Harry James Potter grew up knowing two very important things: his family was kind of famous in the wizarding world, and his biological father died with honor in battle when Harry was only three-years-old.

Desperate to save his family after learning about the prophecy, James decided to take the Dark Mark; figuring he couldn't defy the Dark Lord as a loyal Death Eater, right? This simple change allowed Lily to survive but he died in the battle allowing Voldemort to take over the Wizarding World.

Harry's now sixteen years old and growing up as a Death Eater's son under Voldemort's oppressive regime has challenged him in ways no one expected, most of all his stepfather, Severus Snape. With the war on Muggles on the horizon, Harry - determined to fight - and Snape, doing whatever possible to keep Harry safe from the prophecy while coming to terms with his own guilt over James's death, must find a way to come together to rid the world of the Darkest Wizard of their time.

Inspired (not exactly) by the challenge Hard Choice by: Lon Wolfgood where James Potter shocks everyone when… he takes the Dark Mark.

Completely AU, no horcruxes, mentor/adoption story, no slash.

Takes Place: 6th summer, 6th Year - Snape flavour: Snape Comforts, Snape is Desperate, Snape is Kind, Snape is Loving, Out of Character Snape, Overly-protective Snape, Snape is Secretive, Snape is Stern
Tags: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Runaway
Categories: Parental Snape > Stepfather Snape

But the Slytherins didn't treat him like a freak. They didn’t make him do their cooking or cleaning because the house-elves did all that. They didn’t smack him around if he didn’t do their homework for them because they didn’t ask him to do their homework. Harry wondered if maybe he was settling into the Slytherins too fast, but he dismissed the thought with a smile. For the first time in a really long time, Harry realized, he was happy.

- - - - -

No one had been shocked when Harry Potter- boy-who-lived, savior of the wizarding world - was sorted into Slytherin house more than Severus Snape. And no one, bar maybe the boy himself, had been more enraged when Harry Potter was taken out of the dungeons and placed high in Gryffindor tower than Severus Snape, either. Which meant that it would be up to one Severus Snape to bring his snake back to where he belonged, Dumbledore's plan be damned.

Takes Place: 1st Year - Snape flavour: None
Tags: Evil!Albus, Resorting, Slytherin!Harry
Categories: Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape