Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I assume it would be easier to write. But I don't, so it isn't.
Sitting in a dorm that he had blissfully to himself, Harry was not altogether unprepared for Snape's arrival. Snape appeared no less disgruntled by Harry's appearance, but it seemed that he had concluded that his best bet was simply to flow with what he viewed to be rampant insanity.
"We need a plan of action then." He stated.
"What," Harry said, feigning offense. "Not even a hello or how do you do?"
Snape studied him for a moment. "Go to hell." He said finally.
Harry nodded. "Acceptable." Since the pleasantries were over, Harry sat up and propped his chin on his joined hands.
"Well, Potter," Snape drawled, "I'm waiting."
As Snape seemed completely prepared to let Harry do all of the thinking, Harry began outlining the vague plans he hadn't even realized he had been making.
"So, first things first, I think we need to discover just how many horcruxes Tom's managed to make at this point. I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but I know it can't be more than five because neither I nor Nagini are horcruxes at this time. Hell, we don't even properly exist."
"Have you considered the fact that you have no outstanding protections against Voldemort anymore? That you are no longer a horcrux and therefore have no special defense against him?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course I've considered it. The point is, it doesn't bloody matter does it? At this point in time, Tommy boy doesn't expect resistance of the sort we'll be attempting. It's this odd thing the Americans have called 'guerilla warfare'. We can call it Project Invisible Mongoose if you want to, but the gist of it is, we attack Tom's most secret defenses, and we do it without revealing who we are. Now," he said, standing up and striding to the desk where he laid out a piece of parchment, "The easiest horcruxes to find and destroy, if they exist at this point, would be the locket, the diadem, and the ring. I'm not sure, but I don't believe the locket has been created at this point, so we can check that one last. The diadem and ring are for sure though, and most likely the diary and the cup are, too, but I've no bloody clue where they are. We'll have to do some good old-fashioned hunting on that point- maybe I should consult Dumbledore." Harry tapped his chin in thought.
Snape seemed stuck on "guerilla warfare" as though the possibility of going after the Dark Lord without him knowing had never occurred to him. Probably, it hadn't, considering that in the first go around he was more or less on the wrong side, and afterwards, well, it simply wasn't viable. But now… his eyes glinted. Had this been a cartoon, his character would have rubbed its hands gleefully whilst smiling somewhat maniacally.
"I know why we were sent back!" he burst out suddenly in a very non-Snapish manner. Startled, Harry looked at him askance, eyes widening further when Snape flushed and tried to shrug it off.
"Did you just-" Harry started to ask.
"No! Just, forget it alright?" Snape attempted to return to his evil Professor persona, but it was slightly more difficult considering he had spent the last two years pretending to be a teenager. He scowled at the impudently grinning Harry. Growling slightly, Snape began, "We've been given a chance that never could have happened in the original timeline. By sending us back- two of the most knowledgeable of the war- we can take steps to prevent it and do so without being noticed or foolhardy." His face began to shine again with teenage enthusiasm. "We can kill the bloody Dark Lord and completely decimate his forces!" While Harry was wondering how he had NOT been saying just that, Snape finished with, "So obviously, we can do what we want without horrible time-rending, world-ending paradoxes occurring!" He smiled, only a little condescendingly, at the slightly off put Potter. "You are a lucky little bastard, aren't you? Even when you're just winging your way through the damn thing, you get it right."
Harry opened his mouth to respond heatedly and closed it suddenly. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he tried to understand what had just happened. He was fairly certain that he had been underestimated, insulted, and complimented- all at the same time. He just wasn't sure how…
Meanwhile, in a separate part of the castle, four boys lay awake, discussing the events of the day.
"So, Prongs," said a young man with long, luxurious black hair as he lounged carelessly on his unkempt bed, "when were you gonna tell us you had a twin?" He raised one finely formed eyebrow as his silver blue eyes sparkled with only a little mischief.
The pudgy boy that Harry had spoken to in the Great Hall when he first appeared, darted watery blue eyes back and forth between the two dark haired boys, making it seem as though the conversation taking place was as riveting as a World Cup Quidditch match. One other, a tawny haired boy who seemed simply weary from some hidden burden, suddenly shut the book he had been perusing.
"Lay off, Sirius," he said, his voice holding a slight air of authority. "You, of all people, know that James doesn't have a twin. Hell, if he did, it'd be you."
The one called Sirius scowled slightly. "C'mon, Moony, you have to admit, it's too much of a coincidence. They look alike, and they have the same last name. It just doesn't happen, mate."
The boy in question scowled from his place on his bed, where he had been laying for the past half hour simply staring at absolutely nothing. "I don't know." He said, sitting up in frustration. "I know he's not on the family tree, so- I just- ARGHH!" He flopped back on the bed as he was unable to vent his frustration coherently.
"Hey! Couldn't we do a- a potion or something?" The pudgy boy spoke timidly, but eagerly.
Even as Sirius seemed ready to make some scathing remark, the one called Moony spoke. "That's not a bad idea, Wormtail," Wormtail grinned happily. Moony continued on thoughtfully, "All we need is an inheritance potion and we can have the boy's entire family tree. Of course, the potion is extremely difficult to put together and we'd need something from the boy the same as Polyjuice requires, but it's possible."
Both black haired boys looked at Moony in shock.
"Remus!" exclaimed Sirius. "You- YOU!- are proposing that we brew an illegal and potentially dangerous potion just so that we can figure out some of the mysteries surrounding Hogwarts newest student?" His eyebrows seem liable to float clean off his head. He then sniffed and feigned wiping a tear from his eye as Remus looked on in exasperation. Sirius turned to the equally surprised James, "Aren't you proud? D'you see how we've influenced him? It seems like just yesterday he was going around being all Prefectish and all and today-" Sirius and James looked at Remus in self-indulgent pride.
Remus rolled his eyes and snapped, "Don't you mean 'corrupt'? And don't forget, just because we know the potion we need, it doesn't mean that any of us have suddenly developed the ability to brew it."
James's eyes suddenly narrowed. "But Lily could brew it."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "And when has she shown the slightest interest in doing you a favor?"
James glared at him. "I overheard her and her friends talking at dinner. They're just as curious as to why he looks so much like me." He turned to Remus. "Look, I know you're pretty good friends with her, why don't you at least see if she's willing to consider it?"
Remus stared at his friend in shock. For the first time since their first year, James wasn't attempting any sort of claim over Lily and wasn't even jumping for joy at the proffered chance to speak to her.
"Mate, dare I say it? You act like you've grown up a bit."
James flushed. "This summer showed me that there are more important things than some bird who isn't even interested." He looked out of the window near his bed before concluding bitterly, "No matter how much you may fancy yourself in love with them."
On that rather somber note, but possessed of a plan, the four shut off the light and attempted to sleep. In the dungeons of Slytherin, two other black haired boys attempted the same.
Thank you, MaeSilverpaws1, for your review :) it makes me happy, but I do apologize for the long time updating (I've been updating another story, sorry) and for the short chapter. I'm afraid that short chapters are just how it comes out, so, while I will always strive to write longer chapters, it just may not be entirely doable. I promise to try though :) On that note, this is the longest chapter of this story, however unimpressive that is... thank you so much for your support! I hope y'all like the chapter :D