A Father's Love

Chapter 4: The Sorting

"Where am I and who are you?" Harry asked again when the man looked at him. The man handed him a letter written in pearly green ink with frilly handwriting.

'Dear Mr. Potter,

You have been accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' The note went on but Harry didn't read it.

"This doesn't tell me who you are." Harry said to the man.

"You're right, and I am sorry. I am Professor Snape I teach Potions here. And I am also…"

"Uncle SEV!!" Drako yelled running into the room. He saw that Harry was up… "Ohh… I will come back later then."

"No Draco, it's okay. I was about to tell Harry about Hogwarts. Maybe you would like to help me?" Severus said conjuring up a grin for the blond boy.

"Okay! I will! It's going to be so much fun here. No one will hurt us and we can be friends and Uncle Sev and Uncle Remus are so nice and all the people are nice to and you are going to love it here!" Drako exclaimed nearly climbing up the walls in his good mood.

"What happened to my Aunt and Cousin?" Harry asked quietly.

"Severus looked at him his eyes were brimmed with tears. "Your Cousin and Aunt were put in protective custody. Your aunt can get a hold of you when everything is settled."

"And my Uncle?" Harry said shaking.

"Your Aunt pressed charges against him for the repeat beatings. On behalf of herself and Dudley. Your Uncle is going to Jail. And he won't be coming out soon."

Harry started crying. "Where can I go I don't have anymore relatives. Please don't send me back to my Aunt. I don't want to live with her, please don't send me back."

"Harry, you do have another relative. He was unfit before to raise you because he was afraid."

"Who?"

"Me." Severus said quietly Harry could barely hear the man.

"Who are you then my Dad's cousin or something… and how come I didn't know about you before?" Harry asked curiously with hope.

"No, I am not your dad's cousin, I am your dad…" Severus said more quickly panicky hoping it would be enough.

"You can't be! My father is James Potter and my mother is Lily Potter and I don't even know you. You can't be my dad!" Harry said loudly.

"He is." Came the voice of Remus Lupin who had been listening from the hall.

"Who are you?"

"I am on of James and Lily's best friends. Remus, but please call me Remy."

"But how? Aunt Petunia didn't tell me that I had a living father…"

"She didn't know. Hardly anyone knew. We in this room are now the four of six people who know."

"But Aunt Petunia, she told me all about my mother and James and she said he was my father. She told me about being a wizard and that my mother was one and that Uncle Vernon hated me because I was a wizard and she never said anything about my mother having any boyfriend before James." Harry Protested.

"Harry, listen to me." Remus said calmly while Severus was getting upset. "Severus Snape is your father. And Lily Potter is your mother. James loved you like his own son, but Severus is your father." He finished.

"What were you afraid of?" Harry asked Severus who looked completely in shock.

"I was afraid of a very bad wizard, Voldermort. He is a very dark wizard. He is the one that killed Lily and James ten years ago. And he will try to kill you when he gains enough power to return to power."

"So I have a father, I am going to be going to a school where I don't know anyone and I have a dark wizard chasing after me because he wants to kill me. Well this sure is different then the other life I lead…"

"You will know me." Draco said innocently.

"Hey Severus?"

"Yes Harry?"

"Is it okay if I hug you?"

"Y... yes." Severus stammered. Harry moved out of the bed and grimaced at the movement Severus moved to help the boy.

"No don't. I want to make it by myself." He said holding his side. Severus nodded. Harry made it to where Severus had stood up and wrapped his arms around the man. "I am glad that I have a father." Harry said into Sev's robes.

Severus started crying when he heard this. He hugged Harry as tightly as he could without hugging him so tightly that it disturbed the bruises on Harry's body.

The next week passed in a hurry. Harry and Drako weren't allowed to ride on the Hogwarts express because of the other Death-Eaters sending their children to school but they did get a ride down to the train exit in one of the carriages with Hagrid the groundskeeper Giant. Hagrid was a friendly beast and chatted with the two boys the whole way down and was still chatting with them when a large train pulled up in front of Hogwarts.

"First Years Over Here!" Hagrid yelled out. Harry and Drako got in a boat that Hagrid pointed them too and a boy with bright red hair and a girl with long brown hair shortly joined them.

"You you are Harry Potter aren't you." The boy said mouth agape. Harry shook his head. "Do you have it? The scar?" Harry nodded and moved his bangs over so that the boy could see his scar. "Wicked! My name is Ron Weasley." He said sticking out his hands to shake Harry's.

"And I am Hermione Granger. I am very happy to meet you too." She shook his hand as like Ron had. "You know your glasses are broken? I can fix them for you… if you like."

"Umm.. no thanks. Have you two met Draco Malfoy yet? He and I spent the past week here at Hogwarts and we are already great frie…"

"What are you mad Harry? You Harry Potter friends with a Malfoy???" Ron interrupted him.

"Yes Weasel.  Harry and I are friends. Live with it." Draco stated.

"Stop fighting please? It's no fun to hear people fight."

"Sorry Harry." Draco apologized. The rest of the trip was uneventful and the four made it to the great hall to be sorted.

Minerva called out name after name of student…

"Ronald Weasley."

The sorting hat barely touched his hear before yelling out : "GRYFINDOR!"

"Hermione Granger."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"HARRY POTTER!" Minerva yelled to hush up the cheering tables.

The sorting hat was placed on his head and the hat began talking to him "hmm… a very interesting case indeed. It seems to me you are great and mighty very much like the Gryfindor but you can also be very cunning and have the potential for great things… much like a Slytherin… however I must put you in GRYFINDOR!" The gold and crimson table bust into happy cheers as the boy who lived was placed among the best.

"Draco Malfoy." Snickers went up around the great hall. No Malfoy had ever been placed outside Slytherin.

"Well well young Malfoy it seems you don't have the heart of the rest of your family. You hate your Father and Mother very much… that hate alone could put you in Slytherin however you have always been a brave boy. There for I must put you also in GRYFINDOR!"

The Silence in the hall deafened even Dumbeldore who stood up and began clapping for the young man. Minerva and Snape clapped along with the headmaster and soon many Huffelpuffs and Ravenclaws joined but noone in Gryfindor or Sltherin clapped for the boy except Harry.