Disclaimer: I don't own HP :/

Chapter2

"Harry!" James shouted, bursting into the room with Bluebell, a gray three-legged cat, on his heels. "Mum said if we're finished packing by nine, then she's made us breakfast."

"And if we haven't finished?" Harry asked, absently petting the soft hair of a thin black dog named Sleuth that had become rather fond of Harry. Harry in turn had become fond of the dog as well. Sleuth reminded him very much of Padfoot.

"Then she's made breakfast for her and Dad," James answered with a grin.

Harry tossed his book on Ancient Runes to the side and devoted both hands to rubbing Sleuth's pointed ears. "You know I finished packing last night," Harry said, giving James a knowing look.

"So you'll help me then?" James asked hopefully, stooping down and scooping up Bluebell, who immediately began purring.

With an overdramatic, put-upon sigh, Harry reluctantly pulled his warm toes out from under Sleuth's belly. "I don't know why you didn't do this last night."

James grinned and shifted Bluebell into one arm. "Thanks, Harry! You're the best!" James grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him off the bed and out of the room. Sleuth huffed and leaped out of the bed to follow Harry as James dragged him out of the room and down the hall.

James pulled Harry into his room, which looked as if it'd been hit with a hurricane, or at the very least a violent tornado. Balanced atop a chair James's trunk sat, overflowing with clothes and Zonko's products.

"You know, you could fold your clothes," Harry said with an amused smile. He patted Sleuth's head as the black dog butted his head against Harry's leg.

James grimaced. "But… fold… all of them?"

Harry snorted. "You're a mess, James," he said as he headed over to James' trunk and began unloading James' trunk.

"Hey, I already got that stuff in there," James protested.

"There's no room for anything else in here," Harry said. "I'm going to organize it for you so have a place for important things, like your textbooks."

James narrowed his eyes at the mention of textbooks. "You aren't going to start organizing study schedules for me, are you?" James said suspiciously, setting Bluebell on his bed.

Harry laughed at the thought. Hermione would've been thrilled but Ron would've been mortified. "Never," Harry promised sincerely.

"Good, because Evans was trying to impose study schedules on Lupin, Black, and Snape," James said with a shudder. "And I don't need you doing the same. It's nightmarish."

Harry bit his lip as he plucked up one of James' robes and began folding it. They hadn't talked much about James life, just Harry's, or avoided the subject of different dimensions altogether, preferring to pretend they really were twin brothers just playing Quidditch in the yard. "Lupin, Black, and Snape?" he asked hesitantly.

"They're all in our year," James said absently, heading over to his bookshelves. "Lupin is a Gryffindor and Black and Snape are Slytherins."

Harry stared mutely as James started pulling books of his shelf. Sirius a Slytherin? In what universe was that possible? Why was he in Slytherin? Was this Sirius completely different than Harry's godfather? Did he agree with pureblood ideals in this world?

"Harry? Harry?" James waved his hand in front of Harry's face, bringing his attention back to reality. "Is that different than what you're used to?"

Harry stared at James with wide eyes and blurted, "Sirius was a Gryffindor."

James eyebrows shot up. "Black in Gryffindor? Hah, there's an idea! A ridiculous one, mind you. He and Snape are best friends."

"What?" Harry squeaked. "Sirius and Snape best friends?! What kind of reality is this?"

"A real one," James said with amusement, tugging his robe out of Harry's frozen hands and tossing it into his trunk. "Did they hate each other or something in your reality?"

"Passionately," Harry said, letting his arms drop to his sides.

"Oh," was all James said, dropping his books in the trunk as well.

"Actually, in my reality, you and Sirius were best friends," Harry said slowly. "Like brothers."

James face already had 'that's barmy' written on his face, but he still elected to say it aloud. "Your reality is barmy, Harry."

"You made him my godfather," Harry continued, picking up another article of clothing and folding in the hopes that doing something with his hands would somehow ground him, but his mind was still left reeling with all the unexpected information.

"Wow, next you'll be telling me I married Evans," James joked, kneeling down and half-crawling under his bed to reach something.

Harry dropped the clothes into James trunk. "Er, well…"

"I did?!" James exclaimed, banging his head on the underside of his bed as he jerked in surprise.

Harry nodded mutely, before realizing that James couldn't see him with his head still stuck under his bed. "Uh, yeah."

"But she hates me more than any other girl in Hogwarts!" James objected, dragging his cauldron and potions kit out from under the bed and rubbing his head where he'd bumped it. "She and Black and Snape all hate me together actually. Please tell me I wasn't friends with Snape in your world."

"No," Harry said. "You two hated each other."

"Oh good," James said, exhaling harshly in relief. "Your world isn't completely mental then. Only mostly."

Harry grinned a little at that. "Are you at least friends with Remus?"

"Er, we sort have a… truce," James said awkwardly, toting over his cauldron. "He's good friends with Evans, Black, and Snape, but he isn't quite as… easily offended as they are. We just kind of ignore each other."

Harry frowned. "What about… Pettigrew, then?"

James huffed and treated Harry with an amused grin. "Harry, when I said I didn't really have any friends, I meant it. Pettigrew mostly hangs out with Hufflepuffs and some of the younger Gryffindors."

"Who do you spend time with then?" Harry pressed. His father must spend his time with someone right?

"Frank Longbottom, sometimes," James said with a shrug. "His family and mine are old friends. Otherwise I just kind of… float around, I guess."

So that's what Fate meant, Harry thought, remembering the whispered words. I'll be sending you to a world where James Potter needs you as much as you need him.

From there Harry asked questions about as many people as he could remember, many of whom Harry didn't know or remember their house in his world, and soon had James' trunk packed neatly to the brim. Then they hurried down to have breakfast.

After breakfast, which had been such a warm, happy, bittersweet affair that Harry had wished it would last forever, the four Potters set off for Platform 9 ¾. When they arrived the train station was already bustling with a rainbow of colored wizards, checkered with the black-robed students. Their goodbyes were perhaps a bit longer than necessary, but James had no friends he was eager to meet and Harry was oddly nervous. But Euphemia had plenty of words, love, hugs, and kisses she wanted to lavish on her two boys before they left, and Harry was more than happy to let her. Fleamont just chuckled at James' discomfort coupled with trepidation and the way Harry shamelessly lapped up Euphemia's attention.

But then James had pulled his 'twin brother' away to find a compartment, and they said their farewells once more.

"Hopefully we can find an empty one," James muttered. "I don't fancy begging anyone to let me sit with them again."

Harry gave James a sympathetic look that he didn't see. "We could always find a compartment of impressionable first years."

James grimaced. "I'd rather not. Come on." Jerking his head forward since he didn't have any free hands to drag Harry along, as he'd become fond of doing, James trudged towards the back of the train. "Ah," James said, stopping in front of an empty compartment. "Lady Luck smiles down on us today."

Harry snorted. "That's new."

James grinned at him and slid the compartment door open. The two of them dragged their trunks inside and soon had themselves settled by the window. James had a huge grin on his face and was practically vibrating with energy, only growing more and more so as the train began to move.

"What has you so bubbly?" Harry asked with an amused small.

James's grin stretched impossibly wider. "I dunno. I guess it's just sinking in how different this year is going to be. I mean…" James trailed off for a moment, his eyes simultaneously lighting up and gaining a faraway look. "I'll have a brother, you know? Someone to play pranks and Quidditch with and sneak around Hogwarts at night and…" he trailed off again, heat rushing to his cheeks. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Harry smiled. "Don't worry about it, James. I get it."

Before James could respond the compartment door slid open once more to reveal a short, slightly plump blond boy, nervously fiddling with the door handle. Harry froze: Peter Pettigrew. It seemed that Lady Luck was not smiling down on them after all.

"D—" Peter began, but whatever he was about to say died in his throat as he stared at Harry and then James, looking utterly baffled. "J-James, why are t-there two of you?"

James chuckled, and the sound jolted Harry out of his own staring. It isn't the same Peter Pettigrew, it isn't the same Peter Pettigrew, Harry chanted inwardly. It isn't the same Peter Pettigrew.

"This is my twin brother," James explained. "Harry."

"Oh," Peter said in a small voice. "I thought you were an only child?"

"Er…" James faltered, glancing at Harry helplessly.

Quickly recovering from his shock, Harry scoffed, "Really James? Still pretending I don't exist? That got old when we were ten."

James immediately picked up on the save. "Well, you might as well not have for all the time you spent in the library."

"I do not spend that much time in the library!" Harry exclaimed truthfully. "Only a healthy amount."

"Healthy for a bookworm," James sniffed.

Harry huffed. "You're being rude, James. You haven't even introduced your friend here, and now he's uncomfortable."

James startled, as if he'd already forgotten Peter was there. "Oops, sorry. This is Peter Pettigrew. He's in our year and a Gryffindor."

Steeling himself and determinedly pushing away images of the older, ratty Wormtail, Harry stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"L-likewise," Peter stammered, shaking his hand. "D-do you mind if I sit here?"

"Sure, but don't you usually sit with your Hufflepuff friends?" James asked, puzzled.

"I got h-here a bit late," Peter explained. "Their compartment was already f-full. They said they'd make some space, but I d-didn't want to squeeze."

James shrugged. "Sure, come on in then."

"Thanks," Peter said quietly, dragging his trunk in. James and Harry helped him stow it away before resettled on the benches.

James and Peter engaged in some obligatory small talk about their summers while Harry tried to keep himself from lashing out or falling apart. Peter Pettigrew, the men who would turn traitor to the Light, betray his parents, kill Cedric Diggory, and help revive Voldemort. He would do so many horrible things. He was in the top three people Harry hated, right below Voldemort and Umbridge.

Harry bit his lip as he remembered that moment of hesitation when Pettigrew had considered showing mercy and the Voldemort's silver hand had strangled him to death. Though deeply buried and no doubt twisted beyond recognition, Pettigrew had possessed some form of honor. And at this point in time, Pettigrew hadn't likely committed himself toward the Dark side or made many Dark-leaning decisions. Right now, he was just a teenager like everyone else.

Mentally steeling himself, Harry swore that he'd give this Peter Pettigrew his chance, fair and square. Maybe he'd even try to sway him to the light, if possible.

Whatever the case, Harry refused to punish anyone for crimes they hadn't committed yet. This wasn't just his new start, it was everyone's new start. That's the way he had to think of it.

Harry took a deep breath. He could do this.

Plastering a smile onto his, Harry turned towards Peter Pettigrew and started a pleasant conversation.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to get this out, guys. Life is pretty hectic right now :/ Oh well, you do what you can. Hope you enjoyed this update, and hopefully it won't be quite as long of a wait until chapter 3 :) I'd love to hear what you guys think!

By the way, I'm open to different/unusual pairing ideas if you all have any. No guarantees I'll use your suggestions, of course, but I'd love to hear them as I'm not set on any one pairing. Pairings will likely be on the side and not 'til later though.

Thanks for reading!