Harry didn't know what had caused the change, but it was there, and Ron still wasn't speaking to him. Harry could deal with angry people. That was just a common part of his life, dealing with Uncle Vernon's fits of rage, dealing with an angry father or angry best friend, but not talking at all just made Harry feel bad, as if he should be ashamed of something he had done because other people were ashamed of him.

At least Ron wasn't taking part in the new line of torturous name calling that the Slytherins had devised. Most of the other houses found this particular type of bullying apprehensible, but Draco informed Harry that once a Slytherin ‘defected' so to speak, that their former housemates saved the best for them. In this case, they were spreading rumors at every turn that Harry and Draco had been caught in the back of the library kissing and holding hands.

"Despicable," Neville said to Harry in disgust as they sat at lunch on their fifth day of classes. A fourth year Slytherin had just walked by Harry and called him queer.

"That's just not right," Ginny agreed. She wasn't against Harry, but there had obviously been a line drawn in the sand by Ron in the previous year that she wasn't allowed to cross without losing her brother. Hermione seemed to be abiding by the same rules as Ginny.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled, pushing his potatoes around his plate. Suddenly he wished he had mage powers and could speak a spell to tie all of the Slytherin's shoelaces once they rose from the table. Harry had been warned by his father not to seek out any sort of revenge, to simply stand tall and take the higher road, but it was ever so appealing to get back at them in some way.

"Once they are over their juvenile, immature thoughts, they will regret what they have done to you. Do not live a life of regret," his father had told him just that morning when Harry had been tempted to punch a sixth year boy in the face for asking him if he could have his number to give to his gay Muggle cousin in Blackpool.

Unfortunately, Severus had not had a chance to speak to Draco about taking the higher ground before Draco had gotten himself detention for tackling a group of cackling fourth years. One of them had a manufactured picture of Draco and some unnamed boy, and they were waving it around threatening to send it to the Daily Prophet.

"Gee, welcome back to Hogwarts Draco, the place where they love to ruin your life anew each and every day," he snarked as he scrubbed floors in front of McGonagall's office. Harry had apparently volunteered himself to help by cursing at a group of Ravenclaw girls that told him that he could come be one of the girls in their group if he wanted.

"I don't get why they have to be such jerks," Harry said. "Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws can be friends with each other or Gryffindor, but as soon as a Gryffindor and Slytherin become friends..." he trailed off and sat up, forgetting that he was supposed to be scrubbing floors. "Geez, can you think what it must have been like for my mum and dad?"

Draco stopped scrubbing now too. "How did that happen anyway? I mean, aside from them I've never heard of a Gryffindor and Slytherin actually getting together."

Harry bit his lip. He had been wondering for a while now, ever since the day the potions refused to lie in Potions class in fact, but had been too afraid to ask. He feared somehow that asking his father would drive him away. "Don't know," Harry said. "I never asked."

"Well, if they can cross the line then I'd like to try. Have you met the girls in Slytherin? They're terrible, and we're all just expected to intermarry!"

Harry grinned as he sloshed some more water onto the floor with his sponge and began scrubbing again. "Oh yeah, and who would you ask out in Gryffindor?" He was afraid that Draco might say Ginny, but instead he was surprised.

"Hermione Granger. She's so smart and pretty. Bet she'd never give me the time of day though."

Stunned, Harry sat up again and asked, "Is this the same Draco that called one of my best friends a Mudblood in third year?"

Draco's cheeks tinged bright red and he looked away. "Yeah, well, that was back when it was cool to sit high and mighty in the Slytherin throne. Father wouldn't write to me for weeks when the Headmaster told him what I'd said."

"Really? I didn't think he knew."

"Hagrid told him," Draco said, "and mother's mother was a Muggle. When father did write to me again it was to say how disappointed he was and how sad mother was that I could utter such a word."

"And?"

"And I never said it again."

Harry nodded in approval. He had no idea that Draco's bloodlines weren't as pure as he had always been lead to believe.

* * *

The taunts continued over the next week, and so did the detentions, not only for Draco and Harry, but also for the foul-mouthed students whom the teachers overheard.

Severus was most displeased, and when a third letter that week from Lucius had arrived that morning, asking Severus once again to reconsider taking the boys to Durmstrang, he was sorely tempted to write back right away that he would. He did not want to fight Harry's battles for him however, and knew ultimately that the decision was up to Harry and Draco. He hated to think of the boys not having friends for their final year at school. Granted, they would have to come back and live in this wizarding community after school, but hopefully at that point some of the students would have grown up enough to realize their error.

It was with this mindset that Severus called for Harry Wednesday evening after dinner, and took him into his quarters to talk to him.

Harry sat expectantly in a leather chair, having only been in his father's private Hogwarts quarters twice now, and both within the last week and a half since they had returned to school.

"I wanted to speak to you about opportunities," Severus said carefully. Harry was listening intently, and Severus continued. "It is regarded as tradition that young wizards should go abroad, either for a year of study or go abroad for travel at some point in their early adult lives. Some of your classmates have already gone abroad for their summer vacations... Mr. Weasley for instance, went to Egypt I believe, and at some point Romania to visit his brother."

Harry nodded, remembering how excited Ron was to take those trips.

"You may have noticed that Hogwarts has had exchange students now and again from America or France, or other parts of the world, and sometimes students from Hogwarts get the opportunity to study abroad at one of the other magical schools." He paused to be sure that Harry was still with him, and he was.

"What I wanted to speak to you this evening about is taking opportunities at opportune moments. This would appear to be one of those opportune moments."

"It is?" Harry asked. His stomach squirmed uncomfortably now. He just knew that his father was going to send him away rather than deal with the trouble surrounding him.

"Indeed." Well, it was now or never, Severus told himself, and he plunged on. "In the end, it is your choice, but I wish you to consider a year at Durmstrang with Draco."

"Draco's going to Durmstrang?" Harry asked, suddenly alarmed that he hadn't heard news of this yet from his best friend.

Severus held up his hand. "As of now, no. But Lucius and Narcissa have been considering sending him to Durmstrang for a year for sometime now, and as of late Lucius has particularly been pestering me about it. Narcissa will not let Draco go so far away without a friend, and a trusted chaperone."

"Chaperone? You mean, you would be going too?" When Severus nodded, Harry launched into questions about leaving his job at Hogwarts for a year and having the money to do that, but Severus held up a hand to forestall his hurried speaking again.

"Since I have started work at Hogwarts, I have rarely had a chance to spend money on myself, aside from the purchase of our house and land. I have more than enough money saved to take a year off of work. In any case, the Malfoys have offered a living stipend for the three of us if we agree to go. Lucius has also hinted at a temporary opening for a Potions Professor at Durmstrang."

"And, and your job here?" Harry queried. "Would it be here when you got back?"

Severus nodded. "From time to time professors take teaching opportunities elsewhere, or take a leave of absence for personal reasons. Leaves of up to two years are allowed before loss of a job becomes a possibility." Harry didn't look convinced, so Severus continued with, "The year before you came to school professor Flitwick took a year off to study Aborigines charms in Australia, and three years before that Minerva took a year to visit family in America while she studied to help a wizard who had turned himself into an animagi and was unable to turn himself back."

Harry sighed. "You're serious about all of this? You want me to go to Durmstrang for my last year of school?"

"It is not a requirement, just something I wish you to consider. It would appear that this would be an opportune time to do so when so many students within the school have lost their senses. There is also no guarantee that once you choose to go to Durmstrang that you will be allowed to attend. They do not accept people on an application basis. There are interviews and tests to go through."

"I don't speak Bulgarian or whatever they speak there."

"The school is in Norway, and because there are students from a variety of countries, most students know English and all students know charms to put on themselves to make them speak and understand any language."

"Huh." That was more information than he'd ever known about Durmstrang before.

They were silent for a few moments and then Harry asked curiously, "And they have mage classes there?"

Head tilted a little, Severus nodded, not realizing his son was interested in such things. Hogwarts had one class towards the end of the year for seventh years for wandless magic, but it barely scratched the surface of the topic, and most Hogwarts graduates never became proficient at it.

"Can I think about it for a while?" Harry asked.

Severus nodded. "You may, keeping in mind that it will take at least a week to set things in order and set up interviews with the Durmstrang Headmaster and Staff."

"And if I choose not to go?"

"Then I will not be disappointed, and neither should you. I understand that Hogwarts has become a second home to you and you may not wish to leave it without heavy consideration."

Harry left his father's quarters with a lot to think about. The chance to study at another school, a chance to start over, at least for the year, was a great opportunity, but his father was right. He felt like this was his home, and he loved the castle and grounds dearly.

"What's that look for?" Draco asked him the next day during a free period they had.

"Dad wants us to go to Durmstrang for the year."

Draco raised his brows, curiosity definitely peaked. "And?"

"Do you want to go?"

Draco raised his arms and asked, "Are you serious? How could you want to stay here? Most people are so hateful and rude. This isn't a school, it's a slaughterhouse." Harry looked around the Entrance Hall, where Draco's voice had raised the attention and ire of a few others meandering between classes.

"So that's a yes?"

Draco nodded. "Besides, they have all sorts of classes there that we don't have. Mage classes and Occlumency classes, and I heard they teach martial arts too."

All of those things sounded intriguing to Harry, and he nodded as he thought.

"I guess we're going to Durmstrang then." He grinned, suddenly more excited than he could remember being in a long time. Draco jumped and gave a whoop, and they ran off to tell Severus.

* * *

The school was abuzz with rumors about Draco and Harry transferring to Durmstrang.

"Is it true?" Ron asked quietly, coming up behind Harry in the hall one day.

Harry turned, unaccustomed to hearing Ron's voice directed at him.

"What?"

"Is it true? They say you're going to Durmstrang."

Harry shrugged. "I'm going to try. We leave tomorrow for interviews and a tour of the school. My dad says the school year is shorter there so we'd be back for the last two weeks of classes here to take NEWTS and graduate."

"And you'd just up and leave like that?" Ron asked, voice still low and unenthusiastic.

Harry considered his friend, because Harry could not shake the feeling that somehow they were still friends in spite of everything, and wondered if Ron would be sorry to see him go.

"I just need a change for a while," he said. "Every year it's the same here... because I'm the boy-who-lived, I'm also the boy-who-people-love-to-walk-all-over when they feel like a good laugh."

Ron looked down at his shoes at the painful truth in Harry's words, and said, "I'm sorry you know. For being rotten."

Harry nodded, and after a moment, moved forward and cupped his hand on Ron's shoulder, drawing his friend's eyes up to his own. "I know," he said. "No hard feelings."

Ron frowned as Harry stepped back. "What does that mean."

Severus called Harry's name from down the hall and waved for him to come to him for a moment, and Harry waved back. Then he grinned and turned back to Ron. "It means we're still friends if you'll have me as one." Then he turned and jogged to his father and they were gone, around the corner and out of sight. Ron didn't move for a long while, amazed at the forgiveness Harry had in his heart, the forgiveness Ron had always admired.

* * *

"We will apparate to Malfoy Manor to collect your father Draco, and then take a Portkey to Printzhof in Norway. Durmstrang is a short walk from there."

Severus gripped Harry and Draco's arms just outside of Hogwarts grounds, and they reappeared in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. Harry and Draco went up to Draco's room to wait for Lucius to be ready and talked about what they knew of Durmstrang.

"Father says there will be tests of magically prowess during the interview," Draco said, lying on his stomach on his blue bedspread.

"What kind of prowess am I supposed to have? How do they admit first years?"

Draco laughed. "Hasn't uncle Sev. been telling you anything about it? They have a wizarding primary on another part of the grounds. Most Durmstrang students study magic from the age of seven. Father says a first year at Durmstrang knows what a third year at Hogwarts knows."

Suddenly Harry felt nervous and said, "Great, so I'm like a fifth year asking to be admitted to seventh?"

Draco waved him away. "No worries. You know how to make a Patronus, right?"

Harry nodded, and Draco said, "That's still pretty advanced magic. I bet that will be enough. I bet they'll want to see a fancy shield and maybe some good transfiguration too. Maybe a good charm."

They talked about the things they would show the interviewers for a short while longer before they heard Lucius calling them down, and they hurried downstairs, both already dressed in Muggle suits. Draco didn't understand why they had to wear Muggle suits instead of dress robes, but Severus told them that the clothing styles were different for wizards in Norway, and that they didn't wear any sort of robes. Harry remembered the brown and sometimes red school uniforms that the Durmstrang students wore when they had come to visit for the Tri-Wizard tournament.

By the time they had portkeyed to Printzhof, a small town much like Hogsmead with the exception that building styles were different and there were Muggles and Wizards alike living there, Harry's stomach was doing summersaults. He suddenly wanted very much to impress the Headmaster of this new school, and did not want to miss this opportunity for something new and different.

It was a little chillier here than it had been back at Hogwarts, but it was sunny and bright, and Harry took in the beautiful forest and small river as they walked towards Durmstrang. The castle loomed into view in the distance, sitting on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea. It was only four stories high, but Harry noticed the abundance of separate buildings near the castle but not connected.

The grounds were well manicured and there was a wide variety of trees and plants, and even a small stream running beside part of the castle.

"Students do not live inside the castle as they do at Hogwarts," Lucius said as they passed three tall, long stone buildings. "They live in dormitories separate from the school, and some live off grounds in the village with their families."

"Who watches them?" Harry asked, referring to the students in the dorms. "Do teachers live there as well?"

Severus chuckled then and said, "Teachers have their own building, and students on each floor of the dorms act in a similar capacity to Prefects, keeping order and reporting to staff if there are any issues."

"Are there houses then?" Draco asked.

Severus looked at Lucius and then said, "I do not know. I have not met many people who have attended or taught here."

They walked up a white stone path and into the main Entrance of the castle. While the castle was stone on the outside, the floors on the inside were mainly polished wood. The walls were covered in deep scarlet wall hangings featuring the school crest, which was a double-headed eagle with some foreign characters Harry could not yet decipher.

While they waited patiently, Severus noted with amusement the look of awe at how different this castle was to Hogwarts.

"There's no portraits," Harry said quietly to his father, and Severus nodded.

"They believe to paint a magical portrait is to steal a persons soul, and to put one of these portraits up is to be watched by people in the afterlife. They do not approve."

"No wonder they always looked so freaked out during the tournament," Draco commented, going quiet suddenly as a female dressed in a red and brown uniform appeared at the top of the stairs.

"The Malfoys and Snape's I presume?"

Severus nodded, and she said, "Welcome to Durmstrang Institute for the Magically Gifted. Please follow me to the interviewing room."

Harry gave Severus a worried look and received a squeeze of reassurance on the shoulder for his effort. It was worth it, he thought, glad that his father was there with him. He peered at Draco as they climbed the stairs, to see that Draco had just gotten the same comfort from his own father.

On the second floor they were lead down a long, straight corridor with a variety of windows, through which Harry could see open water, and in the distance a shoreline and some houses, which he assumed, was Printzhof.

Finally they came to a large wooden door, and the woman said, "They will wish to see Mr. Potter first. Mr. Snape, they may call you in at a later time."

She motioned for Harry to enter and the others to take a seat on long intricately carved wooden benches on either side of the door. With a last reassuring look from Severus, Harry pushed open the door and tried to remember all of the things his father had gone over with him in the last few days about interviewing and certain things that were inappropriate to say in this particular culture.

Inside, instead of finding the Headmaster, Harry found an entire panel of people waiting to interview him, with one man in the middle sitting slightly higher than all the rest.

"Mr. Harry James Potter?" the man in the middle asked, and Harry nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Welcome to Durmstrang Institute. I am Headmaster Dragomir Yan, and joining us are many of the professors that teach at this school. Was your trip well?"

The man seemed very friendly. Not quite Albus Dumbledore, but much better than Igor Karkaroff had been when Harry had dealt with him during the Tri-wizard tournament.

"Very well, thank you sir," Harry said, standing in the center of the room with his hands behind his back, as there was no place for him to sit.

"We have some questions for you, if you will please answer them as honestly as possible." Headmaster Yan turned to his left to a stern looking man who reminded him of how he used to perceive his father, and the man cleared his throat.

"I am Andon Spas, professor of the Dark Arts." Harry waited patiently, wondering if he was supposed to say hello. He had been told already that they didn't defend against dark arts, but they taught it carefully, for use in certain circumstances only. Before Harry waited more than few seconds however, Professor Spas asked, "Please tell us why you have a different last name than your father."

The question took Harry by surprise. He had been prepared to answer questions about his ancestry, because his father had told him Durmstrang took preference of long wizarding lines over short ones, and he'd been ready to answer questions about his previous schooling and study habits, even about his involvement with Voldemort, but not this.

"Until recently we didn't know that I was Severus Snape's son. I grew up believing that both of my parents were dead, and because my last name was Potter, I was lead to believe that James Potter was my biological father." There, that didn't sound too bad, and his voice wasn't that shaky, was it? Thank goodness that his father had shown him the spell to make them speak the same language at least, or else Harry would be in real trouble. But when the next question came, he was sure it hadn't helped and he was going to struggle through the interview anyway.

"How recently?"

"Six and a half months ago sir."

"And what was your reaction to finding out your father was alive?"

Harry paled. He had been asked to answer truthfully, and he didn't want to lie. "I was upset. I didn't think he liked me very much and nobody talked to me about it for a long time." They were all staring at him, as if waiting for something more, but he had nothing else to say, and after a moment, Spas said thank you, and another professor, a female this time, spoke up.

"Hello Mr. Potter. I am professor of Herbology, Nonna Lara. Please tell us about your previous education in Herbology."

Harry wanted to sigh, but withheld as he began to answer questions that he did feel prepared for. The Professors of Transfiguration, Occlumency, and Charms asked questions, intermixed with the Headmaster asking for clarification here and there, before the last professor in the room who had yet to speak, stood up and came to the center of the room.

"I am Ratko Spas, brother to Andon Spas. I am the teacher of defense. Your first test is to defend yourself."

Taken aback by the sudden request to be tested, Harry watched as the man waved his wand and reached out to grab two long staffs that had appeared in the air. They were the same ones Harry had seen the Durmstrang students at Hogwarts carry during the tournament.

"You have used one of these before?" Spas asked, and Harry shook his head.

"No sir."

"You will learn to do so now. Defend yourself in whatever way you need. Do not fear to hurt me."

Harry nodded that he was ready, feeling uncomfortable with the weighty staff in his hands instead of his wand. Suddenly the man used the stick to jab at Harry, who's Seeker reflexes kicked in and he jumped back, spinning and ducking wildly in order to escape the onslaught of movement coming from the other man's attacking staff. He couldn't explain it, but though his feet remained on the ground, his mind kicked into flying mode and he felt as if he could perform the same moves he usually did in the air. It was the most amazing feeling to feel yourself flying through the air, here one second and gone the next, staff becoming the perfect counterbalance to keep yourself from falling. And while Harry had yet to land a hit to his opponent, he had also not been hit by the man with lightning fast reflexes.

Around and around the large room they went, Spas stabbing and swinging, forcing Harry to duck, twirl, spin, jump, and once even to use the wall to run and kick off of in order to fly high over the man and his weapon. And then it happened. From the corner of his eye, as he preformed the crazy, jump and spin dance, he saw a wand appear out of the other man's sleeve, and quicker than he knew what he was doing, he had dropped the staff, and used his wand to throw up the most powerful block he knew of that took the least amount of time and spell work to cast. It surrounded him just in time to block a red hex from hitting him square in the chest.

Breathing hard, Harry held the block up until his opponent lowered his wand and turned toward his colleagues, as if at a loss for word.

"Are the truth spells up?" he asked, and the Headmaster nodded.

Spas looked at Harry, breathing ragged himself, and asked again, "You say you have never used a weapon such as this before." He held up the staff clearly for Harry to see.

"Not until just now sir," Harry said, standing straight again and trying to ignore the stitch in his side.

"And yet you defended yourself as if you had been in my class for seven years."

With one final breath, Harry said, "I don't know what happened sir. It was like flying on a broom, but on my feet. As if I knew each way to move without losing balance."

"And without getting hit," the man said pointedly. Harry wasn't sure if he was in trouble or not, but a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he saw his father standing there in awe. Clearly they had invited him in in the midst of the staff battle, and allowed him to watch.

Ratko Spas bowed to Harry then, who did the same, and retook his seat behind the staff table. Headmaster Yan motioned for Harry and Severus to retake the center of the floor, and asked, "Severus Isaac Snape, are you prepared for your son to undertake a year at Durmstrang Institute of the Magically Gifted, understanding that he will receive an education beyond that of which he has already received, becoming a new person each and every day, working for the better?"

Harry thought that it sounded rather like a marriage proposal, but did not laugh at their custom as his father nodded, and said that he was prepared for such a thing. Turning to Harry, the Headmaster asked, "Harry James Potter Snape, are you prepared to undertake a year at Durmstrang Institute of the Magically Gifted, understanding that you must work to receive your education, and work towards being a new and better person each and every day, abiding by the basic rules of human respect and decency upheld at this institute?"

Harry nodded. "Yes sir, I am."

The Headmaster smiled then along with the other staff seated there, and said, "Let me be the first to welcome you then as a student at this school. It is sure to be a very different experience than what you have had in previous years, but also unforgettable."

Harry turned to his father then and grinned, and was pleased to receive an arm around the shoulders.

"You will be pleased to know that your son passed every test administered to him. Both modest and honest, sincere and adeptly skilled at defending himself with a wand and a staff. His previous grades sometimes leave something to be desired, but with a long track record of sincere learning aptitude, we believe he will fit perfectly in this institution."

"And we are honored to have the opportunity," Severus said with a bow.

They were given instructions to talk again with the woman who had lead them inside, and then were sent out, passing a worried looking Draco on the way in, and meeting an anxious Lucius on the bench.

"Don't worry," Harry said sitting between Lucius and his father. "He'll do great."

Lucius nodded, knowing Harry was right.