PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER AND WARNING. WILL ONLY BE SAID ON FIRST CHAPTER.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Just borrowing from the pretty lady across the pond. First three chapters have been borrowed with permission from Sarini. The third chapter will be finished by me. (I will note when it will be all on me.) All consecutive chapters will all be me.
Warning: Will be slash so please do not read if it offends you.
Plot: The Slytherins in Harry's life and their perspective on Harry and who he is. First three chapters from Sarini. Slash pairings.
Chapter One
Severus looked at the Gryffindor table in quiet contemplation. The dynamics of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had changed dramatically several times in the past few years, all centered about Harry Potter. The previous year saw suspicion and doubt, violence and deception. This year, the nearly two months that they had been in classes, saw the castle somehow quieter than usual, more solemn and serious.
Potter had started extra training that summer, with a special dispensation from the Ministry to perform Underage Sorcery. Since the death of Black and the exposure of the Dark Lord's return Potter had been subdued and almost completely silent, only speaking when spoken to, never volunteering information. There had been concern that he would be too deep in mourning to concentrate on his lessons, the only thing that would keep him alive.
They had been wrong. Potter had accepted his fate and took to his lessons with a determination only Lupin had seen before when he was teaching the boy to defend against the dementors. He did whatever was asked of him and then some, reading book after book of defense strategies, magical theory, combat techniques, whatever he could lay his hands on in his spare time, even potions. The true surprise for Severus had come late one evening on the shores of the lake, only days after Potter had been brought to the castle from his relatives' house. He had been unable to provoke Potter at all.
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Severus was taking a late night walk, as he often did to fend off the demons in his mind. He cursed inwardly when he saw that the grounds were not his alone, but that another had chosen them for nighttime reflection. As he got closer to the figure silhouetted in the moonlight by the lake he saw it was Potter and his eyebrows drew together in an angry inverted arch. His thin lips tightened and his eyes narrowed to slits. Tension held every muscle taught.
"Potter," Severus said angrily, "you should not be outside at this time."
The boy had turned and Severus saw for the first time the deep sadness and pain in his eyes, though he did not acknowledge it at the time.
"It is summer," Potter spoke so quietly Severus almost had to strain to hear him, "and so there is no curfew, nor house points to be taken, nor detentions to serve."
Potter turned again, dismissing him and gazing back over the lake. The usual hatred that laced the boy's voice when they spoke was absent and that had been Severus' first clue that something was amiss, that the pattern of his life had yet again altered when he wasn't aware of it. He took a step towards the Gryffindor that was not acting at all like the members of his House typically did.
"But there are dangers from the Forest, from outside those gates," Severus looked towards the large iron gates that had the Hogwarts crest in the cast archway high above the ground, "from anyplace you can imagine."
Potter had looked at him then, with a look in his eyes that Severus could not decipher, "And the time of day makes these dangers greater? The sun goes down and evil comes out to play?" Potter shook his head and Severus noted that the boy was lightly tracing something on the back of one hand with the other. "It makes no difference. The security of daylight is an illusion."
The tone the boy spoke with was jaded and pessimistic... or perhaps realistic. The words of Albus and Minerva had then come into Severus' mind. The two of them had ripped him up one side and down the other for the way he had conducted the Occlumency lessons.
Severus was intelligent and analytical and he had let hatred cloud his mind. If he had paid attention to the things he saw in Potter's mind, rather than dismissing them outright, he would have known that while Potter might act like his father did on many occasions, there was a depth to the boy that James Potter did not have while he was a student, that Harry Potter's life was not that of a pampered celebrity.
They had talked for hours, mostly on philosophical matters, but at the end Potter had apologized, sincerely, and asked humbly to resume the Occlumency lessons.
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Lessons had begun again and Potter gave Severus the same focus and hard work that he had given his other instructors, most of them Hogwarts professors but some of them Order members like Moody, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Bill Weasley, and several others. The headmaster's fireplace had been busy that summer with comings and goings from Grimmauld Place, still the Order's headquarters as Sirius Black was not officially deceased, the Minister of Magic having decided he needed at least one point to refuse to believe from Albus' stories.
Severus was not the only professor who was keeping an eye on the Gryffindors. Minerva often gazed sadly on her House, and Albus' twinkle dimmed when he looked at the Boy-Who-Lived. Potter had not smiled, not truly anyway, since before term began. His eyes had dark circles under them and there were shadows hidden in the emerald green irises. While his friends laughed and joked around him it was not to the extent of previous years. They were constantly conscious of Potter's sober presence and when he spoke everyone near him listened.
The interactions between Houses had been completely disrupted when Potter began ignoring Malfoy from the first insult right after the Welcoming Feast. Severus had watched carefully as first rage, then indignation, and finally confusion had shown themselves on his Slytherin's face. After a week of attempting to get a rise out of Potter the unbalance that Malfoy clearly felt had to be addressed.
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"Mr. Malfoy," Severus had addressed the boy firmly after a Potions lesson, "stay behind."
They had adjourned to his office and Severus had glared down at the young Slytherin, "Mr. Malfoy you are treading on very thin ice. The Ministry is watching you, as is the staff of this school, expecting you to follow in your father's footsteps." Malfoy had sneered ever so slightly at that, most likely thinking that Severus did not notice. "Your continued harassment of Potter will only make any action he might take against you completely justified. Remember that once again he can do no wrong in the eyes of the world."
At that the sneer became full blown, "Saint Potter."
"Indeed, Mr. Malfoy," Severus kept his face impassive. "One thing about saints... they may be martyrs or sacrifices, but they rarely choose the losing side in the long run."
Malfoy had blinked in astonishment. He no doubt knew that Severus had the Dark Mark and was working for the Dark Lord. When he reported the goings on at the school Severus would report this conversation verbatim and tell the Dark Lord he was testing Malfoy's loyalty to the cause, just in case Malfoy somehow reported the talk as well. Severus always covered his own ass.
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Since that talk there had been almost no contact between Malfoy and Potter. They ignored each other unless the situation forced them together. Potter was back on his quidditch team, his lifetime ban rescinded, much to Minerva's satisfaction. The only times Malfoy and Potter were seen interacting were during quidditch matches or when they were paired together in classes, where they kept conversation to a bare minimum.
Severus had assigned partners at the beginning of the term, no two from the same House, and of course he put Malfoy and Potter together. The number of Gryffindors that had made it into his N.E.W.T. class was infuriating... and Severus blamed it all on Granger, who must have nearly forced the information into their heads before the O.W.L. examination.
Lunch ended, and the students began drifting out of the great hall and heading towards their afternoon classes. There was only one week left before the winter holiday, there was a Hogsmeade weekend the next day, and the students were getting into the holiday mood. They were more restless in class, noisier in the halls, and more students were being caught out of their common rooms after hours.
Strangely enough, Potter was not among them. They had either trained him too well, or he wasn't sneaking out anymore. Even with his improved skill in Occlumency, Potter still got the occasional dream through his link with the Dark Lord or bursts of pain accompanied by high emotion. He reported dutifully to the headmaster, though their relationship was somewhat strained as a result of the previous year.
Severus watched the 'Golden Trio', a moniker that had somehow been assigned to Potter, Weasley, and Granger, leave the hall sedately, Potter flanked by his best friends. The Hogwarts rumor mill said that Weasley and Granger were a couple, or that they were hopelessly in love but had no clue that the other felt the same. There was no sign of a relationship publicly, and the staff had no idea what was going on, though Severus suspected that Lupin knew but wouldn't say. The werewolf had returned to his former position at the school, brought back by Dumbledore as much for his sake as for Potter's. Black's death had hit them both hard.
"You have him now, right?" Lupin said in a lifeless tone. The full moon was approaching and he looked like hell. There was much more gray in his hair and he was dangerously thin.
Severus nodded and snorted, "My favorite class."
"That bad?" Lupin looked at Severus tiredly and Severus wondered what the private lessons between Potter and Lupin were like. He hadn't heard either of them mention Black since before Potter was lured to the Ministry.
"Potter, Malfoy, Granger, Weasley, Parkinson, Bulstrode, Zabini, Nott, Thomas, Finnigan, Macmillan, Corner, Crabbe, Goyle, and dangerous mixtures," Severus said dryly. Just planning for that class gave him migraines. Crabbe and Goyle had only barely passed their O.W.L. exams but Severus couldn't turn them away from his class without close attention from the Dark Lord that he didn't want. "I expect they'll kill me before the Dark Lord or Dumbledore manages it." Severus paused, "At least I am spared Longbottom's melting cauldrons."
"I am sure he agrees," Lupin smiled, but the smile was affected. His eyes were dull and filled with pain. Severus guessed that Potter was the only thing that kept the werewolf going.
Severus sneered and headed down to his classroom. The students were already there as he swept in, robes predictably billowing behind him and sneer fixed firmly in place. He strode to the front of the room as the door slammed behind him, past the pairs of students... Potter with Malfoy, Granger with Goyle, Macmillan with Crabbe, Weasley with Abbott.
The students who did poorly in general were paired with those who had more talent. Granger and Macmillan would keep Goyle and Crabbe from creating any explosions and both of them were highly conscientious prefects so there would be no sabotage of other cauldrons. Only two students, Malfoy and Granger, had achieved 'Outstanding' on their exams and he was forced to accept those who scored 'Exceeds Expectations' into his class.
"The Potion of Youth," Severus flicked his wand and the directions and ingredients appeared on the blackboard, "is a controlled substance under Ministry regulations. It can give the physical appearance of youth but will not reverse the internal processes of aging. Taken in too high a dosage, this potion can cause severe physical damage. Be very cautious in your preparation and execution. The slightest error can cause drastic changes to the effects of this potion."
After a pause the class snapped into action. By their sixth year they were well trained... silent when he entered the room, working at the appropriate time, and keeping their talking to a minimum. As he had begun at the end of the previous year, Severus mostly ignored Potter. When he passed his workstation he would compliment Malfoy and award points to Slytherin, even if Potter was doing most of the work.
Oddly enough the two of them worked well together. Their determination not to acknowledge the other's existence unless absolutely necessary made it possible for them to work quietly and efficiently. The competition they displayed on the quidditch field carried over into the classroom now. All the energy Potter had put into his anger and tantrums the previous year had been redirected into his studies. Severus had a guess that Potter wouldn't be playing quidditch at all this year if his friends and Minerva hadn't persuaded him.
"Strained murtlap," Malfoy said dully as Severus passed their desk.
Barely looking at the cauldron, Potter poured the carefully measured yellow liquid into their cauldron and Malfoy stirred in figure eights while the yellow blended into the blue mixture, not turning it green but swirling and remaining separate. Severus nodded at Malfoy and continued on to the next pair. Macmillan was looking very stressed as he checked everything Crabbe did while doing his own work as well. Severus made a note to change the partners around after the holiday so Macmillan didn't have a nervous breakdown.
There was no way he could have predicted or stopped what happened next. It was a combination of several accidents occurring all at once, with disastrous consequences. The class had managed not to melt a single cauldron so far that year, or to cause one explosion. Severus credited his partner assignments, as he had seen Granger bring a potion back from the brink of disaster more than once, not that he had commented.
Severus was at the front of the classroom, alternating between watching the class and going over the essays they had handed in before class began. He snapped his head up when he heard a sharp hiss. It was the sound made when someone sucked in their breath to deal with sudden harsh pain.
Potter was in the aisle between the desks and he dropped the pixie wings he had just gotten from the supply cupboard. All his muscles were taught and his hands were clenched in tight fists, his eyes squeezed shut and sweat beading on his forehead. It was the first time one of these bursts had come during a class as far as Severus knew.
"Harry!" Granger turned away from her cauldron to help her friend.
She had a cloth out of her bag in an instant which she spelled to be moist and cool, wiping his forehead. Weasley left his station as well and was massaging Potter's shoulders. Potter shrugged out of his robes off and Weasley tossed them to Finnigan, who put them neatly on Potter's bag. He tore off his tie and dress shirt and the whole class could see his undershirt clinging to him. This was clearly a well known routine for the Gryffindors. Both of Potter's friends were speaking in low tones that the rest of the class couldn't hear.
Severus was debating taking action when Potter's eyes opened and he put a hand on Granger's shoulder, "I'm fine."
Granger nodded and wiped off his face with her cloth. She gave him a quick hug while Weasley patted his back and handed Potter his shirt and tie.
Severus checked over the classroom quickly and saw that Malfoy was paying close attention to Granger's station, while tending his own cauldron carefully. Severus followed his gaze and his stomach turned over.
"Goyle, NO!" Malfoy yelled just as Gregory Goyle dropped far too many pixie wings into the cauldron without turning down the flame.
Potter's eyes quickly located the problem and he flung Granger bodily towards Weasley while drawing his wand and letting his shirt and tie fall. Goyle's eyes widened and he dove away from his cauldron. Knowing it was too late Severus still flicked his wand towards the bubbling cauldron and put out the flame, then cast a strong cooling charm.
"Harry get down!" Weasley yelled.
Potter had joined Severus in casting shield charms over the desks and other cauldrons while the students ducked under them for cover. He ignored the pleas of his friends.
"Cover yourself Potter!" Severus ordered. He saw tears falling from Potter's eyes as he fought back the pain so he could concentrate on the spells he was weaving. Severus felt more than heard the protective ward that Potter put on the classroom, not trusting to the one always in place. He was in the process of erecting a containment ward around the cauldron when Potter finally started to shield himself.
Before either of them finished the cauldron began spewing a sickly green looking thick liquid. Weasley and Granger both tried to jump out from under the desk they were shielded by, but were prevented by Potter's wards. Potter was hit on his arms and face and Severus saw the potion sink into his skin. When the cauldron settled down Potter and Severus just looked at each other for a moment before taking down the protections.
"No one touch that potion!" Severus ordered his class as they crept out from under their desks. He strode to Potter, who was casting cleaning spells on himself in an effort to prevent damage. "How do you feel?"
"Apart for the blinding headache?" Potter said with a little chuckle and small smile. "I'm fine."
Severus turned to the rest of the class, "Goyle, go directly to the headmaster's office. This is out of my hands." He looked directly at Granger, "Put some of this in vials and clean up the rest. Everyone else see if you can salvage your own work."
"Professor?" Potter's voice was heard clearly over the shuffling of feet and low discussions of lab partners. Severus turned around and saw that the green eyes were wide and Potter was clutching his stomach.
"Harry?" Weasley reached out to steady his friend.
"Don't touch him!" Severus snapped. The last thing he needed was for someone else to get Goyle's messed up potion on them. Weasley obeyed but glared at him.
Severus summoned gloves and slipped them on his hands. He cast diagnostic spells on Potter and didn't like the results. The-Boy-Who-Lived had an elevated heart rate and his breathing was irregular. Potter dropped to his knees and looked up at him, trying to mask the fear in his eyes.
"Professor?" Granger's voice sounded very little. "What's happening to him?"
Severus grabbed one of the vials Granger had filled and began casting a variety of spells over it. He cursed, "Goldstein go get Potter's Head of House, Patil, the headmaster. Abbott fetch Madam Pomfrey and Professor Lupin. Hurry, all of you." He selected all prefects for the tasks, knowing they could not only go through the halls during class unquestioned but also get to the headmaster.
The three students dashed out of the room and Potter curled into a ball as he fell on the floor. Severus knelt beside him and put a gloved hand on Potter's back. There was nothing he could do to stop the progress of the potion. Granger and Weasley knelt down with him, also with gloves on. Severus felt Potter's muscles contract and spasm, and then the already small Gryffindor started to shrink.
Both Granger and Weasley were near panic when it stopped, and Potter was less than half the size he started out at. He looked up at them and his face was that of a small child. Severus cursed yet again and stood up, glaring at the students who were pressing towards Potter in a tight circle.
"Whe-Where am I?" Potter stuttered fearfully. His eyes were too big for his face and his hair was falling over them. His glasses hadn't shrunk with him and were sliding down his nose. He held them up with one hand and was squinting through them.
"You're at Hogwarts Potter," Malfoy said with a mild disdain.
Potter's small head snapped around and he saw all the students in black robes crowded around him. He was still holding his wand and his hand tightened on it instinctively.
"Who are you?" Potter was shaking. "What's Hogwarts? How do you know my name?"
There was a harsh laugh from Parkinson, "He doesn't know a thing!"
Some other students laughed, mostly Slytherins but a few others as well. Weasley looked confused, upset, and mad all in one. Granger was quite obviously thinking as hard as she could, analyzing the situation. Potter, meanwhile, was snapping his head back and forth, clearly getting more and more frightened with each passing moment.
"That's enough!" Severus snapped and all the laughter and talking stopped immediately. "I told you to salvage your potions!"
The students all scurried back to their desks, with the exceptions of Granger and Weasley who were still trying to figure out what to do about their best friend. Potter's shaking had increased with Severus' yelling and there was a subtle wind building in the dungeon classroom. Severus looked at Potter carefully. The boy had stood up and was still looking all around him, not letting any one person out of his sight for more than a few moments. He saw Severus looking at him and flinched. He turned and Granger took a step towards him.
That was when the first beaker exploded on the other side of the room. Everyone in the room, with the exception of Severus, jumped and looked over at the shelf where glass object after object were breaking in a shower of clear fragments.
Granger visibly swallowed and lowered herself to her knees. She extended a hand and spoke in a low soothing voice, "Hi. My name is Hermione."
"I... I'm Harry," Potter didn't shake her hand but he did calm somewhat, though still tensed.
"How old are you Harry?" Granger asked pleasantly. The entire class was staring at her.
"Four," he answered shortly, looking very distrustful.
Granger smiled and Potter relaxed a little more. Glass stopped shattering. The door to the classroom opened and people started pouring in.
"Is there a problem Professor Snape?" Albus asked from the doorway.
Severus stepped to the side and revealed the now four-year-old Potter, "We do have a situation Headmaster."
Severus heard several gasps and Madam Pomfrey rushed forward. Her classic nurse's garb, that didn't vary much from the muggle equivalent, seemed to make her acceptable to Potter, and Severus remembered that the boy had been raised by muggles.
"What happened Severus?" Lupin asked, coming up next to him.
Severus sneered, "There was a slight problem with one of the Youth Potions."
"You call this slight?" Lupin hissed. He removed his robe, under which he was wearing muggle clothing, and slowly approached Potter and Poppy. "Hi Harry. My name is Remus. I was a friend of your parents."
Potter instantly focused on Lupin, his eyes brighter and a little watery, "Moony?"
Lupin picked Harry up, the oversize robes hanging from him, and held him tightly. Severus could see his eyes bright with tears and the words were choked, "Yes Harry, it's Moony."