Author's notes: I don't own Harry Potter, J. does. Anyway, this chapter will deal with the whole Harry and Snape issue at the end for those of you eager to see how it works out. Hope you like it. On with the story...

Chapter 15: Problems and Alliances

A couple of months after the Malfoy fiasco, Harry followed the Weasleys as they entered King's Cross Station. For some strange reason, Harry had a bad feeling about today, and he thought that it had some link to Platform 9 and 3/4. Percy, Fred, George, Molly, and Arthur all made it through without a problem, but as soon as Harry tried to get through, the barrier seemed to seal itself and he just ran into a brick wall. Harry, Ginny, and Ron were trapped.

"Oh no! We'll miss the train!" Ron exclaimed.

"The train leaves at exactly 11:00am! We've missed it!" Ginny exclaimed, gesturing at the clock that had just hit 11:00am.

"Umm...guy? If we can't get through, maybe Mum and Dad can't get back!" Ron said, starting to hyperventilate.

"Let's just wait for them. It's plausible that they might've noticed us missing so will have stopped the train while they tried to remove the block on the barrier. There's no need to panic," Harry said calmly. He knew that he could remove the block on the barrier, but it would mean that he would have to reveal his powers, which he didn't want to do yet. No, it shouldn't take long for the Weasley parents and others to get the barrier unsealed anyway, so they might as well wait.

"Hold on! Why didn't I think of this before! What about my dad's car?! We can fly to Hogwarts instead and make an awesome entrance if we wanted too!" Ron said, already picturing how everyone would admire him for coming up with such a great idea and getting them to Hogwarts instead of waiting for someone to come first.

"Ron, that's a stupid idea. 1) What if we got caught? 2) What if we get hurt if something goes wrong with the car? And 3) Your parents shouldn't be too long in getting the barrier unsealed anyway, so do you think that they'd appreciate how little faith you have in them by running off to fly your dad's car to Hogwarts?" Harry chastised, silently enjoying the embarrassed blush appearing on Ron's face.

"Harry's right, Ron. Let's just wait for Mum and Dad. They wouldn't just forget us!" Ginny also chastised, but inwardly hissed at her last statement, knowing that her parents didn't care about her or Harry, except for his money.

"Fine! But if they don't come back within five minutes, I'm going to the car and I'll leave you here if you still want to be stupid and wait!" Ron shouted in defeat, sitting on one of the benches and huffing.

Soon enough, after a few minutes, Molly and Arthur appeared through the barrier and lead the three students through onto the Platform. After giving Ron an 'I told you so' look, Harry and Ginny got onto the train, followed closely by Ron, who deliberately put himself in front of Ginny, blocking her off from Harry. Harry soon found Hermione in an empty compartment and went inside. Ron grudgingly went inside and was about to be followed in by Ginny, but the red-haired boy in question put an arm out to stop her.

"Go away, Ginny! No-one wants you here! Go find some girls your own age instead of cramping Harry's style!" Ron ordered.

"Let her through, Ronald! I want her here, and if you have a problem with that, then get lost! It's not your decision on who I befriend, so I'd suggest that you get your head out of your arse!" Harry bellowed, causing Ron to step back slightly in fear, which gave Ginny the chance to get past him and sit next to Harry. Ron huffed angrily and grudgingly sat next to Hermione. He made sure to turn his back to the bushy-haired girl though, alternately glaring at Ginny and trying to analyse Harry's behaviours and mannerisms for any information.

Ron had been trained in Legilimency by Dumbledore for his mission to spy on Harry, but he was never good at learning as it took too much effort. Consequently, his Legilimency skills were rubbish, but he thought that it would be enough to get information from Harry's mind as he believed that the Boy-Who-Lived's mind wouldn't be defended. He was obviously shocked when he was immediately rebuffed on his first attempt to penetrate Harry's mind, with no success on any other try. This attempt was no different; a complete rebuff, and Ron was sure that he caught a slightly smirk from Harry. Did the boy know that his mind was being attacked unsuccessfully? Surely not, he couldn't have learnt Occlumency, he wasn't even raised in a magical home! And why wasn't he battered, bruised, weak, and manipulative like Dumbledore said he would be when he first arrived on the scene? Harry Potter was confident and strong-willed! This only furthered Ron's hatred of the rich celebrity that was Harry Potter. Regardless of the fact that Harry never advertised his wealth, Ron was sure that it was just a clever scheme to make people like him before he stabbed them all in the back. Ron would enjoy taking that money once Harry was killed in a battle he couldn't win. Dumbledore would make Harry suicidal for sure and kill himself to stop Voldemort, then Dumbledore would step in and take control, making the Weasleys, except Ginny ('The traitorous whore!' Ron thought darkly), his seconds in command to do as they pleased with Harry's wealth.

Unknown to Ron, Harry had heard Ron's thoughts through using subtle Legilimency. He had never truly used it on another wizard before to spy on them, but he was glad that he did now. It seemed as though he was getting deeper into figuring out all of this, and Merlin help Dumbledore once Harry knew the whole story and knew what was being kept from him! Soon, a familiar face appeared at the compartment door, sliding it open to reveal Draco Malfoy with an evil grin on his face, surrounded by Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, his betrothed.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is! It's Potty and his little gang of fan girls!" Malfoy exclaimed, smirking away.

"What do you want, Malfoy? We've got better things to do than to listen to you witter on about utter crap," Harry said dismissively.

"Hey! Don't you dare talk to me like that! You ought to know your place, Potter!" Malfoy growled.

"What? And you think that you know my place? What are you, some head honcho type of guy? I highly doubt that! A boy who hides behind his father and master's robes?! Yeah, I shouldn't dare to talk to a little boy like that!" Harry mocked.

"Don't you talk to him like that, you arsehole! My Draco's more of a man than you ever will be!" Pansy shouted.

"What world have you been living in then, Parkinson? By my understanding, Harry defends himself and his friends while your betrothed insults people and then runs and hides like a coward when things get too rough! I believe that what Harry does is manly, while what Draco does in childish and cowardly!" Ginny shouted back, defending Harry.

"Oh yes, I remember you. You're Potter's girlfriend. You quite a feisty one, aren't you? However, you're on the wrong side with him. Come with me and I'll show you what a real man can do," Malfoy offered, licking his lips in cruel anticipation as he thought about how he could corrupt his father's rival's daughter.

"I'll choose you over Harry when Hell freezes over, Malfoy!" Ginny said firmly.

"Don't make a decision you'll regret, whore! Draco could give you everything you want if you choose him! You could finally save your blood traitor family's honour by associating with such an upstanding wizard like Draco!" Pansy said.

"As if associating with a Death Eater's son will give my family honour! Sorry, I think that I'll stick with Harry, thank you Parkinson. You can waste your life away with Malfoy for all I care. You seem to be quite happy with the idea," Ginny said.

"Why you filthy little whore! I'll-!" Pansy screamed, reaching for her wand, but she found it missing from her holster.

"I wouldn't bother, Parkinson. It's over here," Harry said, twiddling her wand in his hand.

"How dare you steal from me! Give that back now!" Pansy screamed again.

"Not until you leave. Once you do, you'll find that your wand will be returned, as will yours, Malfoy..." Harry said

"What?!" Malfoy asked rhetorically, searching for his wand, but not finding it in his holster, just like Pansy.

"Now that you understand your positions, I suggest that you leave. Good day," Harry said dismissively.

"My father will hear about this!" Malfoy spat angrily.

"Then I'll enjoy watching him berate you about how you let yourself be disarmed so easily. It's not befitting for such a high standing pureblood wizard to be disarmed so easily, now is it, Draco?" Harry asked rhetorically, grinning madly as he knew that he had the bastard there.

Malfoy merely huffed in annoyance and walked away, followed closely by his cronies, and in keeping of his word, Harry sent the wands back to their owners once they were out of sight and range.

"How the bloody hell did you do that, Harry?!" Ron immediately asked.

"Magic, Ron. Pure and simple," Harry grinned, hiding the fact that he was doing this to keep his secrets safe from the likes of Dumbledore and the Weasleys, minus Ginny. She knew how he did it, but wouldn't say either.

"Right. Well, you think that it'll be a fun year this year?" Ron said, inwardly fuming at Harry's refusal to give any information.

"If someone doesn't try to kill me this year, I'll consider it to be brilliant, Ron, but I don't hold much hope for that," Harry answered.

Most of the journey was then spent with the group talking about what they did over the summer, with Harry and Ginny muting out what they did together and anything to do with Harry's training. They would tell Hermione when the trio were on their own, but not with Ron sitting with them in case he reported anything to Dumbledore, which they knew that he would. Soon, the group got changed into their robes and they eventually reached Hogwarts Station, but Ginny had to leave to go to Hogwarts via the boats. So after a goodbye hug from Harry, who reassured her of being just fine and being sorted into Gryffindor with him, she left for the boats, leaving Harry, Hermione and Ron to go to Hogwarts via the carriages. When the three students made it to Hogwarts and entered the Great Hall, Harry made a clear point of sitting in between Hermione and Neville Longbottom, who he had befriended towards the end of last year, to make sure that Ron had to sit next to Hermione instead of next to Harry.

"Hey, Neville? Would you mind if my friend Ginny sits next to me when she comes? I don't want to sound rude and all but-" Harry whispered, making sure that Ron couldn't hear him.

"It's fine, Harry. I haven't seen her here, so I guess that you met her before Hogwarts and you want to catch up, right? It's alright by me if you want to talk to an old friend, so you don't need to make any excuses, mate," Neville replied quietly, smiling at Harry.

"Thanks, mate. You're a good friend," Harry smiled back, thankful for Neville's understanding.

Soon enough, the new first years arrived, but Harry kept his eyes on Ginny as she walked up to the Sorting Hat with the rest of the first years. The Sorting Ceremony was over quite quickly as the Sorting Hat seemed to not need to dig deep with many people, sorting them into houses in mere seconds after being placed on their heads. However, when Ginny came up to the stool and had the Hat placed on her head, Harry kept his eyes locked with hers, silently offering his support as he could see the panic beginning to form within the depths of her eyes.

Ginny was beginning to get worried once her name got called out. As the Hat got placed on her head, she caught Harry's eyes with her own and couldn't look away. She knew what he was doing, and it just made her love him more. He may put up a shield around his emotions in public; a mask to hide the real Harry Potter under, but she knew the truth. He opened up to her, however slightly that was, but he had. She knew him better than anyone else, possibly even Hermione, and that made her feel special. Maybe...just maybe...

'You should be careful with him, Miss Weasley. There's a darkness within him that has been created by the actions of some evil and cruel people, and I'm not sure whether he'll be able to handle it if it takes over,' the Sorting Hat warned Ginny mentally, as her thoughts were passed onto him.

'I don't care. Voldemort, the Dursleys, my family, and Dumbledore, will pay for hurting him, I'll make sure of that. I'll make him see what it's like to be loved and cared about, you'll see. Even if I have to face up against his inner darkness, I'll pull him through. I swear it!' Ginny replied mentally, angry at the Hat's implications.

'You're a feisty one, aren't you? Perhaps you're just what he needs...But don't be too insistent. Let him come to you. The boy is not great with emotions and needs to realise things at his own pace. Now then, you have many qualities of all four houses, just like Mr. Potter, but I wouldn't be a good Hat if I separated two good friends up who need each other. So then...' the Sorting Hat said mentally.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat exclaimed aloud, making Ginny and Harry both grin happily, knowing that they wouldn't be separated by houses.

Ginny ran to the Gryffindor table and, as requested, Neville moved aside to allow Ginny to sit next to Harry, who gave her a one-arm hug to congratulate her.

"See, I told you that it would be alright," Harry said smugly.

"Well, you didn't actually say that, but you...how can I put this...'looked' it? 'Implied it by looking'? Either way, thank you," Ginny said before impulsively kissing his cheek.

This effectively caused Harry and Ginny to stiffen and blush profoundly. After the Sorting Ceremony had finished and the feast started, things weren't any better as the two still blushed and fidgeted awkwardly, especially if they grazed each other's arm or leg with their own. Harry took this time to try to use Legilimency on Dumbledore and Snape as he could see them watching both him and Ginny intently. Harry silently, and with surgical precision, entered the minds of both men without them even knowing. He found that Dumbledore was thinking of his latest scheme on getting Harry under his control by trying to control and manipulate Ginny to be his new spy, which didn't sit well with Harry at all. He'd be keeping a close watch over Ginny and on Dumbledore. If he ever came near Ginny and hurt her, he would pay.

Harry also found out something rather interesting from Snape. Snape was thinking about how much Harry looked like his father, James, and acted so high and mighty because he was famous. This nearly caused Harry to retreat as he was getting angry by the man's prejudice, until Snape wondered why Harry couldn't be more like Lily, his wonderful, caring mother, Lily. How did Snape know about Lily? Did he used to be a friend of hers? Why didn't he tell Harry? He needed to find this out. Also, he really should apologise to Snape. It didn't do him any favours acting like how his father apparently acted, and if Snape knew his mother, then the man could be a good ally. So, when everyone was dismissed to go to their dormitories, Harry told Ginny to go without him as he needed to talk to Snape about something he just found out concerning Snape and Harry's mother. She understood and left him to it. So, Harry hid away until all of the professors were gone except for Snape, and that's when he made his entrance.

"Potter! What are you doing here?! I'll-!" Snape began, but Harry put his hands up.

"I didn't come to fight you, Professor. I came to ask you some questions...and to apologise," Harry said calmly.

"Apologise? You?" Snape asked, obviously shocked by Harry's comment.

"Yes, I know that we didn't get off to a good start last year. I apologise for my outburst, but I won't apologise for the why. I have questions for you concerning my parents, however, I think that we should do it in your office as it's more private there. I don't trust people to use this area for spying or listening in to the things I say," Harry explained.

"Very well, Potter. This better be good. I didn't expect you to be so aware of your surroundings," Snape agreed grudgingly, impressed by Harry's cautiousness, as very non-Gryffindor-like quality.

After they got to Snape's office, his curiosity won out in the end as he wanted to know what Potter wanted that warranted a discussion in private.

"Out with it, Potter! I don't have all day!" Snape sneered.

"Alright, Professor. I won't beat around the bush, as muggles say. I've found out things that make me highly cautious of my surroundings and the people around me. I have uncovered a conspiracy against me that I will show you, should you bring your pensieve out," Harry explained.

"How do you know that I have a pensieve?!" Snape spluttered.

"It's simple, Professor. After discovering this conspiracy, I needed to know everything from the minds of the suspects, so I used Legilimency on you, Dumbledore, and some students who worship the ground the old coot walks on. You have never shown anything but contempt for me, so forgive me for my intrusion, but it was necessary to protect myself and rule out those who might actually be conspiring against me," Harry explained calmly.

"You can use Legilimency?! But how is that even possible?! You should know Occlumency, let alone Legilimency, at your age! And the fact that you've seemed to get into my mind undetected is also something odd in itself! How did you do it?!" Snape asked, too shocked, and impressed, to rant or insult Harry.

"As I said, I had to learn such things to protect myself. I've been learning since I finally stepped up to my 'relatives' and forced them to tell me about the magical world and how my parents really died. I then got the necessary requirements from Diagon Alley when I first went there. And before you ask, I'm telling you this because I know that you aren't in on this conspiracy against me with Dumbledore. As proof, I'll show you my memories of the thoughts I heard from Dumbledore and a certain Mr. Weasley, and of my life at the Dursleys, via your pensieve, if you would get it out, please?" Harry replied.

Snape did just that, so Harry took out the necessary memories from his mind and put them into the pensieve for Snape to view. Once Snape came out of the pensieve liquid, he had three emotions on his face; shock, remorse, and anger.

"That old fool! How could he do such a thing?! Has he no brain?!" Snape asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer.

"I think that he let his thirst for power rule his thoughts, Professor. However, I have some questions for you," Harry answered anyway, drawing Snape back to him.

"Go ahead, Potter," Snape sighed.

"I understand that you didn't like my father, but I want to know why. Also, how did you know my mother?" Harry asked.

"Your father was a very popular boy when we were at Hogwarts. He was a lady's man in his early years, arrogant, foolish, and he was also a bully. I wasn't very social, but academic, so I was a target. Your mother, however, was my first, and only true, friend. She was kind, supportive, and caring. I...loved her...But I did something foolish. I got in with the wrong crowd. I started to befriend death eaters. I learned bad terminology that were associated with people like your mother. Muggle-borns, that is. One day, your father and his friends went a bit overboard, so when your mother came to help me, I was already angry, and I didn't like it that I needed a girl to fight my battles, so I lashed out at her. I called her an unforgivable name; mudblood. 'Mudblood' is a foul name used by pureblood purist to describe a muggle-born as they don't consider them to be anymore than dirt beneath their feet. If I had only listened to your mother and left those death eaters, I would still be by her side as her friend to this day. Subsequently, she never forgave me for what I did and shunned me. Eventually, your father realised how he felt for your mother, stopped his foolishness, and won her over. They got married and had you. The rest of the story, you already know, apart from when I first saw you, you looked so much like your father that I forgot that you were also my dear Lily's son. I thought that you would just be a mini-James, but you proved me wrong, and I didn't like it...I'm so sorry..." Snape explained, not leaving anything out like Harry hadn't.

Harry didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to say. He could tell that Snape wasn't lying; his body language and his tone of voice was a testament to his truthfulness. This man had been through a lot himself, and yet, he still carried on, just like Harry, hiding away his true feelings. Yes, Snape would be a good ally after all.

"Professor, I'm sorry..." Harry said, not knowing what else to do.

"You don't need to be sorry, Potter...You have your mother's eyes, you know? Yes...maybe there is more Lily in you than James after all...I realise that now...I've been foolish...I promised to look after Lily's son, yet instead of doing that, I insult him and don't see how the old fool is trying to control him by being blinded by my grudge against his father. Well, no more. I'll help you in anyway, I can Potter. It's the least I can do for what you've shown me and for helping me to get over this stupid grudge I've held against you and James. He changed for the better, so can I," Snape declared.

"That means a lot to me, Professor. Thank you for telling me this and for listening to me," Harry said, genuinely happy at how well this conversation had gone.

"In private, you can call me Severus, as these types of conversations have nothing to do with school. Here, I'm your friend through your parents, not your professor," Snape, no, Severus said, actually smiling for the first time in many years.

"Only if you call me Harry, Severus," Harry retorted, causing them both to chuckle a bit.

"Now then, off with you. Your friends will be wondering where you are, and you don't want the wrong people to start getting suspicious. I'll try to find out anything about this plan of Dumbledore's if I can and relay it back to you. If I have anything of interest, I'll send my owl and I'll sign it in a way to keep my identity hidden, but you'll know that it's me, just in case anyone goes snooping," Severus explained.

"Thank you, Severus. Goodbye, and I'll see you in Potions tomorrow," Harry said as he turned to walk away.

"Yes, and don't mess anything up. I have high hopes for you, Harry. Your mother excelled in Potions, and you're showing potential. Don't let me down," Severus said in a somehow serious, yet joking tone of voice.

"I won't, Severus. Bye," Harry said before exiting the office and walking the distance to his common room.

'He may be young, but he has a lot of potential...Maybe he is the one to end this war once it starts up again, but he'll do it by his rules, that's for sure. Don't worry, Lily, I'll help him to the best of my ability. I swear it,' Severus declared mentally. Yes, he would keep Lily's son safe from the manipulations of Dumbledore and others and help him to fulfil his destiny so that they could all have a bright future.

Author's notes: Yep, I decided to make Snape OOC now, before you ask about his behaviour. He's more understanding and will now be a good guy and will treat Harry fairly. Stay tuned viewers. Bye for now.