Ying and Yang

It felt like an eternity before Snape arrived the next evening. Harry had spent the final hour of his waiting sitting in his now empty room on top of his trunk. Finally there was a knock on the door. Harry had to restrain himself from jumping up and rushing to the door. He had told the Dursleys that he was leaving, he doubted if they had even noticed he was talking.

"I'm here to collect the boy." Came the familiar drawl of the potion's master. The sound sent chills down Harry's back, but even having to travel with Snape was better than spending the next few weeks with the Dursleys.

Harry Grabbed his trunk and was out the door before his aunt and uncle could say anything to him. Snape followed suit and left without a word. They walked in silence down to end of the street and around the corner to a small playground that was strangely empty. Snape offered Harry his arm, and the young man accepted, knowing that he was about to apparate to whatever their destination was.

Hogwarts was dark and empty when Harry entered it's front doors. All the torches that were usually lit, making the entrance hall warm and cheery were extinguished. Ignoring the professor behind him, Harry immediately made his way towards the staircase, up to where Gryffindor Tower was.

"Where do you think you're going boy?" Snape snapped.

"To my dorm. In Gryffindor Tower." Harry replied with attitude.

"You will be staying in a different room until term starts. Trust me it is for your own good." Snape said with less venom.

"Fine." Harry said, "Where is this room?"

"This floor, behind the painting of the koi pond. The password is Cadeneta. The elves have left you dinner in there, Breakfast is in the Great Hall at 8 A.M." He turned and headed down to his quarters in the dungeons, leaving Harry alone in the entrance hall.

Finding the room wasn't difficult. The painting of the Koi Pond was very large, and colorful. The fish in the pond were huge and swam around, making the entire portrait look like a swirling ball of colors. At the center a White fish and Black fish circled each other. Harry stared at it for a few moments before he spoke the password. The two fish in the center glowed silver and gold, and then there was a doorway for him to go through.

Inside the room was as beautiful as the painting. There was a small sitting room with a fireplace and two desks and a small couch. There were three doors, two of which led to identical bedrooms, and the third to a white marble bathroom with a claw foot tub and shower. Harry smiled to himself as he put his trunk in the bedroom on the left. It was decorated entirely in black and white, and was arranged to be perfectly symmetrical which comforted him for some reason.
"Well if i can't sleep in the dorm, at least they gave me the luxury suite." He said to himself as he collapsed onto the large bed. He fell asleep peacefully and dreamed about flying on his broom.

The next morning, Harry awoke to the sounds of the shower running. He rolled over and tried to will himself back to sleep. He had just won the Quidditch cup and wanted to celebrate. He sat up suddenly. The sound of the shower running was still there, along with the smell of soap. Someone was in his room. Harry instinctively jumped out of his bed and grabbed his wand, ready to attack the intruder while he wasn't expecting it. A moment later reason set in. He was in Hogwarts in a private room given to him by the staff. there was no way whoever was in the shower was out to get him. It was probably another student who needed housing over the summer. Harry had heard stories of some of the muggle born's having to live at Hogwarts during the summer because of family issues. That's why Snape had sent him here instead of letting him live in Gryffindor Tower, so that the few students in the castle would be in the same place.

Harry put his wand down and got dressed. All the while he could hear the other person bathing, at one point he could have sworn he heard them singing the latest Weird Sisters single. He waited in the sitting room, in the couch, waiting to greet his roommate. After another twenty minutes, the water shut off, and Harry stood up. The door opened releasing a cloud of steam.
"Wow, that was the longest shower ev--ARRRGHHHH!!! What are you doing here!?" Harry yelled as he recognized Draco Malfoy clad in nothing but a towel around his waist walk out of the bathroom.

"What are YOU doing here Potter?" Draco spat. They both stood there for a long moment, each too shocked to speak, until finally Harry turned away from Draco.
"I'm going to kill Snape." He said through gritted teeth. Harry stormed out the door, and rushed down to the dungeons. He was faintly aware of Draco, now dressed in some slacks and a tee-shirt hurrying to catch up with him.
Harry reached the door to Snapes office and Knocked as loud and obnoxiously as he could. He really hoped he was walking Snape up from a pleasant dream. After a moment, he knocked louder, and heard some shuffling behind the door. Draco caught up to him then, breathing heavy and flushed red. The door opened, and Snape appeared in the portal wearing his dressing gown. Harry pushed aside his disgust at seeing Snape in his night clothes, and began his tirade.

"Why is he in my room? You didn't say anything about a roommate, especially not Draco-Bloody-Malfoy. How am I supposed to spend the next three weeks in a room with this prat." Draco was also yelling something, but Harry was too busy being furious to notice. Snape just stood back and snarked at the boys in front of him. Harry could tell he was holding back laughter. "You did this on purpose!" He accused.

"Yes. I did put the two of you in the same room on purpose. Very good work deducing that Potter." Snape spat. "Earlier this summer The Order-"

"Oh not Those losers." Draco sighed. Harry restrained the urge to punch the git and refocused his attention on Snape. If The Order found something about how to defeat Voldemort he wanted to know about it.

"As I was saying," Snape continued, shooting Draco a threatening look, "The Order found some documents belong to your parents Potter. Namely you father's diary. We read it and-"

"You had no right to read it!" Harry yelled. He was furious that they hadn't given him the diary first. It was his family after all, and he barely knew anything about them.

"Would you both stop interrupting me." Snape said with an authority that put Harry and Draco in their place. "I am trying to explain something very serious to the both of you, and I would appreciate it if you would kindly SHUT UP! and let me say what needs to be said. The Order found James Potter's Diary, and upon reading it learned a very large secret. Not even Dumbledore knew the whole truth about this. I certainly did not believe it, but upon exploring Malfoy Manor i found another piece of evidence." He paused for a moment, and looked both boys in the eye." What I am about to tell you will change not only both of your lives, but has the power to affect the entire Wizarding World. I am hoping beyond all hope that the two of you, who have been left under my care until term, will be able to handle this change, and put your differences behind you." Draco snorted, and Snape shot him another look. " James Potter and Lily Evans were never in love." Harry clenched his teeth, but remained silent. " Oh they loved each other Potter," Snape said noticing Harry's discomfort. " But they were not in love. James Potter was having an affair with Narcissa Malfoy."

" I saw that one coming." Draco said with a slight laugh. The other two stared at him. " well not the part about Potter, but have you met my father? He is stark mad and likes to torture things. Who would want to sleep with that?"

"well." Snape continued, "Narcissa became pregnant with Jame's child. In order to protect that child, and their secret love, James married his best friend Lily Evans. Together, the three of them used their magical skills to make it appear as though Lucius was the father. Until they realized that Narcissa was carrying twins." Both boys gasped, and looked to one another. It couldn't be. Harry and Draco had been rivals all their time here at Hogwarts. They hated each other. They couldn't be twins. They didn't even look alike. " When they realized this, they formed a plan. On the night that Narcissa gave birth, both James and Lily were present. As you know, Lily had a large talent when it came to charm work. She along with James delivered the two of you, and then placed a powerful enchantment, making Draco look more like his father, and making the two of you appear as polar opposites so no one would suspect. Lily and James took you Harry, and Narcissa kept Draco"

"But we don't have the same birthday." Harry quipped. He was desperate to prove that this wasn't the truth. Draco on the other hand appeared completely bored with the situation.

"They lied on my birth certificate." Draco supplied dryly. " I've known that forever. Mother always would treat me special on July 31st, as if it was my birthday. by the time i was ten I'd figured it out."

"So what does all this have to do with the Wizarding World?" Harry asked slowly.

"Well twin wizards are very special. You can ask your classmates, the Patel twins. You have a bond, created in the womb. Your strengths and weaknesses perfectly balanced. You can communicate in ways no other people can, and it is the belief of The Order, that both of you must defeat Voldemort together." Snape said.

"Why hasn't this weird twin power taken affect before? we've been near each other for years now." Draco asked. His eyes glinting strangely. Harry was a little worried about how easily Draco was taking this news.

"Lily's spell locked your powers. But it will be reversed now." Snape answered. the bite in his voice was starting to return. He obviously was growing weary of the boy's questions. "It was quite ingenious of a spell, it breaks when the enchanted learn they are under a spell."

Harry looked up at Snape solemnly, his eyes moist with tears. He didn't want to believe that Lily wasn't his mother. He'd never met her, and he loved her more than anyone else in his life. She'd saved his life. Then he realized something.
"How come I didn't die when Voldemort cast the killing spell?" he asked.

"I thought Dumbledore had explained that to you years ago. Lily died protecting you, and her love protected you even beyond death." Snape said, repeating what Dumbledore had said.

"But we weren't related. I don't have her blood." Harry argued.

"Why are you so sure that Blood and Love must go hand in hand?" Snape stated simply. "I know you both still have questions, but they must wait until later. I have a lot of work to do before term starts, and we've already missed breakfast. Go back to your room, and I'll have the elves bring up some food. I'll see you two again at supper."

Harry and Draco silently got up and left the dungeons. They knew it would be absurd to argue with Snape. Harry would continue questioning him at dinner that night. They reached their room, and Harry immediately collapsed on the couch. Draco wandered for a moment, then sat at a desk, and pulled a piece of parchment and a quill from one of the drawers.

"what are you doing?" Harry asked. Draco seemed strangely chipper about the news they had just received.

"I'm planning out our attack on Voldemort." He said shortly, not letting his focus wander from the tip of his quill. Harry was shocked. Draco wanted to kill Voldemort. He had been sure that Draco was in line to get a Dark Mark, but here he was scribbling furiously.
" You don't support him?" Harry asked carefully, not wanting to upset Draco. It was odd to see him in a mood that didn't include being hostile towards Harry.

"Of course not." Draco said, putting down his quill and turning to look Harry in the eye. " You have never had him living in your house." He said seriously." You've never felt his Crucio, you've never watched your parent's beg for their lives as he tortured them. You've never seen a Muggle get turned inside out with a single word. I have. I will never support that mad man, and now that it seems I am destined to destroy him, even if it is while partnered with you. I am going to do it. He will never hurt anyone again."

"I'm Sorry Draco." Harry said simply. He turned and headed off into his room. As he closed the door he heard Draco mumble, something that sounded like, "I'm not."