PART IV
"So, uh- do you want to go work on Snape's homework?" Harry suggested tentatively as they left Divination. He was still quite irked; Trewlaney had spent the entire class predicting Harry's violent and gruesome death, and Harry 2's long life and future greatness.
Harry 2 threw a careless glance over his shoulder at Harry. "Nah, I've got Quidditch practice today."
"What? We were banned!"
"You were banned," Harry 2 said smugly. "I'm not. I've already been made the Gryffindor Seeker. Ciao, darling."
The other Harry bounded off down the corridor. Harry felt himself choke on his envy. Next to him, Hermione, the silent witness to the whole exchange, suddenly roused to life.
"Harry, I'm going to go watch," she murmured, trying to slip away quickly.
"You never watched me practice when I was on the team!" Harry said incredulously, halting her retreat. "It was always- 'Oh, I've got too much homework, Harry', or 'I need to knit some hats, Harry!'"
"It's different with Harry 2! He's-" Hermione's cheeks were flushed, her eyes glowing as she searched for the right words. "He's just-" She shot Harry an apologetic look. "He's so brilliant! And handsome! And so charmismatic..." She shrugged helplessly at the befuddled expression on Harry's face. "I'm sorry!" And she went scurrying after his evil twin.
So Hermione liked Harry 2 better. As did Ron and Trewlaney. And the Sorting Hat. It seemed everyone did. As Harry watched her dissapear around the corner, he was so jealous he could practically taste it.
And he felt no better when he heard a cold, sneering voice behind him:
"Potter."
Harry froze, then turned back to confront his hated Potions teacher. "Professor Snape." He bristled at the sight of the man who he still blamed for Sirius's death. His hatred was mirrored back in the disdainful expression of the pale, black-haired Potions Professor whose robes enveloped him like a giant bat.
"The Headmaster has informed me I have to resume your... remedial potions instruction," Snape informed him coldly, his thin lips twisted into an expression of utter distaste. "I'll expect you in my office at 6. Do not be late."
Great. More Occlumency lessons. Snape reveling in Harry's worst memories was the last thing Harry needed right now. "Yes, sir," he said between gritted teeth, hoping he conveyed the proper disdain.
Snape's eyes darted around the corridors, checking for other teachers, and then suddenly he took a menacing step closer, looming over Harry, chilling him with the promise of excruciating agony in his glittering black eyes. "One word of warning, Potter- stick your nose where it doesn't belong this time, and you will suffer dearly for it. You will wish for your father's fate. Understand?"
Harry's legs suddenly felt weak beneath him, his bravado crumpling. "Yes, sir," he said meekly.
With a satisfied, if slightly cruel smirk, Snape started to walk past him.
Harry's head still swirled, but he gathered his courage for a quesiton. "What about Harry 2?" he called to Snape's back as he retreated in a swirl of black robes. "Doesn't he need them too, if he's me? He has my scar. You-Know-Who could just as easily do the same thing to him as to me."
Snape's amazed, black eyes slid to Harry, as though he could not comprehend the depths of Harry's stupidity.
"Harry 2 and the Dark Lord are long-lost brothers, you little imbecile. The Dark Lord would never attack him." Snape watched with vicious glee as Harry flushed, realizing the idiocy of his own question. "And your twin brother is already well-versed in Occ... Remedial Potions. Far more skilled than I ever expect you to be." He shook his head with disgust, turning away, curtains of greasy black hair swaying with him. Harry heard his voice fading with distance as Snape dissapeared down the corridor. "How a boy with such stupidity survived this long baffles me..."
"Catch you later, Snivellus!" Harry hissed at the retreating form.
Snape, however, was already out of earshot. Harry staggered to the Great Hall that night, exhausted by Snape's repeated attacks upon his mind, and found that Ron had transfigured himself into a tree stump.
"He said he didn't want to listen to your yapping anymore, so he turned himself into a tree stump," Harry 2 said coldly. "Not that I blame him."
Harry gaped at Harry 2, then at Ron the Tree Stump. "My yapping?"
"Harry, no offense," Hermione said, "But you've really been a bit of a shit lately. Especially to Harry 2." She reached over to send Harry 2 a loving glance, squeezing his hand within her own.
Harry stared at her in disbelief, then knelt down to examine the tree stump. "Even if I am being a jerk... Isn't this a bit drastic? Why turn himself into a tree stump just to get away from me?"
Harry 2 rolled his eyes. "You'd understand why if you had to listen to yourself. I've even thought about becoming ladies' footwear myself when listening to you."
"Come on, Harry 2," Hermione said, tugging on his arm. She sent Harry a poisonous look before leading his evil twin brother away.
Harry just sat there, staring in dismay at Ron the Tree Stump.
"Why, Ron?" Harry whispered, voice cracking with his despair at losing his best friend. "Why did you do this to yourself?"
But there was no answer.
There never would be, again... My cheek is so confused.
To be continued
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