SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1What if......

                Harry stared around him. They were in the entrance hall, and the large ceilings with paintings on them, were mesmerizing for Harry.  Snape quickly poked him in the back.

            'Get moving boy!'

            Harry blushed and started walking with Snape.  He was soon going up a moving staircase, and then in an office where he saw an extremely old man behind a desk. Harry was more concerned with the moving pictures behind the man, than with the man. They were talking to one another, and pointing at his forehead. Harry was very conscious of his forehead. For as long as he could remember he had had a lightning bolt shaped scar there, and for as long as he could remember the Dursley's wouldn't tell him why he had it.

            The man started to talk. 'Hello Harry. My name is Albus Doumbledore. I am headmaster here at Hogwarts. And may I be the first to say welcome, as I'm sure Severus has not.'

            'Hello,' was all that Harry could manage.

            'If you don't mind Harry, I would like to talk with Prof. Snape alone for a few minuets. Please go sit in one of the chairs right through that door.' Doumbledore said, pointing to a door Harry hadn't noticed before.

            Harry walked through the door and was suddenly in a room with around a thousand chairs, each one different. He chose a comfy looking one that was near the door, and sat down.

*****

            'Why did you bring the boy here already, Severus?' Doumbledore said as soon as Harry had closed the door.

            'I thought that was what you wanted. His family sure as hell didn't want him back, so I figured we could chain him up somewhere until the term starts.'

            'And I'm sure you would know the perfect place to put him for a month where we would never see him.' Doumbledore said, looking at Snape over his half-moon shaped glasses.

            'I did have a place in mind. But let's not talk about the boy. It's such a depressing subject. I have brought you the item you requested.' Snape said, reaching into his robes, in the area of his crotch, and removing the grubby package. (((A/N: No, you sickos, the Philosophers stone, not HIS package!)))

            'Thank you, Severus. Now I can keep this safe. But we must talk about the boy.' Doumbledore says as he takes Severus's package from him. 'We will have to give him a room, and he will eat with the other professors until term starts. Then he can join the other first years when they enter the building.'

            'Fine, if we have to.' Snape pouted like a baby.

            'Yes, Severus, we do. He will have a room near this office, and will be able to roam the grounds and castle as he pleases. Then when the first day of term comes he will join his fellow classmates at the station, and will ride with them to the castle.  From there he will be sorted like any other first year, just as nervous, because no one will even hint to him as to what is coming.'

            'Fine,' Snape said, still pouting in a way that made his lips look even more luscious to this author.

*****

            Harry was summoned back into the room and told of where he was going to be kept until term, what he could do, when meals were, and given a map of Hogwarts. He was also told, by Prof. Snape, to stay out of the way of Prof. McGonnagal, because she was very strict and didn't like children. Harry made sure to note this, and avoid her at all costs.

            When Prof. Snape led him to his rooms, he was amazed by the whole school. He walked around with his mouth hanging open, and always was asking such things as 'why...?' and 'how...?' Eventually Prof. Snape felt he needed to put a stop to this nonsense, for the boys' own safety.

            'Everything that causes you to wonder 'how' or 'why' has one simple answer. That answer is magic. So stop talking!' Snape snapped. (A/N: Hehehe.)

            Harry stopped asking questions, but they were still popping into his head. He felt like it was going to explode.

            Snape finally stopped walking and pointed at a door. 'That's your room. You have the map of the school, so just go to the great hall for meals, and amuse yourself for the rest of the summer in some no-destructive way.'

            Snape turned and walked away. Harry stared at the door, then grabbed the handle and turned.

            It was locked.

            'Professor Snape!' Harry yelled down the hall. 'I need some help!'

*****

            The days passed by. Harry would walk around the grounds, avoiding the hairy giant that seemed to want to meet him, avoiding another scary person, Prof. McGonnagal, and going to the meals where he heard what seemed like conversations about nonsense.

            Snape spent his days writing up lesson plans, and skinny dipping in the lake late at night. The giant octopus would join him sometimes, and even rarer was McGonagall coming down from time to time to join him.

            Eventually the day of term starting came. Harry was taken by Prof. Doumbledore to the train station, and he sat down and waited.

            The train pulled up, and Harry saw many faces looking out the windows of the scarlet train. They began to disembark, and soon the platform was utter chaos. Harry felt someone grab his arm, and a loud voice, and was soon in a little boat. Next to him sat the boy that he had met in the robes shop.

            'Hello.' Said Harry.

            'Hello. I saw you on the platform there, and thought you might miss the boats, so I had Goyle grab you,' said the boy. 'Bye the way, I don't think we were ever properly introduced. I'm Draco Malfoy.'

            'I'm Harry Potter. You mentioned something about a Goyle grabbing me. I-'

            'You're Harry Potter?'

            'Yes, I am. About this Goyle-'

            'Really. That's interesting. Do you play Quidditch? Oh, I know you do, but what position?'

            'Um...all of them...?' Harry was extremely confused, but wanted this boy to like him, because it seemed like all the other first years, except for two bulky ones, were avoiding looking at Harry, and this boy was still talking to him.

            'Well, who doesn't, but what one are you best at?'

            Right then they turned around a corner, and Harry could see the castle. He had never seen it like this before, and was mesmerized by it, as was the boy next to him.

            They went the rest of the way in silence, so Harry was saved any more embarrassing questions. They walked into the castle, and were went into a room. Harry looked around him. He had never been in this room before, but he hadn't been in a lot of rooms, so this was no surprise to him. What was surprising was when some of the house ghosts floated through the walls.  Harry was one of the few who did not jump.

            The ghosts soon left, and a few minuets later they were herded into the great hall.

A/N:

Thanks to everyone. Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. It happens sometimes.

Prophetess of Hearts: I had three versions because I wasn't sure which way was best to upload. I have figured it out and the other ones are now gone.

Skye Dragon: I'm not a new author. I just got a new sn and uploaded my story. I was still working on my new sn, and getting this stories format right and still hadn't gotten around to making it so anyone can review. Thanks for the hints anyway!

MartianHouseCat: Love the name. I hope you like this chapter. The first version was a .doc, how did you know? J/K!