September 2, 1991
Severus was completely exhausted by the time 8 AM rolled around. He stayed up all night thinking. Just thinking. What would Quirrell be staring at Potter for? Who does Potter look like? Why can I not think of who he resembles? Severus grumbled and decided he should just make his way up to the great hall for breakfast. He smirked; he was excited to see if he could get Potter to squirm today during first-year potions class this afternoon.
****
Harry groaned when he woke up to the sun shining brightly in his eyes. He quickly rubbed them and sat up. After putting his glasses on he noticed all his other dormmates were already gone except for Ron who he could hear softly snoring in the bed next to him. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and immediately jumped from the bed. “Shit! Ron wake up!” he yelled running over and shaking his friend to wake him. “Bloody hell Harry!” Ron said as he was violently woken from his deep sleep. “Ron we’re going to be late! We almost missed breakfast!” Harry shouted back while running back to his trunk and grabbing his uniform. Ron shot up “not breakfast!” he shouted and immediately copied Harry’s motions as the two threw on their clothes and quickly brushed their teeth. They sprinted out of the dorm and common room and ran towards the Great Hall.
They made it with 5 minutes to spare but noticed there were not many students still in there. McGonagall sighed and gave a stern look to the boys who were trying to catch their breaths. “Please do try and be on time boys. Now hurry up and eat what you can, here are your schedules.” She handed them their schedules and walked out of the hall. Harry and Ron noticed they had the same schedule and high-fived. Ron began shoving as much food as he could in his mouth, whereas Harry simply grabbed a plain piece of toast. “Ron hurry up before we’re late to class! We have transfiguration with McGonagall, and we don’t want to be late again for the second time on the first day.” Ron simply nodded and grabbed one more muffin before following Harry out of the Great Hall in search of their first class.
Severus and a few other professors who didn’t have a class until later this morning simply sat at the head table and conversed. Severus’s head snapped in the direction of the entrance when he heard the doors bang open and saw two eleven-year-old boys run to the Gryffindor table. He shook his head ‘brats think they can run about in the castle’ he thought to himself. He watched completely disgusted as he saw the Weasley boy try and shove as many muffins in his mouth as he could, but what surprised him was Potter. The boy simply grabbed one slice of toast and seemed fine with that. ‘That damn child is already too thin’ he thought. He took a long sip of his coffee as he watched the two boys run back out the doors and shook his head. He turned back to the conversation at the staff table and again saw Quirrell staring in the direction of the doors.
Harry and Ron finally made it to their transfiguration class. After arriving five minutes late, they both smiled when they realized Professor McGonagall wasn’t anywhere to be seen. They sat towards the front of the room since it was the only table left open and then suddenly, they both realized the cat that was sitting on the desk in the front turned into their professor! Even though Harry was in awe of the magic, he, and Ron both gulped as she stared down at them. “S-sorry professor we got lost,” explained Harry. She gave one nod of her head and went on to teach the class.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville all had the same schedule, which Harry was thankful for. That was until he realized he also had the same schedule as Malfoy and his cronies. He couldn’t stand looking at that distastefully blond hair anymore. They were sitting in Professor Binn’s History of Magic class when something hit the back of Harry's head. He saw the piece of paper land next to him and uncrumpled it. “I’m challenging you to a duel tonight. Be by the Black Lake at 8 PM.” Harry crumpled up the paper and put it aside; he was planning on showing his friends later. Also, he thought, ‘I can’t tonight anyway. I was going to go to Professor Dumbledore’s office with the chest and hopefully, he can get my father for me.’ Harry didn’t know all of the professors’ names or faces, so he still had no clue which one was Severus. He sighed happily as he thought of being reunited with his father and began to daydream during the rest of class.
Harry and his friends made their way down to the dungeons for potions class. Harry was dreading it as he heard from the Weasley kids that this class was terrible. He honestly didn’t know much or anything at all about potions, but he still liked to learn and was excited for class to start. He followed Hermione’s actions and took out a few pieces of parchment along with a quill and was preparing to take notes from the chalkboard. Abruptly, all the shades snapped shut on the windows and everyone ceased their conversations and looked up. The tall man dressed in all black was walking down the aisle of desks, his black robes billowing and approached the front of the room.
Severus looked over all the students. He caught eyes with Draco who smirked, but Severus did not react. He loved his godson, but he was not going to show the other miscreants that he wasn’t completely heartless. His eyes continued to scan the mass of students before they landed on one boy. Potter had the audacity to stare back at him with those damn round frames, so he made sure he was giving him the meanest glare he could. He saw the boy gulp and immediately looked down at the parchment in front of him. Snape felt a bit of satisfaction at this.
As he began his yearly lecture to the first years, he noticed Potter was the only one taking notes. He stopped his lecture and thought for a moment ‘so very unlike James and very much like Lily’. He shook his head slightly and began again. After his lecture, the students were brewing a very simple potion to break in their cauldrons and get used to the process of the class.
Severus was sitting at his desk watching Potter like a hawk, waiting for the boy to mess up. So far Potter has been doing a fine job and making observations as he went along. Snape had to admit that he felt… well he couldn’t tell what he felt at this moment. Was it pride? No, it couldn’t be. ‘Why would I be feeling pride for this boy’. His thoughts were immediately interrupted as he heard a student shout “Professor Snape!” His head whipped in the direction it came from and saw Neville Longbottom’s cauldron begin to bubble over. “Step Back!” Snape shouted, but it was too late, and Neville was hit in the face with his potion.
Snape let out a frustrated grunt and grabbed Neville by the arm pulling him towards the door. He had Seamus Finnegan bring Neville to the infirmary to be fixed by Madam Pomphrey. “Bottle your potions and leave them on my desk then you are dismissed,” he said frustrated with the idiot boy.
Harry sat at his desk with his jaw hanging slightly open. He had finished his potion already, and it seems like it was almost perfect since it was the light shade of purple the directions said it should be. ‘That’s Severus Snape?’ Harry thought to himself. ‘That’s my dad?’ Harry gulped and gazed up at the intimidating man. For a second, he thought he was having doubts about telling him he was his son but immediately shut that thought down. ‘Mum said he loved me. He just doesn’t remember…’ Harry’s thoughts were immediately cut short as that voice cut through the room. “Mr. Potter, if you are done with your potion bring it up here, or are you simply too ignorant to follow simple direction?”
Harry scrambled to grab his potion and put it on the professor, wait no, his dad’s desk. He smiled and grabbed his bag and followed his friends to dinner. He found his dad. Nothing could make this day worse.
****
After dinner, he and his friends returned to the Gryffindor common room, where they divulged in a game of exploding snap. Hermione shook her head from the table “you do know you boys have homework, right?” she told them. Harry and Ron paused their game to look at her as they both shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s not due for a couple more days,” Ron replied. She let out an annoyed huff and slammed her books closed. “I’m going to the library then where I won’t be disturbed.” She turned out the door and Ron watched her as she left “good riddance,” he said.
Harry glanced at his watch as it read 7 PM and figured he would make his way to Dumbledore’s office. “Alright Ron, I’m gonna go talk to Dumbledore,” he told his friend. Ron looked over at Harry and shook his head. “Harry, are you sure you want to do this? I mean sure it’s great you have a parent that’s alive and all but… is it that great when that parent is… Snape?” Harry stayed quiet for a moment, knowing better to give himself a second before he exploded at his friend. “Yes, there is nothing wrong with Snape!” Harry shouted back. “Were you not there in class today? He just has a face that looks mean! You saw how he exploded at Neville for an accident!” Ron exclaimed. Harry shook his head “so what, maybe he’s different outside of class! I’d rather have him as my dad than have no dad at all, or better yet have to go back to the Dursleys!” Harry huffed and stormed away to his dorm to grab the shrunken-down chest. He ran past Ron before anything else could be said and made his way to Dumbledore’s office. He never really talked about his time at the Dursleys, but he assumed the Weasley family knew they weren’t the best guardians out there.
When he reached the gargoyle leading to the headmaster’s office, he realized he had no clue how to get in. Right before he was going to turn around and find Percy to ask him, the gargoyle spun out of the way and out walked Professor Quirrell. Harry took a step back before Quirrell could bump into him. Quirrell snapped his head up and stared at the boy before running away. ‘Well, that was weird,’ Harry thought, but he made his way up the stairs and knocked on the door. “Ah do come in,” Harry heard the headmaster say. He pushed open the door and looked around the room in awe of all the portraits and knickknacks about the room.
“Why hello my boy, what can I do for you?” Dumbledore asked as he rose from his desk with a big smile on his face. “Hi Professor… umm well you see,” he began “my mum left a letter for me at Gringotts, along with this chest of things that she said I should bring to you and um… p-Professor Snape…” Harry trailed off and pulled the chest out of his pocket. Dumbledore peered over his spectacles and took a deep breath. ‘Merlin, help me’ he thought to himself. “Let me take a look here Harry.”
Harry handed him the chest and Dumbledore restored it to its correct size. “Do you mind if I take a look?” he asked the young boy. Harry shook his head “go ahead, sir.” Dumbledore gently opened the lid and alas, he saw the letter addressed to Severus Snape in the chest along with a few vials of memories. Dumbledore sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. He never thought he was going to have to do this, but he didn’t expect Lily and James to have left all this. Furthermore, he didn’t expect Harry to look like a mix of Lily, James, and the potions professor! ‘Merlin I’m in trouble now. Better get this over with,’ he thought.
“Well Harry, why don’t you take a seat and I’ll summon Professor Snape up here.” Harry simply nodded and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the headmaster’s desk, swinging his legs and watching the bird in front of him in awe. Dumbledore summoned a house elf, who then summoned Professor Snape. After five minutes, the door opened to the office and Severus stepped in “You needed me, Albus?” Dumbledore nodded and moved out of the way so Severus could fully enter his office. Snape took a weary step in when he noticed Potter sitting in one of the chairs. ‘What could this brat have done already on the first day’ he thought.
“Severus, it might be best if you sit down for this,” Albus told him. Snape looked at him for a second before sitting in the chair next to Potter. He glanced in Potter’s direction and saw the boy wringing his hands nervously. ‘Very much like Lily,’ he said to himself. Severus turned back towards the headmaster and raised a brow indicating to the man he wanted him to begin. Dumbledore opened the chest and grabbed the letter from inside first, figuring this would be the easiest way to begin. Severus looked at the envelope and immediately recognized Lily’s handwriting. He looked over at Potter and then back towards the headmaster before looking down at the envelope in his hands. He traced over his name with his long, slim finger and felt his heart in his throat. He began to open the letter but immediately stopped as he remembered the company, he was currently in.
“Headmaster, I wish to not do this in front of…” he glanced in Harry’s direction, “an unwanted audience.” Dumbledore simply nodded. He figured he would want to do this alone. “Why don’t you take the chest with you and floo call me when you are finished,” he told his Potions Master. Severus nodded and silently got up to grab the chest before throwing one more glance in Harry’s direction. He saw the worry in Lily’s, no, Potter’s eyes, but brushed it off. He picked up the chest and left without saying another word. After he left, Dumbledore turned towards Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I think it would be best for you to go, he might be a while. I will summon you when your father is ready.”
Harry looked up through his bangs and nodded. Without saying anything himself, he left and made his way back to the common room. He felt absolutely defeated at this moment. He knew it must have been hard for Snape, but he just felt abandoned, like no one truly wanted him. When he got back to the common room, he saw Ron on the couch flipping through a Quidditch magazine. Ron looked up and saw Harry looking miserable. He sighed and went over to his friend and gave him a pat on the back. Harry let out a long sigh and then checked the time. ‘Only 7:30,’ he thought ‘I still have time to meet with Malfoy and make him pay for what he said to Hermione’. He looked over at his red-headed friend and gave him a smirk “how about we forget about this and go have some fun?” he asked Ron. Ron seemed to ponder for a few seconds before agreeing and followed his friend to the black lake.
As Harry and Ron met up with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, none of the boys seemed to notice the shadowy figure sitting in the astronomy tower gazing out at the lake.
Chapter 7