Snape was staring at Harry, wide eyed, awed, angry, upset, and eager to know more. This was all plain on his face. Harry was surprised at the rush of emotions he saw. He didn't know Snape could feel so many emotion at once. Usually Snape either had hatred, anger, or happiness (from causing Harry or others agony). Otherwise Snape's face was mostly devoid of emotion, but now, there were like a million emotions all happening at once. Harry had to shake off the stunned feeling, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Snape had just asked him how he had survived. Well, Harry knew how he had survived, it was all because of his Mom, him living had nothing to do with anything he had done. So, this was exactly what he was going to say. "I survived because of my mom. She saved me. She loved me so much and had protected me from the curse Voldemort sent at me by dying for me. That is how I lived."

Snape wasn't staring at him now as they were walking along. He was staring at his feet, and then the ceiling and he seemed to be thinking hard. Every once in awhile he would look at Harry, open his mouth as if he wanted to say something, and then shut it. Snape's face was scrunched in concentration and then finally he did say something, "Love?"

"Yeah, Love."

"Dumbledore always said...but I had never thought. I had thought...I mean there hadn't been any proof. Kidding...joking...deranged...that's what I...but not...right. Voldemort obviously didn't think so either. What a fool...but then again so was I. Love? Love...it just doesn't sound...I mean...how? You're sure?" He had seemed to be spewing all his thoughts out at once, but not actually wanting Harry to answer any of them except for the last one.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I mean Dumbledore said so and I believe him through and through." Harry responded firmly.

Snape nodded slowly and said, "When...how long ago?"

"When did this happen? When I was only one." Harry answered.

"So you...you didn't ever...know them? I mean really know them?" Snape asked, his voice a bit sad, depressed sounding.

"No...no I didn't." He said, trying to answer as calmly as possible, but his voice sounded strained.

Snape must have picked up on this because he stopped asking about Harry's parents and his scar. He just seemed to be pondering silently. Harry was glad, he didn't think he could talk about it anymore. He wasn't gonna like, cry, but he didn't think he could speak.

They arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room where Hermione came up from behind them and said the Gryffindor Password. Snape leaned in, trying to hear, but she had said it so fast and quietly, that no one except the Fat Lady had heard her, and she had, had to thrust her ear forward. Harry wondered if Hermione had done this on purpose, so Snape didn't know, but Harry didn't know why. Snape had done nothing to them as a teenager, except give him that look. Had Hermione actually seen that or did she know something else? Was Snape truly trustworthy? Harry didn't know, but hoped he was and not for the first time.

The Fat Lady eyed Snape, interested. With the blonde hair, green eyes, and hook nose, he had a unique look and the Fat Lady didn't open up before she remarked on it, "You have interesting appearance dear. I would know that appearance if I had seen it before, which I know I have not. Who, may I ask, are you?"

Harry hadn't counted on the Fat Lady inquiring about Snape, she would tell her friend Violet, who would tell all the other paintings. It would be around the school in no time and Harry wasn't so sure this was a good thing.

Hermione then said, "He's a friend of ours, can we get through now? I said the password."

Hermione had been forceful, but knowing the Fat Lady for nearly five years, Harry suspected they weren't going to get off that easily and he was right. The Fat Lady frowned and said, "I'm sorry, unless he's a teacher, which I seriously doubt he is, no student not from Gryffindor is allowed into the common room."

At the mention of teacher Ron snickered an the Fat Lady looked at him suspiciously, "What is so funny?"

Ron shut up immediately, but he couldn't suppress his grin.

Hermione sighed, apparently she hadn't wanted to tell the Fat Lady their lie about Snape either, but it looked like there was no other choice. "He's a student, visiting."

"Visiting? Hogwarts? From where?" the Fat Lady asked, intrigued. Harry doubted anyone had ever visited before.

"Uh, well...Sa...Sam here is from Sweden. He...he moved from Sweden. He..he..wants to go to school here next year...and and so he's visiting for a short while. We're...We're just showing him around. He...he...he wanted to see the common room. We didn't know we'd get trouble for it." Hermione added the last part, looking as worried as possible and as sorry as possible.

The Fat Lady's face softened immediately and she looked at Snape, still very interested, "So, you want to come to Hogwarts, good choice." She beamed at him and Snape smiled back. "I guess I can let you in. Come on, get." Then she swung open letting them into the common room.

Snape stepped in after Hermione and Harry and in front of Ron. He looked around, taking everything in. Harry could tell Snape had a lot on his mind, hell, Harry himself had a lot on his mind. His whole perception of Snape had altered in only a few, short hours. Why did this thing always happen to him?

Snape's prescense caused an instant change in the room. Before, everyone was talking, laughing, some playing exploding snap, while others were reading or doing homework. Harry had seen a pair of second years playing Wizard's Chess in the corner. Then, in what seemed like less than a second, everything went dead silent. Harry looked at Snape who had turned a bright red, it was the library all over again.

Harry found many pairs of eyes looking at Snape, but saw several staring at hima s well, though not nearly as many as usual. This was almost a relief to him, except for the fact that he knew the other eyes were boaring into Snape, making him feel how Harry usually felt.

Harry leaned in toward Hermione and whispered sarcastically, "Could you have made him any more inconspicuous?"

Hermione frowned at Harry, but didn't answer, she seemed to be muttering to herself and Harry caught the words, "should have been brown hair" along with, "green eyes, why did I choose green eyes?"

Harry didn't know why Hermione had chosen green eyes either, except he remembered she had look at him just before she had cast the spell. She had looked at him because Ron was laughing to hard at her mistake and she needed someone to roll her eyes at. She had looked into his eyes and then turned back. Harry realized that she had pictured his eyes to use because she had just seen his. Though they weren't exactly the same color as his, there was something about them that reminded him of Ron's own eyes.

Snape seemed to be actually shrinking, though Harry knew it was just because he was slouching, trying to be as invisible as possible, Harry had done this many a time, but it was harder for Snape because he was a bit taller.

Hermione, who apparently couldn't bare the stares anymore, grabbed Snape's arm and hauled him toward the Boy's Dormatories. Harry and Ron followed from behind, but even after they had traveled up the stairs, Harry knew that many pairs of eyes were still staring at them.

Hermione thrust open the door to Harry, Ron, Semus, Dean, and Neville's dormitory. To Harry's disappointment Neville was occupying his bed and he wasn't one of the people gawking downstairs. They wouldn't be able to talk about anything in front of Neville, Harry wasn't sure it was a good idea for anyone, but the four of them knowing exactly what was going on.

Neville looked up because of the footsteps, looked down and did that double take that had been so popular in the library. He stared at Snape as if he had three heads and finally sputtered out, "Who...who..who..who're you?" It looked like it had taken Neville great effort to do this, but his curiosity had won him over.

Hermione glared at Neville and Neville shrunk back from her.

Snape looked at Neville and said, "I could ask you the same thing."

Neville looked at Snape, he had started squinting, like he couldn't quite remember something. Harry realized that out of most people, Neville probably would be able to recognize Snape the best since Snape was his worst fear. Harry hoped that the blonde hair, green eyes, higher voice, and otherwise boyish features would dissuade any thoughts that Neville had of this being Snape. The nose might just give it away though.

Apparently Neville's suspicions had never fully formed because he answered, "I'm...My name is Neville Longbottom."

Snape widened his eyes in surprise and said, "Longbottom? I think I might...

Hermione shot him a warning look and Snape stopped talking, realizing his mistake. He finished his sentence quickly though, "have heard a similar name before. It was Long...something. I just can't remember."

Neville shrugged, apparently not noticing the pause Snape had given, probably chalking it up for a bad memory, something he had himself. Neville then waited patiently for Snape to respond.

Snape remembered Neville had asked him his own name, forgetting after he had almost blown their secret, "Oh, yeah, my name is Sam...Simons."

"Simons? I'm sorry, but I've never heard of you. Do you go here?" Neville looked slightly embarrassed, probably hoping that Snape didn't and that he hadn't forgotten someone.

Harry responded this time and said, "No..no, Sam doesn't go here, he's visiting."

"He's from Holland." Ron added.

Hermione shook her head and sighed, "No Ron, Sweden, he's from Sweden. Besides, you meant the Netherlands."

Ron looked at her puzzled, "No I meant Holland, well, er, Sweden, but I did mean to say Holland."

"Did you mean both Hollands, one Holland, or the whole northern region?" Hermione asked sweetly, although she seemed to already know the answer.

Ron hesitated in responding, knowing he was falling into a trap, "Uh, the northern region?" He asked it almost as a question and Hermione shook her head, though she was grinning."

"Ron, that's called the Netherlands." Hermione said and then turned to Neville, "Sam here is from Sweden. He moved here and is thinking about going to school here next year."

Neville nodded and then went back to doing some of his potions homework, though he seemed to be struggling. Snape saw this and walked over.

"What are you doing?"

"Potions homework, its a drag." Neville said and then realized who he was talking to, "But...uh...its not too bad. I mean potions is alright. There are plenty of other good classes and well and..."

"You don't have to sell me on Hogwarts. I've already decided I'm going here, this is just an...official type thing...I have to do it."

"Oh, well, that's ok then." Neville responded.

"So, potions homework, eh, mind if I give you a hand? I have a knack for potions." Snape said.

Neville looked up at Snape as if he'd never seen anyone so kind, "Yeah, that'd be great."

"What're you working on anyway?" Snape asked.

"The official and practical uses for shrinking potions, but I just can't think of any." Neville said and sighed.

"Making your potions master a teenager again." Ron muttered under his breadth.

Neville heard Ron speak, but not what he said, "Excuse me, what?"

"Nothing." But then he snickered.

Neville looked confused and went back to his essay.

Snape said, "Here, Neville, why don't you write something about enemies, I hear that a great many people have a very large one that just recently sprang up."

Neville looked at him and then grinned, "It can weaken enemies!"

Snape nodded, "Now expand on that, say how it can weaken enemies, what uses would it have, what advantage could you get from it?"

Neville thought, "Well you could slip it into a drink, enough to turn your enemy into a baby?"

"Or a teenager." Ron muttered again. Neville looked up, but Ron looked at him and shrugged as if he hadn't done anything.

When Neville looked down again Hermione shot Ron a scathing look and whispered, "Shut up!"

"Now, you could find their weaknesses and fears, ones from childhood are often...traumatic and stay throughtout adulthood. You could find of their joys, you could find out anything about them and use that against them." Snape said.

Neville nodded and jotted an extensive paragraph on information about enemies gained through this potion.

"What else?" Snape asked, though it was obvious he already had several ideas.

"Uh, I don't know."

"How about if someone has a deadly disease that was caught too late? Just give them a few drops and then their just a few months or a year younger. Then you could..."

"Catch the disease, make sure you get it early!" Neville shouted excited and began to write another paragraph.

Snape beamed.

"