Side note: Thanks bunches for all of the reviews!!!! I dont think I had this many when I was at this point in Memory... Anywho thanks guys.
Harry woke up stiff. He had a hard time falling asleep that night. Malfoy – Draco had talked with him most of the night. Harry knew that Draco's father was a Death Eater and that Draco himself was to take his place beside him when he became of age. They talked of their abuse. Harry with his uncle and Draco with his father. Harry had gone to bed that night with a strange peace that he usually only felt around Severus.
"C'mon Potter, if you want anything while it's still warm you'll want to get up now." Malfoy called from behind his own curtained bed.
Harry sat up and peeked out from the curtains. "You'll have to show me where we have to go since I missed it last night."
"Fine but hurry up I'm ready to go."
Harry jumped out of bed and threw on his new school robes and walked with Draco down to the Hall.
The first thing Harry noticed when the doors were opened was the ceiling. "Wow." It showed a beautiful blue sky and a bright and shining sun.
Draco smirked at Harry's obvious wonder. "Come on Potter we are attracting unnecessary attention."
Harry blushed when he noticed that most of the kids in the room were staring at him. He hurried his pace to catch up with Draco who was almost to a table full of Harry's house members.
"Sit." Malfoy said.
Harry took a seat next to the blond boy and gave a weak smile to the others around him.
"Hello." A nervous girls voice said from behind him.
Harry turned in his seat to see a bushy-haired Gryffindor staring at him. "Can I help you?"
The girl stuck out her hand "I'm Hermione Granger."
Harry reached for the girl's hand but was stopped by Draco. "What?"
"She's a Mudblood," he hissed.
"A what?"
"Muggle born."
"So, my mum was Muggle born." That caused a few gasps around the table. Harry took his hand from Malfoy's grasp and shook the Granger girl's. "I'm Harry Potter. Might I ask why you wanted to talk to me?"
The girl blushed. "It's just, I have heard about you. Well, we all have but – Oh, I'm making it sound like I just want to be your friend because you're famous. I'm sorry. I have just always wanted to meet you and I don't have very many friends around here and-"
Harry knew the feeling of being friendless. He had sympathy for the girl. "That's okay, I'll be your friend."
"Really! That's great. When you get your schedule stay after so we can see if we have any classes together. I have to go though." The girl gave a quick wave before walking back over to her own table.
Harry turned back around to see several angry faces. "It's stupid to not like someone just because of their blood. That's like not liking someone because of their hair color so stop glaring at me."
"I can't believe you just did that Potter." Malfoy said with horrified admiration.
"I'm sorry if you don't like it but prejudices are stupid and that's all that blood purity stuff is."
Draco couldn't believe his ears. He should be pissed! But he wasn't, he found it all slightly humorous. So he laughed. "You have some balls Potter."
Harry smiled at his friend. "Thanks."
Breakfast ended shortly after and their schedules were passed out.
"Hey Draco we have all our classes together." Harry said with excitement.
"You might want to go see the Granger girl. She is starting to look a bit antsy waiting for you."
Harry laughed and walked over to Hermione. "Hey Granger."
"You can call me Hermione you know. "
Harry just shrugged. "Okay."
"Let me see your schedule," she said taking it from his hands and reviewing it.
"We have Potions, Charms, and Herbology together," she said with a big grin.
"Well we have Potions first today so do you want to walk with me down there? Draco would be coming with us."
Her smile fell a bit "Well, yeah. I guess."
"Draco! Come on we have to go or we'll be late!"
Draco rolled his eyes and walked over to the two. Potter is going to be a pain in the butt I can tell already.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of fluids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…. I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." It was the first thing Snape said when he walked in.
"Geez, dramatic enough do you think?" Harry leaned over to ask Malfoy causing the blond to snicker.
"Potter!" Snape's eyes were trained on the young boy.
Harry's smile faltered when he saw the look of absolute disdain on the older man's face. "S- sir."
"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry's mouth was set in a frown. He knows I don't know any of this. Why is he asking me! "U- Professor Snape, I don't know."
"Let's try again Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know sir." Harry was fighting tears now. He wouldn't cry. He had fought it when it was with Uncle Vernon he could do it now. But it wasn't Uncle Vernon; it was his Uncle Snape, his only family.
"Thought you wouldn't look at a book before coming, eh, Potter? What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
The reading comment made Harry flinch. He shook his head "I don't know."
"You don't know, what Potter?"
"Sir." The whole class was staring at him now. Draco had laid a supportive hand next to his leg letting the contact sooth the other boy."
Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry. He told the boy he would have to act different. Why was he so upset? "You will all look up that information and then you will brew the potion I have on the board. Now!"
The rest of the day was in ruins. Harry could hardly concentrate in any of his classes. He was so relieved when classes were over. He skipped dinner and went straight to the dorms. He pulled the drapes around his bed shutting himself in.
"Harry?"
Harry's anger flared at Snape's voice. "Yes sir?" He opened the curtains and glared at the man.
"I told you not to believe what I say or do in that class. Why are you so upset?" Severus walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Why do you have to act that way? And why did you ask me all those questions? You know I don't know anything about that stuff! I can't read!" Harry was crying now.
Severus put up a silencing charm and proceeded to explain. "You asked me yesterday if I was a supporter of the Dark Lord. I carry the Dark Mark, but I am a spy. I get information for Dumbledore. A majority of the children in that class have Death Eater parents. How do you think the Dark Lord would react to hearing that one of his most trusted is in good graces with Harry Potter, his sworn enemy?"
"I thought he was dead!"
"Oh no. He is very much alive. A year after he tried to kill you one of his followers found a way to bring him back. The two years after that was spent getting him back to health. This however, is not public knowledge. Only myself, Dumbledore and those the Dark Lord saw fit to informing know of this."
Harry scowled. "Dumbledore. That bastard! Who does he think he is sending you out there and risking your life like that? Why doesn't the old coot do it himself?"
"He holds quite a bit of power over me Harry. I have made mistakes in my life that he has chosen to ignore."
"You mean until he needs something to hang over your head," Harry said thinking about the vow Severus was forced to take. "Someone has to do something about that man."
"It would be in your best interest to be on his good side Harry. You do not want that man thinking you are not on his side."
"I know. I have already thought of that… Severus, what does he plan on doing with me?"
"You are his weapon Harry. You are what he plans on using to fight the Dark Lord. You are the one he thinks can defeat him."
"That son of bitch!"
"Language."
"I'll let him sculpt his perfect little soldier. I'll let him think he has me, that he owns me. I'll even kill the mad man for him. But afterwards… he will pay the debt he owes me and I will take it whether he wants to give it or not." Harry's eyes had gone cold.
"I agree." Was all Snape said.
Over the weeks Harry would spend any extra time he could with Severus, Draco or Hermione. He made sure he made enough trouble in Potions to receive detentions at least three times a week to see Severus who taught him to read. Harry made a point of hanging around Dumbledore when he was with Hermione to make the old fool think he wasn't too far gone. And Draco he hung out with any other time.
Harry had excelled in most of his classes. His determination and thirst for the power pushed him to achieve the best marks in all his classes. He even surpassed Hermione, who was, in all senses, a know-it-all. Harry was so caught up in his work that he was surprised when Christmas break finally arrived.
"Hey Harry, are you going home over break?" Malfoy asked, already knowing the answer.
"No."
"Sorry you'll be stuck here all by yourself. I would invite you over but… well I would think that's pretty obvious why that's not possible," he said throwing a pair of socks into his trunk.
Harry laughed. "I can just imagine it 'Hi Mr. Malfoy, how's the Death Eater meetings been going? Oh! I get to meet Voldemort! I was wondering when you would introduce us.' Yeah, no thanks, I'd like to live past eleven thank you."
Draco gave a snort of laughter. "Yeah, besides, I'm sure the Dark Lord would insist I be inducted right then for delivering the Boy Who Lived and we both know I do not want that."
Harry laughed. "It's okay though, it's not like the past few Christmases have been terribly exciting anyways. I've gotten used to it."
"Is Granger staying?"
"No, she's going home to her folks."
"If I can I'll write you." Draco threw the lid to his trunk shut and levitated it down the stairs. "I'll see you after a while, Potter."
"Bye Malfoy."
Severus was interrupted from his potion by a knock on the door. With a flick of his wrist the door opened and he continued stirring. "Yes?"
"Are you busy?"
Severus looked up from his cauldron. "No, just give me five more minutes. You can sit down if you wish, there's tea on the desk." He continued stirring.
Harry took a seat at one of the tables and waited as Severus bottled up the potion.
"What can I do for you Harry?" Severus asked taking a seat at his desk. Harry got up and sat in the older mans lap. "Don't you think you're a little too old for that?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Nope, I missed it for three years. I'm making up for the time lost. Get used to it."
"Fine brat, what did you want?"
"Are you saying for Christmas?"
"Where else would I go?"
"I don't know… Would it be okay if I came down here and stayed with you? All the Slytherins have gone home and none of my friends are staying here. No one would think me being in the dungeons odd since I am a Slytherin and then I wont have to be alone Christmas. Even at the Dursleys I wasn't alone. I just didn't get anything."
"Dumbledore would not allow it Harry."
"I'll ask and if he objects I'll use my innocent Boy Who Lived routine."
"You plan to manipulate a master manipulator?"
"Yup and I plan to do it with tears."
Severus rolled his eyes "You do, indeed, belong in Slytherin."
Harry chuckled "I know."
"Well get going, you may want to catch him before lunch."
Harry stood up "Okay, I'll let you know how it went after lunch okay?"
"Fine."
Harry smiled and left from the classroom. He had a date with the Headmaster.
A/N: I had to have him and Hermione friends. I like her too much. Plus I wanted to show that although Harry is a Slytherin he is also a Gryffindor. I mean, what Slytherin would honeslty have the balls to be friends with a Muggle born?
Side note::giggles insanely:: Oh I have plans for this story. Evil, Moulin Rouge type plans... ::mutters something about El Tango De Roxanne:: but that's for later!