The Shades Of Life

Key:

**** = Harry's POV

///////// = Draco's POV

--------- = Hermione's POV

/ / / / / / / / / = Snape's POV

Part One: The Big Surprise

You wait by the window

Morning's breath on the sill

Idle hands given another try

So you wait and savour the moment

Outside the canvas turned white

Ruby eyes in the fog

****

"Today, class, we will be learning to make a potion that will write your family tree for you, regardless of any Obliviations, adoptions, deaths, and other natural disasters. This is not a particularly challenging potion, but nor is it a very easy one. Even Mr. Longbottom's abysmal potion brewing skills may be up to this potion, but just to be careful, I will decide on the pairings." Snape stood at the front of the class. I was excited, to no end. No one alive except Dumbledore could tell me about my grandparents, and even he couldn't tell me about anyone older than my great-grandparents. I was hungry for details about my family, and no one could help me with it. "So, class," Professor Snape went on with the lesson, "Remember, this potion uses your blood, which is your magical signature and your family tree. Be careful when you cut yourself for the potion, only make a mall nick at the end of one of your fingers, and have your partner heal it right away. Granger and Potter, front seat. Behind them, Weasley and Brown. To Potter's right, Patil and..." I tuned the rest of the list out, safe from anyone who wanted to do me in.

I got up and changed seats, sitting next to Hermione. I rather liked making potions, without Snape breathing down my neck and criticizing my every move. I got into the rhythm that nearly six and a half years of practice making potions had created in me. The potion turned out to be rather easy, and the dank walls of the chilly dungeon floated away in my mind as I talked to Hermione and Ron, conversing and laughing over our cauldrons, something like an imagined Muggle tale of evil cackling witches. Only not so evil. Considering that I was the "perfect" boy-who-lived, along with my two Gryffindor best friends, there wasn't much I could do that would be called evil.

Finally, the potion was done. Just as we finished, pouring the blood-red potion into glass vials the size of large goblets, Snape strode back into the classroom. He instructed us to nick our fingers, and pour three drops of our own blood into the vials. After that, we took out our largest sheets of parchment, and poured the blood-ink potion in the center of the paper.

Spindly, deep red lines reached out of my blotch, to the edge of the paper. Suddenly, there was an intricate deep green border of snakes, with silent hissing tongues and silver eyes. "Harry, your paper looks very... Slytherin," Ron commented. I turned back to look at Ron's paper. His had a border of red and gold lines, intertwined with each other in a Celtic pattern.

"Is your family Celtic? 'Cause I can tell that you're Gryffindors, the lot of you." I thought Ron's paper was beautiful. Turning back to mine, I saw that my name was written on the bottom, along with my mother's. No, that said Lily Slytherin (Evans-Potter). What was going on? And next to her name, was Narcissa Slytherin (Black-Malfoy. What was happening? I wasn't related to the Malfoys! And my mother was older than Narcissa by only one minute? They were twins! Hermione looked over to my paper and was astonished. So was Ron. So I turned away from mine and looked back to Ron's. No one had kept any familial secrets from him, and his went much faster than both Hermione's and mine.

Ron's family descended from the Celts, and he was a descendant of one of the first wizards in English history, a pureblood Gryffindor family tree through and through.

/////////////////

I flipped my long blond hair out of my eyes and tried to see the trees of the Golden Trio. Of course, they were all covering theirs. No surprise there, they had become used to my pranks, and were careful with all potential blackmail material. Hmph. They were learning. That was bad for me. But it is no matter. I could go after more worthy quarry in the form of Pansy Parkinson, dumb bitch that she is. I know that we are not betrothed, even if she does not. It serves me well to have her think that she will have to marry me.

I looked down at my paper. Mine had a border of snakes and daggers. At the bottom it said Draco Malfoy. Above my name, was Lucius Malfoy, connected to Narcissa Malfoy. Everything was going as expected. But then, next to Narcissa Malfoy, lines kept writing, and on the paper, in black ink, it wrote (Black-Slytherin). I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then, I found out that I was in for an even bigger surprise.

Next to my mother's name, the ink drew a connecting line above the top, and it wrote Lily Potter (Evans-Slytherin). Lily Potter. Harry Potter's Mother! That meant that we were cousins. Of all of the bad things to happen to me, this may very well have been one of the worst.

--------

I watched my bloodlines unfold before me, and I saw nothing that I expected. I had read up on this potion before the lesson, and I knew that the style of writing of each name indicated different things. Italic writing showed a witch or wizard, regular writing indicated a Squib, and bold writing meant Muggles. And my parents' names were in regular writing. And then Grams and Gramps, and Granny and Grandpa, their names were in regular writing, too. And Grams and Gramps, my dad's parents, their parents were wizards! And theirs before them! Granny and Grandpa, all of their family was squibs. And Grandpa's father was the cousin of Grindelwald's father, in addition to being the first squib of my line. So that meant I was related to Grindelwald. Oooh, Dumbledore wasn't going to like this. Plus, my border was rather gruesome- bloody swords crossed. Hm. Pleasant.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

I watched the class see their family trees revealed, and I was glad that I had used the potion first, and posted the bottom half of mine on the board, so they could see what they were supposed to look like. Mine had a border that changed depending on how far down into the tree you were. The top was resplendent in red and gold. And the bottom was green and black, trees cauldrons and snakes. Interesting combination. Of course, Dumbledore had known already that I was the last descendant of Godric Gryffindor's line, a fact that had been hidden to me since earlier this very day. How ironic. And how very typical.

I looked up to see young Malfoy, know-it-all Granger, and heroic, stupid, amazing Potter stiffen and look around at each other. I had to take action before something happened. "Potter. Granger. Malfoy. My office. With the family trees. Now!" I barked at them, and disappeared into the old, dark wooden portal behind my desk. The little brats scuttled in behind me. I was seated at my beautiful carved wooden desk. It had come from my manor home, and it belonged to my father and his father and so on into times unremembered. "Put your family trees down facing yourselves on the desk. They should be completed by now," I told the kids. I put my tree down next to theirs. Malfoy and I both had borders that were derivatives of the Slytherin crest. And Potter's? It was the Slytherin crest.

****

I saw a family crest at the top of each page. Malfoy's and Snape's were, of course, their ancestral family crests. No surprise there. What was the surprise, however, was that both my sheet and Hermione's had family crests, too. I took a closer look at Hermione's and found that she was actually a pureblood wizard, and related to Grindelwald, of all people. In fact, her family seemed to have a history of very Dark wizards. Seems that the borders do mean something.

/////////

I turned to take a closer look at Potter's paper. His snakes? They were gorgeous. Worthy of a Slytherin, to say the very least. Then I looked closer at his tree. At the top of the list of names was none but Salazar Slytherin, all alone in the head of the family. I took a close look at Potter, sitting in a cushioned seat with his eyes closed. He seemed to be having a hard time taking in the information. The lucky asshole didn't know how lucky he was. And then I realized that he could probably process being the Heir of Slytherin, but he was having a harder time about being my cousin. I didn't want to think about that at the moment. So I turned to Granger's tree.

Her border was made up of properly bloody crossed swords, elegant but sharp and deadly looking. I was scared to touch them, they looked so real. Granger apparently came from a family of properly Dark wizards. In fact, practically every Dark Lord before Voldemort had come from her bloodline. I looked at her with a newfound respect. She would grow up to be very powerful, if her blood got any say in it.

Professor Snape, on the other hand, didn't show his complete family tree, only something near the last five generations. I saw that the dark-colored jeweled swords at the bottom started to lighten in color further up, and I wondered what was further up on that sheet of paper. Obviously, he wasn't going to tell us. He was always a secretive man, according to Lucius. But I'm not talking to him anymore. Not since he kicked the bucket in a Ministry raid on the Riddle Manor.

****

I was related to Malfoy. I was related to Malfoy. Not that I had that much against him anymore, but what the hell was Ron going to say? And Hermione came from a family line that included numerous very, very dark wizards. And everyone in this office was a pureblood. How could my world be turned upside down by a few names on a paper? And when did my name change on the sheet to Harry Slytherin, Heir Apparent of House Slytherin?

/ / / / / / / / / / /

The boy was the Heir of Slytherin. How ironic, that I was descended of Gryffindor and he truly belonged to Slytherin? I hope that he knew that he would be switched to the Slytherin house for the remaining duration of his education here. Poor bugger. He would be dead in days. "I am going to take you three to see Dumbledore at the end of this class. I trust you won't mind missing the beginning of lunch?" I asked in a tone that was not a question, but an order. The three teenagers nodded, and I went on, "I am going to keep your family trees in my office until that time. You tree will not talk about this to your friends, do you understand?"

All three of them nodded mutely, again. "Good. Go back to your seats, and stay there while I dismiss the class."

--------------

The three of walked through the door in the back of the classroom and to out seats. Ron asked, rather loudly (he was never good at whispering), "What did he do to you guys?"

I turned around quietly in my seat and whispered back to him, "Snape wanted to see us. Harry, Malfoy and I have to stay after class. Meet us in the common room after lunch, okay?" Ron nodded back at me and I knew he would do what I asked.

Snape cleared his voice quietly and barked (did he ever do anything else?) at the class, "Class is dismissed. Potter, Granger and Malfoy, stay afterwards. The rest of you, leave."

///////////

I sat in my seat quietly as the rest of the class left. I had already reassured Pansy that I wouldn't need her help, and that she should go to the common room to wait for me. On the other end of the classroom, Potter lazed in his chair, while the Granger girl sat primly as McGonagall does in her own classroom. Snape paced in front of his board. I simply sat and waited.

Finally, the dark dungeon room emptied of all other students. Snape disappeared into his office, reappearing in a short moment with four scrolls in his hands. He motioned at us to take our book-bags and follow him. Instead of walking to Dumbledore's office, he Flooed there. I went through the fireplace next, followed by Granger. Potter staggered out of the fireplace last, muttering something along the lines of "bloody Floo network out to get me again."

I made myself comfortable in one of the armchairs sitting in front of the large desk. I had only been in this office once before, after my father died, and so the various whirligigs and gizmos on the shelves around the room fascinated me. Dumbledore's large, gorgeous phoenix flew to Snape's shoulder, while a four-foot long green and silver snake slithered out of nowhere and up to coil around Potter's neck and arms. He sat in another armchair and closed his eyes, hissing softly to the snake, asking names and whatnot, I presume. Granger sat on a wooden chair, and Snape transfigured himself an armchair.

/ / / / / / / /

I sat down and made myself comfortable, watching the two girls and the boy. For some reason, Dumbledore liked to keep people waiting in his office. I suppose he liked to make an entrance. No matter.

The old man came in, and seated himself behind his desk. He folded his aged, wrinkled hands on the desk, in front of his utterly repulsive purple robes, featuring orange polka dots. I sat in my chair, absentmindedly petting Fawkes, and waited for him to speak.

****

I spoke to the snake. Her name was Sylvia. She said she would keep me company, for a while. And then Dumbledore came in and sat at his desk. Snape handed him our scrolls. I sat back and closed my eyes, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. I heard Hermione's quick breathing. I heard Malfoy shifting and Fawkes singing very, very quietly. I heard Dumbledore shuffle the parchment, and I opened my eyes. Dumbledore stiffened visibly as he saw the contents of the scrolls. I wondered what was going through his head as he began to speak.

"Harry, you are the Heir Apparent of Slytherin." I nodded. "This means that you will have to move to Slytherin, at least to sleep there. It wouldn't do not to honor old Salazar. There are actually a few portraits of him in the castle, if you would like to meet him." I nodded again. "Ms. Granger, I hope that you grow up to be as powerful as some of your family has been. It would do you well in the rest of your life. Mr. Malfoy, will you please contact your mother by Floo and ask her to come to my office? It would be greatly appreciated if she could be here immediately." Malfoy got up and went to the fireplace, and Dumbledore pointed at the Floo powder.

I really didn't want to move to Slytherin. I was a Gryffindor, my life was in Gryffindor, as were my friends. Crabbe and Goyle might jump me in the middle of the night or something. Just because I was gay didn't mean I wanted to get raped. My life takes some surprising turns sometimes, but this definitely topped the list.

/ / / / / / / / / /

I sat quietly as Dumbledore made the arrangements for Harry's move to Slytherin. All of the boy's classes would remain the same, and he would be allowed in the common rooms of both Houses. Dobby would move all of his things to the second bed in Draco?s dormitory room. And, the worst of it, he would come to me for guidance instead of going to McGonagall. I didn't know how I would take it.

Draco would guide him to the Slytherin common room and tell him the password. Dumbledore would now go to the Great Hall, but he would wait to announce Potter's change until dinner. Later, I would go to my House's common room and threaten dire punishments on anyone who dared hurt the Potter boy.

//////////

Just as they worked out the last details of Harry's move, my mother gracefully stepped out of the fireplace. Dumbledore spoke up first, "Ah, Narcissa, just the person I wanted to see. Would you be willing to take Harry to your house over the Easter and summer holidays? We have just found out that you and Draco are his closest living relatives, and that you three all carry the Slytherin bloodline. But Harry is the Heir." And he was coming to live in my house for the holidays. They started in one week! I would have to make amends with him for the past six years. I have to live with him now. But that didn't mean i couldn't play a prank or two on him now and again and call it sibling rivalry, of a sort.

--------

I guess Malfoy was okay with the arrangements. He hadn't bothered us so much, but he was more subdued towards everyone since his father died. Harry leaned closer to me and whispered, "I'll see you later. I'm off to the Slytherin house while the school is still at lunch. I don't want to face them quite yet."

****

I followed Malfoy down intricate passageways into the dungeons. "Does the room have windows?" I asked him.

Malfoy stood still and turned around, "yes, there are magical windows that look outside. You can change their views, if you so wish. The ceiling, too, is majicked to show the sky outside, similar to the spell in the Great Hall. Now, I expect you to stay on your side of the room. If you touch my things, I will have to hurt you. Badly. And you know what kind of family I came from, Potter. I know the Dark Arts," he growled.

I sat down on my bed, drawing the deep green curtains close around me, and surrendered myself to the oblivion of sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The song lyrics at the top of the page belong to the metal band Opeth. Great band, go listen to them!