Chapter 2: The Sorting ends and first day.

Albus Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled as he looked at all the new students that had just been sorted. He looked forward to watch all their progress, from miss Abbott in Hufflepuff to Blaise Zabini in Slytherin. His sight travelled to the Gryffindor table and his smile grew when he saw Harry Potter snickering with the disastrous Weasley twins. Was this the beginning of a new Marauder era? Albus glanced to his right and allowed a tiny smirk pass his mouth. Both Severus and Minerva had problems keeping their faces neutral.

Albus drew his attention back to Harry and was alarmed when the small boy suddenly looked as if he was in pain. Dumbledore noticed that Harry asked the twins about something and pointed discretely at both Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell. Albus also noticed that the two Professors spent a little too much attention on Harry.

Severus was no problem. Albus knew that the Potions professor would do anything to keep the boy of James and Lily safe. But Quirrell on the other hand... the former Muggle Studies professor had changed too much after his vacation in Albania. And now he was pretty sure that the stuttering professor was using legilimency on the Gryffindor student. Or was he just a little to paranoid about Quirrell? Albus made a mental note to keep his eyes on the DADA professor so that none of his precious students would get hurt.

He looked around the hall and noticed that every students had finished eating... with the sole exception of the newest Weasley addition in Gryffindor. Albus got to his feet and the hall fell silent. He stared at the Gryffindor table but Ronald Weasley continued his feasting. Fred Weasley elbowed his brother causing the younger red-head to yelp out a "Bloody hell!" before he realized that he alone was keeping the Headmaster from continuing.

"Ahem... just a few words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all witches and wizards. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well," Albus looked at George and Fred causing them to salute him. He paused for a second before continuing.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, our esteemed caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house team should contact Madam Hooch."

Albus paused again. Here he had originally planned to warn about the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side... but that would only motivate certain students to seek out the dangers. So he skipped that bit and jumped right to his favourite part of this day.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" he cried out happily. He noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Except for Professor Flitwick, of course. The tiny professor shared Albus love of music after all.

Albus gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.

"Everyone pick your favourite tone, "Albus cheered, "and of we go!"

And the school happily bellowed:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Or heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot!"

Albus laughed merrily when the Weasley twins were left alone singing along to a very slow funeral march.

"Ah, music!" he said, wiping his slightly wet eyes, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, it's time for us all to shut our eyes. Off you trot." All the prefects were quickly on their feet and showed all the new students their new home for seven years.

Albus sat down again and waited until everyone, except for Severus, were gone. The pale man looked even paler than usual which caused Albus to worry greatly. Severus opened his mouth but snapped it shut when Albus raised his hand. This was surely a conversation that required absolutely privacy. His most loyal companion, Fawkes the phoenix, appeared in an explosion of fire. Both of the adults grabbed a feather and they were suddenly gone from the great hall.

-]I[-

Severus Snape slumped down on one of the comfortable armchairs in Albus' office. The headmaster sat down behind his desk and opened one of the drawer. The drawer was of course magical and thus much deeper than a non-magical. So he summoned the fifty year old Blishen Firewhisky, one of the finest Firewhisky he had in his collection, with both a wandless and nonverbal summoning spell. He also grabbed two glasses and filled them generously with the old Blishen.

Severus emptied the glass in a single gulp and quickly requested a refill. This time the old bat took time to taste the burning liquor.

"Was it that bad?" The headmaster asked with a defeated tone. The constant twinkle in his blue eyes and they showed all his one hundred and nine years.

Bad? Snape grimaced. It was much more than bad. Ten years sleeping in a fucking cupboard. Snape made a note in his head to remind him to show Petunia, his dear old neighbour, what a dark wizard could do. But the cupboard was not the worst memories that Severus found in Harry's mind. Years of mental abuse mixed in with the occasional physical punishment. They had also forced him to do choirs since the first day the he showed any magi, which was on the day he turned four years old. Severus saw that the disgusting muggles had forced Harry to work harder than a dark pureblood family would work their house-elf.

All that plus the fact that they had underfed Harry constantly had resulted in a horrendous childhood. Much worse that Severus' own. Albus cleared his throat and Severus jumped in his armchair. Albus tilted his head forward a few inches and Severus nodded. The old man entered his younger colleague's head and Severus guided him to the memories Severus had seen. Watching the memories was not easier a second time and a third glass of Firewhisky quickly found its way to his stomach.

His head swam slightly after three glasses of the strong whisky. A quick word and a house-elf appeared with a loud crack in the office. The small worker grabbed the potion master's right hand and Snape found himself in his bed ten minutes later. He spent the whole night awake crafting several plans to keep James and Lilly's child alive.

-]I[-

Albus' hands shook violently so violently that he had to grab his desk to steady himself. It had been over fifty years since the last time Dumbledore threw a fit. But now it took all his worldwide known patience to not march over to Privet Drive and severely injury the Dursleys'.

He'd always thought he'd made the right decision to leave the orphan baby with Lily Potter's sister. But his mind was full of doubts now. Was the blood wards that he'd created important enough to allow Harry to stay with his abusers?

How could this tiny boy so much potential despite the abuse? Or maybe it was because of the abuse? Or maybe it was because he was the child of a strong wizard and a strong witch? So many questions and no answers. But one thing he had sensed during the sorting was that Harry's potential was already up there with the third-years...maybe even the fourth-years. He'd not sensed magic that strong in a first-year since a young Tom Riddle...

It was too early to take on Harry as an apprentice but Albus had a feeling... the old headmaster sighed and looked longingly at his now half full bottle of Firewhisky. But he was the headmaster and he'd a feeling that his deputy headmistress would publicly chew him off he appeared drunk at the breakfast.

-]I[-

"There, look!"

"Where?"

"Next to the red haired twins!"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Harry groaned in frustration as he sat down with George and Fred to eat his first breakfast in the ancient castle. A plate full with sausages, bacon and other tasteful stuff appeared in front of him. Harry grabbed a fork and began to take out his frustration on the poor sausages. Both twins grinned amusedly at Harry.

"Mr. Potter, here is your schedule," Professor McGonagall passed him a piece of paper and walked away to the next Gryffindor student. There was no classes the first day since it was a Sunday. Harry looked at Monday and noticed that his first class was Herbology with the 'puffs.

"Not a bad start-" Fred began with a mouth full of eggs.

"Herbology...bit boring, but-" George continued the twin-speak.

"You have at least no snarky Snape until Friday!" Fred finished with a large gulp of pumpkin juice. Harry frowned. He didn't like the most popular juice according of most young wizards and witches. A glass full of orange juice suddenly appeared in front of him. Much, much better Harry thought with a small grin.

Ron graced the trio with his presence half an hour later. He sat down heavily beside Harry and a gigantic plate full of everything a young, hungry Englishman could wish for appeared in front of the half wake Weasley. He grunted something to Harry and then something else to his brothers and immediately began to wolf down his food. Harry winced in disgust. He'd thought that the twins was messy food eaters, but they had nothing on their little brother.

He lasted ten minutes beside Ron before Harry decided to flee the battlefield in front of him. He and Neville left the hall together and walked to the Gryffindor common room. Neville admitted that he loved working with plants and agreed to teach Harry the basics of Herbology. Harry then spent the rest of his day between being destroyed by Ron in wizard's chess and reading ahead in some of his books.

Not a bad first day Harry thought while trying to fall asleep. He'd made some friends in his house and he'd read ahead in his schoolbooks. And absolutely no Dursleys' at all. Harry's future was bright for the first time in his life.

A/N: 1 September 1991 was a Sunday so I went with it in this story. Some more changes from my first story but no big changes. Many thanks to Vaend and tony91 for their reviews.

Still unbetaed version since I'm still looking for at least one beta reader.