This might seem a little strange to read, but it was pretty fun to write. Here is a little key:

Journal Entry

Flashback which Harry is thinking about when he is writing…

PLEASE READ THE NOTES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAPTER!

January 24 (am I even supposed to write a date?)

Dear who ever I am supposed to be writing to…

Father asked me to write all my thoughts down in this little book so that I don't start blowing up the Great Hall because of my pent up emotions again. Don't ask…

It might take a few entries to finally get over it, but I just feel stupid for doing this. Ron, oh I probably should introduce him as he'll probably be brought up a lot in this thing. He's my best friend and we've been through everything, and I mean everything, together with Hermione, my other best friend. What was I going to say about Ron? I forgot…

Am I supposed to even write this as if I'm talking? Isn't that just a little too self-centered? Maybe it's supposed to be written as a book… but then again, I don't think I have the skill to do that… So using it in first person it is.

Well, Father hasn't been with me as other parents are with their children. He served my sworn enemy, but then again, my life hasn't been that perfect. I even had to think about what my name should be. Because I was born under two different names actually, Harry Potter – the bloody Boy-Who-Lived – and Sansone Snape – the son of the dreaded Potion's Master. Either way, life would be horrible, but I had to choose.

"So you are absolutely sure that you want to do this?"

Harry just rolled his eyes about his father's questions. He had been at it for the past five hours leading up to the specified time. They were just waiting for the rest to get arrive to get over with the spell. But there was something he had to talk with his father about first.

"I'm ready, but there is something that I think we should talk about first. Don't get me wrong, I still want to change my appearance to the way I was born to, but there is still the issue of my name."

Severus stayed silent as he watched his son pace throughout the room as he tried to find his voice. It was something he had thought about as well but it was his son's decision.

"As much as I would like to change it to Sansone, I think it would be best to keep it the way it is now, if only for now. People know me as Harry Potter and it causes Voldemort so many problems." A look of sadness passed through his father's eyes for a split second before his shields were raised. It broke his heart a little, so he added quickly, "And I don't want you to be found out. If it was known that I was your son, then he will either ask you to take me to him, or figure out that you were a spy the whole time. Both ways, you would die a painful death, and I couldn't handle that."

Severus nodded in acceptance. He knew it was the truth no matter how much it hurt inside. He wanted the world to know that this powerful boy was his child. Couldn't he walk around and brag about his son as the other parents did for their own children? No, he had to hide the truth from everyone.

"But once Voldemort is defeated, I would like to change that back to the way it should be, too."

Severus couldn't believe his ears. It wasn't until the others entered the room finally that he understood the implications. And it made him the happiest man in the world. The proudest father to live.

I continue to be Harry Potter to the world, but my closest friends and family call me Sansone. Anyone who asks what it meant would just wander off believing the lie that it's a code name of some sort. Some tried to use it, but the room would get silent and the only people who knew what the name meant would just stare at the person. They usually would walk out confused and slightly scared. Anyone who was in the room knew then that they weren't to use the name without knowing the truth about it. But we'll change the subject.

So now I have a family, even with Draco who I can't believe used to be my worst enemy. We used to have the typical Slytherin-Gryffindor relationship. We spent many hours trying to find out a way to get the other expelled in the most humiliating way possible. Without being caught of course. But he grew to be a friend I can't think of being without. But Draco has been out of it, of sorts, lately. I can't really blame him because his father pretty much abandoned him. He sent the adoption papers over yesterday and has been in close quarters with Father since then. According to Father, Voldemort allows the transaction because he has seen Draco's skill and doesn't want to loose it.

"So he thinks you still serve him?" Harry asked hesitantly. The adoption papers just showed up so suddenly and it was giving him an uneasy feeling. It made him feel as if they were walking into a trap. The two Slytherins weren't making it easier for him. They just shrugged off his worries, saying that the Dark Lord didn't know anything about it. But it didn't help him sleep at night, or stop him from waking up in the strangest hours and running to his father's room to check he was still alive.

"He has no clue of my treason. When Lucius reported Draco's refusal to join the Death Eaters and his loyalty to myself, Voldemort made me go through with the adoption to persuade Draco's mind."

"Like that will happen," Draco sneered, relaxing fully against the nearby wall. "At least he'll feel like an idiot once he finds out the truth."

Severus nodded solemnly. "If he finds out."

So now Draco is officially my brother in everything other than blood. Not that the Ministry knows. I still don't trust them especially since I, with a bunch of other kids, was able to break in twice. And that doesn't even take into account the fact that people like Umbridge and Fudge came out of the Ministry. The papers were entered through an Order member in a room that couldn't be broken into (and believe me I've tried). It won't be known to the public in shape or form. Everyone would think that Draco Malfoy was still the spoiled son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

Oh, the irony of it all! I have a brother and father, two people I had hated since I joined this school. Now I can't think about my future without thinking about them being right there with me.

The ministry can't even get over the fact that we got in again and was able to do what no other could do – break into the veil of death. They have been doing inspections for weeks now and they still don't understand what happened. And they are supposed to be the adults? So now we are being bothered by the ministry every two days to find out about the victims.

The press has been trying to sneak into the school for the longest time. Rita Skeeter actually got through a couple of times, but as she still hadn't registered as an animagus, we were able to get her to shut up. I don't know, maybe one day we will allow her an exclusive story once Voldemort is gone. I mean, she was very persistent. But we would have to make her promise that she wouldn't lie in the article.

And I wouldn't even subject the poor rescued people from the veil that sort of pain. I can't even believe I was agreeing it for myself. But talking about the people from the veil…

The day after Christmas, Samantha and Gregory walked to the Great Hall hand in hand to become the talk of the school. They were seen talking and laughing together like there was no tomorrow. When asked they simply looked into each other's eyes lovingly and said, "We're giving it a try."

"That's so cute," Ginny sighed as they passed by for the fourth time that day, "going through so much, yet living life to the fullest."

"I know, isn't it great?" Luna trailed off in her strange little way. "I wish I could have found true love like that."

Samantha and Gregory will be "trying it out" for awhile, but everyone has bets that they will be engaged by the end of the year, if not shorter. And they aren't the only ones who are looking at romance. Ron and Hermione decided if Samantha and Gregory would try it then they would too. Seamus was overjoyed for some reason. Dean said something about loosing by only three weeks as if there was some sort of bet going on about them. I just hate it because they were mumbling about me getting hooked up with someone. I don't think I am ready for such a life yet. With Voldemort out there trying to make my life harder for me, having any sort of attachment would be bad to have. Which is why all that I have now was perfect. Father clearly knew what to do if any problem came, Draco too. And my friends are trained if not excellent in defense because of the DA which is going well. It was quite funny when the others finally saw what I looked like, they could believe it.

"So where's Potter?"

"Yeah, where's Harry?"

Those who knew the truth couldn't stop laughing even with a sobering charm. The other students had come back the day before but Sansone chose to spend his time with his new family instead of trying to explain to the school. Dumbledore made an announcement, but no one understood anything.

"I heard that he was attacked during the holiday and now his face is all charred over," one yelled out amongst the crowd.

"Well, I heard that he fell in love but her father ended up being a Death Eater," another speculated.

"Gits," Ron mumbled as everyone fell into rumors about his best friend. "Why don't you ask him yourself, he's right over there."

Everyone looked in the direction Ron was pointing to and found a boy about Harry's age, but with slight differences that made them second guess his identity. Instead of the round, boyish face they had grown to know, there were some sharp bone lines around his jaw and forehead. His eyes remained the same bright green color, but the shape was now slightly pointed at the edges. It was as if he had gone through some sort of plastic surgery. That is, if the wizarding world knew of plastic surgery in the first place.

"That can't be Harry," one of the youngest complained.

Sansone remained unaffected. He knew that this would happen, and would continue with the rest of the school, so he just prepared for it. "Oh? Why don't you test it?"

The crowd was silent for a while before one called out: "Speak in parceltongue!"

"What do you want to hear?" he asked, but they couldn't understand it as they only heard a snake's hissings.

"Use your patronus!" another called out, still not believing that the boy in front of him was Harry Potter, which in all technicality he wasn't.

Sansone did as ordered and soon a silver stag ran across the room proudly. There was no doubt about it any longer as the group shot questions at the six students who knew the truth.

I think I'm done embarrassing myself by writing in a book that I don't know who is supposed to read. Hermione has a diary which she screams bloody murder if anyone even touches, but is a guy's journal the same? Or is it like Christopher Columbus' journal that he made so that the King and Queen of Spain could read? I just don't know…

So this is Sansone Snape signing out!

Eagle-Eyes: Of course! That was my goal. If I didn't, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I'm not against AU fics or anything (that's mostly what I read), but I just know that my muse will revolt against me and give me another plot idea for the next book.

Joou Himeko Dah Well, she is very happy that someone actually cared for her return to health, so thank you so much for that. Really, I mean it! You have a kind heart.

Trinity 101: Harry's gift to Severus was the figurine of the panther and the snake (Harry being the panther and the snake representing Severus). I didn't want to make the whole chapter about opening gifts as one, it's kind of boring, two, I didn't have that much time, and three, it doesn't happen in the actual books. I hate that the story has ended as well because I gave up so much of my life for it. My desk is literally a mess of little pieces of paper with my tiny writing on them. At work, I would take out the little receipt paper and start writing on it when I was bored, so now I have about a million of them… hopefully the next fic will come out as well. It will be longer I predict, much longer.

Paris: I want a cookie! With peanut butter M&Ms? I love peanut butter M&M cookies!

Fairyduster0013 Well, I already have a new idea for the next book, so I knew I would have to end this fic before book six comes out. The new idea will hopefully be much better than this one. I had set a goal when I started A Child's Hope in that I would finish before book six came out… that's why the last ten chapters were updated quite close together.

It is done, people… A Child's Hope is now over… Hopefully you liked it as much as I did. I think my joy of finding out what my AP score (remember me whining about those back in May?). I got a 4! Which for those who don't know, is really really good. They are like the SATs, meaning they are created so that you would fail if you didn't know the material. The only higher grade you could get would be a 5 which is pretty high (I think Hermione or a Ravenclaw would get that score if they actually studied more than usual, us normal people would have to have a miracle to get one).

Tomorrow is the time for the new book! Hopefully you are like me and will be staying up all night just to get it early. Sad part is that I have work the next day…

I will be starting a new fic for the next book coming out. It will be a Year Seven one, and it will actually follow the book lines meaning no twisting the characters around so that they fit the plot. I'm actually going to reread and outline the books to find every little detail. There is no title yet, so just keep watch, and it might be awhile before it comes out.

Hopefully you'll like it even more than you liked this one when it comes out!

Make sure to leave a review, I love them!

Thank you everyone that had given up your time to write a review. They truly have given me strength to continue the long road of writing the fic. Hopefully you all will find an idea as I had that takes you over so much that you just have to write it. Note to all of you writers, don't allow any flames of any kind to hurt you. My little sister got one so harsh I wanted to rip their story to pieces if they had been brave enough to be logged on onto their own penname. My first ever review was a flame and it hurt me so much I automatically took off the fic and didn't write, fanfiction or original work, for a year. Those people are nasty individuals that have nothing better to do than insult a work, whether or not the piece needs work. It is fanfiction that allows writers to improve their work. I can see in just this fic that my writing has improved tremendously. Hopefully your work has improved as well.

This is Canopus Carina signing off, hopefully you have enjoyed this experience as much as I have.

Thank You