It was September first, the day Harry now counted down to for it was the most important date of the year to him...it was the day he returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; his real home. It hadn't been an uneventful summer...apart from being starved, almost being wrongly expelled and then locked in his bedroom until he was resecued. But Harry was now standing on platform 9 3/4, so who was he to complain?

"Goodbye dear" Molly Weasley kissed Ron's cheek, ignoring his squirms to break free as she did so. She then warned the twins to stay out of trouble and assisted Ginny with her luggage. Harry had recieved a hug from her earlier and was still feeling how strange it had been to receive.

"Come on, Harry!" Ron called to him, no doubt trying to escape his mother quickly before she embarrassed him again. But his best friend did not move. Harry stood there and gazed around the crowd with a mystified expression. All around him were families and friends, bidding goodbye or being reunited. He used to see families and wish he had one, feeling sad and lonely. But now was different, his trip to the Weasleys had changed his thread of thought.

"Harry?" Ron tried again.

"You go on" Harry said. "Get a good compartment."

"Okay" Ron said, looking confused but headed onto the train anyway.

Harry stared at one family in particular. He didn't know the student but he had dark brown hair and glasses. simular to himself. He looked a few years older than Harry and didn't seem to notice that he was being stared at, studied and approached slightly. Harry watched as the boy tugged at his trunk and a taller man, who looked nothing alike him, grabbed hold of it and lifted it onto the train for him.

"Thanks dad" The boy said, looking relieved.

"It's what I do" The man grinned back and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Be safe, son."

"I always try" The boy teased but nodded.

Harry continued to watch as the father gave his son a hug and then prodded him towards the train, promising to send anything he had forgotten or to write often and keep him updated on work at the Ministry.

The smoke billowing from the train and the whistle it made was all that could pull Harry from his trance and he hastily got on board, just in time before the doors shut and the train began on its course.

For you see, Harry had done a lot of thinking over the summer and he mused over many things that he now knew could be solved.

"You alright, mate?" Ron asked as Harry joined him in their compartment a few minutes later.

"Yeah" Harry nodded casually and pulled out a Quidditich book to pretend to read while he thought back to what he'd pondered over a few short days ago.

Harry watched Mrs Weasley with her sons over the summer and compared her to Mr Weasley; it was then that his most important realization was made.

Admittingly, he wasn't great in his classes...in fact he wasn't really much more than a barely average student. He was terrible in Potions and History of Magic, he couldn't figure Transfiguration out and every other class just seemed okay but neverchanging. A father would help him get on the right track because deep down inside himself, Harry knew he wanted to suceed...he wanted to learn as much as he could but his failing "brilliance" was making him feel discouraged and useless. If he had a father, he could cheer him up perhaps? Chase away his nightmares and of course, help him with his studies.

But where was he to find such a man? His real father was gone, forever and beyond. But for some unknown reason, Harry had a bubble of hope inside him, a part of himself that told him it was possible...that he simply had to find a right enough man for the job and ask him. Would he find him in the crowd at the station? Would he find him wandering the halls of Hogwarts or even teaching in one of his classrooms? Probably not, but he still seemed to consider that he had a chance, that he could get himself a father. He didn't want a great father for that was too wishful, but simply a man to take up the job...that would be enough for Harry.

"Are you sure you're alright mate?" Ron raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You look...odd."

"I'm just looking forward to this year" Harry smiled while Hermione came to join them and they all passed around greetings and stories of their summer.

The train pulled into Hogsmeade station and Harry followed his friends to the carriages, but his mind wandered away from them once more. He stared over at the lake, remembering how he'd crossed it just last year with Hagrid. Then there was the sorting cermony and Harry had been so determined not to end up in Slytherin, which his ememy now belonged to. He turned back and spotted Draco Malfoy's blonde head further ahead of him but felt safe in thinking there was a good amount of distance between them, not that he was worried.

"What's with Harry?" Hermione asked Ron when they joined Dean and Lavender in a carriage.

"No idea, he's been like that since yesterday" Ron replied, glancing at Harry's faraway expression also. He then lowered his tone. "I heard him muttering in his sleep about his father last night though."

"Poor Harry" Hermione sighed but said nothing else as his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Hermione?" Harry suddenly addressed her as they approached the castle and made their way towards the Great Hall. "Do you think I would be good at Potions if Snape wasn't teaching it?"

"Um..." Hermione thought for a moment, wondering what brought on this sudden question. "I don't know, why?"

"I was just wondering" Harry shrugged as he sat at the Gryffindor table and proceeded to watch the sorting ceremony, now finding the entire process enjoyable and amusing since he was no longer one of the nervous bunch about to be sorted in front of the entire school.

But his newfound quest would not rest and Harry's eyes trailed to the very end of the staff table and slowly began to study each male teacher seated there. Hagrid? Hm perhaps but he was a little too feint-hearted and Harry wanted his father to be strong in every aspect of the word. Although he admired the half-giant like a brother, he wouldn't be the best option, even if he was the most likely to accept.

Than there was Flitwick, he was really smart and would certainly help with his classes, he could learn a lot from his Charms Professor. But his size was a little off-putting and Harry felt he just wasn't the best choice, but he was still a possibility.

Dumbledore....well he was brilliant, beyond brilliant actually. And he was certainly a very promising applicant, although his age was making him appear more of a grandfather, but so what? Maybe a grandfather would be just as good as a father? No, Harry felt they were less focused on achievments and more on happiness, which was something he was trying to avoid. His father had to be focused in all the right areas, not just the obvious and tempting ones.

Harry refused to let his hope fade as he continued to scan the table and his eyes fell on his most hated teacher (it was mutual, really) and swallowed a gulp of pumpkin juice as he was horrified to realize...he was the near-perfect choice. Snape wasn't a delight to be around, he was strict and unforving...he was in the best sense of the word: mean. But he was strong, in the way Harry wanted. He had seen the teacher doing some wandwork during breaks last year and heard he had fought off some nasty intruders to Hogsmeade over the years and he was also an ex-Death Eater. But that was a problem. He had been asociated with the man that had killed his real parents and he was a Slytherin, he was head of Slytherin! But Harry refused to let it cloud his rational thoughts. Afterall, the boy he'd been watching near the train seemed nothing like his father and yet look how good they were. No Harry decided to see deeper, staring even harder at the man that was boredly watching the sorting commence.

Snape was strict, yes but he knew now to get a job done and done well. He knew where to set guildlines and rules, plus he knew how to enforce them. He could help with Harry's schoolwork with ease, he would find the motivation Harry needed to do better, even if it was in the form of a threat of detention or point deductions. Harry had also never seen someone so calm even when they were clearly enraged (mostly by longbottom's never-ending exploding cauldrons), what he wouldn't give to learn such a level of control from the man.

So after weighing pros and cons, Harry decided that Severus Snape had to be the one. But two obstacles remained: The man hated him and Harry partially hated him back.

"Guess I'll just have to change that" Harry said, sitting up straighter.

"What?" Ron asked, looking over at him as he'd spoken.

"Nothing, just thinking aloud" Harry shrugged and looked over at Snape again, shivering as the man's dark eyes stared into his green ones before the sour man turned away again. Yes, he was the one...oh what a difficult task this was going to be!

Harry changed for bed that night but found he was unable to sleep so he grabbed a dressing gown and made his way into the common room, finding that Hermione was already there, reading a book peacefully.

"Oh, hey Harry" She smiled sleepily at him as he sat beside her.

"Hey" Harry returned and watched her read for a moment until she looked up and eyed him with a thoughtful look she usually gave her reading material.

"You've had a lot on your mind lately, haven't you?" She said but it wasn't a question.

"I suppose so" He shrugged but decided to confide in his friend for reasons unknown. "I've been thinking about something, mostly my grades."

"Oh?" She said, looking rather interested now but of course, when it came to Hermione Granger and grade...you will always have her attention.

"Yeah, I'm not going too well and I figured I need someone to help me out with that. Someone experienced and full of advice."

"Like a tutor?" She asked, a proud gleem in her eyes showed.

"Not exactly..." He sighed and looked over at the dying fire. "More like...a parent, well father specifically."

"Oh" She said again but with a sadder note. "Harry..."

"No, it's okay. I didn't mean it like that" Harry said looking calm and determined. "I mean, not my real father because, well you know? I think I need a new father."

"A new father?" She repeated, clearly surprised. "What do you mean?"

"A father that is new" He replied sarcastically and she glared at him so he shoved aside the joke. "I'm going to ask someone to be my father."

"Harry, you can't just ask someone that!" She gasped. "That is a big responsibility! And they would have to know you and have already considered it. I mean, I know how much you want a family but..."

"No, but nothing!" Harry scowled lightly and stood up to look down at her but she got to her feet as well. "I know it's huge, it's massive...but I don't know what it is, something inside me is telling me to do this. I just...I have to at least try."

Hermione stared at him for a moment and after a few silent minutes she sighed heavily and spoke again.

"And who exactly are you thinking of asking, I know you must have someone in mind" She said.

"I do" Harry nodded, sitting down again. "I thought of Mr Weasley at first, but he already has...now many sons? It would be unfair, even though I'm sure he wouldn't mind too much, nor would I" Harry let out a breath and avoided her gaze. "I considered if the right person would be here and well, he is."

"Who?" Hermione questioned, her mind buzzing with possibilities but none stood out strongly.

"Erm...Snape" Harry mumbled.

"Sn-" Hermione's eyes went wide. "Harry, you can't be serious! You hate him."

"I thought I did but now I don't know, he's mean and all and gives us a hard time for unfair reasons but Hermione, he's good at what he does and....I'm not crazy" He added as she stared at him with an expression that indicated she thought he should be locked up in an asylum.

Hermione opened her mouth to object and ratoinalise the notion but Harry shrugged it off and moved out of the room.

"Forget it" He said. "I'm going to bed" And with that he once again found himself on the stairscase connecting the dormitories from the common room.