Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except the plot and I bet even that has been used.

Harry walked down the hallway; his expression not giving away the fact that his stomach was lurching with fear. He had no idea why the potion master had summoned him, but he was willing to find out.

He had a feeling it had something to do with the headmaster. Harry felt anger rise in him at the very thought of his sparkling blue eyes. The headmaster, the green eyed boy had decided, had pushed him around for far to long.

When he reached Snape's office, he knocked softly at the door. Snape answered it quickly enough and roughly pulled Harry into the room.

Looking around, Harry saw that Snape had put out tea and cookies. Taking a seat in front of the desk, with Snape following suit, Harry said, "You wanted to see me sir?"

Snape nodded. He looked nervous, almost, but he would never admit it. His moves were jerky, and his eyes combed the room at least twice before he spoke, just above a whisper.

" The room is secure. You need not fear that what you say will leave these rooms."

Harry narrowed his eyes at this. "Sir? I don't know what I could say to you that would warrant being kept secret."

Snape gave a brief smile that left Harry stunned for a moment.

" Your…boyfriend, informed me you are having some…interesting thoughts."

Harry rolled his eyes. Trust Draco to tell Severus Snape everything.

"Indeed. Draco does have a big mouth." Snape grinned.

" You no longer trust the headmaster." It was a statement. Snape regarded the seventeen-year-old in front of him. His parents had been tall, but from the looks of things he had just fallen short of his mother's height by an inch or so.

He looked older, still lanky, but older. He was definitely more Slytherin, although, Severus thought, that had more to do with the fact that he had always acted somewhat Slytherin and less to do with his choice of…bedmates.

Harry shifted under the older man's gaze. "No, I don't."

Severus nodded and then sighed.

"I need to explain something to you."

Harry straightened in his seat. He did not like that tone. It sounded like the black-eyed man was going to pull apart his familiar surroundings and force him to rebuild them with new information.

"When your father and I came to school, we didn't know each other and I had met your godfather a total of two times." Severus started.

" I didn't like them, but I didn't dislike them. I believe, looking back, we could have been friends. We came very close to it. The three of us road together on the way to Hogwarts."

Harry watched Severus struggle with this story, he wondered exactly where it was going.

Suddenly Severus looked straight at Harry.

"I am proud of you."

Harry sat there to shocked to say anything. The greasy hair man had just said he was proud of him. He had spent more than 6 years going out of his way to degrade Harry, and then he turned around and said something like this.

" You put aside house differences for a chance at friendship." Harry snorted. It was a little more than friendship, but it was painfully obvious Severus didn't want to think about what his godson might be up to.

"When James and Sirius were put in Gryffindor, and I in Slytherin, any chance at us becoming friends was ruined. We of course said it wouldn't change anything, but…when we got back to our common rooms."

Harry wondered where this was going. Severus seemed completely…not nervous, anxious maybe to get this story out.

"Within two weeks we hated each other. It was clear who the headmaster favored, and who he hated. He did not like Slytherins, it was as clear as day. Throughout our years at school, it grew worse between us because the headmaster let those two get away with anything…because they were Gryffindors. Because they were perfect in his eyes and could do no wrong.

I cannot, and will not continue to hate your father because of Dumbledore. I realised a long time ago that if the headmaster had expelled Sirius after the wolf incident, I would not have turned to the dark lord for acceptance. At the same time I feel Sirius and James would not have died had the headmaster enforced the rules upon them from day one. The three of us were manipulated into becoming the people we were. Had Dumbledore been fair, we would not have hated the other so much. If Dumbledore had encouraged inter-house friendships instead of making it harder for us to stand in the same room together, I believe you would have been happier. You would have had a mother, a father and a godfather."

Harry stared at Snape in amazement. What the professor had said was still processing through his head. Harry had always known that Dumbledore had his favorites, himself one of them, but never before had he thought that his blatant dislike of Slytherins would have led Snape to Voldemort.

"Sir…" Harry trailed off not sure of what to say. Not wanting to leap for joy because his father and godfather were still partly responsible for their actions no matter how much Dumbledore had convinced them that Slytherins were evil. He didn't want to storm Dumbledore's office either because he couldn't bring himself to move.

He felt heavy and suddenly very drained from this little get together.

Snape lifted his chin. "Potter…Harry, yes, your father and godfather are responsible for their actions, but you need to realise that Dumbledore planted in our minds very early that Slytherins were evil and Gryffindors are wonderful."

Harry thought back but couldn't recall any time the headmaster had said that to him. "Sir…Dumbledore hasn't ever said anything to me like that…"

Snape leaned back in his chair. "No, perhaps not. He has however implied those things to my Slytherins…again, Draco told me this so you have to take it with a grain of salt, however he said those things to me and your father so…"

Harry sighed. He knew it was probably true. Dumbledore had manipulated him from the start, deliberately letting Voldemort have a go at him time and time again. He sighed again and got up.

Snape looked at him. "Thank you for coming and sharing you feelings. If he does or says anything to bother you…let me know. I have an awful feeling."

Harry looked startled. "What do you mean, sir?"

Snape looked grim. "The only thing better then a savior coming out on top, is a savior who sacrifices his life and still beats the bad guy."

Harry knew what was being implied. "He wouldn't kill…?"

Snape said nothing.

The end