant to explode, but after years of Snape looking down on him for resembling James and so many people reminding him how much like James he was (aside from being in Slytherin) he was tired of it. "I am in Slytherin House! I am friends...BEST friends with Theodore Nott and I...l-like blokes! And I am great, absolutely fantastic, at potions! Sure, I look like my dad and I'm good on a broom and a Seeker, but I am my own person, Sirius! I am Harry Potter, not a replica of James!"

"Harry." Theo was suddenly beside the fuming boy. "No need to shout."

Sirius had gone very rigid and his jaw had tightened and his eyes had dulled. Harry couldn't read his expression clearly, couldn't tell what the other was thinking, but the desire to know...his eyes perused Sirius' wishing he could just read his thoughts.

An image flashed through Harry's mind of his parents, startling him as the words, So unlike James...or Lily...flitted across through his brain. He took a step back, startled.

"That's fine." Sirius murmured slowly. "It's good that you're your own person, Harry. We don't want to be replicas of our parents. I just...it's hard not to look at you and think about James...and Lily. Lupin had told me how much of both of them were in you, but I guess he was just as wishful thinking as I was. I'm sorry I assumed so much, Harry. I shouldn't have."

Harry gave a nod. "And I think you owe an apology to Theo."

Theodore stiffened. "No. Don't want him to apologize. Won't mean it."

Sirius' face twisted with a brief snarl. "Well, I hope you have a nice visit in Hogsmeade." He told Harry after a moment. "I need to go...send an owl. Lupin has been wanting to know how you've been."

"Fine." Harry stated sternly. "I've been fine."

"Good...good..." Sirius, who looked as if his hopes and dreams had been crushed, turned and started walking away...and revealed that Rita Skeeter was only a few feet away writing wildly in her notepad.

Furious, Harry marched over to Honeyduke's to hide in the crowds of students. He didn't check to see if Theo had followed. A few moments later he realized he should have as, when he looked, Theodore was no where in sight. Anger bubbling up, Harry started looking for his friend, but he was no where in Hogsmeade, which meant he had returned to the castle.

Getting worked up, Harry began the march back up to the castle, thinking he was going to be exchanging some words with the other boy, only to find he wouldn't be because he was wrong.

Not far from Hogsmeade on the road back to the castle, there was a small field and in this field stood the Gryffindor gang, all surrounding Theodore, who looked like he was gluing himself into place. Harry started running, knowing that four were too many people for even a great wizard such as Theodore to handle. Abruptly, a spell was cast, but Theo dodged it and turned into a deer to make a run for it. To Harry's horror, he saw Ronald and Dean transform into dogs, the former a Jack Russell Terrier and the latter a Beagle, to give chase after the darting deer, while Seamus laughed and Neville shook with fear. The dogs were closing in on Theo and Harry's instinct told him what to do.

It all happened very fast, Harry had started to transform just as the Terrier nipped the deer's heel, sending Theo spiraling into the air and onto the ground as the Beagle made a lunge for the throat. Harry had dove and attacked the Beagle right before it could sink it's teeth in. Talons and teeth and claws and feathers were a blur before Harry's eyes. Abruptly, he was pinned by the jaws of the terrier and despite all his struggling, he couldn't break free of trap. Fear plunged through his veins. He could see Theo kicking at the beagle and then ram into the terrier's side hard. Terrier with Harry in mouth and deer went flipping through the air, flinging Harry high up into the sky. He spread his wings, but didn't catch himself, landing with a thud onto the ground. He noticed a second later that a fox had joined the fray, snapping jaws missing Theo's face by mere inches. Harry screeched at the danger and transformed back, raising his wand at the canines, a curse forming on his lips.

Neville had suddenly dove in front of Harry, snatching up the beagle in one arm and the terrier in the other. "NO!" He screamed as he fought the struggling dogs. "I won't let you!"

It took Harry a second to process the scene as Ron and Dean both returned to their original forms and raised their wands to Harry, while Neville tore the fox off of the deer. Seamus bit Neville a couple times before realizing who had him and then he had returned to his original form as well.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean shouted at Harry, black eyes furious as several cuts along his face bled profusely.

"Dark wizard is what." Ron spat, blood coming from his nose. "Not afraid to use Unforgivables.

Harry's heart jumped as he realized in horror that the word which had been forming on his lips only moments before had been Crucio.

"We should tell a teacher." Neville stated, but Ron scoffed at this idea.

"He'll hex us when our backs are turned."

"I only had a problem with you when you were making sport of my friend." Harry shouted.

"Yeah, we know Dark wizards stick to Dark wizards."

"Shut up!" Theodore yelled, apparently back in his own form and wand now raised at the backs of the gang. Neville and Seamus spun around, raising their wands, the former shuddering uncontrollably. "You, shut up! You don't know anything! Anything at all!"

"I know enough to know you'd have used an Unforgivable if given the chance." Ron barked back at the other Slytherin.

"Harry!" Sirius' shout made all six boys jump. "What is the meaning of this? What's going on?"

Six wands lowered simultaneously as Sirius stopped in front of them all, eyes wide and mouth slack. "What..."

"You should be happy." Theodore spat, starting to walk from the scene. "There's a new gang of Marauders around, picking on Slytherins. Look at your life's work in motion."

Harry started to follow the other, leaving Sirius to look stunned.

Neither talked about the occurrence as neither wanted to admit they were glad for Sirius' interruption. It saved them. It really had. Two stunners each would have meant a hospital visit, no doubt, and admitting to their fellow Slytherins that they got bested by Gryffindors. The humiliation to follow would have been the worse, especially for Theodore.

Another reason, of course, that Harry didn't want to talk about the incident was because of the curse he had almost used.

As Theodore set about finishing his homework, Harry sat across from him, forehead pressed hard against the table and stomach convulsing like angry snakes fighting inside him.

It had been a terrible idea to go down to Hogsmeade.

Sorry I didn't get this out sooner. Valentine's Day got in the way :D Hope you all had a good V-Day and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Explanation for Ronald's gang and their Animagi forms: as the group is becoming a "Marauder's Gang" and Ronald, who actually knows who the original Marauder's were, wants to become like them even more, they started to learn to become Animagi without teacher help. Over the summer and with a lot of work he, Dean, and Seamus (eventually) were able to finally become Animagi by this time and this will be the first time any of them formed, fueled by their emotions and the build up of magic. As for Neville, he's never been very good at magic and while he is trying, he's not doing very well and hasn't mastered it yet, but if Peter Pettigrew could so can Neville Longbottom. Wish him luck.