Their first class together the next day was Potions. Harry waved at Luna when he saw her trailing behind her peers. Word had gotten around that because there were so few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first years, they would be taking certain classes with Slytherin and Gryffindor. It made for tightly packed classes, but Harry liked seeing all the house colors flashing into view. The only house that hadn't seemed very welcoming was Slytherin and that was hardly surprising. Harry knew as well as anyone that an inordinate amount of dark wizards and witches started out as little snakes.

Once everyone had been seated - Luna having raced to the chair by Harry's side so that she could join him - an expectant hush fell. The Slytherins were sharing smirks.

Then the classroom door burst open and a black cloud of fabric and greasy hair entered the room accompanied by a not-unpleasant scent of spices and herbs. Harry and Luna both straightened their parchment, quills at the ready to take down whatever instructions were given.

Snape turned on his heel and looked down his hooked nose at the large crowd of students. "Hm. Like sardines in a can," the man noted aloud.

A few of the students shared confused whispers, but most kept their attention fixed on the man's stern, face. Harry felt a prickle of something run down his back and his teeth chattered. The teacher was certainly imposing in his silky robes and towering height and, Harry thought, Snape liked it that way. At his side, Luna's silver gaze had turned dreamy as she watched the sparks of white magic whirl around the professor, counterbalancing his severe expression. Harry caught her staring and understood that she was now seeing something that no one else could. He would have to ask her about it later.

"I will be teaching you pudding-headed ingrates how to brew potions. You will address me as sir or professor at all times." Snape began to pace, his hands locked behind his back in a tight embrace. "There will be no sabatoging of ingredients or pranks in this classroom. Should you be caught attempting either-" His obsidian eyes flashed dangerously in the low dungeon light. "-I will be forced to take swift and unpleasant action. Understood?"

There were a few murmurs of ascent and everyone nodded.

"Good," Snape said. He tapped his wand against the blackboard and it filled with neat script. "You will be brewing a Hiccough Cure today. There are six steps and three counter movements. I have laid out each step carefully and in exacting detail. I will not accept sub-par work. This a simple potion and I expect all of you to master it within the time frame you are given." The potion's master gave one last penetrating look across the room and then clapped his hands. "Begin!"

Students rushed to get their cauldron's ready, pushing and tripping each other to reach the ingredient stores first.

"Single file! Stop biting Mr. Weasley, Mr. Knott, you might catch something," Snape spoke loud enough to be heard over the chatter of students. "And be quiet about it. I will not hesitate to cast Silencio on the lot of you."

They all fell silent at this threat, a reluctant line forming between the desks and the stores cupboard at the back of the room. Luna volunteered to grab their ingredients so Harry prepared the cauldron and lit the burner. The potion instructions gave the exact temperature that the metal had to be at before adding anything so Harry set a monitoring charm which floated in the air above his desk, revealing the temperature. Their mother had loved potions and had taught the twins a lot before she died.

Luna returned quickly with her arms full of gross and mysterious looking objects. "Here, I got double, just in case," she said.

"Good thinking." Harry nodded in approval.

They prepared the ingredients in silence, carefully measuring and slicing to the specification on the board. It wasn't long before their potion was a simmering shade of pink. It looked like the picture in their textbook.

A dark shadow fell across their desk. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

Harry and Luna looked up at Snape, stunned.

"But, why?" Harry blurted out. He looked down as if to see if the potion had suddenly turned purple or grown legs. No, it was still a healthy shade of pink. An icy glare settled over him and Snape's mouth pulled back in a sneer.

"Because you have wasted my stock."

Harry paled and looked over at the pile of backup ingredients.

"That was in case we needed to start again," the boy defended.

"Mr. Lovegood, you were not instructed to prepare for two potions and in this class you will follow instructions, is that clear?" Snape was leaning slightly over the desk, forcing Harry to look up at him.

Harry gulped. "Yes," he said.

"Yes, what?"

"Um," Harry cast around for help and Luna mouthed 'sir' with a meaningful glare. "Yes, sir."

Snape spun around, the edges of his cloak twirling on the stone floor. "Good," he barked out. "Ten minutes. I suggest you all stop wasting time and finish your potions."

The other students, who had been watching the exchange with bated breath, went back to tending their own simmering potions. Harry felt a red blush of shame and anger burn the skin on his cheeks. He had a good potion and the whole point of having stocks was so they could be used by students so it wasn't wasting anything. Clenching his teeth, the Gryffindor completed the last few steps of the potion.

"Sorry," Luna whispered at his side. She was studying her shoes.

"For what?" Harry asked, stirring the potion counterclockwise three times.

"The ingredients were my fault. The points should have been taken from Ravenclaw," she said, crestfallen.

Harry shot his sister a cheeky grin. "Maybe I have a revenge plan in mind," he whispered.

Her eyes grew impossibly wide. "You wouldn't. Not to professor Snape. They say he's," she looked over at the teacher to make sure he was too far away to hear, but still she leaned into Harry's side as she said, "a Death Eater."

"Yeah, and I'm a bloody Gytrash," Harry joked lightly. He didn't like to see his sister upset. "'Sides, I won't do anything too bad. Promise."

Her shoulder's relaxed. "Okay, I guess, just be careful."

"Time!" Snape called from the head of the classroom. "Bottle your potions and clean up your work spaces."

Luna spelled their Hiccough Cure into a bottle while Harry returned the unused stores to the back closet. They were the first to slip out into the corridor while the others bustled around their tables, chattering quietly.

"How was your first night?" Harry asked as they walked toward their next class together. "Mine was bloody awful. I missed dad," he admitted.

Luna nodded. "Me too." She hesitated a moment before adding, "Have you seen my necklace? I seem to have lost it."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. His sister loved her necklace and wore it everywhere. It had been a gift from their mother and he knew how much it meant to Luna. "No, but I'll keep my eyes open. Maybe you dropped it down by the lake when we got out of the boats."

She smiled. "Of course, that's probably it. I'll go down before curfew and check."

"I'll come with you," Harry offered.

She shook her head. "You've already gotten points off for Gryffindor and it wouldn't be good to tempt fate."

"You're right. Well, I hope you find it," Harry said.

At this point they had reached their next class, History of Magic, where they were separated into house groups. To no ones surprise, Professor Bins proved to be a complete bore and Harry was fast asleep, his chin resting on his hands, before fifteen minutes were up. The rest of the day passed in a blur.

-

Albus Dumbledore strode out of his floo, sending whirls of dust in every direction. A flick of his wand brought a glowing, translucent patronus to life and the headmaster sent it off with a message. Rubbing his tired eyes, the old man tugged at his beard and tried to focus his thoughts. Ten years. The Order of the Phoenix had been underground for ten years - ever since the deaths of James and Lilly Potter - but a growing darkness was drawing Order members out of hiding.

Another life had been lost to the cause.

Several minutes later a knock at the door drew Albus out of his morose thoughts. "Come."

Severus Snape entered and walked directly over to the headmaster's large desk, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "Who?" Snape asked simply.

The headmaster groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut as if he could turn off the world for a moment. "Xenophilious Lovegood."

Snape nodded. "How?"

"Killing Curse. He'd been tortured, Severus," Albus said softly.

A hiss escaped between the Slytherin's teeth. "A Death Eater?"

"Perhaps, we don't know. Aurors are looking into it as we speak and I shall have a full report from them by morning."

"That means Harry is no longer safe," Snape said.

"Yes. Neither is young Ms. Lovegood. We'll need to make arrangements for them to attend the funeral," Albus said.

Another funeral. Hadn't there been enough of them already, the headmaster wondered.

"Yes. I will inform McGonagall and Flitwick," Snape said.

"Thank you. And, Severus-" The headmaster caught the potion master's gaze. "-keep an eye on the boy. I must discover if this attack is indicative of a darker truth and my time will be precious. I trust him to your care."

An automatic snarl wrinkled Snape's nose, but he forced himself calm before speaking. "I'd rather not spend too much time in the presence of James Potters' spawn."

"Too bad," Albus said, "You are one of only three people who knew of his true inheritance and one of them is now dead. Xenophilious did an excellent job at raising and protecting Harry, but it is up to us now to keep the boy out of harm's way."

Snape made a grunt that could have meant "Fine, okay, I'll do it" or it could have meant "Leave the boy with me and he wont last the day". Folding his arms over his chest, the head of Slytherin house studied the far wall, ignoring Dumbledore's tired expression.

"I trust you, Severus," Albus said. "I know you'll do the right thing."

"Harrumph!" The raven haired professor stood to his feet, arms falling to his side. "Don't say I didn't warn you. When that spoiled, ingrate gets himself captured or worse I won't be held responsible."

Blue eyes twinkled behind bifocal glasses. "Ah, Severus." Albus understood the irascible man's olive branch for what it was. "Thank you, my boy."

With the conversation ended, Severus gave the headmaster one last nod and walked out of the office. Tumbledown watched him go with a sense of dread and pride. He knew that, despite the man's misgivings, Snape would do his best to protect the boy. Harry was Lily's son too, after all.

-

Muttered oaths echoed through the stairwells as Severus Snape made his way quickly toward the Transfiguration classroom. He knew that McGonagall would still be grading papers and it was better to catch her before she had left for dinner.

"Severus?" the woman said, surprised when he burst into her office without so much as a knock. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Xenophilious is dead," Snape didn't mince words.

The woman gasped and a hand went to her throat. "No! How? Who? When?"

"Not long ago. It looks to be Death Eater activity though nothing is certain yet," he said.

Pale and shaking, McGonagall absently shuffled the papers on her desk. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. Severus felt for the woman. He knew that she had a very kind heart - even accepting a greasy old bat like himself - and members of the Order were special. They had history together fighting the war against Voldemort.

"Harry will need to be told. I will be taking the children to the funeral once a time is set," Snape said gently.

Minerva wiped her eyes and sniffed once before a somber mask fell over her face. "Of course, thank you. I will talk to him immediately. Should I include Luna as well?"

"I was going to assign the matter to Flitwick, but perhaps it would be best if they were together when the news is given," Snape said with a thoughtful nod. "Yes, if you could see to Luna as well, I would be grateful The headmaster has decided I will be their temporary guardian."

"Certainly, Severus. I'll see to it right away," McGonagall said.

He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but Severus didn't know how. Instead, he smiled grimly and together they left the room, parting ways in the hall. While McGonagall headed toward the great hall where the students would be starting to trickle in for dinner, Snape retreated to his dungeon quarters. If the Death Eaters were involved then it stood to reason that his presence would be required sooner rather than later. The rest of the teachers would need to be informed.

-

Quirenus Quirrell skittered down the hallways of the lower levels, making sure to stay in the shadows. He had missed the welcome feast the night before, but it had been worth it to procure a troll. Now all he needed to do was loose the blasted thing on the school. A voice in the back of his head whispered dark approval. If, by some miracle, Harry Potter was still alive then he would be a first year. The troll would be a nice little test to see if the boy could be drawn out into the open.

-

Harry frowned down into his soup. He had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something terrible had happened - was happening? - would happen? He had no idea which was true, only that he was beginning to feel vaguely nauseous.

"Mr. Lovegood," a familiar voice called above the sound of talking students and clanking silverware.

He looked up and saw his head of house walking in his direction, her face a stern mask. She made a 'get up, follow me' motion with her hand and he stood, leaving his soup to grow cold. Hermione and Ron gave him odd looks as he walked away. Harry followed as McGonagall approached the Ravenclaw table.

"Ms. Lovegood," the teacher called.

Luna's bright silver eyes shot up and over at Harry, concern evident on her face. She came over to his side and whispered. "Is everything okay?"

He shrugged, having no answers.

"Alright," McGongall said with a heavy sigh, "follow me."

The trio were silent as they followed their teacher out of the great hall, through a series of corridors, and into a small side room that appeared to be an abandoned office. A flick of McGonagall's wand got rid of the layer of dust on everything. Three plush maroon and gold chairs appeared facing each other around a tiny table which was now holding a tray of steaming tea, sugar, and cups.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Take a seat."

They did.

Luna reached out and took a sugar cube, popping it into her mouth. "Is this about my necklace?" she asked curiously.

McGonagall gave the girl a confused look, but shook her head. She placed her folded hands over her lap. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your father...Your father was killed this evening."

"Killed?" the word fell out of Harry's mouth. He felt numb.

Luna had gone unnaturally still, every muscle frozen in place.

"I am sorry, dears, and I wish that I could give you more information, but, at the moment, that is all we know. He was a brave man, your father," she said, voice cracking.

"This has to be some kind of mistake," Harry said reasonably. "He can't be dead. Dad can't die. It doesn't work that way."

Pain flashed across McGonagall's face before she buried it. "I'm truly sorry, Harry. Whatever I can do to help you two - don't hesitate to ask. You are not going to go through this alone," she promised.

"He's with mom now," Luna said finally, her body unfreezing. "They must be happy."

Harry studied his sister's face and was scared at the blank acceptance and unfocused gaze he saw. Luna had nearly lost it when their mother died and it had taken years for her to finally break out of her shell of grief. He couldn't go through that again. Not alone. Harry got out of his chair and nudged Luna over, squeezing into her chair. The twins shared a look, but only Harry seemed fully present. He took her hands in his own and held them tight. Nothing was going to take his sister from him, she was all he had left. A lump formed in his throat.

"What now? Do we have to leave school?" Harry asked.

"Goddess, no! Of course not!" McGonagall replied, clearly horrified at the idea. "You will be given a temporary guardian for the rest of your school year and then something more permanent will be worked out." She hesitated a moment. "I'm sorry to bring it up so soon after you've learned of your father's death, but we will need to plan for you to attend the funeral. It is entirely possible the people who killed him will be looking for the two of you."

Harry had stopped listening at the word 'funeral'. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him and he shivered, huddling closer to his sister's side. She didn't seem to notice.

"I know how hard this must be. You are excused from classes for the next few days and there will be a temporary allowance for you to visit each others houses. We don't want either of you alone during this time," their teacher said gently.

"And the guardian?" Harry asked quietly. "Will it be you?"

McGonagall shook her head. "No, Harry. The headmaster has appointed Severus Snape to be your guardian for the time being."

Harry's mouth fell open in shock and even Luna appeared vaguely uncomfortable at the news. The greasy git of the dungeons was going to be their guardian? Their father was going to be furious that someone as emotionally rancid as Severus Snape would be looking after the twins. Would, Harry realized suddenly. Their father would have been furious.

Tears burned Harry's eyes and he ducked his head, chin against his chest, to hide them. At his side Luna started humming the tune for a nursery rhyme their mother used to sing to them every night. Grief hung heavy in the room.