Summary: Second year fic- upon Harry and Ron's arrival at Hogwart's their meeting up with Professor Snape goes differently. Secrets are revealed and new allies are formed.

The car landed with a loud thud as it fell from the Whomping Willow. The two boys gingerly sat up to look around and notice their having finally arrived at Hogwart's. "Phew, that was a close one," said Ron.

"You're not kidding," replied Harry.

The two boys checked themselves over and got out to get their trunks out of the boot. "Think anyone noticed us?" asked Harry.

"Not a chance," said Ron.

The two boys grabbed their trunks and turned to face the castle when they came face-to-face with none other than the most vile person in the entire school, Professor Snape. "I wouldn't count on that if I were you Weasley."

The two boys cringed back in fear. The tightening of his lips and the crease between his brows were telling so the whispered words had the achieved affect of scaring the boys senseless, "Potter, my office now, Weasley, stay."

Harry looked back at Ron with a fearful glance but at the clearing of an angry Potions Master's throat, he walked swiftly toward the castle.

Harry had been sitting in Snape's office for about twenty minutes when the office door suddenly flew open and an angry Potions Master stormed through. Before Harry could even take a breath to defend himself, Snape whirled on him. "What on earth were you thinking? Do you even… You have no idea what you could have done do you?"

Harry sat frozen.

"You were seen Potter. You and that idiot Weasley were seen by several Muggles flying over London. Do you realize the laws you broke? Luckily for you the Headmaster went to bat for you as usual. I on the other hand… Potter, I am tired of it! The blatant rule breaking, the sneaking out after curfew… You obviously don't realize that these rules are put in place for your safety, but what do you do! You ignore all of them and cause those in charge of your safety needless anxiety, and I've Had it!"

Harry sat there trembling, he couldn't go back, what would the Dursley's say when he landed on their doorstep. The cat flap and the bars would be a picnic compared to the treatment he had suffered before.

In a sudden change of mood, the professor pulled his chair from behind his desk and sat in it. This surprised Harry. He was used to people towering over him.

Snape sighed and took a long look at Harry. "Potter, I am only going to ask you this once. Should you lie to me, and I know when you lie to me, the punishment will be un-fathomable." Harry waited on tenter hooks, "Why was it that Misters Fred, George and Ronald Weasley found the need to rescue you this summer? Before you answer, I have already spoken to Ron. He told me what happened today with the car and what happened over the summer. I want an explanation from you."

Harry gulped, he had already spoken to Ron? What did he say? How could Harry lie if he didn't know what Ron said? Harry turned his head away and deliberated. Snape sat back in his chair and crossed his ankles. He looked as if he could sit there all night if he had to, and what Harry didn't know was that Snape was prepared to do just that to get to the bottom of matters.

Harry sighed and hung his head low. "…rescued, because f the 'ars on my 'ndow…"

Snape sighed, "Potter, I can't understand you when you mumble. Raise your head and speak to me clearly." This made Harry angry, what right did Snape have to know about his life? He didn't even like Harry. He would only mock him anyway.

Harry raised his head and glared at Snape. "Why do you even care!" Harry gulped at the narrowing of Snape's eyes, "…sir?"

Snape leaned closer, which caused Harry to lean further away. "Potter, I care, because you are a student, a child!" now in a much quieter, more menacing tone, "Potter, I mean it, what happened, and don't forget I've already heard Mr. Weasley's story, so it would be better for you to tell me the truth."

Harry was really angry now, Snape smirked to see Harry's ire rise. All he had to do was wait, Harry had always had a hard time controlling his temper. And he didn't have to wait much longer because Harry jumped up and yelled. "Fine! You wanna know what happened! Bars! They put bars on my window! Hedwig couldn't fly, they always lock my school things in my cupboard. Yes, I said my cupboard! Mr. H Potter, cupboard under the stairs, that's what my letter said! And he did nothing! I told him I didn't want to go back, but no, who listens to spoiled pampered Potter! You even said it yourself, I only do it for the fame. Well you know what you can do with that fame! You can-" the loud slam as a book fell off Snape's desk stopped Harry's tirade.

"Potter, take a breath, you'll pass out."

"Didn't you hear what I said! IN A CUPBOARD!"

"I heard you Harry."

This stopped Harry dead. H- Harry? Not Potter but Harry…

The change in Snape was startling. He heard it off-handedly from Ron, that Harry's home life wasn't a very good one, but a cupboard and not a bedroom? And only giving him a bedroom when they thought they were being watched, and bars on his window and a padlock on the outside of his door. Those were things he wouldn't force anyone to endure, no less a child; even if it was Potter's child, but it was also Lilly's child. Ah Lilly- no, now was not the time for that. He had a distraught boy to deal with.

Snape sighed and ran his hand through his hair, which wasn't greasy Harry noticed. "Mr. P- Harry… I need you to tell me from the beginning. You said the letter came to the cupboard under the stairs. Can you explain what you meant by that?"

Fourty-five minutes passed and Harry was thoroughly worn out. It had been a long day, with the ordeal of not being able to get past the barrier, having to ride in that crazy car with Ron, and now confessing his life story to of all people, Professor Snape. He now found himself in the strangest of places, sipping tea and eating a sandwich on Professor Snape's sofa in his quarters. The man had left him a few minutes ago with instructions to eat his meal and stay put. Harry had no thoughts of going anywhere, he still didn't know what his punishment would be for almost breaking the Wizarding Statute of Secrecy.

Severus at that moment found himself doing similarly to P- no, Harry. He was sitting in Minerva's quarters sipping some strong tea with 'a little something special, to calm the nerves'. Merlin bless this woman. If only their topic of conversation were a more pleasant one.

"Under a cupboard? And he told Albus?"

Snape nodded. "Minerva, I mean this in the most civil of ways, but I must ask. Have any of your lions ever come from abusive homes that you're aware of?"

"W- what? Severus, you don't mean that Harry…"

He set his tea cup down. "Due to many of my students parent's affiliations, I have had many students who, shall we say, haven't had the ideal home life. And I'm sorry to say that Harry doesn't look as though he has either, despite what I had thought."

"Severus, what are you saying?"

"Minerva, I propose that we re-sort Mr. Potter."

"What! But Severus…"

He put his hand up. "You said it yourself, this is something you have never dealt with-"

"But Mr. Malfoy and Harry-"

"-need to learn that despite their differences, there is a lot they can learn from each other."

"But Albus…"

"Is the Headmaster, and in matters regarding House sorting, is subject to the ruling of the Sorting Hat."

"But the hat-"

"Almost put Harry in Slytherin."

"W- what?"

"I spoke to the hat," replied Snape. "I asked it the policy on House re-sortings, and it knew of the student I was speaking before I even uttered his name. It said that the reason Harry was so against Slytherins was due to Hagrid's telling him that every witch or wizard having been in it went dark, and it seems to me that Harry felt as if his parents would be angry at him were he to be placed in a house opposite to their own. The hat understood this but allowed Harry to talk him out of its original intentions."

Minerva sat there stunned for several moments. "but the feast…"

"-is concluded, I am aware, but the hat told me that should we wish to, we only need call for it and it shall appear."

Minerva sighed. "Shouldn't we at least consult-"

"No. Harry told me that he had informed Albus of his home situation before he was made to return there over the summer. He told the boy that his relatives' house was the safest place for him to be. Minerva, he heard the boy's plite from the boy, and yet sent him back there. I know you protect your cubs with a ferocity that is unmatched, but despite all your years, you have never come across a child such as one with Harry's home life. I, on the other hand, encounter them every year. I ask you, on behalf of Lilly's child, let him be re-sorted."

That was as close to begging as Snape would ever get and they both knew it. "What do you propose to do about Harry's home situation?"

"After I obtain Head of House over Mr. Potter, I will have Albus explain everything to the boy, and I do mean everything. He seems to want to feed him information as it suits him, but you and I both know that the Dark Lord will return and that if Harry is to survive, he needs to be aware, if not somewhat prepared. Upon hearing this explanation, if I don't deem his home life to be safe for him to return to, I will either investigate other family to send him to, or I will take the boy in myself."

"But what about your duties as a spy?"

"I admit, I haven't thought that through yet, but one step at a time. First to get him re-sorted, then help him deal with his abuse and adjust to a new house. Everything else will come naturally."

Minerva sighed deeply, she was getting too old for this sort, and on the first day no-less. "All right, shall we do it in your quarters or mine?"

"What? No!"

"Harry, it's for the best, you need to understand."

"No! I don't care what you say, Professor McGonagall, surely I can stay in Gryphindore? I'm not a-"

"Mr. Potter! Watch your tone, young man." Harry sighed and resumed his seat on the sofa in Snape's quarters.

"…but my friends…"

Snape crouched down before the boy and said, "Harry, if they are truly your friends, and I indeed believe they are, they will not care what house you are in. Mr. Weasley's anger at Professor Dumbledore for his sending you back there is proof enough that he doesn't think this is a good situation for you."

"And what about you? You always thought I was spoiled, and-"

"Harry, the words 'I'm sorry' don't even come close to the anger I hold toward myself, but the thought of another child-"

Professor McGonagall stepped beside Professor Snape and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, I don't know if you believe this, but all of us as your teachers want you to be happy and safe and well cared for. You and I both know that those three things are not happening at your relatives' house. I also wanted to say that it was not I who recognized what was happening to you, it was Professor Snape. I know and he knows that he treated you unfairly last year, and there is no excuse for it. If you so wish it, I know that he would take an oath, a Wizard's oath that he would treat you no different from any of the other children entrusted to his care in his house. Severus?"

He looked up at Harry with solemn eyes and said, "Mr. Po- Harry, should you wish it of me, I would gladly make an oath to you to protect, guide and care for you as I do with any child placed in my house. I will admit, I did not like your father, but Harry, your mother and I were best friends, and the thought of her child-. Let's just say that I would do anything to protect you. I only ask that you give me and my house another chance."

"You mean it, you won't use this as a chance to hurt me all the time?"

"I mean it."

Harry sighed, "and Ron and Hermione won't hate me for it?"

"I truly believe they wouldn't."

"but what about Malfoy?"

"Both you and he need to learn that enemies can be potential allies, all you must do is find the similarities between you and focus solely on those rather than your differences."

Harry sat there for a few minutes more, thinking it over. He looked up at Snape and nodded. Snape looked up to Minerva and she called out "Sorting hat?"

With a pop similar to a house elve's, the Sorting Hat appeared behind Snape on his coffee table. "Ah, so I see young Mr. Potter has decided to allow me to put him in his rightful house."

Harry nodded.

"But please spare us the song," asked Minerva.

The hat huffed, "well, fine then. If you wouldn't mind Minerva?"

She lifted the hat from the table and placed it atop Harry's head. "I'm very proud of you Harry, and I'm sure your parents are as well. Well that being said, better be SLYTHERIN!"

Minerva took off the hat and Hogwart's magic changed Harry's crest on his robes to that of Slytherin and a pop and a thunk were heard from the adjascent room. Severus looked at the hat in question. "I thought it would be prudent for Harry to start out here for a while so that should he need you, you would be easy to find."

Severus inclined his head to the hat.

Minerva put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, even though you are no longer a member of my house, you are more than welcome to come talk to me should you feel the need."

He nodded his head. "Same to you Severus."

He stood and walked her from his quarters. He returned to finding Harry still sitting on the sofa staring down at his hands. "Harry, I think it's been a busy day, we still have some things we need to discuss, and I have a house meeting to attend, but I think it best for you to go prepare yourself for bed."

Harry nodded wearily and stood. "Are you sure none of the other Slytherins will try to hex me?"

"I will make it abundantly clear that should they try it, the consequences would be dire. Besides, I think you will find that there are several of your housemates who come from similar situations to yours. Trust me Harry, I really do think this will be a much better situation for you."

Harry nodded, "Good night sir."

"Pleasant dreams, and if they are not so pleasant, don't hesitate to come get me. I would rather you wake me to give you a potion to help you sleep, than for you to be tired on your first day of class."

Harry bit his lip for a second, "Um, Sir, I haven't been… Would you be able to give me a potion for nightmares?"

"Sure, go get ready for bed and you'll find it on your nightstand."

Thank you sir."

"Your welcome, Harry."

A/N: So if you've read any of my other stuff and are wondering why I'm starting a potential new story, well… I have no idea either ;) Basically, this idea has sort of been bouncing around for the last full couple of days and I figured, why not?

So, I have no idea about plot lines, whether the canon will be followed or not. I guess since Harry's already been re-sorted, it would be an AU.

Any thoughts or criticisms or suggestions are always welcomed. I hope this story turns out better than my past couple of attempts.

Thank you at least for getting to the end of the page. Should you wish to review, I would welcome some feedback.

Sincerely,

The Blind Apprentice