Harry rested in his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his room. This day had been one huge mistake, he thought with a sigh. It would have been better for everyone if he had taken it slower and waited a couple of weeks before tagging along with Snape to the school.

"This was stupid." He said aloud. "I should've known better."

His unsteady emotional fits should have pre-warned him that something like this would happen. Harry rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes tight. In his mind's eye he saw Hermione and Ron in the seconds before they left. Neither appeared happy. He shook his head and pushed himself slowly up into a sitting position. His back still hurt, but not as much as it had before his short nap.

"Harry, are you awake?" Severus inquired from the other room, it sounded like he was eating something.

A rumble in his stomach reminded Harry that he had missed lunch. He carefully stood to his feet before calling back.

"Yes, dad."

There was a little laugh from the other room. "Your adoption papers have not even been returned with the official seal and already I have been christened 'dad'." There was amusement in the man's tone.

Harry grinned as he walked out to join his dad in the living room area. "I thought old man was a bit much." He said with a giggle. "Do you think I made a good call?"

Severus smiled contentedly and patted a place beside him on the couch, which Harry gladly accepted. He leaned against the man's side and let himself relax into the soft cushions.

"You made the only call." The man replied with mock severity.

"So, what were you eating?" Harry asked hungrily, his eyes searching for something edible around his adopted father. The man laughed again and pulled out a bag of chocolate chip cookies from a pocket of his robe.

"My comfort food." He explained with a blush and a shrug.

Harry gratefully took the offered bag and began to munch on the snack. "Brilliant." He said through a full mouth. "My dad has a sweet tooth." At this Snape frowned in disapproval.

"I do NOT have a sweet tooth." He disagreed. "Albus Dumbledore has a sweet tooth. I merely enjoy fine cuisine."

Harry exhaled contentedly and relaxed even further. Everything felt so perfect in that moment. There he was munching a treat and sharing the company of his dad. He snuggled up a little closer into the black robes and felt an arm go around him, hugging him loosely.

"You do know that I am not letting you leave here until we talk about your latest panicky attack." Snape brought up the subject directly. There was a steel in his voice that told Harry not to expect any leniency when it came to getting out of the talk.

The boy nodded his head. "I know, dad. I guess it should have been obvious to me that this would happen." He said bitterly. "It hadn't really hit me that Remus was gone - dead and gone. So much has happened to me recently that I thought I was doing better than I really was...or something." He did not know how to express what had been going on in his mind. "I guess I should have staid at your house for a while longer until I felt more comfortable talking about the Dursleys and stuff...and Lucius. I am going to have to tell Ron and Hermione about Lucius at some point, they deserve to know why I'm acting like this."

"You can still return to our house, no one is forcing you to stay. As a matter of fact, I would encourage you to return for now until you can better handle the schedule of classes. Your seventh year classes are very heavy on extra curricular hours."

"No." Harry said decidedly. "Everyone saw me arrive today. What will the Gryffindors think if I disappear again? There are already enough rumors going around about me, I don't want to add to that."

"I should warn you that some of the houses - namely my own - have also fabricated some rather interesting rumors about the meaning of our relationship." Snape said tightly reigning in his anger. "I thought that you should know before learning it from someone else during classes."

Harry sighed. "It's to be expected. It's not like I haven't dealt with a ton of rumors and gossip before. Remember the Tri Wizard Tournament...You won't get into trouble, will you?" He asked suddenly realizing what those kinds of rumors could do for his dad's reputation. He frowned in worry. "I could publicly disclaim them." He suggested.

Snape shook his head. "It is not our problem if people want to make up stories and no I am not going to get into trouble. Anyone with half of a brain would know Dumbledore could never leave you in a situation where you might get hurt."

The teenager stiffened. "Could've fooled me."

"Harry, I admit that the Headmaster is not perfect, but very few people know about your Aunt and Uncle. They think that you were raised by a pureblood family and spoiled until first year."

Harry's mouth fell open in shock. No wonder he got such awed looks from the younger witches and wizards. They probably thought that he lived in a golden castle or something. He groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead.

"No wonder the Slytherins hated me. No wonder you hated me, I know you don't like people who get better than they deserve. No offence."

"None taken. You are right; I believe that good things must be earned through hard work or intelligence. The Malfoy's are a very good example of pureblood snobbishness." Snape said.

"Snobbishness, huh?" Harry asked with a grin. "Nice word usage. So, what am I doing for classes - sorry, for interrupting your class earlier, by the way." He hung his head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Harry. It is not your fault that things have been hard for you and that now you are having a hard time dealing with it alone. I would suggest a therapist, but I think that we both know it would not help you."

Harry tried to picture himself pouring his soul out to some stranger and grimaced at the mental scenario. There was no way that he could blindly trust a therapist, not yet when he was in such a vulnerable state.

"You're right, dad. Not for the moment, anyway."

"Indeed."

"So, when do I start classes?" Harry returned to his original question. "I want to get into them as soon as possible."

Snape moved into a more comfortable position and took another cookie out of the bag before answering.

"I have already talked to your teachers and they know about your physical limits. I also told them that you are mentally fragile at the moment and that they should not push you too far at first. Most of them are just glad that you are finishing your schooling and they are willing to work with you through next summer if the need arises. For the most part, your teachers thought that after slaying Voldemort, you would not want to come back and do something as mundane as finish school."

"They obviously don't know me. You are one of my teachers, aren't you?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Not this year. Dumbledore hired a second potions instructor for the older students. She is very highly qualified and a nice woman."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "A woman is teaching seventh year potions?"

Snape gave him a sideways glance. "Dumbledore had me help with screening candidates so I know first hand just how good she is at brewing."

"But why aren't you teaching the older classes. Is Dumbledore mad at you?" Harry knew this was unlikely, but why else would his dad's job be cut in two.

"I asked for it."

Harry jerked his head around so that he could study the man's face. "You what?"

"I asked for someone to help me take the load." Snape replied calmly. "I wanted to be able to spend more time with you. Otherwise, we probably would never see each other, especially considering the strong class schedule you will be starting soon."

"Ohh..." Harry was speechless. His dad had given up the extra hours and probably the extra pay for him. "...Wow."

Snape squeezed the boy's shoulder, being careful not to aggravate his back, and then let go of Harry so that he could stand to his feet.

"I forgot several things at our house and I was just going to floo over there to retrieve it. I wanted to ask you if there was anything that you wanted me to pick up."

"Nope."

"Alright, I will return momentarily."

Harry watched the man disappear into the fireplace in a cloud of green fire leaving the boy alone in the living room of their dungeon quarters.

----

Harry dug into the bag of cookies, his hand went all the way to the back without encountering a single treat. He brought it up to his face and peered inside disappointed to find that the bag was empty. His stomach rumbled again and he rubbed it absently while wondering what he could find to eat. His wand - pocketed at all times - came out then and he murmured a quick tempus spell only to discover that it was past six o'clock in the evening and he had missed the dinner meal as well.

He snapped his fingers before remembering that Honey the house elf would not be able to answer his summons. He frowned, but before he could make another move something short and green popped into existence at his feet. He looked down and found himself face to face with the oddest-looking elf he had ever seen.

"Grungy at your service." The voice was surprisingly deep and it took Harry off guard.

"I - Hello." The boy stammered.

The elf, just taller than Hermione's cat and covered in a bright green cloth from neck to toes, bowed low to the ground until its short pointed nose grazed the floor.

"Were you needing something, master Potter? Master Dumbledore said I should be taking care of you." The elf explained, waving its stubby hands in the air as it spoke.

"Oh, alright. Ummm, I was wondering if I could get something to eat as I seem to have missed dinner." Harry stumbled, his mind still trying to reconcile the strange image of the creature before him. "Anything will do." He added knowing that house elves were particularly bound to please.

The house elf bowed, scampered a few feet backwards for no apparent reason and then disappeared with a poof!

"Weird."

----

When Snape returned, it was not empty handed. He carried two folders under one arm and a black tote bag slung over one shoulder.

"I see you have fared well enough in my absence." He commented with a nod at the overflowing platter of food set out in front of Harry.

"Yes. I met the weirdest little elf creature...Grungy." Harry said as he took a bite out of a juicy orange.

Snape nodded thoughtfully. "I know Grungy well, when I was a Death Eater he was the elf that reported my movements to Dumbledore. After I turned against the dark lord he became one of my most trusted allies in the castle."

Harry tried to picture the little elf doing all of that. "You're kidding, right?"

"Grungy really was a lifeline for me during some of my darkest years." Severus fell quiet as he remembered just how bad that time of his life had truly been. He rubbed his forehead to forestall the migraine that always accompanied memories of his early adulthood. He used occlumancy to clear away the painful pictures his mind dug up.

"Dad?" Harry asked worriedly.

He had come to stand next to the man's shoulder and he gently laid a hand on Snape's arm in comfort. The teenager recognized the expression as one that he wore far too often. The boy knew his dad must be remembering past experiences and past actions. A cloud of guilt fell over the man's face and he turned away.

"Let me help." Harry begged quietly. "Like you did for me. I want to help you too...dad."

Snape drew in a shaky breath and nodded, turning back to face his adopted son. Tears shone in the low light of the dungeon room, but they did not fall. He had better self-control than that.

"It has been a long time since I have seen Grungy and talking about him brought back a lot of things, that is all. Nothing to worry about, Harry." He said with a forced smile trying to appear nonchalant.

Harry did not believe a word of it. "I understand what it's like to suddenly be faced with a familiar situation or name or smell or word that reminds you of something horrible and terrible and painful." He tried to articulate. "I know what it's like to not be able to control your feelings and then - all of a sudden - they're controlling you and everything is different. Memories can be so strong. Dad, I know."

The man looked at him long and hard. "I know that you do, Harry. I just do not want my burdens to be yours as well."

"We're family now, and families share their problems and work through them together." Harry said firmly. "Now, do you want to talk about it?"

Snape half-laughed at hearing his own words being spoken back to him. "No, son. Not now at any rate. It really is nothing, I'm fine now."

Harry studied him critically and in truth the man did look better. Actually, he looked completely normal unlike a few seconds before. The boy let his hand fall away from his father's arm, but he did not back off. He wanted to be there for his dad in the same way that Severus had helped him the past months. Snape readjusted the tote bag that he still carried over one shoulder.

"I should probably go unpack these." He said. "You are welcome to join me if you want."

Harry followed his father into another room that looked like a study. The walls were blank and there was a large desk dominating one side, it was covered in papers and books. Several quills were scattered around a spelled ink well.

"We will unpack them over here." Snape said from beside a bookcase. It was short and small and located just slightly in front of the desk, against the wall. He set the tote down on the floor and together they worked on emptying it.

----

Hermione clasped Ron's hand in hers tightly as they approached Snape's quarters for the second time in one day. After their abrupt dismissal that morning, Hermione was itching for some answers. Worry for her friends well being motivated her, but deep down her logical mind needed some further answers to reconcile the dramatic change in Harry Potter.

"You don't think it really is brainwashing then?" Ron asked with a nervous swallow.

Hermione shook her head seriously. "No, Ron. What we are dealing with is a good deal more dangerous than brainwashing potions...I'm pretty sure there's no such thing, by the way. What Harry seems to have developed is a mental disorder. A syndrome normally caused in abduction cases in which the captive and captor eventually create a bond."

"He's bonded to Snape!" Ron exclaimed hysterically. "That slimy, disgusting, git - we need to get McGonagall."

Hermione held on to his hand tighter to stop him from marching right back up to the Gryffindor tower.

"Not a literal bond, Ronald, an emotional bond."

"Oh. Wait, a what?"

They reached the closed door of the private rooms and Hermione knocked gently. There was no response so she knocked louder, drawing her wand.

There was a call from inside and then footsteps could be heard. The door flew open and they were suddenly face-to-face with an annoyed looking potions master.

"Yes?" He asked dryly.

"We wanted to know if Harry was feeling better." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, we wanna talk to him." Ron added with a suspicious look at the professor. "To make sure that he is really okay."

Snape took a step back and opened the door wider. "Harry you have visitors again."

----

"Let me see if I've got this right, you agreed to let Snape adopt you? You didn't even put up a fight or a fuss or anything?" Ron stressed in disbelief.

"He's not that bad, Ron." Harry said defensively. "You don't know him that's all. If you two really got to know him, you might like him."

"Might, Harry." Ron said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Statistically speaking, there are not a lot of lasting adoptions in the wizarding world." Hermione broke in with an all-knowing smile. "Compared to muggle adoptions I have read that statistically speaking the wizard orphans are better off in foster care. I'm not saying that this thing you have with professor Snape won't work out. It is just statistics, after all."

Harry spluttered angrily for a few seconds before he could say anything coherent. "You think that ANYTHING in my life can be governed by statistics?" He asked loudly.

Hermione blushed. "Well, no - not really." She answered.

"Good. Because this 'thing' with Severus is not going to end in a year or a few years or ever, do you understand!?"

"Calm down, Harry." Ron broke in, his hand coming to rest protectively on Hermione's knee. "She is just trying to show you that this might not be the best thing for you. Did you ever think that this might be a mistake? I mean, it's SNAPE we're talking about here."

"Precisely." Hermione rejoined. "I am sure that he is a great teacher, but do you really want your entire future in his hands."

Harry nodded. That was exactly what he wanted. Snape to be there with him from now on to help him through the hard times that he knew would come. He needed the man in his life - he wanted the man to be his father.

"Yes." He answered firmly. "Now, if all you came down here to do was insult my Dad, then you can just leave." He pointed to the door of the quarters. "And if you are going to continue bad mouthing him without any clue of what is really going on then we might have to rethink the exact degree of our friendship." It took a lot for him to say that. He missed his friends and wanted nothing more than to hang out with them and laugh and joke, but he would not let them think Snape was anything less than his Dad and a decent man.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance and Ron's hand slid off her knee. "We're worried about you, mate. It's not about Snape, not really, it's about you."

"Harry, we want to know that you are okay." Hermione said. "You didn't look very okay earlier."

Harry ran a hand over his eyes. "A lot of stuff has happened to me over the last few months and I'm just having a hard time dealing, that's all...dad's helping me."

"Snape is helping you!" Ron corrected with a tinge of anger. "And what can he do that we can't?"

"He understands. He knows what I'm going through. I need that kind of support right now and that is something that you two just can't give me." He took a deep breath. "That doesn't mean I don't need you too, because I do. I've missed you and I want to spend time with you. Your my best friends...I had just hoped that you would trust me enough to accept whoever I choose as my dad."

"I do trust you...but...Snape?" Ron screwed his face up into an expression of distaste.

"I just want to know that you are okay." Hermione said, biting her lip in worry. "We care about you and want you to be safe and happy."

"I am. Besides, Dumbledore wouldn’t let me be harms way." He added, trying to convince them.

Hermione raised a challenging eyebrow. "The Dursleys?"

Harry frowned remembering his own similar reaction when Severus had made the same claim.

"They were a mistake, but this isn't. You have to trust me." The boy pleaded.

The room fell silent as his two best friends thought this over. It was hard for them to just accept the sudden change between Harry and the Hogwarts professor, but they had learned to believe in Harry's instincts. After a few moments, Hermione nodded and Ron gave Harry a little smile.

"Alright, have it your way. We trust you, mate." Ron said. "Just be careful."

----

Once they were gone Severus returned from where he had been in his own room with the door warded for silence to give them some privacy.

"How did it go?" He asked accioing a bag of cookies.

Harry took an offered cookie and sat back on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Better than I thought it would, not as good as I had hoped." He replied.

Harry sat munching away at chocolate chip cookies lost in his own thoughts. It took him a while to realize that his adopted father had asked him another question.

"Hmm? What? I was distracted."

"I said, 'have you thought at all about returning to the tower?'." The man repeated.

"Yes, and I think I would like to try it temporarily just to see how well I cope with being up there. You know, the last time I was there all I could think about was the Dursleys...and how much I had lost. I don't want those memories coming back, but I don't want to be afraid to go into my own common room."

"I will help you face these fears, Harry." Severus promised. "You won't be alone when you go up there. We can wait until all of the students are at lunch tomorrow and then I can help you move in. That way no one has to know if you are unable to stay - and I'll be there incase you need me."

Harry felt warmth flood through him. He could not believe how lucky he was to have Severus.

"Thank you."

"Of course, we will then have to discuss rules."

"Rules?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Yes, you will still require potions - which I will not trust your fellow classmates to leave alone. You will need to come down here for them each night - you may use the floo - and that broaches the question of curfew."

"Oh."

"I have already talked to your head of house and she is willing to give you leniency as far as the school rules are concerned." His expression became sterner. "I, however, am not. As your father it is my duty to keep you from setting a bad example among the other students. I will expect you here every night at ten forty-five. That will give you plenty of time to take your potions and return to the tower before the eleven o'clock curfew."

Harry shifted nervously. What if he panicked in the middle of the night or if he needed to talk to his father about something important. Former abuse suffered at the hands of his Aunt and Uncle left him unsure of what rules meant. If he disobeyed a rule in the Dursley household he would go for days without food and his chore list would be tripled. He knew that Snape would never starve him - and the man had yet to assign a single chore - but that left him with a large empty space of unknown. He felt too embarrassed to ask what punishments he should expect.

"Okay. Curfew, potions, eleven." He said with forced lightness. "Piece of cake."

"Good, now that we have covered that I will go and fetch some dinner. Tomorrow will be a big day so I expect you to take your sleeping potion early tonight." Snape said. "I will be gone to classes before you wake up, but I will see you at breakfast in the Great hall."

----

The next morning dawned bright and clear, though Harry could not tell that from his room deep within the Hogwarts dungeons. He dressed quickly and was about to leave for the great hall when something caught the corner of his eye. He heard a familiar shuffling of pages. Looking over to an open trunk beside his bed, he saw the talking book sitting inside. It flipped itself open as if inviting him to come and read. Curious, he walked over and picked it up gingerly. Although it had not hurt him yet, he was still wary of magical books. He could not remember packing the book, but it had somehow gotten into his things.

It had opened itself to page one-hundred-and-twenty. Harry read the first paragraph, the narrator type voice following along in sync.

"Discipline is by far a witch or wizards most intense ally."

Harry snorted at that statement.

"Without proper education and discipline, any undertaking would be effectively sabotaged from the inside. Our everyday decisions are relevant to life changing decisions. If you do not have proper priorities in one then it is safe to assume that you will fail at the other. Discipline is more than rules and priorities, it is self-dependence.

A very simple solution for the undisciplined is to create a complete list of personal priorities which can then be used as goal motivators."

Harry thought this over, setting the book back down inside the open trunk. Maybe that would help him to be a better son. After all, Snape seemed to appreciate a disciplined mind - the supposed lack of parental discipline being the instigator of a seven year long grudge between them.

On his way up to the Great Hall and all throughout breakfast he remained preoccupied with thoughts of what little he had read that morning. The boy decided then that he would read more of the book later that night once Snape was asleep. Still disillusioned with the idea that his guardian might feel compelled to take the book away from him, he would keep it hidden.

The stolen book was not the only secret that he kept from the man. He still had not mentioned the invisibility cloak, his father's map or the room of requirements. He hoarded these personal treasures in his tower room under a floorboard only known by himself and Ron. He was eager to return to the tower if only to see them again and hold the map and cloak in his hands. They had always been an encouragement to him in the darkest of times. He figured that as a responsible adult, Severus would have to take them away. Especially with his interest in Hogwarts rules.

Harry remembered their talk the night before and grimaced. With his father's will weighing on his conscious, he would never be able to live with himself if he broke the curfew his father set. The boy had very few role models - those he had held up on pedestals being dead - and he was unsure of how much to reveal to his adopted father. He trusted the man and knew that in the near future he would bring up his precious treasures...even if it meant losing them, but for now they would be kept secret.

That decided, Harry was finally able to focus on the things around him. To his surprise over half of the day was passed and gone. He was in the Great Hall again eating lunch. The first part of the day had been a blur to him, but he remembered vaguely that he had been introduced to his classes.

----

Harry dropped his fork into his food, his eyes widening. He had started classes! He slapped his forehead and groaned. All morning he had been so preoccupied that he had just functioned on autopilot through his morning classes and now he could not remember anything that had been taught.

"Great! Just great!" He exclaimed angrily. He could not believe how stupid he had been. The book had left him so busy thinking that he had went through everything in a daze. He was surprised that his friends had not noticed.

Harry looked over to Ron and Hermione - they were sitting so close together they were practically on top of each other. They were talking in whispers and leaning close to each other in an intimate way. Hermione laughed and smiled at something and Ron rolled his eyes with a grin. Harry felt happy for them and the love that they had obviously found in his absence, but a sting of betrayal also accompanied that feeling.

"Get a room already!" Seamus told the couple from farther down the table. He made a noise of disgust.

Ron glared at him and hugged Hermione close. "Don't throw a fuss just because you don't have the guts to get your own girlfriend."

Harry frowned. "Ron, please." He tried to cut in before there was a fight. "You guys are kinda...." He did not know what to say. "Mushy?" He finished uncertainly.

"Yeah and it's disgusting and you are getting on everyone's nerves." Ginny spoke up matter-of-factly from Harry's left. The red haired girl pointed her spoon at her older brother. "I'm glad that you two like each other, but tone it down already."

Hermione looked offended by the entire conversation. She stuck her nose up in the air and grabbed Ron's arm.

"Let's get out of here." They young woman said with a glare at Ginny. "We obviously are not welcomed here."

Harry stood to his feet when she began to march off with Ron in tow. "Hermione, wait." He called. "You don’t have to go..."

They were already out of earshot. With a heavy sigh Harry sat back down. This day had gone from bad to worse. First he ignored everything around him and now he had distanced his best friends. He looked back down at his plate of food no longer hungry and pushed it away.

"Hey, what's the next class?" He asked Ginny.

The red head opened her own school bag and pulled out a schedule. "Umm, Potions with that new teacher, Sandra Higgnite." She replied.

"I think I'll go take a walk before potions then." He said quietly.

----

He walked out of the Great Hall, his gaze focused on the cold stone floor. He was trying to figure out how he could possibly make up with his friends now. All he could hope was that Hermione would come around once she calmed down. He knew that she was a very intelligent young woman and normally level headed, but personal insults were something she had never tolerated very well. Harry understood that.

"A little teenage drama never hurt anyone." Snape commented with amusement.

Harry jerked his head up and found himself inches away from running into the tall man. Snape combed his long black bangs behind one ear with his fingers and studied Harry closely.

"Are you alright, Harry? You have looked a little distance all day. I am sorry that it took me this long to help you." He said seriously.

Harry stared at him blankly. "Help me?"

"We were going to move you into the Gryffindor tower...unless you have changed your mind?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Dad, I've been a little preoccupied with stuff."

Snape laughed gently and they started down the hall towards the tower. Harry liked his adopted father's laugh. It was light and genuine. Harry joined in with a giggle of his own even though he was not sure what the potions master had found entertaining.

"Yes, I saw a bit of what must be preoccupying you. So, Ron and Hermione are 'mushy' are they?" He asked with a laugh.

Harry turned to him in surprise. "You could hear that?" He asked worriedly.

Snape gave him a reassuring smile. "Do not worry so much, Harry. The head table is spelled so that we can easily hear any student conversations. Did you ever wonder how Dumbledore seems to know everything?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, now you know the secret." Snape winked down at him. "Nothing mysterious about it at all."

"That man is a master of manipulation." Harry commented.

"Indeed he is."

----

Harry stood in the common room next to the fireplace. He looked down into it and remembered the fire conversations he had carried on with Sirius when the man had still been alive. A melancholy mood fell over him and all of the earlier frivolity was forgotten. Snape staid by his shoulder, ready to help if Harry needed him.

"I talked to Sirius in this fireplace. He fire called me." Harry said with a catch in his voice. "At first, I didn't know what it was ...freaked me out."

Severus remained silent, letting the boy talk. Harry walked around the tower, lost in remembrances. He came to a stop in front of a windowsill.

"I used to let Hedwig in here at night, she would sit here with me while I watched the stars and I would pet her. Hedwig is at the Weasley's. I don't even know if she would recognize me anymore, owls don't have the best memories, you know."

"I know." Snape murmured.

"I miss her." Harry felt the first tears begin to slide down his cheek. He let them fall.

"We can still get her back, Harry." Snape spoke up softly, his hand falling on the boy's shoulder. "If she does not remember you...she will have to be reintroduced. She held such a strong bond with you before there is no reason to assume it will not be the same this time."

"I guess." Harry said uncertainly. "I sure would like to see her again." He wiped away the wetness on his cheeks. "But I won't be able to see her if I stay in the dungeons."

"Your return to the tower has been painful, I realize that, but not so painful that it would isolate yourself from your fellow Gryffindors indefinitely."

Harry looked up at the man. "I guess that you're right, Dad."

They continued the tour of the tower with Harry commenting on several other areas of special emotional importance, but none of them overwhelmed him to the same extent of the fireplace and window. After they had gone over the entire length and height of the tower, Harry was satisfied that no nasty emotional surprises awaited him if he chose to move back up.

"I guess I can move my stuff up after my last class tonight." The boy said.

Snape nodded in agreement. "I concur." His wand suddenly appeared in one hand and he muttered a quick tempus spell. It was almost time for the potions class.

"I should get going, Dad." Harry said.

"Yes, I have a class to teach, as well. So, I will see you tonight." They headed out of the portrait door together. "And Harry, have a good class. I know that you will like Sandra - she is a...nice woman."

Harry smiled. "Then I'm sure that I will. Bye, Dad."

They separated at the bottom of the moving staircase. Harry moved into a jog, he did not want to be late for the first class he would be conscious of for the day. He wondered what Sandra Higgnite would be like as a potions teacher. A pang of regret flashed through his heart at the knowledge that his dad should have been teaching the class and was not because of him. Harry knew how much his adopted father loved brewing. He pushed these thoughts away and hurried faster down the stone halls of Hogwarts.

----

Harry was two turns away from the potions classroom when he ran into Hermione - hard. They both fell over at the unexpected impact. The young woman cried out in pain when her elbow impacted the floor.

"Oww!" She wailed, clutching her arm against her chest. "What was that for, Harry?" She demanded.

Harry picked himself up and extended a helping hand down to her. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I guess I wasn't looking where I was going." He apologized averting his gaze. The last thing that he wanted to do was make things worse between them. "I really am sorry. Are you alright?"

Her angry scowl melted into a concerned frown. "Yes, but I'm the one who's sorry, Harry. I should have never said what I did in the Great Hall. . .I was being a stuck up snob." She admitted flushing. "That doesn't give you the right to run into me though." She added with a small grin rubbing her sore arm.

Harry smiled, feeling that their friendship would be okay with the young woman's apology. He had felt a betrayal earlier when she and Ron had deserted him after their long speech about being concerned for his well being. Now he did not know what to believe, but that did not mean that he was ready to give up on their friendship. He missed sharing moments like these and exchanging grins.

"I'm sorry too, Hermione." He said finally.

"I was waiting to apologize so this was kinda my fault too." The girl said scuffing her shoe on the hard floor. "I was trying to think of how to apologize and I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry."

Turning towards the classroom together they walked in companionable silence.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked as they approached the potions lab. He was surprised that the red head youth was not in her company. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine, but for some reason he chose not to take potions this year." She said with a confused shrug. "I cannot understand how he expects to excel in life if he doesn't choose to broaden his education at every available opportunity."

Harry grinned. "I have to say that I agree with Ron on this one, Hermione. If I didn't think my parents would have wanted this for me...I would probably be with him doing whatever he's doing right now."

"Quidditch practice." Hermione said with an eye roll at the ceiling.

"You're kidding!" Harry exclaimed in envy. He would give anything to get back on his broom. He had not been able to ride it since before his capture by Lucius.

"Unfortunately, no."

Then they had to stop talking because they had entered the classroom. Harry and Hermione chose two seats at the front of the class - everything else was already taken. With anticipation, Harry waited to meet the woman potions master, Sandra Higgnite.