A/N: leggylover03, Anora, Kateri1, LunaLovegood61, Melwasul, HermioneGreen, ocpawnmaster1, Kee-Kee de uth Mondar, starangel2106, Beth , jennifer , Innocent Little Birdie, maria , ann , Nicoletta, borne-shadow-childe, spygirlfive, ILOVETOWRITE456, Jarvey, HaRrYrOxMuhSoX, ossini , Dragon Hunter1, Barbara Kennedy, Ophite68, NarnianPrincess, RandiWeasley, Unseen Watcher , Amber16, water drifter, (I hope I didn't forget anyone) thank you soooo much for the lovely reviews you sent , it gives me the motivation to write, even if I'm dead tired ! You're the best !

I'm flying without a beta here so... forgive me, and more importantly, don't kill me. ;-)

Enjoy !


What am I

Chapter 3

Harry Potter was feeling ill at ease, sitting beside his most hated professor, while a piercing blue gaze was boring into his mind. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry was calm and collected. Or so it would seem to any 'normal' observant. However, Harry had known Dumbledore for quite a while, and was able to tell from the tension in the old man's hands that he was truly furious. And Harry also knew that this anger was directed toward him, even though the Headmaster was trying as hard as is humanly possible to keep his rage suppressed.

"Harry, it's good to see you again. Lemon drops?" He was smiling benevolently, nothing in his voice betraying his true emotions. Harry slowly shook his head, unsure of how to react. Snape was very, very silent. In fact, he was so still that Harry could have believed the potion master was actually part of the chair. As for the tension, well, let's say it was made of concrete.

"Is there something you would like to say or ask, Harry ? Anything at all. I realize you did not appreciate being kept in the dark the previous years. Was that why you ran away?"

Harry snorted. That and a million of other things! If the old coot believed that Harry would burst into tears and start calling him 'Grandpa', he was very much mistaken. Dumbledore seemed to be waiting for more than a snort, but Harry kept his lips firmly sealed. 'The veritaserum must have worn off', he thought. The headmaster exhaled a sigh of frustration when suddenly, Harry spoke.

"As a matter of fact, I do have a question." Harry stopped himself from adding 'Headmaster' and went on, "Who's my father ? I think you owe me that much after having lied to me about my true identity for all those years."

Dumbledore winced at those words but seemed strangely relieved at the same time. Trust the old coot to have other secrets, bigger than the one about Harry's true parentage. Dumbledore furrowed his brows, carefully preparing his answer.

"I'm not sure Harry, but we could effectuate a paternos test, if this is what you want. I guess you gathered you were not James' son when the changes occurred?"

Harry nodded curtly, though he was wondering if the Headmaster was trying to buy some time with his 'I'm not sure' or if he really didn't know. However, he noticed that Dumbledore's choice of words implied that he already had a vague idea, even though the tone of his voice clearly indicated that he was not ready to share it with Snape and Harry just yet.

"I want to do that test." No 'please', no 'sir', the Headmaster didn't deserve his respect. Harry mentally cheered and patted himself on the back.

"Severus?" said Dumbledore, pulling Snape out of his torpor. The potion master sent a disgusted look at Harry and gave a long deliberate sigh. "It will take some time to brew. Five days at least, a week at most."

"Do it , please, Severus." The elderly man's tone was firm, probably intending to show harry that he would not delay things in the fool hope of keeping him in the dark as long as possible. Harry knew that Dumbledore needed his trust. Too bad, he would not blindly follow the man ever again.

"In the meantime, we will need to arrange your living at Snapes Manor. I'm afraid you cannot stay at Hogwarts, and Snapes Manor is at least as protected as this castle."

Harry impertinently shrugged . He understood that the headmaster didn't trust him, and lost in the middle of the student crowd, they would have trouble finding him, was he not to want to be found. However, Snapes Manor offered a protected environment, unfamiliar to Harry, thus giving the upper hand to the professor in any kind of situation.

"I do not approve of the brat living in my family's home, and you know that, Albus. However, I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter."

"Indeed Severus, you don't." Dumbledore let his eyes twinkle for good measure, obviously ignoring the low growling sound that the potion master was producing in the back of his throat. Instead of lightening the spirits, the exasperating twinkle only added to the tension, probably because both of the younger men were immune to the old man's trick. 'I must be getting old,' thought Dumbledore, irritated.

Harry didn't care about living at Snapes Manor, he couldn't go back to Gryffindor's tower anyway, not with his new appearance. Nor did he want to. Too many questions would be asked, and he really didn't want to face his old friends. Not out of cowardice, mind you, but the thing was he had buried them along with the rest of his past.

"This is settled then. Severus, I will teach your potion class for this week, this way you will be fully able to dedicate yourself to the paternos potion and your own researches."

Severus and Harry understood they were dismissed and walked toward the fireplace, carefully leaving a security distance between the two of them as if they were afraid to catch the other's disease.

"Don't kill each other!" The deceitfully cheerful voice of the Headmaster rang in their ears. Severus stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Harry did not.

"This is your room, you're allowed to do simple spells in this house so you can change the decoration to your liking. Dinner is at eight in the main dining-room. If you want to eat, I would advise you to be punctual."

Harry only nodded his head, observing his surroundings.

"Should you need something truly important, call the house-elf. Don't bother me unless it's an emergency. Don't harass my house-elf. Don't harass me either, for that matter. Don't disrupt the silence of this place by doing... whatever you usually do. There will be no wandering around. Don't send any owl without asking me first. If you're bored, read a book, I'm hoping even you are capable of doing such a thing... But maybe I'm overestimating you. And last but not least, stay inside the manor."

Snape left without giving the boy a chance to say anything, robes bellowing behind him ( probably out of habits ). Severus needed time to think. He sat in the comfortable armchair behind his desk and looked at the essays lying in front of him, not really seeing them. The boy had changed, and not only physically. His behavior was most intriguing. Severus had half expected the boy to throw himself in Albus' arms, crying and telling him Severus had been mean to him. But no, he had stood straight, had looked Dumbledore in the eyes and had answered only what he wished to answer.

No shy smile, just a neutral expression. No compromise, but a confrontation. No truth unwillingly revealed, only carefully calculated answers. Gone were the 'sir', 'please', 'thank you', the boy's respect for Dumbledore had been replaced by respect for his own person. Gone was the kind and nice Gryffindor boy. What remained, was an angry, insolent, untrusting, untrustworthy and secret teen, with the potential of becoming someone powerful. Someone quite powerful in fact, if given the proper training.

However, the boy hardly trusted anyone, and Severus didn't know whether Potter would be able to train himself alone. No, he would need a mentor, but would probably never trust anyone sufficiently to become an apprentice.

Another aspect of those changes, was that Severus didn't know how to handle THIS Potter. He would have to adapt his insults, he thought, smirking slightly. But he frowned, remembering how the boy had reacted when he had back-handed him. It was not what he had expected from the usually coddled and sheltered boy. Maybe his life on the street had toughened him more than Severus had thought. Yes, this was probably the source of his new personality. He must have learned to be self-sufficient and independent, he no longer needed anyone's protection. Or so he thought.

Unfortunately, as astounding as those changes might be, the boy was still insufferable, in a different kind of way. And he obviously didn't want to have anything to do with the world Severus represented. It amazed him that the supposed savior of the wizarding world had decided to live as a mere muggle. 'Maybe his incredibly large ego swelled so much that it exploded', thought Severus. Silly child. When he was told he was their savior, did he think it was all fame and no drawbacks?

'Still', he thought, 'he's got some nerves, after all the magical world has done for him, leaving without sending a 'thank-you' note...' Snape was upset. Potter may not look like a Potter anymore, but he was still an ungrateful brat.

Harry stepped into the main dining-room at one to eight. Snape was already seated and paid him no attention. Feeling like a fool, standing in the middle of the room, Harry didn't wait for Snape to invite him and took a seat as far away from Snape as possible... which ended up being pretty far given that the table was at least fifteen feet long. Just as Harry sat, food appeared on his plate. Snape was still paying him no heed so he tucked in, not looking at the potion master who was absentmindedly picking at his food, all the while re-reading some notes he had obviously written earlier on some messy parchment. Harry ate slowly, detailing carefully the room. Since he was going to live there for some time, he might as well learn as much as he could about this place. The less he knew, the more vulnerable he was.

Harry ate half his plate and stood up to leave, but Snape's voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Harry turned around and nodded. "You're skinny," said Snape, "eat more."

Harry was shocked to see Snape showing concern about his health, but was reassured that he had not switched realities when his teacher added, "I don't want to be blamed for your lack of survival instincts, Potter . You'd better eat unless you want me to force-feed you."

Harry shrugged. "You're rather skinny yourself," he retorted. Snape rose and walked menacingly toward him until he was standing right in front of Harry.

"You will NOT speak to me like this," he enounced slowly, "you will refer to me as 'sir' or 'professor', you will hold your tongue you insolent brat, and last but not least, you'll do as I tell you! NOW EAT, BOY !"

Harry didn't back off when Snape took another step, leaving barely ten centimeters between them. Slowly, Harry quirked an eyebrow and asked, a smirk on his lips, "Or what, Sir? Will you beat me to a bloody pulp if I don't? Will you lock me in a cupboard without giving me any food for a whole week, Sir ?"

"Don't give me ideas !" Snape's voice was a low growl, and his body started shaking ever so lightly from barely suppressed anger. Harry recognized he was walking a fine line and chose to calm things down.

Slowly, he walked back to his seat, sent a meaningful look at Snape swallowed a few mouthfuls and then pushed his food randomly around his plate, pretending he was just taking his time. Snape sent him a sour look and left, his black robes bellowing dramatically behind him. Harry wondered how he could have once found this impressing. Now he found it just plain ridiculous.

A/N: So... what do you think ? Tell me please ! :-)