“Harry!”

Harry turned around to see a wave of redheads swarm him. The red sea crashed into him, hugging, and in some cases, kissing him. There was a moment when he thought he was going to be suffocated. But when he objected, trying to push everyone aside so he could breath, Harry found himself looking at the whole Weasley family and Hermione.

“Oh Harry!” Mrs. Weasley and Hermione threw their arms around him again, tears flooding from their eyes. Ginny was also crying, though she was smiling, as were the Weasley men, and did not try to attack him again.

“Um, hello everyone,” Harry tried to sound as though he did not know what they were going on about. “Um, did I miss something?”

The women pulled back away from Harry and stared at him. “Oh, Harry!” Mrs. Weasley wailed. “We thought…we’d been told that…”

“Molly,” Arthur warned from behind his wife. “Not so loud, dear.”

“It’s so good to see you!” the boys all cheered and they all began talking at once, starting to give Harry a headache.

Although he was having a tough time staying composed and struggling to not throw his arms around his friends, Harry knew he had to play his part. Who knew if Snape was still around watching? Besides, he had to act as though he did not know what they were on about. That was safest, after all. He and his father had planned out everything.

“What happened to you, Harry?” Hermione cried.

Frowning, lest he start crying or laughing – he didn’t know which he’d do- Harry looked at the others confusedly. “What are you all on about?” he asked, his voice reflecting bewilderment. “What’s going on?”

Here, all the Weasleys and Hermione, looked at Harry stunned. “Mate,” Ron stepped forward, “we all thought you were dead!” his voice was a shaky whisper.

“Dead?” Harry choked out the word, finally able to let his guilt and pain slip through. “Why would you think that?”

“Albus informed us about the fire, Harry,” Arthur spoke up when Molly could not. “He said that no one survived.”

Frowning again, Harry was having a difficult time keeping his composure. “Fire? What fire? I wasn’t in any fire.”

“The fire the Death Eaters set on your aunt and uncle’s house, Harry!” Mrs. Weasley stared at the boy incredulously.

Using his fear and guilt again to his advantage, Harry let his face crumble. “Death Eater’s attacked the Dursleys?” his eyes flashed with horror as he remembered that night and how close he really had come to being a prisoner of the Death Eaters. “W-when did this happen?”

“It happened in the early morning of August the second, I believe,” Arthur thought back to that terrible morning. “Albus went to check on you and found the house burning.”

“I…I didn’t know about…” Harry trailed off, so he wouldn’t have to exactly lie.

“What happened then?” the twins demanded.

“Where were-”

“-you then?” they asked.

Taking a deep breath, Harry hoped that everyone would be too distracted to realize that he was lying to them. “Well, I ran away the day before,” he answered tightly. “I…I ran away because I didn’t want to stay with the Dursleys anymore, so I got a cab and went into London.”

“What!” Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. “You went to London all by yourself? Harry, what if something happened to you? Where did you go?”

Blushing at the rebuke, feeling terrible at having worried everyone, Harry looked down at his feet, ashamed. “Well, some men came and talked to me while I was wandering around, and when I said I didn’t have a family, they took me to an orphanage where I stayed the rest of the summer.”

“An orphanage!” Harry could not tell exactly who had said this as the voices all started to blend together.

“Yeah,” Harry blushed again, becoming very unnerved with the situation. “I didn’t know that you all would worry…or find out,” Harry looked up with pleading eyes. “I’m so sorry for worrying you all. I really didn’t think…” he trailed off.

At that moment, Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry into another fierce hug. It was then that the raven haired boy realized that the witch had lost some weight. Had she been that worried about him? He felt terrible. “There, there, Harry,” Molly cooed. “It’s alright. We’re just so glad you’re alive and unharmed! Merlin, are we glad you’re safe!”

Melting into the woman’s arms, Harry closed his eyes, trying hard not to cry. When Mrs. Weasley let go, Harry looked around at all of his friends. They were all smiling at him, as though they had never seen anything quite so beautiful in all their lives. It made Harry uneasy, but it also showed what good friends he had. “I really am sorry,” he said again.

“Enough of this now,” Mr. Weasley smiled at Harry as he squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “I believe that it’s time to load up the train. Can’t be late.”

Smiling up at the Weasley patriarch, Harry nodded, as the Ron threw his arm around Harry’s shoulder. “Come on, mate. We don’t want to have to take another car to school, do we?”

At this, Harry laughed, as he, Hermione, and the Weasleys loaded up everything onto the train before saying their goodbyes. Merlin, it felt good to see his friends again!

But little did Harry know that Draco Malfoy had watched the whole scene in disgusted anger. What had the group been talking about? Probably gloating about how Potter had escaped from the Death Eaters and how he had made the blonde’s father look like a fool or something. Draco’s face scrunched up in hatred. Damn you, Potter, he thought viciously, remembering when he had heard of the other boy’s escape and his own godfather’s betrayal.

“Draco,” his mother’s voice brought him out of his dark thoughts. “It’s time to board the train.”

Glaring in the direction Potter and his friends had gone one last time, Draco sighed and turned back to his mother. Even though a part of him still hated Potter, and how he had been able to turn Snape against the Death Eaters, Draco had to admit seeing the other boy was a relief. He remembered his mother’s words concerning Snape and found that he did not know what he should do.

Ignoring his growing confusion, Draco said goodbye to his mother, his father had not come, and boarded the train. He would figure things out on the way to get back at Potter, and Snape too.

*******

Once on the train and in a compartment, Hermione and the four Weasleys turned to Harry. “What really happened, Harry?” Hermione asked, once the twins had created a privacy spell.

“We want all the details,” the twins said together.

Sitting down, it took Harry a moment to collect his thoughts as he thought through the story he was supposed to tell. “Well,” he began, “just what I told you out there. Only there’s more,” he quickly amended once he saw his friends’ disbelieving faces.

“Like, what?” Ron asked. “Mum and dad never got into much detail.”

“Well, it started like this,” Harry said, actually amused at how closely everyone was leaning forward to listen to him. “One morning, when I woke up, I went downstairs to start on my chores.”

“Muggles were still treating you bad, were they?” Ron growled, his temper igniting.

“Yeah…at first,” Harry admitted. “Well, when I went downstairs, I saw that there was something on the couch.” Ginny and Hermione held their breath. “And when I looked closer, I realized that it wasn’t something, but rather someone.”

“Oh Harry!” Hermione covered her mouth. “Was it... a Death Eater?” she really did look scared.

Frowning, the Death Eater’s son did not really know how to answer that. “Well, yes and no.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ginny frowned worriedly.

“Well, you see, when I went to go see who it was, as they were passed out on the couch, I was shocked to find that it was Professor Snape,” Harry’s eyes widened, as he was trying to make the story good, to keep suspicion off.

“What?!” Ron and the twins stood up, while Hermione clasped her hands over her mouth again, and Ginny let her mouth hang open.

“It’s true,” Harry nodded. “When I went over to him, he woke up and started talking all funny. I realized that he was delirious, and I found out that he had been hurt. Really bad. He was bleeding pretty bad too, and didn’t seem to know where he was or what had happened to him.”

“So…what did you mean, ‘yes and no’?” Hermione narrowed her eyes. “Are you accusing Professor Snape of being a Death Eater again?” 

“Well he was!” Harry said defensively. “Only he was a spy for the Order.” Realizing that his friends had no idea what the Order was, Harry decided to elaborate, “The Order of the Phoenix. It’s a secret group that Dumbledore got together to stop Voldemort.”

The Weasley children all winced at the name, while Hermione sat thinking, her face a light with wonder. “So, Professor Snape is good,” she stated triumphantly. “I knew the Headmaster couldn’t be fooled by him if Professor Snape was a bad man.”

“Well Dumbledore did let Quirrell into the school,” Ron pointed out.

“That was different!” Hermione snapped.

Holding up his hands for peace, Harry looked around at his friends again. “Please,” he said. “Snape’s not evil. He got hurt after he saved someone from the Death Eaters, which blew his cover. So he was running from them.”

“What did your relatives think about Snape being there, Harry?” Ginny asked quietly. “I’m sure they didn’t like that at all.”

“Not really,” Harry admitted as he remembered his relatives’ faces every time Snape came into the room. “But my aunt helped me take care of him.”

“What?” Ron looked beyond shocked. “Why?”

Here, Harry shrugged, not wanting them to know the whole truth just yet. “Don’t know. I think she just wanted him out of the house and was too scared that he’d hex her or something if she didn’t help.”

“So what-”

“-then?” the twins were squirming in their seats.

“Well, Snape got better and was leaving to see Dumbledore,” Harry found that he was having a hard time not frowning at the Headmaster’s name. “I begged him to take me with him, so he did.” By their faces, Harry could tell that none of his friends could quite believe that the Potions Master would do any favors for Harry, but he ignored them in pursuit of his story. “So, once they had talked things through, I asked the Headmaster to take me to the Burrow. But he said that I couldn’t go and took me back to Privet Drive.” Harry frowned at the memory. “Once I got back, the Dursleys had planned to go and once I was alone, I ran away,” he shrugged, concluding the story.

“That was a very dangerous thing to do, Harry,” Hermione scolded him once she found her voice. “What if the Death Eaters found you?”

“Well, it sounds like a good thing I did leave seeing as if I’d stayed they would have found me,” he frowned over at his friend.

The teens sat quietly for a moment, all of them deep in thought. “So…then you just spend almost a month in an orphanage?” Ron frowned at the thought.

“It was better than sleeping in the streets,” Harry shrugged. “It wasn’t too bad. At least I got to eat every day.”

Accepting the story easily, the teens all sat quietly before the twins opted to start a livelier and light hearted conversation. All the friends took to it gladly and soon they were all laughing and carrying on, just like they would have normally. Soon, Harry began to forget his worries and his troubles, and relished in the opportunity to be back with his friends again.

*******

Apparating to the school after watching as the Weasley clan and Miss Granger attacked his son, Severus took off the invisibility cloak and shrunk it back down and put it in his pocket. Straightening his robes, the Potions Master took out his wand, just in case, before making his way up to the school, hoping that the Headmaster had secured everything.

Once outside the gates, Severus beheld Pomona Sprout on duty to let in the last of the professors. “Sprout,” Severus nodded to her once she took down the wards.

“Hello, Severus,” the Hufflepuff greeted. “You are looking well.”

 Although he despised small talk, Severus paused to make his annual complement of the Hufflepuff Head of House. “Thank you,” he said civilly. “You are also looking well.”

“Thank you,” Pomona smiled before following Severus as he started to walk to the castle.

Frowning, the Slytherin looked back at the witch following him. “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty today?” he asked.

“Yes, but you’re the last to arrive, so everyone’s here now,” the witch answered kindly.

At this news, Severus winced slightly. He did not like being late, and he did not like being last. Normally, the Head of Slytherin was always at the castle, so he had the whole summer to prepare, and he was usually the one that stood watch at the gates to let the other professors in, but this whole year just felt weird to the Potions Master. But he nodded, accepting the answer.

Together, the Head of Hufflepuff and Slytherin walked into the castle when they were greeted by a very excited, anxious looking Professor McGonagall. “Severus! Thank Merlin you’re here!” she cried as she rushed over to her co-workers.

“What’s wrong, Minerva?” Severus instantly became alert. Had something happened to Harry? What if Lucius had kidnapped him at the train station? Dear sweet Merlin, he did not know if he could ever forgive himself if that happened!

“Not here,” Minerva said quickly. “Go to the Headmaster’s office immediately.”

Not having to be told twice, Severus nodded to Sprout before walking off at a neck breaking speed to the Headmaster’s office. What could this be about? Had Albus figured something out? Or perhaps something dreadful really had happened to Harry? It made the father ill to think about it, but he forced himself to remain calm. He didn’t know anything yet.

When he gave the password to the Headmaster’s office, the Slytherin pushed back is fears and stormed up the moving staircase. He had done this sort of thing many times, and these stairs almost didn’t seem like stairs to him anymore. But at the moment, he didn’t care what they were as he was too concerned for his son. Hopefully it was nothing, and the Headmaster was just being a fool again.

Upon walking in, Severus saw Arthur and Molly, Filius, and the Headmaster all standing around by the fireplace. “Severus, my dear boy!” Albus exclaimed merrily as he rushed towards the Potions Master.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Severus asked, dodging the Headmaster’s hug.

“Nothing’s wrong!” Dumbledore seemed as though he could not wipe the smile off of his face. “Harry’s alive!”

Relief flooded through the Slytherin at the Headmaster’s words. He had been preparing himself for the old man’s relief, for Dumbledore’s enthusiasm, but he had not counted on his own feelings in this situation. For a moment, he had forgotten that he was the only one that had known Harry was alive. So, it was not acting when the Potions Master had to support himself with a chair at this new, his eyes closed. “Are you sure?” he asked, trying to keep the embarrassment he felt out of his voice.

“Oh yes!” it was Arthur who replied. “Molly and I saw him at the station!”

“Apparently Harry had run away before the Death Eater attack and has been in a Muggle orphanage ever since,” Filius spoke up, delightedly.

It was then that Minerva came in, a smile on her normally stern face. “Isn’t this wonderful!” she exclaimed, rushing over to Molly and Arthur. “And here we had all thought the worst!”

Taking several deep breaths, Snape knew it was time for his performance to begin. “So that’s it then? The boy had run off?” he growled. “Not thinking of contacting anyone?”

“How can you talk like that, Severus!” Molly snapped angrily. “He didn’t know that we all thought he was…was gone. He probably couldn’t’ve written to us anyway. The important thing is that he’s alive and well.”

“Hear, hear!” Filius cheered.

Scowling at the defensive witch, Severus did his best to look at the others disgustedly. “I am not displeased that the little idiot is not dead, but I am concerned with the fact that you all seem to have forgotten that he did just that: ran off without a word to anyone. What if something had happened to him?”

Molly scowled blackly at Snape, her eyes burning in anger. “Harry’s not an idiot!” she snapped. “And I would rather him run away then stay where he’s supposed to and burn to death!”

“Please!” Dumbledore held up his hands. “Let us not dwell on such trivial things, such as this, but let’s be glad that the boy is alive and well. Now, I’ve gotten no reports that said Harry has gone to Diagon Alley, so he won’t have any of his books yet.”

“I’ll get them for him,” Molly offered. “I could have them here later today.”

“Very good!” the Headmaster smiled in delight. “Now, let’s not just stand around, we have things to prepare before the students arrive!”

As the Headmaster, Flitwick, and McGonagall all walked out of the office, and Arthur and Molly flooed away, Severus stood a moment, scowling. They were all acting as though nothing had happened at all. Could they so easily forget after weeks of trepidation?  As he left the room, Severus knew it was up to him to make sure his son would be safe, and won’t get into any trouble this year. But he had yet to figure out how he could be near the boy without looking suspicious…

*******

Later on that afternoon, Severus walked up the long, dreadful, flight of stairs to Professor Trelawney’s classroom. The Potions Master was thoroughly convinced that the witch knew about his fear of stairs and did this to him every year on purpose. But he scowled, and remained determined. He would not let on to his fear, he simply would not. Why did Dumbledore make all the professors see the crazed witch anyway?

Walking into the Divinations room, Severus’s scowl darkened. He hated it up here. He was convinced that the altitude got to the other professor sometimes and that’s why she acted like an idiot half the time. Half the time, anyway.

“Sybill,” Severus called impatiently. “I’m here. What do you want this time?”

Coming out of what appeared to be nowhere, the bug-eyed witch walked out into the relatively open air, if it could be called that since the room was so cluttery. “Severus!” she exclaimed, rushing over to the Potions Master. “So good of you to come.” She led the wizard to a couch to sit.

Blinking in irritation at the incense burning, the Slytherin glared at the witch as she scuttled around here and there, doing Merlin only knew what. “I don’t have time for this, Trelawney,” he snapped. “What do you want? And could you get rid of the incense? You know it makes me ill,” he snapped.

“Of course, of course,” Sybill nodded her head, her bushy hair jumping up and down. “But I have been seeing dark things of late, dark, terrible things. Do you know of any news?”

 “I do not,” Snape growled, becoming more and more irritated at the scents assaulting his nostrils. “If this is all you wanted, may I go?”

“Tea?” the witch offered kindly.

“No, I really do not want-” but his rejection was cut off as the witch handed him a cup anyway.

“It really is good tea,” Trelawney said airily. “Clears the mind.”

Seething, knowing that he would not get away without drinking some of the damned tea, Severus took a large gulp before standing up. But his actions caused his head to swirl. “I think I…I believe that…” and with that, Severus’s knees buckled and he fell onto the couch unconscious.

Setting down her teacup gently, Sybill looked at the Potions Master interestedly, before taking up a quill and parchment. Right on cue, Severus sat back up, his eyes completely black.

“The brave and the true shall lose their edge; the cunning shall win the day. None can see what lies ahead, the way is misty and unknown. Fire shall be consumed by the water, proud Slytherin shall prevail. Where once was light, light shall prevail, hiding in a veil of black. The truth shall be revealed, none can deny its coming. Fire shall be consumed by the water, proud Slytherin shall prevail.”

After reciting his prediction, Severus’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he was unconscious. Finishing her writing, Trelawney looked over to the younger man with a quizzical look. The Potions Master’s predictions were always rather dark, and after using them so long, Sybill truly began to believe that things were about to change for the worse. Severus usually predicted things that would happen in short time events, and she had yet to see one of the wizard’s predictions be false.

Looking over the words she had written out, Trelawney realized she was going to have to spice them up, the same as every year. It still surprised her that the wizard did not know he was a Seer, or the fact that he did not embrace it, like she had done. It really was the best way to go. She had to be thankful though, if he did know, he might just want to take her job!

So, standing up, putting away the parchment, Sybill went to also put away the incense and the tea she had found made Severus’s mind open for predictions. It really was a good thing she had too, or she’d never be able to find something to base her lessons on! And she was thankful too that the Headmaster always made Snape come up here to see her. She always requested professors come see her, as she liked to test each one of them for the gift, but thus far only Severus had proved useful.

Sighing, the witch prepared herself for waking the Potions Master and conjured a glass of water. She was just thankful he never remembered much, just that the incense made him “ill”. So, taking out her wand, Trelawney began the process of waking the soon to be livid Slytherin.

*******

When it was time for the students to arrive, Severus found himself in his usual place, sitting tall and rigid. As the day went on, the Potions Master had not calmed, but had actually gotten worse. He thought through many terrible scenarios, like what happened if Harry was abducted at the Hogsmeade station? Or, what if the carriage pulled by thestrals was attacked, and Death Eaters took Harry? But there was nothing Severus could do but sit and wait. His begining of the term meeting with Trelawney had not helped matters much either. He wondered why he always came away with a bad feeling.

When Minerva sat beside him, Snape did not even bother to look the witch’s way in favor of staring at the doors. “My, my,” the Gryffindor said with a smile. “I haven’t seen you this nervous since your first year teaching.”

Realizing that he was in fact very edgy, Severus cursed himself mentally before he looked over at Minerva. “Not at all,” he lied smoothly.

Leaning closer to the Potions Master, the Deputy Headmistress looked at Severus sympathetically. “It’s alright to be nervous, you know. I know that this year’s going to be hard for you since…well, your Slytherins aren’t going to be very…cooperative with you anymore.”

Yes, Severus had been dreading seeing his House again. The most influential Slytherin children just so happened to have Death Eater parents, and Snape was certain that those parents would have told their children about their Head of House’s betrayal. But at least he could count on the little vipers to keep their mouths closed since they did not want anyone else to know that the reason they hated Snape now was because he had betrayed the Dark Lord.

“I admit I am wondering how this year is going to turn out with this new…development,” he admitted softly, for his colleague’s ears only.  

“Don’t fret too much,” Minerva said knowingly. “You’ll be able to handle the children. You’ve never had problems with discipline,” she smiled mischievously.

Snorting, Severus turned away from the Gryffindor, acting as though he were far superior to the witch beside him. “Just because I don’t take lip from students doesn’t mean that you have room to judge,” he snapped. “At least I don’t sit there and take it.”

Chuckling, McGonagall turned away from the younger wizard and turned to talk to Pomona on the other side of the Headmaster’s chair before standing up to gather the first years. Scowling, Severus turned his attention back to the door. When would the students get back? He was starting to get nervous, and he hated being nervous. But he willed his face into a neutral blank again, occluding his mind.

Harry was fine. He was with his friends, and safe. He wouldn’t let himself get capture. The boy had stood up to the Dark Lord his first and second years, not to mention a troll, a basilisk, and Dementors.  Severus was just being too paranoid.

Just then, the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Snape’s ears were assaulted with the happy chatter of students. Immediately, his black eyes watched as the children filed in, looking for one student in particular. And after several torturous minutes, he was rewarded with seeing his son walking in, surrounded by the Weasley clan and Miss Granger. Harry was safe, his Harry was safe…

“Look there, Severus,” Snape was startled from his thoughts when the Headmaster whispered. “There he is! There’s Harry!”

“Yes, I see that,” the Potions Master snapped, turning his attention to the Slytherin table, lest the Headmaster catch him gawking again. He had to avoid making eye contact with Trelawney on the way.

As he scanned his table, Severus saw all of the Slytherin bunching together, keeping close, talking quietly amongst themselves. The Head of Slytherin began to feel a bit uneasy as his snakes would each sneak a glance up at him, only to turn away quickly, realizing that their Head of House was watching them. That was a good sign, he decided. Let them be afraid. It would save him some trouble later on, he was sure.

But there was one at the table that did not hide his disapproval at seeing Snape, and that boy was Draco Malfoy. The young blonde glared up at him with such hatred, for a moment, Severus felt a pang at his heart. Even though Draco could be a whiny little brat at times, the Potions Master did feel sorry for the boy. He knew what that boy went through to please his father; that his future had all been laid out for him, a future he did not seem keen on having.

When he met the gray eyes, Severus glared right back, watching in satisfaction as the boy shrunk away after a moment, unable to stare down his professor. That was a good sign too. If Draco still feared him, then the other ones would too. Severus had always had to use fear to get people to do what he wanted, and this year would be no different.

Scanning the room once more, Severus looked over at his son to find him with his friends, laughing and looking quite well. But he tore his eyes away when the doors opened a second time for Minerva and the first years to walk through. They always looked so small, and Severus found himself hating that he had not been able to feel pride at Harry’s sorting three years ago.

But that was all in the past, so the Potions Master turned his attention to the Hat, and his colleague, hoping the nagging feeling at the back of his mind was nothing.

*******

Once sitting down at the Gryffindor Table, Harry and his friends began talking excitedly among themselves. “I can’t wait for this year!” Hermione squealed, her new transfiguration book out and on the table.

“You always say that,” Ron glared at the bushy haired girl.

“Only because I always am,” she retorted before turning back to Harry. “Have you started reading your books?”

Harry had actually spent a month studying under Severus; the Slytherin teaching him fourth and fifth year curriculum like a drill sergeant, but he could not very well tell the others that. Staring blankly for a moment, Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and blushed. “I, uh, don’t have my books for this year yet. Never had time to get them, you know?” he shrugged.

Hermione looked like she was about to have a heart-attack. “No books?! Then what are you going to do?”

Ron rolled his eyes at the little witch. “He’ll be fine, ‘Mione. Professors always keep extra books lying around. I’m sure he can borrow some until he gets his own. I’m sure my mum would go shopping for you, mate,” Ron offered.

“Thanks,” Harry grinned at his best friend. It was good to be back.

But at the same time, Harry could not help his eyes that wondered up to the Head Table, to his father. He saw the Potions Master had taken on his usually greasy appearance, and Harry had to wonder why. Living with the man for a month, the Gryffindor had found that the Potions Master was extremely neat, boarderline germaphobic in some areas, but was he going to wean everyone off the “old” Snape slowly? Seemed possible.

As he watched the professor, Harry saw that his father was glaring at someone. And not just any old someone, but Draco Malfoy! The two held eyes for just a moment before the blonde had to look away. It seemed Lucius had told his son about the summer events, and it was only then that Harry began to worry about his father.

“What you looking at, mate?” Ron interrupted his thoughts.

“Just looking the staff over,” Harry shrugged. He did it every year.

“Look there,” Ron whispered. “There’s the greasy git.” Harry had to bite his lip to keep from scowling. “Whad’ya suppose he’s thinking?”

“About potions, probably,” Harry laughed uneasily. The other started laughing to, and they took back up a light conversation before Professor McGonagall walked into the hall followed by first years.

The same as every other year, McGonagall set out the stool before she brought out the Sorting Hat. The old thing still looked as tattery and terrible as last year. Harry was actually amused as he watched the first years squirm uncomfortably as they waited nervously. He remembered when he had stood up there, waiting to get sorted. He never wanted to feel like that again!

But before he could remember any further, the students all quieted and the Hat began to sing:

“A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerors
Thus Hogwarts school began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the one's they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell you where you belong!”

The students all erupted into applause, as Harry frowned. “That’s not the song it sang for us,” he said.

“It changes every year, Harry,” Hermione said smartly, cutting in before Ron could speak.

 McGonagall unrolled her scroll, and gave the first years their instructions on how to be sorted. The small children looked around anxiously, and Harry felt sorry for them again. He wished someone could tell them that they had nothing to fear.

“Ackerley, Stewart!” the Transfiguration professor called out.

 “So what do you think this year will be like, with Professor Snape, I mean,” Hermione whispered over to Harry. “I mean, you did help him, possibly even saved his life.”

“RAVENCLAW!"

Frowning, focusing forward, wanting nothing more than to simply ignore his friend in favor of watching the sorting, Harry knew he could not put off his friends forever; especially Hermione and Ron. “I don’t know, but I’d say it’s going to be interesting,” he whispered back.

“Baddock, Malcolm!”

“Did he even thank you for that?” Ron asked testily.

“SLYTHERIN!”

Thinking back on it, Harry frowned. “No, not really,” he admitted. “But I think he had…other things on his mind.”

“Like what?” Ron demanded. “The least he could have done was thank you!”

“Creevey, Dennis!”

Looking forward, Harry frowned. “Is that Colin’s brother?”

“Yeah,” Ginny answered. “Can’t you tell? They look so much alike.”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 “Wonderful,” Harry rolled his eyes. “Now I suppose they’ll both start stalking me.”

On, and on the ceremony went, until the last name was called: “Witby, Kevin!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

It was then that the Headmaster stood up to face the crowd. Looking at the old wizard, Harry felt himself become angry with Dumbledore. How could he stand up there so happy when he had almost got Harry killed? If it hadn’t been for his father, Harry was sure he’d be dead or worse right now.

“About time!” Ron grabbed his fork and knife.

“I have only two words to say to you,” the Headmaster smiled. “Tuck in.”

Just then the tables filled with food, and Ron did not hesitate to start filling his plate. But everything was interrupted when there was suddenly a loud cry, like a violin screeching. Everyone turned to look up at the front, to see that Professor McGonagall looked rather white, and surprised, with the Sorting Hat still on the stool.

“While spirits are still high

There’s one more sorting to go,

There’s one young wizard out there

That does not even know.

Where once was light,

Light shall shine in the dark.

This hat has to makes amends

So that it can hit it’s mark.

There is one young cub out there

That just no longer belongs,

For his heart sings a very new

And different type of song. 

There’s nothing to be afraid of

As this is a fresh start.

For this young man is different,

So cunning, and so smart.

Step up and change now

From fire to water.

Don’t be shy now, come up,

Mr. Harry James Potter.”

When the Hat had stopped it second song, everyone in the Great Hall turned stunned faces to Harry. Professor Trelawney gasped, filling the silence. Severus, who had stayed quiet, could not help the sick feeling that took him at that moment. He watched like a hawk as Harry sat still, eyes just as wide with surprise, or more so, than anyone else. He had known something bad was going to happen!

“H-Harry?” the Headmaster stood and looked at his favorite student, question in his blue eyes.

“Don’t be shy now, come up, Mr. Harry James Potter,” the Hat sang again.

Turning bright red, Harry found himself standing up and timidly walking forward towards the Hat. What was this all about? He felt sick, and he hoped he wouldn’t throw up in front of everyone.

Gentle, the Gryffindor set the Hat on his head. “I told you before, did I not, but you did not listen to me then,” the Hat spoke in Harry’s mind. “You really should have listened the first time around, Mr. Snape.”

Harry’s eyes widened in horror, just as the Hat screamed, “SLYTHERIN!”