Harry Potter is a Slytherin

"W-w-what?" Harry stammered. "You're--you're on my side?"

"I'm not on your side," Malfoy snapped back, "but I'd've thought you would've known a good rescue when you saw one."

"Okay, uh, thank you," Harry said uncertainly. "Why would you save me if you're not on my side?"

"Because," Malfoy said, grinning, "I thought if I cooperated with you, you could tell me where the real Harry Potter is."

"Look, I told them the truth," Harry insisted. "I have no idea. As far as I can tell, I am him."

"What d'you mean 'as far as you can tell?'" Malfoy asked incredulously. "Don't you know who you are?"

"Actually, no," Harry admitted. "You can call me 'Harry' though."

"All right...Harry," Malfoy said contemptuously, "are you saying you don't remember anything before..."

"Yesterday," Harry finished. "Well, actually, I remember something, but it doesn't seem to make any sense."

"Well, what d'you remember?" Malfoy asked, sounding rather frustrated. Harry took a deep breath.

"I remember being Harry Potter, but being in Gryffindor," he said eventually. Malfoy didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Harry Potter in Gryffindor," he repeated. "That's a...strange thought."

"Well, I found the idea of you being my friend just as strange," Harry replied coolly. "As a matter of fact, I found it rather repulsive."

"I take it I was still a Slytherin," Malfoy said, sounding rather proud.

"Um, yeah," Harry said. "Um, look, uh, Draco--can I call you 'Draco?'--um, where are we going?"

"I don't know," Malfoy said. Harry stopped abruptly.

"What d'you mean you don't know?" Harry asked indignantly. "I though this was supposed to be a brilliant rescue."

"I said a good rescue, not a brilliant one," Malfoy replied coolly. "Besides, I thought you would just tell me where Harry is and the whole thing would be over."

"What, you thought he was locked in a broom cupboard or something?" Harry asked indignantly.

"Actually, yes," Malfoy retorted. "Exactly why should I have thought otherwise?" Harry sighed.

"Look, d'you know anyone--any adult--that could help us?" he asked desperately.

"Well, there's my father," Malfoy suggested.

"I don't think so," Harry said immediately. "If he found out who I was, he'd probably want to kill me." A glint in Malfoy's eyes said "And I wouldn't?"

"Uh, look, how about Dumbledore?" Harry suggested. Malfoy looked incredulously.

"Dumbledore!" he repeated. "He's a barmy old codger!"

"And the only person Voldemort every feared," Harry pointed out.

"Don't--say--the--name," Malfoy hissed.

"Well, the point is Dumbledore's a powerful wizard," Harry replied. "And besides, if he is a barmy old codger, who would believe him if he said anything?" Malfoy seemed to consider this.

"I think we should go to Snape," he said eventually. "He'll do anything for us."

"You mean he'll do anything for you," Harry corrected darkly.

"Well, he'd do anything for you if it was on my behalf," Malfoy replied icily. Harry thought about that.

"I just don't like Snape," he said eventually. Malfoy looked at him.

"What are you?" he asked. "Anti-Harry?"

"Look, where I come from, Snape killed Dumbledore," Harry told him. "And that's not a good thing," he added when he saw the expression on Malfoy's face.

However, eventually Harry was forced to go along with Malfoy's plan. After all, Snape seemed to like both of them now. Still, Harry was sure Dumbledore would have been as open-minded as Luna Lovegood had been, but there was no way he could have convinced Malfoy of that. As far as Malfoy was concerned, Dumbledore was a fool and nothing Harry said would convince him otherwise. As they headed downstairs to the dungeons, they met Blaise Zabini on the ground floor.

"Where are you going?" he asked them. It might have been Harry's imagination, but Zabini sounded angry and suspicious.

"I'm taking 'Potter' down to Snape so I can get some Veritaserum," Malfoy explained without missing a beat.

"He seems to coming along willing," Zabini said skeptically.

"Well, of course he's coming willingly," Malfoy replied indignantly. "If he wasn't, he would be jinxed into oblivion, now wouldn't he?" Zabini looked at Malfoy with something very much like suspicion for a moment, but Malfoy continued on with Harry following behind him.

"How did you do that?" Harry asked him as soon as Zabini was out of earshot.

"I see you're under the mistaken impression that I wasn't telling the truth," Malfoy replied coldly. There was silence for a moment.

"So, you are getting Veritaserum to use on me?" Harry asked nervously. "Are you sure Snape will give it to you?"

"No," Malfoy told him, "I had to keep up the deception because Atgas Silures was hiding behind that knight. I can't believe they don't trust me anymore."

"So," Snape said icily, "you're telling me you remember being in Gryffindor before yesterday?" Harry felt a lump form in his throat.

"Uh, yes, sir," he said uncertainly.

"He doesn't know how it happened," Malfoy explained, "I just want to get him back to normal."

"Well, that may be too much to hope for," Snape said with a twisted smile. Malfoy looked mystified--clearly this was unusual behavior for Snape.

"But, Professor," Malfoy insisted, "if it can be done one way, surely it can be reversed."

"What can be reversed?" Snape asked shrewdly. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"Well, no," Malfoy admitted.

"Well, I don't see how we can reverse something if we don't know what it is," Snape replied, turning to walk back into his office.

"You don't believe us," Harry said suddenly. Snape stopped.

"No, I don't," Snape said silkily. "In that, you are correct. Though I very much respect both of you, I simply don't believe any silly ramblings when they make no sense."

"Well, give us a chance to prove it," Harry demanded. Snape grinned and turned around, looking amused.

"All right," he said. "What proof do you have?"

"You're the Half-Blood Prince," Harry told Snape. "How's that?" Snape looked horrified, but didn't say anything. "Wasn't it you who nearly followed Professor Lupin into the Whomping Willow before being saved by my father?"

"No!" Snape shouted angrily. "Get out of my office, both of you!"

"I've never seen Snape like that," Malfoy told Harry at lunch. "What were you talking about with your father saving him from loopy Lupin?"

"It's a long story," Harry said quickly. "Basically, it's not exactly something Snape is really proud of. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"I see," Malfoy said, sounding skeptical.

After lunch, Harry and the rest of the Slytherins headed to the Charms classroom on the third floor. However, when he entered the classroom, he found yet another surprise. Instead of tiny, little Professor Flitwick sitting on a pile of books behind the desk, there was a tall, willowy woman with pursed lips and impossibly stiff mahogany hair standing there like a businesswoman.

"Who are you?" Harry asked her without thinking. The woman looked harshly at him.

"As you well know, Mr. Potter, I am Professor Illyria, your Charms teacher," she said coldly. "Ten points from Slytherin for interrupting the class." It took Harry a half a second to remember he was in Slytherin now.

"You don't want to get on her bad side," Malfoy whispered in his ear.

"How do you get on her good side?" Harry asked hopefully.

"She doesn't have one," Malfoy replied darkly.

After taking five points from Gryffindor because Parvati Patil's skirt was apparently too short, Professor Illyria set them up working with partners trying to do a N.E.W.T. level charm on a what seemed to be a pair of ordinary Muggle boxing gloves. Harry never thought he would be so happy to be paired with Draco Malfoy.

"So, what happened to Flitwick?" Harry asked Malfoy quietly so Professor Illyria wouldn't hear.

"Flitwick?" Malfoy asked, confused. "Oh, him. He, uh, lost his memory. They had to send him to St. Mungo's and he hasn't recovered since."

"When did this happen?" Harry asked.

"In our second year," Malfoy answered. "Strangely enough, it was on the same night Lockhart caught the Weasley girl opening the Chamber of Secrets."

"Imagine that," Harry said sarcastically. Malfoy looked curiously at him.

"Never mind, you wouldn't know," he said quickly.

"So, Lockhart was really erasing other people's memories and taking credit for what they had done," Malfoy said as they left Charms class. "That doesn't surprise me--I never liked the bloke anyway."

"Me neither," Harry said. He couldn't believe he was agreeing with Draco Malfoy on something. It made him feel kind of sick.

"Since Flitwick lost his memory," Harry said quickly, "he was probably actually the one who caught Ginny. What were you told happened?" Malfoy thought for a moment.

"We were told Lockhart found her leading a giant snake through the castle," he answered. "When Lockhart--I mean, Flitwick--found her, he used a powerful curse to kill the snake and then took her to McGonagall." Harry nodded to show he was listening.

"That's it," Malfoy said casually.

"So you never actually found the entrance to the Chamber?" Harry asked.

"Well, personally, I didn't do anything," Malfoy replied coldly. "If it was up to me, I would've let the monster kill off every damn Mudblood in the school."

"Okay, so they never found the Chamber?" Harry corrected contemptuously.

"At least they never said they found it," Malfoy answered. "You can never trust those Mudblood-loving--"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture!" Harry interrupted. "The point is, I think I'm the only person who knows where the Chamber of Secrets is."

"What good is that?" Malfoy asked. "The monster's dead now." Harry couldn't imagine wanting to find the Chamber of Secrets to kill Muggle-borns.

"I don't know," he said eventually, "but it might come in handy sometime..."

Harry broke off when he thought he heard a soft, very quiet female voice humming. When they turned the corner, he was not surprised to see Luna Lovegood crouched on the stone floor. She stopped humming and looked up at him for a moment. She had her legs positioned so you could see right up her skirt, which Harry tried very hard to resist doing.

"Hello, Harry," she said eventually, blushing rather hard. Déjà vu, Harry thought, thinking of the way Ginny used to be embarrassed around him.

"Uh, hi, Luna," he said. Luna seemed to be staring through him.

"You're friends with Loony Lovegood?!" Malfoy asked incredulously. Harry ignored him and kept his attention above Luna's waist.

"Have you thought of another thing that could've caused this?" he asked her. Luna looked confused for a moment, but then seemed to realize what he was talking about.

"Oh, right," she said quickly. "Uh, no. I wrote to my father and he looked through every article that has appeared in The Quibbler to find something like this, but the Nakhfothraw story from Mexico was the only one. The only other explanation I can think of is that you have schizophrenia, but that's not very comforting, is it?"

"I think it's likely though," Malfoy said darkly. "In fact, you might have it to. What a wonderful couple you two would make!" Luna blushed even harder.

"Could--could I talk to Harry alone?" she asked him. Malfoy looked at Harry.

"Just go," Harry told him. Looking exasperated, Malfoy turned and walked away. As soon as he was gone, Harry sat down on the floor next to Luna and turned to look at her. Neither of them spoke for several moments.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked her.

"Well, I was thinking about the first time we met--" she began.

"Which was...?" Harry asked. Luna looked confused.

"Yesterday, of course," she said, sounding confused.

"Oh, right," Harry said quickly, remembering Luna hadn't met him before the previous day.

"Anyway, I noticed you addressed me with my first name when you saw me," she continued. "So I was thinking that we knew each other pretty well in your...past life or whatever it was."

"Yeah, we were friends," he told her. "Just friends," he quickly added. Maybe it was the way she was looking at him.

"We wouldn't have to be just friends now," she told him. Subtle, Harry thought sarcastically.

"Uh, look, I already have a girlfriend," he told her. "Besides, I never really thought of you that...way." Luna stared at him for a few more moments.

"I understand," she said eventually, sounding very disappointed. "It's just that--that no one else has been as nice to me as you have. I'm always the weird one that nobody wants to be seen with."

"Well, frankly, I don't really care what anyone thinks of me anymore," Harry said darkly.

"I don't either," Luna replied dreamily, "but sometimes I feel very lonely. Like now, for instance," she added, looking forlornly down at herself.

"We can still be friends," Harry told her hopefully. Luna didn't look up at him.

"Yeah," she said, sounding really unhappy.

"So what did Miss Loony want?" Malfoy asked Harry as he arrived in their dormitory. Harry thought about how to respond for a moment.

"She--" Harry began uncertainly, "she wanted me to be her boyfriend." Why was he telling Malfoy the truth? Being Malfoy, he would probably tell the whole school and ruin Luna's life. Then she would hate Harry just like everyone else did.

"Whoa, I didn't know she was that crazy!" Malfoy laughed. "Bit ambitious that one, eh?" When Blaise Zabini entered along with Crabbe, Goyle and puffy-cheeked Atgas Silures, Harry was prevented from responding. Suddenly, Zabini raised his wand and pointed it at Harry.

"Expelliarmus!"

Before Harry could even think of doing anything, his wand was shot out of his hand. When he turned to get, Zabini, Goyle and Atgas all pointed their wands at him. Malfoy wasn't doing anything, but Crabbe, who missed the cue, dug through his robes trying to find his wand.

"Are you ready, Draco?" Zabini asked him.

"Why, yes, I think I am," Malfoy said as he took at his wand and pointed it at Harry like the others.

"Wait, I thought you were on my side?" Harry asked desperately. A snaky grin formed on Malfoy's face.

"On the contrary, I said I wasn't on your side," he said. Harry didn't know what to say as Crabbe continued struggling desperately to find his wand.

"Give it up, Crabbe and keep guard," Malfoy hissed at him. Crabbe turned and walked out the dormitory door. There was silence for a moment.

"So what are we going to do to him, Draco?" Atgas asked eagerly.

"Oh, I have a plan," Malfoy said, walking towards Harry and keeping his wand level. "Imperio!"

Harry once again felt the wonderful sensation that ironically went with the deadly Imperius Curse. Harry struggled to fight the blissful peace and keep his troubled situation in mind. In the middle of his struggle, which he had half forgotten the reason for, he heard Malfoy: Tell us who you really are...tell us now...

Harry forced himself to keep his mouth shut.

Just tell us your name and where you came from...

Harry wasn't going to give into this. He wouldn't give Malfoy the satisfaction.

Just tell us what your name is...it can't be that hard to say...it would make everything easy...

No, a voice in Harry's head said. No! No! No!

Tell us your name now...

"NO!" Harry shouted. Suddenly, he found himself lying on the uncomfortable stone floor. Zabini, Goyle and Atgas turned to Malfoy, looking confused.

"Does this mean his name is 'No?'" asked Goyle.

"No!" Malfoy said in exasperation. "I--I mean it isn't. It means he can fight the curse."

"Maybe you weren't doing it right," Zabini suggested hopefully.

"Forget it," Harry told them, feeling rather smug, "when Lord Voldemort himself tried it on me, it didn't work."

"LIAR!" Atgas shouted pointing one of her stubby fingers at him. "The Dark Lord is the most powerful wizard in the world! A seventeen-year-old wizard would not be able to fight his powers!"

"Actually, I was fourteen at the time," Harry said casually.

"You bloody liar!" she screeched. "I'll get you for this!" Malfoy held her back before she could pounce on Harry.

"No, Atgas, let me handle him," Malfoy said smoothly. "I have the perfect plan." Atgas looked disbelievingly at him as he crouched down onto the floor and leaned over Harry's face.

"Potter," he whispered angrily, "what the hell are you thinking? Fighting the curse will only make it worse for both of us."

"W-w-what?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"D'you think I have any choice but to play along?" Malfoy hissed furiously. "If you don't fight the curse and you let it take you over, it will prove you're telling the truth." Harry looked at incredulously at Malfoy. This had to be a joke.

"Unless..." Malfoy said, lowering his eyebrows, "you are lying."

"I'm not!" Harry whispered loudly.

"Then prove it," Malfoy replied and with that he stood up and went back to join the others. Malfoy drew out his wand and pointed it at Harry. Harry waited.

"Imperio!" Malfoy shouted again.

Harry once again found himself lying on the dormitory floor with Malfoy, Zabini, Goyle and Atgas all looking down at him. They had been joined by Harper, who Harry had played Quidditch against in his sixth year. It took Harry a few seconds to remember what was going on.

"Impressive," Harper told Malfoy, who grinned broadly. Harry could tell Atgas was trying very hard to avoid looking impressed.

"Well, I guess it worked," she said eventually.

"Thank you," Malfoy said, sounding delighted. "Now, why don't you and your little boyfriend go snog yourselves sick or something?" Atgas looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn't.

"C'mon, Leonard, let's go," she said to Harper and he followed her out of the room. Harry sat upright.

"What happened?" he asked Malfoy.

"You didn't fight the spell," Malfoy told him proudly. Harry started to feel panicked.

"What did I say?" he asked desperately.

"You were telling the truth," Malfoy said nonchalantly. "What more do you need to know?" But Harry didn't like that odd glint in Malfoy's eyes...