A Different Pair of Eyes by watercrystals
Summary: Perception can be everything. After the incident with the Philosopher's Stone and Voldemort, Harry falls into a magical slumber and wakes months later on August 31st as an entirely different boy who is about to begin his first year at Hogwarts. Sorted into Slytherin as someone else, Harry experiences Hogwarts in an entirely new way. He realises that there is more to Slytherin than it appears, and even more to their Head of House as well. Before long, acting as someone else isn't nearly as hard as fighting the need to reverse it, or at least find out what happened to “Harry Potter”.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape, Teacher Snape > Professor Snape, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Dumbledore, Fred George, Ginny, Hagrid, Hedwig, Hermione, Luna, Original Character, Pomfrey, Ron
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Drama, Family, General, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Resorting, Slytherin!Harry
Takes Place: 3rd summer
Warnings: Neglect
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 4 Completed: No Word count: 26304 Read: 17064 Published: 22 Dec 2011 Updated: 18 Apr 2012
Snape's Point of View by watercrystals
Author's Notes:
A little shorter than usual, yet given the limited knowledge Snape has at the moment regarding the situation, it was all I could do without resorting to useless rambling.
Thanks to Ash for your input, as I doubt I'd have finished this chapter as easily otherwise. It gave my much grief at one point, hence the late update.

After being held back at the end of his first Potions class, Harry soon stood before the wall that concealed the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

No one was around, so he was able to pause and stare at the stone bricked wall. Living in Gryffindor for a year made it hard to adjust to Slytherin in more ways than he'd realised, such as the amount of time Harry had to think as he walked from the first floor to the seventh.

He was not so lucky this year.

The walk from the Potions classroom to his new common room was a matter of good direction and a corner or two, therefore erasing his chance to think and compose himself before he stepped inside.

With a heavy release of breath, Harry missed his Gryffindor home so much already and it hadn't even been a few days since he had returned to Hogwarts. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, thinking of the Gryffindor common room, before he savoured the memory and whispered the password to the wall.

Stepping into the Slytherin domain, Harry paused as he descended a few steps and looked around - really looked around - and took in the full appearance of the room. Slytherins were scattered about in robes and casual yet Wizarding clothes. Some sat in corners with books or played games, others huddled by the fireplace to talk while nearby friends mucked around and laughed.

They looked normal and Harry was reminded of the Gryffindors he missed so badly.

Spotting Kevin, Harry approached where his friend was sitting comfortably on a sofa with Ellis. Only a few feet away, Draco and Blaise who were playing chess; Harry was smug to see that Draco was clearly losing the game and Blaise almost looked a little bored by his lack of challenge.

As he sat beside Kevin, Harry realised that Slytherin house as a whole hadn't given him much trouble yet, since they thought he was one of them. In fact, he was almost comfortable there now he was learning to adapt.

Maybe Harry had been a little unfair and harsh to assume they were all bad news or so darkly different to the rest of the school?

--

Meanwhile, Severus Snape was in his private quarters with his hands gripped to either side of a stone sink which contained Dumbledore's pensieve.

He stared into the liquid, his dark hair curtaining his face as it always did, and his mind occupied with the contents. The memories had already been placed inside the magical object yet Severus made no move to view them, merely thinking as he continued to ponder on the subject the memories revolved around. He was intrigued, to say the least, about a new student in his house.

A first year named Jaden Royce.

The boy was difficult to figure out but he was different from most of the other first years that had arrived at Hogwarts since Severus started teaching. Other than the ones Severus knew prior to their arrival – such as Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy. No, this child was a complete stranger to him yet there as just something about Jaden which told Severus he should pay closer attention to the boy.

With a sigh, Severus lowered his head and placed his face against the liquid, letting the memories pull him in, showing him each interaction or observation he had involving the first year boy so far, enabling him to re-live them yet with a deeper perspective...

-- 

When the doors of the Great Hall opened and the crowd of first years followed Professor McGonagall towards the staff table where the sorting hat was, Severus did not think there would be anyone interesting within the group.

Still he looked and sought anything familiar. Besides the Weasley girl, only three others caught his attention. A Chinese girl who had the gaze of someone who was more than she appeared to be, a brown-haired girl that wore an expression of nervous delight which reminded him of Lily, and then...one boy. He had brown hair, brown eyes and looked to be quite average, except he was fidgeting and looked nervous. It was not unexpected for a first year preparing to be sorted, yet Severus saw something in the boy's expression when the child glanced directly at him.

They stared at each other for what could only have been seconds, but Severus gained a lot of knowledge from that simple moment until McGonagall's words diverted the boy's attention to her. He saw fear of not belonging, the uncertainty in himself, but above all...a clouding of secrets. There was a lot of magic present in the child and most of it was being directed to protecting himself.

The child gave the impression of being guarded and on edge, yet the deeper aspects of concealment he didn't seem to be aware of. The boy was troubled and felt the need to protect himself, yet did not appear to otherwise give a reason for it.

The sorting ceremony continued while Severus watched, as the boy looked to have a friend who was sorted into Slytherin. He was interested in the Weasley red-haired girl who went to Gryffindor.

'Jaden Royce!' McGonagall called the name Severus now knew belonged to the interesting child.

The name did not belong to an ancient pureblood family and was in no way familiar to Severus from an associate or old classmate. He watched Jaden sit on the stool and was declared a Slytherin within the space of hardly two seconds. Yet the child appeared shocked and overwhelmed by the declaration as he slowly made his way to the cheering table.

Severus watched the boy the entire time, seeing the denial and confliction in his expression. Either he had not expected to be sorted there or had dearly not wanted to be a Slytherin.

Jaden conversed with two of the girls that had caught Severus' attention earlier, who he now knew to be Ellis and Ann. The friend he'd made was there too...Kevin, wasn't it?

Severus turned away from the first years to eat his own meal and talk with nearby professors. Once dinner had concluded and a fifth year prefect stood to direct the first year Slytherins to their common room, Severus excused himself and left the Great Hall through the side door the staff often used.

He hid in the shadows of the dungeons he knew so well and watched the group of first years following the prefect. Apart from the exact wall where the common room was located, Jaden appeared to be the only one who really knew where he was going.

Almost as if he had been to Hogwarts before.

Waiting until the right moment, Severus marched into the common room with his usual dramatic entrance. He pretended not to notice that Jaden was wandering close to the corridor that led to the dormitories, though the boy didn't dare leave while Severus gave his speech of house loyalty to the new Slytherins.

Severus knew Jaden wasn't listening to a single word he was saying, yet let it slide for now as he would later teach the boy the hard way of such disrespect and foolishness.

Moments later, Severus turned to leave and paused to see Jaden rushing off to his dormitory immediately. Yes, that boy was a strange one.

'The child is certainly secretive.' The observing Severus commented as he watched the scenes play out. 'Yet even he does not appear to realise the full extent of it. Of course, then there is the most curious clue...'

He looked around at the last time he had seen the boy, during the Potions lesson.

Severus marched through the door of the Potions classroom and made his way to the front of the room, his eyes scanning over the heads of the Slytherins and Gryffindors, noticing that he had captured their entire attention. With the exception of Mr Royce, though he could tell the boy was aptly listening.

With his usual speech about the exact art of Potion-making, Severus sat behind his own desk and called the roll. As he reached Jaden, Severus paused and looked over at the boy before he said the name.

The reaction received was most unexpected.

The child's head rose so quickly Severus wondered if he'd hurt his neck or if something had startled him other than someone speaking his name. Jaden stared at him and then answered. Severus returned his gaze to the list of names and proceeded with the roll calling, though he was focused on keeping his expression neutral even when his mind was shifting through many possibilities.

It was nothing other than a mere curiosity before, but now he was wondering if this child was a troubled one in which Severus should keep a very close eye on.

With the instructions given to the class, Severus began to pace around the classroom, knowing from experience to monitor the Gryffindors more closely than his own snakes. His reputation as head of Slytherin house and hater of Gryffindors always seemed to reach the first years as a whole by their first Potions lesson. It often put the lions further on edge, which made them additionally hazardous during lessons. That, and they were generally rebellious and trouble-seeking by nature whereas Slytherins were very self-preserving and cautious.

He could feel someone watching him and looked over to see Jaden turning to observe the Weasley girl.

It interested Severus, yet was also something he wished not to notice. A Slytherin skilled in Potions who was interested in a red-haired Gryffindor girl...that sort of thing was not going to end well. Severus sighed and continued to watch the lesson going on, focusing primarily on Jaden. He noticed how the boy appeared to be familiar with the potion and was already practised with preparing ingredients.

He wasn't brilliant and still had a lot to learn, but Jaden worked with the level of familiarity as at least a second or third year would.

Nearly half an hour into the lesson, Severus watched as Jaden stepped back from his cauldron when it was required to sit for a while. The boy seemed proud of something, though still anxious and determined. Jaden checked the cauldrons of those on either side of him and seemed concerned for his friend when Kevin wasn't doing as well. It was that moment in which Severus had approached their bench, checking on their progress and making sure the boy wasn't slacking off, since the others were still working.

He had long ago perfected the ability to stand behind his students without being noticed and that moment was no exception.

Severus moved closer in observation as he saw Jaden advising his friend on how to rectify his potion.

He saw nothing new with the moment, as Jaden hadn't checked any notes or otherwise seemed deep in thought, it was more the expression of someone who had just remembered an outcome relating to the potion before. Perhaps a lesson learned from previous error, or a piece of advice he had been given but ignored until he learned the consequence of such ignorance. It could also be that Jaden had seen someone else brew the potion to its expected standard and picked up pointers from his observations.

And when the five house points were awarded to Slytherin for Jaden's work, the boy was shocked and at unease at first. Then amused, yet Severus could not decipher any further details he hadn't already assessed the first time around.

The boy was a mystery to him still, and Severus did not like not knowing such facts about one of his own.

Plus, Mr Potter was no longer a constant focus point for him, which had occurred so suddenly, yet Severus had been assured by Albus that it was a matter not to be concerned with at this point in time.

As the lesson came to an end, Severus was interested by the small detail of Jaden busying himself with assisting his friends to clean their benches in addition to his own, as though he wanted to remain busy. Yet Severus had seen so few Slytherins even consider such a chore action unless requested or otherwise very close to another. In this case, Jaden did not appear to be close with Ellis or Kevin, merely striving in a budding friendship.

The boy appeared reluctant yet eager to leave the classroom.

Those conflicting aspects caught Severus' further curiosity because the boy clearly wanted to leave yet something was holding him back at the same time. And he knew from the look in the Jaden's brown eyes that it had nothing to do with the class subject itself.

The conversation that proceeded didn't reveal anything new to Severus, until they reached the point where the boy had lied about merely following instructions. The child proved he was sorted correctly and had impressed Severus. He let the matter drop and hadn't wanted to push the boy for more information, knowing that he had to gain the trust of the student first and then was not the time nor place to do so.

As Severus continued to watch, his focus was perked when Mr Potter was mentioned. It was a strange curiosity and he knew it to be somehow important, yet there was a clouding within the boy in which he had not noticed before.

Occlumency.

When Jaden mentioned Potter, his eyes glanced at Severus and at the time there had been nothing to notice but interest. Upon second glance, he saw the clear defensiveness in the boy's gaze. His mind was being guarded with exceptional speed and intensity beyond what a child his age could be capable of.

Not needing nor wishing to see more, Severus pulled himself from the memories and gasped for breath as he leaned away from the pensieve.

--

Quite some time and many circling suspicions later, Severus walked along a corridor and stepped into the staffroom where a larger number of the staff were inside.

Keeping his distance from the useless Defence teacher, Lockhart, Severus moved to stand in a shadowed corner and crossed his arms over his chest.

The first half of the meeting felt like a waste of his time. He tuned out of the updates to the banned items list from Filch, the concerns of the sunlight absorbency for new plants from Sprout, slippery floors around Moaning Myrtle's bathroom that McGonagall really thought they should fix, and Lockhart babbling some nonsense about a Duelling Club.

There were other matters as well but Severus hadn't even heard them because his mind was too occupied with his new realisations about the first year boy in his house.

'Severus?' McGonagall asked when he seemed lost in thought.

The other staff members had left, leaving only Dumbledore and the four Heads of Houses behind.

He glanced over at her to show he was still listening, though Severus didn't say a word, hoping to get this irritating meeting over with so he could return to his brewing and pondering thoughts.

'Is there any news on Harry Potter, Headmaster?' Flitwick asked.

This captured Severus' attention more fully, though he expertly concealed his interest as he moved to sit in a chair a short distance from the rest.

Only those in the room knew Dumbledore had arranged a visit to Saint Mungo's to do an assessment of Harry himself. He had returned and everyone was yet to hear the details of the incident. Since the boy had been declared perfectly healthy, Dumbledore suspected (and Severus had agreed) that other magic may be at work. Possibly even from Voldemort himself, since it was the Dark Lord who had been present when it happened to the boy.

Though, since Dumbledore had not approached himself or McGonagall in regards to Potter, Severus had low hopes that there was much they could do at this point. Sometimes no news can be good news, but it was still frustrating and useless to those who despised to simply sit around and wait for something to happen.

And yet, as Dumbledore spoke, he still managed to surprise Severus and the others who had dimming hopes of a change or fixable situation involving the boy's condition.

'I sensed a magical presence mingled with Harry's.' Dumbledore revealed. 'His state was likely brought on by what occurred between his confrontation with Lord Voldemort, yet also from the intervention of another. The boy cannot wake because his mind is not there.'

He raised a hand to calm the gasps of the others, who clearly thought he meant Harry had gone insane or slipped into a vegetated state.

'Allow me to explain.' Dumbledore smiled sadly. 'Harry has not changed, however his awareness and personal thoughts are being projected to another. I do not think Harry knows this, only that he is apparently not himself...likely to think he is in the body of another.'

'I have heard of this.' Severus realised, yet hadn't meant to speak aloud.

With their entire attention shifted to him, he felt compelled to continue. An encouraging nod from Dumbledore concerned him as it seemed as though the Headmaster’s knowledge on the matter was also limited.

Severus did feel a little smug about knowing something Dumbledore didn't, though he did try to keep the expression from his face.

'With extreme channels of magic, a comatose individual can switch souls with another or otherwise two souls may occupy the same body for an amount of time. It is what the Dark Lord appeared to have been doing.'

'Can it be reversed?' McGonagall asked quietly as she looked deeply troubled by the news.

'Perhaps.' Severus replied. 'However, it is very rare and complicated magic. The Dark Lord would not have had much difficulty due to the absence of a body of his own. However, since Potter is currently lying in a Hospital bed, the castor is either using constant potions to maintain the flow and sharing of magic or he/she is unbelievably powerful. More so than the Dark Lord himself.' He said carelessly, much less concerned about the boy's state when it was something he could understand.

'How long could it last?' Sprout wondered. 'Is there anything that can be done?'

'Why would someone do this?' Flitwick added.

'Research shall be required.' Severus answered. 'My knowledge of this rare piece of magic is limited and requires refreshing.' He did not pretend to have all of the answers, therefore he could not give them a solution or complete understanding of the matter.

'I will update the aurors watching over young Mr Potter.' Dumbledore said. 'I think, for now...we must simply wait for Harry to wake. Are there any long-term consequences, Severus?'

He did not reply right away, since everyone was worrying enough as it was, yet Severus nodded his head and sighed, delaying it the best he could.

'If the caster releases Mr Potter's mind and enables his soul to become whole again in his own body...the boy shall be fine.' Severus avoided their alarmed expressions.

'However...it is possible, though highly unlikely, that if the two individuals are of similar age, weight, magical balance, emotional functionality and other contributing factors...they may switch entirely.' Severus explained.

'The two souls would have bonded and therefore may easily, with equal acceptance, convert to the other body. Additional changes shall be provoked and DNA patterns will follow the soul. Essentially, the two individuals can create an entirely new identity for themselves.'

'Then there is little to be concerned with.' Dumbledore brightened considerably.

The staff turned to stare at him in shock.

'You stated that Harry would have to agree to this? And I doubt the caster is a twelve-year-old boy, therefore that option seems to be quite impossible.'

As the others calmed and agreed, moving on to discuss other matters, Severus could not bring himself to do the same. He did not believe that a twelve-year-old could achieve this ancient form of magic, however Severus had a deeper understanding of the potions that may aide the length of the magic's duration.

Someone more powerful than the Dark Lord had to have done a lot of careful planning and relied solely on flawless timing in order to perform this. Someone who knew Voldemort was possessing Quirrell and that the boy would not be able to be touched by the Dark Lord. That person would have to know Harry Potter inside and out to even attempt to conduct such a complex branch of magic and union of minds in a singular body.

But why?

Who would do to all the trouble for something that couldn't physically harm the child, only render him asleep in actual form while his mind was still active elsewhere? What was the boy seeing and experiencing?

Though, Severus knew, sometimes the greatest harm is not always physical.

 


 

When dinner concluded the following night, Severus made his way to the Slytherin common room as he usually did from time to time.

Stepping inside, the room looked as it always did yet he could feel a sense of burden. He couldn't explain it, though it likely had something to do with his Ligilimency skills, but Severus could always tell when he walked into that room if one of his snakes need his attention.

Eye drifting around the room, he spotted a few students that looked distracted and kept to themselves but it was not entirely abnormal. Sighing, he sat at his usual desk near the center of the room and proceeded to read a book.

Severus kept his senses sharp and forbid his mind to think of Harry Potter.

He discreetly applied an eavesdropping spell he had created himself so he could overhear the whispers around the room even when they would otherwise be too far away or hushed for him to make out the words of.

'What's he doing?' He heard the unnerved and cautious voice of Jaden whisper to one of his friends.

'He does that.'

Severus was surprised when it was Draco Malfoy who replied. He knew Jaden hadn't spoken to the second-year because he'd noticed the frown Jaden often cast the older boy. The first year clearly knew something of the Malfoy family in which brought on such a immediate dislike.

'Why?' Kevin questioned.

Severus didn't get to hear what the students thought and assumed of his infrequent and unscheduled visits to the common room, because a 6th year boy had burst into the room with a loud and disruptive entrance. Severus did not move nor react as he glanced sideways at the teenager who had his fists clenched to his side. Not seeing a wand, he allowed the 6th year to vent before he would intervene.

'You bloody sod!' The boy, who had blonde hair, yelled to a nearby room mate, a boy with dark skin and back hair.

'What are you on about?' The second boy asked.

'You know what!' The angry sixth year growled, his tone raising in seconds. 'You asked Mary out, didn't you? I liked her, you know! You don't deserve her, you're not good enough for someone like her.'

Severus exhaled and rolled his eyes.

More teenager drama, yes this was exactly what he needed, the man thought sarcastically to himself.

He glanced around the room and saw how few Slytherins were too interested in the quarrel taking place, yet Jaden had been only a seat away and looked...stricken. Severus narrowed his eyes at this. He became deeply concerned when the blonde teenager shoved the chess set off the table in front of the darker boy and shouted again.

Jaden had flinched so profoundly that he slid off his seat and landed on the floor, raising his hands to shield himself. Realising his action, he crawled away from the scene and, without his friend noticing as they were distracted, Jaden jumped up and fled to his dormitory.

'Enough!' Severus rose from his chair.

He glared at the two teenagers, who instantly calmed and were anxious as they hadn't realised he was there. Severus lectured and cautioned, then turned and approached the corridor that led to the dormitories. He glanced towards the room in which belonged to the fifth years and remember when that room had been his own.

Sighing, he stood outside the first year boys dormitory and knocked on the door before he pushed it open.

Jaden was lying on his stomach on his bed, his face buried into his pillow, yet he did not appear to be crying. Nor did he notice his professor enter the room.

'Mr Royce?' Severus caught his attention.

The boy jerked his head towards him and stared with shock and embarrassment to see his professor standing there. Quickly shifting into sitting position, Jaden looked away and lowered his head with shame.

'Yes, sir?'

'You were quite eager to leave the scene in the common room.' Severus stated. 'It is not a typical reaction towards a mere quarrel over a girl. Therefore, I wondered upon the cause for you profound desire in which to flee to your dormitory.'

'I...' The boy hesitated and did not raise his gaze from the bed sheets in front of him. 'I don't like shouting, sir.'

He has spoken softly and Severus wondered if the boy had meant to say it aloud at all. It was not an answer he liked, however, and he knew there was more to the response that a simple dislike for noise.

'Usually such a dislike is stemmed from a memory or incident.' Severus said. 'What is it in which came to mind when you heard their shouting, Mr Royce? Who were you really hearing?'

'That's private, sir.'

'Not to me.' Severus stepped closer but paused when the boy instinctively retreated until he almost ran out of space on his bed.

'Mr Royce, I am simply attempting to provide assistance in which aims to rid any negativity in which troubles you.' He explained and lowered his own tone. 'Teenagers frequently quarrel over ridiculous things. I cannot sleep knowing that such normal occurrences have a fearful impact on you, child. Each Slytherin must feel safe and accepted...something you would be aware of had you bothered to listen to me during your first night here.' He frowned with a scolding yet not unkind voice.

'Sorry, sir.' Jaden blushed. 'Do you really lose sleep over something like this?' The boy looked up with his brown eyes searching his professor's.

'Yes.' Severus reluctantly admitted. 'It is my duty in which to watch over the members of my house, Mr Royce. Surely you would not think that such suffering would be ignored?' He raised an eyebrow.

'It always was before.'

Severus didn't comment, though he felt angered towards whoever exerted such ignorance towards the boy in the past. He knew the child hadn't meant to say that aloud so he remained quiet and waited patiently for Jaden to speak again.

'I just...I don't like hearing people telling someone they don't deserve something.' Jaden sighed miserably and looked away again, sounded very uncomfortable and vulnerable. 'I don't like it when someone yells.'

'Who or what comes to mind when you hear such, Mr Royce?'

'My uncle.' The child finally revealed. 'I hear him shouting at me for being a freak....' He swallowed and ducked his head further. 'I...my old family didn't like me very much.'

'I assume you are no longer residing with your previous family?' Severus frowned deeply, despising any adult who treated a related child with such lack of love or concern.

The boy nodded and glanced up again, looking relieved and a little shy.

'I was adopted during the summer.'

'I am pleased to hear that.' Severus nodded. 'However, your burdening memory of your uncle remains to linger. Which is understandable, since it has only been mere months since you have relocated. However, should this continue to become an issue for you, I encourage you to inform me of such. You do not need to suffer, Mr Royce.'

The child fell silent and looked down again. Severus wasn't sure if there was anything else in which needed to be said or done, so he turned to leave. Pausing in the doorway, he glanced back as the boy spoke to him.

'You act so cold and mean to others.' Jaden said. 'But you're not really like that, are you?' He looked over at Severus with confusion and gratitude marking his features.

'I do not tolerate laziness in sugar-high, whining brats, Mr Royce.' Severus frowned. 'However, despite what others may be led to believe, I will not stand by idly while a member of my own house is suffering. Do not forget that.'

The boy only nodded in reply and looked away. Severus glanced around the dormitory and noticed how Jaden's area was the tidiest, almost looking to be less lived-in.

He looked over at the boy once more and noticed a droplet of liquid dripping onto the sheets. Yet the child's shoulders did not shake and he was utterly silent.

'Mr Royce, you remain troubled.' Severus stepped closer and summoned a handkerchief, which he offered to the boy.

Jaden sniffled and quickly wiped his eyes as he avoided looking at his professor the best he could.

'I'm fine.' The child sighed.

'You have a misguided sense of “fine”, Mr Royce.' Severus said bitterly.

'I am fine!' Jaden insisted and stared up at him. 'I just...I don't know, sir. Everything I thought about being in Slytherin, and of you...it was all wrong. And now you're trying to help me but you don't even know who I am.'

'Things are rarely as they appear to be, Mr Royce.' Severus said. 'I do not require prior knowledge of my students in order to perform my duties. You are one of my own and require assistance, which is the only reasoning I require to help you.'

'If I was in Gryffindor...you wouldn't care so much, would you?'

Severus narrowed his eyes at the defiant anger laced in the child's brown eyes and wondered why the boy was so concerned with how he treated the Gryffindors. Though the boy spoke the truth, Severus did not want to lose any trust the child might have towards him as it would only hinder progress.

'Gryffindor house is not my responsibility. That burden rests with Professor McGonagall.' Severus stated.

'They're not so bad.' Harry grumbled. 'Why do you hate them be so much just for being Gryffindors?' He frowned at the injustice.

'Why do you despise shouting, even when it does not indicate towards actual violence or chaos?' Severus reversed the question.

'Bad memories.' Harry realised as he watched Snape nod and then turned to leave the dormitory.

He sighed and looked back at his bedsheets, his mind filled with new perspectives and an understanding of things he previously thought were just stupid and unfair.

'Are you okay, Jaden?'

Harry looked up when his new friend, Kevin, stepped into the room and glanced at him with a worried expression. He gave the other boy a brief smile and did feel a little better, though embarrassed and awkward about his interaction with Snape.

'I'm okay.' Harry nodded. 'It was just loud out there, Kev.'

'Yeah.' Kevin approached Harry's bed. 'My parents don't get along much, so I'd spend a lot of time with my grandfather. I don't like the yelling either.'

Harry looked over at Kevin and thought about the things he had in common, because it was strange how he considered Ron and Hermione to be his best friends and yet he was still so different from them both.

With Kevin it was different, as they understood each other in ways Ron and Hermione were unable to for Harry.

They had stayed up late the previous night, spending it in the common room talking. He hadn't thought much on it until now, but Harry realised just how similar they really were. Kevin had a muggleborn mother and pureblood father just like Harry used to. He also didn't look at Harry oddly or judge him when he put such value on food, since Kevin's family had been poor for several years when he'd been younger and Kevin knew that sometimes they had to eat whenever and whatever they could.

'Kevin?' Harry asked.

'Yeah, Jaden?' His friend sat beside him and gave Harry his full attention.

'I'm glad I sat with you on the train.' Harry smiled. 'I'm glad we became friends.'

'Me too!' Kevin grinned. 'Can you imagine how horrible it would be? Coming to Hogwarts all alone, I mean?'

'Yeah.' Harry sighed, though he had imagined it when he'd boarded the train last year, yet he had been lucky twice to have come across a dorm mate and friend on the train rather than step into the Great Hall knowing no one at all.

Having a friendly and familiar face made a huge difference, and Harry was thankful for Ron, just as he now was for Kevin as well.

He was afraid though, that with Snape being nicer to him and actually caring where no one else had, and having a friend who actually understood him more...what if he didn't want to be Harry Potter again?

As Jaden he was normal.

As Harry Potter he had so much pressure and expectations on his shoulders...being the Boy-Who-Lived caused him to be more different than even he had realise before, with everyone staring at him and whispering behind his back.

Being Jaden was more freeing, further enabling him to be himself and just enjoy being a student learning magic at Hogwarts...yet above all, things were easier as Jaden and much less chaotic.

“Being Harry Potter” was just another phrase he used to describe a stressful and miserable burden, one he really wasn't sure he wanted to reclaim. 

To be continued...
End Notes:
I will have a banner up for the main first year characters soon. Still working on it :P
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