A/N-- k, peeps

A/N-- k, peeps. I'll tell u who won the contest (or is really good at guessing) at the bottom. I would have sent u the chapter, but (not only did u not give me ur e-mail address. I can't read minds, peeps) my cousin decided to be a real jerk and not talk to me and I forgot how to send a document through the e-mail! Wait! Beth's (my friend) has helped me, so I remember now! Soooo sorry. Now, on with the plot twists!

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Harry rushed out of his Charms class leaving Ron and Hermione behind staring at him as he ran; dumbstruck that he was leaving them to go to the Great Hall alone. Harry pushed his way through crowds and knocked people off balance as he ran past them, yelling apologies over his shoulder. When he reached the Transfiguration classroom, Harry grabbed onto the doorframe as he turned sharply into the empty room. He looked around as he tried to catch his breath.

Where is he? Harry thought, searching every corner and shadow with his eyes for the promised hooded figure. There was no one in the room. Harry grabbed the nearest chair and plopped down, bewilderment engulfing his features. This must be some kind of sick joke. Harry shook his head, trying to piece it all together and figure out who would play something so mean on him. Not even Fred and George would pull crap like this.

Harry was just about to stand up and leave when he heard soft footsteps creep into the room and the door click shut. Harry spun around. "Who--?" he started.

A hand raised from inside the cloak of the hooded figure that had just entered the room and silenced Harry. "Now is not the time for that," said a muffled voice. "I don't think your ready to know who I am."

Harry cocked his head to one side. "Your Nicholas, right?" The figure nodded its head. "Is this some kind of joke?" Harry demanded.

The figure shook its head. "No, Harry. This is no joke. I believe I already explained that? I am your brother."

Harry sat back down. "You said you could read minds, right?" he asked. The figure nodded. "And you were born not too long after me?"

The figure nodded again. "Though I must say we're are almost nothing alike, not even in appearance." The figure sat down on top of the teacher's desk. "That may be why no one ever realized I survived Voldermort's attack. I've always been different, not only from you, but from everyone."

"What are you getting at?" Harry demanded, getting impatient as he watched the figure get up from the desk and start to pace alongside it.

The figure continued its story, ignoring Harry's question. "I was saved by our nurse, Rose, and adopted. Harry, have you any idea of why the Dark Lord is trying to destroy you?" Harry shook his head. "He does not understand, Harry. He believes he has to destroy the both of us to be safe. You could fight him all you want, and as hard as possible, but you could never destroy him without your other half. Voldermort does not know this. And that is why he is trying to destroy you."

"My other… half?" Harry cocked his head again, now thoroughly confused. "And if he thinks he has to kill us both, why isn't he trying to kill you, too?"

"Because he believes that I died in the explosion of the curse backfiring. He did not know that I was already out of the house." the figure explained, sarcastically.

"What about the other half part?"

"Simple. You can't destroy Voldermort without me, and vice versa. We're twins, Harry, but, we're not."

"Oh, that makes a whole lot of sense." Harry replied sarcastically.

"Are you going to take this seriously or not?" the figure snapped. "If you don't believe me, then leave. Go ahead, ignore the truth and leave." The figure pointed to the door.

"All right! I'll stop with the smart-ass remarks." Harry said defensively.

"Good. Now, down to the business at hand…." The figure stopped abruptly as he and Harry heard footsteps heading towards the Transfiguration room. They heard Professor McGonagal's voice talking quickly to someone. A slightly cold voice joined in, the voice of Professor Snape. "Oh no! Hurry! Through the back door!" The figure opened a small door that Harry hadn't really noticed before. They slipped through to find themselves in the hallway that lead to the kitchens. The figure turned towards Harry again after looking around to make sure no one was around. "Meet me in the North Tower tonight at 8 o'clock!" And with that, he was gone before Harry could say another word.

* * * * *

At 8 o'clock, Harry luckily slipped out of the Gryffindor Commons unnoticed. Ron and Hermione were in a deep conversation, thank God, and didn't notice when Harry got up from their table near the fireplace and walked across the room to the portrait hole. Everyone else in the common rooms were concentrating on their homework and really couldn't care less.

Harry climbed out the portrait hole and dashed down the corridors, taking a hidden flight of stairs here and a secret hallway there, only having to stop once to let Peeves go bouncing off past him through the next hallway with Filch chasing after him and cursing him loudly. Harry arrived at the top of the North Tower half an hour after he left the Gryffindor Tower, breathless.

When Harry had caught his breath, he looked toward the window to see the hooded figure tapping his foot impatiently. "You're late…." the muffled voice murmured.

"Ron… and Hermione… wouldn't stop… talking to me…. Peeves… held me… up and… Filch was chasing… him…." Harry said between gasps.

"I wasn't going to leave. I knew you would come."

"How--" Harry started.

"Maybe it was the fact you want to know who I am. Or maybe it is the fact that I can read minds. Or maybe Professor Trelawney is not such a bad teacher after all."

"Yeah, and she's going to win the teacher of the year award." Harry laughed.

The hooded figure shook his head, his shoulders visibly shaking from laughter under his cloak. "That's true. You know what's ironic? I used to laugh at you, and now I'm laughing with you. It is sort of a scary thought."

"You know what's ironic?" Harry repeated, "You're telling me all this and I have no idea whatsoever of who you are."

"I didn't expect you to," the figure said. "It's not like this is some type of final exam and your going to get points knocked off your grade if you can't tell me who I am, Harry. You've a decision to make, and the choice you make will end up effecting your entire life-- one way or another."

"What the hell are you talking about? And who are you?"

"Do you really wish to know?" Harry nodded. "Very well," the figure sighed. His hands raised up to his hood, and, a little reluctantly, he pulled it down. Harry gasped and fell hard to the floor as if he had just been shoved. There, standing before the window, the moonlight dancing on his pale skin, the breeze lightly blowing his silvery-blonde bangs in his face, and his eyes soft with a tinge of sadness (or was it regret?), was Draco Mafoy.