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Chapter 3 – One More Surprise
I would have liked to say that I had no problem with the whole de-aging bit, but I did. Lots of problems. One, by the end of the week one, I was, according to a spell that Dumbledore performed, fifteen years old. Fifteen! I hated those years. Second, I was short. In the other world, at fifteen years old, I had stopped growing, so at this point I really hoped I'd be growing. The third? Well, I wasn't sure, but it wasn't fun.
Snape had been avoiding me and Dumbledore all week, which wasn't all that great, since Dumbledore convinced him to take guardianship over me (guardianship. Ha).
One good thing, though, was that Dumbledore said I could learn magic. Snape (I'm supposed to call him dad. Dumbledore currently coming up with a story) was supposed to bring me out to get my wand in a few days, if he would ever come out of his room.
"Severus!" Dumbledore said, just walking into the house. That in itself was odd. Dumbledore always knocked. Someone was following him, though. And he strangely looked like me. And Snape. Talk about confusion. "Severus you need to come out here. Now." Wow. Dumbledore seemed . . . almost angry.
"What it is, Albus?" Severus asked, stalking out of his room. He stopped when he saw the boy. "Who is that?"
"Harry Potter. The mother is Lily, isn't it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, and I stopped, stunned. If that was true, Harry and I were siblings. Actually, that would mean that Harry and I were twins, as he should currently be 15.
"It would have to be Albus," Severus said.
"What?!" Harry yelled. "What do you mean? The mother? Does that mean that I have a half sibling that I don't know about?" he hissed. "Wait, that wouldn't make sense," he said a little quieter. "I changed." Harry's eyes widened, then he looked at Snape. Harry obviously hadn't seen me yet. "You're my father?!"
"It would seem so," Severus hissed.
"And it is a fact that we never would have figured out if Briana here hadn't shown up. Her appearance must have triggered the change."
"I am here, you know," I said. "Wait, that's why you were so angry!" I said turning to Severus. "You just found out Harry Potter is your son! You weren't angry because I'm your daughter!"
"Who are you?" Harry asked, obviously realizing I was here.
"Well, where I came from, Briana Viahn. Well, actually, I think Dumbledore and Sn-father changed that. I'm now Briana Snape. I guess we're twins."
"Twins?" Harry said, confused. He turned to Dumbledore who nodded. "Are we sure I'm not dreaming?"
"Positive, Potter," Snape said, clearly unsettled by being called father.
"This does make things a little simpler," Dumbledore said, giving Snape a disappointed look.
"What do you mean?" the rest of us asked at the same time.
"Well, I have recently come into information that would make it unsafe for Harry to be at Hogwarts, which I will discuss with him personally in a bit," he said, giving a warning look at the recently changed boy. "And we need a place to hide Briana. No one would suspect Severus' children, especially since they are twins and they have no charms on them now, whatsoever."
"Wait . . ." Harry said, then shook his head. "I'll say it later," he replied, resigned. I looked at Snape, who looked like he wanted to kill someone. Was I the only one excited about this? I got a twin, Harry Potter, and a father who was Severus Snape all in one week. It was like Christmas!
"I suppose I have no choice in the matter?" Snape asked.
"Severus, they are your children. I believe you told me once you wanted children."
"This is a little different than I have imagined," Snape sighed. "I suppose guardianship of Potter will be turned to me, also?"
"Of course." Harry looked miserable, and I had to stifle a laugh.
"Harry Snape would be a little obvious," Snape continued, almost as pained as Harry.
"What name to you propose?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry groaned.
"Darian," Snape answered after a minute, giving an odd look toward Snape. Harry seemed relieved, probably at not getting a terrible name.
"And a second name?"
"Albert," Snape answered, and I gave him a weird look. Al?
"Hey, what did you choose as my second name?"
"Evangelia," Snape answered immediately.
"Briana Evangelia. Cool," I said with a smile on my face.
"Well, I'll let you three get settled. Harry . . . or, should I say Darian . . . your trunk is right outside the door." Dumbledore said goodbye, leaving the three of us there. Snape immediately went back to his room, and I heard Harry – Darian – sigh.
"This is weird. I don't want to believe it. How . . . Snape's my father. Do you know how it happened? If he hurt my mom . . ."
"I don't think he did," I answered, "but no, I don't know."
"I hate this," Harry – Darian said suddenly, and must have found a room, because a door slammed. I briefly hoped that it wasn't my room, but then I went outside the door and brought in Harry's (rather heavy) trunk, then went to go find Harry. I was his sister, so it was my job to comfort him, right?
Harry was in my room, just sitting on the bed, looking out the window.
"Harry?" I asked, deciding that using the name Snape gave him wouldn't be the best thing. "Are you okay?" Harry didn't answer, so I crawled up on the bed next to him. "You want to know something funny? Well, actually kind of gross, if you think about it. Well, before Snape and I knew about us being related, I was 23, just finishing college. Anyway, Snape and I kinda . . . flirted."
"What?!" Harry asked, startled.
"I know. You know, Harry, Snape . . . Severus . . . you know, we should just start calling him father. Or dad. It will make things easier later. Anyway, he's not as bad as you think. I don't get crushes on people I don't like, and I don't like people who are bad. I think it really is just a grudge you two have been having. But, you know, it doesn't have to be that way. You could have a dad."
"You know something," Harry accused.
"I'm . . . actually, I'm from a universe where 'Harry Potter' was a book series."
"A book series?"
"A really popular book series," I answered truthfully. "So . . . I know a lot about this place, I guess. That's why I was brought here. Or something like that. Dumbledore still hasn't explained it fully to me. I don't think he knows, exactly."
"Wow. So, you lost everyone?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Did you have a family?"
"Yeah. Annoying, but I loved them." Harry didn't say anything more, but he got a pained expression.
"We should talk to him," I said, giving Harry a small hug. It was weird, how connected to him I felt. It must be the twin thing.
"Who?" Harry asked, and I could tell he was regretting the answer.
"Our father," I stressed, trying to get him used to the idea. "If this is going to work, we need to work together. And I don't think he's going to make the first move. You heard what Dumbledore said, right? That he wanted kids. And now, he finds out that he has two 15 year olds. He could have raised us if he knew . . ."
"And I wouldn't have been living with the Dursleys," Harry finished.
"Yeah. So, are you ready?" I asked, and Harry nodded. "Okay, let's go." We both continued to sit on the bed for a minute more, then we got up and went to the room that our father had been hiding in.
"You knock," Harry whispered, so I did, but not before glaring at him. Severus didn't answer right away, but he did eventually. Of course, it was right before we were about to leave. He didn't say anything, so I looked at Harry. When I realized he wasn't going to say anything, either, I decided to speak up.
"Can we talk?" I asked, and Severus gave a curt nod before coming out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Harry and I sat on the couch, and Severus sat on the chair next to it. Severus was obviously not going to say anything, so I was about to, but then Harry spoke up.
"I . . ." he said. "I know you don't like me, but . . . I want to make this work," Harry said. "I've never really had a family, one that liked me, anyway, and . . ." Harry seemed stuck. I was surprised he said that much, actually.
"We want to try to work this out. I mean, we're stuck with each other, and we are family. We have to act it, so why not try to actually be a family?" I finished, and saw Harry nodding.
"You both want to try?" Severus asked, and I nodded. Harry stopped, though.
"How did this happen?" Harry ventured to ask. "I mean . . . did you . . ." Harry couldn't finish.
"I didn't hurt her," Severus snapped. "It was rather . . . an affair. The Potters weren't perfect, so stop looking at me that way."
"I . . . okay. As long as she wanted it, too, I want to try."
"Yes, Potter, she wanted it, too."
"Darian," I correct. "Dumbledore's going to change his name, right? So, might as well call him Darian or Harry."
"Professor Dumbledore," Severus corrected. "I, too, am willing to give this a try," he said, almost reluctantly. "But you much obey me." That look for directed toward Harry, and I had to giggle. Harry just glared at us both.
