Harry looked around worried as all the students looked at him shocked. No one clapped for him like they had for all the others. Even the teachers were looking at him in surprise. He groaned wondering if this had all been a huge mistake. Part of him even wanted to ask for a do over.

However he smiled as the blonde boy from the clothing shop started clapping. Harry went over and sat next too him, "See?" The blonde smiled, "I knew you were the right sort. I don't think we were ever properly introduced, Draco Malfoy,"

"Harry Potter," Harry shyly smiled.

"No kidding," Draco grinned slyly.

"Think John and Jack will be in our house?" Harry verbalized his hope.

"With how much of Slytherin fanatics they are? Undoubtedly,"

"John Smith Lethbridge-Stewart," McGonagall called and John cheerfully skipped to the stool. He waved over to Harry and Draco well wearing this big goofy grin.

The hat barely touched his head before it started... crying. No screaming, down right shrieking in despair. Professor McGonagall ripped the hat away. The hat started panting for a few moments. The entire school had grown deathly quiet as they stared at the Doctor in... fear. A pin drop could be heard as well as the hat's quiet whisper of "Slytherin,"

The Doctor rolled his eyes as if he expected all of this as he came in sat down by Harry and Draco. No one clapped for him either, not even Draco or Harry.

When John took his seat Draco demanded, "What the bloody hell was that about!?"

John shrugged, still wearing a goofy grin, "I've lived an interesting life,"

The sorting slowly returned to normal, although you could feel it in the room that all the children were still freaked out by what happened with John.

When Jack got to the stool the hat sat on his head pondering for a good ten minutes before yelling, "Slytherin!"

Jack pouted and took his seat, getting many claps, "That's not fair!" he whined, "How come the hat screamed for you and not me! You'd think with all the shit that's happened to me I'm worthy of a scream. At the very least a whimper,"

The Doctor patted his back comfortingly.

Draco shook his head, "You guys are weird,"

John smiled, "Just means we aren't boring, eh Doctor," Jack prodded the mini Doc with his elbow.

"Doctor?" Harry blinked.

""It's just a nickname," Jack shrugged.

The Doctor glared, "I'll remind you I have PHDs in everything... outside medicine but I do qualify as a field medic,"

Harry was gaping, "Are you like some kind of boy genius?"

The Doctor dismissed, "I don't like the term 'genius'. I'm clever and let's leave it at that,"

Severus Snape's mouth was dry as he stared at the Potter Spawn. Potter was in his house. Harry bloody Potter was in his house. The very idea was something that would have cut his school yard rival to the bone.

The boy was talking to the de-aged boys and... Draco. He seemed to actually be getting along with Draco.

One of the de-aged boys began shameless flirting with the other. Snape would have to keep an eye on them to make sure they didn't get up to any adult themed mischief. At least they weren't flirting with the other children. That was always a morally gray area. They were legally kids so they couldn't have romantic encounters with adults but many parents felt put out at the idea of their child dating one.

Snape sighed. It wasn't common but there had been a few times since he came to work here that a de-aged child came to Hogwarts and he always tried to treat them like all the other students. They might have the memories of their adult lives but they really did have the emotional awareness of young children. That contradiction often got them in trouble at school as they tended to act out more.

Snape growled as he spotted the Potter Spawn begin rubbing his blasted scar just to beg for attention.

The other de-aged boy fell for it and pulled out what appeared to be a techno magic wand, apparently modeled after Merlin's own. The boy pointed it at the Potter brat, looking all concerned as he ran a medical scan over the boys antics.

Snape just rolled his eyes at that... until the boy got a horrified look on his face and grabbed Potter. The two suddenly disappeared in a pop.

The entire hall looked at where the sound came from well Dumbledore immediately got up and raced out of the hall. Snape and McGonagall followed him as the other teachers were ordered to look after the remaining children.

Was this de-aging thing some kind of misdirection to get to Potter?

The second they stepped out of the great hall a portrait called to Dumbledore.

"Headmaster!" yelled the portrait, "Young Lethbridge-Stewart needs you in the hospital wing,"

"Hospital Wing?" Dumbledore sighed with relief. Harry hadn't been kidnapped, "Do you know what concerns he has over Young Harry?"

"He said he discovered something called a... Horcrux?"

"Horcrux?" Harry asked as John ran around the hospital wing, getting various medical equipment. It was all so primitive and the magical healer was currently in the great hall. She probably would only be getting in the way anyhow.

"It's a sliver of a person's soul, extremely dark magic. It was a failed experiment to create immortality back in Ancient Egypt," John explained, "You cut off a piece of your soul, stick it in something, then when someone finds that something it slowly devours them until it destroys the other person's soul and uses that energy to create hollow body for the Wraith of the Horcrux's owner can entered. It was originally used to preserve the lives of their god kings but the practice was disbanded as not only does it require several people die in your place but each time you make a Horcrux you lose a little bit of your sanity. No use extending your lifespan if it drives you crazy,"

"A-and I got one of those in my head?" Harry turned green, "How?"

The Doctor shrugged, "If I had to guess I'd say Voldemort himself turned you into one. I can't imagine why he'd do that to a person instead of an object. Your soul fights against the sliver like an infection. Hence the headache," He refrained from saying 'when Voldemort is near' as to not frighten the child more. The Doctor only had a vague understanding of this time period. He knew Voldemort was here but not where he was hiding.

"You know an awful lot Mr Lethbridge-Stewart," Said Dumbledore as he walked into the room.

John shrugged, "Comes from working for Unit. I've only ever read about Horcruxes as only an idiot would actually try to make one. Most who seek immortality just convince a vampire to turn them. The smart ones will combine that with spells to turn themselves into a lich. That way they have a Vampire's eternal youth and beauty combined with true immortality... it's the safest way," The boy was rambling as he continued to gather supplies, not noticing how disturbed the adults looked at what the boy just proposed, "Do you have any Basilisk venom?" he pulled out a small cauldron from seemingly out of no where.

Snape stopped him, "Although I appreciate your enthusiasm, just give me the recipe and I'll brew it myself. I am, after all, a Potions Master,"

John blinked, looking the man up and down, "Aren't you a little young to have a Mastery in anything,"

Snape slowly smiled, "I'm the youngest since Merlin. I assure you, I can handle it,"

Dumbledore butted in. Snape didn't fully understand what a Horcrux was, he never even heard the word before today, "You... you know of a potion to remove it,"

The Doctor waved off, "UNIT has a lot of old tomes of ancient magics. Their library is quite extensive. Actually I..." The Doctor stopped and looked at Dumbledore, anger slowing creeped over him, "You knew," he accused.

Dumbledore smiled helplessly, "I tried removing it myself but-"

"Why didn't you contact UNIT!?" The Doctor glared.

"Lethbridge-Stewart," Snape spoke with a warning edge to his voice, "Do not speak to the Headmaster that way,"

Dumbledore sighed, "Young man, how exactly could I have known UNIT has cures to old magic curses when not even Hogwarts nor the ministry's extensive libraries have anything on it,"

The Doctor glared, "You still should have tried,"

"And have them drag a baby into a lab and start cutting on him?"

The Doctor flinched, "UNIT isn't like that. There is a difference between us and Torchwood,"

Torchwood was the boogeyman of the magical world. People like that were the reason all magical life had gone into hiding. UNIT actually did it's best to keep Torchwood and similar organizations away from magic but some of the older wizards weren't convinced they were actually the good guys. As such the Doctor wasn't too surprised to see the Headmaster didn't seem to believe him.

The Doctor sighed, staying quiet for a few moments before moving back to what is important, "There is a potion that was used to destroy the Horcrux well preserving the object it was sealed in. It was made in order to restore the sanity of the Horcrux's creator after they realized what it was doing. The slither of soul returns to the owner and gives them back a little of their mind. I would suggest running simulations first as I don't believe it was ever used on a living being. Like I said, only an idiot would put it in a living creature as it won't work right nor last longer then a single lifetime,"

The Doctor got out a pen and paper from his robes and started writing well explaining, "The potion isn't that hard to make but it requires a lot of expensive ingredients; Basilisk venom and powdered Unicorn horn are the primary ingredients along with dragon blood, pixie wings-"

"Just write it down," Snape insisted, "Don't forget the stirring method and measurements for the ingredients,"

"Got it," The Doctor nodded, as he scribbled it down. He only stayed quiet a moment as he always had been a chatty thing, "he's supposed to bath in it, not drink it," as Snape nodded the boy lingered for a bit. "There are... a few other things I discovered from my scan,"

"Such as?" Dumbledore encouraged.

"Well..." he looked at Harry before looking back at Dumbledore, "I discovered evidence of abuse,"

"T-that's not true!" Harry yelled, clear panic in his voice.

Dumbledore looked worried, "May I see your wand,"

The Doctor fidgeted a bit. He had always been overly attached to his sonic screwdriver and with how Wizards clung to their wands that was actually something they should understand.

"I assure you, you'll get it right back my boy," Dumbledore promised, "I just need to look over the results of your scan for myself,"

The Doctor sighed and reluctantly handed it over.

Dumbledore looked at the Techno magic wand for a moment and held it to his ear. Turning it on he got the mental list of all the scan recorded. His eyes went wide with shock before slowly narrowing in anger.

Handing the wand back to the boy Dumbledore informed, "I'll work on having him removed immediately,"

Harry looked shocked, and a tiny bit hopeful, at that. The boy squirmed as he caught Snape staring at him.

Snape ordered, "Return to the feast,"

The Doctor opened his mouth but Snape cut him off, "We have none of the ingredients you mentioned on stock. I'll get them first thing in the morning but for now return to the feast,"

"That boy can apprate through the school wards," Snape forced the Headmaster to focus on things beyond Potter once they were in the privacy of the old sage's office. Snape was trying to get him to see the true issue here, "Do you realize how much raw power that requires? Not even you can do it,"

Albus didn't seem to be listening.

"That wand of his seems custom made as well, likely something he got at UNIT," Snape went on but the old sage still didn't answer, "I can also find no records of his previous years at Hogwarts. It's likely UNIT got him young and trained him themselves," still nothing, "Albus you saw the way the hat reacted to him. Not even the Dark Lord got it to so much as flinch but whatever it saw in that boy's mind truly frightened it,"

"... they beat him," Albus whispered.

Snape growled, "Yes Albus the Potter Spawn didn't grow up as the spoiled brat you wanted him to be but-" Snape was silence by the Headmaster's sheer aura of raw magical power as anger poured out of him in waves. Luckily the flared died down almost instantly.

Albus sighed, "Forgive me my friend. I don't mean to take it out on you. I know you've always been a rather blunt and tackless man but you don't mean anything by it," it was an insult with no real malice behind it. Just Dumbledore saying he was upset by Snape's choice of words.

"I'm used to people taking out their frustrations on me," Snape assured.

"Which makes it worse doesn't it," Albus sighed, "I realize John Smith is a threat for what he represents. Who knows what Unit did to him to make him so powerful nor how many others they've got their hands on... but he's in our care now. We have the opportunity to raise him right this time. Like first time children, those suffering from de-aging mishaps are highly susceptible to outside influences. They have the potential to completely change their personalities depending on who raises them and their experiences. We shouldn't condemn him just because he has the potential for wrong doings. That was the mistake I made with Tom after all. I have no intention of creating another Voldemort,"

Snape flinched at the Dark Lord's chosen name but went on, "You didn't create the Dark Lord,"

"I hounded him all his school days. Instead of helping him with his fears I shamed him for them, taught him the world was cruel and unsympathetic. That all he had was himself. I saw so much of Grindlewald in him. I labeled him a monster and the child lived down to it. I never allowed him the chance to be anything else... even when he begged me for it. The boy wasn't even in my house and I went out of my way to dog him... Yes Severus, I created the Dark Lord. I will not create another,"

Snape groaned and tried to make the Headmaster understand, "John Smith is dangerous,"

"Then all the more reason to extend your hand to him. Someone as powerful as he is, who's mind frightens things that don't even have emotions. That's not someone you should fear. It's someone you should do all in your power to help,"

"So where'd you go?" Draco asked as The Doctor and Harry retook their seats. Harry looked unusually pale.

The Doctor shrugged and cheerfully said, "Just making arrangements to remove an unholy abomination from Harry's head," as he got himself some food.

"What?" Draco blinked.

Harry gulped, "D-Dumbledore asked us not to talk about it,"

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively, "As if that matters. Harry has a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head,"

"WHAT!?" Draco screamed, scooting away from Harry.

"Don't worry, as I said I'm having it removed but he likely has more scattered about," John took a bite of some turkey.

The whole Slytherin table was frozen. They were just staring at him. Frightened expressions on their faces... well most of them.

"Who's Voldemort?" one of the Slytherin first years asked.

"Don't say his name!" Draco roared.

the boy blinked, "Why not? Who is he?"

One of the older Slytherins muttered something about, "Damn Mudbloods," and the next that he knew Jack had jumped over the table and started pounding on him. It was interesting to see a child not quite 4 feet beating the crap out of a 17 year old. One of the Prefects tried to force Jack off but only managed to get pulled into the fight.

The Doctor ignored the scuffle. He was used to such things happening on a regular basis when Jack was around. The Doctor just sipped his pumpkin juice and explained to the boy, "He's an apparently immortal Dark Lord who lead the last great wizarding war. Killed a bunch of muggles and wizards well claiming wizard superiority and tried to enslave all mankind. Harry's mother was able to kill him with a powerful rune she placed on Harry's forehead,"

Harry touched his lightning bolt scar.

Draco exclaimed, "What makes you think his MOTHER killed the Dark Lord!?" taking offense at the very idea that a 'Mudblood' could accomplish such a feat.

The Doctor shrugged and told the truth well implying it was HIS truth to tell, "Lily Potter worked closely with Unit during the war. I never met her personally but her research was well known around the water cooler. She was looking for a defense against the Killing curse," He looked at Harry, "Looks like she succeeded. Too bad Unit never got the copy of her research they were promised, although I imagine Dumbledore knows how it was made," He knew about this stuff from a mixture of talking to people at Unit and his own psychic abilities.

All the Slytherins were gaping.

Draco gulped, "You're those de-aged guys from Unit," it had been in the paper after all, not like it was a secret.

Harry seemed lost but all the other Slytherins looked terrified. The Doctor just calmly eat his turkey. It was just as good as it was a thousand years ago.

Albus sipped his tea as he studied the tomes in his office with Snape. He had calmed down a bit, if only because he was forcing himself not to think about it.

Poppy wanted to do a formal scan of Harry in the morning that way she could record the history of abuse and send it to the ministry. The Care of Magical Children Department was a good deal more discreet then in the muggle world. It was actually a felony to leek reports of child abuse to the press.

There wasn't much the ministry could do expect arrest the Dursleys and prosecute them.

"Severus..." Dumbledore hesitated as Snape read through the books, "I'll accept if you don't want to honor your duties to Harry. You should not feel obligated to take the boy. There are others listed in Lily's will,"

Snape didn't reply at first as he continued to read. Unfortunately Albus knew how good he was at multitasking.

Eventually Snape said, "... Lily only named me Harry's next choice of Guardian because of some ridiculous blood ritual we did as children," Although Snape was often the victim of bullying during his school days because of his love of dark magic, he was hardly alone in that. Lily was the one frequently dabbling in things like blood magic which even Snape was hesitant to touch. One of her earliest experiments when they first came to Hogwarts was a blood brothers oath which mixed their DNA inside each other as if they were true biological siblings.

Lily wrote in her will that her greatest regret was how things ended between them and that she hoped trusting Harry to him showed that she never stopped loving Snape. She just couldn't in the way he loved her. To her they would always be blood brothers... it was more then Snape had expected... or deserved... and filled him with even greater regret over everything that happened.

Lily had forgiven him. Not only for what happened in school but for joining the Death Eaters. Even as a Death Eater she didn't hesitate to trust him with her child... if they had remained close after school she probably would have lectured him for even considering joining but that would have been the end of it... maybe she would have hit him upside the head with a book.

Snape couldn't help but smile at the life he could have had if he had just accepted Lily didn't love him like that. He could have been a treasured uncle to Harry... and succeeded in saving her from the Dark Lord... so many regrets.

"As I said, you should not feel obligated to take in Harry. I'm sure Lily will understand,"

"Albus your passive aggressive reverse psychology will not work on me,"

Albus sighed, "I'm not trying to manipulate you Severus. I sincerely mean that if you don't feel up to it don't take the child in. It would not go well for either of you,"

"Are you saying I COULDN'T raise a child?" Snape glared, "I look after an average of 80 of them throughout most of the year," he reminded

"And you do a great job but it's a good deal different then caring for your own child. That situation requires you to be more personal and affectionate then you are normally comfortable,"

"I can assure you I can handle looking after the boy," Snape glared before he realized the trap. Now Snape's pride refused to let him back down.

Albus smiled, "I'm glad you will try your best for him,"

Snape grunted, "Well I must be off to greet my Slytherins. Kindly find someone else to meddle with,"

"There's no one else worth meddling with," Albus smiled sincerely. He noticed Snape hesitate for a moment but forced himself to leave.

"Slytherin is a house of high standards," Snape informed his first year Slytherins in their dorm as they crawled into bed. He got them all ready after the feast and was now giving them his customary speech as if it was a bedtime story.

Snape himself would stay up a while longer with his older charges, checking their summer assignment and playing games with them. However 11 year olds needed their rest after such an exhausting day. They were undoubtedly overwhelmed by the experience the Headmaster made of their first night.

"You not only have to obey the school rules but the house rules. Bedtime for first years is strictly at 10 O'clock. That means your teeth must be brushed and your bums in bed at no later then 10. I do not want you wasting time by whining or dragging your feet, understand?"

He got a choir of, "Yes Sir," from his littlest Slytherins, including one from Harry Potter himself.

"Every Saturday morning I will be giving you and the rest of Slytherin house additional lessons in Defense and History as well as more mundane academia where the school finds itself lacking. I don't care if you find this beneath you. You will apply yourselves fully to these studies, understood?"

Another choir of, "Yes Sir,"

"Good. Now I will warn you now I do not believe in taking points. If you act up in class or in the halls you can rest assured I will blister your backsides. I will wait until we are in the privacy of our house as to not embarrass you in front of the other students but you will be punished, understood?"

"Y-yes sir," the choir was more worried and nervous now.

"The Slytherin prefects also have permission to punish you so you best listen to them. Don't worry about any of the other prefects or staff members taking out Anti-Slytherin prejudice on you as only Slytherin house has the right to discipline you in this manner. Others will just take points or assign detention however if this gets back to me, which it always will, I will handle the matter myself as well.

"Slytherin house is under a large amount of scrutiny so you need to hold yourselves to a higher standard. More importantly, you need to be a united front to withstand this adversity. Rule one demands you will always defend your housemates, even when you don't agree with them. You may chew each other out in private but the other houses must not perceive a weakness or they will make things difficult for all of you. It isn't fair but it's best you learn now that life isn't fair. I will not react well if I hear you break this rule and will property apply the cane to your backsides, understood?"

All the children gulped, "Yes Sir,"

"Jack," Snape looked over at the de-aged boy, "I am aware you got in a fight with older students. I am also aware of why. Next time kindly wait until you are in private before taking action and only result to violence if obsoletely necessary.

"A real Slytherin knows that it is not a matter of picking your battles, but timing them. And only a Gryffindor thinks the only way to get even with someone is by waving their wand, clear?"

Jack was smilingly devilishly, "Clear,"

Snape nodded, "You are to remain in groups of 3 or more at all times. It is dangerous to wander the halls alone as you're likely to find yourself the target of Gryffindors. Never start a fight but you have my permission to defend yourselves by any means short of permanent injury. Merlin help you if you start a fight or provoke one, understood?"

Another round of, "Yes Sir,"

"Good, now go to sleep, I don't want to hear any giggling or hushed whispers from here. You have all of tomorrow to get to know your housemates. Now is the time for sleep, goodnight,"

"Goodnight professor," all the children choired.

Snape gave on final nod before turning on his kneels and swishing his robes as marched out.

He pretended not to notice how rowdy the kids got the second the door closed. He mostly said that last bit out of obligation. It would be impossible for the children to contain themselves the first night. He'd come back in an hour and forced them to sleep.

"GREAT!" Jack groaned, "Our head of house is as strict as the Brigadier! I'm never going to sit again!"

The Doctor just snickered.