The Feast was a bit more subdued than other years. Slytherin House was…perplex, might have been the best description. They kept stealing glances at their Head of House, who was now eating his dinner next to the Headmaster, and chatting happily to the old man.

Those with Death Eater parents had of course known that the Potions Master had been punished, but seeing him like that was different from what they had imagined.

Draco Malfoy narrowed his eyes. His father and Lord Voldemort would reward him handsomely for bringing Snape to them.

Severus had eaten most of his dinner, and was now getting sleepy. He felt uncomfortable. A lot of the people in the Hall were staring at him, and although his Daddy was right next to him, the rest of the table contained the people who had tried to take him away from Harry.

The brown-haired, thin man that sat three seats away from him kept glancing at him with a strange look on his face. He felt fear constrict his throat. This man scared him, and he was pretty sure he had been very afraid of him as an adult as well. His eyes searched for Harry, Ron and Hermione. They were seated at the Gryffindor table, talking animatedly with a boy at their table, and turning around to the Ravenclaw table occasionally to talk to a girl that was being ignored by the rest of the Ravenclaws.

He wanted to go to Harry, but the other people at his table didn't look very nice. Maybe Harry wouldn't like it if his friends got mad at him. Harry would be mad at him if he lost his friends because of Sevvy.

Sighing sadly, he gazed longingly at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione noticed. She tapped Harry's shoulder, who immediately turned to watch the little boy. Harry smiled and waved. Sevvy responded with a wave and a small, shy smile.

His smile widened when Harry beckoned for him to come over, and he looked imploringly at Dumbledore.

The headmaster nodded and wiped some sauce from the small face before releasing him to join his friends.

Severus ran through the Hall, unaware of the stares, and climbed on the long wooden bench between Harry and Hermione.

"Hello, Sevvy," Harry said, "how was your dinner? I told you the Sorting wouldn't be scary, didn't I?"

Severus nodded happily, and when the remains of dinner disappeared and were replaced by dessert, he spooned a generous amount of icecream into his bowl.

"Why didn't the Hat put me in a House, Harry? It said I could go to school, though."

Harry ruffled the child's hair, earning glares from his yearmates and some of the other students.

Seamus leaned over. "Do you have to TOUCH that?" he asked in disgust, "I can't believe you, Harry. Are you sure you aren't a Slytherin?"

Sevvy felt tears pricking in his eyes, but he swallowed and looked up.

"Well, one thing is certain," he sneered admirably, "the Hat must never have considered Ravenclaw for you."

He quickly hid behind Harry before the older boy worked out the insult.

"Why you little…" Seamus and Dean both launched themselves at Severus, but Ron held back Dean and Harry grabbed the front of Seamus's robes.

"You listen to me very carefully," he hissed, "you deserved what he said. If you insult my brother again, you better throw up a shield quickly because I will hex you from here to Tokio and back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" Professor McGonagall had walked up to them.

Harry, still fuming, released Seamus's robes.

"N..no professor," Dean stammered.

"That little brat insulted me!" Seamus complained.

Severus looked at Harry, who picked him up. They suddenly reminded Minerva of the boys she had seen that day when they tried to retrieve Sevvy from the Bungalow.

"He was defending himself," Harry said coldly, "against some very cold and hateful remarks that make what he said pale in comparison. But the new term is not even an hour old. I'm sure this was a one time incident."

Minerva recognized Harry's desire not to let the incident escalate for Sevvy's sake, and nodded.

"Why don't you take Severus to his father?" she suggested. Her eyes locked with Harry's, and he clearly read the intent. He would be able to tuck Sevvy into bed his first night back at Hogwarts.

"Harry?"

Severus was tucked warmly into his bed. Harry sat on the edge, looking around the room. It was not decorated in Slytherin colors like his room at the Bungalow had been. Instead, the ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky, and the walls were decorated with all of Sevvy's favorite animals. Dragons were hopping along with rabbits, and snakes comfortably rode on the back of Gryffins.

"Yes, Sevvy?"

"Why do they hate me, Harry?"

Harry hesitated.

"I wasn't a nice person when I was big, was I?" Sevvy asked, tears in his eyes.

Pulling him up, Harry rocked him.

"Sevvy…yes, it's true. You had a difficult personality when you were an adult, but not entirely through any fault of your own. Partly you were scared because your parents hurt you so much, and you had become afraid of people."

The boy looked up at him. "But…but why was I mean, then?"

"Because you felt that the only way you could make sure no one was mean to you again, was by being even meaner. And for the other part, it was mostly an act."

"Act?"

Harry nodded. "The adult you had to pretend to be mean a lot, too, because you were a spy, remember? You couldn't be nice to everyone because you had to make sure no one found out."

Sevvy sat up straight. "So it wasn't really my…my adult self's fault?"

Chuckling, Harry remembered his Potions Master. "You did enjoy being sarcastic," he grinned, "but no, much of your nasty streak wasn't entirely your fault. But we as students didn't see that, of course, we didn't know you were a spy."

Nodding slightly, Sevvy slid back under the covers. "But you don't hate me anymore, do you?"

Ruffling the black hair affectionately, Harry shook his head. "Hell no, kiddo, you're my little brother. And in time the others will see what a wonderful person you are. And what a wonderful person your adult self really was, underneath the nasty streak," he added as an afterthought.

"Daddy liked the adult me, didn't he?"

"He loves you no matter what age you are," Harry responded, "he was very fond of the adult you and he's very fond of you now."

"Do I have to leave when your friends are with you? Because they don't like me?"

Harry's eyes widened. "No, absolutely not! Ron and Hermione would be heartbroken if they'd never see you again, and those others will just have to accept that I have a wonderful little brother now."

The boy scooted further under the blankets. "So you think it'll be ok tomorrow? Class and all?"

"Just be yourself, Sevvy. Be patient. The professors will look after you."

"Except that scary man. The one who told you to get rid of me."

Harry's smile faded and his eyes flashed. "He knows what I will do to him if he hurts you," he said coldly.

Then he smiled, and dimmed the lights.

"You'll be fine, Sevvy. I'll pick you up after breakfast and take you to your first class, ok? Go to sleep now. Sweet dreams, kiddo."