Disclaimers: Anything or anyone you don't recognise belongs to me, especially Eltala Riddle, and Lily Snape

Disclaimers: Anything or anyone you don't recognise belongs to me, especially Eltala Riddle, and Lily Snape. Everything else belongs to J K Rowlings. I haven't, and I won't make any money out of this!

Please R/R if you want me to continue!!! Even if you don't!

A new beginning - Chapter Eight

"You're here, Harry. Good, well, come in."

It was the first time Harry had been in the Potion Master's office, and he certainly didn't want to again. The walls were grey stone, almost green with algae - very uneven. There were pictures on the wall, but they were gruesome, even painful looking pictures. Except one.

Harry recognised that one painting, as his father and mother. He would never forget those laughing eyes, those happy smiles - that looked so out of place, in James Potter's Archenemy's office.

"Sit down, you may be here quite a while. I have a long story to tell you." Snape's voice sounded so determined, that it almost frightened Harry, but he did as he was told.

"When I saw you sitting with Lily and Eltala, it made my decision even more necessary. I have already told Lily. You do know who Tom Riddle is, don't you? And who Eltala Riddle is?"

"Yeah, I know. Something to do with a sorceress and being the daughter of Voldemort. What have you told Lily, Professor?" asked Harry nervously.

"I don't know about her being the sorceress. I suppose it makes some sense. Anyway I had a daughter. No, not Lily, her name was Samantha. On the same day, in the same hospital, twins were born to a couple; to a man I had never gotten on well with. Somehow, there was a mix up. Samantha's mother died in child birth, and if that wasn't enough, the incompetent hospital staff mistook my daughter, for the girl in that set of twins." Snape paused, but then went on.

"It took a year to realise what had happened, and by then I had become attached to the couple's daughter. Anyway, the couple had been murdered. It made sense that I should take back my own daughter, and the son was sent to other relatives. So now I had two 'daughters', Lily and Samantha. I must admit I didn't treat Lily, as I should have. In fact it probably might be more accurate to say, I mistreated her. I hated her, for being that couple's daughter, and not my own. They hadn't deserved her. She was so nice, so good, that I felt it wasn't fair."

"A few months ago, however, Samantha was killed, by the same monstrous creature, that had killed Lily's parents. It was because I had denounced him. Always my fault. In my grief, I realised how wrong I had been to Lily. I decided she should have the life, and the future, that my own daughter was denied. So I brought her here" Snape seemed to consider he had explained everything, but Harry was very confused.

"But sir… Why are you telling me this?"

"Oh, don't you understand? The couple was James and Lily Potter! Lily is your twin. And as I have become her stepfather, it automatically makes me the stepfather of Lily's twin. You. Think over what I have said. If ever you need a home, away from those Muggle fools, you will always find one in Hogsmeade, with us."

Harry was speechless. All along, he had thought himself an only child. Now he had a twin? A new home? A stepfather? Snape? Severus Snape – the new Severus, as Harry regarded him – seemed to honestly care about him. But Harry had an idea that he might already have a home in Sirius.

"Umm, thanks for the offer. Yesterday I would have jumped at it. But now? You know who the new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher is, don't you?" Harry stopped, as it had become clear that Snape did not.

"Sirius Black has been proven innocent, and - " Snape's face contorted with fury, as he guessed what Harry had been hinting.

"Dumbledore wanted Him as Defence Against Dark Arts teacher? And let me guess, you want to live with him?" For a second Severus' voice had become the sarcastic snarl that Harry recognised, but his face softened.

"I don't blame you. I haven't been the most likeable of teachers, have I? But I'm changing. Think it over. Maybe by the end of the term you'll change your mind. Maybe not. I'll become one of your favourite Professors, at the very least – you see if I don't."

Harry seriously doubted this, but he was too polite to let it show. But then again, who could be sure? Suddenly he had a sister - a twin at that - and a stepfather.

"You should probably go, or McGonnagall will think I've done something to you, and she'll have my head for keeping you here this long."

With a small mutter of good bye, Harry left the office, vaguely realising he was going in the wrong direction, to get him back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He was so confused about all he had learnt. Why hadn't anyone told him? Sirius, Hagrid, Dumbledore, McGonagall – someone, why? Didn't anyone know? And now, what did he want?

Harry's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Harry tripped over a figure lying on the ground. The jolt brought Harry's mind back to earth, and he looked down, and saw a girl, Eltala, lying on the ground, looking up at him, in the dim light.

"What are you doing here, Eltala?"

"Hoping someone would come. No one told me the new password. I guess you wouldn't know. What about you?"

"I was talking to Professor Snape. It turns out I have a sister. A twin at that." Harry didn't know why he was telling a Slytherin this. He didn't think she would care. But she did. Upon hearing this, she jumped up.

"A sister? Alive? Here?"

Harry was taken back by the sudden enthusiasm.

"Yeah… Why?"

"Don't worry about that. I suppose you don't know one of your father's friends? And an ex-death eater who hated him, but would be prepared to help bring him, and your mother back?"

"Bring back? Snape fits your description. Why?" Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"This is something to do with sorcery, doesn't it? Lavender found it in a book. You're the sorceress who comes every 10 000 years aren't you?"

Eltala's voice dropped to a growl. "Smart aren't you. I want to help you. I can bring your parents back. I need one of your parents' friends. An ex-death eater who hates them all. And two family relations. Is that available?"

"Yes, all at this school. Sirius Black, Snape, my newly discovered sister – Lily – and me. But how can you bring my parents back? Dumbledore said that no spell could bring someone back from the dead."

"Technically he is correct. But, I can, if the limitations are met, relive that time, and avoid certain people from being killed. I would take Sirius, Snape, Lily, you and me back to your parents schooldays. You and Lily, being younger, would only go back to when you were born. The rest would go back to our first day of school at Hogswarts.

Eltala sighed, and for a second Harry thought he saw a tired mind underneath the childish mask.

"A tiresome procedure – as it involves reliving all or some of your life-time - but worth it. If something goes wrong, we can always try again. Only thing is, the rest of you would soon forget you weren't doing things for the first time. I would keep my memories (so I could stop your parents being killed), and at the end of that time, when the two times meet, your memories will be restored, so as to give you the choice of the two realities." Eltala spoke in a low whisper, as if trying to avoid anyone hearing what she said.

It seemed like Harry's dream come true, but Eltala wasn't any older than he was, surely?

"Why would you go back further? You're my age, aren't you?" Harry tried not to sound rude, but a hint of scepticism slipped into his anxious voice.

"Age is but an illusion. When I was expelled for trying to 'Murder young James Potter', I stopped aging – until my magical training is complete, or at least in progress!" Eltala snapped. "Now go get Lily, Sirius and Snape. Explain to them what I propose to do."

The others had come, Sirius under protest until he realised what was happening. Lily had hidden herself in her dormy, and it took them a while to find her. Snape had come, seemingly just to please Harry, but when he realised what was happening, he became apprehensive. There was no chance of Harry wanting to live with Snape if his parents were alive. The same with Lily, but maybe his precious Samantha would be alive then.

The troupe of bedraggled witches and wizards arrived to where Eltala had been. She had drawn (or so it seemed) a white chalk circle, big enough for the group to sit in, and a glowing crystal had been placed in the centre.

Sirius walked apprehensively into the circle – amazed that he would be doing something, willingly with his archenemy Severus Snape, and the girl who had tried to kill his best friend, whose father had succeeded on killing his best friend.

"Sit down, make yourself comfortable – you'll be sitting here for two, maybe three decades. Are you ready?" Eltala looked around at the faces of huddled group. Fear, hesitation, anticipation, and hatred. They all chorused back – "Ready." And so she started.

"Aio ghaiso lifle gsitoh jamet hoite fhels mabmo lili qwostom…" The chant went seemingly on forever, and all the colour faded away into a black, cold vortex. Gradually colour came back in to focus, in a different place, with some very changed people.