Disclaimer: I don't own and didn't create any of the genius that belongs to the Harry Potter universe... that credit alone goes to the brilliant J.K. Rowling. This disclaimer is intended to count for the entirety of this tale, all chapters.
A/N: This is a story that I started a long time ago before the seventh book came out, but that book has affected and refined my concept of where I want this story to go. Therefore...
WARNING: THIS WILL CONTAIN REFERENCES TO THINGS REVEALED IN THE SEVENTH BOOK.
Year 1
The time had finally come. After ten long years, Severus would finally see the boy that he had devoted his loyalty to over a decade ago when the child had been a mere infant. The entirety of the wizarding world was familiar with the famous scar, but Severus was much more interested in a different identification mark...
He sat at the staff table and scowled. For reasons he refused to analyze, he hadn't slept well the night before, and now he felt like doing something vicious to all of the irritating, happy, laughing students. Well, he'd get his chance soon enough... in Potions class.
The doors to the Great Hall swung open once again as Professor McGonagall led this year's batch of first years in. Severus tried to ignore the scared and awed little children. Lily's son with another man - and not just any other man, but one of Severus's greatest enemies - was among them somewhere, and he did not want to see him, even after all this time.
But out of the corner of his eye he saw a familiar tousled black head, and his breath caught as his gaze was drawn to one nervous first year despite all of his efforts to avoid it and all of his attempts to stop. His lips curled into a sneer. That was definitely Harry Potter; he was the spitting image of his idiot, arrogant father.
The great Dark-Lord-Defeating, Boy-Who-Lived walked nervously over to the stool when his name was called, not that Severus had needed that to confirm the boy's identity. The next couple of minutes passed as though an eternity before the Sorting Hat finally called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Severus mentally snorted. Was it really any surprise? Both of his parents had been in Gryffindor, although his mother could have fit easily into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff as well. And... one never knew how a curse scar made the unique way Harry's had been created as well as being raised by Muggles of the worst sort could affect a child. Severus wondered if he would have felt happier if the boy had been Sorted into his own house before thinking that was hardly what Lily would have wanted for the child that she had died to save.
The relieved looking boy stumbled over to the Gryffindor table amid thunderous applause. Severus sneered; with that kind of reception the boy was likely to get puffed up despite Dumbledore's efforts... particularly when considering the boy's genetics.
Severus made a concerted effort to not glance in the Gryffindors' direction by getting into a conversation with Professor Quirrell. There was something odd about the man but that didn't keep attempting to have any kind of conversation with the stuttering fool from being any less tortuous. In irritation Severus flicked his eyes over the Great Hall... and just happened to meet eyes with Harry Potter.
Severus's breath caught in his throat. He heard from ten years past Dumbledore's voice saying, "He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?" So... Dumbledore hadn't lied. Her son DID have Lily's eyes... her beautiful emerald eyes... staring out of Potter's face. Severus hissed, and suddenly Potter's scar seemed to be paining him. Severus felt eerily as though Dumbledore was right... and the Dark Lord wasn't so far gone after all.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Severus watched the students flitting about on their broomsticks. He really hoped his house would manage to squash Harry Potter during his first match. Curse Minerva... always pretending to strictly follow the rules but so quick to bend them when it would be to her advantage. Potter hadn't needed being the youngest Quidditch player in a century to add to his already inflated ego. Severus was sourly of the opinion that Lily's son had only inherited her eyes and nothing else from her; everything else about the boy screamed the fact he was James Potter's son.
Careful to be unobtrusive, Severus suspiciously eyed Quirrell a few seats behind him. "'Keep an eye on Quirrell, won't you?'" Severus muttered under his breath. Dumbledore was up to another one of his plots, allowing Quirrell into the school while the Philosopher's Stone was here. Severus had nearly been killed by that monstrosity Hagrid affectionately termed 'Fluffy' when 'watching' Quirrell at Halloween.
Severus returned his eyes to the game, narrowing them when he glared at Harry Potter zooming high above the rest of the team, looking for the Snitch. Everyone else was avidly following the action of the Quaffle and the Bludgers until one of the Seekers brought the game to its end.
Suddenly Severus's heart nearly stopped when Potter's broom gave a great lurch, nearly unseating the boy. Eyes flicked back to Quirrell like lightning, barely registering that his mouth was moving before Severus urgently began muttering a counter-jinx.
Vaguely in the distance he heard the rest of the dunderheads finally notice and 'comment' on Potter's odd behaviour. Severus didn't have time to even mentally roll his eyes as he focused intently on keeping Potter from falling to a certain death.
Severus yelped when he felt a hot pain near his injured leg. He was on fire! Damn those brats for choosing this time to play a prank. Severus frantically put out the fire and looked to the sky. No Potter. Frantically checking the ground, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief at seeing Potter safely there before cursing when he realized that, despite all that, the brat had managed to catch the Snitch!
Whirling around, he saw Professor Quirrell being assisted to his feet by another teacher. So. Whoever had set him on fire must have knocked over Professor Quirrell in their haste. Thank Merlin for small mercies... or rather large mercies, considering it had been Potter's life at stake.
Severus stalked off towards the Headmaster's office. It was time to confront Dumbledore.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"What are you playing at?! Bringing the Philosopher's Stone here and then allowing Quirrell into the school."
"I have my reasons," Dumbledore said blandly.
Severus glared heatedly at the man before bitingly saying, "And you're not going to share them with me, are you?"
Dumbledore smiled, that twinkle in his eye that others found so reassuring, and Severus found so suspicious. He knew all too well that Dumbledore was far more than he appeared... thus why he had been the only person the Dark Lord ever feared... thus why, when Lily's life had been in danger, Severus had risked all to come to this man, only to have everything fail... Dumbledore only cared about the end goal, and Severus was one of the few who knew that. Despite knowing that he was just a tool, Severus served him faithfully... Dumbledore's logic had succeeded in that, at least.
"Why did you save his life?"
"You told me to watch Quirrell!"
"Watching Quirrell doesn't involve preventing little boys from falling off brooms just because Quirrell jinxed them."
Severus controlled his temper. Dumbledore was trying to get him to say that he cared for the brat when he should know by now that there was only one person Severus had ever cared about. Through clenched teeth, Severus said, "Ten years ago I promised to help you protect Harry Potter, or don't you remember that?"
Dumbledore said nothing. Finally Severus bit out, "Potter must not risk his life in anymore Quidditch matches."
Dumbledore simply continued gazing at him with that cursed twinkle in eye. "You would like that, wouldn't you, Severus?"
"Isn't the boy's life more important than winning a trophy?!" Severus blustered, throwing up his hands in exasperation. That there were other benefits was not to be doubted, but still, he would have thought Dumbledore would be consider other things as the top priority.
"Of course it is," Dumbledore said, looking back at the project he'd been working on on his desk, letting Severus know he was dismissed as he said, "You'll referee his next match, and I'll even attend myself."
Severus stared at him in amazement. Referee...? Of course it would be impossible for Dumbledore to referee, but wasn't he concerned about how this would appear? However, with one look at the Headmaster Severus could tell that Dumbledore's mind had been made up and that his attempts at logic would be wasted, so he quietly left the Headmaster's office to return to his own quarters.
As he meandered towards the dungeons, Severus mused thoughtfully. He would have to get Quirrell alone and persuade him to tell him how far he had gotten in his efforts to get past the Stone's protections... that, at least, could probably be consider under 'watching'.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Severus was waiting impatiently in Dumbledore's office for the old man to return from visiting Harry Potter in the Hospital Wing. As the Headmaster entered at a sedate pace, Severus burst out in fury, "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
The old man had brought the Stone here, brought Quirrell here simply because he'd begun acting suspiciously after his trip in Albania, and then had carefully helped Potter along with clues for getting past the Stone's defenses, nearly resulting in the Dark Lord's return, not to mention the danger he had put Potter in! Surely Dumbledore hadn't actually expected that the boy would conquer the Dark Lord at the age of eleven anymore than he had done so at ago one.
"It was my hope," Dumbledore corrected calmly as he seated himself in the chair behind his desk.
"Hope! The whole thing almost failed; do you realize that?" Dumbledore had left for the Ministry right at the critical moment.
"Yes, one of my few mistakes," Dumbledore said quietly. "But it all turned out well in the end, didn't it?" he said with a bright smile. "The boy performed most admirably."
Severus stared at the Headmaster with an impassive face, although inside he was roiling. Severus had thought that, as one of the few who were aware of the prophecy's existence and what it entailed, he and Dumbledore were partners. But now he became aware that he only knew the surface of Dumbledore's plans for Harry Potter.
Dumbledore's voice broke into his reverie. "He asked about you, you know. Why you bothered protecting him."
Severus tensed. "And what did you tell him?" he asked, a warning note in his voice even though he knew that it would be too late if...
Dumbledore's eyes met his over his spectacles, completely serious with no trace of their typical twinkle. "Not the truth... as you requested, ten years ago."
From the tone in the Headmaster's voice, Severus knew that Dumbledore was still of the noble opinion that this was hiding Severus' best qualities, but this was Severus' choice. Severus felt his muscles relax. His secret was just one of many in Dumbledore's repertoire, but at least he was confident that Dumbledore was a man of his word... no matter how the Headmaster sometimes twisted things.
