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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and I don't earn money with this story. Only the plot is mine and I earn wonderful reviews with it.

Thanks:

My special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers hio, The Blind Apprentice, undistinguishablefire, Midday Moonlight, DebsTheSlytherinSnapefan, Bleudiablo and Arastel. You are great and I love you all.

Don't be afraid that Neville is going to be the Boy Who Lived!! This is Harry – once for all!!

(But Neville will play an important role ,too.)

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3. Breakfast

In his rooms Pot-, Harry, was waiting for him. He kneeled next to Severus' favourite arm-chair with his hand bowed. When the potions master entered thr room the boy looked up and then directed his eyes to the carpet again. Severus suppressed a sigh. What should he do with the boy now?

"Be good to him."

Like Albus had mentioned Pot-, Harry, should be as little confused as possible. So he had to behave like the boy expected it from him due to his new memory. Severus settled into his arm-chair and looked at the dark head. Which memories were hidden underneath the black looks?

Albus had told him that the boy had experienced him as strict but just.

Of course he could just enter the boy's mind but he didn't want to do that. Maybe he should just give Pot-, Harry an order and watch how the boy reacted.

A rumble in his stomach reminded him that he hadn't had breakfast yet.

"I'm hungry."

The boy jumped up and bowed deeply.

"Yes, master."

He disappeared into the small kitchenette, which Severus sometimes used to cook. The potions master listened to to the noise in his kitchen and hardly resisted the temptation to look after what Pot-, Harry, was doing with his expensive dishes. Luckily he didn't seem to demolish his furniture. Soon the delicious smell of scrambled eggs promulgated in Severus' chambers.

Suddenly green flames flared up in the fireplace and a brown owl appeared in Severus' living room. Because there were no windows in the dungeons owls reached him this way. This one had looked for him in vain in the Great Hall and took the way through the floo network. She carried the Daily Prophet in her beak and flew off after Severus had paid her.

The potions master opened the paper but he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts were with the boy in his kitchen and were diverted additional by the delicious smell.

Eventually the kitchen door opened and Harry put the tablet on the living room table. The boy had prepared a rich breakfast that Severus usually only ate at special occasions.

There were a large dish with scrambled eggs and ham garnished with stripes of paprika and filled tomatoes. To it there were a freshly pressed orange juice and a black espresso. The sweet termination was a vanilla muffin with chocolate icing. For himself Harry served only a small bowl with water and a small empty dish with silverware.

"I hope you'll like it, master."

He spoke so quietly that Severus had trouble understanding him. He nodded at the kneeling boy and started eating To his astonishment the meal tasted excellent even better than being prepared by the house elves. Suddenly he heard a weak rumbling. He looked down at Harry who sipped at his water bowl and now and then cast a longing glance at Severus' breakfast. The rumbling could be heard again and Harry bit his lip.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little bit, master."

Another rumbling. It seemed the boy hadn't eaten for days.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Severus asked indifferently.

The flinching of Harry indicated that he had chosen the wrong tone again.

"I'm sorry, master! Please forgive me master, I …"

"It's okay."

He put some eggs on the boy's dish and put it in front of Harry. He thanked Severus and before he could prevent it Harry had pressed his lips against the back of his master's hand.

He ate hastily with little bites as if he was afraid that Severus would take it away every minute. Suddenly the potions master remembered a book that Lucius had once given him.

"The manual for the content master. How to educate the perfect slave."

Where did he put it? He stood and ransacked his shelves. Eventually in the last shelf he found it. The book was bound in golden leather and adorned with silver ornaments. When he sat down, Harry's eyes were directed questioningly towards him.

Suddenly he grew furious. Why by all means should he take care of Potter? Had Dumbledore no other helpers who would fight for taking care of their Golden Boy? But no he had to share his precious private sphere with his arch enemy's son.

"Put that away!" he yelled at the boy.

He wanted to have him out of his hair and not to see him for a long time. Wasn't it enough that he had trained the Golden Boy which obviously wasn't possible anymore? Wouldn't the Drak Lord grew suspicious if Dumbledore just gave him his Golden Boy? Of course he would and it was Severus' task to think about a good story.

'We're lucky that Voldemort considers his antagonist as narrow minded', he thought. He was so sick of everything: the war, the hiding, the hypocrisy and first of all the Order of the Phoenix, whose members slandered behind his back and loved to let him know that for them he would always be the Death Eater.

"He's my son, too."

Suddenly he saw Lily's face in front of him, calm and friendly. It reminded him of the oath he had made when Harry ha d been a baby.

FLASHBACK

"I swear to protect you and to help you with everything I have and can do. I swear to prevent you from harm and not to rest until you fulfilled your task. I swear to protect your life with my own. This shall be valid from this day to the day you fulfilled your task."

He bent over the little dark head of the baby in his arms and kissed its forehead. A green-golden light wrapped itself around their joined hands, a light which spread to their hearts. Severus was now bound to his arch enemy's son. No, to Lily's son who beamed at him. Lily kissed him on the cheek.

Thank you.

END FLASHBACK

He had given a promise to Lily. She had been the only one who had given him the feeling to be a human being even a good man in a time where he still had to prove himself. It had hurt to see her eyes in Potter's face even if this face had only been 11 years old.

He is not James, he thought, Now less than ever.

That thought brought him back to the problem at hand. What should he do with the boy? Training was out of question. Pot-, Harry, had barely the magical potential of a house elf and even if the little creatures were quite powerful they were now matches for the Dark Lord. Add to this that he didn't know how well Harry was watched over by Voldemort and he had no clue what the Lord learned about him through the boy's eyes. It was possible that a single mistake would abruptly end his carrier as a spy.

Besides he had some work to do. He had to brew potions, correct OWL's and NEWT's and also had to trace out the curriculum for Longbottom. The very idea of training Longbottom was ridiculous. What should he teach this dunderhead? How to walk properly? Dumbledore really became senile.

He groaned and pressed his fists against his temples behind which developed a splitting headache.

"Master?"

He jumped and stared into two green eyes. Lily.

"What?"

Harry lowered fast his gaze. The boy trembled.

"I'm ready, master", he whispered.

Severus opened and closed his fist while he tried to master his helpless fury. He breathed deeply in and out. Suddenly he had an idea. Maybe there was a chance to teach Harry something without the Dark Lord growing suspicious. Eventually the creature knew how Severus despised stupidity. He stood and took a book from his shelves the boy certainly never had laid a hand on, but which he would need for winning the war. It was forbidden and titled: "The Dark Arts through the Ages" Of course Harry couldn't cast the spells now but he would learn the theory. And if Albus succeeded to break the barrier and to turn Harry into an insufferable brat again, then this knowledge would maybe save the boy's life. Of course Albus wouldn't be happy to learn what kind of books he gave to Harry but Severus doubted that the brat would betray his "master's" secrets and he wouldn't breathe a word to the headmaster.

He threw the book on the table.

"Read this! I'll quiz you tonight."

The boy bowed and took the book.

"Yes, master."

Then he started reading. Severus didn't show his relief. At least that he is able to do, he thought.

"While I'm in the lab you won't touch anything in here. You won't enter the bedroom and order something to eat when you are hungry. You will keep the rooms clean and you won't destroy anything."

He had just said the last admonition when he remembered what he had seen in Harry's new memory. How he had whipped the boy mercilessly because he had broken a jar. No wonder that the boy was trembling again.

"Respect my property", he added in a conciliatory tone.

"I will, master."

Severus eyed the thin body of the boy and the faded pyjama pants.

"I want you to eat something when you are hungry." He decided to send an elf in his quarters during lunch time to ensure that Harry ate something. Besides he wanted to change the boy's clothing. Harry couldn't walk around like this. Severus flicked his wand and now the boy wore dark green trousers and soft moccasins in the same colour.

"Thank you, master"

He hurried towards Severus and kissed his hand.

"I won't disappoint you, master."

Severus nodded at him and left his quarters, taking the book about slave education with him.

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