Harry awoke with a start. He was having the strangest dream, and had just realized that it was not a dream at all. To confirm this, Draco lay in his bed, only four feet away. A pillow over his head shut out the morning sun. 'Father' had set out fresh clothes for him to wear, and Harry quickly dressed. As he went to leave the room, he heard a knock on the door, opening it to find Lucius Malfoy standing there.
"Good Morning, Harry," he said, "I now know one difference between you and Dudley."
"Not really, Sir," Harry replied, "If not for the present circumstances, I'd be like Draco. I'm notorious for getting up late."
As they exchanged smiles, a gleam appeared in Lucius's eyes. "I haven't done this in a while, Harry. You might enjoy it."
"Draco," his father called, "time to get up."
Draco mumbled something and clutched the pillow more tightly around his head. Lucius pulled out his wand and waved it. The bed sheets and the pillow disappeared and, at the same time, a small dark cloud appeared over the bed. With an appropriate rumble of thunder, it began to rain.
Draco screamed as the cold water hit him, and jumped out of bed to get away from the storm. Lucius waved his wand again and the cloud vanished, the now dry bed was freshly made, and Draco was dressed in his school robes, ready for class.
"You had to do that," he sneered at his father. Harry was doubled over in laughter.
"I'm sorry, son," Lucius said, "I was merely trying to entertain our guest."
Narcissa walked in, saying, "Oh, Draco dear, You are up on time and ready for a change. What a pleasant surprise."
Harry, in a word (two words actually), lost it.
*
"Never, never tell anyone about that," Draco said for the hundredth time.
"Draco, I've already promised, but if you don't stop threatening me I will never stop laughing."
"Don't worry, Harry," Cassie said, "I'll tell them anyway."
"Don't you dare, little sister," Draco threatened, "or I'll let slip about that Ravenclaw you're fond of."
"You wouldn't," Cassie argued.
"Try me," Draco retorted. "Harry, stop laughing."
"I can't help it. Until this minute, I've always wished I had a brother or sister."
As they approached the Great Hall, they noticed Cedric Diggory walk by.
"We play his team on Saturday," Draco said, then asked Harry. "How good are you at playing Keeper."
"I've never played that position before," Harry admitted, "and because of the tournament I haven't had any real practice."
"Nothing personal," said Draco, "but I hope you're gone before the weekend."
"Diggory will be happy to let you stay," Cassie offered.
Breakfast was an ordeal for Harry. All of the students wanted to ask him questions. Most were of no great matter but Vincent Crabbe, never known for his quickness, asked, "How are you, Harry?"
It was a simple question, but the way it was asked made Harry think. "I don't know," he said, finally.
"That," said Vincent, "is a good answer."
Harry made a mental note never to judge a book by its cover.
"What are you doing here, Weasel?" said Draco, with his usual sneer.
"Stuff a sock in it, Git," Ron said. As Harry looked up, Weasley added in a sneer that was a perfect imitation of Draco, "So, I'm supposed to be your best friend."
"Yes," Harry said, trying to smile, "I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Harry Potter." When he held out his hand, Ron ignored it.
"What is it they call you, from where you come?" he asked.
Embarrassed, Harry answered, "the Boy-Who-Lived, but you don't exactly have that here. . ."
"No, we don't," said Ron sarcastically, "we do have the Boy-Who-Died, but that's not exactly the same, is it." Then Ron turned and walked away.
'What is this,' Harry thought, 'some kind of game?' Then he noticed everyone watching him, waiting to see what he would do. It was a game, and suddenly Harry understood how to play.
"You really are a Weasel," he shouted at Ron, "running around like you're top dog when all you are is a red-haired worm."
Ron turned around and smiled, "Quidditch pitch, midnight, bring your wand."
Pansy Parkinson, who had come up behind Harry, slipped her arm around his waist and said, "We'll be there, Weasel, don't worry," and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek to show her approval for what he did.
Harry, thinking back to his first year, added, "and this time, Ron, please show up."
The remark struck home, and Ron Weasley stormed off, his face as red as his hair. On impulse, Harry put his arm on Pansy's shoulder and returned her kiss.
"Why, Harry Potter," Pansy said, smiling.
When Pansy asked to escort Harry to their first class, Draco merely snorted, and excused himself. Harry began heading toward the front doors, she asked where he was going.
"I'm sorry, I thought our first class was Care of Magical Creatures," he said.
Pansy's smile disappeared. "He's not here," she said softly, "We have extra Defense Against the Dark Arts instead.
Harry felt a chill. Dumbledore had said how all the students knew someone who was dead or missing. He was fitting in better than he had wanted.
*
Lucius Malfoy was an excellent teacher. Having practiced the Dark Arts, he knew the subject perfectly, and knew what to teach. He called on Harry repeatedly, both to show the class how much Harry knew, and to show Harry what he was missing. When Lucius began discussing the three deadly curses, Harry impressed everyone when he mentioned how he had broken the Imperious Curse when it had been placed on him in his own world.
Lucius cut through the voices of surprise and said, "Tell everyone how you did it."
For the rest of the class, Harry became the teacher, with Lucius interrupting to clarify, or expand upon, what Harry had said.
*
Transfiguration was next, and Professor McGonagall was as strict as Harry remembered. She ignored that fact that 'Harry Potter' was in her class, except to ask him if he was at the same point in her counterpart's class. Harry would have sworn it was the exact same lesson he would have had if he were home.
*
Instead of lunch, Harry decided to take a walk by the lake. He needed some time to think about everything that had happened. As he came in sight of Hagrid's hut, he changed his course. When he came close he stopped, looking at the shuttered windows and the barred door.
"He planned on coming back," a voice said from behind him.
Harry turned around, and saw Pansy standing there.
"I followed you," she explained. "Sometimes it's not safe out here."
Harry nodded, then gestured toward the hut. "I know I shouldn't ask, but, is he . . ."
"We don't know," Pansy replied. She walked slowly toward him, sadness in her eyes. "Do you understand what its like, Harry? You should have noticed all the missing faces."
"I was told not to say anything, or to ask."
"Of course not. But it's easy for you." Pansy smiled at him, but without feeling. "When you go back, they will still be there, and everyone will be all right." More softly, she added, "But for those of us here, they will still be gone."
"Pansy, you don't have to say anything. I understand."
"Do you? Harry, do you really understand? Do you understand that I will never see Gregory Goyle again? I won't see Lee Jordan, even though I hated the way he announced the matches. Or that boy Justin, who always smiled. Or my parents . . ."
Pansy stopped at what she had said, and Harry understood immediately. She had just told a secret she didn't want anyone to know, didn't want to talk about. In confirmation, she said, "Please, Harry. I've never told anyone."
"You're right," Harry told her, "I don't really know what it's like, but I do understand what you're feeling. When I was one year old, Voldemort killed my parents. All I remember is a green flash of light and my mother screaming." Looking straight in her eyes, he said, "I still have nightmares about that."
Pansy kept her eyes on Harry, "Voldemort killed my parents because they chose to stand by your father. Dudley's father. You should know that."
Both of them felt strangely calm, as though relieved of a burden. Pansy expressed it best when, during their walk back to the school, she stopped him and said, "I'm glad I met you, Harry. I've found a kindred spirit."
*
As they approached the school, Harry noticed a young boy, hair as black as his, sitting on the steps. He didn't know the boy, but there was something familiar about him.
"Who is he?" he asked Pansy.
"James Black, first form, Gryffindor House. His father is the Minister."
The boy heard his name mentioned, and stood up. "You're that Harry Potter, aren't you," he said more than asked, "Why do you want to know who I am?"
Harry smiled, "In my world, your father is my godfather. In fact, you are named after my father, James Potter." The boy nodded thoughtfully at this. "We should be friends," Harry said, holding out his hand.
"Harry," Pansy said, pulling his hand away as she quickly whispered into his ear.
Harry thrust out his hand again, this time saying, "Truce."
James Black smiled and shook his hand. "Truce," he responded. In this world, Harry now had one friend in Gryffindor.
As they went inside, Harry looked at Pansy. "Thank you, for talking to me."
"You're welcome," She said and squeezed his hand. They stood there just looking at each other, smiling.
"Don't start kissing again," Draco said suddenly. "People are starting to talk."
Laughing at their own embarrassment, they turned to look at Draco who was also laughing. "I'm supposed to show you Slytherin House, since you've never been there," he said to change the subject.
"Yes, I have," said Harry, smiling at the way they reacted. He told them about how he and Ron had used Polyjuice Potion and followed Draco to the common room.
"Harry Potter," muttered Draco, "you are full of surprises."
"And I would like to hear some more of them," said Professor Snape, standing in the doorway. "If your will excuse us, Draco, Miss Parkinson. I would like to borrow our guest for a while."
*
"Should I be missing Professor Binn's class," asked Harry as Snape escorted him from the hall.
" Didn't you get enough sleep last night?" Snape replied. As the boy jumped, Severus laughed, "it was a joke, Harry."
"I'm sorry, Sir, I was surprised. In my world, you don't have a sense of humor."
Severus laughed again at the reply, and said, "To be honest with you, I don't have a sense of humor either but, unlike my counterpart, I don't let that stop me."
"Was that a joke, Sir?"
Again, Severus laughed, "You're learning, Harry. Learning is always a good thing."
The professor walked up to the door to his rooms, asking Harry to join him for a talk. At first, they talked about the his counterpart. Harry explained how Snape in his world usually acted. Severus then explained why he was different.
"With Potter and his family dead, I had no one to hold a grudge against, except his friends," Severus explained. "But when Sirius Black asked me to help Remus Lupin, I devised the perfect revenge. I developed a cure, thus causing my two enemies to be eternally and publically grateful to me."
"You cured Remus Lupin out of spite?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Indeed, I did. Unfortunately for my plans, Remus was so grateful at being free of his curse that we, and Sirius, became good friends. I was so popular for a while, that it was my voice of support that helped give Sirius his current employment."
"That is amazing," Harry admitted. "I would never have imagined such a thing happening."
"Nor would I," Severus admitted, "But, Harry, would you mind if I change the subject, I want to tell you something that will scare you."
"What would scare me, Sir?"
"Your parents," Snape admitted. "Your parents, the Malfoys, love you very much."
Harry laughed. "Why should that scare me?"
Severus smiled sadly. "They love you so much that, except for the present circumstances, they would have given you to the Dark Lord to become a Death Eater." Ignoring Harry's stunned look, he continued, "Do you know why Lucius loves you? Because you admire him, you emulate him, you want to be just like your father. And you would have become a Death Eater, because you love him."
"But things are different, now," Harry said.
"That's what you are thinking, and you are right," Severus admitted. "Now, he is fighting against this evil, and teaching others to fight it as well. And when the war is over, his children will be respectable citizens, and should they choose to enter government service they might end up in an influential position in the ministry, maybe even the highest position."
Severus paused to look at the boy sitting across from him. "What would you do, Harry, if you were Minister of Magic? No, not as Harry Potter, as Dudley Malfoy."
Harry tried to fathom what he had been told. But Severus was not done yet.
"I know you've only known them for a little while, Harry, but it is obvious they have had an effect on you. From what Albus told me about you, last night was the first time that you had ever been part of a family. I knew Narcissa would immediately take you under her wing, and she will gently correct you, and make you explain yourself, and ask you to consider this point or that, until you finally learn to see things properly. Of course, properly means her way. That is why she loves Lucius. He already agrees with her and can argue some points better than she can. And to top all of this, they have two wonderful boys and a darling girl who know how to behave, to act properly. She is truly a loving mother. Tell me, Harry, if you had to choose, would you choose your principles or a mother's love. Dudley had neither. His choice was easy."
"You can stop now," Harry said..
"Well. since it is the end of my class, do you have any questions."
"Yes, Sir. I appreciate you telling me this, but why are you telling me, after all, you married ..."
"Narcissa's sister," Snape said helpfully, "who, by the way, agrees with me about fighting the Death Eaters and their leader. That is why I told you, Harry. I saw a chance to stop any influence Lucius might have on you. It could only hurt you when you return, especially if his counterpart found out you had a weak spot. I apologize for destroying your vision of a family, Harry, but it wasn't real. I know they were giving you what you wanted, but everything has a price."
Harry nodded slowly, and got up to leave. "I suppose I should thank you, Professor."
"No you should not," Severus answered, "I have in turn destroyed all your happy feelings, diminished your self-esteem, forced you to see supposed friends in an unfavorable light, given you a lecture on ethics, and deprived you of a good nap."
Harry forced himself to smile at the reference to the class he missed and asked if there was anything else he should know before he left.
"Never give up hope, Harry. You may yet experience life as part of a real family."
"If your business is done," a voice said from another room, "may I bring out the tea?"
Severus smiled broadly, and rose to help his wife. Harry was not surprised that she looked like a younger version of Narcissa, but he was surprised to notice that she was clearly pregnant. He smiled to himself at that the thought of a baby Snape.
"So this is the amazing Harry Potter," Rose said as Severus helped her into a chair. "You are the talk of the school, young man."
"I didn't mean for this to happen," Harry admitted.
"You didn't want to come here to our wonderful world," Rose said in mock anger, "I can't understand that."
"I didn't want to go anywhere," Harry admitted, "but this has definitely been an experience."
The Snapes laughed with Harry at the irony of the statement, then Rose paused. "Harry, please understand that I do love my sister. But I also know what she is like. She believes in what she says, and she does mean well, but her prejudices can lead to people being hurt. I know, because I was one of those hurt. Not by her, but our father."
"I think I know what you mean, Mrs. Snape," Harry said, thinking of the Dursleys.
"Harry, don't hate Narcissa, please. All I ask is that you understand her."
"I'm getting good at understanding people," Harry said as a sad smile passed across his lips.
"We've depressed him," Snape said, consolingly.
"Cheer him up, Severus," Rose commanded, "Tell him one of your jokes."
"Which do you want me to do?" Snape asked. "Tell him a joke or cheer him up."
"That was a good one," Harry said with a grin.
"But a bit obvious, don't you think?" Snape asked, and Harry nodded with agreement.
"May I ask," Harry said, "What are you going to name the baby?"
"Severus," Snape answered quickly. "We haven't decided on a name yet if it's a boy." Harry politely laughed, as the Potions Professor corrected himself. "I do mean, if it's a girl."
"I've thought of a perfect name, darling," Rose said while looking at the black haired boy. "We could call her, Harriet."
"A wonderful idea, my love."
Harry was speechless.
*
"What do you think of Uncle Severus," Draco asked, when Harry entered the Great Hall for the evening meal.
"He was a complete surprise," Harry admitted, "and he told some terrible jokes."
"It's Aunt Rose. Her first husband didn't know how to laugh," Cassie told him. "She doesn't care about the jokes, only that Uncle makes the effort."
"They are a perfect match," Draco admitted. "Hurry up and eat, by the way."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Quidditch practice. You have five days to become the best keeper at Hogwarts."
"But I'm out of practice."
"And you're dueling the Weasel at midnight," Cassie offered helpfully.
"It's not that bad, Harry," Draco assured him, "we'll take it easy on you tonight. We need to know how bad you are. Tomorrow, we'll run you ragged . . . unless you lose the duel. Then we'll have Vincent take your place."
Harry groaned.
*
It was good being aloft again, and Harry flew around the Quidditch pitch a few times to get the feel of his broom.
"You're looking good, Harry," Draco said, "let's see what you can do."
Harry placed himself before the hoops, the way he had seen Oliver Wood do, and waited. Adrian Percy, one of the chasers tossed the quaffle at one of the hoops. Harry stopped it easily, and laughed. Adrian had thrown it so softly, it would never have made it to the hoop, anyway.
"You could give me something harder," Harry suggested. as he tossed the quaffle back.
"I will," Percy said and grabbed the quaffle, he rushed across the pitch, then back again, throwing the quaffle at the far right hoop when he had reached his original spot. Free of the quaffle he kept flying straight for Harry. But Harry had moved. Seeing Adrian's lean just before the throw, he guessed correctly where the quaffle would go. He stopped it, barely, but sent the quaffle flying out of the pitch.
"Sloppy, but a good first effort," Adrian said, "You caught my movement, didn't you." When Harry nodded, he added, "Most of the time, that's the only warning you get. Sometimes, you don't even get that."
"I like the way you ignored Adrian's charge," Draco added.
"I'm not new to Quidditch," Harry reminded them, "I'm new to this position. What's next."
I'll let them tire you out for a bit," one of the other players, Bole, said, "then I'll release a bludger. It'll make things interesting."
Harry spent the next two hours dodging the bludger and the other players, and trying to block the quaffle. He missed the quaffle most of the time, but he learned a lot of respect for the keeper. The seeker won the game most of the time, but those remaining games were won and lost by the keeper. Harry worked harder than he ever had when he was chasing the snitch."
As he walked with the rest of the team to Slytherin House, Bole clapped him on the back, saying, "You know, Potter, you may be able to pull it off."
"You're a natural on that broom, Harry," Adrian said, "We need to teach you a few tricks, but you'll hold your own on Saturday."
"Thanks," Harry said, "I loved it. I haven't been able to play since last year." He added strongly, "I hate to say this, but I never imagined talking to any of you as friends."
"That's because you were in Gryffindor House," Adrian told him. "Now that you're here you're a Slytherin."
"You should ask to change houses when you get back, Harry," Bole suggested, "You would be good for Slytherin House, and Slytherin House would be good for you. It's important to have proper friends."
"I'll think on it," Harry said, smiling despite his feelings about 'proper' friends.
"You're a good man," Bole said sincerely.