A/N: I am absolutely boggled by the reception that I got for the last chapter, and I'm really thrilled that so many people seem to be enjoying this story. Your reviews mean a lot to me and made me sit down and write this chapter sooner than I normally would have. I was asked about horcruxes – they will play a part in the story, but exactly what part, I'm not completely sure yet. I do know that they won't be as important as they were in canon. I was also asked for the chance to see more of Harry's siblings – so here you go, a chapter about the family. Sort of.
Just as an additional note, anything spoken completely in italics is Parseltongue.
"Remind me again why we've been dragged along?"
Lia Potter turned to pin her older brother with the kind of flat, exasperated look that always made James wince when it crossed Lily's face. "Why?" she echoed, shuffling the magazines she'd stuffed under her arm and sounding less than impressed. "Why? Because one of us nearly got killed not two days ago, and Mum and Dad don't feel right in leaving us alone yet, and Sirius has stuff to do at Hogwarts today. That's why."
Harry winced. He'd been accosted when he'd gotten out of bed that morning by Padfoot, which was actually a more common occurrence than he wanted to admit. Sirius seemed to delight in ambushing Harry in his dog form. It had been amusing and more fun than he wanted to admit... until his godfather explained that Harry, Lia, Anna, and Jon were being sent along to Hogwarts with Sirius and Remus for the day. Lily and James had some Ministry function to attend that James, even as only a part-time Auror, couldn't weasel his way out of, and it seemed that after the random attack in Diagon Alley, neither of them felt comfortable leaving their children unattended at home.
It was kind of humiliating, really. Harry couldn't remember the last time when being left at home by himself was actually an issue. The only time the Dursleys had ever bothered was when they thought too much attention might be garnered by leaving such a young child at home alone, and they'd forced him over to Arabella Figg's house in some twisted pantomime of pretending to care about him. And while Sirius seemed like a much better baby-sitter than old Arabella Figg ever could have been, the thought that he was fifteen years old and still being baby-sat ate endlessly at him.
"Come on, pup," Sirius said, slinging an arm around his shoulders and jerking Harry out of his daze. He squeaked and tried to struggle away, but Sirius was too strong. He forcefully drew Harry out of the empty Headmaster's office, where they had Floo-ed in, and down the curving stairs. "Don't sulk; I've got a surprise for you. Your mother says that as soon as you visit Madam Pomfrey and get the okay, you can go flying."
That was enough to catch Harry's attention, and suddenly, the thought of being dragged to Hogwarts when all he really wanted to do was sit and wait for the chance to speak privately to Ginny didn't sound quite so bad. "Really?" he asked, craning his neck to peer up at Sirius suspiciously. "But... I haven't got a broom."
Sirius grinned, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Let's see what Pomfrey says before you worry about that."
As it turned out, what Madame Pomfrey said was that she couldn't believe he'd inherited the Potter penchant for getting into trouble, and that the bruising in his shoulder was severe enough that she didn't feel comfortable giving him the okay to go flying yet – no matter how much he begged and pleaded. Harry returned to sulking as he followed Sirius out of the infirmary, hating the thought that he was so cut off from something that offered him so much comfort just because the muscles in his arm weren't completely healed. A good, fierce flight on his broom would have been exactly what he needed to clear his mind. It had been ages since he'd gotten the chance to feel that sensation, and he longed for it.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius said, honestly contrite. "I wouldn't have mentioned it if I had thought she would say no. Pomfrey's a dragon sometimes, but if she says you're not ready to go flying, there's a reason."
"It's alright," Harry muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. He winced when his shoulder twanged in discomfort, as though pointing out just how right Madam Pomfrey had been. The salve that Arabella had given him helped, but only so much. "Where are you going?"
"I have some things that I need to look into preparing for the term – I've got to finalize what you'll be learning this year. So does Remus. Minerva's getting antsy about sending out the letters." He smirked. "Anna and Jon are probably tearing around somewhere... and oh, Lia's likely up in the Gryffindor dorms if you want to go and join her," his godfather suggested. "I can give you the password. I'm sure you'll be a Gryffindor, so there's no harm. Hey, maybe we could get the Headmaster to sort you today..."
"Mum and Dad will want to be present for that," said Harry, who had no desire to face the Sorting Hat at any time soon. Even though Lily and Lia had been surprisingly receptive to the knowledge that he'd almost been in Slytherin, it still wasn't one of his favourite memories.
"Do you want me to show you the way to your parent's rooms?"
Harry glanced at him, realizing that Sirius didn't like the thought of leaving him to wander around alone. It made him straighten and offer a smile. "Don't worry, Sirius. In a place like Hogwarts, I don't see how you could ever be bored – or in danger," he added comfortingly. "I think I'll just wander around and see what's different." As he spoke, Harry's breath caught in his throat in realization. He did have something to do here... something much more important, and much more dangerous, than just a flight around the Quidditch Patch.
"If you're sure," Sirius said, hovering uncertainly. "You can always call for a house elf if you get lost."
"I will. Um... Sirius... who else is here at Hogwarts today?"
Sirius blinked at the question and looked thoughtful. "Most of the professors take off during the holiday. I think the only other ones, beside Pomfrey, Remus and me, are the headmaster, Sprout, and possibly Snape," he said, lip curling at the mention of the Slytherin.
"Professor Riddle's not around?" Harry asked, making his best attempt at seeming calm and collected. "Mal – err, Draco had told me how good of a teacher he was and I thought I'd ask him a few questions."
"Sorry, pup. Professor Dumbledore mentioned that Tom was visiting an old acquaintance of his in Sweden for the next couple of weeks," replied Sirius.
"Oh, okay. I guess I'll have to wait." Repressing the shudder that rose from hearing his godfather refer to Riddle so easily, Harry turned without any further conversation and sauntered casually away... at least until he rounded the corner. Then he broke into a flat-out sprint, heading for the second floor girl's lavatory.
Entering the Chamber of Secrets again was really one of the last things he wanted to do, especially by himself. Ginny would murder him when she found out. But he felt a driving force to know whether or not the basilisk remained beneath the school, and he didn't feel keen on making her face the chamber all over again. He would go down and take a quick look, that's all, and if the basilisk was still there, he would alert Professor Dumbledore so that it could be taken care of before Riddle used it as a weapon. Harry paused before the door to the lavatory, breathing hard. The thought of the creature being used to kill more innocent children – it was unthinkable. And really, he was the only one on the side of the Light who could gain entrance to the Chamber to check.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out and placed his hand on the door, pushing it open slowly. He followed the swing inward with his own body, surveying the empty lavatory with distant eyes, remembering that horrible time in his second year. This time around, Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen – did she even exist in this world? – and the room looked... different. Cold. Dusty. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the tile towards the taps. Even after three years, he could recall which one had the carving of the tiny silver snake with no problem at all. Harry bent down and looked at it closely.
"Open," he hissed.
The whole room trembled as the fountain began to move. Harry stumbled backwards and heard a cry from behind him. He whirled around and spotted his three siblings standing in the doorway, staring in horrified amazement as the deep, yawning hole leading to the Chamber of Secrets appeared. The shaking slowly stopped and Harry cursed inwardly as he regained his footing, wondering how he had failed to notice that he was being followed.
"What is that?" Lia asked breathlessly, her hazel eyes wide.
"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded instead of answering her question, glaring at them. "Did you... follow me?"
Lia stiffened a little, clearly not liking his tone. "We were just going to ask if you wanted to raid the kitchens," she snapped. "But you didn't hear me when I called your name. What is that place?"
"It's the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets," he said reluctantly. "I have to go down and check on something."
"The Chamber of Secrets?" Jon said, raising his eyebrows in a gesture reminiscent of Remus. "That place is a myth."
"No, it's unfortunately real." Harry rolled his sleeves up and turned towards the hole. He pulled his wand out and briefly wondered if he was making a mistake. But there was a driving force within him to know, and now that he was so close, he couldn't bring himself to just walk away.
"Wait!" In about two seconds, Lia had crossed the room to stand beside him, her wand in her hand. She brushed several strands of auburn hair out of her eyes and gazed into the hole. "I'm coming with you."
"What? No!"
"Yes." Determination glittered in her eyes. "We've all heard the legends surrounding the Chamber and what might be laying in wait. I can't let you go down there by yourself. What if something went wrong?"
"It's too dangerous," he protested weakly, desperately wishing that could think of some argument that would make her reconsider. Taking Lia along wasn't at all like going with Ginny into battle. He knew that Ginny was a more than competent witch, and that she could handle herself against pretty much anything. Lia may have been the daughter of James and Lily, both of whom were extremely powerful, but he had no idea of her magical strength or control.
"Harry, I'm coming," said Lia. There was a steely glint in her eyes that he recognized. It was the same look that Neville, Ginny, and Luna had worn when he'd tried to discourage them from coming along to the Ministry. He gave in with a resigned nod, and Lia turned to the twins. "You two wait here," she ordered. "If I find out you tried to follow us, Mum and Dad will be the least of your worries once I get a hold of you. Got it?"
Anna and Jon both nodded silently, though neither one looked pleased. Harry cast one more glance at them before he stepped over the edge. It was a harrowing and long slide down, one that was every bit as frightening as it had been in his second year. By the time he reached the bottom, he was reconsidering the intelligence of this plan. Unfortunately, it was too late to turn and call up to Lia, as she was right behind him. Harry scrambled to his feet and caught her instinctively before she could go tumbling like he had, not wanting to admit that he was starting to think this had been a bad idea. This place was so much more dark and dank and cold than he remembered.
"It feels bad down here," Lia murmured, pulling free of his grip with a nod of thanks. Her hazel eyes assessed the area calmly, and her wand remained steady in her hand as she took a few steps forward. "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Slytherin's pet," Harry said grimly. "I just want to see if it's still here."
"Why?"
"Because it's dangerous." Harry quietly cast a lighting charm as he moved. The small area they stood in brightened slowly, revealing a long, narrow path. "In my world, it caused a lot of trouble. If it's still down here, I want Professor Dumbledore to destroy it before anyone else stumbles across it.
"So remind me again why we're the ones checking it out?" Lia cast the spell as well and held her wand up, peering curiously into the pathway. Harry was pleased to see that her Lumos charm created a strong, steady light.
"I'm the only one who could," he answered, trying to keep his voice down. They walked in silence after that, as though Lia had sensed his desire to make as little sound as possible. Harry strained his eyes until they stung from the dim light and stale air, but he couldn't make out any sign that anyone had been down there at any recent point. He kept up a fast pace that Lia easily matched until they came to the door of snakes, where he stopped and stared for a moment before he cleared his throat, trying to imagine that the snakes were moving. "Open up and let us through."
Lia gasped. "You're a Parselmouth?" she asked, sounding awed.
"Yeah," Harry said after a beat, feeling his stomach tighten. He couldn't quite keep the defensiveness out of his voice. "So?"
Lia stepped up beside him and held her wand next to his face so that she could see better. Her expression was curious as she searched his face intently, but suddenly, her eyes softened and she smiled, lowering the light a bit. "You need to talk to Mum when we go back to the surface, okay?"
"Okay..." he said slowly, giving her a curious look. But this wasn't the time for questions; he needed her to know something important. "Lia, listen. If you... If you hear any hissing that's not me, or – or any sound, really, close your eyes, alright? Don't try to see what it is."
His sister's face paled slightly, but she nodded and followed him through the door. "It's really cold down here," she said quietly, shuddering. "I feel kind of... strange."
Harry just nodded absently, not really listening. He barely noticed the chill in the air as he looked around the enormous room and frowned even more deeply when he heard a woman's voice screaming faintly, like it was coming from a long ways off. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"I thought I heard someone screaming."
"I don't hear anything..." Lia's voice trailed off and she shivered. Her free hand snaked out and slipped into Harry's, holding onto him tightly. Harry glanced at her, surprised, but allowed the grip to remain. The last person who had held his hand was Ginny, and that had been in the heat of the battle. As awkward as it had been to duel while holding onto someone, it had allowed him to focus when he didn't have to worry about where she was, and the strength of her grip had been comforting. Remembering that, he tightened his own fingers around Lia's and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I'm just going to see if the Chamber has been disturbed recently," he said, knowing that his original plan was a chance he couldn't take with Lia around. "Forget checking on the basilisk. It's asking for trouble, and I'm not sure how to do it without waking it up. But the house elves don't even come down here, so it should be easy to see if anyone else has been."
He began to walk forward and was conscious of the fact that Lia fell into step behind him, though he kept his eyes pinned on the large statue of Salazar Slytherin that graced the front of the Chamber of Secrets. If he were to speak the correct incantation, he knew the large mouth would drop open and most likely release a dangerous and deadly creature. What had he been thinking, letting Lia come down here with him? Even coming down here in the first place? What had sounded like a brilliant and important idea when he'd been speaking to Sirius now seemed like one of his worst ideas ever. Ginny really was going to kill him, and rightfully so, at that.
"Do you think anyone has been down here?" Lia asked.
"I don't think so. It doesn't look like this place has been disturbed for years," Harry admitted, surveying the rather dusty space. "I think it's safe to –" He cut himself off abruptly as the sound of screaming grew louder, from a dull, distant sound to a loud roar that nearly deafened him. Only now, he could recognize the sound as those of Lily Potter as she pleaded desperately for her son's life. When his eyes fluttered shut, a flash of green light was all he could see. His breath caught in his throat as a feeling of icy cold swept over him, and he distantly heard Lia scream.
From high above them, appearing like a swarm of bats, Dementors began to swirl downwards out of the darkness. Lia gave a choking whimper and stumbled backwards. She tripped and fell, dragging Harry along with her. The impact with the floor shook him out of his stupor, and he fumbled to cancel the Lumos charm and get his wand up. His mind felt completely blank as the cloaked figures began to fly in a circle around them, gradually getting lower with each pass. Harry heard that thin, rattling sound that never failed to send chills down his spine and shuddered. Bile rose in his throat as the thick, rotting stench of death wafted over him and he choked it back, struggling to concentrate.
"Ex... Expecto... Expecto P-Patronum..." he stuttered, pointing his wand at the creatures. Nothing happened, not even the faintest wisp of silvery light. Harry closed his eyes and tried to forget about the Dementors so that he could focus on a happy memory. It was easy to think of one – what could be happier than waking up in this world where his parents and Sirius were alive? – but it was difficult to focus. Lia was crying and whimpering, and he could feel the whispery thin fabric of the Dementor's cloak brushing against his hair when it passed down low. The stone floor was so cold that he could feel the biting chill eating into his legs, and his fingers ached with the beginnings of frostbite. He struggled to push aside all of that and summed up everything he had.
"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled, forcing his fingers to direct his wand upwards. A thin, misty light spiralled forth from the wand, but it was nothing like the raging stag that had always appeared from his holly wand. The Dementors soared upwards, away from the mist, but all too soon it had dissipated and they returned, even closer than before. Harry fell back with a soft cry, realizing that his hands were shaking. He didn't have it in him to make another attempt... And the Dementors were coming, were nearly on him, with their scaly gray hands reaching towards him and his little sister, ready to devour their souls...
"Expecto Patronum!" Two voices bellowed together. A silvery doe cantered into midst of Dementors, sending them scattering. The misty form of an owl followed, chasing the creatures that fled into the darkness above. The doe stood protectively in front of Harry and Lia, head tilted up towards the ceiling, as though ready to face any Dementor that dared to return.
"Harry!" Someone grabbed his shoulder. Harry opened eyes that he hadn't even realized he'd closed and looked up into the worried face of Draco Malfoy. "Come on. We've got to get out of here."
"L-Lia..." Harry mumbled, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"Uncle Sev has her. Let's go!"
Harry allowed Malfoy to help him to his feet. He was only vaguely aware of the fact that they were running towards the exit to the Chamber of Secrets – or rather, that Malfoy was running, and Harry was being half carried, half dragged – and that they were indeed following the familiar form of Professor Severus Snape, who cradled an unconscious Lia in his arms. No Dementor dared to follow, as Snape's doe patronus cantered around the group as they ran. The trip back to the slide seemed like something out of a dream; Harry didn't even react when Snape murmured an incantation and gave a flip of his wand that created a luminous disk of light beneath their feet which acted like an elevator.
"Harry!" Sirius cried the second they were back above the ground. He, Remus, Jon, and Anna had been waiting in the small lavatory. Without hesitation, he snatched Harry out of Malfoy's arms and embraced his godson tightly. "Oh my god, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Sirius," Harry muttered, embarrassed. He wasn't, not really – his legs didn't seem to want to support him, and he was extremely annoyed when Sirius tenderly and carefully passed him to Remus before rushing to help attend to the still unconscious Lia – but he was loathe to admit it. Remus embraced him, then helped him to sit down on the ground. After casting a warming charm, Remus reached into his pocket and drew out a large bar of chocolate, which he cracked into several pieces. Harry took one gratefully. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely, surprised by the fact that his throat stung when he swallowed. Had he been screaming?
"The twins came and found Uncle Sev after you two went down there," said Malfoy. He also accepted a large piece of the chocolate and bit into it, chewing slowly. "They were concerned about what the trouble you might run into. Uncle Sev alerted the Headmaster and we came to see if you and Lia were in need of aide. It was lucky that we did. Who knew that there were Dementors underneath the school?"
"Certainly not I," said Dumbledore grimly as he entered the lavatory with Madame Pomfrey in tow, pale blue eyes flashing. He surveyed the room as Madame Pomfrey hurried over to Lia, Snape, and Sirius. Harry met the man's gaze for only a moment before he looked down, feeling ashamed. His stupid actions could have gotten both he and Lia killed, and would have had Jon and Anna not had the foresight to run for help. As he quietly gnawed on a bit of chocolate, he mused that the two of them would likely be Ravenclaws, not headstrong, occasionally idiotic Gryffindors.
"Severus, please help Poppy take Miss Potter and Mr Potter to the infirmary," Dumbledore requested. "Mr Malfoy, I would request that you go as well, even though you were only exposed to the Dementors for a brief period of time. It would not hurt for you to have a brief rest. Sirius, Remus, we must contact the Ministry to find out how the Dementors escaped from the wards around Azkaban, and then dispose of those creatures. I will not have them roaming beneath the school when the students return." He didn't say it, but Harry could tell that Dumbledore was also anxious to figure out just how the Dementors had gotten beneath the school in the first place.
Harry could have told him. In his old world, Voldemort had been trying so hard to get the Dementors over to his side, and it had been only a matter of time before the disgusting creatures defected to the side of the Dark. He had no doubt that this was Tom Riddle's doing, perhaps as a way to get rid of anyone who found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, or as a preparation for some kind of insidious plot. But he remained silent, even as those piercing blue eyes met and held his. Only when Malfoy's hand landed on his shoulder and helped him to stand up again did he look away.
It was obvious that neither Sirius nor Remus wanted to leave Harry and Lia, but both of them did as the Headmaster had requested. Harry couldn't help but notice that there didn't seem to be any animosity between Sirius and Snape as he and Malfoy walked out of the room. Sirius had leaned over and spoken to Snape quietly, and Snape had merely nodded before he stood up and helped Madame Pomfrey to place Lia on a stretcher. He continued to watch the man silently on the trip to the Hospital Wing, noting the tender way with which he treated Lia. Perhaps, without having become a Death Eater in the first place, Snape was not nearly as bitter as he had been. Was it possible that there was a world where Sirius Black and Severus Snape could actually not hate each other with a passion?
"Creepy," Harry said to himself, pulling away from Malfoy so that he could sit down on one of the hospital beds. It felt good to rest his trembling legs.
"What?" Malfoy glanced at him as he sat down on a free bed. Harry looked at him. He could tell that the Slytherin had been affected by the brush with the Dementors, no matter what the blond might say. Malfoy's face was pale, even though his cheeks were flushed, and his hand shook a little when he reached out to pick up a glass of water. For the life of him, Harry couldn't believe that Draco Malfoy had actually gone into a potentially dangerous situation to help rescue him. It was nearly unthinkable.
"Nothing," said Harry, and then, slightly awkwardly, he added, "Thanks, Draco."
Draco looked shocked. Then a small, pleased smile formed on his lips and he said, "You're welcome, Harry."
A/N: Remember that reviews make a girl work faster! Also, Happy Valentine's Day.