1.
At the Ministry of Magic, in the Time Room of the Department of Mysteries, Death Eaters and those who were once proud but are now traitors who have bowed down to Voldemort are pointing their wands at Harry Potter, who is panting as he leans against a clock-shaped crystal case.
"Avada Kedavra"
Countless green lights shatter the crystal case, igniting a cataclysmic explosion and in the resultant blinding, golden light, Harry vanished.
Harry is walking along a dark corridor, he has been walking since he awakened, with no end in sight and his feet were beginning to ache. Finally, exhausted, he leans against a door with the sign "1938" on it, perhaps he was leaning too hard as the door swung open silently. Looking inside automatically, Harry could see nothing but darkness with a tiny light several steps away. He couldn't help but approach the light hoping to find out what it was but instead ended up being sucked into it.
He fell heavily to the ground, completely disoriented, after regaining his feet, he discovered that it was sometime in the afternoon and he was in a forest. After checking to make sure he still had his wand, Harry carefully moved ahead finding nothing out of the ordinary, it seems to be just a normal forest, suddenly he heard sounds of a scuffle.
"You are a freak!"
"I am not!"
"You are! You are a hateful, disgusting freak! Sooner or later, you will go to hell, Tom Riddle!"
Then there were more noises of a scuffle.
Harry stopped, did he really just hear the name "Tom Riddle"? Voldemort was here? His whole body was shuddering, he could not forget how he was defeated, even after six horcruxes were destroyed, Voldemort's might was unchanged. Harry could only just duel him to a standstill but Voldemort has taken over the Ministry with endless deceitful words and material enticements. The Ministry then helped him to fool the people and once the people believed that Voldemort would not engage in senseless slaughter like he did during the last war, the existence of the Order of the Phoenix became unnecessary. Harry had to admit that he had failed. In order to avoid more needless casualties, he disbanded the Order of the Phoenix and went alone to meet his end, only once he was dead would Voldemort leave the ex-Order members alone, at least for a time so that they may rest and recuperate. He also had to admit that did not measure up to Voldemort, perhaps Slytherins perseverance and the ability to manipulate others that Gryffindors could never achieve.
After several moments of hesitation, Harry finally walked towards the noises, to his surprise, instead of Voldemort, he found Tom Riddle the child, Tom was surrounded and being beaten by several children and his black hair was covered in dirt, his large, brilliant eyes were burning with anguish, rage, despair and helplessness. The scene and Tom's expression reminded Harry strongly of his own dark childhood.
"Stop it!" he yelled, "If you don't stop I'll stop you!" he pushed up his sleeves and approached the boys angrily.
The children scattered and Tom Riddle rolled to his feet, he looked at Harry like he thought Harry shouldn't have interfered then turned to leave.
"Why do they call you a freak?" Harry guessed that it was for the same reason that his Uncle and Aunt had called him a freak when he was young.
Tom turned around violently, "It's none of you business! Get!"
"I helped you, the least you could do is lose the attitude." Harry scowled and spoke in the manner of an adult scolding a child. Okay, it was very hard for him to treat this child of five or six as though he was a mighty opponent.
"I didn't need your help, I could have taken them myself." The boy said contemptuously.
"You were obviously losing." Harry pointed out.
A sinister smile appeared on the boy's face and he hissed [Come to me, my sweet]
A black snake soundlessly slithered closer, [Go, bite him.] Tom hissed as he pointed at Harry.
As the black snake prepared to attack, Tom smiled coldly with his hands on his hips.
Harry raised an eyebrow, yes, he had forgotten that Tom was a Parselmouth, no, it was more appropriate to say that he had not realized that Tom had discovered that he had this ability at such a young age.
[Stop.] Harry said, [Go back to where you came from.]
The black snake obediently slithered away.
Tom Riddle gasped in show, "You…you can…"
"Talk to snakes, Yes." Harry smiled faintly.
Tom rolled his eyes and a fist sized spider the rose behind Harry to bit him. Years of battle-honed reflexes had allowed Harry to easily recognize and eliminate the threat.
"Petrificus Totalus."
The spider froze solid as a rock and Harry easily flicked it away.
Tom regarded Harry's wand with awe, "What is that?"
"A wand. A wizard's wand." Harry said.
Tom frowned, "You're a wizard?"
"Yes, so are you." Harry's voice lowered, "A very special wizard."
"Then I can also have a wand?" The child looked greedily at Harry's wand.
"Of course. When you go to school at Hogwarts, you will have your own wand."
"When will that be?" The bewildered boy asked.
"When you're eleven."
Tom's scowled and moved closer to Harry, "But … I want one now!"
He suddenly reached out to grab Harry's wand, Harry waved his wand, cast the Tarantallegra hex silently and Tom immediately began to dance uncontrollably.
Harry enjoyed tormenting the child, it felt like getting back for the hurts he would suffer decades later.
After struggling futilely, Tom was panting with fatigue but could find no way to stop, never having experienced such humiliation he finally began to sob. In a panic, Harry quickly took off the hex, Tom was still sobbing and Harry crouched nervously beside him.
"I was only playing around, there's no need to cry. Looking at you now, who would have thought that you would rule the world one day."
The boy stopped crying and his eyes brightened, "I'm going to rule the world?"
Harry answered despondently, "Yeah, using the name Voldemort."
"Voldemort? What a strange name." Tom sneered in disgust.
Harry looked at him in amusement, "You don't like it? You invented this name yourself."
He waved his wand and golden waves emerged from his wand, it writhed snakelike into the words "Tom Marvolo Riddle", "So, this is your name." he waved his wand again and the letters rearranged themselves into the words "I am Lord Voldemort".
"You didn't like your father because he was a muggle, that is, someone without magic, so you discarded his name." Harry recalled that Voldemort would later kill his father and couldn't help feeling a wave of unease.
After a moment's silent, Tom coldly asked, "How do you know what's going to happen to me in the future?"
Harry expression turned cold, he finally realized what that corridor was, it was the Corridor of Time and the door marked 1938 was the year 1938. The mighty Voldemort of decades later is now just a five or six year old child, if Harry killed him now, the problems of the future would no longer occur.
He stood and pointed his wand at Tom, the boy froze and fear flashed in his eyes for a moment, however he stilled then asked quietly, "What are you thinking? That you should kill me?"
A smart child, too smart.
"Yes, if I kill you now, there won't be so many problems in the future." Harry's voice was like ice and in his heart he whispered Avada…
Tom knew that there was no way he could escape so instead he closed his eyes as though willingly accepting death, only his quietly shivering body showed his fear.
"So kill me then, I'm a freak anyway, nobody loves me!"
The words pierced Harry's heart like a knife and he once again recalled his own childhood, abused because he was an orphan, considered a freak and an omen of ill fortune because he could not control his magic, but none of this was his fault.
The wand slowly lowered as though it weighted tonnes. Harry was silent for a few moments, then he put away his wand and took Tom into his arms tightly. "I'm the same as you," he said, "an orphan, raised by muggles, able to speak to animals, but I don't hate muggles like you. Even though they don't have magic they are still smart and advanced enough that they can live easily and comfortably without magic. Although there are bad people among them, most of them are good. I wish that you could see that." He lowered his eyes, "I can't kill you, we are too alike. Be well, Tom."
He turned around to go back the way he came but suddenly felt like someone had pushed him and seconds later he was laying outside the 1938 room.
Tom silently looked in the direction the young man had disappeared, amazed at the wonders of magic. What kind of magic allowed a person to travel to the present from the future? Many years later, after learning that the Department of Mysteries had such a thing as a time turner, he speculated that the man had used a time turner in the future to come to kill him, but finally could not do it because they were too similar. He thought that the man would come to kill him again, but the man never appeared again, he questioned whether the man had been punished for failing his mission, like he punished his servants. This thought frightened him. He didn't want the man to die, he wanted him to live! He always, always remembered the man's embrace, gentle yet painful, he could feel the man's sorrow and agony and the weight of the hurts pulled at his heart. For an instant, he felt the urge to weep. When he was younger, he did not understand what he was feeling, it was only later, as he grew older, that he understood what the feeling meant. He always remembered that on a sunny afternoon, a tired looking man walked towards him, his wide wizard robes seeming to almost crush his slender frame, but his face nevertheless showing a resilient smile as though nothing could defeat him. The man had emerald green eyes like the sparkling waters of a lake and a head of messy black hair.
As Harry's hair was too long, Tom did not see the scar on his forehead, otherwise Voldemort would have recognized Harry with one glance the next time they met.
2.
September, 1977.
Harry walked onto Platform 9 3/4 wearing secondhand robes and with an old backpack, inside which were all his books and stationery. As a penniless orphan living at an orphanage, he was on Hogwarts scholarship, even though all his belongings were secondhand, he was very content.
That day he had pushed open the door to 1977, hoping to see his mum and dad when they were younger, but he fell in and somehow regressed to the age of eleven, his eyesight, which he had fixed prior to the war using a solution that he asked Professor Slughorn to make, returned to the poor level it was at before the potion, the head of the orphanage had to take him to get a pair of spectacles. Harry chose a similar frame to what he had before.
Afterwards, surprisingly, he received a Hogwarts letter and a younger Professor McGonagall delivered 30 galleons of scholarship money, she was going to go with Harry to Diagon Alley for his school supplies but Harry painstakingly talked her out of it, a younger Professor McGonagall was just as terrifying.
Harry did end up buying a female Snowy Owl and naming her Hedwig.
About his reliving of the future, Harry had considered it in depth. His biggest problem was that he did not know how long he would be staying in this part of history, if it was only for the seven years of Hogwarts, he would not need to try to change anything, he only needed to stay unnoticed as he finishes his schooling and enjoyed his much longed for peace. If, however, he would be staying indefinitely, he already knows the future and can alter it slightly at opportune moments to ensure that his parents' survival and Sirius' freedom, perhaps he would join the Order of the Phoenix and fight Voldemort once again. It may be possible that this could change history, if not, he will again die fighting, if so, he hopes that he could get a job at the Ministry of Magic, not as an Auror, he no longer had any passion for fighting, but in the Muggle Liaison Office, he remembered the flyers from fifth year, the requirements were not high, he only needed an OWL in Muggle Studies, it suited the role he intended to play, that of just an ordinary guy.
After boarding the train, Harry started to search for an empty compartment, he saw his mum as a child, as well as his father, godfather and Remus, they were already getting well acquainted but he did not wish to meet them, after all, as a fifteen year old, he had been ashamed of his father's behavior as student. However, he did wish to meet his mum, unfortunately her compartment was full. He walked to the last compartment and found only one person inside.
He pulled open the door and amiably asked: "Are there any spaces here? Everywhere else is full."
The young man who had been concentrating on his book glanced at him and his appearance struck Harry like lightening and Harry stood stock still, all thoughts having fled. Greasy black hair, sallow skin, dark eyes, thin lips, sitting there was Severus Snape, the person Harry least wanted to meet again.
"If you like." Snape replied dryly, then immediately buried his head back into the book.
Harry gingerly sat down, hunching his body as small as possible, hoping to reduce his presence. Even after fighting side by side with Snape for seven or eight years his still did not know how to get along with the man, he could understand Snape's hatred for his father as well as Snape transferring that hatred to him, but all his understanding could not improve their relationship. Right up until Harry had disbanded the Order of the Phoenix, the two of them still did not speak to each other unless absolutely necessary.
Would this younger Snape be as hard to deal with as the older version?
After a period of contemplation, Harry decided to reach out a hand in friendship, perhaps he might be able to find an appropriate way to get along with Snape which might be useful if he ever returned to the future. And if he could build a good relationship with Snape, he may be able to prevent Snape's most humiliating memories from happening a few years from now, he didn't want his father to harm others too much in his overwhelming arrogance.
So he silently rehearsed several times then smiled in a friendly manner and greeted Snape in as humble a tone as he could manage, "Hello, my name is Harry Potter, pleased to meet you." He extended his hand, his heart beating so heart that it felt like it would jump out of his throat, if his father's arrogance would hurt Snape, he would utilize his own passionate amity. He prayed to Merlin that this Snape would not become as hard to get close to as the one he knew.
Snape ignored him.
Rebuffed, Harry considered just letting it go so that he would not seem like a fool, but he could not get rid of the images of Snape's lonely childhood swirling around in his mind, bringing out his own pained empathy, alright, he had thick skin, he can ignore the painful past and still live optimistically, Snape was sensitive, it was natural for him to be a loner, he would just have to try harder.
Snape glared at the hand thrust under his nose, once again lifting his head to look at the idiotically grinning face, he had already clearly shown that his did not wish to interact with anyone, why did this idiot persist. The grin had grown somewhat stiff, no longer as natural and bright as before, and the hand was also slighted shaking from maintaining the same position for so long.
What an idiot.
But that peaceful face was rather suited to that idiotic grin, it seemed to grow on you the more you see it.
Extending his hand, grasping the other, a slight shake, "Severus Snape."
The grin got more idiotic! Snape rolled his eyes.
He did it! He did it! Harry continued to grin in a silly way, little Snape was definitely easier to get along with than older Snape! He had a chance, as long as he continued to get close to and understand little Snape, he would be able to get along with older Snape when his returned to the future.
3.
When night fell, they arrived at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall was waiting for them inside the majestic castle, the sorting was about to begin.
Having already been through one sorting Harry was naturally not as nervous as the other students, he nonchalantly leaned against the wall while he speculated as to which house he would be sorted into this time, he probably shouldn't go to Gryffindor again as he would not be able to consolidate his budding friendship with Snape if he was sorted into that house.
"You aren't nervous as all." Snape looked at Harry searchingly, this is the first time he voluntarily spoke to Harry since they met several hours ago. Harry's calm, a complete disparity to the rest of the students, was also completely different to his idiotic behavior on the train.
"Because," Harry rolled his eyes and snarked, "they can't kick us out of here, it doesn't matter which house they sort us into." He gave another silly grin.
Snape had the urge to roll his eyes, "Idiot, houses do matter! If you get sorted into Hufflepuff, don't tell anyone you know me."
"Severus, you are so heartless." Harry said with mock sadness.
"Huh."
The students put on the Sorting Hat one by one, Narcissa Black, Sirius, Crabbe, Lily, Goyle, Remus, Malfoy, Pettigrew, then it was…
"Harry Potter."
"Potter?" someone repeated.
Harry quickly glanced at that person, it was James. James obviously did not think that there would be another Potter in his year, he glanced at Harry then looked away. An ordinary fellow, not worth his notice, thought James.
Harry put on the sorting hat and same as it did twenty years later, it struggled for a long time, "Slytherin!" it still thought that Harry would succeed in Slytherin.
Hopefully he wouldn't succeed as a Death Eater, Harry thought despairingly. He wanted to go to Ravenclaw or even Hufflepuff, but he still ended up in Slytherin, boy is the hat stubborn.
James went to Gryffindor, Snape of course, was a Slytherin, following the order he sat opposite Harry. Harry immediately gave him a huge smile, Snape snorted but the corners of his mouth lifted a barely noticeable amount.
This time Harry was truly able to relax and leisurely observe the head table. A Dumbledore who was less wrinkled that the one he knew, Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn who still had some yellow in his hair, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and then…
Harry jaw almost hit the ground, oh Merlin, who was he looking at?
Black hair, red eyes, handsome features that could measure up to any movie star and a tall, broad frame. Harry had met him once inside the diary, at that time he was a student who had framed Hagrid causing him to be expelled, and this person had then received a "Special Award for Services to the School". He had once seen him in Morfin Gaunt's memory, when he learned of his father from Morfin; he had also seen him in the memories of Hokey the house elf, at that time he was working at Borgin and Burkes and coveting the two treasures of Hepzibah Smith, Hokey's mistress. And twice in Dumbledore's memories he had seen this man, once when he was a child and once when he had fully matured. Harry had also met him in person and fought with him many times. Voldemort, or Tom Marvolo Riddle, Harry wasn't sure which name he was using. Damnit, didn't Dumbledore turn him down, why was he among the professors? What had happened?
The mystery disturbed Harry and he was unable to concentrate on anything else, the delicious food was completely without flavor to him. He needed to find someone to tell him about this situation.
After dinner, Dumbledore made his routine announcements about the forbidden items then officially concluded the feast. Harry and Snape walled together at the rear of the Slytherin first years.
"Severus, do you know the professor with the red eyes?" Harry asked.
Snape's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "He's the DADA teacher, Professor Voldemort. He's a very great man, as great as Headmaster Dumbledore."
"But he looks really young, he must be a fairly new professor right?" Harry pretended that he what he was interested in was Voldemort's age.
Snape shook his head, "He's not young, he's forty-five, he just looks young. The last headmaster, Headmaster Dippet hired him the day before he died, it's been fifteen years now. Also, he's our head of house."
Harry felt a moment of disorientation, this wasn't the history he was familiar with, according to his knowledge there had never been a DADA professor named Voldemort, and Snape's head of house was Professor Slughorn! How could history change? He hadn't done anything in 1938? Now Voldemort was both the DADA professor and the Head of Slytherin and it would be easy for his to gather followers this way. If thing kept moving in this direction, if Harry did not return to 2012 after graduation, he would definitely die in combat while living in the past. The future seemed very dim to Harry.
Snape stopped, "We've arrived."
Harry pushed his glasses back up his nose, quite pleasantly surprise, "Severus, we're roommates."
Finally, some good news.
4.
Four years later.
Harry pushed his trunk towards the last compartment of the Hogwarts Express, this was his and Snape's compartment. Although the reclusive Snape got along well with Lucius Malfoy, he did not deign to sit with the likes of Crabbe and Goyle. And Harry with his strange scar and old fashioned glasses that covered more than two thirds of his face was regarding as the lowest ranked Slytherin, along with his abnormally high marks in Muggle Studies he was seen as the disgrace of Slytherin. With two such people in the compartment it was hard for a third student to feel welcome, of course, these two were greatly hopeful that this situation would not change.
Softly pulling open the door, Harry greeting Snape, who had his head in a book, in these several years, the friendship had become unshakeable. "Severus, did you have a good Summer vacation?"
Snape reluctantly lifted his head, slightly struggling between answering the question and continuing to read his book, smile an almost non-existent smile then said, "Same as always, I was mostly reading. And you?"
Harry shrugged and opened Hedwig's cage letting her have the run of the compartment. He excitedly pulled away Snape's book and started discussing the summer work with him. At this time, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside the compartment and they could hear and male and female voice arguing.
The voices were very familiar to Harry and Snape, it was James Potter and Lily Evans.
In line with the history Harry was familiar with, in James' four years within Gryffindor he was a celebrity within Hogwarts, he, Sirius, Remus and Peter were the Gryffinfor Marauders and the teachers both liked and were exasperated by them, students mostly worshiped and liked them, the Gryffindor Quidditch team, where James was a Seeker, had already easily won the Quidditch Cup three times and Gryffindor had also won the house cup three times. Their only enemies in the school were Harry and Snape. Every time they met stirred the fighting instinct on both sides making it a six man free for all, the situation got worse after James started to openly pursue Lily Evans. Boys always hoped that the objects of their affection rated them highly, so Harry and Snape suffered, in fights in last year alone were more than the total of those in first to third year. If it wasn't for Voldemort's favoritism, Harry and Snape would have been put in detention countless times like James and Sirius. So for Harry and Snape, neither of the people outside the compartment were ones they wanted to see, although Lily was somewhat innocent in this.
James and Lily walked to the rear of the train, still arguing progressively louder.
"Evans, I don't understand why you don't like the compartment I got for you, your friends all liked it."
"Potter, I don't need you to do anything for me, your actions only make me feel annoyed."
"I'm just thinking of you Evans. With so many people on the train, you girls couldn't possibly have found a compartment to accommodate all of you. As friends, you wouldn't want to be separated right?"
"Just because my friends and I don't wish to be separated doesn't mean you and your friends can interfere. The impression you've given in the last four hears hasn't exactly been good!"
"What's not good about us? I'm McGonagall's best student, Sirius and I are Gryffindor's best students, Remus is a Prefect, even Professor Voldemort has nothing but praise for us!"
"You and Black have the most detentions of all the students in Hogwarts!" Lily snorted with derision.
Hearing this, Harry couldn't help but smirk, his mum really had a sense of right and wrong.
"But… but that's because Professor Voldemort is unfair, otherwise idiot Harry Potter and Snivellus would have more detentions than us!" James said resentfully.
"Ha! Speaking of this," Lily clapped her hands, "really James Potter, as I see it, Harry Potter and Severus Snape are obviously much better than you and your friends. I would much rather spend time with them than look at you!"
Harry and Snape looked at each other blankly, she was joking right?
A Gryffindor girl, sitting alone with two Slytherin boys, knowing that she had indirectly caused them much strife, however you look at it, it would be- unwise.
If Harry, who had always spoken well of Lily, was not there, Snape would have given this brainless woman some grief. In these years, as Snape was tormented by James and is cohorts, the one who had aided him was not Lily as in another past, it was Harry, so he not only had another to love, he was filled with resentment for Lily. He looked at Harry, grumbled, then buried his head back in his book.
Harry felt just as awkward. He just wanted to peacefully finish his seven years of school life then go to work at the Muggle Liaison Office at the Ministry, lastly he wanted to save his parents' lives, he didn't even want to go to Gryffindor. Becoming friends with Snape was purely and accident, out of righteous outrage he chose to stand up to James with Snape, not wanting Snape's already unpleasant school life to become even more unfortunate, but this meant that he and the Gryffindor lions were completely in opposition. He can only watch Lily from afar, diligently storing up wonderful memories of the mother who would sacrifice her life for him in the future, he had never dared to hope that they could be so close, the out of control circumstances were making his head spin and didn't know what to do or say.
Luckily Lily broke the unbearable silence with her Gryffindor courage. "I'm sorry to disturb your rest."
"No… no, it's okay." Harry scratched his head, making his bird's nest of hair even messier, "We have space here, we welcome beautiful ladies to come and disturb us."
Snape's dark eyes rose from the book and flashed with disdain, then his eyes sank again.
Harry almost gave him the finger.
Lily chuckled at his comment, "You're funny."
Harry scratched his head again in embarrassment, "It's nothing, just wanted to make you laugh."
Lily, recalling James' actions, became solemn again.
Hedwig hooted, flapped her wings, then flew into Lily's lap, clacking her beak affectionately.
Hedwig's snowy feathers and affectionate attitude immediately garnered Lily's affection, she stroked Hedwig then held her in her arms and said happily, "She's so cute! And beautiful! What's her name?"
Harry was even happier than Lily, "Her name's Hedwig, she's a proud princess."
Lily normally didn't like owls, but Hedwig was just too adorable that she couldn't help but like here, "It must be wonderful to have an owl right?"
"Oh, yes! They understand so much and they're so happy to deliver post and parcels for their owners, they're great pets!" Harry went on excitedly, "Last time, Hedwig…"
On one hand, the two were conversing better and better and on the other hand Snape couldn't help but frown. No matter, let him do what he wants just this time, after leaving the train he would remind him. He understood very well the pain of a Slytherin secretly in love with a Gryffindor.
Finally there was a know on the compartment door and a girl timidly called Lily's name, bringing the tow lost in the world of owls and muggles back to reality.
"It's my friend! Looks like I have to get back and make preparations for getting off the train." Lily seemed quite reluctant.
"Ok, see you at the feast Lily." Harry could now say his mother's name calmly, the first time he tried to say her name, he almost bit his tongue.
"See you at the feast Harry." Lily paused and looked at Snape, still with his head buried in the book. "Snape, you as well."
Snape didn't even twitch.
On the way to the Great Hall, Snape warned Harry, "A love affair between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor would cause you to be seen as a traitor Harry, you must not less emotions overwhelm you."
"We're just friends." Not realizing the gravity of the situation, Harry answered casually.
"Slytherins and Gryffindors can only be enemies. If you don't want to be kicked out of Hogwarts, don't get too close to Evans." Snape grabbed Harry's shoulder and warned him.
Harry stared blankly, "It.. it's not that big a deal is it… don't frighten me Severus..."
"Harry Potter!" An angry voice yelled.
5.
The one who yelled was a short, stout boy, next to him was a tall, dark-skinned, arrogant girl. Narcissa was closely following Lucius, with his green and silver prefect's badge gleaming on his chest, following behind were tens of upper echelon Slytherins.
Harry jumped in shock, did he do something to annoy this many of the in power Slytherins? "Lestrange, is… is something the matter?" He asked somewhat guiltily.
Lestrange just wanted to Avada Kedavra Harry then toss him into the lake to feed the fish. He was already the worst disgrace of Slytherin in decades, being not only a halfblood with no standing whatsoever, instead of trying to improve himself, he went and got involved with a Gryffindor mudblood, sworn enemies of Slytherins, did he want to shame Slytherin in front of all of Hogwarts!
"Listen here Harry Potter. If you continue to associate with Lily Evans then prepare to be kicked out of Hogwarts!" Lestrange hissed between clenched teeth.
"Head of House Voldemort is already aware of this matter, his asked you to desist, if you don't he will not hesitate to take action." Bellatrix continued.
Lucius would not deign to speak with Harry, even to chastise him. He walked towards his good friend Snape and reluctantly warned him, "Severus, you know the gravity of this matter. If he were a good friend of yours I wouldn't bother to put in a good word with our head of house. Get him to think well on this, there are only three more years until graduation and the OWLs are coming soon, you don't want him to be expelled now, do you?"
Snape glared at harry, nodded his head decisively. "Thank you Lucius. I will definitely clear his head."
After Lucius and the others left, Snape turned to a despondent Harry, "See! If you don't stop your foolish behavior, you are going to be kicked out of Hogwarts! The OWLs are about to start, you are taking the first solid step towards your dream, do you intend to ruin all this because of a girl?"
Harry didn't think the situation would get this bad, after all, he isn't a real Slytherin, he can't understand the way Slytherins think. However at this moment, that was not important, he must make a choice between his planned future and Lily Evans.
He shook his head and tiredly said, "I'll keep my distance from Lily Evans, I don't want to leave Hogwarts."
"Lily, you're the Gryffindor prefect, you can't just do whatever you want anymore. Harry Potter is a Slytherin, there are no good Slytherin wizards!" Lily's friend didn't want her good friend to let her emotions cloud her judgment.
"Harry's different to the other Slytherins, he's a kind student." Lily tried to explain to her friend, "A wizard who likes muggles can't be a bad person…"
"A Slytherin is a Slytherin Evans. Harry Potter is no exception. Anyway, even if he wanted to stay friends with you, the other Slytherins would stop him, included their head of house." Remus interrupted.
Lily obviously did not agree with Remus' conclusion, "You're wrong, Professor Voldemort likes me very much."
"Only in the DADA class. Outside that classroom, he's still a pureblood supremacist Slytherin." Remus argued.
Lily pursed her lips and glared at him.
"If you don't believe me, let's see how Harry Potter behaves in a moment. I bet you he won't even look at you." James walked to Remus' side darkly.
"I believe in Harry." Lily lifted here small chin.
But Harry disappointed her. During the entire sorting and feast, Harry's eyes stayed on the top of the table as though a flower had bloomed there. Her good friend Alice Nate related to her the gossip she had heard from her boyfriend Frank Longbottom.
"It's true, Lucius Malfoy and his group issued Harry Potter an ultimatum, if he continued to associate with you, he would be kicked out of Hogwarts."
Hearing this, Lily was shocked. After a while, she sighed, "Looks like Slytherins can only be Slytherins and Gryffindors can only be Gryffindors."
"It's good that you understand Lily. Gryffindors and Slytherins can only be enemies, never friends." Alice said with pity.
6.
Halloween was approaching and there a joyful atmosphere saturated the castle, only Harry Potter was unhappy.
He doesn't regret the choice he made on the first day of school, Hogwarts is his home, no matter if it was now or twenty years in the future, Harry would always consider Hogwarts his home. He couldn't leave Hogwarts, even for Lily. He was just frustrated, frustrated that he and Lily would have to be strangers from now on. If he had only chosen Gryffindor. The thought had just flashed through his mind before being dismissed. If he had gone to Gryffindor, today's Snape would name have been so clean and neat, nor would they be as close as brothers.
Nothing in life is perfect, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
Harry silently comforted himself and left the Quidditch Pitch.
When he gets upset, harry would come to the Quidditch Pitch and sit at the top of the stands to look at the whole pitch, imagining the fervor of a game which would immediately cheer him up. At such time, the stands would be filled and the feverish crowd would be pushed to heights of enjoyment. Even though Harry had only been a spectator in the last four years, even though Slytherin had never touched the Quidditch Cup after James became a chaser, Harry still hoped that Slytherin could beat Gryffindor and win the Quidditch Cup. He hoped that Lucius Malfoy could buck up and stop letting James Potter make a fool of him.
The route back to the Slytherin dungeons from the Quidditch pitch when through many corridors and stairs, on one of the staircases, you have to jump over a step in the middle or you would sink into the staircase and be unable to move.
Harry was walking on this staircase.
Suddenly, a pearl white, semi-transparent ghost appeared in front of him, with a wave, Harry was covered in white chalk dust and turned into a snowman.
"Peeves!" Harry yelled, coughing. No ghost would do such a thing except Peeves, who loved pranking.
But this was not the end of it. Harry had just gotten to the disappearing step, he was about to step over it but instead stepped right into the step and sank into the staircase.
"Ha ha! Stupid Harry Potter got stuck! Ha ha!" Peeves taunted harry, then snatched his glasses, "What's Potter going to do without his glasses? He going to fall over because he can't see!" Peeves clapped then flew away.
Harry ground his teeth, the aggravation built up over two months finally had an outlet. Many years of conflict allowed his to find the smallest opening, easily drawing his wand, he cast a levitation charm and floated steadily up to the corridor.
"Peeves, you asked for this!" Harry ground out, "Accio Peeves!"
A delighted Peeves had no idea why he had suddenly appeared in front of Harry Potter, he didn't understand why he couldn't help but come here. After looking at Harry, he mocked him again, "So, you got out quite quickly huh? I thought you'd be stuck there till dawn because you're just so stupid! Anyway, you're quite pretty without your glasses, you look a little bit like James Potter though…"
Harry looked at him coldly as he prattled on, "Quit it with the chatter, where are my glasses?"
Peeves smugly flipped in the air then maliciously laughed, "Broken and buried in mud, you'll never find them!"
At this point Harry was enraged, smiling coldly he said, "Well Peeves, you succeeded, you have really pissed me off and you're going to pay!"
"Oh?" Peeves thought Harry's words were laughable, he bent with his back towards Harry and looked at him from between his legs, "Pay? You… are going to make me pay? Slytherin's disgrace, idiot Potter? Ha ha ha..."
"I despise your voice, so shut up." Harry jabbed his wand and Peeves laughter disappeared.
Stumped, Peeves grabbed his neck and stared at Harry in fear, he turned to escape but Harry smiled coldly and jabbed his wand again, the Levicorpus spell invented by Snape hung the poltergeist up by his ankles.
No matter how frightened Peeves was and how frantically he struggled, he could not move at all, Harry Accio-ed his glasses then used repairing charm and a cleaning charm on them to make good as new. After putting on his glasses a clear world appeared in front of Harry's eyes again, including Peeves' terrified face.
Harry slowly paced around Peeves several times.
Peeves' face went green, Harry's stare felt like the way Mrs. Norris stared at mice. He got more frantic.
Harry looked his fill at Peeves terrified face, Harry tapped his wand and slowly said, "Peeves, you should understand that in this world, there are those you can mess with and those you can't. And I belong to the latter. Now that you are in my hand, how to you think I should punish you?"
Peeves immediately begged, even being unable to speak his body language conveyed his meaning, but Harry had no intention of asking his opinion, so he quickly said, "How about an Imperio? To make you undo Professor McGonagall's hair bun (Peeves paled), or to have a good talk with the fox on Dumbledore's desk (Peeves went green), or to steal Professor Voldemort's obsidian ring (Peeves paled so much he was like a corpse)… too bad that I can't use an unforgiveable." Harry sighed regretfully, Peeves looked like he'd just been let off the death penalty, he was so overjoyed.
"However," Harry stared at Peeves again, "There are still some little spells that are interesting, like using Stupefy to hang you from the top of the Gryffindor tower, the view there is really nice. Or, I could turn you in to a little white mouse, don't think I can't do it," Harry waved his wand again and a spider was floating in the air, its body stiff as a stone. Peeves throat moved several times. Harry waved his wand again and the spider turned into a little white mouse and crawled into a hole in the wall. Peeves' wide eyes filled with despair.
Seeing Peeves' expression cheered Harry up, terrifying Peeves let him release his negative emotions. "This time I'm letter you off lightly, if this happens again…" harry moved closer to a relived Peeves and shook his head, he coldly vicious expression making Peeves shudder, "Very good, don't disappoint me. Also, what happened today is a secret, if you ever tell anyone, I will make you regret that you didn't pass on!"
Hearing all this, Peeves almost fainted, it was too terrifying, Slytherins were really all venomous snakes! He frantically nodded his head almost hard enough to break his neck.
Satisfied, Harry finally released him, freed, Peeves immediate flew away without a backward glance, as though being chased by a cockatrice.
[It has been many years since I have seen such a good show, Lucius can't even compare to this little one.]
7.
A voice sounded from behind Harry, Harry turned around in shock, in the dark hallway behind him a large snake slithered into view, the weaving body was at least twelve feet long, large eyes glowed with a yellow light and a bright red tongue flickered in and out.
Nagini, Voldemort's terrifying familiar.
[You saw that?] Harry couldn't help clenching his wand. Due to his overpowering rage, he had obviously neglected his surroundings before beginning his retribution.
[Of course, I saw it all…] Nagini stopped and thought back to what Harry said. [You… you know parseltongue?]
[That's not important, what's important is, you saw everything that happened? From the beginning?]
A strange light flashed through Nagini's eyes, amused, Nagini said, [Little one, Harry Potter, put away your thoughts of killing me to keep your secret, don't make trouble for yourself.]
Harry shook his head, [I don't like to kill, be it animals or people.] He lifted his wand, [But I must adjust your memory.]
Suddenly, Harry's scar started to ache at this inopportune moment.
Voldemort!
Damnit! Harry silently cursed and turned to leave.
"Harry Potter." A voice filled with aversion and impatience appeared, "It is past curfew and you are still wandering the halls! Do you know the consequences of being caught by Filch."
Harry could only turn around to face the angry Slytherin head of house. "I'm sorry Professor Voldemort. I will return to the dorms immediately, I won't get caught by Filch."
Voldemort made an effort to suppress his scorn and loathing and his handsome face twitched several times, "Mr. Potter, please do not test my patience, the results are not something you will be able to bear."
"Yes Professor. I'll just be leaving now." Harry ran. He knows that after the issue with Lily Voldemort despised to the extreme, if he still wanted to remain at Hogwarts he would have to refrain from attracting Voldemort's ire.
[I can't believe he is a Slytherin!] Voldemort raged and kicked the ground.
[You despise him?] Nagini thought the whole affair was very interesting.
[Of course! He is the worse student I have ever taught, nobody could be worse than him! If it wasn't for Dumbledore intimating that I can't just have students expelled based my personal dislike, I would have kicked him out in third year.] Even the reminder enraged Voldemort, a Slytherin taking Muggle Studies, Merlin!
[Really?] Nagini was even more amused, [After you hear my story not only will you not think of him as the worst student you have taught, you may even love him madly.]
[Impossible!]
Voldemort's quarters were located next to his office, right in the middle of the Slytherin dungeons. The fire burned steadily in the fireplace of the silver and green appointed living room, he sat comfortably on the single sofa, long, straight legs resting on the well stuffed, tastefully embroidered ottoman, his toenails were as were as well maintained and shone as luxuriantly as his fingernails.
At the moment, his arms rested on the arms of the sofa and his fingers were steepled under his chin. [You're saying that Harry Potter speaks parseltongue?]
Nagini was coiled on her own green and silver striped rug, her tongue slithering in and out, [Yes. I am sure that it was not some base imitation but true parseltongue.]
Voldemort was frozen for some minutes, then he carefully reached to pick up the picture on the small, round side table next to the sofa, gently smoothing is out. A youth with black hair, green eyes and a stubborn look in his eyes and a quiet smile once again captured his heart with ease. He went over each detail of the picture and tried to imagine how the real person would look. [You're saying that Harry Potter looks like him?]
[More than looks like, it is as if he is a copy of him, his just has that extra scar on his forehead. If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself tomorrow.]
[Of course I will see for myself. This is a very important matter and I will tolerate no uncertainty or error.] Voldemort lingeringly rerolled the parchment then put it back into the room full of valuables, looking it securely.
Once again resting back into the sofa, Voldemort thought deeply about the pleasant surprise that Nagini had bought to him today. Harry Potter, his most despised student, easily using silent spells while only a fifth year, able to use magic with a smoothness and rhythm well beyond the skill level of a seventh year Slytherin. This was a completely different performance that that he showed normally in class. If Nagini was not mistaken then Harry Potter had been hiding his strength. But why? His only friend is Snape and he has been opposing the Gryffindor Marauders (and Voldemort believes that he is sincere in these actions), he has been low key and lived solely within his small circle and his only ambition was to become a Muggle Liaison Officer in the Ministry of Magic, he has no real ambition and no real goals. Why would he need to hide his strength? Getting into the Muggle Liaison Office is not in conflict with having great strength.
Voldemort could not understand what Harry was thinking.
Of course, more than Harry strength, Voldemort was interested in something else Nagini mentioned about Harry.
Harry was a Parselmouth, and he looked just like the person Voldemort loved and that consumed his thoughts.
What did this mean? This meant that Harry could be the one his loves! Voldemort was sure of this because no one knew better than him how rare Parselmouths were. In his seven years of schooling there had only been two, he and Morfin Gaunt, after the death of Morfin Gaunt, after his graduation, up until now, he had been the only one. After reviewing many tomes and questioning countless elders, he had discovered that only descendants of Salazar Slytherin were Parselmouths, so he had put all his efforts into location Slytherin's descendants. Unfortunately, due to Salazar Slytherin's flawed nature, most of his descendants had disappeared into the dust of history, Voldemort himself was the only known, surviving descendant. Without Salazar Slytherin's bloodline, one cannot be a Parselmouth, this well known fact within the magical world had once convinced Voldemort that his beloved was one of his own descendants. So he had taken many mistresses, but all his offspring perished, not one making it to maturity, forcing him to abandon the idea. This left only one possibility, that the person was an unknown descendant of Salazar Slytherin's bloodline and within his life, there is one place that he must go to- Hogwarts. And so, Voldemort became the DADA teacher. In the last twenty years, he had been searching within the school but had found nothing. Many students had black hair and green eyes but none of them looked like his beloved. The appearance of James Potter had made his heart speed up, apart from the eyes, James Potter greatly resembled him. However the Potters had no connection whatsoever with Salazar Slytherin. Voldemort could only despairingly return to this search. He couldn't deny that Harry Potter had never fallen within his search radius. Those laughable glasses made sure that Harry Potter appeared nothing like his beloved except for the color of his eyes and hair, Harry Potter's abominable grades and timid nature was also far different to the magically strong and confident person in Voldemort's memory.
Who would have thought that the most unlikely candidate was the best match. Voldemort didn't know whether he should thank Merlin for his good luck or curse himself for his own blindness.
There was finally a light at the end of the endless searching.
Next day at breakfast, a pretty barn owl flew to Harry and delivered a message.
Harry Potter,
Come to my office after breakfast.
V
8.
The fine, watermarked parchment and the extravagant itself belonged to one person- Voldemort.
After last night, Harry knew that it would have been strange if Voldemort didn't search him out. What a wonderful potential death eater. Could he bluff his way through this?
This is the first time that Harry had been to Voldemort's office, all he could see were patches of silver and green. The green and silver lined walls were filled with portraits of Voldemort, each appearing graceful and elegant. The silver curtains were drawn and an unknown light source illuminated the room through the floor length windows, giving off a feeling of being bathed in sunlight. Of course, sunlight could not have reached the dungeons. A fire was roaring inside the silver fireplace and the edge of the fireplace was decorated with two twisting snakes in the shape of an S, the bodies of the snakes were set with emeralds and the ruby set eyes looked eerily beautiful. The floor was covered in silver pinewood with a green, wooden inlay of the word "Slytherin".
Voldemort's redwood desk was huge and empty. After from two neat stacks of student essays and a stone sculpture of Slytherin at the corner of the desk, there was only a golden inkwell and golden quill quietly resting on the obsidian pen stand.
Voldemort sat in the comfortable armchair behind the desk, long woolen robes hung on a black hanger in the corner of the room and the man himself was only wearing a snowy white shirt with an embroidered vest. He silently watched Harry with no expression on his handsome face.
[Sit Harry.] He waved his wand and a short armchair appeared behind Harry.
Harry's thoughts crashed to a halt, had Voldemort spoken English or Parseltongue? He had originally intended to plead ignorance regardless of the questions but found that the reality was not so simple as he imagined. For example, he can't differentiate between English and Parseltongue. When he was still the Gryffindor Golden Boy, apart from several short skirmishes with Voldemort, no one was able to converse with him in Parseltongue and no one could tell him how to differentiate between the two. To him, both languages were the same. This was not an issue in the past but it was a problem now. When Voldemort speaks again, should he answer or not? If Voldemort was speaking Parseltongue, he could simply say that he couldn't answer because he didn't understand, but what if Voldemort was speaking English? If he didn't answer… he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
He sat down uncertainly and started to worry about today's meeting.
[Nagini tells me that your spellcasting is very smooth. This was a shock to me Harry Potter, your normal performance is not like that.] Voldemort spoke calmly.
Harry tried hard to listen, in the past it seemed that Parseltongue was accompanied by hissing sounds, just like the hissing of snakes. He recalled that from his past experiences. Perhaps because it has been so long since those experiences or perhaps because he was too worked up but he couldn't tell whether Voldemort's speech had accompanying hissing sounds. It seemed like there was but it also seemed like there wasn't. Oh Merlin, could someone please tell him whether he should answer?
[Your explanation Potter?] Voldemort pushed, [I told you not to test my patience Potter, the consequences are not ones that you can bear.] His attempt at legilimency had failed, Harry Potter was obviously a master occlumens.
Swallowing with difficulty, Harry found himself in a quandary. Voldemort was warning him and he must make a response, he could not pretend that he didn't understand unless his wanted to risk expulsion. Voldemort had just won this round.
[Yes professor, I admit that what Nagini said is the truth. But I don't want to make an explanation, whether I show my abilities is my own business.] Harry said resentfully.
An elated Voldemort had not even registered what Harry had said, even if he had, he would not have cared. What was a little cheek compared to a direct descendant of Slytherin! His heart and mind was completely filled with the joy over the fact that Harry Potter was a Parselmouth. He immediate made the decision that, regardless of whether Harry Potter was the one in his memory, he would keep him by his side, take care of him and guide him, teach Harry and outstanding wizard. It is his responsibility to what was perhaps the only descendant of his bloodline. And if Harry was the one, it would more reason not to let Harry leave his side.
[Alright, you don't have to explain if you don't want to.] Voldemort was more interested in an answer to his other question, [Potter, take off your glasses.]
[Huh?] Still bewildered and a little frightened by how easy going Voldemort seemed to be, Harry was completely confused by this latest request, before he recovered from his shock his glasses had discovered and everything in front of him became a blur.
Voldemort couldn't help standing and approaching Harry, painstakingly taking in every detail of the face he had not seen for five years, jet black, slender eyebrows, slightly arched, clear, innocent, emerald green eyes, a straight, strong nose, soft, pale pink lips, a perfect miniature of that person.
[Smile.] He commanded.
[I…] Harry wanted to object.
[I said smile!] Voldemort grew impatient.
Alright, Harry shut up. Voldemort was behaving very strangely, he had better not antagonize him anymore, it was just a smile.
He squeezed out a not very willing smile.
But in Voldemort's eyes Harry's smile was very beautiful, bashful and shy, so like that person's smile. Perhaps because he is still a student, but Harry's features did not show the signs of the weariness present in that person's face, nor the determination and resilience in that person's eyes, Harry was still growing, waiting for someone to paint the first colors the blank canvas of his life.
He was now certain, Harry was the one, it has been twenty years but his waiting was over.
Returning swiftly to his seat, Voldemort returned Harry's glasses to him. When those unbearably ugly frames covered Harry's exquisite face once again, he could help but frown, he made that decision that he would take Harry to Diagon Alley to craft a new image. Of course, before that, he had to secure his new relationship with Harry.
9.
Voldemort waved his wand and a silver flask and two crystal goblets appeared out of thin air. The flask dipped to pour a honey colored liquid into both goblets before disappearing and one of the goblets floated to Harry.
"Rosmerta's finest oak aged mead." Voldemort said.
Harry hesitated, then took a sip, the taste was delicious.
"Harry, do you know of the special abilities of Salazar Slytherin?"
Harry nodded, wondering at why Voldemort was now using his first name and feeling a slight chill. "Yes Professor, he can talk to snakes."
"Very good." Voldemort continued, "Therefore his descendants, and only his descendants, can also speak to snakes." He paused, trying to see Harry's reaction. Disappointingly, Harry appeared to be completely unaffected, as though this had nothing to do with him. "Do you know what this means?"
"I don't think I have anything to do with Salazar Slytherin." Harry murmured.
"Oh? Why are you so certain?" Voldemort's brow lifted, Harry's certainty amused him.
"My surname is Potter and no Potter in the magical world had anything to do with Salazar Slytherin." Harry confidently replied.
Voldemort smiled. He thought Harry had some sort of definitive proof, instead it was just a simple denial.
"Yes, on your father's side there is no possibility of any relation to Salazar Slytherin. But you not only have a father, you have a mother."
"My mother was a muggleborn witch." Harry rebutted. There couldn't possibly be any "noble" Slytherin bloodline in a child born of a muggleborn.
Voldemort pursed his lips, then unwillingly admitted, "Any family has traitors and black sheep. In the Blacks, in the Gaunts…" He stopped in time, "Anyway, before you can clarify your mother's bloodline, the possibility exists."
Harry ground his teeth in anger, he hated that he had come to this time. While being in this time, he cannot honestly disclose his parents' names and family, he can only vaguely mention that they were a wizard and a muggleborn witch. And now, this vagueness has become the evidence to support and impossible theory.
"Even if, after further investigation, it was found that both your parents had no relation to Salazar Slytherin, the fact that you are a Parselmouth is in itself proof of the fact that you are a descendant of Slytherin." Voldemort continued to push Harry towards the edge of the precipice.
Harry could only secretly sneer. Nobody would believe his words, if he hadn't lived it even he wouldn't believe his own words. It looks like he can only temporarily accept the identity of a descendant of Salazar Slytherin which has been thrust upon him.
"Alright, let's say that I am a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, so what?"
"So what? So What?" Voldemort immediately stood in agitation, walking quickly to Harry, "That means that we are related by blood, I am your relative!"
"What are you trying to say Professor Voldemort?" Harry was mystified, he understood each word Voldemort said but put them all together and he had no idea what the words meant.
"It means that, I have the right to petition the Family Court to change your guardian ship." Voldemort smirked evilly, "And I intend to do just that."
10. (There is no chapter 10 in the text for some reason)