Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Chapter 2: Familiars and Familiar Faces

Much to his surprise, Harry could hear an argument going on in the back of the Magical Menagerie.

There's no possible way that's him.

I'm telling you, I was there when the Talker fell, and that's definitely him.

Prove it. Harry had now pinpointed the source of the fight; a snake case at the back of the shop. But, that would mean that he was still a Parselmouth even though Draco was the Boy Who Lived.

You see that mark? That's where the Talker's curse hit him before it backfired.

Draco walked up to the case from beside Harry and said Yes, it's me.

The snakes all looked at Draco. You speak too?

Yes, I speak too.

Harry walked up to the case. As do I, he said.

Of course you do. Three snakes popped their heads out from under a rock. The one in the middle spoke again. One can only expect the heir of the First Speaker to speak. Harry wasn't sure why, but he was reminded of Luna Lovegood's head-in-the-clouds airy nature.

Heir of the First Speaker, the one on the left said, You must be joking.

I am merely the Dreamer, not the Comic.

He is indeed the Heir of the First Speaker, the snake on the right said.

And the Planner finally rears her ugly head, the snake on the left said.

Look into his eyes and you will see his bloodline, the snake on the right said. He does indeed have the blood of the First Speaker, Critic.

So did the Talker, and he wasn't exactly someone you wanted to meet.

Harry just stood there. Something about this seemed so familiar. Three snakes, Critic, Dreamer, and Planner, and a massive quarrel seemed to be brewing between the three.

"Harry, Draco, what do you find so bloody fascinating about those snakes," Ron asked.

Harry turned to face Ron. "You wouldn't understand, Ron. Believe me."

"Try me."

Draco smirked at Ron, then said, "If you must know, we were in the middle of a rather interesting conversation." This stopped Ron dead in his tracks.

"You're a- you're both- you were-"Ron suddenly took a great interest in the half-Kneasel kittens.

Who was that red-furred human, the Dreamer asked.

That's Ronald Weasley, Harry answered. He's a friend of ours.

He seems like a bit of a fool to me, said the Critic.

You think all humans are fools, the Planner replied, until they prove themselves to you.

I have seen no evidence to the contrary. Every human I have spoken to has been vain and even evil.

Other people's pasts have nothing to do with me, Draco said in a contemptuous voice, only my past, present and future. And in my past, I defeated the Talker. Now, come out so we can get a good look at you. The three snakes crawled out from under the rock, to reveal that they only had one body between them.

"Draco," Harry said, "it's a Runespoor."

"You hadn't figured that out already? I mean three heads poke out at the same time and one's so obnoxious you just want to chop it off-"

"Sirius," Harry said, calling his godfather over, "I've decided what I want for my birthday." Sirius came over and saw the three-headed snake.

"A Runespoor? Harry, that's a four-X dark creature."

"Not because it's exceptionally dangerous or evil," Harry quoted from 'Fantastic Beasts,' "but because it is known to imbue Parselmouths with knowledge."

"What's the difference, Parselmouths are almost always Dark Wizards."

"Almost always," Harry said in English, then hissed out but not always. After his godfather recovered from his shock, Harry started again in English. "I'm sure it couldn't hurt for me to have some knowledge. And if I happen to prevent a real Dark Wizard from getting it in the process, then so be it."

Sirius stared at his Godson, before reaching into the tank, pulling out the three-headed snake, and saying "you'll make quite the Marauder some day, Harry."

"Hey, you!" A shout came from the other side of the store and Harry turned around to find Hermione facing a boy who reminded him strongly of a troll. Vincent Crabbe, Harry realised.

"What seems to be the problem here," the shopkeeper asked.

"Nothing, sir," Crabbe said unusually quickly. "I was just trying to feed these toads and this crazy girl suddenly started yelling at me."

"Feeding the toads? That's your story is it?"

"And what happened from your point of view, miss-"

"Granger, sir. Hermione Granger. I was over there looking at the cats when I saw this boy acting suspiciously by the toads. I came over in time to see him pull an egg, a chicken egg if I'm not mistaken, out of his bag and try to place it in with the toads."

"You take back that lie, Mudblood."

"Sir," Draco said, backing up Hermione's story, "who do you believe, someone with absolutely no reason to lie, or Vincent Crabbe Junior?" Harry noticed the way Draco spat out the name of the boy.

The shopkeeper pulled out his wand and pointed it at Crabbe's bag. "Accio Egg." Sure enough, a chicken egg flew straight to the man's hand. "I can't believe you, Vincent," the man said, furious, "trying to hatch a Basilisk in my shop. You are never to come back in here again."

Crabbe stormed out the door in a rage after shooting Hermione a hateful glance and saying "You'll pay for this, Mudblood. You don't know who you're messing with." Harry immediately realised that Crabbe in this world was much more clever and evil than Draco in his world.

The shopkeeper turned to Hermione. "You saved my business and likely my life, Miss Granger. Anything you and your friends want is yours."

"Thank you, mister-"

"Goyle. George Goyle. You know, I have a son about your age. Maybe you'll meet him at Hogwarts." The man turned to Draco. "Ah, and you must be Draco Malfoy. Your father and I were old friends. It's really a shame what happened to him."

"No," Draco replied, "It's not. I didn't really know my father, but from what I've heard he was a right bastard."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Draco. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named doesn't kill his servants for the hell of it. Your father obviously did something which he felt was unforgivable to his cause."

"Say whatever you want. The man was a bloody Death Eater, and that's all I need to know."

"Believe what you will, Draco. But some day, the truth will come out."

"And the second it does, I'll apologise for this conversation."

The five each left the store with a pet; Hermione clutching large ginger cat with a squashed-in face, Harry with the Runespoor, Draco with a viper coiled around his arm, Ron holding a very scabby-looking rat despite Harry's attempts to make him take a different pet, and Sam with a tiny black kitten that couldn't have been weaned more than a week ago. After the group had received their various pets, Sam went back into The Marauders' Magical Mischief Supply Shoppe and flooed back to the Potter house in Godric's Hollow. The Marauders then took the children to get their school supplies, stopping last at Ollivander's.

"So, who's first," the old wizard asked. Hermione stepped forward. "Ah, you must be Muggleborn, since you don't resemble any wizarding families." The enchanted tape took all of Hermione's measurements, then looking over the information, Ollivander handed Hermione a wand. "Nine inches, Silver birch, Unicorn Hair core. A good all-around wand." Hermione waved the wand and a shower of multicoloured sparks flew out. "Well, it appears I've gotten it right the first time. That's a rare occurrence. So, who's next?"

Harry stepped forward and Ollivander talked about having sold both his parents their wands while the tape took Harry's measurements. Finally, Ollivander handed Harry a wand. "Twelve inches, Pine with a Dragon Heartstring core." Harry waved the wand, but didn't get any result. "Very well. Like I told your friend, it's rare that I get it right the first time. Try this one. Eight-and-a-half inches, Yew, with a Phoenix Feather core. A powerful wand." Harry shook the wand, nervous from the numerous parallels between Voldemort's wand and the one he was being handed. Instantly, a green Patronus-like shade of a snake emerged. "That's interesting," Ollivander said, "but I suppose it's to be expected."

Ron went next and received a twelve-inch Oak wand with a Unicorn Hair core. Harry remembered Ron saying before second year that you could see the unicorn hair poking through. Finally, it was time for Draco to get his wand.

"Ah, young Draco Malfoy. And-"Olivander's eyes wandered to the scar, "and that must be where he- sorry to say I sold the wand that gave you that scar. Thirteen-and-a-half inches, Yew. Very powerful. If I had known what that wand was going out into the world to do- but, no use crying over spilt potions. Hold out your wand hand." As the magical tape measure zoomed over Draco's body, Harry couldn't help thinking that he already knew which wand Draco was going to receive. Eleven inches, Holly, with a Phoenix Feather core – Fawkes' tail feather, to be exact.

"We'll start with your father's combination, eleven inches, Ebony with a Dragon Heartstring core." Draco shook the wand, but nothing happened. "No? Then try this. Nine inches, Cherry wood with a Unicorn Hair core." Still nothing. This went on for a while until finally, Ollivander asked quietly "could it be?" and pulled out a wand that looked very familiar to Harry. "Try this. Eleven inches, Holly, with a Phoenix Feather core." Draco waved the wand and a shower of gold sparks flew out. "Funny how these things work out," Ollivander said in a mysterious voice.

"What do you mean by that," Draco asked. "What's so funny?"

"Every wand I sell is unique, and the Phoenix who gave up his tail feather for that wand only gave two feathers for wand making. One resides inside the wand that has chosen you, the other was last seen at Malfoy Manor, or what was left of the manor, in front of a crying, scarred baby."

"You mean-"

"The source of power for your wand and the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named are one and the same. I think we can expect great things from you, Mr Malfoy. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible, yes, but great."

Draco looked like he was going to be sick. "How can you say such a thing? Tell me by which twisted definition of the word the coward who tried to murder a helpless baby, and failed even at that menial task, is considered great? Tell me one thing he ever did for the world."

James paid for the wands and the new students left through the door.

"I can't believe this," Draco was practically screaming. "How can a respected wandmaker possibly consider Voldemort to have done great things?"

"Calm down, Draco," Hermione said, "he probably meant 'great' as in 'on a grand scale,' not as in 'very good'."

"Or maybe he just feels that Voldemort had the right idea to get rid of Muggleborns, but he did terrible things to get his way. Don't you remember what a fuss he made about your being Muggleborn, Herms?"

"Now just a second, Draco," Harry said, "that man has been selling wands to students of all kinds since before our parents or even our grandparents were born. You have no right to assume that he is an ally of Voldemort."

"All I'm saying is there's something odd about him."

"Don't be ridiculous, Draco," Harry said, "next you'll be suspecting old Tom in the Leaky Cauldron because of his n-"Harry realised in mid-sentence that the name Tom Riddle was not widely known.

"Because of what, Harry," Ron asked.

"Because of nothing, the exact same reason that Draco distrusts Mr Ollivander."

-----DM-----

Well, let's get to business here. I crave reviews. Nay, I need reviews to live. I will not put up the next chapter until – nah, I'm yanking your chain. I would never resort to that cheap crap.

This chapter was rewritten since I first started working on it. It originally had several references to plot points which have since been dropped and it gave away too much for this early in the story (as in the modifications to the plot, not the basic plot which anyone reading this can basically recite)

Believe it or not, Harry's 'Tom' mistake was actually in the of this chapter. I didn't add it at the last minute as a way to conclude the chapter, it was simply a way of showing Harry's confusion between the world he knows and the 'new' world.

You didn't ask for it, but you've got it anyways. PREVIEW

-----DM-----

The door on the other side of the cabin opened and someone walked in. "I was wondering where all the vermin were hiding," a cold voice said. "And here we go. Four weasels, Scarface, a Potty and a Mudblood."

"Go away, Crabbe," Hermione said in a menacing tone.

"Now, do I listen to the advice of the Mudblood who foiled my plans against that blood-traitor Goyle, or do I do something to her," Crabbe moved closer to Hermione and said in an even more malicious voice, "that she'll never forget?" And he grabbed Hermione's arm, trying to pull her into the toilet.

-----DM-----

Holy hell! You don't want to miss this one, people. Well, maybe you do. But probably not.