This chapter is dedicated to HarryPotterFreak7 for being an amazing friend and giving this fanfic a much needed critique. Thank you.

Gryffindor Common Room - Getting Used To Past

"So, you're sharing our dormitory?" James asked Harry, stating the obvious. Harry nodded curtly, not saying much.

As much as he was happy to be with Sirius, Remus and of course, his father, the proximity to Pettigrew was driving him nuts. He had seen the subtle warning in Hermione's eyes... forbidding him to do anything reckless. He wasn't stupid, he knew that the whole point of this mission was changing the future. One false step, and he could end up not being born, or being killed, jeopardizing thousands of lives in the future. Still, keeping control over his anger in this situation was being very difficult so far.

"You're lucky" James said, "I am the Head boy this year. So you know where it lead you to?"

"Where?" He asked, not sure what James was indicating.

"You're my look-alike. So perhaps you can do the rounds instead of me once in a while when I go and stalk Evans."

"Lily is going to do the rounds with you, James." Remus said in a exasperated tone. James's smirk faded.

"Oh right...well you'll only have to do the ones where Evans isn't there."

"We have different eye colours." Harry pointed out, "your nose is longer, and also, I have a scar." Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"Have you been checking him out or something?" He demanded, "even we couldn't point out these at the first look." Harry felt his face flaming up.

"Er... I..."

"He was paying attention" Remus saved him, "which you guys don't have the patience to do so."

"Only meet him an hour or so... and you're taking his side, Moony." James complained.

"I'm not taking his side. I'm merely stating the obvious. Like it is obvious that Lily is going to kill you tomorrow."

"Why?" James asked, confused.

"Because you left her to do the rounds alone." Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, followed by a snort from Pettigrew.

"OK... then I must..."

"You better not go now." Remus cut him off. "Lily will be murderous now."

The Marauders and Harry climbed through the portrait hole and reached the boy's dormitory.

"You're at the end." Sirius observed the arrangement. Harry couldn't help but feel that the Marauders were glad that he was at one end, instead of middle. He didn't feel put down though. He had expected to feel left out amongst the Marauders.

"Well guys, I think we should crash tonight. I'm really tired... you know, head boy duties." James let out a large yawn.

"But you actually didn't do any duties." Pettigrew pointed out.

"Aw Peter, don't you understand, he's been carrying the weight of the badge, its such a heavy one!" Sirius exclaimed. All of them laughed, including Harry. After that, all of them went to bed.

Harry's head filled with sadness at the familiar dormitory... he remembered how he and Ron used to have long conversations from the beds at night. Ron used to sleep on the bed currently occupied by Remus... they used to talk quietly to each other... sharing jokes, laughing... all seemed like a distant dream. The only reality now was the quiet room, the tranquility occasionally broken by snores from Sirius and Pettigrew.

Getting under the covers, Harry lit up his wand and took out the Marauders Map. He sincerely hoped the Marauders wouldn't mess with his trunk. He really didn't want to know their reactions on finding an extra Marauders Map, an invisibility cloak, and the large amount of gold which used to fill his Gringotts vault. The money wasn't with him yet, it was with Hermione- she had told him to take it at night.

According to the map, the common room was nearly empty. Alice, Marlene, Mary and Hermione were in the girl's dormitory already. Lily was still in the common room, probably sending the remaining few students back to bed. He checked his watch. Forty-five minutes to one. He'd have to go to the common room to meet Hermione then. Hopefully, the Marauders would be fast asleep by then.

He put out his wand and lay down. He wasn't much tired, since he hadn't boarded the Hogwarts Express. He held the communication sickle in his palm. Today had been really eventful. He met his father and Sirius (who spelled ARROGANCE), Remus (Nicer of the lot) and Lily (who wasn't as happy to see him as he was her).

Mainly, these were the four persons who he had desperately wanted to see. Though his father and Sirius had been a little arrogant, but overall, they had been nice. He hoped that their pride would eventually lessen, as he knew Lily and James will start dating this year.

Amongst his thoughts, he had spaced out. It was not until he felt the communication sickle burning his palm that he came to his senses. He lit his wand towards the sickle.

'Where the hell are you?!'

He looked towards the watch. Ten passed one.

He cursed under his breath as he silently took out the invisibility cloak and slipped it on. He passed the beds, careful not to wake others up. He climbed down the stairs and spotted a tired looking Hermione sitting on the couch besides the fire. He slipped the cloak off and sat down besides her.

"Hey, sorry... I kinda..."

"Yeah, I get it. Must be feeling happy seeing your parents." Hermione said, looking at him. She was holding her beaded bag.

"Yeah well, its nice." He admitted. "But I've felt better. Besides, we have a task to do."

Hermione started rummaging through her beaded bag. One by one, she brought out three things- two diaries, a small black bag. She handed one diary and the bag to him. Harry looked at her questioningly.

"We can't meet like this everynight" she explained, "neither can we talk much, and the communication sickles can not be used for long conversations. So I bought two diaries and charmed them. Protean charm- just like on the sickles... we can write to each other. This way we can have long conversations and plan things." Harry stared at the diaries.

"This thing reminds me of Tom Riddle's diary." He said.

"Well, I did get the idea from there." Hermione admitted. "But you know my handwriting and I know yours, so I don't think anyone can trick us on that. And I assure you, I bought them new... neither of them are Tom Riddle's."

"Tom Riddle's diary isn't destroyed yet." Harry voiced his thoughts. "That's an horcrux, we'll have to destroy it."

"I know" Hermione said."But we'll worry about that later. I think the first one we'll destroy should be the diadem... since it's the one we have the easiest access to."

"When are you planning to do it?"

"Not tonight, its late." Hermione said. "Not tomorrow either."

"Why not tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"Its full moon the day after. I think we should avoid it this week. Next Friday, since that is the day everyone will be too tired to stay up... its almost end of the week." Hermione said.

"Then there is the locket, the diary, the cup, the ring, the snake."

"The snake isn't made horcrux yet" Hermione reminded him, "we're in the past. The diadem is the easiest one. Then we'll have to retrieve the others."

"Each more dangerous than the other." Harry said.

"Well, yes." Hermione said."The cup is at Bellatrix's vault, the ring is at Marvolo Gaunt's house, the locket at the cave, and the diary at Malfoy Manor."

"Sounds like a piece of cake." Harry commented. Hermione laughed a nervous laugh. After few moments of silence, Hermione held out the black bag towards him.

"Your money from Gringotts." She explained. "I used undetectable extension charm of course, the pile was so large... but the thing is, I don't exactly remember how much I had in my vault. So I don't think I've divided the money correctly ... I think you better count it and tell me if you had more then I'll just-"

"Hermione" Harry interrupted. "Are we honestly having this conversation? I don't remember either. Besides, what's the big deal if the money is with you or me?"

"Yeah." Hermione remained quiet for a while, before getting up.

"Well, I'd better leave. You go to sleep too." She said.

"Wait" said Harry, "you keep the cloak." He handed her the invisibility cloak.

"Why?"

"I don't want to know what they would think if they ever found the cloak in my trunk." He answered. Hermione nodded and left.

He got up from the couch and walked up to the boy's dormitory, clutching the diary and the bag. Now that they had talked and pin pointed the horcruxes, the task seemed more difficult than ever. Suddenly he remembered something.

The locket wasn't put in the cave yet.

Harry sighed. Only a few days into the horcrux hunt, and they were already loosing track. He really hoped that they'd able to set the future right. That could save a countless lives- Mr and Mrs Weasley, Fred, Dobby, Remus, Tonks, James, Lily, Sirius, Snape... Ron and Ginny.

The wild hippogriff chase was about to begin.