Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Severus would never have died in the seventh book.

Chapter 2: The Slytherin Common Room

Severus was on the way to the Slytherin common room to speak with the new and returning Slytherins, when he was approached by a nervous young Hufflepuff.

"Er, sir?" asked the girl. Severus recognized her as Hannah, one of the first years. "Um, Professor Dumbledore wants to see you, Professor Snape." The girl sprinted away as soon as she had delivered the message. Snape smirked; even the first years were now aware of his status as the evil potions master. Severus wouldn't be surprised if a foolish student approached him before the day's end to ask if he was a vampire.

Severus wondered what the Headmaster wished to speak with him about. He was far from worried; often Professor Dumbledore would call him to his office simply to ask if he would like to try his latest discovery of a new type of muggle candy. He was slightly irked that the Headmaster would have the nerve to bother him on the first day of the term, right on his way to deliver a welcoming speech to the first years.

Snape entered the Headmaster's quarters without knocking. "What seems to be the issue at hand, Albus?" Severus drawled.

"Oh, sit, sit, Severus. Care to try a lemon drop?" Albus held out the bowl of candy to Severus, who promptly shook his head no. "Now, what did I invite you her for….oh, yes, I remember now." His tone grew more serious and less joyous. "I presume you are aware that your nephew, Harry, was sorted today?" Dumbledore stated this as a question.

"Simply a distant relative, Albus," Severus said slowly. "James Potter was not a brother of mine. My Aunt and Uncle took me in, kindly, in name only."

'Right, right, you are," dismissed Albus. "I presume you are aware that your cousin-in –name-only's son now attends Hogwarts?"

"Yes, yes I am. Will there be anything else, Headmaster, as I have many a task to accomplish today," stated Snape dryly.

'Well, I merely wondered if you would be willing to speak with the boy," said Albus chipperly. "As the boy's head of house and closest living relation, I can think of no one else better suited for the job."

"I'm not a therapist, Albus," rationalized Snape. "I'm afraid I won't be of much assistance. Besides that, please get your facts straight before you ask to speak with me next time. I am loosely related to the boy, far from his closest living relation. I was under the impression that the boy had been living with his grandparents for the last several years."

"I'm afraid I do have my facts straight, Severus," avowed Albus. "Ann and Severus Sr. (AN: In this story, Snape is named after his uncle) have been dead for over eleven years. Harry has been in the care of his Aunt and Uncle for the last several years. Unfortunately, Petunia and Vernon Dursley were killed in a Muggle robbery earlier this year. Young Harry's Muggle cousin was placed with Vernon's sister, Marge, but Harry has been traveling with Hagrid for the past few days. Because of the situation with Voldemort, Harry will need to use protection wards."

Severus was, for once, at a loss for words. His Aunt and Uncle had been dead for eleven years, and no one had chosen to inform him. In addition, Tuney and her husband had died? Petunia had been Severus' connection to his blissful childhood with Lily, and now she too was gone. Why was everyone Severus got close to always dying? "Well, Albus, there is only one plausible solution. Send the Potter boy to live with the cousin at his new home. I deduce that this relation will keep the child protected."

"Logical, Severus, very logical, but that, too is out of the question,' said Dumbledore, twirling his quill in his beard.

"Why is that, Albus?" asked a slightly irate Severus.

"Well, it appears as if the cousin of Harry's is Vernon's from a previous marriage. There is no relation between Dudley and Harry, so the blood ward would be ineffective."

Severus narrowed his eyes, drawing conclusions. "I see. You do not want me to simply counsel the boy."

Dumbledore smiled, popping a lemon drop into his mouth. "You always were very clever, Severus. I am simply asking because you are the only hope for this war."

Severus smirked. "I could prove my worth in other ways than being a glorified babysitter to my good for nothing cousin's child."

"It would be of almost no trouble to you, Severus. All you'd need to do is allow the boy to reside in your chambers. Haven't you always said you'd love some company?"

"No. I don't remember even hinting at that, actually," said Severus coolly. "I will do this for you, Albus, but you must promise that you will keep me in the dark about nothing.'

"Of course, my boy,' said Albus joyously. "Just one more thing."

Severus raised one eyebrow. "And what, Merlin knows, might that be?"

"Just a small detail," said Albus, expertly avoiding whatever it was.

"Just spit it out, Albus," snapped Severus.

"Well, in order for this to work, you'll need to adopt the child," stated Albus Nonchalantly. "In name only, of course."

"Doesn't James have other cousins on his mother's side?" asked Severus as a last resort.

"Just Arthur Weasley and Harold Weasley, but Arthur is already inundated with children, and Harry's namesake has been deceased for many years, as you are well aware."

"Well, as you said, Arthur already has seven children," drawled Severus. "I don't see why they can't take Potter as well."

Albus shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you see, with the Dark Lord gaining power once again, Harry will need to be watched very closely."

"I knew it," snarled Severus. "This is simply a babysitting job."

"Glad to see you are fine with this, Severus," said Albus jollily. "Should I alert Harry, or shall you?"

Severus scowled. "I will see to it."

Severus stood in the Slytherin common room. He scanned the Slytherins, and found that there were an unusually small number of new Slytherins this year. The only ones he recognized were the Potter boy and the Malfoy boy. Potter was sitting in a corner of the room, staring out the window. Severus couldn't help but notice that Harry was watching Gryffindor Quidditch practice quite intently. Figures, thought Severus, as James had been the youngest Chaser the school had seen in years. Severus had been the Slytherin seeker from his second year onward. Quidditch was the one thing James could not take from him, as he was much quicker on a broom than James had been. No doubt Potter would be just as arrogant and delusional about his overrated Quidditch skills when Slytherin tryouts came.

Severus began to speak. "As some of you less intelligent students may not have deduced, I am Professor Snape, your head of house. Many of you have commented on my subfusc and caliginous attire. I am not, contrary to popular to belief, a vampire. Those who speculate such will be removed from Hogwarts grounds immediately. Oh, and you must come to me with nay problems between yourself and fellow Slytherins. That will be all." Severus began to walk towards his office, but suddenly whirled around on his heels. "Potter, I wish to speak with you in my office."

The little boy stood up, looking absolutely terrified. He walked towards Severus as quickly as possible, looking incredibly apprehensive.

Severus closed the door behind the boy and himself. "Potter, sit down," he instructed the small boy, who was quick to follow instructions. The boy looked rather malnourished, which struck Severus as odd because Petunia had always been a hearty eater. The boy could easily have passed for eight, maybe even seven. The only resemblance between the boy and his father was the glasses. The boy wore broken glasses with a piece of tape stuck in the center. Otherwise, this boy really did look like Severus. It was rather odd really, but James and Severus must have had the same genes hidden somewhere, and James had obviously passed these genes to his son.

"Professor Dumbledore has enlightened me to the fact that tragedy has recently struck your family," stated Severus.

Harry appeared to be confused, but a few moments later, realization struck. "Oh, do you mean the Dursleys?"

Severus found it odd that after living with his aunt, uncle, and cousin for almost his entire life, the boy did not consider these people his family. "Yes, that is to whom I am referring."

"Yeah," said the little boy quietly.

"Do you know anything about your real parents, Potter?" asked Severus. He wondered how much to assume the boy knew.

"Well, my aunt told me they died in a car crash when I was a baby. They died because when they got to the hospital, they didn't have any health insurance because my dad didn't have a job."

Severus snorted, in a rather undignified manner. That was the best Tuney could come up with? Even Severus could have been a little more creative. "That is about the farthest from the truth you could get, Potter," drawled Severus. He decided to start from the beginning, as the child seemed to be completely ignorant. "Well, to start off, your parents were Lily Potter, nee Evans, and James Potter."

The boy interrupted straight away. "Did you know them, sir?" he asked, hopefully. The boy took off his broken glasses, rubbed them off, and put them back on.

Severus considered lying, but decided it would be easier to be straightforward about this. "Yes, we were in the same year at Hogwarts." Severus considered leaving it at that, but he assumed the boy would figure it out later if he didn't tell him now. "James was my cousin." He didn't want to mention Lily, especially not to his cousin's child.

"Really?" asked Harry, enthusiastically. Then he seemed to mentally put two and two together. "Uh, sir? Doesn't that make us, related?"

"Loosely," said Severus, as if defending himself. "That aside, that is the reason I wished to speak with you. I suppose you are aware that, after the death of your Aunt, the blood wards on your former home are now gone." Harry appeared confused, but said nothing to the Professor. "To keep you safe from the Dark Lord, you will need to stay close to a blood relation." Severus did not bother to blatantly state that he was referring to himself, because he gathered that anyone with an IQ above 10 could deduce what he was attempting to say. "You will be residing in my quarters until a better solution can be reached." Severus stood up and opened the door, gesturing for the boy to leave. Potter appeared to be rather unobservant, however, and continued to sit, openly gawking at Severus.

"But, sir…" began Potter. Severus grimaced. Having the Potter boy around would, no doubt about it leave him in a constant state of agitation.

"That will be all, Potter," said Severus, shutting the door in Harry's face.

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