A/N: So first setting a few things straight.

No, it won't be the bad…bad Marauders and poor, poor Severus but also not the other way around…let's just say that Severus quickly will learn that there is a far better way to deal with them than hexing them into the infirmary and the Marauders will get to taste some of their own medicine.

Since most of the story will play at Hogwarts the main focus will be on Harry and Severus and Tom won't join the pairing for quite some time.

Also Harry definitely will be bottom (yay?!). Severus and Tom on the other hand…no comment *grins diabolically*.

His future self…well, that's where it gets complicated…very complicated…and messed up…you see time is a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey…stuff…just why did I just quote Doctor Who? Never mind.

One last thing…this story doesn't have a beta yet so please don't kill me should there be the odd mistake. I try to find everything but as Harry said time travel seriously messes with the tenses so I might have missed things…

Now have fun!


Chapter 2: The tale of the Boy-who-lived

The two silently walked down to the great hall where they knew lunch would be served. On the way there, Severus flicked his wand at Harry who only raised his eyebrows upon it until he realised that Severus had repaired and cleaned his clothes at least to a certain degree so that they weren't rags anymore but they also were far from pristine. He gave him a thankful smile upon which Severus only shrugged.

Though the second they stepped through the door each and every student turned and stared at them. Harry instantly felt uncomfortable because of the attention he was receiving but, in this case, it was unavoidable. Not every day someone, the age of a sixth-year student, walked into the hall with only muggle clothes on that certainly had seen better days, not to mention that nobody knew who he was.

What surprised everyone, however, was when the boy followed Severus to the Slytherin table where they both sat down.

That was when Dumbledore who somehow had managed to arrive before them stood up and banged his gavel against his goblet silencing the students.

"I want you to welcome Mr. Tom Hadrian Eldrid to Hogwarts. He arrived today under unusual circumstances, and it was decided that he would stay at Hogwarts for the time being. I hope that everyone and especially Slytherin, which will be his house from now on, will give him a hearty welcome," the headmaster explained before he sat down again.

Instantly the entire hall broke out in murmuring wanting to know who exactly the boy was and what those unusual circumstances were under which he had arrived. Harry, on the other hand, groaned knowing that now even more attention was focused on him.

"Why was that disgusting mudblood sorted into our house?" a boy several seats down from Harry muttered outraged sniffing indignantly.

"I have to inform you that this disgusting mudblood had two magical parents," Harry sneered in reply glaring at the boy in question to prevent him from commenting on his parents any further.

"Had?" was the inquiry of a female housemate now.

Harry sighed, this would be a long day. "They died…this morning," he let his head hang for the show.

"Eldrid is not a pureblood name," the boy that made the mudblood comment prior interrupted the conversation not caring that the boy obviously just lost his parents.

"And who are you?" Harry snapped back.

"I am Evan Rosier, heir to the Noble and Ancient house of Rosier," the boy puffed up like a proud peacock and Harry had to wonder whether the boy had spent too much time around Lucius Malfoy who also liked to stride around as one.

"Well, Rosier then. My parents went into hiding some time ago and consequently changed their names in the process," he elaborated. "So, it is no wonder that you don't recognise it."

Harry saw how every Slytherin bar Severus tensed upon his explanation while Severus wondered why Harry would tell this those he surely must know were the children of the followers of the Dark Lord; he must have known that they would conclude that his parents had been hiding from the Dark Lord.

"So, one of those who kisses Dumbledore's ass and fears the Dark Lord," someone Harry recognised as Rabastan Lestrange spoke up disgustedly.

That made Harry snort. "As if," he muttered.

Severus hid his smirk behind his goblet, so Harry had a reason for all of that, establishing that he was not one of Dumbledore's follower.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rabastan suddenly looked at him curiously.

"That is supposed to mean that I would more likely bow to the Dark Lord than go anywhere near Dumbledore's ass or the man himself as it is," Harry chuckled. "Not that I'm inclined to bow to anyone at all."

"So, you're against the Dark Lord," the female retorted.

"That is not what I said. What is your name?" Harry sighed.

"Alecto Carrow," the girl answered.

Harry's eyes widened in recognition before he spoke up. "Alecto, sorry for being so informal but with two Carrows sitting at this table it would become too confusing using your last name. However, let me get a few things straight. Dumbledore can go to hell for all I care, and I would even give him a push in the right direction if you can catch my drift.

"In the regards of the Dark Lord, I don't care overly much about what he is doing as long as he keeps magic away from the muggles and doesn't want to kill me. No, I won't bow or kneel to him, but that doesn't mean that I'm against what he is doing, it simply means that I do not bow to anyone. Should you, on the other hand, have a problem with this…stay away from me and you won't get hurt. Nonetheless, should you decide to try anything fancy…," Harry left the threat open.

He could hardly tell them that a prophecy made in about two and a half years time would declare him the Dark Lord's equal and that he indeed had earned that title power wise, but he could warn them nonetheless that it would be a very bad idea to cross him.

"But why did your family go into hiding then?" a boy a few seats down that to Harry's surprise was the young Barty asked in confusion, but he could hear that he didn't judge him for his stance towards the Dark Lord. "I mean if you're not on Dumbledore's side and have no problem with the Dark Lord…why hiding?"

"Because of Dumbledore," Harry mentally groaned, he was spinning together a background story here without being able to back it up with any evidence.

One thing was for sure, the first thing he would do the next morning was going to Gringotts and ask the goblins for help, lest he got busted. He needed to keep the fact that he was not only a time traveller as well as the boy from the not yet spoken prophecy but also the fact he was the Master of Death as far away from Dumbledore as possible. Oh no, he was under no illusion what Dumbledore would try to do should he get to know of even one of those three things. He would probably be under so many controlling spells and potions quicker than he would be able to blink and that surely was not something he wanted.

Then there was also the Ministry to put into consideration. They probably would also try to control him, lock him away or give him to the Unspeakables as a play toy. No, there were only two people in this time he would ever trust with this secret and one was currently sitting right next to him. The other…well he would have to meet him before he would make the decision to whether he should tell him anything or not.

"Why would someone hide away from Dumbledore?" Barty questioned his brows furrowed.

Harry sighed. "Okay, perhaps we can come to an agreement over this. You wait until tomorrow after I had the chance to go to Gringotts and get a few things checked and in order. I have no idea what my family did when going into hiding and I don't want to be accused of line theft only because I have no claim on the family name anymore. If you can wait until then I'll tell you everything you want to know in the common room away from prying ears," he told them.

The others looked at each other when Alecto nodded. "Very well, but don't think that you can get away without telling us," she told him flatly.

Right at that moment Slughorn came along the table and walked straight up to Harry.

"Welcome to the house of Slytherin, Mr Eldrid. Dumbledore informed me that you need school supplies as well as a complete set of everyday things. Did you perhaps have a look at the electives already so that we could buy those books too?" he asked with a bright smile.

"Yes, I looked at them, and I decided to continue Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Alchemy and Healing. Though I have to admit that I have no knowledge in Alchemy and Healing, but the knowledge in the other courses should be sufficient for the sixth year," Harry replied. "I'm also sure that I'm good enough to continue Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions."

He had looked at the list on their way from the headmaster's office, and he had been surprised how many classes were offered then it had been the case in his time. Next, to the ones he knew, there were also Alchemy, Healing, Enchanting, advanced Transfiguration…hell, they even had a class dedicated to duelling though that one he didn't want to take because he was quite sure that his duelling abilities were more than sufficient after what he had been through.

"Why not taking duelling?" was Severus' curious question.

Ah, so that was where he got his fierce duelling abilities from. Harry sighed, why not, at least it would keep him fit.

"Okay, add duelling to the list," he muttered with a half-hearted glare towards Severus.

He hadn't wanted to take so many classes, but the bright side was that he certainly wouldn't get bored with so many new courses. Sure, in his first life he had taken up to learn Ancient Runes and Arithmancy through self-study after he quit his job as an Auror and before the mess started that consequently landed him here, but Alchemy and Healing would be new to him. Sure, he knew some healing spells mostly from his many stays in the infirmary and later Auror training, but he was far from really knowing the subject and Alchemy…well that hadn't even been offered in his time.

"Alchemy and Healing should be no problem since both are subjects not taught before the sixth year, so you would only have to catch up with what had been taught since the beginning of the year. What were your O.W.L. scores in the other subjects?" Slughorn inquired.

"Uhm," Harry looked down a pained expression on the face. "I actually never took my O.W.L.s, you see we were hiding. It would have brought too much attention to our family had I taken them officially."

"I see, I see," Slughorn muttered with a thoughtful face. "I'll have to talk to Dumbledore, but it shouldn't be a problem for you to belatedly take your O.W.L.s here at Hogwarts," he finally said with a smile patting Harry on the shoulder. "The afternoon class for your year would be potions so why don't you attend and then we can examine how well you do in that subject and how far you already are."

"I would love to," Harry replied with a tentative smile.

"Don't worry everything will be fine and after the lesson we get you settled in the dorms. Tomorrow then, we'll head to Diagon Alley to get you everything you need," Slughorn's smile brightened.

"Uhm professor, about the trip to Diagon Alley…would…could…" his voice trailed off as if he didn't want to bother his professor with it.

"What is it, Tom?" Horace asked smiling encouraging at him. "You can ask whatever you want; I cannot help you if you don't."

"I wanted to ask whether it is possible that Severus accompanies us," Harry replied. "Only if you want though," he hastily added towards Severus. "You see…I saw my parents die this morning and…and he is the first I met here, and he was so nice to me…"

Severus had a tough time to suppress his snort upon that statement; he had been kind to him? It was more the other way around, but with the beaming smile the professor now sported, it was clear that Harry had him completely wrapped around his finger.

"Of course, is that alright as long as Mr Snape has no objections," he now looked at Severus who shot Harry a contemplating look. Harry, on the other hand, smiled winningly at him.

"Very well, at least I can stock up on a few ingredients at the apothecary," he answered dryly, it would certainly save him the fee for owl ordering them and considering that he hadn't money to waste it was a good thing.

"Good, good, we'll meet tomorrow morning at ten in the entrance hall and then walk down to Hogsmeade from where we'll floo over to Diagon Alley," he explained them. "Since lunch is coming to a close, why don't you eat up and we'll see each other in potions."

Harry nodded and turned back to his lunch while Slughorn walked towards the main entrance to the great hall probably to go and prepare the lesson. Once the professor was out of hearing range, Harry started to snicker.

"Had I known that those little mind games are so amusing I would have done it ages ago," he muttered lowly that only Severus could hear him.

"Indeed," said young man replied with a snicker of his own not wanting to comment on it any further and consequently revealing Harry's secret.

They both finished their lunch before they together walked down to the potions classroom.

"How good are you at potions?" Severus asked him on the way. There were many things he wanted to know that is one of it, but Harry had promised that he would tell him everything he wanted to know, which was the only reason for why he didn't question the other boy until he was blue in the face.

"I honestly don't know. In my time, I received an EE in my O.W.L.s, but that was mostly because my teacher hated my guts and degraded me at every possible opportunity," Harry told him glad that in the dungeons were no portraits that could listen in to their conversation. "But I don't think that I'm that good…I don't know, certainly not as good as you are."

It was true, thanks to the old Snape's constant picking on him he lost all interest in potions, and it was only far after he had graduated that he found that he began to like the subject again though he wasn't all that confident that he was any good at it.

"We'll see," Severus replied looking at Harry contemplatively.

They waited in front of the classroom in silence while slowly the rest of the class trickled in. It took about five minutes before the classroom door opened, and Slughorn told them to come in and take a seat. Harry silently followed Severus to the front and sat right next to him.

"You wouldn't possibly lend me some parchment and a quill to take notes?" he whispered to Severus only to receive an odd look. "What? Do you really think I would remember every tiny detail that might come up in a test? My school time had been quite some time ago after all."

Severus nodded in acknowledgement before he pulled a spare quill and more parchment out of his bag before handing it over to Harry.

Slughorn started to lecture, and it became quickly apparent that they would brew the Draught of the Living Death. Harry couldn't stop his smirk upon hearing that, this was one of the potions he knew by heart and not only the standard version but also the improved one, the one he in his time had found in Severus' book. He had memorised every potion with every change and any note in that book as well as the spells in the case that either a professor or that insufferable know-it-all Granger decided that he couldn't keep the book. However, after the first potion he had brewed following Severus' instructions in the book he knew how invaluable those were, so he merely went to memorise them. It was a good thing that he was quite good at remembering things and that way no one could call him upon using the book.

Therefore, it was no wonder that once they were to brew the potion, he brewed it without even looking in the book ones. The cauldron he borrowed from Slughorn while the ingredients he got from both the storage cupboard and Severus who supplied him with those that weren't in the cupboard.

Humming lowly, he squished the Sopophorous beans with the silver knife he had nicked from Severus before cleaning it with a piece of cloth. It was something he had learned later in his life that not cleaning the blade between using it on two different ingredients was most of the time a terrible idea, except you liked explosions then it would be a great idea.

Severus looked at him strangely taking back the knife Harry had just used coughing lowly. "You're humming," he plainly stated.

Harry looked up from his potion in surprise. "Oh, really? Sorry, that is a habit I picked up from while I cooked meals," he replied with a sheepish smile while finishing his potion.

Just at that moment, Slughorn stepped in front of the two and looked in their cauldrons. "Mr Snape an excellent result as always," he complimented before looking at Harry's potion. "My dear sweet Merlin," he breathed before he pulled out a leaf and placed it in the cauldron observing how it disintegrated in mere seconds. "This is so perfect that one drop of it could probably kill us all."

"How can a sleeping potion kill someone," Sirius dumbly questioned in disbelieve.

"Oh Mr Black, this is very well possible as the Draught of the Living Death is such a potent sleeping draught that it brings the drinker into a death-like state. The problem is, that is the dose too high or the potion too potent it will send you into sleep you will never wake from ever again even with the counter potion which consequently would kill you over time. So, you see, even a sleeping-draught is able to kill you. Mr Eldrid, ten points to Slytherin for excellent work, would you please stay behind?" he explained.

Harry nodded and started to clean up his workspace.

"And you said you're not all that good at potions," Severus muttered. "How did you even manage to get a better result than me?" he asked not even put out that someone had been better, he was merely curious. Potions were his passion, and he always wanted to learn something new so no it didn't bother him if someone was better quite the contrary actually.

Harry instead of replying looked over and into the other boy's schoolbook; he could instantly spot the difference. "Here, after the seven stirs anticlockwise add one stir clockwise and in between the sloth brain and the juice of the Sopophorous beans add three Valerian roots chopped up into little dices," he described.

Severus rose an eyebrow but said nothing to that and only picked up his quill to make the adjustments in his schoolbook before he started to clean up his own workspace. He certainly would test the change in the recipe at a later point in time.

"So, you came across my book?" Severus questioned leaving the in the future part unsaid.

"Yep," Harry replied popping the p but didn't elaborate further being aware that Avery tried to listen in.

When Harry was done cleaning up, he walked up to Slughorn's desk closely followed by Severus.

"Mr Snape?" Slughorn questioned.

"Harry not yet knows where the Slytherin common room is located nor the password," Severus stated dryly as if it was apparent.

"It's okay professor, he can stay," Harry smiled.

"Very well," the professor said before walking around the desk and towards the exit. "I wanted to show you to the common room and assign you a dorm room. However, that is where we meet a small problem. You see the dorms of each year have exactly as many separate rooms as there are students in that year and it is nearly impossible to change the number of rooms once they have been created due to the complicated magic at work. Therefore, you'll have to share a room with one of your year mates."

Harry groaned because this was a complication he hadn't anticipated, though he was surprised when Severus spoke up.

"That will be no problem Professor; I'll gladly share my room with him," he said with a smirk towards Harry that didn't reassure him in the slightest, Severus was up to something, and Harry would have to be very careful lest he got caught up in something he didn't want.

So, it was no wonder that Harry regarded Severus with a contemplating look but in the end, he nodded his approval.

"Good, very good, one less problem I assume," Slughorn beamed leading them into the Slytherin common room. "Next to the common room on the right, you'll find a library and study area. On the left front is the door that leads to the female dorms in the back the one to the male dorms. Severus surely will show you around. The house-elves will supply you with a second bed and a few toiletries but everything else we'll have to buy tomorrow. Do you have any questions?"

"No and thank you for everything, Sir," Harry replied with a shy smile.

"Tom, it is no problem at all, I'm your head of house now, and therefore it is my duty to see you settled in and that you're supplied for school," Slughorn patted him heavily on the back letting Harry nearly stumble. "So, I think I'll leave you to it then and should anything be or you simply needing someone to talk to don't hesitate to come to me."

Harry nodded and watched Slughorn turning around leaving the common room. After that, he turned towards Severus and looked at him expectantly.

"So, you have no problem sharing your room with me?" he asked sceptically.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Severus smirked.

"I wouldn't have agreed had I a problem with it," Harry shook his head. "But I have the feeling that you have some ulterior motive."

Severus laughed. "Since when has a Slytherin not some ulterior motive when doing something," he deadpanned. "Now come, I'll show you where the room is though I hope you have no problem with me brewing potions from time to time."

"Only if you let me check your wards around the brewing station and improve them if necessary," Harry shrugged but elaborated his point when he saw Severus rising an eyebrow in question. "Do you think I want to have the potion's fumes all over the room or want either of us to get hurt should it explode?"

"There are wards for that?" now Severus was intrigued.

Harry only gave him a deadpan look before walking to where Slughorn had told him were the male dorms. He walked down the corridor from which lead doors to the different years. Once he found the door leading to the rooms of the 6th year, he opened it and was pleasantly surprised. Behind the door was a place akin to a small common room from which currently five doors lead to the different bedrooms of the 6th year students.

"Wow, this wasn't what I expected," Harry said in awe.

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know but certainly not this," Harry replied, walking into the room and looking around.

At a table in two armchairs sat Avery and Mulciber obviously brooding over some homework. Both looked up at him with a strange look somewhere between curiosity and disgust, it seemed that they still didn't know what to think about him. Right next to them was a fireplace in which a warm fire merrily burned bathing the room in light and warmth. Mainly the latter was necessary because the dungeons always were cold without the heat of a fire.

"My room is the one on the left," Severus explained with a gesture towards the door.

Harry nodded and walked over to it and opened it. It seemed that the house-elves already knew about him staying here because behind it was a room with two four-poster beds accompanied with a bedside table next to each, two desks, drawers and shelves for books and other things. The room was kept in shades of dark green and black. Illuminated and heated was it by a small fireplace that bathed the room in soft orange light. On the desks were lamps so that you could see adequately while working. Harry could see that Severus had enlarged his desk and set up a potions lab on it as he already told Harry.

"Nice," was Harry's only comment.

"We're allowed to change the room to our own satisfaction so if you want to change anything in your half feel free to do so," Severus explained walking over to his trunk which he opened and started to rummage around.

"Nah, I like it as it is. Very homey," Harry replied slumping down on his bed coming to lie on it spread-eagled.

Severus who observed that snickered lowly. "Say how old have you been before you ended up here?" he asked after putting up some privacy wards.

"Do you really want to know?" Harry questioned turning his head so that he could look at Severus.

In return, Severus shot him a look that clearly told Harry that the other boy wouldn't have asked otherwise.

Harry sighed. "Very well, I have been…35," he said in a low voice looking at his hands hearing a choking sound from Severus. "But it doesn't matter, I'm here now, I'm sixteen, and I have no desire to get back," he added with a pointed look.

"Fair point but don't you fear that things might get boring for you? I mean you must know so much more," he asked in curiosity though he was quite shocked by Harry's actual age. Merlin, he was twice the age he was, but on the other hand, Harry was right, he was sixteen now or at least in the body of sixteen years old and since he obviously didn't want to get back…let's just say that Severus would be the last one to complain about it.

"Hence why I took classes that weren't even available anymore in my time like healing and alchemy," Harry snickered while sitting up.

Severs nodded humming in acknowledgement. "Why don't you come over so that we can talk properly?"

Harry stood up, walked over, took a seat on Severus' bed, and leaned against one of the four posters opposite of Severus.

"So, what do you want to know?" he asked.

"How about…everything?" Severus replied as if that had been a stupid question.

Harry snorted, somehow, he hadn't expected anything else. "Well, where should I start…" he muttered.

"Try with the beginning," Severus deadpanned.

"That would be back to Dumbledore's youth going over his young adulthood and liaison with Gellert Grindelwald their fallout and the subsequent death of Dumbledore's sister Ariana resulting in Grindelwald fleeing England and waging war over Europe. Then it continues with the youth of one Tom Marvolo Riddle followed by Dumbledore defeating Grindelwald and so on and so forth. If I start, there we'll probably still be here on Monday…" Harry said with an amused glint in his eyes only to receive an unimpressed glare though he could also see curiosity over what he just said. "Okay, okay, I think I know where to start to be precisely three years from now give or take. But before I start you need to know something, no matter how it might sound at first, nothing of what happened had been your fault…will be…ah you know what I mean. Just let me finish, and you'll see."

Severus rose an eyebrow but nodded, so Harry started his tale, the tale of his life.

"As I said everything really started up in 1979 so three years from now. It was some time between the beginning of August and the end of the year though I don't know the exact date and it doesn't really matter.

"Dumbledore was searching for a new Divinations professor and therefore held an interview with Sybill Trelawney, great-great-granddaughter of Cassandra Trelawney, a well-known seer. You might think now that they conducted the meeting here in Hogwarts but no, not at all. No, the interview he held at the Hog's Head his brother's pub. Why he did it there, I have no idea but a few assumptions.

"However, he held it there, and that was when something happened. You have to know that Sybill Trelawney is a complete fraud. In her entire life, she hadn't even seen a glimpse of the future not to mention given a prophecy. However, that is precisely what happened; during that interview, she suddenly sprouted a prediction. The exact wording is this:

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...
Born to those who have thrice defied him,
born as the seventh month dies...
and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,
but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...
and either must die at the hand of the other
for neither can live while the other survives...
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...

"At the same time, you also visited that pub. When you saw Dumbledore together with Trelawney vanishing upstairs, curiosity got the better of you, and you followed. You listened in on them, but unfortunately, you only heard the first three lines of the prophecy before Aberforth caught you and threw you out.

"The thing is that at that time, you already joined the ranks of the Dark Lord and you saw that as an opportunity to prove yourself to him. So, you went to him as quickly as possible and relayed what you heard not believing that he would give credit to one word of the prophecy but wanting to inform him nonetheless. However, for reasons unknown even to me, though I have a suspicion, the Dark Lord went completely nuts over it starting to hunt down families that were expecting a child at the end of July. In the end, he narrowed it down to two families, the Longbottoms and the Potters," here Severus who up to now listened intently drew a sharp breath.

"You don't plan on telling the Dark Lord about that, do you?" he asked suspiciously not because he was overly worried about Potter, but he already knew that Lily eventually would marry him and therefore she would be in danger too.

"Eventually, yes I will," Harry confirmed but when he said that hurt and betrayal instantly entered Severus' expression. "Severus, I'm not stupid, and of course I'll make sure that he doesn't repeat his mistake. Now if you let me continue, you'll hopefully see why I'm more comfortable with letting him know something early he would get to know anyway than letting history play out the same way twice," Severus nodded but still had a hurt look in his eyes. "Where was I? Ah yes, he narrowed it down to the Longbottoms and the Potters though he decided to go after the child that was more like himself, a half-blood. Uhm, that is something you should probably keep to yourself if you don't want to draw his ire upon you," Harry smirked when Severus nearly choked upon that revelation.

"Anyway, James and Lily went into hiding once they got to know about it. They hid behind a Fidelius charm in their cottage in Godric's Hollow. I know what you want to ask…why not Potter Manor since it has far better wards. That is where Albus-too-many-fuckin'-names Dumbledore comes into play. You see that bastard counted on that prophesied child to defeat the Dark Lord instead of moving his own ass and do it himself hence why he convinced James that it would be far better to hide away in the cottage because Potter Manor would be oh so obvious. James so stuck up Dumbledore's backside that he could see the light again followed that advice without questioning it, wanting to make Black the secret keeper. But Dumbledore again intervened convincing Black to convince Potter that he again was too obvious and that they should switch…to Pettigrew."

"They trusted that snivelling rat?" Severus interrupted in disbelieve not knowing just how accurate that description was.

"James did, but Lily was sceptical hence why she instantly started to research other methods of protection. On Halloween 1981 then the inevitable happened and Pettigrew went straight to the Dark Lord giving away the location where they were hiding. The Dark Lord then went to the cottage the same evening blasting through the door, killing James first. Lily in the meantime ran upstairs with me and into my nursery where she barricaded the door to no avail. Not long after that he also blasted through that door and asked my mother to step aside to get to me," Harry told but again was interrupted.

"Wait, why would he ask a Muggle-born to step aside?" he asked.

"Because you asked him to spare her," Harry replied with a smirk.

Severus blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?" he dryly stated.

"Yes, despite your fallout with my mother, the second you became aware of what he was going to do and whom he was after you went to him and asked him to spare Lily and yes, he did as you asked. You see unlike Dumbledore he practises what he preaches," Harry took a break to conjure up a glass he filled with water to drink offering one to Severus too, but he declined. "And he listens to what those close to him told him, and you managed to become one of his inner circle quite quickly mostly because of your Mastery in potions and your fierce duelling abilities."

"Except the whole blood purity matter," Severus rose an eyebrow.

Harry snickered lowly taking a sip from his water. "I think that is more a misunderstanding on the side of the purebloods. As far as I'm aware Tom only has problems with muggles, as well as the fact that muggle-born and those half-bloods raised the muggle way waltz into our society with their prejudice and their set ways expecting us to change our traditions to their expectations and I can hardly blame him," Harry shook his head. "I don't know how you celebrate Halloween in this time but in my time, it was an insult to how it was supposed to be, it became a feast to gorge on sweets until you vomit. It had nothing in common with the remembrance of the dead anymore."

If Severus couldn't understand just why Harry thought as he did, he did now. In fact, he looked slightly ill.

"But if you thought that bad it is nothing compared to what happened after the second wizarding war when the Dark Lord was ultimately killed. Everyone suddenly went all muggle loving in remembrance to Dumbledore and his goals, preaching that it was time for them to reconnect, that the muggles would understand and that we didn't need to hide anymore. Completely bollocks if you ask me, and I would have been proven right hadn't I that little accident ending up here. I don't know for how long the world would have survived, but I doubt it would have been for long," he sighed and looked down. No, trusting muggles was one sure way to get the world destroyed.

"Five years," suddenly a new voice said from beside the bed letting Harry chuckle and Severus jump in shock and surprise, drawing his wand, and pointing it at the pale old man standing between the two beds looking at them with an amused glint in his eyes. "Give or take."

"That is longer than I would have given them," Harry laughed before he looked at the man. "Hello, Death. Oh, and Severus, take the wand down, you can't kill him and would probably only manage to piss him off."

"Who is that and how did he get in here?" Severus asked cautiously but lowered his wand, not putting it away though.

"Severus meet the entity known as Death. Death, you probably already know Severus since I have a growing suspicion that it was your doing that I ended up here," Harry introduced the two.

"Indeed," Death chuckled.

"Death?" Severus questioned in disbelieve but relaxed enough to sit back down since Harry hadn't even twitched when the entity appeared, and the man only looked amused, but he still had his wand in hand just in case.

"Yes, Death. This is part of what I didn't tell you yet but to make things short…have you ever heard of The Tales of the Three Brothers?" Severus nodded slowly wondering where Harry was going with this. "Yeah…not just a tale, at least not everything. The three Hallows are real, I happened to come across them, and since I'm a direct descendant of Ignotus Peverell the third of the brothers…well, long story short. I'm the Master of Death."

"Next you tell me you're related to the Dark Lord himself," Severus deadpanned.

"Actually…not closely but he is the descendant of Cadmus the second brother," Harry sheepishly admitted. "Do you want to hear the best?" he teased Severus who looked on the verge of collapsing thanks to all the shocking news.

"How can there even be more?" he would never admit it to anyone, but he whined.

"Through the three brothers both Tom and I are related to Salazar Slytherin himself," Harry snickered.


A/N: Yeah I know…not the best place to end the chapter *smiles angelically*. What? No one bought that? Pity. 'til next chapter!