The Potions Professor stared down at the parchment, now starting to crumple by his trembling hands gripping it. He reread the letter several times over still trying to process the words. Finally releasing the creased parchment, he slumped back in his chair paling, he released a huge sigh. Looking around desperately he noticed the darkened atmosphere in the room and cast a 'Tempus' charm to see the time. When realising finally he started briskly walking down towards the Great Hall, straightening himself out as he did. Upon arriving he was met by the pointed stares of his colleagues sitting at the high Professors table. The students weren't to arrive for another twenty minutes but every day Dumbledore insisted that the Professors meet earlier.

"Ah! Severus! I was wondering when you would show" Dumbledore smiled warmly.

"I am sorry for my tardiness, I was caught up in a potion" Snape lied convincingly as he sat in his place.

"Albus, I would like to call upon a subject which we have to discuss" Minerva McGonagall stated.

"And what matter would that me Minerva?" The Headmaster asked.

"Harry Potter, sir" She said receiving nods from the other Professors, minus Snape. "He had been acting very out of character and I am sure that I have never seen behaviour like this from the boy in all my years of teaching him. He sneered at the students, glared at them from across the room, and snapped at his friends when they were trying to console him."

"Its probably just a phase," Dumbledore said, his eyes moving to meet Snape's. "Don't you agree Severus?"

"Of course sir" Snape forced out.

Not minutes later the students began filing into the Great Hall, taking their places at their respected tables and the one silence hall filled with their own personal conversations. Snape let his eyes sweep over the room. He noticed Harry ignoring his friends and sitting the other end of the table in an attempt to sit as far as possible. Eventually he noticed his Godson, Draco, sitting on the Slytherin table. He noticed the pain filled, yearning gaze the boy had cast on Harry. Snape wanted to roll his eyes at his Godson but knew not to, he understood what the boy was feeling. He knew how crushed the boy had been when Harry refused his request to be friends. He knew the mask the boy had been wearing ever since that day so no one would notice the sadness and rejection lingering around the boy.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, breaking the man out of his thoughts when the feast had ended. "I would like to speak to you in my room, if you will"

Nodding, Snape stood from his chair brushing his robes down before following the headmaster towards his grand and pristine room. Looking around the room as always, he sat in the chair facing the desk his mentor sat at. Dumbledore sat facing the professor giving him a warm smile knowing that he had to bring up the subject he was dreading.

"Lemon drop?" He offered gesturing to the small bowl on the table.

"No thank you Albus" Snape declined.

"Suit yourself" Dumbledore sighed taking one himself and sucking on it.

"Sir what exactly did you call me here for?" Snape asked irritably.

"Severus" Dumbledore said sadly. "It has been fifteen years, has it not? Since Lily died?"

"Yes, Headmaster" Snape whispered dejectedly. "

"And I trust that you thought that you would never ever hear from her again" Dumbledore stated, giving the man a serious look. "I trust that you've read the letter"

"How would you know about that?" Snape asked pointedly.

"I know of every owl which ever passes through Hogwarts Severus, how do you expect that I would not recognise Lily's own?" Dumbledore told the man but sighed. "I was told by Lily just as she entered hiding, she told me that it was for your own good as well as the boy's"

"By keeping my son from me! How is that for our own good!" Snape snapped, rising to his feet angrily.

"Severus, may I remind you that at that time you were still a death eater?" Dumbledore interrupted. "She didn't know what to do so she resorted to this"

"I've heard enough" Snape growled, turning on his heel and storming out the door with his robes billowing behind him.

The next morning wasn't any different, Snape had managed to channel his anger and take it out on his students. None were too happy about it and were all scowling by the time their lesson had finished. His fourth lesson of the day was taken by the sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin's, the class he was dreading and yet yearning for. Soon the students started filing in and standing at the back of the class when Snape gave them an angry glare, it took a few minutes the whole class were there and giving each other weary looks.

"Welcome back" Snape spat spitefully. "Don't think that any of you are going to be let off easily this year. I am making changes here and you will do well to follow them or you might as well be packing your trunks and heading back home."

"WHAT-"

"He can't do-"

"That git-"

"SILENCE!" Snape yelled angrily. "Now. My first change is your seating arrangement in my lesson. I choose your seats now, starting with Longbottom! Parkinson! Front right now!"

Pansy Parkinson scowled angrily at her head of house before taking a seat next to Neville Longbottom who was too engrossed in a Herbology book to care about what was happening in the class. Soon everyone was seated except for Hermione, Blaise, Draco and Harry. Snape smirked cruelly at the teenagers.

"Granger and Zabini take that desk" Snape ordered pointing at the middle desk left. "And finally you both take the one at the back"

The rivals looked at each other with out any emotion but a frown on their lips before grudgingly walking towards their desk at the back of the room. Standing at the front of the class, Snape smirked spitefully at his students who were all glaring up at him angrily. He made them take notes of Potions which they had been doing since first year before setting them the task of brewing a de-aging potion. He walked around the class conceitedly as the students got to work. Stopping in front of Draco and Harry's table he blocked the two boys from moving.

"Tuck your shirt in and straighten out your hair, Potter," The Professor ordered. "At least make yourself presentable during school hours"

"Who do you think you are sir?" Harry snapped.

"Don't speak to me in that tone boy" Snape growled at the boy.

"You're not my father!" Harry yelled angrily pushing past the man and storming towards the door.

Stepping out so he was inline with Harry's retreating figure Snape drew out his wand.

"Finite Incantatem!" Snape yelled.

The class froze as the spell was cast, they all knew the spell exceptionally well but all wanted to know why the Potions Master was using it on The-Boy-Who-Lived. The spell hit Harry's back and he froze in mid-step. He felt a flash of hot pain sting through his body and fell to the floor. He lay there for a few minutes, unable to move under all the pain before it finally subsided. When he lifted his head he heard the collection of gasps from his class. Getting to his feet he looked around the class wondrously as they all stared at him in shock. Raising a hand to rub his eye he realised he wasn't wearing his glasses and yet he could see with out having them on, he felt his one short hair flick across his forehead silkily and fall to the base of his neck. He looked down at his being and realised he had grown during that painful flash. He eventually looked up accusingly at Professor Snape who stood their with a triumphant smirk on his lips.

"Think again son" He smirked.

Chapter three! Sorry for the wait!- Brother stole my laptop when he has his own! Ugh sometimes older brothers are so irritating.

I've got a poll on my profile on who Harry will be paired with- please vote on it!

Happiness is found in even the darkest of places if someone remembers to turn on the light
The strongest of us are the ones who can smile in even the darkest of times.

~J.H