"But not really." Ron was backed up against the wall of the staircase that led to Gryffindor Tower, his eyes so wide that Harry was surprised that he hadn't sprained something. "You're Malfoy. Or his twin," he added, because Hermione had poked him in the side with an elbow, and Harry supposed it was about not supporting him. "Or you're Malfoy who put that scar on your head for a prank. Not Harry. Not our Harry."
Harry swallowed. He hated the feeling that he didn't belong to them anymore. "Apparently my real name is Aldebaran Malfoy—"
Ron snorted hard, and then clapped his hand over his mouth. Harry gave him a tentative smile that Ron didn't return.
"I felt the same way when I heard it," Harry agreed. "But somehow I got taken to my mum and—I mean, the Potters when I was a baby. They conducted some tests that proved I'm a Malfoy." Mr. Malfoy had done the blood magic after the bracelet test. Professor Dumbledore seemed to think he couldn't prevent Mr. Malfoy from doing it then, because the bracelet had proven that Harry really was this Aldebaran bloke. He seemed to be in shock, and had just stood back and watched numbly.
"How did it happen, though?" Hermione asked. She at least sounded curious instead of upset.
"They think that someone called Sirius Black took me. Apparently he was my godfather and Mrs. Malfoy's cousin, and he betrayed the—the Potters to Voldemort." Harry ignored Ron's flinch and took a deep breath. "Mrs. Malfoy said she heard something about how James Potter was infertile, but she'd ignored the rumors."
"That's it, though!" Ron broke in suddenly. "They're rumors! You can't trust her! She's probably lying about everything. And you saw the way Malfoy's dad went after my dad in the bookshop. How can you trust them when they're lying about everything?"
"They did tests that didn't lie—"
"Tests can be fooled," Ron said, with a loud scoff. "And why would you want to be a Malfoy anyway? Especially one with such a stupid name?"
"Ron!" Hermione said. She sighed and looked at Harry. "It's not as though I like Malfoys, Harry, but if the tests don't lie, then I think you should try to get to know them. It must be wonderful to have your parents really be alive."
"How can it be when they're like that?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry said. "I just want you to know that I'm still me. I'm not going to suddenly start swaggering around with my nose in the air and believing in blood purity. I'm still here."
"No, you're not you," Ron said, shaking his head. "You don't look like Harry, and you don't talk like him, and Harry would never make any deals with a Malfoy, no matter what kind of family he wanted!"
"Ron!" Hermione said again. She sighed and reached out to take his arm, but Ron backed up and kept shaking his head.
"It just isn't right," he said. "I mean—Harry, you're Harry, not Aldebaran. You should have refused to let them turn your face that way and go with them, if you're really Harry. If you're going to stay Harry."
"I'll have you know—"
"No, listen to me." Ron was pale instead of red, which made Harry feel an uncomfortable stir in the bottom of his stomach. "Malfoys have never tried to be friends with Weasleys. You can't be my friend."
"But I am your friend!"
"That just proves that you didn't really know who you were, and neither did I." Ron turned and walked up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry called after him. But Ron only said, when he was near the top of the stairs, "My Harry would have denied them."
"Well, excuse me for wanting a family!" Harry yelled, as finally his temper cracked. He had known Ron would take this badly, but he had never thought it would be this bad. "You have brothers and a sister and parents, and you act like you despise them! And you want me to turn my back on them just because of what I look like and what my name is! You're stupid!"
"Yeah, that's the way it is." Ron only nodded, looking abnormally calm. "Malfoys insult Weasleys."
He disappeared. Hermione looked torn between going after him and staying with Harry. Harry looked at her and sighed, and the anger drained out of him.
"I didn't mean to say that," he whispered. "But he wants things to be true that can't be true. I don't like the Malfoys, but I know they're going to fight for custody, and they're going to get it."
"Of course they will." Hermione came up and hugged him, lightly, probably sensing how stiff and uncomfortable he was. "It's not right that you should have to turn your back on them because Ron's upset. And—maybe he'll come around. You know, when he sees that you're not really turning into a different person because of the way you look."
Harry nodded, although he didn't really feel convinced. But what could he do? He'd explained things, and Ron had got upset and stormed off, and right now, he didn't have much more time to stay and explain things. Mrs. Malfoy had said that he could have half an hour to speak to his friends, but then they needed to leave. There was some kind of legal documentation they needed to do, and that could only be done at the Ministry.
"Aldebaran!"
Harry cringed. Hermione did at the same time, and smiled at him with her lip trembling. "Do you think you can get them to stop calling you by that name? It really is awful."
"I don't know if they will," Harry said, with a sigh. "As far as they're concerned, Harry is a name that my kidnappers gave me, and they don't want to use it."
"If they really love you and would do anything for you, then they'll get used to it."
Harry paused, and then had to smile. Hermione's idea was more than a little wonderful. At the same time, he didn't know if he wanted to ask anything of the Malfoys.
But he would have to. They were going to control his life from now on.
That made Harry lose the smile. After eleven years with the Dursleys, he knew the worst they could do. He hated it, but he could survive it. How was he going to cope with the Malfoys? Especially since he'd seen Mr. Malfoy and Draco in that shop selling Dark artifacts? What did they own? What spells would they use to punish him if he didn't do what they wanted?
At the same time, Harry knew that he couldn't just give up and go along with everything they wanted. That wasn't him. And he wasn't an obedient little doll like the Malfoys would probably want.
Maybe if I bother them enough, they'll give me back my illusion and let everyone pretend that I'm just Harry Potter?
It was an idea, Harry admitted, as Mrs. Malfoy called for him again and he hugged Hermione and then turned to go back down the stairs. It was definitely an idea.