Disclaimer: I do not own HP.  I repeat, I do NOT own HP.  But, of course, you lot know this, right?  If not, whack yourself repeatedly in the head with a blunt object until you do.

Chapter 6 – Past is a Freak

"Does anyone know where they are?" asked Ginny as she came into the common room later that night.

"Who?" asked Seamus, looking up from his Transfiguration homework.

"Harry, Hermione, and Ethan," replied the redhead.

Dean frowned from where he sat near Seamus and said, "They weren't in any of our classes today."

"Maybe Ethan did something to them," stammered Neville nervously.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Don't think so, Neville."

"This is Snape's kid that we're talking about," spat Ron from his chair by the fire.  Ginny gave him a look reminiscent of their mother and stormed over to him, standing in front of his chair.  The fire behind her caused her already flaming red hair to actually appear to be on fire, perfectly matching the angry look on her face.

"Ron," she said coldly, crossing her arms across her chest and scowling at him, "you know what your problem is?"

"What?" snapped Ron, glaring at her.

Ginny slammed her hands down on the arms of his chest and leaned forward so their noses nearly touched.  She then spat, "Your too damn prejudiced!"

"Prejudiced?" laughed Ron.  His voice fell off when Ginny's hand and his cheek collided with a smack.  He clutched his cheek and gaped at her.  "What was that for?"

"For being a git," snapped Ginny in response.  "Just because Ethan is Professor Snape's son, does not mean he is him!  Merlin, Ron, can't you get to know anybody before you judge them?"

"No!  Er…I mean…"

"I know what you mean.  And I know your problem with Harry."  Ginny shook her head at her brother and continued, "He's your best friend Ron."

"He's friends with Snape now."

"Are you really that blind?  No, wait, don't answer that.  I know you're that blind."

"Oi!"

"Shut up," snapped Ginny, shoving Ron back down into his chair.  "Now listen.  Ethan is not Harry's best friend.  You are.  Ethan is simply Harry's friend.  His friend, Ron.  So get your broomstick out of your ass and help me try to find them!"  With that she turned and stalked out of the common room, fuming.

Ron sat in his chair for a long moment, staring at the fire.  Then he suddenly sprang out of it and charged out into the corridor, yelling.

"Ginny!  Wait up!"

As soon as the portrait closed behind him, Seamus said, "About bloody time."  Dean snorted in agreement while Neville just smiled.

* * * *

"Where do you think they are?"

"Oh, now you're worried."

Ron wrinkled his nose as he looked down at his sister.  "What…"

"I'm sorry," said Ginny.  "You're helping me look and here I am still yelling at you."

"Well, I never said I forgave Harry…"

"Ron," growled Ginny warningly.

"Okay, okay," said Ron, holding up his hands in defense.  "Let's keep looking, eh?"

"My thoughts exactly."

* * * *

Up on the seventh floor, Ethan leaned against the balcony from his seat on the floor, looking down at the floors below through the space between the columns.  Hermione had long ago fallen asleep leaning against his shoulder and since then his arm had wrapped itself about her waist of its own will.  The "teen" suddenly noticed movement down on the third floor and what appeared to be two circles of bright red.

"Harry," said Ethan, not looking over his shoulder at the boy.

When his only response was a grunt, Ethan turned his head and saw Harry tugging on the door again, sweat breaking out on his brow.  Of course, it was to no avail.

"Harry!" snapped Ethan in a louder voice.

"What?" grunted Harry, still pulling on the door.

"Come here."

"Now?"

"No, in the next millennia.  Yes, now."

Harry sighed and let go of the door handle, crossing the small space between it and Ethan.  "What?" he asked.

Ethan pointed downward and replied, "Are those Weasley's or do my eyes deceive me?"

Harry frowned and leaned over the balcony, peering down.

"Where?"

"Third floor.  No, no, waitaminute.  There they are on four."

"Four…  Yep, that's them."

"The twins?"

"No," said Harry,  "one's shorter than the other."

"How can you tell?"

"I'm a Seeker.  I notice these things."

Ethan rolled his eyes and said, "Well, yell down at them.  I bet a Galleon they're looking for us."

"Hmm," was all the reply he got from the other boy before Harry leaned a bit further over the balcony and yelled out, "RON!"

Neither head moved and Ethan sighed.  Couldn't the boy yell any louder…

"RON!  GINNY!"

Hmm, there was a good yell.  Ethan smiled as one of the redheads looked up then nudged the other, pointing up at them.

"HARRY?"

Harry grinned at Ethan then yelled down, "GO THROUGH THE THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR!"

"WHAT?" bellowed Ron as the shorter redhead took off down the staircase they'd just come up.  Harry and Ethan saw a flash of red down on the third floor then heard the sound of a door slamming open.

"She's fast," remarked Ethan, nodding appreciatively.

"Yeah," said Harry, pulling back from the balcony.

A few moments later, they heard the patter of feet and Ginny's voice crying, "Harry?  Harry, where…?"

"Here, Ginny!" yelled Harry, moving over to the door.

"I hear you!"

Feet dashed to the door and the handle rattled as it was shaken.  Then Ginny took a step back and yelled down the corridor, "RON!  They're up here!"

"This isn't right," said Ron as he came to a stop beside his sister.  "How can they be on the seventh floor if this is the third floor corridor?"

"Can we just get them out?"

"Er, yeah, sure."

"Are they always like that?" quipped Ethan.

"Hmm?" said Harry.

"So helpful.  Merlin's beard, what's he hitting the door with, a sledgehammer?"

Harry frowned and took a step away from the door, moving towards Ethan and the still slumbering Hermione.  "I'm guessing his shoulder," he said with a shrug.

"Hard shoulder, that."

"Mmm."

"This isn't working!" came Ron's voice from the corridor side of the door.

"Try it again!" snapped Ginny.

"My shoulder hurts!"

"Oh, shut up, you big baby!"

"How about you ram your shoulder into the door?"

"I couldn't move that!"

Ron snorted and rammed his shoulder against the door again, his hand gripping the door handle.  Ginny suddenly threw herself against the door and it popped open.  The two Weasley's sprawled on the floor, Ginny letting out a shriek of surprise.

"We were beginning to wonder," said a voice from the right of them.  Another let out a chuckle.

Ginny lifted her head and leapt to her feet when she saw Harry leaning against the balcony grinning at her.  She trod hard on her brother's hand in her hurry but ignored it as she ploughed into Harry.

"Ow," said the dark-haired boy as he peered down at her.  "Nice to see you too, Ginny."  He then looked over the girl at the redhead sprawled on the floor and asked, "You okay there, Ron?"

"Fine," came the reply in a growl.  Ron pushed himself up onto his elbows and scowled at Harry and Ethan.  "It would be you two who got stuck out on a balcony."

"Your brothers were chasing us," said Ethan with a shrug.  This succeeded in lifting Hermione partially from her sleep and she opened her eyes groggily.

"Are we there yet?"

Ethan laughed and poked her in the side, surprising himself with his manner.  "Wake up, you.  We can go now."

"What time is it?" mumbled Hermione, burrowing further into Ethan's side.  He went still and stared at her, catching Ron's murderous expression out of the corner of his eye.

"Well," said Ginny, her cheeks bright red as she pulled back from Harry, "you missed all day."

"We've been up here all day?" said Harry in surprise.

Ethan snorted and remarked, "You didn't notice?  Or was the door just that interesting?"

Harry frowned at him then leaned over Hermione and thwaped the other dark-haired boy on the back of the head.  "Funny, Ethan," he said.

"Well, I thought it was…  Maybe you just don't have a sense of humor."

"Or maybe you make bad jokes."

"Bad jokes?  Me?  I beg to differ…"

"Shut up," mumbled Hermione, jabbing her wand into his side.  Ethan jumped and poked her between the eyes in retaliation.  She glared at him sleepily and he scowled in response.

"Maybe we should head back to the Tower," said Ginny, suddenly noticing her brother's murderous expression.  Harry noticed it too and nodded.

"Yeah.  Good idea.  Ron, Ginny, why don't you two go ahead?  The seventh years are probably still hunting for us.  Me and Ethan'll get Hermione."

"Okay," said Ginny.  She walked out into the corridor and turned to look at Ron.  "Ron?"

"Coming," growled Ron, glaring at Ethan.  The ex-Potions Master glared back in response.  Harry and Ginny looked at each other and sighed.

"Get going, Ron," said Harry, giving the taller boy a shove into the corridor.  Ron glared at him but Ginny grabbed his arm and dragged him off down the corridor.  Harry shook his head then turned to Ethan and said, "C'mon, let's get Sleeping Beauty up."

"Not…Sleeping Beauty," mumbled Hermione as Ethan rose to his feet with Harry's help.  The two boys shook their heads at each other then pulled her to her feet, slinging one of her arms about their respective shoulders and wrapping an arm about her waist.

"Och," remarked Ethan as they carried the girl down the corridor, "she's heavy."

Harry snorted to hide a laugh as Hermione opened her eyes to glare at Ethan before she slumped in their grips again.  He grinned at the other boy and said, "She might just kill you when she wakes up now."

Ethan snorted and said, "Heh.  Right."

"Oh, you'll stop her?"

"No."

"What then?"

"I'll hide."

Harry chuckled and said, "I guess I'd better hide the map then."

"Map?" asked Ethan, looking at the boy in surprise.

"Yeah.  Map of the entire school.  You can look at it and see who's about."

Which would explain the many times you've never been caught out, mused Ethan.  He grinned at Harry and said, "Sounds…interesting."

Harry nodded.  "Yeah.  My dad was one of the one's that made it."

Potter?? exclaimed Ethan's brain.  No wonder the boy keeps it hidden.  And I bet my wand Black, Lupin, and that rat Pettigrew had something to do with that map too.  Hold on…  Ethan's body went on auto drive as he remembered back to a year before when he – when still his older self – had caught Harry in one of the corridors.  The boy had had an old piece of parchment with him, a piece of parchment that had insulted he himself.  THAT was the map?  Surely not…

"Ethan?  Ethan, you haven't gone to sleep on me too, have you?"

"Eh?"  Ethan jolted himself from his thoughts at the sound of Harry's voice.  The boy was peering at his over Hermione's bowed head, emerald eyes concerned.  Ethan grinned at him.  "I'm awake.  What?"

"We're almost back to the Tower.  What were you thinking about?"

"Stuff," replied Ethan, shifting his grip on Hermione's wrist.  "Wondering what my father is doing right about now."

"Where is he anyway?"

Ethan looked at Harry in complete surprise.  He was so certain every student had hated him – well, his older self.  "Why?"

Harry shrugged and replied, "I just wanted to know."

"Father always told me all his students hated him."

"I don't HATE him," said Harry with a frown.  "I hate Voldemort.  Its your father that's got a problem with me."

"Probably something to do with your father stealing his girlfriend," muttered Ethan.

"WHAT?"

Ethan blinked and looked up.  "Did I say that out loud?"

Harry nodded solemnly.

Ethan mentally slapped himself.  Now you've gone and done it, Sev.  Just go ahead and kill yourself now before the boy finds out that you dated his mother.

"Er…well…"

"Why would my dad steal your dad's girlfriend?" asked Harry.

Ethan affected ignorance and stammered, "Er…well, I never got the whole story, really.  I just know that my father loved this…ah, girl…and when your father stole her away he was really angry about it."

Harry frowned and said, "But why would he carry that grudge onto…"  He trailed off, a sudden dawning expression on his face.  "Holy crap.  It was my mum, wasn't it?"

Yes.  Ethan shrugged and replied, "He never said her name."

Harry looked at him for a long moment then said softly, "I can't believe my dad would've done something like that."

Ethan blinked at him.  He can't believe…oh, of course.  He's been told everything from the side of people who liked his father.  Hmm.  Maybe when I fix this and am myself again I can give him the other side of James Potter.

"Why can't you believe that?" asked Ethan as Harry gave the Fat Lady the password and they stepped into the common room.

"I don't know," replied Harry as he headed towards the stairs that led up into the girl's dorms.  "Maybe I've only been told the good things and not the bad things."

Interesting deduction, mused Ethan.  He then pointed out, "Erm, isn't the girl's side charmed not to let us in?"

Harry frowned, one foot on the first step then cursed.

"You're right.  Eh, I wonder if Parvati's in here.  Dean!"

"Oi!" came the boy's voice from the corner.

"Is Parvati upstairs?"

"Yeah!"

"Thanks."

"Now what?" asked Ethan.

"Now we get Parvati," replied Harry.  "PARVATI!"

At the table in the corner, Seamus jolted awake and peered about.  When he spotted Harry, he said, "Oi, Harry, keep it down, won't you?"

"Sorry, Seamus," said Harry as Parvati came down the girl's stair, Lavender trailing behind her.

Parvati stopped in midstep, looking from one boy to the other then to Hermione.  Finally she demanded, "What did you two do?"

Ethan and Harry looked at each other then Ethan said, "What makes you think we did anything to her?"

"It's you two," replied Lavender, coming around Parvati and heading towards them.  She held out her arms and called over her shoulder, "C'mon, Parvati, let's get her upstairs."  Lavender took his Harry's post at Hermione side while Parvati threatened Ethan with her wand, watching him back away before she took Hermione's other side and the two girls trucked the third up the stairs.

"What crawled up their skirts?" remarked Ethan after the two vanished up the stairs.

Harry's only response was to shrug and say, "Girls."

"Bloody right."

"Mister Snape," said a voice from the portrait-hole.  Ethan looked up and blinked when he saw McGonagall standing there.

"Professor?"

"Come with me," said McGonagall, an odd look in her eyes.

Ethan frowned and started forward.  Behind him, Harry called, "Hope its nothing too serious, Ethan."  Ethan turned towards the other boy and nodded, smiling slightly.  As he stepped out into the corridor and began to follow McGonagall, he hoped it wasn't too serious either.

* * * *

"Professor…oh, hell.  Minerva, what is going on?" snapped Ethan as he walked faster to keep up with the older woman's stride.

"That is not for me to say, Mister Snape."

"Minerva," growled Ethan, "there are no students about.  You can still call me Severus, you know."

"I know," said McGonagall softly.

Ethan frowned at her then realized where they were going.  To Dumbledore's office.

"Why…Minerva, what does Albus have to do with this?  Minerva!"

"I cannot say, Severus," repeated McGonagall, averting her eyes from him.  But Ethan had caught the sad look in her eyes and it filled him with a sharp fear.  Why would she look at him like that?

"Thimbleberry," said McGonagall to the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office.  It moved away and she mounted the moving staircase, Ethan directly behind her.  They were carried swiftly up to the door, which McGonagall opened and motion Ethan inside in front of her.

"I want to know what in all hell's going on," snapped Ethan as he stormed into the office, glaring at Dumbledore.  He crossed his arms across his chest, one foot tapping impatiently.

Dumbledore smiled at him over his desk and said, "Perhaps you'd best sit down, Severus."

"I'll stand," growled Ethan, eyes narrowed.  Behind him McGonagall frowned.

"Severus, perhaps…"

"I WILL NOT SIT DOWN, MINERVA!" roared Ethan, whirling to face her.  "NOW TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!"

"I shall tell you, Severus," said Dumbledore gently, "if you will sit down."

"Conniving old man," grumbled Ethan, stalking over to a chair and throwing himself into it.  "Fine.  What is it?"

"Severus, you know that we sent the cauldron with the remains of the potion that did this to you to the Potions Master at Durmstrang, correct?"

"Yes," growled Ethan.  "What does Vorinhoff have to do with this?"

"He sent us back the results of his tests with it," replied Dumbledore.  "The results were…very grave."

"What?  I'm dying?"

McGonagall shook her head sadly.

"Then WHAT?"

"Perhaps you should read it yourself," said Dumbledore.  He slid a sheet of parchment across his desk and Ethan picked it up, reading the crabbed script of the Durmstrang Potions Master rather easily as he'd studied under the man and had had to translate the horrid script everyday.  Mumbling under his breath as he read, Ethan was almost finished reading when an expression of horror crossed his face.

"Albus…this can't be.  There's no possible way…"

"Apparently there is," said Dumbledore gravely.  "You are proof of it, Severus."

"Albus," gasped Ethan, "this must be wrong.  It has to be WRONG!"

"It isn't, Severus," said McGonagall softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder.  He flung her hand off, fist clenched about the paper.

"It can't be.  I can't stay like this.  I'm thirty-six-years-old, not fifteen!  There has to be a way to reverse it!  There's a way to reverse every potion!"

"Not this one," said Dumbledore.  "I'm sorry, Severus."

"No," moaned Ethan, dropping his head into his hands.  "Noooooo…"

"Severus," murmured McGonagall, leaning down beside the man/boy.  "It will be alright."

"No," whispered Ethan, "no, it shall never be alright, Minerva.  Never."

A/N: This is NOT, I repeat, NOT an SS/HP F/S story!  I say again, this is NOT an SS/HP F/S story.  That would be too fricking weird considering the circumstances.