Sixteen-year-old Harry Potter snuck into Gryffindor tower, holding the time turner tightly. He had nicked it from Filch’s office after noticing it the last time he was called in there. Hermione had had one in third year, and it saved Buckbeak. Potter was sure that one would be useful to him – not only to correct any mistakes he made, but to make sure he could get all his work done. He couldn’t imagine what might happen to him if he failed a class.

He glanced around the room. No one was there – everyone was asleep at this hour. He took off his invisibility cloak and was about to go to his room when he noticed that the fire looked green. He went to investigate. It looked like someone was trying to Floo in.

“Help!” said the person. It seemed to be another boy. “I’m trapped!”

“I’m coming!” Potter cried, and he leapt for the fire.

Just as he arrived, it went out. There was Floo powder on the floor. Harry gathered it up. He had only used the Floo a few times, but he thought he could do it without instruction. But what should he say when he threw it? He didn’t know where the mysterious figure was from. He thought quickly. Some spells are muggle words…maybe ‘redial’ could work!

Taking a deep breath, he threw the Floo powder into the fire and jumped in without another thought, shouting, “Redial!”

In the confusion that followed, Harry noticed that the time turner was slipping out of his hand. But he was powerless to stop it.

“No!” he yelled. But he couldn’t change his grasp on it, and the precious object fell.

Potter gulped. He didn’t know what would happen now. Already this Floo trip was taking much longer than normal.

Suddenly, he was spat out of a fireplace, landing unceremoniously on his bottom with a bump. “Ow,” he groaned, shifting to his knees to dull the pain.

“Are you alright?” A boy his age came towards him.

Harry thought he looked familiar, but his robes were Slytherin Green. “Yeah, I think so,” he said. “Do I know you?”

“Don’t think so,” the other boy said. “I don’t know you.”

Potter looked up at the other boy in surprise. He had supposed everyone at Hogwarts knew him. “I’m Harry Potter.”

“Harry who?”

“Potter.” Must be new, and a Muggle-born, he reasoned.

“Nope, never heard of a Harry Potter. I would have remembered, too, because my name is Harry,” the other boy said. “Where are you from?”

“London,” Potter said. “But I was just in Hogwarts – up in Gryffindor tower – and someone needed help in the Floo, so I tried to assist them. Was that you?”

The other Harry shook his head. “No. And it couldn’t have been this fireplace, either – I’ve been sitting here for hours.”

Potter nodded. “Um, okay. Could you tell me where I am?”

“You’re still in Hogwarts, but you’ve made it to Slytherin,” the other Harry said. “I’d say ‘welcome,’ but you’re not exactly supposed to be down here, since you’re a Gryffindor.”

Potter shook his head. “Yeah, you’re right. And that explains all the green furniture. Um, could you help me get back to Gryffindor Tower? I don’t even know where the entrance to Slytherin is.”

“Sure. But we’ll have to be careful not to be caught – you know how Filch gets.”

“Oh I know. And he may have already discovered that something’s missing from his office. Hopefully he’ll never notice, but I bet Mrs. Norris will. If he thinks that it’s me, we’ll be in unbelievable trouble.”

The other Harry nodded and offered Potter a hand up. “Let’s go, then.”

The Slytherin boy led the Gryffindor boy through the castle until they were at the portrait of the Fat Lady. “Everyone knows how the Gryffindors get back to their tower,” the other Harry explained.

Potter nodded. “Thanks,” he said. Turning toward the Fat Lady, he said “Unicorn Hair.”

The Fat Lady sniffed. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Potter blinked. “That’s the password. Or it was this evening. Has it changed already?”

The Fat Lady shook her head. “Nope. It’s never been ‘Unicorn hair.’ Try again.”

“Uh, Whomping Willow?”

“Nope again. And don’t bother trying again. I know all my Gryffindors, and you aren’t one of them, even if you have the robes.” The Fat Lady sniffed again and turned her back on the boys.

Both Harrys turned and looked at each other.

“Are you pulling my leg?” the Slytherin boy asked.

Harry Potter shook his head, wide-eyed. “I don’t know why she won’t let me in – that’s the password for this week, and I tried the password for last week, too. And why didn’t she recognize me? She knows who I am, even if you don’t. How long have you been here, anyway, that you don’t know me?”

“This is my fifth year,” the other Harry said, still wary.

“Mine, too. If you’re telling the truth, we should have had a lot of classes together – Potions and Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts… I would know you. And you would know me.”

The other boy shrugged. “You’re the one who Flooed into my common room fireplace. But you have a point. If we’re in the same year, and you’re actually a Gryffindor, we would know each other.”

Potter thought for a moment. “Who’s Gryffindor’s Seeker?”

“Ginny Weasley.”

“How long has she been Seeker?”

“Since her first year.”

“But I’ve been Seeker since before she was at Hogwarts! Wait – what’s your last name?” Potter finally asked.

“Snape.”

“Snape? Like Severus Snape?”

The other Harry nodded. “He’s my father. Why?”

Potter stared at him. Snape has a son? With my name? In Slytherin? How? And how is Ginny our Seeker? How does this Harry not know me? Well, at least Snape will know me.

“As much as I hate to say this, can you take me to your father?”

Harry Snape looked at Harry Potter oddly. “Not now. He’s at home, and trust me, you don’t want to encounter his wards against strangers Flooing in unexpectedly. But tomorrow we could Floo to St. Mungo’s and see him there.”

“Why will he be at St. Mungo’s?” Potter asked, confused.

“Where else would he be? He’s always at work during work hours, and long beyond, sometimes.”

“Wait – Severus Snape works at St. Mungo’s?” Potter said, his heart sinking.

“Yeah,” the other Harry said, as if it was obvious. “He helps a lot of people there with his ingenious potions,” he added proudly.

Potter sighed. “Okay. Well, we don’t need to see him, then. I’ll just talk to Ron and Hermione about the password tomorrow and they’ll set me straight. Maybe this is just a weird dream.”

Harry Snape nodded. “I hope so. In the meantime, do you want to go back down to Slytherin to sleep, since you obviously can’t sleep in Gryffindor? If anyone asks, you can be my cousin.”

“I suppose so. It does seem to be the best option.”

So Harry Snape led Harry Potter back down to Slytherin and got him situated on a green couch in the common room, under a snake-ridden blanket.

“Thanks,” Potter said.

“Don’t mention it,” the young Snape said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“One question,” Potter said. “I’ve always wanted to know – how do Slytherins know when it is morning? You live in a dungeon.”

Harry Snape grinned mischievously. “Oh, you’ll find out.” He turned and walked away, leaving Potter to toss and turn on his couch for the rest of the night.

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