Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All I own is my original characters and settings that will come up later is the story.

I am rewriting/adding parts of this story to improve it and get rid of inconsistencies. If you see any let me know. Tell me if it's improved if you've read it before. And if you're a 'virgin', so to speak, just drop a line and tell me how it's going.

I'm going to make a calendar and post it on my website to explain the time duration of all this. There are days in between some of the chapters that explain Harry's changing behavior. As time goes by he's adjusting to his environment. I'll post a note when it's up. It might take some time.

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Severus scowled at the children as they rushed out of the classroom laughing and pushing each other into the walls. They didn't even cringe as he glared at them. As the last child turned the corner he entered the room. "Is he ready?"

Biara continued erasing the board. "He's saying good bye to Morganna. They are in the lounge."

Severus rested his hands on her shoulders. "Biara, do not get so emotional. There is no choice here. He belongs at Hogwarts whether you and I like it or not."

She shook off his arms and whirled around. "Did you know he'd never had a birthday party before? He had never gotten a real present before he started at Hogwarts. That boy deserves a little happiness in his life Severus."

If he remains here for too long people will wonder where he is and begin to search for him. They'd find him eventually. The school would no longer be safe. "That is not my concern."

She turned toward the windows and set the eraser back on the chalkboard. "No. No it's not."

She walked to the door and he trailed behind her. The doors to the lounge were held open with piles of books piled in front of them.

Lila had her arms wrapped around his leg. "Harry I is gonna misses you."

Potter pulled her arms away and lifted her into his arms. "I'm gonna miss you too little sister. You be good for Cali, okay?"

Lila giggled and shook her head. "Momma!"

Potter dropped her to the ground and she ran over. His hair fell over an unmarked forehead, the silver skull glinting in his ear competing with the silver circle through his eyebrow. His black shirt showed a giant skull above the word Metallica. Their eyes met and Potter smirked. "Well hello."

"Harry be nice."

Potter looked over at Cali sprawled on the couch. "That was nice."

She rolled her eyes and tossed a candy wrapper at him. "Yeah sure."

He batted away the wrapper. "Whatever."

The scar was gone. A direct connection to the Dark Lord, erased by--

"Oops." Cali jumped up. "Your scar."

Potter squinted. "What?" He rubbed his forehead. "Oh. Whoops."

Cali brushed her fingers over his forehead and the lightening bolt shimmered back into existence.

Potter traced the lightening indent. "Because I really missed that fucking thing." He grabbed a black bag off the floor. "Can we get this over with?"

Merlin! What did they do to the boy? Severus cleared his throat. "Your trunk?"

He pulled the bag strap over his head and settled it on his shoulder. "It's in my bag."

Which one of the students here had he made friends with enough to perform a shrinking charm for him? And who did he expect to enlarge it for him? "And your owl?"

Hedwig flew in the doors and settled in the cage. He smirked. "Accounted for."

The boy did not smirk at him. The boy got angry and did something stupid or contained his emotion. Perhaps this wasn't as good an idea as it was meant to be. "Well then. Let us go."

Cali pulled Harry into a hug. "Forever and always."

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "Forever and always. I'll send letters by the gallon."

She pulled back and smiled. "I'll look for them."

He let go of one of her hands. "Bye."

She dropped his other hand and clenched it into a fist as she stepped back. "Bye."

Potter picked up the cage and crossed the room keeping his back to the two girls. He looped his free arm around Biara who pulled him close.

"Be well Harry. Don't do anything Ryan wouldn't do." She ruffled his hair as he moved away.

He grinned. "Does that mean I'm not allowed to walk and chew gum at the same time?"

Severus pulled out the portkey and shoved it into Potter's hand. With a tug they were gone.

The Leaky Cauldron looked the same. It was empty. Snape led Harry upstairs and he dropped his stuff in his room. Snape pulled an envelope out of his robes and handed it to Harry. "Let us get this done. Shall we?"

"Whatever." Harry headed toward the stairs.

"You are not going to change?" Snape's could convey disgust like no one else.

Harry leaned against the banister. "I wasn't planning on it."

"You are going to go into Diagon Alley wearing that?"

Harry kept his gaze on the stained steps. "Yes. And if you don't like it why don't you fuck off and let me shop by myself?" Yes. Let's just pull the tail of the bull at the first opportunity.

Snape grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. "Because I was assigned to protect you and I don't want a group of imbecile wizards breathing down my neck because you did something stupid."

The wood was weird. Knots in the wood looked like faces, moving and talking. The silver on the back of his ring was scuffed. "Yeah. OK. Fine." Yes. That was in fact a very stupid thing to do. Snape stepped back and Harry ran his hands through his hair. "And I'll even attempt not to act like a spoiled English brat." First on my to do list, remember to stop acting like I have a backbone and the knowledge to make use of it. He turned and walked down the stairs. Tom stood at the bar cleaning glasses. "Hi Tom."

Tom set the glass on the bar and picked up another. "Hello--Harry?"

Two people were seated at the far table drinking butterbeer. The other tables were cleaned and ready for customers. "Looks dead in here today."

Tom couldn't seem to stop blinking. "I--Yes--I suppose. Yes. Yes it is."

He walked into the alley behind the bar hiding his grin.

Snape's robes swirled around his legs as he stopped in front of the wall. "You almost stopped his heart. Are you planning on doing that to everyone you meet?"

Harry smirked. "I guess that depends on who I meet, doesn't it?" He looked at the brick wall. It felt ordinary. "What are the chances I can move this without a wand?"

Snape pushed him out of the way and touched his wand to the stones.

Harry shook his head. Actually I was serious, but whatever. He followed Snape as he stalked into Diagon Alley. It was magic, pure magic saturating the air just waiting to--

"Potter! Stop dawdling."

Harry's eyes snapped open. "Sorry." He headed toward Gringotts through the congested street. The shoppers seemed overly happy. He walked through the doors into the bank. The lines were huge. Harry broke the seal on the envelope Snape had handed him. It was his Hogwarts letter. "Wow. There's a shit load of stuff on this list."

You could almost hear Snape grinding his teeth. "That is because you have to choose which classes you are taking, remember? It should have been done weeks ago."

Oh. The top had instructions on picking classes and the different requirements. Harry scanned the list. The supplies were separated into classes. Not that one couldn't figure out that Dangerous and exciting beasts was for Care of Magical Creatures. "I never even got my O.W.L. results."

"How perceptive of you to notice now and not a month ago when you should have received them." Snape pulled out another letter.

Like I was supposed to care about O.W.L. scores when I didn't think I'd have to go back to Hogwarts. I was quite busy learning how to balance algebraic equations and the structure and function of the human brain. Harry broke the seal and pulled out the paper.

Transfiguration- E

Divination- P

Astronomy- A

Charms- O

Herbology- O

Care of Magical creatures- O

Defense Against the Dark Arts- O

Potions- O

Harry blinked. O's up the-- "Wow. That's--well expected."

Snape glanced at the results. "And what exactly is so expected? I would think you would be amazed to pass after years of doing the bare minimum of work."

Harry sighed. "It's expected that we'd get stuck with each other for another two years."

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. "You despise potions. Why must you torture us both?"

"Well, because I need potions. Plus, I like potions." Harry shrugged. "With Chris at least. And if I'd stayed where I was I could have been amazing at potions. Here I may be able to pull off mediocre." He stuffed the letter back in its envelope. "Or I'll know enough to blow up the dungeon and hope that the next classroom will be warmer."

The goblin looked him up and down as Harry handed him the key. "This way."

Harry hopped out of the cart. "That really is too much fun."

The goblin opened the vault and they stepped in.

Snape gasped. "Merlin!"

Harry glanced back. Snape was scanning the vault. "No parents to spend it remember? In fifteen years it bought five years of school supplies. Not exactly strenuous on the bank account." He looked around and shrugged. "I should probably find out how much is in here at some point."

Snape sputtered. "You do not even know how much money you have?"

Harry laughed. "I'm not even of age. I knew I had money. Why would I care how much I had? So I could lord it over people?" He shook his head. People don't understand that I don't care that I have a vault full of gold. Its just money. I could probably make twice as much by writing the story of my life. Those morons would buy it in a second. He pulled a pouch out of his pocket and filled it. "I'm done. Let's go."

And we emerge from the tunnels and return to the light of--of something. Harry giggled in his head. Way too much sugar today. The bank lines were even longer. Harry pushed his way through the crowd and headed to Flourish and Blotts.

He scanned the books. Maybe he should get some extra books that looked fun to read.

Snape's shadow blacked out the page he was scanning. "You do know that every person in this store is staring at you?"

"You do know that you're blocking my light." The shadow didn't budge. He snapped the book shut. "And?"

Snape leaned down to his ear. "And the point is to not draw attention to yourself. Unless you are trying to get yourself killed."

Harry grabbed his last book for classes and another with a bright cover. "If we were in muggle London I'd blend in just fine." He moved into line to buy his books.

"Well you aren't."

He watched the woman in front of him pay for her books and move toward the door. He set his books on the counter. "I know."

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I believe it's happy reviewing time.