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Eleven Years Later

Harry's bright green eyes looked up at the stern face of Albus Dumbledore, sometimes he envied the other people Dumbledore spoke to. He treated them kindly and offered them candies and tea. For Harry he always demanded more, to improve his aim, a faster track record, a better recovery time. He asked more from Harry than he even asked of Severus Snape.

Harry shook his head as he held out his trainer's report for Dumbledore to read. Albus nodded his head absently and shooed Harry off "Go study potions with Snape, it's obvious you're lacking in that area." Harry nodded and bowed before leaving before his attention was caught once more by Dumbledore "And Harry, remember, at the sorting tomorrow you will go into Gryffindor, no questions."

Harry nodded, though he was momentarily inclined to tell the Headmaster that no one could control the sorting hat. He remained speechless, more often than not, that was the better choice around The Headmaster. He hurried down to the dungeons to meet with the other that was trapped in Dumbledore's hold.

Snape looked up from his cauldron and into the eyes of one Harry Potter. He mentally snorted at the name. He had been there when the Headmaster had returned with the child from one of his 'visits' to the other worlds that he knew. He had put the scar on Harry's forehead and planted him next to the body of Lilly Potter after getting rid of the body of her own son. He had proclaimed Harry the Savior, the Boy Who Lived, and then gallantly offered to raise the boy himself. Severus, though he wanted to, was in no position to tell of what had really happened and so protected the boy to the best of his limited abilities.

Severus had watched the young boy grow and develop under the Headmaster's care. The boy was as experienced as any auror, trained to follow Albus's orders to a tee. Harry was more a machine for war than an eleven year old child.

Severus motioned for the boy to come over and join him "Do you need a salve or potion?" He asked slowly and as expected Harry looked away saying "I didn't get hurt…" Severus frowned and pulled up Harry's black long sleeve and revealed a gash on his arm "Moody goes too hard on you; he should remember you are only a young boy."

Harry hissed as Severus began to apply a salve to heal the gash "Last time Dumbledore watched my training he said Moody was too soft…He's just doing as he's told Professor." Severus breathed through his nose to calm himself before he looked up into Harry's serious green eyes "You should have a choice." Harry shrugged and looked away dispassionately.

Snape finished bandaging and looked down at Harry "What were his orders for tomorrow?"

Harry smirked to himself "He told me to get into Gryffindor, earlier he mentioned that I should become friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger…" The slight sneer on Harry's face revealed his distaste "I'm not looking forward to it…"

Severus chuckled and said "He didn't happen to give you instructions if you don't get into Gryffindor?"

Harry shook his head "I'll just have to convince the hat…" He gave a small desperate sigh as he picked up a potions book listlessly. "Why does he hate me?" He asked suddenly.

Severus turned and looked at the young boy in rare surprise "What makes you ask?" he asked slowly, not confirming what the boy was saying, only curious how he had reached that deduction.

"He offers everyone else candy and tea…he calls them 'his boy' or some other ridiculous nickname and he always smiles at them…" Here Harry paused and said sadly "He never smiles at me…"

Severus came over and in a rare show of compassion put his hand on Harry's head and told him the truth "He doesn't hate you…he just doesn't see you as a person, he only sees the weapon he has created to win the war and raise his level of power."

Harry nodded and said "I'm supposed to study potions with you…" Severus looked down and said "If I tutor you any more hiding your intelligence in class will only become more difficult." Harry shrugged and looked up at Severus sadly "Master's orders." he said plainly.

The next day Harry waited for his name to be called in the Great Hall for sorting; during the wait he had come up with what he thought was a rather convincing list of reasons why the hat should put him into Gryffindor. The main one of course being that Dumbledore had told him too. When McGonagall called his name he mounted the steps slowly before sitting on the stool and allowing the hat to be lowered over his eyes. He steadied his breaths and he didn't even have a chance to list his reasoning when the hat announced loudly "Slytherin!" Harry sat there stunned for a minute when he heard the hat whisper softly in his ear "You'll thank me."

Dumbledore hid his glare of disapproval at Harry by closing his eyes to take a sip of tea, inwardly he was growling at the boy's disobedience. He had given him direct orders to get into Gryffindor! He calmed himself down when he saw the flash of the silver bracelet on Harry's wrist. Harry was the grandson of a God and the son of a Demi God, there were bound to be a few unexpected turns. His mind thought quickly he would merely spin it so that the press would see as Harry being the light version of what Riddle could have been. He nodded in satisfaction that would work almost as well as if Harry had been in Gryffindor.

Severus had been watching the play of emotions over Dumbledore features no matter how well the man was good at hiding them; Snape was not a master spy for nothing. He couldn't help the relief that he had felt when Harry had been placed in his house. He knew that life would become harder for the boy because of it, but it was better that he could keep an eye on the boy.

Harry walked to the Slytherin dorms a few steps behind the rest of his house, he didn't have to be told by Dumbledore that he would want Harry to be distant with his house and still manage to become friends with Weasley and Granger. He paused as he passed by a beautiful painting. He had lived in the castle his whole life and yet the pictures could change without him noticing it. He looked up and smiled when he saw that the picture was a leisure scene of the Gods on Mount Olympus.

He had always been attracted to Greek Myths, Dumbledore said that he was too old for fairy tales, but Harry told him they were inspiring him to become a better hero like Albus wanted; and Dumbledore couldn't very well argue against that. Harry looked over the figures in the painting carefully, noting who the different Gods were. He smiled when his eyes landed on Apollo, the painter had made his skin dark almost purple and his eyes were like burning embers. Harry leaned in to get a closer look when one of the prefects called for him to hurry up. He made a note of where the picture was and hoped it would stay there so that he could study it closer.

Apollo's eyes followed Harry's form and he found that he could move in the picture. He looked around slowly and realized that this was the other world where Harry had been taken; he saw the boy's dark hair as he rounded a corner and Apollo followed, excusing himself as he dashed through other portraits. This was the boy that the Fates had said might be able to tame his heart, this was also the boy who was the grandson of Zeus and he knew he had to get a good look. Zeus would want to know as much about his grandson as he could.

He followed Harry into the dorms and watched as he unpacked a small backpack that held nothing that was very personal, just articles of clothing that were mostly black and the necessities. He watched as a blond boy came up to him and said "Harry Potter the Savior of the Wizarding world…how did you ever get into this house?" Draco sneered.

Harry simply shrugged and said emotionlessly "The hat just chose this house for me, I had nothing to do with it." Draco merely humphed and chose the farthest bed from Harry's.

In fact most of the beds were moved so as to be away from Harry but he said nothing and crawled into his own bed to sleep. Apollo felt his chest ache at the sight of the lonely boy, and had a fleeting wish that he could do something to ease the pain of loneliness.

He shook his head, this boy was mortal like his lost love, and he knew how fragile mortals were, it was best he didn't get involved at all. Mortals lived for only a short time, but the pain they left behind lasted as long as his eternal life. He found his way back to the portrait that had brought him here and decided that h could at least observe the child for more information.

Apollo watched from inside of the picture, his ember eyes burning as they watched the subdued form of Harry walking down the corridor to class. Two happily chatting students were ahead of him, and every time they seemed to remember they weren't alone and looked back Harry's face would instantly change, looking as happy and carefree as any other young student in the school.

Apollo knew the truth behind that smile though; he had seen Harry cornered in the halls late at night by the Headmaster. He knew that Harry's nights were sleepless as he patrolled the hallways dutifully as ordered by the same Headmaster. Hogwarts was currently guarding the Sorcerer's Stone and the Headmaster had told Harry that he would hold the young boy personally responsible if anything happened to it.

Apollo moved to follow Harry down the hall, it had become habit for him to simply keep an eye on the boy when he wasn't busy in the otherworld, and he told himself it was merely to give Zeus and Hercules some sense of peace since neither were featured in this painting.

Harry waved good bye to Ron and Hermione before giving a sigh of relief, it was almost curfew, but he didn't want to return to the dorms. He could stay out in the hall, the Headmaster had told the Professors that Harry was doing work for him after hours, and that he was to be left alone. He looked back in the direction of Slytherin he wanted some sleep before his patrol tonight, but he couldn't decide if facing Draco was worth it. He decided that it wasn't and began to wander looking for a spot to rest.

He came across the painting of the Gods and smiled, this spot was just as good as any other. He pulled his cloak around him like a blanket and cuddled up across from the picture, his lashes soon dropping from exaughstion as he fell asleep, he never went farther than a light doze, his training wouldn't let him, but he was happy to get any rest.

Apollo looked over Harry's small form and shook his head. Zeus had been distressed when told of what Harry was going through, resulting in several stormy days for the normally temperate islands. Hercules hadn't been much happier, but there was nothing he could do for his son, after Meg's death Hercules had become a minor God, a guide for Heroes in training. Apollo looked back at the young hero seeing that Harry was shifting in his sleep, thinking that he could use his father's guidance.

Harry jerked awake and quickly wrapped the invisibility cloak around him when he heard someone coming. The cloak had been given to him mysteriously shortly after his training to face Voldemort when he was six. His eyes watched closely as Snape confronted Quirrell, realizing that the Defense teacher must be the one aiding Voldemort Harry made a mental note to tell Dumbledore if he didn't know already.

He sighed, he would have to start spending more time with Fluffy if Quirrell was the one that they had to watch, after all, everyone knew that it was easy to get information out of Hagrid, the incident with the Dragon was all the proof that one needed to know that the half-giant couldn't be trusted to keep a secret for very long.

Dumbledore's pale blue eyes took in Harry as he gave his report; the boy had grown quickly since he had first brought him back from the other world. The boy had kept his hair short like James and he believed that Lilly and James were his parents. His build was filled with muscle; though it was slim due to his age it helped Harry move around almost undetectable. As a result the Headmaster thought that his little weapon was coming along perfectly. He nodded and dismissed the boy with a careless wave, he needed to know when Quirrell planned to take the Stone and make sure that Harry was there to stop him, and it was a good chance to put him up against Voldemort to really see how his training was preparing him.

Apollo had been watching in the Headmaster's office, he hadn't needed his God abilities to see what the man was planning. He cast an almost frantic glance at young Harry who merely bowed his head at his orders to guard the Sorcerer's Stone more closely and do whatever was needed to prevent anyone from taking it, though they both knew that they were really talking about Voldemort. Zeus would not be pleased when he learned of this development.

Harry woke with a start; his eyes alight with the knowledge of what was going on "The stone…" He whispered softly to himself, he wouldn't question how he knew that it was happening now. He simply changed into his training clothes and grabbed his cloak and wand; he would not fail in keeping the stone safe.

Apollo watched at Harry's form as it descended into the darkness, he had followed as far as he could before the pictures had run out and he knew that something was going down where the Stone was kept. He thought quickly and remembered the Professor that seemed to follow Harry around on his patrols late at night. "Severus Snape." He murmured to himself, heading for the potion master's rooms and hoping to Zeus that he wasn't too late.

Severus woke slowly his senses telling him that he was no longer alone in his room. He sat up, his wand as always, was by his side and he drew it casting a silent 'lumos' to look at the room around him. Two glinting spots caught his interest and he stood and crossed the room, surprised to see that it was the Apollo from one of the Castle's Greek paintings. Or at least one of the few that had survived through Dumbledore's purging, the man had one day decided that the Greek paintings were inappropriate, though the castle refused to obey completely and hid some from the headmaster.

Severus raised a brow "Well?" he drawled slowly, his sleep and been interrupted and he wanted to know why. The Apollo looked back at him with determination and said without preamble "Harry's protecting the stone down in the Chamber, someone went after it." Severus's eyes widened and he said nothing as he threw his uniform robe over his dark night clothes and left his rooms with a bang of the door.

Harry had only been mildly surprised when Ronald and Hermione were waiting for him at the Chamber door "The Headmaster told us to go with you." Hermione said with pompous authority. Harry replied with only a quick nod of his head before leading them into the room, they were there mainly for show, he knew they wouldn't last long.

Harry entered the room that held the Sorcerer's stone with his wand drawn and guard ready. Quirrell stood before the mirror talking to himself, and turned slowly when Harry entered. "Potter…" A voice hissed slowly, "I want to speak to him." "Master you aren't ready." Harry couldn't follow their conversation but all was made clear to him as Quirrell unwrapped his turban and turned revealing the distorted face of Lord Voldemort.

Snape sneered at the unconscious forms of Weasley and Granger; they appeared to have been wounded in the chess match. Severus wondered what the Headmaster could have been thinking when he sent them along with Harry. He should have realized they would have only gotten in the boy's way. He continued past the challenges, using the dismantling charms not having time to play games while Harry's life was on the line.

Harry felt the weight of the stone in his pocket and knew that he would have to be smart and fast if he didn't want Quirrell or Voldemort to realize it. He slowly edged away, making up a fantasy of being Head Boy, seeing his mother and father, a cute girlfriend, he was rambling by the time they realized he was lying. "His pocket!" Voldemort hissed and with that Quirrell attacked.

As soon as his skin touched Harry thought he saw a flash of lavender eyes in the mirror of Erised as Quirrell started to crumble and burn, he heard a low warm voice in his ear "I won't let them hurt you Hadriaus." But it was gone as soon as it passed, he looked down at the dust that was once Professor Quirrell and backed up as it came to life. The spirit of Voldemort taking what strength he could and continued on to his next form. He gave a scream as he passed through Harry, costing the young boy the last of his strength as he collapsed to the ground.

Snape rounded the corner in time to watch Harry fall and managed to catch him before he hit the ground. He looked up seeing a form move he could only look in shock as a slender woman wearing a purple toga dress appeared in the mirror. Her lavender eyes looked over Harry with despair and regret, they then locked with the Professor and she said softly "Keep him safe." before vanishing.

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