August 15, 1996

"Again, Harry," Severus said, though his voice sounded weary, as if he didn't in particular want to continue.

Harry seemed to notice this at once, but Severus was glad the sixteen year old was smart enough to figure out that Severus did not need or want him mentioning how tired he looked. He knew he was tired, of course he did. He'd been the one to stay up all night brewing.

"Ready?" Severus asked.

Harry gave a sharp nod.

"Legilimens!" He shouted.

He was within his son's mind in a matter of minutes, but before he could plunge further, something snapped at him and he was pushed back. And then, he was staring at a brick wall. The corners of his lips lifted up, slightly, showing his pleasure, before he fought harder against the wall, looking for a weak spot. It took him at least a full minute before he found it, and then he was pushing against it, trying to break through, but suddenly he was pushed back, and then he was no longer even in Harry's mind.

Severus closed his eyes for a few seconds, and upon opening them found Harry grinning at him, tiredly. They were both in need of some rest—but not yet.

"We cannot stop yet. We're here now, we're gone this far. It's important to continue. But I do believe some chocolate is in order."

Harry laughed.

"What?"

"You sound like Remus, chocolate is a medicine for everything in his book."

Severus rolled his eyes but said, "Chocolate has certain properties that are very helpful in certain situations."

Severus turned away, then, shaking his head. Chocolate gave off endorphins that gave people the feeling of being in love, but it also helped keep people awake and aware of their surroundings. He walked around his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a long bar of chocolate. No one would ever guess how much of a sweet tooth he had. He closed his drawer and walked back to Harry. He split the chocolate in half, before unwrapping his piece and biting into it.

They ate their chocolate in silence and then once more faced each other in Severus' study.

"Alright," Severus said. "This time I want you to try and lead me into your mind. Don't worry about attacking me, just slowly push back your wall so that it is protecting a memory, any will do. I will be trying to get at it. You need to lead me away from it, show me other things that you want me to see."

Harry nodded. "Alright," he said.

Severus gave a nod in return, and then whispered, "Legilimens."

He was again in Harry's mind. He pushed a little harder and found himself suddenly looking at flashes of a conversation involving Harry and Hermione Granger.

"Stop it, Harry," Granger laughed, hitting Harry lightly on the arm.

"What? It's completely true. Ron fancies you," Harry teased his friend.

The memory changed suddenly and Fred and George Weasley were looking at Harry incredulously. He was pushing something towards the twins and nodding.

"Just buy Ron some new dress robes with part of it."

The memory changed again. Harry was younger now and sitting on a stool in front of the great hall, staring into the inside of the sorting hat. The hat was talking.

Severus listened, interested. During his sorting, the hat had threatened—told him, really—he would do well in Gryffindor. The second choice had been Slytherin , though the hat had argued he could have also been great in Ravenclaw before stating, "Your cunning, however, might mean you’ll do well in Slytherin—far too well."

"Hmm," said the Hat to Harry. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh, my goodness, yes—and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting….So where shall I put you?"

Severus heard Harry whisper, or rather think, 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.'

The hat replied, "Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that—no? Well if you're sure—better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Severus was shocked and for a moment didn't fight Harry's will, and then he caught a glimpse of a wall.

Severus pulled back a minute later, and then he was staring at Harry standing in front of him.

"It would have been interesting, I think, back then, had you wound up in Slytherin."

Harry laughed lightly. "Did I do better this time?"

"At the beginning, but once I stopped fighting to find the missing information and just remained watching your sorting, the wall was visible. If I didn't find what I was looking for and you kept it up longer I would have almost been convinced that you had just let me within your mind. We'll have to work on that and a few other things."

Harry nodded with a yawn.

"Sleep is in order, now, I think," Severus said.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "Good-night."

Severus watched Harry leave and quickly straightened up the room before he too headed to his bedroom, through a different door, hidden behind a bookshelf that he waved his wand at. As he walked into his room, he couldn't help but ponder how the last week had changed some of his views on Harry. He could now even think of the boy as Harry without forcing himself to, and he had begun to even see a different side to him.

They hadn't spent more time than the usual at mealtimes and when working on Harry's occlumency, and sometimes in his small library where Harry would sit to read while he worked on his own reading or potions journals. Maybe, he decided, it had to do with the more time they had been living together and getting comfortable with each other.

Settling into bed for the night, after not having slept the night before, Severus found to be amazingly relaxing, before he saw a glinting potion phial on the table in the opposite side of the room, sitting between a number of other potion phials, filled with his memories from 1980. He wouldn't be able to run away from them. He needed to put his memories back and soon. His last thought before falling asleep was that those memories better not have any more surprises.

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Harry fell asleep almost at once, but woke a couple of hours later, his scar throbbing. He rubbed at it first and then, just as he had earlier that night, he put his brick wall up within his mind. The pain disappeared a moment later, and he was back asleep.

Harry didn't remember the occurrence of his scar hurting in the middle of the night until he had dressed after a quick shower, and walked into an empty kitchen.

Usually Snape was in the kitchen cooking breakfast, or waiting for a house-elf to serve breakfast from Hogwarts, but rarely had Harry woken up before Snape. The man had been tired the night before, sure, but Harry had come to realize that Severus Snape never slept past seven. With a shrug of his shoulders he began pulling out ingredients for pancakes.

Harry had just managed to finish mixing everything together and pulled out a skillet, when he heard the fire come to life in the drawing room, followed by a muttered curse and then a groan before the sound of a loud crash. Harry ran out to the other room.

Snape was lying on the ground breathing erratically. Blood covered the floor.

He wasn't unconscious, this was the first thing Harry noticed. The second thing was that he was gripping an uncorked potion phial.

Harry rushed to his father's side and grabbed the potion from his hand.

"What is this? What can I do?" He asked.

"Potion…get Albus," The potions master croaked.

Harry nodded, lifted the potion to Snape's lips and helped him down it before he quickly turned to the fire and grabbed floo powder.

The headmaster was in the middle of a conversation with Fawkes when Harry's head popped into the fire.

"Headmaster, Professor Snape, he's hurt," Harry said. "He told me to call you."

Dumbledore moved quickly and shot his patronus out at the window. "I'll be there in a moment, Harry," He said.

Harry nodded and pulled his head back. Snape was still on the ground and Harry rushed to his side. He slowly helped him sit up. Snape attempted to stand up. Harry helped him and allowed the older man to lean on him. Harry led him to the sofa and helped him sit down.

"Thank you, Harry," Snape muttered.

"Do you need anything else?" Harry asked.

Snape seemed to consider this. "There is a potion," He said at last. "It will help. It is in my bedroom. It's clear and will be found on my bedside table."

Harry nodded. He quickly ran up the stairs towards Snape's room. He found the potio at once and grabbed it, not stopping to look around the unfamiliar room, but instead rushing to give Snape the potion. When he returned Dumbledore had entered the room and seemed to be glaring at Snape, at times turning to look at the fireplace as if willing someone to enter the room through it.

"I gave nothing away, Albus," Snape said.

Dumbledore said nothing, his eyes falling on Harry.

Harry handed Snape the potion.

"Thank you," Snape said, with a quirk of his lips before turning to Dumbledore. "I gave away nothing, Albus, I shall repeat that. He was angry I did not go directly to him after talking to Lucius and he questioned me on the whereabouts of Harry. You could say that was the least he was worried about. He's more worried about the fact that Lucius was betraying him and the Dark Lord is very fond of revenge." He looked around darkly at this thought and Harry felt as if Snape was thinking of a different event.

Remus Lupin stepped into the room at that moment, looking around in a worried manner. He spotted Snape on the sofa and rushed forward.

Harry was startled at Remus' still worried expression, and he became even more surprised when Snape allowed the lycanthrope to wave his wand at him.

"He can barely remain awake, he is in pain, and still he sits here talking to you," Remus said with a snort.

Snape rolled his eyes at the other man but said nothing as Remus proceeded to pull at Snape's cloak, muttering "accio" under his breath so that a bag flew to his hands from a room in the second floor.

Harry watched in silence as Remus fixed up Snape while Dumbledore looked out the window seeming to wait patiently.

"He's planning something," Snape said at last. "I am not sure what it is, but I do believe, Albus that you remain the constant messing up his plans. I think maybe he might wish to kill you far more than Harry."

Dumbledore seemed to find this amusing, it was as if the very topic of his death was a strangely amusing topic. Harry didn't comprehend this, or the bitter look that had crossed Snape.

After Remus had finished fixing up a Snape that admittedly looked far better than he had minutes ealier, Harry noticed that some sort of dark cloud had fallen upon them.

"He called me in the middle of the night. He wanted nothing more than to ask me about Lucius, the whereabouts of Harry, and oddly enough, how well I knew Draco Malfoy. He punished me for Lucius. I managed to apparate to the floo and get here, luckily Harry was awake."

Harry had grown very curious about the elder Malfoy after his dream the week previous but had yet to be sure on Lucius Malfoy's true intentions. Was he really against Voldemort? Or was that a trick?

"Is Lucius a spy for the order?" Harry asked.

No one answered him. Dumbledore looked almost as if he wanted to tell Harry it wasn't his business. Remus looked to be as interested as Harry was in the entire matter. And Snape held his usual blank expression.

Snape was the one to answer. "Yes," He stated, hiding a grimace. "Lucius has always been more concerned with his own affairs. His switch to the order was more for personal reasons, change in certain beliefs. He has helped the order, however, and, to be fair, he has not betrayed the order, even if few know of his work for us."

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August 17, 1996

"Harry!"

Harry stopped on his way to his room and walked to the slightly open door to Snape's study.

Snape was sitting behind his desk, staring at a penseive filled to the rim with memories. Harry spotted the box that had arrived for Snape on the desk next to it, filled with empty potions flasks.

"Just wanted to inform you to get your things together for tomorrow. We shall be returning to Hogwarts tomorrow afternoon."

Harry couldn't help but grin.

"I do believe, we will have much to do, Harry," Snape added, glancing once at the penseive. "You have yet to start on your summer work, from what I gathered, and"—he looked distastefully at Harry's clothing—"we must do some shopping. I also will be in need of your help preparing my lessons."

"Me? Help with potions work? I'm terrible at the subject."

Snape said nothing to that. Instead he gave the penseive a look that could only be described as a glare and then spoke to Harry again, "Time it seems has passed us rather quickly. Already the school year is upon us and there is still much to be done." Snape then waved his hand at him in clear dismissal.

Harry turned and made his way out of the room. He stopped at the door. "Thank you, sir, for everything. I think maybe we will never be father and son in the traditional way, but you've been a great professor."

Harry did not see Snape's frown at those words before he once more glared at the memories within the penseive.

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August 18, 1997

Harry stepped out of the fire with a flourish. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a number of books stacked up in his arms. He looked around the room. It was unfamiliar, with numerous bookshelves covering the walls. In fact, not one wall could be seen. Other than the books there were two comfortable looking chairs, one near the fire, and the other sitting by a writing table that sat directly across one of the oak doors in the room. A sofa sat next to the chair by the fire, and a coffee table sat in front of it, almost at the hearth.

Harry set his books on this table and dropped his bag next to it. Then he waited. Snape was supposed to come through any moment with Harry's trunk and a few more things. Harry had been set with the task of bringing Snape's things.

The fire did not turn green for another half hour, and then a very irritated Snape entered the room. Harry knew better than to inquire after what had delayed him, so he let the matter go.

"Dumbledore has informed me you will remain with me until classes begin in September. He had expanded my rooms somewhat and your room should be through"—he looked around—"that door."

Harry stood up. "Sir, could you levitate my trunk to my room?"

Snape gave him a look. "You can use magic here."

Harry nodded silently.

Snape had been acting odd all morning he hadn't once addressed him by his name and at strange times, seemed to just stare at him as if he was off in some unknown memory. Other times Snape had the most peculiar exoressions—mixtures of what Harry could only call disappointment and anger.

Harry reached into his robes pocket and pulled out his wand. He could feel his magic running through it and he dasped slightly at the recognizable feeling that had only happened once before—when he had picked up his wand for the first time. Sparks escaped the wand into the air, gave a small whistle and then disappeared.

Harry shrugged at his wand and attempted a levitating charm, but failed to lift his trunk even an inch. He tried again, but nothing happened. He waved his wand for the third time at he unmoving trunk, using a different spell this time, but once more his trunk did not go up into the air.

Harry was now frowning. He couldn't believe it. His magic just didn't seem to want to work for him. He tried a different spell. Nothing. He tried another. Once again nothing happened.

Harry opened his mouth to say another spell but did not get past the first syllable before he felt Snape's hand come to rest on his shoulder. Harry turned to look at his father.

"My—my magic," Harry whispered.

Snape said nothing. Harry doubted the potions master could have comforted him. Snape on the other hand quickly let go of his shoulder and moved, extracting his own wand out of his pocket. He swished it towards the trunk and hovered it to Harry's room.

"Come," Snape said once he had put Harry's trunk in his room.

Harry looked up. "Where?"

"The infirmary. I do believe Madame Pomfrey must have a say about this."

Harry nodded. There was nothing he could do. His magic was failing him. He'd relief on it for the past five years and now it wasn't working for him. He allowed Snape to lead him down an unfamiliar corridor, he let him continue pulling him along past his classroom and then past the great hall.

Poppy Pomfrey was cleaning, when Harry and Snape walked in.

"Severus!" The nurse exclaimed, in Harry;s opinion the woman was too happy to see the snarky potions master.

"Poppy, I need you to check Mr. Potter over."

The matron frowned. "But nothing looks to be the matter, Severus, the boy is fine."

Snape said something to her that made no sense to Harry but seemed to have given Madame Pomfrey a minute later she was leading him away from his father.

It was strange, Harry decided after he had been told to sit down on a rather comfortable plush arm chair, to be in the hospital wing without having a physical injury.

Madame Pomfrey waved her wand at him and muttered to herself. She then walked across the room, went into her office and didn't come back for another ten minutes carrying a heavy looking book. She didn't even glance at Harry and instead walked towards Snape and handed him the book. He didn't say anything but instead bent his head to read it. Harry was pretty curious as to what the two of them could be reading about, but didn't dare ask them to tell him. Instead he waited as patiently as he allowed himself to for them to finish their reading.

"Very strange," Madame Pomfrey said.

"Indeed. I've never heard of this happening, but then we are talking about the boy-who-lived. Who knows what could be possible with him. Are you sure?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded and mumbled something to herself that Harry didn't hear. She continued talking to herself for quite a while and then looked up at Snape. "I should inform the headmaster about this," She said.

Snape nodded. "Is there anything that can be done?"

The nurse shook her head. "Unless the headmaster is aware of something I am not, this is just something that he will have to wait out."

Snape seemed reluctant to accept this, but he nodded at her nonetheless. Madame Pomfrey gave him an odd look as she walked back into her office. Harry doubted Snape had noticed it, but Harry had seen it. Now they were both acting odd.

"What-what happened to my magic?" Harry asked once the nurse had left.

Snape looked at him and sighed. "It appears that your magic is expanding," he said. "However, it is not in the usual way."

Harry who hadn't even been aware of the fact that magic could expand looked at him questioningly and opened his mouth to ask about what that meant, but the nurse had re-entered the room and walking behind her was the headmaster.

"I hear you've been having some problems with your magic," Dumbledore said. "I believe I have the answer that the two of you have been looking for," He added, motioning to the nurse and potions master who looked at him with interest.