Author's Note: Okay, this chapter is a little longer than average since that seemed to be what most people wanted. It was also done a week ago, but *sob* the one time I had a chance to post Fanfiction.net was down. Anyway, thanks so much for all your great comments. I'm really enjoying this fic, it almost seems to have a mind of it own.
Mind (Chapter 4)
James ran down the stairs, pushed open the portrait, giving the Fat Lady a wave as he jogged over to Ron who was waiting nearby with Hermione.
"There you are. What took you so long?" Ron complained as they walked at a fast pace towards the dungeons.
"Sorry, couldn't remember where I put my potion's book." James said, waving said book.
"Yeah, well, that excuse won't help if we get into Snape's class late," Ron said as he increased his pace only to stop a moment later as James froze.
"Harry?"
Snape! He's kidding right.
If Harry had been able to he would have hid his head in his hands. No he's not. Keep walking! I'll tell you on the way.
James jumped, and flushed. "Umm sorry. Just… ahh, remembered something that is. Nothing important, let's get going. Don't want to be late." Walking quickly, he took off down the corridor, not missing the return of the concerned expressions on Harry's friends' faces. But they didn't say anything, just picked up the pace to catch up with him.
So tell. Snape, as in Severus Snape, is your potions teacher.
Yes.
James laughed then quickly changed it into a cough as Ron and Hermione glanced over at him. You're joking, right? That guy is the most antisocial person I've ever seen. We are talking about the same guy. Lanky, black hair that looks like its never seen water.
Yes, Harry muttered. It's the same guy, and, yes, he is my potion's teacher.
Wow. James fought down a laugh but it carried over in his mental voice. I can't believe it. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would even like kids let alone teach them. Actually he held a real grudge against Sirius. I could almost say he hated Sirius with an unholy passion.
A wave of something washed over James and was gone before he could place it. It stopped him cold. What?
Nothing. It's nothing.
James slowed a little. It was obviously something. But, it was also clear Harry did not want to talk about it. Alright. Silence fell for the last leg of the walk and James was almost worried that Harry had taken off when he spoke just as they were about to enter the classroom.
Umm, whatever Snape says try not to let it get to you, okay?
James frowned. What do you mean?
Just that sometimes Snape isn't the nicest person. But, just ignore him. That's what I do. And you have to act like me here. Harry's voice was worried. But James couldn't understand how this Professor could cause any problems, he was a teacher after all, surely he wouldn't have the job if he didn't deserve it. People change all the time, he couldn't possibly be the same nasty person he knew in his own time.
Alright. James replied with a mental shrug.
"Hey, Harry… Are you going to go through the door or just stand there?"
James jumped at the voice; he was getting a little to used to all the mental talking. "Oh sorry." James said, and grinned over his shoulder. Ron and Hermione were watching him. He hadn't realized he stopped when Harry had spoken to him, he'd have to be more careful. He felt Harry's agreement and turned to walk in the classroom.
The potion's classroom was dank and smelly just like he remembered. In fact, not much had changed at all. The biggest difference was the students. Which house are were sharing with? He asked.
Slytherin.
Lucky you. James asked back with a mental laugh. The house feud still going on? He asked while walking towards the three empty seats in the back.
Yes.
"Almost late, Potter." Someone drawled. "What? To busy hiding under your bed?"
James spun as one half of the class broke out into laughter and the rest glared at the blond seated near the front who had turned in his chair to face him. Startled James met the blonde's gaze. Without being asked Harry supplied him with a name, Draco Malfoy. And the two goons next to him were Crabbe and Goyle.
For one short moment, James thought he was looking at Lucius Malfoy, a seventh grader. Draco Malfoy must have seen something in his gaze because his eyes widened then narrowed.
Suddenly a hand dropped on James' shoulder, he jumped and spun, almost cracking his shin on one of the desks. He stared up and the familiar/not-familiar face before him. His mouth hung open, he could easily tell that this was Severus Snape but at the same time it was hard to imagine the boy he'd seen glaring over at them as the man who stood scowling before him. The hair was the same, the scowl was the same, even the face was the same only a little bit older, but it was hard to have seen just yesterday a boy and to now be looking at a man.
James! Harry yelled.
James jumped, knocking the hand off his shoulder. Still staring up into Snape's eyes he caught what looked like a faint flicker of concern before the dislike flooded back in.
"Not causing problems, are we Potter? Five points from Gryffindor. Now take your seat unless you want a detention. Class has started you should have been seated, not out causing problems with the other students." Snape turned and walked towards his desk. James opened his mouth to point out that he wasn't the one causing problems when Harry stopped him.
Don't. It won't do any good. Just sit down with Ron and Hermione and stay quiet.
But that's not fair. I didn't do anything, that blonde brat started it. But he walked over to the desk and sat down. Ron shot him a vaguely sympathetic glance before pulling out his scrolls and pen.
The next fifteen minutes passed by relatively uneventful. James' jotted down notes and Harry simply sat quietly and watched. James wasn't surprised to see that Harry was learning almost the exact same things he had been learning. It was lucky for him that the Hogwarts curriculum hadn't changed much. There were a few differences in what Harry had already learned and what he himself had been in the process of learning, but not enough to present any problems. James had always been a good student and he had even taken the time to read ahead in his potions textbook. But even as he worked he wondered about some of the things he had seen. He couldn't understand why Snape seemed to hate Harry so much.
Lost in his thoughts, James was paying barely enough attention to copy down the notes. Snape was talking about the ingredients needed to concoct a dormis potion, a type of powerful sleeping drought, when he turned to Harry. "The maybelle flower used in this potion can also be used to do what, Potter?"
James blinked. It was an insane question. He'd read his potion's book, the whole section on sleeping potions, and there had been no mention of the flower, except in relation to the dormis potion.
Harry?
Harry sighed. I don't know.
James could see out of the corner of his eye that Hermione was scowling. She leaned closer to Ron and whispered, loud enough that James caught it. "That's not right. There isn't even any mention of the maybelle flower in the textbook."
"Well, Potter, what's your answer? We don't have all day." Snape's voice was rich with vindictive humour.
James scowled as the Slytherins snickered. With a hard shove, he stood, his fist clenched at his side.
No, don't! Harry said but was ignored.
"You bloody git!" Shocked silence fell over the classroom. Even Snape looked taken aback. "Even if you don't like H…" James stopped himself just in time. "Me, you have no right to treat me like this. Whatever your problem is get over it or don't teach." James was tense, it wasn't just Snape's veiled insults; it was Harry's acceptance as if this type of treatment was an everyday thing. His rant done, James glared at Snape. Snape's face was shocked and as James watched Snape shook off the disbelief. His face slowly turned red, and his eyes glittered with anger and what looked a little like relief.
James couldn't believe that his outburst would have caused any type of relief so he decided that there must be another cause for it. He didn't have time to puzzle it through though when Snape stood. His robes billowed around him, and his eyes were narrowed.
"Detention, Potter! And twenty points from your house. Now get out of my class."
"Fine." James crouched, grabbed his stuff and marched out of class, his head held high. As soon as he walked out the door he heard the class break out into a buzz of noise, taking a look back he saw that everybody was talking wildly except for Malfoy. Malfoy was watching him with narrowed eyes, but not with anger. Maybe suspicion, maybe curiosity. James wasn't sure and as the door slammed shut, James knew that that wouldn't be the last he'd see of Malfoy.
Harry was in shock. He couldn't believe what had just happened and he stayed silent as James walked all the way back to the dorm and, tossing his book on the floor, threw himself on the bed.
"Ok, start talking." James said loudly.
What? Harry replied, startled.
"Something is obviously going on. I know you don't want to tell me anything that would upset the future whenever I go back, but I can't pretend to be you if I don't know what's going on here." James stared up at the red canopy; his decision not to press Harry wasn't going to work. Every where he looked he saw things that produced even more questions, maybe if they faced this head on they could find a middle ground that would keep everybody safe.
I don't know what you're talking about. Harry answered, trying to be evasive.
"Yes, you do. You're in this body too; I know you've seen what I have. You friends, Snape, even that blonde git."
What about them? Harry said, getting defensive. He didn't want to have this conversation.
"Your friends act like you've been through some great trauma. Even Snape, from what I saw today, I would say he was deliberately baiting you."
You have to be joking. Snape hates me. He'll never forgive the fact that…Harry jerked to a halt. Well, he hates me, I know that for a fact.
James noted the pause but left it alone. "Maybe, but the Snape I know would have been plenty able to disguise his dislike better then he was doing there. He was trying to get a reaction from you and I'm pretty sure that after I yelled at him he was just as pleased as he was angry at being insulted."
Harry was silent for a moment. Then finally, he answered. All right, I'll tell you what I can but first I want to know what was going on in your time. Anything important.
"Fair enough. I don't think there's much. Umm…" James searched for something that could be important.
How about Profes… ahh, Mr. Lupin, I mean?
James caught the mistake and laughed. "Oh God, Remus a teacher. I can see it. What about him?" Sudden understanding dawned. "Oh, you mean the werewolf thing right?" Agreement from Harry. "Yeah, we know all about that. Found out first year. It's not exactly an easy thing to hid, especially from people you spend all your time with."
What about other, um, stuff to do with that?
James's brow furrowed in confusion. He called up everything he remembered about Remus, finally hitting on the only thing Harry could be talking about. "The Animagus stuff. You mean we do it. It actually works." Harry didn't answer and James grinned. "I knew we could do it. When do we get it right? It's fifth year in my time, so are we close? What kind of animal am I?"
Harry sighed. Oh well this one thing couldn't cause too much trouble. Yes, you succeed, but I don't know when.
James was quiet. "You mean I never told you?"
Suddenly things were tense. Harry flinched. No, you never told me.
James waited for more but nothing came. So James let it go, this was going to be one of the things Harry stood firm on. "Alright, forget I asked. Now can you tell me a little bit of what's going on here?"
Harry let it passed willing. As good as it was to hear about James past it seemed to be filled with just as many quicksand pits as everything else. Harry's own lack of knowledge could help James figure things out, and the biggest change that Harry could think of would involve the events at Godric's Hollow.
All right. There were some events last year, right near the end of the year. A student was…Harry stopped, struggling for the words. A student was killed. I was there at the time. Some… bad things happened, and it caused some tension. That's really all I can say, except that I guess since summer ended I haven't been acting quite like myself. He stopped again, and for a random moment wished he had his lungs back so he could take a deep breath.
It's… It's been hard.
James was quiet. Harry had seen a student murdered. Yes, he could understand how that could cause some tension and it explained Harry's friends' attitudes. He felt saddened by the fact that Harry had been witness to such an atrocity. He felt even worse for pushing for the facts. But what Harry had told him wasn't everything. It was a big part, yes, but there was something more. But once again, James knew that it was one of the points that Harry wasn't going to budge on.
I understand. James replied mentally. Then switching back, he said out loud. "That helps. It explains a lot." Not everything though, a part of him whispered.
Suddenly the door opened and James jumped almost falling off the bed.
*********
Things are going to start getting interesting soon. If I can stop getting playing around with the mental portion. ^.^
To Come: Discussions, lies, a boatload of worry. Old characters making an appearance. A whole load of secrets. And we get to see the detective skills of James. Plus the two boys get to discover another fun little aspect of sharing the same body.
I have no clue if that's all going to be in the next chapter but it's coming and hopefully soon. I'll try to aim for the next chapter in a week but it will be more likely two weeks. Please tell me what you think. Any hints of things I should change or fix or things that seem out of character would really help.