Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own anything except the plot. Sigh…
Warning: This fic will definitely contain SLASH, or MALE/MALE relationships. If you can't stand it, don't read it. And this fic is AU, though it has spoilers of the first five books. Will also contain slight incest.
Chapter 2A murder was taking place. Outside the shuttered windows and a cliff below death, life - noisy, oblivious, irritable – rushed on. Wizards and witches in the village at the feet of the hills were occupied with opening their shops, getting groceries to prepare lunch, or simply strolling and enjoying the crisp morning air. Life bustled, bloomed, and burgeoned in the village as one was taken above it. On the top of the hill, where a lone house stood, Voldemort and his loyal deatheaters were surrounding a young brunette witch. They didn't know her name. It hardly mattered what label her mother had given her when she'd come crying into the world. It mattered less, to them, when they sent her crying out of it. The point was, she was a mudblood. In the right place at the right time. She had came up the hill to gather the herbs needed for a friend who was more sensitive to the heat than others, who had broke out rashes at the peak of the summer heat. She was young and pretty, and that pleased the deatheaters and their Dark Lord. Though they would have followed through in the intended manner if she'd been ninety and ugly like a hag. But the fact that she was young, attractive enough with flushed cheeks and sparkling cornflower blue eyes would make the task of torturing and killing her somewhat more enjoyable. She had gathered enough herbs, and was resting against the rotten boards of the abandoned house when rough hands grabbed at her, followed by a spell to stun her.
A powerfully-cut figure with raven hair and intense green eyes gazed in satisfaction as fearful eyes stared up at him. The Dark Lord stood and pointed at the witch lying on the dusty floor. The deatheaters came forward from the shadows they had been standing in, their robes whispering in the stale air. Murmurings only caused those innocent blue eyes to be more terrified. From above, a pair of helpless emerald eyes watched in growing horror.
"Make the mudblood suffer. Let her screams form an orchestra, let her death form an example to those muggle-loving fools. My dear Deatheaters, let the show begin!"
Harry woke shuddering, a scream fighting its way to burst forth, yet he could only manage a whimper. Another death, even in here in the past there is no escaping these damn visions. His body ached like a hundred year old man, bones creaking in protest as he shifted restlessly in bed. Scrubbing his face free of sweat, Harry blinked in the darkness. Apparently, he had slept through the day. His stomach rumbled, as he remembered the last meal he had being a piece of soggy bread and bland soup the night before. As the lights came on in the infirmary, he raised a hand against the sudden assault of brightness.
"Ah, you are awake. Now you must be hungry, how about some stew and pumpkin juice?" Madam Pomfrey placed a tray in front of Harry as she spoke. Tantalizing smells motivated Harry to gulp down the stew appreciatively, after murmuring thanks to the Medi-witch. In the space of mere minutes, both stew and juice were settling safely in the stomach of the now-satisfied teenager.
"You look much better now, Harry. Now, get more rest, and tomorrow we'll go shopping first thing in the morning." With her usual efficiency, Madam Pomfrey cleared the empty tray and swept out of the infirmary.
Sleep? Again? I don't think so. Straining his ears to make sure Madam Pomfrey is not anywhere near, Harry crept out of bed and stretched himself. He grimaced as his joints popped. Shoving his feet into a pair of pink furry slippers, he began his night-stroll in the castle. Those pink slippers must be another of Dumbledore's bright idea. To be honest, Harry had lost much respect for the headmaster at the end of his fifth year, when he found out all the things that the old wizard has been keeping from him. The prophecy, and why Harry survived from the killing curse when he was a baby, why he was placed with the Dursleys. Harry had suffered at the Dursleys more than Dumbledore knew, and all these were because of the plans of an interfering old man who thought he was protecting Harry. Protecting? Bullshit! If he only knew…
Doesn't the headmaster ever wonder why Harry is able to came out alive in bizarre situations involving Voldemort? It's not just because of pure dumb luck, but from the deeply ingrained instincts for survival that came from living with the Dursleys for a decade. Why would a child have such instincts? How did Harry gain such a high threshold for pain whenever he experiences the torture Voldemort grace upon him during his visions? All thanks to the beatings from Vernon Dursley and his son. Perhaps "beatings" would be too mild a word for what his family had done to him. Fortunately, all violence stopped when Harry got his letter from Hogwarts. From then, the only thing the Dursleys did was to give him endless chores and minimal food, which was nothing new anyway.
With a deep sigh, Harry stopped outside the Room of Requirements. Just as he was about to step into the room, someone called out.
"Hey, where are you going?" Sirius clapped his hands onto Harry's shoulders. The warmth from that simple touch thawed a small part of Harry's frozen heart. Swallowing with difficulty, he turned and faced his young and very much alive godfather.
"H-h-hello." Harry blushed as he stammered. He had not been so nervous for a long time.
Sirius examined the sight before him thoroughly. He sees a delicate pale figure in green hospital robes and pink fluffy slippers. A slender and elegant neck that entices one to stroke it. Pouty blood-red lips that begged to be kissed. From beneath unruly ebony bangs, gorgeous green eyes pierced into his with overwhelming emotions. Letting out a mental breath, Sirius thought, Wow, this boy is beautiful! No doubt he looks like James, but James doesn't have the kind of enchanting innocence that this beauty possesses, nor the to-die-for emerald eyes now staring at me in puzzlement.
Clearing his throat, Sirius introduced himself. "Hi! I'm Sirius Black, who are you?" He extended his hand to Harry.
Taking Sirius' hand like one would a valuable fragile piece of glassware, Harry shook it gently. Inside, Harry was a whole mess of quivering nerves, worried that Sirius will disappear once he touches him. "Nice to meet you, I am Harry Summers." Relieved that he was able to say his new name without stumbling over words, Harry smiled happily.
Woa! Anymore of these killer smiles and I'm not going to last till the end of summer! Sirius took Harry's hand and said, "Let's go to the Gryffindor common rooms. A dimly-lit corridor is no place to make new friends!" With that, he led a slightly bewildered Harry to the warm cozy rooms.
Settling in front of the glowing embers of the fireplace, Sirius blasted Harry with a load of questions. "Why are you injured? Are you ok now? How did you come to Hogwarts? How old are you? You are not a student here, are you? Why do you look like my friend, James Potter? Are you guys related? Funny, I have never heard of James saying that he has a brother or cousin…." Sirius was brought out of his thoughts by a melodious laugh.
"Sirius! How can I answer so many questions at the same time?" Harry chuckled at how eagerly inquisitive Sirius was behaving.
"Sorry…" The taller boy flushed with embarrassment.
"All right, let's start with your first question." Harry paused as his mind scrambled for a credible story. "I fell and got hurt. As it was dark and I wasn't familiar with Hogwarts. I'm all right now, though!"
"So how did you come to Hogwarts? I've never seen you around before."
"That's because this is the first time I'm in Hogwarts." Harry lied smoothly. He fed Sirius with the story that Dumbledore came up with.
"I'm sorry about your parents…." Sirius said sympathetically, patting Harry's hand as an effort to comfort. This familiar action caused tears to spring to Harry's grief-filled eyes. He missed the soothing touches that Sirius gave.
Startled at the sight of sad look on his new friend's face, Sirius gave in to his impulse to hug Harry since the first time he saw him lying on the grass at the entrance of the castle this morning. He ran his hands through the smooth strands of hair, reveling in the sensation.
The hug by his beloved godfather undid Harry as he unleashed his sorrow and wept. Gripping onto Sirius hard enough to almost cause pain, Harry cried for Cedric's death, for Sirius' death, for all those poor muggle-born witches and wizards that died at the hands of Voldemort and his Deatheaters.
Sirius was overwhelmed at the shaking green-eyed angel who is sobbing in his arms. He can understand that losing one's parents would cause grief, but not to this extent, not to the extent of such deep fathomless sorrow with each cry that twist like a knife in his heart. In mere hours, Harry Summers has found a place in Sirius' heart that no one has ever managed to reach before. Just as sudden as the tears came, they stopped. Deep breathing replaced broken sobs, and a tensed body relaxed against Sirius.
"I'm sorry…." Harry whispered. He raised ravaged eyes to Sirius'.
"Shush. Don't apologise. I'm glad you allowed me to comfort you. What are friends for?" And hopefully, we'll be more than friends….
Amidst adjusting to his new life, Harry found himself getting to know Sirius better than ever. The young Sirius Black has the confidence and cheekiness that the Azkaban escaped-convict doesn't. However, both versions of Sirius demonstrates the care, concern and support much needed by Harry. Through the summer, Sirius showed Harry the secret passageways of the castle, played quidditch and all sorts of wizardry games together. They sneaked to the kitchens late at night, talked till the rooster crowed, or simply sprawled on the green grass, gazing at floating clouds and enjoying each other's company quietly. Time flies when you are having fun, and soon, it was a new school term, as students piled into the Great Hall. Harry told Dumbledore that he wishes to remain in Gryffindor, much to the delight of Sirius who has grown attached to the smaller boy in the short summer they had known each other.
"Hey James, Remus, Peter! Over here!" Sirius waved to the rest of the Mauraders. The trio made their way to the dinning table and sat down. They stared with astonishment at the James-look-alike. Harry lowered his gaze, as long dark lashes swept across his dusky cheeks. Despite having the mental preparation, it didn't help when his dad was right in front of him. It also didn't help that he had conflicting emotions. Anticipation at meeting his dad, anger and disgust at seeing the traitorous rat and curiosity at a young Professor Lupin.
Remus, the ever-sensible one, was the first to speak. "Hi I'm Remus Lupin, who are you?"
"I'm Harry Summers, transfer student from the States." He explained how he ended up being a sixth year student in Hogwarts. After murmurs of condolences, Peter blurted. "Why do you look like James?"
Harry arched his eyebrow and answered, "That's what I would like to know too! Perhaps we were long lost twins!" The joke broke the ice and soon the group was chatting happily, trying to catch up with each other's summers.
It is at these times that Occlumency really helps. Otherwise I would never have been able to mask my disgust for Wormtail. Harry thought as he stole a glance at Peter Pettigrew. Unknown to him, another Marauder was sneaking looks at him too.
My God, he really does look like me, only that where my hair is messy, his looks like he had just fallen out of bed after a steamy bout of sex. And his eyes! Gosh, it should be a crime to have such captivating colored jewels for mortal eyes! That's not to mention his bee-sting lips, OH GOD stop licking your lips like that! Do you want to be ravished?
James Potter has always been popular, and sees no problem with liking both genders. His current girlfriend, Lily Evans, is the prim and proper Ravenclaw Head Girl. It has taken James years to get on her good side and finally gotten her to go steady with him. It had been a tedious and long endeavor, but it was worth it. Where Lily Evans used to scorn him for his prejudices and arrogant nature, she now practically worships the ground that he treads upon. At least, that's how James Potter sees it. The truth was that Lily Potter has unwittingly fallen in love, despite the rationale that she shouldn't be in love with such an insensitive git. Irregardless of his numerous fault, Lily could still love James Potter for his humor, his courage and willingness to help others, provided they are not Slytherins, of course.
If anything, James Potter is not an unfaithful kind of fellow. So, even though he is currently very much attracted to Harry, he decided to not take any actions and ruin his relationship with Lily. Moreover, James could see how much Sirius cares about the new boy, as he was throwing coveting glances at Harry every now and then. With a smirk, James drawled. "So Sirius, is there something about you and Harry that we should know about? After all, you two did spend the entire summer together in a virtually empty castle. What can two teenage wizards with raging hormones do…hmm?" Sirius, best-known marauder for having the thickest skin ever, blushed a red that rivaled the color of a Weasley's hair.
"JAMES POTTER!" Sirius lunged at James, who ducked and laughed. Just as Sirius was going to throw a hex at James, a tinkling sound from the head table caught everyone's attention.
"Now that the Sorting has been done for the first years, I would like to welcome a new student who is joining us this year. Harry Summers will be starting his sixth year, having been home-schooled in the States until recently. He has been sorted into Gryffindor." The Marauders clapped louder than anyone in their own house, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, in contrast to the Slytherins who were silent. One Slytherin in particular was fixing an intense obsidian glare at Harry, drawing the attention of the later.
"Now, there is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!" The Great Hall broke into enthusiastic applause as food appeared on the four long tables of each house. Harry suddenly lost his appetite as his eyes met those of his future Potions Master.
"What are you looking at, Harry?" Sirius followed the line of vision and frowned angrily. "What the hell does that slimy git thinks he is trying to pull?" Remus, James and Peter turned and looked across tables to glower at Severus Snape.
In an attempt to prevent a fight between the Marauders and Snape, Harry asked quickly. "Who is that?"
"That snake over there is Severus Snape, a sixth year Slytherin. He is a sneaking bastard, along with his arrogant blond housemate, Lucius Malfoy." Sirius spat out. Remus looked mildly disapproving, while James and Peter nodded their agreement.
"Harry, Severus is not as bad as he seems, though it would be wise to just avoid facing him alone as he knows some pretty dark hexes." Remus advised.
"WHAT? Remus are you mad? Not as bad as he seems? Don't you remember how he caused Peter to lose his voice for a month?" James looked at Remus with incredulously. With a sigh, the werewolf kept silent and turned his attention to the feast before him. He just doesn't understand why James and Sirius are so prejudiced against the Slytherins. True, many are sneaky and arrogant, but that doesn't mean one has the right to condemn the whole house. Being a werewolf himself, Remus is only too familiar with unfair prejudices from other people, thus reluctant to cast his judgment based on common knowledge or hearsay.
Yeah, Snape can be an absolutely unfair and obnoxious jerk, but he has saved me more than once, and even taught me Occlumency, despite his unwillingness to do so. And where everyone sees fit to coddle me with well-meaning half-truths or glance at me with pity in their eyes, Snape is the only person to give me the brutal truth straight, without any bullshit. For that, I am is grateful. However, that's not to say we will be sitting down amiably and having tea like best mates anytime soon, though.
The image of Snape and him having tea on the same table peacefully caused Harry to snort. That would be the day. Little does Harry know this seemingly preposterous tea-session would happen sooner than he thought.
A/N:
In this fic, Harry is highly desirable and yet oblivious to his charms! He will also be more slytherin and be actively changing the past. He will not be concerned about wiping off his own existence, as long as Voldemort is killed and his loved ones are saved.
By the way, have you guessed? The pairing is obviously Sirius/Harry now, but is it simply one-sided? What of Severus/Harry? Or even James/Harry? There will definitely be a short scene for each pairing in the coming chapters, and I haven't decided who Harry is going to end up with. Next chapter, Harry helps Severus! Sirius gets jealous! James gets into a compromising position with Harry!
Review! Your every review motivates me on! Please, please pretty please!
W.Kathy, 3 July 2004.