Summary: 17-year-old Scorpius is stuck… in the middle of the Second Wizarding War. This was not where he was supposed to end up, and it's only his first mistake of many more to come. Time-Travel/AU. Mirrors HBP/DH.

A/N: Rated T for torture, some violence, alcohol use, and mild language. This story will get progressively darker. I am not promising a happy ending. Bad things happen to those who meddle with time…

Warning: Contains many Star Wars references. If you haven't seen at least three of the films, this story will spoil them for you.

British English used throughout.

PART ONE

Chapter 1: The Wrong Time

- Scorpius -

Scorpius opened his eyes and slumped against the wall of the broom closet, still feeling dizzy. After a moment, he reached into his robes for his wand and whispered, "Lumos." He checked his watch; it was a few minutes past two a.m. He took the item Al had given him—a rather old piece of parchment—out of his pocket, tapped it with his wand, and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The Marauder's Map appeared, and he scanned the corridors leading up from where he was to the seventh floor. He found Mrs Norris on the fifth floor, and Filch on the second. Does he ever sleep? Scorpius wondered.

Filch was easy enough to evade, but when he reached the fifth floor, the staircase started to change direction, leading him straight into Mrs Norris' path. Luckily, the worst the cat could do to him was inform her master. He bolted past her and up the two remaining floors. By the time Filch got there it would be too late; Scorpius was already in the Room of Requirement.

The room was dungeon-like, and decorated in green and silver, with a single four-poster bed in the centre. He slept in his clothes, only bothering to remove his shoes; for the moment, he was too tired to care exactly where he had ended up. Morning would come, and he would deal with it then.

He used the map again when he woke, and found hundreds of tiny dots congregated in the Great Hall for breakfast. He did not read the names.

He untied the mokeskin pouch (bewitched with an Undetectable Extension Charm) from his belt and removed the glass vial containing a chunk of Albus Potter's hair and a large flask of thick, mud-coloured potion. He dropped just a few of the hairs into the potion and watched it bubble and change to a pleasant lime colour.

Whether he had made it to the exact time period he had intended, or made a terrible miscalculation, Scorpius knew it would have been unwise to wander around Hogwarts looking like Draco Malfoy's identical twin. Al Potter, however, was anonymous. Though his face was an almost-duplicate of his father's, with no glasses and his lighter hair colour, there was almost no chance of him being recognised.

He set the alarm on his watch to go off every hour, then pulled the chain of his Time-Turner over his head and stuffed it into the pouch.

The windows showed bright sunlight and green grass throughout the grounds; this was a good sign. It should have been early autumn, but there was still the possibility of spring. None of the students he passed looked like they had recently crossed paths with the Carrows, so he remained hopeful.

He entered the Great Hall and found a seat in the vicinity of a girl with familiar blue eyes. Acting as normal as possible, Scorpius allowed his gaze to wander down the table until he saw, toward the opposite end, his father—there was no mistaking him, but Draco's skin was almost greyish, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. He looked like he had barely slept. There were two other boys on either side of him, each about twice his size—one of them must have been Gregory Goyle, and the other—no, it couldn't be—not Crabbe, he was supposed to be dead…

The three of them rose and started toward the door. Scorpius looked up at the head table. Dumbledore was not there; that was a good sign, but the Headmaster's seat was empty, and right next to it was…McGonagall. Scorpius stopped eating; he was beginning to feel nauseas. When he looked again, he saw on the other side of the table…

Severus Snape. There was no more doubt. If Snape was still alive and not Headmaster, then Dumbledore was still alive as well. It had to be either autumn of 1996 or spring of 1997. Voldemort was alive and at full power.

Scorpius swallowed his panic and decided that he had to find out the exact date. He approached a lone Hufflepuff boy as he exited the Great Hall, and discovered that it was Wednesday, the thirtieth of April. The year could only be 1997.

Scorpius was in trouble. How long could he stay at Hogwarts without being discovered? He guessed a few days, maybe a week at most before someone would notice him. He did not like it, but he was going to need help, and there was only one person he knew he could trust explicitly—and who was better than anyone at keeping secrets.

He exited the oak front doors and walked out on to the grounds. He sat in the shade of a beech tree with his father's old copy of Confronting the Faceless open and propped up against his knees—an easy way to blend in with the current students—but he was not reading. He was planning. The Marauder's Map showed that his hopeful ally was in class; he would have to wait anyway.

He drank the Polyjuice Potion every hour, then when four o'clock came, Scorpius found himself in the dungeons knocking on the door to the office of Severus Snape.

It was answered at the first knock.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor," Scorpius said, "but I was wondering if I could talk to you about something, if you have a moment."

Snape stared directly into his eyes and replied, "You are not one of my students."

"You're right, I'm not." Scorpius had planned for this. "I was going to address that, actually. I think I can help you, if you're willing to help me in return. I know some things." He glanced around the corridor. "Would it be all right if we talk privately—just for a moment? I don't want to be overheard."

Snape seemed to consider him, still gazing at those eyes, then finally he said, "Come in, then. Quickly." He beckoned Scorpius inside the office, and they sat down on opposite sides of the desk.

"What is it you want to discuss?" asked Snape.

"Well, considering this is our first meeting, I know I should introduce myself, but—" He had thought about it all day, but now he was struggling to remember the proper words.

"But?" Snape prompted.

"I don't think it'd be wise for you to know who I am just yet." He paused briefly, expecting Snape to interrupt, but he did not.

Scorpius continued, "I'm in a bit of a difficult situation, and I'm in need of an ally. I can help you, if you'll help me, Severus."

"What help could I possibly need from a teenage boy?" Snape sneered, obviously annoyed at the use of his first name.

Scorpius smirked, and silently wondered how out of place it must look on Al's face. "I noticed you've been paying attention to my eyes. You recognise them, don't you? Lily's eyes."

If Snape was surprised at all, he did not show it. Without waiting for an answer, Scorpius continued, "I already know your secret, Severus, and I will keep it for as long as you keep mine. We can call it a deal."

"I don't respond well to blackmail."

"I'd rather not think of it that way," said Scorpius, "but if you insist, then I disagree. I think you're smart enough to know a beneficial arrangement when it's presented to you. All I'm asking is that you refrain from repeating anything I tell you to anyone—that includes Dumbledore."

Snape curled his lip into a sneer and replied, "Let's say I agree, then. What do you want to tell me?"

Scorpius was not satisfied; the answer sounded too hypothetical. "You agree?" he asked again.

Snape nodded.

"I know things about you," Scorpius said, "because I'm not from this time. I came here using a Time-Turner from almost twenty-six years in the future. But I—I made a mistake."

"A mistake?" It was impossible to tell if Snape believed him or not.

"I didn't mean to come here. I meant to arrive around the start of the first school year after the war—after Voldemort was defeated."

"Do not say the Dark Lord's name!" Snape spat.

Scorpius glanced down at his shoes and mumbled, "Sorry. I'm not quite used to him being alive, you see."

"So you're telling me that you came from twenty-six years in the future, and that you're—"

"Stuck here, basically. Even in my time there's still no way to go forward. If you don't believe me—" He untied the pouch from his belt, withdrew the golden Time-Turner and placed it on the desk.

Snape examined the device for a few minutes before responding. "This is not an ordinary Time-Turner," he said, eyeing the boy suspiciously.

"No, it's highly advanced," said Scorpius. "You won't find another like it in this time."

"Who taught you Occlumency?"

Scorpius smirked at the abrupt change of subject, and thought for a moment before answering, "My father did."

"Your father… and who might that be?"

It was an obvious trick; he was not going to fall for it. "That's easy to guess—who else has Lily's eyes?" Snape glared at him. "I told you, I don't want you to know who I am just yet. This isn't what I really look like; I'm using Polyjuice Potion. Harry Potter's second son happens to be my best friend. He's also in Slytherin."

"Assuming that you are telling the truth, are you aware of the danger—not to mention the illegality of using such an item?" He was still fingering the Time-Turner.

Scorpius continued to smirk. "Yeah, like you'd turn me over to the Ministry! Imagine what the Death Eaters would do to me if they found out that I know exactly how Voldemort was defeated! Or what they'd do to you if I was forced to tell them you really are working for Dumbledore!"

"What do you want me to do?" Snape had just about given in; Scorpius had a look of triumph in those eyes that were not his own.

"For now, just help me keep my secret. If I ask more of you, then I will give you more in return. I might even save your life."

"It is not my life I am concerned about. You should know that," Snape sneered.

"Harry will survive, as long as everything goes as planned, you won't need to worry about that."

"What about Draco Malfoy?"

Scorpius sighed. "We'll have to discuss him another time. I'm going to dinner."

…

Snape was watching him; he knew it. Scorpius could feel his gaze subtly shifting in his direction each time he entered the Great Hall. With no other option, he had risked sleeping in the Room of Requirement once more, but Scorpius knew he would not be able to use the room much, lest he interfere with his father's plans. He would need to find another place to sleep as soon as possible.

This. Is. A. Problem, he thought on the second evening, biting his lip in desperation to think of a plan before curfew.

He had originally planned to stay in Hogsmeade, but with Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters at large, he knew that the protections surrounding Hogwarts would make it so that no student (or no one posing as a student) could leave or enter the grounds without detection.

It was ten minutes to curfew when Madam Pince kicked him out of the library, still without a plan. He would have taken the risk for another night, but as luck would have it, the Marauder's Map showed that Draco was in the Room of Requirement. He hurried down toward the dungeons, improvising.

Snape again answered at the first knock, and looked almost as if he was expecting Scorpius this time.

"Still haven't told Dumbledore about me?" Scorpius asked innocently.

"No, I have not," answered Snape. "Why did you come here?"

"I was hoping you would keep me company." He knew what Snape was really asking, but he had no plan to answer that.

"It's almost past curfew," Snape said. "I suppose you're expecting me to cover for you when you get caught out of bed."

"That would be very helpful," Scorpius remarked. "I don't think it'll be an issue tonight though. I'm not planning to get caught. So how about a cup of tea?"

To his surprise, within minutes, Scorpius found himself sitting in the same chair he had occupied the previous evening, a warm cup of tea in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" asked Snape.

Scorpius took a slow sip from his cup before responding, and this time he made no pretence of misunderstanding the question. "I told you earlier that I made a mistake."

"You said you did not mean to come here specifically, but you did mean to travel back in time, and you don't seem intent on finding a way back to your own time."

He started to drum his fingers on the edge of the desk, feeling nervous. Snape already knew he was up to something.

The watch on his wrist began to vibrate, as it had every hour since he had started taking the Polyjuice Potion that morning. He put down his cup of tea and reached for the flask in his pocket, not caring that Snape was watching as he gulped down a tablespoonful of potion.

Snape smirked for a second and said, "You won't even tell me your name, and you seem well prepared. What are you trying to accomplish?"

"I didn't realise this was going to be an interrogation. Maybe I should just head off to bed."

Snape scowled. "You are impertinent."

"I want to tell you what I know, Severus. I just have to be absolutely sure that you won't repeat it to Dumbledore. I need you to trust me."

Scorpius was terrified, though he never would have admitted it. He had barely been in the past for two days, and already he felt exposed and vulnerable. He did not want to fight. He did not want to change anything—not yet. The war had turned out all right the first time around, despite the heavy losses. His whole family had survived. He could not be responsible if someone died who was not supposed to.

"You need me to trust you," Snape was saying. "Then answer me this: do you know what Draco Malfoy is up to?"

Scorpius took a long sip of tea before answering, "Yes. I know exactly what he's doing."

It was becoming increasingly obvious the more he thought about it: he would have to talk to Draco, and it was best to do it as soon as possible.

"And I think I can handle it." He finished his tea and stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Snape.

"I think I know him better than you do. Let me talk to Draco."

…

He waited for half a minute outside the dungeons to be sure that Snape was not going to follow or try to stop him, then he activated the Marauder's Map and scanned it quickly. If he took the shortcut on the second floor, it was a clear path to the Room of Requirement.

Scorpius waited behind the tapestry that concealed the hidden passageway until the black dot representing Gregory Goyle was joined by Draco Malfoy, then he stuffed the map back into his pocket, and rounded the corner of the seventh floor corridor.

Draco whirled around, startled at the sound of his footsteps, but it was Scorpius who spoke first. "Filch is heading up here," he said. "You'll be caught if you go that way."

Goyle looked to Draco, apparently waiting for some form of instruction, but Draco did not respond. His face looked white in the dim glow of their wands.

"If you follow me, I know another way down," Scorpius continued, keeping a mild, friendly tone.

"Why should I believe you?" asked Draco.

"We don't know each other—why would I lie? Of course, if you'd ratherrisk detention with Filch, that's up to you." He turned the corner and walked back to the hidden passageway, looking back only once he reached the tapestry to see that Draco had silently followed him, with Goyle trailing behind. Scorpius parted the tapestry and squeezed through the opening in the wall to the narrow staircase.

"How did you know Filch was on his way up?" Draco asked as they descended the stairs.

"I passed by him," Scorpius answered.

"What are you doing out after hours, anyway?"

"That's none of your business, is it? I'll be fair; I won't ask what you were doing if you don't ask what I was doing." He smirked, and raised his wandlight higher to better gauge Draco's reaction.

Draco narrowed his eyes and said, "I am a prefect, you know." He indicated the badge on his robes. "I could put you in detention if you don't tell me."

"After I warned you about Filch? You can try to bully me all you want, Draco Malfoy, but I know better. You're no threat," Scorpius scoffed.

Draco's left arm jerked slightly, as though he was itching to prove Scorpius wrong by showing him the Dark Mark, but he remained impassive. Scorpius did not feel threatened by him in the slightest. Dark Mark or no Dark Mark, Draco was nothing more than a scared teenage boy.

They were headed for the Slytherin common room, but Scorpius did not have a dormitory in this time; he could not walk in there with Draco and Goyle—that would give him away immediately.

"I'm going back upstairs. Filch will have moved on by now," Scorpius said as they neared the dungeons, hoping Draco would not be too interested in what he was doing.

Draco eyed him suspiciously and replied, "Are you even in Slytherin? I don't think I've seen you before…"

"Of course I am," said Scorpius, purposely sounding offended. "I'm in seventh year. I just prefer to be alone so I don't spend much time in the common room."

He sighed as he collapsed on the same bed he had woke up in that morning, stripping down to his boxers and t-shirt. He placed the flask of Polyjuice Potion on the bedside table and waited until his features changed back to normal, then set his watch for six o'clock, hoping this would be the last night he would have to risk getting in Draco's way.

But then he thought, the whole point of this journey had so much to do with Draco that getting in the way of his plot to kill Dumbledore was about as inevitable as breathing.