AN: Hey all sorry for the wait; thank you for being patient, I was writing and was rereading and found that I didn't like how I had written it so I started over, I like this chapter much better. R.S.

Snape watched as Harry ate dinner, it had been a week since the boy had told him about what had been happening to him at the Dursleys, and some how it seemed as if it had never happened. He laughed with his friends; he joked, the boy didn't even stiffen when someone touched him from behind. It made Snape think, was the boy very good at acting or was he truly okay despite all that had happened; either way Snape thought that he was insanely strong, to be able to go on living despite the years of abuse at the hands of his own family.

as Snape watched, he felt that somehow Harry's being strong meant that there was still hope for his little snakes that weren't taking things very well.

Harry glanced up at the teacher's table and smiled slightly; Snape was looking at him, like a guardian angel of sorts. A sudden image of Snape with a halo and wings made Harry snort; it was a funny sight. He shook his head and turned to Ron, cacthing the rest of his stupid joke and snorted. Seamus patted him on the back. Harry turned to him and smiled, he had been aware of his friend coming up behind him. That was one thing Harry had learned to do quickly, be aware of his suroundings, in fact he had gotten so good; if he really concentrated he could actually see, hear, even feel, people's magics. That's why people never took him by suprise when he was awake, because he was always aware of everyone.

Right now, Snapes' very calm, deep magic, was thrumming his way. He turned just as the professor came up behind him and gave the man a bright happy smile, "Yes professor?"

Snape arched an eyebrow at him his scowl never lifting, "When you find a suitable moment to stop stuffing your face meet me in my office, Potter."

"Sure," Harry said happily nodding towards his half empty plate, completely ignoring the comment.

Snapes' scowl deepened, and he walked away.

Ron gave him a weird look and Harry just laughed, he was feeling inexplainably good, like somehow if he really tried he could fly, he felt so light.

Fifteen minutes later, he knocked on Snapes' door. "Come in," came his deep voice from behind the door. Tentatively he pushed it open, "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Snape looked up at him from the papers he was grading and arched an eyebrow, "Yes, I have spoken with the headmaster and he agrees that you need to be taken from your aunt and uncle's and put into the care of someone else, however during the time in which it takes to get you removed from their 'protection' I have taken it upon myself to find out what has been done to you, so I may give him accurate advice as to where to put you."

Harry looked at Snape a frown forming on his face, "So you want me to tell you exactly how badly I was treated so you can gloat? I don't think so sir." Harry snarled.

Snape looked at him, "Mr. Potter, you came to me with this, I am only trying to help you."

"Help me, when have you ever helped me unless it was absolutely necessary to, it's not like you really care, I'm a Gryffindore, I'm my 'father's son'." He knew it wasn't fair but he felt like he needed to protect what little of himself was left, he needed to keep those memories safely locked tight away, high on the shelves in his mind.

Snape looked down at the papers feeling the guilt for how he had treated the boy over the years crash down on him in waves, Snape would have prefered to be under the cruciatus curse than feel that particular emotion. "I admit, I have been judging you based on an old school boy rivalry, but what do you expect when all you show me is how you behaved?"

"No! you're like everybody else, all you saw is what you wanted to see, you never saw me as anything but my father's son, because you were to blind to look at ME!" Harry snapped his voice raising, he turned and grabbed the handle of the door, ready to leave.

"Mr. Potter, sit down!" Snape said, his voice raising in volume, it wasn't quite a shout but it was definitely a command.

Harry angrily turned and sat in a chair in front of Snapes' desk.

"I am well aware that I along with the entire wizarding world see you as we wish, but Harry, I see you now, and do you know what I see?"

Harry shook his head.

"I see a scrawny sixteen year old, with messy black hair, pale skin and green eyes that are haunted and piercing. I see sitting infront of me a boy, who has been begging for help the moment you stepped into these halls and has lost hope in ever getting it. Mr. Potter I see a boy, with more courage and strength than a hundred adults could ever hope to understand, I see a boy who does not wish for people to die and who doesn't want to be seen as weak. but I also see a boy who is rash, and emotional. If you are ever going to survive what those people have done to you, Harry you need to let those memories go, or you're going to break."

Harry turned his head away, and swallowed the lump in his throat. He turned back to his professor, "Have you ever told anyone?"

Snape blinked then very slowly he nodded, "Yes I did tell someone, but not until I had finally broken."

"What happened, when you did break sir?"

"I lost my magic."

Harry looked at Snape wide-eyed, "But you can do magic, I've seen you do it!"

"It took me nearly four years to get my magic back, and only with the help of the person who I told was I able to."

"Who did you tell?"

"Your mother."

Harry's eyes widened, "But you called her a Mudblood, why would she help you?"

"Because despite all that I had done, she still saw me as her friend."

"What happened?"

Snape looked at Harry, "We are not here to discuss my past."

Harry smiled at the diversion and simply said, "I can't trust someone who doesn't trust me."

"I suspect that you're more Slytherin than I originally thought."

Harry just smiled.

TBC

HAHA gotta love the cliff hangers XD please review its my bread and butter.

I would love your comments and ideas on what to do with snapes past, I already have it written but and terribly dispeased with it since it completely disrupts the flow of the story. so tell me what you want in it and I put it there, or try to.

R.S.