Mirrorverse

~~Mirrorverse~~

~~Chapter Three: A World Like Any Other?~~

As Peter dragged Harry down the corridors towards what Harry now realised was the dungeons, he was in shock to say the least. It wasn't just the fact that it was Peter Pettigrew of all people dragging him along, nor even that he was suspecting they were heading towards the Slytherin dorms now, it was the fact that the Peter Pettigrew dragging him along wasn't anything like Harry last remembered seeing Peter Pettigrew. That Peter had been a short, balding, stammering, fearful man, and from what Harry had been told and seen from the few pictures of the 'Marauder Days', that wasn't much different from the chubby, short, stammering, tagalong youth he'd been.

This Peter was by far different now that Harry was able to get a better look at him as he was being dragged along, much different indeed. This was a Peter that stood at 5'11" in height, two inches shorter then Harry's own 6'1" height, and not the short five foot even that Peter had stood at before. This Peter had mid-back length dark brown wavy hair that was tied back in a pony tail, with fringes a bit too long that kept getting in his eyes (which for some odd reason Harry had to fight the urge not to reach over and brush a few stray strands away).

This Peter wasn't stammering or heavyset either, in fact he was muscular (and to Harry's betraying disbelief his own body had to admit that Peter was muscular in all of the right places, judging by what he was seeing outlined from underneath Peter's unbuttoned robe). What topped it off was that from the muttering Peter was doing under his breath, his voice, now that he wasn't sneering and cold sounding, was quite pleasant actually, soft and whispery like. Very unlike the high, squeaky voice that Harry had heard himself on several occasions, nor was there a single trace of a stammer or anything else in the voice he heard now.

Harry had force himself to turn his thoughts back to things at hand though, one because he had to keep himself from 'examining' Peter further, and two because his mind still could not believe any of this was really happening. His two professors were now teenagers, his lover was a half-breed (not that he minded in the least, far as Harry saw things that only added to the attraction he had for Draco), and Harry still didn't have a clue what Peter was going on about in the library. Other than it was clear Peter was upset that Harry was hanging round with a bunch of 'Gryffindorks', and that Harry was clearly not one of them, meaning he was a...Slytherin...and a quick glance at his own badge confirmed that. It wasn't until the two boys got halfway to the Slytherin dorms that Peter finally stopped and turned to Harry, giving him a strange look that Harry wasn't sure how to interpret.

'Harry, why do you keep doing this?' Peter asked nervously now.

'Keep doing what, P-Peter?' Harry stammered, mainly because the matching dark brown eyes now resting on him were giving him a look that was crossed between anger, pity, sympathy and something else Harry definitely did not want to interpret.

'Why do you insist on hanging out with the Gryffindors when you know what happens if you get caught with them?' he said with a slight frown. 'I mean, you're a Potter, you can't be doing stuff like that.'

'Why not?' Harry asked in a huff.

Peter just looked at him like he'd grown another head, then sighed. 'Honestly, Harry, I don't know what's come over you. First you defy your father a year ago when you...well you know,' he said with a downward glance and a slight blush, 'then you get into it with Jamie and Sirius over the stupidest things, and now you're hanging out with those people, and leaving me out in the cold. You never used to keep things from me, Harry. I don't like it a whit,' he said sullenly.

Harry didn't quite know how to answer that, because none of it made sense to him. He didn't understand any of this, and he wondered what was going on here and more importantly, how to get himself out of whatever was going on. 'Look, it's my business who I 'hang out' with. If you don't like it that's just too bad now, isn't it, Peter,' he said back coolly.

Instead of Peter being upset by that however, he just looked at Harry and suddenly burst out laughing. 'Now that's more like the cold hearted Harry I know! Look, personally I have nothing against them, considering until...err...well you know I don't. However, you know damn well that James and Sirius do have everything against them, so try to be careful all right? And stop keeping me out of the loop, Harry, I really hate the distance growing between us lately,' he said quietly and gave Harry another strange look.

Harry was a bit taken aback by that, he wasn't cold hearted far as he knew...was he? Then again, if he was indeed a Slytherin, and no two ways round it he really was a Slytherin, then he supposed he had gotten into that house for a reason. It still confused him how his father could be here at the same time though and how Peter knew 'Harry', but he figured that would be figured out shortly as well. Then there was these odd looks from Peter, and the strange overwhelming sensation to suddenly feel almost guilty for being with those 'Gryffindors'.

'Look...Pete...I err...I umm...I'm sorry all right? I don't umm...mean to make you so upset,' he said quietly now, wondering again why he was feeling compelled to even say such things to Peter Pettigrew of all people. The man who had betrayed and basically killed his parents in his world, the man who kept his godfather on the run still, and whom he usually hated with a passion.

Peter just stared at Harry like he'd gone suddenly mental, then peered round the corridor nervously as if expecting someone to pop out of thin air or something. 'You really have been hanging round the Gryffindor's too long. Apologising to me, Harry? Not like you at all,' he said shaking his head in wonder. 'Don't ever let James, Sirius or...your father,' he shivered, 'hear you apologize to me...or anyone for that matter. Not unless you want to be sent to your father's office again.'

Harry didn't even dare to try and respond to that comment, because he had no clue what to say. His father was a professor here then? If that was the case though, why was Severus, Remus and Peter teenagers and not they're normal ages? As they passed down the corridor that Harry recognised as leading to the Slytherin dorms, his mind raced with dozens of questions.

Keeping his gaze away from Peter he now glanced at the corridor they were in, and saw things that nearly made him cringe. Portraits of dark wizards that he'd studied in history class that were forbidden to be hung in his world, now lined these hallways with pride, their sneering, cold glances eyeing the two boys as they passed them by. Finally after what seemed like forever, they arrived at a huge painting of Salazar Slytherin, and Peter stopped turning once again to Harry.

'I can't protect you if they figure it out this time, Harry, but I'll do my best. I'll tell them I found you on the Quidditch pitch practising for the match coming up this weekend, so back me up won't you?' he said hesitantly.

'Why would you help me out?' Harry asked coldly.

Peter shrugged, obviously used to Harry being cold like this. 'Harry, by now I'd think you'd figure that out. Besides, I'm in no mood to have you and James go rounds tonight, the last row you two had nearly destroyed the commons,' he said with a slight groan at some unpleasant memory.

Harry didn't even get a chance to reply to that when the portrait swung open and a very irate-looking, not to mention a very young-looking, Sirius Black walked out, a deep scowl on his face. 'About time you two. Where the hell were you now?' he said gruffly, looking straight at Harry.

'He was at the pitch doing some practise laps...right, Harry?' Peter said quickly, silently pleading with Harry to go along with his 'plan'.

Harry didn't seem capable of answering for the moment, again mainly because he couldn't believe he was looking at the same Sirius Black that he knew in his world. This was also a totally different Sirius Black, not the godfather he'd grown fond of (even if he had gone off and gotten married without telling anyone), but a very dark, down-right mean looking Sirius Black.

This Sirius had short black hair that was gelled back, making it look sheen and slick, unlike 'his' Sirius's long just past shoulder length hair that usually hung scraggly no matter what he tried to do with it. Though this Sirius also had black eyes, they were cold and filled with suspicion and anger, not the warm, kind eyes of his Sirius. Standing at 5'7", unlike his Sirius's 6'2" height, this Sirius still had a stance that screamed nothing short of pure 'power', a boy who was afraid of nothing and no one.

This Sirius definitely looked like someone you wouldn't want to upset or he'd throw a few nasty Unforgivables at you without batting an eyelid. He was wiry in stature but muscular, though not quite as muscular as Peter was. His muscles must have been from years of Quidditch though, they were fine tuned for Beater typed muscles with powerful arms capable of smashing into rogue bludgers. A fleeting though in Harry's mind also put forth the possibility that Sirius might have gotten some of those muscles from 'other' type of 'activities', ones that Harry was sure he really didn't want to know.

'Well? You going to stand there or get in here?' Sirius said now, giving Harry an ominous look. 'I hope for your sake you really were on the pitch. James is in a right mood and you don't want him thinking you were out with that filth again,' he spat out in disgust.

Harry was taken aback at how cold Sirius sounded, and how threatening as well, though he wasn't going to show it. Fact was at the moment Harry was a Slytherin, and he could play the 'coldhearted bastard game' just as easily, even in his own world. Therefore matching Sirius's attitude now wasn't even really an effort, years of sparring with Draco had honed those particular 'skills', had fine-tuned them even. 'I was on the pitch like Peter said. I trust you don't have a problem with that, Sirius,' he said back icily, then walked past the now smirking Sirius into the common room.

He stopped short as he got inside noticing yet again things were very different in this world over his. He'd been in the Slytherin dorms many times since he and Draco had become 'secret lovers', and this common room looked almost nothing like the one from his world. This one was down right elaborate, decked out in the traditional silver and green house colours, though he noticed immediately there was quite a bit of black furniture mixed in unlike in his world. Silver candelabra's magically hovered round the room, and the fireplace was positively huge and a warm fire crackled in it at the moment.

However, where in his world there had been past Slytherin Head of Houses on the walls, this commons had only one portrait. One that caught his eye immediately and he slightly gasped at what he was seeing, a panic welling up in the pit of his stomach. It could have almost been a self-portrait he was now looking at, of none other then...himself...though a much older, darker version.

'And where the hell have you been this time? Sneaking round with those half-bloods again?' a cold, sneering voice said from off to his side, making him jump.

As Harry turned he nearly doubled over in shock, for there sitting on one of the sofas by the lit fireplace was none other than his father...or rather...James Potter. The shock at seeing his father completely overruled what he had just heard unfortunately, and all he could do was stand there and stare at James, though he wasn't sure what he was seeing was real.

This wasn't his 'father' as he'd remembered seeing him, not in the picture book Hagrid had given him, not in the Mirror of Erised back in his first-year, nor even in the 'ghostly' form he seen of him back in fourth-year. This yet again, was a totally different James Potter, one who, like Sirius, radiated 'power', even more darker and 'evil' than Sirius had. This James Potter had strength, coldness, anger, confidence, and Harry's gut instinct told him that he was ruthless to the core. Just like Sirius had been opposite of the Sirius in Harry's world, this James Potter was opposite too.

James had black hair that was down to his mid back, not short and mussy like Harry had always seen him with, as well as brown eyes that were not warm with love but equally cold, heartless and ruthless. Unlike his own father in his world, this James Potter was anything but wiry, in fact he looked as solidly muscled as a brick house. There were no lines of laughter round his face like Harry had seen on his father's face, only lines of harshness, of sneers and smirks more than anything. Not a person who was clearly loving or caring that's for sure.

This James wore glasses that were silver rimmed, not the gold rimmed Harry remembered his father was always wearing in the photos. His clothing, like Peter's and Sirius's, and his own he now realised glancing down for a moment, were all black, and from the looks of it very dear at that. James at the moment was wearing a black silk shirt with silver buttons and silver serpent cufflinks with green emerald eyes, with a pair of matching crisp-cut black linen pants. Both were obviously tailored just for his build to show off those muscles perfectly too. Even his boots were black, dragon hide if Harry guessed right, and more than likely just as dear as the rest of the outfit, for black dragon hide Harry knew in his own world was hard to come by. Though he was sitting down, Harry pretty much guessed him to be tall, at least his own height at anyrate, but definitely not too much shorter or taller.

'He was on the pitch, though Salazar knows why. Not like he needs the practice,' Sirius said striding in now and throwing himself down into one of the green high-backed chairs near the fire. 'We haven't lost a match against those bloody Gryffindor's in six years, doubt we will this year.'

'Pitch huh? You sure you weren't with those prat Gryffindors, Harry?' James snorted, giving Harry a cold, calculating, very harsh stare.

Harry bristled at that and finally found his voice, knowing he had to play along with all of this. 'I was on the pitch. You got a problem with that, James?' he said coldly.

'Hmph, for your sake you better have been. I don't want to find out you were with a certain half-blood trio again, little brother. You know Father wouldn't like that now...would he,' James said sweetly, and glanced up at the portrait over the fireplace with a slight smirk.

Harry swallowed as his eyes once again fell on the portrait, and his eye now caught the plaque on it and he inhaled deeply. For a moment the plaque swam before his eyes, he couldn't believe what he was reading, but yet there it was, written in elaborate golden ink. Maximus Tomas Potter. Headmaster of Hogwarts. One of the Greatest Dark Wizards of the 21st Century. To say Harry was stunned would be an understatement, he felt weak and shaky, not to mention halfway to fainting. His mind finally registered what James had called him, and what he had called the man in the portrait. James...was his 'brother'? And this Maximus Potter...was their 'father' and a dark wizard...one of the greatest dark wizards of the century? If that was so, then what had happened to Voldemort...or had there ever been a Voldemort in this world? Harry internally groaned and silently shook his head, this just could not be happening!

'You all right, Harry?' Peter said worriedly now as he saw how pale Harry had gone.

'Probably flew too high,' Sirius snorted then got up and poked Harry in the forehead.

'Ow! What'd you do that for?' Harry said angrily, quickly coming out of his dazed state to rub his forehead, glaring at Sirius now.

'Cause you're acting like a git,' James said with a smirk, then got off the sofa and wrapped his arm round Harry's shoulder, and Harry noted he was exactly the same height as him after all. 'Honestly, Harry, it's hard to believe we're twins sometimes. If it wasn't that I know for fact you are my brother and a Potter, you'd think you were one of those Gryffindors!' he said causing a round of laughter from Peter, Sirius and a few stray Slytherin's that had now gathered in the common room.

Harry only weakly chuckled at that, not wanting to antagonize things further. His mind was just racing way too much and he was feeling more then ever the need to get as far away from the commons as possible. Just as he was about to say something however the portrait door opened, and Harry received probably the single worst shock he could have yet. He could have maybe dealt with James, Sirius and his 'father', he even could most likely deal with the truly odd feelings he was getting when Peter glanced at him, but this new person...there was no way in heck anything could have prepared him for this.

'Well, Master Harry,' the new person said in a quiet voice, and turned his gaze to Harry. 'I see you've finally deemed to join your housemates for the evening.'

'He was out on the pitch, no harm done,' James said non-chalantly whilst sitting back down lazily on the sofa he'd occupied earlier. 'Something you wanted, Professor?' he asked now levelling a cool gaze at the man.

The man now turned to look at James, a closed, shuttered look on his face. 'Nothing out of the ordinary, Master James. I merely need to speak with Master Harry and Mr. Pettigrew about their Transfiguration Essays they turned in earlier today. They weren't quite...up to par...and I wish to go over a few things, if that's permissible?' he asked coolly, flicking a quick glance at Harry.

Harry didn't know why, but somehow he got the very distinct feeling that this man oddly enough posed no threat to him, not in this world anyway. From the very quick glance the man had cast his way it was seemed as if it was almost a plead to speak to Harry, and he decided to risk the chance. 'I don't see a problem with it, do you, James?' he said cooly now to his 'brother'.

James gave Harry an equally cool look back, then shrugged and gave Sirius a look that obviously meant something Harry didn't understand. 'Whatever you want, Harry. I dare say Father will not be pleased if you manage to fail something as easy as Transfiguration,' he said with a slight snort, as if something like that was supposed to be beneath him.

'Some people unfortunately do not find it as easy as you and Mr. Black do, Master James,' the man said in a clipped voice. 'If you'll meet me in the Transfiguration classroom, Master Harry, Mr. Pettigrew, I would appreciate it. At your leisure of course,' he said. Then with a slight bow of respect to James and Harry, and a nod to Peter and Sirius he headed back out the portrait on his way.

James sat up now with a dark scowl on his face, glancing after the man who'd just left. 'Why Father deems to employ that man is beyond me. He's not trustworthy.'

'He's a Gryffindor, James, the whole lot of them are nothing but tainted untrustworthy bastards,' Sirius spat in disgust.

'True, but I suppose he really has no choice but to employ a few Gryffindor's, to make it look good at the Ministry, can't show 'favouritism' and all that. Honestly though, if Father gets his way, he'll be eliminating Gryffindor once and for all, just as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were disbanded all those years ago. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say,' James said wrinkling his nose.

Harry nearly doubled over again at hearing that, could he have heard right? Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw...were gone in this world? 'What have you got against the other hous-er...Gryffindor anyway?' he asked, though more out of curiosity than anything else.

James and Sirius looked at Harry like he'd grown another set of arms and legs then burst out laughing. 'You are joking aren't you, Harry? We're Potter's and pure-bloods of nobility for Salazar's sake, we do not demean ourselves to consort with such rubbish! They're nothing but blights on the Wizarding World, and the only reason Father even let's them come here is because of pressure from the Ministry, you know that. Sometimes I really am inclined to think you are adopted, baby brother, with as many idiotic questions as you ask,' James said shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

'Hmph, that's what you get when you try and befriend half-bloods, James. Nothing but moronic questions like that,' Sirius muttered darkly and shot a glare at Harry. 'Peter, start keeping him better satisfied, not to mention on a tighter leash. It's clear you are not doing your job properly these days,' he said and threw Peter an equally dark gaze.

Harry just gawked at Sirius at that point, letting those words sink in, then turned to look at Peter whom he noticed had a tight-lipped expression on his own face. Before he could even answer however he was cut off by Peter. 'I keep him satisfied well enough, thank you, Sirius. And I don't need to keep him on a leash, he's perfectly capable of knowing what he's doing,' Peter said coolly.

'Obviously he doesn't, Peter, because if he did he would spend more time in here with you then gadding about out in the corridors with those half-bloods,' James sneered. 'What is it you see in them, little brother? Is Peter not doing his job well enough that suddenly you have to get it from one of those freaks? Hmm? Is it Snape maybe? Or better yet...that werewolf...Lupin I believe? I've heard animals like that are rather good at some things. Hmm? Or the worst of them all, that blond-haired mixed blood freak, Malfoy? Is it him, Harry?' James smirked.

'Just shut up, James!' Peter shouted and pulled Harry behind him roughly, upset at hearing such horrible things about Harry. 'He's not interested in them like that! Don't you think I'd know it if he was? Just let him alone!'

Sirius stepped away from the fireplace he'd been leaning on and walked up to about a foot in front of Peter, a dark menacing scowl on his face. 'You better hope for your sake that he doesn't, Peter Pettigrew. We only tolerate you because he foolishly chose to cast his claim mark on you. Do not forget, though you may have come from a pure-blooded family, they were still traitors, which makes you no better then a half-blood. The only reason you were even allowed to step foot in Slytherin is because of Harry's idiotic whims. You know damn well what that means, and if he suffers, you suffer, clear?' Sirius said threateningly.

Peter nodded his head though he surprisingly held his ground and didn't back down from Sirius. 'Crystal, Sirius, crystal. Now if you'll excuse us, the professor wanted to see us, and he's been kept waiting long enough. Come on, Harry, let's go,' he said now through gritted teeth, and nearly pulled Harry's arm out of it's socket dashing for the portrait.

It wasn't until they got halfway to the Transfiguration classroom that Harry stopped short mid-step, and turned to look at Peter. 'Peter?' he asked slowly.

'Yeah, Harry?' Peter replied, looking back at him with a strange sadness in his eyes.

'What did Sirius mean back...back there? About err...the claim mark?' he asked hesitantly.

Peter gave Harry another one of those strange, questioning gazes and shook his head sadly. Leaning back against the stonework of the castle wall he slid down in a heap, as if everything was catching up to him, and he pulled his knees up to his chest giving Harry a pain-filled, tortured look. 'You would tell me if it was true...wouldn't you, Harry? You wouldn't lie to me right?' he pleaded.

'I don't understand, lie about what?' Harry asked confused.

'Oh, Harry, I don't care if you are doing something with one of the Gryffindors. I can't stop you if you want to, I know that...but if you really want to take off the claim mark then do so...and let me go back to Gryffindor in peace. I don't know...I don't know what's going on with you anymore it seems. You don't let me in, you barely say two words to me some days...if I'm not doing what you want anymore, then please...let me go...' Peter said in a hushed, tight voice, choking back a small sob.

'P-Peter...look...umm...let's get to the classroom...all-all right? We can err...talk about this later. Please?' Harry said now in a quiet voice himself and gave Peter as warm a look as he could muster. He still couldn't get over the fact this was Peter Pettigrew he was talking to, let alone the facts in what he was beginning to suspect about himself and Peter. Now wasn't the time to think on that though, not when they were supposed to be somewhere.

Peter sniffed back a few stray tears and nodded, then wiped his eyes and got up, a small watery smile on his face. 'Cheers, Harry. You...err...won't tell anyone I umm...cried will you? They'd never let me live it down,' he said in a sad, lost sounding voice.

Harry shook his head, and smiled now at Peter, a real honest-to-goodness smile. 'No, Peter, I won't. Now come on, we don't want to keep the umm...professor...waiting, right?' he said.

'Right,' Peter said smiling back now at Harry. 'I wonder what it could be though; he never calls us to his classroom unless it's important.'

'Guess we won't know till we get there eh?' Harry said, and let Peter lead the way to the classroom, just in case it was in a place other than Harry remembered.

Thankfully though it wasn't, and Harry and Peter arrived a few moments later, all traces of the tears now long gone from Peter's face. As they peer inside the classroom Peter softly called out, 'Professor? Professor are you here?'

A door opened in the back of the classroom and the man in question came out quickly, motioning the two boys to come inside the room with him. As they did so the door closed quietly behind them, and they watched as their 'professor' pulled his wand out and casted several spells upon the door, including a silencing charm.

'There, now we won't be shan't be overheard, hopefully anyway. Castle has ears everywhere these days, can't trust anyone really. You don't know who's lurking and what side they're on I'm afraid. Now, please, sit,' he said softly, and indicated a sofa near the fireplace. 'Tea?'

'No thank you, Professor, not tonight. What's wrong?' Peter asked, as if having tea with a professor, this particular professor, was nothing out of the 'ordinary'. Whatever 'ordinary' was anyway, since at this point Harry couldn't tell.

The man poured himself some tea with and three, then stirred it slowly, as if debating what to tell the two boys in front of him. Finally he turned back to them and said in a low voice, 'I've received a message tonight from our...allies.'

Peter raised his eyebrow, however he seemed completely to understand what was going on here, so Harry let him do the talking. 'And? What news do they bring?'

'Another...disturbance...was felt earlier tonight. Our allies fear Maximus is up to something much...bigger...this time,' the man said thickly.

Peter gasped slightly and looked at the man in shock. 'You don't mean...he's trying to...no...it's can't be!' he said in a panicked voice.

'Umm...what exactly is Ma-my F-father...planning...do you think?' Harry asked now, seeing the look of terror on Peter's face.

The man looked at Harry with a deep penetrating obsidian black-eyed gaze, as if he was attempting to draw out Harry's very soul. 'Our allies as you know have been detecting slight shifts in the magical patterns as of late in the area around your home at Salazar's Hollow. From our various spies and sources, it's clear Maximus has a goal in mind, a very dark and specific goal to be precise.'

Harry shivered slightly at hearing that, it was so déjà vu of a similar conversation Harry had had not that long ago it seemed, the summer after the Tri-Wizard Tournament in his fourth-year. He had returned to Hogwarts a week early to go over things with his own Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, about how they would proceed against Voldemort next. Unfortunately not much had come of it, and each year like clockwork he was attacked, and each year like clockwork he managed to buy another year sadly. However, turning back to the conversation at hand he said now, 'What...umm...what do you...they...think the goal is?'

The man put his tea cup down and got up, pacing the red and gold rug in his quarters for a moment before sighing. 'I'm afraid, if our allies are correct, Maximus seeks to restore back his old 'Master'. If they succeed, the darkness we know now...will be heaven, I don't need to tell you that much.'

Peter let out a startled gasp, and Harry just sat there trying to understand this all, again knots of suspicion in his stomach. 'Isn't there anything we can do to prevent that, Professor?' Peter asked in a small voice.

The man sighed, shaking his head slightly before sitting back down almost dejectedly. 'If they do manage to revive him, there is no way we can counter-act such powerful dark magic. I've been doing what research I can, but our allies are not confident nor trained enough I'm afraid to go against such evil. We are but a small handful of half-breeds and some pure-bloods that have fallen from favour now. There isn't much we can do, Peter.'

'No, that can't be right, Professor, there must be something we can do!' he said angrily.

The man looked at Harry again, another deep soul searching look, and a sudden light came into his eyes as if he was seeing something that Harry nor Peter couldn't understand. 'Perhaps...there is...yes. I'll have to look into this, it could take time though, but if it's possible...' he said quietly, not taking his gaze off Harry.

'Professor...err...do you think that my F-father can bring back this err...person?' Harry asked now, looking away from that intense gaze and down at the hands clasped in his lap.

'Your father is a great and very powerful dark wizard, Harry, make no mistake. To bring back his old Master would be a triumph, and we fear he's more than capable of doing such a thing. Should he managed to do this, the two of them together would create havoc on a world already torn and abused. To restore A- ' the man began to say in a hard, cold voice.

'No! Don't even say his name!' Peter said cutting him off and jumping up to pace the room himself.

'You cannot defeat the fear by ignore it or wishing it wasn't there, Peter. By not saying his name you give him the power to rule over you,' the man said angrily now.

'Don't you think I know that? That bastard killed my parents if you haven't forgotten...murdered them before my eyes whilst telling me 'this is what happens to traitors'! He destroyed everything I held dear, and you want me not to fear him? Not to be afraid of what would happen and what he would take away this time if he came back again? Professor...all I have left is this school...you...and...Harry. I couldn't bear it if he took that away from me too!' Peter cried out and sat back down on the sofa, and too Harry's surprise practically flung himself into Harry's arms, sobbing into Harry's chest. What surprised Harry even more than anything was that for some reason he subconsciously wrapped his arms tightly round Peter, as if it was something he did daily, and it didn't bother him in the least that this was his second most hated enemy crying on him.

The man sighed and his anger abated, his black eyes growing softer and warmer. 'I understand how you feel, Peter, truly I do. He took away everything I held dear as well. My wife...my son...my home. All destroyed before my own eyes, whilst I was forced to pledge allegiance to him because my wife chose to fight against him, and I was too weak to stop him,' he said in a pained voice, closing his eyes a moment in grief. 'But I will not let him win this time, I cannot for their sake. If I am afraid to even say his name, then truly he has already won. Our allies will fight, make no mistake, even now they are keeping close watch on Salazar's Hollow, as we keep watch here on Maximus. My Gryffindor's will fight too when the time comes, though I dare say it will not turn out well, but they are willing to do so. Just as you and Harry have been willing to put aside your hatreds and join us,' the man said quietly.

Peter sniffed back his tears, wiping away a few that were still spilling down his cheeks, though he still refused to leave Harry's protective embrace. 'I'm scared...' he said softly, and looked up at Harry through tear stained, saddened brown eyes. 'I'm sorry I'm so weak, Harry. I'm not deserving to hold the claim mark of a Potter,' he sighed deeply.

'Err...no...I mean...yes...you are,' Harry replied quietly, and just sat there a moment holding Peter against him. 'You're strong, Peter...don't worry all right? I'm sure everything will work out,' he said and looked back over at his professor.

'For all our sakes, Harry, I hope so. Now you better return to your commons before you're questioned. Come, Peter, let's get you cleaned up all right?' he said standing up, smiling gently at the boy.

Peter nodded and sniffed back a few more tears, then giving Harry an apologetic glance he got up himself, following his professor out to another room which Harry assumed was the loo. Harry went over all of the evening's conversation quickly in his mind, shaking his head at this very odd turn of events. From the looks of it almost everything in this world seemed the reverse of everything in his own world. Slytherin's were still 'evil', but apparently 'evil' was the majority here. Gryffindors were half-breeds and assorted cast-off pure-bloods, and still 'good', but being 'good' was 'wrong' here.

Then there was this 'claim mark' thing going on with Peter, something he really didn't want to think on. Whatever it was meant a lot to Peter, apparently it meant a lot in general, it was something he felt had to do with his name or being a 'dark wizard', though he wasn't sure yet. Somehow he had to find a way to reach Draco and the others and soon, and see what was going on over on their end, though he hadn't a clue how.

Peter might be of some help, but even he seemed to fear Sirius and James most of the time, and Harry didn't blame him. Even he was a bit weary of his 'brother' and Sirius Black in this world, they obviously played for keeps here, and Harry had a strong suspicion using the 'Unforgivables' from his world, would be normal 'child's play' curses here. Not even worthy of a slap-on-the-wrist type curse, though it was something he didn't want to investigate at the moment.

He didn't get much more time to think however when a few minutes later Peter and their professor came back into the room, Peter now cleaned up so that no one would suspect he'd been crying. Obviously that was a sign of weakness, but then even in Harry's world Draco had once told him that his own father, Lucius Malfoy, had considered it beneath a Slytherin, and a Malfoy, to cry. Clearly that rule applied in this world too, at least amongst Slytherins anyway.

'If anyone asks we discussed your Transfiguration Essays, and of course, I will give you both full marks for them. Now go back to your common's, I'll be in touch,' he said quietly. Peter and Harry, who now had gotten up and moved towards the door to join the two of them, nodded at the man, and after the spells round the door were undone, quickly left the room. They heard the door close and lock behind them, and they silently headed out of the classroom back to the commons, each with things on their mind.

Before they got back to the commons however Peter stopped and turned to Harry, a questioning look in his eyes. 'Harry?'

'Yeah, Peter?' he replied distractedly.

'You're not...angry...with me?' he asked softly, nervously even.

Harry sighed, right now this was not something he really wanted to keep having to do, repeating assureities to Peter even if it was clear he needed them. 'No, Peter, I'm not angry with you. Now can we just get back to the common's already? I'm beat, it's been a very long day for me,' he said wearily, even yawning now to accentuate that comment.

Peter grinned then and nodded, seeming to understand perfectly. 'Yeah, I bet. Just remember what I told you, Harry. If you are going to meet them...be careful all right? I know hardly anyone bothers with the library any more, but a few Slytherin's do on occasion, so you really need to find a better 'meeting spot'. I don't mind it if you meet them, really I don't, you know I have no real say in that, but I have to be careful too. I can't risk being seen with them, you can get away with it, but I can't. I would be expelled faster than you could say Quidditch if your father catches me with them now,' he sighed.

'I'll be careful, Peter, I promise. Now let's go...boy I wish we could do a kitchen raid, for some reason I'm totally peckish now,' he grumbled and his stomach echoed that remark with a grumble of it's own.

Peter looked at Harry and laughed then, a sweet tinkly kind of laugh of pure amusement. 'Honestly, Harry, you amaze me sometimes! We we get to our room I'll just ring for a house-elf to come, and we'll order something. It's not like anyone would ever deny 'Master Harry' a late night snack!' he teased.

Harry stared at Peter and then oddly enough laughed himself. 'I am 'Master Harry', aren't I. Well then, up for a late night snack, Peter?' he grinned slyly, suddenly feeling all too Slytherinish, like he was born to be that way.

'Always!' Peter grinned back.

'I just hope my...brother...and Sirius aren't waiting on us. I'm really in no mood now to deal with them,' Harry said with a scowl now.

Peter snorted and shook his head. 'Knowing them, they're already down in their room having a go at it. You know how those two are like,' he said rolling his eyes.

Harry stopped short, not sure he heard that correctly. 'Err...my...err...brother and...Sirius are umm...t-t-together?' he said in a strange voice.

Peter gave Harry yet another one of those 'just-sprouted-another-few-heads' looks. 'You really have had a long day haven't you. James put his claim mark on Sirius forever ago, don't you remember? It was when you marked me that your father nearly killed you. Still don't know why you defied your father like that just to mark me of all people, I didn't deserve it. Sirius is a true pure-blood, an honour to the Potter name. But me...well...I was surprised. Happy...but...surprised,' he said quietly, a faint blush creeping up his face.

'Err...right. I umm...forgot about all that I guess for the moment. Tired remember? Barely thinking straight,' Harry said sheepishly, though yet another knot made it's way into his stomach, and thinking 'straight' was easier said then done.

'Come on, Harry, let's get downstairs to our room. We've got food to order remember? I can really go for a gammon sarni and some crisps or something, what about you?' he said continuing to walk towards the common room as if nothing had happened.

'Umm...food...right...I'll...ahh...think of something by the time we err...get to...err...our...room...' Harry said, a sinking feeling in his body at what the one little word...'our'...meant.

As they walked into the commons Harry saw that Peter was right, and somewhere in the dungeons his 'brother' James and Sirius were doing something Harry didn't even want to remotely think on. As he now followed Peter towards a staircase off to the left, and started to descend to what appeared to be the very lowest level of the dungeon dorm rooms, a knot the size of a watermelon was brewing in him.

As he got to 'their' room, his worst suspicions were confirmed. He now was beginning to understand part of what this 'claim mark' was. As he walked in the room as saw not two, but one large king sized bed against one wall, decked out in silver and green. Two black trunks with the initials H.P. and P.P. sat side by side at the foot of it, along with a wardrobe on each side of the bed against the walls, as well as two large oak desks stacked with school books and papers next to them, and a large bookshelf on another wall. The Slytherin banner was above the bed, along with another banner, one Harry somehow knew, though he didn't know how, belonged to the Potter family and the crest on it was his family's own crest.

Peter didn't even pay attention to the fact Harry was just standing at the door taking all this in, he was busy puttering round the room instead. To Harry's dismay (and with slightly reddening cheeks) he watched as Peter started to undress and get into a pair of dear looking black silk pyjamas with his initials embroidered with silver thread on the pocket of the pyjamas top. Harry then realised that Peter was laying out another set of pyjamas, a matching set to the one's Peter was wearing, and it was blatant that they were Harry's as they had his own initials on them. Peter then went around putting things in order, straightening up the room and all, and Harry suddenly realised there was far more to this 'claim mark' then just sharing a room and other things. Peter, he realised now, was nothing more than Harry's 'servant' in a way, bound to him in some strange form to take care of Harry's needs...all of Harry's 'needs' apparently.

Finally Peter noticed Harry wasn't moving at all, and looked up curiously. 'Harry? What's wrong?'

Harry just looked at him, and for the first time he felt something akin to pity for Peter Pettigrew, and what he must have endured in this world. To be witness to such horrors as he had, and now to really be nothing more than a 'slave' to Harry, seemed almost too harsh, and Harry sighed. Walking over he put a hand on top of Peter's, noticing that Peter was subconsciously turning down the bed duvet, as if was something completely beneath Harry's status to do. 'Order what you want to eat, Peter all right? I'm not that hungry anymore, but you go 'head,' he said quietly.

Peter looked up at Harry nervously and tensed up a moment, and Harry noted that this easy going treatment wasn't something Peter was accustomed to. 'You...you're sure, Harry?'

Harry nodded, then gave Peter a small smile. 'Yeah, I'm sure. I'm going to the loo and take a quick shower, when I get back I better see some food up here,' he said firmly, having a distinct feeling that Peter would respond more to him being 'authoritative' then him being 'placating'.

Peter smiled and nodded, relaxing a bit as he obviously was responding easier to that tactic from Harry. 'Sure, Harry. I'll order your favourites too, just in case you do get hungry again later.'

Harry didn't say anything just nodded, then quickly glancing round noticed a door off to the side and prayed that it was indeed the loo. To his relief it was, and quickly shutting the door behind him he looked round in awe. Most likely it was the fact he was 'Master Harry' in this place that had earned him his own dorm with attached loo, and at the moment Harry was grateful, he needed this time to think. A hot shower to clear his mind he hoped would help, though sadly it brought back all too many memories of his one and only true love, Draco. The fact that the loo was in green and silver with black towels embroidered in silver thread with the personalised initials of H.P. and P.P., and boasted not just a shower but a separate Roman style tub big enough for at least two people, as well as a double sink didn't even register with him.

As the hot water flowed over him he couldn't help but wonder how Draco was faring in Gryffindor, and really just in general. Harry missed Draco terribly, he ached for him right about now all too much. All he wanted was to feel his lover's hands on his body, holding him, caressing him, kissing him until he was dizzy with the heat and desires that they shared between them. What Harry wanted most of all right now was to be in Draco's arms, making love to him, hearing Draco's passion-filled moans and tasting his sweet lips and even sweeter milky skin.

To Harry's dismay as he turned off the water he realised all he would find when he was done would be a room filled with steam, and no Draco. Unfortunately, the fact that there was no lock on the door would also be his downfall, because as his still aroused mind and body was wishing this nightmare would end and he'd be back in Draco's arms, he never heard the door quietly open. It wasn't until he pushed aside the curtain that he realised someone was in the room with him, though without his glasses on he couldn't of course see who. Then he felt a large towel wrap around him and someone drying him off, and he knew exactly who it was now, and his cheeks burned red.

'Umm...Peter?' he said cautiously.

'Yes, Harry?'

'I think I can do this for myself,' he said slowly, trying in vain to hide the fact his body was still aroused and in was more than blatant Peter must have seen that fact too.

'But, Harry, I always help you after a shower or bath. You know you can't see without your glasses on. How are you going to manage by yourself?' Peter asked hesitantly.

'Peter, I'll manage. Just hand me my glasses...and get out,' he said forcefully now, this was definitely not what he had wanted at the moment.

Peter sighed but did as Harry asked, though he cleaned off the glasses of the steam before handing them to Harry. 'All right, Harry, here they are. I'll just...umm...wait outside then,' he said quietly, and Harry heard more than saw the door shut as Peter left the room.

Harry groaned and let out a drawn breath, and shook his head. Putting his glasses on, he cleaned the mirror off of the steam and took a good look at himself before a tiny gasp escaped his lips. Peering closely into the mirror something was very wrong here, in fact, Harry had to look twice to just make sure he wasn't seeing things. It wasn't the fact that his glasses were now silver-rimmed like his 'brother's' were, no, that wasn't it at all. It was the fact that where for sixteen of his seventeen years of life there had been a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead...there was only tanned skin...scarless tanned skin at that.

Then Harry remembered who they had been talking to earlier and he realised something. Of course there was no scar, because there had never been a Voldemort in this world. He never lost his parents to a madman, in this world he was a prince of the 'dark', who would dare attack him? No, in this world Voldemort didn't exist, but Tom Marvelo Riddle did. And he was currently a out-casted, pure-blooded Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House. And of all things...this world's 'Tom Riddle'...was a 'good' guy, fighting for what was 'right', and a broken man who had lost more than he had ever gained.

Harry sighed again, wishing desperately now for Draco to be there, even Remus or Severus would do at the moment...anything that would prove this was really just some sick, twisted dream. Slytherin 'dark prince' or not, he suddenly felt very lost, very lonely, and with a heartbreaking groan realised he was about to share a bed with none other then Peter Pettigrew. Nope, this night just could NOT get any worse he thought...then again with another sinking feeling in his stomach...it just might.

Since Peter was expecting him to be 'his' Harry, holder of Peter 'claim mark', and Harry's 'servant'. That meant Peter was more than likely waiting for him out there...in bed...or would be soon enough...to 'satisfy' what Harry knew Peter had obviously seen as he'd gotten out of the shower. What bothered Harry was a sudden very odd thought that seemed to be running though his head that this night could very easily get far more worse then he ever imagined in his worst nightmares.

What scared him was that his own betraying body parts were still somehow responding to the fact that Peter had seen him in his glory as it were. What was worse over all of that was that suddenly his mind lost focus of Draco, and a foggy, cloud-like state began to take over his senses as the steam of the shower began to lift. As it did, a part of something dark and hidden within Harry's soul began to stir, and suddenly he didn't seem to mind in the least what Peter had seen.

A strange heat began to flow through Harry, his mind now sneered at him, and whispery tendrils of mist from a part of his clouding mind was now thinking that after all...Peter did belong to him...so why refuse what he, a Potter and one of the three 'Masters' of Hogwarts, had obviously claimed as his own? Harry didn't check his reflection again, instead he finished drying himself off, a strange dream-like look now in his eyes. Wrapping his towel round his waist he then headed back out to his room, thinking now that perhaps this night wasn't going to be so bad after all...

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September 30, 2002 1:32 AM ©Piriotessa/Piri Lupin-Snape/Piri Malfoy