Chapter 4 - Identity
Harry Potter entered the Headmaster's office, only to see James Potter and Professor McGonagall.
He was welcomed by the grandfatherly smile from Dumbledore, a thin lipped smile from McGonagall and nasty smirk from the last one.
His vision was blurry and he had problems with seeing details as he had no glasses. He narrowed his eyes a little to see the portraits, which were eyeing him curiously.
To say that he was confused was an understatement. He felt utterly and completely lost.
"Mr. Snape," said McGonagall, but whatever she wanted to say next was interrupted.
"Having trouble?" asked James Potter in a mock friendly tone.
"Now, now, we should let Mr. Snape spill his heart for us," cooed Dumbledore.
"I believe, that it would be the best if I could take Mr. Snape for a little chit-chat," said McGonagall and hardly waiting for anyone's reaction, grabbed Harry by the arm and lead him to the moving staircase.
"Professor, I wanted to ask-"
"Silence, Mr. Snape. There will be time for questions, later."
Harry was lead to the office located in the cold and damp dungeons area. It was exactly the same place where Snape's office should have been.
The room looked like the Potions master's office, though surely this person didn't share Snape's like towards vile specimens locked in the jars. Where ever those ingredients were kept, they were kept out of sight.
Harry sat on the comfortable, plush armchair and McGonagall eyed him as if examining him.
Her glare was as intense as Snape's when he accused Harry of stealing boomslang skin last year.
"What is your respective house, Harry?" asked McGonagall suddenly, pulling him out of his musings.
"Gryffindor, Professor. Can you tell me what is going on here? Please."
McGonagall took off her glasses and sat opposite to him, rubbing her eyes.
"It looks like your failing through the Veil changed more than we suspected. It's not only your short hair, but shortsightedness for one. I noticed how your eyes narrowed."
Short hair. He had always had short, messy hair.
"I believe I lost my glasses, Professor." Harry put his face in his hands. "Everything is out of place, I don't know what happened, but things are crazy here."
McGonagall nodded and flicked her wand. "Tell me Harry, who is your father?"
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "James Potter, of course, though everyone calls me Snape, you included. I don't understand why."
"It looks like you traded places with the boy who is Harry Snape."
Harry couldn't tell that he had no suspicions being here. James Potter, Hermione in worn out robes, Malfoy being friendly. Why was Dumbledore the Headmaster?
He acted in a rush of emotions and it hit him later that Dolores Umbridge should be sitting in the circular room.
Nevertheless, to suspect that and to take the fact that he found himself in a completely different world as granted were two things.
Son of Snape! Snape, the greasy git, the bastard who made his life miserable!
Of all people.
Snape.
Harry was sure that some of his brain cells died while processing this piece of information.
Snape, the bat of the dungeons, in miniature, fell into his world. Bloody hell!
McGonagall, to her credit, stayed silent, letting him digest everything that happened. He was probably being rude to the one person who wanted to help him and who was observant enough to figure out his problem.
"I- don't know what to do," said Harry in a small voice.
"First of all, try to accept the current situation, Harry. If there is a solution to this problem, we'll find it. I don't think that going to the Department of Mysteries first thing in the morning would be the best idea."
McGonagall conjured a cup of tea in front of Harry.
"Thank you," he said and tried not to squirm in his seat; he had thousand questions he wanted to ask. "How do you know that I'm not a polyjuiced Death Eater?" he blurted out, not knowing why he said that. If he wanted this McGonagall to be at his side, he shouldn't throw rocks at himself.
The Professor only smiled. "You may now know this fact Harry, but I am the Potion mistress and I have been one for over thirty years. Besides, it wouldn't be hard to notice you transforming back in Hospital Wing. We're all suspicious after the last year's fiasco with the false Alastor Moody."
Oh, so some things were quite similar to the ones from his reality.
"I can see your look, Harry. I believe you should know what life Harry Snape led. There can be more differences from the things you know."
"Yes, Professor," said Harry, impatient to hear the tale. That was the life of Harry Snape for him. A tale of life unlived.
McGonagall took a deep breath. "Lily and Severus were friends since I can remember. They were sorted to different houses, but I often saw them talking, sitting together during classes. James Potter fell in love with Lily; she was charming woman. Beautiful, talented and good hearted. She became friends with Sirius, Peter and Remus but couldn't get past the fact that James remained hateful towards Severus."
Oh yes, he could sympathize with his father with not liking the greasy git, but the things he'd seen in the Pensieveā¦No, Harry never bullied anyone and would like to believe that his father's cruel pranks were just a lie.
Would prefer them to be a lie.
It seemed that the animosity between the two was existent also in this world.
"James Potter leaned towards Dark Arts, wanting to be better than Severus," continued the professor. "You see, Severus believed that 'better devil when you know him' and Lily, albeit reluctantly, shared his views. He learned the Dark Arts, believing that he could find a way to defend his family against them. James made one step forward and took the Dark Mark."
"My father wouldn't," protested Harry instinctively. He couldn't believe in this major difference. His father was a member of the Order of Phoenix!
"But he could and did, Harry!" snapped McGonagall. "However, he saw the mistake he made and joined our side. Merlin knows why, Dumbledore believed him and hired him as Transfiguration Master. James was always good in Transfiguration, he did a show off in almost every lesson, wanting to impress Lily."
McGonagall's face softened as she looked Harry in the eyes. "I'm sure you would like to use the opportunity to know your father, but I'm afraid it's impossible. He would never get over the fact that you look so much like Severus. That is why you should keep your identity in secret and play Harry Snape the best you can."
Harry raised eyebrows, astounded. He looked like Snape? How?
"Can you hand me a mirror, Professor?" he asked, trying to keep that blasted impatience away from his voice and failing miserably.
McGonagall handed him a mirror she had conjured.
He gasped audibly. Harry could hardly recognize himself. He had his hair, pale complexion and his mother eyes. That's where similarities ended.
His cheekbones were high, his nose hooked and his lips thin. His teeth were crooked much like Snape's. Merlin in socks! It wasn't a good combination.
No, if he never ever known Snape, Harry would tell, that he wasn't ugly. However, any resemblance to the greasy git made him want to gag.
And the other one had a good sight and his glasses! Bloody fantastic.
"The other one was very proud of his looks," said McGonagall, taking the mirror out of Harry's shaking hands. "I'm sure that Harry Snape reacted in similar way, if he made it out alive, of course."
"Yeah, he's probably ruining my life for not having this beak of a nose."
"You will not speak of him that way, my boy. Harry Snape is a Slytherin and I'm sure that he does his best to keep appearances. Which is your current task. We will take you to Spinner's End where you'll meet with your godfather. Peter has only the best intentions towards you and I'm sure that he'll do everything to help you."
"Peter Pettigrew? He's betrayed my parents!"
"In your world, yes, I'm sure he did. But we are here and your enemy should be Sirius Black."
"Professor, you don't understand. Peter Pettigrew faked his death and Sirius landed in Azkaban for crime he hasn't committed."
McGonagall nodded. "That's how it was, just place Sirius Black as a dog owned by Hermione Granger for twelve years and Peter Pettigrew as your godfather who spent last twelve years locked in Azkaban."
A/N: Thanks to Artemis J. Halk for help with this chapter.
I am surprised by the number of people who added my story to their alerts and favourites. I hope that this chapter is long enough for you :) The next one will be soon, along with 'Severus Snape of my Soul'. In a meantime, I invite you to read 'Moment of Clarity' - a short drabble about Sirius and his time in Azkaban :)
