Harry was lying on his bed looking at the ceiling when he heard a knock and his teacher walked in and leaned against the door.

“Change of plans, the Headmaster will formally announce you tomorrow.”Severus said.

“Why are we waiting until then?” Harry asked curiously.

“Because a great deal of your year mates are either sleeping in their dorms or unaccountable at the moment. Albus wants to have every student present,” Severus explained, having remembered earlier his scene with his snakes.

“Oh, so I guess I’m eating lunch in here with just you?” Harry asked.

“Yes, and rest assure child, I do not bite,” Severus said with a shake of his head.

“I know that,” Harry said with a blush.

“Oh really; I seem to remember a certain someone thinking I was a vampire his first year,” Severus said with amused smirk.

“I was 11,” Harry said his blush deepening.

“Of course you were; your lunch is on the table.” Severus said as he closed the door behind him.

Harry stood up and walking out the room to the kitchen. As he sat down to eat he had to wonder, when Snape and his relationship had change so. They ate in a comfortable silence before Harry looked up feeling someone staring at him to find his teacher studying him. He didn’t say anything, nor did he seem abashed when Harry stared back into his eyes. He didn’t like the stare it made him feel a bit unnerved and he struggled to come up with something.

“What am I supposed to tell people when they ask how come they’ve never heard of me?” Harry asked curiously.

“What you told Lucius, only add to it. Say your mother hid you from me, knowing how bad my reputation was. She was trying to shield you,” Severus said smoothly.

“Am I supposed to be a pureblood or a half-blood?” Harry asked.

“Pure-blood,”

“And if they ask how she died?” Harry asked.

“Tell them it’s too soon for you to talk about it, since it happened very recently.” Severus replied. “Matter fact you could use that excuse if you don’t know the answer to something.”

“Anything I say, I have to tell you so our stories can coordinate right?” Harry asked.

“That is correct Mr. Prince.” Severus said smoothly.

“How is my last name Prince and not Snape??”Harry asked in confusion.

“My mother’s maiden name was Prince, which is why you will be a pure-blood. Princes are an old family, quite like the Malfoys. No one will wonder why she hid you, your name will speak for itself,” Severus said.

“Oh, Emerson Prince, I kinda like that,” Harry said with a small smile.

“I’m glad you approve.” Severus said with a smirk.

“Oh, where do I say I last went to school?” Harry asked.

“Say you were taught at home. It’s not an uncommon practice in a pure-blooded family given the nature that most believe in blood superiority.”Severus explained.

“Am I supposed to be against muggles and muggleborns too?” Harry asked in a frown, he didn’t think he could do that if he was.

“Of course not,” Severus scoffed, though inside he was thinking on what Lucius had been talking about earlier that morning.

He had no doubt that the man was telling their Lord about his nephew, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was called soon just to clarify it. Severus gasped suddenly remembering Harry’s connection to the Dark Lord’s.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, looking up worriedly, it was so out of character for the man to lose it like that.

“You have a connection to the Dark Lord and you still haven’t got the basics down for Occulmency.”Severus explained agitatedly running a hand through his hair.

Harry froze, he had forgotten about that. He knew things that could get the man across from him killed. He felt an urge to close his eyes and he did so. Imagine his surprise when he tried to envision a door, and it showed up. Encouraged he put everything about him being Harry Potter and locked it up with his parsel tongue spell.

Looking on the outside of the door he labeled it; Top secret before he was making another door next to it, putting all his memories of Snape being a spy and a member of the order and he labeled that door; Snakes. He giggled as he spelled a new password in front of it.

Meanwhile Severus was looking at Harry curiously; he had been surprised when the boy had suddenly gone quiet. He knew the child wasn’t sleeping but he seemed to be in a mediating state and Severus didn’t know how to bring him back. Minutes ticked by, and yet nothing happened. 15 minutes later and he was standing up to get Albus when Harry opened his eyes; looked around the room and smiled.

“What were you doing?” Severus asked concern lacing his tone, even as he tried to keep it neutral.

“I was hiding away memories so that the Dark Lord couldn’t find them,” Harry said excitedly.

Severus was shocked, not only that Harry called him the Dark Lord, but also because the child said he was hiding memories. Did that mean that he could shield his mind?

“Can I check your shields Harry? I promise to be gentle,” Severus asked.

Harry looked at the man across from him, remembering the last time he was in his head. He most certainly was not gentle them. He sighed, but he needed the man to check to make sure that Voldemort couldn’t get in.

“Sure,” he finally answered.

Severus nodded before taking out his wand and gently performing the spell. He dove into Harry’s mind and while he could still random memories, he could see Harry himself standing by two doors; top-secret and snake.

“What are these?” He asked.

“Memories that the Dark Lord can’t afford to find out,” Harry said simply.

“May I see if I can enter them?” Severus asked a bit gleeful that Harry had done this much.

“Of course,”

Severus tried a simple unlocking spell, he could feel the doors trying to unlock but they didn’t move. He knew it was spelled by magic, but it seemed that you needed a specific word. He allowed a small smile to grace his face.

“Well done Harry, what did you use here?” Severus asked.

“It’s a spell in Parsel tongue, the Dark Lord doesn’t know of it either.” Harry said proudly, a bit shocked when he saw the expression on Snape’s face.

“That’s good to know; how did you know that the spell would work?” Severus asked curiously.

“I had tried the spell out before.” Harry admitted.

“Where?” Severus mused.

“That day in the classroom,” Harry said softly, unaware of the atmosphere in his mind changing in front of their eyes. He willed those conflicting emotions away, and the mood lightened again.

“I see, well it’s a great start Harry, let’s talk outside,” Severus said as he withdrew from his mind.

He had seen the darkening in the child’s eyes, and he reminding himself that Harry needed to talk to someone about what happened. They needed to get someone under oath, who didn’t know him personally. He vaguely wondered if that was a good idea, since Harry really seemed to open up to the wolf.

He shook that thought away; he wasn’t involving them in this; idiot Gryffindors. He refused to admit even to himself that he wanted to be the person that Harry confided in with.  Severus turned towards something else that had been nudging him and he looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow.

“Why have you been referring to him as the Dark Lord?” Severus asked.

Harry stared at the man silently, he had been quite afraid when Snape said ‘let’s talk outside’ of his mind. He had been sure he was about to get grilled about why he suddenly went mental and decided to shoot up the classroom. Imagine his surprise when he was only asked why he called Voldemort that.

“That’s what you call him,” Harry replied with a shrug.

“Death eaters call him that Harry,” Severus said with a shake of his head.

“Malfoy isn’t a death eater, and he calls him that. So does all the Slytherins,” Harry pointed out.

“Their Slytherins; that explains itself, you’re not, so don’t call him that,” Severus said.

“What if I am in Slytherin? Can I call him that then?” Harry pressed.

“If you are which I highly doubt, then yes you may call him that.” Severus said with an exasperated sigh.

Harry smirked at Snape, unaware that with his new face it was almost like the potion’s master was looking in the mirror. If only the man knew about his sorting the first time around. Harry wondered if he could face the staff table as he was sorted tomorrow, he wanted to see the look on Snape’s face when he entered his house.

“What am I supposed to about my wand? And my trunk, everyone knows they belong to Harry Potter.” Harry asked setting his Holly wand on the table.

“You’re right child, since all my classes are canceled today we will be going into Diagon Alley right after lunch to get everything you need.” Severus answered.

Harry nodded, wondering what his wand core would be this time, especially since it took so long to find one last time. Would he even be able to find another? He shrugged as he finished his lunch, a bit excited to get out and explore Diagon Alley as just a normal person instead of Harry Potter.