"No scathing retort, Mr. Potter? Mr. Weasley? Just as well, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley to your rooms, now! Mr. Potter I do believe we have a discussion that is long past due," Snape said as he motioned for the teens to precede him through the door.

Snape followed the trio as they slowly made their way to their rooms. He shook his head at their antics, as if they could put off this long awaited discussion by doing so.

"Good night, children. Mr. Potter, I do believe my bedroom would be the best place for this. We need no interruptions," Snape said.

Severus watched Harry, as he reactivated the wards on his room. He could see the boy starting to turn in on himself, and knew they would never get anything accomplished if Harry fully closed himself off.

"So, Mr. Potter, let me have it!" Severus demanded.

Harry stood there not understanding. "I'm sorry, what do you want me to give you? We didn't get anything but information about Ginny tonight, and shouldn't one of her parents be here when we tell what we found out?"

"I am not speaking about that. I knew where you were as well as what you were doing. Petunia informed me, in fact she told me quite a lot. From what I gathered after seeing your conversation, you still do not trust me. You have reason not to trust me, and you need to get it off your chest before it ruins us all. So, as I said, let me have it!" Severus demanded once again.

"You want me to what? And after you went rooting around in my aunt's head? Do you really expect me to confide in you? You, who cares more for Draco Malfoy than you do your own flesh and blood? You who left me to be neglected for sixteen years of my life just because you were too much of a coward to take care of your own? No! I don't think letting you have it, as you put it, will do either of us any good. We do need you alive after all," Harry said, barely keeping his voice and magic under control.

"Well, that is a good start. What else have you been keeping inside that head of yours? Come on, we've got six years of classes on top of the fact that I left you behind. I know you have more pent up in there. Let. It. Out!" Severus said.

Harry started pacing, his muscles tense with pent up frustration. "Why do you suddenly care? Now that Malfoy's parents out themselves to save him, he no longer needs you, and you now have a little time left over to give to me? Is that what you think? You can keep your time. I neither need, nor want it. You walked away from me all those years ago, maybe you should just keep walking. I've done fine on my own. I. Do. Not. Need. You. Or. Any. Other. Adult! I have Ron, and Hermione. They have been there for me, hell even Aunt Petunia has been like a saint sent to me since Vernon got himself killed. So, I can turn to her if I feel in over my head. What makes you so special all of a sudden to think I'd turn to you for a knut, much less confide in you?" Harry growled.

Severus laughed. "You seem to be doing a wonderful job, from where I stand. Anything else you like to get off your chest? Any questions you are dying to know the answer to? Come on, now is the time to get every little last injustice out onto the table. Your life is dependant on your being able to trust me, on us being to work together. You are too noble to let the world as you know it crumble around you simply because of your hatred for me, so please continue as you were," Severus said calmly.

Harry growled even more when he realized he had played right into...that man's hands. "Fine you want to know everything I think and feel about you? Just remember you asked for it!" Harry said in a low, hateful tone. He then started pacing faster, ticking off things on his fingers as he ranted.

"Do you have any idea what it was like growing up with those neglectful, prejudice, and hateful people?"

Severus started to feel...something but ignored it as he watched his son pace.

"I was seven before I could see properly. They didn't spend any money on me. They never took me to the doctors and I never knew I couldn't see properly until we had an eye test done on everyone at during Primary school, when we were getting ready to learn to read..."

Severus rubbed his eyes as they went out of focus. ‘Today has been entirely to long, my eyes, my whole body is exhausted.' he thought.

"...I was constantly hungry, I was never given enough to eat..."

‘I knew I should have joined everyone during dinner.'

"...was made to cook and clean or I'd get less than normal to eat..."

Suddenly Severus was at a table he could barely see over the edge of, he was watching those around him eat as he was waiting for his dinner, he felt so excited when he saw his plate coming towards him, only to groan when there was hardly anything on it compared to his cousin's plate. He realized he was getting punished for not finishing the raking, even if he did do everything else on the list and it wasn't his fault it had rained that afternoon.

"...was so worried I'd be made fun of even more. It was bad enough I had to wear those clothes, but then my hair was even worse than normal, since Aunt Petunia listened to Uncle Vernon when he said she should cut my hair..."

Severus felt himself rocking back and fourth on his lumpy mattress as he hugged his legs and wished for his hair to be better. He then woke to his aunt's screaming about unnaturalness when she saw that his hair had re-grown over night.

"...I was constantly bullied and chased by my cousin and his gang of thugs he called friends, I even ended up on the roof..."

"Severus was scared, he'd never been this high up before. How in the world did he manage to jump onto the roof, when he just wanted to hide behind the dumpster? Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were going to kill him when he got home, that is if he could ever figure out how to get down.

"...I was constantly belittled and called names that I only understood to be bad, that meant I was bad, and yet I had no understanding why I was so bad. I tried my hardest to do what they wanted me to..."

Severus felt his head spinning as he saw time after time of being called Freak! Unnatural! He will be just as worthless as his drunken parents! Quit trying to upstage Diddykins, you will never be as good as him!

"...and then came the day a letter came for me. The only post I ever had gotten, and it was snatched away..."

Severus found himself fighting for a letter, any letter out of the hundreds that was pouring out of the fireplace. And why are we driving all over the countryside? What could be so scary that we have to do this to hide from it? Has it finally happened? Have I driven my uncle crazy with whatever is unnatural with me? Oh bloody hell! Who is trying to knock the door down? Oh man is he huge, what do you mean I'm a Wizard? Magic is real?

"I was so excited during that trip on the Underground! Hagrid was actually nice to me, he didn't think I was a freak. But then, then we went into the Leaky Cauldron and I was recognized..."

Severus wanted to hide behind Hagrid. Why was everyone looking at him like that? Why do they all want to shake his hand? Please Hagrid, get me out of here. This is all too much. Oh, look at that. Isn't everything incredible here in Diagon Ally?

"...the rest of the summer I was ignored. Which was ok, because I was so excited about starting a new school. I could make new friends, and I could be myself, and actually get the grades I deserved, no one would know if I was doing better than Dudley. And Potions, oh Potions class sounded like something I might be good, possibly even great at. After all I had been cooking for many years by then. But no, even that wasn't meant to be, because you happened..."

Severus was doing his best to pay attention and take the best notes possible. He knew potions class would be the one place he could do well in. He might not have the magical knowledge to help him in his other classes, but he knew how to cook, and cook well, surely that would help him here? Why are you asking me these questions? I've already told you I don't know. Choose Hermione if you want the answers, she knows everything. Why does it matter what I did all those years ago? I don't even remember it, and it has nothing to do with learning? Why pick on me?

But then Severus saw himself day after day, year after year tearing into that same child. Trying his best, in that child's eyes, to destroy every last shred of self-esteem the child could hold onto. How could he have thought that this was protection for his son. ‘Oh yes, Severus, keep the boy physically safe from those in your House, but don't leave him anything mentally to survive what is coming...idiot'

"...and now, now you think we should be closer because you've told me your biggest secret? I'm supposed to care about you simply because you tell me that you're my father and that you loved my mother so much that you couldn't bear to raise me after she died?" Harry said, flopping into the chair, utterly exhausted from his ranting.

Severus shook himself from the visions he had been forced to take part in. He would wonder about just how that happened later. Right now his son needed to know why he had walked away. "No, you have it wrong. I didn't leave you with Albus because I couldn't stand to be near you. I..." Severus stopped and took a deep breath. "I left you with Albus, because I was positive that without your mother to balance my temper and strictness out, that I would do more damage to you than my own father did to me. I could not let myself abuse you like I was. Albus assured me that the Dursley's would care for you; after I convinced him I was not suitable to be your only parent. I cannot condone my behavior towards you during school, only to say that it proves that I would have harmed you even more had I raised you. Can you not see that?" Severus asked in an almost desperate tone.

"No, actually I don't see it that way. I see that you took the cowards way out, and then punished me because you couldn't do the right thing to begin with. It seems to me that you're constantly harping on me being pampered by my relatives, that me being an arrogant celebrity, when the proof was starring you in the face to the contrary, that you were jealous someone else had done your job. You couldn't stand that so you made up what fit your worst fears and tried to make me fit that mold. And now you want to make everything right when you realize that your mold was wrong. But it's too late, I've grown beyond the need for a parent, and you're just going to have to deal with your share of the consequences!"

Severus looked like someone had slapped him, and hard. "No, no, no! You...you have some of that right. Yes, I did have this picture of your childhood in my mind, and I did refuse to see the evidence that I was wrong. But you haven't grown past needing me, or anyone. Don't you see? The day you feel you no longer need anyone is the day the Dark Lord wins. That is the day you become just like him. You cannot vanquish him on your own. You will need as many people as you can get to help you, and you will need people close to you. You need people you can trust to ground you, to keep you from harming yourself, to show you the right paths to take. You do not want to make the same mistakes I made, that Lucius and Narcissa made when we were just children not much older than you! Take our experiences and learn from them, use us to rise above and to conquer! But please, please do not turn down that lonely path where you trust no one. He did that, and He struggled, and then He turned to the Dark Arts to make things easier. You are too bright of a star to be dimmed in such a way. Please do not do that to yourself!" Severus pleaded.

Harry was in shock. He had never seen such an emotional response from this man. He thought about what Severus had said. Was he being untruthful just to get what he wanted? Was he being Slytherin to the core? No, it didn't seem that way. Severus Snape would never beg and plead with anyone, not to get what he wanted. No, this man's pride wouldn't let him do that, not unless he truly cared...

"I...you really think I'll end up like him? I knew we had too many things in common, but Professor Dumbledore told me that it was my choices that set us apart," Harry looked up wide eyed, realization hitting him like an insulted Hippogriff. "You're positive that if I continue to choose to be mad at you, that I will end up just like him, aren't you?"

Severus looked relieved. "Yes, that is the very same hate that a young Tom Riddle grabbed onto and let lead him down that very evil path. I'm not saying you have to love me. Your right, it is far too late for that. I have done you too much harm. But you have to let go of this hate. You have to learn to depend on those that can support you. You are no longer alone; you have many people who wish to support you. Please do so," Severus said imploringly.

Harry sat in thought for quite a while. He then looked up and nodded to Severus. "You're right. I do need to learn to depend on those that can help me. I guess I should start with what I found out I can do the other day. I just ask that you sit there and listen to everything before you start cutting me down, please?" Harry asked and then waited for Severus' reply.

Dread settled into Severus' stomach. ‘What has the boy gotten himself into now? You know you will only find out if you agree to his terms, and what better way to prove to him that you can change?' "I agree, Harry. I will sit here and listen to you. I will only ask questions if I don't understand something that cannot wait, is that agreeable?"

"As long as your question has nothing to do with my lack of intelligence, or some other scathing remark, that will be fine." Harry agreed. "Last night, while Ron was sitting with his mother, Hermione and I tried an experiment. I wanted to see if I could...well, I wanted to see if the connection I have with Voldemort goes both ways. After a very enlightening trip through my magical pathways and pools, I found that, yes, I could connect to him and that he couldn't feel that I was there. Before you ask, I know he couldn't tell because there is no way he wouldn't have taken advantage of that information. I learned who took Ginny Weasley, and I also learned what a few other low ranking Death Eaters look like."

Harry then took the next hour to explain every detail he could remember of the meeting, as well as his trip before hand. Severus was intrigued by the description of Harry's magical system, and most of the questions asked pertained to that subject. Harry was sure Severus was just keeping himself to the safe topic until he was allowed to yell.

"I wish you had been able to look at your Magical system before your last birthday. Unfortunately, it is not a skill taught at Hogwarts. Most children do not gain much power during their coming of age. It seems to me that your entire magical system has changed, though. No one I know of, not even Albus or the Dark Lord had or has magical pools to draw upon. Yes, I know what you used to get to and from his mind, and that can be explained by his power of Occulmency and Legilimency. While he has neither broken through mine nor Lucius' defenses, that is only because we both learned early on to re-direct his attention to what we wanted him to see. There are not many with that type of will power, so not many are capable. The Dark Lord has used Dart Arts to amplify his powers, whereas Albus was just extremely gifted with an uncanny intelligence, as well as having the power base to back that intelligence up. You, Harry, seem to be an entirely new type of Wizard," Severus declared.

Harry looked dumbfounded. "How can I be a new type of anything? You and Mum both are just normal magical folks, right? I mean I know the Malfoy's have Veela in their blood somewhere; you can't get that entire package of looks and power and not have something to back it up. But Mum was a Muggleborn, and you, you told me you were a half-blood. Nothing unusual there?" Harry asked almost pleading.

"Yes, Lily was a Muggleborn. You were not misled on her background. As for me, the Prince family is as old as the Potter, Weasley, and Malfoy families. Our heritage goes back to the Founder's time and before. I have not ever seen any family tree for the Prince line, mother was considered dead to the family when she married Tobias. She might be able to get her hands on one now, considering we are the end of the line. There are no longer any family members to question our right to the family vaults. We should go to Hogwarts and see her in the next few days; she might be able to shed some light on you. You do understand that you can simply be a leap in evolution, though. There may be no simple answer to why your system is so different to everyone else's," Severus explained.

"I...that is a lot to take in. I can't believe I'm so different. I've never believed I was the freak that the Dursley's called me. After I started Primary School and found out how other kids were treated I decided that it was the Dursley's that were really the freaks, not me. But now...now you're telling me that they were right?" Harry asked, sounding a bit hysterical.

"Harry. Harry! Sit back down and calm your self! It was not my intention to confirm your long held fears. You are not a freak, not now, not ever. If I am correct, you are simply the future of our race. All beings have to evolve or they die out. It's possible that where I created new spells, that you will be able to create entirely new spell classes. But I am getting ahead of myself. You have nothing to fear, and you have everything to be proud of!" Severus exclaimed.

"I...ok, I'd believe you if you weren't acting so unlike yourself. This entire meeting from the moment you warded the door seems like a scene out of that weird show Dudley used to annoy Vernon by watching, I think it was something like tillight, or twinlight?"

"I do believe the program you are referencing is the Twilight Zone," Severus said.

"Yes, thank you. This whole ordeal with you tonight seems like one of the few episodes of that I was allowed to watch. No one was acting like they should in that one either," Harry said with a mock shudder.

"Would you feel better if I started yelling at you for your extremely idiotic trip into the Dark Lord's mind? We have yet to broach that certain subject," Severus said.

Harry cringed. "I, uh, didn't figure I'd get lucky enough for you not to be upset about that. Just keep in mind I am here in front of you, safe and sound, before you skin me alive and use my guts for Potions," pleaded Harry.

"Your person is completely safe from my experiments, for now. Just know that for the next several days we will be examining your entire trip via Pensieve. I will also accompany you on an in-depth exploration of your Magical System before you are allowed to try that fool-hardy stunt again. I cannot believe Miss Granger agreed to you doing that, when she had no way at all to bring you back, or know it was actually you that came back," Severus said in a deadly quiet tone.

Harry looked up at that last thought. "I never thought of it like that. How are you sure than I'm me? You haven't seemed a bit worried since you found out what I did. It's almost as you've been sure the entire talk?" Harry questioned.

"It is simple. The Dark Lord would never be able to pull off what you did while you were ranting. He can not make people feel emotions he does not posses. While you were ranting, I was subjected to your point of view, quite literally. I am unsure how you accomplished this, but it is part of the reason why I believe you will be able to create new classes of magic," Severus stated.

Harry started to nod, but it was interrupted by a huge yawn. "Sorry, sir, I didn't exactly get enough sleep last night, and tonight has been just as busy," Harry explained.

Severus sighed. "Your dismissed, Harry. Oh, and Harry? Sleep well."

"You, uh, you too, sir," Harry said quietly as he walked out the door. He was entirely too wrapped up in the idea of falling into bed to notice Severus' dismay over the fact that Harry went through all of Severus' wards.