A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I know this one took forever, but i was stuck at one part (so if it seems to drag a little in one part, thats why..) also, I'm moving this weekend, and then starting some summer classes at a local college so it might be a little while before the next update but I'll try do get it up as fats as i can!

Disclaimer: Last time i checked, I still do not own Harry Potter. If i did, there would be a little less Umbridge and a lot more Snape. Yummah! (mmmm, sexy potions masters teehee...)

Chapter 4:

The meeting with the Potters the next day went rather well. After listening to Harry's story,Mrs. Potter (James' mum) rolled her eyes and said, "Only a Potter.." then wrapped Harry in a big hug. Mr. Potter (James' dad) smiled and said he couldn't be more proud to have him as a grandson and would be honored to call him "Son". Harry was ecstatic. After a very long lunch, Harry, James, Lily and Dumbledore flooed to Hogwarts, to prepare for the coming Order meeting. Harry was looking forward to it.

Harry hung in the shadows of the room unnoticed, watching the many members of the Order of the Phoenix enter and find a seat. The meeting was about to start when one last figure slipped in, The one Harry had been waiting for. Severus Snape.

He and Sev (oh how he hated that nick-name... which was why Harry used it) had been forced to become civil in Harry's sixth year out of pure necessity. Dumbledore had insisted he get over his issues with the Potions Master and continue his occlumency lessons with the surly man. In fact, the old bumblebee had gone so far as to lock them both in his office till they could get along.

Dumbledore didn't get his office back for nearly a week.

Of course, they didn't have to have been stuck in that office for a whole week. Harry had suggested at the beginning that they just act as though they had made up and be on their merry way.

To which Snape had replied, "How very Slytherin of you Potter, I'm sure that mutt of yours would have been thrilled."

So Harry, who was already a little ticked off, decided to hit Snape where it hurts and said, "Yes well, I've seen you exhibit some very Gryffindor tendencies professor. Like putting yourself in harms way for the benefit of others. Not very Slytherin of you, is it? Risking you're life every time you go before old Tommy-boy for people who don't even care, who mock you..."

Snape had not particularly liked that comment and refused to "play nice with an idiot buffoon who had no idea what they speak of" stating it would be physically impossible to do so.

It wasn't until later that week, when Snape had said something along the lines of, "How could a sniveling little brat like you ever be able to face the dark lord, let alone destroy him!?"

To which Harry had responded by looking Snape strait in the eye and said, "Take a look, if you don't think me capable."

Harry, who had practiced Occlumency over the summer (to get his mind off Sirius) found that with Snape out of the picture, it came naturally. So, harry pushed all his memories of his confrontations with Voldemort to the front of his mind (being careful to hide his memories of the Dursley's and their abuse, he did not want Snape's pity). Snape smirked evilly and said, "Legillimens"

He saw everything. Quirlmort and the stone, the basilisk and Tom Riddle... the graveyard.

Snape came out of his mind looking a lot paler than he had when he went in (which is saying a lot). He walked over the the fireplace and signaled Dumbledore, telling him that there shouldn't be anymore problems.

A tentative, awkward truce sprung up between them, which had been a good thing, as Voldemort started to up the ante. Harry threw himself into training with Snape, as well as Remus. Over the next year they became close. Friends even. When Voldemort had discovered Sev as a spy...

Suffice it to say, the dungeons would never be the same again. Harry, who had watched it happen via one of his visions, wouldn't be either.

It wasn't long after that, that the final battle happened. It seemed that in that last month and a half, the Order members, as well as Harry's loved ones, started to drop like flies.

Harry studied the man, who was now only a few years older than him.

Could he regain that friendship?

An old, jovial voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Welcome everyone, to this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. We have quite a few things to address. First and foremost, I would like to introduce to you our newest member. Harry Potter." said Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling madly.

All eyes flew to Harry, who had stepped out of the shadows. A flurry of voices followed.

"Who?"

"Is he related to you, James?"

"Well obviously Minerva, just look at him!"

"Isn't he a bit young?"

"He looks like he still belongs in Hogwarts!"

"Yes and I've never seen him before Albus, so where did he come from?" asked Minerva, looking pointedly at Dumbledore.

The old wizard held up a hand, asking for silence. When the last grumbler was finally quiet, Dumbledore spoke.

"This young man," he said, clapping a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Is Harry Potter. He is James' younger brother, which has been a carefully guarded secret for some time. For if his identity and location had been found out, he would have been Voldemort's biggest target."

"An' why's that Albus?" said Moody, his newly acquired magical eye swiveling all over the place.

"A prophecy, Alastor.." Dumbledore began, before he was cut off by Minerva.

"And just what is this prophecy? Most are to vauge to identify what they mean! How do we know it means him? And just what does it say he does?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry, who nodded and began to speak. They had agreed to tell and abridged version of the original prophecy (as the original would raise a few questions)

"'The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. Born to those who would defy him. Born as the seventh month dies. The dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not. And either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches.' Does that answer your questions?"

McGonagall stared at him open mouthed, "But how do you know its you?"

Harry lifted the hair off his forehead to show his scar. The stern witch's eyes widened further. Harry looked at her grimly.

"Ole Moldy Shorts gave this to me when i was just a kid. Couldn't kill me, which infuriated him to no end."

"How can you speak of the dark lord like that? Have you know fear?" sneered Snape from across the table.

Harry looked him strait in the eye, "A wise old man once told me that fear of a name does nothing but increase fear of the thing itself. Its just a name. Not even his real one."

"Aye, and do you know his real name then?" asked Moody

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry stated.

"That.. that Monster is Tom?" asked Minerva incredulously.

Harry eyebrows hit his fringe, "Yes..."

"He... I was a few years ahead of him in school. He was a Slytherin, but..."

Harry snorted, "Yes, he fooled many people. And him being a Slytherin had nothing to do with it.."

There were a few angry protests, mostly from former Gryffindor's but Harry silenced them. "Slytherin does not mean evil! Just like Gryffindor doesn't automatically mean good. Just look at Peter Pettigrew! He was passing important information to Voldemort," most of the room flinched, "Oh give it a rest,its JUST A NAME. I seriously think he would have ended up as a dark lord even if he were in Hufflepuff, he's a Sociopath for Merlin's sake."

The entire room just looked at him. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling like mad. McGonagall looked like a fish. Remus was trying not to laugh at the thought of a Hufflepuff Dark Lord while James and Sirius looked extremely put out at the reminder of Wormtail being the traitor.

The person that interested him the most though, was Snape. He was looking at Harry with a mixture of loathing (most likely for all things Potter) and curiosity. Harry thought this was a step in the right direction towards regaining his friendship and saw the perfect way of furthering it.

Harry cleared his throat, drawing many people out of their stupor, "Professor Dumbledore and I have been reseaching what Voldemort has used to make himself so very hard to kill. We know what he's done, now all we have to do is figure out how to counter it. I need someone who is familiar with dark curses and rituals to help me research..."

The entire room shifted their gaze from Harry to Snape, who sneered, "What, you expect me to work with a Potter? He's probably just as insufferable as his brother and I refuse to..."

"Don't judge me by my name and i wont judge you by your House. I am my own person, Severus, not a git," Harry sent a half hearted glare over to James, "like my brother was in school. We are working towards a common goal. One which is bigger than any school-boy grudge you have against my family. Will you help me? For the sake of the cause?"

Severus glared at him for several seconds before saying, "Fine. But if i get even a whiff of a prank headed my way, i will not hesitate to hex you. Agreed?" he asked, holding out a hand for Harry to shake.

Harry looked down at the hand, a small smile on his face. Looking back up at Snape he said, "Agreed."