Thank you to CrazycheeseCake (My 500th reviewer!), Teigra, solar, litine, Old Fawkes, Kemenran, Ms. Padfoot, Barbara, Bob33, Nilboriel, Littletiger, SparkySparkles, arcee, Lady Lightning, Corgi, Fire'N'Ice, Kristine Thorne, ShortySC22, kitty25478, Ms. Issues, Swyrel, Innocent Dreamer, Lokia, Mikee, ryleeblack , angeL_1215, palanmenel, Them Girl, huldufolknr1, sela, Calani, Kyra, nooccar27, The Wolf of Were and Smilez for reviewing!

Also thank you to the wonderful person who emailed me about this story and my other one, you really made my day!

I didn't realize that that scene mentioned by angel_1215 with Severus and Dumbledore was similar to 'My Dad'. I in no way meant for it to be like that at all, and similarities are bound to happen. But I will try to make this one as different as I can, especially after this chapter. I already have a couple of nasty ideas up my sleeve. And for those who have no idea what I am talking about, it is 'My Dad' by Sever Us. A truly great story that a reviewer from this fic told me about. So if you haven't already read it, and you like this type of story line, then I suggest you go check it out!

A Different Life

Chapter 27 - Are You Lost?

Today was it, today was the day that Harry found out what house he was to be in. He felt excited and nervous at the same time. But looking around at the other 1st years, most of them looked scared out of their minds, even Ron looked scared and Harry had told him what to expect.

Harry fiddled with the chain around his neck. It was a gift from Remus for his eleventh birthday. It had once been his fathers. Harry had already grown attached to it.

Harry focused back to what Professor McGonagall was explaining. He found her speech extremely boring as he already knew everything she told them, but he remained polite and kept listening.

After what seemed like an eternity she finally stopped talking and led them in front of the whole school to be sorted.

"Hey Harry" Ron whispered a little while after the sorting had started.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we will be in the same house?"

"Course we will Ron" Harry reassured Ron, immediately seeing him relax more.

Harry turned his attention back to the sorting to see a boy with blonde hair take the hat off and walk in the direction of the Slytherin table.

Not long after his own name was called.

Harry walked over to the stool and sat on it. The last thing he saw before the hat was placed on his head and over his eyes was his father's reassuring smile from up at the head table.

'My, my, what a talented mind Mr Potter, you would do well in any house. You have plenty of courage and a cunning mind. No doubt you would fit better in with either Slytherin or Gryffindor, but where to place you?'

Harry was having trouble trying to decide which one he would rather go in, it was either go with Ron or go with his father. He had already decided before, well he had a pretty good idea, but now he was having doubts. He always thought the hat was the one to decide where he went.

'Ah, I see you already have your mind set on one.'

Harry couldn't agree less, he was more confused now then he was before.

'He will understand Mr. Potter'

Harry was left wondering what he meant as the hat yelled for all to hear "GRYFFINDOR!"

***

"Come on Ron, let's go see my dad"

"But what about the password?"

"I already know it, you go tell Percy, I'll go see if my dad is still around."

Ron nodded and ran off after Percy.

Once he caught up to him he spoke quickly. "Hey Perce, Harry and I are just going to see Professor Snape, but we know our way back and the password, so don't worry if we are a bit late okay." Ron ran off before his brother could say anything.

Ron found Harry, who shook his head, indicating his father had already left.

They made their way down out the door and only made it down two corridors before they saw someone, who looked oddly familiar to Harry, talking to a portrait that didn't look to be of any help to the person.

They walked over to the figure, who obviously had heard them coming as they turned around to face them.

"Hi, I'm Harry, and this is Ron."

The boy's eyes open wide, obviously recognizing Harry, most likely from his scar.

"Draco"

"Nice to meet you Draco, so why aren't you with the rest of your house?"

"I could ask you the same question"

"Ron and I are just heading down to see my dad."

"Oh" Draco answered, his eyebrow raised by what Harry had just said.

"What were you doing?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"I was walking back from sending an owl to my father if you must know; I didn't realize that was such a crime here!" Draco glared at him.

"It's not, Ron was just asking. Are you lost or something?"

"No I am not lost" the boy snapped.

Harry was unfazed by his tone, always hearing it in his father's voice

"Are you sure?"

"What makes you so damned sure that I am lost?"

"You're in Slytherin right?"

"Yes" the boy answered proudly. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"Well the Owlery isn't too far from the Slytherin common rooms, and you are all the way near the Great Hall, my guess is you took a few wrong turns to end up here."

Draco glared at them both.

"I can show you the way if you would like?"

"I think I can find my own way thanks." Draco growled.

Draco then headed down a corridor, only to be stopped by Harry's voice.

"Okay then, but you might want to go down this corridor." Draco turned to see Harry pointing down a different corridor to which he was currently walking down.

When Draco still hadn't moved Harry stepped closer towards him.

"Look, Ron and I are heading down this way anyway, so why not accompany us?"

Draco's shoulders slumped in defeat and he started walking with Harry and Ron, but he remained quiet.

After a few minutes of silence Harry decided to break it.

"So what do you think of Hogwarts?"

"It's a load of confusing corridors and it's too big to be able to find anything!" Draco said in a rush before he could stop himself, as soon as he did though a pink tinge went to his checks and he looked at the ground.

Harry laughed.

"I know what you mean, when I first came here I was 5, I ran off and got lost. I was looking for the front doors to get out, I ended up in the Owlery."

Ron laughed.

Harry was happy to see Draco had a small smile on his face as well.

"Yeah, I first came here when I was 6 or 7, and I lost Harry. I was so freaked out by the portraits. I have seen pictures that move and stuff, but it freaked me out when the portraits started talking to me. It didn't help that Peeves was teasing me and following me around, telling me to go down the wrong corridors." Ron said.

"Peeves?" Draco asked.

"A ghost, a really annoying ghost at that! Just remember not to take any notice of him if you see him."

Draco nodded. "What is Professor Snape like?"

"What do you mean?"

"As a teacher, is he nice?"

Ron started laughing at that and Harry had to elbow him in the ribs to shut him up.

"Oh, well you're in Slytherin so he will be nice to you."

Draco nodded again. "My father doesn't like him much."

"Most people don't."

"Why?"

"That my friend is a complicated question, and one we do not have time to answer if we were planning on getting any sleep tonight."

"Yeah, I mean he is really scary most of the time-" Ron was cut off by Harry snorting.

"Hey, he is! Just because you seem to be immune to it because you are so used to it, doesn't mean he doesn't scare the rest of us. Anyway, he can be really scary, but underneath he is a pretty decent guy."

"Thank you Mr. Weasley for your kind words." Severus said sarcastically, making them all jump.

Ron and Draco had their hands over their hearts and Harry just smiled at his father once they realized who it was that had spoke,

"Now may I ask why you are all out of bed? It is only your first day; you don't want to start out of negative points now do you?"

"Sorry Professor" Harry said, remembering that now school had started that he had to call him that, unless they were alone. "Ron and I were coming down to talk to you and we found Draco lost so we were showing him the way to the Slytherin common rooms."

"Very well, I will accompany you all."

As they started walking Harry continued to talk.

"We were just telling Draco about our first times in this castle."

"Yes. I believe in both I was the one that spent a good few hours searching for you both."

Ron and Harry smiled guilty.

"What about you professor?" Ron asked.

"What about me?"

"Did you ever get lost when you first came here?"

Severus glared darkly at Ron, who had asked the question.

Harry laughed. "So you did. Now you can't keep using the fact that we got lost against us!"

"Perhaps... But I'm sure I could still use the time that you-"

Harry quickly cut him off, knowing what he was about to say already.

"We're here."

They all looked to see they had reached a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.

Severus said the password and a stone door concealed in the wall opened.

Severus walked Draco in to show him to his dorms.

"Bye Draco" Harry and Ron yelled just before they were out of sight, receiving a scowl from Severus for yelling when most people were in bed.

Draco nodded his head to them but that was all.

A few minutes later Severus came back out and lead Harry and Ron to his rooms.

Once they were all sitting down and warm, Harry began to talk.

"So what do you think about me in Gryffindor?"

"I think that maybe I should let up a bit on Gryffindor in class now."

"Why? Cause we will now be in your class?"

"No, because with you both always getting into so much mischief, I think you will probably lose enough points for Gryffindor without my help."

Both Ron and Harry pretended to look shocked and hurt by what Severus said but the devious smiles on their faces gave them away.

Severus shook his head at them both, but he still smiled.

"I must admit that I never thought you would be helping Draco Malfoy out."

Harry's mouth dropped open.

"Are you alright Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harry replied a bit distractedly.

"Malfoy? As in Lucius Malfoy?" Ron asked, Harry had told him about what Lucius Malfoy had done.

Severus nodded. "Draco is Lucius' son"

"I thought he looked familiar." Harry said, thinking back to when he first saw him talking to the portrait.

"You didn't know?" Severus asked

"I didn't catch his name at the sorting."

"Yes, I did look at you both to see if either of you were going to have any reaction to the name, but I of course saw you both chatting away, just like a bunch of gossiping school girls." Severus said shaking his head at the thought.

Harry ignored his father's over exaggeration of him and Ron talking, but Ron was looking quite outraged by it.

"Well that is certainly an insight to him, now knowing what his father is like." Harry finally answered.

"Harry, you shouldn't judge him based on what his father is like. Take a look at my father, I like to think I turned out better then he did... Well eventually I did." Severus said, thinking back to his Death Eater days.

"Well I never thought of it like that, I guess you're right."

"Course I am, now while you are here there is another thing I wanted to discuss with you."

"Yes"

"How would you feel about taking advanced Potion lessons with me?"

"Advanced Potion lessons!" Harry gasped

"Yes, you are definitely capable of it and you already know all the first years' potions, plus most likely the second and third years."

"So I wouldn't have to go to potions then if I did it?" Harry asked a bit hesitantly.

"That would be the idea."

"So where would I go in that time, because we wouldn't be able to have our lesson then since you would be teaching."

"Well if we had this Advanced potion session, it would be at night time, so theoretically you would spend that time catching up on work you couldn't do before, either in the library or your common room."

"How often a week would we have to do it?"

"Two or three, I haven't decided yet."

"Would I get homework?"

"Sometimes, yes"

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I guess..."

"Wait, so you're just going to leave me alone to face your dad in class!" Ron said dreadfully.

Harry smiled and Severus mock glared at Ron.

"Sorry Ron, but I can give you all the answers for your homework to make it up to you."

Ron laughed at Harry and Severus tried to cuff him on the back of the head, but Harry was too fast and ducked.

"Well we better go, it's getting late."

"Yes, if you need anything, my rooms are always open."

"Really... Does that include your potion ingredients as well?"

Severus made a grab at Harry's arm but Harry and Ron were already gone.