OK Ppl! Sorry for the hiatus but I had to go away for a couple of weeks, not to mention getting some inspiration....gah!

The first part of this chapter is done in Snape's view so bear with me, the chapter is mostly hear to get the plot moving, so it might be a little boring. A apologize before hand.

Disclaimer: Yadda Yadda Ya...

The Search for Harry Begins...

Severus Snape entered the leaky cauldron just as a black cab with tinted windows rolled away. The dark pub was barely illuminated by candles long in need of replacement, Snape glared around for the innkeeper, who at present was spooning his whiskey bottle in the far corner, snoring loudly. Snape stifled a growl of impatience and strode over to Tom and with a masterful look about him, slapped him upside the head, quite hard. Tom jolted awake, spluttering "What was tha' fer? Bloody hell yeh' bleedin' bastar- oh Professer Snape, didn't see you there" Tom looked up at him sheepishly.

Snape sighed, "Is he here?"

Tom blanched, "Who?"

Snape twitched, "Harry Potter" he ground out with clenched teeth.

"Oh, 'im...nah 'aven't seen 'im" He drawled.

"If you don't mind then I'll go and check the inhabitants upstairs." He told Tom, who had spied a piece of parchment on the table. "Oh, he's left early then, 'as he?" He mumbled to himself.

"Who left early?" Snape Demanded.

"Oh, er...Misser Andrews, 'is name was, rather short fellow, couldn't see his face, kept talking in this funny whispery voice, I reckon 'e had a cold..." Tom trailed off and picked up the coins on table, bit into a galleon, and, satisfied it was real, put it into his pocket.

Snape tried very hard not to seriously injure Tom when he slammed him into the wall. Tom's whiskey bottle fell to the floor and smashed, sending pieces of glass skidding over the floor to the rather surprised patrons in the room.

"You." He ground out. "Have just made the biggest mistake of your life."

Snape dropped him onto the bench, and stalked upstairs. Tom spluttered indignantly at the man's retreating back, and the Hag Lady cackled.

The door to the third room on the left burst open as Snape stormed through little room. A rumpled bed and some crumpled pieces of parchment were the only signs that someone had stayed there. Snape ignored all of this and stood in front of the mirror by the desk.

"Show me the last person in this room." He demanded in his best Quiet-but-extremely-frightening-voice-that-is-also-sexy-as-hell...voice.

The mirror wasn't affected. "Sorry Dearie, you know we can't show any one our reflection, it's mighty illegal." The mirror fell silent at the look on Snape's face.

"Er...well, I suppose it couldn't hurt" The Mirror's glass surface misted for a moment and Snape's pale reflection was replaced with Potter's as he wrote something backwards on some parchment. Harry looked up for a moment and sent a rather nasty glare at the mirror before continuing his writing. The reflection misted once again and Snape's face reappeared glaring into the mirror.

"That's all I'm showing you" The mirror said haughtily. "Not that I care much, he was a rude little boy with no manners!"

"No kidding." Said Snape as he picked up the rumpled parchment on the floor. He smooth it out on the desk and began reading.

List of things to get.

Money (Gringotts to exchange into muggle money).

Hair dye

Flat, preferably in London.

Contacts. Colored

A bigger cauldron

Potion ingredients

Muggle clothes

Trainers

Candy

Some books on curses and defense

Magic wards

Snape folded the parchment and tucked into his robes. Striding over to the door he had one thought one his mind, Albus was going to kill him.

Harry looked out at the muggle flats that were passing him as the cabby slowed down and turned into a busy looking street with apartments on one side, and pubs and shops on the other. Coller Alley was a clean swept place with several muggle children playing kickball in the street, which made Gary lean his head out the window and scream for the "mouthy ickle vermin" to get the fuck out of the bleedin' way. Harry had a feeling that Gary wasn't very much used to children. 'Then again', he reflected as a freckled boy with curly blond hair grinned cheerily and flipped Gary a rather rude hand signal 'They didn't seem to mind'. Gary stoped infront of a pleasant looking complex, got out, and opened the door for Harry.

"It's quite a nice place, If yeh' don't mind the little beasts they call children" Gary grumbled sourly as he bent to retrieve Harry's belongings. Harry nodded mutely and followed Gary up the stairs and into the building (whose name in peeling letters was called the Hideaway), down the hall, and in front of Flat 23.

"Well, there yeh' go sonny" Gary smiled

Harry smiled back at him. "Hey Gary? Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot kiddo."

"Well, I was just wondering why, well..."Harry trailed off uncertainly.

"Why a goblin such as myself is a muggle cabby?" Gary chuckled and handed Harry his business card, "Because I love it, and that's always worth the trouble." Gary shook Harry's hand, deposited his things by the door and strolled down the hall whistling some cheerful tune. Harry watched him leave and smiled. He turned to the door in front of him and took a deep breath 'I can do this.' He put the key in the lock 'I'll just buy some cat repellent' He slowly open the door and walked into a spacious apartment that was brightly lit with no sign of cats.

The flat was on an open floor plan where the living, dining and entrance room were really just put together in one huge room, that left it very, well... roomy. Harry spied the kitchen to his left, which was set off the living room. Stairs led upwards from the back of the kitchen, Harry figured the bedrooms were up there. He looked around the living room again and saw a large television and sound system, and a punching bag was hanging from the ceiling near the room's only window along with weights and boxing gloves strewn haphazardly around it. Harry figured this was as messy as the place got, everything had brand-new, spic-and-span look to it that reminded Harry fiercely of Aunt Petunia. Harry walked over to the window and looked out at Coller Alley, he was surprised that he could see the entire place from where he stood.

"A great view isn't it?" Came a voice from behind him. Harry whirled around to see a girl about twenty years old watching him with a smile that he would usually associate with the Wesley twins.

"Er...yes, it is...are you...?" Harry began.

"Dawn Miller at your service, I guess you're my new apprentice huh? I always thought you were taller. I suppose you'll want to settle in before we start, ne?" She grinned at him and shifted something on her shoulder that Harry could have sworn wasn't there two seconds ago.

"Is that a sword?" He asked, not clueing in at all to what she was saying.

He might be Voldemort's worst enemy, but he's still a male.

Dawn smiled "Yep, twelve century Samurai katana of the Namura clan, given to me in 1432, nice folks, a little blood thirsty though." She laid the weapon on the coffee table and sat on the couch, motioning for Harry to do the same. Harry took a seat in the easy chair across from Dawn and took a good look at his new roommate. Dawn had Blond hair that was in two braids wrapped in a scrunchie at the back of her skull, with eyes identical to Harry twinkling in amusement, and a lean body with a slightly pointed face. Suddenly something clicked. "1432? Your kidding, right?"

She smiled a little sadly "Unfortunately no, I'm quit old and not entirely human, though if you don't mind I'd like to keep my species and age to myself."

"Right. Sorry." Said Harry. "What do you mean Apprentice?"

Dawn laughed brightly and Harry was reminded of Fawkes' singing, which is strange.

"I was wondering when you clue into that, the real reason Matchtop set you up with me was that I need a student, and you a teacher, not to mention some freedom. Tea?"

Harry nodded silently and Dawn put her hands together, hummed a strange tune that sounded oddly like wind whistling through treetops, not an unpleasant sound by any means. A blue light grew between her fingers and she lowered her hands onto the coffee table next to her sword, and two cups appeared with tea in it.

Harry stared "Wandless magic" He breathed in awe.

She smiled "Not quite, your ministry can trace wandless magic the same as if you used that stick of yours, this is Aura magic, also called Mourrhathial'g in my native tongue.

"Aura Magic?" He asked doubtfully

Dawn shrugged "As you know there are different types of magic, some that don't consist of spells or wands or any risks to your mental health, the two most common types of magic are Vocal Magic (that's what you're taught at Hogwarts) and Potions. Aura magic is much like potions; really, it's like taking the energetic components around you and using them to create your own magic. Does that makes sense?"

Harry blinked. "Not really, but I'm sure I'll catch on...er...How come the Ministry of Magic can't trace it?

Dawn Grinned. "I like that. Your first question was a smart one. An Aura is the projected essence of a person, animal, or object. With a person it projects their emotions and state of being. Have you ever met a person –other than Voldemort- that makes your insides freeze whenever you're in the same room with them?"

"Yes" Harry said, thinking of Snape.

"Well, that's a particularly strong Aura, negative Emotions and maliciousness are the most easily recognized, though many Politicians I have met can cover it up fairly well. Why Aura magic can't be detected by the ministry, has everything to do with magical signatures." Dawn paused and sipped on some tea. "Do you mind mint? I could conjure you another."

"Er...no...its fine thank-you" He drank his tea, and was surprised to find that it tasted quite pleasant. "So, what is a magical signature?"

"There is a special room in the Ministry that records the birth of every magical child in the world. Most people call it the filing cabinet. A magical signature is how the Ministry traces a student who uses magic out of school or a criminal on the run. It's that little piece inside of you that makes you different from everyone else and easy to find. Unless you know how to mask it. Aura magic can't be detected because you're using the energy around you, rather than what's inside of you, It isn't connected to your soul or emotions."

Harry frowned, trying to understand "But how does that make it untraceable?"

"Think of it like this, if you were to put on a pair of glasses that shows everything magical in blue, and everything non-magical in red, Aura magic would be green, just like ghosts and poltergeists, werewolves and vampires. Because it's a mixture of both red and blue, it makes it very difficult for the blue to see, and impossible for the red. Get it?"

Harry nodded, feeling like he just spent an hour talking to Hermione. "Yes, I get it, and you're going to teach me this?"

Dawn smiled happily, "Yep, and how to use a sword too. Do you want me to show you your room?"

"Yes please!" said Harry, relieved that he could put his stuff somewhere and stop the academic chatter.

Dawn got up from the couch, motioned for Harry to follow her though the kitchen, and up the stairs into a long hallway. "The third door on the right is yours, my room is beside that, and the one across from it you can use as a potions room, which is what the huge cauldron is for isn't it?"

Yeah, err...what's the room at the very end?" Harry asked, pointing to a battered looking door in need of painting.

"That's a surprise," Dawn said grinning, "Just like your new job, I run a Tavern across the street and you're my new bartender. I was going to make you my new entertainment, but I don't know if you can sing." She laughed brightly and clapped him on the back. "Have fun unpacking" She sang as she disappeared down the stairs. Harry stared after and wondered, again, if he was doing the right thing.

TBC

I finished! YaY! It'll probably be a while before I updated again, I'm moving on Sunday, but I'll try to things done as fast as I can. Don't forget to r&r! Thanks!