Chapter 4
"What do you mean?" Snape asked, after it didn't look like Harry was going to elaborate further.
Harry pointed to the scar on his forehead. "This is not an ordinary scar. I don't know what happened in this timeline/life or whatever…but in mine, Voldermort hit me with a killing curse and it rebounded back on him. Its why I am a Parselmouth."
"What?" three voices exclaimed at once.
Harry just looked blankly at them. He was trying to search through the extra memories he had. It was a bit frustrating and confusing. He finally came to the conclusion that in this life, he hadn't been able to talk to snakes, nor did his scar bother him. He filed that thought away to think about later.
"Anyway," he startled them back into focus. "I still don't understand how I got here. Last night is such a blur…"
"What do you remember? Any little bit may help us figure out what happened." Dumbledore said gently.
Harry screwed up his eyes and thought, tapping the side of his head with his fingers. "Firewhiskey…lots of firewhiskey. I remember, the glass broke and I cut my hand. The world tilted and I passed out."
"You were drinking?!" his mother chastised.
"Er…that's not really important." Harry said quickly, especially when he saw the fire in her green eyes. "The important thing is, was this planned? Did someone do this, or was it just fate playing games yet again."
"Were you somewhere where someone could get to you?" Snape asked.
Harry thought. "No. Remus and I locked down Grimmauld Place that night. Over the already extensive wards we placed on the house right after we moved in. The only others in the house were Ron and Hermione."
"Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked, slightly surprised. "You get along in your other world?"
"Get along? He was my first friend." Harry tried searching through his memories and wasn't liking what he was seeing; standoffs between him and Ron ever since they were little, defending Draco Malfoy of all people as the red head screamed in his face, cold shoulders in the Gryffindor common room and dorm, and countless other snide remarks passed between the two in the corridors.
Harry rubbed his face in his hands. "I almost don't even want to know about Hermione."
"I believe you and Miss Granger are quite close." Snape commented.
Harry closed his eyes and smiled at what he was remembering. Late night chats in the common room, her helping him with homework. Inside jokes and him holding her while she cried her eyes out after Michael broke up with her. Hermione and him were friends.
"That's something I suppose. Can't really believe Draco Malfoy is my best mate, that is so…very weird." Harry shook his head.
Severus raised an eyebrow. "You have been close since you were little. I was afraid that when you were sorted into Gryffindor and he Slytherin that you would drift apart, but you never did."
Harry just shook his head at some of the memories flooding his mind. The typical things best mates did. He couldn't help but smile at some of the shite they pulled.
Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "Well, my boy you have definitely given me food for thought. I think the best thing to do at this point is to acclimate yourself to this life as best as you can. I will be researching what you talked about earlier, maybe we should have a meeting in a few days time?"
"Sounds good Headmaster." Harry said before he yawned.
Lilly ran a hand through his hair and kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep, sweetheart."
Harry was slightly surprised when Severus copied her actions and asked, "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm alright. I just need some sleep." He settled down in bed and Lilly tucked him in. He watched the three of them leave the room.
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The next few days Harry acclimated himself to his new life. It was decided that he shouldn't tell anyone else what was going on. He also realized he really loved having siblings. He played with Kason and joked around with Emily.
Kason had Snape's dark eyes and hair. He had Lilly's facial features and expressions. Emily was almost a miniature Lilly except her eyes were blue-green. She was quick witted, as well, and definitely had a Slytherin side to her even if she was sorted into the lion den.
It was three days before his birthday and Emily plopped down on the couch in the living room beside Harry. She had a look on her face Harry would have recognized even if he didn't have past memories.
"What do you want?" He asked warily, looking up from his book.
"Well, you know it's only three days till your birthday and I need to get you a present. Mum and Dad wont let me go into Diagon by myself, so I was hoping…"
"That I would cart your ass around?" Harry mock sighed. "What are big brothers for?"
Emily squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you!"
"Need air, Ems…" Harry wheezed and she loosened her death grip on his neck.
"I owled Draco. He said he would meet us there." Emily jumped up and started out the door of the living room. "We're leaving in fifteen!" she called from down the hall.
"Aye, aye captain!" he called after her.
Severus walked in the room with an eyebrow raised. "I see she talked you into taking her out."
Harry smirked. "Yeah, it's cool. Plus I wanted to see how this world is."
Severus nodded. "Be careful." It was strange, and somehow not strange to here the common fatherly phrase come from his mouth. "And stay out of Knockturn."
"Yeah, yeah I know." Harry stood when Emily reappeared in the doorway, purse strap slung over her shoulder.
"Are you ready?" she asked, practically bouncing on her toes. She kissed Severus on the cheek and grabbed a pinch of Floo Poweder from the mantle.
Harry laughed, and called, "We'll be back in a few hours!" over his shoulder as he walked through the Floo after her.
Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. Emily smirked at his graceless entrance. He rolled his eyes at her and they made there way out into the Alley.
"So, where did you tell Draco to meet us?" It was still a bit strange for Harry to say the Slytherin's given name.
"In front of Flourish and Blotts. He said he was going to buy a new book." She started down the alley with her arm threaded through Harry's.
The blonde was leaning against the edge of the building when it came into view. Draco smiled, and started towards them.
"Hello, Angel." Draco kissed Emily on the cheek, using a nickname that Harry knew he had used for years. "Harry, how's it going?"
Harry smiled back. "It's good. Three more days till I'm of age."
"Thank Merlin, huh?" Harry nodded.
"Hey Dray?" Emily batted her eyelashes at him.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, and how much is it going to cost me?" he failed to keep the smirk off of his face.
"Its just I want to shop for Harry's present, but they won't let me go off on my own…for some strange reason." She rolled her eyes. "so could we ditch Harry for a little while?"
Harry snorted. "Geez, you begged for me come with you and now you want to ditch me?" She shot him an innocent look. "Go brat. I will meet you back here. I'll dig through the books for a while."
As Draco passed Harry, being drug by the arm, he said. "Don't worry, I will keep her safe."
"Thanks mate." It only took a minute for Harry to realize what he meant. Emily didn't know, but unhappy ex-death eaters had made threats on her life a few years ago, upset that Severus had apparently switched sides. Ever since then, Emily hadn't been anywhere on her own.
Harry entered the dimly lit bookstore and started down what looked like a promising aisle. His eyes passed over books of all sizes until it landed on a thick black volume. All of a sudden it hit him.
The black book. The evil black book. That was on Necromancy! And his mother was now alive…
Harry sank down to the floor against the bookshelf, which is where Draco and Emily found him almost an hour later.
AN: and the plot thickens…Em sure has her boys wrapped around her finger doesn't she? Please review!