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Chapter 4.

Draco and Professor Dumbledore walked down the hallway until they reached the stone Gargoyle. Dumbledore muttered the password and the statue sprung aside, revealing a spiral staircase. The pair stepped on and went to the top.

Inside his office, Dumbledore motioned for Draco to take a seat. He sat down, as the Headmaster conjured a scrap of parchment and quill. He wrote a quick note, and handed it over to the phoenix beside his desk, "Take this to Severus." The bird seemed to nod, before disappearing in a burst of flame.

Dumbledore turned away from the now empty perch, and sat behind his desk. He motioned to a bowl near the corner, "Lemon drop?"

"No, thank you."

They sat in silence for several minutes. Draco was not going to start what was sure to be an extremely uncomfortable conversation, and Dumbledore seemed to be in no hurry at all In fact, the headmaster looked to be satisfied with attempting to x-ray Draco with his eyes. Draco shifted under the gaze, fidgeting, rubbing his left forearm subconsciously.

When Professor Snape burst into the room, Draco did something that even Dumbledore would have never seen coming: he let out a little yelp, toppled sideways from his chair, rolled, and stood in a flash, his wand trained on Snape's chest. Instead of freaking out at Snape like Draco expected, Dumbledore smiled, and calmly praised Draco, "That was an impressive bit of acrobatics. Care to explain their purpose? Or were they just for show?"

Snape looked at Draco as if he were a puzzle whose last piece just wouldn't fit in the last space, no matter how hard you tried. Draco glared at him while answering his Headmaster, "That man is a Death Eater."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, while Snape just starred at Draco with his moth open for a heart beat before retaliating, "As are you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't call me that! My name is DRACO!" Snape looked like ha had been slapped, "And I am not a Death Eater."

Dumbledore watched the exchange in curious silence, but upon Draco's outburst over his name, a look of befuddlement shadowed his ancient face. He motioned for both of his guests to take a seat. They did, but with Draco scooting several more inches from Severus than necessary. "Did you bring what I asked?" Snape nodded. "Now Severus, with our friends permission, could you be so kind to examine his arm?"

Snape grasped Draco's left arm with only slightly less care than Dumbledore had earlier. Draco squirmed in the grasp of the man that was, as far as he knew, his enemy. But if Albus Dumbledore was okay with it, then it seemed Snape wasn't going to hurt him. Draco took a deep breath, and nodded his agreement. Snape pulled up the sleeve, and gasped, "Who are you?"

"Draco." he rolled his eyes. Honestly, what was with everyone today?

Snape turned to Dumbledore, his face bore an expression that seemed to scream, 'I demand an explanation.' Draco wrenched his arm out of Snape's grasp. The old man sighed, "It seems that Mr. Malfoy-"

"Draco-"

"-is not really... Draco." Dumbledore smiled at the student. Snape looked even more confused. "Now, I would like to get to the bottom of this as much as you, Severus. So with your permission, Draco, we will administer veritaserum."

"What?" Dumbledore nodded, and looked very serious. "No! I- I can't- not with him here. Listening." He gestured towards Snape.

"Severus, if you would."

Snape scowled, but stalked out of the office, after placing a small vial on Dumbledore's desk. Draco stared at the substance in question quite apprehensively. He looked openly sceptical about the idea, and so Dumbledore tried to reassure him, "I assure you, I will not ask anything that you would not tell me voluntarily. This way, I can be sure that I am getting an honest response."

Draco sighed, and thought for a way out of this situation. Dumbledore let him mull it over, and after a few minutes, the blonde had come up with no brilliant solution. He huffed, but grabbed the vial, popped open the cork, and downed it all in one gulp. Dumbledore smiled, "Now, then, what is your name?"

"Draco, sir." Draco rolled his eyes again. Haven't I been trying to tell him that?

"Your full name, Draco."

"Draco Lucius Malfoy-Black." Oh, how he hated his middle name. Every time he said it, he was reminded of his father.

Dumbledore seemed like Draco's name had surprised him somehow, "Black?" Draco nodded, "Why is your last name Black?"

What was wrong with Dumbledore? He already knew all this stuff, "Because I was adopted by my cousin, Sirius. When I was ten."

The Headmaster went back to starring into Draco's soul. The emotions flickering across the old man's face were very strange. Concern, disbelief. But most of all, utter confusion. He shook his head slightly, as if trying to dispel an outlandish idea. "Draco, where do you live outside of school?"

What kind of question is that? "In Godric's Hollow. With Sirius and the Potters. But Professor Lupin visits so much that he may as well move in."

Dumbledore's eyes grew to twice their normal size. The boy had to be lying; there was no way for this living arrangement to be physically possible. But the blonde had take veritaserum, and everything he said had to be the truth. None of this was adding up. "Which Potters, exactly?"

"Lily, and Uncle James. And Harry." what other Potters would there be? The Dark Lord killed all of Harry's family. Even the muggle half on aunt Lily's side.

"Can you please tell me how this living arrangement came about?"

"Well, Professor, when I was nine, Bellatrix killed my mum and dad. She came after me, too, but I managed to escape and found Sirius and the Order. A year later, Sirius adopted me, and we moved into his best friend James' house. The headquarters was in Sirius' house, and he didn't think it was a good idea for me to live there. So he moved into their spare bedroom, and I share with Harry."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, but he did not really seem to understand what Draco was telling him. "Everything you told me in the hospital wing- was that true?" Draco nodded, and watched the headmaster analyze the situation once more. "So you are a Gryffindor?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you went up into the tower today to find Harry." he sat in silence for a moment, before a knowing glint entered his eyes. "What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Potter?"

"Harry's my boyfriend."

"Well, Draco. I'm ready to believe everything you have just told me. However, the rest of the world is under the impression that Draco Malfoy is a Slytherin, who hates the world-famous Harry Potter."

No! I'm not a Slytherin. And how could I hate Harry? And what did he mean by famous? Harry is not famous. "I'm not sure I understand you, sir."

Dumbledore completely ignored Draco's befuddlement, and asked another question. "What happened to you today, Draco?"

He's not going to answer me! "Professor Lupin came into history class, and told me that Sirius had died." Draco stopped to take a deep breath, "I tried to run away, but Harry had my wand and wouldn't give it back... so I punched him. I feel terrible about it, sir, please let me go apologize."

"I'm afraid that would only cause a similar situation to the one that sent you to the hospital wing. Please, continue."

Draco huffed in frustration. "I took my wand and ran off to the Room of Requirement. Harry followed me, so when I got inside, I panicked and hid in this cabinet that was in the middle of the room. I seemed to disappear after that, and came back in the Slytherin common room. I kind of yelled at Pansy, then went into Gryffindor tower. I'm pretty sure you know what happened next better than I do."

"Mr. Weasley hit you with a stunner. It's a good thing, too. From what I heard, you were getting close to hurting someone."

Draco blinked in disbelief. "Ron's dead, sir. Been dead since we were thirteen."

Draco was rewarded with another searching glance from the x-ray machines known as Dumbledore's eyes. The headmaster smiled sadly, "Such a shame. I assume Harry took that loss badly?"

"Yes, sir. He wasn't really himself for the longest time afterwords." Draco sat in silence, glad that Dumbledore seemed to believe that a cabinet had transported him to the dungeons. But he still had some questions of his own. "I was wondering, sir, exactly how is Ron alive?"

"Because, Draco, he never died."

Draco stared at Dumbledore stupidly. What does he mean? Ron was dead. But somehow, he was still alive. And Dumbledore said that he had never died to begin with. It's impossible! But Albus Dumbledore would never lie to a student. Especially about something as serious as this. "I don't follow you, sir."

"I believe, Draco, that you have gotten yourself rather lost." Dumbledore looked very serious at the moment, and his tone of voice was that of a man better left unchallenged, "You were not transported to the Slytherin common room by a cabinet. You were transported to a Slytherin common room."

"A common room?" Draco did not like where this was going, "As in, out of several? More than one?"

The headmaster's eyes glinted, "Precisely."

Draco's mind was whirling. He seemed to see what Dumbledore was suggesting, but was hoping against hope that his guess was completely off. Unfortunately, he was right. Dumbledore expanded his response, "You've found yourself in the wrong universe, Draco."

His mouth popped open, and he snapped it shut quickly. He gulped. He wanted to argue, to tell the old man that he was a fool and utterly mad. But Draco knew that he couldn't do that. He knew that Dumbledore was telling the truth There was only one thing left to ask.

"How do I get back?"

"I'm not sure. I have a few theories, but I'm afraid that it would be to dangerous to test them without being more knowledgeable of the situation."

This made no sense, "How would it be dangerous, Professor?"

"We are now aware of two unique universes, completely separate from each other, yet existing side by side. They are absolutely invisible to their counterpart. Therefore, it is very likely that there are other realities, invisible and undetectable."

"But what does that have to do with sending me home, sir?"

"What if, instead of sending you back to your own world, I accidentally sent you into an entirely different world all together?"

Draco moaned. This hadn't occurred to him. He could end up travelling through an infinite amount of realities, never to return home. Never to see his Harry again, only cheap knock-offs. "What do I do, then, sir?"

"I suggest that you act as if nothing is wrong. Pretend that you are the Draco Malfoy of this reality. At least until I am able to find a solution."

"Yes, sir."

Dumbledore laughed quietly, "That won't do at all! You are much too polite to be Mr. Malfoy. Remember, you are a Slytherin now. You can never be too rude to this old fool of a headmaster."

"Fine, then."

"Much better!" Dumbledore smiled softly at the blonde. "Now, I think you should head to the great hall for dinner. Sit a the Slytherin table. And I believe you are rather close to young misters Crabbe and Goyle."

"Them?" Dumbledore nodded solemnly, "What the hell was I thinking?" Draco stood from his chair, and Dumbledore told him to return tomorrow after dinner. Draco nodded, and headed for the door, but stopped halfway through the door frame.

"Sir?"

"Yes, dear boy"

"What happened to me now that I'm here... The other Draco?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly, "He is not in this world. Two of the same thing can not exist at the same time. The only reason time travel is possible is because even the smallest amount of time alters your mind and body. But for two people, exactly the same as each other to exist at the same time, it would not be possible.

"As to where he went I can't be sure, but seeing as you appeared where he last was, yet you seem to have brought your own body with you... I have two theories. First, he's gone. Vanished. You replaced him. Perhaps permanently, or maybe he will come back into existence upon your departure."

Draco did not like this one bit. His double was erased. Just... gone. I killed myself. But the headmaster said he had another theory...

"Second, you could have been subjected to a rather powerful switching charm. Meaning, that as you are in his world, he is now in yours. You simply traded places."

Draco liked the second theory even less than the first. He didn't like the sound of his alternate persona, and he hated to think what damage he could cause in his world. Draco was begging fate that Malfoy was just erased like Dumbledore had originally suggested. He felt absolutely horrid about it, but he wished that he had erased another person. Draco shuddered involuntarily.

Dumbledore smiled softly. He seemed to be able to read minds, "I believe the first theory is the most likely, Draco. Now, hurry down to dinner. You don't want to be late."

"Thank you sir. Good night." Draco turned his back to the headmaster, and took one step out of the door before he froze in his tracks, hearing Dumbledore call something after him.

"I suggest getting used to people calling you Malfoy." Draco frowned, and left the office. Dinner was going to be very interesting.