Severus looked over at his apprentice.  It has been months since he has been placed in his hands for training due to the boy’s naivety about his own world.  Severus had to put up with snit fits, temper tantrums, sob sessions, and silent treatments for the first month of the brat’s training. 

Actually, Severus hadn’t put up with it.  Harry Potter had become very well acquainted with the north most corner of his flat in Hogwarts and later became a well known resident of the northern most corner of his sitting room in Number 13 Spinner’s End.  Needless to say the boy eventually had learned his lesson.  He had not liked their circumstances any more than the boy, but he at least realized that what ancient magic that had been enacted by the Lady of the Moon in the apprenticeship bond could not be undone. 

In other words, he knew until the boy had become a master in all his arts, Potter’s and Lily’s child would remain his apprentice.  The youngest Potter had not been pleased and had made that well known to Severus.  This behavior  often landed him in his designated corners.

Black had put up a fuss as well, but he was of little or no consequence since he was now on the run from the authorities thanks to Dumbledore’s interference.  The man had attempted to get his apprentice to free the man using a time turner, only to find that Severus had locked Miss Granger and the boy in his private rooms where the Headmaster had no jurisdiction.  It had taken Harry a month to forgive him. Eventually, and grudgingly mind you, the boy had come to realize it was not his place to be gallivanting about rescuing his godfather.  It was the place of adults, not thirteen-year-old boys.  Still Severus had put up with screaming matches (corner), cussing (corner and spanking), and attempts to run away leading to his apprentice almost being abducted by some muggle kidnappers (corner, spanking, and a two month grounding).  Needless to say, the boy learned that structure wasn’t a bad thing.

Now, almost seven months after the initial bonding and almost three months after Black escaping for parts unknown (hopefully to never be seen again!), Severus and Harry were back at Hogwarts.

Odd.  He never thought a year ago that he would ever call the Potter spawn by his first name, but now he used it frequently.  Other times he referred to his apprentice as “the brat.”   Or occasionally his lion snake.  Severus was working on fostering Harry’s Slytherin side in order to better prepare him for the upcoming battles that Dumbledore would force his Lily’s child and his apprentice into. 

He looked over at his brat dressed in his new apprentice robes.  The boy was once again playing with the buttons on them.  After three months one would think he would have broken the boy of his nervous habit.  Why had he only had three months to break the boy’s habit?

Two words, the Headmaster.

The Headmaster had attempted to keep the boy from wearing these robes last school year. The old coot had actually succeeded until the night Black had made his escape and Harry and his friends had had the audacity to knock him out.  Magic had taken matters into her own hands at that point.

“Are you going to continuously play with the buttons on your robe Harry every time we face something challenging Harry?”  Severus asked with a soft smirk directed at the younger wizard.  

The boy had on Edwardian style Potions and DADA apprentice robes which were similar to his own robes.  The main difference was that Harry did not have the same multitude of buttons that Severus did.  Harry had joking stated that his Master was a Catholic priest instead of follower of the Dark Lady.

Severus acted like he hadn’t been amused at the time, but he had allowed himself to smile at his apprentice’s joke once he was alone later that evening.

The boy looked up at him, but put his hands down at his sides. “Sorry sir.  It’s just odd to not to be riding the Hogwarts’ Express and not wearing my school robes.”

Severus nodded, “I know child.  I apologize for the fact that the magic surrounding our bond has required you to be removed from your house.”

“Are you worried Severus about how your snakes will react?” Harry asked biting his lip.

Severus leaned over and straightened the collar of the boy’s robes.  “No.  They will respect you as my apprentice.  Despite all my Slytherins’ faults, they understand the power of ancient magic. I actually spoke to them last year.  They have adopted you as an honorary Snake.”

“And Gryffindors don’t understand that magic?”  Harry said with a small smirk. The boy seemed to be currently ignoring the honorary snake comment for now.  “’Mione does.”

“Miss Granger, I believe should have been in Ravenclaw just as much as you should have been in my house.  I believe that she was one of the few that were almost a hat staler.” Severus stated as he lifted their bags out of the compartments above the carriage seats. He then quickly charmed them to follow the boy and him up the stairs of Hogwarts, before motioning to the boy to exit.

HJP/STS/HJP

It still surprised Harry how far Severus and him had come since that fateful night of March 12, 1994. His relationship with the older wizard had grown and changed from that night.

Flashback

 Harry had been wandering the halls messing with Marauder’s Map underneath his invisibility clock when Snape walked by him.  The man seemed to come out of nowhere.  Harry was sure the older wizard was up to no good and followed him.

Snape lead him outside and past the standing stones in the direction of the Whomping Willow. (It had been a struggle to keep up with the long legged man, but Harry had done it!) Not far from the Willow tree, Snape stopped at what looked to be an old set of cross roads. It was then that Harry realized that a little alter had been set up.  Harry watched as Snape put down his bag, opened it, and began to remove items from it. 

‘What in the bloody hell is he doing?’ The young wizard asked himself. Harry watched the older wizard’s careful movements as he prepared the alter, lighting three black candles, and began to speak.

 “Goddess Hecate, I honor you this night when the moon and its light are hidden from us mere mortals.  I ask on the night without moonlight, your holy night, that you grant protection unto my students at this school, unto my unrequited love’s child, and unto me.  I beseech you to grant this protection and give you this offering as a boon.”  Snape intoned in his deep baritone.

Harry watched as the Head of Slytherin lit what looked like incense, poured a small bag full of black and white stones in a bowl, and in another bowl of what looked like raisins. 

‘Why is he using those items? What significance could those possibly have?’

Snape continued to chant.

*''Hecate, mighty Goddess of crossroads, darkness, death, wisdom, and the moon, please come to me. Please Hecate, protect my students and help them when they are in danger. Treat them as  your own and give them all that is needed. Hecate, surround me in your darkness so that I can bring forth the light when they are in need.''*

His gaze turned to awe as a light surrounded the bowls and the incense and a sense of peace filled the area.  The look on his potion master’s face… it was a look of contentment and inner solitude and peace.

‘Goddess… I wish I  could do that!  I wish I had the ability to do that!’ Harry thought desperately to himself, not even realizing who he had addressed with his utterance. ‘I wish I could be able to feel that sense of peace!’

Just as soon as he thought it, Harry felt his wrists heat up.  He looked down at yelped.  His flesh was burning! Three snakes entwined around his left wrist and a dark full moon surrounded by two quarter moons on his right.

‘What’s going on?  What’s happening’ Harry frantically was attempting to rub of the snake brand (‘Or was it a tattoo?’) off of his arm.  It wouldn’t do for a Gryffindor to have a set of snakes branded on to his arm.

He looked up to see Snape go deadly still, his right hand touching his left forearm.

‘Great, the Lady is probably the sign of Voldemort.’ Harry thought angrily, only to feel a sense of disquiet fall about him. For some odd reason Harry felt like he was being scolded.

He continued to watch Snape as he started to look around, searching to find something…. ‘Or perhaps someone.’

Harry was amazed when the Potion Master looked directly at where he was standing. ‘Oh goddess, he knows!  He is going to kill me!’

“Who is hiding there, my Lady?  Who have you bonded to me?”  Harry heard Snape ask softly.

Harry felt himself move forwards and his cloak, which had been tied tightly to him, slipped off as if he had only shrugged it around his shoulders.

Snape looked at him, something flashed in his eyes (‘was it anger?’) before acceptance entered into them as well. He looked at the altar before him. “Do you find him worthy, my Lady?”

Harry watched fascinate as the light glowed around the offerings once more.

“Very well my Lady.  I will put aside foolish house pride and welcome my new apprentice.” Snape stepped forwards and held out his long, elegant hand to Harry. For the first time Harry realized that Snape was not wearing his usual robes and that his forearms could clearly be seen.  A faded tattoo that radiated evil was being pushed back by a tattoo of the three entwined snakes on the Professor’s left arm and the same tattoo of the dark moon appeared on the Professor’s right arm.

Harry did not hesitate. Despite his early doubts, he was filled with the light of the Lady and all those thoughts were pushed away. He placed his small hand in the Professors. Words that did not seem to come from him flowed from his mouth.  “I accept my place as your apprentice under our Lady, my Master.”

Snape surprised him by smiling a little.  He gently pulled Harry to the altar, one hand holding his and the other on his back guiding him to the proper place.

**“Hekatê of the Path, I invoke Thee, Lovely Lady of the Triple Crossroads,
Celestial, Chthonian, and Marine One, Lady of the Saffron Robe.
Sepulchral One, celebrating the Bakchic Mysteries among the Souls of the Dead,
Daughter of Persês, Lover of Solitude, rejoicing in deer.
Nocturnal One, Lady of the Dogs, invincible Queen.
She of the Cry of the Beast, Ungirt One, having an irresistible Form.
Bullherder, Keeper of the Keys of All the Universe, Mistress,
Guide, Bride, Nurturer of Youths, Mountain Wanderer.
I pray Thee, Maiden, to be present at our hallowed rites of initiation,
Always bestowing Thy graciousness upon the Boukolos.”**

Harry looked over at the man as he intoned the prayer.  He suddenly realized he had just gotten himself into something very serious, but at that moment…. He could not find it in himself to care.

End of Flashback

He had fought with Severus a lot those months after his initiation as an apprentice to a follower of Hecate.  Harry had been confused and angry.  He felt like he had been tricked into doing something he had not wanted by the Potion Master. The Headmaster had stopped his master from having him wear his apprentice robes, stating that Harry was first and foremost a Gryffindor.  Harry had mouthed off to Severus when the Potion Master was making him wear his robes to go to a Potions convention with him one weekend.  Harry remembered he had spent the start of that weekend in the corner staring at a wall before getting a lecture on proper reverence an apprentice must by the Lady.

When Harry had first met his godfather, after coincidently knocking his master out, his father’s best friend had encouraged him to break his bond with Severus and the Lady.  He had called the Dark Moon goddess evil and demonic.  She was, Sirius stated, not an appropriate goddess for a brave Gryffindor to follow; and wouldn’t he rather follow a brave and powerful god like Apollo.

His master didn’t realize it, but that was about the time that Harry realized that his godfather expected him to be like his dad.  Why might one ask? The answer was simple, Sirius had slipped and called him James. Despite all his fighting with Severus who had locked ‘Mione and him up in his, the Potion Master’s, rooms that he needed to help Sirius and his screaming that Severus was attempting to keep him away from people who knew his parents… Harry was grateful.  Severus was the only person to stand up to Dumbledore and win a fight.  He was allowing Harry to be a child while he could, just like the Lady  would want him to be.

After the incident with Sirius, Severus had reported to the Board of Governors that Remus had not taken his potion prior to the full moon and the other professor’s lack of responsibility had gotten the werewolf fired.  Harry had been angry for a month until he realized that Severus hadn’t intentionally gotten Remus fired (Though he might have been unconsciously going for that same result.) and Remus had been irresponsible for not taking his potion.

After Dumbledore had managed to save Sirius, Harry found that the Lady or the old magic surrounding their bond, as Severus believed, had destroyed all his Gryffindor robes.  Harry had also found that he could not enter into the Gryffindor common room and that his name had been removed from the list of Gryffindor students in the Headmaster’s book. 

Now Harry was solely listed as an apprentice to the Head of Slytherin on the Slytherin student list. Severus had yet to truly realize this yet. The Headmaster had not been happy with Severus.  Then again, neither had Harry at first.

He had, for fun, looked for Mione’s name and found her flickering between Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin.  For some reason that had made him smile. He hoped that she would take the apprenticeship he had heard she had been offered under Professor Sinistra, who was also a follower of Hecate.  She was his best friend and, for some reason, Severus believed that she would be something more to him in the future.

‘He is probably right,’ Harry thought with a small grin. ‘Plus I already told Ron that I think I like her. Neither of us are ready for that anyways. Not yet.’

 Until that time, Harry would just follow the goddess and his master.  Speaking of his master, the older wizard was already halfway up the front stairs of Hogwarts. Harry ran to catch up and met both his Potion Master and master at the top of the stair.

STS/HJP/STS

***“I praise you Dark Goddess, Hecate.  I glory in Your wisdom and Your protection.  I honor Your strength and Your power.  I pray You may always keep and guide my Master and I, Dark Queen of Magic and the Sky.”*** Harry softly prayed under his breath as he walked up the stairs of Hogwarts.

Severus heard his young apprentice offer a prayer of his own making to their Goddess.  The goddess had given Harry to him as an apprentice and Severus could not be more grateful.  Yes, it had been a hard road.  And one fraught with pain and suffering and he was sure that there would be more challenges to face in the future. But for now and  in the end Severus had to admit that he had gotten a chance to know a very special teenager.

“Severus?”

“Yes Harry?” Severus kept his voice gentle and soft.  He only did this for Harry since he had discovered that the child had an engrained defense mechanism to become riled up when an agitated or angry adult voice was directed his way.

“Do you think that Ron will continue to be mad at me?”

Severus raised an eyebrow.  This is the first time he had heard of this worry. “Why do you believe that Weasley will continue to be angry with you?”

“Like you said, the magic of our bond disintegrated my connection to Gryffindor House.  When we talked over the summer he got angry when I told him I couldn’t play Quidditch for Gryffindor anymore.”  His apprentice than ducked his head and Severus caught the tell tale sign of embarassment. “Plus I might have told him I liked ‘Mione.”

Severus hid a gentle smile from as he charmed their belonging to follow them down to their apartments.  “If he is a true friend Harry will realize the error in his ways.  If he is not as true, than he might not apologize for the right reasons, or he might leave the friendship buried. Only time will tell.”

Harry nodded slowly.  “You know Severus, I’m glad I followed you that moonless night. I think in a night without the moonlight I found something of greater value than I could have imagined before.”

“Even if it required you to forgo your house pride?” Severus drawled, watching his apprentice out of the corner of his eye.

Harry remained silent as they walked down to their dungeon rooms.  Severus smiled internally, knowing that his little lion snake was truly contemplating the question set before him instead of answering blindly.

“Yes.”  Harry replied softly.  “I think Severus, I truly do. Painful as it is to admit that I’m now technically a snake.”

“Apprentice to a Snake, Harry.  You are an honory member of Slytherin until the new school year starts.  Then it is official.”

“Ron’s going to kill me.”

Severus stoically replied, “Do not worry, my apprentice.  The Lady will defend you.”

He paused for a minute and then began to smirk.  “I believe your mortal lady will also defend your honor.”

“SEVERUS!” Came a yell from the dungeons and deep, warm laughter could be heard.  As could the sound an affectionate mezzo.