Starting Over

"Potter, Harry!"

"Harry Potter!"

"That's Potter!"

"Potter, did she say?"

"That tiny first year is Potter?"

Severus opened his eyes in time to see Harry come timidly forward to be sorted. He forgot how small he was. He can hit himself for not noticing Harry. He can see how tiny he was compared to the rest of his classmates.

He watched closely as Minerva put the hat upon his head. He is no longer shocked that Harry could have been a Slytherin. He did wish that the Fates have sent him back sooner. Harry would have been good for the snake house. It would have been good for him, too. He definitely would have been a better Slytherin than Malfoy and his cronies.

Knowing what the conversation Harry is having, he takes a look at the other students. Some of these kids will be future Death Eaters but everyone else will follow Harry. But only a few will lay their lives down for Harry. He will have to subtly send them all in the right decision.

He had to take a sip of the water that was sitting in front of him. Just this morning, Harry was dead. He barely got to mourn him and now he's alive again. This time will be different. This time, Harry will know that he's loved for who he is and not for what he's destined to do.

He is amused at how Gryffindorish he acted. He accepted the deal with no thought. Wretched time for his Gryffindor tendencies to surface. He doesn't regret his decision but now that he's here, he has no plan. Luckily as a spy, he knows how to think on his feet.

"Gryffindor!"

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Harry sat quietly next to Ron while he ate. While everybody else ate, he decided to take a careful look around. Looking up at the Heads table, he took a note on all the adults. His eyes stopped at the professor seated next to Quirrell.

This professor looked as if he didn't get out in the sunshine very often which sometimes happen to Harry when he gets locked up in his cupboard for a long time. His nose looked as if it was broken one too many times. It was important to know that magic can't fix everything.

There was something odd about how he looked at him. It was the sort of looks that he saw Uncle Vernon gave Dudley. Except it seemed almost as if he wanted to hold him tight and never let go like Aunt Petunia would sometimes do with Dudley. (Uncle Vernon doesn't think that's very manly.)

When Harry looked this professor in the eyes, something connected them. It also hurt his head where his scar resides. Harry carefully touched his scar. That's weird. The professor glared at Quirrell before looking at him worriedly. Harry gave him a smile to let him know it was okay.

"Who's that talking to Professor Quirrell, Percy?"

"Oh, you already met Professor Quirrell?" Percy asked. "That's Professor Severus Snape. He's the Head of Slytherin and the Potions Professor. They say he always wanted the Defense of the Dark Arts position. He's very knowledgeable about the Dark Arts."

Harry looks at Professor Snape. He might have glared at Quirrell because he wanted the position but somehow Harry thinks that Snape is angry at Quirrell because of Harry. Why?

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After the sorting feast, all the Head of Houses gathered together with Albus to discuss the newly sorted. An annual meeting where they all discuss any information on the new first years.

This year, the excitement was all on one famous first year.

"He looks just like James."

Minerva was bubbling with excitement. She had that cat ate the canary look. Severus knew that Harry has always had a spot in her heart. Too bad she couldn't see him as Harry.

Severus snorts.

Minerva, Filius, and Pomona glared at him. Albus just sat back and twinkled. Severus scowled to mask his amusement. It's time to put one of his plans to motion.

"Are you all blind? Potter was never that small or shy."

Severus snorted again when he realized that he shocked everyone. Even Albus stopped his infernal twinkling. Finally. Hopefully this will open their eyes a little.

"He is the smallest first year," Fillius remarked.

"Lilly and James were pretty tall," Minerva said.

"They were pretty outgoing. No one could ever say that they were shy," Pomona quipped.

"Or quiet."

Severus' muttered remark made them laugh.

"Remember the time when Lilly sent him a howler for that prank in fifth year?" Minerva reminisced.

"I think that she could have been heard down to the dungeons." Albus said twinkling.

More fond memories of James and Lilly's past were brought out to laugh and reminisced over.

Severus grumbled to himself. He thought he had them there for a second. He was trying to get them to see Harry as an entity to himself but it ended with fond memories of the past instead. Well, onto Plan B. As soon as I figure what that is.

The meeting wraps up so that the Heads can meet with prefects and other assorted first night duties. Albus asks Severus and Minerva to stay. Severus hid his surprise. This didn't happen last time.

"Lucius got the governors up in arms about suites."

"Lucius has been flooing me all summer about giving Draco a suite of his own," Severus reported. "I told him Hogwarts was the one who made that decision."

"Hogwarts does have a mind of her own," Albus said twinkling. "She has taken a liking to Harry. As soon as Harry accepted Hogwarts, she created a suite for him."

Severus hid his surprise. Thinking quickly, he wondered why he didn't know about this the first time around.

"Special consideration for the golden boy?" Severus sneered.

"I think that Harry should room with the other boys. He has been hidden away for so long that I believe it would be good for him to be surrounded with others," replied Minerva.

Severus thought about that. He knew that Harry had a slight agoraphobia and didn't do well with crowds. Who wouldn't be after spending your formative years in a cupboard? It definitely will be beneficial for Harry to be more comfortable with people.

"Putting him with the others boys would definitely show him that he's normal,' Severus agreed.

Inwardly he snorts at the word normal. Harry was everything but normal. Too bad he craves this. Maybe he can show that it doesn't make him a freak. Another thing to put on his to do list.

"It's surprising, isn't it? Harry seems rather small for a first year." Minerva replied thoughtfully.

Severus grunts in agreement, inwardly gleeing. Maybe plan A would still work.

Albus strokes his beard thoughtfully. He turns his annoying twinkling eyes toward Severus.

"It's surprising that you would be the first to notice that Harry isn't James."

Severus inwardly is crowing.

"Potter is just another first year."

"It is troubling." Albus pop a lemon drop into his mouth.

Severus affected a questioning look.

"What is?"

"Harry is the smallest first year I ever remembered." Albus and Minerva looks thoughtfully at Severus.

"It is surprising." Minerva repeated.

"What is?" Severus repeated wondering where his and everybody's vocabulary went.

"That you were the one to notice that Harry wasn't James."

"Anyone with eyes can see there is something wrong with the boy."

Severus wonders if he can manipulate Albus in the right direction.

"Do you still think it's a wise decision for you to cater to the Death Eaters and their children?"

Severus wanted to jump up and dance a jig. YES!

"Actually, I believe that my past behavior encourages my students to be bullies. I worry that when the Dark Lord comes back, they will be the first to join."

Albus nods.

"That is something I never thought about."

"Since Potter is finally here at Hogwarts, I believe that the time is close at hand for the children to pick sides."

Albus smiles gently at Severus.

"It means your spying days are over, my boy."

Severus thought about it carefully. Last time, he never did gain the trust of the Dark Lord or his fellow Death Eaters. They never really gained anything when he went back spying. Most of their news actually came from Harry even after he perfected Occlumency.

"After my very public trial and outing as a spy, I don't think I can really gain the Dark Lord's trust back."

Minerva eyes Severus.

"Does this mean you won't cater to the Death Eaters children?"

"It means Malfoy won't be leading the Slytherins, if I have anything to say about it."

Albus held his hand up.

"I asked you to stay because I need your help."

Minerva and Severus look at Albus carefully and with caution. As much as they admire and revere Albus, they know how insane he and his ideas can be. Severus still shudders whenever he thinks about Albus' plan on hiding the philosopher's stone. That reminds him, find out if this is one thing he can change.

"What is it that you need help with?" said Minerva carefully.

"I need you two to talk to Harry. Find out what you can about his home life. Severus has made me worried with his observations," replied Albus.

"I thought you had someone watching over him?" Minerva asked.

"Arabella was only there to make sure there was no Death Eaters watching him. The Ministry took care of his home life while I was supposed to take care of any stray Death Eaters. You know that I wouldn't trust Harry's care with the Ministry's Aurors. There is too many who were bought by Lucius for me to trust them. But Cornelius had to show that he was taking care of Harry so we came to a compromise. He made sure Harry was happy with the Dursleys and he got to take credit that the Boy Who Lived is happy and thriving."

Severus inwardly seethed. That was why Harry was kept at the Dursleys for so long. Fudge didn't want the wizarding world to know that he never really checked on Harry. It wasn't a year until after Fudge was kicked out that anyone knew what he really was covering up. It wasn't until Harry started grade school that anyone noticed the bruises.

When it came to Fudge's attention, he was terrified that he would lose his position once someone found out he never made sure Harry was happy. So he got Umbridge to take care of it. Her solution was for the Aurors to Obliviate the Muggles. Those paid Aurors got really good at Obliviating because they had to do that several times during every school year. They also Obliviated some wizards and witches who actually was doing their job and was going to take Harry away from those disgusting Muggles.

Albus was so angry when he found out. He was even angrier when he found out that Fudge broke their agreement and let the Aurors near Harry. It turned out that those Aurors were also in Lucius' pocket and Lucius always knew where Harry was living. The only reason he or any other Death Eaters didn't attack Harry was because they really didn't think the Dark Lord was coming back and they didn't want to ruin their own lives after paying their way out of Azkaban.

Severus came out of his thoughts to have Albus and Minerva looking at him worriedly. He gave them a nod.

"I will agree to this."

"You're not going to punish Harry for James folly, are you?" inquired Minerva.

"No. Now that I don't have to be a Death Eater, I think that I can teach Potter some things he needs to know."

"I can teach him what he needs to know," bristled Minerva.

Severus looks at her coolly.

"Will you teach him what he needs to know as a purebred wizard? Will you teach him what he needs to know as a Lord of his own house? Will you teach him so that he can lead others?"

Minerva actually back down with a blush.

"I didn't think so," smirked Severus.

Albus twinkles at the two.

"Wonderful. I knew that Severus can get over his animosity. And Minerva, as his Head of House, you can watch over him."

After getting a dismissal, Severus exited with his robes fluttering and snapping behind him. Now, it's time to greet his snakes.

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AN: I just realized that there were no scene breaks so hopefully this fixed it. I'm still writing and hopefully there will be an update soon.