As he stewed in his annoyance the door behind him opened and Dumbledore appeared, a pleasant smile on his face. "Oh hello Severus," the old man said. "I have just come from my weekly game with young Mr. McAffery. He almost beat me, but not quite. He didn't see my knight backing up my queen when he swooped in for the kill."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I have important business to discuss with you Headmaster," Severus said, trying to quiet the biting remarks that longed so dearly to escape him.

Dumbledore sat down in his chair and interlaced his fingers in front of him on the desk. "May I assume this has something to do with Mr. Potter?"

"Yes," Severus said through gritted teeth. Of course it had to do with Potter, what else?

"I did see him running up to the Owlery about an hour ago... he is quite fast you know. Perhaps he will do well on a Quidditch team later on."

Snape uncrossed his arms, wishing that he hadn't because now he had nothing to tap his fingers on. "I tried to apologize to him again, but he ran off in tears. He believes he is not worthy of my apology or of being given the things he deserves."

"Hm..." As Dumbledore thought, Severus had high expectations. The old man always seemed to come up with some ingenious solution to his problems, even if the solution was sometimes a little odd. He hoped now that his wizened mentor would have some deep insight to the situation that would help him right his wrong.

"Well?" Severus asked after long moments.

Dumbledore chuckled internally, knowing that Severus expected to be handed the answer. "I am afraid that I do not always have all the answers dear boy, and I would expect you to know that by now."

"Possibly," Severus reflected, still wanting to know what he thought about the situation.

"However, if you only wish my input, I would be happy to give it for Harry's sake. It has been my experience that children who have had a life anything akin to Harry's do not accept change well, even if the change is positive. He has obviously been through a lot, here and at home."

Snape nodded. "I gathered," he said. "How do I fix it?"

Dumbledore chuckled aloud now. "Some problems cannot always be ‘fixed' as you put it. Tell me, do you care enough to help him make this transition from negative to positive?"

Severus growled faintly. "Of course I do, I am not heartless as my students believe." Snape had long since thrown up a façade to protect himself and instill respect of him in his students. Rarely was anybody allowed to see past it. Allowing students to think him a heartless monster allowed him to give them a proper scare when it came time to getting them to obey.

"Then might I suggest that the way to help is to reinvent normal?"

Snape crossed his arms again. Just like him to speak in riddles. How do you reinvent normal? He was almost asking him to change the makeup of the universe so that up was down and gravity no longer worked.

"I can see the doubt on your face already Severus so let me clarify. This may not be a task you wish to undertake. It is not something everybody is fit for. It will take monumental amounts of effort."

"Are you suggesting I can't do it?"

Dumbledore smiled. Of course he wasn't, but it did help his cause if Severus thought he was. "If you start this, you cannot stop before the task is completed, or else you will do more harm to the boy than you would do good."

"I am up to anything you give me," Severus told him, lifting his head. He had always prided himself on being able to complete even the hardest challenges.

"Good. Then you must do as I have said, and reinvent Harry's definition of normal. He is used to the world treating him cruelly. He is used to being mistreated and malnourished, and having no one to look after him aside from himself. This has since been reinforced since he has come here. He has come to expect this of himself and those around him. If you wish him to believe he is worthy of being treated well, then you must make it normal for him to be treated well."

"And how do I do that?" He was liking this conversation less and less, because he knew it had to be done, but wished he had not compounded the problem and therefore been responsible for undoing it all.

"That is entirely up to you. But I would say that whoever takes on this task would have to get rather close to him, which is why I suggested that it is not a suitable position for just anybody..."

Severus stood up. "I am not just anybody," he said. He was tired of the suggestion that he wasn't up to it.

Dumbledore smiled and leaned back in his comfortable chair. "I have no doubt that you are not," he told him. "But do you?"

* * *

How Harry had managed to calm himself down enough to return to Gryffindor tower, he didn't know, but somehow he had, and had returned to find Ron and Hermione both waiting for him.

"There you are," said the bush haired girl, who had hardly spoken more than a few sentences to him since they'd first met." She took in the tired look in his eyes.

"Here I am," he agreed, and sat down in one of the only empty chairs in the common room at a study table.

"I've taken notes for you in every class you've missed. There are three homework assignments due by Monday. I can help if you want."

Harry nodded. "That would be great." He saw Ron's grin as he stuck his thumb in the air behind her.

Hermione hurried off to her dorm to get her notes and books and Ron said, "She already looked over my Potions and Charms homework and corrected it all for me! I bet I'll get an O this time around!" Harry tried to return the smile, but it was a weak one.

Once Hermione was back, Harry spent the rest of the evening, and most of Sunday copying her notes and finishing up his essays. Just as Ron had said, Hermione went over the work and corrected it, giving it back to Harry when she was done so he could re-copy it with the corrections.

When he and Ron were alone after dinner Sunday night, Ron asked, "Where'd you get the new clothes?" Harry had liked the clothes so much he had worn them two days in a row.

Harry pretended to be busy looking through his Defense book. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh," Ron said letting the subject drop.

They had Potions first thing Monday morning, but Harry was determined to keep his nose in his book and finish his potion without any mistakes, and without getting in trouble.

His essay was on Snape's desk before the man came in, and he refused to look up at him after he had. He continued to take cues from Ron of when to sit up straight and look extra obedient, and Hermione did her best to help Harry when he forgot an ingredient or was about to do something wrong. Harry was not the only one surprised to find Snape ignoring him throughout the class. The Slytherins had come to expect a good show during Potions, and the Gryffindors had come to expect a major loss in points by the end of class. Harry was very anxious by the end of class, wondering when he would be getting in trouble and for what. He couldn't shake the anxious feeling as they walked out the door and made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"That was lucky," Ron said with a big smile on his face. "Maybe he listened to me in the corridor the other day."

Hermione scoffed. "I hardly think he's afraid of one first year."

Ron rolled his eyes and Harry looked over his shoulder as they walked, expecting to see the man storming after them to give Harry some kind of punishment. Snape was nowhere in sight however, and Harry continued on, anxious as ever.

The rest of the week continued much in the same way, with Harry looking over his shoulder constantly, uptight and anxious that something bad was going to happen. When nothing had happened by Saturday night, Harry thought he was at the breaking point. He wanted to believe that the man was no longer after him so badly, but at the same time was afraid to believe it was true, because if he did and it wasn't true, he would be in for a lot of disappointment.

"What's wrong Harry?" Ron asked Sunday morning as they lay on Ron's bed and played a game of Wizard's chess. Harry had hardly been paying attention to the game and had let Ron wipe half his pieces off the board without even taking on of his own.

"Snape's been being awful nice lately."

Ron scoffed. "No he hasn't!"

"He hasn't given me even one detention or said one mean thing to me."

"So!" Ron was incredulous. "That's not being nice, that's being normal!"

Harry gave him a doubtful look.

"C'mon Harry, cheer up. We get to learn to fly tomorrow!"

Harry did smile at this. He'd been looking at old magazines of Quidditch players in the common room, and had listened to Fred and George's stories of being on Gryffindor Quidditch team. They told him that he wouldn't be allowed to try out until his second year, but that he would have plenty of time to practice until then.

With something to look forward to the next day, Harry's mood brightened considerably. He had high hopes of the upcoming flying lesson and couldn't wait to find out what it was like for himself.

Monday he waited excitedly on the front lawn with the other first years next to a broom on the grass. Madam Hooch had already told them not to go anywhere while she took poor Neville up to the Hospital wing because he had broken his wrist.

As the breeze blew through Harry's wild bangs he listened to some of the others chatter about Quidditch and other school work, but to his right he heard Malfoy laughing, and turned to see him pick up a clear orb off the grass.

"It's Longbottom's Remembral," he said with glee, climbing onto his broom.

"Hey, that's not yours!" Dean Thomas shouted at him, but Draco only smiled and lifted off with his broom, soaring high into the air.

"Think I'll just stick this where he can't find it, the great lump," he laughed. And then it happened. Before Harry knew what he was doing, he was on his broom and soaring straight at the blond boy.

"Think you'll get me do you Potter?" He said. "What's the matter? Looking for more detentions? Come on then!" He tore off toward the castle high in the air, and Harry flew recklessly after him, flattening himself to the old broom handle to go faster. They were almost to the castle when Draco threw the ball straight into the air and took off in the other direction. Harry dove for the ball and barely missed smacking straight into the side of the castle. Somehow, he had the ball in his hand, and was flying back to the rest of the class, Draco sneering at him for catching it.

"Think you're really something don't you Potter," Draco spat.

"Back off Malfoy," Ron said, stepping in between them.

"Think you're fit to fight me Muggle lover?"

Harry watched as Ron began to turn red and was just getting ready to dive for Malfoy before a crisp voice crossed the cool morning air.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Malfoy! You will come here this instant!"

Harry and Draco stood at attention when they heard McGonagall call their names, and then went obediently to her, leaving their brooms where they lay.

She turned on Draco first. "Mr. Malfoy, did Madam Hooch not say to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground while she was away?"

Draco's mouth was moving but nothing was coming out. There was no lie he could make up with so many of his peers standing there to tell the truth.

"That's what I thought. And taking something that is not yours is also something not tolerated at this school. I'm afraid I will be taking 10 points from Slytherin, and you will be serving detention with me tonight right after dinner." Draco hung his head for a moment, trying to look chastened lest he be in further trouble, but looked back up expectantly when she said Harry's name.

"As for you Mr. Potter, even though what you did was in the name of doing good for another, I'm afraid I cannot condone rule breaking. Five points from Gryffindor, and please come with me."

Draco grinned widely at the thought that Harry was in so much trouble he actually had to leave the lesson to get punished. This also seemed to be Harry's train of thought as he looked disheartened all the way into the castle. McGonagall didn't lead him to her office however. Before Harry knew it he was being taken to the hall outside the Defense room and was being introduced to the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Mr. Wood," McGonagall said curtly. "I believe I've found you a new Seeker. I've never seen a student so young fly so fast! And he caught this in the air to boot!" She held out the tiny remembrall.

He raised his eyebrows and then looked at Harry. As if reading his mind McGonagall said, "I know he's had a bit of trouble the last few weeks but that's all past now and it has been straightened up with Professor Snape."

Wood nodded. "Good, because if I train him and he gets banned from Quidditch for even one game, we're in trouble."

"There will be no banning from Quidditch... at least not of Mr. Potter. I'll see to it."

The tall boy grinned widely. "All right then, looks like we'd better cancel tryouts, but I want to see him fly first."

Arrangements were made, and after dinner that night Wood was allowed to take Harry out to the Quidditch Pitch. He showed Harry the balls involved in the game, and let Harry take off on a borrowed broom to get the Snitch in the waning light. Even in the semidarkness Harry was able to catch the tiny golden ball, and Wood whooped in delight down on the ground.

"You got yourself on the team Potter, just don't let us down by getting in trouble." Harry nodded, and Wood continued, "Just keep your head down and don't get noticed... that's usually what works for the rest of us."

Harry was so excited to tell Ron and Hermione about getting a spot on the team that he ran all the way back up to the castle. He had almost made it to Gryffindor common room when a dark shadow stepped out in front of him from behind a suit of armor.

"Where do you think you're going?" Draco sneered. Two more shadows came from down the hallway, and Harry was acutely aware of their sizes compared to his. Crabbe and Goyle stood just behind Draco, cracking their knuckles.

"Back to my common room," Harry said, reaching back and feeling his wand in his back jeans pocket, but remembering that he really didn't know any defensive spells that would help him out if he got into a fight. Size wasn't going to help him either, because he was easily the smallest one in their year. Even Draco was half a head taller than he was.

"Think that was cute what you did earlier? Nobody does that to me and gets away with it."

"You deserved it Malfoy," Harry said. "I got points taken away too."

Draco shook his head. "You're disgusting Potter..." he took a step forward and Crabbe and Goyle followed suit, but before they could get any further a throat cleared from behind them. Harry looked up and saw Snape approaching from down the dark hallway. Immediately Wood's words about keeping his head down and staying unnoticeable came to mind, and inside he tried to squash his fears of getting in trouble and getting kicked off the team.

"Mr. Malfoy," Draco turned and stood up straight, eyes wide, but Harry didn't notice because he was too busy looking at the floor and slowly backing away from the situation, trying to look as small and unnoticeable as possible.

"Yes sir?" Draco's voice shook a little bit.

"Might I suggest returning to Slytherin common room? It is nearly curfew, and I would hate to see you lose any points for being late."

Draco nodded as if this were a brilliant idea. "Yes sir, thank you sir," he said, pretending to be grateful for the advice. He turned back around and sneered at Harry as he stalked past him, Crabbe and Goyle following.

Now that the others were gone Harry kept his ears perked for what his punishment would be now that they were alone in a deserted corridor.

"Mr. Potter, I suggest you do the same." Snape's voice was calm and collected, and while Harry tried to detect the threat in it, he found none.

He dared a glance up at the tall man, and found no trace of anger there.

"Yes sir," he said quietly, putting his head back down and trying to walk past him towards Gryffindor tower.

"And Potter."

Harry stopped, just a few feet past him, but said nothing. After a few moments, Severus said, "Congratulations on making Gryffindor team. That is not a likely feat for a first year. Do be careful won't you."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes sir," and then kept going. Somehow keeping his head down and trying to be invisible had worked, and he had escaped without another detention of scrubbing floors. It was with a smile on his face that he made his way into Gryffindor tower to tell Ron about escaping detention and making the team.

The high feeling that Harry had of being on top of the world lasted for a few days, and he tried not to let anxiety squash it, but eventually he was once again feeling overwhelmed by the feeling that something bad would happen if Snape caught him doing even the slightest thing wrong. Another week passed however without incident. Again Harry wondered if it was safe to begin feeling at ease about being there, and again he dismissed the notion, afraid to find out how very wrong he had been in thinking he was being good.

One windy Friday afternoon Snape handed back an essay that had been graded at the end of class. Fearing nasty comments Harry put it in his bag without looking at it. He hadn't gotten nasty comments on his work from the man for weeks now, but still, he knew it was coming eventually. It was Hermione who eventually asked to see Harry's returned work for the week and noticed the red ink across the top of Harry's Potion's essay.

"Harry! Harry look! You did a really good job on this essay! He gave you an O!" Her excitement was enough to draw Harry's interest. He wasn't sure which essay she was referring to, but he knew it wasn't Potions. She handed him the essay and he read the neat script across the top: Another well written essay Mr. Potter. It is well researched and it is clear you put a lot of time into it.

Harry frowned as he scanned down the essay, trying to see which class it was for.

"He must have written this comment to another student but on my essay," Harry concluded allowed.

Hermione shook her head as Ron looked over her shoulder. "No, see, it's got your name on it."

"He's off his rocker," Ron said, shaking his head. "He's finally lost it."

"Ronald," Hermione scolded. "Harry did a good job."

Scratching the back of his head Harry said quietly, "Yeah, I guess so," but inwardly he still doubted the comment had truly been meant for him. He half expected that it was trick to lure him into a false sense of security. Inside Harry wasn't sure what to make of his life anymore... he couldn't be sure of anything. Three weeks ago he was lying in the Hospital Wing with a concussion, but in the past few weeks he had been given a new pair of clothes, made the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and had not had one single detention, or one single point taken away from Professor Snape. Yes, something was definitely wrong here.

As Harry lay in his four-poster later that night in the dark, listening to Ron's snores, he wondered if this were all really a dream. He didn't really deserve all of these good things. He didn't deserve food, or magic, or compliments on his work, but maybe someday all of these things would count towards his family wanting him, even if they were undeserved. This hope that these things might count for something lulled Harry into a gentle sleep, where he again began to dream of red and black haired relatives with names like Billius and Jaden... people he didn't know, but wished for desperately.