Title: Harry Potter and the Heart Shaped Box (4)
Author Name: Ilovetheweasleys
Author Email: littledrummergirl25@yahoo.com
Category: Action/Romance?
Keywords: Harry; Ron/Hermione
Rating PG
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, and OoTP
Summary Harry finds out what his life would have been like if his parents had not died, with a little bit of Ron/Hermione for good measure.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters, situations, settings, and all other nouns, created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including, but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Brothers, Inc. No money is being made nor is any copyright or trademark infringement intended.
Author Notes: Sorry for the weird last 3 paragraphs in the previous chapter, now that I read it over, it sounds a tad weird and rushed, to say the least. Oh, and this chapter doesn't have a lot of Ron/Hermione, sorry! But I needed to do some explaining… This is my first ever attempt at being something other than extremely passive, thus if you do not like this story, blame it on my lack of experience and/or talent. Ha, that was funny. So without further ado, I present you with…
Chapter 4Harry followed Ron into the Great Hall, but stopped as he entered. He surveyed the room so as to explore his options. He could sit by Hermione, who was by herself at the Ravenclaw table reading a rather large and thick book, which, upon closer inspection, was revealed to be a copy of Weasley Words of Wisdom. Harry sincerely doubted the entertainment value of reading a regulation book over Hermione's shoulder, and thus, turned his attention elsewhere. He glanced over to where Ron was sitting (also by himself Harry noted) at the Hufflepuff table. He appeared to be eating rather quickly, which didn't surprise Harry in the least, while reading a book. Curious as to what kind of book would catch his best friend's attention, Harry drew closer. Harry saw that Ron was reading a book called The Chudley Cannons, What Went Wrong: A Story about the Cannons' Dismal Record Over the Past 100 Years, and then Some. Harry laughed to himself. Despite being in this bizarre, upside-down universe, Harry felt that some things would never change, including Ron's poor taste in Quidditch Teams.
Leaving Ron to his musings, Harry began wandering around the Great Hall. He spotted Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, as well as a bunch of others, crowded around Neville. He was telling them a story of some sort that was apparently exceptionally enticing.
"Oh what a daring adventure Neville!" said Ginny.
Harry quickly noted that Neville's arm was around Ginny's waist, and hers around his shoulders. He was contemplating that bizarre pairing, when he found himself near the Slytherin table where Draco and the other Harry were sitting, eating diner. Though Harry was listening in on their conversation, he hadn't planned on spending much time there (it'd be too weird) until he heard the Slytherin Harry mention his (their?) mother. Harry whipped around so quickly he felt as though he'd broken his neck. Massaging it slightly, he promptly sat down next to the Slytherin Harry.
"Bloody Hell, another letter from my Mum. Honestly, if she doesn't leave me alone, I'm going to do a memory charm on our owl, so it can't find our house or me!" said Slytherin Harry.
"Honestly, your Mum is a bit of a nag," Draco adapted a high pitched, squeaky voice, "Oh Harry, do try and behave yourself. Harry, I don't want you getting into trouble. Ikle Harrykins, are you feeling alright?" said Draco, laughing.
"Yeah" said Slytherin Harry while forcing a laugh, though he didn't seem to find it nearly as amusing as Draco.
"If my mother tried telling me what to do I'd go right out and send her a howler! Could you imagine such a thing?" said Malfoy.
"Yeah," said Slytherin Harry. "I wish my parents weren't so 'involved' in my life! They're always pestering me and telling how I've got to do well in school, mind my manors, and the like. It's so bloody annoying! Sometimes I wish they'd just go away."
"Don't we all?" replied Malfoy as he opened a package of sweets from his mother.
Harry, on the other hand, was outraged. It was a good thing the other Harry and Draco couldn't see or hear him, because he was screaming bloody murder. He couldn't believe the other Harry was talking about his/their parents in such a condescending and disrespectful way. And, he was letting Malfoy have a go at them as well!
"If only he knew!" thought Harry.
"If only he knew how his, Harry's, life was; how lonely and sad it is to have no happy/pleasant memories of a loving childhood, how it feels to have grown up in a family where no one likes you, let alone acknowledges your existence, how it fee- wait a minute… He doesn't know how it feels," thought Harry.
"All he's ever known is a life of love and acceptance" contemplated a jealous Harry. "If this really is how I'd be if my parents had survived, angry, mean, taking everything for granted, and not friends with Ron and Hermione I think I'd rather have my old life back!"
Then it dawned on Harry. He had suddenly figured everything out. Dumbledore told him in his 5th year that Voldemort was warned of two possible "candidates" that could loose him his power, and that Voldemort decided to pick Harry. But what if Voldemort chose Neville instead. That would explain why he claimed to "defeat Voldemort" and why he is so confident of himself. Harry thought a bit harder and figured out that the most probable reason Ron was in Hufflepuff was because, if Harry's parents had sent him off on the train, he never would have met Ron on the train. And as Harry thought about it, Ron did seem to be lacking in the self-confidence area and he was pretty embarrassed about his lack of wealth when Harry first met him. What if, because Harry had never confided in Ron that he was 'poor' himself; that is to say prior to his Hogwarts days he never had any money to call his own, and they had never stood up to Malfoy together, Ron's confidence and courage was never able to develop. That would explain his placement, but what about Hermione? Well they obviously never would have met on the train either, and maybe because they never met and discussed what houses they'd prefer to be in and had not seen Ron's sorry attempt at magic Hermione had decided that it would be better to be in the 'smart' house in order to excel in her studies and had not told the Sorting Hat that she preferred Gryffindor.
But what about himself? Why in the world was he in Slytherin and why was he all chummy with his two least favorite people? All right, well if he had never met Ron on the train, he may have ran in to Malfoy first made friends with him. If so, then Malfoy would have told him what a 'great' house Slytherin was and Harry would not have told the sorting hat avoid putting him in Slytherin. And if that was true, it has always been said that Snape favors members of his own house, and perhaps Snape thought that it would be great payback to James for his son's favorite teacher to be a man he hates. That would explain this entire 'world' and why it is so….out of order.
Though Harry's thoughts were put on hold when he heard Malfoy's cold voice.
"Hey look, there's Weasley. What do you say we have a go at him?" said Malfoy.
"Sure!" said Slytherin Harry. "I'm a bit bored as it is."
"Oh no! Poor Ron" thought Harry as he ran after Slytherin Harry and Malfoy.
"Hey there Weasley, what are you reading?" said Malfoy.
"I don't think much of your taste, Weasley. The Chudley Cannons? They have got to be the worst team I have ever seen!" said Slytherin Harry as he snatched the Cannons book out of Ron's hand.
"Hey give that back!" demanded Ron.
"Oh you want it back do you?" said Malfoy as he and Slytherin Harry entertained a game of keep away.
"What is going on here?" questioned Hermione as she came running toward the boys.
"Oh not you again mudblood" said Draco.
"Can't you mind your own business for once in your life?" asked Slytherin Harry.
"Now you listen here Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter. What you're doing is in direct violation of code-"
"Yeah whatever, why don't you go write me up little prefect, it doesn't matter to me, I'll get off anyway. Now if you'll excuse me" said Malfoy as he walked away from the group.
"Oh I will Malfoy!" shouted Hermione to Draco's back. "Now you two, don't think you're getting off easy."
"We weren't doing anything Prefect, were we Ron?" said Slytherin Harry in a sweet voice the real Harry didn't know he had.
"No" said Ron. "We were just, goofing around".
"Well that is irrelevant. You still were being disruptive and, hey get back here!" shouted Hermione, for Ron had began to run out of the Great Hall.
"Yeah you coward, get over here!" Shouted Slytherin Harry as he followed them out the Hall and right into…
"Oomph!" shouted five people and they each ran into one another toppled over each other.
"What is the Meaning of this?" Shouted an oddly familiar voice.
"Explain yourselves, immediately!" said another voice, or was it the same?
Harry looked up to see to whom the voice/s belong to and as he did, he was taken aback, for he was totally unprepared for the sight before him.
(A/N : I realize that Harry probably wouldn't be put into Slytherin if his parents survived seeing as how his "Slytherin qualities" came when Voldemort attempted to kill him, but just play along with me for fun. Please? Pretty Please?)
