Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Harry Potter. Sad isn't it?
Chapter Two:
"Who, exactly, is the Dark Lord?" Harry asked and watched as Dumbledore sighed again.
"Lucius Malfoy."
Shock.
That was the first thing that ran through Harry's body. Lucius Malfoy? The Dark Lord? Does that mean Tom wasn't secretly some evil, scheming, little brat who was only using the schoolboy image as a disguise? Without knowing why, Harry felt just a little happier knowing that the seventeen-year-old Slytherin wasn't evil. Pushing that disturbing thought out of his mind, Harry turned back towards the headmaster.
"What about Draco?" Harry asked wanting to know what happened to his friend in this universe.
Dumbledore just looked puzzled, something that Harry had never seen on the old man's face before.
"Draco? Who's that?"
Harry was sent spiralling into surprise again. There was no Draco in this world?
"Uh, Lucius Malfoy's child." Harry scratched his head and wondered if revealing he was buddy-buddy with the Dark Lord's spawn was a good idea in front of Dumbledore.
"Oh, you must mean Isabelle Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's daughter," Dumbledore said casually. Harry's eyes widened and started choking on what seemed like the air.
"Daughter?" he asked in disbelief. Without warning, a bubble of laughter escaped his lips. "Draco's a girl?"
Snorting softly, Harry controlled himself. Two seconds later he was sent back into laughter imagining Draco in hot pink dress and high heels.
Dumbledore just watched this near hysterical display with a twinkle in his eye and a calm expression on his face.
"Why the interest in Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore enquired airily and watched with concealed surprise as the boy in front of him tensed.
"No reason. Just curious," Harry answered stiffly, not really wanting to share his shit, sad life story with anyone. The last thing he needed was sympathy.
Dumbledore seemed to understand and clapped his hands together again.
"Well, it's late and I shouldn't keep a growing boy from his sleep. Off you go, I take it you know where the Gryffindor common room is?" Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded, standing up.
"Your new belongings will be by your bed tomorrow morning," Dumbledore said and Harry nodded again before walking out of the office.
~~*~~
When Harry woke the next morning, the first thing he realised was the three towering figures looming over his bed. Cracking his eyes open, he fell out of bed with a shout of surprise when he saw Dean, Seamus and Neville stare at him with barely concealed shock and curiosity.
"Urgh," Harry muttered, rubbing his sore backside. "What are you guys doing, looming over my bed like that? Do you want to give me a heart attack?"
The three boys mumbled a quick apology, but still stared at him. Harry eyed them nervously.
"Uh, guys? What's wrong?"
"Who are you?" Neville asked suddenly as the other two nodded.
Neville's never this outgoing, Harry thought. Oh, yeah. This isn't my universe.
Groaning softly, Harry sank on to the bed as the memories from last night came crashing into his head.
Spell.
Alternate universe.
Bonding.
Death.
Dark Lord
Isabelle.
Tom Fucking Riddle.
How could he have forgotten?
Maybe he just didn't want to remember.
"So who are you?" Neville asked again, looking a little impatient. Harry was struck at how much he looked like Hermione when he did that.
"Harry Potter," Harry said awkwardly. After all, he was introducing himself to people he already knew, but who didn't know him. Weird feeling.
The three other occupants' eyes had widened and their jaws had dropped to the floor.
"That's not possible. He died twelve years ago," Neville said in a perfect imitation of Hermione's 'I-know-I'm-right-and-you-know-I'm-right-so-why- argue-with-me?' tone of voice. Harry felt an eyebrow rise at the similarity, but said nothing.
"You'll find out why at breakfast," Harry said before opening the trunk at the foot his bed and taking out clothes. Without saying anything else or giving the guys another chance to ask anything, he ran into the shower and closed the door.
Sighing in relief, Harry leaned against the sink and turned the tap for the cold water. Splashing his face gratefully, Harry looked at his reflection in the mirror. A tanned face looked back at him. Black, messy hair flew in all directions, partially obscuring the bright, emerald eyes. High cheekbones that were a little on the thin side were tinted pink from the cold water.
Sighing again, Harry brushed the hair out of his eyes and reached for his toothbrush. The movement froze halfway as the teenager stared at his reflection with something akin to shock. There was something wrong with his reflection.
Harry's hand flew up to his forehead and he ran his fingers along the smooth skin there. Nothing, no mark, no abnormality, no scar, nothing.
Where's my scar gone? Harry thought as he peered at himself. Urgh, I look so unfamiliar now.
Feeling slightly disturbed, Harry flattened his hair over his unblemished forehead. As crazy as it sounds, Harry felt like he had lost a part of himself with the disappearance of the scar.
~~*~~
As Harry walked into the hall twenty minutes later, the first thing he noticed was the silence. The hall was never silent as far as he could remember. The second thing was all the pairs of eyes on him. Pausing for a minute at the eerie silence that enveloped the hall, Harry quickly averted his eyes to the ground and shuffled to the Gryffindor table.
Buttering his toast, Harry was still aware of all the eyes on him. Was him buttering toast that interesting?
"Your timetable Mr. Potter," a familiar voice said from behind him. Harry whipped around to see McGonagall standing there as alive as ever, holding out a piece of parchment.
"Professor McGonagall?" Harry stammered in disbelief. The professor in question pursed her lips impatiently and thrust the paper into his hands.
"Yes Mr. Potter. I expect to see you uphold the Gryffindor standard."
Without another word McGonagall turned back and walked briskly to the head table.
"Yeah and good morning to you too," Harry muttered under his breath. Hermione was right; Draco's sarcasm was rubbing off on him.
Scanning his timetable quickly, Harry swallowed a groan. Great. Double potions. First thing in the morning. With Snape.
Whilst his relationship with Snape had improved to the standard where the potions professor and him can have a conversation and enjoy each other's company occasionally thanks to Draco, Harry still dreaded potions. Frankly, when Snape was in scary-potion-master mode, he was as dangerous and about as fun as an enraged woman with PMS and a shotgun.
Well, there goes his appetite.
Putting down his toast, Harry wiped his hands on his robe before standing up. Immediately all eyes turned towards him again. Oh God, he was getting so sick of this.
"What is so interesting about me that you all have to stare and point every time I breathe?!"
The shouted question had been unexpected and the whole hall jumped. The boy they had been the centre of all the conversations was currently standing and glaring at the whole hall. His hands were clenched and by his side. His face was set in an unreadable mask and his tone was icy.
For a few minutes nobody could make a sound. Everybody would've thought that that behaviour was only applicable to Slytherins, but apparently not. They had never seen a Gryffindor act so *cold* and Slyhterin-like before. It was unnerving really.
"I am not something on display and I would appreciate it greatly if none of you treated me like one." With that, Harry turned abruptly and stormed out of the hall.
God, he was so sick of this. Yes, he knew it wasn't their fault that his life turned out the way it did, but that didn't make him any less angry at them. The war against Voldmeort had been tiring enough and things were only starting to get better when he found himself transported to a whole new universe. All because Tom Riddle had to satisfy his stupid pride and prove himself to Ron Weasley. On top of that, he was *bonded* to his parents' murderer. No matter that in this universe his parents were alive, but it's the principle of the matter. His *real* parents had died at the hands of that monster and nothing anyone said or did was going to change his mind about Tom Riddle.
And the staring and pointing. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Harry had undergone too many emotional changes and had too few opportunities to let his feelings out. When he had exploded inside the hall, it had all been an outlet for his frustrations and anger he had felt during the war.
Life was so unfair sometimes.
~~*~~
I told you he wasn't a normal Gryffindor, a voice in Tom's brain pointed out. Tom had found from pasts experiences that this voice was *nasty*. It delighted in pointing out things that he had done wrong or thought wrong. It absolutely *loved* implying that he should talk to Harry because, after all, they were bonded. And what he hated the most was that, usually, the voice was right.
He was right about the voice.
Nasty.
~~*~~
Severus Snape, Potions Master, professor and head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, watched the display from the Potter boy with interest and curiosity. To say that he and James Potter didn't get along was an understatement. They *loathed* each other and the whole school knew it. The several duels they had all ended with both stuck in the hospital with rather *painful* injuries.
However, seeing a Potter act so..... *Slytherinish* was not an everyday sight. Despite the fact that the boy came from another universe, Severus didn't think that James and Lily Potter could differ too much from universe to universe. Their boy was another matter all together. Severus had noticed the sagging shoulders, the tired slump and the wary eyes. Not the way any seventeen-year old should look.
Tucking the mystery of the strange boy from another universe for another day, Snape finished the last of his breakfast and prepared to face another torturous lesson of double potions with Slytherins and Gryffindors.
~~*~~
Stalking into the potion lab, with his robes billowing menacingly behind him, Snape smirked mentally as he saw that he had managed to make most of the Gyffindors jump. Then, the smirk turned into a frown as he saw the Potter boy sitting calmly in his seat, carefully taking out potion books, quills and parchment. Snape also noticed that he was all alone. All other Gryffindors seemed to be avoiding the table where Potter was sitting and occasionally whispered behind hands.
Clearly his throat, Snape glared out at the Gryffindor half of the room. Turning to the Slyhterin half, his glare was turned down a notch as he surveyed the remaining Slytherins. He knew that Lucius had been and still is recruiting followers to be his Death Eaters.
Banishing the thoughts of his once best friend out of his mind, Snape barked out instructions for the potion that was to be made that morning.
~~*~~
Harry crushed up his beetles' eyes carefully. Ever since he had been less hostile towards Draco Malfoy, the black haired boy had learned to appreciate the exact art of potion making. Whilst it was far from his favourite subject (or his best mind you), Harry wasn't as much of a failure at the class as he had been. Now he could brew most potions, if under the correct guidance, but the hard ones Harry just left well alone. Besides, he only brewed potions when he had to. Harry didn't want anybody suddenly sprouting green feathers and a beak because he put in a newt tongue instead of its eye.
Adding the powder to the cauldron, Harry sighed inaudibly. God, he couldn't understand how the potion master could stand hunched over a bubbling cauldron for many hours and not be frozen in that position for the rest of his life.
Harry was so immersed in his thoughts he never noticed the pairs of eyes that watched him.
~~*~~
Ron Weasley sneered as he watched Potter stir his potion. So the boy wasn't as incompetent as potions as most of his other housemates. He eyed the other boy and felt his sneer widen. He was sure his master would want to know of this development. After all, Lucius would want to know that the boy he had killed twelve years ago was back.
~~*~~
Tom watched the sneer on Ron Weasley's face with growing uneasiness. All of a sudden, he felt a protective feeling surge through him, wanting him to snap Weasley's neck if he as much as breathed on Harry.
Blinking at the unfamiliar feeling, Tom turned back to his potion to discover that it was now an orangey colour instead of the proper green it should be. Before he could open his mouth, the mixture started to bubble and the next second exploded.
~~*~~
Harry dived under the table and withdrew his wand instinctively as the explosion echoed around the room. After a few seconds of silence, Harry stuck his head out from underneath the table to see the whole lab covered in a sticky orangey substance.
Climbing out slowly, the teen saw that other students were also coming out of their respective hiding places. Eyes travelling around the room Harry froze as he saw the unmoving figure next to the remains of the destroyed cauldron. Stepping closer, Harry's eyes focused on the familiar figure of Tom Riddle.
Suddenly, he was overcome with a feeling of fear for the wellbeing of the unconscious boy. Hurrying the rest of the way, Harry knelt next to Tom and turned him over gently
No response and Harry exhaled loudly. His heart rate increased as he was seized by fear again.
"Mr. Potter, please get out of my way," Snape demanded irritably. He was not happy to see the spawn of James Potter kneeling next his prize potions student.
Harry froze for a second before shaking his head. What was he doing? Checking that Tom Riddle was alright? Without another word, he stood up and walked back to his desk, letting the potions master through.
Damn the stupid bond.
~~*~~
Lunch was an uncomfortable experience for Harry. Although there had been times when people stared and whispered about him, it was never like this. Ever bite he took was watched on by the whole school. Every move he made was followed eagerly by the students in the hall. Now, he knew what it felt like to be in a zoo. Only, he'd have more privacy if he was an exhibit in the zoo. Also, the fact that he had checked whether the prince of Slytherin was alright in potions spread around the school like wildfire. Not really sure how much the school knew about his *relationship* with Tom Riddle, Harry decided the best thing was to wait it out. If Dumbledore had told the school of the bond, word would get back to him eventually.
Cramming the last of his food into his mouth, Harry grabbed his bag and stood up, ignoring the hundreds of pairs of eyes that followed him. He had Care of Magical Creatures next and he was looking forward to seeing Hagrid again. He hadn't seen the big oaf, in his own world, for about half a year. He just hoped that the Hagrid in this world was the same as the Hagrid in his world. After all, he had had several nasty surprises during the morning already. It turned out that Ron Weasley was the Slytherin prefect. Acted like a git too. In fact, Harry thought with a wry smile, you could almost say that Ron Weasley acted Draco Malfoy.
After getting over that little surprise, Harry trudged off to Charms with Hufflepuff. As soon as he had entered the classroom, his eyes were caught by one person and he almost had a heart attack there and then. Hermione Granger, the smartest person he knew, was in Hufflepuff. Hermione Granger and Hufflepuff do not belong in the same sentence.
**Flashback**
Harry trudged into the Charms classroom and looked around to see if everybody he knew was there. As his eyes swept around the room, they stopped on one person. Hermione?! In Hufflepuff?! What the hell?!
Shuffling into the room in a state of shock, Harry sat down without really seeing who he sat next to. Turned out that he had plonked himself down next to Lavender. He glanced warily at the girl, only to find that she was looking back at him with a look of shock and .... what the hell? Admiration? Lust?
Not really wanting to know what the emotion was, Harry cleared his throat and diverted his attention by taking out books out of his bag.
"I hope you don't mind me sitting here," he said quietly, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny of Lavender.
"Of course not Harry," Lavender said huskily and in what she hoped was a seductive voice. Harry shuddered inwardly and inched slowly and carefully away from the girl.
"Er, thanks then," he said, trying to fill the silence.
"Class pay attention!" Professor Flitwick called out and the class turned to watch the tiny teacher. Harry breathed an inaudibly sigh of relief.
Note to self, never, *ever* sit next to Lavender again.
**End of Flashback**
Shuddering at the memory again, Harry looked over his shoulder just in case Lavender was following him or something. He was not used to the attention he was getting from the female population. And it was damn uncomfortable too. Lavender and Terry Boot were a couple in Harry's world and having Lavender come on to him was not good. Terry was his friend and it felt too much like betraying his trust. Besides, Harry didn't have such feelings towards Lavender. She was a friend and that was all.
Stopping at the edge of the lake, Harry blocked out the sun's rays with his hand and looked out over the expanse of water. A soft breeze caused the surface of the lake to be filled with small ripples and the water sparkled under the light of the sun. It made Harry want to jump in and swim.
And Harry probably would've of, if the weather wasn't freezing his ass off because of it being nearly winter and all. Sighing, Harry turned back and saw the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors head towards the gamekeeper's hut.
Harry brushed his robes off and followed.
~~*~~
Arriving last, Harry purposely ignored the suggestive look on Lavender's face. Shifting over until he stood near Dean, Harry looked down at his shoes and avoided the gazes. Even the Slytherins couldn't help giving Harry a glance every few moments.
"Good afternoon class," an educated voice rang out and Harry's head snapped up. In front of him stood Hagrid and not Hagrid at the same time. This Hagrid was still a half giant and he was still as big as ever. This Hagrid still had the same face as his Hagrid and same beard. Only now, his beard was trimmed and kept under control. His eyes shone with kindness and warmth, but also more intelligence than Harry was used to. His hair wasn't wild and was plaited neatly. His clothes were still animal skins, only now they actually resembled clothes.
All in all, Hagrid was still Hagrid, only now he was a more educated, polite and intelligent Hagrid. Harry smiled softly, happy that his friend got what he deserved in one world at least.
"You must be Harry Potter," Hagrid said, peering down at Harry. Harry nodded and smiled in return, quickly becoming comfortable in the other's presence.
"Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures Harry. You'll need a partner. Oh here he comes," Hagrid said, looking over Harry's shoulder at the approaching person.
"Tom Riddle, meet your new partner Harry Potter."
~~*~~
A/N: So sorry I haven't updated for so long. You can kill me if you want. *cowers underneath her bed* *peeks through her fingers to see readers sharpening knives and torture equipment* oh dear......
Well here's the second chapter. *nervous laugh* Better late than never right? *readers glare* maybe not..... Um.... yeah. Enjoy.
Oh and for the reviewer who asked, a beta reader is someone who proof reads the story first and edits it and changes any mistakes.
Please review! I'll love you forever. Thanks for all the other reviews though! THANK YOU!!!!! Now please don't hurt me....
Chapter Two:
"Who, exactly, is the Dark Lord?" Harry asked and watched as Dumbledore sighed again.
"Lucius Malfoy."
Shock.
That was the first thing that ran through Harry's body. Lucius Malfoy? The Dark Lord? Does that mean Tom wasn't secretly some evil, scheming, little brat who was only using the schoolboy image as a disguise? Without knowing why, Harry felt just a little happier knowing that the seventeen-year-old Slytherin wasn't evil. Pushing that disturbing thought out of his mind, Harry turned back towards the headmaster.
"What about Draco?" Harry asked wanting to know what happened to his friend in this universe.
Dumbledore just looked puzzled, something that Harry had never seen on the old man's face before.
"Draco? Who's that?"
Harry was sent spiralling into surprise again. There was no Draco in this world?
"Uh, Lucius Malfoy's child." Harry scratched his head and wondered if revealing he was buddy-buddy with the Dark Lord's spawn was a good idea in front of Dumbledore.
"Oh, you must mean Isabelle Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's daughter," Dumbledore said casually. Harry's eyes widened and started choking on what seemed like the air.
"Daughter?" he asked in disbelief. Without warning, a bubble of laughter escaped his lips. "Draco's a girl?"
Snorting softly, Harry controlled himself. Two seconds later he was sent back into laughter imagining Draco in hot pink dress and high heels.
Dumbledore just watched this near hysterical display with a twinkle in his eye and a calm expression on his face.
"Why the interest in Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore enquired airily and watched with concealed surprise as the boy in front of him tensed.
"No reason. Just curious," Harry answered stiffly, not really wanting to share his shit, sad life story with anyone. The last thing he needed was sympathy.
Dumbledore seemed to understand and clapped his hands together again.
"Well, it's late and I shouldn't keep a growing boy from his sleep. Off you go, I take it you know where the Gryffindor common room is?" Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded, standing up.
"Your new belongings will be by your bed tomorrow morning," Dumbledore said and Harry nodded again before walking out of the office.
~~*~~
When Harry woke the next morning, the first thing he realised was the three towering figures looming over his bed. Cracking his eyes open, he fell out of bed with a shout of surprise when he saw Dean, Seamus and Neville stare at him with barely concealed shock and curiosity.
"Urgh," Harry muttered, rubbing his sore backside. "What are you guys doing, looming over my bed like that? Do you want to give me a heart attack?"
The three boys mumbled a quick apology, but still stared at him. Harry eyed them nervously.
"Uh, guys? What's wrong?"
"Who are you?" Neville asked suddenly as the other two nodded.
Neville's never this outgoing, Harry thought. Oh, yeah. This isn't my universe.
Groaning softly, Harry sank on to the bed as the memories from last night came crashing into his head.
Spell.
Alternate universe.
Bonding.
Death.
Dark Lord
Isabelle.
Tom Fucking Riddle.
How could he have forgotten?
Maybe he just didn't want to remember.
"So who are you?" Neville asked again, looking a little impatient. Harry was struck at how much he looked like Hermione when he did that.
"Harry Potter," Harry said awkwardly. After all, he was introducing himself to people he already knew, but who didn't know him. Weird feeling.
The three other occupants' eyes had widened and their jaws had dropped to the floor.
"That's not possible. He died twelve years ago," Neville said in a perfect imitation of Hermione's 'I-know-I'm-right-and-you-know-I'm-right-so-why- argue-with-me?' tone of voice. Harry felt an eyebrow rise at the similarity, but said nothing.
"You'll find out why at breakfast," Harry said before opening the trunk at the foot his bed and taking out clothes. Without saying anything else or giving the guys another chance to ask anything, he ran into the shower and closed the door.
Sighing in relief, Harry leaned against the sink and turned the tap for the cold water. Splashing his face gratefully, Harry looked at his reflection in the mirror. A tanned face looked back at him. Black, messy hair flew in all directions, partially obscuring the bright, emerald eyes. High cheekbones that were a little on the thin side were tinted pink from the cold water.
Sighing again, Harry brushed the hair out of his eyes and reached for his toothbrush. The movement froze halfway as the teenager stared at his reflection with something akin to shock. There was something wrong with his reflection.
Harry's hand flew up to his forehead and he ran his fingers along the smooth skin there. Nothing, no mark, no abnormality, no scar, nothing.
Where's my scar gone? Harry thought as he peered at himself. Urgh, I look so unfamiliar now.
Feeling slightly disturbed, Harry flattened his hair over his unblemished forehead. As crazy as it sounds, Harry felt like he had lost a part of himself with the disappearance of the scar.
~~*~~
As Harry walked into the hall twenty minutes later, the first thing he noticed was the silence. The hall was never silent as far as he could remember. The second thing was all the pairs of eyes on him. Pausing for a minute at the eerie silence that enveloped the hall, Harry quickly averted his eyes to the ground and shuffled to the Gryffindor table.
Buttering his toast, Harry was still aware of all the eyes on him. Was him buttering toast that interesting?
"Your timetable Mr. Potter," a familiar voice said from behind him. Harry whipped around to see McGonagall standing there as alive as ever, holding out a piece of parchment.
"Professor McGonagall?" Harry stammered in disbelief. The professor in question pursed her lips impatiently and thrust the paper into his hands.
"Yes Mr. Potter. I expect to see you uphold the Gryffindor standard."
Without another word McGonagall turned back and walked briskly to the head table.
"Yeah and good morning to you too," Harry muttered under his breath. Hermione was right; Draco's sarcasm was rubbing off on him.
Scanning his timetable quickly, Harry swallowed a groan. Great. Double potions. First thing in the morning. With Snape.
Whilst his relationship with Snape had improved to the standard where the potions professor and him can have a conversation and enjoy each other's company occasionally thanks to Draco, Harry still dreaded potions. Frankly, when Snape was in scary-potion-master mode, he was as dangerous and about as fun as an enraged woman with PMS and a shotgun.
Well, there goes his appetite.
Putting down his toast, Harry wiped his hands on his robe before standing up. Immediately all eyes turned towards him again. Oh God, he was getting so sick of this.
"What is so interesting about me that you all have to stare and point every time I breathe?!"
The shouted question had been unexpected and the whole hall jumped. The boy they had been the centre of all the conversations was currently standing and glaring at the whole hall. His hands were clenched and by his side. His face was set in an unreadable mask and his tone was icy.
For a few minutes nobody could make a sound. Everybody would've thought that that behaviour was only applicable to Slytherins, but apparently not. They had never seen a Gryffindor act so *cold* and Slyhterin-like before. It was unnerving really.
"I am not something on display and I would appreciate it greatly if none of you treated me like one." With that, Harry turned abruptly and stormed out of the hall.
God, he was so sick of this. Yes, he knew it wasn't their fault that his life turned out the way it did, but that didn't make him any less angry at them. The war against Voldmeort had been tiring enough and things were only starting to get better when he found himself transported to a whole new universe. All because Tom Riddle had to satisfy his stupid pride and prove himself to Ron Weasley. On top of that, he was *bonded* to his parents' murderer. No matter that in this universe his parents were alive, but it's the principle of the matter. His *real* parents had died at the hands of that monster and nothing anyone said or did was going to change his mind about Tom Riddle.
And the staring and pointing. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Harry had undergone too many emotional changes and had too few opportunities to let his feelings out. When he had exploded inside the hall, it had all been an outlet for his frustrations and anger he had felt during the war.
Life was so unfair sometimes.
~~*~~
I told you he wasn't a normal Gryffindor, a voice in Tom's brain pointed out. Tom had found from pasts experiences that this voice was *nasty*. It delighted in pointing out things that he had done wrong or thought wrong. It absolutely *loved* implying that he should talk to Harry because, after all, they were bonded. And what he hated the most was that, usually, the voice was right.
He was right about the voice.
Nasty.
~~*~~
Severus Snape, Potions Master, professor and head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, watched the display from the Potter boy with interest and curiosity. To say that he and James Potter didn't get along was an understatement. They *loathed* each other and the whole school knew it. The several duels they had all ended with both stuck in the hospital with rather *painful* injuries.
However, seeing a Potter act so..... *Slytherinish* was not an everyday sight. Despite the fact that the boy came from another universe, Severus didn't think that James and Lily Potter could differ too much from universe to universe. Their boy was another matter all together. Severus had noticed the sagging shoulders, the tired slump and the wary eyes. Not the way any seventeen-year old should look.
Tucking the mystery of the strange boy from another universe for another day, Snape finished the last of his breakfast and prepared to face another torturous lesson of double potions with Slytherins and Gryffindors.
~~*~~
Stalking into the potion lab, with his robes billowing menacingly behind him, Snape smirked mentally as he saw that he had managed to make most of the Gyffindors jump. Then, the smirk turned into a frown as he saw the Potter boy sitting calmly in his seat, carefully taking out potion books, quills and parchment. Snape also noticed that he was all alone. All other Gryffindors seemed to be avoiding the table where Potter was sitting and occasionally whispered behind hands.
Clearly his throat, Snape glared out at the Gryffindor half of the room. Turning to the Slyhterin half, his glare was turned down a notch as he surveyed the remaining Slytherins. He knew that Lucius had been and still is recruiting followers to be his Death Eaters.
Banishing the thoughts of his once best friend out of his mind, Snape barked out instructions for the potion that was to be made that morning.
~~*~~
Harry crushed up his beetles' eyes carefully. Ever since he had been less hostile towards Draco Malfoy, the black haired boy had learned to appreciate the exact art of potion making. Whilst it was far from his favourite subject (or his best mind you), Harry wasn't as much of a failure at the class as he had been. Now he could brew most potions, if under the correct guidance, but the hard ones Harry just left well alone. Besides, he only brewed potions when he had to. Harry didn't want anybody suddenly sprouting green feathers and a beak because he put in a newt tongue instead of its eye.
Adding the powder to the cauldron, Harry sighed inaudibly. God, he couldn't understand how the potion master could stand hunched over a bubbling cauldron for many hours and not be frozen in that position for the rest of his life.
Harry was so immersed in his thoughts he never noticed the pairs of eyes that watched him.
~~*~~
Ron Weasley sneered as he watched Potter stir his potion. So the boy wasn't as incompetent as potions as most of his other housemates. He eyed the other boy and felt his sneer widen. He was sure his master would want to know of this development. After all, Lucius would want to know that the boy he had killed twelve years ago was back.
~~*~~
Tom watched the sneer on Ron Weasley's face with growing uneasiness. All of a sudden, he felt a protective feeling surge through him, wanting him to snap Weasley's neck if he as much as breathed on Harry.
Blinking at the unfamiliar feeling, Tom turned back to his potion to discover that it was now an orangey colour instead of the proper green it should be. Before he could open his mouth, the mixture started to bubble and the next second exploded.
~~*~~
Harry dived under the table and withdrew his wand instinctively as the explosion echoed around the room. After a few seconds of silence, Harry stuck his head out from underneath the table to see the whole lab covered in a sticky orangey substance.
Climbing out slowly, the teen saw that other students were also coming out of their respective hiding places. Eyes travelling around the room Harry froze as he saw the unmoving figure next to the remains of the destroyed cauldron. Stepping closer, Harry's eyes focused on the familiar figure of Tom Riddle.
Suddenly, he was overcome with a feeling of fear for the wellbeing of the unconscious boy. Hurrying the rest of the way, Harry knelt next to Tom and turned him over gently
No response and Harry exhaled loudly. His heart rate increased as he was seized by fear again.
"Mr. Potter, please get out of my way," Snape demanded irritably. He was not happy to see the spawn of James Potter kneeling next his prize potions student.
Harry froze for a second before shaking his head. What was he doing? Checking that Tom Riddle was alright? Without another word, he stood up and walked back to his desk, letting the potions master through.
Damn the stupid bond.
~~*~~
Lunch was an uncomfortable experience for Harry. Although there had been times when people stared and whispered about him, it was never like this. Ever bite he took was watched on by the whole school. Every move he made was followed eagerly by the students in the hall. Now, he knew what it felt like to be in a zoo. Only, he'd have more privacy if he was an exhibit in the zoo. Also, the fact that he had checked whether the prince of Slytherin was alright in potions spread around the school like wildfire. Not really sure how much the school knew about his *relationship* with Tom Riddle, Harry decided the best thing was to wait it out. If Dumbledore had told the school of the bond, word would get back to him eventually.
Cramming the last of his food into his mouth, Harry grabbed his bag and stood up, ignoring the hundreds of pairs of eyes that followed him. He had Care of Magical Creatures next and he was looking forward to seeing Hagrid again. He hadn't seen the big oaf, in his own world, for about half a year. He just hoped that the Hagrid in this world was the same as the Hagrid in his world. After all, he had had several nasty surprises during the morning already. It turned out that Ron Weasley was the Slytherin prefect. Acted like a git too. In fact, Harry thought with a wry smile, you could almost say that Ron Weasley acted Draco Malfoy.
After getting over that little surprise, Harry trudged off to Charms with Hufflepuff. As soon as he had entered the classroom, his eyes were caught by one person and he almost had a heart attack there and then. Hermione Granger, the smartest person he knew, was in Hufflepuff. Hermione Granger and Hufflepuff do not belong in the same sentence.
**Flashback**
Harry trudged into the Charms classroom and looked around to see if everybody he knew was there. As his eyes swept around the room, they stopped on one person. Hermione?! In Hufflepuff?! What the hell?!
Shuffling into the room in a state of shock, Harry sat down without really seeing who he sat next to. Turned out that he had plonked himself down next to Lavender. He glanced warily at the girl, only to find that she was looking back at him with a look of shock and .... what the hell? Admiration? Lust?
Not really wanting to know what the emotion was, Harry cleared his throat and diverted his attention by taking out books out of his bag.
"I hope you don't mind me sitting here," he said quietly, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny of Lavender.
"Of course not Harry," Lavender said huskily and in what she hoped was a seductive voice. Harry shuddered inwardly and inched slowly and carefully away from the girl.
"Er, thanks then," he said, trying to fill the silence.
"Class pay attention!" Professor Flitwick called out and the class turned to watch the tiny teacher. Harry breathed an inaudibly sigh of relief.
Note to self, never, *ever* sit next to Lavender again.
**End of Flashback**
Shuddering at the memory again, Harry looked over his shoulder just in case Lavender was following him or something. He was not used to the attention he was getting from the female population. And it was damn uncomfortable too. Lavender and Terry Boot were a couple in Harry's world and having Lavender come on to him was not good. Terry was his friend and it felt too much like betraying his trust. Besides, Harry didn't have such feelings towards Lavender. She was a friend and that was all.
Stopping at the edge of the lake, Harry blocked out the sun's rays with his hand and looked out over the expanse of water. A soft breeze caused the surface of the lake to be filled with small ripples and the water sparkled under the light of the sun. It made Harry want to jump in and swim.
And Harry probably would've of, if the weather wasn't freezing his ass off because of it being nearly winter and all. Sighing, Harry turned back and saw the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors head towards the gamekeeper's hut.
Harry brushed his robes off and followed.
~~*~~
Arriving last, Harry purposely ignored the suggestive look on Lavender's face. Shifting over until he stood near Dean, Harry looked down at his shoes and avoided the gazes. Even the Slytherins couldn't help giving Harry a glance every few moments.
"Good afternoon class," an educated voice rang out and Harry's head snapped up. In front of him stood Hagrid and not Hagrid at the same time. This Hagrid was still a half giant and he was still as big as ever. This Hagrid still had the same face as his Hagrid and same beard. Only now, his beard was trimmed and kept under control. His eyes shone with kindness and warmth, but also more intelligence than Harry was used to. His hair wasn't wild and was plaited neatly. His clothes were still animal skins, only now they actually resembled clothes.
All in all, Hagrid was still Hagrid, only now he was a more educated, polite and intelligent Hagrid. Harry smiled softly, happy that his friend got what he deserved in one world at least.
"You must be Harry Potter," Hagrid said, peering down at Harry. Harry nodded and smiled in return, quickly becoming comfortable in the other's presence.
"Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures Harry. You'll need a partner. Oh here he comes," Hagrid said, looking over Harry's shoulder at the approaching person.
"Tom Riddle, meet your new partner Harry Potter."
~~*~~
A/N: So sorry I haven't updated for so long. You can kill me if you want. *cowers underneath her bed* *peeks through her fingers to see readers sharpening knives and torture equipment* oh dear......
Well here's the second chapter. *nervous laugh* Better late than never right? *readers glare* maybe not..... Um.... yeah. Enjoy.
Oh and for the reviewer who asked, a beta reader is someone who proof reads the story first and edits it and changes any mistakes.
Please review! I'll love you forever. Thanks for all the other reviews though! THANK YOU!!!!! Now please don't hurt me....