September 1, 1992

Hogwarts grounds

“I don’t see why we couldn’t ride the train…” Draco huffed, crossing his arms across his chest snobbishly. Hermione caught Harry’s eyes with hers, fighting a smile.

Severus fought the urge to role his eyes. “While you might not fear for your own lives–” He cast a significant glance at Hermione who had the grace to look sheepish and Harry who bit his lip. “–but I will not leave you three to mercies of your peers. The Zambini family has been particularly nasty against my wanting you as my ward, Draco and I am not–”

“But sir, we’ve fought against V–!”

“Granger, say the name and I swear–!”

“You Know Who,” Hermione continued, not missing a beat, “was much worse then a Zambini, even one as vindictive as Blaise.”

“Which reminds me…” Severus drawled, stopping outside of the main entrance doors of Hogwarts. He turned to the trio who stumbled a bit at his abrupt halt in step. He was amazed at how innocently dumbfounded they all seemed. “You are not to go wondering the castle at all. You are to go to class and back to your new dorm. Am I clear?”

“But the library…” Hermione whispered.

“You may go to the library but not alone. If one goes, all will go.”

Draco stared at Severus in horror. “Might as well make our dorm there then! Go ahead and conjure us pillows because we’ll never drag Granger away from the shelves!”

Hermione stamped hard on Draco’s foot. He glared at her and in turn, she closed her eyes and stuck her nose high in the air. Harry bit his lip to keep from smiling.

“That is quite enough, Draco,” Severus reprimanded and ushered the three into the castle and straight into the body of an exiting groundskeeper.

A loud “Oof!” came from the half-giant and Draco gripped Harry and Hermione’s robes to keep from falling. Once balanced, the two looked at their friend, who huffed and righted himself quickly.

“Oh, ‘ello, Pr’fessor Snape,” blubbered the great giant, handkerchief held up to his large nose and fat tears fell down his cheeks into his beard.

“Good evening, Hagrid,” replied Severus in his normal acerbic tone, glaring at the large man. “Is it gone?”

“Norbbie’s gone,” He whispered and excused himself from the group sobbing so loud that they heard him even after the door was shut.

“Norbbie?” asked Harry.

Severus looked at his son and then at his ward and Hermione. He sighed, knowing it was best to tell them straight out before they went snooping. “Norbert, his… dragon…”

“Bloody hell!”

“Draco!” scolded Severus.

“What’s he trying to do?!” Draco asked incredulously. “Kill people?!”

Kill… kill... Master says… master says…

Harry stopped cold in his footsteps leading down to the dungeons. He looked along the stone walls but saw nothing. His hand flew up to his chest as if he could stop his frantic heartbeat with a simple fluttering touch.

Kill…

He jumped, whirling as the voice was now behind him. Yet, he saw nothing.

“Harry?” asked Hermione stopping and staring worriedly at him. “Are you alright?”

“Yea,” he said quietly so that Severus wouldn’t notice. He bawled his hand into a fist behind his back. “I just heard Peeves is all.”

She smiled a bit at him and they hurried to reach Severus and Draco who waited patiently and impatiently respectively further down the corridor.

***

The Welcoming Feast

Great Hall

“Well, Granger looks positively miserable,” Draco observed before taking a bite of his pudding.

Harry looked behind him at the end of the Gryffindor table where Hermione sit by herself. She sat so that her hair blocked her view of her housemates and she stared into nothingness, eating sporadically and looking at her watch every few seconds.

“If we have a new dorm, then why does Hermione have to sit with the Gryffindors?” Harry wondered, not really expecting an answer but Draco answered him anyways.

“Dumbledore is not happy with Severus.”

“For what?” asked Harry.

“More like ‘for which one’?”

Harry stared at Draco dumbly. Draco sighed theatrically. “He took me in. He got us new dorms – Granger included – and you know how much the old man favors the Gryffindors. Severus kept you from going back to the muggles. We could bloody well write twelve feet on what Severus has done to tick him off this summer.”

Harry nodded and cast a glance at his father, who sat beside the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, celebrity Gilderoy Lockhart.

“Dad doesn’t look too happy either,” he commented.

Snape did indeed not look happy. He glared daggers at Lockhart who seemed oblivious as he brushed crumbs off his pale lavender robes.

“I hope Severus hexes that poncy git soon.” Draco said wickedly. Harry snickered but quickly quieted as Dumbledore called the students to order.

The old man stared over his half-moon spectacles gently at the students – the house of lions in particular. He skimmed over Hermione’s lonely form and quickly sought out Harry who glared at him, looking every bit Severus Snape’s son. Draco grinned widely at the exchange.

“Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts!” Dumbledore bellowed merrily, however, his tone unchanged.

“For a few start-of-term announcements, I would like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden as is magic in the corridors. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, would like to add that there is a list of 327 banned items in which you may find at your disposal on his office door.

Also, I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart.” Dumbledore clapped politely. The students, especially the girls, were more enthusiastic with their applause. Harry smiled as his father declined to do so and continued glaring out at the student body.

***

Second year Slytherins and Gryffindors Potions was first thing the next morning to Harry and Hermione’s intense delight. Draco merely scowled and muttered something about smelling like cauldrons for the whole day.

Their group was the first to arrive, and knowing their professor as well as they did, they set out their things and waited in complete preparation – Hermione happier and more enthusiastic than the boys.

Their classmates filed in, Zambini strolled in and sat at the table behind the trio. He kicked Draco’s chair hard enough to knock his teeth together. He stood, seething, glaring down at Zambini who merely smiled impishly at him.

“Problem, Malfoy, or is it Snape now?”

Draco looked ready to jump across the table when Severus glided in. Hermione reached out her hand, gripped Draco’s robes and pulled him roughly back into his seat.

“Better thank your girlfriend, Malfoy. Wouldn’t want you to have a nosebleed…” Zambini whispered, snickering.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Zambini?”

“No, sir,” Blaise replied calmly, flipping idly through his book.

Silence spread as Severus stood and stared at the oblivious Blaise. Nott nudged him, alerting them of their professor’s attention on him. He looked up in shock as Severus strolled up the aisle. He leaned over until his face was inches away from Blaise’s. “I will not permit to be lied to, Mr. Zambini.”

“Yes, sir…” he whispered, completely cowed by Snape’s rare actions.

Severus straightened up and strolled to the front. He was quiet and his students watched him in shock. He raised his wand to place the instructions on the board when he said, “Ten points from Slytherin.”

The gasp was audible and with a flick of his wrist the instructions appeared. He turned to glare at the class who quickly got to work.

***

The girl stared across the cafeteria at the Slytherin table, brushing a piece of red hair behind her ear. Her freckled nose was wrinkled in thought before she leaned down and wrote in her book.

I don’t think I can believe what they say about Harry Potter. He doesn’t look evil to me.

The ink slowly disappeared, as if sinking through the page and scrawling words began to answer her thoughts.

He is simply misunderstood. You can be his friend.

Really, Tom? She asked.

Yes, and I would very much like to meet this Harry Potter.