Chapter 567 - Self Introductions Again

The lunch cart lady had yet to come by, but hopefully she came sooner rather than later is what Sirius and Terry were thinking. Suddenly, they hear the compartment door slide open as Sirius's and Terry's faces brim with happiness only to falter at seeing the figure Severus standing in the doorway. Seeing their dismayed faces Severus knowingly smirks as he makes his way inside. "You two actually thought that I was the lady with the cart, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sirius huffs in disappointment and slumped back into his seat, while James blankly stares at the youth in front of him trying to place him. He seemed familiar, but who was he?

Sitting down next to Terry, Severus reaches into his pocket and tosses a chocolate frog at Sirius. Sirius immediately brightens up as Severus tosses two more frogs out, one at Terry and the other at James. James blankly catches the chocolate frog in his hand as he furrows his brows. Everything indicated that were well acquainted with each other, but he did not recall such a person nor friendship from his memory.

Not noticing James reaction, Severus reaches over and picks up Alchemy, who meow's in protest but allows himself to be placed on Severus's warm lap. Glancing back up, Severus arches his brow at seeing James carefully studying him. His expression falters for a moment as he recalls the words that had been said about James in the Prefect's compartment.

Feeling a touch of dismay, Severus tentatively asks, "You don't remember me, do you, James?"

"Sorry," James apologized with a wary face. He had not failed to notice that the youth sitting before him was from Slytherin since he had a Slytherin Prefect badge pinned to the front of his robes. However, in his daze he had not paid attention to the other silver badge pinned to the black robes as well.

"Well, I guess, we'll start out again like we did our first year and riding in the same train compartment," Severus drily sighed in frustration, before holding out his hand. "Severus Prince, it's a pleasure to meet you again, James Potter."

James blinks in disbelief unable to match the picture of Severus Snape and that of the Severus before him. The two looked nothing alike, whatsoever! The Severus sitting before him not only looked rather handsome but dressed rather well too. There was nothing oily or greasy about this Severus Snape!

Seeing Severus not move his outstretched hand, James slowly took the hand expecting some sort of clenching motion. Severus merely firmly shakes his hand and politely withdraws his hand back. James numbly sits back, but his Auror instincts kick in as he prods for more information. "Prince? Aren't you Severus Snape?"

"My father was Tobias Snape," Severus crisply replied. "But Rowan and I have my grandfather's surname as such we are Prince's."

James slowly nods his head not able to believe just how many things did not match up with his own memory and the things he had known. Why did nothing seemed to match his memories. However, a trace of dread creeped through him as a disturbing thought appeared in his mind. Or was it just possible that this was not the past that he knew, but a mirror world? And if that was the case, what then?!

The compartment door luckily saves James from any further thoughts as he glances up to see who is at the door. Standing there in the doorway was a rather tall, slender young woman with long raven black hair and midnight black, indigo eyes. She was handsome rather than pretty, but there was something about her that drew one's eyes naturally to her.

Seeing Sirius's depressed expression and Terry's resigned one, Rowan snickers, "You thought I was the lunch cart lady, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sirius sulkily said as he folded his arms rather crossly over his chest, while Terry sighs in despair. They were going to die from hunger at this rate!

Closing the compartment door behind her first, Rowan then motions to Severus to budge over, who does so reluctantly, before sitting down next to her twin. Seeing the gloomy faces of Sirius and Terry, she reaches into her pocket and tosses a carefully wrapped-up sandwich at Sirius's face. Sirius's face instantly brightens up and gratefully says, "Thanks!"

Rowan hand the next one to Terry, who eagerly grasps it from her hand, before handing one to Severus and then James. She instantly notices the way James hesitates, before carefully taking the sandwich from her hand. Her lips twitch downward in a faint frown and says, "Let me guess, you don't recognize me, do you, Potter?"

James slowly shakes his hand as he still holds the unwrapped sandwich in his hands. "I'm sorry, but I honestly can't recall who you are."

"If it's any consolation, he doesn't recall Severus either," Terry mumbled with a mouthful of sandwich in his mouth.

"How not very surprising at all," Rowan flatly remarked as she unwrapped her own sandwich, a bit too loudly.

"You're taking this rather well, Rowan," Sirius astutely observed not having missed Rowan's subtle reaction. "And why did you call James, Potter? You haven't called us by our surnames since our first year!"

"Well, he is in fact Potter again," Rowan carefully explained, before taking a bit of her sandwich.

They all wait for her to finish chewing as James just cautiously eyes her. Thinking it was better to be doing something with his hands he unwraps the sandwich. He subtly brings the sandwich up and gives it a good sniff not detecting any type of potions or poisons in it, before taking a small bite, and slowly chewing it in his mouth.

Rowan's eyes flashed as she had not missed the cautious actions of James. Narrowing her eyes, she leans back as she coolly studies James for a moment, before coldly stating, "Everything that made up the James that we knew is either missing or simply gone. In that case, the person sitting before us is he still considered the same James Potter that we knew in the past or someone else entirely? And if he is indeed considered someone else, then what guarantees are there that we will remain friends nor much less like each other like in the past? After all our memories and past is what makes the present version of us."

Terry swallows and looks rather impressed by the statement. "As usual, your pragmatism is scary like always, Rowan." Though he casts a glance at James to see if he was at all hurt by Rowan's words. To his dismay, James does not appear to be hurt at all, and even seems especially wary of Rowan. This did not bode well for their friendship at all.