Harry shook his head, as he tried to forget his nightmare. He paused and listened carefully as he heard a soft shuffle, he wondered, which of his roommates would be awake at this ungodly hour. He pulled open the curtain and saw Sirius Black fully dressed and on his way out the door. Harry yawned and greeted the other boy, “Good Morning.”

Sirius turned around, surprised “Uh...sorry, did I wake you?”

Harry shook his head and smiled “Not really, I just couldn’t sleep any longer. Where are you off to?”

Sirius eyes twinkled mischievously “Oh, I’m just going to take a walk get plenty of fresh air.”

Harry smiled as this was an opportunity for him to finally get to know the other boy. “Can I join you? That is, if you don’t mind.”

Sirius frowned. He did not want to offend the other boy, so he might as well be honest. “The truth is, a walk is not the only thing I had planned for this morning.”

Harry looked at the boy, puzzled and disappointed. “Oh...”

Sirius bit his lip “If you promise to keep quiet and go along ... we can feed the giant squid afterwards.”

Harry smiled “Ok. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

Sirius nodded “I’ll wait for you downstairs.” As he walked down towards the common room, Sirius Black shook his head and wondered why he agreed to let Harry Potter come along. Maybe because Harry seemed to be the only friendly face in this whole house, or maybe he just felt he could trust the other guy. After all, he was sure that Harry figured him out on that pinktaceous train prank, and still had not given him away.

Harry walked down, he smiled at the other boy and asked. “So what do we plan to do?”

Sirius smirked, eyes twinkled mischievously. “We plan to have a little fun.”

Harry bit his lower lip and wondered what he’s gotten himself into, as he followed Sirius out the common room.

Harry continued to follow Sirius through a maze of corridors, he wondered how the other boy seemed to know his way. “Sirius, I have to ask, have you been to Hogwarts before?”

Sirius shook his head “Nope, just got here yesterday. The same as everybody else.”

“Then how is it that you already seem to know your way around?”

Sirius led them to a corridor and pointed to the wall to their right. “Here it is, the map of Hogwarts. This thing shows all the rooms and corridors of this castle. It’s too bad it doesn’t show any secret passage ways. I came upon this while wandering around yesterday. Most first years will be consulting this map before they head towards their first class.” Sirius grinned mischievously and pulled out his wand and tapped the map “Confundus!”

Harry’s eyes widened as the corridors changed shape and the classrooms began to shift around “What did you do?”

Sirius smirked “Just a little confusion charm. Come on, time for phase two of my plan.”

“Phase two?”

“We’re gonna switch the classroom placards”

“But we don’t know where the rooms are, and this map is now useless.”

Sirius grinned “Relax Harry, I’ve got a photographic memory. I know exactly where we’re heading. When McGonagall found me, I noticed that she was holding the first years’schedule and for their first classes; Gryffindors has History of Magic. Slytherin has Transfiguration, Hufflepuff has Charms, and Ravenclaw has Defense Against the Dark Arts. So now, all we have to do is switch the names of all four classrooms.”

Harry placed the Defense Against the Dark Arts plaque onto the History of Magic classroom. Sirius watched the corridor to warn his partner should there be anyone headed their way. The classroom door swung open. Harry paled and stepped back. “Sirius!” Sirius turned around and his eyes widened, for he knew that they were caught red-handed.

Standing under the classroom’s doorway was a tired looking man, with sandy hair that was graying on the sides. The man smiled kindly at the two boys. “Hello, are you lost?” He then noticed the newly placed plaque and raised an eyebrow.

Harry bit his lower lip and mumbled, “Please don’t let me get expelled for this.”

Sirius gave his worried companion a look, and whispered, “Relax, the worst he could do to us, is detention.”

Warm, golden-brown eyes turned to both boys. “Expulsion and detention for getting lost? That’s not how things are done at this school.” He gave both boys an impish smile. “I’m Professor Remus Lupin, and I could have sworn that I was assigned to teach History of Magic.” Both boys laughed. “Now where were you two headed?”

Sirius answered, “Harry and I were heading for the lake.”

-0-

The History of Magic classroom had a good view of the lake. Professor Remus Lupin smiled in reminiscence as the two boys fed the giant squid, ran around, and engaged in a bit of horse play. Harry Potter look so much like James, and Harry’s friend Sirius, who looked vaguely familiar, sort of reminded him of James too. Remus wondered if he and James were ever like those two.

-0-

“Harry, look over there. Let’s go check out that green house!” Sirius ran ahead before Harry could say otherwise.

Harry entered the greenhouse and saw that Sirius has already gathered several honking daffodils and placed them on each corner of the greenhouse. “Hey Harry! What’s the most irritating Muggle song that you know?”

Harry shook his head as the daffodils honked and 'the chanting cheery blossoms' sang to the tune of ‘The Song That Doesn’t End’. Sirius then gave Harry a packet of Zonko’s dancing charms. When he saw Harry’s confused face, Sirius grinned. “We sprinkle it on the ground on the way out. Those charms will stick to any shoe sole it comes in contact with. Too bad we won’t get to see our victims dancing to the tune of this music. You can take the right flank, I’ll cover the left.”

Harry started to sprinkle the contents of the package about the pathway. As he did this, he asked his companion, “Where do you get these things, and how did you learn so much about magic, when we haven’t started classes yet?”

Sirius grinned “I got a Zonko’s professional set, a gift from my Auror buddies. They’re the ones who taught me plenty of charms and spells.”

“What’s a Zonko’s Professional Set, and Aurors?”

Sirius smiled, he had forgetton that Harry, although a full blooded wizard, was raised in the non-magical world. “Aurors are Magical Law Enforcers. As for the Zonko’s Professional Set, I’ll show you. Come on, it’s in my trunk.”

-0-

(later that morning)

Remus Lupin smiled as students slowly trickled into his class. He would bet that Harry and his friend, where the ones responsible for that little prank with the school’s main map as well. He smiled as the thin, messy-haired boy entered the room, but realized that there was something wrong, for Harry seemed utterly miserable. He looked hopefully at a red haired boy who pointedly ignored him. Just then, Sirius entered the roomed and took a seat at the far end of the room, away from both Harry and the red-haired kid. Remus wondered what all this was about. “Good Morning I’m Professor Remus J. Lupin and contrary to what it says outside, I’ll be teaching you History of Magic.”

Ron glared darkly at Sirius Black. He had been willing to give the other boy a chance, for Harry’s sake, but that prat dared to call him a ‘tag-along, below average leech’. Ron Weasley growled, his family may be dirt poor, but at least they were not dark wizards. Moreover, he did not need to hang around with Harry Potter to build himself up. Ron would show him, he’d show that miniature dark wizard that Ron Weasley is indeed somebody!

Sirius felt mightily satisfied. No, he did not feel an ounce of guilt for anything he had said. He fought an urge to bite his lower lip, as he tried to convince himself that he really wasn’t feeling guilty, not the slightest bit. Harry looked a bit too miserable, but the git deserved it. He probably just felt lonely without his tag-along. Well, served him right. Sirius Black shouldn’t really feel guilty, for he only told the truth. If those gits could not take the truth, why should he care?

Harry stared miserably into a space, and wondered where he went wrong, and how in the world he had managed to lose two friends in such a short period of time.

“Mr. Potter? Harry?” Harry Potter jumped. Professor Lupin gave the boy a sympathetic smile “Classes has been over for quite sometime.”

Harry blinked and bowed his head to mumble an apology. “Sit down Mr. Potter, do you want to talk about this? What’s going on with you, Mr. Black, and Mr. Weasley?”

Harry looked up in surprise. If anything else Professor Remus Lupin was extremely perceptive. “How?”

Remus smiled down at the boy “It doesn’t take much to figure it out. The fact the Mr. Black took a seat far away from you, considering how you two seemed to have gotten along well earlier this morning. The way you kept on looking at both Mr. Wealey and Mr. Black, and finally how Mr. Weasley kept glaring at Mr. Black."

Harry sighed he didn't understand why, but he just felt that he could trust Professor Lupin. “I don’t know what I did wrong, but it all started when Sirius and I came back to the Common Room. People were staring at us, and I’ve always felt uncomfortable with staring. Sirius misinterpreted this as my not wanting to be seen with him, so he stalked off. Ron decided to come along as I try to talk to Sirius and..."

-Flashback-

Sirius angrily stuffed a quill, a bottle of ink, and some parchment into his bookbag, when Harry and Ron entered the room. Sirius drawled sarcastically, “Well, well, here comes Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, champion of all wizarding kind, and his loyal lap dog. I’m sooo deeply honored.”

Harry winced. Ron rolled his eyes “Look Black, Harry just wants to talk and explain some things.”

“Oh, so you’re talking to me now? It’s so easy to do that isn’t it? Now that you have a bit of a back-up.”

Ron frowned “What exactly do you mean by that, Black?”

Sirius smiled evilly and drawled, “Ron Weasley...” Sirius then gave a look of mock confusion. “Who? Oh... Percy’s brother, or maybe Fred and George’s brother. Always just ‘the brother’, unrecognized because he’s so damn below average. Always whining about being pushed into the backdrop. So he hangs around Potter, hoping that by being around someone recognized, he may finally be noticed.”

Harry’s eyes widened “Sirius...”

Ron glared “Better being an unknown, than a known dark wizard.”

Harry shook his head “Ron, don’t...”

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh “At least I am secure with my own identity, but WHO ARE YOU? You’re nothing more than a tag-along, below average leech.”

Ron’s face turned as red as his hair. “I don’t have to take this from you, Black!”

Harry placed his hand on Ron’s arm “Ron, wait. I’m sure he didn’t mean...”

Ron turned to Harry in surprise “I don’t believe this! You’re taking his side!”

Harry shook his head “No, I’m not Ron. It’s just...” However, Ron had already left the room before Harry could finish his sentence. Sirius sat on his bed and laughed as Harry glared at him. “Sirius, that was uncalled for.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow and drawled, “Talk to someone who cares, Potter.”

-End of Flashback-

Harry finished “...And so, both are currently not speaking to me.”

Remus Lupin sighed “If you ask me, you didn’t do anything wrong. If anything Sirius Black and Ron Weasley are the ones at fault. Mr. Black was out of line when he said those things, but Mr. Weasley shouldn’t have blamed you for anything Sirius Black had said.”

Harry looked hopefully at his professor “But how do I fix it?”

Remus Lupin gave the young boy a patient smile “Friendship is a two-way street, Harry. You’ll just have to wait. Not to worry, I’m sure they’ll come around. Now, I believe you had better run off to your next class, you’re already late as it is.”

Harry jumped and started to gather his things. Professor Lupin smiled and gave the boy a piece of parchment. “Here, give this excuse slip to Professor McGonagall. Tell her I’ve kept you.”

Harry smiled “Thanks Professor Lupin, Sirius was right, you’ve got to be the coolest teacher ever.”

Remus Lupin smiled “Oh... and Harry, whenever your dad and I had a disagreement, I used to shove a chocolate frog down his throat, so as to effectively shut him up, just long enough to make him listen.”

“You knew my dad?”

“You’re already late for your class, Harry.”

-0-

Harry didn't know why, but Professor Severus Snape truly hated him. He stifled a sigh as the greasy haired professor once again asked him a question he could not answer. “So Potter, do you know what the most common use for the Avaniko Weed is?” Harry shook his head as Hermione Granger, once again, raised her arms frantically. Professor Severus Snape sneered. “The Avaniko Weed is most commonly used to brew the Avalesco Potion, which is a perfect cure for boils.” Hermione lowered her hand and frowned, for she now knew better than to butt in and answer. “Three more point from Gryffindor due to Mr. Potter’s ignorance.” Few seats away from Harry, Draco Malfoy snickered.

All were surprised when a voice from the back of the room drawled “Then you should deduct six points from Slytherin, because their House Head is an even a bigger ignoramus, feeding us poor students with outdated facts. Avaniko weed is most commonly used in Dungbombs. Your information is almost a decade old, Professor Snape.”

Harry turned around to see Sirius with his feet propped up his desk and a bored smile on his face. Professor Snape glared at the insolent boy. “Alright Black, ten points from Gryffindor for your insolence and for inventing facts. Detention after dinner as well”

Sirius pretended to check his schedule “Oh sorry Professor Snape, I’ll have to take a rain check on that one. I already have a ‘date’ with Professor Mcgonagall” The way Sirius emphasized on the word ‘date’ caused several bouts of laughter on the Gryffindor side.

Snape glared “After your detention with Professor Mcgonagall then, and another ten points from Gryffindor.”

Sirius sat up straight and grinned“Double or nothing, Professor Snape?”

Snape frowned “What are you getting at, Black?”

Sirius smiled. “If I can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Avaniko Weed is more widely used for dungbombs than the Avalesco Potion, you’ll give back to Gryffindor all the house points they’ve lost in this class. If I can’t, then you can double the points we’ve already lost.”

Hermione gasped in surprised, as did the rest of the class.

“Are you crazy Black? It clearly states in the text book that Avaniko Weed is most commonly used for the potion!”

Severus Snape sneered “Another three points from Gryffindor because Miss Granger butted in without being called on, once again.” This effectively shut Hermione up. “Alright Mr. Black, since you’re so eager to lose more house points, you have our full attention.”

Sirius smirked “Accio Magical Weeds Inc. Annual Report!” A thick green ring-binded report came flying towards Sirius hand.

When the ‘potions class from hell’ has finally ended, the First Year Gryffindors all cheered and clapped Sirius Black at the back. Professor Severus Snape had decided that he disliked Sirius Black as much as he disliked the son of James Potter. He would indeed look forward to Mr. Black’s detention, for the foolish boy had forgotten to include his detention in that double or nothing deal.

Hermione approached Harry “Hey Harry, I heard about what happened with Sirius and Ron. I just wanted to say that I think that they’re both being jerks.”

Harry noticed that Sirius sat alone under a nearby tree “Uhh... Hermione? Do you happen to have a chocolate frog with you?”

Hermione gave Harry a puzzled look “Yes, I think so...” She then handed a packet over to Harry.

Harry grinned, and marched over to Sirius. Hermione followed curiously behind.

Sirius looked up to Harry and smirked. “So Potter, I see that you’ve found yourself another...” Harry hesitated then shoved the whole chocolate frog straight down into Sirius mouth before the other boy could finish his sentence.

“Mmmpmh...”

Harry bit his lower lip and proceeded quickly. “Now that I have your full attention, first of all, I don’t mind being seen with you Black. I actually think of you as a friend. Ijust happen to not like it when people stare at me. Secondly, I don’t think you’re a dark wizard. Dark wizards wouldn’t know how to have fun. Thirdly, I think you were a real jerk back there with Ron. And finally, thanks forgetting Snape off my case, at least temporarily.”

Harry looked nervously at Sirius as he struggled to swallow the chocolate frog.

“What the hell was that for?”

Harry shrugged. “Well, it worked.I managed to shut you up long enough for you, to listen to what I had to say.”

Sirius’ jaw dropped he them grumbled. “I guess... I'm sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusions, and for being such a jerk to you.”

Harry grinned “So this means that we’re friends again? Now all we have to do is find Ron and...”

Sirius pouted and crossed his arms “I’m not apologizing to that git. He started it!”

Hermione, who had stood behind Harry the whole time, raised an eyebrow as Harry sighed.

“Ok” Sirius finally relented “I sort of started ‘that’ particular argument but he deserved it.”

Harry and Hermione continued to stare down at Sirius

Sirius looked up with an expression akin to a lost puppy “Ummm...he sort of deserved it?”

-0-

Harry sighed as he, Hermione and Sirius couldn't seem to get a hold of Ron, as the red haired boy made sure that he was out of class before they could catch him. Sirius suggested that a permanent sticking charm be casted on Ron’s seat to ensure that Ron won’t be able to leave the room, before they can reach him. Harry was just glad that Hermione was around to put a stop to Sirius’ many off the wall schemes.

Harry stifled another sigh as he saw that Ron still refused to look at him during dinner. Sirius leaned over to Harry, “How about we jump him and tie him up now?”

Hermione glared at Sirius “How about you stop from being such an idiot?”

Harry sighed, as another round of senseless arguments started once again.

“Who are you calling an idiot?”

“You!”

“If I’m an idiot what do you call yourself? I happened to be the one who transfigured the match stick into a needle before you did, and you don't even know the most common use of the Avaniko Weed!”

“Only an idiot would attempt to flirt with Professor Mcgonagall in the middle of a class!”

Harry decided to put a stop to this argument and cleared his throat “Sirius, don’t you have detention?”

Sirius grinned “I prefer to call it a date.”

Harry and Hermione groaned.

-0-

Harry sighed and waited, as it is almost curfew time. Finally Ron entered their room. “Ron!”

Ron walked in and pointedly ignored Harry.

“Ron. We need to talk. There’s no truth in what Sirius said.”

“And you think I care about the lowly opinion of that lowly person?”

“And if you have such a low opinion of my lowly opinion because I'm a lowly person, why does it make you feel so low then?” Both boys turned to see Sirius leaning by the doorway.

Harry rubbed his forehead feeling the start of a headache. “Sirius please, we’re having a serious conversation here.”

“Are you saying that I, Sirius Black, am incapable of being serious? Do you seriously think that of me?”

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, who were engaged in another conversation at the other side of the room, looked to one another in confusion. They now gave their full attention to the other exchange that trtranspired in their room.

Sirius faced Ron and sighed. “Look Weasley, you don’t have to like me and I don’t have to like you, but you shouldn’t really care about anybody's lowly opinion of your lowly self. The moment that you do, you lose your identity and truly become a lowly nobody. That being said and all, I just went through double detention so I’m tired. Night everyone!”

All those in the room looked to Sirius in confusion as he sauntered off.

Ron looked at Harry, “Can you repeat what he just said?”

-0-

Later that night, Remus Lupin tossed and turned in his sleep, haunted by the urgency of memories and the torture of recollections.

In the vast darkness a familiar voice echoed...

“James, it’s the perfect bluff.”

“I-I was under the im-imperius cu-curse. I d-don’t know how th-they knew to to fi-find me”

“Unfortunately, your memory will never be fully restored, but some of it will slowly trickle back to you given time.”

There was a flash of white light and Remus knew that he was remembering...

His vision cleared, and the first thing he saw were his fingers, which felt broken on the cold stone floor. But, that was the least of his problems. The dungeon stunk with the smell of blood and urine. Remus Lupin had thought that nothing could be more painful than his monthly bout of lycanthropy, but he was wrong. The deep cuts still bled slightly, most of them criss-crossed all over his back, three broken ribs grated painfully in his chest. The cuts on his face still stung. He heard voices just outside the dungeon.

“How do you live with yourself? Those people were your friends.”

“Do-don’t you dar-dare judge me. You don’t un-under-st-stand.”

“Tell me, how does it feel to let your friend suffer and be tortured like this, and set another up to his death? Friends who would have gladly died for you!”

“Shu-Shut up Black!”

“I don’t know how a traitorous coward like you ended up in Gryffindor.”

"Shu-Shut up!"

(laughter)

Remus felt the strangely light-headed as the scene shifted once again.

He stared into a face that strongly reminded him of Sirius Black. But the man before him was not Sirius, this man was older, darker, and a deep sadness emanated from him.

“Remus, it’s over now. You and James have been betrayed by the one you have both trusted. He who has betrayed both of you, also revealed that Severus Snape is a spy for the Order. Severus is now in Bellatrix’s hands.”

Remus felt tears in his eyes and refused to acknowledge the man with an answer.

“You’re probably wondering why you’re not yet dead. I have convinced the Dark Lord that you can be turned. For it is only your memories that gives you strength to remain loyal to your cause and your friends, thus you resist him. I have been tasked to do the mind wipe.”

The man knelt down in front of him “Remus look at me, do not lose hope. There’s nothing I could do for James Potter and his family, for the Dark Lord himself is personally taking care of this. However, the Order has been informed of yours and Snape’s location. They will come for you.”

Remus looked at the man in surprise. “You’re...”

“Yes”

The man frowned as he heard familiar footsteps headed their way. Remus moaned in pain as the man kicked him hard on the stomach. “Filthy half-breed!”

A high feminine voice laced with malice crooned. “Oh hello cousin!”

“Nice of you to visit, Bella. Don’t you have to take care of that bloody traitor, Snape?”

“I was wondering if you’d want to trade prisoners?”

“Not today, Bella.”

“Very well then, Sevy’s waiting for me.” She cackled and left

Remus was roughly pulled to a sitting position. “Look Remus, we don’t have much time. This is a memory glass. I want you to concentrate hard and place as many thoughts and memorable events of yours into this ball. It may be able to help you regain some of your memories later on, but I can’t truly guarantee this.”

The next scene Remus saw was of the man with his wand raised and pointed straight at Remus. He yelled “Obliviate Totalus!” and everything went black

Remus felt himself float in a white room. He looked down and saw himself on a bed, he recognized the room, he was inside Hogwarts' infirmary. The same dark haired man sat by his bedside.

“War is a terrible thing, isn’t it Remus? It reveals the dark inner conflict within us. It unmasks and shows us the ugliness, cruelty, and inhumanity lurking within. It destroys all that was once innocent, good, and pure. We lose more friends than we gain allies. There are no true heroes in war, only victims. I know you can’t hear me now, but I have to say I’m sorry. Voldemort may be gone, but it’s not yet over. Funny, isn’t it? It was so much easier then, I knew Voldemort was evil and choosing sides was so simple ... so black and white...but, it’s not so easy now. Now all I see are shades of gray. I have chosen my shade of gray. I’m sorry, I cannot go against my family. I only pray that when you wake up, you’ll stay away from this conflict, else next time we meet, it will be as enemies. Farewell, my friend.”

Remus Lupin woke up with a start. His hand shook as he reached for a familiar glass ball. He breathed in deeply and whispered, “There comes a time when nothing is ever black and white, only shades of gray.” He closed his eyes and whispered a name he has long forgotten. “Regulus”