Autum 1991

A sharp cry of Harry rang through the room, but said boy was too busy trying to find something in the deep recesses of his closet to pay the voice attention. Severus, who had been the one calling, entered the room, a scowl etched on his face. He was met with the humorous sight of his apprentice's ass sticking out of the closet while the boy's front was buried in it. The room was in complete disarray, an overflowing trunk standing in the middle of the room with items thrown all around it.

“Harry.”

His tone of voice was sharp and caused the boy to finally take notice of him. The child quickly got out of his closet and turned to face him, a small blush covering his face. “Sorry, Master Severus, you called?”

The man rolled his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have left Harry with Brian the last two weeks of the summer holidays. The boy now refused to call him anything besides Master Severus. God only knew what Brian had told him about that. Probably some of that rot about how apprentices were to show proper respect to their masters by addressing them as such and all that. Sadly, since it was indeed tradition, Severus could not really protest the title.

“I've been calling you for the last ten minutes. Dinner is ready. Now, what on earth are you doing?”

Harry shifted slightly. “Humh, sorry, I didn't hear you. I was packing my trunk.”

Severus looked towards the mess incredulously. “I though you had finished packing yesterday?”

The boy shifted to his other leg. “Yes, but then I remembered a few other things I wanted to take and they didn't fit, so I took everything out of it and started again.”

Sighing, the older man shook his head. “Harry, we'll be back here in less than four months, you won't need most of these things. Nearly all of those books for example are unnecessary, I have quite a collection at Hogwarts and the school has also one of the best stocked library you'll ever see, so just leave them here.”

The boy frowned slightly. “Are you sure about that?”

The older man nodded before taking out his wand. With a small charm all the items in the room started to fly around, and then, one after the other, they landed neatly into the trunk. The ones he considered unnecessary were deposited in their proper place, leaving the room once again cleared out. Once the trunk closed, Severus shrunk it and put it in his pocket.

“Hey!”

Severus turned to Harry with a raised eyebrow. “You have everything you need now. If there is something missing you can either loan it from me or I can come get it for you. Now it's time to have dinner and then you'll go to bed, it's way too soon for you to be this excited.”

The he turned around, giving the pouting boy no choice but to follow him.

The next morning Severus watched half in amusement, half in annoyance as Harry ran around the house. The boy was way too excited about going to school. Of course he could understand it was not only a new school but also a magical school, but that was no reason to be running around like that. When Harry passed in front of where he was reading for the fifth time in just as many minutes, Severus had enough. Taking the child's arm in a strong grip, he slapped him once hard on his ass with the book he had been reading, drawing a startled cry from the boy, who at once turned to glare at him.

Severus returned his glare with one of his own and forced him to sit down at the couch next to him. Then he gave him the book he had been looking through.

“Now sit still and read, or we'll just go to the school directly and you can meet your classmates there instead of riding the Hogwarts express.”

Knowing Severus didn't make idle threats, Harry pouted and opened the book. Time seemed to slow down as Harry waited impatiently for the clock to mark ten o'clock. Severus tried to ignore him as the child looked up for the up tenth time to his watch. Next time he may have to dose him with a sleeping potion.

When the time finally came, Harry jumped up from the couch with a whoop. Severus was tempted to tell him they didn't need to go that early. But for his own sanity he refrained. Instead he calmly followed his apprentice as he rushed to the garden. They were going to tree-jump into a nearby park and then walk to Kings Cross.

Severus had a pounding headache when they finally reached the station, Harry had been chattering the whole way, asking questions incessantly and not even waiting for an answer.

“Harry.”

The boy immediately became quiet at the low, menacing tone. “Yes, Master?”

“You either calm down right now, or I will just feed you a sleeping potion and take you to Hogwarts, understood? And I really mean it this time. If I have to warn you once more to conduct yourself properly you will not see the inside of the Hogwarts express until Christmas, that is if I allow you to go then.”

Harry winced slightly and took a deep breath. “I'm sorry, Master, I'll try to calm down.”

Severus growled. “Don't try, just do it.”

Then, without another word, he led the boy towards the passage between the muggle and the magical train station. Together they stepped through, Harry looking around wildly, trying to take everything in. Severus had taken him to Diagon Alley a few times over the years, but he had never been at Kings Cross. Brian had told him all about the train but it was even more magnificent than he had imagined. He tried to remain still as Severus walked him to the train. There were already families spread through the place, saying their goodbyes to their children.

The Silvanimus shook his head slightly as Harry fairly vibrated with the need to watch it all. Deciding it was better for both their sakes if he left the boy and went to Hogwarts, he turned to the child who was at the moment watching a mother hugging a girl who had to be about his age.

Clearing his throat Severus bended slightly to look at his charge. “You have your robes, right?”

“Yes, Master.”

“And money for your lunch?”

Harry patted his pocket where he had stored the money the older man had given him the day before. “It's right here.”

Severus nodded and straightened up. “I'll be going then. Don't get in trouble at the Hogwarts express.”

Harry nodded and watched as the man turned around and walked away. He felt a small thrill of fear as his guardian left but it was soon overrun by the excitement he was feeling and the knowledge that he would see his Master in just a few hours.

That evening Harry saw Hogwarts for the first time. Like the other first years around him, he gapped at the large castle that towered over them as they approached in the small boats. Blaise, standing at his side whispered to him that it was just like a fairy tale, and Harry was force to agree. Hagrid, the big grounds keeper took them to the castle and then left them in McGonagall's care. The stern woman bid them welcome and then led them to the Great Hall where they were going to be sorted. Brian had told him everything about the four houses of Hogwarts. He knew Severus had been a Slytherin, Alice and Brian on the other hand had been Gryffindors while Marius had been a Ravenclaw. Harry didn't really care in which house he would be in. Severus was not the head of any of the houses, despite the fact that Dumbledore had offered him the position of head of Slytherin. But the Silvanimus had refused, stating his time would be occupied enough with his duties as Potions Master and with Harry's lessons.

As his classmates were sorted, Harry looked over to the head table, smiling slightly as he saw his Master sitting there, watching him intently. Once it was his turn, he had to roll his eyes as the whispers filled the hall. Severus had warned him it would happen but he hadn't really believed him. The times he had gone to Diagon Alley, Severus had forced him to keep a cap over his head to cover his scar and no one had ever suspected.

Sitting down, he felt the hat settle on his head and a soft voice spoke in his mind. 'Ah, a new protector had come to Hogwarts, I already thought it was strange that Severus was back, but this explains it of course. Now, where to put you? Your parents where in Gryffindor and they were well suited for that house, but you are not only their son. Severus has raised you, and his influence is clear in you. Yes, I think I've made the correct decision.'

“Slytherin!”

Harry smiled slightly as he took the hat off. He didn't take notice of the deathly silent hall, he just looked up towards his guardian and was happy when the man raised his goblet towards him, a clear sign of his approval. It seemed that all was all right and that his adventure at Hogwarts was about to start.