AN - Hello all sorry its been a while I got distracted by a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone so I have started another story however I am not intending to post it until it is completed. What are people's thoughts do you want me to post what I have so far and update whenever I finish another chapter? Or would you prefer it all up completed even if thats ages away? Or do you not care at all and think I should shut up and get on with the new chapter? Whatever your thoughts I would be delighted to hear them, as always read, review, enjoy

Chapter 12

The fallout from Harry's actions the previous night hit him rather sooner than he personally would have wished. The first thing that happened came in the form of a screaming banshee with frizzy hair that screeched at him about how he was going dark and was a nasty little liar, a vicious boy and she was going to tell McGonagall on him. Harry calmly ignored her saying "Hermione I do not need to justify myself to you, I was defending myself, he attacked me while my back was turned. Now if there is nothing more I'd quite like to go have some breakfast." Continuing to ignore her furious tirade he exited through the portrait alongside Neville who looked shocked at his presence. "Neville I meant it last night when I said I wanted to get to know you all a bit better, I hope we can become friends. It's something that should have happened at least two years ago but hopefully we can make up for lost time, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself I know hardly anything."

Slowly and hesitantly Neville started to open up about himself and his life. It took a lot of coaxing from Harry but by the time McGonagall started handing out the year's schedules after breakfast, Neville seemed to be growing in confidence a little. "Mr Potter I want a word with you. What's this I hear about you putting Weasley in the hospital wing?"

Harry rubbed his temples, "would it be possible for me to talk to you in private Professor McGonagall? I promise I will explain but the explanation will involve a few things I would rather remain private."

McGonagall looked at him sceptically "alright Potter meet me in my office directly."

Harry nodded, looked at his schedule and groaned that it read History of Magic first up followed by Potions with the Slytherins. He told Neville to save him a seat in both and that he would meet him as soon as he could. Neville nodded as he watched the enigma that was Harry Potter make his way out of the Great Hall.

After a brief pause to pick up his potions things, Harry stood outside McGonagall's office. He was sorely tempted to wait inside but thought that might be pushing his luck a little bit so he leant against the wall to await his Head of House. He didn't have to wait long as he spotted her marching towards him and beckoned him inside with a crook of the finger. He followed her inside and sat down in the offered chair.

"Explain." One word. That's all she said but it held a threat of so much more. He took a deep breath and began explaining a little of his home life, skipping the worst of it just giving her enough detail to make her understand. He explained Dudley and his gang's torments ending rather lamely with "and I was just kind of back with all of them when Ron attacked me and I sort of lost it. I only hit him twice but I guess it was a bit harder than I should have done."

Professor McGonagall was just sat there, lips held in a tight white line, hands quivering in fury. Harry recognising the danger signs started edging away, looking for an escape before she exploded, however he wasn't quick enough. "That bastard! I told him they were the worst kind of muggles but did he listen? Of course not, he never bloody does!" She visibly took a large breath to calm herself before continuing in a more normal tone "I'm sure that's only half the story as well, don't worry I don't want to know. To be honest I'd rather live in ignorance of how badly you were treated so that I don't go down there myself and curse them all into oblivion followed swiftly by Albus bloody Dumbledore."

Harry panicked at this "no don't do that. I am fully aware of all things he has done to me and is still doing but he is far too crafty and too powerful to attack in a front on manner."

"There's more?" McGonagall roared.

Harry winced and nodded. "Before I tell you I'm going to need your Witch's Oath to never reveal anything I tell you unless I give permission and that you will do nothing about it unless I say so. That means no charging off to curse Dumbles. I know this is a lot to ask but trust me it is necessary and having you attack him immediately in your anger will serve no purpose."

McGonagall looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, what had happened to the sweet, innocent boy she had first met two years ago? There was a hard edge to him now, one that commanded, no demanded respect. She couldn't believe she was doing it but before she had time to think it through clearly she was making an Oath very similar to the one Amelia Bones had made. In return Harry took out his wand and made his own Oath that everything he was about to say was true to the best of his knowledge. Ignoring her shocked look he then explained his summer so far particularly everything he had found out at Gringott's about the state of his health and Dumbledore's manipulations of his accounts. He showed his metamorphic abilities and explained his new mental faculties as well saying that in terms of theory he was easily up to fifth year. Finally he showed her his new electronics that he had modified. Having finished he leant back watching for his Professor's reaction.

There was none, she was sat in a stunned silence. She shook herself "so you are saying there was a bit of he-who-must-not-be-named in your scar? And that it was leeching off your core? As well as the most extensive set of blocks I have ever heard of? And Albus is the one who cast the blocks?" Harry had been nodding along to every question but the last.

"I have no proof it was him but honestly I can't think of anyone else who would have done it. It is possible that my parents would have bound my metamorphagus ability until I was older but the rest they would not have done. More to the point there was no mention of any form of bindings being placed on me in either of my parent's journals and believe me I have studied them extensively and damn near everything else was written about."

She couldn't deny that everything pointed towards this being an accurate assessment of events. She definitely understood now why he had asked for her Oath to not charge off and attack Albus, although at the moment she was far too shocked to do much of anything at the moment. "Ok Harry I think its best if you go to class now I need to digest everything you have told me before we decide what the best course of action to take is." He looked up surprised at this. "Yes that is correct I did say we. You have proven yourself a capable young man and after all it is your life we are talking about now get yourself off to History, although I doubt Cuthbert will have noticed your absence."

Harry grinned and left to go suffer through the rest of Binns' deathly boring lecture, luckily he had missed almost half of it so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He thought that the visit to McGonagall went quite well, in fact now he thought about it she hadn't even punished him for beating Ron to a pulp, she must have been too shocked by everything. He shrugged if she punished him fine, he deserved it for his slightly disproportionate response but he certainly wasn't going to remind her. She was also right when she said that Binns wouldn't have even noticed him not being there and so he walked in and casually sat down next to Neville, ignoring the death glares emanating from a newly healed Ron and Hermione. He leaned over to Neville and muttered "wake me up when this ends" and winked at him before putting his head down on his desk, promptly falling into a deep meditative state.

He was awoken by a tentative poke that could only have come from Neville, deciding to have a bit of fun he moaned "five more minutes" and was rewarded with some chuckling. "Alright fine I'm up honest." He couldn't help but be intrigued with how this next class would go. Of course, Snape would still hate him, hell had not frozen over, but he was now far more prepared and knew the next three years worth of the potions syllabus inside out as well as a great many little hints and tips he had picked up from his mother's journal. Hopefully this would give Snape far less ammunition to punish him, only time would tell.

The lesson began in customary fashion with Snape sweeping in before flicking his wand at the board where instructions for the potion appeared and Snape barked out "begin." However after this it all started to take a trip to the surreal, at least for Harry anyway. Snape was gliding around the dungeon on his normal route, taking points from Gryffindor's and giving them to Slytherin's when he reached Harry's cauldron. Due to the odd number of students in the class Harry had ended up working alone and so when Snape swept past he was expecting the worst but it never came, Snape merely nodded and continued. Harry was nonplussed, this had never happened before. He was so shaken he nearly forgot to take his cauldron off the fire at the appropriate time but luckily he had just enough wits about him to manage it. The lesson progressed and Harry felt he was doing well, his potion was the correct shade of pale blue, obviously his mother's tips were working well. It came to the end of the class and time for them to hand in their completed work in vials. Snape came round to collect them and uttered one word when he collected Harry's effort. One word that shattered Harry's current grip on reality. One simple word. "Good." He nearly dropped the vial in his shock. He packed up his things on auto pilot and walked mechanically to the Great Hall for lunch. It was midway through his second sandwich that he finally absorbed what had happened. Clearly everybody else in the class had been too busy concentrating on their own work to notice the terrifying events that had taken place at Harry's work station. Something needed to be done to correct this and so Harry went to the only place he could think of, McGonagall's office to see his Head of House for the second time in the day.

He knocked and heard a gruff "enter".

"Umm Professor McGonagall I think something is terribly wrong."

"What? What are you talking about Potter?"

Harry noted the return to Potter from Harry this morning. "Well its going to sound a bit odd but its Snape."

"Professor Snape."

"Yes well I'm not sure it is. I've just had potions and he didn't shout at me, he didn't take points and worst of all he actually complimented me. Now this may not sound like much to you but I would have happily laid all of my worldly possessions in a bet that the apocalypse would happen before Snape complimented me. And no before you say anything I am not exaggerating in the slightest, since I first met him he has belittled me, abused me, tormented and mocked me all because I look like my father. Today, nothing. Either it is not him and its an impostor or more worryingly he has had a complete personality transplant." Harry paused here, his mind in overdrive. "Or perhaps this is actually his personality and he has reverted, I don't know but something is definitely wrong. Please just come with me you will see what I mean."

"I know I'm going to regret this but alright lead on Potter."

"Thank you Professor you will see what I mean I promise." The journey to the dungeons was stilted and held in complete silence, neither party really knowing what to say. "Here we are watch this" Harry said as he walked into the office next to the dungeon that was Snape's. "Professor Snape sir I have a question?"

"Yes Potter what is it?" Snape's tone was mildly irritated but that was just his normal tone. Harry made a face at McGonagall as if to say 'see what I mean'.

"Well I was just wondering if anything happened to you over the summer, its just you seem different sir?"

"Not that I am aware of" he said sarcastically "but you on the other hand, you have obviously worked hard over the summer. You appear to be finally living up to your mother's ability that was a good potion you brewed today."

At this Harry nearly collapsed to the floor, he had been complimented twice by Snape, this was definitely not a dream. He muttered his Occlumency safe word in an attempt to reassure himself that his was really happening.

"Oh bloody hell I wonder if that's it? Time to find out if it really works I suppose. Yes I think it must be that, it would fit in with his manipulations. Now Professor Snape I'm fairly sure you can do Occlumency am I right?" Snape nodded confused but a little intrigued. "Right, good, you are the studious type so think very carefully did you create a mental backup with a safe word in case your memory was ever tampered with?"

Harry's only clue that he was on the right track was the widening of Snape's eyes before he muttered a word to himself too quietly for anyone else to hear. McGonagall looked utterly confused at the direction proceedings were taking.

"Oh Merlin what have I done?" Snape cried out before following Harry to the floor, curling up in a ball weeping.

"What the hell?" Harry looked to McGonagall for guidance but found nothing helpful coming from the older woman. "Sir? What is it sir?"

"Oh god Lily I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I didn't want to, he made me do it."

Always a man of action Harry bolted to the store, grabbed a calming draught and brought it back to Snape. "Here Sir drink this, its just a calming draught." Snape didn't move so Harry poured it down his unresponsive throat. The change was immediate, his whole body relaxed and the weeping stilled to almost nothing.

"Thank you for that Harry I needed it although I'm sure you will wish you hadn't given it to me soon."

"Why is that then Sir?"

"Because I was the one that told the Dark Lord the prophecy. The prophecy that led him to attack you and kill the best friend I ever had." He sighed, lost in memories. "There's so much I need to tell you, to explain but first Minerva could you check to see if I have any spells on me to influence the way I feel about people, I now remember Albus putting some on me but not what they were."

McGonagall nodded and moved her wand in a complicated pattern before gasping "You have multiple spells on you tied to certain magical signatures including the largest loyalty charm I have ever seen, keyed to Albus. There is also a hatred charm with what seems to be Harry's magical signature." She frowned "but it isn't, not anymore. Mr Potter, somehow your magical signature has changed any ideas how this could have happened?"

Harry thought about it "I have two possible reasons or perhaps a combination of the two. Firstly the ritual at Gringott's that removed all the blocks and more importantly the leech from my scar. Secondly the events of the Chamber of Secrets at the end of last year. While I was down there I was first bitten by the Basilisk," both Professors gasped at this and McGonagall nearly had a heart attack when he showed her the scar, "this was then neutralised by Phoenix tears courtesy of Fawkes. Perhaps this combination of two immensely potent magical liquids entering my bloodstream had an effect? Tests would need to be done but that is of little importance at the moment."

"Agreed Mr Potter although I would very much like a sample of your blood for testing at some point." Snape appeared to be collecting himself more and more as the seconds ticked on.

Harry nodded his assent "now Professor, why don't you tell us your story?"

Snape took a deep intake of breath, visibly steeled himself and began. "There are so many things that nobody knows, so much that has been changed. How much do you know about the relationship I had with both of your parents Harry?"

"Well as I know it you were my mother's first magical friend, this lasted until a certain incident in fifth year where she stopped an overzealous prank from my father and you called her a mudblood. From there the relationship fell apart and as far as I'm aware was never repaired or renewed. In terms of my father you had an intense rivalry with him based almost entirely on jealousy on both sides and competition for my mother's affections. This spilt over onto the rest of the Marauders and lasted for the entire of your school life. As my father describes it, you were both very talented, much as it pained him to admit it, and you were one of the few that could actually give him a challenge in terms of duelling even if he didn't approve of some of the curses and hexes you would fire. Personally on this I marginally disagree with him, as far as I can see there is no light or dark, only intention matters. You can kill someone just as easily with a first year charm, Wingardium Leviosa, by dropping them out a window as you can with the killing curse, but that's beside the point really. Again as far as I know you had no contact with either of them after graduation. Is this about right?"

"There are accurate parts in that version of events. Indeed we did have a fierce rivalry that was based on mutual jealousy and the great friendship with your mother did indeed end with that shameful incident in fifth year. However where it changes from the generally accepted timeline is that I finally managed to apologise to your mother just before we graduated and we began to rebuild our friendship. Nobody knew about it because Lily wasn't sure how James would react so we told nobody. When your mother got engaged she wanted me to come to the wedding and so she told James, he insisted we meet to clear the air, all of us. Me, Lily and the Marauders. We met just before their wedding and it was a promising meeting, we had all matured greatly from our school days and I think there was a genuine chance we could have become friends, maybe even good friends in time. However this is when Dumbledore found out about our burgeoning friendship and began his cursed manipulations. The day before the wedding he cornered me and obliviated the meeting and all the progress we had made. It appears he must have also implanted some suggestions that caused me to commit my second most shameful mistake, I joined the Death Eaters." He rolled up his sleeve to show the tattoo, grimacing when he saw it. "Now that I have my correct memories back I know that I would never have joined, I'm a half-blood myself for Merlin's sake. I didn't go to the wedding and I would guess that His Royal Dumbleness must have obliviated your parents and the Marauders so they didn't recognise my absence. Next on my list of crimes is perhaps my greatest, there was a prophecy made. I am doubtful that it is a real one, it is far too convenient. Albus implanted it in my mind and made me take it to the Dark Lord, it talked about the one person who could defeat the Dark Lord. It read 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..' This is what made the Dark Lord attack your parents, to get to you. It's my fault they're dead." He broke down again here and started shuddering.

Harry didn't know what to do, he had very little experience of how to deal with anyone crying let alone his emotionless potions professor. So he did the only thing he could think of, he walked over to the sobbing man and hugged him. Snape stiffened at first before he began clinging onto Harry as if he was a tree branch in a maelstrom, the only thing that could keep him afloat.

"It's ok Sir, I don't blame you. Had you tried to tell me any of this last year I would never have believed you but I have seen Dumble's manipulations for myself now. I did think that nothing more would surprise me when it came to what he was willing to do to suit his own ends but it seems I was wrong."