Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.
Narcissa and Lucius escorted their sons to Hogwarts, walking up to the castle where Snape would meet them at the entrance.
"You'll write to us, won't you?" Narcissa asked her boys yet again.
"Yes Mother," Draco said in a bored voice.
Lucius gave his son a disapproving look as they reached the castle doors. "Draco," he murmured.
"Sorry," Draco said, contrite.
"I can write to you?" Harry asked with a small smile.
"Of course, we want you to!" Narcissa exclaimed.
"I never had someone to write to before," Harry slowly said. His smile turned into a grin. "I'll write every week, I promise!"
"I will too," Draco spoke up.
"I'm going to miss you guys," Harry said slowly. "We won't see you until Christmas break."
"Not true," Lucius said. "We will be visiting. We would visit with Draco during first year."
Draco flushed a little with embarrassment. "They would floo to Uncle Severus's quarters some evenings because I missed them," he admitted.
"You'll do that again? To visit both of us?" Harry asked hopefully.
Narcissa hugged him. "Yes. We have so much time to make up for. I'm afraid I won't be able to go long without seeing my sons." she admitted.
"Now you be safe this year. No trolls, or stones or dragons," Lucius said seriously.
"No dragons? But what will I do when Norbert comes to visit me?" Harry snickered at the alarmed looks on his parents faces. "Kidding!"
"Funny, you imprudent child," Lucius grumbled. He pulled Harry in for a hug. "I am serious, Hadrian. No breaking the rules, no chasing after anything dangerous."
"I'll be good," Harry assured him.
"And if anyone harasses you, you let your Uncle Severus know immediately," Narcissa added.
"Oh. You mean if anyone bothers me because I'm a Malfoy?"
"I'll deal with anyone who tries," Draco said protectively.
"No, you will tell an adult." Lucius told him. "You will tell your godfather and he can contact us. The adults will handle it, all right?"
"Ah, here are the miscreants," Snape said as he approached them.
"They haven't missed dinner, have they?" Narcissa asked.
"No, it's just about to start. So, the barrier wouldn't let you through?" Snape looked at the boys a little suspiciously.
"No." Draco said.
"This one," Lucius put his hands on Harry's shoulders. "And the Weasley boy wanted to take Arthur's flying car to school."
Snape paled. "Are you out of your mind? Do you know how dangerous that would have been?" he scolded his godson.
"I know," Harry said with a sigh. "We didn't do it! Thanks to Draco."
"Yeah, thanks to my words of wisdom -"
"All right," Snape interrupted Draco with a smirk. He took a deep breath. "I'm happy you are here and managed to do so safely." He glanced behind them. "I see the Weasleys are here with their little hooligan. To dinner for you three."
Lucius and Narcissa hugged their boys and then watched them join Ron.
"So, will you be visiting every day or just every other day?" Snape smirked.
"Funny," Lucius said. He paused and exchanged a look with his wife. "Every couple of days plus weekends."
Snape chuckled.
/
"Hey Harry!" Ron hurried over to them as his parents went to speak with the Mafloys and Snape. "Are you all right? They didn't hurt you, did they?" he asked anxiously.
"No, and stop thinking they are hurting me," Harry said in an irritated voice.
"Weren't they mad? My parents were." Ron made a face.
"They weren't happy, but they didn't punish me or anything. Just talked to me about it and then we spent the day in Hogsmeade."
"You got to go to Hogsmeade?" Ron's mouth dropped open. Jealousy crossed his face. "You're lucky. I got lectured and had to spend the afternoon de-gnoming the garden."
Draco burst into laughter.
"What is de-gnoming?" Harry asked curiously.
Ron explained and Harry listened with interest. "That sounds kind of fun, actually," Harry commented.
"As fun as Hogsmeade?" Ron asked grumpily.
"No. But that reminds me." Harry took out a brown paper bag. "I saved you some sweets from Honeyduke's."
Ron's face brightened. "Thanks, Harry!" He took the bag gleefully.
/
After their parents left, Snape walked Harry, Draco and Ron to the Great Hall for dinner. "All right, join your Houses for the feast," he said. He patted Harry on the shoulder. "If there are any issues, let Professor McGonagall or I know immediately, all right?" he said quietly before entering the hall and walking to the Head Table.
Whispers and stares started as soon as the three boys entered the room. Harry faltered slightly. It was even worse than when he had been sorted.
"Eh, don't worry Harry. Everyone will get over it," Ron said before heading to the Gryffindor table.
Before Harry could follow him, Draco spoke up. "Don't let anyone be mean to you," he said. "I wish you were in Slytherin." he sighed.
"I guess I should have let the hat sort me there," Harry said ruefully.
"It wanted to?" Draco asked in surprise.
"Yeah, but I was afraid to be in the same house as you-know-who," Harry said. "If only I had known," he said softly. He loved Gryffindor and his friends were there, but he would have loved to be in the same House as his brother. A House where his godfather was the head of.
"Well, what's done is done. This just means I'll like one Gryffindor." Draco said wryly.
"I thought I was a Gryffindork," Harry joked.
"Yeah, but you're my Gryffindork and only I can call you that," Draco grinned.
Harry snorted.
/
The Gryffindor table was quiet as Harry slid into the seat next to Ron.
"I'm glad you guys are finally here!" Hermione said brightly, trying to cover the awkwardness. "I can't believe you missed the train."
"Yeah, the barrier was closed," Ron said his plate was already filled with food.
"How strange." Hermione frowned.
"Is that really you, Harry?" Seamus asked, staring at him.
"It's me," Harry said self-consciously.
"You don't look like Harry Potter anymore!" Lavender said. "You don't even wear glasses anymore!"
"I'm not Harry Potter," Harry said simply. He didn't mind his new appearance, especially not having to worry about his glasses breaking or losing them.
"I can't believe it. You're a Malfoy!" Dean wrinkled his nose. "You poor thing."
"Poor? He's stinking rich now," Seamus guffawed.
"Famous and rich," A fourth year commented.
"With an evil family," Another older student muttered.
Harry glared at them and then turned his attention to Dumbledore, who was making announcements before the feast.
"And our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Professor Lockhart." Dumbledore waited as the students clapped and Lockhart stood, grinning and waving. "And as I am sure you have all heard, our student who was known as Harry Potter is actually Hadrian Malfoy. I am sure you join me in expressing happiness for the Malfoy family and for Harry, for finding his family."
The Great Hall was mostly silent at this, only a few students clapping.
Harry looked over at Draco and saw his brother looked furious. A quick glance at the Head Table revealed that Snape also looked angry.
"How can a Malfoy be the boy-who-lived?" Cormac McLaggen mumbled.
"At least they didn't kill him," Another teenager said. "Yet."
Harry gripped his fork. Ignore them, he told himself.
"So, what did you do this summer?" Hermione asked, hoping to distract Harry. "I didn't get a chance to ask when we got our books."
"We went to Newquay! It was brilliant!"
"Oh, you're so lucky!" Hermione breathed.
"I've never been on vacation before," Harry said with a grin. "It was so fun!"
"Fun with the Malfoys?" Seamus asked skeptically.
"Fun with my family," Harry said briskly.
"Your family," Dean shook his head. "I don't get it. Aren't they -" he hesitated. "Evil?"
"No, they are not," Harry said curtly. "They're wonderful. They love me."
"Are you sure you were kidnapped? Maybe they just didn't want you," Cormac smirked.
"That's not true!" Harry yelled, standing up and glaring at him.
"Harry, sit down," Ron said in a loud whisper. "Just ignore the prat."
Hermione tugged Harry's arm so that he sat back down. "Professor McGonagall is coming!" she hissed.
"Is there a problem here?" McGonagall asked when she reached the table, looking sternly at them.
Harry took a deep breath. "No, Ma'am."
McGonagall looked at him doubtfully and then gave a stern look at her students. "I do not want anyone bothering Mr. Malfoy. You should be happy for him, to be reunited with his family. Anyone caught bullying him will not only lose Gryffindor a lot of points but also serve a week of detention with Mr. Filch. Am I understood?" She gave everyone another mild glare and then returned to the Head table.
Harry glanced up and noticed Snape looking at him in concern. He tried to give a reassuring smile but had a feeling it came off more like a grimace. He then glanced once again at the Slytherin table to see Draco staring at him. "I'm okay," he mouthed.
/
Once in the Gryffindor dorm, Harry was unpacking when Seamus approached him.
"So you're really okay with all of this?" Seamus asked.
"With what? Finding out who I am? Finding my family?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"It's just, wouldn't you rather be a Potter?" Seamus persisted. "They were heroes!"
"No, I wouldn't," Harry said calmly. "I appreciate what James and Lily did for me, and I always will. They didn't know who I was but raised me as theirs. They died protecting me and I will never forget that. But I'm happy to have found my family. I'm happy the truth came out."
"But you hate Draco!" Dean said. "We all do!"
"I didn't like him," Harry admitted. "But I didn't know him until this past summer. He accepted me as his brother right away once the truth was revealed. And my parents, well, they're brilliant. They care about me, they love me," he said with wonder in his voice.
Seamus exchanged a look with Dean. "Well, that's uh, great. I guess," he said doubtfully.
"I'm happy for you," Neville spoke up from his side of the room.
"Thanks, Neville." Harry flashed him a grateful smile.
"So will Snape now favor you since he favors Draco?" Dean asked with a snort. "I bet he's furious. He's probably mates with the Malfoys and hates that he must be nice to you now."
"He is best friends with them and godfather to me and Draco," Harry said in a tight voice as he climbed into bed. "My middle name is his name."
"Your middle name is Snape?" Dean asked in confusion.
"No, you idiot!" Ron snapped in irritation. "His middle name is Severus, which is Snape's first name. Bloody moron," he added.
Dean narrowed his eyes at him.
"Snape is actually your godfather?" Seamus guffawed. "First the Malfoys are your parents, Draco is your twin and now Snape is your godfather! You should have stayed with your relatives."
"Shut up!" Harry snapped. "The Dursleys are not my relatives and they never were. I'm glad to have the Malfoys as my parents and Snape was nice to me this summer. So just keep your mouth shut if you can't be happy for me."
"I've been to Malfoy Manor, and they treat Harry just fine," Ron spoke up. He still had some concerns for his friend, but he would still stick up for him.
"Whatever," Dean shrugged.
Harry pulled the covers over him, not wanting to talk anymore. He had thought he would be prepared for the negative reaction to the news, but it upset him more than he thought. Maybe because they took having a family for granted, they couldn't imagine what it was like to be an orphan and suddenly find out you have parents and a brother.
/
The next morning after breakfast, Draco caught up with his brother as the students began leaving the Great Hall "How bad was it last night?" He asked.
"How did you know?" Harry asked in surprise.
"You're my twin, I can feel when you're upset. What happened?" Draco asked.
"Just some comments were made," Harry shrugged.
"What kind of comments?" Draco asked.
"It doesn't ma -"
"It matters to me," Draco interrupted.
"Draco -"
"I need to know, so I can help you. Protect you," Draco insisted.
"He doesn't need you, he has me," Ron said, a scowl on his face. "I'm his best friend."
"So am I!" Draco snapped. "And I'm his brother."
"Gentlemen."
The boys turned to see Snape standing behind them. "I believe you have my class right now and I would hope you get there before I do," he warned. He glanced at Harry. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," Harry insisted. He could handle some stupid comments. He wasn't a baby, for Merlin's sake!
Snape stalked to the front of the classroom. "Put your summer homework on my desk." He said. He waited while they did, then idly glanced through the essays. "While some of these look acceptable, most look like a toddler wrote them," he sneered. "You are in your second year, more is expected of you now. I certainly expect more of you." He glanced at the essays. "I don't have high hopes, however." He picked up one of the essays. "Gee Mr. Weasley, could you not manage to write any bigger?" he asked sarcastically.
Ron flushed red and gave Harry a 'see, he hasn't changed' look. Harry just shrugged in response.
"Harry, explain what the Fire Protection Potion feels like when consumed," Snape said, giving Harry a knowing look. He knew the boy knew firsthand as he had taken it to get to the Sorcerer's Stone.
"It, uh, gives you intense chills, like ice is flooding through your body." Harry stammered slightly. Memories from potions class last year filled him and he couldn't help but tense slightly, waiting for Snape's scathing comments.
"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor," Snape said.
Harry's eyes widened slightly. A slow grin spread across his face. He had earned points in potions! He glanced over at Draco who gave him a thumbs up.
"Finnigan, name an ingredient in the potion," Snape continued.
"Um...beetle eyes?" Seamus ventured.
Snape stared at him. "Is that a question or an answer?"
"An answer," Seamus said a little more confidently.
"Well, it's the wrong one," Snape said curtly. "Draco, name an ingredient in the fire protection potion."
"Salamander blood, Professor," Draco said.
"Correct. Five points to Slytherin." Snape said. "I would suggest to all that you actually do the reading before attending my class. I expect you to be prepared." He glared at his class for a moment before beginning his lecture.
"What a git," Seamus grumbled as they gathered their belongings at the end of class. "Some godfather, Harry. He hasn't changed at all."
"Yes, he has. He gave me points, didn't he? That never happened last year." Harry pointed out as Draco joined him.
"Yes, because now you're his godson," Dean said scornfully. "He has to. It doesn't mean he cares about you or anything."
"Take that back!" Draco shouted, pointing his wand at him. "Right now!"
Dean's eyes widened in alarm.
"Draco, put your wand away," Snape said coolly as he approached, pushing Draco to the side. He glared at Dean. "Are Gryffindors not supposed to be known for their fierce loyalty and kindness?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. "Perhaps you should be resorted."
Dean flushed with anger and embarrassment and quickly ran out of the classroom, with Seamus right behind him.
Snape gave Draco a disapproving look. "You do not pull your wand on another student unless it is to protect yourself or someone else from an attack."
"I was protecting Harry!"
"I'm fine," Harry said. "I can handle stupid comments. I can," he insisted when both Snape and Draco looked at him.
"You shouldn't have to," Snape frowned. "What did Mr. Thomas say?"
"He said you had to give Harry points and that it doesn't mean you care about him," Draco answered with a scowl. "Is that the stuff they've been saying? That Uncle Severus doesn't care about you? Or that Mother and Father don't? That I don't?"
Harry sighed. "Yeah, basically. It's no big deal."
"Of course it is," Snape said. "Words can hurt." He winced inwardly thinking of all the hurtful things he had said to Harry the previous year.
"Why are you so worried about me? I mean, I know you care about me but why does it bother you so much?" Harry asked Draco curiously.
"You're my twin," Draco said, averting his eyes a little.
"Draco?"
"I'm afraid, okay?" Draco said irritably.
"Afraid of what?"
"That they might convince you that you don't want to be a part of our family," Draco admitted. "That you'll hate that you're a Malfoy."
Harry's expression softened. "That will never happen. I love being a Malfoy. I love having a family. No one will ever convince me otherwise. You're my brother, I love you. You twit." he added teasingly.
Draco snorted, his eyes brightening. "I love you too. Prat."
"As lovely as all this sentimentality is," Snape spoke up. "You two have another class." He nudged them both towards the door. "Go on. And no losing your temper," he looked at Draco pointedly.
"Me?" Draco asked innocently.
"Come on," Harry laughed, pulling him out of the classroom.
TBC: